15. Come, let us still more closely investigate what you are, that is to say, the character you represent for a time in the Church of God. Who are you? the chief priest, the sovereign pontiff. You are the prince of bishops, the head of the apostles; in priority you are Abel, in government Noah, as a patriarch you are Abraham, in order Melchisedech, in rank Aaron, in authority Moses, as a judge you are Samuel, in power Peter, in virtue of your anointing you are Christ. You are he to whom the keys have been committed, and the sheep entrusted. There are, indeed, other door-keepers of heaven, and other shepherds of flocks, but as you have received both names in a manner different from the rest, so for you they bear a more glorious meaning. Other pastors have each their several flocks assigned to them; to you all the flocks have been entrusted, one flock under one shepherd. Do you ask for proof of that? It is the Lord's word. For to which, I will not say of the bishops, but of the apostles, have all the sheep been committed so absolutely and unreservedly? 'If you love me, Peter, feed my sheep.'1 What sheep? Are we to say the people of such and such a city, or region, or, at all events, kingdom? 'My sheep', He says. Is it not clear that He has not specified some, but committed to him all? There is no exception where there is no distinction. And perhaps the fellow disciples of Peter were present when our Lord by charging him, and no one else, with the care of all the flocks, commended to them all the unity of one flock and one shepherd, according as it is written, 'My dove, my beautiful, my perfect, is but one.'2 Where there is unity there is perfection. The other numbers are not perfect, but admit of division, falling short of unity. Hence it is that other bishops, understanding the mystery, have shared the various nations between them. In fact, James, who seemed to be a pillar of the Church,3 was content with Jerusalem, and gave up universal dominion to Peter.4 Admirably was James placed there to raise up seed to his dear Brother in the place where his Brother was slain, for he was the Lord's brother. Now if the Lord's brother yielded to Peter, what other man can dare to trespass on Peter's prerogative?
16. So then, according to your own authorities, other bishops are called to a share in responsibility, you are called to the exercise of plenary power. The power of other men is confined within fixed limits; yours extends to those who have power over their fellows. Have you not power, for sufficient reason, to shut heaven against a bishop, and even deliver him to Satan? Your prerogative, therefore, whether the power of the keys or the pastorate of the flocks, is unassailable. Let me point out something else no less confirmatory of your prerogative. The disciples were in a boat when our Lord appeared,5 and, which was more delightful still, appeared in His risen body. Peter, knowing that it was the Lord, cast himself into the sea, and thus reached his Master, while the rest came in the boat. What does that mean? It was surely a sign of the unique pontificate of Peter, intended to show that while the others had charge, each of his own ship, he was entrusted with not one ship, but the government of the whole world. For the sea is the world, and ships are churches. Hence it is that on another occasion, like his Lord, he walked upon the water, and thus proved himself the one and only Vicar of Christ, destined to rule over not one people, but all, that is if the 'many waters' are 'many peoples'.6 So then while each of the other bishops has his own ship, you are in command of the greatest, the Universal Church throughout the world, the sum of all the other churches put together.