The religion of Protestants a safe way to salvation, or, An answer to a book entituled, Mercy and truth, or, Charity maintain'd by Catholiques, which pretends to prove the contrary to which is added in this third impression The apostolical institution of episcopacy : as also IX sermons ... / by William Chillingworth ...

SECT. VIII.

For, What universal cause can be assigned or faigned of this universal Apostasie? You will not imagine that the Apostles, all or any of them, made any decree for this change, when they were living; or left order for it in any Will or Testament, when they were dying. This were to grant the question; to wit, That the Apostles, being to leave the Govern∣ment of the Churches themselves, and either seeing by experience, or fore∣seeing by the Spirit of God, the distractions and disorders, which would arise from a multitude of equals, substituted Episcopal Government instead of their own. General Councels to make a Law for a general change,

for many ages there was none. There was no Christian Emperour, no coercive power over the Church to enforce it. Or, if there had been any, we know no force was equal to the courage of the Christians of those times. Their lives were then at command (for they had not then learnt to fight for Christ) but their obedience to any thing against his Law was not to be commanded (for they had perfectly learn't to die for him.) There∣fore there was no power then to command this change; or if there had been any, it had been in vain.