L. Sr, I have already begun to prove it, firft from our Saviour's Demanding a greater Degree of Love of St Peter than the other Apoftles; which was a natural Preamble to his Laying a greater Charge upon him. I have likewife proved it from the peculiar Ceremony and Solemnity, with which this Action was perform'd; which as it is without Example in the New Testament, and as the whole Ceremony regarded St Peter's Perfon alone, as diftinguish'd from the other Apoftles, fo it is but congruous to common Senfe to infer from it, that it convey'd fomething to him above the rest.

I prove it 3dly thus ; the Fact, we have under Debate, happen'd at our Saviour's third Apparition to his Difciples. Joh. 21. v. 14. Now Chrift had inftall'd both St Peter, and the other Apostles in the common Exercise of their Apostleship or Mission at his very first Apparition to' em, Joh. 20. v. 21. &c. when he gave them all their full Powers and Credentials to preach the Gospel to all Nations. This then was already done: and there needed not a new and extraor dinary Ceremony to inftall St Peter in an Employment already beftow'd upon him in Common with the other Apostles; or to renew his Commiffion any more than that of all the reft. And why then did our Saviour addrefs himself to St Peter alone, and not likewife to the other Apostles then present, if it was not to charge him with fomething, that was not to be common to all, and in which they were to have no Share with him? When you give a direct Rational Answer to this Question, you will fay fomething to the Purpose.

4.

G. My Lord, Chrift only commanded St Peter to feed his Flock. Now according to St Bernard, L. C. 3. de Confid. to preach the Gospel is to feed. *

* Cafe farther ftated, p. 37.

L. Sr.

L. Sr, this do's not anfwer but decline the Quer tion. To preach the Gospel was the Charge of all the Apostles in Common, for which they had already received their Commission. And my Question is, what need there was of renewing St Peter's Commiffion any more than that of all the reft? My Queftion is, why our Saviour addrefs'd himself to St Peter alone in the Prefence of other Apostles, if it was not to charge him with something, that was not to be common to all? This Queftion is yet unanfwer'd.

G. My Lord, St Peter was certainly the Apoftle of the Jews in a particuliar Manner; And the Jews are Jikewife in a peculiar Manner stiled in Scripture God's Sheep. And why then might not these be the Sheep, he was here commiffion'd to feed. *

L. What, Sr, did our Saviour then intend by thofe Words to reftrain St Peter's former Commiffion, and limit it to the Jews alone! Was this the Thing meant by that unusual and extraordinary Ceremony! Was it for this, Chrift ask'd him, whether he loved him more than the other Apostles, and charg'd him in fuch a particular Manner to feed his Lambs and Sheep? Truly, Sr, when a Man of Senfe is driven to fuch an Anfwer as this, 'tis a Sign, he is hard put to it.

But let us fee, whether venerable Antiquity ever gave any of thefe pretty Turns to our Saviour's Words. St Eucherins Bishop of Lions, who lived in the Beginning of the sth Age, wrote thus upon the Eve of St Peter's Feaft. First Chrift entrusted him with his Lambs, next with his Sheep: because he made him not only a Shepherd, but THE SHEPHERD OF SHEPHERDS. Peter them feeds the Lambs, he also feeds the Sheep. He feeds both the Toung and their Mothers. Ha RULES BOTH SUBJETS AND PRELATES. HE IS THEREFORE A SHEPHERD OVER

D

* Cafe farther stated. p.30.

ALL. For befides Lambs and Sheep there is Nothing in the Church.

This I think is very plain. And we cannot doubt but this Ancient Father deliver'd the current Doctrine of the Church in his Time, and fo is an Au. thentick Witnefs of it. His Words confirm my Obfervation upon the unlimited Commiffion given to St Peter in the Text in Queftion, and answer all your Arbitrary Explanations of it.

But let us hear St Chryfoftom next, who treating of the Election of St Mathias, Hom. 3. in Act. writes thus of St Peter. See how he acknowledges the Flock entrufted to him. How he is the Prince of the Choire. He had Reafon to act here the first of all wITH AUTHORITY, having them all deliver'd into his Hands.

Here my Obfervation on St John is again infor ced, and St Peter is expressly declared to have acted the first of all with Authority. And why? Because (lays St Chryfoftom) he had them all deliver'd into his Hands.

Origen upon St Paul's Epift. to the Romans, cap. 6. pag. 639. fpeaks the fame Language. Petro cum fumma rerum de pafcendis Ovibus traderetur, & fuper ipfum velut fuper Petram fundaretur Ecclefia, &c. That is, when the CHIEF POWER of feeding the Sheep was given to Peter, and the Church was built UPON HIM as upon a Rock; the Profeffion of no other Virtue was required of him than that of Love. Here both Texts are join'd together for Proof of St Peter's Supremacy.

"Tis true a Friend of your's, Sr, carps at the Translation of this laft Piece. But if a Jury of Grammarians were impannel'd, I believe they would give their Verdict against him.

G. Pray, My Lord, be not tedious in your Qudtations. For we have no Time to lose.

L. Well, Sr, then for Brevity's Sake I refer you

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 Tillotson had a Forehead of Brass, 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 Caufe. That there is not a tolerable Argument for it, but there are a thousand invincible Reafons against it. That the past 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 Reason.

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 ftand by him. The Fathers I have quoted, and refer'd you to, are of the Number, and they have two good Generals 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,

The Gentleman's Objections against St Peter's Supremacy Answer'd,

6. MY Lord, nothing that was faid of St Pe«

ter is fo exprefs for an Univerfal Supre- « macy, as what St Paul faid of himself, 2. Cor. 11, « . 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, c

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

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 thofe Texts in Favour of St Paul, and fuch a Cloud of those venerable Witneffes 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 Anfwer 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 Weariness and Painfulness, in Watchings often, in Hunger and Thirst, in Faftings aften, in Cold and Na kedneß. Befides thofe Things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the Care of all the Churches. Who is 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 most excellent Apostle, fill'd with Zeal and Charity for the whole Church of Chrift, as doubtless all the Apofties were; and if either St Peter, or any other amongst them had faid the fame of himself, how it should be ftrain'd into a Decretal for any Superiority over the reft, is beyond my Comprehenfion.

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