NOTHING SINGULAR IN THIS GIFT. 85 6. Indeed, whatever, according to any tolerable exposition, or ac- cording to the current expositions of the fathers, those keys of the kingdom of heaven import' (whether it be a facultyof opening it by doctrine, of admitting into it by dispensation of baptism and ab- solution, of excluding from it by ecclesiastical censure, or any such faculty, signified by that metaphorical expression), it plainly belong- ed to all the apostles, and was effectually conferred on them; yea, after them, upon all the pastors of the church in their several pre- cincts and degrees, who, in all ages, have claimed to themselves the power of the keys, to be (as the council of Compeigne calls all bishops) " clavigeri," the " key-bearers of the kingdom of heaven."' So that in these words nothing singular was promisedor granted to St Peter; although it well may be deemed a singular mark of favour that what our Lord did intend to bestow on all pastors, that he did anticipately promise tohim; or, as the fathers say, to the church and its pastors in him. Inwhich respect we may admit those words of Pope Leo I.: " The efficacy of this power passed, indeed, unto all the apostles; yet was it not in vain that what was intimated to all was commended to one. It is committed singly to Peter, because Peter's pattern is propounded to all the governors of the church. "' '7. Indeed, divers of the fathers conceive the words spoken to St Peter not as a single person, but as a representative of the church, or as standing in the room of each pastor therein, unto whom our Lord designed to impart the power of the keys. " All we bishops," says St Ambrose, " have in St Peter received the keys of the kingdom of heaven."4 8. These answers are confirmed by the words immediately adjoin- ed, equivalent to these, and interpretative of them: "And whatso- ever thou shalt bind onearth shall be bound in heaven," Aug. supr. Claves intelligit verbumDei, evangelium Christi.Rigalt. in Cyp., Ep. lxxiii. s Episcopi .... quas constat esse vicarios Christi, et clavigeros regni ceelorum. Cone. Comp., spud Bin., tom. vi. p. 36].. 3 Transivit quidem in apostolos alios vis istius potestatis, sednon frustra uni com- mendatur quod omnibus intimetur. Petro ergo singulariter hoc creditur, quia cunctis ecclesice rectoribus Petri forma proponitur. Leo I. in Nat. Petri et Pauli, Serra. ii. 4 In B. Petro claves regni ccelorum cuncti suscepimus sacerdotes.Arabr. de. Dign. Sac., i. Ecclesia clues fundatur in Christo, clavesab eo regni ccelorum accepit ; id est, potestatemligandisolvendique peccata. Aug.,tract. cxxiv. inJoh. Vide tract. 1. The church, which is founded upon Christ, received from him the keys of the kingdom of heaven; i.e., thepower ofbinding and loosingsins." In typounitatis PetroDominus dedit potestatem, &c. Aug. de Bap., iii. 17. " Our Lord gave the power to Peter as a type of unity." 'Ev rpooáiwy ror, xop peciau xai era; ).onto l rmv tsaAgrm-v i ralaúrn i ,eçia S6Sara. Phot. Cod., 280. " Such authoritywas given to the rest of the apostles in the person of himwho was the chief." Non sine causa inter omnes apostolos ecclesice catholicte personas sustinet Petrus; huic enim ecclesice claves regni ccelorum datas aunt, cum Petro datae aunt, &c. Aug. de Ag. Chr., cap. xxx., in Ps. cviii. "Not without cause does Peter, among the rest of the apostles, sustain the person of the catholic church; for to this church are the keys of the kingdom cf heaven given, when they are given unto Peter."
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