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HALIFAX: I'RINTKD HT WILHABI OOSSIP, 24 (JUANVILLK 8TBKET. 1850. \^^'^ J *• I say ftlso unto tlice, that thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build my CImrch." Mat. xvi. 18. There is not, perhaps, in the whole volume of Inspiration, a passage, which has been eo grossly perverted, and upon which men have attempted to base so many dangerous and delusive errors, as that from which I have selected the text. I need scarcely tell you. Brethren, that it is the principal, I might almost say, the only passage of Scripture adduced by the Church of Rome, in support of the false and presumptuous system, which she has devised and propagated under the name of Christianity. For, although she does occasionally select here and there from the written Word a text, or a portion of a text, and endeavor to ap- ply it to some particular dogma which she has first invented ; yet upon her own confession, her fundamental doctrines — the Supre- macy of the Pope, and the Infallibility of the Church, upon the truth or falsehood of which all her other doctrines, not found in the Scriptures, must be received or rejected — are mainly, if not entirely, hased upon this solitary passago. I am aware, Brethren, that many other subjects of a different nature and equally as edifying to us, might be taken up for our brief consideration on the L')rd'fl day ; yet this has now been thrust upon our attention from a quarter which .enders it painfully prominent, and, in a measure, compels us to notice it : and since wo are assured in Holy Writ, that " all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is 'profitable for doctrine, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may hQ perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works," it is expedient, I was going to pay necessary, that we should in these days occasionally examine it with rofcron'jo to some of tlio jiriiicipul doctrines o( that corrupt aud delusive i^ystoiu, the Church uf Uomc. dcrafon of o„e o b« fandamental dogmas! tho SupreLcv of g " macj of tho ly or Bishop of Romo ojor all other BbboDs Charch of Kome ,s s.mpl, ,his :_That onr Lord appointed sL„„ •nT. ' ^ ?,"''' '""' "''"f I'"'"' »'« 'h« o'bM Apostles ibU n T? M, ?"" '"'" """ "f P«'" ™ Ro«i. addi-K "on 1 r.hrf /."'L' ''"'''' "^ ^'■"^"'■"J ">»' "-"^ dgmfid Peter established h,s See at Rome as its first Bishop, and hero leftlL prerogauve, as Vicar of Christ, to his s«oeess»s ; and ha bent .11 the Churches in tho world are subject to the;, so tha if Z thn t at all. nor possess His true faith and doctrine.-Tbis is th„ claimed 10 bo recognised by the whole Christian world. L^t us !„/. V, •?,"'' "^ "''°'"'"'' "° '="<"' """-iog "bout, but of .bo reC». :™fit ^fr "T '"'P"'-"^"'""!"- ".0 word. P^f or.ha?r r ' "^ ""* ''^'^"^ '''''"■ *« ol-iof Scrip,„ral proof of that doctrine, so essential to Ihc Papal system, rests Kcsernng the subsequent portion of the passage for a future 2'. '""' f" °'"^'""'«" «■"' "» shall now coucvo to ascertain ». who or what is -he Rock, upon which Christ he o delarcd He would build His Church. The Romanists lay t to Aeir „! A T ""^ *""• ^'^ '"y '•""'•tful, according to their own creed, the proof of this must be. Thcj arc solcmlb b^un not to receive the intcrprela.ion of any passage of S^r 1' toe otherwise than according to the unanimous consent ot he J^<.^r, '.. as ,be learned Divines, who lived and wrote in p. «.ge, so important to thi, essential doctrine of Romanism bo P.H.ers themselves are a. variance with each o.ber. and give dilRr' • 'rbcllUiAn. ol II,, CicuUI ro|.o I'ms IV. c ( ; i i I I t i I 1 J n ■'tj»k«.T?Wi 'y ent interpretations. Thus many of t hem, aa Ambrose, Hilary, Chrysostom, and other?, consiiler tlio Rock to mean, not Peter himself, but the Faith which he had manifested in declaring of Jesus, ♦• Thou art the Christ the Son of the liriog God" : while Jerome and the eminent Augustine taught, that it signitied Christ Himself, whom Peter had just confessed.