N00779:166
The order of the Gospel, professed and practised by the churches of Christ in…
The order of the Gospel, professed and practised by the churches of Christ in New England, justified, by the Scripture, and by the writings of many learned men, both ancient and modern divines; in answer to several questions, relating to church discipline / by Increase Mather, president of Harvard College in Cambridge, and teacher of a church at Boston in New England. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]The order of the Gospel, professed and practised by the churches of Christ in New England, justified, by the Scripture, and by the writings of many learned men, both ancient and modern divines; in answer to several questions, relating to church discipline / by Increase Mather, president of Harvard Colledge in Cambridge, and teacher of a church at Boston in New England. ; [Five lines of Scripture texts]
Boston: printed by B. Green for Benjamin Eliot, 1700
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. Supposing a man to have a Particular Church to which he is related, if he is a Pastor to other Churches besides that, then it is not in the power of that Church to deprive him of his Pastoral Office. If they should reject him and that deservedly from being their Pastor, he may pretend, I am a Pastor of the Catholic Church, and will be so, do you do your worst. This favours of the Papists indelible Character, who pretend that if a man has been once Ordained, he can never be a Laic again. Then a person who is justly not only deposed from his Office, but Excommunicated, may be a Pastor still. And if so, then he that is not so much as a Member of the Visible Church may yet be a Pastor of the Church Catholic, for one justly Excommunicate, is no longer of Christ's Visible Kingdom, being Authoritatively declared to belong unto Satan. Our Discipline declares not only that such as never were related to a particular Flock, but such as have been, but now are not so related, to be no Church Officers. The words in the Platform, Ch 9 S. 7 Are, He that is clearly loosed from his Office relation unto that Church whereof he was a Minister, cannot be looked at as an Officer, nor perform any act of Office in any other Church, unless he be again orderly called unto Office.
4. Supposing a man to have a Particular Church to which he is related, if he is a Pastor to other Churches besides that, then it is not in the power of that Church to deprive him of his Pastoral Office. If they should reject him and that deservedly from being their Pastor, he may pretend, I am a Pastor of the Catholick Church, and will be so, do you do your worst. This favours of the Papists indelible Character, who pretend that if a man has been once Ordained, he can never be a Laic again. Then a person who is justly not only deposed from his Office, but Excommunicated, may be a Pastor still. And if so, then he that is not so much as a Member of the Visible Church may yet be a Pastor of the Church Catholick, for one justly Excommunicate, is no longer of Christ's Visible Kingdom, being Authoritatively delared to belong unto Satan. Our Discipline declares not only that such as never were related to a particular Flock, but such as have been, but now are not so related, to be no Church Officers. The words in the Platform, Ch 9 S. 7 Are, He that is clearly loosed from his Office relation unto that Church whereof he was a Minister, cannot be looked at as an Officer, nor perform any act of Office in any other Church, unless he be again orderly called unto Office.