A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

no more than you can when, how, or by whom he was called and ordained unto any such office; all which we know well enough concerning his Apostleship. If you will then have any to succeed him in the enjoyment of any, or of all these Privileges, you must bespeak him to succeed him in his Apostleship, and not in his Bishopric. Besides, as I said before, this imaginary Episcopacy which limits and confines him unto a particular Church, as it doth if it be an Episcopacy properly so called, is destructive of his Apostolical Office, and of his Duty in answering the Commission given him of preaching the Gospel to every Creature, following the Guidance of Gods Providence, and conduct of the Holy Ghost in his way. Many of the Ancients I confess affirm that Peter sate Bishop of the Church of Rome; but they all evidently use the word in a large sense to imply that during his abode there, (for that there he was, they did suppose,) be took upon him the especial Care of that Church. For the same Persons constantly affirm that Paul also was Bishop of the same Church, at the same time; which cannot be otherwise understood than in the large sense mentioned. And Ruffinus, Prafat. Recog. Clement. ad G•udent. unriddles the mystery: Linus, saith ⟨p. 178⟩he, & Cl•tus fuerunt ante Clementem Episcopi in •rbe Roma, sed superstite Petro; videlicet, at illi Episcopatûs Curam gererent, iste verò Apostolatûs simpleret officium. Linus and Cletus were Bishops in the City of Rome before Clemens, but whilst Peter was yet alive; they performing the Duty of Bishops, Peter attending unto his office Apostolical. And hereby doth he utterly discard the present new plea of the foundation of your faith. For though he assert that Peter the Apostle was at Rome, yet he denies that he ever sate Bishop there, but names two others that ruled that Church at Rome jointly during his time, either in one Assembly, or in two, the one of the Circumcision, the other of the Gentile-Converts. And if Peter were thus Bishop of Rome, and entered as you say upon his Episcopacy at his first coming thither, whence is it that you are forced to confess that he was so long absent from his charge? Five years, saith Bellarmine, but that will by no means salve the Difficulty. Seven saith Onuphrius, at once, and abiding at one place;

no more than you can when, how, or by whom he was called and ordained unto any such office; all which we know well enough concerning his Apostleship. If you will then have any to succeed him in the enjoyment of any, or of all these Privileges, you must bespeak him to succeed him in his Apostleship, and not in his Bishoprick. Besides, as I said before, this imaginary Episcopacy which limits and confines him unto a particular Church, as it doth if it be an Episcopacy properly so called, is destructive of his Apostolical Office, and of his Duty in answering the Commission given him of preaching the Gospel to every Creature, following the Guidance of Gods Providence, and conduct of the Holy Ghost in his way. Many of the Ancients I confess affirm that Peter sate Bishop of the Church of Rome; but they all evidently use the word in a large sense to imply that during his abode there, (for that there he was, they did suppose,) be took upon him the especial Care of that Church. For the same Persons constantly affirm that Paul also was Bishop of the same Church, at the same time; which cannot be otherwise understood than in the large sense mentioned. And Ruffinus, Prafat. Recog. Clement. ad Gudent. unriddles the mystery: Linus, saith