Petcheli. eight leagues round, the water, air, and earth, equally abound with nitre.

Gro

"With regard to the water, the facility with which it freezes, the solidity of the ice and its duration, evidently announce the presence of nitre. A tub filled with water, placed near one of Reaumur's thermometers, had its surface immediately frozen, when the mercury stood only one degree above the freezing point; and when it stood three degrees below freezing, the water became a solid mass of ice, if the diameter of the vessel did not exceed a foot and a half, and the depth of the water four or five inches. This water, when the weather was fine, continued in the same state of congelation as long as the mercury in the thermometer did not rise higher than three degrees above o; when the mercury rose bigher, it then began to dissolve, but so slowly, that two or three days were scarcely sufficient to restore it to its former fluidity." sier goes on to relate other experiments of Father Amiot, which were made with a view to discover the cause of the water's freezing so in this temperate climate; and he then proceeds to tell us, that "if the waters of the province of Petcheli contain much nitre, it is no less certain, that the air which one breathes there is abundantly impregnated with it. The following are indubitable proofs of it: 1st, Notwithstanding unwholesome food, such as the flesh of the greater part of domestic animals that have died of old age or disease, which the people of this province greedily devour, notwithstanding filth and all the inconveniences resulting from low, damp, and confined lodgings, where all the individuals of the same family are, as it were, heaped one upon another, the plague never makes its appearance in Petcheli; and the people are seldom attacked by any of those epidemical distempers which are so common in Europe. 2dly, Provisions of every kind may be kept at Peking a long while, without being subject to corruption. Raisins are eaten there fresh even in May, apples and pears till midsummer; wild boars, stags, deer, roebucks, rabbits, hares, pheasants, ducks, geese, and all kinds of game, brought from Tartary to Peking after the commencement of winter; fish of every species, transported from the rivers of Leatong, will keep without the assistance of salt, in their state of congelation, for two or three months, although they are exposed every day in the markets, carried from the markets to private houses, and from private houses brought back to the markets until they are all sold, which does not happen before the end of March. It is certain that these facts announce an antiseptic quality in the air, which must undoubtedly proceed from the great quantity of nitre contained it.

"3dly, The earth which forms the soil of Petcheli abounds no less with nitre; whole fields may be seen in the neighbourhood of Peking which are covered with it. Every morning at sunrise, the country in certain cantons appears white as if sprinkled by a gentle fall of snow. If a quantity of this substance be swept together, a great deal of kien, nitre, and salt, may be extracted from it. The Chinese pretend that this salt may be substituted for common salt; however this may be, it is certain, that in the extremity of the province towards Siuen-hoa-fou, poor people, and the greater part of the peasants, make use of no other. With regard to the kien procured from the earth, they use it for washing

Peter.

linen as we do soap. Although the land of Petcheli be Petcheli replete with nitrous particles, it does not, however, form dry deserts; it is cultivated with care, and becomes fruitful by incessant labour. The earth is frozen in winter to the depth of two or three feet, and does not become soft before the end of March. This may explain why the frost kills plants in the neighbourhood of Pekin, which Linnaeus raised in Sweden, although it is 20 degrees farther north than the capital of the Chinese empire. See CHINA, SUPPLEMENT.

PETECHIÆ, in Medicine, a name given to those spots, whether red or of any other colour, which appear in malignant fevers.

PETELIA. See STRONGOLI.

PETER, ST, the apostle, born at Bethsaida, was son of John, Jona, or Joana, and brother of St Andrew (John i. 42. 43.). His first name was Simon or Simeon; but when our Saviour called him to the apostleship, he changed his name into Cephas, that is, in Syriac, a stone or a rock; in Latin petra, whence Peter. He was a married man; and had his house, his motherin-law, and his wife, at Capernaum upon the lake of Gennesareth (Mark i. 29. Matth. viii. 14. Luke iv. 38.). St Andrew having been first called by Jesus Christ, met his brother Simon, and told him (John i. 41.) we have found the Messiah, and then brought him to Jesus. Jesus beholding him, said to him, You are Simon son of Jona; henceforth you shall be called Cephas, that is, stone or rock. After having passed one day with our Saviour, they returned to their ordinary occupation, which was fishing. Yet it is thought they were present with him at the marriage of Cana in Galilee. This happened in the 30th year of the vulgar Christian

era.

