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A26914 The difference between the power of magistrates and church-pastors and the Roman kingdom & magistracy under the name of a church & church-government usurped by the Pope, or liberally given him by popish princes opened by Richard Baxter. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1671 (1671) Wing B1241; ESTC R3264 44,016 63

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by any neighbour Pastor that like the Pope usurpeth authority over other Churches Nor should any standing Laws at all be made of such things where there is no need especially where the case is mutable and it belongeth to the Pastors function to determine it as occasion serveth 2 Tim. 2. 15. Mat. 24. 45. 30. Whether these Antecedent Determinations of Concordant Pastors in a Synod shall be called Laws or Canons or Decrees is but lis de nomine And also whether this power be called Legislative or Jurisdiction And who will trouble the Church unnecessarily about words and names But yet I think they may be best called Canons or Agreements And I wish that high Titles be laid aside lest it encourage the usurping Spirit that aspireth after too high things 31. Grotius de Imperi● summarum potestatum circa sacra hath said so much and so well of all this Controversie that it is a shame to us all that we need any more and a shame to me to trouble the world after him with Writings on that subject so far less useful and to any one to cloud that which he hath clearly and judiciously stated were it not that renewed occasions require it 32. Pastors have not only the charge of right ordering the Assemblies but also of helping and overseeing all the individuals of their charge And to help them in the personal application of the Scriptures to themselves and to resolve their particular Doubts and Cases of Conscience and to reprove admonish and comfort the individuals as there is need As a Physicion is not only to read a Physick Lecture to his Hospital but to Govern each Patient in order to his Cure 33. Ordination is rei ordinis gratia an act of Office by which the Ministerial Office and Power is Ministerially delivered by way of Investiture and Solemnization as a house is delivered by a Key and a parcel of Land by a Turf and Twig by the hand of a Servant appointed thereunto Or as our Church state is delivered to us by Baptism by the like investiture Though yet it is God directly who giveth the Power and that secondarily by his servant thus investeth us in it though not without the previous Call which is necessary thereunto 34. Ordination is not an idle Ceremony which the Ordainer must perform upon the judgement of others Prince or people without his own cognizance of the person or against his Conscience But he that must ordain must first judge the person fit to be ordained and therefore must also try his fitness 1 Tim. 5. 22. 35. So much of the Antecedent power of the Ministry in which it is to be noted that Ordination and Baptism are efficient acts like Generation in nature under God the first efficient as ex Quo omnia and as they are ordinis gratia are the beginning of Government also And Government is an Ordering act as under God the supream Governour ut per Quem omnia And Sacramental entertainment with Christs body and blood in Church Communion is Actus Am●ris a final act of friendship under God as the final Cause ad Quem omnia 36. The subsequent part of the Pastoral Government is by using the members of the Church in the exercise of the Pastoral Office according to their several deserts which is by a General and particular application of the Word of God to their Consciences and guiding them in circumstances and judging of actions and persons according to that Word in order to the good of souls and the preservation of the Church and truth Acts 20. 28. Heb. 13. 17. 37. When the whole Church falleth into notorious sin the Pastors must reprove them and call them to repentance And if they apostatize forsake them as ceasing to be a Church 38. When a single member falleth into notorious scandal the Pastor must admonish him and call him to repentance and if he remain impenit●nt and obstinate after due admonition and publick exhortation and patience he must as Christs Steward of his Word and Family pronounce him a person unfit for Church communion and require or command him in the name of Christ to forbear it and the Church to forbear his communion declaring him also unpardoned by Christ till he rep●nt and binding him over to his judgement So that Excommunication is a Sentence of the person as uncapable of Church communion according to Christs Laws and a fore-judging him as unpardoned and condemnable by Christs judgement unless he repent and a command to the sinner to forbear the communion and priviledges of the Church and to the Church to avoid him 1 Cor. 5. Titus 3. 10 c. 39. If the sinner repent the Pastor is Christs Officer in his name to pronounce him pardoned if his repentance be sincere and the Guide of the Church to require them to receive him again into their communion 2 Cor. 2. 7 10 11. Gal. 6 1 2 3. 40. Because Magistrates and people as aforesaid cannot attend so great a work as this without the neglect of their particular Callings and are not to be supposed so ●it as the Pastor and because God hath made it the work of his Office the people are to rest in his judgement about the fitness and Title of those that have the publick Church communion with them though they are the Judges and Choosers of their Domestick and private familiars And they must not separate from them that are thus regularly admitted 41. Yet when the Pastors by mal-administration give them just cause the flock may seek their due remedy of which more anon 42. This power is essentially in the Ministerial Office and therefore is in every single Pastor and not only in some few or in the abler sort or only in a Synod Mat. 16. 19. 43. When a Church hath but one Pastor he must exercise it alone with due consideration and advice But when a Church hath many Pastors they must exercise it and all Church guidance in a way of Concord and avoid all dissentions among themselves Ephes. 4. 3 4 5. 1 Cor. 1. 10. John 17. 21 22. 44. Therefore in such a case a particular Pastor may be obliged oft to suspend some such acts because the Major Vote of his Syn-Presbyters are against it Not that they are his Governours for the Majority of Vote but because the Laws of Concord require the Minor part to submit to the Major 45. The same is the reason why in Elections Consents and other acts belonging to the flock the Major Vote should carry it in things lawful not because the people have any true Church Government but because they are obliged to Unity and Concord And in that case the Law of Nature calleth the Minor part to submit to the Major lest there never should be any Concord had 46. And the same is the reason why in Synods and Councils the Major Vote of the Bishops must prevail in lawful things not forbidden of God 47. If any Pastor in the world