Summa de Ecclesia

Having shown how most fittingly there is to be given in the Church of God a shepherd and ruler of all, who in the place of Christ presides over the whole body of the faithful, the next thing is to see who in the Church that man is. For the proof of which we have shown in the first place that blessed Peter was the first after Christ to be of such sort as to have held primacy over all in the Church, which is easy to show both by authorities of sacred Scripture and by plain reasons.

¹

First indeed the primacy of blessed Peter among the apostles, and his primacy in the Church of God, is shown from that passage Matt. 10, where blessed Matthew the evangelist, describing the names of the apostles, says: These are the names of the twelve apostles: the first, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, etc. But in that he names Peter the first of the apostles, and places him at the head of the apostles, he manifestly shows that he held the primacy of apostolic dignity, since he seems to speak of priority of dignity and not of calling: for in order of time it was not Peter, but his brother Andrew, who first followed Christ, and consequently in order of time he was first in the discipleship of Christ, as is had in John 1. Hence the lord Albert the Great, expounding on Matt. that passage, The first, Simon, etc., says thus: First in dignity, not in calling, on account of which he is called the crown of the apostles. But Andrew is second, and so of the rest in order, since all subject to Peter are equals. And note that although Peter is called the crown and first, yet Andrew is not called second, nor Philip third, and so of the rest in order: because all are second to Peter as regards jurisdiction, since one is not under another, but all are under Peter. Thus far Albert; the ordinary Gloss also, on that passage Matt. 10, The first, Simon who is called, sufficiently explains the primacy of Peter, saying thus: The Lord wished the prince of the apostles first to be called by another name, that from the very change of name the liveliness of the mystery might be commended.

²

Secondly the primacy of blessed Peter is shown from that passage Matt. 16, where the Lord, speaking to Peter alone, says: And I say to thee that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth shall be bound also in heaven, etc.

³

On this word the ordinary Gloss says: He granted the keys to Peter in particular, to invite us to unity; for he appointed him prince of the apostles for this reason, that the Church might have one principal vicar of Christ to whom the diverse members of the Church might have recourse if by chance they disagreed among themselves, because if there were diverse heads in the Church the bonds of unity would be broken. Likewise to the same effect Rabanus in the Gloss, and Bede also in a homily, says thus: For he who confessed the king of heaven with greater love than the rest was deservedly endowed, above the rest, with the conferred keys of the heavenly kingdom.

⁴

Thirdly the primacy of Peter is shown from that passage Matt. 17, where the Lord, asked for payment of the tribute, says to Peter: Go to the sea, and cast a hook, and take up that fish which first cometh up, and opening its mouth thou shalt find a stater: take it and give it for me and for thee. Here the prerogative of the primacy of Peter is manifestly marked by the fact that in the payment of the tribute Christ associated Peter alone with himself. For the didrachma money, as Ambrose says, was the payment of the head, whence it was already given to be understood that Peter was to be appointed after Christ as head and first over the other apostles. Hence blessed Aug., in the book on questions of the new and old testament, q. 79, raising this question why Christ paid the didrachma for himself and Peter alone, says thus in reply: When our Saviour orders the didrachma to be given for himself and Peter, he is seen to have paid for all, because just as in the Saviour were all the causes of the mastership, so also after the Saviour all are contained in Peter, for he appointed him to be their head, to be the shepherd of the Lord's flock. Thus far Aug.

⁵

Fourthly the primacy of Peter is shown from what follows in Matt. 19, where the apostles ask the Lord, saying: Who, thinkest thou, is the greater in the kingdom of heaven, which they ask for this reason, as Chrysostom and the interlinear Gloss say.

⁶

Because the disciples, seeing in the rendering of the tribute that Peter had been likened to the Lord, judged that Peter was set over the apostles as prelate. Fifthly the primacy of Peter is shown from that passage Luke 22, where it says that there was strife among the disciples of Christ as to which of them should seem to be the greater. Which word Gregory commented on thus: This strife seems to have had its occasion because, since the Lord was to depart from men, one of them was to be made prince of the others, as it were bearing the Lord's place. And again Chrysostom on the same place: The highest place among the apostles was to be believed Peter's. But he said to them: The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, etc. Behold here it appears that one among those apostles was to be ordained greater than the rest, leader, and prince. Hence he says: But he that is the greater among you, let him become as the less, and he that is the leader as the servant: but who such a leader or greater one would be Christ did not disclose, until speaking to Simon Peter he said: Simon, behold Satan hath desired you that he might sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not, and thou, being once converted, confirm thy brethren. Here, from the fact that he commands Peter in the presence of the other apostles to confirm those failing or wavering in faith among them, he manifestly gives them to understand that Peter is ordained their leader, ruler and prince. Hence the most blessed Leo the Pope in a certain sermon says thus: Common to all the apostles was the dread of danger from temptation, and their equal need of the aid of divine protection, since the devil desired to harass all and longed to crush all; and yet special care for Peter is taken up by the Lord, and supplication is made strictly for the faith of Peter, as though the state of the others would be more secure if the mind of the prince were not conquered. In Peter therefore the strength of all is fortified, and the aid of divine grace is so ordered that the firmness which through Christ is granted to Peter is conferred through Peter on the apostles. Thus far he.

⁷

Sixthly the primacy of Peter is shown most plainly from that passage John 13, where Christ, about to wash the feet of the disciples, came to Peter, and Peter said to him: Dost thou wash my feet? on which the interlinear Gloss says: He came to Peter not after the others, but first to the first of the apostles. And Aug. in the Gloss: Who does not know that most blessed Peter is the first of the apostles? First, however, as is to be understood in line with what was said above, in dignity not in calling, since in calling he was not first.

