menu_book Chapter 10

or to volunteer please visit librivox dot org recording by bill mosley institutes of the christian religion book for by john calvin translated by henry beveridge chapter six of the primacy of the romish see the divisions of this chapter are rome i question stated and an argument for the primacy of the roman pontiff drawn from the old testament refuted sections one two rome i reply to various arguments in support of the papacy founded on the words thou art peter etc sections three through seventeen sections one brief recapitulation why the subject of primacy not yet mentioned represented by papists as the bond of ecclesiastical unity

setting out with this axiom they begin to debate about their hierarchy two questions stated an attempted proof from the office of high priest among the jews two answers three arguments for primacy from the new testament two answers four another answer the keys given to the other apostles as well as to peter Other two arguments answered by passages of Cyprian and Augustine. 5. Another argument answered. 6. Answer to the argument that the church is founded on Peter.

From its being said, upon this rock I will build my church. 7. Answer confirmed by passages of Scripture. 8. Even allowing Peter's superiority in some respects, this is no proof of the primacy of the Roman pontiff. Other arguments answered. 9. Distinction between civil and ecclesiastical government.

Christ alone, the head of the church. Argument that there is still a ministerial head. Answered. ten paul in giving a representation of the church makes no mention of this ministerial head eleven even though peter were ministerial head it does not follow that the pope is so also argument founded on paul's having lived and died at rome twelve on the hypothesis of the papists the primacy belongs to the church of antioch thirteen absurdity of the popish hypothesis

fourteen peter was not the bishop of rome fifteen same subject continued sixteen argument that the unity of the church cannot be maintained without a supreme head on earth a stating three reasons why great respect was paid in early times to the see of rome seventeen opinion of early times on the subject of the unity of the church no primacy attributed to the church of rome christ alone regarded as the head of the universal church one hitherto we have reviewed those ecclesiastical orders which existed in the government of the primitive church but afterwards corrupted by time and thereafter more and more vitiated now only retain the name in the papal church and are in fact nothing but mere masks so that the contrast will enable the pious reader to judge what kind of church that is for revolting from which we are charged with schism

but on the head and crown of the whole matter i mean the primacy of the roman see from which they undertake to prove that the catholic church is to be found only with them we have not yet touched because it did not take its origin either in the institution of christ or the practice of the early church as did those other parts in regard to which we have shown that though they were ancient in their origin they in process of time altogether degenerated nay assumed an entirely new form and yet they endeavour to persuade the world that the chief and only bond of ecclesiastical unity is to adhere to the roman see and continue in subjection to it i say the prop on which they chiefly lean when they would deprive us of the church and arrogate it to themselves is that they retain the head on which the unity of the church depends and without which it must necessarily be rent and go to pieces for they regard the church as a kind of mutilated trunk if it be not subject to the romish see as its head accordingly when they debate about their hierarchy they always set out with the axiom

the roman pontiff as the vicar of christ who is the head of the church presides in his stead over the universal church and the church is not rightly constituted unless that see hold the primacy over all others the nature of this claim must therefore be considered that we may not omit anything which pertains to the proper government of the church two the question then may be thus stated is it necessary for the true order of the hierarchy as they term it or of ecclesiastical order that one see should surpass the others in dignity and power so as to be the head of the whole body we subject the church to unjust laws if we lay this necessity upon her without sanction from the word of god therefore if our opponents would prove what they maintain it behooves them first of all to show that this economy was instituted by christ for this purpose they refer to the office of high priest under the law

and the supreme jurisdiction which god appointed at jerusalem but the solution is easy and it is many-fold if one does not satisfy them first no reason obliges us to extend what was useful in one nation to the whole world nay the cases of one nation and of the whole world are widely different because the jews were hemmed in on every side by idolaters god fixed the seat of his worship in the central region of the earth that they might not be distracted by a variety of religions there he appointed one priest to whom they might all look up that they might be the better kept in unity but now when the true religion has been diffused over the whole globe who sees not that it is altogether observed to give the government of east and west to one individual it is just as if one were to contend that the whole world ought to be governed by one prefect because one district has not several prefects but there is still another reason why that institution ought not to be drawn into a precedent every one knows that the high priest was a type of christ

