1. As in the ciuile policie, the haill commoun welth consistith in
thame that ar gouernouris or magistratis, and thame that ar gouernit
and subiectis; Sa in the policie of the kirk, sum ar appointit to
be reularis, and the rest of the memberis thairof to be reulit and
obey, according to the word of God, and inspiratioun of his Spirit,
alwayes under ane head and cheif gouernour, Jesus Chryst.
2. Againe, the haill policie of the kirk consistit in thrie cheif
thingis; in doctrine, in discipline, and distributioun. With doctrine
is joint administratioun of the sacramentis.
3. And according to the partis of this diuision, arisit ane thriefald
sort of officiaris in the kirk; to wit, of ministeris or preacheris,
of eldaris or gouernouris, of deaconis or distributeris. And all
thais may be callit be ane generall word, ministeris of the kirk.
4. For albeit the kirk of God be reulit and gouernit be Jesus Chryst,
who is the onlie King, Hie Priest, and Heid thairof, ʒit he usis the
ministrie of men, as ane maist necessarie middis for this purpois.
5. For sa he hes fra tyme to tyme, befoir the law, under the law, and
in tyme of the Evangell, for our greit comfort, raisit up men indewit
with the giftis of the Spirit, for the spirituall governament of his
kirk, exercesing be tham his awine power, throw his Spirit and word,
to the building of the same.
6. And to tak away all occasioun of tyranny, he will that they sould
reul with mutuall consent of brethrene, and equalitie of power, euery
ane according to thair functionis.
7. In the New Testament, and tyme of the Evangell, he hes usit the
ministrie of the apostles, propheits, evangelists, pastouris and
doctouris, in administratioun of the word: the elderschip for guid
ordour, and administratioun of discipline: the deaconschip to haive
the cure of the ecclesiasticall guidis.
8. Sum of thir ecclesiasticall functiouns ar ordinar, and sum
extraordinar or temporall.
9. Thair be thrie extraordinar functionis: the office of the apostle,
of the evangelist, and of the prophet, quhilk ar not perpetuall,
and have now ceisit in the kirk of God, except quhen he pleasit,
extraordinarlie, for ane tyme, to steir up some of thame againe.
10. Thair is foure ordinarie functionis or offices in the kirk of
God: the office of the pasture, minister or bishop; the office of the
docter; the presbiter or eldar; and the deacone.
11. Thir offices ar ordinarie, and aucht to continow perpetuallie in
the kirk, as necessarie for the gouernament and policie of the same,
and na ma offices aucht to be resauit or be sufferit in the trew kirk
of God, establishit according to his word.
12. Tharfore, all the ambitious titles invented in the kingdome of
antichryst, and in his usurpit hierarchie, quhilkis ar not ane of
thais four sortis, togidder with the offices dependand thairupone, in
ane word, aucht all utterlie to be reiected.
How the Personis that bear Ecclesiasticall Functionis ar admittit
to thair Offices.
[CAP. 3.]
1. Vocatioun or calling, is commoun to all that sould bear office
within the kirk, quhilk is ane lauchfull way, be the quhilk,
qualifeit personis is promotit to ane spirituall office within the
kirk of God.
2. Without this lauchfull calling it was neuer leisum to ony persone
to middle with ony function ecclesiasticall.
3. Thair ar two sortis of calling; ane extraordinar, be God
immediatlie, as wer the prophets and apostles, quhilk in kirkis
established and weill alreddy reformit, hes na place.
4. The uther calling is ordinar, quhilk besyd the calling of God, and
inward testimony of guid conscience, hes the lauchfull approbatioun
and outward jugement of men, according to Goddis word, and ordour
establishit in his kirk.
5. Nane aucht to presume to enter in ony office ecclesiasticall,
without he haue this guid testimony of conscience befoir God, wha
onlie knawis the hartis of men.
6. This ordinarie outward calling hes twa partis; electioun and
ordinatioun.
7. Electioun is the chesing out, of ane persone or personis maist
able, to the office that vaikis, be the jugement of the eldarschip
and consent of the congregatioun, whom to, the persone or personis
beis appointit.
8. The qualiteis in generall requisit in all thame qwha sould beir
charge in the kirk, consistis in soundnes of religioun, and godlines
of lyf, according as thay ar sufficientlie set furth in the word.
9. In the ordour of election, it is to be eschewit, that na persone
be intrust in ony of the offices of the kirk, contrarie the will of
the congregatioun to qwhome thay ar appointit, or without the voce of
the elderschip.
10. Nane aucht to be intrusat, or enterit in the places alreadie
plantit, or in ony rowm that, vaikis not, for ony warldlie respect:
and that quhilk is callit the benefice, aucht to be nothing els, bot
the stipend of the minister that is lauchfullie callit and electit.
11. Ordinatioun is the seperatioun and sanctifeing of the persone
appointit of God and his kirk, eftir he be weill tryit and fund
qualifeit.
12. The ceremonyis of ordinatioun ar, fasting and eirnest prayer, and
impositioun of handis of the elderschippe.
13. All thir, as thay must be rasit up be God, and be him maid able
for the wark quhairto thay ar callit; sa aucht thay to knaw thair
message to be limitat within God’s word, without the bounds of the
quhilk thay aucht not to pas.
14. All thir sould tak thais titles and namis onlie (least thay be
exalted and puft up in thame selfis) quhilk the Scripturis givis
thame, as thais quhilks import laubour, travell and work, and ar
naimes of offices and service, and not of idlenes, dignitie, nor
warldlie honour or prehemminence, quhilk be Chryst our Maister is
expreslie reprovit and forbiddine.
15. All thais office-beraris sould haue thair awin particular flokis,
amangis qwhome thay exerce thair charge.
16. All sould mak residence with thame, and tak the inspectioun and
ouersicht of thame, euery ane in his vocatioun.
17. And generallie, thir twa thingis aucht thay all to respect;
the glorie of God, and edifeing of his kirk, in dischargeing thair
dewteis in thair calling.
Off the Office-beraris in particular; and first of the Pasturis and
Ministris.