27 for about half a Score Fathers more to the Church of Chrift shew'd, &c. Part. 3. C. 2. §. 1. And from them all I think we may foberly conclude, that Dr Tillofon had a Forehead of Brafs, and a fear'd Confcience when he told his Reader in his Preface to Dr Barrow's Book of Supremacy, that the Pope's Supremacy is not only an indefenfible, but an impudent Cause. That there is not a tolerable Argument for it, but there are a thousand invincible Reasons against it. That the paft and prefent State of Christendom, the Hiftories and Records of all Ages are a perpetual Demonftration against it. That there is no Ground in the World for it. But that now of a Long Time it has been by the Pope's Janizaries boldly affer ted, and ftifly contended for without Reafon.

If Strutting and Swaggering will do the Work, the poor Pope is loft without Remedy. But he has, ftill fome good Old Troops of Janizaries to stand by him. The Fathers I have quoted, and refer'd you to, are of the Number, and they have two good Gene rals at the Head of them, namely St Mathew and St John. So I dare venture them against the Doctor; who indeed had nothing fo much at Heart as to write good English, or make a Flourish: but left Truth to shift for itself.

§. 5.

The Gentleman's Objections against St Peter's Supre macy Anfwer'd.

Y Lord, nothing that was faid of St Pe

ter is fo exprefs for an Univerfal_Supre- « macy, as what St Paul faid of himfelf, 2. Cor. 11, a . 28. that the Care of all Churches lay upon him. And « again, 1. Cor. 7. . 17. So I ordain in all Churches. « If fuch a Decretal could be produced of St Peter's«

I doubt not it would have been made Ufe of towards Proving his Univerfal Supremacy. pag. 5.

L. If nothing be fo exprefs for St Peter's Supremacy, as the two Texts, you have quoted, are for St Paul's, pray, Sr, how comes it to pafs, that not one of the ancient Fathers has produced those Texts in Favour of St Paul, and fuch a Cloud of thofe venerable Witnesses have urged the two former Texts from St Mathew and St John in Favour of St Peter? Let me tell you, Sr, this looks a little Scurvily; and I fear you will have fome Difficulty to give a fatisfactory Answer to it. For it is apt to make a Man conclude, there is fome better Decretal for St Peter's Supremacy than for St Paul's.

But let us confider the Texts themselves. You fay St Paul fays of himself, 2. Cor. 11. V. 28. That the Care of all Churches lay upon him. But let us hear the whole text, and it will explain itself, He writes thus. In Wearine and Painfulneß, in Watchings often, in Hunger and Thirst, in Faftings often, in Cold and Na kedness. Befides thofe Things that are without, that which Cometh upon me daily, the Care of all the Churches. Who Weak, and I am not Weak? Here St Paul makes an Enumeration of all his Troubles and Pains both in Body and Mind; and tells us, that befides the Bodily Sufferings enumerated by him, he was continually opprefs'd in Mind with Care and Solicitude for all the Churches; which shews indeed that he was a mot excellent Apostle, fill'd with Zeal and Charity for the whole Church of Chrift, as doubtlefs all the Apostles were, and if either St Peter, or any other amongst them had faid the fame of himself, how it should be train'd into a Decretal for any Superiority over the reft, is beyond my Comprehenfion.

Your fecond Text, so I ordain in all Churches, is fill lefs to the Purpose, 'tis plain, it cannot be

litterally extended to all particular Churches what foever. As the Churches of Parthia, Ethiopia, India, or Scythia; in which the Gospel was preach'd by St Thomas, St Bartholomew and St Andrew; but not by St Paul. Nor did he ever write to any of thofe Churches.

G. What means then his Saying, So I ordain in all Churches?

L. Sr, it means, that St Paul was uniform in his Orders and Inftructions. It means, that what he or dain'd in the Church of Corinth, he likewise ordain'd in all the other Churches, that were under his immediate Direction, For tho every Apostle had a general Commmission to teach all Nations, and a furifdiction over all the Churches, yet their Labours were divided, and every Apoftle did not in Perfon teach every Nation, but only that, which fell to his particular Lot. So that St Paul's Saying, and so I ordain in all Churches, cannot be understood of Churches which he never instructed either by Letter, or by Word of Mouth, but fuch as were particularly under his Inf pection. And is it not then very likely, that if St Peter had faid as much of himself, we should have improved it into an Argument for his Superiority over the other Apoftles! You tell me however, that if we had fuch a Decretal for St Peter's Supremacy, we should make good Use of it. Then, Sr, 'tis very lucky for us that we have it not; for it might have tempted us to trifle as fome of our Neighbours do.

