PETER
755
PETER
difficulty only to those who do not admit the possibil-
ity of a revelation made to Peter on this point. Some
authors liave also wrongly contested the unity of the
Epistle, some ehiiming that it consists of two distinct
epistles, the second beginning with ch. iii, others main-
taining that the ii, 1-iii, 2, has been interpolated. Re-
cently M. Ladeuze (Revue Biblique, 190.5) has ad-
vanced an hypothesis which seems to end numerous
difficulties: by an involuntary error of a copyist or
by accidental transposition of the leaves of the codex
on which the Epistle was written, one of the parts of
the Epistle was transposed, and according to the order
of sections the letter should be restored as follows:
i-ii, 3a; iii, 1-16; ii, 3b-22; iii, 17-18. The hypoth-
esis seems very probable.
Relations of II Peter with the Epistle of Jude. — This Epistle has so much in common with that of Jude that the author of one must have had the other before him. There is no agreement on the question of prior- ity, but the most credited opinion is that Peter de- pends on Jude (q. v.).
B. Recipients, Occasion, and Object. — It is believed that this Epistle, like the First, was sent to the Chris- tians of Asia Minor, the majority of whom were converted Gentiles (iii, 1-2; ii, 11-12; etc.). False teachers (ii, 1), heretics and deceivers (iii, 3), of cor- rupt morals (ii, 1) and denying the Second Advent of Christ and the end of the world, sought to corrupt the faith and the conduct of the Christians of Asia Minor. Peter wrote to excite them to the practice of virtue and chiefly to turn them away from the errors and bad example of the false teachers.
C. Date and Place of Coinposiiion. — While those who reject the authenticity of the Epistle place it about 150, the advocates of its authenticity maintain that it was written after 63-4, the date of the First Epistle, and before 64-5, the date believed to be that of the death of St. Peter (i, 14). Like the First, it was written at Rome.
D. Ajialysis. — In the exordium the Apostle, after the inscription and salutation (i, 1-2), recalls the mag- nificent gifts bestowed by Jesus Christ on the faithful; he exhorts them to the practice of virtue and all the more earnestly that he is convinced that his death is approaching (3-15) . In the body of the Epistle (i, 16- iii, 13) the author brings forward the dogma of the second coming of Christ, which he proves, recalling His glorious transfiguration and the prediction of the Prophets (i, 16-21). Then he inveighs against the false teachers and condemns their life and doctrines: (a) They shall undergo Divine chastisement, in proof of which the Apostle recalls the punishment inflicted on the rebel angels, on the contemporaries of Noe, on the people of Sodom and Gomorrha (ii, 1-1 1 ) . (b) He describes the immoral life of the false teachers, their impurity and sensuality, their avarice and duplicity (12-22). (c) He refutes their doctrine, showing that they are wrong in rejecting the second coming of Christ and the end of the world (iii, 1-4), for the Judge shall certainly come and that unexpectedly ; even as the ancient world perished by the waters of the flood so the present world shall perish by fire and be re- placed by a new world (.5-7). Then follows the moral conclusion: let us live holily, if we desire to be ready for the coming of the Judge (8-13) ; let us employ the time given us to work out our salvation, even as Paul taught in his Epistles which the false teachers abuse (14-17). Verse 18 consists of the epilogue and doxology.
Dbach-Batle, Epltres catholiques (Paris, 1873); Hund- HAU8EN. Die beiden Pontificalhereiben des Apostelfiirsten Petrus (Mainz, 1878) ; Cohnely, Hist, el crit. inlroduclio in U. T. libros sacros. Ill, Inlroduclio specialis (Paris. 1886); Beelen, Het niewe Testament (Bruges. 1891) : Julicher, Einleitung in das neue Testament (1894); KesL. Briefe Petri und Juda (Gottingen, 1897); HoRT, The First Epistle of St. Peter (London. 1898); VON SODEN, Briefe des Petrus (Freiburg. 1899) ; Hahnack. Oe.^th. der attchrist. Literatur. die Chronologie (Leipzig, 1900) ; Monnier, La premiere epitre de Pierre (Macon, 1900); Zah.v. Grundriss der Geach. dea neutestamntlichen Kanons (Leipzig, 1901); Tbankle,
Einleilunii in das neue Test. (Freiburg, 1901); BiGG, A Critical
nil, I Emiiliinl t'limmenlary on the Ep. of St. Peter and St. Jude
'l'li'|'"i: ^ii THij); Cedlemans, Commeri/. tn epist. caiholicas et
III" '" Mrchlin, 1904); Henkel. Der zuteite Brief des
-I, f.lrus gepraft auf seine Echlheil (Freiburg. 1904);
Hi i ' I I 'ling indas neue Test. (Freiburg, 1905); Calmes,
Eliiif ,.,/,/ J;raca(!/psc (Paris, 1905); Wmaa, Der erste Pelrus liryi 1,1,. I .1,. ii.iiere Kritik (Lichterfelde, 1906); Dillenseoer. I.', tilth, nil, ,t, ,ti la II Petri in Melanges de La faculte orientate (H'lrnt. I'liiTi; Callewaert in Revue d'hist. eccles. (Lou- vain, 1902, 1907); Jacquier, Hist, des livres du N. Test. (Paris. 1908); Brassac. Manuel bibl. (Paris, 1909); Vansteenkibte- Camerltnck. Comment, in epist. cathol. (Bruges, 1909).
