We believe that this trueChurch must be governed according to the Spiritual order which our Lord hastaught us in His Word. There should be ministers or pastors to preach the Wordof God and to administer the sacraments; there should also be elders anddeacons who, together with the pastors, form the council of the Church. Bythese means they preserve the true religion; they see to it that the truedoctrine takes its course, that evil men are disciplined in a spiritual way andare restrained, and also that the poor and all the afflicted are helped andcomforted according to their need. By these means everything will be done welland in good order when faithful men are chosen in agreement with the rule thatthe apostle Paul gave to Timothy.