Daily Tombstone epitaph., 1886-04-20
THE CATH0L,CCHURCH.
Was St. Peter Recognized at it's Head?
M~. Hsshsas Eaaeavors to ~how That
 He Was Nor.

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 EDITOR EPITAPH:
 To be brief, 1 cited the Roman Catho- lie branch of the Church as sect. Ex- ception was taken to the definition of the | assumption that the Roman Catholic | Church was the whole Church, with sole and supreme authority over the whole Christian world, by virtue of commis' sion gwen by our Lord to St. Peter only, and to his successors in office. Conse- ouently. it was claimed by your cores pondent, all Christian bodies not suhmis- siye to St. Peter or the Church of Rome, are Sec,arians. answered that when the assumed premises could be proved, it would be time to accept the conse' quences.
 The reply of your correspondent IS first from Scripture St. Matthew XVI. 1910, "Thou art Peter, etc." There is no Supremacy of Authority" express ed or implied in those words. They ex- press either "primacy of honor" or "pre- cedency of order" in first giving to St. Peter the Apostolic Commission, which was subsequently given, after the resur- rection, to all the Apostles as an Apos- tolic college, St. Matthew XVIII, Io-2o; St. John xxx, aI-a3. Read on in St. Matthew XVI. A few verses further, and our Lord says to St. Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an of- fense unto me-" At the crucihxion St.
 Peter lied and cursed and swore. He IS the first to confess the divinity of Christ; he is the first to err; he is the first to deny; he is the first in primacy ot honor and first in primacy of dishonor. This
 characteristic follows him through to the
 end. His name is first in the four lists oi
 Apostles; he is the first to put himself
 forward on all occasions, but he is in'
 ferior in spiritual perception to St. John
 (St. John xxx. compared with St
 Luke XXlv. IF, St. John XXI. ?, H'
 is conspicuous for imperfect faith (St Matthew, XIV, ae.3D at Antioch St
 Paul "withstood him to the face, because
 he was to be blamed" No intimation + found anywhere in the New Testamen
 that St. Peter possessed any authorlt,
 by divine right over the other Apostles
 Your correspondent refers to the h.s : Apostolic council at Jerusalem (Act XIV, 6.7e, A. D., s2) read it; what ar ' the facts? The Apostles, Elders an
 Brethren came together in counci P There was much disputing. It does nc say who took part in this. Finally 5 e Peter speaks, then St. Bsrnabas, the $ St. Paul. When all had done $ James (not Peter mind you) sums up an
 passes sentence. My sentence is, etc
 Now, this was twenty.three years aft' e the descent of the Holy Spiri, and tf e establishment of the Christian Churc e St. lanes was the Apostle or Bishop 'S the Church Catholic in Jerusalem-ths 10 it's chief city. He presided over Il
 Council because it was held in his cit 'h St. Peter-like the other Apostles-w n an attendant and a speaker. It is ir re possible, in the face of the record in tn s. Council, to claim any supremacy or ev in primacy of honor, for St. Peter at tn re time.
 As to the meaning of the words 9Th ,. art Peter, on this rock, etc." spoken \. our Lord to St. Peter, that is questi no of interpretation. There existed in .s part of the ancient Church any traditi ,,.. which connected this text with ;n Roman see, or which favored the clai
 of the Popacy. Some of the Faith
 pass it over; some think the we 'la "Rock" does not apply to St. Peter ,i- all; some apply It to St. Peters fai er, some, that the "rock" is Christ; but no one, directly or indirectly, connects it re- any way with the Church of Rome. '"e But what has all this to do with nus Church of Rome anyway! It is an ol o question as to whether St. Peter '' ever at Rome, or ever had anything .ry, do with the Church established tn ter- The preponderance of historical te by mony IS that he was never there at g at The beginnings of the supremacy ,ds. Rome, which in the course of centu will grew so enormously, lay not in St. P at but "because Rome was the imp, 'een city"
 Your correspondent next cites his ave and affirms that "the Bishops of R cess, convoked the four general councils, !, on least consented to their conroca the presided over them by their legates; nce. firmed them all by their authority as a fore becoming law the acts o 1T in Council required the Pope's signatur kinq l Tn answer I mt in a denial pe