Towards the end of the same year, Jesus Christ being on the shore of the lake of Gennesareth, saw Peter and Andrew busy about their fishery, and washing their nets, (Luke v. 1, 2, 3.). He entered into their boat, and bid Peter throw out his nets into the sea, in order to fish. Peter obeyed him, though he had already fished the whole night without catching any thing. They took so many fishes at this draught, that their own vessel, and that of James and John, sons of Zebedee, were filled with them. Then Peter threw himself at the feet of Jesus, and said to him, Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinner. Then Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. He said the same thing to James and John; and immediately they quitted their boats and nets, and followed our Saviour.

Some time after, Jesus coming to Capernaum, entered into the house of St Peter, where his mother-in-law lay sick of a fever. He immediately healed her, and she began to minister to him (Luke iv. 38. and Matt. viii. 14.). A little while before the feast of the passover of the following year, being the 32d of the vulgar era, after Jesus returned into Galilee, he made choice of twelve apostles, among which St Peter has always the first place (Matt. x. 2. Luke vi. 13.). One night that Jesus Christ walked upon the waters of the lake of Gennesareth, St Peter asked him leave to come and meet him (Matt. xiv. 28, 29.). Jesus gave him leave; but he seeing a great wave coming, was afraid, and therefore began to sink. Then Jesus held him up, and said, O man of little faith, why was you afraid? Af

terwards

Thursday he was sent with St John to prepare all things Peter. for the passover; and at evening, when Jesus was come into the city with his apostles, and being sat down at table, began to speak of him that should betray him, Peter made signs to John to ask him who this should be (John xiii. 24.). After supper, the disciples entered into dispute which should be the greatest among them whereupon Jesus Christ, laying aside his garments, betook himself to wash their feet, to give them an example of humility in his own person. St Peter at first made some difficulty, and would not suffer his master to wash his feet: but Jesus telling him, that if he did not wash his feet, he could have no part in him; St Peter replied, Lord, wash not only my feet, but my hands and head also (John xiii. 6—10.).

terwards landing on the other side of the lake, and the multitude that he had fed the day before beyond the lake being come to him at Capernaum, he spoke to them of his body and of his blood, which he was to give to his disciples to eat and drink. This so offended the multitude, that several of them quitted him thereupon. He therefore asked his apostles if they also would leave him; to which Peter replied, To whom shall we go, Lord; for thou hast the words of eternal life (John vi. 53, 54, &c.). One day, as our Saviour was near Cæsarea Philippi, he asked his apostles whom the world took him for? they answered, that some said he was John the Baptist; others, Elias; and others Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. But whom do you say I am? says Jesus Christ. Simon Peter answered, Thou art Christ, the son of the living God. Jesus then said unto Peter, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my father which is in heaven (Mat. xvi. 13, 14, &c.). And I say unto thee, that, as thou art Peter, so upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth shall be loosed in heaven. About six or eight days after this, our Saviour taking Peter, James, and John, up a high mountain, apart from the other disciples, showed them a glimpse of his glory, and was transfigured before them (Mat. xvii. 1, 2, &c. and Luke ix. 28.). Whereupon Peter, seeing Moses and Elias together with Jesus, cried out to them in an ecstacy, Lord, it is good for us to be here! if you please we will make three tents; one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Jesus returning from thence to Capernaum, those who gathered the tribute money came to Peter, and said, Does not your master pay tribute? Whereupon Jesus ordered Peter to throw his line into the sea, and that he should find wherewith to pay the toll for them two in the mouth of the first fish he should take. Peter obeyed; and finding a piece of money in the mouth of the fish, he gave it to the tribute-gatherers, as he was directed. One day, as Jesus was discoursing concerning the forgiveness of injuries (Mat. xviii. 21, 22.), St Peter asked him, how often they must forgive, and whether it was sufficient to pardon an offender seven imes? Jesus told him, I say, you must pardon not only as far as seven times, but even seventy-times seven. Upon another occasion (Mat. xix. 27-29.), as our Saviour was speaking of the danger of riches, Peter said to him, Lord, we have left all things to follow thee; what reward shall we have for it? Jesus answered him, I tell you in truth, that you who have left all things to follow me shall receive an hundred fold even in this world, and in the other eternal life; and at the last day, when the Son of man shall come to judge the world, you shall sit upon twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.

