rch, for a long time, the election of ministers
remained in the power of the whole church or congregation, it is evident
from Cypr., lib. 1, epist. 4, 68; August., epist. 106; Leo I., epist. 95;
Socrat., lib. 4, cap. 30; and lib. 6, cap. 2; Possidon, _in Vita Aug._,
cap. 4. The testimonies and examples themselves, for brevity's cause, I
omit. As for the thirteenth canon of the Council of Laodicea, which
forbiddeth to permit to the people the election of such as were to
minister at the altar, we say with Osiander,(1013) that this canon cannot
be approved, except only in this respect, that howbeit the people's
election and consent be necessary, yet the election is not wholly and
solely to be committed to them, excluding the judgment and voice of the
clergy. And that this is all which the Council meant, we judge with
Calvin(1014) and Gerhard.(1015) That this is the true interpretation of
the canon, Junius(1016) proveth both by the words {~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON WITH PSILI AND OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER CHI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER LAMDA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~} {~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH PSILI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~},
_permittere turbis_, for {~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH PSILI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH OXIA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~} signifieth to quit and leave the whole
matter to the fidelity and will of others; and, likewise, by the common
end and purpose of that Council which was to repress certain faults of the
people which had prevailed through custom. Indeed, if the whole matter
were altogether left to the people, contentions and confusions might be
feared; but whilst we plead for the election of the people, we add,

1. Let the clergy of the adjacent bounds, in their presbyterial assembly,
try and judge who are fit for the ministry; thereafter let a certain
number of those who are by them approven as fit, be offered and propounded
to the vacant church, that a free election may be made of some one of that
number, providing always tha