ceffors chief or exclufive of St. Paul or his Succeffors over the Gentiles, who were then almost all the World? If Chrift or the Holy Ghoft had fent the lowest Minifter in the Church on this Errand, in St. Paul's Abfence, would that have taken away St. Paul's Inftitution, and Miffion, and the many Declarations, and once his folemn Oath, and void all his Actions, and made that Minister who never was employed again chief or fole Apostle over the Gentiles? Much less will any idle Story of Tradition. St. Paul Gal. ii, tells you, who he was Apostle to, and who St. Peter was Apostle to, and that St. Peter &c. allowed it. 1 Tim. ii. 7. Whereunto I am ordained a Preacher, and an Apoftle (I Speak the Truth in Chrift Jefus, I lye not) a Teacher of the Gentiles in Truth and Verity. 1 Tim. ii. 7. St. Paul taught and governed the Heathens, and St. Peter tells you he writ to Strangers fcattered (Jews, moftly Apoftates.) There had been Contests among the Apoftles while they expected earthly Power, which fhould be the greatest: And the falfe Pretence, and the Abuses of this pretended Power were certainly foreseen: Because there is the ftrongest Evidence given of this Grant and Exercife to St. Paul, that ever was given for any Man, fcarce Mofes excepted; St. Peter's Diocess was soon after within St. Paul's: For the Apoftates were all difperfed. And of all others St. Peter could have no Succeffor, nor no Metropolis, unless it were to hunt the Apoftates through

throughout the whole World. And those who pretend to be his Succeffors must acknowledge themselves to be Jews, and fo must those who regard them. Those who pretend to it have taken all their Plan, and all the Doctrine by which they maintain their Power, and acquire their Riches, not from St. Peter, nor any Thing but his Confeffion (tho' he was for keeping in Part of the Jewish Ceremonies, and fo not a fit Apostle for the Gentiles) But from the pretended Sanhedrim of the Apoftates, and from Tradition like theirs. This Promife was made to them all. Matt. xviii. 18. Whatsoever ye fhall bind on Earth, fhall be bound in Heaven, and whatfoever ye shall loofe on Earth, shall be loofed in Heaven: Thefe Promifes were performed to (I think) ten other Apoftles with him, when Chrift had given them his Commiffion, and the Holy Ghoft. While Chrift, who was God, was upon Earth, this Power of forgiving Sins upon Earth was only in him. Matt. ix. 6, But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath Power on Earth to forgive Sins. Mark ii. 7. Luke v. 21. Who can forgive Sins but God? John i. 14. He is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins; Acts v. 31. This is reftrained, Matt. xii. 31, 32, &c. for Sins against the Holy Ghoft: And conditional, Luke vi. 37. that we forgive or love, &c. When Christ was afcended, the Holy Ghost sent by him, who was alfo God, exercised this Power upon Earth; and the Apostles were no more but Inftruments

through

through which the Holy Ghoft acted, so that their Words were his Words, their Sentence his Sentence: He directed them to admit thofe, whom they admitted, by Baptism: He directed them upon whom to confer not only the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost, but the Oil, the faving Influence, which qualified them for the Kingdom by Holiness. If they will have Chrift to have a Vicar for establishing the Church at the Beginning, it must be the Holy Ghost, no other but one poffeffed of Omnifcience &c. could execute that Office, Acts xx. 28. The Holy Ghoft hath made you Overfeers, to feed the Church of God, which be (the Effence in Chrift) hath purchased with his own Blood. There is another seeming Grant, because it is in the paft Tenfe, not effected, before they had the Holy Ghost. Matt. xiii. 11. Because it is given to you to know the Myfteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but &c. Whether this was from Chrift's private Informations or &c. may be difputed. John xx. 21. Then faid Jefus unto them again, Peace be unto you: As my Father bath fent me (a Prophet) even fo fend I you; and when he had faid this be breathed on, and faith unto them; Receive ye the Holy Ghoft. Whofefover Sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whofefoever Sins retain, they are retained. This was poffeffed and exercised in common by the Apostles. This was predicted to be granted to them, and them only. Matt. xix. 28. Ye which have followed

ye

me

me in the Regeneration, when the Son of Man Shall fit on the Throne of his Glory, ye also shall fit on twelve Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Ifrael. Luke xxii. 29. And I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as my Father bath appointed unto me, that ye may eat and drink at my Table in my Kingdom, and fit on Thrones, judging the twelve Tribes of Ifrael. The pretended Abfolutions of the apoftate Jews, and from them of the Romish Church, are in Prov. 7. truly and beautifully described. The Power of Ejection, or taking off the Admiffion by Baptism, fo Excommunication, is not an eligible Office, was never executed by St. Peter; No Inftance in the Reft, but once by St. Paul, in the pretended Diocefs of St. Peter, for Inceft and Blafphemy, now for not answering Citations to a lay Court. Whatever there was for Incest, which he who had committed fhould have been taken away from among them, there was no Occafion for those who blafphemed to be excommunicated, they had renounced Chrift. The fecond Key is what Simon the Sorcerer would have bought. Acts viii. 19. Give me alfo this Power, that on whomfoever I lay Hands, he may receive the Holy Ghoft; but it was not to be fold, nor did it defcend to the Bishops or Church after, but ceased; was to confer Gifts for eftablishing the Church, and all the Species of them (the Gifts) ceafed together; only that Degree which is for the private Benefit of each Perfon remains. What this Key confers was never taken away by any

Man,

Man, nor ever can be but by him or them who give it nor is there any Inftance that ever it was taken away by him or them. The Inftances by St. Paul 1 Cor. v. 4. In the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, when ye are gathered together, and my Spirit, with the Power of our Lord Jefus Chrift, to deliver fuch an one unto Satan, for the Deftruction of the Flesh, that the Spirit may be faved in the Day of the Lord fefus. Repeated 1 Tim. i. 20. Of whom is Hymeneus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan that they may learn not to blafpheme. This appears to be a Permiffion unto Satan, who had for the Reafons aforefaid, and that Christ might fhew his Power, been permitted at that Time, to poffefs the Bodies of Men and was then permitted to torture the Bodies and Souls of Men, of fuch as had forfeited the Protection of Chrift. This was not of the Nature of Excommunication, nor practicable now, any more than it is to take them out of the Hands of Satan, and cure them of the Diseases he inflicts and thofe who cannot perform the latter before Unbelievers, have no Pretence to use the former.

The Pope affumes the Administration of Christ here, and of his final Judgment hereafter, without any Authority, Direction or Guide, in Pardons, Difpenfations, Commutations, Penance, Purgatory, Interceffion by Saints, Angels, &c. all taken from the forged Stories of the apoftate Jews. He precludes final

Judg