se proved by the words of Christ just before
He gave the keys to St. Peter, where He asks not Peter only, but
all of them: "What think ye of Me?" [Matt. 16:15] Then Peter
answers for them all, "Thou art Christ, the Son of the living
God." [Matt. 16:18] Therefore the words in Matthew xvi. must be
understood in accordance with the words in chapter xviii. [Matt.
18:16] and in John xx [John 20:22], and one passage must not be
explained in a manner contrary to two strong ones, but the one be
properly explained by the two. The proof is all the stronger
where there are two instead of only one, and it is but fair that
one should follow the two, and not two the one.

[Sidenote: Equality Among the Apostles]

It is plain, therefore, that all the apostles were equal to Peter
in all matters of authority. This is shown by their acts as well
as by their words, for Peter never selected an apostle, nor made,
confirmed, sent out, or ruled over one; although if he had been
their superior by divine appointment this would have had to be,
or all of them would have been heretics. Moreover, all of the
apostles together could not make St. Matthias and St. Paul
apostles, but this must needs be done from heaven, as it is
written in Acts i. [Acts 1:23 ff.] and xiii. [Acts 13:2] How then
could St. Peter alone be lord over them all? This little nut no
one has been able to crack as yet, and I trust they will be so
gracious, even against their will, to leave it uncracked a while
longer.

[Sidenote: Roman Authority never Universal]

And just as this Romanist boasts that the papal chair survives in
spite of repeated assaults on its authority,[60] so I, too, boast
that the Roman See ofttimes, and to this very day, has striven in
mad frenzy for such power, yet has never been able to attain it,
and, God willing, shall never attain it. It is an utter farce
when a man boasts that he has always kept what he has never had.
Why does not our dear Romanist boast also that the city of
Leipzig has never been taken away from him, in which he does not
even have a house? It would be a boast of equal value with the
other. So they chatter on incessantly; anything that comes to
their tongues is blurted out. Therefore, I say, that though the
Roman tyrants have striven hard against the Gospel, to take the
common power of the Church and make it their own, yet the word of
Christ still stands, "The powers of hell shall not prevail
against it." [Matt. 16:18] Now if this