Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT300 .O9 1679

whereupon the Church is built. 5 Stones alfo, as this Apofile affures us, 1 Epijl. 2" 4, )· · they mufi be like unto Ghrifi himfelf, 11artaking of his Nature, quickened by his Spirit, fo as it were ,to /;e bone·of h~~ !Jone and flejh of his .flejh, Ephef. 5. I o. Nor can any be bmlt on him, but by a living Faith, effecrual in univerfal obedience. Thefe things the generality ofmen like not at all. And there– fore the Fabrick of the Living Temple on this foundation is ufually but fmall, feldom confpicuous or outwardly glori– ous. But ifthe Pope .h this Rock, all the Papifis in the world, or all that have a mind fo to be, be they never fo wicked and ungodly, may be built upon him, and be made partakers of all that Deli·verance from the Powers ofHell, which that Rock can afford them. And all this may be obtained at a very eafie rate. For the acknowledgment of the Pope's Soveraign Au– thority in the Church, is all that is required thereunto. How they bring in the claim of their Pope by Peter, his being at Rome, being Bijhop ofRome, D)'ing at Rome, fixing, his Chair at Rome, devoting and tranfmitting all his Right, Title, Power and Authority, every thing but his Faith, Holinefs, and Labour in the Minifiry unto rhe Pope, I fhall not here enquire, I have done it elfewhere. Here is fixed the root of the Tree, which is grown great, like tha! in Nebucharf:. Hezzar's dream, until it is become a receptacle .for the beafis of the field, and fowls of the Air, fenfual men and unclean fpirits . I fhall therefore briefly lay an Ax unto the Root of it, by evidencing that it is not the Perfon of Peter who con– feffed Chrifi, but the Perfon of Chrifl whom Peter confeffed, that is -the Rock on whomtheChurchis built. I. The variation of the expreffions proves undeniably that . our Saviour intended we f11ould not underfiand the Pe~fon of Peter to .be the Rock. . He takes occafion from his name to declare what hedefigned, but no more. AndI fay a!fo untfJ thee, thou art Peter. He had given him this name before, at his

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