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the forbidden fruit, it was not the apple which entered into the mouth, but the disobedience to the law of God, which defiled him. The same is to be said if a Jew, in the time. of the old law, had eaten swine's flesh; or a Christian convert, in the days of the Apostles, contrary to their ordinance, had eaten blood; or if any of the faithful at present should transgress the ordinance of God's Church, by breaking the fasts. For in all these cases the soul would be defiled; not, indeed, by that which goeth into the mouth, but by the disobedience of the heart, in wilfully transgressing the ordinance of God, or of those who have their authority from him.

37 Thou art Peter. As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ, so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him: viz. that he, to whom he had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock, St. John i. 42, should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation-stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor, and should have accordingly all fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven.-Ibid. Upon this rock. The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar tongue of the Jews which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a rock; and upon this rock I will build my Church. So that by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock upon which the Church was to be built, Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, by building his house, that is, his Church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, St. Matt. vii. 24, 25.-Ibid. The gates of hell. That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself or his agents. For as the Church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock, so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, i. e. the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city, or Church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever, shall at any time prevail over the Church of Christ.

38 Loose on earth. The loosing the bands of temporal. punishments due to sins is called an indulgence; the power of which is here granted.

39 As a grain of mustard-seed. That is, a perfect faith, which in its properties and its fruits resembles the grain of mustard-seed in the parable.

40 Shall scandalise. That is, shall put a stumbling-block in their way, and canse them to fall into sin.

41 It must needs be-viz. considering the wickedness and corruption of the world.

42 Scandalise thee. That is, cause thee to offend.

43 There am I in the midst of them. This is understood of such assemblies only as are gathered in the name and authority of Christ, and in unity of the Church of Christ. St. Cyprian de Unitate Ecclesiæ.

44 Unprofitable servants. Because our service is of no profit to our master; and he justly claims it as our bounden duty. But though we are unprofitable to him, our serving him is not unprofitable to us; for he is pleased to give by his grace a value to our good works, which, in consequence of his promise, entitles them to an eternal reward.

45 I am come. Not that Christ came for that end, that any one should be made blind; but that the Jews, by the abuse of his coming, and by their not receiving him, brought upon themselves this judgment of blindness.

46 If you were blind. If you were invincibly ignorant, and had neither read the Scriptures nor seen my miracles, you would not be guilty of the sin of infidelity; but now, as you boast of your knowledge of the Scriptures, you are inexcusable.

47 Build the sepulchres. This is not blamed, as if it were in itself evil to build or adorn the monuments of the prophets; but the hypocrisy of the Pharisees is here taxed, who, whilst they pretended to honour the memory of the prophets, were persecuting even unto death the Lord of the prophets.

48 That upon you may come. Not that they should suffer more than their own sins justly deserved, but that the justice of God should now fall upon them with such a final vengeance, once for all, as might comprise all the different kinds of judgments and punishments that had at any time before been inflicted for the shedding of just blood.

the forbidden fruit, it was not the apple which entered into the mouth, but the disobedience to the law of God, which defiled him. The same is to be said if a Jew, in the time of the old law, had eaten swine's flesh; or a Christian convert, in the days of the Apostles, contrary to their ordinance, had eaten blood; or if any of the faithful at present should transgress the ordinance of God's Church, by breaking the fasts. For in all these cases the soul would be defiled; not, indeed, by that which goeth into the mouth, but by the disobedience of the heart, in wilfully transgressing the ordinance of God, or of those who have their authority from him.

37 Thou art Peter. As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ, so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him: viz. that he, to whom he had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock, St. John i. 42, should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation-stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor, and should have accordingly all fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven.-Ibid. Upon this rock. The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar tongue of the Jews which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a rock; and upon this rock I will build my Church. So that by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock upon which the Church was to be built, Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, by building his house, that is, his Church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, St. Matt. vii. 24, 25.-Ibid. The gates of hell. That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself or his agents. For as the Church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock, so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, i. e. the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city, or Church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever, shall at any time prevail over the Church of Christ.

