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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	body_n	bread_n	expound_v	3,162	5	10.0922	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63706	Clerus Domini, or, A discourse of the divine institution, necessity, sacredness, and separation of the office ministerial together with the nature and manner of its power and operation : written by the special command of King Charles the First / by Jer. Taylor.	Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667.; Taylor, Jeremy, 1613-1667. Rules and advices to the clergy of the diocesse of Down and Connor.; Rust, George, d. 1670. Funeral sermon preached at the obsequies of the Right Reverend Father in God Jeremy Lord Bishop of Down.	1672 (1672)	Wing T299; ESTC R13445	91,915	82

have been a consecration in genere orationis called by S. Paul benediction or the bread of blessing and therefore S. Austin expounding those words of S. Paul Let prayers and supplications and intercessions and giving of thanks be made saith Eligo in his verbis hoc intelligere quod omnis vel paene omnis frequentat ecclesia ut precationes accipiamus dictas quas fecimus in celebratione sacramentorum antequam illud quod est in Donini mensâ accipiat benedici orationes cum benedicitur ad distribuendum comminuitur quam totam orationem paene omnis ecclesia Dominicâ oratione concludit The words and form of consecration he calls by the name of orationes supplications the prayers before the consecration preces and all the whole action oratio and this is according to the stile and practice and sence of the whole Church or very near the whole And S. Basil saith that there is more necessary to consecration than the words recited by the Apostles and by the Evangelists The words of Invocation in the shewing the bread of the Eucharist and the cup of blessing Who of all the Saints have left to us For we are not content with those which the Apostle and the Evangelists mention but before and after we say other words having great power towards the mystery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we have received by tradition These words set down in Scripture they retained as a part of the mystery co-operating to the solemnity manifesting the signification of the rite the glory of the change the operation of the Spirit the death of Christ and the memory of the sacrifice but this great work which all Christians knew to be done by the Holy Ghost the Priest did obtain by prayer and solemn invocation according to the saying of Proclus of C. P. speaking of the tradition of certain prayers used in the mysteries and indited by the Apostles as it was said but especially in S. Iames his Liturgy By these prayers saith he they expected the coming of the holy Ghost that his divine presence might make the bread and the wine mixt with water to become the body and blood of our blessed Saviour And S. Iustin Martyr very often calls the Eucharist food made Sacramental and Eucharistical by prayer and Origen We eat the bread holy and made the body of Christ by prayer Verbo Dei per obsecrationem sanctificatus bread sanctified by the word of God and by prayer viz. the prayer of consecration Prece mystica is S. Austins expression of it Corpus Christi sanguinem dicimus illud tantum quod ex fructibus terrae acceptum prece mystica consecratum ritè sumimus That only we call the body and blood of Christ which we receive of the fruits of the earth and being consecrated by the mystical prayer we take according to the rite And S. Hierom chides the insolency of some Deacons towards Priests upon this ground Who can suffer that the ministers of widdows and tables should advance themselves above those at whose prayers the body and blood of Christ are exhibited or made presential I add only the words of Damascen The bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ supernaturally by invocation and coming of the Holy Ghost Now whether this consecration by prayer did mean to reduce the words of institution to the sence and signification of a prayer or that they mean the consecration was made by the other prayers annexed to the narrative of the institution according to the several sences of the Greek and Latin Church yet still the ministery of the Priest whether in the words of consecration or in the annexed prayers is still by way of prayer Nay further yet the whole mystery it self is operative in the way of prayer saith Cassander in behalf of the School and of all the Roman Church and indeed S. Ambrose and others of the Fathers in behalf of the Church Catholick Nunc Christus offertur sed offertur quasi homo quasi recipiens passionem offert seipsum quasi Sacerdos ut peccata nostra dimittat hic in imagine ibi in veritate ubi apud Patrem quasi advocatus intervenit So that what the Priest does here being an imitation of what Christ does in Heaven is by the sacrifice of a solemn prayer and by the representing the action and passion of Christ which is effectual in the way of prayer and by the exhibiting it to God by a solemn prayer and advocation in imitation of and union with Christ. All the whole office is an office of intercession as it passes from the Priest to God and from the people to God And then for that great mysteriousness which is the sacramental change which is that which passes from God unto the people by the Priest that also is obtained and effected by way of prayer For since the holy Ghost is the consecrator either he is called down by the force of a certain number of syllables which that he will verifie himself hath no where described and that he means not to do it he hath fairly intimated in setting down the Institution in words of great vicinity to express the sence of the mystery but yet of so much difference and variety as will shew this great change is not wrought by such certain and