Page:The early Christians in Rome (1911).djvu/48

 his master teach, and there (in Rome) composed his "record." This notice seems to have been connected by Papias with 1 Pet. v. 13, where Mark is alluded to in connexion with the fellow-elect in Babylon (Rome).

"It seems," concludes Bishop Lightfoot, referring to Irenæus (S. Clement of Rome, ii. 494), "a tolerably safe inference, therefore, that Papias represented S. Peter as being in Rome, that he stated Mark to have been with him there, and that he assigned to the latter a Gospel record (the second Gospel) which was committed to writing for the instruction of the Romans."

Dionysius of Corinth, 170, quoted by Eusebius (H. E. II. xxv.), wrote to Soter, bishop of Rome, as follows: "Herein by such instructions (to us) ye have united the trees of the Romans and Corinthians (trees) planted by Peter and Paul. For they both alike came also to our Corinth, and taught us; and both alike came together to Italy, and having taught there, suffered martyrdom at the same time."

Irenæus, circa 177-90, writes: "Matthew published also a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own language, while Peter and Paul were preaching and founding the Church in Rome. Again after their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself also handed down to us in writing the lessons preached by Peter."—H. E. III. i. 1.

Clement of Alexandria, circa 193-217 (Hypotyposes, quoted by Eusebius, H. E. vi. 14) tells us how, "when Peter had preached the word publicly in Rome, and declared the gospel by the Spirit, the bystanders, being many in number, exhorted Mark as having accompanied him for a long time, and remembering what he had said, to write out his statements, and having thus composed his Gospel, to communicate it to them; and that when Peter learnt this, he used no pressure either to prevent him or to urge him forwards."

Tertullian, circa 200, adds his testimony thus: "We read in the lives of the Cæsars, Nero was the first to stain the rising faith with blood. Thus Peter is girt by another (quoting the Lord's words) when he is bound to the Cross. Thus Paul obtains his birthright of Roman citizenship when he is born again there by the nobility of Martyrdom."—Scorpiace, 15.