Jones on Article XXIII: Of Ministering in the Congregation

” This is also to be looked for, that he be one whom God hath called and put in office; and not one that coineth uncalled, unsent for ; not one that of himself presumeth to take honor

upon him He” (Christ) “is also the good man of the

house : the church is his household, which ought with all diligence to be fed with his word and his sacraments. These be his goods most precious ; the dispensation and administration whereof he would bishops and curates should have.” — Sermon lefore Convocation.

” To preach God’s word, it is a good thing, and God will have that there shall be some which do it ; but for all that, a man may not take upon him to preach God’s word, except he be called unto it. When he doth it, he doth not well, though he have learning and wisdom to be a preacher; yet for all that, he ought not to come himself without any lawful calling ; for it was no doubt a good thing to keep the ark from falling, yet For all that, Oza was stricken to death because he took in hand to meddle with it without any commission’” — Ser. on St. Andrew’s Day.

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” This is an example for all ministers to follow, that they do not with bribery or flattery thrust themselves into any office, but patiently tarry the calling of the Lord their God, which can and will call them at such time as he judges them necessary to serve him.” — Exp. on Aggeus.

” Your wisdoms see what a sort of unmeet men labour daily to run headlong into the ministry, pretending a very hot zeal, but altogether without necessary knowledge, bearing a face of doing good to the congregation of God, when indeed the great- est part seek nothing but riches, […] They presume to teach before they have learnt. They take upon them to rule, when they themselves ought most chiefly to be […] to News out of Heaven.

” So likewise is the spiritual magistrate, I mean the minister of God’s word, the ordinance of God ; and hath a sword also com- mitted to him for the comfort of the good, and for the chastise- ment of the evil May every man that will, take upon him

this ecclesiastical function or oflice of spiritual ministry ? Nothing less. For St. Paul saith, ’ How shall they preach except they be sent ?’ Aaron and the prophets, Christ and his apostles, preached not till they were sent. Those that take upon them the ministry before they be called, are of the number of those whom God by the prophet describeth on this manner, ’ I sent them not and they ran ; I spake not unto them and they preached.’ How many ways may the ministers be called unto the ministry ? Two. One is when they be called immediately of God, as the prophets and apostles were, which were raised up of God to prophecy and to teach, without any vocation or calling of man. And this kind of vocation, God useth customably, outwardly to approve and confirm with wonderful testimonies and signs, as we may more see in Moses, Helias, &c. But this calling is now ceased. The other is, when the ministers be called mediately, as they say, and in

order of men, that is to say, of the magistrate and of the people. They that are thus called unto the ministry may right well pei-suade themselves that they are called of God, and that their calling is lawful ; and that they, living in that voca- tion, please God, and their service is acceptable unto God

Whosoever perceived himself to be apt and meet to rule in the congregation, both in life and doctrine, and feeleth in himself to be moved thereunto by the instinct of tlfe Holy Ghost, and hath in himself also an ardent zeal and fervent desire to help and profit the church of Christ, and to avance God’s true religion ; the same man may with a good conscience deserve the ministry.” — Catechism, Offices of all Degrees.

” All Christian princes have committed unto them immedi- ately of God, the whole cure of all their subjects, as well concerning the administration of God’s word for the cure of souls, as concerning the ministration of things political, and civil governance. And in both these ministrations they must have sundry ministers under them, to supply that which is

appointed to their several offices All the said officers and

ministers, as well of the one sort as of the other, be appointed, assigned and elected in every place by the laws and orders of

kings and princes In the apostles’ time, when there was no

Christian princes, by whose authority ministers of God’s

word might be appointed sometime the apostles and other

unto whom God had given abundantly his Spirit, sent or appointed ministers of God’s word.” — Questions and Answers concerning the Sacraments.

” Apostolus, is a Greek word, and betokeneth one that is sent forth of another, to do a message. So Paul did not send himself to preach the gospel of Christ, but he was sent of God, and appointed to that office by Ananias, as it is written in the Acts ix. So it becometh others to be called of God and by man, that shall be preachers. There are four manners of

Apostles, as St. Jerome sheweth. (Gal. i.) First be they which be sent of God only, as the prophets were. Secondly, be they which be called of God and sent also by man, as Paul, Titus, and Timothy were. Thirdly, be they which be not

called of God, but sent by man ; by favour, love, money

Fourthly, be they which be neither called of God nor of man, but they thrust themselves into that common office, seeking their own advantage, lucre, profit and such like. There- fore it behoveth every man to tarry his vocation, be he never so well learned, lest he for his hastiness, run into damnation, taking upon him and usurping a common power, before he be called to it by the superior power to whom the vocation as touching the outward vocation belongeth. And if it be so that the high powers in this behalf be negligent to seek for true ministers of God’s word, and would not have faithful preachers of the gospel, or care not for them, or care not whether the people be fed with God’s word or no, which thing principally they should look for and provide, that the people be fed with the word of life : that then, he that is called of God being well learned in the holy scriptures, intending nothing else but God’s glory and the people’s salvation, may and ought to offer himself to the high powers, and desire their authority and license to preach the gospel, as St. Paul saitb, (1 Tim. vii.) ’ He that desireth the office of a bishop, be desireth an honest labour.’ If the superior powers will not give him license, in whom they find no fault, then may he which is called of God walk in his calling, and do the office that he is called to of God, for a man is more bound to obey God than man. (Acts iv.) Wherefore I would no man of his private authority should take upon him this high office of God, as to preach his word openly, before he be called of God and by man, or at the least of God. and have attempted by lawful means the vocation of men, shewing himself alway obedient to the lawful civil ordinances. Of this place,” (Eph. iv. 11 — 13,) “we may learn how God hath distributed his gifts, and set in his church divers ministers for divers offices, and willeth that every one should use himself in his office according to his office calling and gift In that

God hath in his church so many ministers, he would have some to be hearers and not all to be pastors. And in this he

reproveth them that would have every man to be a preacher

Here he sheweth how long it is necessary to have apostles, preachers, and teachers of God’s word in the church of God ; they be necessary till we come all to the unity of faith and full knowledge of God, and till we come to be perfect men in Christ ; which is not in this world but in the world to come.” — Commentary on Eph.