⁸

Seventhly the primacy of Peter is shown from that passage in the last chapter of John, where Christ, about to ascend into heaven, with the other apostles present, commits the care of his sheep universally to Peter alone, saying: Simon, lovest thou me; feed my lambs, feed my sheep. On this word blessed Chrysostom says: He is set over my own, and the head of his brethren. From which it manifestly stands that Christ willed blessed Peter to hold the primacy in the Church in his place in a singular way.

⁹

Eighthly the primacy of Peter is shown from the fact that the teaching which Christ handed down to all the apostles and disciples he taught through Peter to diffuse to the others. Hence in Matt. 18 it is written: Looking upon his disciples Jesus said to Simon Peter: If thy brother shall offend against thee, go and rebuke him between thee and him alone.

¹⁰

Ninthly the primacy of Peter is shown from the fact that Peter himself was wont, as it were always, to answer Christ before the rest and to question Christ on behalf of all the disciples. Hence when Christ questioned the disciples, But whom do you say that I am, Simon Peter answered, saying: Thou art the Son of the living God, Matt. 16. On this word blessed Chrysostom speaks thus: Questioning all concerning the opinion of the people, but with all the disciples questioned, Peter, as the mouth and head of the apostles, answers for all, whence it follows, Simon Peter answering, etc. Likewise when Christ asked whether the apostles wished to go away with the other disciples who had gone back, Simon Peter answered, the Gloss, one for all: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of God, John 6. Moreover when Christ said, Be you also ready, for at what hour you think not the Son of man will come, he alone asks for all whether Christ refers his teaching to those disciples alone or to all, saying: Lord, speakest thou this parable to us or to all, Luke 22. On which the Gloss of Theophylact says: Peter, to whom the Church was to be entrusted, as bearing the care of all, says: Truly thou hast set forth this parable to all. Likewise when Christ said it would be hard for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven, Peter alone questions for all: Behold we have left all things and followed thee, what therefore shall we have, etc., Matt. 19. On this word blessed Chrysostom says: He who had received the keys of the kingdom of heaven is now confident concerning the things that are therein, and questions concerning all things for the whole world. And so it is with many other instances. Who therefore will now doubt, with this continuous license of questioning and answering for all which Peter claimed for himself, that Peter himself was first of the apostles in dignity and more excellent in authority? For indeed the Gloss on ch. placuit, dist. 16: that in an assembly speech is owed first to him whose authority is the weightier.

¹¹

Tenthly the primacy of Peter is shown from the things which Peter, present with the other apostles and with their consent, publicly did after the ascension of the Lord. In the first place indeed, as is had in Acts 1: Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, showing from the Scripture of the old testament that another was to be substituted in the apostolate in place of Judas the traitor, says: Wherefore of these men who have been assembled with us must one of these be made with us a witness of his resurrection. Plainly this seems the word of a prince, which blessed Chrysostom attests on that passage, Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren said. Peter vehemently, as one inflamed, and as he to whom the fold had been committed by the Lord, and as prince he ever took up speech. Likewise: They were 120, and seek one out of the whole multitude. Fittingly indeed Peter first governs a matter of this sort, since he himself had received all into his power. For to him Christ said: And thou, being once converted, confirm his brethren. Moreover, when the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon the disciples on the day of Pentecost, and with them speaking in diverse tongues many mocked them, saying they were filled with new wine, Peter, with the other eleven disciples, lifting up his voice spoke, showing them the testimony of Joel the prophet that they were not drunk but spiritually filled, as is had in Acts 2. But that this also marks the primacy in Peter is shown by the Gloss in the same place, saying: The shepherd speaks for the sheep. Moreover Peter alone is read to have pronounced the sentence of death upon Ananias and Sapphira, who lied to the Holy Spirit, saying thus to Ananias: Why hath Satan tempted thy heart to lie to the holy Spirit and to defraud of the price of the field? In this matter the primacy of Peter is most shown. Hence the Gloss: Although Ananias and Sapphira had laid part of the price of the field at the feet of the apostles, yet Peter speaks as prince of the apostles. In like manner also against Simon Magus, offering money to the apostles that he might have the power of giving the holy Spirit, Peter brought forth against him the sentence of condemnation, saying: Keep thy money to thyself unto perdition, because thou thinkest that the gift of God may be purchased with money, Acts 8, where the interlinear Gloss on that passage, But Peter said: Peter speaks as prince, first. Moreover, as is read in Acts 15, when there was great inquiry among those converted to the faith whether converts from the Gentiles ought to be circumcised and observe the other legal observances, the apostles and elders met to see about this word. But Peter rising up said to them: Men brethren, you know, etc., where Peter brought forth in the general council the sentence that converts from the Gentiles were not bound to be circumcised or to observe the ceremonial laws. That this also was a sign of the primacy of Peter is shown by the Gloss on the word, Peter rising up, saying thus: Before all he speaks as prince. From these deeds therefore done through blessed Peter after the ascension of Christ, which are the clearest testimonies of the primacy of Peter, it manifestly appears that Peter was greater and prince of the apostles: since it is not likely that blessed Peter, spiritually filled, the chief commender of humility, would have attempted such things before the others unless he had known that it fell to him by office, and had not doubted that he was set over the rest as prelate. From which the error of those saying that blessed Peter the apostle was preferred to the other apostles not by reason of any greatness of power or authority, but by reason only of some virtue preeminent in him, is most plainly refuted.