Philippe the Tetrarche so named in the honour of Ceasar, folowing his bro∣ther Herode, whiche chaunged the name, and called that Cesarea, whiche beefore was named the tower of Straton, he thoughte to proue howe muche his schollers had profited by hearing so muche communicacion, and by seeing so many miracles: and whether they had any higher or better opinion of him, than the vulgare sorte. Therefore he demaundeth of them saying: whome doe men talke that the sonne of man is? They say: some say that he is Iohn the baptist. For so the Herodians suspecte. Some say that he is Helias, be∣cause he was taken vp: & they suspect that he doeth appere now according to the prophecie of Malachy. Some say that he is Hieremie, because he was a figure of Christ, and that it was sayde of hym: Beholde I haue set thee thys day ouer nacions and kinges, to plucke vp and to distroy and to plant: which in dede should be fulfilled in Christ. Iesus hearing these, to thentent he would gette out some more certayne and hygher profession, sayeth: ye ({quod} he) whiche shoulde knowe me better, who say ye that I am? Here Symon Peter as he lo∣ued Iesus best, as the chiefe of the Apostolicall ordre, aunswered for them all. Thou arte very Christe, the sonne of God aliue: not speaking of suspicion, but professing certainely and vndoubtedly that he was Messias pronused of the Prophetes, and the sonne of god after a certayne singuler manner. Iesus de∣lighted with this chereful and substaunciall profession, sayde: blessed art thou Symon the sonne of Iohn. The affeccion of man taught thee not this word, but the heauenly father put it in thy minde, by a secret inspiracion. For no man hath a worthy opinion of the sonne, but by the inspiracion of the father▪ which only knoweth the sonne. And I agayn, lest thou shouldest adourne me thanke∣lesse with suche a noble testimony, assure thee of this, that thou arte very Pe∣ter that is to say, a sound and a sure stone, not wauering hither or thither with sundrie opinions of the vulgare sort••: & vpon this stone of thy professyon, wil I builde my churche, that is to saye, my house and my palace: whiche beyng sette vpon a sure foundacion, I will so fortifie, that no power or strengthe of the kingdome of hell shalbe hable to beate it downe. Sathan will come vpon you with many engines, he will rayse a coumpany of wicked spirites against you, but through my defence my buyldyng shall stande imprennable, onely lette thys sure and sounde profession abyde. The kyngdome of heauen is the churche, the kingdome of the deuil is the worlde. Of thys no man nede to bee afearde, so that he bee Peter, that is to saye, lyke vnto thee. And the keyes of this heauenly kyngdome I will deliuer vnto thee. For it is meete that there he bee firste in auctoritie, whiche is firste in the professyon of the faithe, and in charitie. And truely this kingdom of heauen is in earth, but it hath to do with heauen, wherof it doeth depende. Wherfore he that is entangled with sinnes, doeth belong to the kingdome of hell, nor can not enter into the kyngdome of heauen. But he shall enter yf he professe that whiche thou doeste professe, and be losed from his sinnes by baptisme, and so through thy leading and thy ope∣ning of the gates, he shall enter into the kingdome of heauen. This is my pe∣culiar and proper power, to forgeue sinnes: but thys power I will geue vn∣to thee after a maner, that that whiche thou shalte lose, with my keyes recey∣ued of me, vpon earth before men, shal be losed also in heauen before God. On the other side, that which thou shalte binde in earth, shall be bounde also in heauen, for God will allowe thy iudgemente cummyng from hys spiryte.
[ The texte.]