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EARLY CHRISTIAN LITERATURE PRIMERS,

edited

by Professor

GEORGE

P.

Fisher, D. D.

fclg

Christian ffilerato

Edited by Professor

George

P.

|)nmirs,

Fisher, D. D.

THE

APOSTOLIC FATHERS
AND

THE APOLOGISTS OF THE

SECOND CENTURY.

BY

REV.

GEORGE

A.

JACKSON.

of

D.

covers

No./QGAlJC
W 1879. .q*X

NEW YORK:
APPLETON AND COMPANY,
549

and

551

Broadway.

1879.

COPYRIGHT BY

D.

APPLETON & COMPANY,

1879.

333

PREFACE.
It

is

of which
sons,

the design of this volume, and of the series

it

the

is

laymen

first,

to provide intelligent per-

means

as well as ministers, with the

of acquainting themselves, through accurate translations or summaries, with the early ecclesiastical
writers.

The

present volume covers the interval

between the close of the Apostolic Age and the

quarter of the second century.

last

Many

of the

Christian writings of this period have perished

together, sharing thus the fate

which

al-

befell so large

a portion of the ancient classical literature.

This

circumstance, however, heightens the value even of

the fragments which have survived the wreck,

which serve
the

Church

tory,

the

when

New

to

throw

light

in the obscure

and
upon the condition of
opening era of

its

his-

doctrines began to be formulated, and

Testament Scriptures

to

be collected in

the Canon.
It is essential to the

value of such a work that

PREFACE.

the translations^ should be correctly

made, and that

the explanatory observations should be in accord

with the latest and soundest criticism, and should

be

free

from the influence of a theological

These conditions, so

far

as I

am

bias.

able to judge,

have been faithfully observed by Mr. Jackson.

There may be minor points on which

differ

in

critics

judgment, and slight inaccuracies

have escaped detection

recognized,

but the work will

trust, as fulfilling its

may
may

still

be

promise, and as

meeting a want which has not before been supplied.

George
Yale College, June

30, 1879.

P. Fisher.

CONTENTS,
Introduction
Patristic

ume

page

Literature;

its

a formative one.

glimpses of

its life

in

value.

Period

Divisions

of this vol-

of the period

works of Clement and others

Christianity speaking for itself in latter part of

Traces of canonical and apocryphal books.

study present incenThree motives
aim of
volume. List of works in Migne's
period.

to patristic

tive

this

Patrology

II

.......

The Apostolic Fathers:

Clement of Rome

Epistle to the Corinthians

Epistle to the

27
61

.....

Clementine Literature
Ignatius of Antioch
Epistle to Polycarp
Epistle to the Ephesians

23

66
69
72

Romans

74

Polycarp of Sniyrna
Epistle to the Philippians

80

Barnabas

87

77

........

Epistle

89

Associated Authors:
Hermas
.

The Shepherd
Papias
Fragments
.

of
.

100

.119

Hermas

101

120

CONTENTS.

The Apologists

Introductory Sketch.

Wide

range of writings.

Two

Quadratus Aristides Epistle

Agrippa Castor Claudius
Miltiades
Apollinaris
Melito AthenaJustin
goras Hermias Hegesippus. Letter of churches
Heretics of the age Basilof Vienne and Lyons.
Valentinus
Heraclion
ides
Ptolemaeus
Tatian Marcion
Author of Epistle to Diognetus
Epistle to Diognetus
Justin
classes of apologies
to

Diognetus

Aristo

First

Apology

Synopsis of Dialogue with Trypho

Author of Muratorian Fragment

Muratorian Fragment
Melito
Extract from treatise

PAGE

On

Faith

122
128

129

140
143
181

.186

187

....

Athenagoras
Chapters from the Embassy about Christians
Final Argument on the Resurrection of the Dead

189
190
192

193
201

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Martial.
Persius.

Seneca.

Lucan.

Pliny

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INTRODUCTION.

" Under the shell there was an animal, and behind the

document there was a man."

Taine.

Patristic Literature embraces the writings of

the Fathers of the Ancient Church, as distinguished

from the works of the Doctors of the Mediaeval

The line between these two Christian
Church.
ages can not be sharply drawn but, speaking in a
general way, the epoch of the Fathers was, in the
In the
Western Church, the first six centuries.
Eastern Church, the patristic age may be extended
to embrace John of Damascus (a. d. 750).
The
writers may be arranged, not unnaturally, in four
groups: 1 (a. d. 95-180). The Apostolic Fathers
and the Apologists, or writers contemporary with
the formation of the New Testament canon. These
all wrote in Greek.
2 (a. d. 180-325). The Fathers of the third century, or writers from Irenaeus
partly Greek, partly Latin.
to the Nicene Council
3 (a. d. 325-590). The Post-Nicene Latin Fathers.
4 (a. d. 325-750). The Post-Nicene Greek Fathers.
;

We

study this great body of writings, not, as

we

study the authors of the age of Pericles, or of the

age of Augustus, as models of literary form, but, as

we study

all

ruder literatures, to find out the truths

which they embody, and to discern the men standing behind the books.
And yet there is much in

INTRODUCTION,

12

these Christian writings which not even the polite

scholar can overlook.
To lose Clement of Alexan-

much

dria were to lose

of classical antiquity.

more be

The

left

of our present knowledge

John Chrysostom could no

out of the world of letters than Bossuet.

" Confessions " of

Augustine is one of the few

books which belong to the whole race, and wjll
always

live.