now the priesthood being transferred that right must also be transferred to whom then was it transferred certainly not to the pope as he dares impudently to boast when he arrogates this title to himself but to christ who as he alone holds the office without vicar or successor does not resign the honour to any other for this priesthood consists not in doctrine only but in the propitiation which christ made by his death and the intercession which he now makes with the father hebrews seven eleven three that example therefore which is seen to have been temporary they have no right to bind upon us as by a perpetual law in the new testament there is nothing which they can produce in confirmation of their opinion but its having been said to one thou art peter and upon this rock i will build my church matthew sixteen eighteen again simon son of jonas lovest thou me feed my lambs john twenty one fifteen

but to give strength to these proofs they must in the first place show that to him who is ordered to feed the flock of christ power is given over all churches and that to bind and loose is nothing else than to preside over the whole world but as peter had received a command from the lord so he exhorts all other presbyters to feed the church first peter five two hence we are entitled to infer that by that expression of christ nothing more was given to peter than to the others for that the right which peter had received he communicated equally to others but not to argue to no purpose we elsewhere have from the lips of christ himself a clear exposition of what it is to bind and loose it is just to retain and remit sins john ten twenty three the mode of loosing and binding is explained throughout scripture

but especially in that passage in which paul declares that the ministers of the gospel are commissioned to reconcile men to god and at the same time to exercise discipline over those who reject the benefit second corinthians five eighteen and ten sixteen four how unbecomingly they rest the passages of binding and loosing i have elsewhere glanced at and will in a short time more fully explain it may now be worth while merely to see what they can extract from our saviour's celebrated answer to peter he promised him the keys of the kingdom of heaven and said that whatever things he bound on earth should be bound in heaven matthew sixteen nineteen the moment we are agreed as to the meaning of the keys and the mode of binding all dispute will cease

for the pope will willingly omit that office assigned to the apostles which full of labor and toil would interfere with his luxuries without giving any gain since heaven is opened to us by the doctrine of the gospel it is by an elegant metaphor distinguished by the name of keys again the only mode in which men are bound and loosed is in the latter case when they are reconciled to god by faith and in the former more strictly bound by unbelief were this all that the pope arrogated to himself i believe there would be none to envy him or stir the question but because this laborious and very far from lucrative succession is by no means pleasing to the pope the dispute immediately arises as to what it was that christ promised to peter from the very nature of the case i infer that nothing more is denoted than the dignity which cannot be separated from the burden of the apostolic office for admitting the definition which i have given

and it cannot without effrontery be rejected nothing is here given to peter that was not common to him with his colleagues on any other view not only would injustice be done to their persons but the very majesty of the doctrine would be impaired they object but what prey is gained by striking against this stone the utmost they can make out is that as the preaching of the same gospel was enjoined on all the apostles so the power of binding and loosing was bestowed upon them in common christ they say constituted peter prince of the whole church when he promised to give him the keys but what he then promised to one he elsewhere delivers and as it were hands over to all the rest

if the same right which was promised to one is bestowed upon all in what respect is that one superior to his colleagues he excels they say in this that he receives both in common and by himself what is given to the others in common only what if i should answer with cyprian and augustine that christ did not do this to prefer one to the other but in order to commend the unity of his church for cyprian thus speaks in the person of one man he gave the keys to all that he might denote the unity of all the rest therefore were the same that peter was being admitted to an equal participation of honor and power but a beginning is made from unity that the church of christ may be shown to be one and augustine's words are had not the mystery of the church been in peter our lord would not have said to him i will give thee the keys for if this was said to peter the church has them not

but if the church has them then when peter received the keys he represented the whole church again all were asked but peter alone answers thou art the christ and it is said to him i will give thee the keys as if he alone had received the power of loosing and binding whereas he both spoke for all and received in common with all being as it were the representative of unity one received for all because there is unity in all and quote five but we nowhere read of its being said to any other thou art peter and upon this rock i will build my church matthew sixteen eighteen as if christ then affirmed anything else of peter than paul and peter himself affirm of all christians ephesians two twenty first peter two five

the former describes christ as the chief corner-stone on whom are built all who grow up into a holy temple in the lord the latter describes us as living stones who are founded on that elect and precious stone and being so joined and compacted are united to our god and to each other peter they say is above others because the name was specially given to him i willingly concede to peter the honor of being placed among the first in the building of the church or if they prefer it of being the first among the faithful but i will not allow them to infer from this that he has a primacy over others for what kind of inference is this peter surpasses others in fervid zeal in doctrine in magnanimity therefore he has power over them as if we might not with greater plausibility infer that andrew is prior to peter in order because he preceded him in time and brought him to christ john one forty and forty two

but this i omit let peter have the preeminence still there is a great difference between the honour of rank and the possession of power we see that the apostles usually left it to peter to address the meeting and in some measure take precedence in relating exhorting admonishing but we nowhere read anything at all of power six though we are not yet come to that part of the discussion i would merely observe at present how futilely those argue who out of the mere name of peter would rear up a governing power over the whole church for the ancient quibble which they at first used to give a colour viz the church is founded upon peter because it is said on this rock c is undeserving of notice not to say of refutation some of the fathers so expounded but when the whole of scripture is repugnant to the exposition

why is their authority brought forward in opposition to god nay why do we contend about the meaning of these words as if it were obscure or ambiguous when nothing can be more clear and certain peter had confessed in his own name and that of his brethren that christ was the son of god matthew sixteen sixteen on this rock christ builds his church because it is the only foundation as paul says other foundation than this can no man lay first corinthians three therefore i do not here repudiate the authority of the fathers because i am destitute of passages from them to prove what i say were i disposed to quote them but as i have observed i am unwilling to annoy my readers by debating so clear a matter especially since the subject has long ago been fully handled and expounded by our writers

seven and yet in truth none can solve this question better than scripture if we compare all the passages in which it shows what office and power peter held among the apostles how he acted among them how he was received by them acts fifteen seven run over all these passages and the utmost you will find is that peter was one of twelve their equal and colleague not their master he indeed brings the matter before the council when anything is to be done and advises as to what is necessary but he at the same time listens to the others not only conceding to them an opportunity of expressing their sentiments but allowing them to decide and when they have decided he follows and obeys when he writes to pastors he does not command authoritatively as a superior but makes them his colleagues and courteously advises as equals are wont to do first peter five one when he is accused of having gone in to the gentiles though the accusation is unfounded he replies to it and clears himself acts eleven three

being ordered by his colleagues to go with john into samaria he declines not acts eight fourteen the apostles by sending him declare that they by no means regard him as a superior while he by obeying and undertaking the embassy committed to him confesses that he is associated with them and has no authority over them but if none of these facts existed the one epistle to the galatians would easily remove all doubt there being almost two chapters in which the whole for which paul contends is that in regard to the honor of the apostleship he is the equal of peter galatians one eighteen and two eight hence he states that he went to peter not to acknowledge subjection but only to make their agreement in doctrine manifest to all that peter himself asked no acknowledgment of the kind but gave him the right hand of fellowship

that they might be common laborers in the vineyard that not less grace was bestowed on him among the gentiles than on peter among the jews in fine that peter when he was not acting with strict fidelity was rebuked by him and submitted to the rebuke in the last two eleven all these things make it manifest either that there was an equality between paul and peter or at least that peter had no more authority over the rest than they had over him this point as i have said paul handles professedly in order that no one might give a preference over him in respect of apostleship to peter or john who were colleagues not masters eight but were i to concede to them what they asked with regard to peter viz that he was the chief of the apostles and surpassed the others in dignity

there is no ground for making a universal rule out of a special example or wresting a single fact into a perpetual enactment seeing that the two things are widely different one was chief among the apostles just because they were a few in number if one man presided over twelve will it follow that one ought to preside over a hundred thousand that twelve had one among them to direct all is nothing strange nature admits the human mind requires that at every meeting though all are equal in power there should be one as a kind of moderator to whom the others should look up there is no senate without a consul no bench of judges without a president or chancellor no college without a provost no company without a master thus there would be no absurdity were we to confess that the apostles had conferred such a primacy on peter but an arrangement which is effectual among a few