On the Tuesday before our Saviour's passion, Peter showed him the fig-tree he had cursed the evening before, which was now dried up and withered (Mark xi. 12-21.); and the day following, as they sat upon the mountain of Olives, he, with the other apostles, asked Jesus when the temple was to be destroyed (Mat. xxiv. 1, 2, &c. Mark xiii. 1, 2, &c. Luke xxii.). On

4

Some time after, Jesus said to him (Luke`xxii. 31, 32, &c.), Peter, Satan has desired to sift you as men sift wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail: and when you are converted, confirm your brethren. By this he warned St Peter of his fall, that was just at hand, and of his renouncing him; from which by the assistance of God, he was afterwards to recover. St Peter then asked him, where he was going? and said, he was ready to follow him everywhere, not only to prison, but to death itself. But Christ declared to him, that he would be so far from following him to death that he would abjure him three times that very night before the cock should crow, or before break of day. When supper was ended, he went to the garden of Olives, where, taking Peter, James, and John, he went with them apart, that they might be witnesses of his agony. Peter, though before he had showed so much resolution, yet fell asleep with the rest; which occasioned Jesus to say to him, Do you sleep, Simon? Could you not watch with me one hour? (Mark xiv. 37. Mat. xxvi. 40, &c.).

Judas being come with the soldiers to seize Jesus, Peter drew his sword, and cut off the right ear of one called Malchus, who was servant to the high-priest: but Jesus bid him put up his sword into the scabbard, and told him, that all those who fought with the sword should perish by the sword: and at the same time healed Malchus's ear (John xviii. 10, &c.). Peter followed Jesus afar off, as far as the house of Caiaphas, and was let in by means of another disciple, who was known in the family. The soldiers and servants that had brought Jesus, having lighted a fire in the middle of the hall, Peter mingled among them to warm himself also; when a maid-servant, having looked earnestly upon him, said, Surely this man was with Jesus of Nazareth. But Peter made answer, I know not what you say, for I do not só much as know the man. Presently after he went out into the porch, when immediately the cock crew. little while after another maid said to those that were present, This man was with Jesus of Nazareth. But Peter denied it with an oath. About an hour after, one of the company affirmed that Peter was a disciple of Jesus. Others insisted upon the same thing; and said that surely he was one of them, for his very speech betrayed him to be a Galilean. Lastly, one of them, being a kinsman of Malchus whose ear Peter had cut off, affirmed the same thing; and asked him, Did not I see you with him in the garden? Peter again denied it with an oath, protesting that he did not know the man. And at the same time the cock crowed the second

A

time.

time. Then Jesus, being in the same hall, and not far from Peter, looked upon him; and Peter then remembering what Jesus had said to him, that before cock-crow he should deny him thrice, he went out of Caiaphas's house, and wept bitterly (Mat. xxvi. 73, 75. Mark xiv. 34, 72.).

