102 THE APOSTOLATE INCOMMUNICABLE. Now, such an office, consisting of so many extraordinary privileges and miraculous powers, which were requisite for the foundation of the church and the diffusion of Christianity, against the manifold difficulties and disadvantages which it then must needs encounter, was not designed to continue by derivation; for it contains in it divers things which apparently were not communicated, and which no roan, without gross imposture and hypocrisy, could challenge to himself. Neither did the apostles pretend to communicate it. They indeed appointed standing pastors and teachers in each church, they as- sumed fellow-labourers or assistants in the work of preaching and governance; but theydid not constitute apostles equal to themselves in authority, privileges, or gifts: for, " Who knows not," says St Augustine, " that the principate of apostleship is to be preferred before any episcopate ?"1 and, "The bishops," says Bellarmine, "have no part of the true apostolical authority."' Wherefore St Peter, who had no other office mentioned in Scrip- ture, or known to antiquity, beside that of an apostle, could not have properly and adequately any successor to his office; but it naturally expired with his person, as did that of the other apostles. 5. Accordingly, whereas the other apostles, as such, had no suc- cessors, the apostolical office not being propagated, the primacy of St Peter, whatever it were, whether of order or jurisdiction in regard to his brethren, ceased with him; for when there were no apostles extant there could be no " head" or " prince of the apostles" in any sense. 6. If some privileges of St Peter were derived to popes, why were not all? why was not Pope Alexander VI. as holy as St Peter? why was not Pope Honorius as sound in his private judgment? why is not every pope inspired? why is not every papal epistle to be re- puted canonical? why are not all popes endowedwith powerof doing miracles? why does not the pope by a sermon convert thousands? why, indeed, do popes never preach? why does not he cure men by his shadow (he is, say they, himself his shadow)? what ground is there of distinguishing the privileges, so that he shall have some, not others? where is the ground to be found? 7. If it be objected that the fathers commonly call bishops suc- cessors ofthe apostles, to assoil that objection we may consider, that whereas the apostolical office virtually contained the functions of teaching and ruling God's people, the which, for preservation of 1 Quis nescit ilium apostolatus principatum cuilibet episcopatui praferendum ? Aug. de Bapt. cont. Don., ii. 1. 2 Epiaiopi nullam habent partem veræ apostolicae auctoritatis.Bell., iv. 25. The apostles themselves make the apostolate a distinct office from pastors and teachers, which are the standing offices in the church.Eph. iv. 11; 1 Cor. xii. 28.
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