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BOOK III.

THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.

THAT the Christian ministry, considered in the abstract, is of divine origin, is affirmed not less by Protestants than by Romanists. With the following statements of the Confession of Augsburgh and the first Helvetic Confession, all the Protestant confessions will be found to agree: "That we may attain to saving faith, the ministry of the Word and the Sacraments was instituted. For through the Word and the Sacraments, as instruments, the Holy Spirit, the author of faith, is given. They-i. e. the Protestants-condemn the Anabaptists, whose opinion it is that the Holy Spirit is given to men apart from the external Word."* "God has always employed ministers to establish and govern his Church; He employs them now, and will do so as long as there is a Church upon earth. The origin, therefore, institution, and office, of Christian ministers are from God himself. God could, indeed, by an immediate exercise of his power, gather a Church out of mankind; but he chooses rather to deal with men through the ministry of men." That, as the clergy alone are not the Church, so that is not a Church which has no pastors (yogis Tóvtor ixxλnoía óv xaλeira), is a principle admitted on both sides. It is only thus far, however, that the opposite parties find themselves on common ground; for when the further questions arise, how is it that the ministerial function comes into existence, and is perpetuated in the Church; and what is the relation in which those invested with that function stand to the other members of a Christian society? grave differences of view will be found to exist between them. It is, in fact, on these two points, the former of which relates to what is commonly called the doctrine of the apos tolical succession, the latter to the powers of the clerical body, that the controversy between Romanists and Protestants mainly hinges.

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* Conf. Aug. Art. 5.

† Conf. Hel. Prim. c. 18.

CHAPTER I.

THE ORIGIN AND PERPETUATION OF THE MINISTERIAL FUNCTION.

THE apostolicity of the Church is an attribute which belongs to it as a Christian society; for no community can establish its claim to the title of Christian unless there be a substantial agreement between its doctrines and institutions, and those of the inspired persons to whom Christ delivered a commission to establish His Church upon earth. What constitutes a true derivation from the Apostles, and in what manner the latter still preside in every society which has a valid claim to the title of Christian; —upon these points differences of opinion may exist: but upon the neces sity of an Apostolical succession, and the perpetuity of Apostolic government in the Church, in some sense of the words, all sections of orthodox Christianity-certainly the Protestant and the Romish Churches are agreed.

It has already been observed, that while the Protestant makes the essential point of connexion with the Apostles to consist in the succession of doctrine, the Romanist regards the Apostolicity of the Church as mainly consisting in the visible succession of a ministry derived from the Apostles; the opposition in this, as in other points of the controversy, being not absolute, but relative. But the phrase "Apostolicity of ministry" itself admits of a twofold meaning: it may signify either that a certain form of Church polity resembles that instituted by the Apostles, or that in a certain line of succession, and in that alone, certain spiritual powers supposed to be essential to the validity of ministerial acts, have been transmitted from the Apostles, the first possessors of those powers. An instance or two will serve to make this distinction clear. During the continuance of the Donatist schism, there were Donatist and Catholic episcopal churches, the form of polity adopted by the sectaries being identical with that of the body from which they separated: consequently, the episcopal form of Church government being presumed to be the Apostolical one, the Donatist churches might, on account of their retention of that form, be called Apostolical: but they were not so in the other sense of the word, for they had broken the continuity of succession; they could not trace the title of their bishops in an uninter

rupted line up to the Apostles: and therefore, according to Cyprian and Augustin, they had not amongst them those spiritual sacerdotal powers which those fathers supposed to be handed down only in the one direct line of succession. Similarly, if any of the sects around us were to abandon their present polity, and in its place to establish a threefold ministry, corresponding in functions and in title with our bishops, presbyters, and deacons, by no means an inconceivable case there would be in that community episcopacy indeed, but not the succession, or the sacerdotal powers connected therewith: and, according to Church principles, the change would have no effect in rendering its ministry more legitimate, or the acts of that ministry more valid, than they had previously been. It is with Apostolicity in the latter sense of the word that we have now to do. The Apostolic form of the Christian ministry having already been made a subject of discussion, the alleged devolution of Apostolic powers remains to be considered. It is evident, from what has been said above, that in this, and not in the mere identity of form, lies the essence of the so-called doctrine of the Apos tolical succession. The present question relates, not to episcopacy, or any other form of polity as such, for under any form sacerdotal powers might have been transmitted, but to the alleged fact and nature of the transmission itself: episcopacy itself is affirmed to be essential to the Church chiefly because it is supposed that in and through the episcopate the original Apostolic commission, or rather the spiritual powers connected therewith, has been derived to the existing bishops, and through them to the inferior ministers of the Church.

