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

(§ 10.) AGAIN, the Power of this extraordinary Office may be considered intensively or formally what it was. And this in one Word was, All the Power that the Lord Christ hath given or thought meet to make use of for the Edification of the Church. I shall give a brief Description of it in some few general Instances. (1) It was a Power of administering all the Ordinances of Christ in the way and manner of ⟨p. 147⟩his Appointment. Every Apostle in all places had Power to Preach the Word, to Administer the Sacraments, to Ordain Elders, and to do whatever else belonged unto the Worship of the Gospel. But yet they had not Power to do any of these things any otherwise but as the Lord Christ had appointed them to be done. They could not Baptize any but Believers and their Seed, Acts 8. 36, 37, 38. Acts 16. 15. They could not Administer the Lord's Supper unto any but the Church, and in the Church, 1 Cor. 10. 20, 22, 23, 24. Chap. 10. 17. They could not Ordain Elders, but by the Suffrage and Election of the People, Acts 14. 23. Those indeed who pretend to be their Successors, plead for such a Right in themselves unto some, if not all Gospel-Administrations, as that they may take Liberty to dispose of them at their pleasure by their sole Authority, without any regard unto the Rule of all Holy Duties in particular. (2) It was a Power of executing all the Laws of Christ, with the Penalties annexed unto their Disobedience. We have, saith the Apostle, in a readiness wherewith to revenge all Disobedience, 2 Cor. 10. 6. And this principally consisted in the Power of Excommunication, or the Judiciary Excision of any Person or Persons from the Society of the Faithful, and Visible Body of Christ in the World. Now although this Power were absolutely in each Apostle towards all Offenders in every Church; whence Paul affirms that he had himself delivered Hymeneus and Alexander unto Satan, 1 Tim. 1. 20. Yet did they not exercise this Power without the Concurrence and Consent of the Church from whence an Offender was to be cut off; because that was the Mind of Christ, and that which the Nature of the Ordinance did require,