(137) Peter received this power from drift,' and that St. Peter w.,u Bifhop laic at Rome, and that the Pope fúcceedeth him in his Bifhoprick, andPower. This is profeffed commonly by them. But T. It is falfè thatSt. Peter received any fuch Po- wer from Chriff, as to be the Governour of all the reft ofthe Apoffles and Chriftians in the World: Henever exercifed or claimed fuch a Government, but in cafes ofControverfie Aa. i 5. and Gal. 2, &c. He dealethbut on equal terms with the reft. And they that faid I am of cephav, are as well rebuked as they that faid, I am of Paul.' And z Cor. 1.2. 28, 29, &c. Apoffles are Paid to be but chief members of the Church, and chrig the only Head: And when the Difèiples ffrove who fhould be the greateft, Chrift giveth it not to Peter, but forbid- eth it to them all : And Peter himfelf as a fellow Elder exhorteth all Elders tooverfee and feed theFlock, not as Lords over the Heritage, &c. and never claimeth a.Sove- ra.ignty to himfelf. No word mentioneth any Power that St. Peter had greater than his Apofflefhip : And Bellarmine profeff'eth that the Pope hath not his power as fucceeding him in his Apofflefhip, but as an ordinary Paffor over the whole Church. 2. There is nocertainty that ever Peter was at Rome (as Niles hath (hewed ;) but a humane Teftimony ofma- ny later Fathers, upon the words ofuncertain Reporters before them, which are to be believed indeed as probable but no more There being as great a number of Papift Writers I think (about 6o) that tell us therewas a Pope 7oane, and yet it is uncertain ifnot leaf( probable. But ifhe was at Rome, Apoffles were no where proper Bi- (hops. Bithops were the fixed Elders or Paffors ofparti- cular Churches : Apoffles were moveable and Itine- S rant,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=