Summa de Ecclesia

Notwithstanding the aforesaid objections, it seems that it must be said, as we said above, that blessed Peter was sublimely raised by Christ immediately, and he alone, with pontifical dignity. Hence answer must be given to the reasons on the opposite side.

¹

To the first answer is given by denying the consequence, since there is no likeness between the simple priesthood and the episcopal dignity. For since Peter, inasmuch as he was a priest, was not greater than the other apostles — since all priests are simply equal — and therefore, to show that equality among them, Christ once and for all made them priests at the supper, and gave at once, or declared as given, an equal power of binding and loosing in the forum of conscience at the resurrection, when He said to them: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost, and whose sins you shall forgive," etc. Hence Cyprian says, in ch. Loquitur, 24, q. 1, that Christ after His resurrection bestowed equal power on the apostles — and since to the priesthood as such no power of jurisdiction is owed, as there are many priests without care of souls and without subjects — but to the bishop, who is called overseer, besides the power of orders is owed the power of jurisdiction, and a subject people. For St. Thomas says, in the 4th book of the Sentences, dist. 24, that episcopal power is of orders and of jurisdiction; hence it was reasonably established in the Council of Vienne that no one should provide a pastor for a cathedral church subject to him in whatever way which lacks clergy and subject Christian people — from the decretal on election, in ch. Plerisque — and since a bishop without subjects is a kind of reproach to the dignity. Although therefore all bishops are equal as to the power of orders, yet not simply, since not as to the power of jurisdiction, which is owed of itself to the bishop by congruity. To signify therefore that in the episcopate Peter was greater than the others, he ought not to have been made bishop at the same time with the others, but he alone by Christ, and the others afterwards by him, as has been said. But Peter was not a greater priest than the others; he was a greater bishop — not because he had greater power of dispensing the sacraments, but because he had greater power of judging, as overseeing the whole world. For he was made prelate of the whole world, as Theophilus says.

²

To the second answer is given in two ways. First, by denying the consequence, since although it be granted that Christ made all the apostles bishops, yet not in the same way but differently — namely Peter through Himself and immediately, but the others through Peter immediately or mediately — just as that is expounded which the prophet says, and is had in John 6: "They shall all be taught of God" — namely some mediately and some immediately. Secondly, answer is given that when Augustine says that Christ made all the apostles bishops, it must be understood, that is, priests; for "bishop" is often put for a simple priest, as Jerome proves through that passage in Acts 20: "The Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops," that is, priests — and this Bede proves by the fact that he speaks to the elders of one city, Ephesus, in which there was but one bishop. Hence Augustine, in the place cited above, after he had said that Christ had ordained the apostles bishops, subjoins, saying thus: "This the Apostle ascribes to the Holy Ghost when he says: 'Take heed to yourselves, and to the whole flock, wherein the Holy Ghost hath placed you bishops to rule the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ'" — thus Augustine. And so it seems that blessed Augustine takes the name "bishop" in the same way as it is taken in the canon of Acts 20 which was brought forward.

³

To the third answer is given by denying the consequence, since granted that it speaks of keys which are called pontifical, although those be granted as given by Christ to the apostles and their successors, yet it does not follow that Christ gave those pontifical keys to them immediately. For it is agreed that to the successors of the apostles, to whom also He is said to have given them, He did not give them immediately through Himself but through the consecrating bishop — and thus to the other apostles besides Peter He handed those keys through Peter consecrating them.

⁴

To the fourth answer is given also by denying the consequence, and the fallacy of figure of speech is committed, since that equality must not be understood as to all things. For although as to the substance of the power of consecration it be understood — since all at length were bishops — yet not as to the order of time, since they were not made at the same time with him, as in the beginning of that chapter it is said that to Peter first the pontificate was given in the Church. Nor as to the order of immediacy, since they were made not immediately by Christ but by Peter himself — equal as to the power of consecration, notwithstanding that they were made by him, just as a consecrated bishop is equal in the power of orders to the bishop consecrating.

⁵

To the fifth answer is given by denying the consequence, since although the apostles were bishops, yet it does not follow that as soon as they were apostles they were also bishops, as is manifest, since not even priests were they then, as is clear.

⁶

To the sixth answer is given as was said above concerning Judas, since he had not been a bishop according to the truth, but only was an apostle and a priest. And when it is said that "his bishopric let another take," it must be expounded, that is, the place of the apostolate, as Nicholas of Lyra expounds, saying thus: "but the apostolate is called a bishopric." Hence they themselves are also successors of the apostles according as it is said in the Decretum, dist. 21, ch. "In novo" — and in the same way he expounds on Ps. 108.

⁷

To the seventh answer is given that Christ gave pastors by giving the first and universal pastor immediately, saying to Peter: "Feed My sheep" — and through him the other particular pastors.

⁸

To the eighth answer is given that the word "as" solves it. For Christ did not make all the apostles bishops or greater priests, but in them bishops were signified through the office of preaching and visiting cities and towns — and because they were superior to all others, and because they were to be bishops in the future. Likewise He made the disciples not indeed priests but as lesser priests, that is, like in this, that just as they preached under the apostles and healed the sick, so also lesser priests under bishops preach and heal the spiritually sick through the administration of the sacraments — and thus the reasoning does not proceed.

⁹

To the ninth answer is given that it is true that Paul was a bishop, but not immediately through Christ; but he himself with Barnabas, with the apostles praying and imposing hands upon them, as is had in Acts 13, were made bishops.

¹⁰

To the tenth answer is given that it is not denied that all the apostles except Judas Iscariot were finally consecrated true bishops, but it is said that not all were consecrated immediately by Christ, but Peter alone.

¹¹

To the eleventh answer is given that Christ led the disciples unto episcopal dignity through Peter consecrating them, just as He led His people through the desert in the hand of Moses and Aaron. And to that which is brought forward in the confirmation, from the commentary of Maximus, answer is given in the same way. For we say that it is true that the Lord consecrated the eleven disciples as bishops, yet not, as has been said, in the same way, but Peter immediately through Himself and the others through Peter. Just as He is also said to have consecrated Aaron and to have clothed him with the pontifical vestments, although He did all this through Moses. Eccles. 45: "He made Aaron excellent," etc.; "He gave him the priesthood of the nations, and girded him with a girdle of justice."

¹²

To the twelfth answer is given that although Matthias was consecrated as bishop by God, yet not without a minister, namely blessed Peter mediating, since it is probable that he was the last of the twelve to be ordained, as he was the last called — just as we say of Paul, who was elected by God as an apostle no less than Matthias, and nevertheless was made bishop through the ministry of others. So also Aaron is said to have been called by God, Heb. 5; nevertheless he was consecrated through man according to the rite of that time. In like manner it is also said of blessed Nicholas and of blessed Ambrose, who were promoted and elected by divine revelation, and nevertheless were consecrated by men.