genuine effects, knowledge, righteousnefs, and happinefs, in the world.

The learned are indeed much divided with refpect to the miraculous powers refiding in the apoftles, and communicated by them to their fucceffors, or fubfifting in the Chriftian church fince their time. These are points I fhall not attempt to determine, but refer the readers to fome of the most learned and judicious writers on the fubjectt.

The apostles, in confequence of their office and commiffion, were likewife to erect or establish churches in every place; and to appoint paftors or elders, whofe office and

Particular
Churches

Is it fhould be to watch over the particular focieties eftablished. of Chriftians for their good, by teaching and inftructing, by reproving and admonishing, and by performing every good office for the establishing of their faith and virtue, and it was their method to constitute the firft or ableft converts, in every city or place, to that office, by and with the confent of that fociety.

And the Apoftles, we are informed, were not only indefatigable, but very fuccefsful in their apoftolical office, planting the churches of Jerufalem, of Samaria, Cæfarea, Antioch, Philipi, Theffalonica, Berea, Corinth, Ephefus, Coloffe, Troas, Ptolemais, Damafcus, befides many others in Afia, as Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, &c. XI

X

Millar's Propagation of the Gospel, vol. I. p. 273, and fequel. Doctor Benfon's Hiftory of the firft Planting the Chriftian Religion, vol. I. from p. 38 to 66. Doctor Middleton's Introductory Dif courfe concerning the Miraculous Powers. Jackfon's Remarks, &c. * Clemens Romanus ad Corinth. p. 54.

For the time when thefe churches were planted, fee Dr. Benfon's Account of the firft Planting of the Chriflian Churches, vol. 1. Chriftianifmus Primitivus, b. ii. ch. 1. p. 6. Rev. Mr. Whitton's Primitive Christianity, in four books.

Catalogue

Mr.Whiston has given us the following catalogue of the first thirty bishops ordained by the apostles.

Each of these comes under the denomination of a particular church, that is of a company of believers at one time, and at the fame place, affociating themselves together, and concurring in the participation of all the inftitutions and ordinances of Jefus Chrift, with their proper pastors or ministers §.

At first the numbers in fuch churches were very few: Tertullian fays, that three were fufficient to make a church probably in allufion to our Lord's promise, that where two or three were gathered together in his name, be would be in the midst of them. Their number, however, was indefinite, but their character is that of the elect, called and fantified by the will of God. They were first called Chriftians at Antioch, and, in innumerable places, they are called the brethren, because of their brotherly love and affection; and the faithful, in oppofition to those who did not believe in the Lord Jefus, or his gofpel t.

HISTORY of the CHURCH of ROME.

Church of

55.

It is evident from the New Teftament, that foon after Christianity was promulged by the apostles, there was aChriftian church established at Rome, a community called of God to be faints, Rome, A.D. fuch as bad by baptifm been planted together in the likeness of Chrift's death, and profeffed to walk in newness of life; who are faid to bave obeyed from the beart the form of doctrine delivered unto them to ftand in the Chriftian church by faith-and that their faith was celebrated throughout the world. Romans i. 7, 8. Romans vi. 4, 5

§ King's Primitive Church, p. 3.

+ Ibid. P 8.

Chriftianifmus Primativus, b. II. ch. 1. p. 12. See Dr. Ben. fon's Account of St. Paul's Vifit to Rome, A. D. 58, and fourth of Nero, in his Hiftory of the first planting of Chriftanity, vol. II. p. 184.

The

The general doctrine of the church of Rome is, that Peter was not only appointed by our Saviour the chief, of the apoftles, but that he was conftituted the first bishop of Rome, and head of the univerfal church, and that after having been feven years bishop of Antioch, he was, in the modern phrafe, tranflated to Rome, and continued to be bifhop there twenty-five years, and then fuffered martyrdom under the emperor Nero. A. D. 64 64, according to Blair; 68, according to Whifton.

But it is not certain which of the apoftles firft preached the gofpel at Rome; fome affert, that St. Peter came to Rome only occafionally to vifit that church, 'and was, by order of the Emperor Nero, crucified with St. Paul, who was charged with having made many profélytes to Chriftianity there.

