ST PAUL. INDEPENDENT OF ST PETER. 67 to prove and confirm it, drawn from the manner of his call, the characters and warrants of his office, the tenor of his proceedings in the discharge of it, the success of his endeavours, the approbation and demeanour toward him of other apostles. As for his call and commission to the apostolical office, he main- tains, as if he meant designedly to exclude those pretences that other apostles were only called " in partem solicitudinis" with St Peter (Bell., i. 9, 14, 16), that he was " an apostle, not frommen, nor by man, but by JesusChrist, andGod theFather,"-05x chr' civAptúaav, oúds ói ávepwaou, Gal. i. 1; that is, that he derived not his office immediately or mediately from men, or by the ministry ofanyman, but immediately had received the grant and charge thereof from our Lord; as indeed the history plainly shows, in which our Lord tells him that he " constituted him an officer, and a chosen instrument to him, to bear his name to the Gentiles."' Hence he so often is careful and cautious to express himself an apostle " by the will" and special " grace" (or favour), and appoint- ment and command of God; and particularly tells the Romans that " by Christ he had received grace and apostleship."' For the warrant of his office, he does not allege the allowance of St Peter or any other, but those special gifts and graces which were conspicuous in him, and exerted inmiraculous performance. " Truly," says he, " the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, andwonders, and mighty deeds;" and, " I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs andwonders, by the power of the Spirit of God," 2 Cor. xii. 12; Rom. xv. 18, 19; 1 Cor. ii. 4. To the same purpose he alleges his successful industry in convert- ing men to the gospel. "Am I not an apostle?" says he, " are ye not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, I am surely one to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord." And, " By the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was on me became not in vain; but I laboured more abun- dantly than they all," 1 Cor. ix. 1, 2, xv. 10; 2 Cor. xi. 23. In the discharge of his office, he immediately, after that he had received his call and charge from our Saviour, without consulting or taking licence from any man, vigorously applied himself to the work. " Immediately," says he, " I conferred not with flesh and blood: neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that before me were. IIe'x pivaoAai va ianpimv, &c. Acts ix. 15, xxii. 21, xxvi. 16. 2 Dla .90.41aamos e,, . -1 Cor. i. 1; 2 Cor. i. 1; Eph. i. 1; Col. i. 1; 2 Tim. i. 1. Xápma Rom. i. 5; 1 Cor. xv. 10; Eph. iii. 7.; 1 Tim. i. 12. Kam' ir,7a7í 1 Tim. i. 1.
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