PREFERABLECLAIMS OF ANTIOCH. 127 notwithstanding their succession, they did not so much as obtain a metropolitical authority in Palestine, which belonged to Caesarea, having been assigned thereto in conformity to the civil government, and was by special provision " reserved thereto" in the synod of Nice;'whence St Jerome did not stick to affirm that the bishop of Jerusalemwas subject to the bishop of Caesarea;$ for, speaking to John, bishop of Jerusalem, who, for compurgation of himself from errors imputed tohim, had appealed to Theophilus, bishop of Alex- andria, he says, " Thou hadst rather cause molestation to ears pos- sessed, [Thou hast preferred, with prepossessed mind, rather to cause molestation,] than render honour to thy metropolitan,"s that is, to the bishop of Caesarea. By which instance we may discernwhat little consideration some- times was had of personal or topical succession to the apostles in de- termining the extent of jurisdiction; and why should the Roman bishop upon that score pretend more validity than others? 6. St Peter, probably, ere that he came at Rome, founded divers other churches, whereof he was paramount bishop, or retained a special superintendency over them ;4 particularly, " Antioch was anciently called his see,' and be is acknowledged to have sat there seven years before he was bishop of Rome. Why, therefore, may not the bishop of Antioch pretend to succeed St Peter in his universal pastorship, as well as his younger brother of Rome? Why should Euodius, ordained by St Peter at Antioch, yield to Clement, afterward by him ordained at Rome? Antioch was the first-born of Gentile churches, where the name of Christians was first heard, Acts xi. 26; Antioch was, as the Con- stantinopolitan fathers called it, " The most ancient and truly apos- tolical church. "' Antioch, by virtue of St Peter's sitting there,' or peculiar relation to it, was, according to their own conceits, the principal see. Why, therefore, should St Peter be so unkind to it as not only to relinquish it, but to debase it; not only transferring his see from it, but divesting it of the privilege which it had got? Why should he prefer before it the city of Rome, the mystical Babylon, "the mother of abominations of the earth," Rev. xvii. 5, Tñ lorrpom'áas or4o¡civoo Tor, oixsíov4141camos.Conc. Nie., can. Vii. 2 Ibi decernitur, ut Palestinee metropolis Caesarea sit. Hier., Ep. lxi. 15. " It is there decreed that Caesarea should be the metropolis of Palestine." 8 Maluisti occupatis auribus molestias facere, quam debitum metropolitano tuo honorem reddere.Hier. adPammach., Ep. lxi. 15. Hier. ad Galat. ii.; P. Pelag. II., Ep. i. 6 »póvov mñs 'Avvoxswv puyaaoariaws, móv Tor, áyiav níTpee.Syn. Chaired., Act. vii., p. 264. npseCumáme xai övrs d9r0o70a0 ixxanoíe. Theod. v. 9. Ubi imperator, ibi Roma. "Where the emperor is, there is Rome."
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