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THat the gouernment of the Apostles, is sayde by some to haue deceased with the death of the Apo∣stles, it is neyther grounded vppon true authority of Scripture, nor proued by any consequence of reason, nor maintayned by any president of the Fathers. Neither is it of
any greater force, nor haue they any greater reason, that say the Apostles authority was extraordinary: For by the same reason they may at this day deny, that any man hath any au∣thority to baptise and to preach. If what things were extraor∣dinary in the Apostles, they could not returne to theyr po∣sterity: may not the same reason serue to proue, that ther is no authority left vnto vs after the Apostles, either to preach or to baptise? I would gladly then hear some iust cause, why rather the Church gouernment should cease with vs which was vnder the Apostles, then the preaching of the Gospell, or the administring of the Sacraments. For in them ther was as much extraordinary, as in the other.
This is much like, as if of olde a man should haue sayde, that after the death of Moyses and Aaron, the Priests and Leuites had not the same power with Moyses and Aaron, be∣cause theirs was extraordinary. Wherefore as after theyr de∣cease, the same order of gouernment which was vsed of Mo∣ses and Aaron, remayned to their posterity: In like manner, the Apostles and Euangelists were a lantherne and a law vn∣to vs which should come after them, of perfect Church go∣uernement. And that which our Sauiour sayd of the Priestes of the Iewes, That they did sit vppon the chayre of Moyses and Aaron, may be sayd of our Bishops, that they sit in the chayre of Peter and Paul, that is, that they haue succeeded them in the same seate and state of gouernment.
There are two words, which being not well taken, may be very offensiue, namely, Temporarie and extraordinary: For it is to be vnderstood, that there are not ioyntly to be giuen alike to the whole function Apostolick, and euery part ther∣of. And yet some are made to beleeue, that whatsoeuer was in them extraordinary, the same was also temporarie: When as indeed, whatsoeuer was in them extraordinary, was not tem∣porarie: For all things in the Apostles were extraordinary, of the which many things in processe of time became ordinary. Onely those things which deceased with the Apostles were temporarie. But what things those were, I haue already de∣clared at large.
And nowe, that I may first begin with the preaching of the gospell: it were very hard to restraine that to the persons of the Apostles, and their age onely: For albeit so large a lega∣cie, as was the Apostles, bee not committed vno any: yet is there some such like of the same kinde, with the like autho∣ritie.