42 ST PETER'S PRIDIACY OF REPUTE: had some advantage overthe rest, that question, " Simon Peter, dost thou love me more than these?" may seem to imply; although the words rr?.s7ov roúrwvmay bear other interpretations,whereby the seem- ing invidiousness of the question, according to that sense, will be removed.' However, that he had a singular zeal for promoting our Lord's service and propagation of the gospel, therein outshining the rest, seems manifest in the history, and may be inferred from the peculiar regard our Lord apparently showed to him. Upon these premises we may well admit that St Peter had a primacy of worth, or that in personal accomplishments he was most eminent among the twelve apostles ;although afterward there sprang up one who hardly in any of these respects would yield to him, who could confidently say " that he did not come behind the very chief apostles," 1 Cor. xv. 10; 2 Cor. xi. 5, 23, xii. 11; and of whomSt Ambrosesays, " Neither wasPaul inferior to Peter, ... being well to be compared even to the first, and second to none;"2 and St Chrysostom, " For what was greater than Peter, and what equal to Paul ? "a This is the primacy which Eusebius attributes to him when he callshim "The excellent and great apostle, who for his virtue was the prolocutor of all the rest. "4 II. As to a primacy of repute (which St Paul means when he speaks of the of boxoúvrsç, those which had a special " reputation;" of those "who seemed to be pillars," Gal. ii. 2, 6, 9; of the vrrìp aíav iarróaroXoy the supereminent apostles, 2 Cor. xi. 5, xii. 11), this ad- vantage cannot be refused him, being a necessary consequent of those eminent qualities resplendent in him, and of the illustrious performances achieved by him beyond the rest. This may be inferred from that advantageous renown which he has had propagated from the beginning to all posterity. This at least those eulogies of the fathers, styling him the chief, prince, head of the apostles, signify: 'O srrrpavéararoç räv árroaróxwv IIérpoç, Ath. Disp. cont. Arium, p. 122. This also may be collected from his being so constantly ranked in the first place, before the rest of his brethren. s Aug. in Toh., Tract. 123. 'o FEavrxóv I1,001410 roú Xgorsv.Chrys., tom. v. Or. 24. "An extreme lover of Christ." Sæpe diximus nimii ardoris, amorisque quam maximi fuisse Petrum in Dominum.Hier. in Matt. xvi. 22. " We have often said that Peter was transported with too much heat, and extraordinary great love of our Lord." Ipse enim Petrus in apostolorumordino primus, in Chtisti amore promptissimus, snipe unus respondet pro omnibus. Aug., Senn. xiii. de Verb. born. r. Matt. i. "For Peter him- self being first in the order of the apostles, and most prompt and forward in the love of Christ, answered oftentimes alone for all the rest." 2 Nec Paulusinferior Petro .... cum primo quoque facile conferendus, et nulli secun- dus.Ambr. de Sp. S. ii. 12.e 8 Ti yáp 1kp1U ptsi , i rÌSi nalx,u frs, Chrys., tom. v. Or. 167. Tls xaprEeSY xal ¡a'Eyv rmv ásroováXws, róv ápsrí a hsxa rwv ?n rwv ásrávrwv srps yspov. --Euseb. Bist., ii. 14.
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