The True Test of an Apostolical Ministry [pp. 292-306]

True Test of an Apostolical Ministry. [APRIL
Nor is the test less comprehensive with respect to the persons
upon whom the malediction is pronounced. Had the Apostle
said, If any private person, or unauthorized teacher of religion,
preach another gospel to you, let him be accursed; the application of the test would necessarily have been suspended on the
the question, whether the person whose pretensions were to be
determined by it, was regularly clothed with a commission from
the proper Church authorities. If so, he would of course have
been exempted from the operation of the rule. Again, had he
said, If any authorized minister, of ordinary rank, preach another gospel, let him be accursed; the previous question would, in
that case be, whether the teacher was not more than an ordinary
minister. If, for example, he was an apostle, he might plausibly have laid claim to an exemption from the operation of the
rule here given, not by contending that he was at liberty to
preach false doctrine, which would be absurd, but by claiming
for his own instructions, be they what they might, the character of truth, without appeal to any other standard than his own
apostolical authority. Again, let us suppose Paul to have said,
if any other of the apostolic body preach another gospel, he
would then have provided for his own case as exempt from his
own rule. Or if he had said any human being, he would still
have left, as it were, a special immunity to beings of a higher
order. But as if to provide for the most improbable contingen cies, he frames his malediction, so as to include not only private
Christians or self-constituted teachers, but those possessing the
most regular external call to exercise the office; not only
those of ordinary rank, but even the Apostles; not only his
associates, but himself; not only all men, but the angels from
heaven. There is neither exception nor reserve. The terms
are perfectly unlimited. Whoever, whether man or angel,
preaches any other gospel, let him be accursed. Thus the test
is no less comprehensive in relation to the persons upon whom
it is to operate, than in relation to its practical effect upon their
standing and authority. As it extends to the destruction of all
authority in the Church, so it extends to all;by whom such au thority could be claimed or exercised. Having shown that the
Apostle here establishes the test of a true ministry, from the
application of which no man nor class of men can claim exemp
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