the church of Christ,
extraordinarily sent, and furnished with the gift of miracles, whereby
they might confirm the doctrine of the gospel, he appointed also ordinary
pastors and teachers, for the executing of the ministry, even until his
coming again unto judgment, Eph. iv. 11-13. Wherefore also, as many as are
of the number of God's people, or will be accounted Christians, ought to
receive and obey the ordinary ministers of God's word and sacraments
(lawfully though mediately called), as the stewards and ambassadors of
Christ himself.

3. It is not lawful for any man, how fit soever and how much soever
enriched or beautified with excellent gifts, to undertake the
administration either of the word or sacraments by the will of private
persons, or others who have not power and right to call, much less it is
lawful by their own judgment or arbitrement to assume and arrogate the
same to themselves. But before it be lawful to undergo that sacred
ministry in churches constituted, a special calling, yea beside, a lawful
election (which alone is not sufficient), a mission or sending, or (as
commonly it is termed) ordination, is necessarily required, and that both
for the avoiding of confusion, and to bar out or shut the door (so far as
in us lieth) upon impostors; as also by reason of divine institution
delivered to us in the Holy Scripture, Rom. x. 15; Heb. v. 4; Tit. i. 5; 1
Tim. ii. 7.

4. The church ought to be governed by no other persons than ministers and
stewards preferred and placed by Christ, and after no other manner than
according to the laws made by him; and, therefore, there is no power on
earth which may challenge to itself authority or dominion over the church:
but whosoever they are that would have the things of Christ to be
administered not according to the ordinance and will of Christ revealed in
his word, but as it liketh them, and according to their own will and
prescript, what other thing go they about to do than by horrible sacrilege
to throw down Christ from his own throne?

5. For our only lawgiver and interpreter of his Father's will, Jesus
Christ hath prescribed and foreappointed the rule according to which he
would have his worship and the government of his own house to be ordered.
To wrest this rule of Christ, laid open in his holy word, to the counsels,
wills, manners, devices, or laws of men, is most high impiety. But
contrarily, the law of faith commandeth the counsel and purposes of men to