A Retentive to Stay Good Christians, Chapter 3
The thirde Chapter.
OF the diuerse senses whiche are in the holy Scripture, and namely about these woordes (vppon this Rocke Sander.I will builde my Church) and which is the moste literall and proper sense of them.
TO contende about the diuersitie of senses, it were Fulke.to take vppe a newe controuersie. I admitte that whiche Maister Sander confesseth, the lyter all sense onelyonly to be of force to conuince the aduersary. And the literall sense not to bee alwayes according to the grammaticall sounde of the wordes, but according to the moste playne meaning of the speaker. As when Christe sayeth to Peter, …o thee I will giuegive the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heauen, hee meaneth not materiall Keyes of Yron, but authoritie in the Kingdome of Heauen, as Keyes are deliuered by the Maister to his Stuard, but not as keyes of a citie are deliuered, which betoken the giuing of possession of that Citie to be gouerned by him which receiueth the Keyes (as Maister Sander sayth) For that was no part of Christes meaning, to resigne the gouernment of his Church to Peter, for such giuing of Keyes is of the subiectes to their Superior, but to make him one of the Stuardes of his great house, to open and shut, according to his apoyntment. Otherwise, onelyonly Christ hath the key of Dauid, which openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth Apocalips 3. verse 7.
Likewise when he sayth: Thou art Peter, I confesse and agree with Maister Sander, that the lyterall sence is not, thou art a naturall stone, but thou art that towarde my Churche, whiche a stone is towarde the house that is builded vppon that stone. But so that Peter is not the onelyonly foundation, nor the Corner stone, which is onelyonly Christe, but one of the twelue stones of the foundation, as it may more playnely appeare in the Apocalips the 21. Chapter and the 14. verse.
Furthermore I confesse, that what soeuer by necessary conclusion may be gathered, of any true literal sense, is of equall authoritie in the word of God, with that wc is expressed in playne words. As the consubstantialitie of Christ with God the Father, the blessed trinitie, and such like, But whereas M. Sand. ioygneth to these, not onelyonly the perpetuall virginitie of the virgine Mary, which is not certainly, though probably to be gathered, but also transubstantiation, the sacrifice of the Masse, and Purgatory, against which the sense of the scripture is manifest, I will not admit them for examples.
But to come to his purpose, he findeth in the auncient Fathers, foure diuerse senses of these woordes (vponupon this Rocke I will builde my Church) whereof three hee reiecteth, as vnperfect which hauehave auncient writers, as he confesseth for their Authors, the last hee hath no auncient writer to defende.
The firste, that Christe is that Rock on whome the Church is builded, which Augustine holdeth.
The second, that eueryevery Disciple of Christ is the rock, which is Origens opinion.
The third, that Peters faith or confeffion is the rock, which is Chrysostoms iudgement.
The fourth, which is his owne, and therefore he calleth it the perfecte sense, is, that Peter concerning his office in Gods Church, through the promise of Christ which is past, and the faithfull confession of his Godhead, which is presently made, and the power of feeding his Sheepe, which then was to come, is this Rocke vponupon which the Church is builte. Heere I wishe the reader to note, that the Papiste reiecteth three senses of three seuerall auncient writers, and maketh the fourth him selfe, that you may see, with what equitie they exclaime againste vsus, if vppon neuer so good ground, we departe from the interpretation of the auncient Fathers. But nowe let vsus see what reasons hee hath to confute these three Doctors oppinions as vnsufficient interpretations.
Firste he sayeth, If Augustines sense were true, all the three other shoulde be voyde, In deede his owne sense, vnderstanding Peter to be a singular Rocke, more then the other Apostles is made voyde thereby, as it is false. But the other two may stande very well well with Augustines meaning, for hee meaneth not Christe barely, but Christe whome Peter and eueryevery true Disciple of Fayth confesseth, to be the rocke of the Church, Neither doth the worde thou, hinder this sense. Seeing Augustine vnderstandeth Peter to be a denominatiue a Petra, of the stone, nor the woorde, I will builde, for notwithstanding he hadde begunn to builde his Church before, yet hee woulde builde stil, and that more magnificall then before.
The sence of Origine hee reiecteth, as not literall vppon which I will not stande.
The sense of Chrysostome hee refuseth, sayinge, the Fayth of Peter is not the onelyonly Rocke, wherevpon the Churche shall be builded, for then it had beene buylte vppon the Fayth of Iohn Baptiste before this time. A pythy argumente, as though there is any more then one Fayth Ephesians 4. verse 5. whiche is the same in Peter and in Iohn, and in all the other Apostles, the same I saye in kinde, not in number. Neither did Chrysostome meane, that the singulare Fayth of Peter were the Rock of the Church, but the same one Fayth and confession embraced of eueryevery member thereof.