tor Judas had left vacant in the apostleship. The pro- Peter posal was agreed to by all; and two persons were proposed, Joseph Barsabas and Matthias: upon this last the lot fell; and from that time he was admitted one of the apostles. The tenth day after the ascension of our Saviour, being the day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost having descended upon the apostles, and upon all the faithful that were assembled with them, and having replenished them with supernatural gifts, and especially with the gift of tongues, all those who were witnesses of this miracle expressed their admiration at it; and there being upon that day at Jerusalem a great many Jews from several provinces of the east, they could not comprehend by what means these men, who were Galileans, should speak the languages of all these pagan nations (Acts ii. 1, 2, &c.). Some of them said, that the apostles were full of new wine. But St Peter standing up, told them, that what they heard and saw was not the effect of drunkenness, but was the completion of the promise that the Holy Ghost had made by the prophet Joel (ii. 28.), to send his spirit upon all flesh, and to give the spirit of prophecy to young and old, to men and women. He afterwards spoke to them of Jesus Christ, and told them that he was the true Messiah, that he was risen from the dead as the scripture had foretold he should; declaring that himself and the other apostles were witnesses of his resurrection, of his ascension into heaven, and of the mission of the Holy Ghost, the visible effects of which they saw with their own eyes in the gifts of languages wherewith they had been replenished.

Very probably he remained in secret, and in tears, all the time of our Saviour's passion, that is, all Friday and Saturday following; but on Sunday morning, Jesus being risen, and Mary having been at the tomb, and not finding the body of Jesus, she came in baste into the city, to tell Peter and John that they had taken away their master, and that she could not find where they had put him. Peter and John made haste thither, and John coming first, did not go into the sepulchre. Peter then coming up to him, presently stooped down, and saw the linen clothes wherein the body had been wrapt. He went then into the sepulchre, and John with him; after which they returned to Jerusalem, not knowing what had come to pass. But soon after Jesus appeared to the holy women, who had come first to the sepulchre, and bid them give his apostles notice of his resurrection. And the same day our Saviour also appeared to Peter, to comfort him, and assure him that his repentance had been acceptable to him.

Some days after, St Peter being returned into Galilee as Jesus had commanded him, and going to fish in the sea of Galilee, or in the lake of Gennesareth, with some other of the apostles, Jesus appeared to them on the shore, and bid them throw out their nets on the right side of the vessel. They threw them out, and took such a multitude of fishes that they could not draw up their nets again. Then St John said to Peter, It is the Lord. Peter immediately girded up himself, for he was naked, and swimming to shore he came to Jesus: then drawing their nets to shore, Jesus dined with them. After dinner, Jesus said to Peter, Simon, son of Jona, do you love me more than tliese? He answered, Yea, Lord, you know that I love you. Jesus says to him, Then feed my Jambs. He put the same question to him again; and Peter making the same answer, our Lord said to him again, Feed my sheep. This he repeated a third time; at which St Peter was troubled, and said, You know, Lord, that I love you. Jesus replied to him, " Feed my sheep. I tell you for a truth, that when you were young, you girded yourself, and went where you pleased; but now you are old, another shall gird you, and lead you where you would not go." This he said to let him know what death he was to die. At the same time, Peter seeing St John the Evangelist, said to our Saviour, Lord, what must become of him? Jesus answered, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what does that concern you? Do you follow me." Thus he refused to declare in what manner St John should end his life.

After that Jesus Christ had ascended into heaven, and that the apostles had been witnesses of his ascension, they returned to Jerusalem, to wait there for the Holy Ghost, whom our Saviour had promised to send them; and being assembled together in a house, they continued there in prayer, and in the union of charity, till the time that the Holy Ghost descended upon them, in the form of tongues of fire. During this in terval, St Peter proposed to the apostles, and to the rest of the assembly, to fill up the place that the traiVOL. XVI. Part I.