determined words The blood of the New Testament so it is in Saint Matthew and S. Mark The new Testament in my blood so S. Paul and S. Luke My body which is broken My body which is given c. and to think otherwise is so near the Gentile Rites and the mysteries of Zoroastes and the secret operations of the Enthei and Heathen Priests that unless God had declared expresly such a power to be affixed to the recitation of such certain words it is not with too much forwardness to be supposed true in the spirituality of the Gospel But if the spirit descends not by the force of syllables it follows He is called down by the prayers of the Church presented by the Priests which indeed is much to the honour of God and of Religion an endearment of our duty is according to the analogy of the Gospel and a proper action or part of spiritual sacrifice that great excellency of Evangelical Religion For what can be more apt and reasonable to bring any great blessing from God than prayer which acknowledges him the fountain of blessing and yet puts us into a capacity of receiving it by way of moral predisposition that holy graces may descend into holy vessels by holy ministeries and conveyances and none are more fit for the employment than prayers whereby we bless God and bless the symbols and ask that God may bless us and by which every thing is sanctified viz. by the word of God and Prayer that is by God's benediction and our impetration according to the use of the word in the saying

precept is but twice reported of in the new Testament though the institution of the Sacrament be four times And it is done with admirable mystery to distinguish the several interests and operations which concern several sorts of Christians in their distinct capacities S. Paul thus represents it Take eat This do in remembrance of me plainly referring this precept to all that are to eat and drink the Symbols for they also do in their manner enunciate declare or represent the Lords death till he come And Saint Paul prosecutes it with instructions particular to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to them that do communicate as appears in the succeeding cautions against unworthy manducation and for due preparation to its reception But S. Luke reports it plainly to another purpose and he took bread and gave thanks and brake it and gave it unto them saying This is my body which is given for you Hoc facite This do in remembrance of me This cannot but relate to accepit gratias egit fregit distribuit Hoc facite Here was no manducation expressed and therefore Hoc facite concerns the Apostles in the capacity of Ministers not as receivers but as Consecrators and givers and if the institution had been represented in one scheme without this mysterious distinction and provident separation of imployment we had been eternally in a cloud and have needed a new light to guide us but now the Spirit of God hath done it in the very first fountains of Scripture And this being the great mystery of Christianity and the only remanent Express of Christ's Sacrifice on earth it is most consonant to the Analogy of the mystery that this commemorative Sacrifice be presented by persons as separate and distinct in their ministery as the Sacrifice it self is from and above the other parts of our Religion Thus also the Church of God hath for ever understood it without any variety of sence or doubtfulness of distinguishing opinions It was the great excellency and secret mystery of the Religion to consecrate and offer the holy Symbols and Sacraments I shall transcribe a passage out of Iustin Martyr giving the account of it to Antoninus Pius in his Oration to him and it will serve in stead of many for it tells the Religion of the Christians in this mystery and gives a full account of all the Ceremony 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. When the prayers are done then is brought to the President of the Brethren the Priest the Bread and the Chalice of Wine mingled with Water which being received he gives praise and glory to the Father of all things and presents them in the name of the Son and the Holy Spirit and largely gives thanks that he hath been pleased to give us these gifts and when he hath finished the prayers and thanksgiving all the people that is present with a joyful acclamation say Amen Which when it is done by the Presidents and people those which amongst us are called Deacons and Ministers distribute to every one that is present that they may partake of him in whom the thanks were presented the Eucharist Bread Wine and Water and may bear it to the absent Moreover this nourishment is by us called the Eucharist which it is lawful for none to partake but to him who believes our Doctrine true and is washed in the Laver for the remission of sins and regeneration and that lives so as Christ delivered For we do not take it as common bread and common drink but as by the Word of God Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world was made flesh and for our salvation sake had flesh and blood after the same manner also we are taught that this nourishment in which by the prayers of his word which is from him the food in which thanks are given or the consecrated food by which our flesh and blood by mutation or change are nourished is the flesh and blood of the incarnate Jesus For the Apostles in their Commentaries which they wrote which are called the Gospels so delivered as Jesus commanded For when he had given thanks and taken Bread he said Do this in remembrance of me This is my body And likewise taking the Chalice and having given thanks he said This is my blood and that he gave it to them alone This one Testimony I reckon as sufficient who please to see more may observe the tradition full testified and intire in Ignatius Clemens Romanus or whoever wrote the Apostolical Constitutions