Office of Doctor

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Westminster Form of Presbyterian Church Government w/proof texts:

Teacher or Doctor.

THe Scripture doth hold out the name and title of Teacher, as well as of the Pastor, 1 Cor.12:28. Ephes.4:11.

Who is also a Minister of the Word as well as the Pastor, and hath power of administration of the Sacraments.

The Lord having given different gifts, and divers exercises according to these gifts in the Ministery of the Word, Rom. 12:6,7,8; 1 Cor. 12:1,4,5,6,7. Though these different gifts may meet in and accordingly be exercised by one and the same Minister, 1 Cor. 14:3; 2 Tim. 4:2; Tit.1:9. yet where be severall Ministers in the same Congregation, they may be designed to severall imployments, according to the different gifts in which each of them doth most excell, Rom. 12:6,7,8; 1 Pet .4:10,11. and hee that doth more excell in exposition of Scripture, in teaching sound Doctrine, and in convincing gain-sayers, than he doth in application and is accordingly imployed therein, may be called a Teacher, or Doctor ( the places alledged by the Notation of the Word doth prove the Proposition ) Neverthelesse, where is but one Minister in a particular Congregation, he is to performe so far as he is able the whole work of the Ministery as appeareth in the 2 Tim. 4:2; Tit. 1:9. before alleadged, 1 Tim.6:2.

A Teacher or Doctor is of most excellent use in Schooles, and Universities, as of old in the Schooles of the Prophets, and at Jerusalem, where Gamaliel and others taught as Doctors.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

Walter Steuart, Collections and Observations Concerning the Worship, Discipline, and Government of the Church of Scotland, Book I, Title VI, pp. 32-33:

Of Doctors, and Professors of Theology.

§ 1. According to the fifth chapter of the Policy of the Kirk, in the General Assembly 1581, the office of the doctor or catechiser, is one of the two ordinary and perpetual functions that travel in the Word. He is to open up the mind of the Spirit of God simply, without such applications as the ministers use. They are such properly who teach in schools, colleges, or universities: But to preach unto the people, to administer the sacraments, and to celebrate marriage, do not pertain to him, except he be called and ordained thereto. If the pastor be qualified for it, he may perform all the parts of the doctor's office, that being included in the pastoral. By the 2d article, chap. 11 of the Discipline of the French church, a doctor in the church cannot preach nor administer the sacraments, unless he be both doctor and minister. And when the General Assembly, February 10. 1645, ratifies the propositions sent to them from the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, concerning church-government, and ordination of ministers, they expressly provide, that the present ratification shall be noways prejudicial to the further discussion and examination of one of the articles or propositions, which holds forth, that the doctor or teacher hath power of the administration of sacraments, as well as the pastor.

[The sentiments of this church about the doctor's office. He is no pastor as such.]

§ 2. Though the office of a deacon is included in the office of a ruling elder, yet it is fit that some be appointed deacons, distinct from that of the elder; so, albeit the office of a doctor be included in that of the pastor, yet it were very fit that some not in the sacred order of the ministry were ordained and set apart to teach and catechise the people, especially in large and incommodious parishes, (See § 3. of the preceeding title,) as well as in schools and colleges.

[Catechists, or doctors, should teach in colleges and in large parishes.]

§ 3. By the act of Assembly February 13. 1645, for encouragement to scholars for professions in schools, it is recommended to synods, to try who within their bounds most probably may be for a profession in the schools, and report their names to the General Assembly, that they may be stirred up, and encouraged by them to frame their studies for such places. This cumulative power doth noways prejudge or hinder the faculty of an university (which hath power and right to elect) from doing the same. It were to be wishes, that this custom of synods, reporting to General Assemblies the names of such as are fit to be professors, were again revived, and more exactly practised; for it would prevent the transporting of ministers to be only teachers or masters in universities, which is an appointing of him to exercise the office of a doctor, and dispensing with him from preaching the word, and administering the sacraments: Which dispensation, or the loosing of which tie, if it be a favour, it can never be imposed upon any pastor without his own consent: but, if it be a punishment, it can be inflicted upon none without their fault. It is liker a commutation of offices than a transportation: or if he still continue to be a pastor, his pastoral talent is thereby but much hid in a napkin. By the 3d article, 2d chap. of the French church-discipline, doctors and professors of divinity shall be elected and tried by the synods of the province where the academies are.

[Synods are to report to the Assembly the names of scholars fit to be professors.

No pastor can be compelled to give himself to teaching and leave his pastoral charge.]

§ 4. By the 5th chap. of the Policy of the kirk of Scotland, the doctor, being an elder, is to assist the pastor in the government of the kirk. And by the act of Assembly August 4. 1643, professors of theology cannot be elected commissioners to General Assemblies, except they be ministers; so that, as doctors, they are not ruling elders, and the Assembly consists of none but pastors and elders: therefore, as doctors, they cannot be members of church judicatures for government and ruling; see § 1. huj. tit.

[The doctor as such no ruling elder, nor as meer doctor, can be member of Assemblies.]

§ 5. By the act of Assembly June 18. 1646, professors of divinity are desired to present their dictates to the next General Assembly; but they declined at that time to make any act about it for the future, till further consideration.

[Professors dictates may be reviewed by General Assemblies.]

 

[JOwen]

Practice in the Reformed Churches from the Reformation up to that point was indeed that a Doctor was the logical end to "teacher" (pastor/teachers - Eph 4). If someone was going to be a teacher, they would be the best teacher they could be - thus they would have the credentials of learning they needed.

I believe that every church should have one.

We have an outstanding Doctor in our federation in Dr. G. Bilkes of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He is also a Ruling Elder with (in my mind), many pastoral instincts. My only beef is that he is not an ordained Minister! Something I hope is remedied in the not to distant future. He is a humble man and a gifted speaker.

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

There is an interesting discussion of the debate within the Westminster Assembly on the office of doctor in Wayne Spear's dissertation: Covenanted Uniformity in Religion: The Influence of the Scottish Commissioners Upon the Ecclesiology of the Westminster Assembly (1977), pp. 161-178.

 

[Dieter Schneider]

There is a link to Calvin's Geneva - see '1547 Ordinances (extracts)' concerning doctors on my blog, http://www.calvinismonline.blogspot.com/