A Formative

Period. The period covered by

the present volume

(95-180) was essentially the

formative period of the Church. At its beginning
Christianity was only
an apostle was yet living
fairly born into the world.
At its close the Catholic Church existed, holding in her hands a defined
canon of Christian Scripture. The eighty-five years
intervening thus witnessed one of the most impor;

tant

movements

in

human

history; and,

when we

almost the only knowledge we have of

that movement is gained from the scanty remains
reflect that

of the Christian writings of the period,

we

shall

scan the documents closely, to see the forces working behind them.
" If a

man were

Gibbon,

it is

well known, said

called to fix the period in the his-

tory of the world, during which the condition of

the human race was most happy and prosperous, he
would, without hesitation, name that which elapsed
from the death of Domitian to the accession of
Commodus." It was indeed the flood-tide pause,
before the civilization of the ancient world ebbed
back into its ocean of oblivion. But no eye was

then so practiced in reading the marks of the ages as

to see in that universal lull and happiness a presage
of the world's decline.

Still less

was there any one

INTRODUCTION,

13

to note that then, at the very climax in the history

of one age of the world, there was crystallizing into

form a power which would scatter from the world
the darkness of its impending night, and illumine
the nations with a more than Antoninian brightness.
No pagan could note this. Pliny, writing to Trajan of the worshipers of Christ in Bithynia, never

dreamed of such a destiny

Christian could forecast

it

for their faith.

for

No

none as yet regarded

Christianity as a power for transforming this world,

but rather as something in antagonism with the
world, which latter was soon to be swept away with
all its vanities and pomps.
It is little wonderful,
therefore, that the Christians left scanty records of

we have

to

study the secular history of this age largely in

its

their rising

power; and

that, just as

coins and architectural remains, and in the writings

of

its

panegyrists and satirists

we must study

its

and philosophers,

so

Christian history largely in the

Christian writings not professedly historical that

have come down to us.
Primitive Christian Life. These writings are

commonly known

as those of the Apostolic Fathers

and the Apologists.

Speaking

strictly,

the Apos-

Fathers are only four in number, Clement,

Ignatius, Polycarp, and Barnabas but with these are

tolic

commonly associated Hermas and Papias. Through

the pages of Clement we catch glimpses of the disciples at Rome, toward the close of the first century, suffering persecution at the

We

hand of per-

withdrawn from them, taking thought

the welfare of their brethren at Corinth, where

secution
for

hands of Domitian.

see these disciples, even before the

is

INTRODUCTION.

14

Church is suffering from internal dissensions.

The Romans, by the hand of Clement, write to the

the

Corinthian brethren, urging submission to church

Their letter contains a prayer which,

authorities.
it is

thought,

may have formed

a part of the

Roman

Thus we

detect the beginnings of the

vigorous ecclesiastical organization, and of the elabliturgy.

orate order of worship, which grew

later,

the

church

up

in the in-

Rome.

Again, a half century

a letter of Dionysius of Corinth shows us that

fluential

at

Roman Church had been

contributing

money

poorer churches of Greece, and had again,

by her bishop, Soter, written a letter to the Corinthians.
The latter, treasuring the letter, read it on
the Lord's day, as they did the former letter written
them by Clement.
This same Dionysius, as we
learn from Eusebius, wrote various other letters to
churches "for instruction in sound doctrine, for corto the

rection in discipline, for repression of heresy."

one of these

To

Piny tus replied, urging Dionysius to " impart at some time more solid food, tenderly feeding the people committed to him with a
letters

letter of riper instruction, lest

by continually dwell-

ing on milk-like teaching they should insensibly

grow old without advancing beyond the. teaching

of babes." Here we notice, as an important characteristic of this formative period, a free and filial
intercommunication between the churches, and an
interest both in one another's outward welfare and

common soundness in the faith.

Again, by the epistles of Ignatius in the earlier
part, and by the letter of the churches of Viei-ne

in a

and Lyons

in the latter part of the period,

we

are

INTRODUCTION.

15

brought to see the entire abandon with which the

Christians gave themselves to their new faith. Martyrdom, instead of being deprecated, was often even
courted as a privilege. Death by martyrdom, we
must remember, was comparatively infrequent in this
By the second quarter of the century the
period.
number of Christians, notwithstanding their social
and political insignificance, must have been very
great and there was at no time anything amount;

ing to a universal persecution.

ings of the Christians at

The

terrible suffer-

Vienne and Lyons,

in a. d.

had had nothing approaching a parallel since

the days of Domitian.
Still there was enough of
177,

persecution to keep always alive the martyr

spirit,

and no conception of the growing Church of the

second century is complete that does not make this
spirit prominent.
Then, standing out through every epistle and
apology, especially appearing in the " Shepherd of
Hermas," we see evidence of the struggle for moral
purity which Christians were compelled to wage
amidst the corruption of paganism. To come " out
from the world " was to the believer of that day no
figure of speech, but the actual entrance into a new
moral atmosphere. Reading the " Shepherd," and
remembering that it appeared in the midst of a
society differing little from that satirized by Juvenal,
we no longer wonder at the esteem in which it was
held by the early Christians, but we almost join
with them in calling it an inspired book.
Nor must we forget, in our estimate of these
early believers, that many of them were characterized
by a certain crudeness of conception, not to say

INTRODUCTION.

16

and narrowness, such as would to-day

seem strange in any one but a child. The epistle
of Barnabas illustrates this feature, and, more
credulity

strikingly,

fragments from Papias's " Oracles of the

latter writer held to the grossest of

The

Lord."

chiliastic or millennial ideas

and yet he doubtless
represented a large element in the growing Chris;

tian

community.

As the period advances, we find that Christianity

is becoming more and more conscious of its own existence and importance in the great world. Whereas
the earlier Christian writings were simply letters or
writings from one to another

among

themselves, be-

middle of the century Christian works come

to be addressed to others outside the body of before the

lievers.