in his name Tertullian S. Cyprian S. Athanasius Epiphanius S. Basil S. Chrysostom almost every where S. Hierom S. Augustine and indeed we cannot look in vain into any of the old Writers The sum of whose Doctrine in this particular I shall represent in the words of the most ancient of them S. Ignatius saying that he is worse than an Infidel that offers to officiate about the holy Altar unless he be a Bishop or a Priest And certainly he could upon no pretence have challenged the Appellative of Christian who had dared either himself to invade the holy Rites within the Chancels or had denyed the power of celebrating this dreadful mystery to belong only to sacerdotal ministration For either it is said to be but common Bread and Wine and then if that were true indeed any body may minister it but then they that say so are blasphemous they count the blood of the Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as S. Paul calls it in imitation of the words of institution the blood of the Covenant or New Testament a prophane or common thing they discern not the Lord's body they know not that the Bread that is broken is the communication of Christ's body But if it be a holy separate or divine and mysterious thing who can make it ministerially I mean and consecrate or sublime it from common and ordinary Bread but a consecrate separate and sublimed person It is to be done either by a natural power or by a supernatural A natural cannot hallow a thing in order to God and they only have a supernatural who have derived it from God in order to this ministration who can shew that they are taken up into the lot of that Deaconship which is the type and representment of that excellent ministery of the true Tabernacle where Jesus himself does the same thing in a higher and more excellent manner This is the great Secret of the Kingdom to which in the Primitive Church many who yet had given up their names to Christ by designation or solemnity were not admitted so much as to the participation as the Catechumeni the Audientes the Poenitentes Neophytes and Children and the ministery of it was not only reserved for sacred persons but also performed with so much mysterious secrecy that many were not permitted so much as to see This is that Rite in which the Priest intercedes for and blesses the

chose by lot and the whole Church chose the seven Deacons before the Apostles imposed hands but the separation or this first sanctification of the person is a giving him a power to do such offices which God hath appointed to be done to him and for the people which we may clearly see and understand in the instance of Iob and his friends For when God would be intreated in behalf of Eliphaz and his companions he gave order that Iob should make the address Go to my servant he shall pray for you and him will I accept this separation of a person for the offices of advocation is the same thing which I mean by this first sanctification God did it and gave him a power and authority to go to him and put him into a place of trust and favour about him and made him a Minister of the Sacrifice which is a power and eminency above the persons for whom he was to sacrifice and a power or grace from God to be in nearness to him This I suppose to be the great argument for the necessity of separating a certain order of men for Ecclesiastical ministeries And it relies upon these propositions 1. All power of ordination descends from God and he it is who sanctifies and separates the person 2. The Priest by God is separate to be the gratious person to stand between him and the people 3. He speaks the word of God and returns the prayers and duty of the people and conveys the blessings of God by his prayer and by his ministery So that although every Christian must pray and may be heard yet there is a solemn person appointed to pray in publick and though Gods Spirit is given to all that ask it and the promises of the Gospel are verified to all that obey the Gospel of Jesus yet God hath appointed Sacraments and Solemnities by which the promises and blessings are ministred more solemnly and to greater effects All the ordinary devotions the people may do alone the solemn ritual and publick the appointed Minister only must do And if any man shall say because the Priest's ministery is by prayer every man can do it and so no need of him by the same reason he may say also that the Sacraments are unnecessary because the same effect which they produce is also in some degree the reward of a private piety and devotion But the particulars are to be further proved and explicated as they need Now what for illustration of this Article I have brought from the instance of Iob is true in the Ministers of the Gospel with the superaddition of many degrees of eminency But still in the same kind for the power God hath given is indeed mystical but it is not like a power operating by way of natural or proper operation it is not vis but facullas not an inherent quality that issues out actions by way of direct emanation like natural or acquired habits but it is a grace or favour done to the person and a qualification of him in genere politico he receives a politick publick and solemn capacity to intervene between God and the people and although it were granted that the people could do the external work or the action of Church ministeries yet they are actions to no purpose they want the life and all the excellency unless they be done by such persons whom God hath called to it and by some means of his own hath expressed his purpose to accept them in such ministrations And this explication will easily be verified in all the particulars of the Priests Power because all the ministeries of the Gospel are in genere orationis unless we except preaching in which God speaks by his servants to the people the Minister by his office is an