* Those who maintain that Peter is the Hock to which Christ alludes, go upon the supposition, that the Greek name Peter and the word translated Rock are one and the same, or at least, of the same meaning. But a slight knowledge of the original language affords sufficient means of knowing that such is not the «ase. The word Petra signifies, as it is rightly translated, a Kock, lar ♦ , 'ue jjamD. Here certa nl? '^0 position i„ Cbis'" ' Xal t""' '■' T'' ""'"'''=''• ""■» ''" «f an i„,pi„d „i^r IlT ""■'''' *'^°"»' » "'» ""'borit, one of Iho nearest .lal ^t n ^ T «°'P°' '"' ""o-Pio-l MMIi .^ ■"""MPiiil position trbi-h tlio Churcli of Romo liag assigncl liiin T Do wo ever find Pt-tov himself claiming, or any of the other Apostles or Christians acknowledging bis prerogative, as the Svpreme Ihad of the Church? The answer to both tbcee questions is decidedly No 1 Surely if such an important trust had been reposed in him, if be had been honored with such high and unquestionable autho- rity, we should find reference made to it in somo part of the Inspired Writings. We have an account of many of the prin- cipal • Acts f the Apostles' for the period of thirty years after our Lord's ascension ; we have numerous Epistles written by Peter himself, as well as the others, to their Christian converts ; but not one word is to be found in either, to sanction the bare probability, that Peter was endued with any more power or autho- rity than bis fellow Apostles : while abundant proof is manifested , tiiat Buoh a doctrine, in their days, was never thought of. Wo »ead io Mat. xx. 25, that, through their pride and worldly- mindedness, some of the discipl" - began to dispute among them- seWes who should bo tho greatest. And what did our Lord answer ? that Peter wcs appointed to be their Prince and head ? No! but administered to them a roost seasonable rebuke, "5* knowtbat tho princes of tho Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so imong you ; but whosover will be great among you, let him be your minister ; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.'' v. 25—27. We have a most re- markable passage, too, in this very chapter that is before us. As if to goard Peter himself against any misconception of our Lord's meaning in the text, a striking incident was shortly permitted to occur J and, as if to guard us against the same error, it is recorded ia close connection with the circumstance we are considering. We read at the 2l8t. v. " Jesus began to shew unto His disciples how that Ho must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders, &c. Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, Be it far from Thee Lord : this shall not be unto Thee. But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee hehind me, Satan ; thou art an offence unto me : for thou savourest not tho things that be of God, but those that be of men." It is indeed remarkable that the Church of Home should have 8 selected as the imoginnr j " Prince of the Apostles and Head of the universal CImrch," the very man, whom, amoDg all that were truly the disciples of Jesus, He had the moat frequent reason to reprove. But failing in other Scriptural proof for their cherished dogma, they have been obliged to resort to some of those very instances for evidence to favor it. Thus one other passage which they advance in proof of Peter's high commission, is that where St. John records our Lord's first interview with that erring Apostle after his base denial. And from the fact, that the Saviour, in restoring him to his Apostlcship, which ho had forfeited, thrice repeated the question, " Lovcst thou me ?" adding tho reinstating words, - Feed my sheep,"* they deduce, that Christ thereby confirmed Peter's Supremacy ; whereas it is evident, that the thrico repeated appeal was intended to convey, what Peter himself pain- fully realized, a tender though piercing rehuke