64 ST PETER NOT CONSULTED BY THE APOSTLES. 12. The consideration of the apostles' proceedings in the conversion of people, in the foundation of churches, and in administration of their spiritual affairs, will exclude any probability of St Peter's juris- diction over them. They went about their business, not by order or licence from St Peter, but according to special instinct and direction of God's Spirit, " being sent forth by theHoly Ghost, going by revelation," oraccord- ing to their ordinary prudence and the habitual "wisdom given unto them," 'ExaeApAims; úaò roú IIvsú¡.caroç sou &yrou, Acts xiii. 4, xvi. 6,' 9, Gal. ii. 2, xar' &aoxúau..jrv. By those aids, without troubling St Peter or themselves more, they founded societies, they ordained pastors, they framed rules and orders requisite for the edification and good government of churches, reserving to themselves a kind of paramount inspection and jurisdictionoverthem; which ineffect was onlyaarprx>) £ara'sxsra, " a paternal care" over them, which they particularly claimed to themselves upon account of spiritual parentage, for they had begotten them to Christ, 2 Pet. iii. 2; 1 Cor. vii. 17, xi. 34, xvi. 1; Tit. i. 5; 1 Thess. ii. 7, 11; Isid. Pel. " If," says St Paul to the Corinthians, " I am not an apostle to others, Iam, however, so to you," 1 Cor. ix. 2. Why so? Because he had converted them, and could say, "As mybeloved sons I warn you. For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet ye have not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel," 1 Cor. vi 14, 15; Gal iv. 19.. This paternal charge they exercised without any dependence or regard to St Peter, none such appearing, it not being mentioned that they ever consulted his pleasure, or ren- dered him an account of their proceedings; but it rather being implied, in the reports of their actions, that they proceeded abso- lutely, by virtue of their universal office and commission of our Lord. If it be alleged that St Paul went to Jerusalem to St Peter, Gal. i. 18, I answer that it was " to visit him," îóropñóar, out of respect and love, or to confer with him for mutual edification and comfort, or at most to obtain approbation from him and the other apostles, which might satisfy some doubters, but not to receive his commands or authoritative instructions from him, it being, as we shall after- wards see, the design of St Paul's discourse to disavow any such dependence on any man whatever. So St Chrysostom notes: " What," says he, " can be more humble than this soul? After so many and so great exploits, having no need at all of Peter, or of his discourse, but being in dignity equal to him (for I will now say no more), he yet goes up to him, as to one greater and ancienter; and a sight alone of Peter is the cause of his journey thither." And, " He went," says he again, " not to learn any thing of him, nor to
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