Antiochia. Who finding themselves imployed in other parts of the world, took the fame courfe with this Church which S. Paul did with those he commended to Timothy and Titus, and put both congregations (by that time united and concorporate in one) under the charge of Euodius, predeceffour to Ignatius. Thefe two Apoftles are usually counted founders of the Church at Rome, as well as of that of Antiochia. Ireneus, iii.3. Fundantes itaque & instituentes beati ApoStoli Ecclefiam, Lino Epifcopatum Ecclefia adminiftranda tradiderunt. Hujus Lini Paulus in iis que funt ad Timotheum Epiftolis meminit. Succedit autem ei Anacletus: Poft eum tertio loco ab Apoftolis Epifcopatum fortitur Clemens. Where you fee he referreth the foundation of that Church to both the Apostles, as doth Dionyfius alfo of Corinth fome hundred and twentic years after their death, in D 3 Eufe

Eufebius, Ecclef. hist. iii. 26. and others of later ftamp fans number. Whereupon Epiphanius, Har. 27. reckoning the fucceffion of the Bifhops of Rome, putteth Peter and Paul in the first place. But yet obferve further the difference between the words of Ireneus(which put Linus after the Apoftles) and the Latine Church, which according to S. Hierome, Catal. Script. in CLEM. reckoneth Clemens in that place: which Tertullian, the most ancient of that language, lib. De Præfcript. averreth. To which difference we may afcribe the confufion that Baronius hath obferved in the Pontificall book under the name of Pope Damafus, an ancient piece, but pieced indeed out of feverall writings, and croffe to one another divers times: As for the purpose; when it maketh Linus to fucceed the Apoftles, and fuffer martyrdome the fame year (who never

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theleffe fitteth twelve years according to Eufebius) whereas Cletus,next in order unto him, beginneth feven years after in time,but Clemens,third in rank, one yeare after Linus, fuffering in the third year of Trajane, long after both their deaths. Epiphanius in the place afore-named, ftumbling, as it feemeth, at the credit of those that put Clemens first, propoundeth this conjecture, ΕΠ ̓ ἂν ἔτι περιόντων τῶν ἀποςόλων ὑπὸ Πέτρα λαμβάνει τὴν χειροθεσίαν τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς, και παραπλησάμενΘ ήργει λέγει γὰρ ἐν μιᾷ τῶν ἐπιτολῶν αυτό, Αναχωρώ, άπειμι ευςαθείτω ὁ λαὸς τὸ Θεῖ; τισὶ τότο συμβολένων (ἔυρομεν γὰρ ἔν τισιν ὑπομνηματισμοῖς τότο εγκεία svor.) These words of Clemens, quoted by Epiphanins, are yet extant in his Epistle to the Church of Corinth, published not long fince: wherein he telleth him that was the occafion of the schisme he writeth against there, that a generous man, and fo forth, would say in that cafe, I depart; ! D 4 with

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withdraw: let the people of God be in quiet. Epiphanius,it feemeth,meeting them at the second hand, alledged for Clemens his advice to fome man mentioned in the Epiftle, (as they are indeed) conceived nevertheleffe they might have reference to his own cafe, advising to withdraw, and give way to Linus and Cletus, for the quiet of the Church: which now, by reading the Epiftle, proveth otherwife. Befides he sticketh not to digeft the inconvenience of admitting more then one Bishop in the fame Church at once. For because according to his conjecture, Linus and Cletus as well as Clemens (that gave way to them) must be made Bishops by the Apostles, he addeth, that Bifhops might be made there during the time of the Apostles,because they travelled fometimes from Rome,(S.Paul into Spain, as indeed he purposeth, Rom. xv. 24. S. Peter into Pontus

and

and Bithynia, whither he directeth his first Epistle) and must not leave the Church unprovided there. But if it be worth the while to vent a conjecture that shall avoid this inconvenience, and make all good that is reported by these ancient Fathers, that. matters of circumftance wherein they are at difference destroy not their credit in the main wherein they are at agreement; let this be mine; That there were at Rome from the beginning, as at Antiochia two congregations of Christians, one of the Circumcifion, the other of the Gentiles; That S. Peter was head of the one, S. Paul of the other, according to the divifion aforefaid; That after their death, Linus, who was Deacon to S. Paul, if . we believe Ignatius in the Epistle to the Trallians, fucceeded him over the one; Clemens, who was Deacon to S. Peter, according to the fame Authour there, fucceeded him over

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