Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 1 · Section 3 · Subsection 9
Quest. 9. Diuerse points, wherein consisted the excellencie of the Apostleship.
1. The Apostles were such as were immediately called by Christ, to preach his gospel through the world, as Matth. 28.20. Goe and teach all nations.
2. They were such as had knowne Christ in the flesh, and were eyewitnesses of his miracles, and heard his sermons: as S. Iohn saith, That which we hauehave seene, and heard, declare we vntounto you, 1. epist. 1.3. And S. Paul though he had not knowne Christ in the dayes of his flesh, yet he sawe him now beeing immortall and in glorie by reuelation.
3. They had the keies of the kingdome of heauen after a more speciall manner: that whatsoeuer they bound, or loosed in earth, should be bound and loosed in heauen, as Peter did bind vp the sinne of Simon Magus, and gaue sentence against Ananias and Saphira his wife.
4. They had authoritie both to discerne the canonicall Scripture, from that which was not canonicall, as also to write newe canonicall bookes: as Paul, Matthew, Peter, Iohn, Iude.
5. They had power to worke miracles: to heale all manner of diseases: and to cast out deuills: yea the verie shadowe of Peter as he passed by, was able to heale the sicke, Act. 5.15. and the partlets and napkins that were brought from Pauls bodie to the sicke, helped them, Act. 19.12.
6. They had the gift to speake with diuerse tongues and languages: Pererius here addeth further, that they had another speciall grace: that speaking but in their owne tongue, yet men of diuerse languages did so vnderstand them, as if they had spoken diuerse languages: of the same opinion is Erasm. annot. Act. 2.8. But Beza well obiecteth, that if this had beene so, the miracle had not beene in the Apostles speaking, but in the peoples vnderstanding: neither yet is it to be thought, that they spake diuerse languages, at one and the same instant (as Erasmus obiecteth) but that they spake diuersly, vntounto seuerall people, of diuerse languages, as they were offred vntounto them.
7. This speciall prerogatiue the Apostles had, to be iudges of men at the latter day: as our Sauiour saith, Matth. 19.28. That they shall sit vponupon 12. seates, and iudge the 12, tribes of Israel: not that they shall sit as Iudges to giuegive sentence: but by the word and doctrine, which they had preached, and the world refused, shall men be iudged as our blessed Sauiour in this sense saith, Ioh. 12.48. He that refuseth me, and receiueth not my words, the word that I hauehave spoken, it shall iudge him in the last day.
8. The Apostles had power by laying on of their hands, to giuegive the holy Ghost: which Simon Magus seeing, would by money hauehave purchased the like power, Act. 8.
9. It was giuen them in all their doctrine to be free from error, as Christ promiseth, Ioh. 16.13. that the spirit should leade them in all truth.
10. The Apostles in the knowledge of the mysteries and high things of the Gospel exceeded all other, as S. Paul saith, Ephes. 17. According to his rich grace, whereby he hath beene abundant toward vsus in all wisedome and vnderstanding.
11. Two other prerogatiues Pererius addeth, the one vncertaine, the other false: first he saith, that the Apostles composed and framed the symbole, containing the 12. articles of the faith, commonly called the Apostles Creede, which is not certaine: both because some of the articles, as that of the descension came in many yeares after the Apostles, as is elsewhere shewed:see Synops. pag. 2055. edit 3. and if the Apostles had set downe this rule of faith, it is not like that diuerse Churches would after them, hauehave framed so many diuerse formes beside of the Creed.
12. But the last priuiledge, that the Apostles post acceptum spiritum sanctum fuerint impeccabiles quantum ad peccatum mortale, after they had receiued the spirit, were without sinne, &c. for 1. in this sense, that distinction of veniall and mortall sinne, is not to be allowed, that some are veniall in their owne nature: by the grace of God all sinnes were veniall to the Apostles, and to all other beleeuers: but in it owne nature eueryevery sinne deserueth death, and so is mortall, Rom. 6.23. 2. and that the Apostles were apt to sinne, is euident by Peters ouersight, for the which he was openly rebuked of S. Paul, Gal. 2.11. where he saith, he was to be blamed.