40 SEVERAL KINDS OF PRIMACY. Inorder to the resolutionof this point, we may consider that there are several kinds of primacy, which may belong to a person in re- spect of others; for there are, I. A primacy ofworth, or personal excellency. II. A primacyof reputation and esteem. III. A primacy of order, or bare dignity andprecedence. IV. Aprimacy of power or jurisdiction. To each of these what title St Peter might have let us in order examine: I. As for the first of these (a primacyofworth, or merit, as some of the ancients call it), we may well grant it to St Peter, admitting that probably he exceeded the rest of his brethren in personal en- dowments and capacities, bothnatural and moral, qualifying him for the discharge of the apostolical office in an eminent manner; parti- cularly that in quickness of apprehension, in boldness of spirit, in readiness of speech, in charity to our Lord and zeal for his service, in resolution, activity, and industry, he was transcendent, may seem to appear by the tenor of the evangelical and apostolical histories: in the which we may observe him upon all occasions ready to speak first, and to make himself " the mouth," as the fathers speak, of the apostles, in all deliberations nimble at propounding his advice, in all undertakings forward to make the onset; being aravraxou ispaòç, " always hot" and eager, always " prompt" and vigorous, as St Chry-; sostom often affirms concerning him. These things are apparent in his demeanour, and it may not be amiss to set down some instances.' When our Lord, observing the different apprehensions men had concerning him, asked the apostles, " But whom say ye that I am?" up starts he, crpoornSr7 xal apoXaaCccusrar, " he skippeth forth, and preventeth the rest," crying, " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the livingGod," Matt. xvi. 15, 16. The other apostles were not ignorant of the point, for they at their conversion did take Jesus for the Messiah, which, even according to the common notion of the Jews, implied his being the Son of God;2Nathanael (that is, St Bartho- lomew, as is supposed) had in terms confessed it ;thewhole company upon seeing our Lord walk on the sea had avowed it, John i. 41, 45; Matt. xxvi. 63; John i. 49; Matt. xiv. 33 ;St Peter before that, in the name of them all, had said, 'HAs7ç ersorrursúxa¡.asv, xai éyvoixaane " We have believed, and have known, that thou art the Christ, the 1 'Evorspferpops yap tei weds ,Tv ävipaoros, xexsvrpeopcivos ai psreLos sle Tgv Itrl ró 8pmeai xal tivrav orpoivp lay.Cyrill. in ion. xxi. 15. " He was a very active and stirring man, exceedingly spurred on with much promptness and alacrity in doing and speaking." nay.±axoú apfrxóra( á,ró 'ram) k.,;..,..Chrys. in Joh., Cr. 12, 13, 24. G,á srávTUV xai it crricov Tñv earñv i¡tfaiv[r 9epaórera.Chrys., tom. v. Cr. 59. 3 Licet cseteri apostoli sciant, Petrus tarnen respondet pro cteris.Ambr. in Luc., lib. vi. cap. 9.
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