lovest Me,' He says, 'feed My sheep.' And this He said, not only from a wish to exhibit to us the greatest proof of His love towards him, but also He manifests His affection for His sheep.......Hence, if any would be well pleasing to Him, let him take care of these sheep, let him seek after their common advantage, let him care for his brethren; for no good work is more precious in God's sight; and therefore does He also say elsewhere, Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.' (Luke, xxii. 31, 32.) And what return dost thou make Me for this so great solicitude and forethought? What return does He ask for? the very same back again; 'And thou,' He says, 'once converted, confirm thy brethren.'"-Ib. De B. Paphlegonio, n. 2, p. 496; cf. Ib. c. Jud. et Gent. n. 9, p. 571.

"Peter, after that grievous denial, inasmuch as he speedily remembered his sin, and, no one accusing him, declared his transgression and wept bitterly, so completely washed away that denial, as to become the first of the apostles, and to have entrusted to him the whole world."-Ib. Hom. 8, adv. Judæos, n. 3, p. 677.

"Peter himself, the head of the apostles, the first in the Church, the friend of Christ, who received a revelation, not from men, but from the Father, as the Lord bears witness to him, saying, 'Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood hath not revealed it to thee, but My Father who is in heaven;' this very Peter-and when I say Peter, I name that unbroken rock, that immoveable foundation, the great apostle, the first of the disciples, the first called, and the first who obeyed-was guilty of a deed not slight, but exceedingly great, even the denying the Lord Himself. I say this, not arraigning that just man, but giving thee a ground of peni

tence."-T. ii. Hom. 3, de Pœnitentia, n. 4, p 300.*

"After that grievous fall-for there is no evil equal to a denial-still however, after so great an evil, He again raised him to that former honour, and put into his hands the presidency of the universal Church."—Ib. Hom. 5, De Pœnit. n. 2, p. 311. "Great was God's consideration towards this city (Antioch), as He manifested by deeds; inasmuch as Peter, who was set over the whole habitable world; into whose hands He put the keys of heaven;' to whom He entrusted to do, and to support, all things; him He ordered to tarry here for a long time. Thus,

*The following is also from T. ii. Hom. in SS. Petrum et Heliam, p. 872-4. Savile and Tillemont account it genuine, and apparently with reason; but as the Ben. Ed. doubts its authenticity, I place it in the margin.-" Peter was about tc be entrusted with the keys of the Church, or rather he was entrusted with the keys of heaven, and was about to be entrusted with the mass of the people. For what says the Lord unto him, 'Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth,' &c. Peter was at one time slightly abrupt, and had he been also impeccable, what forgiveness would those taught by him have obtained? But therefore did divine grace bring about that he should fall into a certain transgression, that from what he had himself suffered, he might become merciful towards others. And see into what a sin He allowed him to fall. Peter, the chiefest of the apostles, the immoveable foundation, the firm rock, the first man of the Church, the impregnable harbour, that very Peter who says to Christ, 'Yea, though I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee'...a woman terrified that Peter; a harlot came and confounded Peter's faith. Peter, that pillar, that towering rock, endured not the threat of a harlot; she only spoke to him, and that pillar was shaken, that towering rock was moved. For he was allowed to sin, he to whom the Church and the people were about to be entrusted; the pillar of the Churches; the harbour of the faith; Peter, the teacher of the universe, was suffered to sin, that this permission might be a motive of mercifulness towards others.'

this our city was to him equivalent to the whole world. And seeing that I have named Peter, I see that a fifth crown is woven for him, (St. Ignatius M.), for he was the one to receive the government (of Antioch) after Peter."-Ib. in S. Ignat. M. n. 4, p. 712.

"Peter, the leader of the choir of the apostles; the mouth of the disciples; the pillar of the Church; the buttress of the faith; the foundation of the confession; the fisherman of the universe; he who raised up our race from the depths of error even unto heaven; who was everywhere ardent and full of confidence, or rather of love than confidence, when all the rest were silent, coming up to the Teacher, says, 'How often shall my brother offend,' &c. Upon hearing this, Peter stood amazed, solicitous not only for himself, but also for those about to be entrusted to him."-T. iii. Hom. de dec. mill. Talent. n. 3, p. 4.

