s entrusted to Peter singly, because all the rulers of the
Church are invested with the figure of Peter. The privilege, therefore, of
Peter remaineth, wheresoever judgment is passed according to his equity.
Nor can severity or indulgence be excessive, where nothing is bound,
nothing loosed, save what blessed Peter either bindeth or looseth. But at
the approach of His passion, which would disturb the firmness of His
disciples, the Lord saith, 'Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have
you, that he may sift you as wheat; but I have prayed for thee, that thy
faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren, that
ye enter not into temptation.' The danger from the temptation of fear was
common to all the Apostles, and they equally needed the help of Divine
protection, since the devil desired to dismay, to make a wreck of all: and
yet the Lord takes care of Peter in particular, and asks specially for the
faith of Peter, as if the state of the rest would be more certain, if the
mind of their Chief were not overcome. _So then in Peter the strength of
all is protected, and the help of Divine grace is so ordered, that the
stability, which through Christ is given to Peter, through Peter is
conveyed to the Apostles._

"Since, therefore, beloved, we see such a protection divinely granted to
us, reasonably and justly do we rejoice in the merits and dignity of our
Chief, rendering thanks to the Eternal King, our Redeemer, the Lord Jesus
Christ, for having given so great a power to him whom He made chief of the
whole Church, that if anything, even in our time, by us be rightly done and
rightly ordered, it is to be ascribed to his working, to his guidance, unto
whom it was said,--'And thou, when thou art converted, strengthen thy
brethren:' and to whom the Lord, after His resurrection, in answer to the
triple profession of eternal love, thrice said with mystical intent, 'Feed
My sheep.' And this, beyond a doubt, the pious shepherd doth even now, and
fulfils the charge of his Lord; strengthening us with his exhortations, and
not ceasing to pray for us, that we may be overcome by no temptation. But
if, as we must believe, he everywhere discharges this affectionate
guardianship to all the people of God, how much more will he condescend to
grant his help unto us his children, among whom on the sacred couch of his
blessed repose he resteth in the same flesh in which he ruled. To him,
therefore, let us ascribe this ann