Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/380



374 THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH.

From this text it is clear that by the will and com- mand of God the Church rests upon St. Peter, just as a building rests on its foundation. Now the proper nature of a foundation is to be a principle of cohesion for the various parts of the building. It must be the necessary conditions of stability and strength. Remove it and the whole building falls. It is consequently the office of St. Peter to support the Church, and to guard it irf alT~its strength and indestructible unity. How could he fulfil this office without the power of commanding, forbidding, and judging, which is properly called jurisdiction? It is only by this power o f jurisdiction_ that nations and commonwe alths a,re helcTIEog ether. A primacy of honor and the shadowy right of giving advice and admonition, which is called direction, could never secure to any society of men unity or strength. The words â€” and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it â€” proclaim and establish the authority of which we speak. "What is the it?*j (writes Origen). "Is it the rock upon which Christ builds the Church, or the Church? The expression indeed is ambiguous, as if the rock and the Church were one and the same. I indeed think that this is so, and that neither against the rock upon which Christ builds His Church nor against the Church shall the gates of hell prevail." * The meaning of this divine utterance is, that, notwith- standing the wiles and intrigues which they bring to bear against the Church, it pji never be that the Church com- ,mitt ed to the care. of. Peter shall suc_cumb or in any wise Jail. "For the Church, as the edifice of Christ who has wisely built ' His house upon a rock,' cannot be conquered j by the gates of hell, which may prevail over any man who shall be off the rock and outside the Church, but shall be powerless against it." ^ Therefore God con- fided His Church to Peter so that he might safely guard it with his unconquerable power. He invested him, there:;^

' Origenes, Comment, in Matt., torn, xii., n. ii. ' Ibid.