A confession of faith made by common consent of divers reformed churches beyond the…A confession of fayth made by common consent of diuers reformed churches beyonde the…

But no man ought to usurp the honour of the ministry of the church: ¹that is to say, by bribery, or craft, or by his own arbitriment, to take upon him their offices: Let them be called and chosen, by the lawful election of the Church: that is to wit, let them be chosen with advisement, by the congregation, or by those, which are appointed to that office in the Church, and that orderly, without trouble, sedition, or contention. But let not every man, without regard be chosen, but only meet men, of sufficient godly ²learning, of godly utterance, and wisdom joined with simplicity: To ⟨image 105⟩be short, such as are famous for their modesty, and honest life, according to the Cannon of the Apostle, made by the Apostle. i. Tim. iij. and Ti. j. And let such as are chosen, be made of the Elders with public prayer, and laying on of hands. Here we condemn all those, who of their own accord, thrust themselves into the ministry not being chosen, sent, or ordained: We condemn all unmeet ministers, not ³endued with gifts, necessary for a shepherd, that should feed his flock: Howbeit we acknowledge, that the harmless simplicity of some shepherds in the old church, did some times more profit the Church, then the great, exquisite, and fine or delicate, but a little to proud learning of some others. Wherefore we reject not now adays the good simplicity of certain, so that they be not altogether unskilful of God and his word. Christ his Apostles called all those, that believed in Christ, Priests, but not in respect of ⁴the ministry, but because through Christ, all the faithful (being made ⟨p. 60⟩Kings and Priests) may offer spiritual sacrifices to God. There is then a great diversity between Priesthood ⁵and the ministry. For Priesthood is common to all Christians, as even now we declared: the ministry is not so. Neither have we clean taken away the ministry of the Church, when we cast the Popish Priesthood out of Christ his Chuche. Truly in the new Testament of Christ, there is no longer any such priesthood, as was in the old Testament, which had an outward anointing, holy garments, and very many Ceremonies, that were figures of Christ: and no marvel, sithens that Christ fulfilling them all, at his coming abolished them.