No one but Christ could be the corner-stone* of the Church. Chrys. Expos. in Ps. cxvii. Tom.iii. p. 362. - (Editio ut supra.)

According to the Romanists' interpretation, the Church would be founded upon the Prophets and Peter, Jesus Christ being the chief

ως εν τυπω, τουτο δε εν αληθεια. Ουτος εγεννηθη εις κεφαλην γωνιας, τουτέστι, συνεδησεν εκατερα τα εθνη παρα Κυρίου εγενετο αυτη. Τι εστι παρα Kuριου εγενετο αυτή; ουκ ην ανθρωπινον, φησι, το γενόμενον, ουκ ην ενός των πολλων, ουκ ην αγγελων, ουκ ην αρχαγγελων ΤΟ τοιαύτην πλεξαι γωνιαν. Ουδείς γαρ ισχυσεν, ου δικαιος, ου προφητης, ουκ αγγελος, ουκ, αρχαγγελος, αλλα του Θεου το κατορθωμα μονον.

he

cised. But that was in a type, and this was in truth. “This stone was made the head of the corner:” that is to say, it has joined the two nations. This was done by the Lord. What is meant by saying that this was done by the Lord? That which was done, says, was not human, it was not for one of the many, for angels, or for archangels to bind together such a corner. No one, therefore, could do it ; neither a just man, nor a prophet, nor an angel, nor an archangel, but it was the achievement of God only.

JEROME.

Comm. Hier. Lib. iii. in Amos, c. vii.

Petra Christus est: qui donavit apostolis suis, ut ipsi quoque petræ vocentur : "Tu est Petrus, et super hanc petram ædificabo ecclesiam meam."-Mariani Victorii Reatini, Episcopi Amerini, (Parisiis. 1602.)

Comm. Lib. i. in Matt. c. vii. Tom. vi. p. 23.

Fundata enim erat supra petram, &c.] super petram hanc dominus fundavit ecclesiam ab hâc petrâ apostolus Petrus sortitus est nomen.

Qui ædificavit domum suam super arenam.] Fundamentum quod apostolus architectus posuit, unus est dominus noster Jesus Christus. Super hoc fundamentum stabile et

As the Church of Christ, not only by the admission of Augustine, but of the Church of Rome, comprehends all the saints Antediluvian, Patriarchal, and Jewish, as well as the saints since the birth and crucifixion of Christ; the Church of Christ which existed before the apostleship of Peter could not be built upon Peter, but must have built upon Christ. How improbable, therefore, that one half of the Church should have Christ for its foundation and the other half Peter. But it is evident that the former part of the Church had Christ, and upon him the Prophets, for its foundation; whilst the latter part has Christ and the Apostles for its foundation. The rock in both cases being Christ.

firmum, et per se robustâ mole fundatum, ædificatur Christi ecclesia.

Comm. Hieron. Lib. iii. in Zach. c. xiv. (Editio ut supra.)

De quo et Deus loquitur per Esaiam: ecce ponam in Sion lapidem angularem, electum et pretiosum in fundamentis ejus; et qui crediderunt in eum non confundentur. Hic lapis angularis, et cæteros lapides angulares superedificari sibi voluit, ut apostolus Paulus posset liberé dicere, " Ædificati super fundamentum apostolorum et prophetarum ipso summo* angulari lapide Christo Jesu."

The following will, perhaps, be quoted by Romanists to support Peter's headship; and yet it only amounts to what Cyprian said, that Peter was first only for the sake of unity, and that he had no greater power than the rest.

Hieron. advers. Jovinianum, Lib. i. tom. ii. p. 48. (Editio ut supra.)

Ut dicis, super Petrum fundatur ecclesia: licet id ipsum in alio loco super omnes apostolos fiat, et cuncti claves regni cœlorum accipiant, et ex æquo super eos ecclesiæ fortitudo solidetur, tamen propterea inter duodecim unus eligitur, ut, capite constituto, schismatis tollatur occasio.

Comm. Hier. Lib. ix. in Esaiam. c. xxvii. Tom. iv. p. 226. Mariani Victorii Reatini, Episcopi Amerini, Parisiis. 1602. Idcircô misericors et miserator Dominus, patiens et multum misericors nolentibus vobis, in fundamenta Sion, lapidem electum et probatum, et pretiosum et angularem missurum esse se dicit. De quo et apostolus loquitur: "Quasi sapiens architectus fundamentum posui :" et iterum, " fundamentum enim aliud nemo potest ponere præter id quod positum est, quod est Christus Jesus." Iste lapis et secundò appellatur lapis, sicut et in Levitico, homo, homo bis dicitur. Et angularis lapis, quia circumcisionis et gentium populos copulavit; de quo et in Psalmo dicitur, "lapidem quem reprobaverunt

Jerome's opinion evidently was, that whilst Christ was the chief rock, the chief foundation, the chief corner-stone, and the chief mountain, on which the Church was founded, in a minor sense all the Apostles, and Peter among the rest, were rocks, mountains, &c.