for his threefold denial. " Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, Lovest thou mo ?" John xxi. 15-17. But let us further see what we can gather from the acts and writings of the Apostles themselves; and here the evidence is so abundant to shew tho fallacy of the Bomish doctrine, that an allu- sion to it must necessarily be brief. In Acts viii. 14, we read, •« Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Sa- maria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Pet i< ao 11 of his own words, and in the language of tho clicf priests and elders answer, " What need wo any further witness? for we our- selves have heard of his own mouth." " There never was a super- structure raised upon so slender a basis, as that upon which rests thisjigment of ♦ Papal Supremacy.' " . We havo thus, ray Brethren, briefly examined this funda- mental doctrine of Romanism, by the text before us, by the testimony of other portions of Scripture, by the acts and precepts of other Apostles, and by the words of Peter himself ; and we find that they all refute and condemn it as unknown, impious and false. I have called it a fundamental doctrine, because it is one upon which tho whole system of error is founded. If Peter was not made " Vicar of Jesus Christ," as they affirm, he certamly could not have left that prerogative to others.* But it is as the Divinely authorized Head of the Infallible Church that tho Pope of Homo asserts his right, both to tetnporal dominion over the kingdoms of the earth, and also to spiritual obedience in matters of faith and doctrine.t If then his authority be a raero assumption, tho whole fabric of Romanism is left without a foundation. This is the result of proving, as we have just proved, that tho assertion— that the Kedeomer, before He ascended to heaven, appointed a certain man to bo tho Supremo Head over His universal Church, and that ho was empowered to transfer that authority to others, and they to their successors to tho end of time —has no place or testimony in tho Word of God, and must there- foro be regarded as nothing but an ingenious invention of design- ing men, to prop up an unscriptural system wearing tho outward garb of the religion of Christ. Time will not permit mo now. Brethren, to enter at length into the circumstances and causes, wiiich have put the Church of Homo in possession, both of the innumerable errors which have * Even if it were clcnr tlmt rotor »ms cntrnstcd with such diRmty, we bttvc not the slightost cvidcuco to sliow, that ho was auihanzod to convey it to liis Hutccssors. t Ho who ni«n. o.i hi^'h. delivered our holy Catholic and Apostolic Church to ono only i.crson on earlli. vi/„, to tho pnnco of the Apostles to l4 er, and to K-tor'B suo.cssor. tl.o llon.an Tonl. f. to be governed .n the plcnitu.lo of power. This u= person he appointed prmco^ overfall ? 1 ..II I.: 1,.., t 10 i> cnituno or i)uwui. auio v^. ,,v,.^«.. ..- ..,,--.-.- , .^„,it»« nations and all klnu'loms, to j.huk ,.p. »» ^»«^«troy, to soattor 'vl'.'OuJ.'to »"i I'., wr vminmu'Hti>i(i Qturii lUixabdli. u.a^ — ^■^*"^Tin[iii'iwiiiiia^jj|A 12 wb d, 8l,o has wioIJed, mi still i„ a measure wields, over a lar,,,. por ,„„ of the Cbristian world. E„. i. may be wel Ts ato Z or two facie connected with the matter beforn ,„ t„ .1, i , c»me to olaim for her Popes or alhl iTl " , °" "^^ ibemselvcs tbo chief supremacy. Romanists affirm that it baa been dert.od ftora St. Peter, who was her first Uishop I b.vo ewn f- Scr pturo tbat Peter bimselr never possessed' or 2Z rl lien I St P " " ™ "''"""'' '^y'"' *=" °' » »--> tho firT;^ u- uJ '"" ™' " ^'"•"' »"«='' ''=»= 'bat he was could no have been there for many years subsequent to Iho date assigned to h:s arrival;, for St. Paul, at a much later nertd ly names hose who were bis ■• only fellow-workers", but dees not one mentton or allude to, the presence of St. Pater.t But i" s further probable, that the latter never was at Eome at all for S Paul says (Oal. ,.. 