[644:1] neither is their intervention between God and the sinner described as indispensable.  But Catholicism invested them with a factitious consequence, representing them as inheriting peculiar rights and privileges by ecclesiastical descent from the apostles.  According to Cyprian, “Christ says to the apostles, and thereby to all prelates who by vicarious ordination are successors of the apostles.  ’He that heareth you, heareth me.’” [644:2] About the commencement of the third century the pastors of the Church began to be called priests, [644:3] and this change in the ecclesiastical nomenclature betokens the influence of Catholic principles on the current theology.  The Jewish sacrificial system had now ceased, and the Hebrew Christians were perhaps disposed to transfer to their new ministers the titles of the sons of Levi; but, had not the alteration been in accordance with the spirit of the times, it could not have been accomplished.  It was, however, justified by Catholicism, as that system set forth the clergy in the light of mediators between God and the people.  This misconception of the nature of the Christian ministry generated a multitude of errors.  If ministers are priests they must offer sacrifice, and must be entrusted with the work of atonement.  It is true, indeed, that the monstrous dogma of transubstantiation was not yet broached, but it cannot be denied that forms of expression which were exceedingly liable to misinterpretation, now began to be adopted.  Thus, the Eucharist was styled “a sacrifice,” [645:1] and the communion-table “the altar.” [645:2] At first such phraseology was not intended to be literally understood, [645:3] but its tendency, notwithstanding, was most pernicious, as it fostered false views of a holy ordinance, and laid the foundation of the most senseless superstition ever imposed on human credulity.

Every genuine pastor has a divine call to the sacred office, and no act of man can supply the place of this spiritual vocation.  God alone can provide a true minister, [645:4] for He alone can bestow the gifts and the graces which are required.  Ordination is simply the form in which the existing Church rulers endorse the credentials of the candidate, and sanction his appearance in the character of an ecclesiastical functionary.  But these rulers may themselves be incompetent or profane, so that their approval may be worthless; or, by mistake, they may permit wolves in sheep’s clothing to take charge of the flock of Christ.  The simple fact, therefore, that an individual holds a certain position in any section of the visible Church, is no decisive evidence that he is a true shepherd.  Such, however, was not the doctrine of Catholicism.  Whoever was accredited by the existing ecclesiastical authorities was, according to this system, the chosen of the Lord.  When certain parties who had joined Novatian were induced to retrace their steps, they made the following penitential declaration in presence of a large congregation assembled in the