WHAT IS MEANT BY " THIS ROCK" ? 79 " Our Lord," said Theodoret, " permitted the first of the apostles, whose confessionhe fixed as aprop or foundation of the church, to be shaken."1 This sense even popes have embraced.' Others say, that as St Peter did not speak for himself, but in the name of all the apostles, and of all faithful people, representing the pastors and people of the church, so correspondently our Lord de- clared that he would build his church upon such faithful pastors and confessors.' Others, indeed, by the rock understood St Peter's person; but do not thereby expound to be meant his being supreme governor of the apostles, or of the whole church.' The divines, schoolmen, and canonists of the Roman communion also do not agree in exposition of the words; and divers of the most learned among them approve the interpretation of St Chrysostom.* Now, then, how can sogreat a point of doctrine be firmly grounded on aplace of so doubtful interpretation? How can any onebe obliged to understand the words according to the interpretation which per- , sons of so good sense and so great authority understand other- wise? With what modesty can they pretend that meaning to be clear which so perspicacious eyes could not discern therein? Why may not I excusably agree with St Chrysostom or St Austin in un- derstanding the place? May I not reasonably oppose their judgment to the opinion of any modern doctors, deeming Bellarmine as fallible in his conceptions as one of them? Why, consequently, may I not without blame refuse their doctrine, as built upon this place, or dis- avow the goodness of this proof? 3. It is very evident that the apostles themselves did not under- stand those words of our Lord to signify anygrant or promise to St elzaeróXcev ?Óv zpa`'rov, a4 ?1Y Ópcoaoyiar Jog visa xpzna, are) »slam 'nÇ rice; zariwngi, crone:pnn aaaEU$a,.Theod., Ep. lxxvii. lzxan- [Whence Origen says, that "every disciple of Christ is the rock," in virtue of his agreement with Peter in that holy confession. nhTpa yap zmg ó Xpurroú I.Eai, ve, &c. Orig. in Matt. xvi. p. 275.] 2 In vera fide persistite, et vitam vestram in petra ecclesin, hoc est in confessione B. Petri apostolorumprincipis solidate.Greg. M., Ep. iii. 33. " Persist in the true faith, and establish and fix your life upon the rock of the church ; that is, upon the confes- sion of blessed Peter, theprince ofthe apostles." Super ista confessione sedificaboeccle- siam meam.Felix III., Ep. y. Vide Nic. I., Ep. ii. 6. ; Joh. VIII., Ep. lxavi. 3 Unus pro omnibus loquens, et ecclesise voce respondens. Cypr., Ep. lv. " One speaking for all, and answering in the name of the church." Cui ecclesise figuram gerenti Dominus ait, Super hanc, &c.- -Aug., Ep. clxv. "To whom, representing the wholechurch, our Lord says, Upon this rock," hoc. Petrusex persona omnium apostolo- rum profitetur.Bier. in loc. "Peterprofesses in the person of all the apostles." 4 Vide Rigalt. in Cypr., Ep. 27, 40, 70, 71, 73, 69. Erasmus adopts the same view of the wordsin his Exposition, citing Augustine and Hilary, and inserting in the margin, Ecclesia non est fundata super Petrurn. "The church is not founded upon Peter." The Spanish Inquisition ordered this marginal note to be expunged from Erasmus' Exposition. Indices Libroruna Prohibitorurn, Mad. 1667.En.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=