A.B. 1178. LETTER OF ΡΟΓΕ ALEXANDER. 491 gelists, that in his legateship he would attempt nothing to the detriment of the king or his kingdom, and that he would return through his dominions, -which he did accordingly. In the same year pope Alexander wrote to John king of the Indies to the following effect :— The Letter of pope Alexander, sent to John, king of the Indies. " Alexander the bishop, servant of the servants of God, to his most dearly beloved son in Christ, the illustrious and mighty king of the Indies, the most holy of priests,24* health, and the Apostolic benediction. The Apostolic See, over which, unworthy as we are, we preside, is the head and mistress of all who believe in Christ ; the same being attested by our Lordi who said unto Saint Peter, whose successor, unworthy though we may be, we are, ' Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.'25 This rock, then, Christ has willed to be the foundation of His church, which He declares shall be shaken by no storms and tempests of the winds. Therefore, not without reason did Saint Peter, upon whom He founded this church, especially and in chief deserve to receive supremacy among the Apostles. To him it was said by the Lord ; ' I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it ; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.'26 We had I heard long ago, from the accounts of many, and from common report, what unvarying diligence you have shown in pious works since you have embraced the Christian religion, and how you devote your attention to what is pleasing and acceptable to God. Put our beloved son, master Philip, our physician, and a member of "our household, who says that he has conversed in ; those parts with the great and honorable men of your kingdom, concerning your intentions and plans, like a cautious and discreet man, circumspect and prudent, has constantly and anxiously signified unto us, that he has heard for certain from them, that it is your wish and purpose to be instructed in the Catholic and Apostolic doctrines, and that it is your fervent desire that 24 * This was Presbyter, or Prester John—a supposed king of the interior of Asia. It is supposed that the person here meant was Oungh Khan, slain by Gengis Khan, A.D . 1202. This letter is probably a fabrication of the Nestorian Missionaries, who spread reports of his conversion. u a Matt. XV . Id. ï Matt. xvi. 19.