The

known

as the

implies that

unknown

latter part of the

period therefore

is

"Age of the Apologists," which name

the new society was no longer wholly

it had found its voice, and was speakReaching at first only the humble and
unlearned ranks of society, the new faith had in it
that which appealed powerfully to the philosophic

ing for

mind.

that

itself.

Mere

sophists, of course, despised

the true lovers of

wisdom began

to see in

viner philosophy than that of the

Porch.
tianity,

Academy

it
it

but

a di-

or the

Not a few among them embraced Chrisand became its most zealous defenders and

propagators, often retaining in their

new

philosopher's cloak which they had

conversion.

The

services

calling the

worn before

of these philosophers

were of two kinds. They were evangelists-^-" men

inspired with godly zeal to copy the pattern of the
teaching Christian docapostles," says Eusebius

INTRODUCTION.

17

by word of mouth in all the centers of learnThey were also writers, preparing treatises in
ing.
Such explanaexposition and defense of the faith.
tory and apologetic writings make up the larger and
the characteristic part of the later Christian works
trine

of the period.

The New Testament Canon. Again,

sides these glimpses of the primitive

life

be-

of the

Church, we get other information of value from the

The New Testament canon was
then forming, and from time to time throughout the
period we catch sight of the several New Testament books in the hands of our authors, and treated
early literature.

by them

we

as Scripture.

At the

close of the period

Muratorian Fragment, which

gives us almost our complete New Testament.
But side by side with these traces of our received
books of Scripture, we see in the hands of Christians
of the second century certain apocryphal writings.
These works are of two kinds: 1. Works claiming
find in existence the

Works making no claim to

embody traditions which
had been handed down concerning our Lord or his
apostles.
Of the first class, which were few in numapostolic authority

2.

inspiration, but only to

ber,

and principally modifications of our canonical

books, only those mentioned in connection with

Basilides, Valentinus, and Marcion can claim our

The second class of apocryphal works, which related chiefly the history of
Joseph and Mary, the infancy of Jesus, and the acts
attention in this period.

of Pilate,

came

in time to

be numerous.

None

of

them, in their present form, belonged to the second

century but many of the traditions which they em;

INTRODUCTION.

18

body existed thus

early, and perhaps portions of

the " Protevangelion of James/' of the " Acts of
,,
Pilate," and of the " Gospel of Thomas, then ex-

isted in written form.

Patristic Studies. A thought should

stowed upon the history of patristic studies.
ing in a general way, there have been three
incentives to an examination of the works

be beSpeakseveral

of the

The

Fathers, particularly the earlier writings.

first

of these grew out of the Protestant Reformation.

Luther, Calvin, Melanchthon, and the other leading

Reformers studied the

Augustine.

The

were upon her

early writers

years or

many

whom

patristic writers, especially

Catholic Church, claiming that the

more

hundred
produced
department, most of

side, in the

after the Council of Trent,

learned scholars in this

studied and wrote in the interests of their

church.

On

the other hand, Protestants, looking to

Scripture alone as authoritative,

made

of England, studied
spirit.

them with a

less

of the

less

early ecclesiastical writers, and, outside the

Church

sympathetic

Patristic studies thus received a powerful

impulse from a desire on the part of Catholic writers to

astical

uphold the peculiar theological and ecclesiviews of their church.

The Church of England held an exceptional

Her members, as disposition among Protestants.
tinguished from non-episcopal reformers, retained

a very high regard for the primitive Fathers

among them

arose

patristic scholars.

ther in this respect

for a

and

many learned and enthusiastic

The earlier of these, going furthan the Catholics, who allowed

development of doctrines, stoutly claimed that

'

INTRODUCTION.
the opinions

and practices of

their

19

church were

substantially identical with those of the

the

first

centuries.

The

spirit

Church

in

animating these ear-

Anglican scholars was thus a spirit of loyalty

Church of England.
The third interest in which patristic study has
been undertaken, the controlling one to-day, is that
of a broad Christian scholarship, irrespective of the
defense or overthrow of particular views. Formerly two branches of the Church enjoyed a kind of
monopoly of this department of Christian learning;
but now, influenced by this broader motive, the
whole Church has entered the field, and Lutheran
and Puritan, alike with Romanist and Anglican,
desire to know who the Fathers were and what
Writings upon the earlier Christian
they wrote.
lier

to the

works, so far as they are controversial, are

now

di-

rected, not against peculiar views within the Church,

but against outside attacks upon Christianity

itself.

But, happily, most readers of Christian literature

have other than controversial ends in view. Hapmen are better able than they once were

pily, too,

to see valuable Christian truths in non-theological

forms, or in forms differing widely from their

own

ways of expressing the same truths. Classes, therefore, who have in former times turned away from
the early writers because they did not present sys-

tematic schemes of the plan of salvation, or because,

judged by certain standards, they seemed sometimes

to incline to heresy, are
spiritual

Aim
this

gems lying

now

glad to pick out the

in these old mines.

of this Work. It is in recognition of

broad interest of Christians of every name that

INTRODUCTION.

20

Few clergymen,
make extended studies
in this field yet at a day when " Supernatural Religion " is still fresh in men's minds, and when the
has been undertaken.

this series

even, have opportunities to

;

historical foundations of Christianity are freely dis-

cussed in periodical literature, not only every clergyman but every reader needs to know something
of Clement,

and

Ignatius,

and Polycarp, and Justin

who

they were, what works they wrote,

they wrote them.
Such information this

at least

and when
volume attempts to give. By comparing the contents of the book with the list of works in Migne's
" Patrology," it will be seen that we are able to embrace in this small compass a large part of the genuine extant writings of the Apostolic Fathers and
If, by his efforts, the main results
the Apologists.
of

modern

critical

study of the Fathers are

made

generally accessible, the aim of the author will be

G. A.

reached.