Then those that heard him were touched with compunction, and asked the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? Peter answered them, Repent, and be baptized, and you shall receive the Holy Ghost. Then he instructed them, baptized them, and that very day three thousand persons were added to the church (Acts iii. 1, 2, &c.). Some days after, St Peter and John, going to the temple at the hour of prayers, met at a gate of the temple a man who had been lame from his birth, so that he was carried about. This man seeing Peter and John, asked alms of them: upon which Peter said to him, Silver or gold I have not; but such as I have I give thee: In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Presently the man got up, and went into the temple along with them, lifting up his voice, and glorifying God. and glorifying God. He held St Peter, telling the people then assembled all that had happened unto him. Then Peter, taking this occasion, told the people, that it was not by his own power that he had performed the miracle they so much wondered at, but that it was by the power of Jesus Christ that this man was healed. He then laid before them the great crime they had committed, in putting Jesus Christ to death, who was the Saviour of the world, and the Messiah; and after he had shewn them by all the prophecies that Christ was to die thus, he exorted them to repentance, and to make a proper use of the death of Christ.

He was thus speaking to the people, when the priests and Sadducees coming upon them, laid hold on Peter and John, and put them in prison, until the day following, it being now late (Acts iv. 1, 2, &c.). But the number of those that were converted this day at the second preaching of St Peter was about five thousand. The day following, the rulers, magistrates, and Ee chief

apostles alone continued at Jerusalem (Acts viii. 1, 2, Peter. 3, &c.). St Philip the deacon going to Samaria, the Samaritans received the word of the Lord, and several of them were baptized. Then St Peter and St John repaired thither also, to give them the Holy Ghost; which St Philip, being only a deacon, had not power to do. Simon the magician was also baptized among others; and admiring the power that the apostles had, of conferring the Holy Ghost, would have bought the same power of the apostles, and accordingly offered money to St Peter. But Peter with indignation replied to him, Thy money and thou perish together, who thinkest the gifts of God can be bought with money! Thou hast no part with us, nor bast any pretensions to this ministry, for thy heart is not right before God. Repent therefore of this wickedness, and pray to God if perhaps he will pardon the wicked thoughts of thy heart. After this Peter and John returned again to Jerusalem. See Acts viii.

chief priests being assembled on this occasion, ordered the apostles to be brought before them; and then asked them, by whose authority they performed the miracle of healing the lame man? St Peter answered, that it was in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom they had crucified, and whom God raised again from the dead. The assembly were surprised at the boldness of the apostles upon this occasion: but came to a resolution to dismiss them, charging them at the same time to teach no more in the name of Jesus; and threatening them if they should persist in disobedience to these orders. The two apostles returned to their brethren, and related to them all that had passed; which having heard, the brethren raised their voices to heaven, begging God to give them strength and courage to declare his word with perfect liberty; and having finished their prayers, the place shook wherein they were assembled, and they were again filled with the Holy Ghost.

At this time many of the faithful sold their estates, and brought the money to the apostles (id. v. 1, 2, &c.). Of this number was a man called Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, who, by a private agreement between themselves, concealed a part of the money for which they had sold their land, and brought the rest to St Peter, as if it were the whole sum. Ananias came first; and St Peter said to him, Ananias, how came Satan to seduce you, and prevail with you to lie to the Holy Ghost, by concealing part of the price of your land? It is not men that you thought to impose on, but God. Immediately Ananias fell down dead, and they carried him out and buried him. About three hours after, his wife Sapphira came in, and St Peter said to her almost the same things he had before said to her husband, and immediately she fell down also, and gave up the ghost. This affair infused a great awe in the whole church, and amongst all those that heard of it. (See Acts v.).

The number of believers considerably increased every day; so that they even brought out the sick into the streets, and laid them where Peter was to pass, that at least his shadow might cover some of them, by which means they were healed of their distempers. Then the high-priest and his associates, that is, the Pharisees, caused the apostles to be apprehended and put into prison. But an angel brought them forth, and bid them go into the temple, and there boldly declare all the words of life which God had taught them. This they performed upon which the princes and priests caused them to be brought before them; and having demanded why they had disobeyed their orders in continuing to speak still in the name of Jesus Christ, Peter and the apostles answered, that it was more necessary to obey God than man. This answer provoked them very much, and they were going to condemn them to death, when Gamaliel prevailed with them to change their resolution, by representing to them, that if this matter proceeded from God, it was in vain for them to oppose it; but if otherwise, then it should soon vanish of itself. So they dismissed the apostles, after giving them 39 stripes a-piece, and charged them to speak no more in the name of Jesus Christ.