” The Lord himself, immediately before his ascending to heaven, gave principally in charge to his apostles whom he had chosen, that they should instruct all men throughout the world witlr*his word. And Paul following his example, ordained that some should be appointed in every church to teach the people, for that he well knew that faith and all things pertain- ing to godliness do hang upon the reading and hearing of the word of God, and that, therefore, apostles, teachers, prophets, and expounders, are most necessary in the church of God.”

” We know that the priest, or minister of the church of God, is divided from the rest of his brethren, as was the tribe of Levi, from the children of Israel, and hath a special office over the people ; neither may any man force himself into that office without lawful calling.” — Defence of the Apology.

” We say that a minister ought to have a lawful call, and be duly and orderly preferred in the church of God, and that no man ought, at his own will and pleasure, to intrude into the sacred ministry ; so that a very great injury is done us by them, who so frequently affirm that nothing is done decently and in order by us, and that with us, all (that will) are priests, teachers, and interpreters.” — Apology.

” The name of priest, according to the original derivation from presbyter, we do not refuse ; but according to the common

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acceptation, for a sacrificer we cannot take it, when it is spoken of the ministry of the New Testament. The Holy Ghost never calleth the ministers of the word and sacraments of the New Testament “pHf or sacerdotes. And although many of the an- cient fathers have abusively confounded the terms of sacerdos and presbyter, yet that is no warrant for us to translate the scrip- ture, and to confound that, which we see manifestly the Spirit of God hath distinguished.” — Defence of translation of Bible.

” Christ gave commandment to be faithful ministers, not bloody conjurers. Christ gave an injunction to feed the flock, not to offer sacrifice. The priesthood and sacrifice that the Apostles had, were to convert the simple souls, to daunt the cruel courages of men, to make an offering of them unto the Lord ; not through gross miracle or bloody knife, but by the

spiritual armour of the power of God And whosoever will

be successors unto the apostles, must use this ministry, this trade of doctrine, which, if they continue in, being lawfully called thereunto by God, and have gifts competent to approve their calling unto the world, they need not to care for the sign of the cross to be imprinted on them, the virtue whereof never departeth from them.” …Answer to the Treatise of the Cross.

” Surely I think that I am able to prove divers of you to have insinuated yourselves to places (which pleaseth you) before you were called thereunto. And I am of that ignorant, that a man may lawfully so do, if he desire to do good and to profit ; for St. Paul saith, 1 Tim. iii. ’ If a man desire the office of a bishop, &c.’ which place, by the judgment of all the interpreters that I have read, doth signify that a man may offer himself with a mind to do good, so that lie do not intrude himself, or seek by unlawful means, to obtain that which he desireth ; for then it is like that lie seeketh not to profit other, but to profit himself. It is true that in the old church trial was had of their

ability to instruct, and of their godly conversation, but the place in the margin alleged out of the first chap, of the Acts of the Apostles maketh nothing for that purpose, being therein no mention at all of any trial made, either of learning or manners, but only of presenting two, and of praying, and of casting lots : and M. Calvin, in his Institutions, saith plainly, that out of this place of the acts and example, there can be no certain rule gathered of electing and choosing ministers ; for as that ministry was extraordinary, so was the calling so. I think it necessary that such as be admitted into the ministry (unless they be very well known), should be tried both in learning and life ; but this place maketh nothing at all for that purpose. That the minister may be well assured of the lawfulness of his calling, though he be not called of the people, yoa have also heard of Musculus, who of purpose answereth that doubt. He that is sure of an inward calling, need not doubt of his outward calling if it be ac- cording to the manner of that church wherein he is called. Musculus indeed confesseth that in the Apostles’ time, ’ mi- nisters were chosen by the people, and ordained or confirmed by the elders.’ And after that he hath showed this manner of election to have been used in Cypriaa’s time, he addeth and saith : ‘Ad hunc itaque modum eligebantur,’ &c. After this man- ner, in times past, were ministers, bishops, and deacons, elected : the which form also of election churches retained unto the time of Christian princes and magistrates, whose consent was re- quired in the election of bishops, and that worthily ; for it is not meet that those things which are to be done publicly, and con- cern the people which be their subjects, and pertain unto them in respect of religion (except we will say with the Anabaptists, that christians ought not tc*be magistrates) should be done without their consent.’ After this he declareth how the Bishop of Rome, in the end, spoiled the magistrates and the people also of this liberty ; and when he hath spoken against the abuses of the Roman Church, in that matter he maketh an objection of

such churches as possess the gospel than which, what can

be more directly spoken to my purpose : which is to prove that no certain manner and form of electing ministers, is any where

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appointed to be general and perpetual, but the same may be altered according to place, time, and persons ; and that the manner used in the Apostle’s time, is not meet and convenient for this time. Musculus saith that this manner of ordaining ministers (for he doth not call it forced election) is a remedy against corrupted tastes, not in respect of laws, government, magistrate, or relig- ion by authority established, but of men’s minds that are cor- rupted with errors, contentions, and sinister affections You

add, ’ that the church’s consent should be had in the election of the minister.’ You have no warrant so to do in any apos- tolical election, or in any form used in the apostles’ time. Wherefore either you must break that rule which you would have both to be perfect and perpetual for all times and states, or else do you dissemble with the magistrate, and mind nothing less, than that, you say you would do.” — Defence of the Ansiver,