The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-12-22
tConmu aieatsd,l -
ST. PETER
THE AAH URCH
Remark, on Rev. Dr.. suad9lsnd's discourse.

quont preacher. It is to DO hoped, there
fore, that his discourse, Published In the
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN Of last Saturday
morning, 10 not fair standard 10 Judge his
merits BY. Itisa remarkable specimen Of
great Industry and learned elaboration ex-
pended with no result. Whoever cares to
sin its Arguments will and that they prove
nothing that be asserts, aud disprovs moth
Ing that he attacks. H. 30
Having with great logical precision de-
nned the thesis Of his discourse ~ o denial
Of the Romish assumption that, In the text,
sand say also unto thse that thou art
Peter, and upon this rock will build my
Church." the term "this rock" means Peter,
he proceeds as follows: Us.
''Iu regard to this, We take the ground
thai If the phrase ''this rock" can Be sup
posed for one moment, or In tho remotest
sense whatever, TO refer to Peter, u refers 10
an equal sense to the other apostles, aud TO
all the believers In jesus, but that In fact
and In truth It does not aud cap,ot mean Pc
ter 10 the Ro,nish sense at aH.n
Having thus, by the introduction OF the
qualifying phrase Sin tho Rouish sense"
LEFT au opening for refuge under another
quite distinct question, iu case no should
fall to disprove the assertion that the term
"this rock" means Peter, he marshals an
array Of twelve arguments substantial ting
his denial, aud then is content TO let the
issue rest upon the tre!rh argument, the
verdict Of tradition. 1t Is singular to notice
how each OF the witnesses he adduces
either prouounces directly against the
Reverend Doctors thesis, or else says moth
ing to the point at all. He calls up the
same witnesses arrayed In support OF the
Catholic side of the question by "a minister
OF the Roman Catholic Church In this city
some months since" He arst rehearses
what they have said "for the Papacy, and
then asks for something on the other side."
But, naturally enough, such respectable
witnesses will not contradict themselves, and
accordingly, such of them rs au. wer TO the
poiut, reiterate What the Reverend Doctor
wishes them to deny, that by the torn "this
rock" Christ did indicate Peter.
Tsrtullian says, In rebutting evidence:
THE founding OF the Church upon him is
just equivalent to the building Of the Church
by him." that is, Peter. Now, 1t might iu-
deed be an interesting inquiry to ascertain
how far Tertullian's explanation of the fact
JIfsrs n /, dig.rx a, ii, f,or, Tho C.,,.,I.
s,n,sn.,io, but the c,e, v,,y, h. rI.,,,,
49,. q, n,,,,od - Co.. ,..t',
,h. ch,u,h 49,, hi,, ~ ,..,.h +. TO-, ..
n, n,.h.. % Aleu-.
a, Argu.,,no +. ,dduoo, - sr,.,,,i,
the testimony Of Tertulllan. Now, whoever
,,s.,,nr of Tho noi,, a, ian. Iii A., ,h.,
q, Ang,.,ins in hi, lin, pa,roo,.,Io,,
In which h. ,sx;.ws all his n,ovior. ,,o,L.
,ta,ss that h,yio,, n, dis.ren, ,Inos rstorr.S
tho term "this .ock" now 70 s., Peter. and
again 10 Christ himself he leaves II IN hi.
readers to determine which of the two ia thu
more probable. So non-commit,sl A vitue,.
can prove nothing in behalf Of the Rev.
ereud Doctor.
The next witness ia origeu. Having plainl,
said In defence of the Papacy that Peter Ia
"the most solid rock on which Christ
founded the Church." he Is now requested
TO contradict this. passage Of his Is
brought forward in explanation Of what he
had said; but, unfortunately for the Rever-
end Doctor, in the midst Of II comes In again
that unfortunate reassertion OF the fact,
nPeter himself Is called Petra by tho Lord,
when 1t Is said to him Thou art Peter
&C."
The next in order Is 81. Cyprian. In pal
liation Of his having sided "for the Papacy,"
passage Is quoted from his epistle to Pope
81. Stephen, during the famous controversy
about rebaptizing. II does not make the
slightest alluslou to the text In question 1t
does not even crafty the Jury with a denial
OF the supremacy Of Pope St. stephep-it IL
only a stubborn Adhesion To his own former
practice of rebaptixing tboss bap,ixsd nv
the apostates, in opposition To the d.cree NJ
the Pope, for which 81. Aupustlne expre....
the hope that 81. Cyprian af,eruards "a
pented. The Reverend Doctor rive. ano,ber
passage from 81. Cypriap. but ba. evid.n,I,
oysrlooked the words Immed,stsIv r,.o.d,,.
those be QUOTES, which sound yery RomI.h
and has found IL copy.pient IN omit .o,.
Others. and replace them Inv n barmI.ss o.
Of a.terisks. The suppIyipp Of tb.., NAV
somewhat alter thu n,tn,s os m. ..,aa,..
borne by the words ono,sd wI,hor, ,hs,.
text. a.. Cvnrian writes, {. ~. -,
INTO ps,sr, .Isavp,,o ,h.. .ai,h Nv . a'"
art Ps,,r, Ac, To him sgoin ansr M, sa"u
.prrec,ion IA s.v.. ,F..a -. -, ~.
bin, h,ina On, n, t,yJ' m. C,' 'pO
,horyh "a, ,,ira. - ~ 49,. ".,," eu,
,ov,, ana ..,.. a. -, - 80 'eu
me. even 80 .,,a va, a.. w., fl 49,
nanIt..t nn,tv 9s b., he NJ ova -.
I,v 40 nlac.d ,he .on,cs =, ~. 80
a, =, b,,i. f,o,. on1 Cn,,,In,r ,h un's
apos,,e. sI.o ue,o vho, po,o, n,. 49,
wI,n az .ona, r.,Iow.hta to,s ~ "a s enauea
now.r, hut a comn.nr,n "' " "ono' auu
,nity, thai tn. Church m,v ho a., ha,c Nv"
as one" Rather moor amend. ,h,s -. ,s
par, of St.. Cyprisn. for hi, former svId,.
In favor n, Tho p.,.cv
The next witness /, ST. Cv,u n, llama,
lem. As An Offset to his evidence in ,avo,
of the Catholic doctrine, the learned Doc,o,
tells US that St. Cyril. In treating NJ ,ha
second coming of Christ nj m. end NJ ~.