New Testament said upon this
subject, and I immediately undertook a second perusal of it; in the
same state of mind as before, that is to say, absorbed by one sole
object, and having nothing in view but to find out whether St. Peter
had really been set over all the other apostles, and placed at Rome as
head of all the churches.

This examination, which was pursued with a degree of attention of
which I should now be scarcely capable, ended in convincing me that
the supremacy of St. Peter was no better established by the New
Testament than the first doctrine which I had sought for, and that
undoubtedly the papacy was without scriptural authority.

I found in St. Matthew the _calling of_ Simon, who was afterwards
called Peter; Matt. 4:18, 19,20; but it did not appear to me to differ
from that addressed to Andrew his brother, and all the other apostles.

In the tenth chapter of the same Gospel, I also observed that the
first _mission_ which Jesus Christ gave to his apostles, was given
to all, without any particular prerogative to Peter. It is true that
Peter is the first named, but this is merely an accidental priority,
which implies neither distinction nor superiority; one must have been
mentioned first. I made the same observation on the last mission which
they received on the day of their Master's ascension, and which is
related by St. Matthew, 28:19, 20; by St. Mark, 16:15; and in the Acts
of the Apostles, 1:8. This mission, though variously expressed in the
three places, is the same in substance. It is given indiscriminately
to all; the promises by which it is accompanied are for all; and on
all, the same powers are, equally conferred.

The 18th and 19th verses of chapter 16 of St. Matthew, where it is
said, "Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church,"
startled me for a moment, and I was on the point of mistaking the true
meaning of this declaration. But having reflected that Jesus Christ
asked the question in the 15th verse, of _all_ his disciples, and that
Peter expressed the sentiment of _all_ in his animated reply in the
16th verse, I considered that the words which Christ addressed to
Peter, were applicable to all disciples; and that no supremacy could
be attributed to him from this passage, more than from any of the
preceding.

I was confirmed in this opinion, when I read in the Gospel of St.
John, that Jesus, _speaking to all_ had made them nearly the same
promise: "Whose so ever sins ye remi