A09453:407
A Reformed Catholic
A reformed Catholic: or, A declaration showing how near we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundry points of religion: and wherein we must for ever depart from them with an advertisement to all favourers of the Roman religion, showing that the said religion is against the Catholic principles and grounds of the catechism.A reformed Catholike: or, A declaration shewing how neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion: and vvherein we must for euer depart from them with an advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion, shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the catechisme.
Cambridge: printed by John Legat, 1598Cambridge: printed by Iohn Legat, 1598
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Reason II. All the Apostles in regard ⟨p. 289⟩of power and authority were equal: for the commission apostolical both for right and execution was given equally to them all, as the very words import: Math. 28. v. 19. Go teach all nations baptizing them, &c. and the promise, I will give to thee the k••es of the kingdom of heaven, is not private to Peter, but is made in his person to the rest, according as his confession was in the name of1 the rest. Thus saith Theophylact. They have the power of committing & binding that receive 2the gift of a bishop as Peter. And Ambr. saith, What is said to Peter, is said to the Apostles. Therefore Peter had no supremacy over the rest of the Apostles in respect of right to the commission: which they say belonged to him only, and the execution thereof to the rest. But let all be granted, that Peter was in commission above the rest, for the time of his life: yet hence may not any superiority be gathered for the Bishops of Rome: because the authority of the Apostles was personal, & consequently ceased with them: without being conveyed to any other: because the Lord did not vouchsafe the like honour to ⟨p. 290⟩any after them. For first of all, it was the privilege of the Apostles to be called immediately, and to see the Lord Jesus. Secondly, they had power to give the gift of the holy ghost by the imposition of hands. Thirdly, they had such a measure of the assistance of the spirit, that in their public sermons and in writing of the word, they could not err: and these things were all denied to those that followed after them. And that their authority ceased in their persons, it stands with reason also, because it was given in so ample a manner for the founding of the Church of the new Testament▪ which being once founded, it was needful only that there should be pastors and teachers for the building of it up unto the end of the world.
Reason II. All the Apostles in regard