ST PETER NO JUDGE OR SOVEREIGN. sú to them byChrist for edification," or upon account of the more than ordinary gifts and graces of the divine Spirit, conferred on them by God, 2 Cor. xiii. 10, x. 8, xii. 20; 1 Cor. iv. 1; 2 Thess. iii 14; 1 Cor. vii. 2.5, 40; 1 Thess. iv. 8. 11. St Peter nowhere appears intermeddling as a judge or gover- nor paramount in such cases; yea, where he does himself deal with heretics and disorderly persons, confuting and reproving them (as he deals with divers notoriously such), he proceeds not as a pope decreeing, but as an apostle warning, arguing, and persuading against them. It is particularly remarkable how St Paul, reproving the factions which were among Christians at Corinth, represents the several parties saying, " I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas, I am of Christ," 1 Cor. i. 12, iii. 21. Now, supposing the case then had been clear and certain (and if it were not so then, how can it be so now ?) that St Peter was sovereign of the apostles, is it not wonderful that any Christian should prefer any apostle or any preacher before him? As, if it were now clear and generallyacknow- ledged that the pope is truly what he pretends to be, would any body stand in competition with him? would anyglory in a relation to any other minister before him? It is observable how St Clemens reflects on this contention: "Ye were," says he, "less culpable for that partiality; for ye then inclined to renowned apostles, and to a man approved by them; but now," &c.1 If it be replied, that Christ himself did come into the comparison, I answer, that probably no man was so vain as to compare him with the rest, nor indeed could any there pretend to have been baptized by him, which was the ground of the emulation in respect of the others; but those who said they were "of Christ" were the wise and . peaceable sort, who, by saying so, declined and disavowed faction: whose behaviour St Paul himself in his discourse commends and con- firms, showing that all indeed were " of Christ," 1 Cor. iii. 5, the apostles being only his "ministers" to work faith and virtue in them. "None," says St Austin, "of those contentious persons were good, except those who said, But I am of Christ."' We may also here observe, that St Paul, in reflecting upon these contentions, had a fair occasion of intimating somewhat concerning St Peter's supremacy, and aggravating their blamable fondness who compared others with him. ' 'Axx' , 9rpóalairtr É%e(vn ;Tray ApceprÌav igzîv 9rp0000lveywe 9rpooex%(Anre vAp donor- aólorç ¡aalcaprapnpivorç, xa) eiv$pì áebowrpaopcivd ,rap' abrar vuyì óé, &c. Clem. ad Co- rinth., 47. Falsum est quod illi boni erant, exceptis eis qui dicebant, Ego autem Clpisti. Aug. cont. Creston., i. 27.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=