A. Van deb Hebren.
Peter, Gospel of Saint. See Apocrypha, sub- title III.
Peter, Sarah, philanthropist, b. at Chillicothe, Ohio, U. S. A., 10 May, 1800; d. at Cincmnati, 6 Feb., 1877. Her father, Thomas Worthington, was Gov- ernor of Ohio, 1814-18, and also served in the United States Senate. On 15 May, 1816, she married Edward King, son of Rufus King of New York, who died 6 Feb., 1836; and in October, 1844, she married WUUam Peter, British consul at Philadelphia, who died 6 Feb., 1853. During her residence at Philadelphia she founded, 2 Dec, 1850, the School of Design for Women. Returning to Cincinnati she spent most of her reinaining years as a patron of art, and in works of charity and philanthropy. She became a convert at Rome in March, 1855, being instructed there by Mgr Mermillod. The foundations of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, the Sisters of Mercy, the Little Sisters of the Poor in Cincinnati, and other institu- tions owed much to her generosity. In 1862 she volun- teered as a nurse, and went with the sisters who fol- lowed Grant's army in the south-west after the battle of Pittsburg Landing.
King, Memoirs of the Life of Mrs. Sarah Peter (Cincinnati, 1889); Catholic Telegraph (Cincinnati), files; Freeman's Journal (New York), files.
Thomas F. Meehan. Peter, To.mb of Saint. See St. P^ter, Tomb of.
Peter Arbues, Saint. See Peter op Arbdes, Saint.
Peter Baptist and Twenty-five Companions,
Saints, d. at Nagasaki, 5 Feb., 1597. In 1593 while negotiations were pending between the Emperor of Japan and the Governor of the Philippine Islands, the latter sent Peter Baptist and several other Francis- cans as his ambassadors to Japan. They were well received by the emperor, and were able to establish con- vents, schools, and hospitals, and effect many conver- sions. When on 20 Oct., 1596, a Spanish vessel of war, the "San FeHpe", was stranded on the isle of Tosa, it became, according to Japanese custom, the property of the emperor. The captain was foolish enough to extol the power of his king, and said that the missionaries had been sent to prepare for the conquest of the coun- try. The emperor became furious, and on 9 Dec, 1596, ordered the missionaries to be imprisoned. On 5 Feb., 1597, six friars belonging to the First Order of St. Francis (Peter Baptist, Martin of the Ascension, Francis Blanco, priests; Philip of Jesus, cleric; Gon- salvo Garzia, Francis of St. Michael, laybrothers), three Japanese Jesuits (Paul Miki, John Goto, James Kisai) and seventeen native Franciscan Tertiaries were crucified. They were beatified 14 Sept., 1627, by Urban VIII, and canonized 8 June, 18(i2, by Pius IX.
Leon, Lives of the Saints and Blessed of the Three Orders of St. Francis, I (Taunton. 1885), 169-223; Wadding. Ann. Min., 98- 104, 261-81; .4cta .S.*;., Feb., I. 729-770: Iv^s, Crfmica dc la pro- vincia de San Gregori,, If,,.,.,., ,/,■ //,7,..,„..„. n.-vvrZ-o- -'.. V >■ P. .San
Francisco en las isln / '• , ,/ , , / , [.M,.,!, Is92);
MartInez, Comjii I, ' f, ,S'on
Gregorio de Filipiiiii M ,,:ii !. i i',,,i ... ,', ',,, ', mar-
turs du Japan cruciju.. n .\i,.„.i ,..i ,i'.i:i... I,,.,:,.., li,.s.',; De- place, Le Catholic'sme au Japan; II, L' Ere lUs Martijres 1.5US~1660 (Brussels, 1909).
Perdinand Heckmann.
