Monarchia (III, ix, 1-19)

(1) Accipiunt etiam illud Luce, quod Petrus dixit Cristo, cum ait «Ecce duo gladii hic»; et dicunt, quod per illos duos gladios duo predicta regimina intelliguntur, que quidem Petrus dixit esse ibi ubi erat, hoc est apud se: unde arguunt illa duo regimina secundum auctoritatem apud successorem Petri consistere. (1) They also take those words spoken by Peter to Christ in Luke, when he says: "Behold, here are two swords"; and they maintain that by those two swords we are to understand the two powers mentioned earlier, which Peter said were present wherever he was (i.e. belonged to him); and from this they argue that those two powers as far as their authority is concerned reside with Peter's successor.
(2) Et ad hoc dicendum per interemptionem sensus in quo fundant argumentum. Dicunt enim illos duos gladios, quos assignavit Petrus, duo prefata regimina importare: quod omnino negandum est, tum quia illa responsio non fuisset ad intentionem Cristi, tum quia Petrus de more subito respondebat ad rerum superficiem tantum. (2) This too must be answered by demolishing the allegorical interpretation on which they base their argument. For they claim that those two swords alluded to by Peter signify the two powers mentioned. This must be utterly rejected, both because that reply would have been at odds with Christ's intention, and because Peter as was his habit answered unreflectingly, only considering the surface of things.
(3) Quod autem responsio non fuisset ad intentionem Cristi non erit inmanifestum, si considerentur verba precedentia et causa verborum. Propter quod sciendum quod hoc dictum fuit in die Cene; unde Lucas incipit superius sic: «Venit autem dies azimorum in quo necesse erat occidi Pascha», in qua quidem cena prelocutus fuit Cristus de ingruente passione, in qua oportebat ipsum separari a discipulis suis. (3) It will not be hard to see that the reply was at odds with Christ's intention, if we take into consideration the words which precede it and the occasion which gave rise to them. Thus it must be borne in mind that this was said on the day of the Last Supper; hence Luke begins his account earlier: "Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the Paschal lamb must be killed"; it was during this supper that Christ foretold his impending passion, in which he must be separated from his disciples.
(4) Item sciendum quod ubi ista verba intervenerunt erant simul omnes duodecim discipuli; unde parum post verba premissa dicit Lucas: «Et cum facta esset hora discubuit, et duodecim apostoli cum eo». (4) It must likewise be borne in mind that when those words were uttered all twelve disciples were present; hence shortly after the words cited Luke says: "And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him".
(5) Et ex hinc continuato colloquio venit ad hec: «Quando misi vos sine sacculo et pera et calciamentis, nunquid aliquid defuit vobis? At illi dixerunt: Nichil. Dixit ergo eis: Sed nunc qui habet sacculum tollat, similiter et peram; et qui non habet, vendat tunicam et emat gladium». (5) From here the conversation continued until he came to this: "When I sent you forth without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one".
(6) In quo satis aperte intentio Cristi manifestatur; non enim dixit 'ematis vel habeatis duos gladios' -- ymo duodecim, cum ad duodecim discipulos diceret «qui non habet emat» -- ut quilibet haberet unum. (6) From this Christ's meaning is clear enough; for he did not say: "Buy or obtain two swords", but twelve, since he said to the twelve apostles "he that hath no sword, let him buy one", so that each of them might have one.
(7) Et hoc etiam dicebat premonens eos pressuram futuram et despectum futurum erga eos, quasi diceret: 'Quousque fui vobiscum, recepti eratis; nunc fugabimini. Unde oportet vos preparare vobis etiam ea que iam prohibui vobis propter necessitatem'. (7) Furthermore he said this as he was warning them of the persecution and contempt they would face, as though to say: "As long as I was with you, you were accepted; now you will be driven out; so that you must acquire for yourselves even those things which once I forbade you to have, for you will need them".
(8) Itaque si responsio Petri, que est ad hoc, fuisset sub intentione illa, iam non fuisset ad eam que erat Cristi: de quo Cristus ipsum increpasset sicut multotiens increpavit, cum inscie responderet. Hic autem non fecit, sed acquievit dicens ei «Satis est»; quasi diceret: 'Propter necessitatem dico; sed si quilibet habere non potest, duo sufficere possunt'. (8) And thus if Peter's reply, which is in response to this, did have the meaning they claim, it would still have been at odds with what Christ intended; and Christ would have reproached him for this, as he did reproach him many times, when he replied not knowing what he was saying. On this occasion he did not do so, but let it pass, saying to him: "That is enough"; as though to say: "I say this because of your need; but if each of you cannot have one, two will suffice".
(9) Et quod Petrus de more ad superficiem loqueretur, probat eius festina et inpremeditata presumptio, ad quam non solum fidei sinceritas impellebat, sed, ut credo, puritas et simplicitas naturalis. Hanc suam presumptionem scribe Cristi testantur omnes. (9) And that Peter was in the habit of speaking without reflecting is proved by his hasty and unthinking impulsiveness, which came not just from the sincerity of his faith, but, I think, from his simple and ingenuous nature. All Christ's evangelists testify to this impulsiveness of his.
