1. Ane of the twa ordinar and perpetuall functionis that trauell
in the word, is the office of the Doctour, quha may also be callit
Propheit, Bischop, Eldar, Catechesar; that is, teacher of the
Catechisme, and rudiments of religione.
2. His office is to oppine up the mynd of the Spirit of God within
the Scripturis, simplie, without sic applicationis as the minister
usis, to the end that the faythfull be instructed, sound doctrene
teachit, and the puritie of the Gospell not corrupted throw ignorance
and euill opinionis.
3. He is different from the pasture not onlie in name, bot in
diuersitie of giftis; For to the Doctour is gevine the words of
knawledg, to oppine up be simple teaching, the mystereis of the
fayth; to the Pasture the gift of wisedome, to apply the same, be
exhortatioun to the manneris of the flok, as occasioun crauit.
4. Under the name and office of ane Doctour, we comprehend also the
ordour of scoles, in collegis and universiteis, quhilk hes bene frome
tyme to tyme cairfullie maintenit, alsweill amangis the Jewis and
Christianis as amang prophane nationis.
5. The Doctour being an eldar, as said is, sould assist the pasture
in the governament of the kirk, and concurre with the vther eldaris
his brethrene, in all assembleis; be reasone the interpretatioun of
the word, (quhilk is onlie Juge in ecclesiasticall matteris,) is
committit to his charge.
6. Bot to preache unto the peple, to minister the sacraments, and
to celebrat mariagis, perteins not unto the Doctour, unles he be
utherwayis ordourlie callit; howbeit the pasture may teache in the
scoles, as he qwha hes also the gift of knawledge oftentymis meit
thairfoir, as the examples of Policarpus and utheris testifie.
Of Eldaris, and thair Office.