Intercessor with God and the word used in Scripture for the Priests officiating signifies his praying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were ministring or doing their Liturgy the work of their supplications and intercession and therefore the Apostles positively included all their whole ministery in these two but we will give our selves to the word of God and to prayer the prayer of consecration the prayer of absolution the prayer of imposition of hands they had nothing else to do but pray and preach And for this reason it was that the Apostles in a sence nearest to the letter did verifie the precept of our Blessed Saviour Pray continually that is in all the offices acts parts and ministeries of a daily Liturgy This is not to lessen the power but to understand it for the Priests ministery is certainly the instrument of conveying all the blessings of the people which are annexed to the ordinary administration of the Spirit But when all the office of Christs Priesthood in Heaven is called intercession for us and himself makes the sacrifice of the Cross effectual to the salvation and graces of his Church by his prayer since we are Ministers of the same Priesthood can there be a greater glory than to have our ministery like to that of Jesus not operating by vertue of a certain number of syllables but by a holy solemn determined and religious prayer in the several manners and instances of intercession according to the analogy of all the religions in the world whose most solemn mystery was their most solemn prayer I mean it in the matter of sacrificing which also is true in the most mysterious solemnity of Christianity in the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper which is hallowed and lifted up from the common bread and wine by mystical prayers and solemn invocations of God And therefore S. Dionysius calls the forms of Consecration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prayers of Consecration and S. Cyril in his third mystagogique Catechism sayes the same The Eucharistical bread after the invocation of the holy Ghost is not any longer common bread but the body of Christ. For although it be necessary that the words which in the Latin Church have been for a long time called the words of Consecration which indeed are more properly the words of Institution should be repeated in every consecration because the whole action is not compleated according to Christs pattern nor the death of Christ so solemnly enunciated without them yet even those words also are part of a mystical prayer and therefore as they are not only intended there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of history or narration as Cabasil mistakes so also in the most ancient Liturgies they were not only read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as a meer narrative but also with the form of an address or invocation Fiat hic panis corpus Christi fiat hoc vinum sanguis Christi Let this bread be made the body of Christ c. So it is in S. Iames his Liturgy S. Clements S. Marks and the Greek Doctors And in the very recitation of the words of institution the people ever used to answer Amen which intimates it to

Apostolical as it was an office extraordinary circumstantionate definite and to expire all that was promised should descend upon them after Christs ascension and was verified in Pentecost for to that purpose to bring all things to their mind all of Christs Doctrine and all that was necessary of his life and miracles and a power from above to enable them to speak boldly and learnedly and with tongues all that besides the other parts of ordinary power was given them ten days after the Ascension And therefore the breathing the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles in the octaves of the Resurrection and this mission with such a power was their ordinary mission a sending them as ordinary Pastors and Curates of Souls with a power to govern binding and loosing can mean no less and they were the words of the promise with a power to minister reconciliation for so Saint Paul expounds remitting and retaining which two were the great hinges of the Gospel the one to invite and collect a Church the other to govern it the one to dispense the greatest blessing in the world the other to keep them in capacities of enjoying it For since the holy Ghost was now actually given to these purposes here expressed and yet in order to all their extraordinaries and temporary needs was promised to descend after this there is no collection from hence more reasonable than to conclude all this to be part of their commission of ordinary Apostleship to which the ministers of religion were in all Ages to succeed In attestation of all which who please may see the united testimony of S. Cyril S. Chrysostome S. Ambrose S. Gregory and the Author of the questions of the old and new Testament who unless by their calling shall rather be called persons interess'd than by reason of their famous piety and integrity shall be accepted as competent are a very credible and fair representment of this truth and that it was a doctrine of Christianity that Christ gave this power to the Apostles for themselves and their successors for ever and that therefore as Christ in the first donation so also some Churches in the tradition of that power used the same form of words intending the collation of the same power and separating persons for that work of that ministery I end this with the counsel S. Augustine gives to all publick penitents Veniat ad Antistites per quos illis in Ecclesia claves ministrantur à praepositis sacrorum accipiant satisfactionis suae modum let them come to the Presidents of Religion by whom the Keys are ministred and from the Governours of holy things let them receive those injunctions which shall exercise and signifie their repentance