ST PETER'S PRIMACY OF ORDER. 43 III. As to a primacy of order, or bare dignity, importing that commonly, inall meetings and proceedings, the otherapostles yielded him the precedence, the Irponyopía, or privilege of speaking first, whether in propounding matters for debate, or in delivering his ad- vice in the conduct and moderation of affairs. That this was stated [settled] on him may be questioned; for that this were a kind of womanish privilege, and that it does not seem tobefit the gravity of such persons, or their condition and circumstances, to stand upon ceremonies of respect; for that also our Lord's rules seem to ex- clude all semblance of ambition, all kinds of inequality and distance between his apostles; for that this practice seems not constantly and thoroughly to agree tohis being endowed with this advantage, especially seeing all that practice which favours it may fairly be assigned to other causes; for that also the fathers' authority (if that be objected as a main argument of such a primacy) in points of this nature, not bordering on essentials of faith, is of no great strength, they in such cases speaking out of their own ingeny [ingenuity] and conjecture, and commonly indulging their imaginations no less freely than other men. But yet this primacy may be granted as probable upon divers ac- counts of use and convenience; it might be useful to preserve order and to promote expedition, or to prevent confusion, distraction, and dilatory obstruction in the management of things; yea, to maintain concord, and to exclude that ambition or affectation to be foremost which is natural to men. For seeing all could not go, speak, or act first, all could not guide affairs, it was expedient that one should be ready to undertake it, knowing his cue. " See," says St Chrysostom, noting on Acts ii. 14, where St Peter speaks for the rest, " the concord of the apostles; they yield unto him the speech, for they could not all speak ;"1 and, " One," says St Jerome, " is chosen among the twelve, that, a head being appointed, an occasion of schismmight be removed. "' St Cyprian (Cyp., Ep. lxxiii., de Unit. Eccl., &c.) bas a reason for it somewhat more subtile and mystical, supposing our Lord conferred on him a preference of this kind to his brethren, who otherwise in power and authority were equal to him, that he might intimate and recommend unity to us; and the other African doctors, Optatus and St Austin (" In typo unitatis," &c., Aug. de Bapt., iii. 17), commonly harp on the same notion. I can discern little solidity in this conceit, and as little harm. 1 Bxboras mw &aocmóxav mi7v ó¡.eóvasav, at,ro) aapaxmpoûcn+ aúmá mñt ¿n¡,enopias, oá yap ss vrávmas ¢AíyysoAa,.Chrys. in Act. ii. 14. a Inter duodecim mans eligitur, ut capite constituto schismatis tolleretur occasio. Hier. in ¡ovin. i. cap. 14.
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