Did He say to him, “Feed thy lambs;” or, “Feed thy sheep”? But for them who are shut out,
what said He in the Song of Songs, unto the Church? The Spouse speaking to the Bride,
saith, “If thou know not thyself, O thou fair one among women, go forth.”4318 As though
He said, “I do not cast thee out, ‘go forth, if thou know not thyself, O thou fair one among
women,’ if thou know not thyself in the mirror of divine Scripture, if thou give not heed, O
thou fair woman, to the mirror which with no false lustre deceiveth thee; if thou know not
that of thee it is said, ‘Thy glory shall be above all earth;’4319 that of thee it is said, ‘I will give
thee nations for thine inheritance, and the limits of the earth for thy possession;’4320 and
other innumerable testimonies which set forth the Catholic Church. If then thou know not
these, thou hast no part in Me, thou canst not make thyself My heir. ‘Go forth then in the
footsteps of the flocks’ not in the fellowship of the flock; and feed thy goats, not as it was
said to Peter, ‘My sheep.’” To Peter it was said, “My sheep;” to schismatics it is said,” thy
goats.” In the one place “sheep,” in the other “goats;” in the one place “Mine,” in the other
“thine.” Recollect the right Hand and the left of our Judge; recollect where the goats shall
stand, and where the sheep;4321 and it will be plain to you where is the right hand, where
the left, the white and the black, the lightsome, and the darksome, the fair and the deformed,
that which is about to receive the kingdom, and that which is to find everlasting punishment.
4318 Cant. i. 8, Sept.
4319 Ps. lvii. 11.
4320 Ps. ii. 8.
4321 Matt. xxv. 33.
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On the words of the Gospel, John. xxi. 16, ‘Simon, son of John, lovest thou…