xVI INTRODUCTORY ESSAY. " Wepreach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus THE LORD ; and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake." (2 Cor. iv. 5.) " Neither as being LORDS over God's heritage (Ws xaraxupiov-r swv xa7pav), but being ensamples to the flock." (1 Pet. v. 3.) The designation so familiar to their lips of " Servants of Jesus Christ," " Ministers of Christ," was nomere title of honour or symbol of humility, (as it is hypocritically used by the pope, who in the same breath styles himself Dominus Ecclesice, " The Lord of the Church," and Servus servorum Dei, "The servant of God's servants ! ") but was designedly employed as an exponent of the relation in which they stoodboth to the Lord and to his people. That was the relation, not of masters, but of servants. Inspired servants they doubtless were; the messages they received came immediately from heaven, and these they " made known to all nations, for theobedience of faith." But the authorityon which they claimed that obedience was not any personal authority delegated to them by Christ, and lodged in them as governors of the church. It was the authority of their divine Master himself, to whom they uni- formly appealed, and who sanctioned their appeal by his miraculous gifts. They delivered the laws and ordinances by which the church was to be regulated; but in doing so they acted in a purely minis- terial capacity, not as legislators, but as agents of the great Sove- reign of the church. " I have received of the Lord," says Paul, " that which also I delivered unto you." " So hath the Lord or- dained." From this point of view it is easy to see in what sense the apostles spoke of acting " in Christ's stead : " " Now then we are ambassa- dors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." (2 Cor. v. 20.) The cha- racter of an ambassador precludes the idea of autocratic dominion. In his own person he has no authority; he cannot move a step be- yond his written instructions. Such were the apostles; and such is every faithful minister of Christ, with this difference, that instead of having his instructions imparted to him by immediate revelation, he has them recorded in the Word of God. As ambassadors, the apostles speak of " beseeching" and "praying" men in Christ's stead; as inspired writers, they announced his laws; and as appointed rulers, they administered them : but never do they speak of governing the church in Christ's stead, nor talk as if he had delegated to them his authorityover his church. The idea, indeed, ispreposterous. Our blessed Lorddeclares, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth;" and on theground of this authority he commissions his apostles to go forth and preach
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