38 Loose on earth. The loosing the bands of temporal punishments due to sins is called an indulgence; the power of which is here granted.

39 As a grain of mustard-seed. That is, a perfect faith, which in its properties and its fruits resembles the grain of mustard-seed in the parable.

40 Shall scandalise. That is, shall put a stumbling-block in their way, and cause them to fall into sin.

41 It must needs be-viz. considering the wickedness and corruption of the world.

42 Scandalise thee. That is, cause thee to offend.

43 There am I in the midst of them. This is understood of such assemblies only as are gathered in the name and authority of Christ, and in unity of the Church of Christ. St. Cyprian de Unitate Ecclesia.

44 Unprofitable servants. Because our service is of no profit to our master; and he justly claims it as our bounden duty. But though we are unprofitable to him, our serving him is not unprofitable to us; for he is pleased to give by his grace a value to our good works, which, in consequence of his promise, entitles them to an eternal reward.

45 I am come. Not that Christ came for that end, that any one should be made blind; but that the Jews, by the abuse of his coming, and by their not receiving him, brought upon themselves this judgment of blindness.

46 If you were blind. If you were invincibly ignorant, and had neither read the Scriptures nor seen my miracles, you would not be guilty of the sin of infidelity; but now, as you boast of your knowledge of the Scriptures, you are inexcusable.

47 Build the sepulchres. This is not blamed, as if it were in itself evil to build or adorn the monuments of the prophets; but the hypocrisy of the Pharisees is here taxed, who, whilst they pretended to honour the memory of the prophets, were persecuting even unto death the Lord of the prophets.

48 That upon you may come. Not that they should suffer more than their own sins justly deserved, but that the justice of God should now fall upon them with such a final vengeance, once for all, as might comprise all the different kinds of judgments and punishments that had at any time before been inflicted for the shedding of just blood.

the forbidden fruit, it was not the apple which entered into the mouth, but the disobedience to the law of God, which defiled him. The same is to be said if a Jew, in the time of the old law, had eaten swine's flesh; or a Christian convert, in the days of the Apostles, contrary to their ordinance, had eaten blood; or if any of the faithful at present should transgress the ordinance of God's Church, by breaking the fasts. For in all these cases the soul would be defiled; not, indeed, by that which goeth into the mouth, but by the disobedience of the heart, in wilfully transgressing the ordinance of God, or of those who have their authority from him.

37 Thou art Peter. As St. Peter, by divine revelation, here made a solemn profession of his faith of the divinity of Christ, so in recompense of this faith and profession, our Lord here declares to him the dignity to which he is pleased to raise him: viz. that he, to whom he had already given the name of Peter, signifying a rock, St. John i. 42, should be a rock indeed, of invincible strength, for the support of the building of the church; in which building he should be, next to Christ himself, the chief foundation-stone, in quality of chief pastor, ruler, and governor, and should have accordingly all fulness of ecclesiastical power, signified by the keys of the kingdom of heaven.-Ibid. Upon this rock. The words of Christ to Peter, spoken in the vulgar tongue of the Jews which our Lord made use of, were the same as if he had said in English, Thou art a rock; and upon this rock I will build my Church. So that by the plain course of the words, Peter is here declared to be the rock upon which the Church was to be built, Christ himself being both the principal foundation and founder of the same. Where also note, that Christ, by building his house, that is, his Church, upon a rock, has thereby secured it against all storms and floods, like the wise builder, St. Matt. vii. 24, 25.-Ibid. The gates of hell. That is, the powers of darkness, and whatever Satan can do, either by himself or his agents. For as the Church is here likened to a house, or fortress, built on a rock, so the adverse powers are likened to a contrary house or fortress, the gates of which, i. e. the whole strength, and all the efforts it can make, will never be able to prevail over the city, or Church of Christ. By this promise we are fully assured, that neither idolatry, heresy, nor any pernicious error whatsoever, shall at any time prevail over the Church of Christ.

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