The

J.

following are the works of the Apostolic Fathers, the

Apologists, and contemporaneous ecclesiastical writers to the

time of Irenseus, as given in Migne's " Patrology." All that

are now generally allowed to be genuine are printed in italics.

Those given entire in this volume are marked w ith a star.

Those of which extracts or summaries are given are marked
T

with a dagger.

Clement

* Epistle

Epistle to the Corinthians,

Corinthians, I.
Epistles to Virgins.
The Apostolical Constitutions Recognitions of Clement.
Epitome of the Acts of Peter
Clementine Homilies
Liturgy of Clement.
II.

to the

Two

Barnabas
f

The Catholic Epistle. (Not, however, Barnabas the Apostle.)

INTRODUCTION.
Matthew the Apostle

St.

21

Fragments.
St.

Bartholomew the Apostle

Brief Sentence.

Pope Anacletus
Epistles

St.

and Decrees.

Hermas

The Shepherd of Hermas,

Anonymous

Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs.

Anonymous
* Epistle

so

to

Diognetus. (Unquestionably very ancient, and

like the genuine epistles.)

marked

Presbyters and Deacons of Achaia

Epistle concerning the Martyrdom of
:

St.

Dionysius the Areopagite

The

St.

Andrew.

Celestial Hierarchy Of the Ecclesiastical Hierarchy

Treatise on the Divine Names Of Mystical Theology
Ten Epistles Liturgy of St. Dionysius. (These works
were written not earlier than the fourth, probably in
the fifth, century.)
;

St. Ignatius the Martyr

* Genuine Epistles (Vossian the Curetonian given here).
Seven interpolated Epistles ; eight spurious Epistles
Liturgy of St. Ignatius.
The Martyrdom of St. Ignatius.
:

St.

Polycarp:
* Epistle to the Philippians ; Fragments.
Letter of the Church at Smyrna concerning the Martyrdom of Polycarp. (A very early document, but its
authenticity is questioned, as also the genuineness of
portions of it.)

Popes Evaristus, Alexander I., Sixtus

Hyginus, Pius I., Eleutherus
Epistles and Decrees.

I.,

St.

Melito

f Fragments.

St. Papias
f

St.

Fragments from " Oracles of

Quadratus

Fragments from Apology.

the

Lord"

Telesphorus,

INTRODUCTION.

22

Aristo Pell^us, St. Claudius Apollinaris, St. Hegesippus Pant^enus,

Fragments.

Rhodon

Maximus, Bishop of Jerusalem

Fragment from book " De Materia?
POLYCRATES, BlSHOP OF EPHESUS
Fragment from Letter to Victor; Acts of St. Timothy.
St. Theophilus, Bishop of C^esarea
Fragment from Fpistle on the Paschal Question,
St. Serapion, Bishop of Antioch, Apollonius
:

Fragments.

Anonymous

and Lyons on the

tyrdom of Pothinus and others ; Fragment.

Fpistle of the Churches at Vienne

St. Victor,

Pope

Mar-

Fpistles.

Arch^eus, an African Bishop

Fragment.
St. Justin

(Martyr)

Address to the Greeks

On

the Sole

Hortatory Address to the Greeks

Government of God.

f Apology I.
Apology II.

\ Dialogue with Trypho.

Tatian

Address

to the Greeks.

Athenagoras
\
\

Mission about Christians.

On the Resurrection of the Dead.

St. Theophilus, Bishop of

Three Books to Autolycus.

Hermias, Philosopher
A Deriding of the Gentile

Antioch

Philosophers.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

CLEMENT OF ROME.
The

transitions of the moral world, like those

Between the plane

on which stood Paul and Peter and John, and the
of the physical, are not abrupt.

perceptibly lower plane of the writers of the sec-

ond century, intervenes a terrace on which stands

Clement of Rome. * Our positive knowledge of this
Father is small, but is sufficient to invest him with
a dignity becoming a companion and successor of
the two great apostles in the foremost church of the
early Christian world.
all

Around

his

those vague traditions of the

name

clustered

Roman Church

which needed only the magic of an honored name

to crystallize them into historic form. Upon Clement, unwilling and declining the honor
runs the
Peter laid hold, and compelled him to
tradition
take the bishop's chair which he was about to leave
at the same time communicating to him "the power
of binding and loosing, so that with respect to everything which he shall ordain in the earth, it shall be
decreed in the heavens." With this prestige it is
little wonder that he was early thought of as the

author of the Epistle to the Hebrews

or that
Clement of Alexandria calls him the " Apostle
;

Clement

"
;

or that

modern

critics

have invested him

24

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

with the dignity of imperial connections. This last

supposition identifies him with Flavius Clemens,
who was a cousin of the Emperor Domitian and

husband of Flavia Domitilla, also of imperial blood.

This Flavius Clemens was colleague of Domitian
in the consulship, and his children had been selected by the Emperor as successors to the throne
but upon a charge of atheism the profession of
Christianity
Domitian suddenly put him to death
and banished his wife to an island. Now it appears, both from the Epistles of St. Paul and from
monuments that have lately been recovered from

ancient Christian burial-places, that Christianity very

early gained a foothold in the imperial palace.
is

It

moreover probable, from the absence from Clem-

ent's epistle of all personal allusions to the perse-

cutors of the Christians, although they were at that

very time suffering persecution, that he was writing,

if not from Caesar's own household, at least from

one of the great households closely allied, in which

he was in actual daily intercourse with the agents
Furthermore, there are in the
of the Emperor.
epistle some indications that Clement was acquainted
with Roman history and literature, and that he idenBut however pleastifies himself with the Romans.
ant the fancy, it would be presumptuous from these
data to assume so princely a rank as that of Flavius
Clemens for one of the earliest bishops of Rome.
Other critics therefore suppose him to have been a
freedman of this noble Christian, and perhaps of
Jewish descent while still others, following Origen,
hold to his identity with the Clement of Phil, iv.,
and suppose that he was a Philippian. But, dis;

CLEMENT OF ROME.

