thame that bear the office and charge, efter the forme of iugement. The formar is commounlie callit Poteftas Ordinis, and the vther Poteftas Jurifdictionis. 8. Thefe tua kyndis of power haue bayth ane authoritie, ane grund, and ane finall caus; bot ar different in the maner and forme of executioun, as is euident of the speiking of oure Maister in the 16 and 18 of Mathew. 9. This power and policie ecclefiafticall is different and diftinct, in the awin nature, fra that power and policie quhilk is callit the ciuile power, and appertenit to the ciuile gouernament of the commoun wealth: albeit they be baith of God, and tend to ane end, gif they be rychtlie vfed, to witt, to aduance the glorie of God, and to haue godlie and guid fubiectis. 10. For this power ecclefiafticall flowis immediatelie frome God, and the Mediator Christ Jefus, and is spirituall, not having ane temporale head in earth, bot onlie Christ, the onlie fpirituall King and Gouernour of his Kirk. 11. Thairfore this power and policie of the Kirk fould lene vpoun the Word of God immediatlie, as the only grund thairof, and fuld be tane frome the pure fontanis of the Schriptouris, heiring the woce of Christ, the onlie fpirituall King, and being rewlit be his lawis. 12. It is ane tytle falfie vfurpit be Antichrift, to call himself head of the Kirk, and aucht not to be attribuittit to angell nor to man, of quhat estait foeuer he be, faifing to Chrift, the head and onylie monarche in the Kirk. 13. It is proper to kings, princes, and magiftratis, to be callit lordis and dominatouris ower thaire subiectis, quhom they governe ciuillie; bot it is propir to Chryst onlie to be callit Lord and Maister in the fpirituall gouernament of the Kirk and all vtheris that bearis office thairin, aucht not to vfurp dominioun thairin, nor be callit Lordis, bot onlie minifteris, difcipulis, and feruandis; for it is Chriftis propir office to command and reull his Kirk vniuerfale, and euerie particulare Kirk, throw his Spirite and Woord, be the miniftre of men. 14. Nochtwithstanding, as the ministeris, and vtheris of the ecclefiasticall efteat, ar fubiect to the magiftrat ciuille, sua aucht the perfoun of the magiftrat be fubiect to the Kirk spirituallie, and in ecclefiafticall gouernament. 15. And the exercife of baith thefe jurifdictionis can not ftand in ane perfoun ordinarlie. 16. The ciuile power is callit the power of the fword; the vther is callit the power of the key is. 17. The ciuile power fhuld command the fpirituall to exercife and do thair office, according to the Woord of God: The fpirituall rewlaris fhuld require the Chriftiane magiftrat to minifter iuftice, and puneshe vyce, and to mantene the libertie and quietnes of the Kirk within thair boundis. 18. The magiftrat commandit externall thingis for externall peax and quietnes amangis the fubiectis: The ministrie handlit externall thingis onlie for confcience caus. 19. The magiftrat handlit only externall thingis and actionis done befoir Bott the fpirituall rewlaris iuge baith inward effectionis and externall actionis, in refpect of confcience, be the Woord of God. men: 20. The ciuile magiftrat cravis and gettis obedience be the fwoord, and vther externall meanis; bot the miniftrié be the fpirituall fwoord, and spirituall meanis. 21. The magiftrat nather aucht to preache, minifter the facramentis, nor execute the cenfouris of the Kirk, nor git prefcryue ony reull whow it fhuld be done; bot command the minifteris to obferue the reull commandit in the Woord, and punefche the tranfgreffouris be ciuile meanis. The Minifteris exerce not the ciuill iurifdictioun, bot teacheis the magiftrat whow it shuld be exercifit according to the Worde. 22. The magiftrat aucht to aflift, mantene, and fortefie the iurifdictioun of the Kirk. The minifteris fhuld affift thair princes in all thingis aggreable to the Woord; prouyding they neglect not thair awin charge, be involwing thame felffis in ciuile effearis. 23. Finalie, As minifteris ar fubiect to the iugement and punishment of the magistratis in externall thingis, gif thay offend; fwa aucht the magiftrattis to submit thame felffis to the discipline of the Kirk, gif thai tranfgres in materis of confcience and religioun. Off the Partis of the Policie of the Kirk, and Perfonis or Office beraris to quhom the administratioun thairof is committit. CAP. II. 1. As in the ciuile policie, the haill commoune wealth confiftet in thame that ar gouernouris or magiftrattis, and thame that ar gouernit or fubiectis; fa, in the policie of the Kirk, fum ar appoyntit to be rewlaris, and the rest of the membris thairof to be rewlit and obey, according to the Woord of God, and infpiratioun of his Spirite, alwayis vnder ane head and cheif gouernour, Jefus Chrift. 2. Agane, The haill policie of the Kirk confiftit in three cheif things: In doctrene, in difcipline, and diftributioun. With doctrene is annexit the adminiftratioun of the facramentis. 3. And according to the partis of this diuifioun, arryfit ane threfauld fort of officiaris in the Kirk; to wit, of minifteris or preacheris; of elderis or gouernouris; of deacones or diftributaris: And all these may be callit be ane generall worde, Minifteris of the Kirk. 4. For albeit the Kirk of God be rewlit and gouernit be Jesus Christ, quha is the onlie King, Hie Preift, and Head thairof; git he vses the miniftrie of men, as ane maist neceffarie myddis for this purpose. 