it calls ministers,
servants, and stewards, who are to serve the rest in the ministry of the
word, for teaching the faith of Christ and the liberty of believers. For
though it is true that we are all equally priests, yet we cannot, nor,
if we could, ought we all to, minister and teach publicly. Thus Paul
says, "Let a man so account of us as of the ministers of Christ and
stewards of the mysteries of God" (1 Cor. iv. 1).

This bad system has now issued in such a pompous display of power and
such a terrible tyranny that no earthly government can be compared to
it, as if the laity were something else than Christians. Through this
perversion of things it has happened that the knowledge of Christian
grace, of faith, of liberty, and altogether of Christ, has utterly
perished, and has been succeeded by an intolerable bondage to human
works and laws; and, according to the Lamentations of Jeremiah, we have
become the slaves of the vilest men on earth, who abuse our misery to
all the disgraceful and ignominious purposes of their own will.

Returning to the subject which we had begun, I think it is made clear by
these considerations that it is not sufficient, nor a Christian course,
to preach the works, life, and words of Christ in a historic manner, as
facts which it suffices to know as an example how to frame our life, as
do those who are now held the best preachers, and much less so to keep
silence altogether on these things and to teach in their stead the laws
of men and the decrees of the Fathers. There are now not a few persons
who preach and read about Christ with the object of moving the human
affections to sympathise with Christ, to indignation against the Jews,
and other childish and womanish absurdities of that kind.

Now preaching ought to have the object of promoting faith in Him, so
that He may not only be Christ, but a Christ for you and for me, and
that what is said of Him, and what He is called, may work in us. And
this faith is produced and is maintained by preaching why Christ came,
what He has brought us and given to us, and to what profit and advantage
He is to be received. This is done when the Christian liberty which we
have from Christ Himself is rightly taught, and we are shown in what
manner all we Christians are kings and priests, and how we are lords of
all things, and may be confident that whatever we do in the presence of
God is pleasing and acceptable to Him.

Whose heart would not rejoice in its