We notice that the more prominent the Apostles become in the evangel heal narration, the more conspicuous Peter appears as the first among them, Not only does his name always stand first whenever the Twelve are listed, but the surname Peter, given him by Christ, is especial emphasized. He almost invariably speaks for the other apostles, When Jesus speaks to the multitude, it is from Peter's boat, Peter was the Christ's organized, visible Church upon earth, not the abode of the blessed after death, or the invisible kingdom of God in the souls of the just, The transmission of keys has always symbolized the conveying of power over everything guarded by the keys; in other words, one who is presented with the keys, is given supreme authority, and when Christ promised that He would give Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven, He clearly meant that He would con-for on that apostle the supreme power to rule the new Church, Nor was this all; the question was of such supreme importance that Christ could not afford to leave the slightest par-tide of doubt concerning His intentions, so, still speaking directly to Peter, He added: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shalt be bound also in heaven, and whatsoever thou loose on earth shall be loosed also in heaven." The expressions to bind' and to loose' were not metaphorical but were Jewish juridical terms, and there is no doubt about their meaning here that Peter will receive the power to bind his subjects, the members of Christ's Church by laws, commands, censures and the like, and to free their souls from spiritual fetters, There is one more important indication of the intentions of the Master with regard to Peter, which St. Luke gives us in his gospel, The scene is the Last Supper where Christ is conversing With His apostles, He has given them His Own Body and Blood for their nourishment,—has ordained them priests, He now warns them of the, dangers and temptations that lie ahead, warns them of the snares of Satan, and addressing Peter in the name of all the apostles, He says: "Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, (meaning all the apostles) that he may sift you as wheat." Then He continues, addressing Himself to Peter individually: "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and thou, once being converted, confirm thy brethren," Peter's faith shall be the mainstay of the faith of even the other apostles. What is this except being the supreme and infallible teacher in Christ's Church!
Thus far all the words of Christ to Peter have been indicative of the future transmission to that apostle of the supreme authority in Christ's Church, There remains the last act of the solemn rite which was to complete the creation of the Papal supremacy. This we read in the last €hapter of St, John's gospel, where Christ elicited from Peter the threefold affirmation of love and imposed on him the threefold obligation of caring for the lambs and sheep, that is for His entire flock, ruler, supreme and infallible teacher. And what is this but being supreme in the Church of Christ!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.