2. His office is to oppine up the mynd of the Spirit of God within the Scripturis, simplie, without sic applicationis as the minister usis, to the end that the faythfull be instructed, sound doctrene teachit, and the puritie of the Gospell not corrupted throw ignorance and euill opinionis.
3. He is different from the pasture not onlie in name, bot in diuersitie of giftis; For to the Doctour is gevine the words of knawledg, to oppine up be simple teaching, the mystereis of the fayth; to the Pasture the gift of wisedome, to apply the same, be exhortatioun to the manneris of the flok, as occasioun crauit.
4. Under the name and office of ane Doctour, we comprehend also the ordour of scoles, in collegis and universiteis, quhilk hes bene frome tyme to tyme cairfullie maintenit, alsweill amangis the Jewis and Christianis as amang prophane nationis.
5. The Doctour being an eldar, as said is, sould assist the pasture in the governament of the kirk, and concurre with the vther eldaris his brethrene, in all assembleis; be reasone the interpretatioun of the word, (quhilk is onlie Juge in ecclesiasticall matteris,) is committit to his charge.
6. Bot to preache unto the peple, to minister the sacraments, and to celebrat mariagis, perteins not unto the Doctour, unles he be utherwayis ordourlie callit; howbeit the pasture may teache in the scoles, as he qwha hes also the gift of knawledge oftentymis meit thairfoir, as the examples of Policarpus and utheris testifie.
Of Eldaris, and thair Office.
CAP. 6.
1. The word Eldar, in the Scripturis, sumetyme is the name of aige, sumetyme of office.
2. Quhen it is the name of ane office, sumetyme it is takine largelie, comprehending alsweill the Pastouris and Doctouris, as thame quha ar commounlie callit seinors or eldaris.