46 ST PETER HADNO PRIMACY OF POWER. 4. The fathers commonly attribute his priority to the merit of his faith and confession, wherein he outstripped his brethren. " He obtained supereminent glory by the confession of his blessed faith,' says St Hilary. Hil. in Matt., Can. xiv. p. 566. " Because he alone of all the rest professes his love (John xxi.), therefore he is preferred above all, ' says St Ambrose. 5. Constantly, in all the catalogues of the apostles, St Peter's name is set in the front; and when actions are reported in which he was concerned jointly with others, he is usually mentioned first; which seems not done without careful design or special rea- son, Matt. x. 2; Mark iii. 16; Luke vi. 14; Acts i. 13; John xxi. 2. Upon such grounds, it may be reasonable to allow St Peter a primacy of order, such a one as the ringleader has in a dance, as the primipilar centurion had in the legion, orthe princeof the senate had there, in the Roman state; at least, as among earls, baronets, &c., and others co-ordinate in degree, yet one has a precedence of the rest. IV. As to a primacy importing superiority in power, command, or jurisdiction, this by the Roman party is asserted to St Peter; but we have great reason to deny it, upon the following considera- tions: - 1. For such a power, being of so great importance, it was needful that a commission from God, its founder, should be granted in down- right and perspicuous terms, that no man concerned in duty grounded thereon might have any doubt of it, or excuse for boggling at it. It was necessarynot only for the apostles, to bind and warrant their obedience, but also for us; because it is made the sole founda- tion of a like duty incumbent on us, which we cannot heartily dis- charge without being assured of our obligation thereto by clear re- velation or promulgation of God's will in the holy Scripture ;8 for it was of old a current, and ever will be a true rule, which St Austin in one case thus expresses, "I do believe that also on this side there would be most clear authority of the divine oracles, if a man could not be ignorant of it without damage ofhis salvation;"' and Lactan- ' Supereminentem beats fidei sues confessione gloriam promeruit. Hif de Trin., lib. vi. p. 121. 2 Ideo quia solus profitetur amorem suum (John xxi.) ex omnibus, omnibus antefer- tur. Ambr. in Luc., cap. ult. 3 It was a reasonable demand which was made to our Saviour, " Tell us by what authority thou doest these things, or who is he that gave thee this authority ?" Luke xx. 2 ; and the reasonableness of it our Lord did often avow, declaring that ifby his doctrine and works he had not vouched the divinity of his authority, it had been no sin to disbelieve or reject him, Johnv. 31, 36, x. 25, 37, xv. 22, 24. 4 Credo etiamhint divinorum eloquiorum clarissima authoritas esset, si horn sine dispendio promissms salutis ignorare non posset.Aug. de Pee. Ater. et Rem. ii. 36. All
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