The national Republican., 1869-06-21

tho Catholic oommunionl. Rosenmuller, ono.
Of the most distinguished In the German
school, says," "The rock 10 Mother the con-
fesslon of Peter nor Christ; but Peter him
self" DIR. Bloomfield, an eminent Protest.
ant commentator, informs us that "almost
every modern exposltor Of any note rafers
our Lords expression TO Peter hlmself," and
he adds, "with rcason, for certainly, as is
observed by Bishop Marsh, III would be q
desperate undertaking to prove that Christ
fact, they can indicate no other consisiently
with the rules Of correct oxegesls.' In
short" says Bloomfield again, "the sense is
Thou art by name rock, and suitably to that
will be Thy work and Office, for upon Thee
(that Is, upon Thy preaching as upon q
rock) shall the foundation OF the church be
laid" The same writer candidly admits
that II this Interpretation has been rejected
by some Protcstants II was ''partly TO avoid
giving countcnancc to tho papal claim Of
ebrated writer Of the Anglican Church,
speaking Of the three thousand persons con-
verted on Che day OF Pentocoet, tells us that
"there was q church, and that built upon
Peter, according 70 our Saviour's promise"
Tho same opinion Is expressed by Bishops
Middleton and Tomlinc, by Doctors Wbltby,
Hammond and Gerard, and by almost every
modern exposition OF any note.
Amer having heard the sentiments Of mod
crn commentators, which shows that the
Catholic Interpretation lie, at least, extremely
probable, let us turn 10 what is OF much
higher value and importance, tho testimony
Of the carly fathers Of the church. Time
will permit us to produce only few cita-
ha apA
guishcd writers. Tertulllan, who nourished
towards the end OF the second century, argu-
ing against the Gnostics, asks; "Was any
thing concealed from Peter, who was styled
the rock on which the church was to be
built, who received the keys OF the Kingdom
Of Heaven, and tho power OF looslng and
binding in Heaven and on carthf'-(Dc
Procscrip, 22.) In another work (Dc Pu-
dicitia) he thus alludes to the words ad.
dressed by our Lord to Simon; "on thee"
ho says, 'I will build my church, and
TO hse I will give tho keys, not to the
church." Origen, one Of the most learned
writer's Of the same period, Is quoted by
Euscbius as saying, "Pctcr, on whom tho
church OF Christ Is built, against which the
gates OF hell shall not prevail, len ono
cpistlc." Again, In his Homeless, he says:
"Observc what is said by the Lord to that
great foundation OF the church, and TO the
most solid rock, upon which Christ founded
the church, 90, thou Of little faith, why didst
thou Doubt" 81. Cyprian, bishop Of Garth
age, aud martyr, thus speaks OF the church:
''Herself was founded first and alone by the
voice Of our Lord upon Peter" In another
place he says: "There is one baptism and
one holy spirit, and one church founded by
Christ the Lord upon Peter, as the origin
and ground OF unity" (Epist. 20 ad. Jan. }
St. James, OF Nisibis, who was present al
the council at Nice, In tho beginning OF the
| fourth century, speaks Of Simon as head ot
the Apostles. Our Lord received him and
made him the foundation, and called him
the rock of the cdince Of the church" 81
Cyril, OF Jerusalem, calls Peter the "forc'
most Of the Apostles and the key-bearcr Of
the kingdom OF heaven. Cat; xvii. st
Hilary says: "Thc Son'of God took up Peter
to whom he had Just before given the kcyi
OF the kingdom Of heaven, and upon whom
he was about to build his church, agains
which the gates Of hell should never pre-
vail," &c. Hear St. Gregory, OF Nyssa
"The memory of St. Peter, head of tn
Apostles, Is celebrated. For he is, agrceabl,
TO the gin conferred on him by our Lord
that unbrokcn aud most firm rock, upoI
which the Lord built his church." st
Gregory, of NazcanZum, is equally explicit
"seest thou, that OF the disciples Of Christ
all of whom were great and deserving Of hi
choice, one Is called rock, and Is ontrustc
with the foundations of the church.
s'Petcr became the unbroken rock, and ha
the keys delivered to hlm."-Sorm. 20.
