Page:The early Christians in Rome (1911).djvu/47

 The Quotations

Clemens Romanus, 95-6. In the fifth chapter of the well-known and undoubtedly authentic ''Letter of Clement of Rome to the Corinthians'', the writer calls the attention of the Corinthians to the examples of the Christian "athletes" who "lived very near to our own time." He speaks of the apostles who were persecuted, and who were faithful to death. "There was Peter, who after undergoing many sufferings, and having borne his testimony, went to his appointed place of glory. There was Paul, who after enduring chains, imprisonments, stonings, again and again, and sufferings of all kinds likewise endured martyrdom, and so departed from this world."

The reason why Clement of Rome mentions these two special apostles (other apostles had already suffered martyrdom) is obvious. Clement was referring to examples of which they themselves had been eye-witnesses. Paul, it is universally acknowledged, was martyred in Rome; is not the inference from the words of Clement, that Peter suffered martyrdom in this same city also, overwhelming ?

Ignatius, circa 108-9, some twelve or thirteen years after Clement had written his Epistle to the Corinthians, on his journey to his martyrdom at Rome, thus writes to the Roman Church: "I do not command you like Peter and Paul: they were apostles; I am a condemned criminal." Why now did Ignatius single out Peter and Paul? So Bishop Lightfoot, commenting on this passage, forcibly says: "Ignatius was writing from Asia Minor. He was a guest of a disciple of John at the time. He was sojourning in a country where John was the one prominent name. The only conceivable reason why he specially named Peter and Paul was that these two apostles had both visited Rome and were remembered by the Roman Church."

Papias of Hierapolis, born circa 60-70. His writings probably date somewhat late in the first quarter of the second century. On the authority of Presbyter John, a personal disciple of the Lord, Papias tells us about Mark: he was a friend and interpreter of S. Peter, and wrote down what he heard