7 - Of Preachers

Summary

What the task of preaching is and how it must be undertaken.

Since the task of preaching is most necessary for God's people, the church ought never to be deprived [of it]. But the utmost care must be taken to ensure that no one is admitted to such an important office unless he brings godliness and the right doctrine to it with him. And so that this may be better controlled, it is our will that the authority of the bishops shall be exercised with respect to the preachers [to be placed] in the churches [to be supplied]. Nor do we allow anyone to take up this task of preaching, or to place himself in it, unless he has been called to it by the lawful power of those responsible for it. In this matter we want the diligence of the bishops to be such that they will not accept all those who claim [that they are to be] full of the Spirit of God, but that they will consider and weigh their lives and [circumstances learning], so that on that basis it may be known whether their spirits come from God or not.

Of errors and books of errors to be avoided by preachers.

And those to whom the power of preaching is granted must be on the alert not to spread errors in the church, or pointless debates, or the inventions and thoughts of men, or novelties, or finally any seeds of superstition. In particular they shall in no way teach, or handle or mention the names of the books of the Anabaptists, which have been totally condemned by public authority in our kingdom, nor of any others whom they call sectaries, whether the volumes have already been published or shall be published after this, [for the purpose of before] supporting part of the doctrine about which they are publicly preaching.

What the behaviour and teaching of preachers should be like.