e to the
propriety of rebaptizing heretics brought the Church of Rome into
collision with many Christian communities in Africa and Asia Minor. The
discussion, which did not eventuate in any fresh schism, is chiefly
remarkable for the firm stand now made against the assumptions of the
great Bishop of the West. When Stephen, who was opposed to rebaptism,
discovered that he could not induce the Asiatics and Africans to come
over to his sentiments, he rashly tried to overbear them by declaring
that he would shut them out from his communion; but his antagonists
treated the threat merely as an empty display of insolence. "What strife
and contention hast thou awakened in the Churches of the whole world, O
Stephen," said one of his opponents, "and how great sin hast thou
accumulated when thou didst cut thyself off from so many flocks! Deceive
not thyself, for he is truly the schismatic who has made himself an
apostate from the communion of the unity of the Church. For whilst thou
thinkest that all may be excommunicated by thee, thou hast
excommunicated thyself alone from all." [357:1]

When the apostle of the circumcision said to his Master--"Thou art the
Christ, the Son of the living God," Jesus replied--"_Blessed_ art thou,
Simon Bar-jona, _for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but
my Father which is in heaven_." To this emphatic acknowledgment of the
faith of His disciple, our Lord added the memorable words--"And I say
also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my
church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." [357:2] As
the word Peter signifies a _stone_, [357:3] this address admits of a
very obvious and satisfactory exposition. "Thou art," said Christ to the
apostle, "a lively stone [357:4] of the spiritual structure I erect; and
upon this rock on which thy faith is established, as witnessed by thy
good confession, I will build my Church; and though the rains of
affliction may descend, and the floods of danger may come, and the winds
of temptation may blow, and beat upon this house, it shall remain
immoveable, [358:1] because it rests upon an impregnable foundation."
But a different interpretation was already gaining wide currency; for
though Peter had been led to deny Christ with oaths and imprecations,
the rapid growth and preponderating wealth of the Roman bishopric, of
which the apostle was supposed to be the founder, had now induced many
to believe that he was the