SECT III. THe second power I instance in is preaching the Gospel for which work he not only at first designed Apostles but others also were appointed for the same work for ever to all generations of the Church This Commission was signed immediately before Christ's Ascension All power is given to me in Heaven and in Earth Go ye therefore and teach all Nations teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world First Christ declared his own commission all power is given him into his hand he was now made King of all the Creatures and Prince of the Catholick Church and therefore as it concerned his care and providence to look to his cure and flock so he had power to make deputations accordingly Go ye therefore implying that the sending them to this purpose was an issue of his power either because the authorizing certain persons was an act of power or else because the making them Doctors of the Church and teachers of the Nations was a placing them in an eminency above their scholars and converts and so also was an emanation of that power which derived upon Christ from his Father from him descended upon the Apostles And the wiser persons of the world have always understood that a power of teaching was a Presidency and Authority for since all dominion is naturally founded in the understanding although civil government accidentally and by inevitable publick necessity relies upon other titles yet where the greatest understanding and power of teaching is there is a natural preheminence and superiority eatenus that is according to the proportion of the excellency and therefore in the instance of S. Paul we are taught the style of the Court and Disciples sit at the feet of their Masters as he did at the feet of his Tutor Gamaliel which implies duty submission and subordination and indeed it is the highest of any kind not only because it is founded upon nature but because it is a submission of the most imperious faculty we have even of that faculty which when we are removed from our Tutors is submitted to none but God for no man hath power over the understanding faculty and therefore so long as we are under Tutors and Instructors we give to them that duty in the succession of which claim none can succeed but God himself because none else can satisfie the understanding but he Now then because the Apostles were created Doctors of all the world hoc ipso they had power given them over the understandings of their disciples and they were therefore fitted with an infallible spirit and grew to be so authentick that their determination was the last address of all inquiries in questions of Christianity and although they were not absolute Lords of their faith and understandings as their Lord was yet they had under God a supreme care and presidency to order to guide to instruct and to satisfie their understandings and those whom they sent out upon the same errand according to the proportion and excellency of their spirit had also a degree of superiority and eminency and therefore they who were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Labourers in the word and doctrine were also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Presbyters that were Presidents and Rulers of the Church and this eminency is for ever to be retained according as the unskilfulness of the Disciple retains him in the form of Catechumens or as the excellency of the instructor still keeps the distance or else as the office of teaching being orderly and regularly assigned makes a legal political and positive authority to which all those persons are for orders sake to submit who possibly in respect of their personal abilities might be exempt from that authority Upon this ground it is that learning amongst wise persons is esteemed a title of nobility and secular eminency Ego enim quid aliud munificentiae adhibere potui ut studia ut sic dixerim in umbra educata è quibus claritudo venit said Seneca to Nero. And Aristotle and A. Gellius affirm that not only excellency of extraction or great fortunes but learning also makes noble circum undique sedentibus multis doctrinâ aut genere

persons but enabling them with power because he never commands a work but he gives abilities to its performance and therefore still in every designation of the person by whatsoever ministery it be done either that ministery is by God constituted to be the ordinary means of conveying the abilities or else God himself ministers the grace immediately It must of necessity come from him some way or other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Saint Iames hath adopted it into the Family of Evangelical truths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Every perfect gift and therefore every perfecting gift which in the stile of the Church is the gift of Ordination is from above the gifts of perfecting the persons of the Hierarchy and ministery Evangelical which thing is further intimated by Saint Paul Now he which stablisheth us with you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in order to Christ and Christian Religion is God and that his meaning be understood concerning the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of establishing him in the ministery he adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he which anointeth us is God and hath sealed us with an earnest of his Spirit unction and consignation and establishing by the holy Spirit the very stile of the Church for Ordination 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was said of Christ Him hath the Father sealed that is ordained him the Priest and Prophet of the world and this he plainly spoke as their Apostle and President in Religion Not as Lords over your faith but fellow-workers he spake of himself and Timothy concerning whose Ministery in order to them he now gives account 