The true church is to be recognized by the following marks: the pure preaching of the gospel; the pure administration of the sacraments, as Christ has instituted them; and the exercise of church discipline for correcting and punishing sins. In short, the true church governs itself according to the pure Word of God, rejecting all things contrary to it and regarding Jesus Christ as the only Head... In contrast, the false church assigns more authority to itself and its ordinances than to the Word of God.