5. For fa he hes, fra tyme to tyme, befoir the Law, vnder the Law, and in tyme of the Evangell, for our greit conforte, rafet vp men indewit with the giftis of the Spirit, for the spirituall gouernament of his Kirk, exercefing be thame his awin power, throw his Spirit and Worde, to the building of the fame. 6. And to tak away all occafioun of tyranny, he will that they fould reull with mutuall confent of bretherine, and equalitie of power, euerie ane according to thair functionis. 7. In the New Teftament, and tyme of the Evangell, he hes vfit the ministrie of the Apoftles, Prophettis, Euangeliftis, Paftouris, and Doctouris, in administratioun of the Woord; the Eldarefchip for guid ordour and adminiftratioun of difcipline; the Deaconefchip to haue the cure of the ecclefiafticall guidis. 8. Sum of thir ecclefiafticall functionis ar ordinare, and fum extraordinare or temporall. 9. Thair be thrie extraordinarie functionis; the office of the Apostle, of the Euangelift, and of the Propheit, quhilk ar not perpetuall, [bot ferving for the first planting of the Kirk,] and haue now ceaffit in the Kirk of God; except quhen he pleased extraordinarlie, for ane tyme, to fteir vp fum of thame agane. 10. Thair is four ordinarie functionis or offices in the Kirk of God; the office of the Pasture, Minister, or Bifchop; the office of the Doctour; the Prefbiter or Eldar; and the Deacone. 11. Thir offices ar ordinarie, and aucht to continew perpetuallie in the Kirk, as neceffarie for the gouernament and policie of the fame: and na ma offices aucht to be refaueit or be sufferit in the trew Kirk of God, eftablifhit according to his Woord. 12. Thairfore, all the ambitious titleis invented in the Kingdome of Antichrift, and in his vfurpite Hierarchie, quhilk ar not of ane of thais four fortis, togidder with the offices dependand thairvpoun, in ane woorde, aucht to be reiected. How the Perfonis that bear Ecclefiafticall Functionis ar admittit to thair offices. CAP. III. 1. Vocatioun or calling is commoun to all that fould beare office within the Kirk, quhilk is ane lauchfull way, be the quhilk qualefeit perfonis is promoittit to ane fpirituall office within the Kirk of God. 2. Without this lauchfull calling, it was neuer lefum to ony perfoun to middle with ony functioun ecclefiafticall. 3. Thair ar tuo fortis of calling; ane extraordinare, be God immediatlie, as wer the Prophettis, and Apoftolis, quhilk, in Kirkis established, and weill alreddie reformit, hes no place. 4. The vther calling is ordinare, quhilk, befyde the calling of God, and inward teftimony of guid confcience, hes the lauchfull approbatioun and outward iugement of men, according to Godis Woord, and ordour estab. lifhed in his Kirk. 5. Nane aucht to prefume to enter in ony office ecclefiafticall, without he haue this guid teftimonie of conscience befoir God, quha onlie knawis the hartis of men. 6. This ordinarie and outward calling hes tua partis; electioun and ordinatioun. 7. Electioun is the cheifing out of ane perfoun or perfonis maist able to the office that veakis, be the iugement of the elderfchip, and confent of the congregatioun, quhom to the perfoun or perfonis beis appoyntit. 8. The qualeteis in generall requefit in all thame quha fould bear charge in the Kirk, confiftis in foundnes of religioun, and godlines of lyfe, according as thay are fufficientlie fett furth in the Woord. 9. In the ordour of electioun it is to be efchewit, that na perfoun be intrufit in ony of the offices of the Kirk, contrarie the will of the congre gatioun to quhom thay ar appointtit, or without the voce of the elderfchip. 10. Nane aucht to be intrufit, or enterit in the places alreddie plantit, or in ony rowme that veakis not for ony warldlie refpect: And that quhilk is callit the benefice, aucht to be no thing els bot the ftipend of the minifter that is lauchfullie callit and electit. 11. Ordinatioun is the feparatioun and fanctifeing of the perfoun appointit of God and his Kirk, eftir he be weill tryit and fund qualefeit. 12. The ceremonies of ordinatioun ar fafting, erneft prayer, and impofitioun of handis of the elderfchip. 13. All thir, as thay must be rafit vp be God, and be him maid able for the wark quhairto thay ar callit; fa aucht thay to knaw thair meffage to be limitat within Goddis Word, without the boundis of the quhilk thay aucht not to pas. 14. All thir fould tak thais titleis and names onlie, (left thay be exalted and puft vp in thame felffis,) quhilk the Scriptouris gevis thame, as thais quhilk import laubour, trauell, and work, and ar names of offices and feruice; and not of ydilnes, dignitie, nor warldie honour, or preheminence, quhilk be Chryft oure Maifter is exprefslie reprouit and forbiddin. 15. All thais office beraris fould haue thair awin particulare flokkis, amangis quhom thay exerce thair charge. 16. All fould mak refidence with thame, and tak the infpectioun and owrficht of thame, euerie ane in his vocatioun. 17. And generallie, thir twa thingis aucht thay all to refpect; the glorie of God, and edefeing of his Kirk, in difchargeing thair deweteis in thair calling. Of the Office beraris in particular; and firft, of the Paftouris and 1. Pafturis, or Bifchopis, or Minifteris, are thay quha ar appoyntit to particular congregationis and kirkis, quhilk they reull be the Woord of God, and owr the quhilk thay watche: In refpect quhairof, they ar fum tymes callit pafturis, becaus thay feid thair congregatioun; fum tymes epifcopi, or bifchoppis, becaus thay watche aboue thair flok; fum tymes minifteris, be reafoun of thair feruice and office; and fum tyme prefbyterj |