But that Peter never was bishop of Rome, is demonftrated by many credible hiftorians and divines, partiularly Budæus de Ecclef. Apoftolic.

Vol. I. No. I.

C

That

*The Papifts indeed fay, that St. Peter was the first named an apoftle by Chrift to begin the gospel church, that he wrought the firft miracle after Chrift's afcenfion, and preached the firft fermon, and that this apoftle received the first commiffion to begin the Gen-. tile Chriftian church, &c. but this is by no means a proof of his being bifhop of Rome. Firft, from the filence of St. Luke, who records many things concerning Peter: he writes of his journey to Lydda, Joppa, Cæfarea, Jerufalem, and Antioch; but not one word of his going to Rome to found the papal chair.

Secondly, When the apostle Paul, in his epiftle to the Romans, falutes the Chriftians and his fellow-labourers by name, he says not one word of Peter; and when even commending the faith of the Church, he never mentions one word of the fuppofed founder of it.

Thirdly, St. Peter himself speaks not one word of what the Papifts affert or alledge in this matter. If he had founded the Roman church, why does he no where mention it? why does he, when writing to the difperfed Jews, no where affert his claim and preroga

tive ?

Fourthly, The affertion of his being bishop of Rome twenty-five years, is inconfiftent with the facred chronology of thofe times; for from the time of Chrift's death, which was in the 18th year of Tiberius, to the 13th year of Nero, when Peter was crucified, was only thirty-fix years, viz. five in Tiberius's reign, four in Caligula's, fourteen in Claudius's, and thirteen in Nero's. Now Peter did not go out of Judea till twelve years after our Lord's death; then

he

That Chrift ever established a monarchy in his church, or appointed Peter his viceroy, who invefted the bishops of Rome, as his fucceffors, with dominion over the whole church of Chrift, are points fo folidly confuted, that we may fafely pafs them over as things utterly unknown in the most primitive and pure ages. On the contrary, it is undeniable, that when, towages on the this century, the firft and eldeft of the prefbyters at Rome, as in other churches, was diftinguished by the title of bifhop; that appellation imported no more than chief among g the elders, who were otherwife all equal in office, duty, and privilege §; from hence the title of bifhop took its rife.

Origin of the 13 CRE title of bis

to

و

towards the end of

The church of Rome was then fubject to O other, and no other church fubject to it, the bishop having no fuperintendence over other churches.

As for the word diocefe, by which the bishop's charge is now ufually expreffed, as including many in it, I not remember, fays Sir Peter King,

churches the

-15 10 21. J

fo there

Rome mains

he was caft into prifon by Herod, Acts, c. xii. which was the fourth year of the Emperor Claudius, and the laft of King Agrippa; fix years after that, or the eighteenth year after Chrift's crucifixion, we find him prefent at a fynod at Jerufalem, Acts xv. and according to the catholic church, he was feven years at only eleven years in which he could poffibly be at and indeed there is no evidence of his ever being there in that capacity. J Fifthly, Peter being an apostle of the circumcifion, Gal. ii. 78. we have reafon to believe, that when Paul was as carried t to Rome, Peter vifited the Jews, who were difperfed in Greece, Thracia, the Leffer Afia, Babylon, and the Eaft, and reaped a good harvest amongst them, till he went to vifit the church of Rome near the close of his life. When therefore the apoftle, Peter, v. 13. fays, The church that is at Babylon faluteth you, he plainly writes of Babylon in the caft, once the head of the Affyrian empire, where there was fo great a concourfe of Jews and if it be granted that Peter had been at Rome, or refided there fome time, or fuffered martyrdom there, this is no réafon for afferting his primacy or epifcopacy in that city more than at Joppa, Antioch, or Babylon.

Hiftory of the Popes, tranflated from the German original of C. W. F. Walch, c: if. p. 4

King's Primitive Church, p. 66. where he quotes Eufebius. Apud fib. v. c. xiv. p. 193.

that