his Vicar upon Earth, for then he must have named it. Yet after all it occurs juft now to my Mind, that St Paul wrote a long Epistle to the Romans, and in the 1. chap. v. 7. he falutes them thus. To all, that be at Rome, beloved of God.Which I think may be call'd Naming the Church of Rome. But that's a trivial Slip amongst Friends; fo let it pass.

» G. The Scriptures are wholly filent concerning » the fuppofed Universal Supremacy of St Peter, or » that he was at Rome, or Bishop of Rome. Some » After-writers have mention'd it. But that is far » from fuch an Univerfal Tradition, as is fufficient for the mighty Superftructure, which is raised » upon it, But let it be granted, it fignifies Nothing, → pag. 4.

L. It really fignifies Nothing to raise Doubts about Things as certainly known and believed as that there has been fuch a Man as Julius Cafar. Grotius a learned Proteftant Writer was not afraid to fay, that no Chriftian ever doubted but St Peter was at Rome. In Sinopft Criticorum. pag. 1540.

However whether he was at Rome, or was Bishop of it, or not, tho the Thing be unquestionable, 'tis a Miftake to fay, that any weighty Superstructure is built upon that historical Fact. For all we pretend to maintain as Effential to the Point in Question, is, that St Peter was conftituted by Chrift Head and Ruler of his Church, and that when he died, the Church appointed him a Succeffor in that high Station, and has ever fince done the fame upon the Demife of every Pope; and finally, that all the Succeffors of St Peter have had their Epifcopal Seat at Rome. But as to what you fay, that the Scriptures are filent concerning the Supremacy of St Peter, this indeed deferves a more ferious Confideration.

G. All is grounded upon fome Words faid to

Li

St Peter; as fuch. Thou art Peter, feed my Sheep, &c. « Which cannot be ftrain'd to fuch an Universal « Supremacy, as Popes have claim'd: nor were fo un- « derstood in the Primitive Church. pag. 4. 5. «

L. We shall examine that prefently. But you are flinking away from, the Queftion, which is not what Power fome Popes may perhaps have claim'd, but what our Saviour gave to St Peter and his Succeffors in the two Texts, you have minced, as if you were afraid to speak out.

G. In the learned Monfieur du Pin, Traité de « la Puiffance Ecclefiaftique & Temporelle, printed at « Paris An. 1707. pag. 495. to p. 501. and pag. 754. " to p. 765. your Lordship will find these two Texts « urged for the Supremacy of St Peter, and answer'd « in the fame Manner as is done by Proteftant Wri- « ters; and it is shew'd how very foreign they are « from the purpofe intended. pag. 5. «

L. Sr, Monfieur du Pin no where denies the Pope's Supremacy in Spirituals, but only in Temporals; of which he maintains thofe Texts to be no Proof. But let us now proceed to examine the true Meaning of them. I shall begin with that of St Mathew

16. V. 18,

I

§. 3.

The Text of St Mathew 16. v. 18. examined,

T is as follows. And I say also unto thee, thou art Peter, my church, and upon this Rock I will build and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.

I know the common Answer to this Text is, that by the Rock is meant St Peter's Faith, and not his Perfon. But tho the former interpretation be true, it is far from being the only one or excluding St Pe ter's Perfon. Nay the Application of it to his Perfon

of St Mathew to St Peter's Perfon. For the Question between you and me is not, whether fome of them have applied that Text to St Peter's Faith, which no Body denies; but whether they pofitively exclude his Perfon? And the Paffages you will be referr'd to by the foremention'd Author, will convince you, they have not.

G. I hope your Lordship will not deny, that St Cyril of Alex. pofitively excludes his Perjon. L. Sr, I shall make bold to deny it.

G. Do's he not fay expressly Dial. 4. de Trin. that Chrift gave the Name of the Rock to nothing else but the conftant and unshaken Faith of the Difciple?

C. He do's fo. But unless you will make him contradict himself, his Meaning can be no other, than that St Peter merited that Title by nothing else but his Faith. Pray, Sr, do's not St Jerom, Epift. 61. ad Pammachium. Tom. 2. p. 254. fay as expressly, that it was not St Peter's Body, but his Faith, that walk'd upon the Water. Super aquas non Corpus Petri ambulaffe fed fidem. And will you conclude from then

that it was St Ferom's Opinion, that St Peter's Body or Perfon did not walk upon the Waters?

