"It is as if into the theological vacuum left by both the name and the function of the office of presbyter there has rushed inn a mighty current of interpretation so that this originally vague and characterless office has been enriched if not transformed by the new roles laid upon it." [Quote p. 17]
Harvey then discusses the roles of priest (sacerdos) pastor minister of the word man in authority binding and loosing. Except for the last (binding and loosing) he considers that they are all vital and defining roles for the presbyter.Priest ... Like the priest who is privileged to enter the holy sanctuary of the temple the Christian minister stands (not literally but in his prayer and his devotion to Christ) 'on the Godward side of men. [Quote pp17-21]
Pastor ... The vacuum originally left by the office and name of 'presbyter' was well adapted to be filled with the rich and diverse connotations of a responsibility that was seen from early times to be of vital importance in the church -- that of 'pastor'. [Quote pp 21-22]
Minister of the Word ... the example of the Orthodox church shows that other ways are possible. But the vacuum was there to be filled: it was the presbyter who most naturally stepped in to assume the ministry of the Word. [Quote pp 23-24]
Man in Authority ... this responsibility can be shown to have been exercised collectively before it was exercised individually and the notion of the individual 'cure of souls' seems simply to be one more role which ... has been attached to the originally somewhat vague and formless office of the presbyter." [Quote p. 25]
"It is demanded first that [presbyters] should stand in a discernible succession
from their predecessors ...
It is demanded also that they should be so carefully and visibly integrated
into the 'order' of the church through allegiancce to a superior submission to
the decisions of church councils and acknowledgement of a common discipline
that they can be relied upon to be faithful representatives and spokesmen of
the church wherever they may be.
It is expected also that they will be preovided with all the resources of
devotion and knowledge of which they are capable and lead a life which gives
them the fullest opportunity to bring these to bear on their responsibilities."
[Quote p 52]
"The answer though seldom stated in so many words is in order that there may be more men to celebrate Holy Communion where there exists a shortage of clergy so acute that regular eucharistic worship cannot be maintained. It is of course disclaimed that men should be ordained only or mainly for this purpose: the notion of the 'mass-priest' is vigorously rejected and guarded against by demanding a training comparable with that of a full-time minister. But this is where the justification for the new type of ministry ultimately rests." [Quote p63]
Harvey argues from this that there is no justification for creating priests to perform auxiliary duties on a permanent basis. He points out that there isn't any emergency a duly appointed lay person cannot cover. Thus the term 'auxiliary ministry' may be a contradiction in terms. He sees however three legitimate cases for PSE involvement: