Popery condemned by scripture and the fathers - End Time Deception

4 5 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
macy which the R. has adduced in behalf of
the bishop of Rome.
" The Roman See," says he, " was always
" considered as the first See in the world, both
" by Greeks and Latins *." Though this assertion
were true, still precedence is no proof
of supremacy. After allowing the bishop of
Rome the precedence in the church, it will not
be difficult to show, that neither he nor his
bishopric possessed any other authority than what
they derived from their local situation at the
chief seat of government in the empire, and
from their preserving the purity of the faith
longer than many other parts of the church.
The reader may already observe a change in
the R.'s language. Supremacy, he formerly
told us, is an official authority, and consequently
something which belongs to Peter's lawful
successor ; now he extends it to the See of
Rome. But he ought first to prove, that the
latter, as well as the former, is Peter's lawful
successor ; because he himself has said, " offi-
**
cial authority is always invested in the lawful
*•
successor." Though the church of Rome
has for many centuries claimed a supremacy, its
members neither agree in what it consists, nor
to whom it belongs. As the reader ntay be curious
to know something of this part of the
subject, I will present him with the opinions of
* P. 184.
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