There are several words in this passage which must influence the sense of it. The first I shall notice is the word _potentiorem_, the more especially as there is a various reading upon it. One MS. (the Clermont) of considerable value, reads _potiorem_; but Massuet, who examined it, says that it _had_ been written _pontiorem_ (but altered to _potiorem_,) which is almost certainly a contraction for the common reading. We must therefore, I conclude, sit down with the common reading; although Massuet, in the Benedictine edition, and J. J. Griesbach, in some remarks upon this passage(140), prefer the other. But what Greek word _potentiorem_ represents must be matter of conjecture; and no one who is acquainted with the manner in which the translator has rendered Greek words will be inclined to lay much stress upon it. It may have been put for { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH DASIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}, or { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}; or, in short, the comparative of any adjective which _admits_ of being rendered _potens_. We then come to the word _principalitatem_. This we know that the ancient translator of Irenæus uses to signify { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH PSILI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER CHI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA WITH OXIA~}(141). Putting these two together, Griesbach has rendered { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~} { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA WITH PSILI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER CHI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA WITH VARIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}, _potiorem initium_, and thus got rid of the idea of _authority_ altogether. But there is no need of this. _Principalis_ is used by the translator as the rendering of { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA WITH DASIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER GAMMA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~}(142); _principaliter_, of { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER GAMMA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~}(143), and { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER GAMMA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER ETA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER KAPPA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER FINAL SIGMA~}(144); _principalitatem habeo_, of { ~GREEK SMALL LETTER PI~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER RHO~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER TAU~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON WITH OXIA~}{ ~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMEGA~}(145). We know that all the apostolical sees had a kind of _principality_ or _pre-eminence_ above the surrounding Churches; a _more powerful_ pre-eminence than other Churches equally ancient with themselves. Nay, we know that the Church of Rome had at that time, in point of fact, a more powerful pre-eminence than any other Church.