25

mere conjectures as to his exact rank

and condition in life, we do know that there was a
Clement among the first three bishops of the Church
at Rome, and that he was probably the third in
order. We learn this from the mention of Clement's
name in prayers of the Roman Church which date
from the second century, and also from the testimony of Irenaeus. We know, too, that in the reign
missing

all

of Domitian, Clement, in the

name

of the

Roman

Church, wrote a letter to the Corinthian Church.

This we learn from the combined testimonies of
Hegesippus, the first historian of the Church, and
Dionysius of Corinth, both which testimonies are
preserved in Eusebius.
This Epistle to the Corinthians is still extant, and is universally acknowledged to be genuine. It was written about a. d.
95, and is probably the only genuine work of Clement which we have.
Closely connected with this
work in history is another, which bears the

name

of the

"Second

Epistle of Clement to the

Corinthians," and which long passed as Clement's

even among critics. Scholars now, however, agree

it can not be ascribed to the same author as

that

the

first epistle,

some thinking

it

the

work of Clem-

ent of Alexandria, some that of another Clement

contemporary with Pius, the brother of Hermas.

It has, moreover, the form of a homily rather than
Besides these, four other letters bear

of a letter.
the

name

of Clement

two Epistles on Virginity,

extant only in Syriac, which, though not genuine,

are of very early date;

and two Epistles

to

James

the Lord's Brother, one of which doubtless dates

from the

last half

of the second century.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

26

In addition to these epistolary writings, a considerable body of Clementine literature, so called,

has attached itself to our author's name. It is embodied in two works, or two recensions of the same
work, known as the " Clementina " and the " Recognitiones," and in the "Apostolical Constitutions."
These works will be described in the appendix to
Clement's Epistle.
To speak briefly now of this genuine epistle.
Until very lately only one manuscript of the work
was known the Alexandrian manuscript of the

New Testament

(dr. a. d. 450), in which the first and

second Epistles to the Corinthians were recorded
This position confirms
after the canonical books.
the testimony of Eusebius that, though not considered canonical, they were so much esteemed as
This Alexto be frequently read in the churches.
andrian manuscript, which has been known to
scholars 250 years, was confessedly imperfect; so
that when, in 1875, Bryennios published at Constantinople a new and entire manuscript, found

in that city, critics hailed the event with delight.

Very soon

after

this

discovery, another (Syriac)

manuscript was brought to

light,

at last a substantially perfect text.

filled

was

great.

Toward

the

thus

giving us

The gap

close of the

Alexandrian manuscript had

thus
first

about
a tenth part of the whole, while of the second
The new porepistle some two fifths was wanting.
tions give important hints as to the. dates of both
epistles, as to the stage of liturgical development in
epistle, the

the
tle,

Roman Church
and

lost

at the writing of the first epis-

as to the homiletical rather than epistolary

CLEMENT OF ROME.

27

character of the second (so-called) epistle.

Be-

Alexandrian manuwere a number of minor chasms caused

by age and use and not the slightest advantage
accruing from the discovery of the new manuscripts,
sides the larger defects of the
script, there

at least to the non-critical world,

is

the confidence

acumen of such
Lightfoot and Harnack, who had pre-

they give us in the learning and

critics

as

viously edited the Alexandrian text, and not a few

of whose conjectural readings are

now

absolutely

established.

For the contents of the

epistle the reader

is

re-

work itself. It is given entire, save

the longer and more exact Scripture quotamaking which the author must have had the

ferred to the

some of
tions, in

Septuagint version before him.

Lightfoot's,

Greek used

and

is

The

translation

is

the only translation from the

volume in which emendations

have not been necessary.
The reader should carefully note the resemblance, both in thought and in forms of expression,
to the New Testament epistles, especially the Epistle to the Hebrews.
from a

in this

critical text

THE EPISTLE OF CLEMENT TO THE CORINTHIANS.

of God which sojourneth in Rome
church of God which sojourneth in Corinth,
to them which are called and sanctified by the will
of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Grace to
you and peace from Almighty God through Jesus
Christ be multiplied.
1. By reason of the sudden and repeated calamities and reverses which are befalling us, brethren,

The church

to the

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

28

we consider

that we have been somewhat tardy in

giving heed to the matters of dispute that have arisen
among you, dearly beloved, and to the detestable
and unholy sedition so alien and strange to the elect
of God, which a few headstrong and self-willed
persons have kindled to such a pitch of madness,
that your name, once revered and renowned, and
lovely in the sight of all men, hath been greatly

For who that had sojourned among you

did not approve your most virtuous and steadfast
faith ?
Who did not admire your sober and forbearing piety in Christ? Who did not publish
abroad your magnificent disposition of hospitality ?
Who did not congratulate you on your perfect and
sound knowledge ? For ye did all things without
respect of persons, and ye walked after the ordinances of God, submitting yourselves to your rulers,
and rendering to the older men among you the
honor which is their due. On the young, too, ye
enjoined modest and seemly thoughts; and the
women ye charged to perform all their duties in a
blameless and seemly and pure conscience, cherishing their own husbands, as is meet and ye taught
them to keep in the rule of obedience, and to manage the affairs of their household in seemliness, with
reviled.

all

discretion.

2. And ye were all lowly in mind and free

from arrogance, yielding rather than claiming submission, more glad to give than to receive, and conAnd
tent with the provisions which God supplieth.
giving heed unto his words, ye laid them up diligently in your hearts, and his sufferings were before
your eyes. Thus a profound and rich peace was
given to all, and an insatiable desire of doing good.
An abundant outpouring also of the Holy Spirit
fell upon all
and being full of holy counsel, in excellent zeal, and with a pious confidence, ye stretched
out your hands to Almighty God, supplicating him
;

CLEMENT OF ROME.