(10) Scribit autem Matheus, cum Iesus interrogasset discipulos «Quem me esse dicitis?», Petrum ante omnes respondisse: «Tu es Cristus, filius Dei vivi». Scribit etiam quod, cum Cristus diceret discipulis quia oportebat eum ire in Ierusalem et multa pati, Petrus assumpsit eum et cepit increpare illum dicens: «Absit a te, Domine; non erit tibi hoc»; ad quem Cristus, redarguens, conversus dixit: «Vade post me, Sathana». (10) For Matthew writes that when Jesus asked his disciples: "Who do you say that I am?", Peter replied before all the others: "You are Christ, the son of the living God." He also writes that when Christ said to the disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying: "Be it far from thee, Lord; this shall not be unto you"; and Christ, turning to him, reproached him, saying: "Get thee behind me, Satan".
(11) Item scribit quod in monte transfigurationis, in conspectu Cristi, Moysi et Elye et duorum filiorum Zebedei, dixit: «Domine, bonum est nos hic esse; si vis, faciamus hic tria tabernacula: tibi unum, Moysi unum et Elye unum». (11) He also writes that on the Mount of the Transfiguration, in the presence of Christ, Moses and Elias and the two sons of Zebedee, Peter said: "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias".
(12) Item scribit quod, cum discipuli essent in navicula tempore noctis et Cristus ambularet super aquam, Petrus dixit: «Domine, si tu es, iube me ad te venire super aquas». (12) Likewise he writes that when the disciples were in their boat at night and Christ walked on the water, Peter said: "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water""
(13) Item scribit quod, cum Cristus prenuntiaret scandalum discipulis suis, Petrus respondit: «Etsi omnes scandalizati fuerint in te, ego nunquam scandalizabor»; et infra: «Etiamsi oportuerit me mori tecum, non te negabo.» (13) Again he writes that, when Christ foretold to his disciples their desertion of him, Peter replied: "Though all men shall become deserters because of thee, yet will I never desert thee"; and later: "Though I should die with thee, yet I will not deny thee".
(14) Et hoc etiam contestatur Marcus; Lucas vero scribit Petrum etiam dixisse Cristo, parum supra verba premissa de gladiis: «Domine, tecum paratus sum in carcerem et in mortem ire». (14) And Mark too bears witness to this; Luke for his part writes that Peter also said to Christ, just before the words quoted above about the swords: "Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison and to death".
(15) Iohannes autem dicit de illo quod, cum Cristus vellet sibi lavare pedes, Petrus ait: «Domine, tu michi lavas pedes?»; et infra: «Non lavabis michi pedes in ecternum». (15) And John says of him that when Christ wished to wash his feet, Peter said to him: "Lord, dost thou wash my feet?"; and later: "Thou shalt never wash my feet".
(16) Dicit etiam ipsum gladio percussisse ministri servum: quod etiam conscribunt omnes quatuor. Dicit etiam Iohannes ipsum introivisse subito, cum venit in monumentum, videns alium discipulum cunctantem ad hostium. Dicit iterum quod, existente Iesu in litore post resurrectionem, «Cum Petrus audisset quia Dominus est, tunica succinxit se, erat enim nudus, et misit se in mare». Ultimo dicit quod, cum Petrus vidisset Iohannem, dixit Iesu: «Domine, hic autem quid?». (16) He also says that he struck the servant of the high priest with his sword, and all four of them relate this. John also says that "when Peter came to the tomb he went straight in, seeing the other disciple hesitating at the entrance. Again he says that, when Jesus was on the sea shore after the Resurrection, when Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him (for he was naked), and did cast himself into the sea". Finally he says that when Peter saw John, he said to Jesus: "Lord, and what shall this man do?"
(17) Iuvat quippe talia de Archimandrita nostro in laudem sue puritatis continuasse, in quibus aperte deprehenditur quod, cum de duobus gladiis loquebatur, intentione simplici respondebat ad Cristum. (17) It is helpful to have listed these episodes involving our Archimandrite in praise of his ingenuousness, for they show quite clearly that when he spoke of the two swords he was answering Christ with no deeper meaning in mind.
(18) Quod si verba illa Cristi et Petri typice sunt accipienda, non ad hoc quod dicunt isti trahenda sunt, sed referenda sunt ad sensum illius gladii de quo scribit Matheus sic: «Nolite ergo arbitrari quia veni mictere pacem in terram: non veni pacem mictere, sed gladium. Veni enim separare hominem adversus patrem suum» etc. (18) For if those words of Christ and Peter are to be understood figuratively, they are not to be made to bear the meaning those people claim, but they are to be related to the meaning of that sword of which Matthew writes in this way: "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father", etc.
(19) Quod quidem fit tam verbo quam opere; propter quod dicebat Lucas ad Theophilum «que cepit Iesus facere et docere». Talem gladium Cristus emere precipiebat, quem duplicem ibi esse Petrus etiam respondebat. Ad verba enim et opera parati erant, per que facerent quod Cristus dicebat se venisse facturum per gladium, ut dictum est. (19) This happens both with words and with actions; that is why Luke spoke to Theophilus of the things "that Jesus began both to do and teach". This is the sword Christ instructed them to obtain, and to which Peter was referring when he answered that there were two of them there. For they were ready both for the words and for the actions by means of which they would bring about what Christ said he had come to do by the sword, as has been said.