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I. By appropriation, it giueth the title of Head of the Church onely to Christ, Ephes. 1. 22. & 4. 15. & 5. 23. Col. 1. 18. And no where doth it make a man the Head of the Church, neither Peter, nor any other; either expressely, or by any ne∣cessarie consequent,
II. It calleth the Church the bodie of Christ, 1. Cor. 12. 27. Ephes. 4. 12. & 6. 23. No where is it called the body of S. Peter.
III. It telleth vs, that Saint Peter himselfe giueth to Christ Headship, Principalitie and Chieftie, and to none other: for he calleth him the Prince of Pastors, 1. Pet. 5. 4. the Pastor and Bi∣shop of our soules, 1. Pet. 2. 25. as he is also called the high Priest of our confession, Heb. 3. 1.
IV. The Apostles did not know, or acknowledge any such Primacy or Headship in Peter: For first, they sent Peter and Iohn to Samaria, Act. 8. 14. which they neither would, nor could haue done, had he been their Gouernour and Head indeed. Second∣ly, Iames, in the Councell at Ierusalem, tooke no notice of Pe∣ters supremacy: for Iames did then call him Simon (his name, before he was an Apostle) without any title of preeminencie, Acts 15. 14. Hee also said, I iudge, (which word Peter there vsed not,) vers. 19. to whose sentence and iudgement, Peter and all the Apostles and Ancients did subscribe, vers. 22. Thirdly, none of the other Apostles then, did acknowledge any Head∣ship in Peter: for the Decree of the Councell went out vnder the conioynt authoritie of all, without speciall mentioning of Peter, Act. 15. 23. and 16. 4. Fourthly, Saint Paul knew of no such Chieftie in Peter: for first, when he doth mention any word tending to set out any greatnesse in the Apostles, hee ap∣plyeth it not singularly, as to one, but plurally as to moe. Thus, 2. Cor. 11. 5. he speakes of great Apostles; 2. Cor. 12. 11. of such as were aboue measure Apostles (so Rhemists doe translate, but we, the chiefe Apostles;) and Gal. 2. 9. of such as seemed to bee Pillars, and namely, them. Againe, these Apostles so great, the Chiefe, the Pillars, among whom was Peter, hee doth equall himselfe, saying, that hee was nothing lesse, nor had done nothing lesse then they, 2. Cor. 12. 11. and 11. 5. neither added they any thing to him, Gal. 2. 6. As touching Peter more particularly, Saint Paul resisted him in his face, before all, Gal. 2. 11, 14. did share with him fully in Commission: for as Peter was the Apo∣stle of the Circumcision, so was Paul of the prep••ce, or Vncir∣cumcision, vers 7. and did compare with him in the effectuall worke of the Ministery, vers. 8. All which he would not haue done, had Peter been the Head of the Church; for it had been arrogancy in him. Moreouer, when he named some of the A∣postles
as Pillars, he mentioneth Iames, and giueth him the first place before Peter; belike forgetting Peters Headship. Lastly, when Saint Paul had fit occasion offered to speake, if euer, of Saint Peters Headship, 1. Cor. 1. 12. when some held of Paul himselfe, some of Apollor, some of Cephas, he speaketh not one word thereof, as not knowing, nor acknowledging any such primacy in Peter: for had he knowne it at all, much more to haue been such an essentiall point of Religion, as Papists make it, he would vndoubtedly haue taught it. But neither hee, not any other Apostle▪ loue go of any such high point, as the Papists since haue forged, to gull the World withall.
V. None of the foure Euangelists, nor Saint Luke, when hee wrote the Acts knew of any such dignitie: for they neuer write of him as the Head of the Church. They name him but as they doe the rest, calling him Simon, or Simon Beter, without any ti∣tle of eminency aboue other.
VI. The Church in the Apostles dayes, know not of any such honour to belong vnto him: for some did call him: to an account of his doings, Act. 11. 2, 3. neither did they yeeld him any such principalitie. The Corinthians, of whom some equal∣led Paul, and others, Apoll••s with him, had not yet learned this note aboue Ela.
VII. And lastly, it is also cleare by their owne Bible, that Peter himselfe knew of to Much supreme authoritie, for first, he went at the other Apostles sending of him, Act. 8. 14. Second∣ly, he gaue to the Church an account of his proceeding, when they found fault with him; Act. 11. 2, 3. Thirdly, he gaue to Saint Paul the right hand of sooretie or fellowship, Gal. 2. 9. Fourthly, being openly rebuked, he submitted thereto, vers. 11. Fifthly, he was not so much as President of the Councell at Ierusalem, Act. 15. Sixthly, he neuer vndertooke matters of the Church of his owne head, or by his sole authoritie. In teaching the ne∣cessitie of electing another Apostle, not he, but they, to wit, the men then assembled, appointed two, vpō whom the lots were to be cast, Act. 1. 23. In ordaining Deacons, the twelue Apostles gaue their aduice together, and imposed their hands vpō them, Act. 6. 2, 6. No speciall mention of Peter aboue, before, or alone
from the rest. Seuenthly, he in his Epistles, stileth himselfe by the title of an Apostle, 1. Pet. 1. 1. and no higher. Neither doth he in either of his Epistles, expresse any signe or token of any other authority, but rather the cleane contrary first, by equalling him∣selfe to others his inferiours, calling himselfe a fellow-Elder, 1. Pet. 5. 1. yet neuer the Seruant of Seruants, the stile of cursed Cham, fit for the Pope. By forbidding others to Lord it ouer Gods heritage, 1. Pet. 5. 3. By appropriating to Christ the title of Prince of Pastors, vers. 4. which now they that pretend to be Saint Peters heytes, shame not to arrogate to themselues. So farre is he from dreaming of an vniuersall Headship. And last∣ly, we find not that hee euer vsed this authoritie of Headship: which if it had been laid vpon him by Christ, he ought to haue done, yea, and he would haue exercised it. For what Christ im∣posed vpon him, hee performed: As to preach the Gospell, Mark. 16. 16. to doe the office of an Apostle, Luk. 6. 13. to worke Miracles, Matth. 10. to be a witnesse of Christ, Act. 1. 8. These and other such offices he performed, and the other hee would haue done, had any such dignitie been bestowed vpon him.
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