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properly resides in the body of the pastors 'joined with their head."*

"The Bishop of Rome is appointed by Jesus "Christ to be the Supreme Head and Pastor of "the church under him, to be the spiritual father "and teacher of all christians, with full power "to feed and govern the whole flock; therefore "he is the Supreme Judge and Lawgiver, in all "things relating to religion, whether as to faith,

manners, or discipline. The primacy, both of "honour and jurisdiction, over all other bishops

belongs to him: and all the members of the "church are obliged to pay the greatest respect, "veneration and obedience, to his decrees and "orders in all things belonging to religion.""As the church is a visible body or society of

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men, it was most becoming that they should "have a visible Supreme Head among them, "like to the members of whom the body is com"posed."†

On these assertions we remark :

1. The notion of a church catholic, (which is only another term for universal,) and at the same time visible, is a mere child of imagination, having no existence in fact, reason, or scripture. The fair and proper meaning of the term Catholic

* Hay's Sincere Christian, vol. i. 184, 178.

+ Ib. 176, in words taken from the Council of Florence, 1436. To the same effect Mr. Gother's Papist Represented, sect. 15, 16,

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Church, is the whole company of the true followers of Christ: "the church of the first-born "written in heaven," and those as yet on earth, with all that are still to come; the innumerable company for which Christ "gave himself, that "he might sanctify and cleanse it, and present "it to himself a glorious church-holy and "without blemish."* In the present life, the true Catholic church cannot be visible to mortals: for its constituent qualities are that faith and purity which can be known with certainty to God only, and its extent is beyond any created comprehension. Excepting in this most extensive sense, the term church in the New Testament does not occur, (with a sacred reference) but to denote a particular body of christians, usually meeting together for religious purposes. Such an actual society is properly a visible church. But, if the expression be admitted in the signification of the whole number of the professors of christianity existing, at any given period, upon the face of the earth; it is certain that many of these are not persons of sincere religion, and therefore are not of the true church of Christ; and it is most presumptuous and absurd, to imagine that they must or can be all bound together in one external communion.

2. If the existence were granted of one out

* See Heb. xii. 23. Rev. vii. 9. Eph. v. 23-27.

ward communion, or universal church, we ask, what right have the church and bishop of Rome to put themselves at the head?-The FIRST christian church was that at Jerusalem, planted by the Son of God himself, watered with his own blood, and long the residence of the whole college of apostles. The first church of the gentiles was that at Antioch; and in its affairs we know that Peter bore a part,* while we have not the shadow of proof that he ever did so in those of the church at Rome. The claim of supremacy might, therefore, be made on behalf of either of them, with some plausible appearance of right. But in all the New Testament, there is not the most distant intimation that any church assumed precedence or jurisdiction over others; † but, while notices are afforded us of so many apostolic churches in Judea and throughout the Roman empire, every circumstance and expression proceeds on the idea of a perfect parity among them.

But the Roman Catholics say, that "our Lord was pleased to constitute One Head among

* Gal. ii. 11.

+ The epistle to the christians at Antioch (Acts xv. 23—29.) may seem an exception, implying supremacy in the church at Jerusalem and certainly if such an epistle had occurred in the New Testament, dated from Rome, it would have been held up by Roman Catholics as a triumphant demonstration. To one who examines all the circumstances of the case, it must however appear to be an act of apostolic, not of ecclesiastical, authority.

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"the apostles, in the person of St. Peter;-St. Peter's supremacy was, by divine institution, "to descend to his successors; and these suc

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cessors are no others than the bishops of "Rome."*

That Peter suffered martyrdom at Rome is the testimony of early writers: but not the shadow of proof or probability has ever been shewn that he was Bishop of Rome, or that he even resided there for any considerable time. He was the apostle of the circumcision, rather than of the gentiles; and the New Testament furnishes not the slightest intimation of any connexion whatever between him and the christians in Rome. To have been a local bishop or pastor any where, would have been inconsistent with the nature and design of the apostolic function. But, had Peter been Bishop of Rome, he never claimed dominion over his fellow-apostles; The never asserted the superiority of his see; he never asserted the rights and powers by the exercise of which his pretended successors have been the plagues of mankind. Read his divine epistles, and judge. He exhorted "the elders" "of the churches, as their fellow-elder."† He is the very one of all the apostles, whose failings are the most conspicuously noted; and even in regard to the discharge of his apostolate. That

Bishop Challoner's (the late Vicar Apostolic of London) Grounds of the Old Religion; p. 89.

kind of priority in speaking and acting which he frequently took, was evidently a precedence from age, from natural disposition, or from earlier call to be a companion of Christ.

Appeal is made to the passage, "-Thou art "Peter [i. e. a rock,] and upon this rock I will church."* my Were we to concede

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that our Lord intended, by the expression " this rock," to designate Peter; the conclusion of Roman Catholics would not follow: for the coincidence of the declaration made immediately after, with the same declaration addressed to all the apostles, † is a satisfactory proof that the authority which it conveys was given to Peter, not in distinction from the others, but as inclusive of them. The christian church" is built 66 upon the foundation of THE APOSTLES and prophets;" not of any single apostle. But there is no decisive reason for thinking that Christ intended to apply this expression to Peter. It is more probable that a beautiful antithesis was designed. Peter had just uttered his noble profession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah, and our Lord rejoins, " Blessed art thou!-And "I say unto thee, Thou art a rock; and upon "THIS ROCK [laying his hand on his own breast,] I will build my church, and the

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* See Matt. xvi. 18, 19.

† Compare Matt. xviii. 18. + Eph. ii, 20.