But nothing can be fairer than to let St Cyril fpeak for himself: For furely he understood his own Meaning beft. His Words (L. 2. in Joh. Ed. Par. an. 1638. Tom. 4. p. 131.) are these. He (Chrift) foretold he should no more be call'd Simon, but Peter. Signifying by that word moft Properly, that he intended to build his Church UPON HIM, as upon a most firm and folid Rock. Now, Sr, you cannot fave him from manifeftly contradicting himself, unless you join with me in Saying, that St Peter, according to this Father, merited the Title (which Chrift bestow'd upon him) by his Faith alone, and received it in his PerSon.

G. But,

G. But, My Lord, take it now for granted, that the Text of St Mathew is meant of St Peter's Perfon, what Advantage can you make of it for the Proof of his Supremacy? For you can infer no more from it than that the Church was to be built upon St Peter. And fo it was to be built upon the rest of the Apostles according to St Paul Eph. 2. v. 20. Te are built upon the Foundation of the Apoftles and Prophets. Jefus-Chrift himself being the Chief Corner-Stone. This plainly puts them all upon the Level. Vind.

L. How induftrious are Men to deceive themfelves when Intereft and Paffion inclines them to it! You argue thus. St Paul fays, the Church is built upon all the other Apostles jointly with St Peter, therefore they are all upon the Level. But I deny your Confequence. For, tho she be built upon them all, it do's not follow, that she is built upon them all in the fame Manner: But she may be built upon one in a more eminent Manner than the reft. The Frame of the English Government is built upon king and Parliament. But do's that pur them upon the Level? or hinder the king from being the fupreme Head of all?

But let us hear St Paul, Eph. 4. V. 11. 12. And he gave fome Apoftles, and fome Prophets, and fome Evangelifts, and fome Paftors and Teachers for the Perfecting of the Saints, for the Work of the Miniftry, for the EDIFYING of the Body of Christ. Here ordinary Paftors and Teachers are join'd with Apostles, Prophets, and Evangelifts. And it is equally faid of them all, that Chrift gave them for the EDIFYING of his Mystical Body: that is, the Building of his Church. And will you infer from thence, that the Church is built in the fame Degree upon ordinary Paftors and Teachers

as

upon the Apostles themfelves? Or that she is not built in a more eminent Manner upon Bishops, than The Inferiour Clergy? Will you conclude from it,

C

that the Apostles had no Jurifdiction over thofe, whom St Paul calls Paftors and Teachers, but that they were all upon the Level? If not, neither can you conclude that St Peter had no Jurisdiction over the rest of the Apostles from St Paul's Saying, that the Church is built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets. G. My Lord, tho I maintain, that the other A. poftles were the Foundation-Stones in the Ecclefiaftical Building jointly with St Peter, I do not deny but he was more remarkably fo, than the rest of them. For it may cafily be granted, that a peculiar Privilege was defign'd him in thefe Words, and that by him after our Blessed Saviour the Foundation of the Church should be laid for the other Apoftles to build upon amongst both Jews and Gentiles and if this were what our Lord intended, it was accordingly verified, as we read in the Acts of the Apostles. For he converted 3000 Jews by his first Sermon, Act. 2. V. 41. So that here was now a Church, and this Church in an especial Manner built upon St Peter according to our Saviour's Promife. But then be was to lay the Foundation of the Gentile Church too as well as the Jewish. For he admitted Cornelius a Roman Centu vion into the Number of Christians, Act. 10. . 19. and preach'd the Gospel at Cæfarea. So that here was a perfect Completion of our Saviour's Promife to St Peter fo far as it contain'd any Prerogative peculiar to himself. And therefore Chrifts Promife that he would build his Church upon him, means no more, than that St Peter should first after Chrift, build his Church. ; which implies no Superiority over the other Apostles. Vind.

P. 19. 20.

L. This, Sr, looks like the laft Effort of a Perfon refolved to perfift in the Wrong in Spite of the ftrongest Conviction. However I am glad to hear you own, that St Peter was more remarkably the Foun dation-Stone in the Building of the Church than the other