Here is an interesting bit of Gerhard shared with me by Rev. Dr. Benjamin Mayes, who is working on the Gerhard Loci Theologici series of volumes. In this particular section, Gerhard is responding to the accusation from his nemesis in these volumes, the Roman Catholic theologian Bellarmine, who accused the Lutherans (and Calvinists) of agreeing with heresies from the first five centuries. You’ll find the particular heresy being treated here to be very interesting: committing the office of the holy ministry to women.

Fourth, the heresy of the Peputians. § 210. (IV) “According to Augustine (De haeres., c. 27), the Peputians give so much authority [principatus] to women that they even honor them with the priesthood. In art. 13 of those which Leo condemned, Luther says that in the sacrament of penance a woman or child can absolve as much as a bishop or pope can. Now, in fact, a woman is the chief pontiff of the Calvinists in England.”

We respond. (1) We do not entrust the ordinary administration of the ministry to women, which the Peputians once did. As for the fact that in an extreme case of necessity we concede to the laity the administration of baptism, the Papists agree with us in this.

(2) Luther is speaking about an extraordinary case of necessity when a priest cannot be had. There, he says, the absolution of a Christian woman or even of a child can accomplish as much as that of a priest. He says: “In the remission of a fault the pope accomplishes no more than any priest and, in fact, when a priest is absent, than any Christian.” He also teaches: “The power to wipe out fault is placed not in the quality of the minister but in the faith of the believer. We must not assign the effecting of remission to any such power of the minister, such as the Papists claim, but to the faith by which we embrace the word of Gospel promise.” On the other hand, he has by no means taken away the function and dignity of the ecclesiastical ministry, for he writes as follows in his Post. eccles., for the Sunday after Easter: “In 1 Corinthians 14 the apostle requires that all things be done in order. But if we all wanted to administer the sacraments, what will become of the order? If we all wanted to preach at the same time, what sort of croaking will we have? We all have the power to administer the sacraments, but no one should rashly take it upon himself to do this except he whom the Church has appointed for this task.” We must believe the same about the power of loosing and binding.

(3) We know that Elizabeth was the queen of England, but that she usurped the functions of the ecclesiastical ministry is the lie of Cochlaeus. Bellarmine is repeating it here. He would have done far better if, remembering that the popess John VIII came from England, he had abstained from the false accusation he makes here.