wherefore
our bishops are nothing but Nicholas-bishops, and as is their
priesthood so are also their laws, sacrifices and works. It might be
an excellent play to act out in the deep night, except that under the
mask the divine name is reviled.

Therefore those alone are the holy and spiritual priesthood, who are
true Christians and built upon this stone.

For since Christ is the bridegroom, and we all of us are the bride,
so then the bride has all which the bridegroom has, even His own
body; for if He gives Himself to the bride, He gives Himself for what
He is, and on the other hand the bride gives herself to Him. Now
Christ has been anointed the high and most exalted priest by God
Himself; has also sacrificed His own body for us, which is the office
of the high priest; besides, He prayed on the cross for us. Again, He
has also preached the Gospel, and taught all men to know God and
Himself.

These three offices has He also given to all of us: therefore, since
He is a priest and we are his brethren, so all Christians have it in
their power and charge, and an obligation rests upon them, to preach
and to come before God, and that one should entreat for another and
offer himself up to God; and provided that any one begin to preach
the word of God or address it to others, he is then a priest.

_To offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ._ As to spiritual offerings, it is not necessary that we
should present them to the Pope; neither is sacrifice such as it was
in the Old Testament, when men were required to sacrifice the tenth
of all they had. Such outward sacrifices and priesthood have all now
ceased, and all has become new and spiritual. The priest is Christ;
and we all, since He has sacrificed His own body, must offer up
ourselves. Here is now fulfilled all that was typified by outward
sacrifices in the Old Testament, since they have all passed away, and
all of them may be said compendiously to preach the Gospel. Whoever
preaches this exercises and carries out all that former--strikes the
calf dead,--that is, kills the carnal mind and the old Adam. For this
stubborn nature in flesh and blood must be slain by the Gospel; thus
do we permit ourselves to be offered upon the cross and to die.
Herein is exercised the true priest's office, in that we sacrifice to
God that wicked rogue, the corrupt old dolt (of our nature); if the
world does it not, we must do it ourselves; but it must in the