Pastoral Claims Stated

"And we beseech you, brethren, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake—and be at peace among yourselves." 1 Thess. 5:12, 13

The part assigned to me in the services of this day is to state to you, my friends, the members of this church and congregation, the duties which you owe to the man whom you have now publicly acknowledged to he your pastor. Often as I have performed a similar task, I have always found it to be a delicate and a difficult one, inasmuch as in enforcing the claims of a brother minister, I feel as if I were urging my own; and cannot act up to my convictions in reference to him, without seeming to violate the laws of modesty in regard to myself. It is, however, some relief in this perplexity, to remember, that as your minister is not forced upon you—but is elected by your own choice, there can be no impropriety in the case of such a mutual and voluntary compact, if each party explicitly states what is expected from the other. With this consideration, I shall proceed to bring forward, in an unembarrassed manner, the claims which your pastor has upon you, and which appear to me to be all included or implied in the text.

I. You are to pay proper respect to the OFFICE which he sustains. Without pretending to a perfect character, which no change in our circumstances or conduct can destroy; or supposing that any personal sanctity, priestly usurpation, or exemption from the ordinary obligations of civil society, are connected with the pastoral functions—I affirm, that as the ministry is an office, an office instituted by God, an office of a very sacred nature—it does demand for those who bear it, from those on whose account it is borne, no small measure of respect. An unholy man has no scriptural right to the office, and a holy one is not only to be beloved as a brother—but is to be also respected as an office bearer. This is clearly laid down in the text. "You are to know those who are over you in the Lord;" and of course to know them as those who are in such a situation. "You are to esteem them very highly in love, for their work's sake," nor merely for their character's sake as good men—but for their office' sake as ministers of Christ.

That many have disgraced their character, and caused the ministry to be blamed; that others have rendered it almost contemptible, by the insufferable arrogance, and the ridiculous airs of self-importance which they have assumed, is nothing to the purpose; for, in resisting the usurpations of a lawless and tyrannical despot, we are not to overturn the foundations of all government. And it may be certainly affirmed, that while the crouching slaves of the Vatican, in kissing the foot of the Roman Pontiff; and acknowledging him God's Vicar upon earth, concede infinitely too much to the claims of ministerial office, some democratic levelers in our Independent churches concede too little when they attempt to strip their pastors of all official superiority, and reduce them to the rank of a mere speaking brother.

Respect then your minister for his office's sake—regard him, not indeed with feelings of superstitious dread, or slavish veneration—but not with light and frivolous familiarity. "Receive him with all gladness, and hold such in reputation." Welcome him not as your friend and companion merely—but as your minister; rejoice in him, not as one who is to be the grace and ornament of your parties, the enlivener of your social fellowship—he may indeed be this—but he must be much more than this. He comes to you as the "ambassador of God, to beseech you in Christ's stead, to be reconciled to God;" as the guide, watchman, instructor of your souls. How many reverential sentiments, how many respectful feelings, how many tender emotions, should be awakened by the avowal of such a relationship; by the utterance of the simple expression, "our minister." If the unholy pastor deserves no respect, either on account of his character, or his office which he only disgraces, a holy one is entitled to double honor; and let this view of his office protect him from all crude familiarity, all impertinent obtrusion, all contemptuous disesteem.

II. The Word of God claims for your minister a due regard to his AUTHORITY. This arises out of the former claim, for office without authority is a misnomer. I cannot forget that I am now on ground where it becomes me to tread softly, and not without a guide. I will read you a few passages of the New Testament. "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor." "Remember those who have the rule over you."' "Obey those who have the rule over you, and submit yourselves." "Know those who are over you in the Lord." "Reprove, rebuke." "Rebuke sharply." Now certainly, no language can be more explicit or decisive on the point, that some kind of authority belongs to the ministers of religion; but the question is, what is the nature of this authority? And here we remark at once, that it is not personal and independent—but only derived and dependent—it is not legislatorial but judicial and executive—it is not an authority to make laws in the church, for Christ is the only Lawgiver, and his word the only statute book; it is only an authority to expound his laws, and enforce them in his name; it is not an authority to coerce men's minds—but to convince and to persuade—it is not an authority to deliver our injunctions with an "I say unto you," but a "Thus says the Lord."

If a duly appointed minister, that is, a minister elected by the church, and ordained by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, advances anything that is contrary to sound doctrine, it is to be rejected without hesitation by the people, under the peril of the displeasure of Christ and of the loss of their own souls; nor will the Judge of living and dead, at the last day, excuse an error merely because it was taught by a minister. And if the people are to receive only what is true, they must compare what they hear with the unerring standard of truth, they are "to prove all things, and hold fast only that which is good," they must test the minister by the Bible, and not the Bible by the minister—and we do greatly desire to see more of this inquisitive research into the Scriptures of truth, and of this comparison of our discourses with the Word of God.