That he sayeth I will builde, whereas hee had already begunne to builde, and did then presently build, What inconuenience is it but in a quarrellers minde. Hee speaketh of the Future tenses, to signifie the great amplyfication of his Church which he woulde make by the preaching of the Apostles.
But of all senses Maister Saunder lyketh his owne beste, asperfect and contayning all the other therein. For first sayth he, if Peter be the Rocke, then Christe that made him is much more, as the geeuer and authour of his power. But I deny that Christe did giuegive the same that he is him self, that is, to be the onelyonly singular founda…ion, Rocke, and corner stone of his Church.
Secondly he sayth, if Peter in respecte of his confession be a Rock, then his confession is a Rocke. But then say I, they that make the same confession are as much a Rock as he.
Thirdely he sayth, if Peter beeing captaine Disciple of all that euer were, be a Rock, then all other Disciples that are contayned in him as in ye chiefe, may also be this Rock. Who had thought Peter had bene such an vniuersal thing to containe al disciples in him? Doth not this containe manifest blasphemie? to make all Disciples contained in Peter, whiche are contayned onelyonly in Christe, as the members in their mystirall body, whereof hee, onelyonly is chiefe heade, Soueraigne, Captaine, or what other name of superioritie can bee deuised.
But nowe that hee hath made such a monstrous iumbling of three opinions in one, he is not ashamed to charge Maister Iewell, for leauing the moste literall sense, and mingling three, opinions of these foure in one, as though his sense which is farthest of from the meaning of Christ, were the onelyonly or moste literall sense. But seeing hee wisheth Maister Iewell or any of vsus to discusse the meaning of Christe particulerly with all circumstaunces, for my parte considering all circumstaunces, I think the most simple and plaine meaning of Christe is, that Peter it a Rocke or stone, vppon which the Church is buylded, but none otherwise, then eueryevery one of the Apostles is, Ephe, 2. and 20. verse, and in the Apocalips the 21. chapter and 14. verse. Of which M. Sander also confesseth eueryevery one to be a Rock in his kinde.
But nowe let vsus see the fiue circumstaunces, by which Maister Saunder will proue Peter for to bee such a Rocke, as none of all the reste of the Apostles is but he.
The firste, Christe promised Symon before he confessed, that he shoulde be called Peter, whiche was the firste cause of beeing the Rocke Iohn I. Admit this to bee a promise, & not an imposition of a name, in respect of the giftes of fortitude & constancie where with he woulde endue him, this proueth him not to be a singular rocke.
The second, he was named Peter before he cōfessed, which was the performaunce of the promise. Mark. 3. I dout not but that he had cōfessed Christ before he was made an Apostle, although he had not made that solemne confession expressed in Matthew 16. Wherefore this circumstaunce is a friuolous argument. And his brother Andrewe which first brought him to Christ, confessed Iesus to be the Messias before Peter was come to Christ.
The thirde, when he had confessed the Godheade of Christ which was the fru…ct of the gift & of the promise, Christ pronounced him to be such a rocke, whereupon he would build his church, which was the reward of his confession.
But all the Apostles made the same confession, therefore the same reward was geuen to all, that they should euerie one be a rocke or stone, on which the church should be builded.
The fourth, Christ prayed that Peters faith might not fayle, which was the warrant of the perpetuitie of his strong confession Luc. 22. Christ prayed for all his Apostles Ioan. 17. the speciall prayer for Peter, was in respect of his greater weakenes, when he was left to him selfe.
The last, to shew what strength Peter should geue, to his brethren after his conuersion, Christ bad him feede his lambes, wherby he was made such a rock, wherby he should stay vp his church, by teaching & ruling ye faithful, as whose voyce the sheepe should be bound to heare in payne of damnation. First I answere, that the strength or confirmation which he should geue to his brethren, was not all one, with his feeding of the lambes, but was vsed to the strengthening of his weake brethren, the rest of the Apostles whom after his maruelous conuersion, he did mightely confirme, though in his fall he was shewed to be the weakest of all. Then I say, the feeding of the sheepe of Christ, was committed to him with the rest of the Apostles, in which he had no prerogatiue of auctoritie geuen, but an earnest charge, to shewe his greater louelove, by greater diligence in his office. So that hitherto Peter is none otherwise a rock, then eueryevery one of the Apostles is.