29

be propitious, if unwittingly ye had committed

any sin. Ye had conflict day and night for all the
brotherhood, that the number of his elect might be
saved with fearfulness and intentness of mind. Ye
were sincere and simple and free from malice one
toward another. Every sedition and every schism
Ye mourned over the
was abominable to you.
transgressions of your neighbors; ye judged their
shortcomings to be your own. Ye repented not of
any well-doing, but were ready unto every good work.
Being adorned with a most virtuous and honorable
life, ye performed all your duties in the fear of him.
The commandments and the ordinances of the Lord
were written on the tables of your hearts.
3. All glory and enlargement was given unto
to

My

you, and that was fulfilled which is written

and di-ank and was enlarged and waxed
fat and kicked. Hence come jealousy and envy,
strife and sedition, persecution and tumult, war and
captivity.
So men were stirred up, the mean against
the honorable, the ill reputed against the highly reputed, the foolish against the wise, the young against
:

beloved ate

the elder.
For this cause righteousness and peace
stand aloof, while each man hath forsaken the fear
of the Lord and become purblind in the faith of
him, neither walketh in the ordinances of his commandments, nor liveth according to that which becometh Christ, but each goeth after the lusts of his
evil heart, seeing that they have conceived an unrighteous and ungodly jealousy, through which also
death entered into the world.
And it came to pass after
4. For so it is written
certain days that Cain brought of the fruits of the
earth a sacrifice unto God, and Abel he also brought
:

of

the firstlings

of

the sheep

and of their fatness. And

God looked upon Abel and upon his gifts,

but unto Cain

and unto his sacrifices he gave no heed. And Cain sorrowed exceedingly, and his countenance fell. And God

30

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

said unto Cain, Wherefore art thou very sorrowful ?

and wherefore did thy countenance fall? If thou
hast offered aright and hast not divided aright, didst
thou not sin ? Hold thy peace.
Unto thee shall he
turn, and thou shall rule over him.
And Cain said to
Abel his brother, Let us go over unto the plain. And
it came to pass, while they were in the plain, that Cain
rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.
Ye
see, brethren, jealousy and envy wrought a brother's
murder. By reason of jealousy our father Jacob
ran away from the face of Esau his brother.
Jeal-

ousy caused Joseph to be persecuted even unto

death, and to come even to bondage.
Jealousy
compelled Moses to flee from the face of Pharaoh,
king of Egypt, while it was said to him by his own
countrymen, Who made thee a judge or a decider over
us ?
Wouldest thou slay me, even as yesterday thou
slewest the Egyptian ?
By reason of jealousy Aaron
and Miriam were lodged outside the camp. Jealousy brought Dathan and Abiram down alive to
Hades, because they made sedition against Moses,
the servant of God.
By reason of jealousy David
was not only envied by aliens, but was persecuted
also by Saul, king of Israel.
5. But, to pass from the examples of ancient
days, let us come to those champions who lived
nearest to our time.
Let us set before us the noble
examples which belong to our generation. By reason of jealousy and envy the greatest and most
righteous pillars of the church were persecuted, and
contended even unto death. Let us set before our
eyes the good apostles. There was Peter, who by
reason of unrighteous jealousy endured not one nor
two but many labors, and thus having borne his
testimony went to his appointed place of glory. By
reason of jealousy and strife Paul by his example
After
pointed out the prize of patient endurance.
that he had been seven times in bonds, had been

CLEMENT OF ROME.

31

driven into exile, had been stoned, had preached in

the East and in the West, he won the noble renown which was the reward of his faith, having
taught righteousness unto the whole world, and having reached the farthest bounds of the West and
when he had borne his testimony before the rulers,
so he departed from the world and went unto the
holy place, having been found a notable pattern of
patient endurance.
6. Unto these men of holy lives was gathered a
vast multitude of the elect, who through many indignities and tortures, being the victims of jealousy,
By reason
set a brave example among ourselves.
of jealousy matrons and maidens and slave-girls
being persecuted, after they had suffered cruel and
unholy insults, safely reached the goal in the race
of faith, and received a noble reward, feeble though
they were in body. Jealousy hath estranged wives
from their husbands, and changed the saying of our
father Adam, This now is bone of my bones and flesh
of my flesh. Jealousy and strife have overthrown
;

and uprooted great nations.

These things,' dearly beloved, we write, not
only as admonishing you, but also as putting ourselves in remembrance.
For we are in the same
lists, and the same contest awaiteth us.
Wherefore
let us forsake idle and vain thoughts
and let us
conform to the glorious and venerable rule which
hath been handed down to us and let us see what
is good and what is pleasant and what is acceptable
in the sight of him that made us.
Let us fix our
eyes on the blood of Christ and understand how
great cities
7.

unto his Father, because being shed

it won for the whole world the
grace of repentance. Let us review all the generations in turn, and learn how from generation to
generation the Master hath given a place for repentance unto them that desire to turn to him.

