Two discourses concerning the Holy Spirit, and His work the one, Of the Spirit…

(§ 2.) Wherever Power is given by Christ unto his Churches, and Duties are required in the execution of that Power, unto the Ends of his Spiritual Kingdom, to be performed by virtue thereof, there is an Office in the Church. For an Ecclesiastical Office is an especial Power given by Christ unto any Person or Persons for the performance of especial Duties belonging unto the Edification of the Church in an especial manner. And these Offices have been of two sorts. (1.) Extraordinary. (2.) Ordinary. Some seem to deny that there was ever any such thing as Extraordinary Power or Extraordinary Offices in the Church. For they do provide Successors unto all who are pleaded to have been of that kind; and those such as look how far short they come of them in other things, do exceed them in Power and Rule. I shall not contend about ⟨p. 138⟩words, and shall therefore only enquire what it was that constituted them to be Officers of Christ in his Church whom thence we call Extraordinary; and then if others can duly lay claim unto them, they may be allowed to pass for their Successors.

(§ 2.) Wherever Power is given by Christ unto his Churches, and Duiies are required in the execution of that Power, unto the Ends of his Spiritual Kingdom, to be performed by vertue thereof, there is an Office in the Church. For an Ecclesiastical Office is an especial Power given by Christ unto any Person or Persons for the performance of especial Duties belonging unto the Edification of the Church in an especial manner. And these Offices have been of two sorts. (1.) Extraordinary. (2.) Ordinary. Some seem to deny that there was ever any such thing as Extraordinary Power or Extraordinary Offices in the Church. For they do provide Successors unto all who are pleaded to have been of that kind; and those such as look how far short they come of them in other things, do exceed them in Power and Rule. I shall not contend about ⟨p. 138⟩words, and shall therefore only enquire what it was that constituted them to be Officers of Christ in his Church whom thence we call Extraordinary; and then if others can duely lay claim unto them, they may be allowed to pass for their Successors.