After the martyrdom of St Stephen, a persecution was carried on against the faithful at Jerusalem, and they were obliged to take shelter in several places. The

The fire of persecution being now pretty well extinguished, St Peter departed from Jerusalem (Acts ix. 32, &c.), and visiting the disciples from city to city, he came also to see the saints that dwelt at Lydda. Here he found a man called Æneas, who had been paralytic for eight years. St Peter said to him, Æneas, rise up; Jesus Christ the Lord cures you. He presently got up; and all that dwelt at Lydda that saw the miracle were converted to the Lord. There was also at Joppa a certain holy woman, named Tabitha, who happening to die while St Peter was at Lydda, the disciples sent to desire him to come to them. Whereupon St Peter came, and entering into the chamber where Tabitha lay dead, he caused every body to go out, and betook himself to prayers. Then turning himself towards the corpse, he said, Tabitha, arise. At which instant she opened her eyes, and seeing St Peter, she sat up. This miracle was much famed at Joppa, and was the occasion that many were converted. St Peter stayed there a good while, taking up his lodging with one Simon a

tanner.

Now there was at Cæsarea of Palestine a centurion called Cornelius, a man that feared God (Acts x. 1, 2, 3.), and to whom it was revealed by an angel, that he should send to Joppa to Peter, who should tell him what he had to do. Cornelius immediately sent two of his servants; and while they were upon the road, the Lord sent a vision to Peter, to prepare him to go to this man without any scruple, although he was not a Jew; for as yet the door of the gospel had not been opened to the Gentiles. St Peter, then being at the top of the house, fell into a trance, and saw, as it were, a great sheet of linen let down from heaven, which was full of all kinds of animals and reptiles, both clean and unclean. He had this vision three times, and heard a voice, saying, Arise Peter, kill and eat. But Peter answered, Lord, I have never eaten any thing unclean. The voice replied, Call not that unclean which God has purified. After which the sheet was again taken

up

into heaven. At the same time, the men came in that had been sent by Cornelius. They acquainted him with what had happened to their master, and desired him to go along with them to Cæsarea. The day following St Peter set out thither, and was aecompanied by some of the brethren of Joppa. (See Acts x.).

When

But we believe, that it is through the grace of Jesus Christ that both we and they shall be saved. St James the Less, bishop of Jerusalem, seconded this opinion of St Peter; and the council came to this conclusion, That no new obligation should be imposed on the Gentiles, but only that they should be required to abstain from fornication, from the use of blood, and from meats offered to idols. The resolution of this council was written to the faithful of Antioch, because it was there this question was first started.

When Peter was returned to Jerusalem, the faithful of the circumcision said to him, why have you gone unto the uncircumcised, and why do you eat with them? but Peter having related to them all that passed, they were satisfied, and glorified God who had given the gift of repentance leading to life as well to the Gentiles as to the Jews. It is thought, that a little after this Peter went to Antioch, where he founded the Christian church of which he was bishop (Gal, ii. 11.). It is believed that he continued here seven years, though not constantly for during this time, he went to Jerusalem, and to the provinces of Asia Minor, to Bithynia, Cappadocia, and Pontus, as is concluded from the epistle that he afterwards addressed to the faithful of these provinces. From thence he went to Rome, in the 42d year of the Christian era; and it is thought that at his leaving Antioch he there fixed St Ignatius in his place. Eusebius thinks, that the chief occasion of his going to Rome was to oppose Simon Magus, who by his deceits had perverted a great number of persons. However, the presence of St Peter, and the true miracles that he opposed to the tricks of Simon, ruined, or much diminished, the reputation of this impostor.