ædificantes, hic factus est in caput anguli. Isti autem sunt ædificantes et cementarii, qui nunc appellantur viri illusores; et principes populi, qui est in Jerusalem." De hoc lapide et in Daniele legimus, quod excisus est de monte sine manibus, et impleverit universum orbem, eo quod divini germinis dispensatio humanum corpus assumpserit et habitaverit in eo plenitudo divinitatis corporaliter. Super hunc lapidem, qui alio nomine appellatur petra, Christus ædificavit ecclesiam, et firmo juxta Hebraicum fundavit fundamine, in quo qui crediderit non confundetur, sive juxta Hebraicum, non festinet, ne videlicet tardus ei Christi videatur adventus.

Comm. Hier. lib. i. in Esaiam, c. i. Tom. iv. p. 14. (Editio ut supra.)

In his novissimis diebus erit hora novissima, de quâ Joannes Apostolus loquitur: "Filioli mei, novissima hora est." In quâ abscisus lapis de monte sine manibus crevit in montem magnum et replevit omnem terram. A quo et princeps Tyri in Ezekiele dicitur vulneratus. Hic mons in domo Domini est, quam propheta suspirat, dicens; unum petivi a domino, hoc requiram: ut inhabitem in domo domini omnes dies vitæ meæ. Et de quâ Paulus scribit ad Timotheum: "sin autem tardavero, ut scias quomodo oporteat te conversari in domo Dei, quæ est ecclesia Dei viventis, columna et firmamentum veritatis. Hæc domus ædificata est super fundamentum apostolorum et prophetarum, qui et ipsi montes sunt, quasi imitatores Christi. De hâc domo et Hierusalem, Psalmista conclamat dicens; qui confidunt Domino, sicut mons Sion, non commovebitur in æternum qui habitat in Hierusalem. Montes in circuitu ejus, et dominus in circuitu populi sui. Unde et super unum montium Christus fundat ecclesiam, et loquitur ad eum. "Tu est Petrus, et super hanc petram ædificabo ecclesiam meam, et portæ inferi non prævalebunt adversus

eum."

Comm. lib. ii. in Epist. ad Galatas, c. iv. Tom. vi. p. 308.

Omnes ædificati sumus super fundamentum apostolorum et prophetarum, continente nos angulari lapide Jesu Christo Domino nostro.

Et quomodo nos super prophetas fundati sumus, ita et patriarchæ in apostolorum fundamine constiterunt.

Ad Principiam Virginem. Tom. iii. p. 173.

Quæ autem super petram Christum stabili radice fundata est Catholica ecclesia, una columba perfecta et proxima stat a dextris et nihil in se sinistrum habet.

CYRIL OF ALEXANDRIA.

De Sanct. Trin. Dial. iv. Tom. v. p. 509. (Paris. 1638.) The confession, and not the person of Peter, the rock on which the Church was founded.

Χριστου λεγοντος, μακάριος ει Σιμων Βαρ-Ιωνα, οτι σαρξ και αιμα ουκ απεκάλυψε σοι, αλλ' ο Πατηρ μου ουράνιος, καγω δε σοι λέγω, ότι συ ει Πετρος, και επι ταυτη τη Πετρά οικοδομήσω μου την εκκλησίαν, και πυλαι αδου ου κατισχύσουσιν αυτης Πετραν οιμαι παρωετερον ουδεν η την ακατασειστον και εδραιοτατην του μαθητου πιστιν αποκαλων, εφ' η και διαπτωτως ερηρεισται τε και διαπεπηγεν η εκκλησία Χριστου.

νύμως

Comm. in Esaiam. supra.)

σε

When Christ said, “ Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona, for flesh and blood have not revealed it to you, but my Father, who is in heaven; and verily I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” For he called, after the us name* of the word, I think nothing but the frm and immoveable faith of the disciple the rock, upon which the Church of Christ was founded and fixed without the possibility of falling.

Lib. iv. tom. ii. p. 693. (Editio ut

Ειρηται γαρ που παρ' αυτου προς θεσπεσιον Πετρον, οτε σου φως και ανεπιπλήκτως την εις αυτόν πιστιν ομολογων εφασκεν. Συ ει Χριστος ο υιος του Θεου ζωντος. Συ ει Πετρος, δε επι ταυτη τη Πετρα θεμελιωσω μου την εκκλησίαν. Πετραν οιμαι λεγων το ακραδαντον εις πίστιν του μαθητου.

* There seems to be no English word which corresponds to the Greek word σε παρωνυμως.”

But it was said somewhere by Him to the divine Peter, when wisely and singly confessing his faith in Him, he said, “ Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God;” “ Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church," calling, I think, that which was immoveable in the faith of the disciple, (or, the immoveable faith of the disciple), the rock.