7) that while to bi,u was el Uod tht •• gospe of the uneircumeisien", to Peter was cemmittedto ■■' 1 pol of oircuracision", i. o. ho was annnlnfn.! f. • • . ^ tl.o /.», and it is most likely It rrity rr Id'ouT t:™"' ran^ement till the time of bis death.} ' ""' "'' Tbo reason, however, that the Bishop, of Rome, whoever was ,he,r predecessor, began a. an early period to acquite a sor of;,n„.<,.^, or first place among their bretl.ren, was 12 tb' Momc was at that time the Imperial, or chief o ty of arein iv,; n.p.ro, ,nc udi,^ „ithi„ its li„,i.s the various lecaliiesvho Christian Churcbcs had been e«labll«l„.,l i , aucnce.UsI3isLo.though^:;::St;l^^^ power nndauthonty^ith other, was iued a son^l!::; h^^ years. S. Puiil wrote l,is at Ei.is Vo f,' • "' ^P'?^"«'P'>1 functions for 25 tlio above perio.1 also. I o iroto h L I >ll / /"'^^^^^^^^ ^■. ^^ <"•''■ ^^'"'i" them vtmoHs dhrctiom. ^^"^- '" "" ^'^«"'««». i" which At- yov^ t See riiil. 2. 20 ; Col A i i • «> 'v . , t/w Homiws Ch. 10. -^ ' - ^•"'' •*• »J. IG; also salutations A. 1 1« ; :^ :i,7-y; .Tin. 1 if • 'uU ^ Co^i^Tl^ir' '' ' ''-''^^'' m «■ 13 and more distinguished place* Just as in the Church of England .^t the present day, the Bishop of London takea the precedence of all other Bishops in the British Empire of the same rank. Their position in this respect was greatly enhanced when in the ivth. Century the Emperor Constantine became a convert to Christian- ity. It was an evil day for the Church when she began to partake of worldly honors. Being indulged by Emperors, her Bishops and Clergy grew by degrees unfaithful to their God ; and giving way to their natural, depraved lust for worldly greatness, they made breaches in the walls, which in adversity had bounded and preserved the simple truth. In their desire to win over and influ- ence the heathen, they gradually permitted the imposing rites and superstitions of paganism to take the place of the simple or- dinances of Christ ; and in their desire to acquire dominion and wealth, they took advantage of their position and favored circum- stances, to impress men's minds with a sense of their superior authority, rather than the necessity of giving the heart to God. That this was the origin of the Primacy, which eventually led to the assumed Supremacy of the Bishops of Borne, is evident from the decree, of several of the early Councils, especially of that called the 4th General Council, held at Chalcedon A. D. 451, after the seat of the Eastern Empire had been established at Coa- Btantinople. In the 28th Canon of that Council, signed by 150 Bishops, and declared valid by an imperial decree, are words to this effect:—'* We determine and decree concerning the privileges of the most holy Church of Constantinople, the New Rome. For the Fathers gave honor to the See of ancient Rome, because that was the Imperial city; and 150 Bishops, beloved of God, moved by the same consideration, have granted equal honor to the See of New Rome ; rightly judging, that the city which is honored by the Empire and the Senate, should enjoy equal privileges with tho ancient queen, in ecclesiastical matters also."t ^ ■"tHhTthTlmdC^tT rolycarp, Bp. of Si^ma, anil Polycrates, Bp. of Antioch on behalf of tho Asiatic Churches, were in open collision with aS cem^ and Victor, Bps- of Rome. In the 3rd Cent. Cypnan and tho other African Bishops, assorabled in Council, condemned a decree of ^^Tl't'i"' Aentf!ort"he early history of the Chnrcl that for some Con- turies the jurisdiction of the B p. of Komc was couHncd to h.s own D.ocesc. iu a St extension may be traced to an Edict of the Lu.|.. Valentuuan A^ I) 458, which onkmi, that tho Bi*. of Kome Willi hii colleagues .hould examine the causes of the otlicr Bishops. g^lg/JI_ 14 ;>.e Church of !,„,„„ ,«,i6l?ii„.f , L^. ■!' "' «''-- "ow fa«e. 