Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/817

 PETER

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PETER

not be meant, the reference must be to Rome, the only city which is called Babylon elsewhere in ancient Christian literature (Apoc, xvii, 5; xviii, 10; "Ora- cula Sibyl.", V, verses 143 and 159, ed. Geffcken, Leipzig, 1902, HI).

From Bishop Papias of Hierapolis and Clement of Alexandria, who both appeal to the testimony of the old presbyters (i. e., the disciples of the Apostles), we learn that Mark wrote his Gospel in Rome at the re- quest of the Roman Christians, who desired a written memorial of the doctrine preached to them by St. Peter and his disciples (Eusebius, "Hist. Eccl.", II, xv; III, xl; VI, xiv); this is confirmed by Irenoeus (Adv. hoer.. Ill, i). In connexion with this informa- tion concerning the Gospel of St. Mark, Eusebius, relying perhaps on an earlier source, saj-s that Peter described Rome figuratively as Babylon in his First

that the two Apostles laboured personally in Rome, and with Apostolic authority preached the Gospel there. Bishop Dionysius of Corinth, in his letter to the Roman Church in the time of Pope Soter (165-74), says: "You have therefore by your urgent exhorta- tion bound close together the sowing of Peter and Paul at Rome and Corinth. For both planted the seed of the Gospel also in Corinth, and together in- structed us, just as they likewise taught in the same place in Italy and at the same time suffered martyr- dom" (In Eusebius, "Hist. Eccl.", II, x.xviii). Ire- naeus of Lyons, a native of Asia Minor and a disciple of Poly carp of Smyrna (a disciple of St. John), passed a considerable time in Rome shortly after the middle of the second century, and then proceeded to Lyons, where he became bishop in 177; he described the Roman Church as the most prominent and chief pre-

Epistle. Another testimony concerning the martyr- dom of Peter and Paul is supplied by Clement of Rome in his Epistle to the Corinthians (written about a. d. 95-97), wherein he says (v): "Through zeal and cun- ning the greatest and most righteous supports [of the Church] have suffered persecution and been warred to death. Let us place before our eyes the gootl Apos- tles — St. Peter, who in consequence of unjust zeal, suffered not one or two, but numerous miseries, and, having thus given testimony (fiapTvpricxas), has en- tered the merited place of glory". He then mentions Paul and a number of elect, who were assembled with the others and suffered martyrdom "among us" {if V/Mv, i. e., among the Romans, the meaning that the expression also bears in chap. Iv). He is speaking un- doubtedly, as the whole passage proves, of the Nero- nian persecution, and thus refers the martyrdom of Peter and Paul to that epoch.

In his letter written at the beginning of the second century (before 117), while being brought to Rome for piartyrdom, the venerable Bishop Ignatius of Antioch endeavours by every means to restrain the Roman Christians from stri\-ing for his pardon, re- marking: "I issue you no commands, like Peter and Paul; they were Apostles, while I am but a captive" (Ad. Rom., iv). The meaning of this remark must be

server of Apostolic tradition, as "the greatest and most ancient church, known by all, founded and or- ganized at Rome by the two most glorious Apostles, Peter and Paul" (Adv. hfer.. Ill, iii; cf. Ill, i). He thus makes use of the universally known and recog- nized fact of the Apostohc activity of Peter and Paul in Rome, to find therein a proof from tradition against the heretics.

In his " Hypotyposes" (Eusebius, "Hist. Eccl.", IV, xiv), Clement of Alexandria, teacher in the catechet- ical school of that city from about 190, says on the strength of the tnulilioii of tlic jircsbyters: "After Peter had announced thi' WOnl of (!cm1 in Rome and preached the Gospel in the si)irit scriptione", xx,xv, he says: "If thou art near Italy, thou hast Rome where authority is ever within reach. How fortunate is this Church for which the ."Vpostles have poured out their whole teaching with their blood, where Peter has emulated the Passion of the Lord, wiero Paul was crowned with