must not be forthwith transferred to the whole world which no one man is able to govern but say they it is observed that not less in nature as a whole than in each of its parts there is one supreme head proof of this it pleases them to derive from cranes and bees which always place themselves under the guidance of one not of several i admit the examples which they produce but do bees flock together from all parts of the world to choose one queen each queen is contented with their own hide so among cranes each flock has its own king what can they prove from this except that each church ought to have its bishop they refer us to the examples of states quoting from homer a many-headed rule is not good and other passages to the same effect from heathen writers in commendation of monarchy

the answer is easy monarchy is not lauded by homer's ulysses or by others as if one individual ought to govern the whole world but they mean to intimate that one kingdom does not admit of two kings and that empire as one expresses it cannot bear a partner nine be it however as they will have it though the thing is most absurd be it that it were good and useful for the whole world to be under one monarchy i will not therefore admit that the same thing should take effect in the government of the church her only head is christ under whose government we are all united to each other according to that order and form of policy which he himself has prescribed wherefore they offer an egregious insult to christ when under this pretext they would have one man to preside over the whole church seeing the church can never be without a head even christ from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth according to the effectual working in the measure of every part

maketh increase of the body ephesians four fifteen sixteen see how all men without exception are placed in the body while the honour and name of head is left to christ alone see how to each member is assigned a certain measure a finite and limited function while both the perfection of grace and the supreme power of government reside only in christ i am not unaware of the cavilling objection which they are wont to urge viz that christ is properly called the only head because he alone reigns by his own authority and in his own name but that there is nothing in this to prevent what they call another ministerial head from being under him and acting as his substitute but this cavil cannot avail them until they previously show that this office was ordained by christ for the apostle teaches that the whole subministration is diffused through the members while the power flows from one celestial head or if they will have it more plainly

since scripture testifies that christ is head and claims this honor for himself alone it ought not to be transferred to any other than him whom christ himself has made his vice-regent but not only is there no passage to this effect but it can be amply refuted by many passages ten paul sometimes depicts a living image of the church but makes no mention of a single head on the contrary we may infer from his description that it is foreign to the institution of christ christ by his ascension took away his visible presence from us and yet he ascended that he might fill all things now therefore he is present in the church and always will be when paul would show the mode in which he exhibits himself he calls our attention to the ministerial offices which he employs unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of christ and he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers

why does he not say that one presided over all to act as his substitute the passage particularly required this and it ought not on any account to have been omitted if it had been true christ he says is present with us how by the ministry of men whom he appointed over the government of the church why not rather by a ministerial head whom he appointed his substitute he speaks of unity but it is in god and in the faith of christ he attributes nothing to men but a common ministry and a special mode to each why when thus commending unity does he not after saying one body one spirit even as ye are called in one hope of our calling of your calling one lord one faith one baptism in ephesians four four immediately add one supreme pontiff to keep the church in unity nothing could have been said more aptly if the case had really been so

let that passage be diligently pondered and there will be no doubt that paul there meant to give a complete representation of that sacred and ecclesiastical government to which posterity have given the name of hierarchy not only does he not place a monarchy among ministers but even intimates that there is none there can also be no doubt that he meant to express the mode of connection by which believers unite with christ the head there he not only makes no mention of a ministerial head but attributes a particular operation to each of the members according to the measure of grace distributed to each nor is there any ground for subtle philosophical comparisons between the celestial and the earthly hierarchy for it is not safe to be wise above measure with regard to the former and in constituting the latter the only type which it behooves us to follow is that which our lord himself has delineated in his own word eleven i will now make them another concession which they will never obtain from men of sound mind viz that the primacy of the church was fixed in peter with the view of remaining forever by perpetual succession

still how will they prove that his see was so fixed at rome that whosoever becomes bishop of that city is to preside over the whole world by what authority do they annex this dignity to a particular place when it was given without any mention of place peter they say lived and died at rome what did christ himself do did he not discharge his episcopate while he lived and complete the office of the priesthood by dying at jerusalem the prince of pastors the chief shepherd the head of the church could not procure honor for a place and peter so far his inferior could is not this worse than childish trifling christ conferred the honor of primacy on peter peter had his see at rome therefore he fixed the seat of the primacy there in this way the israelites of old must have placed the seat of the primacy in the wilderness where moses the chief teacher and prince of prophets