precious

it

is

for our salvation

32

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

Noah preached

repentance, and they that obeyed

were saved. Jonah preached destruction unto the
men of Nineveh but they, repenting of their sins,
obtained pardon of God by their supplications and
received salvation, albeit they were aliens from
God.
8. The ministers of the grace of God through
the Holy Spirit spake concerning repentance.
Yea,
and the Master of the universe himself spake concerning repentance with an oath
For as I live,
saiih the Lord, I desire not the death of the sinner, so
much as his repentance ; and he added also a merciRepent ye, O house of Israel, of your
ful judgment
iniquity j say u?ito the sons of my people, Though your
;

sins reach

from

the earth even unto the heaven,

and

though they be redder than scarlet and blacker than

sackcloth, and ye turn unto me with your whole heart
and say, Father, I will give ear unto you as unto an
holy people.
And in another place he saith on this
wise [Isa. i. 16-20, quoted very exactly].
Seeing
then that he desireth all his beloved to be partakers
of repentance, he confirmed it by an act of his
almighty will.
9. Wherefore let us be obedient unto his excellent and glorious will
and presenting ourselves as
suppliants of his mercy and goodness, let us fall
down before him and betake ourselves unto his
compassions, forsaking the vain toil and the strife
and the jealousy which leadeth unto death. Let us
fix our eyes on them that ministered perfectly unto
his excellent glory.
Let us set before us Enoch,
who being found righteous in obedience was transNoah, being
lated, and his death was not found.
found faithful, by his ministration preached regeneration unto the world, and through him the Master
saved the living creatures that entered into the ark
in concord.
10. Abraham, who was called the "friend," was
;

CLEMENT OF ROME.

33

found faithful in that he rendered obedience unto

He through obedience went
the words of God.
forth from his land and from his kindred and from
his father's house, that leaving a scanty land and a
feeble kindred and a mean house he might inherit
the promises of God.
For he saith unto him, Go
forth [quoting Gen. xii. 1-3]. And again, when
he was parted from Lot, God saith unto him, Look
up [quoting Gen. xiii. 14-16]. And again he saith
And God led Abraham forth and said unto him, Look
up unto the heaven and count the stars, and see whether
thou canst count them.
So shall thy seed be. And
Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him
for righteousness. For his faith and hospitality a
son was given unto him in old age, and by obedience he offered him a sacrifice unto God on one of
the mountains which he showed him.
n. For his hospitality and godliness Lot was
saved from Sodom, when all the country round
about was judged by fire and brimstone; the Master having thus foreshown that he forsaketh not
them which set their hope on him, but appointeth
unto punishment and torment them which swerve
aside.
For when his wife had gone forth with him,
being otherwise minded and not in accord, she was
appointed for a sign hereunto, so that she became
a pillar of salt unto this day, that it might be known
unto all men that they which are double-minded
and they which doubt concerning the power of God
are set for a judgment and for a token unto all the
:

generations.
12. For her faith and hospitality Rahab the harwas saved. [Account of Rahab's harboring and
saving the spies, from Josh, ii.] And moreover
they gave her a sign, that she should hang out from
her house a scarlet thread, thereby showing before-

lot

hand

that through the blood of the Lord there shall

be redemption unto all them that believe and hope

34

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

Ye see, dearly beloved, not only faith,

but prophecy, is found in the woman.
13. Let us therefore be lowly minded, brethren,
laying aside all arrogance and conceit and folly and
anger, and let us do that which is written.
For the
Holy Ghost saith Let not the wise man boast in his
wisdom, nor the strong in his strength, neither the rich
on God.

in his riches ; but he that boasteth let

him boast

in the

Lord, that he may seek him out, and do judgment and

7'ighteousness j most of all remembering the words
of the Lord Jesus which he spake, teaching forbearance and long-suffering for thus he spake Have
mercy, that ye may receive mercy : forgive, that it may
be forgiven to you. As ye do, so shall it be done to you.
As ye give, so shall it be given unto you. As ye judge,
so shall ye be judged.
As ye show kindness, so shall
kindness be shown unto you.
With what measure ye
mete, it shall be measured withal to you.
14. Therefore it is right and proper, brethren,
that we should be obedient unto God, rather than
follow those who in arrogance and unruliness have
set themselves up as leaders in abominable jealousy.
For we shall bring upon us no common harm, but
rather great peril, if we surrender ourselves recklessly to the purposes of men who launch out into
strife and seditions, so as to estrange us from that
which is right. Let us be good one toward another,
according to the compassion and sweetness of him
that made us.
For it is written The good shall be
dwellers in the land, and the innocent shall be left on
;

it; but they that transgress shall be destroyed utterly

saw the ungodly
from it. And again he saith :

and exalted as the cedars of Lebanon.

And I passed by and behold he was not ; and L sought
Keep innocence and
out his place and L found it not.
lifted up on high

behold righteousness ; for there is a remnant for the

peaceful man.
15. Therefore let us cleave unto them that prac-

CLEMENT OF ROME.

35

peace with godliness, and not unto them that

For he saith in
desire peace with dissimulation.
This people honoreth me with their
a certain place
They
Zips, but their heart is far from me ; and again
blessed with their mouthy but they cursed with their
And again he saith: They loved him with
heart.
tice

and with their tongue they lied unto him j

and their heart was not upright with him, neither were
For this cause, Let the
they steadfast in his covenant.
deceitful lips be made dumb which speak iniquity against
And again May the Lord utterly dethe righteous.
their mouth,

stroy all the deceitful lips, the tongue that speaketh

proud things, even them that say, Let us magnify our

tongue j our lips are our own j who is Lord over us ?
For the misery of the needy and for the groaning of
the poor L will now arise, saith the Lord.
T will set
him in safety j L will deal boldly by him.
16. For Christ is with them that are lowly of
mind, not with them that exalt, themselves over the
The scepter of the majesty of God, even
flock.
our Lord Jesus Christ, came not in the pomp of
arrogance or of pride, though he might have done
so, but in lowliness of mind, according as the Holy
Spirit spake concerning him.
For he saith [quoting
the whole of Isa. liii.
also Ps. xxii. 6-8].
Ye
see, dearly beloved, what is the pattern that hath
been given unto us for, if the Lord was thus lowly
of mind, what should we do, who through him have
been brought under the yoke of his grace ?
17. Let us be imitators also of them which went
about in goat-skins and sheep-skins, preaching the
coming of Christ. We mean Elijah and Elisha,
and likewise Ezekiel, the prophets, and besides
them those men also that obtained a good report.
;