"And why say this of us who are mean and abject? For even if one be a Paul, or Peter, or James, or John, if he be deprived of help from above, he is easily overcome and overthrown, and falls down. And on this I will recite to you the words of Christ Himself: Behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; and I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not.' (Luke xxii. 31, 32.) What is to sift? to turn aside, and about, to shake, to move, to disturb, to vex, as happens to what is being sifted. But I, He says, have restrained him, knowing that you are not able to bear the temptation. For to say that thy faith fail not, shows that his faith would have failed, if He had permitted it. Now, if Peter, that fervent lover of Christ, and who countless times offered his life for Him, who always started forward before the choir of the apostles, who was proclaimed blessed by his Master, and for this called Peter, because he had an

unshaken and immoveable faith, would have been overcome and have fallen from the faith, if Christ had allowed the devil to tempt him as much as he wished, what other will be able to stand without His help? and therefore does Paul also say, 'God is faithful, &c.'-(1 Cor. x. 13.)"-Ib. in Paralyt. demiss, per tect. n. 2, p. 35.

"For Peter himself took this very name, not from wonders and signs, but from zeal and sincere love. For not because he raised the dead, or made straight the lame, was he so named; but because he manifested sincere faith together with that confession he had that name allotted him,*Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church.' And as I have named Peter, I am reminded of another Peter also, (Flavian, bishop of Antioch), our common father and teacher, who, having succeeded to his virtue, has also had allotted to him his chair. For this is also one privilege of our city, that it received in the beginning for its teacher the chief of the apostles. For it was befitting that that city which, before the rest of the world, was crowned with the name of Christian, should receive as shepherd the first of the apostles. But, after having had him as our teacher, we did not keep him, but surrendered him to imperial Rome."-Ib. Hom. 2, in Inscript. Act. n. 6, p. 70.†

In the same vol. there is a Homily which treats almost solely of changes of names in the Old and New Testament. It is curious and instructive, but too long to insert here. "This matter," he says, may seem a trifling one, but it contains a rich treasure to any that apply to it with care and attention."-Hom. 2, n. 2, p. 109, De mutat. nom.

+ The following is from the Inscript. Act. 11, n. 1. T. ii. P. i. p. 61. "What then is the gates of hell?' for the phrase is perhaps obscure. Let us understand what is the

N. 4. "What sayest thou? Peter, timid and unmanly? Was he not on this account named Peter, because he was in faith immoveable? What art thou doing, man? Reverence the designation which the Lord gave to the disciple. Peter, timid and unmanly! And who will bear with you saying such things? N. 5. For this is indeed the great thing, not that he confessed Christ, but that he confessed Him with boldness before all the others...... Was he then such after the cross? but before the cross was he not more ardent than all? Was he not the mouth of the apostles? Did he not speak when all were silent?... But whom do you say that I am?' Christ says; then Peter answering, said, 'Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.' You, He says, and as the mouth of all he speaks. So Peter was the tongue of the apostles, and, instead of all, he answered. N. 7. Not of Peter only, the chief of those holy men, but of all the apostles absolutely was Paul the servant; for I,' he says, 'am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle,' (1 Cor. xv. 9); and not of the apostles only, but also of all the saints absolutely, 'To me,' he says, 'the least of all the saints, is given this grace,' (Ephes. iii. 8.) N. 8. Seest thou how he puts himself as the least of all the saints, not of the apostles only? Now, he who was thus disposed towards all, knew also how great a precedence it was necessary for Peter to enjoy; and he reverenced him most of all men, and, as he deserved, so was he disposed towards him. And this is hence manifest. The whole world was looking to him (Paul); the solicitudes of the Churches throughout the earth

gate of a city, and then we shall know what the gate of hell is. The gate of a city is the entrace into the city, and therefore the gate of hell a danger leading to hell."