A63200:170
A trial of the new-church way in New-England and in old ... by that…A tryall of the nevv-church vvay in New-England and in old ... by that…
A trial of the new-church way in New-England and in old ... by that learned and godly minister of Christ, John Ball of Whitmore ; penned a little before his death and sent over to the New England ministers, anno 1637, as a reply to an answer of theirs in justification of the said positions ... ; now published ... by William Rathband and Simeon Ash.A tryall of the nevv-church vvay in New-England and in old ... by that learned and godly minister of Christ, John Ball of Whitmore ; penned a little before his death and sent over to the New England ministers, anno 1637, as a reply to an answer of theirs in justification of the said positions ... ; now published ... by William Rathband and Simeon Ash.
London: printed by T. Paine and M. Simmons for Thomas Underhill, 1644
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
4 A Minister chosen and set over one society, is to look unto his people committed to his charge, and feed the flock over which the Lord hath made him overseer, ⟨p. 33⟩but he is a Minister in the Church Universal,1 for as the Church is one, so is the Ministry one, of which every Minister (sound or Orthodox) doth hold his part, and though he be Minister over that flock only which he is to attend, yet he is a Minister in the universal Church.2 The function or power of exercising that Function in the abstract, must be distinguished from the power of exercising it, concretely, according to the divers circumstances of places. The first belongeth to a Minister every where in the Church, the latter is proper to the place and people where he doth minister. The lawful use of his power is limited to that congregation ordinarily. The power it self is not so limited and bounded. In Ordination, Presbyters are not restrained to one or other certain place, as if they were to be deemed Ministers there only, though they be set over a certain people. And as the faithful in respect of a community betwixt them, must and ought to perform the Offices of love one to another, though of different societies, so the Ministers in respect of their communion, must and ought upon occasion to perform ministerial Offices towards the faithful of distinct societies.
4 A Minister chosen and set over one society, is to looke unto his people committed to his charge, and feed the flock over which the Lord hath made him overseer, ⟨p. 33⟩but he is a Minister in the Church Universall,1 for as the Church is one, so is the Ministery one, of which every Minister (sound or Orthodox) doth hold his part, and though he be Minister over that flock onely which he is to attend, yet he is a Minister in the universal Church.2 The functiō or power of exercising that Function in the abstract, must be distinguished from the power of exercising it, concretely, according to the divers circumstances of places. The first belongeth to a Minister every where in the Church, the latter is proper to the place and people where he doth minister. The lawfull use of his power is limited to that congregation ordinarily. The power it self is not so limited and bounded. In Ordination, Presbyters are not restrained to one or other certaine place, as if they were to be deemed Ministers there onely, though they be set over a certain people. And as the faithfull in respect of a community betwixt them, must and ought to performe the Offices of love one to another, though of different societies, so the Ministers in respect of their communion, must and ought upon occasion to performe ministeriall Offices towards the faithfull of distinct societies.