ers are reproved or accused, whose vocation Gellius maintains as evangalical and right. And I trust that, with the gracious assistance of God, I will be enabled to defend these articles with such power and clearness of Scripture, that all impartial, reasonable readers, on comparing our writings, will, by the grace of God, behold, as in a mirror, that he and all the worldly preachers are not the called preachers and teachers of the church of Christ, to whom the Scriptures point; but that they are the open preachers and teachers of the world, or of the church of anti-Christ against whom the Scriptures on every hand warn us, and in many places terrifies us against them. He that hath ears, let him hear what the word of the Lord teaches.
Gellius points out a difference between the calling or sending of the prophets of Christ and the apostles and between the calling of the bishops, pastors and other servants of the church, and says, "That the sending of the prophets of Christ and the apostles was done without any means of man, solely of God; but that the sending of the bishops and pastors is done of God by means of man."
Answer. We do not contradict this, but agree with him in this respect. But we contradict that the calling of which they boast is done in accordance with the apostolic doctrine and usage; and would say that we should well observe these five, following points or articles, according to the Scriptures; namely. Of whom they are called; what they are that are called; to what purpose they are called; what fruit the called bring forth; and what the proper desire and seeking of the called is.
In the first place, we must observe that the calling which was done in the primitive, apostolic church, by means of man, was not done of the world but of the true Christians and obedient disciples of the Lord and his word. For Luke writes, Acts 14: 23, "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed." Paul also says to Titus, "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting and ordain elders in every city, as I have apointed thee,"' Tit. 1: 5, &c. Read also 1 Tim. 3: 12.
Since the preachers, then, boast of a calling of God, by means of man, as said, therefore I would ask without all artifice, "Who is the Paul or Barnabas, or Timothy or Titus that has called and ordained Gellius and his like preachers to the service? If they answer, the magistracy; then I would ask in the second place, If the magistracy, who assumes this matter, have the spirit, calling, ministry, ordinance and power of Paul, Barnabas, Titus, and Timothy? If they answer in the affirmative, then I would like to see their grounds proven according to Scripture. If they say, because they are part of the church, as Gellius seems to have it, then I would ask in the third place, Whether they are actuated by the Spirit of God, Whether they have crucified the flesh with its lusts, and in their weakness, walk innocently and Christianly according to Christ's example and teaching, with his followers? Whether they have become new creatures? Whether they are in Christ and Christ in them? &c. If they say, God knows, and not we, then I would ask in the fourth place, Are you such trees, then, that we cannot judge your fruits, and such lights that we cannot see its refulgence? My reader, ponder well on these questions.
Scriptures plainly testify that there is no Christian but who is in Christ and has his Spirit, Rom. 8: 9. It is evident that the magistracy does not conform themselves to the example and Spirit of the Lord, as may, alas, be perceived on every hand by their fruits. For they live in every respect according to the lusts of the flesh; seek vain honor, treasure, pompous living, &c.; they are earthly, and not heavenly-minded; therefore we should consult the word of the Lord whether such people are competent to ordain preachers, pastors and servants for the church of Christ, while their fruits testify that they are yet without Christ's Spirit, kingdom, church and word themselves, as said.
If they should say that they are not called of the magistracy, but of the church, then I would ask in the fifth place, Whether the church which has called them is flesh of Christ's flesh and bone of his bone? Eph. 5: 30, that is, a church which sincerely seeks and fears God; that walks in obedience to his I word; loves and serves his neighbor; con-
