imaginations inconsistent with them; though it be the duty of all men to obtain the express knowledge of them in particular, according unto the means thereof which they do enjoy. The danger of men's souls lieth not in a disability to attain a comprehension of longer or more subtile confessions of faith, but in embracing things contrary unto, or inconsistent with this foundation thereof. Whatever it be, whereby men cease to hold the head, how small soever it seem, that alone is pernicious, Col. ii. 18, 19.

This confession, therefore, as containing the sum and substance of that faith, which they were called to give testimony unto, and concerning which their trial was approaching, is approved by our Saviour. And not only so, but eminent privileges are granted unto him that made it, and in him unto the whole church, that should live in the same faith and confession, ver. 17, 18. And Jesus answered and said unto him, 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 also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'

6

Two things doth our Saviour consider in the answer returned unto his inquiry. (1.) The faith of Peter in this confession-the faith of him that made it. (2.) The nature and truth of the confession; both which are required in all the disciples of Christ; for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation,' Rom. x. 10.

The first thing which he speaks unto, is the faith of Peter, who made this confession; without this no outward confession is of any use or advantage. For even the devils knew him to be the holy One of God, Luke iv. 34, yet would he not permit them to speak it, Mark i. 34. That which gives glory unto God in any confession, and which gives us an interest in the truth confessed, is the 'believing of the heart,' which is unto righteousness. With respect hereunto, the Lord Christ speaks, ver. 17. 'And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.'

He commends and sets forth the faith of Peter, (1.) From its effect: (2). From its cause. Its effect is that it made him blessed in whom it was. For it is not only a blessed thing to believe and know Jesus Christ, as it is called life eternal,' John xvii. 3, but it is that which give an immediate interest in the blessed state of adoption, justification, and acceptance with God, John i. 12. (2). The immediate cause of this faith is divine revelation. It is not the effect or product of our own abilities, the best of which are but flesh and blood. That faith which renders them blessed in whom it is, is wrought in them, by the po ver of God revealing Christ unto their souls. Those who have more abilities of their own unto this end, than Peter had, we are not concerned in.

2. He speaks unto the confession itself, acquainting his disciples with the nature and use of it, which from the beginning he principally designed, ver. 18. 'And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'

From the speaking of these words unto Peter, there is a controversy raised in the world, Whether the Lord Christ himself, or the Pope of Rome, be the rock whereon the church is built? And unto that state are things come in religion among them that are called Christians, that the greatest number is for the Pope, and against Christ in this matter. And they have good reason for their choice. For if Christ be the rock whereon the church is built, whereas he is a living stone, those that are laid and built on him must be lively stones also, as this Apostle assures, 1 Epist. ii. 4, 5, they must be like unto Christ himself, partaking of his nature, quickened by his Spirit, so as it were to be bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh,' Eph. v. 10. Nor can any be built on him, but by a living faith, effectual in universal obedience. These things the generality of men like not at all. And therefore the fabric of the living temple of this foundation is usually but small, seldom conspicuous or outwardly glorious. But if the Pope be this rock, all the Papists in the world, or all that have a mind so to be, be they never so wicked and ungodly, may be built upon him, and be made partakers of all that deliverance from the powers

of hell, which that rock can afford them. And all this may be obtained at a very easy rate; for the acknowledgment of the Pope's sovereign authority in the church, is all that is required thereunto. How they bring in the claim of their Pope by Peter, his being at Rome, being bishop of Rome, dying at Rome, fixing his chair at Rome, devoting and transmitting all his right, title, power, and authority, every thing but his faith, holiness, and labour in the ministry unto the Pope, I shall not here inquire; I have done it elsewhere. Here is fixed the root of the tree, which is grown great, like that in Nebuchadnezzar's dream, until it is become a receptacle for the beasts of the field, and fowls of the air, sensual men and unclean spirits. I shall, therefore, briefly lay an axe unto the root of it, by evidencing that it is not the person of Peter who confessed Christ, but the person of Christ whom Peter confessed, that is the rock on whom the Church is built.