discharged his ministry and died twelve let us see however how admirably they reason peter they say had the first place among the apostles therefore the church in which he sat ought to have the privilege but where did he first sit at antioch they say therefore the church of antioch justly claims the primacy they acknowledge that she was once the first but that peter by removing from it transferred the honor which he had brought with him to rome for there is extant under the name of pope marcellus a letter to the presbyters of antioch in which he says the see of peter at the outset was with you and was afterwards by the order of the lord translated hither and thus the church of antioch which was once the first yielded to the see of rome but by what oracle did that good man learn that the lord had so ordered for if the question is to be determined in regular form they must say whether they hold the privilege to be personal or real or mixed one of the three it must be

if they say personal then it has nothing to do with place if real then when once given to a place it is not lost by the death or departure of the person it remains that they must hold it to be mixed then the mere consideration of place is not sufficient unless the person also correspond let them choose which they will i will forthwith infer and easily prove that rome has no ground to arrogate the primacy thirteen however be it so let the primacy have been as they vainly allege transferred from antioch to rome why did not antioch retain the second place for if rome was the first simply because peter had his seed there at the end of his life to which place should the second be given sooner than to that where he first had his seat how comes it then that alexandria takes precedence of antioch how can the church of a disciple be superior to the see of peter if honor is due to a church according to the dignity of its founder what shall we say of other churches paul names three individuals who seem to be pillars viz james peter and john

galatians to nine if in honor of peter the first place is given to the roman see do not the churches of ephesus and jerusalem where john and james were fixed deserve the second and third places but in ancient times jerusalem held the last place among the patriarchates and ephesus was not able to secure even the lowest corner other churches too have passed away churches which paul founded and over which the apostles presided the see of mark who was only one of the disciples has obtained honor let them either confess that arrangement was preposterous or let them concede that it is not always true that each church is entitled to the degree of honor which its founder possessed fourteen but i do not see that any credit is due to their allegation of peter's occupation of the roman see certainly it is that the statement of eusebius that he presided over it for twenty-five years is easily refuted for it appears from the first and second chapters of galatians

that he was at jerusalem about twenty years after the death of christ and afterwards came to antioch how long he remained here is uncertain gregory counts seven and eusebius twenty-five years but from our saviour's death to the end of nero's reign under which they state that he was put to death will be found only thirty-seven years for our lord suffered in the eighteenth year of the reign of tiberius if you cut off the twenty years during which as paul testifies peter dwelt at jerusalem there will remain at most seventeen years and these must be divided between his two episcopates If he dwelt long at Antioch, his see at Rome must have been of short duration. This we may demonstrate still more clearly.

Paul wrote to the Romans while he was on his journey to Jerusalem, where he was apprehended and conveyed to Rome. Romans 15, 15 and 16 It is therefore probable that this letter was written four years before his arrival at Rome. Still there is no mention of Peter.

as there certainly would have been if he had been ruling that church. Nay, in the end of the epistle where he enumerates a long list of individuals whom he orders to be saluted and in which it may be supposed he includes all who were known to him he says nothing at all of Peter. To men of sound judgment there is no need here of a long and subtle demonstration.

The nature of the case itself, and the whole subject of the epistle, proclaim that he ought not to have passed over Peter if he had been at Rome. 15. Paul is afterwards conveyed as a prisoner to Rome. Luke relates that he was received by the brethren, but says nothing of Peter. From Rome he writes to many churches. He even sends salutations from certain individuals,

but does not by a single word intimate that Peter was then there. Who, pray, will believe that he would have said nothing of him if he had been present? Nay, in the epistles of the Philippians, after saying that he had no one who cared for the work of the Lord so faithfully as Timothy, he complains that, quote,

all seek their own, end quote. Philippians 2, 21. And to Timothy he makes the more grievous complaint that no man was present at his first offense,

that all men forsook him. 2 Timothy 4, 16. Where then was Peter? If they say that he was at Rome, how disgraceful the charge

which Paul brings against him of being a deserter of the gospel. for he is speaking of believers since he adds the lord lay it not to their charge at what time therefore and how long did peter hold that seat the uniform opinion of authors is that he governed that church until his death but these authors are not agreed as to who was his successor some say linus others clement and they relate many absurd fables concerning a discussion between him and simon magus nor does augustine when treating of superstition disguise the fact that owing to an opinion rashly entertained

