74 CLAIMS OF ST JAMES AND ST JOHN. pretence. Did one of the apostles become head? which of them was it? upon what ground did he assume the headship, or who conferred it on him? who ever acknowledged any such thing, or where is there any report about it? Was any other person made head? (sup- pose the bishop of Rome, who only pretends thereto); then did St John and other apostles become subject to one in degree inferior to them? Then what becomes of St Paul's " first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers?" 1 Cor. xii. 28. What do all the aposto- heal privileges come to, when St John must be at the command of Linus, and Cletus, and Clement, and of I know not who beside? VATas it not a great absurdity for the apostles to truckle under the " pastors and teachers" of Rome? Eph. iv. 11. The like may be said for St James, if he (as the Roman church does in its Liturgics suppose) were an apostle who in many respects might claim the pre-eminence; who, therefore, in the Apostolical Constitutions, is preferred before Clement, bishop of Rome. 17. Upon the same grounds on which a supremacy of power is claimed to St Peter, other apostles might also challenge a superiority therein over their brethren; but to suppose such a difference of power among the rest is absonous [absurd]; and therefore the grounds are not valid upon which St Peter's supremacy is built. I instance in St James and St John, who upon the same proba- bilities had, after St Peter, a preference to the other apostles: for to them our Saviour declared a special regard; to them the apostles afterwards may seem to have yielded a particular deference; they, in merit and performances, seem to have surpassed; they, after St Peter and his brother, were first called to the apostolical office; they, as St Peter, were by our Lord new christened, as it were, and nomi- nated " Boanerges," by a name signifying the efficacy of their endea-. vours in their Master's service; they, together with St Peter, were assumed to behold the transfiguration; theywere culled out to wait on our Lord in his agony; they also, with St Peter (others being excluded), were taken to attest our Lord's performance of that great miracle of restoring the ruler's daughter to life; they, presuming on their special favour with our Lord, pretended to the chief places in his kingdom.Matt. iv. 21; Luke v. 10; Mark iii. 17; Matt. xvii. 1, 2; 2 Pet. i. 16; Matt. xxvi. 37; Mark xiv. 33, v. 37; Matt. xx. 20, 21; Mark x. 35, 37. To one of them it is expressed that our Saviour bore a peculiar affection, he being"the disciple whom Jesus loved,"and "who leaned on his bosom." To the other he particularly discovered himself after his resurrection, and first honoured him with the crown of martyr- dom, John xiii. 23, xxi. 7, 20; 1 Cor. xv. 7. They in blood and cognation did nearest touch our Lord, being his
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