1. The variation of the expressions proves undeniably, that our Saviour intended we should not understand the person of Peter to be the rock. He takes occasion from his name to declare what he designed, but no more. 'And I say also unto thee, thou art Peter.' He had given him this name before, at his first calling, John i. 42. Now he gives the reason of his so doing, namely, because of the illustrious confession that he should make of the rock of the church. As the name of God, under the Old Testament, was called on persons, and things, and places, because of some especial relation unto him. Wherefore the expression is varied on purpose to declare, that whatever be the signification of the name Peter, yet the person so called was not the rock intended, The words are ovi Пerpos, kat ini taúrn τn mèrpa, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock. Had he intended the person of Peter, he would have expressed it plainly ov ¿ɩ mérpos, kai inì coì, Thou art a rock, and on thee will I build. At least the gender had not been altered, but he would have said, ¿T T8TO TW Tέrow, Upon thee, the rock, which would have given some colour to this imagination. The exception which they lay hereunto, from the use of Cephas in the Syriac, which was the name of Peter, and signifies a rock or a stone, lies not only against the authentic authority of the Greek ori

ginal, but of their own translation of it, which reads the words, Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock.'

2. If the church was built on the person of Peter, then when he died the church must utterly fail. For no building can possibly abide when its foundation is removed and taken away. Wherefore they tell us they do not intend by the person of Peter, that singular individual person alone to be this rock; but he and his successors, the bishops of Rome, are so. But this story of his successors at Rome is a shameful fable. If the Pope of Rome be a true believer, he succeeds in common with all other believers into the privileges which belong unto this confession; if he be not, he hath neither lot nor portion in this matter. But the pretence is utterly vain on another account also. The Apostle shewing the insufficiency of the Aaronical priesthood, wherein there was a succession of God's own appointment, affirms that it could not bring the church into a perfect state, because the high priests died one after another, and so were many, Heb. vii. 8, 23, 24. And thereon he shews, that the church cannot be consummated or perfected, unless it rest wholly in and on him, who lives for ever, and was made a priest after the power of an endless life. And if the Holy Ghost judged the state of the Jewish church to be weak and imperfect, because it rested on high priests that died one after another, although their succession was expressly ordained of God himself; shall we suppose that the Lord Christ, who came to consummate the church, and to bring it unto the most perfect estate whereof in this world it is capable, should build it on a succession of dying men, concerning which succession there is not the least intimation that it is appointed of God? And as unto the matter of fact, we know both what interruptions it hath received, and what monsters it hath produced, both sufficiently manifesting that it is not of God.

3. There is but one rock, but one foundation. There is no mention in the Scripture of two rocks of the church. In what others invent to this purpose we are not concerned. And the rock and the foundation are the same; for the rock is that whereon the church is built, that is the foundation. But that

the Lord Christ is this single rock and foundation of the church, we shall prove immediately. Wherefore neither Peter himself, nor his pretended successors, can be this rock. As for any other rock, it belongs not unto our religion: they that have framed it, may use it as they please. For they that make such things, are like unto the things they make. So is every one that trusteth in them, Psalm cxv. 8. But their rock is not like our rock,' themselves being judges, unless they will absolutely equal the Pope unto Jesus Christ.

4. Immediately after this declaration of our Saviour's purpose to build his church on the rock, he reveals unto his disciples the way and manner how he would lay its foundation, namely, in his death and sufferings, ver. 21. And thereon this supposed rock, being a little left unto his own stability, shewed himself to be but a reed shaken with the wind. For he is so far from putting himself under the weight of the building, that he attempts an obstruction of its foundation. He began to rebuke Christ himself, for mentioning his sufferings, wherein alone the foundation of the gospel-church was to be laid, ver. 22. And hereon he received the severest rebuke that ever the Lord Jesus gave unto any of his disciples, ver. 23. And so it is known, that afterwards through surprisal and temptation, he did what lay in him to recal that confession which here he made, and whereon the church was to be built. For that no flesh might glory in itself, he that was singular in this confession of Christ, was so also in the denial of him. And if he in his own person manifested how unmeet he was to be the foundation of the church, they must be strangely infatuated who can suppose his pretended successors so to be. But some men will rather have the church to be utterly without any foundation, than that it should not be the Pope.

The vanity of this pretence being removed, the substance of the great mystery contained in the attestation given by our Saviour unto the confession of Peter, and the promise thereunto annexed, may be comprised in the ensuing assertions:

1. The person of Christ, the Son of the living God, and vested with his offices, whereunto he was called and anointed, is the foundation of the church, the rock whereon it is built.