Lipsius on the Roman Peter-Legend [pp. 265-290]

{T876.] LIPSIUS ON THE ROMAN PETER-LEGEND. 265
Art. iii.-LipsiUS ON THE ROMAN PETER LEGEND.*
By SAMUEL M. JACKSON. A.B., New York.
THE question of Peter's sojourn in Rome forms one of the
hief points of contention between Romanists and Protestants.
-The former assert, not only that Peter was in Rome, but that
he was the first Roman bishop; and, moreover, suffered martyr<lom there under Nero. The latter have hitherto very gen
~rally denied the fact, with its consequences.
The usual repugnance on the part of Protestants to acce?t
~ny of the distinctive Romish beliefs, may have first led, at
Jeast in part, to this denial. It was considered that it would
be yielding too much to the Papal assumptions to grant that
Peter ever was in Rome. Hence, the earliest Protestant Church
~~istorians, such as Velenus (1520), Flacius (1554), and Salmasius
~I645) "spared no pains to remove from its place the cornerstone upon which rests the proud structure of the Church of
Rome."
But modern scholars, feeling much surer of their ground,
deny the necessary connection between the presence of Peter
in Rome and the Roman Primacy. Many, indeed, it would
seem the majority. yield the point. And, surely, if mere array
of passages, in which this sojourn is spoken of, could carry the
day, the question might be considered settled.
Popular interest in the matter has been lately renewed by
the famous debate in Rome, in February, 1872. In the same
;year there appeared a German work, by Prof. Lipsius, no\v of
Jena, with the title, "A Critical E~aminatioiz of tke Sources of
J2e Roma~ Pcter-Lc~cnd" (Kiel. 1872). The book was written
in the fall of 1871, and hence was not called forth by the debate. As was to have been expected from a man of Dr. Lipsius' deep learning and critical acumen, it is a thorough and
masterly treatise.
* Die Qaeiien der ro~ntiscken?e1rus-Sa~e kritisc/z untersucht, von R. A. Lipsius;
~iel: 1872. Also, an Introduction to the same, in MS., by Dr. Lipsius, intended to
~ccompany an English translation of his work.