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power_n bind_v church_n loose_v 4,001 5 10.0884 5 false
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A34539 The nonconformist's plea for lay-communion with the Church of England together with a modest defence of ministerial nonconformity, and the exercise of their ministry / by Mr. John Corbet ... Corbet, John, 1620-1680. 1683 (1683) Wing C6259; ESTC R2132 20,263 32

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the Right of the Bishop upon the account of exercising the Ministry where he is the Pastor 4. That I make a Schism in the Church 5. That I violate the Authority of the Civil Magistrate To these particulars the several Heads of my Defence following are a direct Answer 1. That I have received from Christ the Office of a Pastor mentioned Eph. 4. 11. and that I am bound in my present state to fulfil it 2. That I am not obliged either by the nature of my Office or by any oath or promise or by being under the regulation of Authority to exercise my Ministry no otherwise than as in subordination to and as authorised and regulated by the Bishop of the Diocess 3. That I invade not the Right of the Diocesan Bishop in exercising the Ministry where he claims the right of being the Pastor 4. That I do not violate any true bonds of Church-Unity nor in any respect cause divisions and offences 5. That I do not violate the Authority of the Civil Magistrate § 1. That I have received from Christ the Office of a Pastor mentioned Eph. 4. 11. And that I am bound in my present state to fulfil it THE Ministry that I have received is the sacred office of Presbyterate to which I am ordained according to the form of Ordination that was established in the Church of England That this office is of divine right I take for granted and that according to the Scripture it is the office of a Pastor mentioned Eph. 4. 11. I thus prove 1. Wheresoever this office is set forth in the Scripture it is set forth as the office of a spiritual Pastor or Bishop which is to feed the Flock of God by teaching and ruling it And a Presbyter who is a sacred Officer of the Christian Church but not a Bishop or Pastor is no where mentioned in Scripture If it be said that this Office is otherwise set forth in Scripture or that a Presbyter who is a sacred Officer of the Christian Church yet no Bishop is there mentioned let the Assertor shew the place or places If it be said that this Order of Presbyterate may be of divine inst●tution yet not defined or expressed in Scripture I desire satisfactory proof from some other Authority both of its being of divine institution and what its nature is 2. To have the Power of the keys of binding and loosing of remitting and retaining sins in Christs name as his commissioned officer is to have Episcopal or Pastoral Power and this Power belongs to the said Office of Presbyterate Forasmuch as some distinguish the Power of the keys into that which is in in foro interiore or the Court of Conscience within and that which is in foro exteriore in the exterior Court to wit that of the Church the former of which is said to belong to the Bishop and the Presbyter and the latter to the Bishop only I further inforce my argument 1. The Scripture makes no such distinction and where the Law distinguisheth not we may not distinguish 2. The distinction in this case is vain for all power that belongs to the Pastors of the Church purely respects the Conscience and it respects the Conscience as having the conduct of the outward man and that in reference to Church communion as well as other matters 3. If Presbyters may in the name of Christ bind the impenitent and loose the penitent as to the conscience which is the greater and primary binding and loosing then by parity of reason and that with advantage they may bind and loose as to Church-communion which is the lesser secondary and subsequent binding and loosing 3. That Officer is a Pastor or Bishop that hath a power of Authoritative declaring or judging in Christs name that this or that wicked person in particular is unworthy of fellowship with Christ and his Church and of charging the congregation in Christs name not to keep company with him as being no fit member of a Christian society also a Power of authoritative declaring or judging in Christs Name that the same person repenting of his wickednes and giving evidence thereof is meet for fellowship with Christ and his Church and of requiring the congregation in Christs Name again to receive him into their Christian fellowship for these powers are no other than the powers of Excommunication and Ecclesiastical absolution Now the Presbyter hath apparently the said Powers as he can undoubtedly declare and judg and charge as aforesaid touching this or that person or particular all particulars being included in the general he hath undoubtedly a Power of applying the Word in Christs Name as well personally as generally 4. For the further clearing of what is already argued let it be considered that an Authoritative Teacher in the Church commissioned by Christ is also a Pastor for the government of a Pastor is only by the Spiritual Sword which is the Word of God and the discipline which he exercises is no more than the personal application of the same word to judg the impenitent and to absolve the penitent in Christs Name and he that Authoritatively teaches in Christs Name as the Presbyter doth can do so much in the personal Application of the Word 5. The Pastoral Authority of Presbyterate is further cleared by many passages in the publick forms of the Church of England touching that order In the very form of my ordination according to the ancient use of this Church I received the office of a Pastor and Successor of the Apostles I mean not in their Apostolick but Pastoral office The form was this Receive the holy Ghost whose sins thou remittest they are remitted and whose sins thou retainest they are retained and be thou a faithful dispenser of the Word of God and his Holy Sacraments in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Now the former part hereof is intirely and compleatly the form of Words used by our Saviour Joh. 20. 22 23. towards the Apostles expressing their Pastoral Authority and the latter part Be tbou a faithful dispenser c. is no derogation or diminution from the Power granted in the former part If the Presbyters are not the Apostles successors in the Pastoral Authority how could they have right to that form of ordination In the form of ordering Priests or Presbyters in one of the prayers after the mentioning of Christs sending abroad into the world his Apostles Prophets Evangelists Doctors Pastors there follows thanksgiving to God for calling those that were then to be ordered Priests to the same Office and Ministry of salvation of mankind Whence it appears that this Office is the same with some of the forementioned kinds And what can it be but that of Doctors and Pastors This Church did before the last alteration made Anno 1662. in solemn form of words require the Presbyters when they were ordained to exercise the discipline of Christ as the Lord hath commanded