But all this does not authorize our hearers to sit from time to time in the critic's chair, in the caviler's seat; as if the end of hearing were to find out errors in the preacher, and to give employment to an ignorant, conceited, or malignant perverter of words and phrases. Nothing can be more opposed to the object and spirit of a right method of hearing the gospel, than that carping, quibbling disposition, which leads a person to sit hearkening for something on which to found an objection or a cavil. On this subject no language that I could employ would convey my ideas more forcibly than that which has been used by a distinguished and much-esteemed friend and brother, on an occasion similar to the present.

"He is responsible, not to you—but to his Master, both for the matter and manner of his preaching. You are not to dictate to him what he is to preach, or how he is to preach. You are not to determine from what texts he shall preach, or how he shall discuss them. He may, and doubtless will, use with thankfulness the hints which may be suggested to him. He will, I dare say, be ready to gratify the wishes of any, when respectfully expressed to him, whose peculiar state of mind, or the critical posture of whose circumstances may render it desirable for their consolation and instruction, that a particular subject, or passage of Scripture should be illustrated or explained; and no doubt he will judiciously apply the knowledge, which by pastoral visits and other means he may obtain, of the state of families and individuals, in the selection and application of the topics of his public ministry.

But all this is very far from anything like the recognition of a right to dictate to him in this respect—for, if such a right were once acknowledged and enforced, the ends of a stated ministry would be immediately defeated. The Christian pastor must give to each a portion in due season—but each would wish the sermon altogether and always especially adapted to his circumstances or his taste; and our brother would soon find the attempt to please everyone as hopeless as the old man in the fable is represented to have done; and at the close of every sabbath would sit down in despair, with nothing but vexation, and disappointment, and chagrin, as the recompense of his thankless and useless toil. Perhaps if all in a congregation were to express their wishes as to what, and in what a manner a minister should preach, the confusion of sentiments would be as great as the confusion of tongues among the builders of Babel. One would have him always preaching upon certain doctrines, another would rather he never touched on them at all. One would prefer practical, another experimental preaching. One would desire him never to take an Arminian text, another never to take a Calvinistic text. One would like him always to preach from Paul, another, more frequently from James.

One would like more of the cheering influence of the promises, another, more of the quickening power of the threatenings. One would have him to be a Boanerges, another a Barnabas. And I should, indeed, look upon our brother with pity and regret if I saw him driven at the mercy of such counter currents and crossing tides of sentiment. No, it is for him, with a dignified decision of character, with inflexible fidelity to the best interests of the people committed to his charge, and with a noble independence of everybody and everything but of truth, conscience, and God, to blend all these in his public ministry; to be a Boanerges to the presumptuous sinner, and a Barnabas to the dejected saint; that everyone in his turn may feel the probe or the balm applied to his particular wound, and see his own character reflected from the faithful mirror constantly held up in the pulpit for your contemplation. Thus your pastor will commend himself to every man's conscience, approve himself to God, a workman who is not ashamed, and at the great day be clear of the blood of all men.

"But when I say that preaching the word is a matter that belongs to your pastor, I mean to be understood in a still more literal sense than I have yet hinted at. This is an age of preaching, and we are thankful that it is so. Every church, almost, has in it some who preach occasionally, as well as the stated pastor, and by means of such, many a benighted village has been enlightened. I wish that there were more pious and judicious, as well as zealous young men, in our respective churches, disposed to sacrifice their own ease and enjoyment, and go forth to the dark, the crude, and the long-neglected hamlets round us, to tell to their little less than barbarous inhabitants the wondrous story of redeeming love!

But there is danger even here, as well as in everything we do, of the abuse of that which is in itself most excellent. We have known preachers arise in a church, who have at length attained to such perfection in the art of preaching, in their own esteem, that the pastor has become nothing in comparison of them; and when they have condescended to cease from their own labors to give him a hearing, it has been for little else than to criticize his manner, or to sit in judgment on his orthodoxy. Others, again, have obtruded themselves into the pastor's place, and by hints and offers of service, which he had not the fortitude or prudence to resist, have gained possession of the pulpit, until the preacher has been actually outpreached, and the good man has been glad to retire, for the sake of peace, to a less gifted congregation; for his own have grown wiser than their teacher, and more disposed to instruct him than to listen with a suitable disposition to his instructions." (Raffles' sermon at the ordination of the Rev. J. Parsons)

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