THE SECOND SUPPOSITION REFUTED. 99 dispense the word of thy truth; and let us pray for our bishop James, with all his parishes; let us pray for our bishop Clemens, and all his parishes; let us pray for Euodius, and all his parishes."' Hereto consents the tradition of those ancient writers afore cited, who call St James " The bishop of bishops, the bishop of the apos- tles," &c. SUPPOSITION II. I PROCEED to examine the next supposition [hypothesis] of the church monarchists, which is, " That St Peter's primacy, with its rights and prerogatives, was not personal, but derivable to his suc- cessors." Against which supposition I assert, that, admitting a primacy of St Peter, of what kind or to what purpose soever, we yet have reason to deem it merely personal, and not, according to its grounds and its design, communicable to any successors, nor indeed in effect conveyed to any such. It is a rule in the canon law, that " a personal privilege follows the person, and is extinguished with the person ;"2 and suchwe affirm that of St Peter: for, - 1. His primacywas grounded upon personal acts,such as his cheerful following of Christ, his faithful confessing of Christ, his re- solute adherence to Christ, his embracing special revelations from God; or upon personal graces his great faith, his special love to our Lord, his singular zeal for Christ's service; or upon personal gifts and endowments, his courage, resolution, activity, forwardness in appre- hension and in speech : the which advantages are not transient, [transferable,] and consequently a pre-eminency built on them is not in its nature such. 2. All the pretence of primacy granted to St Peter is grounded upon words directed to St Peter's person, characterized by most [by simply] personal adjuncts, as name, parentage, and which exactly were accomplished in St Peter's personal actings; which, therefore, it is unreasonable to extend farther, Matt. xvi. 17; John xxi. 15-17. Our Lord promised to " Simon, son of Jona," to build his church on him, Matt. xvi. 17; accordingly, in eminent manner, the church was founded upon his ministry, or by his first preaching, testimony, performances. ''Tré ráo.ng árroxarñg Tn's úrá T,', oúpa,,,', TGI, óp901.01441,76.0, Tá, T.óyo,, Tñg oñg áxnAeiag snAw/ae, xai úrip Tog érraxárau ñpaw, 'Iaxoißau, xa ,,rapaixiw', aúTag ben9mpae, órsp Tag lrrvxórou 41.4m"", K7.mFce,rag, &o.Cont. Ap., viii. 10. s Privilegium personale persónam sequitur, et cum persona extinguitur. Reg. Juris, 7 in Sexto.
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