speaks
on this subject, although in a different manner, I. Cor. iii.: "Ye
are the temple of God." The house of stone or wood is not His house:
He will have a spiritual house,--that is, the christian congregation,
wherein we are all alike, in one faith, one like the other, and all
laid and fitted one to the other, and locked into one another by
love, without any wickedness, deceit, hypocrisy, hatred and slanders,
as He has said.

_And a holy priesthood._ There he casts down the outward and bodily
priesthood, which had existed before under the old dispensation, as
also the outward Church, which he takes entirely away, as though he
had said, "That outward institution with the priesthood has all
ceased, wherefore another priesthood now begins, and another
sacrifice is offered, even one that is entirely spiritual." We have
had much disputing on this point, maintaining that those who are now
called the clergy are not priests in the sight of God; and this is
confirmed out of this passage of St. Peter. Therefore apprehend it
well, and if one should meet you with the objection, and attempt to
show, as some have done, that He speaks of a twofold priesthood,--of
outward and spiritual priests,--then bid him lay aside his vain
speeches that he may see clearly, and take nieswort[1] that he may
clear his brains. St. Peter says, also, Ye are to build yourselves up
into a spiritual or holy priesthood. Ask now those priests whether
they are holy: their life clearly shows, as we see, that this
wretched set is plunged into avarice, fornication, and all manner of
vice. Whoever has this priesthood must certainly be holy. Whoever is
not holy, he does not possess it. Therefore St. Peter speaks here
only of one kind of priesthood.

[Footnote 1: Aromatic snuff.]

We ask further, whether he makes a distinction between spiritual and
worldly, since the clergy are now called spiritual, and other
Christians worldly?

Yet they must confess, no thanks to them, that St. Peter here speaks
to all those that are Christians, even to those who lay aside all
wickedness, deceit, hypocrisy and malice, etc., and are like new-born
children, and drink the pure milk: so that their lie must bite itself
in their mouth, since it stands forth a thing not to be gainsaid,
that St. Peter speaks to all that are Christians; whence it is clear
that they lie, and that St. Peter says nothing of their priesthood,
which they have fancied and arrogate to themselves alone;