Chapter 19: The Dutie of Ministers or Officers

The Dutie of Ministers or Officers

The chefe and pryncypall offyce of this ministracion is to preache repentaunce and remission of synne through Iesu Christe, to praye continually for the people, to geue diligence wholy to holy stodyes and to the worde of God, and resyst and pursue the deuyll alway with the word of god, as wt the sworde of the spirite, and that with a deadly ha tered, and by all meanes to chasten him awaye, to defende the holy citezens of Christe. And by all meanes compell and reproue the fautie and vicious, and to exclude from the churche them that stereth to farre, and that by a godly consente and agrement of them whiche are chosen of ye ministers and magistrates for correccyon, or to ponyshe them by any other waye conuenient and profytable meanes, so longe vntyll they come to a mendement, and so be safe, for this is the returnynge of the churche agayne, for one suche Citezen of Chryst yf he acknowlage and confesse his erroure with conuerted mynde and lyfe, for all this doctryne seketh and wylleth that we requyre wyllynge and helthefull correccion, exhilarite, or comforte all godly by a newe studdy of godlynes.