Daily Tombstone epitaph., 1886-05-23
THOU ART PETER.
Some Closing Words From Kr. Haskins
 On the Subject of Papal Supremacy.
TOMBSTONE, May Io, 1886.

Soh io'Cioy thIouSh tHc papers that have made no re fecron upon the devo- tion or honesty of the rank and file of that body. The articles have been di- rected against errors, not men; against a system foisted upon the Church, not the individual members of the same, who are in4no way responsible for what their fathers have left them. Neither can they be expected, or ought they, to call in question everything that is taught them by an authority whom they have for generations learned to reverence and obey. would not abate one ot or little their devotion to God and Christ, and His authentic word. The respon. sibility rests almost entirely Gas it did in our Saviour's time with the Scribes and Pharisees) upon those who occupy high places, who can and ought to be wit nesses for Christ, in opposition to the traditions of men.
 Still, God has made every man re- sponsible for the use of his reason and moral faculties and each individual will be held accountable for the treatment oi truth and morality when they are pre- sented to him. Most men can distin- tinguish the difference between asser- tion and proof, between reason and abuse, and the articles which have been published speak for themselves. It is one thing to call decision or declara- tion of faith monstl ous without rehecting upon the intention or honesty of pur- pose even of those who found it, and quite another to speak evil of dignities S by calling queen prostitute, or min ister of the gospel practically the devil. Our Saviour, when arrajgned before Caiaphas was smitten on the cheek for one of His replies. He did not strike back, but calmly said: eff I have spoken evil, bear witnesses of the evil, but if well, why smitest thou mel" Tha. is, truth is to be tested by reason, not by violence, either physical or in language. When they could not answer his claims or his reasoning they called him a devil and biasphemer, and proceeded to ex- communicate Him after the most ap- proved Roman fashion.
 No intelligent honest Roman Catholic now attempts to question the validity of the orders or the succession of the Ang- llcan Church; the only question is as to whether the Roman Church possesses by divine authority, a supremacy ov4 the church throughout the world by vir- tue of authority imparted by Christ, and so the authority to add to "the faith once delivered" This must be proved in the last resort from scripture and his tory. If the proof existed, the Chris, ian world would have acknowledged il years ago. But instead of proof it gets abuse, threats, excommunicaton and constant reiteration of "Thou art Peter" Ofthis claim the Roman Catholic Archb shop of St. Louis, before mentioned, says: "No argument at all, or one of the slenderest probability, is 10 be derived from the words-'On this rock l will build my Church'-in support of the prlmacy"
 So strenuous an advocate for the claims of the Papacy as Hildebrand Gregory VII.) inscribed in the ring which he sent to Rudolphus with the gift of the empire of Henry H., the follow ing hexameter verse: Petra dedt Petro. Pelrus dadema Rudolpho," which being translated, reads: "The rock gave the diadem to Peter; Peter to Ru- dulphus." Wherein he inlerprets the rock to be Christ. tas
 It therefore remains to prove how the Roman Catholic Church became pos sessed of the power she once yielded and still claims. That has been shown in my articles and not lefuted, except by personal abuse.
 But all Romanists will acknowledge behind Peter stands Christ, "the invs- ible head" of the Church. Behind the Anglican Church, also, it is claimed, stands the same invisible Head, who, when lie cometh will declare every mans work of what sort it IS. The Roman Catholic Church has excommu- nicated the Anglican as schismatical and heretical for not yielding to claims which in primitive times did not exist, which are in violation of scripture and of the decisions of the first six general councils. They were originally based on docu- ments which are now acknowledged by Romanists themselves to be forgcries. But the Anglican Church has not resent ed by communicating Roman Cath elics. She fearlessly and constantly bears witness to the Truth, speaking it in love, and holding it without respect of