Discordance of Papistic Writers. 1

The common belief of the papists is that Peter sat as the chief bishop on the Roman throne; yet the authors they bring forward to prove it differ greatly. As to his arrival in that city, some place it in the year 41 after Christ; others at the beginning of the reign of the Emperor Claudius; others in the second year of this same Claudius; others in the fourth year; others at the beginning of the reign of Nero; others in the fourteenth year after Paul's conversion, and so on, as it is noted in Irenaeus, Orosius, Damasus, Hornantius, Th. [n72-1] Aquinus, The Lives of the Saints, and so on.

There is no less disagreement about how long he was bishop, and about how long he was away from his bishopric, staying in other places. Cortesius writes of eighteen years, Onuphrius of seven years; but the general opinion among them is that he sat twenty-five years on the chair, governing their church, although some flatly oppose it. See the three authors last mentioned.

As to the person who succeeded him in his bishopric, what is said on the subject is full of confusion and uncertainty. Some write that Clemens succeeded Peter, as Septimus Florens Tertullian; others that Linus followed him, as Irenaeus, Eusebius, Epiphanius, and so on, De Praes 32 r. Contr. lov.; others, that Linus carried out Peter's office two years before the death of the latter, as Damasus, and so on; others, that Peter ordered that Clemens should succeed after the death of Linus; In Pontific. Petr. and so on, Clem. in Epist. ad Jacobum, and so on; others, that the chair of Peter stood empty while Linus and Cletus lived, since Clemens, who was ordained by Peter as his successor, was not willing, as they say, to occupy the chair in their lifetime, which Bellarminus testifies; others, that Linus occupied the chair eleven years after Peter's death, see Eusebius; others, that Linus died before Peter, and so was not his successor in the bishopric, see Turrianus, Sophronius, and so on; others, that Anacletus succeeded Peter, and Clemens, Anacletus. See Homil. de Agon. Pet. and Paul. In Chron., in Anno Clem.; others, finally, that Peter and Linus were bishops in the city of Rome at the same time, yet in such a way that Peter was the superior and Linus the inferior bishop. See Ruffinus, Sabellicus, Turrianus, In vita Petri. [n72-2]