The apology of the Church of England, and an epistle to one Seignior Scipio…

20. AND as to that which so many of them accustom themselves to extol so very much, that the Pope only is St. Peters Successor, as if upon that account, he always carried the Holy Ghost in his Bosom, and so could not err; it is an airy and a silly Pretence. The Grace of God is promised to pious Souls, and to those that fear God, and not affixed to Chairs and Successions. Riches (saith St. Jerome) may render one Bishop more powerful than another; but yet all Bishops, what ever they are, are the Successors of the Apostles. But if the Place and Inauguration be it they so much rely on, both Manasseh succeeded David, and Caiaphas, Aaron, and an Idol hath often stood in the House of God. Long since one Archidamus a Lacedaemonian, made a mighty boasting that he was descended from Hercules; one Nicostratus chastised his Insolence, by telling him it did not seem probable that he could be descended from Hercules, because Hercules made it his Business to rid the World of bad Men, but (saith he) you make all the good men you can bad. And when the Pharisees boasted of their Succession and Linage, ⟨p. 134⟩that they were of the Blood of Abraham, ¹Christ replied, ye seek to kill me, a Man that hath told you the Truth which I have heard of God; this did not Abraham—ye are of your Father the Devil, and the Lusts of your Father ye will do. But now suppose we should grant something to Successions, doth the Pope only succeed St. Peter? In what Thing? in what Religion? in what Function? in what part of his Life? What one thing ever had St. Peter like the Pope, or the Pope like St. Peter? unless they will say, that when St. Peter was at Rome he never taught the Gospel, he never fed the Flock; that he took away the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, hid his Lords Treasure; that he only sate in the Lateran, and with his Finger, pointed out all the Spaces of Purgatory, and the several sorts of Pains there; presently, and at his Pleasure, dismissed some Souls for Money, and sent other miserable Souls into Torture; that he taught them the use of private Masses, which might be mumbled over in every Corner; that he muttered the sacred Mysteries in a low soft Voice, and in a strange Language; that he hanged up the Eucharist or consecrated Bread in every Church, and enshrined it on every Altar, and carried it before him whither-ever he went on an ambling Jennet, with Lights and Bells.

20. AND as to that which so many of them accustom themselves to extol so very much, that the Pope only is St. Peters Successor, as if upon that account, he always carried the Holy Ghost in his Bosome, and so could not err; it is an airy and a silly Pretence. The Grace of God is promised to pious Souls, and to those that fear God, and not affixed to Chairs and Successions. Riches (saith St. Jerome) may render one Bishop more powerful than another; but yet all Bishops, what ever they are, are the Successors of the Apostles. But if the Place and Inauguration be it they so much rely on, both Manasses succeeded David, and Caiaphas, Aaron, and an Idol hath often stood in the House of God. Long since one Archidamus a Lacedemonian, made a mighty boasting that he was descended from Hercules; one Nicostratus chastised his Insolence, by telling him it did not seem probable that he could be descended from Hercules, because Hercules made it his Business to rid the World of bad Men, but (saith he) you make all the good men you can bad. And when the Pharisees boasted of their Succession and Linnage,