6o8 d 'R.eformedCatholik!· liafricall, I will fctdownebow neerewemay A come to the Romane church,in 2•Conclu!ions. Conduf. I. ForthefoundingofthePrimi– riue Church, themininerie ofthe word was diiHngui!hed by degrees not onely oforder, but alfoofpower, and Peter was called to the highefr degree.Eph-4- I I. Claiil Ajcmdedvp '" higb,andg<uegifu vntomen,for rbe good ofhis Church: asfometobe .Apojflts,fom• 'Prophets, fome Eu<ngdif/s,folllt P•flours &Dotlours.Now bowfoeuer one Apofrle bee not abouc ano– ther, or one Euangdifr aboue another, or one Pa!l:our aboue another:yet an Apofile was a– boue an Euangeliil: and an Euangelifi aboue all Pafiours and teachers. And Peter was by calling an Apofrle, and therefore aboue all E- B uangelills ahd Pallours, hauing the highefi roome in the minillery of the newtcfiament both for order and authority. Concluf. II. Among the tweluc Apoliles Pe· terhad athree-fold priuilcdge or prerogariuc. I. The prorogatiue ofauthority. II. Ofpri– macie. III. Ofprincipaliry. Forthefirlt,by the priuiledge of authority, I meanc a prehe– minencc in regard ofdlimation, whereby bee was bad in reucrence aboue the reil of the twelue Apo!Hes: for (ephM with lames and John arecalled PiOars, andfe•m•d 10 beegre•t, qal.2.6·9· Againe, he bad the prebemiocnce ofprimacic, becaufe he wasthe 6rll named,as the fore-man ofthe quell• ..;M•tth. r 0.2. The names .j'th<tw<!He .Apojlln•retheft, the fir(\ i.< C Simon, caaedPeter, &<. Thirdly, bee had the prebeminence of principalitie among the twduc, bccaufc in reg.rd of rho meafurc of grace,he excelled the reil: for when Chrifiaf– kedhisdifciples whom they faid he was, 'Pe– ter as beingof greatell ability and zeale, an– fweredforthemall, Matth.J6,J6. Ivfetbis claufe ttmrmg the twebte, becaufe ~)llHl excel/et/ Pettr cuery way, in learning,zeale,vnderfran– ding, asfarreas'Pmr txcdledthcrell. And thus neere we come to popi!h fupremacy. The dijj'crmce. contrary, that neither Ptter, nor any BifhoP of Rome bath any fuprcmacy ouer the Ca– tholike Clmrch: but that all fuptemacy vcder Cbrifi is per~ainiog to kings and princes with– tnthetrdommtons. And thatthis curdcchine is gdod,and thcirsfalfe and forged I wil make it manifd\ by fundry reafons. ' I. Chrift mull bee confidered of vs as a kingtwowaies. Firllas he is God: and fois be an abf<ilute king ouer all things in beauen and earth,with the Father and the holy Gho!l: by the right ofcreation. Secondly,he is aking as he is a rede<mer of mankindc : aud by the right ofredemption heis a foueraigne kingouer the whole Church, and that in fpeciall m2ner.Now as Cbrill is God withthe Father and the holy Gholl, he bath his deputies on earth t? gouerne the worid1 as namtly kings and prmccs, Wl10 are therefore in Scripture called Gods. BlJr as Chrifi is Mediarour and confequently a King ouerhis rede<mcd ~ues, he harh neither fdlow,nor deputy.Nofellowl for thenhe lllould be an imperfett mediator. No dcpury : for no creature iscapable ofthis office, to do in the roome and !leadof Cbrill, that which bee himfclfe dotb : becaufetuery worke ofthe Mediator is atompound workc, arifing of rke d!i:th of two naturesconcur– ring in one and the fame atlion, namely, the Godr.ead and the manhood: and therefore to the effctling oftbe faid worke,there is requi– red an infinite powcr,whicb farre exceeds the firengthofany created nature. Againe, Rehr, 7·24· Cbriftis faid to haue apriefihoodwhich cannot pa!fe from his perfon tO any other : whence it followes, that neither his kingly, nor hisprophcticall office can pa!fe from him to any creature, cith<.r in whole or in part: becaNfe the three offices ofmediation in this regard bcequall. Nay, itis aneedle!fe thing for Chrill tohauea deputy, to put inexecu– tion any partofhis Mediatout!h!p : con6dc– ring a deputy ondy ferueth to fupply rhe ab– fence of the principal, whereas Chrifr is al– waies prefent with his Churchby his Word and Spirit: for wheretwoorthree bee gatbe· red together inhis name, he is in the middcfi The Church of Rome g,iues to 'l'tt<ra fu– premacy vnder Cbrill aboue all caufes and perfons: thatis,full power,to gouerne and or– der the Carholike Church vpoR the whole earth , both for doC\rinc and regiment· This fupremacie liand• (as they teach) in apower or iudgemeut, todetermine of the true fenfe ofall placcsofScriprure:to determine all eau. fesoffaitb: to alfemble generall Cooncels: to ratifie tbcdecrcesoftbe Counccls: to excom– municate any man vpon eatth,that liues with~ in the Church,euen princes and nations: pro ... perly to abfoiue and forgiue linnes: to decide caufes brought to him by appeale from all the parrs ofth< earth: laltly, to make !awes that !hall biode the confcience. This fulnetfe of power with one cdnfent is afcribed to 'Pet<r, D among them. Itmay bcefaid, that the Mi. nillers in the work ofthe minifiery are depu– tiesofCbrill.Ianfwer, thatthey arc nodepu– tiues,but altiuc infiruments. For in the prea– ching ofthe Word there be two atlions: the filii is, the ..rtering or propounding ofit to the <are:the fecond is,theinward operationof the holy Ghofi in the heart: which ir.deede is the principal,and telongs to Cbrift alone: the aC\ion of {peaking in the minifier bcir.g one– ly inftrumentall. Thus likewife the Church of God in cuttingelfany member by cxcom• municatiDn, is no more but an infirumcn performing a minificrie in the name of . Chrill, and that is, to teliifie and pronounce whom Chrill bimfelfe bath cut off from the kingdome of Heaueo: w~.cm bee alfo will hauc for thiscaufe, to bee feuered from l and the Bi!hops of Rome that follow him in a fuppofed fucce{sion. Now wte hold on the the
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