The apology of the Church of England, and an epistle to one Seignior Scipio…

26. BUT Sir, I beseech you, what is that vast Power and Authority that they so very insolently boast of? Or from whence had they it? from Heaven or from Men? Christ (say they) said to Peter, upon this Rock will I build my Church: in these words the Papal Power is confirmed, for the Church of Christ is placed upon Peter as upon its Foundation; but Christ in these words gave nothing to St. Peter apart from the rest of the Apostles, neither did he here make any mention of the Pope or City of Rome. Christ▪ is that Rock, Christ, is that Foundation: No man (saith St. Paul) can lay another Foundation, than that which is already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

26. BUT Sir, I beseech you, what is that vast Power and Authority that they so very insolently boast of? Or from whence had they it? from Heaven or from Men? Christ (say they) said to Peter, upon this Rock will I build my Church: in these words the Papal Power is confirm'd, for the Church of Christ is placed upon Peter as upon its Foundation; but Christ in these words gave nothing to St. Peter apart from the rest of the Apostles, neither did he here make any mention of the Pope or City of Rome. Christ▪ is that Rock, Christ, is that Foundation: No man (saith St. Paul) can lay another Foundation, than that which is already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

27. And St. Augustin, upon this Rock (saith he) I will build my Church: by the Words, upon this Rock (saith he) is understood the Confession made by Peter, saying, thou art Christ the Son of the living God; for (saith he) it is not said thou art a Rock, but thou art Peter, but the Rock was Christ. And St. Basil, upon these words, upon this Rock, that is (saith he upon this Faith I will build my Church. And the most ancient ⟨p. 182⟩Father Origen, the Rock (saith he) is every Disciple of Christ, after he hath drunk of the Spiritual Rock which follows; and upon every such Rock is all the Churches Doctrine built. Now (Sir) if you will suppose that the whole Church is built only upon Peter, what will you say of John the Son of Thunder, and all the rest of the Apostles? Or shall we dare to say that the Gates of Hell shall never prevail against Peter only, but against the rest of the Apostles and Heads of the Church those Gates may prevail? or rather is that Saying, that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail, to be understood of all and every one of them of whom it was spoken? and so is that other Expression to be taken too, upon this Rock will I build my Church. And are the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven given only to Peter by Christ, or was no other of the blessed (Apostles) to receive them? But if that Expression, to thee will I give the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, be to be understood as spoken to all the rest as well as to Peter, why then should not all that was spoken, as well what went before, as what follows after, tho spoken to St. Peter, yet be common to all the Apostles? There is (saith Hillary) one happy Rock of Faith, which Peter confessed with his Mouth; and again, upon this Confession of Peter's is the Church built; and not much after, this Faith is the Foundation of the Church. And after the same manner the other Fathers also Jerome, Cyril and Bede say, the Church is built not upon Peter, but upon the Faith