CHAP. I. Of a Pastor.
The Pastor's Commission
A pastor is defined as Christ's deputy for restoring obedience to God, establishing the foundation of pastoral duty and authority.
A pastor is Christ's deputy, charged with bringing people back into obedience to God.1 This definition is plain, and it contains the direct steps of pastoral duty and authority.
The Way of Redemption
The pastor's role is grounded in the narrative of the fall, Christ's work of reconciliation, and the appointment of priests as his deputies.
For first, man fell from God by disobedience. Secondly, Christ is God's glorious instrument for calling man back.2 Thirdly, since Christ was not to remain on earth but was to be taken up into heaven after he had finished the work of reconciliation, he appointed deputies in his place, and these are priests.
Dignity and Duty of the Priest
Drawing on Paul's example, the priest shares in Christ's work, deriving both dignity in acting as Christ's deputy and duty in following his ways in doctrine and life.
And therefore St. Paul, at the beginning of his letters, professes this; and in the first letter to the Colossians he plainly declares that he fills up in his flesh what remains of Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the Church.✦ In that is contained the complete definition of a minister. From this charter of the priesthood, both its dignity and its duty can be clearly seen: the dignity, in that a priest may do what Christ did, by his authority and as his deputy.34 The duty is that a priest is to do what Christ did, in his way, both in doctrine and in life.
Read the original English
A Pastor is the Deputy of Christ for the reducing of Man to the Obedience of God. This definition is evident, and containes the direct steps of Pastorall Duty and Auctority. For first, Man fell from God by disobedience. Secondly, Christ is the glorious instrument of God for the revoking of Man. Thirdly, Christ being not to continue on earth, but after hee had fulfilled the work of Reconciliation, to be received up into heaven, he constituted Deputies in his place, and these are Priests. And therefore St. Paul in the beginning of his Epistles, professeth this: and in the first to the Colossians plainly avoucheth, that he fils up that which is behinde of the afflictions of Christ in his flesh, for his Bodie's sake, which is the Church. Wherein is contained the complete definition of a Minister.
Out of this Chartre of the Priesthood may be plainly gathered both the Dignity thereof, and the Duty: The Dignity, in that a Priest may do that which Christ did, and by his auctority, and as his Vicegerent. The Duty, in that a Priest is to do that which Christ did, and after his manner, both for Doctrine and Life.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Col.1.24 — Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I am filling up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
Notes
- 1 ↩Early modern 'reducing' here means leading or restoring someone into a condition, not diminishing them.
- 2 ↩Early modern 'revoking' means recalling or calling back, not canceling.
- 3 ↩Early modern 'Chartre' is modern 'charter'—the founding grant or defining commission of the priesthood just set out in the previous section.
- 4 ↩Herbert's 'Vicegerent' means one who exercises delegated rule in another's place. Rendered 'deputy' to match the prior definition of the pastor as Christ's deputy; the older term is not kept for register reasons.
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