Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/849

 by the  emperor. On his  way  to  the  great  city. he was  shipwrecked at Malta,  but  was  saved  in  a miraculous  manner. Arrived in Rome,  he  was  kept  two  years  more  in  prison,  but  was  allowed the freedom  of  preaching  the  Gospel  to  those  who  came  to  see and hear  him  during  this  his  first  Roman  captivity.

At the  same  time  the  other  apostles  were  journeying  in various  countries,  preaching  as  they  went,  and  working  all  manner of signs  and  wonders. Peter, in  his  capacity  of  head  of  the Church, visited  the  various  churches, confirming  them  in  the faith. It was  in  this  capacity  that  he  had  gone  before  Paul to the  capital  of  the  ancient  world,  and  had  there  established his episcopal  see;  thither  he  returned  after  each  of  his  apostolic journeys, or  visitations;  and  in  his  last  years  he  remained  there permanently.

Peter and  the  other  apostles  everywhere  established  bishops as their  successors. These bishops  were  to  govern  the  faithful, and to  teach  them  the  same  doctrine  that  they  had  learnt  from the apostles. As to  the  Scriptures  of  the  New  Testament,  we must  bear  in  mind  that  they  were  written  later,  and  collected later still. Hence the  apostles  and  the  first  followers  of  the  apostles had no  written  books  wherewith  to  convert  the  world. It was all done  by  preaching. The apostles  preached  what  they  had seen and  heard,  and  their  successors  preached  what  they  had learnt from  the  apostles. Much of  what  the  apostles  preached was afterwards  written  down  in  the  books  of  the  New  Testament ,