tute laws and religious services binding upon
everyone.

He who holds and would exercise office in the Church must first give
clear Scripture proof of having derived his office from the authority
of God. He must be able to say: "I did not institute such and such a
proceeding; it is of God." Then they who comply may be assured they
are obeying, not the individual, but God.

55. For instance, if in obedience to Christ's command I, as a carer of
souls, or servant of the Church, administer the holy sacrament or
pronounce absolution; if I admonish, comfort, reprove; I can say:
"That which I do, I do not; Christ performs it." For I act not of my
own design, but in obedience to the command of Christ--to his
injunction. The Pope and his adherents cannot make the above
assertion. For they pervert the order and commandment of Christ the
Lord when, in the sacrament, they withhold the cup from the laity, and
when they change the use of the sacrament or mass, making it a
sacrifice for the living and the dead. And thus they do also by
innumerable other abominations in their false worship, things
established without God's command, indeed contrary thereto; for
instance, the invocation of dead saints, and similar idolatries,
introduced by the Pope under cover of his office, as if he had the
power from Christ to institute and command such things.

ASSURANCE OF DIVINE EFFICIENCY ESSENTIAL.

56. In the second place, it is not enough that office and commandment
be God-appointed. We his ministers should be conscious--and the people
should so be taught--that efficacy of office is not of human effort,
but is God's power and work. In other words, that which the office was
designed to accomplish is not effective by virtue of our speech or
action, but by virtue of God's commandment and appointment. He it is
who orders; and himself will effectively operate through that office
which is obedient to God's command. For instance, in baptism, the
Lord's Supper and absolution, we are not to be concerned about the
person administering the sacraments or pronouncing absolution--who he
is, how righteous, how holy, how worthy. Worthiness or unworthiness of
either administering or receiving hand effects nothing; all the virtue
lies in God's command and ordinance.

57. This is the explanation of Peter's phrase, "the strength or
ability which God supplieth." Effect is produced, not through man's
power, not in obedience to man's will; but through the "str