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God anoints the Priest and God consigns him with the holy Ghost that is the principale quaesitum that is the main question And therefore the Author of the Books of Ecclesiastical Hierarchy giving the rationale of the Rites of Ordination sayes that the Priest is made so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of proclaiming and publication of the person signifying That the holy man that consecrates is but the proclaimer of the divine election but not by any humane power or proper grace does he give the perfect gift and consecrate the person And Nazianzen speaking of the rites of Ordination hath this expression with which the Divine grace is proclaimed And Billius renders it ill by superinvocatur He makes the power of consecration to be declarative which indeed is a lesser expression of a fuller power but it signifies as much as the whole comes to for it must mean God does transmit the grace at or by or in the exteriour ministery and the Minister is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a declarer not by the word of his mouth distinct from the work of his hand But by the ministery he declares the work of God then wrought in the person suscipient And thus in absolution the Priest declares the act of God pardoning not that he is a Preacher only of the pardon upon certain conditions but that he is not the principal agent but by his ministery declares and ministers the effect and work of God And this interpretation is clear in the instance of the blessed Sacrament where not only the Priest but the people do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 declare the Lords death not by a Homily but by vertue of the mystery which they participate And in the instance of this present question the consecrator does declare power to descend from God upon the person to be ordained But thus the whole action being but a ministery is a declaration of the effect and grace of Gods vouch safing and because God does it not immediately and also because such effects are invisible and secret operations God appointing an external rite and ministery does it that the private working of the Spirit may become as perceived as it can be that is that it may by such rites be declared to all the world what God is doing and that man cannot do it of himself and besides the reasonableness of the thing the very words in the present allegation do to this very sence expound themselves for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are the same thing and expressive of each other the consecrator declares that is he doth not do it by collation of his own grace or power but the grace of God and power from above And this Doctrine we read also in S. Cyprian towards the end of his Epistle to Cornelius ut Dominus qui Sacerdotes sibi in Ecclesia sua eligere constituere dignatur electos quoque constitutos sua voluntate atque opitulatione tueatur It is a good prayer of Ordination that the Lord who vouchsafes to chuse and consecrate Priests in his Church would also be pleased by his aid and grace to defend them whom he hath so chosen and appointed Homo manum imponit Deus largitur gratiam Sacerdos imponit supplicem dextram Deus benedicit potenti dextra saith Saint Ambrose Man imposes his hand but God give the grace the Bishop lays on his hand of prayer and God blesses with his hand of power The effect of this discourse is plain the grace and power that enables men to minister in the mysteries of the Gospel is so wholly from God that whosoever assumes it without Gods warrant and besides his way ministers with a vain sacrilegious and ineffective hand save only that he disturbs the appointed order and does himself a mischief SECT VII BY this ordination the persons ordained are made Ministers of the Gospel Stewards of all its mysteries the Light the Salt of the earth the Shepherd of the flock Curates of souls these are their offices or their appellatives which you please for the Clerical ordination is no other but a sanctification of the person in both sences that is 1. A separation of him to do certain mysterious actions of religion which is that sanctification by which Ieremy and S. Iohn the Baptist were sanctified from their mothers wombs 2. It is also a sanctification of the person by the increasing or giving respectively to the capacity of the suscipient such graces as make the person meet to speak to God to pray for the people to handle the mysteries and to have influence upon the cure The first sanctification of a designation of the person which must of necessity be some way or other by God because it is a nearer approach to him a ministery of his graces which without his appointment a man must not cannot any more do than a messenger can carry pardon to a condemned person which his Prince never sent But this separation of the person is not only a naming of the man for so far the separation of the person may be previous to the ordination for so it was in the ordinations of Matthias and the seven Deacons The Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they appointed two before God

