Excerpt from Of the Church, Five Books, Vol. 4 of 5: Containing the Fifth Book From the Beginning of the Forty-Eighth Chapter, and the Appendix to the Fifth BookHaving examined what may be said for proof of the universality of the bishop of Rome's power and juris diction, first we find that the Son of God gave him no power in the commonwealth, but a fatherhood only in the Church. Secondly, that in the Church he neither gave him an illi mited power of commanding, nor infallible judgment in dis cerning, but that the greatest thing that either he can chal lenge or we yield unto him, is to be the prime bishop in order and honour the first and not of himself alone, or out of the fulness of his own power, but with the joint concur rence of others equal in commission with him, to manage the great affairs of Almighty God, and to govern the Christian Church so that the fulness of ecclesiastical power and juris diction is in the companies, assemblies, and synods of bishops and pastors, and not in any one man alone. I shewed1 be fore, that in the churches founded and established by the apostles, containing whole cities and places adjoining, though there were many ministers of the word and sacraments, yet one was so the pastor of each of these churches, that the rest were but his assistants, and might do nothing without him; and that therefore there was an inequality established even from the beginning, not of order only, but of degree also, between such as are pastors of churches, and are named bishops, and such as are but their assistants, named by the common name' of presbyters; yet is the power of him that excelleth the rest in degree in each church2 fatherly.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work.

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