exclude whom you please; you represent me in my absence?" Let
us now apply this interpretation to our Redeemer's words. When He says to
Peter: "I will give to thee the keys," etc., He evidently means: I will
give the supreme authority over My Church, which is the citadel of faith,
My earthly Jerusalem. Thou and thy successors shall be My visible
representatives to the end of time. And be it remembered that to Peter
alone, and to no other Apostle, were these solemn words addressed.

_Fulfillment of the Promise._ The promise which our Redeemer made of
creating Peter the supreme ruler of His Church is fulfilled in the
following passage: "Jesus saith to Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, lovest
thou Me more than these? He saith to Him: Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I
love Thee. He saith to him: Feed My lambs. He saith to him again: Simon,
son of John, lovest thou Me? He saith to Him: Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that
I love Thee. He saith to him: Feed My lambs. He saith to him the third
time: Simon, son of John, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He had
said to him the third time: Lovest thou Me? And he said to Him: Lord, Thou
knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love Thee. He said to him: Feed My
sheep."(158)

These words were addressed by our Lord to Peter after His resurrection.
The whole sheep-fold of Christ is confided to him, without any exception
or limitation. Peter has jurisdiction not only over the lambs--the weak and
tender portion of the flock--by which are understood the faithful; but also
over the sheep, _i.e._, the Pastors themselves, who hold the same
relations to their congregations that the sheep hold to the lambs, because
they bring forth unto Jesus Christ, and nourish the spiritual lambs of the
fold. To other Pastors a certain portion of the flock is assigned; to
Peter the entire fold; for, never did Jesus say to any other Apostle or
Bishop what He said to Peter: Feed My whole flock.

Candid reader, do you not profess to be a member of Christ's flock? Yes,
you answer. Do you take your spiritual food from Peter and his successor,
and do you hear the voice of Peter, or have you wandered into the fold of
strangers who spurn Peter's voice? Ponder well this momentous question.
For if Peter is authorized to feed the lambs of Christ's flock, the lambs
should hear Peter's voice.

_Exercise of the Primacy._ In the Acts of the Apostles, which contain
almost the only Scripture narrative that exists of the Apost