of our blessed Saviour Man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God that is by God's blessing to which prayer is to be joyned that we may cooperate with God in a way most likely to prevail with him and they are excellent words which Cassander hath said to the purpose Some Apostolical Churches from the beginning used such solemn prayers to the celebration of the mysteries and Christ himself beside that he recited the words of Institution he blessed the Symbols before and after sung an Ecclesiastical hymn And therefore the Greek Churches which have with more severity kept the first and most ancient forms of consecration than the Latin Church affirm that the Consecration is made by solemn invocation alone and the very recitation of the words spoken in the body of a prayer are used for argument to move God to hallow the gifts and as an expression and determination of the desire And this Gabriel of Philadelphia observes out of an Apostolical Liturgy The words of our Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 antecedently and by way of institution and incentive are the form together with the words which the Priest afterwards recites according as it is set down in the divine Liturgy It is supposed he means the Liturgy reported to be made by S. Iames which is of the most ancient use in the Greek Church and all Liturgies in the world in their several Canons of communion do now and did for ever mingle solemn prayers together with recitation of Christ's words The Church of England does most religiously observe it according to the custom and sence of the primitive Liturgies who always did believe the consecration not to be a natural effect and change finished in any one instant but a divine alteration consequent to the whole ministery that is the solemn prayer and invocation Now if this great ministery be by way of solemn prayer it will easier be granted that so the other are For absolution and reconciliation of penitents I need say no more but the question of S. Austin Quid est aliud Manûs Impositio quàm oratio super hominem And the Priestly absolution is called by S. Leo Sacerdotum supplicationes The prayers of Priests and in the old Ordo Romanus and in the Pontifical the forms of reconciliation were Deus te absolvat the Lord pardon thee c. But whatsoever the forms were for they may be optative or indicative or declarative the case is not altered as to this question for whatever the act of the Priest be whether it be the act of a Judge or of an Embassador or a Counsellor or a Physician or all this the blessing which he ministers is by way of a solemn prayer according to the exigence of the present Rite and the form of words doth not alter the case for Ego benedico Deus benedicat is the same and was no more when God commanded the Priest in express terms to bless the people only the Church of late chuses the indicative form to signifie that such a person is by authority and proper designation appointed the ordinary minister of benediction For in the sence of the Church and Scripture none can give blessing but a Superior and yet every person may say in charity God bless you He may not be properly said to bless for the greater is not blessed of the lesser by Saint Paul's Rule the Priest may bless or the Father may and yet their benediction save that it signifies the authority and solemn deputation of the person to such an ordinary Ministery signifies but the same thing that is it operates by way of prayer but is therefore prevalent and more effectual because it is by persons appointed by God And so it is in Absolution for he that ministers the pardon being the person that passes the act of God to the penitent and the act of the penitent to God all that manner that the Priest interposes for the penitent to God is by way of prayer and by the mediation of intercession for there is none else in this imaginable and the other of passing God's act upon the penitent is by way of interpretation and enunciation as an Embassador and by the word of his ministery In persona Christi condonavi I pardon in the person of Christ saith S. Paul in the first he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the second he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in both a minister of divine benediction to the people the anointing from above descends upon Aaron's beard and so by degrees to the skirts of the people and yet in those things which the Priest or the Prophet does but signifie by divine appointment he is said to do the thing which he only signifies and makes publick as a Minister of God thus God sent Ieremy He set him over the Nations to root out and to pull down and to destroy to throw down and to build and to plant and yet in all this his ministery was nothing but Prophetical and he that converts a sinner is said to save him and to hide a multitude of sins that is he is instrumental to it and ministers in the imployment so that here also Verbum est oratio the word of God and prayer do transact both the parts of this office And I understand though not the degree and excellency yet the truth of this manner of operation in the instance of Isaac blessing Iacob which in the several parts was expressed in all forms indicative optative enunciative and yet there is no question but it was intended to do Iacob benefit by way of impetration so that although the Church may express the acts of her ministery in what form she please and with design to make signification of another Article yet the manner of procuring blessings and graces for the people is by a ministery of interpellation and prayer we having no other way of address or return to God but by Petition and Eucharist 17. I shall not need to instance any more S. Austin summs up all the Ecclesiastical ministeries in an expression fully to this purpose Si ergo ad hoc valet quod dictum est in Evangelio Deis peccatorem non audit aut Per peccatorem sacramenta non celebrentur Quomodo exaudit deprecantem vel super aquam baptismi vel super oleum vel super Eucharistiam vel super capita eorum super quibus manus imponitur with S. Austin praying over the Symbols of every Sacrament and Sacramental is all one with celebrating the mystery And therefore in the office of Consecration in the Greek Church this power passes upon the person ordained That he may be worthy to ask things of thee for the salvation of the people that is to celebrate the Sacraments and Rites and that thou wilt hear him which fully expresses the sence of the present discourse that the first part of that grace of the holy Spirit which consecrates the Priest