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A31666
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The foundation of popery shaken, or, The Bishop of Rome's supremacy opposed in a sermon upon Matth. XVI. 18, 19 / by William Cade.
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Cade, William, 1651 or 2-1707.
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1678
(1678)
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Wing C194; ESTC R24760
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20,539
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40
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and Life are denyed to the Impenitent and Unbelievers Peter binds when he inflicts punishment as Excommunication Penance c. or refers to the dreadful Judgment of God he looses when he remits those Penalties and declares the sinner Absolved And this judgment past on Earth if according to the Rule proposed the Word of God is ratified and confirmed in Heaven To explain this Power here conferred Dr. Lightfoot gives us the Form of Ordination amongst the Jews which was in these or the like words Receive thou Power to Bind or to Loose So Christ when he confers on the Apostles the Ministerial Function Commands them to bind and to loose i. e. to Teach what is to be done or not to be done as will appear if you will observe with the same Author that this Power extends only to Things not to Persons So that according to him this is the sense of the Place The time is coming says Christ when the Law of Moses shall be in part abrogated and in part continued so that to Peter and the other Apostles Power is granted to confirm or abolish what seems good unto the Holy Ghost and unto them As they forbad Circumcision and other Rites Acts 15.28 29. and permitted Paul to purify himself Acts 21.24 and the same Author will not allow this power of Binding and Loosing to import as much as that given Joh. 20.23 of Remitting and Retaining sins For there sayes he it is treated of the Persons to be or not to be Punished Here of Doctrines and things Lawful or Prohibited that are subject to the determination of the Apostles But we must crave leave to differ from the judgment of this Learned and Reverend Author and declare with Calvin lib. Inst lib. 4. cap. 6. § 3. cap. 11. § 1. That Christ explained what He meant by binding and loosing when He gave the Apostles Authority to to remit or retain Sins He is said to remit sins who by Preaching the Gospel converts men to God he is said to Retain who declares that the obstinate sinner is reserved for everlasting Punishments From whence it follows To receive the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven is not to be promoted to any Principality or Power over others but the Ministry of the Word Which is approved by St. Hierom when he sayes That the Apostles do Loose men by the Word of God by the Testimony of Scriptures and by the Word of Exhortation Which Sense is safe and plain and with the Jurisdiction here implyed and by Calvin not excluded is the entire meaning of the Place For the Power of Administring and Ruling the Church of God the Family of Christ is hereby conferred on the Apostles This primarily and independently belongs to Christ the Holy and True who hath the Key of David Rev. 3.7 Keyes are confessedly an Ensigne of Power But that Power is not all of one kind it is Greater or Less Principal and Independent or Inferior and Derivative And several Keyes are Emblems of these several Powers David was a King and independent from any on Earth and consequently the Key of David notes an Independent Supreme Power and that applyed to the Church belongs only to Christ But the Keyes of the House of David mentioned Isa 22.22 to which the Text seems to refer notes an Inferior Power that of a Steward in David's Family who being perfectly subordinate to him hath yet the Administration of the Affairs of his Family intrusted to him Now Christ is the Original and Prime Fountain of all Power over the whole Church that Spiritual Kingdom of David as to whom was given by the Father all Power in Heaven and Earth particularly that of Loosing or Remitting Sin on Earth Mat. 9.6 And this is by Christ communicated to his Apostles and their Successours the Bishops in the Church as so many several Stewards As St. Chrysostome observes That the Bishops are those Faithful Servants in the Parable whom the Lord sets over his House The Sense of the Words on both Sides thus given our Passage is clear to the Third and Last Thing proposed which was to consider The Power Honour and Priviledges hereby conferred on St. Peter which