II. It informs us of the shameless Usurpation abetted by the Papists, who call the Pope head of the Church. None can be a Head of the Church, to whom the Church is not a Body; but it would be strange to say the Church is the Popes body. None can be a governing head of the Church but he who is a Mediatorial Head of Vital influence. The Papists indeed distinguish these things, ascribe the one to the Pope, the other to Christ, but the Scripture allows not this Writ of Partition; None can be the one but he must also be the other. But they say he is a ministerial head; but a ministerial Universal Head, that shall give law to other ⟨p. 129⟩Churches and christian societies, and if they depend not on him, shall be excluded from the Privileges of a Christian Church, this is, as to matter of Right, Sacrilege; for this honour is too great for any man, and Christ hath appointed no such head, and therefore it is a manifest Usurpation of his Royal Prerogative without his leave and consent. And as to matter of Fact, it is impossible the Church being scattered throughout all parts of the World, which can have no commerce with such an head in matters essential to its Government and Edification. They that first instituted such an universal Head, besides that they had no Authority or Commission so to do, were extremely imprudent, and perverters of Christianity. Therefore let us consider how it came up at first, and how it hath been exercised: It came up at first for the prevention of schisms and divisions among Christians, they thought fit the Church should be divided into certain Dioceses, according to the secular division of the Empire, which at first were thirteen in number under the names of Patriarchs and Bishops of the first See, who should join in common care and counsel for the good of the christian commonwealth: Among these, some, who in regard ⟨p. 130⟩of the cities wherein they resided, were more eminent than the rest, and began to encroach upon the others Jurisdiction, till at length they were reduced to four. The Bishop of Rome being the Imperial City, had the precedency, not of Authority super reliqous, but of place and order inter reliquos. It was potestas honoraria, a difference or authority by courtesy, afterwards ordinaria, an ordinary power, then what was de facto given, was afterwards challenged de jure.
II. It informs us of the shameless Usurpation abetted by the Papists, who call the Pope head of the Church. None can be a Head of the Church, to whom the Church is not a Body; but it would be strange to say the Church is the Popes body. None can be a governing head of the Church but he who is a Mediatorial Head of Vital influence. The Papists indeed distinguish these things, ascribe the one to the Pope, the other to Christ, but the Scripture allows not this Writ of Partition; None can be the one but he must also be the other. But they say he is a ministerial head; but a ministerial Universal Head, that shall give law to other ⟨p. 129⟩Churches and christian societies, and if they depend not on him, shall be excluded from the Priviledges of a Christian Church, this is, as to matter of Right, Sacriledge; for this honour is too great for any man, and Christ hath appointed no such head, and therefore it is a manifest Usurpation of his Royal Prerogative without his leave and consent. And as to matter of Fact, it is impossible the Church being scattered throughout all parts of the World, which can have no commerce with such an head in matters essential to its Government and Edification. They that first instituted such an universal Head, besides that they had no Authority or Commission so to do, were extreamly imprudent, and perverters of Christianity. Therefore let us consider how it came up at first, and how it hath been exercised: It came up at first for the prevention of schisms and divisions among Christians, they thought fit the Church should be divided into certain Dioces•es, according to the secular division of the Empire, which at first were thirteen in number under the names of Patriarchs and Bishops of the first See, who should join in common care and counsel for the good of the christian commonwealth: Among these, some, who in regard ⟨p. 130⟩of the cities wherein they resided, were more eminent than the rest, and began to incroach upon the others Jurisdiction, till at length they were reduced to four. The Bishop of Rome being the Imperial City, had the precedency, not of Authority super reliqous, but of place and order inter reliquos. It was potestas honoraria, a difference or authority by courtesie, afterwards ordinaria, an ordinary power, then what was de facto given, was afterwards challenged de jure.