* G. But pray, My Lord, is this your Way of Anfwering? The Apostle pofitively declares, So I ordain in all Churches. And you make bold to contradict him, and tell him, he had nothing to do to iffue forth his Orders for any but thofe under his more immediate Inspection. As if

* Vind. pag. 379

St Paul did not understand his own Busineß, and the Extent of his Power, till you came to direct him, and fttle it for him.

L. Really, Sr, tho I am far from Prefuming to contradict St Paul, or question his understanding perfectly well his own Bafineß, and the Extent of his Power; yet I am still of Õpinion, first, that he never either travell'd, or fent Letters into Parthia, Athiopia, India, or Scythia. And 2dly, that he could not ordain Things in Churches, he neither ever faw, nor ever writ to. So pray, Sr, be not fo uppish, till you be fure at least, that you speak Senfe.

"G. My Lord, in the Acts of the Apostles it is » told, that St Paul was at Rome preaching the Gofpel two whole Years together. A. 28. ✯. 30. But » not a Word of St Peter's being there. pag. 5. 6.

L. To the best of my knowledge, Sr, and I am fure of your's too, the Acts are a Hiftory of St Paul's Life, and not of St Peter's. And is it fuch a Wonder, that an Hiftorian writing the Life of one Man, should not run aftray from his Subject to infift upon Particulars relating to another

» G. As St Paul planted the Gospel at Rome, fo he wrote to the Church there as his particular Charge. For he fays, Rom, 11. V. 16. I speak to you »> Gentiles, in as much, as I am the Apostle of the Gen» tiles, I magnify my Office. pag. 6.

L. Good, Sr, did St Paul plant the Gospel at Rome before he ever was there? That's News indeed. The Gospel then had been planted at Rome fome Years before he wrote his Epiftle to the Romans s which was 15 Years after St Peter had fix'd his Seat there. And to shew he never had been there, he writes thus to'em Now I would not have you be igno rant, Brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, but was let hitherto. Rom. i. .13. In Effect, in

to

S

was towards the End of his Life, he came to Rome; and when he was there, he contributed very much towards the Encrease of Chrift's Flock by his continual Preaching for the Space of two Years amongst

them.

G. My Lord, As St Paul was the Apostle of the « Gentiles, fo St Peter was the Apoftl: of the Jews; « they were his particular Charge; and he himself « allow'd that the Gospel of the Uncircumcifion was com- « mitted to Paul, as the Gofpel of Circumcifion was to ce bimfelf. Gal. 2. . 7. 8. 9. And accordingly he di- « rected his Epiftle to the Jews of the Difperfion « throughout Pontus, Galatia, Capadocia, Afia, and « Bithynia. But he wrote not to the Gentiles, parti- « cularly not to Rome; which would feem ftrange, a if he had been Bishop of Rome, and that had been «< his chief and principal Charge. pag. 6. «

L. Pray, St, is it fo very ftrange he should not write particularly to thofe, amongst whom he refided for the moft Part? Did St James direct his Canonical Epistle to the Church of Jerufalem, whereof he was Bishop? And why then is it so strange, that St Peter should not write to the Romans?

But as to what you fay, that St Paul was the Apos Ale of the Gentiles, and St Peter of the Jews: I anf wer, that as Chrift was a Minister of the Circumcifion. Rom. 15. v. 8. So his chief Vicar took that Part of the Vineyard to cultivate in a more particular Manner to his Share. But neither was his Jurifdiction confined to the Jews, nor St Paul's to the Gentiles. Did not God choose that the Gentiles by Peter's Mouth should hear the Word of God, and believe? Act. 15. V.7. by whom even the first Gentiles were baptiz'd at Cafarea, A&t. 10. V. 48. So we find St Paul preaching in the Synagogue. Act. 13. v. 2. Act. 18. v. 4. 11. as a chafen Veffel to bear Chrift's Name before the Gentiles