St Peter, leaving Rome, came to Jerusalem at the passover, in the 44th year of the Christian era, when Herod Agrippa began to persecute the church. That prince put St James the Greater, brother of John, to the sword (Acts xii. 1. &c.); and perceiving that his death was agreeable to the Jews, he moreover caused Peter to be apprehended and put in prison, with a design of executing him publicly after the passover. But the very night that Herod thought of putting him to death, as Peter, loaded with chains, was asleep between two soldiers, the angel of the Lord awakened him, broke off his chains, opened the prison door, and brought him out the length of the street. Then the angel leaving him, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, where many of the faithful were assembled at prayers; and having knocked at the door, a damsel named Rhoda came to open it; but when she heard Peter's voice, instead of opening the door, she ran in a transport of joy to acquaint the family that Peter was at the door. Those who heard her could not be lieve it, and said it was his angel, and not himself: but continuing to knock, and being let in, he informed them of what had happened to him.

He then left Jerusalem; but we are not told what became of him till the time of the council held at Jerusalem in the year 51. It is thought that before this time he made his second journey to Rome, from whence he wrote his first epistle.

St Peter was obliged to leave Rome in the year 51 by order of the emperor Claudius, who had banished all Jews from thence, because of the tumults they continually raised there, excited by one Chrestus, as Suetonius says, meaning probably by this name Jesus Christ. The apostle then returned into Judea, where was held the council of Jerusalem; in which, after a strict examination of the matter proposed to Peter and the apostles, he spoke to them with much wisdom, saying (Acts xv. 7, 8, &c.) that God having given his Holy Ghost and the gift of faith to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews, they ought not to impose the yoke of the legal observances on the new converts, which (as he says) neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear.

Some time after, St Peter coming to Antioch (Gal. ii. 11. &c.), he ate and drank with the Gentiles, without regarding that distinction of meats enjoined by the law. But after that, when some of the faithful of Jerusalem came to Antioch, being converted Jews, St Peter, out of fear to offend them, separated himself from the converted Gentiles, and would no longer eat with them as before. St Paul, fearing that what St Peter did, might be interpreted, as if he had a desire to oblige the Gentiles to judaize, and to submit themselves to the yoke of the law, and so to revoke and annul what he himself had determined in the council of Jerusalem, he withstood Peter to his face, and openly expostulated with him, telling him he was much in the wrong to endeavour to oblige the Gentiles, at least tacitly by his own manner of acting, to live as the Jews do; and St Peter received this reprehension with silence and humility.

The particulars of St Peter's life are little known from the 51st year of the vulgar era, in which the council of Jerusalem was held, till his last journey to Rome, which was some time before his death. Then being acquainted by revelation that the time of his death was not far off (2 Pet. i. 14.), he had a mind to write to the faithful that had been converted by him, to put them in mind of the truths he had before taught them. He sent them therefore his second epistle.

St Peter and St Paul came to Rome about the same time, in the year of Christ 65, where they performed many miracles, and made many converts. Simon Magus by his tricks continued here to deceive the people, pretending himself to be the Messiah, and even attempting to ascend into heaven; for having caused himself to be carried up into the air by his dæmons, in a fiery chariot, St Peter and St Paul betook themselves to their prayers; and then the impostor, being forsaken by his damons, fell down upon the ground, which fall some time afterwards occasioned his death. See SIMON MAGUS.

Soon after this St Peter was taken up and thrown into prison, where it is said he continued for nine months; at last he was crucified at Rome in the Via Ostia; with his head downwards, as he himself had desired of his executioners. This he did out of a sense of humility, for fear it should be thought, as St Ambrose says, that he affected the glory of Jesus Christ, and the more to augment the pain of his execution.

It is said, that the body of St Peter was at first buried in the catacombs, two miles from Rome, from whence it was afterwards transported to the Vatican, where it has lain ever since. His festival is celebrated with that of St Paul on the 29th of June. St Peter died in the 66th year of the vulgar era, after having been bishop of Rome for about 24 or 25 years. His age might be about 74 or 75 years. It is generally Ee 2

agreed,