"Ministers ought not of their own accord to press "forward in that calling; but ought, according to "the example of the Lord and the Apostles, to be "lawfully appointed and ordained thereunto. And “ again, these ought to be proved and tried by ex"amination, and so afterwards, prayers and fas"tings being made, they may be confirmed or ap"proved of the Elders, by laying on of hands."— Chapter 14. "The power of the keys is committed "to the Church of Christ, and to the ministers "thereof unto the end of the world; that they "should not only, by preaching, publish the holy "Gospel, although they should do this especially, "that is, should show forth that word of true com"fort, and the joyful message of peace, and new "tidings of that favour which God offereth; but "also that, to the believing and unbelieving, they "should publicly or privately denounce or make "known, to them his favour, to these his wrath, "and that to all in general, or to every one in par"ticular, that they may wisely receive some into

the house of God, to the communion of saints, "and drive some out from thence, and may so, "through the performance of their ministry, hold in "their hand the sceptre of Christ his kingdom, “and use the same to the government of Christ "his sheep. And all these things are done by the "faithful shepherds of souls in the Lord's stead, "not doing this of themselves, but upon Christ his

commandment; not by their own and proper "virtue, but by Christ's, and by the efficacy of his

"word and sacraments, as those that are stewards " and dispensers of the mysteries of God, and mi"nisters only. In the administration of which "things they may use some seemly and indifferent "ceremonies, that is, which are no way necessa66 ry, such as laying on hands, or reaching out the "right hand; or else they may omit them.-This (6 power of his sceptre and spirit hath the Lord 66 granted and delivered to the holy Apostles, and "in them to all ministers of Churches lawfully or"dained, that they might exercise in his stead: " and he granted it to them by these words, As the "Father hath sent me, so do I send you also. By "this we may understand that these keys, or this "divine function of the Lord's, is committed and

granted to those that have the charge of souls, "and to each several ecclesiastical society*, "whether small or great. Moreover, every "Christian, so often as he needeth these keys of "the Lord, ought to require them particularly for "himself of the Pastors of souls of that Church or 66 fellowship, of which himself is a part, and to "which he belongeth; and that he use them with "full confidence, no otherwise than if he had re

ceived them of Christ himself, seeing that Christ "hath delivered them unto the Pastors. This is

This is explained, by a note on the article, in the following words "That is to Presbyteries or Consistories, which stand "of Pastors and Elders; and unto whom properly the dispensing and ordering of the keys, and ecclesiastical censures do belong."

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"also taught and handled, that the Priests ought 66 not to use these keys of the Lord, otherwise than "according to the meaning and will of Christ, ex"pressed in his word*."

From public Confessions drawn up by the Reformers, let us descend to individual opinions expressed by those illustrious Witnesses for the truth, in different countries. Of these the following specimen will be sufficient.

Ursinus, a learned German Divine, contemporary with Luther and Melancthon, speaks the same language. "Ministers," says he," are either imme"diately called of God, or mediately through the instrumentality of the Church. Of the former "-class, were Prophets and Apostles. Of the latter "class there are five kinds, viz. Evangelists, Bishops, or Pastors, Teachers, Ruling Elders, and "Deacons. Evangelists are ministers appointed

to go forth and preach the Gospel to a number "of Churches. Bishops are ministers ordained to "preach the word of God, and administer the sa"craments, in particular Churches. Teachers are "ministers appointed merely to fulfil the function "of teaching in particular Churches. Ruling El"ders are ministers elected by the voice of the "Church, to assist in conducting discipline, and to "order a variety of necessary matters in the "Church. Deacons are ministers elected by the

* Harmony of Confessions, Sect. 11.

"Church, to take care of the poor, and to distribute "alms*."

The very learned Musculus, also of Germany, a Reformer contemporary with Luther, and who embraced his principles, having proved from Acts 20. Phillip. 1. 1. Titus 1. 5. and 1 Peter v. 1. that, in the Apostles' times a Bishop and Presbyter were all one, adds as follows: "But after the Apostles' "times, when, amongst the Elders of the Church, "(as Jerome saith,) schisms arose, and, as I verily

think, they began to strive for the pre-eminence "by little and little, they began to choose one 66 out of the number of the Elders, who was placed "above the rest, in a higher degree, and called Bi

shop. But whether that device of man profited "the Church or no, those who lived in succeeding "times could better judge, than when it first be“ gan. If Jerome had seen as much as those who 66 came after him, he would, no doubt, have con"cluded that this was never brought in to take

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away schism, but was a project of the Devil to "waste and destroy the primitive ministry, appoin"ted for feeding the Lord's flock." Again, he declares," Whence it evidently appears that, in the "times of the Apostles, Elders, Pastors, and Bi(6 shops were one and the same in God's Church." "It is beyond all dispute, that the first and "Apostolic Church, was, by the Apostles so con"stituted, that the Elders of the Church did ex

* Ursin. Corpus Doctrine, Par. 111. p. 721,

❝ercise a common Episcopal care over the Lord's "flock, and enjoyed the same function of teaching "an governing, and were therein subject to no "head or president*.”

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Zsegedin, an eminent Lutheran divine of Hungary, contemporary with Luther and Calvin, delivers, in substance, the same doctrine. The following quotations are decisive. May one Pastor pre"side over other pastors? The practice, indeed, "hath obtained that Presbyters should preside, “each one in his own College, and that this "son alone should be called Bishop, This, however, arose from human custom, and is by no

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means supported by the authority of Scripture. "And from perverting the signification of a word "this evil hath arisen, that, as if all Presbyters

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were not Colleagues, and called to the same func"tion, one, under the pretext of a new title, arroga❝ted to himself a dominion over others." Again, "hence learn that all Pastors are equal both in "their vocation and function; and that there is no prelatical tyranny constituted. It is necessary, "indeed, that, among brethren, there should be 66 some one to convene the college, to state the business, and, when it is necessary, to write and speak in the name of the college. But this per"son, to avoid the odium of prelatical tyranny, may "be called Superintendent. The power of Super

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* Loci Communes De offic. Minist. p. 360–362. Loci Communes, p. 197. Fol. Quint. Basil. 1608.