it had become customary at rome to fast on the day on which peter carried away the palm from simon magus in short the affairs of that period are so involved from the variety of opinions that credit is not to be given rashly to anything we read concerning it and yet from this agreement of authors i do not dispute that he died there but that he was bishop particularly for a long period i cannot believe i do not however attach much importance to the point since paul testifies that the apostleship of peter pertained especially to the jews but his own especially to us therefore in order that that compact which they made between themselves nay that the arrangement of the holy spirit may be firmly established among us we ought to pay more regard to the apostleship of paul than to that of peter since the holy spirit in allotting them different provinces destined peter for the jews and paul for us

let the romanists therefore seek their primacy somewhere else than in the word of god which gives not the least foundation for it let us now come to the primitive church that it may also appear that our opponents plume themselves on its support not less falsely and unadvisedly than on the testimony of the word of god when they lay it down as an axiom that the unity of the church cannot be maintained unless there be one supreme head on earth whom all the members should obey and that accordingly our lord gave the primacy to peter and thereafter by right of succession to the see of rome there to remain even to the end they assert that this has always been observed from the beginning but since they improperly wrest many passages i would first premise that i deny not that the early christians uniformly give high honor to the roman church

and speak of it with reverence this i think is owing chiefly to three causes the opinion which had prevailed i know not how that that church was founded and constituted by the ministry of peter had great effect in procuring influence and authority hence in the east it was as a mark of honor designated the apostolic see secondly as the seat of empire was there and it was for this reason to be presumed that the most distinguished for learning prudence skill and experience were there more than elsewhere account was justly taken of the circumstance lest the celebrity of the city and the much more excellent gifts of god also might seem to be despised to these was added a third cause that when the churches of the east of greece and of africa were kept in a constant turmoil by differences of opinion the church of rome was calmer and less troubled to this it was owing that pious and holy bishops when driven from their seas often betook themselves to rome as an asylum or haven

for as the people of the west are of a less acute and versatile turn of mind than those of asia or africa so they are less desirous of innovations it therefore added very great authority to the roman church that in those dubious times it was not so much unsettled as others and adhered more firmly to the doctrine once delivered as shall immediately be better explained for these three causes i say she was held in no ordinary estimation and received many distinguished testimonies from ancient writers seventeen but since on this our opponents would rear up a primacy and supreme authority over other churches they as i have said greatly err that this may better appear i will first briefly show what the views of early writers are as to this unity which they so strongly urge jerome in writing to the potion after enumerating many examples of unity descends at length to the ecclesiastical hierarchy he says

every bishop of a church every arch-presbyter every archdeacon and the whole ecclesiastical order depends on its own rulers here a roman presbyter speaks and commends unity in ecclesiastical order why does he not mention that all the churches are bound together by one head as a common bond there was nothing more appropriate to the point in hand and it cannot be said that he omitted it through forgetfulness there was nothing he would more willingly have mentioned had the fact permitted he therefore undoubtedly owns that the true method of unity is that which cyprian admirably describes in these words the episcopate is one part of which is held entire by each bishop and the church is one which by the increase of fecundity extends more widely in numbers as there are many rays of the sun and one light many branches of a tree and one trunk upheld by its tenacious roots and as very many streams flow from one fountain

and though numbers seem diffused by the largeness of the overflowing supply yet unity is preserved entire in the source so the church pervaded with the light of the lord sends her rays over the whole globe and yet is one light's which is everywhere diffused without separating the unity of the body extends her branches over the whole globe and sends forth flowing streams still the head is one and the source one afterwards he says the spouse of christ cannot be an adulteress she knows one house and with chaste modesty keeps the sanctity of one bed see how he makes the bishopric of christ alone universal as comprehending under it the whole church see how he says that part of it is held entire by all who discharge the episcopal office under this head where is the primacy of the roman see if the entire bishopric resides in christ alone and a part of it is held entire by each my object in these remarks is to show the reader in passing

that that axiom of the unity of an earthly kind in the hierarchy which the romanists assume as confessed and indubitable was altogether unknown to the ancient church end of section ten recording by bill mosley prelsberg texas u s a