'h»' on ttisvor, occasion °„oBiI J '" ' "'"''*»"» rrolMied against him „ot on ,hl „ T. ^""^ '" succession w»™oted anJ impious fcranfChol 7 °'"""'' " ""' "°- '■'>y over o,h.rs. Oro^cvt' „fn^ ''°°'"° '° """-'^'f '"'bo- 'lio Universal Bishop I air™!. ■ ° ' """"P'^ '" ""^ o>"«>d manners ! Prie^e s4 ."T '"f"''' *" o.cIai,a._o times ! n. ne. ana .oflTp ^1^"' ^ r. "2":'^' ^ «'"'^ Chr„„a„. 1,0 that very na,„o of blasphly" '1'"' '''"" "^ aJoption of Ihat wicked aDeoli,H„„ • ^' l. '"' *"'°'*"' '» ""O ta<« fro™ ,be faith." "ST' 'r ."""""^ '"'^ ">«» '» »P«»- calls himself, or do ires to L e a.ed"' "u V""'" ''"' "'"'"- ;n Ms vain e.atien. is ^^^I'J'S ^ " ' s' T "' yet his sue'cessor no Uuttn: at^:dTh- ""°, """"'' ^ "" of an ungodi. Emperor and it! "^ T' ""° °' "■« ''""ds honest Gregory haCreve;!!'':,:::;''"'"" ^"""'"" "^ '"» :=L::e\rd:er-r/ipr'^ ^f X7ui° are themselves dece"ved Iv ,M h u '""'''"^■'^'' ''^ ""^o "ho tbc captivating., uTo'lft!:! "T""''- "'"»"«'«" "-^ of Rome. They lelUs noL I, ff- ""V"«°°°"^ »' "•« ^turch 'bo utter varianeot t„r tT^t : :vl''° °1'""" i"""'"'-"^' Ibe pnre and simple snirit of h ' T ""'' '■"l"fr'»»onts, and withstandingits doctrl '..^ u T "' "'o Qospel ;_„o,. -n by thcLlveraZ;: oT;?„tdttr : ""' "°'' .tr^iUCrcl^^.'^^'^"'"'^^ f^^'^^^^^;^^^^ .car upon earth,' and his cjually I 15 honored successors wf^re divinely appointed to preside, to l)c licr safeguard against error, and to be the sole dispensers of the infal- lible truth ; but they are compelled to go for a proof of all this, not to tho sure, unmistakeablo testimony of God through His Written Word, but to their pretended traditions, handed down , be it remembered, through successive generations of men, many of whom were notorious for ungodliness, profligacy and vice. Whether, Brethren, you will receive in this matter the 'testimony of men or the testimony of God, judge ye ! They tell us ihaS; the Church is built upon Peter, and that we must implicitly rectivo all the monstrous, unscriptural, unnatural dogmas that have been invented and propagated by his so called infallible successors. But, blessed be God, " we have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto we shall do well to take heed as unto a light that shin- eth in a dark place." We believe, upon the testimony of Jehovah, that no other foundation is, or can be laid, than that which is there revealed, which is Christ Jesus ; and we rejoice, that He has not left us to be perplexed by the changing, uncertain iradi- Horn of men, but that He has given us His Word and His Spirit, to teach us all things necessary for our present and eternal peac*. My Brethren, let us bo jealous of the simple truth as it is in Jesus,— -for our holy faith, not as polluted by human additions, but pure as it was once delivered to the saints. While we pity and pray for those who through ignorance or a deceitful heart are led " to believe a lie", let us beware of their " cunningly devised fables." Let us cling closely to our open Bible,— believe nothing, as an Article of Faith, that we do not find there. Lot us live upon its precepts ; let us carry out its teaching. Let us cling closely, loo, to the only true foundation of our faith, not Peter, not tho Pope, not the Virgin, not Saints, but the Memal'RocK of ages, the adorable Bedeemer of our immortal souls. Let us be united closely by a living, abiding, comforting faith to Him. Let us drink in abundantly of His Spirit. Let us cherish a simple, earnest devotedness of heart and life to Him,— based upon a heartfelt gratitude for His unbounded love to us ; and we shall realize all the blessedness— all the inestimable privileges of tho Ephesian Christians, as depicted by St. Paul. ' ' Ye are no more Btrangcra and foreigners but fellow citizens with tho saints and farrtaiwitftiifigitii-ifKwimii mwAbi M#«M«iM*«*«NMMn 16 m\h the hoaschold of God. And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone. In whore, all ihe building fitly framed together growelh into an holy (cmple in the Lord. In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit " wmmi