are 1. Extraordinary or Personal 2. Ordinary or to be derived down to his Successours I. I begin with the Extraordinary Power Honour and Priviledges of St. Peter Which I also call Personal not as Excluding the rest of the Apostles but their Successours In Discoursing of which I shall lay down these Two Things 1. VVhat the Extraordinary Power Honour and Priviledges of an Apostle are of which the succeeding Church did not partake 2. That in these Things St. Peter hath no Superiority over the other Apostles But that they were all Equal First I am to shew what the Extraordinary and Personal Power Honour and Priviledge of an Apostle is Christ while he had his Residence on Earth did not commit the Government of his Church into the Hands of others but Exercised the Office of Apostle and Bishop in his own Person Which Stile is given him Heb. 3.1 1 Pet. 2.25 But that he might shew himself Faithful in the House of God before he was to leave the World and return back to Heaven he did Ordain and Constitute several Officers who might in his Absence Conduct and Over-see the Affairs of the Church accordingly therefore He gave some Apostles some Prophets some Evangelists and some Pastors and Teachers For the the gathering together of the Saints the Work of the Ministry and the Edifying of the Body of Christ Until we all meet in the Unity of the Faith and Knowledge of the Son of God into a Perfect Man even into the Measure of the Age of the Fulness of Christ Eph. 2.11 c. Amongst these the Apostles were Chief and Principal and as far in Office as Honour before all other Orders of the Church Having these Badges of their Power and Priviledges not communicable to any other Ministers of Christ Immediate Vocation and Election Infallibility of Judgement in delivering the Doctrines of the Kingdome of Heaven Generality of Commission comprehending all Places and Persons The Gift of Tongues enabling them to speak in all the Languages of the World and the Knowledge of all Secrets and Power to confirm their Doctrines by Signes and Miracles and by the Imposition of their Hands the Power of Bestowing the Miraculous Gifts of the Spirit to Others These Powers and Privileges even in the Times of the Apostles were not conferred on Any but Themselves The Evangelists and Prophets were not called Immediately by Christ but appointed by the Apostles neither were they led Infallibly into all Truth General Commission they had not but were taken into the Fellowship of the Apostles Labours to Assist their Presence and Supply their Absence to Build upon their Foundation and to Perfect what they Began And tho the Miraculous Gifts of Tongues and Working Miracles were not proper to the Apostles yet having them in such sort as by the
IMPRIMATUR Geo. Thorp R mo in C. P. D. D no. Gulielmo Archiep. Cant. a Sacris Domesticis Nov. 4th 1678. THE FOUNDATION OF Popery Shaken OR THE Bishop of ROME'S Supremacy Opposed IN A SERMON UPON MATTH XVI 18 19. By William Cade M. A. and Priest of the Church of ENGLAND LONDON Printed by T.M. for Robert Clavel at the Signe of the Peacock in St. Paul's-Church-yard 1678. ERRORS of the PRESS PAge 5. line 11. for for read of p. 8. l. 7. f. or r. and p. 10. l. 9. r. Apostle ibid. l. 12. r. Labours p. 21. l. 24. r. Aethiopia TO Mr. Edward Muns OF CLAPHAM IN THE County of SVRREY Gent. Honoured Sir A Reverend Clergy-Man of the Church of England affirms That when the Publick Maintenance of any Tenet will bring the utmost Hazard upon a Man 's Life or Fortune and there be a necessity that that Doctrine should be propagated Then to be silent upon any Worldly Conceits of Honour Profit or present Safety is a Breach of Christian Duty or at least it argues a Cowardize unbecoming One that hath not only Listed himself under Christ's Banners but hath undertaken the Charge of his Flock which he must not Desert when the Wolfe approaches I do not hence urge a Necessity of Printing this Sermon or that every Church-Man is obliged to declare his Judgement concerning the Subject treated of in it But I would have it rather Received as an Excuse for the Publishing this Discourse to which I was not only Invited but Commanded by some that heard it Preached who were likewise instant in the fore-going Argument I cannot presume it will do that Service which those Friends in Kindness seemed to imagine Whatever their Motive was to the Publication Obedience to their Commands and Complyance with their Desires were mine It was not designed neither can a Sermon be thought to be a full Treatise and a sufficient Confutation to the Church of Rome in that particular Matter I am satisfyed if it give but Hints to