The Protestant religion truely stated and justified by the late Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter ; prepared for the press some time before his death ; whereunto is added, by way of preface, some account of the learned author, by Mr. Danel Williams and Mr. Matthew Sylvester.

The Eleventh Point accused.

That St. Peter was not Ordained by Christ the first Head or Chief among the Apostles; and that among the Twelve, none was grea∣ter or lesser than other.

Ans. Meer Falsehood, as undistinguisht. The word Head is ambiguous; this Wri∣ter hath a Head, such as it is, that other Heads much differ from. Reformed Ca∣tholicks hold, that Peter is called first in numbring them: That he was by Christ in many instances, preferred before others: That he was an Eminent Speaker, and worker of Miracles: That all the Apostles were not Equal in parts and worth; but some herein greater than other. What, was Judas no lesser than the rest, that was a Thief and Traytor? John was Eminent∣ly the Disciple whom Jesus loved.

But we hold, 1. That as John was not made Lord or Ruler of the rest, by be∣ing Loved more, so Peter's Preheminence made him no Master or Ruler of the rest: The twelve Apostles were chosen Relative∣ly, to the twelve Tribes. Peter as Reuben was the first, and denyed Christ, and was called Satan, with a Get behind me, (Mat. 16.) as Reuben defiled his Fathers Bed. But as Levi was the third, so was James the first Sanctified Apostle: And as Juda the fourth, is called the Law-giver, from whom the Scepter should not depart, &c. so John the fourth is the Disciple of Eminent Love; and Love is the Everlasting Grace, when Faith and Prophesie cease. But Christ made no one of them Ruler of the rest.

Proved, 1. No Text speaketh any such thing: And the Headship of Governing Power, would have been of such grand necessity to be known, that Christ and his Apostles must needs have plainly and oft inculcated it.

2. Peter never Exercised any such Pow∣er; what mention is there of any Laws or Mandates of his to the other Apo∣stles?

3. The rest never sought to him for Laws or Orders.

4. The Schism and Controversies of Christians were never decided by appeal∣ing to him as the Judge.

5. When some at Corinth would have made him their Head, and said, I am of Cephas, Paul reproveth them as carnal, saying of all, What are they but Ministers, by whom ye believed?

6. Paul reproveth him, Gal. 2.

7. The Jewish Christians contend a∣gainst him, for Eating with Gentiles, Act. 11. whom he satisfieth by proof from God, and not by pleading his Supremacy.

8. He never once claimed any such Power.

9. Paul, 1 Cor. 12. tells us of none in the Church greater than Apostles. But the rest were Apostles as well as he.

10. No such Article was ever put into the Churches Creed.

We grant that Christ did in instituting the Apostles Office, institute a disparity of Ministers in his Church, and this to be con∣tinued in the Ordinary continued part of their Works, but not in the Extraordi∣nary. And we grant that in putting Peter first, Christ intimated, that among men of the same Office, there may for Order sake be a Priority; as the President of a Synod or Colledge, or the Fore-man of a

Jury, or a Chief-Justice, or the Speaker of a Parliament: God is not the God of Confusion, but of Order, as in all the Churches: If a Parish or an Independant Church have one grave Pastor, with di∣vers young Assistants, that were but his Scholars, nature will give him some awing Preheminence among them. We are not against such a Primacy among Bishops, or Arch-Bishops: But this is nothing to a Go∣verning Office. And if Peter had had such, what's that to the Pope of Rome?