same doctrine was, long before, established by S. S. Irenaeus, [1] and Cyprian: [2] the latter, speaking of the unity of the Church, observes: " The Lord said to Peter, I say to thee Peter! thou art Peter: and upon this rock I will build my Church: [3] he builds his Church on one; and although, after his resurrection, he gave equal power to all his Apostles, saying, As the Father hath sent me, I also send you. Receive ye the Holy Ghost; [4] yet, to display unity, he disposed, by his own authority, the origin of this unity, which had its beginning with one, &c." Again, Optatus of Milevis says: " It cannot be ascribed to ignorance on your part, knowing, as you do, that the episcopal chair, in which, as head of all the Apostles, Peter sat, was, first, fixed by him in the city of Rome , that in him alone may be preserved the unity of the Church; and that the other Apostles may not claim each a chair for himself; so that, now, he, who erects another, in opposition to this single chair, is a schismatic and a prevaricator." [5] In the next place, S. Basil has these words: " Peter is made the foundation, because he says: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God: and hears in re ply that he is a rock; but although a rock, he is not such a rock as Christ, for in himself Christ is, truly, an immoveable rock, but Peter, only by virtue of that rock; for God bestows his dignities on others: He is a priest, and he makes priests; a rock, and he makes a rock: what belongs to himself, he bestows on his servants." [6] Lastly, S. Ambrose says: " Should any one object, that the Church is content with one head and one spouse, Jesus Christ, and requires no other; the answer is obvious; for, as we deem Christ not only the author of all the Sacraments, but, also, their invisible minister; (he it is who baptises, he it is who absolves, although men are appointed by him the external ministers of the sacraments) so has he placed over his Church, which he governs by his invisible spirit, a man to be his vicar, and the minister of his power: a visible Church requires a visible head, and, therefore, does the Saviour appoint Peter head and pastor of all the faithful, when, in the most ample terms, he commits to his care the feeding of all his sheep; [7] desiring that he, who was to succeed him, should be invested with the very same power of ruling and governing the entire Church."
The Apostle, moreover, writing to the Corinthians, tells them, that there is but one and the same Spirit who imparts grace to the faithlul, as the soul communicates life to the members of the body. [8] Exhorting the Ephesians to preserve this unity, he says, " Be careful to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." [9] As the human body consists of many members, animated by one soul, which gives sight to the eyes,
