THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
of a hierarchy, or an organism continuing unchanged in its main features. And the most that can be said is that at that early period the New Testament congregations were not wanting in defined personahties, active in their charges; in this respect the Corinthian congregation constituted no exception.
But the clerical profession is indispensable though it is not the immediate institution of Christ.
J'or the means of grace by word and
2. But Nec - ^.^pj-^^ment conferred by Jesus on the essary and congregation must be administered; '''^sa^blT'^" powers which are present in the
congregation through the Spirit of Christ must be organized and directed. To this end there is need of definite personalities who belong to the congregation and are no less dependent, as individuals, upon the means of grace and i_.owers bestowed on the congregation than the congregation as a whole, but who still assume a position of leadership within the congregation; which leadership is authoritative for the congregation in so far as the holders of this office administer these gifts and powers in the name and according to the will of the Lord. To this extent there is a clerical or spiritual profession and a spiritual office, and there must be both of these so long as Christ's congregation lives on earth separated from its Lord by the confines of the visible, and associated with the unchristian world.
Historical evolution parted into two conceptions of the clerical office, of which one has found its expression in the Roman sacerdotium, the other in the Protestant minisierium ecclesias-
3. View of early as the postapostolic Roman ^^^^ celebration of the Lord's Sup-
Churches P'^'" accounted valid only when
conducted or authorized by the bishop (Ignatius, Ad Smyr., viii.). The right to baptize devolves principally on the bishop; on the presbyters and deacons " not without the authority of the bishop," TertuUian, De bapt., xvii.; on the priest, Apostolic Constitutions, Yl. xv. 1. The bishops and other priests have been entrusted by the apostles with the charge of doctrine {Apostolic Constitutions, Wl. xviii. 5); they must be heard, for through them the Lord speaks (Augustine, Serm., class ii. 20). In the celebration of the sacrament the priest accomplishes a sacrifice which far surpasses the act of Elijah on Carmel; the priest excels rulers, for his authority extends to heaven. From this doctrine developed the Roman theory of the priest's profession, a mediation between God and men (cf. the Roman catechism, part ii.,chap. 7; see Priest). The view of the Greek Church of to-day is substantially the same. The consecration of priests is a sacrament wherein the Holy Spirit, through a bishop, ordains duly elected candidates to the office of administering the sacraments and feeding Christ's flock.
Luther rejected the theory that the clerical dignity depends upon any ecclesiastical consecration. " Were there not in us a higher consecration than the pope or bishop gives, there would nevermore a priest be made by pope or bishop's consecration; neither could he celebrate masses or preach or absolve " {An den chrlxtlirfu-n Adel). But at the
same time he was convinced of the necessity of a special profession. " The Church requires the word of God, baptism, the sacrament
T 1^^^ of the altar, the use of the keys, and, Lutheran , ', /^u u
Doctrine, lastly, we know the Church outwardly by the fact that it consecrates or calls church ministers, or has offices to be administered. For one must have bishops, pastors, or preachers who shall publicly and expressly dispense, administer, and exercise the aforesaid four articles of salvation on account and in the name of the Church, and also — much rather, indeed — by reason of Christ's institution " {Von den Conciliis und Kirchen, part iii.). He holds that the clerical profession is not rendered unnecessary by the universal priesthood. "Although we are all priests, yet we can not, nor should we, all preach and teach and rule: one must then certainly, from the entire body, separate and elect some to whom such duties shall be committed; and he that wields the same is not a priest on account of the office (as all the others are), but a servant of all the others " (Exposition of Psalm ex.). To hold that the spiritual profession is instituted by God is not inconsistent with these views of Luther, since the work it must carry forward is instituted by God; hence the Lutheran confessions and dogmaticians without hesitation designate the profession as of divine institution. From this theory there deviates a new doctrine, represented principally by Kliefoth and Vilmar, according to which the clerical profession is instituted immediately by Christ, being entrusted with the fulfilment of the means of grace, not as trustee on the part of the congregation, but as exclusively empowered thereto by the Lord; and that the same has been perpetuated throughout the centuries by the imposition of hands. This doctrine, which is not substantiated by Scripture, has been contested especially by Ho fling, Hofmann, and Harless.
The Calvinists likewise reject the Roman idea of priesthood, though they strongly emphasize the divine institution, authorization, and organization of ministers (Confession of Basel, xv.-xx.; Galilean Confession, xxix.; Geneva Catechism, De verba Dei;
Second Helvetic Confession, xviii.). 5. The Divine election is confirmed through a'nT^'^ the appointment to office (Confession Ang-lican of Basel, xvii. ). The Anglican Church Doctrine, ^a-kes membership in the clerical profession dependent upon reception by act of the privileged estate itself (cf. the Latin text of the Thirty-nine Articles, art. xxiii., and the forms of the Book of Common Prayer on the " Making, Ordaining, and Consecrating of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons ").
III. The Call {Vocaiio): The cooperation of the congregation in the calling of its clergy is very old. The circumstance that Paul makes no mention of this cooperation in Titus i. 5, in connection with the commission to appoint presbyters, is not a convincing argument to the contrary, since exceptional conditions in Crete may have compelled Titus to disregard the cooperation of the congregation; or, what is just as possible, he may have executed the commission in conference with the congregation. In favor of the cooperation of the congregation are