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| Chapter XII. He proves from the renowned confession of the blessed Peter that Christ is God.
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Chapter XII.
He proves from the renowned confession of the blessed
Peter that Christ is God.
But if you prefer the
authority of a greater person (although you ought not to slight the
authority of any one of either sex, on whom the confession of the
mystery confers weight—for whatever may be a person’s
condition, or however humble his position, yet the value of his faith
is not thereby diminished) let us interrogate no beginner or untaught
schoolboy, nor a woman whose faith might perhaps appear to be but
rudimentary; but that greatest of disciples among disciples, and of
teachers among teachers, who presided and ruled over the Roman Church,
and held the chief place2441
in the
priesthood as he did in the faith. Tell us then, tell us, we pray, O
Peter, thou chief of Apostles, tell us how the Churches ought to
believe in God. For it is right that you should teach us, as you were
taught by the Lord, and that you should open to us the gate, of which
you received the key. Shut out all those who try to overthrow the
heavenly house: and those who are endeavouring to enter by secret holes
and unlawful approaches: as it is clear that none can enter the gate of
the kingdom save one to whom the key bestowed on the Churches is
revealed by you. Tell us then how we ought to believe in Jesus Christ
and to confess our common Lord. You will surely reply without
hesitation: “Why do you consult me as to the way in which the
Lord should be confessed, when you have before you my own confession of
Him? Read the gospel, and you will not want me myself, when you have
got my confession. Nay, you have got me myself when you have my
confession; for though I have no weight apart from my confession, yet
the actual confession adds weight to my person.” Tell us then, O
Evangelist, tell us the confession: tell us the faith of the chief
Apostle: did he confess that Jesus was only a man, or God? did he say
that there was nothing but flesh in Him, or did he proclaim Him the Son
of God? When then the Lord Jesus Christ asked whom the disciples
believed and confessed Him to be, Peter, the first of the Apostles,
replied—one in the name of all—for the answer of one was to
the same effect as the faith of them all. But it was fitting that he
should first give the answer, that the order of the answer might
correspond to the degree of honour: and that he might outstrip them in
confession, as he outstripped them in age. What then does he
say? “Thou art,”
he says, “the Christ the Son of the living God.”2442
I am obliged, you heretic, to make use
of a plain and simple question to confute you. Tell me, I pray, who was
He, to whom Peter gave that answer? You cannot deny that it was the
Christ. I ask then, what do you call Christ? man or God? Man certainly
without any doubt: for hence springs the whole of your heresy, because
you deny that Christ is the Son of God. And so too you say that Mary is
Christotocos, but not Theotocos, because she was the mother of Christ,
not of God. Therefore you maintain, that Christ is only a man, and not
God, and so that He is the Son of man not of God. What then does Peter
reply to this? “Thou art,” he says, “the Christ, the
Son of the living God.” That Christ whom you declare to be only
the Son of man, he testifies to be the Son of God. Whom would you like
us to believe? you or Peter? I imagine that you are not so shameless as
to venture to prefer your own opinion to that of the first of the
Apostles. And yet what is there that you would not venture on? or how
can you help scorning the Apostle, if you can deny God? “Thou art
then,” he says, “the Christ, the Son of the living
God.” Is there anything puzzling or obscure in this? It is
nothing but a plain and open confession: he proclaims Christ to be the
Son of God. Perhaps you will deny that the words were spoken: but the
Evangelist testifies that they were. Or do you say that the Apostle
told a lie? But it is an awful lie to accuse an Apostle of lying. Or
perhaps you will maintain that the words were spoken of some other
Christ? But this is a novel kind of monstrous fabrication. What then is
left for you? One thing indeed; viz., that since what is written is
read, and what is read is true, you should finally be driven by force
and compulsion (as you cannot assert its falsehood) to desist from
impugning its truth.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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