tation is most just, it is only necessary to recall the circumstances under which Jesus Christ addressed to St. Peter the words so much abused by the Roman theologians.
He had asked of his disciples, "Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?" The disciples replied, "Some say John the Baptist, some Elias, and others Jeremias, or one of the prophets." "But whom," replied Jesus, "say ye that I am?" Simon Peter, answering him, said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered him and said, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church," etc.
These words mean nothing but this: "I say unto thee, whom I have surnamed Peter because of the firmness of thy faith, I say to thee that this truth that thou hast professed is the foundation-stone of the Church, and that Error shall never prevail against it."
As St. Augustine remarks, it was not said to Simon, Thou art the rock, (la pierre,) but thou art Peter, (Pierre.) The words of St, Augustine deserve to fix the attention. "It is not," said he, "upon thee as Peter, but upon that rock which thou hast confessed." "Ce n'est pas, dit il sur toi qui es pierre, mais sur la pierre que tu as confessée ... tu es pierre, et sur cette pierre que tu as confessée, sur cette pierre que tu as reconnue en disant, Thou art Christ, etc., sur cette pierre je bâtirai mon église," I will build thee upon myself, I will not be built upon thee. Those who wished to be built upon men said, "I am of Paul, I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas, that
but a small number of Fathers or Doctors of the Church have applied to St. Peter the title of rock, upon which the Church should be built; while the most of them do not apply this to him at all, but understand these words of Christ in quite a different manner. His collection of Letters may be consulted, which are the treatises of a savant of the first order.
