Anglican Communion -- Apologetic works; Church of England -- Apologetic works
Yet notwithstanding, because we will grant somewhat to succession, tell
us, hath the Pope alone succeeded Peter? And wherein, I pray you? In
what religion? in what office? in what piece of his life hath he
succeeded him? What one thing (tell me) had Peter ever like unto the
Pope, or the Pope like unto Peter? Except peradventure they will say
thus: that Peter, when he was at Rome, never taught the Gospel, never fed
the flock, took away the keys of the kingdom of heaven, hid the treasures
of his Lord, sat him down only in his castle in S. John Lateran, and
pointed out with his finger all the places of purgatory, and kinds of
punishments, committing some poor souls to be tormented, and other some
again suddenly releasing thence at his own pleasure, taking money for so
doing: or that he gave order to say private masses in every corner: or
that he mumbled up the holy service with a low voice, and in an unknown
language: or that he hanged up the Sacrament in every temple, and on
every altar, and carried the same about before him whithersoever he went,
upon an ambling jannet, with lights and bells; or that he consecrated
with his holy breath, oil, wax, wool, bells, chalices, churches, and
altars, or that he sold jubilees, graces, liberties, advowsons,
preventions, first fruits, palls, the wearing of palls, bulls,
indulgences, and pardons; or that he called himself by the name of the
head of the Church, the highest bishop, bishop of bishops, alone most
holy: or that by usurping he took upon himself the right and authority
over other folk's churches; or that he exempted himself from the power of
any civil government; or that he maintained wars, and set princes
together at variance: or that he sitting in his chair, with his triple
crown full of labels, with sumptuous and Persian-like gorgeousness, with
his royal sceptre, with his diadem of gold, and glittering with stones,
was carried about, not upon palfrey, but upon the shoulders of noble men.
These things, no doubt, did Peter at Rome in times past, and left them in
charge to his successors, as you would say, from hand to hand; for these
things be now-a-days done at Rome by the popes, and be so done, as though
nothing else ought to be done. Or contrariwise, peradventure they had
rather say thus, that the Pope doth now all the same things, which we
know Peter did many a day ago: that is, that he runneth up and down into
every country to preach the gospel, not only openly abroad, but also
privately from house to house: that he is diligent, and applieth that
business in season and out of season, in due time and out of due time:
that he doth the part of an evangelist, that he fulfilleth the work and
ministry of Christ, that he is the watchman of the House of Israel,
receiveth answers and words at God's mouth; and even as he receiveth
them, so delivereth them over to the people: that he is the salt of the
earth: that he is the light of the world: that he doth not feed his own
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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