Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-03-21

knowledged history of the events OF the
past show to have come true, then there
is no further question bW il not, why
then the whole frabric built thereon
falls to the ground. This claim of St
Peters being the head assumes three
things.
First-That our Lord gave commits
sion to st. Peter destinct and above that
TO the other Apostles.
SecOnd-That st. Peter was Bishop oi
Rome and handed this special commits
sion down forever through the Bishops
of Rome.
Third-That the power exercised un'
der this commission has been uniform
and faultless, and therefore infallible.
What a glorious Church (if all this be
true) it must be. And the question
comes up for answer at once how can
any one afford or dare to stay out of il ?
"No one, OF course, will deny that
owing TO his bold and early confession
OF Jesus as the Messiah, a peculiar honor
was accorded to st. Peter. Thou art
Peter, and upon this rock Awill build
my Church. This looks like a personal
reward and a personal promise, and
probably had its fulfilment when st.
Peter founded the Jewish Church in
the conversion OF Cornelius" But
there is not one word in this promise OF
a Rulership or everlasting kingship for
Peter; but on the contrary, our Savior
love singled him out after his denial OF
Him and his conversion, To show him
the fullness OF His pardon. and to care
for him as the shepherd does for the one
sheep of his fold which has been lost
and is found.
After our Lords ascension st. Peter,
through his boldness and eagcrness to
work for the Lord whom he had denied,
was continually found in the front, but
not one act OF official supremacy is to be
found
st. James was certainly the acknowl-
edged leader II was he who presided
at the Council Of Jerusalem when St.
Peter was present. Ii is 1t. James who,
in some Of the early writings, was called
the Bishop OF Bishops" and is found
sending st. Peter hither and thithsr,
and charging St. Peter to report to him
all his proceedings, as constituting the
final court OF reference whereby the
false teachings OF Simon Magus and
others might be detected. There was
no supremacy for st. Peter or the See of
Rome in those days, and this brings us
To the second point assumed.
All the claim our good Bishop makes
for the power ol the Roman See is OF
course because st. Peter had the supreme
power conferred on him by our Lord,
and on his successors in his See lin
Rome forever. Well, to make long
matter short, there is no evidence ire
liable that he ever was Bishop OF
Rome. He was undoubtedly Bishop Of
Antioch. Roman writers tell us that he
was martyred not later than the last year
of Nero, \. ID. 81. 81. Paul wrote an
epistle to the Roman Church, \. ID. 5S,
aud ia that cplstlc he never 50 much as
refers tO the name of st. Peter, which is
exceeding strange, il St Peter were the
Bishop OF that See, and held il for over
twenty-five years. In this cpistlc st.
Paul gives great many solutions, but
does not mention It. Peter, and for Il
good reason; he was not there, and il he
had been II. Paul would have left his
letter unwritten, for he claimed "a hhs
standing principle of action not To "build
on another mans foundation" But
more. ~. Paul afterwarl actually lived
in Rome in his own hired house, in the
heart OF that great city, and from thence
wrote four letters to the Ephesians,
Philippians, COlOsians and Philemon,
and in no one of them have We the
slightest reference Ia any episcOpatc OF
It. Peter at Rome, or Of his having been
there or had any connection with the
Roman Church. Not only this, but not
Onc angL, Uriier for orr Ons h,Hdrsd years
after the time when 81. Peter il
said to have lived in Rome makes the
smallest or most distant allusion 10 any
such residence. II is true that some
copies Of the writings Of these early
writers, have, in later years, been found
with some alusion to it, but in every
case they have been proven or admitted
to bc forgcries.
No. 3. 1t the teaching of the Roman
See has been uniform, then history has
made some great blunders, for not only
have councils. held under the manage
mcnt Of Rome, differed, but even in
iallible Popcs hayc'anathamaed each
other.
The seeding brother ought not to
complain il he is ruled out of court, De.
cause il was his own act, not the act OF
the Bishop OF the Holy Rome Church,
but his own act and in the lace Of his
best friends, John and Charles Wesley
and they did il because they knew, a
our brother SAYS. that the gates OF hell
even should not prevail against the
HOLY Catholic Church, which our Lord
founded and provided il with bishops,
priests and dcacOns, and promised 10 be
with them until the end Of the
world. and am sure our
brother cannot claim a. I've the
holy Catholic Church, for IL is within
my own day and recollection that he and
his friends would not permit themselves
10 be even called church, nor their
places Of worship anything other than
what the older members call them tn
this day, meeting houses. am sorry
Tor my reformed friend when he finds
that he has iailcd in lifting the priest
out of the prayer book and thereby
coming nearer tOthe idea Oi the Church
oi the reformation. ior have looked
over my prayer book and find the
J.riest there still; and haye.s prayer
book before me printed in the time ofgoOd
Queen B.ss ami / lind the priest there
tOo: and back into the book which the
-aintcd Craumer and Ridley used and
loved find it there still and 10 find out
what book lac has lifted him out Oi
am iorred 20 20 10 the Book Oi
Common Prayer Of the Reformed Epis-
copal Church, and surely here | vii
find that he j. taken out root and
branch: but no-here be i, just a. ever
at his post, ministcring 10 the people,
doing sons Of the very things which hs
: directed % DO in the Old Prayer Book
only here he l. given another name
which i very dear n the Oh Chur-h.
for shc has called them Pr--by t.r> from
the beginning. Only hrrn IN this new
book he i told 10 10 some VI tbo-,
things which / should have thOngh'
would have shocked this brother, who
went out oi the old Catholic Church, 4 z
the Protestant Episcopal Church, b.
cause q her in mis- eyes ''incants
lions" In this box tire Priest, oi
H. -. - IsIN-r 81. ~ t.n No. "a -