The creature obeyed the first, but the Creator obeys the last, the sun to the one, and God to the other, as often as they pronounce the sacred words." On the whole, he concludes, that "Whatever God is in heaven, the Priest is the same on earth."

Q. Did this Priest publish this to the world as the sentiments of an individual, or was it generally understood, that Priests in general have this authority delegated to them by the Prisoner. at the bar?

A. Priests derive all their power from him, and act by his commission. As a proof that the sentiments I have delivered from this one, are such as are received by men of his description, when this book was published in Paris, the approbation of the Faculty of Divinity was given to the whole, and prefixed in the front of the book. This body of men act in conjunction with the Prisoner.

Q. (From a Juror.) Did you ever hear others speak in like manner?

A. Yes. I have heard many declare as bad, if

not worse.

Q. Did any of them write the same?

A. They did. Gabriel Biel, another Priest, said, that "the Angels, citizens of heaven, dare not aspire to the authority of the Priesthood." And again, "passing by the bands of Angels, let us come to the Queen of heaven and Lady of the world. The same, through the plenitude of grace, she goes beyond all creatures, yet she

yields to the Hierarchs of the Church in the execution of the mystery committed unto them." And again he says, "Christ is incarnate, and made flesh in the hands of the Priests as in the Virgin's womb, and that Priests do create their Creator, and have power over the body of Christ.”*

(To the last witness.)

You

ANTICHRIST. have omitted to produce the authority, on which Father de Besse declared the power of Priests? You should have noticed that he produced a portion from the New Testament, and founded his power on the Act, Matt. xvi. 18.

WIT. HIST. TRUTH. It is true, I did see a reference to that Act, but I think that if it should be read, it would, if possible, make bad

worse.

ANTICHRIST. Let the Act be read.

LORD C. JUST. It shall be read.

The Clerk of the Crown then read the Statute, Matt. xvi. 18.

"And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

L. C. JUSTICE. What is there in this Statute, to authorize either you, or your Priests, to assume your power, and commit rebellion against our Sovereign?

ANT. Christ said these words to St. Peter, and St. Peter gave this power to me at Rome. I do not consider it rebellion, when I have such authority to act upon.

* See his 4th Lesson on the Canon of the Mass.

L. C. JUSTICE. What an awful delusion you must lie under! To suppose, that our Sovereign Lord the King should commission Peter to empower you to establish your throne, in open rebellion against his crown and dignity! I hope you don't wish to say that Peter is a traitor? He is too well known in this court to be suspected of rebellion. We shall be able to prove that he never gave you any commission or authority.

ANT. If he was present, he would confess that what I say is true.

COURT. He is in court; and we have no objec'tion to his being the next witness called.

Simon Peter, the Apostle, was then called, who, quick as vivid lightning appeared. It was truly gratifying to see this witness, with so much of heaven in his countenance, while the court and large concourse of people assembled, were wonderfully delighted. He was examined by the Attorney-General.

Q. Are you the Apostle Peter, servant of the

Most High God?

A. I am; and by the

I am.

grace of God I am what To my Sovereign Lord I am indebted for

the honour of my employment.

Q. As we have frequently been told by the Prisoner, that you have some knowledge of him, and that you gave him his authority, we have taken the liberty to call on you to satisfy the court on this subject, believing you will confirm the high opinion they entertain of you. Look at the Pri

soner at the bar. Do you recollect having ever seen him before?

A. No. I do not know him. I never saw him before in my life.

ANT. Don't you recollect seeing me at Rome? PETER. NO. I could never see you at Rome; for I never was there.

ANT. Do not you recollect, that you sat in St. Peter's Chair at Rome, as Prince of the Apostles?

PET. No. I know nothing of Rome; nor have I the smallest knowledge of you. I am really a stranger to your very language; I do not understand what you mean either by St. Peter's Chair, or Prince of the Apostles.

ATT. GEN. The Apostle Peter will please to notice, that the Prisoner, when he established his throne at Rome, presumed to declare, that you received orders from our Lord the King, to invest him with power over all the world; he therefore styled you Prince of the Apostles, and said, that you sat in his chair as such. And he presumes to be your successor, the Vicar of Christ, &c.

PET. I am totally unacquainted with him and his government. I never had any such power given to me by my Lord; and as I never received it, he never could obtain it from me.

ANT. Do you remember the time when Jesus Christ said to you, "On this rock I will build my church;" and when he gave you the keys of the kingdom of heaven?

PET. I do very well; but what has that to do in

the present case? What my Lord said to me is one thing, and what you profess, another.

ANT. I can produce a number of Holy Fathers who have said that you were at Rome, and that you was the first Pope.

PET. All that is possible. But can you prove from the word of my God, from either of my Epistles, or from any of the writings of the Apostles or Evangelists, that I ever was at Rome? But whether I was there or not, I am certain that my Lord never commissioned me to give you any sanction.

ANT. If the blessed Apostle St. Paul was here, he would convince you of your mistake.

The Apostle Paul was next called and sworn. There was a striking likeness between him and the Apostle Peter.

Q. Was you ever at Rome in Italy?

A. I was. I know Rome well. My Lord and Sovereign told me that I should testify of him there; and after a perilous voyage I landed safe. Though but a prisoner, I was suffered to dwell two whole years in my own hired house, preaching the glorious gospel of the grace of God. I wrote several of my Epistles to the different churches from Rome, and one Epistle to a church of Christ there, and the last epistle I ever wrote, I wrote there.*

Q. Do you know the Prisoner at the bar? He has resided a long time at Rome, and professes to be intimately acquainted with you?

Acts xxiii. 11. xxviii. 16, 28, 30, 31,