The Romish doctrine of the Apostolical succession, which alone can claim the merit of being intelligible and consistent, is thus set forth in the formularies of Trent: -It is a principle everywhere laid down in Scripture, that no one may presume to undertake sacerdotal functions without a divine commission empowering him so to do. The authority of an ambassador to act as such must be derived from the supreme magistrate; otherwise his acts are null and void, and he himself liable to punishment: how much more strictly must we suppose this rule to be observed in the case of those who are the ambassadors of heaven, and "stewards of the mysteries of God;" the appointed channels of communication between God and man, and the representatives of God upon earth.* Among the Jews, as we know, "no man" took "this honour to

"Cum episcopi et sacerdotes, tanquam Dei interpretes et internuncii quidam sint, qui ipsius Dei personam in terris gerunt."- Cat. Conc. Trid. p. 2. c. 7. s. 2.

himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron;" and every attempt on the part of unauthorized persons to invade the priest's office was visited by God with severe penalties. For this offence, Corah and his company were destroyed, and Uzziah struck with leprosy; for the same, Saul was deprived of his kingdom. If this was the case under the old dispensation, how much more reason have we to expect to find it so under the new, seeing the Christian priesthood as much excels the Levitical in dignity, as the new law is superior to the old. As regards matter of fact: we find that Christ Himself did not enter upon His public ministry until He had been anointed with the Spirit, and commissioned thereto by a voice from Heaven; and throughout His ministry, He is found constantly insisting upon His divine mission: "the Word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me" (John, xiv. 24.). In like manner when he was about to delegate the government of the Church to the Apostles, He gave them a formal commission to exercise the apostolic office: "As my Father hath sent me, so send I you" (John, xx. 21.). Thus divinely commissioned by the Lord of the Vineyard, the Apostles went forth preaching the Gospel; and when Christian societies multiplied, and it became impossible for the inspired ambassadors of Christ to exercise a personal superintendence over every church, they delegated a portion of their authority to others, whom they appointed to the pastoral office, transmitting to them at the same time the ordinary sacerdotal grace which they had themselves received from Christ. The Apostolic delegates in their turn handed down the ministerial commission to their successors; and thus it has descended to the present time, each member of the series receiving, at his ordination, or consecration, both the commission and the powers which belonged to his predecessors.

The power thus transmitted from hand to hand is two-fold, a power of order and a power of jurisdiction. By the former is meant the power of consecrating, offering, and ministering, the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist; by the latter, the power of absolution, which is concerned with the government and guid ance of the mystical body of Christ. These powers were con

*

"Hoc autem (sacerdotium) ab eodem Domino Salvatore nostro institutum esse, atque apostolis, eorumque successoribus in sacerdotio, potestatem traditam consecrandi, offerendi et ministrandi corpus et sanguinem ejus, necnon et peccata dimittendi et retinendi, sacræ literæ ostendunt, et Catholicæ ecclesiæ traditio semper docuit."- Conc. Trid. Sess. 23. c. 1. "Intelligant fideles. . quanta ipsi ecclesiæ ejusque ministris potestas divinitus tributa sit. Ea autem duplex est, ordinis et jurisdictionis. Ordinis potestas ad verum Christi Domini corpus in sacrosancta Eucharistia refertur. Jurisdictionis vero potestas tota in Christi cor

*

ferred upon the Apostles on distinct occasions: they were made priests, and received the power of order, when our Lord at the Last Supper delivered them His body to eat, and His blood to drink and they received the power of jurisdiction, when, after His resurrection, Christ sent them forth with His own delegated authority: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost; whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them: and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John, xx. 22, 23). By the Apostles these powers were transmitted to their successors, and by them in turn to theirs; and thus, by perpetual derivation, they have descended to the present church.

The external instrument of transmission is the Sacrament of Orders, the administration of which belongs to the bishop alone. The visible sign of the Sacrament is- after the apostolic precedent-the laying on of hands; the inward effect is two-fold: first, the impressing upon the soul of a spiritual character, or stamp, which is indelible, so that he who is once made a priest can never return to the condition of a layman; and, secondly, grace, not sanctifying, but ministerial (gratia gratis data), for the valid performance of sacerdotal functions. +

This theory of the apostolical succession is, as has been observed, clear and consistent; and the conclusions which follow from it are obvious. Where there are no sacraments, and no forgiveness of sins, there is, as all admit, no Church; but there are no sacraments, at least no Eucharist, nor is there any absolution, where there is no lawful priesthood; and there is no legiti mate priesthood where there are no true bishops-successors of the Apostles to administer the sacrament of orders; and those

pore mystico versatur."-Cat. Conc. Trid. p. 2. c. 7. s. 11. "Observandum est in ordinatione presbyterorum, de quibus præcipue disputatur, duas conferri potestates: unam consecrandi Eucharistiam, quæ dicitur potestas in corpus Christi verum: alteram absolvendi a peccatis, quæ dicitur potestas in corpus Christi mysticum."- Bellarmin. De Sac. Ord. c. 9.

"Si quis dixerit, illis verbis, Hoc facite in meam commemorationem, Christum non instituisse Apostolos sacerdotes; aut non ordinâsse, ut ipsi aliique sacerdotes offerrent corpus et sanguinem suum: anathema sit."- Conc. Trid. Sess. 22. Can. 2.

"Dominus autem sacramentum pœnitentiæ tunc præcipue instituit, cum a mortuis éxcitatus, insufflavit in discipulos suos, dicens: Accipite Spiritum Sanctum; quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis; et quorum retinueritis, retenta sunt. Quo tam insigni facto, et verbis tam perspicuis, potestatem remittendi et retinendi peccata, ad reconciliandos fideles post baptismum lapsos, Apostolis et eorum legitimis successoribus fuisse communicatam, universorum patrum consensus semper intellexit."- Ibid. Sess. 14. c. 1.

"Si quis dixerit, per sacram ordinationem non dari Spiritum Sanctum, ac proinde frustra episcopos dicere, Accipe Spiritum Sanctum; aut per eam non imprimi characterem : vel eum qui sacerdos semel fuit laicum rursus fieri posse: anathema sit."- Ibid. sess. 23. Сап. 4.

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