of the keys is and what is catholic belief on the subject, namely, that every priest of Christ ordained according to the rite has the sufficient power to confer the sacraments appertaining to him and consequently to absolve a person truly contrite from sin, howbeit power of this kind, so far as the exercise of it goes, is for good reasons bound in the case of many persons, as appears near the beginning of this chapter. But how this power belonged to the apostles equally is stated in the Decretum, Dist. 21, in novo [Friedberg, 1: 69], where it is said:[1] "The other apostles with him, that is, Peter, by reason of equal fellowship received honor and power. . . . When these died, the bishops arose in their place." And here the Gloss, Argumentum, says that the bishops are all equal in apostolic power, so far as the order and ground of consecration go. St. Cyprian, 24: 1, cap. Loquitur [Friedberg, 1: 971], says: "He gave to all the apostles after his resurrection equal power."
Hence it would be foolish to believe that the apostles received from Christ no spiritual gifts except what were derived by them immediately and purely—simpliciter—from Peter, for Christ said to all: "Whatsoever ye shall loose on earth," Matt. 18:18; also, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit: whosesoever sins ye remit they are remitted unto them," John 20:23; and again, "This do ye in remembrance of me," Luke 22:19; and still again, "All power is given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded[2] you; and lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the consummation of the ages," Matt. 28:19, 20.
