Million Book Collection - The Fishers of Men Ministries

36 THE FORMATION OF CHRISTENDOMwas represented to Christian eyes in the ancient paintingsof the catacombs and in the sculptures of sarcophagiunder a symbol which cannot be mistaken.There often recurs the image of Closes striking therock with the rod of power, from which the streamsof salvation issue. The rock, according to the Apostle'sinterpretation, signifies Christ; the stream that onefountain of grace on which the Christian life depends,and which accordingly the sheep are represented asdrinking. The allusion to the Old Testament narrativeis plain, but usually no name is given to the manstriking the rock. In two instances, however, of theancient glasses the name of Peter is written above thisimage, to signify that in the new Israel of God heoccupies the place which Moses occupied in the old.^^^^__ Furthermore, this scene of Moses striking the rockis found constantly in juxtaposition with anotherscene of Peter taken captive by the satellites of Herod,and the features of the captive Peter and the manstriking the rock are frequently made with a studiedsimilarity to each other. ' For the re] fition of thesescenes close to each other no reason can be assignedbut that Peter's imprisonment and miraculous deliveranceimmediately preceded that " going forth intoanother place" in which he founded the RomanChurch, the most signal instance wherein he appearedas the Moses of the new covenant, causing the streamof grace to flow from the rock of Christ in the verycentre and high place of pagan idolatry. The exhibitionof such paintings on the walls of Iloman catacombsand of such sculptures on Iloman sarcophagi,conveyed a whole history to the beholder's mind.There was the local tradition of the Roman Church,and the universal tradition of the whole Church