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To under stand how lawfully the pastors of the Church of Rome are cal∣led; Consider first that the Protestants doe not stand in denial of this, but plainly grant it: yea they pretend for the lawfulnes of their own calling no greater argument then that they have their succession from the Church of Rome; conscious, to wit, that there can be no true power, either of order, or Jurisdiction, nor any true legi∣slative power Ecclesiasticall at all,
but it must descend by succession from Christ, and his Apostles; and this they acknowledge the Church of Rome to have; pretending with all that them∣selves are united to the same line of Communication in that Apostolick succession.
Consider secondly, this their law∣full calling confirmed by this Negative Argument: Christ must have, and hath a Visible Church upon earth some∣where; this Church must have a Vi∣sible succession of Pastors; for this is the main thing in which chiefly the visibility of the Church appears; since where the succession of Pastors ceaseth, there the flock is lest ungoverned, un∣fed, exposed to dispersion and perish∣ing; and thus the Church would come to faile, not onely in visibility, but e∣ven in its existency: Now this Visible succession must be derived from the Apostles, and that without ever being interrupted; otherwise the Church would not be Apostolick, (contrary to the scripture, and the Nicene Creed) nor remain the same unto the end of the world; contrary to our Saviours
promise, and St. Pauls forementioned words: And since there is not any sect which either doth or can with any shew of probability pretend to have a See Apostolick, or a never interrupted visible succession from the Apostles, but onely in the Church of Rome; there it must be, and consequently their cal∣ling(yea only theirs) lawfull: True it is, the Greek Church had Apostolick Sees; to wit, at Hierusalem, Antioch, and Alexandria; each of which had an Apostle or Evangelist, for its first Bi∣shop: but for the space of these last nine hundred years (since the begining of which time, the Persians, Sarazens and Turks have kept possession of those Countries) the succession in these hath been obscure, interrupted, as good as none: And this by the just judgement of God, for the Schisme and persidi∣ousnes of the Greek Church; as also to make the Roman See Apostolick, more clearly to appear to be the Mother and Mistress of all Churches.
Consider thirdly, that the lawfull Calling of Pastors amongst the Roman Catholicks is, further positively de∣monstrable
from the succession of their Popes. For the better understanding of which, note first, That the ancient Fathers were most exact in registering the names of the Popes, as they succee∣ded one another; so did Saint Ireneus, Tertullian, Eusebius, S. Austin, S. Hierom and others; the like diligence hath been used by other Roman Catholicks in all succeeding ages, even to this pre∣sent Popes dayes, who is called Inno∣cent the 10. and is the two hundred thirty and nine from S. Peter. Note secondly, that the forementioned holy Fathers, used to produce the succession of Popes, as an impregnable argument to prove that to be the onely true Re∣ligion, which had these chief Pastors on its side: Now if the succession of twenty or thirty of them, were of such force(in the judgment of these learned Doctors) to convince Hereticks; how forcible an argument against these mo∣dern Sects, must a long Catalogue of 239 make. Note thirdly, that none were ever acknowledged by the Roman church for true and lawfull Bishops or Priests, but such as were ordained
either immediately by the Apostles, or by their successors; now conforma∣blely to these truths, here noted; this follows, and is most certain, that from every true Pri••st now living (by pas∣sing from the Bishops which consecra∣ted them, to those that ordained these, and so on upward) a line of spiritual pedegree uninterruptedly ascends to the very Apostles. This orderly series or scale of succession proves evidently the Pastors of the Roman Religion to be lawfully called and sent. Here's so∣lidity, heres security; those that will get out of their labyrinths of errours, doubts, or fears, must do it by the conduct of this line: begin, go on; this is your way to the Apostles and Christ.