Many other testimonies might be adducc
to the same effect, but these will suffice t
show in what sense the representative mel
of the ancient church understood tho Ian
guagc OF our Saviour 10 Simon Peter. TIL
carly fathers are, in fact, unanimous II
N .1... - a atsas,. tod St....
. Peter as the rock on which he was to bull
his church; that he was to be the solid fouu
dation which would insure Its unity and IL
defectiblllty TO the end of time. When W
speak OF building upon n rock, we mean a
! imprcgnable foundation, and hence did oU
/ Lord declare, after having called Peter
rock, that the gates Of hell would never pre-
r vail against his church.
But the scriptural passage which hay
cited from St. Matthew, affords another IL
I vlncible proof Of the primacy of rank an
i Jurisdiction conferred upon Peter, for oil
, Saviour thus continues to address him
, "And will give unto thee the keys OF II
{ kingdom of heaven" &c. The kingdom
heaven Is the church, and to Peter are give
; the keys Of this spiritual kingdom. VIII
, does this mean but that Christ invcstC
n Peter with the government of his church
4 "Keys," says Horne, an eminent rrotcstaI
@ writer, care the omblems Of power and a
q thority;" and, according to DIR. Whitb
a already quoted, when Christ gave the Ike,
g to Peter, ho gave him the power of makir
Y laws for the government OF the churc'
4 No one, indeed, who Is not willing to wrc
o language from Its legitimate use, will der
I that this is the true Interpretation of our S
n viour's words. II the master Of hou
4 says to q servant, "herc are the keys Of II
d house, l give them to you," Is ii not pla
!, that the servant thereby acquires the char
/. and management of the housei When q
u keys Of q fort are delivered to conquer
y Is II not Understood that the possession al
' dominion over II arc transferred to hr
a Hence there Is q perfect eOISeIIsuS of q
"a earliest fathers, In proclaiming that t
Z power OF the keys was entrusted to Pet
"A alone, and consequently that 1t implied
Ie Origen says, "a great distinction I'D s
l. periority."
A. Allow me to quote auot'.ur passage of /
m New Testament wh'"h is strongly corrobor
IL tive of Pcter's prc-eminent jurisdictio
10 Shortly LeIOre his ascension, our divine
q VICAR had an interview with his apostles
q the sea Of Tibcrias, during which he put [
a question three times to Peter; "Simon, s.
OF Jonas, lowest thou me more than these
n Having been answered In the afiirmatiN
If our Lord gave him an unrestricted comm
"a sion to feed his entire flock; "feed my laml
,r feed my sheep" Our LORD knew lHIl W
10 the love which Peter bore him, and hen
n the very circumstance Of his questioning t
/. apostle so repeatedly leads us to expect tn
N the profession OF love on the part OF the Ii
a ter would be followed by some peculiar
ward. This reward was a confirmation
1t the authority already conferred to COVE
If the universal church. "As with gre
Il alacrity he replied TO the questions" (of o
# Lord) says 81. Astcrlus, she received
e ,corld IN ctdrJs as ono hcphcTd, one fOt
q having heard, 'food my sheep" HIATT
|. myself, my brethren, that the scrlptural e
!. dencc which have adduccd, supported as
= is by the unanimous voice of antiquity,
a amply sufficient TO show that Peter was ho
l. cred by Christ with prerogativcs that ma
N him superior to his colleagues in the app
h tleship. lie alone is the rock on which /
A Church Is built; he alone was entrusted wi
Z the keys OF the kingdom Of Heaven or
i Church; he alone was commissioned to fc
10 and watch over the entire flock. How th
can ii be asserted with any scmblance
/ truth, that Peter received "no honor whi
'e was not equally bestowed upon others
!. How, too, can II be affirmed, without
10 curing the just lmputatlon of tho gross
a. Il. all