4. Though Christ appointed Ministers that should have so far a charge or care of the whole Church, as not to be limited to any one part, but to extend their labour and oversight, as far as their capacity and opportunities would permit: yet did he never ⟨p. 27⟩make any man his Vicar or Vicegerent, as Head of the universal Church: nor lay upon any one, whether Peter, Paul, or any other, the charge and oversight of the whole: nor did ever Peter or any one Apostle exercise such an Office, in governing all the Catholic Church: especially when it ceased to be confined to Jerusalem and the adjacent parts, and was dispersed through the world. Never did the Apostles receive their Commissions from Peter: or all the Ministers then in the world, perform their work by his Commission, or by any power received from him, nor were accountable to him, and judged by him for what they did. Much less is this universal Head-ship, committed to the Pope of Rome through all (or any) generations: But because a certain Primacy of Order was granted him by Emperors and Councils, within the limits of the Roman Empire, long after the Apostles days: therefore doth he take advantage thence, to pretend a Title to the universal Head-ship: As if the Roman and the Christian world had been the same; or the Emperor and his Clergy had been the Rulers of all the Christian subjects of all other Princes or Pastors upon earth: and his limited Primacy had been an universal ⟨p. 28⟩Sovereignty. This claim of the Pope of Rome to be the Vice-Christ, or universal Pastor of all the Christian world, is a tyrannical, impious, irrational usurpation; contrary to the holy Scripture, and the state of the Primitive Church, and contrary to nature and common sense, which declare his incapacity of the work; far more then any Prince is uncapable of being the universal Monarch of the world; And therefore all Christians should abhor this proud and impious usurpation, and fly from the guilt of that horrible schism, and those corruptions in doctrine, worship and government, which it hath introduced.
4. Though Christ appointed Ministers that should have so far a charge or care of the whole Church, as not to be limited to any one part, but to extend their labour and oversight, as far as their capacity and opportunities would permit: yet did he never ⟨p. 27⟩make any man his Vicar or Vicegerent, as Head of the universal Church: nor lay upon any one, whether Peter, Paul, or any other, the charge and oversight of the whole: nor did ever Peter or any one Apostle exercise such an Office, in governing all the Catholike Church: especially when it ceased to be confined to Jerusalem and the adjacent parts, and was dispersed through the world. Never did the Apostles receive their Commissions from Peter: or all the Ministers then in the world, perform their work by his Commission, or by any power received from him, nor were accountable to him, and judged by him for what they did. Much less is this universal Head-ship, committed to the Pope of Rome through all (or any) generations: But because a certain Primacy of Order was granted him by Emperours and Councils, within the limits of the Roman Empire, long after the Apostles days: therefore doth he take advantage thence, to pretend a Title to the universal Head-ship: As if the Roman and the Christian world had been the same; or the Emperor and his Clergy had been the Rulers of all the Christian subjects of all other Princes or Pastors upon earth: and his limited Primacy had been an universal ⟨p. 28⟩Soveraignty. This claim of the Pope of Rome to be the Vice-Christ, or universal Pastor of all the Christian world, is a tyrannical, impious, irrational usurpation; contrary to the holy Scripture, and the state of the Primitive Church, and contrary to nature and common sense, which declare his incapacity of the work; far more then any Prince is uncapable of being the universal Monarch of the world; And therefore all Christians should abhor this proud and impious usurpation, and fly from the guilt of that horrible schism, and those corruptions in doctrine, worship and government, which it hath introduced.
