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 his companion,  preached  especially  at  Antioch, the  ancient  capital of Syria. There the  number  of  the  faithful  increased  very  much; and there,  for  the  first  time,  the  believers  in  Christ  were  called Christians, after  the  Name  of  their  Divine  Master  and  Founder Jesus Christ.

The Catholicity  of  the  Church.  The  events  just  related  were  of the  highest  importance  for  the  development  of  the  Church. The apostles had known  that  the  Gospel  was  to  be  preached  to  the  Gentiles. Soon after their  Lord’s  Birth,  Gentiles  had  come  from  afar  to  worship  Him and hail  Him  as  the  Saviour  of  the  world; and  just  before  His  Ascension Jesus  had  commanded  His  apostles  to  “go  and  teach  all  nations”; but the  manner  and  conditions  under  which  Gentiles  were  to  be  made Christians, were  not  yet  clearly  and  distinctly  perceived  by  the  apostles. A further and  special  revelation  was  necessary  to  shew  that  nothing but sincere  faith  was  required,  and  that  none  of  the  ceremonial  laws of the  Old  Testament  were  to  be  imposed  on  them. Peter, therefore, was taught  by  this  wonderful  vision  that  the  Jewish  ceremonial  law  was done away  with  by  our  Lord;  and  God’s  marvellous  and  direct  interposition in  the  case  of  the  call  of  Cornelius  taught  the  apostle  that  the Gentiles were  to  be  admitted  directly  into  the  Christian  Church,  without first submitting  to  the  rite  of  circumcision. Thus the  reception  of  Cornelius and  his  friends  into  the  Church  was  a most  important  and  decisive moment  in  her  history,  for  it  proved  not  only  her  Catholicity,  but also her  entire  independence  of  Judaism. Moreover, by  the  conversion of the  Roman  centurion  and  his  friends  a link  was  formed  between the Christian  Church  and  Rome,  the  capital  and  mistress  of  the  ancient world, and  a road  to  the  centre  of  civilisation  was  thrown  open  to  the vicar of  Jesus  Christ;  the  development  of  the  infant  Church  into  the Church of  the  whole  world  being  thus  facilitated. God, by  giving  the impulse to  her  further  development,  by  His  direct  intervention  in  the conversion of  the  first  Gentiles,  proved  that  He  ever  governs  her,  and that our  Lord  was  faithful  to  His  promise:  “Lo,  I am  with  you  all days, even  unto  the  consummation  of  the  world.”

The Primacy  of  Peter.  Why  was  the  revelation  that  the  Old  Law was done  away  with,  and  that  Gentiles  were  to  be  received  into  the Church, given  to  Peter  only,  and  not  to  the  other  apostles? And why