those that have time to look more into the Subject and supply the Wants of those that have not Leisure and Opportunity to do so When the Church is set on Fire and like to be consumed in the Flames 't is enough for me if I can bring but one Drop of Water towards the quenching it When the Fence is broken down and the Vine that God's own Right Hand hath Planted amongst us is like to be Trodden down by the Wild Boar of the Forrest I am not so vain as to think I am able to Repair it I only discover my Willingness by putting to my Helping Hand Tho all Divisions are Destructive to the Church of England yet the Popish Faction seems to tend directly to its Ruin as being formed under one Head and having a more United Interest than any other Would the other Parties consider how much they assist the Papists in Rending and Dividing our Church would they be sensible how much our own Divisions Encourage the Foe they would no longer for a few slight Circumstances stand at Variance with their Mother Church but would Unite against the Common Enemy It is a Maxime in their Politicks Divide Impera which all our Separations help them to put into Practice And 't is to be feared that we have more Cause to Fear than the Jews had That the Romans will come and take away our Place and Nation For as that Party is Inconsiderable to us were we United so 't is very Dangerous by our Divisions It is Courage not to Fear and Prudence not to Slight an Enemy 'T is to be feared That if we thus go on Tacitus's Observation of the Britains will be very Applicable to us at this juncture That their Differences at Home not suffering them to Unite they were all Overcome by the Romans Dum Singuli pugnabant Omnes vincebantur And we know who said A Kingdom or House divided against it self cannot stand When the Enemy is before the Gates and sets up His Batteries against our Walls Whoever opens a Postern or pulls down our Inward Fortifications does more Mischief to us than we can apprehend from the Foe Without Were our Jerusalem a City at Unity within it self we need not fear the Armies of the Baylonians Sir While an Honest Zeal to the Church was thus prevailing with me to publish this Sermon I more willingly complyed there-with as laying hold of it as a Means of owning to the World what high Obligations have been laid on me by your Generous and Bountifull Hand A Private Gratitude would no longer content me when I had an Opportunity of making it Publick If You accept of these my first Endeavours I shall not much value the Opinion of Others nor fear the Censures of an Envious World The Present is indeed Mean like all the Returns of the Poor to their Benefactours But I hope it will be accepted as coming from an Humble and Thankful Heart You have a just Right and Title not only to the Author but to whatever shall be produced by him as being the onely Person to whom he owes all the Advantages of his Education There are other Reasons that render this Your Due who are so constant to your Profession and even in Clapham are so Zealous for the Church of England May You Live long to see Her Flourish and Tread down all her Enemies You saw Her once under a Cloud and even then she Gloried in the Cross and by Her Patience in Sufferings triumpht over her Persecutors May She now Exalt Her-self in the midst of her Adversaries round about Her and become as She is the Glory of the Protestant Religion so a Terror to the Church of Rome And may You long continue a Faithful Member of Her here while She is Militant that You may be a part of Her when She shall be Triumphant This is the Prayer of Honoured Sir Your most Obedient Kinsman and Humble Servant William Cade THE Foundation Shaken OR The Popes Supremacy Opposed Mat. xvi 18 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And I say unto thee thou art Peter and upon this Rock will I Build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it And I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven And whatsoever thou shalt Bind on Earth shall be bound in Heaven And whatsoever thou shalt Loose on Earth shall be Loosed in Heaven THat this Text is perverted for the Maintenance of the Pope's Supremacy over the whole Christian Church as being grounded on two weak Foundations The One That St. Peter is hereby constituted Oecumenical Pastor The Other That the Bishop of Rome is herein St. Peters Successor and enjoys all his supposed Priviledges is so Notoriously Known that having but read the Words I am concerned to vindicate them from that perverted sense and to discover the full meaning and design of the place whereby I shall wrest this Scripture out of their Hands and