among the Latin fathers, vacillates in his explanation of the petra / now, like Aiigusthie, referring it to Christ,^ now to Peter and his confession.'' In his commentary on Matt, xvi., he combines * De 8chismate Donatistarum, lib. ii. cap. 2, 3, and 1. vii. 3. The work was com- posed while Siricius was bishop of Rome, hence about 384. ^ Ambr. Sermo ii. in festo Petri et Pauli : "In urbe Romse, quje priucipatmn et caput obtinet nationum : scilicet ut ubi caput superstitionis erat, illic caput quies- ceret sanctitatis, et ubi gentilium principes habitabant, illic ecclesiarum principes morerentur." In Ps. 40 : " Ipse est Petrus cui dixit : Tu es Petrus . . . ubi ergo Patrus, ibi ecclesia ; ubi ecclesia, ibi nulla mors, sed vita eterna." Comp. the poetic passage in his Morning Hymn, in the citation from Augustine further on. But in another passage he likewise refers the rock to Christ, in Luc. ix. 20 : " Petra est Christus," etc. ^ De incarnat. Domini, c. 4 : " Primatum confessionis utique, non honoris, pri- matum fidei, non ordinis." * De Spiritu S. ii. 12 : "Nee Paulus inferior Petro, quamvis ille ecclesia? funda- mentum." Sermo ii. in festo P. et P., just before the above-quoted passage : " Ergo beati Petrus et Paulus eminent inter universos apostolos, et peculiari quadam prasrogativa prsecellunt. Verum inter ipsos, quis cui prteponatur, incertum est. Puto enim illos fequales esse meritis, qui ajquales sunt passione." Augustine, too, once calls Paul, not Peter, caput et princeps apostoloritm, and in another place that he tanti apostolatus meruit principatum. ^ Hieron. in Amos, vi. 12: "Petra Christus est, qui donavit apostolis suis, ut ipsi quoque petrae vocentur." And in another place: "Ecclesia Catholica super Petram Christum stabili radici fundata est." " Adv. Jovin. 1. i. cap. 26 (in Yallars. ed., tom. iL 279), in reply to Jovinian'a appeal to Peter in favor of marriage: "At dicis: super Petrum fundatui ecclesia; licet id ipsum in alio loco super omnes apostolos fiat, et cuncti claves regni CQ?lorum accipiant, et ex ajquo super cos fortitudo ecclesiae solidetur, tamen propterea inter duodecim unus eligitur, ut capite constitute, schismatis tollatur occasio." So Epist. XV. ad Damasum papam (ed. Vail. i. 37). § 61, OPIiaOXS OF THE FATHERS. 305 the two interpretations thus : " As Christ gave light to tlie apostles, so that thej were called, after him, the light of the world, and as tliev received other designations from the Lord ; so Simon, because he believed on the rock, Christ, received the name Peter, and in accordance with the figure of the rock, it is justly said to him : '-I vnll huild my cMireh upon thee {super fc).' " He recognizes in the Koman bishop the successor of Peter, but advocates elsewhere the equal rights of the bishops,' and in fact derives even the episcopal office, not from direct divine institution, but from the usage of the church and from the presidency in