PREFACE. count of some of the principal parts of the discourse it- self, and to clear some passages in it, which by some may be apprehended obscure. CHAP. I. The foundation of the whole is laid in the vindication of those words of ourblessedSaviour, where- in he declares himself tobe the rock whereon the church is built, Matth. xvi. l8. And I say also unto thee, Mat thouart Peter, andupon this rickwill¡build my church; and the gatesofhell shall not prevail against it. The pretended ambiguity of these words, hath been wrest- edby the secular interests of men, to give occasion unto that prodigious controversy among Christians, namely, whether Jesus Christ, or the pope of Rome, be the rock whereon the church is built. Those holy men of old, unto whom Christ was precious, being untainted with the desires of secular granduer and power, knew nothing hereof. Testimonies may be, they have been multiplied by others unto this purpose; I shall men- tion some few of them. o,'ros ira ë ,rç s ròr naoí s, ü era lóos, ñ aorta, ÿ><ret, d ,ro,w r, &c. saith Ignatius, Epist. ad Philadelph. He (that is, Christ) is the way leading unto the Father, the "rock, the key, the shepherd," wherein he bath respect unto this testimony. And Origen expressly denies the words to be spoken of Peter in Matth. xvi. Tract. 1. f,Zuod si super unum alum Pe- tram tantum existimes totem e clesiam eedifcari, quid dictums es de Johann, 4. apostolorum unoqúoque? num audebimus dicere, quod adversusPetrum unuan non pre - valiturce sent portee inferorum? e<If you shall think that the whole church was built on Peter alone, " what shall we say of John, and each ofthe apostles? "what, shall we dare to say that the gates of hell shall not prevail against Peter only?" So he- according unto the opinionof the ancient, that there was nothing peculiar in the confession of Peter, and the answer made "thereunto, as unto himself, but that he spake and was spoken unto in the name of all the rest of the apostles. Euseb. Prreparat. Evangel. lib. i. cap. t. ,'are ¿,near; ,rt69e07rrrtiru be i w-ta ours g54. ..'a gb ,5s ipKed- 5ilao, ,,uÌ icÉxgts olertvi. SA itizás 'ó sui 9000: dvgtur (Ferwtts5 r Li pia, weÌrtr ,í, alcii b,regtraTm oílçrr, ,fear, iri id '"stub oisoáoicnrs isa cir iwatov's,, sei ,rirxa, "At el sareox,,. curt, alci,. ' This his church that was foretold by name, s stood rooted upon the foundation, and hitherto exalt- ' ed to the poles of heaven, by the prayers ofholy men, v and lovers of God.Concerning this same one word which he declareth, saying, Upon this Roch will I ' buildmy church, and thegates ofhell shall not prevail against it.' He proves the verity of divine predictions from the glorious accomplishment of that word and pro- mise of our Saviour, that he would build his Church on the Rock, (that is, himself), sous that the gates of hell should not prevail against it. For unum hoc est immo- bili fundamentum, una here est felix fzdei petra, Petri ore confesse, TuesFilius Dei vivi, saith Hilar. de Trio, lib. 2. ' This is the only immoveable foundation; this ' is the blessed rock of faith confessed by PeterThou art theSonofthe living God.' And Epiphanies, Hier. 39. l'ri circe raes Ti; drpaaas ,rtó,W; of ,ÓOicÿrs icñ eì, is- rtotar; ' Upon this rock of assured faith I will build my church.' For many thought that faith itself was mctonymically called the rock, because of its object, or the personofChrist which is so. One or two more out of Austin shall close these tes- timonies. Super hattcpetram, pan confesses es, super meipsum Filium Dei vivi, erdificabo ecclesiam meant. Super me cedifacabo te, non me super te. De verbis Dosi, Sernz. 13. " Upon this rock which thou hast confessed, upon myself the Son of the living God, I will build my church. I will build thee upon myself, and not myself on thee." And he more fully declareth his mind, Tract. 124. in Johan. Fcclesia in hoc secuto diversis tentation- ibas, velut imbribus, flaiminibus, tempestatibusque quoti- tut-, et non eadit; quoniaan fundata est supra petram; uncle et Petrus nomen aceepit. Non enim a Petro Petra, sed Pets-us apetra,- sicut non Christus a Chi istiano, sed Christiavus a Christo vocatur. Ideo quippe ait Dona. nus, Super hanc petram erdificabo ecclesiaaa seam, quia dixerat Petrus, Ta es Christus, Filiaas Dei vivi; super haue ergo (inquit) petram quant confesses es, erdifacabo ecclesiam seam. Petra calm erat Christus, supra quod fundament=etiam ipseredifzcatus est Petras;.fundamen- tum quippe aliad nemo potent ponere, prerter id quad post'tam est good est Jesus Christus. " The church in this world is shaken with divers temptations, as with " showers, floods and tempests, yet falleth not, because " it isbuilt on the rock (Petra), from whence Peter took " his name. Fortherock is not calledpetra fromPeter, " but Peter is so called from petra the rock; as Christ " is not so called from Christian, but Christian front " Christ. Therefore said the Lord, upon this rock I
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