tained pardon and retained the headship.” De compunct. T. 1. p. 151. Edit. Vossii. “Peter, thou art happy, who didst obtain, in the body of thy brethren, the place of the head and tongue ; which body was composed of the Disciples and Children of thy Master.” Assemani, T. 1. Bibl. Orient. p. 95. Edit. Romæ, 1719.
ST. GREGORY OF Nyssa, G.C. “The memory of Peter, the Head of the Apostles, is celebrated, and with him that of the other members of the Church. But the Church of God is firmly built on him. For he, according to the prerogative granted to him by the Lord, is that firm and solid rock upon which the Saviour built the Church.” Orat. ii. De S. Stephano. Apud Zacagnium Collect. Monum. Eccl. Græcæ. Romæ 1698. p. 343.--He had before called him“ the principal and supreme of the Apostolic choir.
ST. OPTATUS OF MILEVIS, L.C. “ The blessed Peter, to whom pardon, after his denial, might have sufficed, was thought worthy, for the promotion of Unity, to be preferred to the other Apostles; and he received singly the keys of the kingdom of heaven to be communicated to the others.” De Schism. Donat. Lib. vi. p. 104. Edit. Parisiis, 1700. See also p. 86 of this work.
ST. EPIPHANIUS, G.C. “Peter, the Chief of the Apostles, truly became, by his faith, that solid rock on which the Church was built.” Hær. xxxix. sive lix. T. 1.
