A Source Book for Ancient Church History - Mirrors

§ 51. The Unity of the Church and the See of Rome 267of that unity as beginning from one. Assuredly the rest of theApostles were also what Peter was, with a like partnership bothof honor and power; but the beginning proceeds from unity [andthe primacy is given to Peter. Interpolation.], that there might beshown to be one Church of Christ [and one see. And they are allshepherds, but the flock is shown to be one which is fed by theApostles with unanimous consent. Interpolation.]. Which oneChurch the Holy Spirit also in the Song of Songs designates inthe person of the Lord and says: “My dove, my spotless one, isbut one. She is the only one of her mother, chosen of her thatbare her” (Cant. 6:9). Does he who does not hold this unity of theChurch [unity of Peter. Corrupt reading.] think that he holds thefaith? Does he who strives against and resists the Church [whodeserts the chair of Peter. Interpolation.] trust that he is in theChurch, when, moreover, the blessed Apostle Paul teaches thesame things and sets forth the sacrament of unity, saying, “Thereis one body and one spirit, one hope of your calling, one Lord,one faith, one baptism, one God”? (Eph. 4:4.) [242]Ch. 5. And this unity we ought to hold firmly and assert,especially we bishops who preside in the Church, that we mayprove the episcopate itself to be one and undivided. Let no onedeceive the brotherhood by a falsehood; let no one corrupt thetruth by a perfidious prevarication. The episcopate is one, eachpart of which is held by each one in its entirety. The Church,also, is one which is spread abroad far and wide into a multitudeby an increase of fruitfulness. As there are many rays of the sun,but one light, and many branches of a tree, but one strength basedupon its tenacious root, and since from one spring flow manystreams, although the multiplicity seems diffused in the liberalityof an overflowing abundance, yet the unity is still preserved inits source.(b) Firmilian of Cæesarea, Ep. ad Cyprianum, in Cyprian, Ep.74 [=75]. (MSL, 3:1024.)