St Augustine's Sermon 76

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Does anybody know where I can find St Augustine’s Sermon 76 De Verbis Domini. It is claimed that he said -

“Therefore, you are Peter and upon this rock, which you have confessed, upon this rock, which you have acknowledged, saying, you are the Christ the Son of the living God, I will build my church, upon myself who am the Son of the living God, I will build my church, upon myself, I will build, not myself upon you.”

Those who have access to a library and know some Latin can find it in J. P. Migne, Patrologiae…series Latina. [Paris: J. P. Migne, 1857-87], 38.479)
 
Good ole New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia comes through again.Sermon 76 but I have looked it over carefully and searched Augustines writings and I can’t find that statement at all. (Use Ctrl f to search for phrases like that.)

I’d call it a spurious citation.
Pax tecum,
 
I was actually looking at this just the other day, by chance. It’s sermon 26, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia. You can find the article here, and here is the relevant section in context:
AGAIN ON MATT. XIV. 25: OF THE LORD WALKING ON THE WAVES OF THE SEA, AND OF PETER TOTTERING.
  1. THE Gospel which has just been read touching the Lord Christ, who walked on the waters of the sea; and the Apostle Peter, who as he was walking, tottered through fear, and sinking in distrust, rose again by confession, gives us to understand that the sea is the present world, and the Apostle Peter the type of the One Church. For Peter in the order of Apostles first, and in the love of Christ most forward, answers oftentimes alone for all the rest. Again, when the Lord Jesus Christ asked, whom men said that He was, and when the disciples gave the various opinions of men, and the Lord asked again and said, “But whom say ye that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” One for many gave the answer, Unity in many. Then said the Lord to Him, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjonas: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.” Then He added, “and I say unto thee.” As if He had said, "Because thou hast said unto Me, ‘Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God;’ I also say unto thee, ‘Thou art Peter.’ " For before he was called Simon. Now this name of Peter was given him by the Lord, and that in a figure, that he should signify the Church. For seeing that Christ is the rock (Petra), Peter is the Christian people. For the rock (Petra) is the original name. Therefore Peter is so called from the rock; not the rock from Peter; as Christ is not called Christ from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ. “Therefore,” he saith, “Thou art Peter; and upon this Rock” which thou hast confessed, upon this Rock which thou hast acknowledged, saying, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, will I build My Church;” that is upon Myself, the Son of the living God, “will I build My Church.” I will build thee upon Myself, not Myself upon thee.
    Augustine doesn’t necessarily believe that the rock upon which the Catholic Church is built, is Peter. He leaves this up to the reader (I think I saw him say words to this effect elsewhere). Yet he clearly doesn’t think there is any contradiction between Christ being the rock, and the doctrine of Papal primacy. This can be seen in many of his works, just check out the “primacy of peter” sections in the CA library, scrolling down to Augustine’s contributions.
 
Woot! I beat Church Militant!!! Does this mean I’m not a Catholic noob anymore…? :eek:
 
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Atreyu:
Woot! I beat Church Militant!!! Does this mean I’m not a Catholic noob anymore…? :eek:
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In the words of the old rock song by The Who… " I just handed my pinball crown to him." :rotfl: :bowdown2:
 
Therefore Peter is so called from the rock; not the rock from Peter; as Christ is not called Christ from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ. “Therefore,” he saith, “Thou art Peter; and upon this Rock” which thou hast confessed, upon this Rock which thou hast acknowledged, saying, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, will I build My Church;” that is upon Myself, the Son of the living God, “will I build My Church.” I will build thee upon Myself, not Myself upon thee.
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I think this is the (very intense) context that Augustine finally explains what he means, and I think that non-Catholics might do well to read this carefully and understand that this is really a very good sumation of correct Catholic teaching.

It is NOT Peter’s confession that Augustine is saying is the basis for the foundation of the church (as some n-Cs will assert) but it is the fact that Kephas confesses that that makes him Christ’s choice for Christ Himself to make him the rock in the foundation of the church that Christ builds upon Himself. “I will build thee upon Myself, not Myself upon thee.”

The Catholic Church teaches that Christ is the foundation of the church and that Peter is the the rock upon which Christ chose to build His church and insure that the gates of hell do not prevail against it.

I suspect that people who attempt to use this passage against the papal primacy of Peter are not reading what is there as much as reading into it something that really isn’t there.
Pax vobiscum,
 
Church Militant:
It is NOT Peter’s confession that Augustine is saying is the basis for the foundation of the church (as some n-Cs will assert) but it is the fact that Kephas confesses that that makes him Christ’s choice for Christ Himself to make him the rock in the foundation of the church that Christ builds upon Himself. “I will build thee upon Myself, not Myself upon thee.”

The Catholic Church teaches that Christ is the foundation of the church and that Peter is the the rock upon which Christ chose to build His church and insure that the gates of hell do not prevail against it.
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You make a good point.
 
I would always begin any inquiry about a particular quotation by looking at it within its original context and then by comparing it to other writing of the same author. I have encountered and studied a similar quotation by St. Augustine to yours that I will share below.

**“For on this very account the Lord said, ‘On this rock will I build my
Church,’ because Peter had said, “Thou art the Christ, the son of the
living God.’ On this rock, therefore, He said, which thou hast
confessed, I will build my church. For the Rock (petra) was Christ; and
on this foundation was Peter himself also built. For other foundation
no man lay that this is laid, which is Christ Jesus.” **

from Augustine, Homilies on the Gospel of John, Tractate 124; John 21:19-25

Like the quotation you offer, taken out of context, this particular quotation seems to be refuting the doctrine of the Papacy and the primacy of Peter as “the Rock.”

However, in any of his writings, taken within context, St. Augustine does not at all question or refute the primacy of Peter. And no where in any of this writing does he deny the authority of the pope. In fact, just three sentences before the quotation I have cited, he states: “So does the Church act in the blessed hope through this troublous life; and this Church symbolized in its generality, was personified in the Apostle Peter, on account of the primacy of his apostleship. For, as regards his proper personality, he was by nature one man, by grace one Christian, by still more abounding grace one, and yet also, the first apostle.” (Augustine, Homilies on the Gospel of John, Tractate 124; John 21:19-25).

Here, St. Augustine is emphasizing his point about Peter’s role being a mere portion of the power and authority of Christ. He prefaces this quotation with: “For petra (rock) is not derived from Peter, but Peter from petra; just as Christ is not called so from the Christian, but the Christian from Christ.” He goes on to expound on the inferior nature of Peter to that of Christ. He does not in any way deny Peter’s authority or primacy in the Church, but rather reinforces it with the proper perspective of Jesus as the original source and summit of “the rock.”

If you haven’t read the whole homily (Tractate 124), I would just so encourage you to do so! It is so beautiful! It is truly amazing how deeply profound and insightful St. Augustine’s spirituality is. He explains John 21: 19-25 in such a profitable way. Lots of goosebump moments. He really draws the connection between St. Peter and Christ and shows how St. Peter’s mission was truly one in the footsteps of the Lord. And how our suffering and trials of this life truly connect us with Christ, too.

Likewise, I would encourage you to read any quotation within its original context and have some other writings of the same author to compare and contrast the spirit and the letter!
 
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