6. WE believe that there is one Church of God, and that not confined as it was heretofore to the Jewish People, in one Angle or Kingdom, but that it is Catholic and Universal, and so diffused or spread over the Face of the whole Earth; that there is no Nation ⟨p. 21⟩which can justly complain that it is excluded, and cannot be admitted into the Church and People of God; that this Church is the Kingdom, the Body and Spouse of Christ; that Christ is the only Prince of this Kingdom; that there is in the Church divers Orders of Ministers, that there are some who are Deacons, others who are Presbyters, and others who are Bishops, to whom the Instruction of the People, and the Care and Management of Religion is committed. And yet that there neither is, nor is it possible there should be, any one man who has the care of this whole Catholic Church, for Christ is ever present with his Church, and needs not a Vicar, or sole and perfect Successor; and that no mortal Man can in his mind contain all the Body of the Universal Church, that is, all the parts of the Earth, much less can he reduce them into an exact Order, and rightly and prudently administer its Affairs. That the Apostles, 1as St. Cyprian saith, were all of equal Power and Authority, and that all the rest were what St. Peter was; that it was said to all alike, Feed: To all, go ye into all the World: To all, teach ye the Gospel. And that as St. Jerome saith, All Bishops, wheresoever they are settled, whether it be at Rome or Eugubium, at Constantinople or Rhegium, they are of equal Worth, and of the same Priesthood. And as St. Cyprian saith, there is but one Episcopacy, and each of them hath a perfect and entire share of it. And that according to the Judgment and Sentence of the Council of Nice, the Bishop of Rome hath no more Authority in the Church of God than the other ⟨p. 22⟩Patriarchs, viz. the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch. That the Bishop of Rome, who now endeavours to draw all the Ecclesiastical Authority to himself alone, if he doth not his Duty, that is, if he doth not administer the Sacraments, if he doth not instruct the People, Admonish and Teach, he is not to be called a Bishop, or indeed a Presbyter; for as St. Augustin saith, Bishop is the Name of a Work or Office, and not a Title of Honour; so that he who would usurp an unprofitable Preeminence in the Church is no Bishop.
6. WE believe that there is one Church of God, and that not consin'd as it was heretofore to the Jewish People, in one Angle or Kingdom, but that it is Catholick and Universal, and so diffused or spread over the Face of the whole Earth; that there is no Nation ⟨p. 21⟩which can justly complain that it is excluded, and cannot be admitted into the Church and People of God; that this Church is the Kingdom, the Body and Spouse of Christ; that Christ is the only Prince of this Kingdom; that there is in the Church divers Orders of Ministers, that there are some who are Deacons, others who are Presbyters, and others who are Bishops, to whom the Instruction of the People, and the Care and Management of Religion is committed. And yet that there neither is, nor is it possible there should be, any one man who has the care of this whole Catholick Church, for Christ is ever present with his Church, and needs not a Vicar, or sole and perfect Successor; and that no mortal Man can in his mind contain all the Body of the Universal Church, that is, all the parts of the Earth, much less can he reduce them into an exact Order, and rightly and prudently administer its Affairs. That the Apostles, 1as St. Cyprian saith, were all of equal Power and Authority, and that all the rest were what St. Peter was; that it was said to all alike, Feed: To all, go ye into all the World: To all, teach ye the Gospel. And that as St. Jerome saith, All Bishops, wheresoever they are setled, whether it be at Rome or Eugubium, at Constantinople or Rhegium, they are of equal Worth, and of the same Priesthood. And as St. Cyprian saith, there is but one Episcopacy, and each of them hath a perfect and intire share of it. And that according to the Judgment and Sentence of the Council of Nice, the Bishop of Rome hath no more Authority in the Church of God than the other ⟨p. 22⟩Patriarchs, viz. the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch. That the Bishop of Rome, who now endeavours to draw all the Ecclesiastical Authority to himself alone, if he doth not his Duty, that is, if he doth not administer the Sacraments, if he doth not instruct the People, Admonish and Teach, he is not to be call'd a Bishop, or indeed a Presbyter; for as St. Augustin saith, Bishop is the Name of a Work or Office, and not a Title of Honour; so that he who would usurp an unprofitable Preheminence in the Church is no Bishop.
- 1De Simpl. Praelatorum.
