A Brief and Pithy Sum of the Christian Faith

32 The third degree of ecclesiastical offices which is the Jurisdiction and office of the elders.

32 The thirde degree of ecclesiasticall offyces whiche is the Iurisdiction and offyce of the elders.

The third estate of ecclesiastical offices lieth in the spiritual jurisdiction, the which was committed to those, who were called in the writings of the Apostles & ancient Doctors both counsels, and canons, particularly presbyter, that is to say, Senior or Elder, which also sometimes be called governors by saint Paul^a, and were chosen not only by the clergy, but by all the body of the Church, as it appeareth evidently by the complaint which saint Ambrose ^bmade, that even in his time certain persons took upon themselves this office. And by that which S. Cyprian c hath written, wherein it is easy to gather, that the Bishop presided and was chief in this company, ⟨image 130⟩not for to rule and reign over them, but to do nothing without the advise of the Church. Now this jurisdiction lieth not in worldly & temporal things, but altogether in those things which concerneth the conscience. So that it is fully distinct from the office of a civil magistrate, according as the lord Christ not only said to his Apostles, but practised^d, and S. Paul after him^e. True it is that in the time when there were no magistrates, which made profession or vowed openly to be Christians, s. Paul would that for to eschew slanders and offences, the faithful should decide and end all controversies among themselves when need required, but this was but for a certain time. And surely as