Abraham obtained an exceeding good

report, and
was called the friend of God and looking steadfastly on the glory of God, he saith in lowliness of
mind, But L am dust and ashes. Moreover, con;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

36

it is thus written
And Job was
and unblamable, one that was true and
honored God and abstained from all evil. Yet he
accuseth himself, saying, No man is clean from filth
no, not though his life be but for a day.
Moses was
called faithful in all his house, and through his
ministration God judged Egypt with the plagues
and the torments which befell them. Howbeit he

cerning Job also

righteous

also, though greatly glorified, yet spake no proud

words, but said when an oracle was given to him at
the bush, Who am I, that thou sendest me ? Nay, I
am feeble of speech and slow of tongue. And again
he saith, But I am smoke from the pot.
1 8. But what must we say of David, that obtained a good report ? of whom God said, / have
found a man after my heart, David the son of Jesse:
with eternal mercy have I anointed him. Yet he too
saith unto God
Have mercy [quoting Ps. li. 1-17].
19. The humility, therefore, and the submissiveness of so many and so great men, who have thus obtained a good report, hath through obedience made
better not only us, but also the generations which
were before us, even them that received his oracles
in fear and truth.
Seeing then that we have been
partakers of many great and glorious doings, let us
hasten to return unto the goal of peace which hath
been handed down to us from the beginning, and
let us look steadfastly unto the Father and Maker
of the whole world, and cleave unto his splendid
and excellent gifts of peace and benefits. Let us
behold him in our mind, and let us look with the
Let
eyes of our soul unto his long-suffering will.
us note how free from anger he is toward all his
:

creatures.
20.

The heavens

and obey him

are

in peace.

the course assigned to

drance one to another.

moved by his direction

Day and night accomplish

them by him, without hinThe sun and the moon

CLEMENT OF ROME.

37

according to his appointment

circle in harmony within the bounds assigned to
them, without any swerving aside. The earth, bearing fruit in fulfillment of his will at her proper seasons, putteth forth the food that supplieth abundantly both men and beasts and all living things
which are thereupon, making no dissension, neither
Morealtering anything which he hath decreed.
over, the inscrutable depths of the abysses and the
unutterable statutes of the nether regions are constrained by the same ordinances. The basin of the
boundless sea, gathered together by his workmanship into its reservoirs, passeth not the barriers
wherewith it is surrounded but even as he ordered
For he said, So far shalt thou come,
it, so it doeth.
and thy tuaves shall be broke?i within thee. The ocean
which is impassable for men, and the worlds beyond
it, are directed by the same ordinances of the Mas-

and the dancing

stars

The seasons of .spring and summer and autumn

and winter give way in succession to one another
The winds in their several quarters at
in peace.
ter.

their proper season fulfill their ministry without

disturbance; and the ever- flowing fountains, created
for enjoyment and health, without fail give their

Yea, the
breasts which sustain the life of men.
smallest of living things come together in concord
and peace. All these things the great Creator and
Master of the universe ordered to be in peace and

concord, doing good unto all things, but far beyond

the rest unto us who have taken refuge in his compassionate mercies through our Lord Jesus Christ,
to whom be the glory and the majesty for ever and
ever.

Amen.
Look ye,

brethren, lest his benefits, which

many, turn unto judgment to all of us, if we
walk not worthily of him, and do those things which
are good and well pleasing in his sight with concord.
For he saith in a certain place, The Spirit of the Lord
21.

are

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

38

a lamp searching the closets of the belly. Let us see

how near he is, and how that nothing escapeth him
of our thoughts or our devices which we make.
It
is right, therefore, that we should not be deserters
from his will. Let us rather give offense to foolish
and senseless men who exalt themselves and boast
in the arrogance of their words, than to God.
Let
us fear the Lord Jesus, whose blood was given for
us.
Let us reverence our rulers let us honor our
elders let us instruct our young men in the lesson
of the fear of God.
Let us guide our women tois

ward

that which is good let them show forth their

lovely disposition of purity
let them prove their
sincere affection of gentleness let them make manifest the moderation of their tongue through silence
let them show their love, not in factious preferences,
but without partiality toward all them that fear
Let our children be partakers
God, in holiness.
of the instruction which is in Christ let them learn
how lowliness of mind prevaileth with God, what
power chaste love hath with God, how the fear of
him is good and great, and saveth all them that
walk therein in a pure mind with holiness. For he
whose
is the searcher out of the intents and desires
breath is in us, and when he listeth he shall take it
;

away.
22. Now all these things the faith which is in
Christ confirmeth for he himself through the Holy
Spirit thus inviteth us
Come [quoting Ps. xxiv.
11-17, 18; also Ps. xxxii. 10].
23. The Father, who is pitiful in all things, and
ready to do good, hath compassion on them that
fear him, and kindly and lovingly bestoweth his
favors on them that draw nigh unto him with a single mind. Wherefore let us not be double-minded,
neither let our soul indulge in idle humors respecting his exceeding and glorious gifts. Let this scripWretched are
ture be far from us where he saith
:

CLEMENT OF ROME.

39

which doubt in their soul and say,

These things we did hear in the days of our fathers
also, and behold we have grown old, and none of these
Ye fools, compare yourselves
things hath befallen us.
unto a tree j take a vine.
First it sheddeth its leaves,
then a shoot cometh, the?i a leaf, then a flower, and
Ye
after these a sour berry, then a full ripe grape*
see that in a little time the fruit of the tree attaineth
unto mellowness. Of a truth quickly and suddenly
shall his will be accomplished, the scripture also
bearing witness to it, saying: He shall come quickly
and shall not tarry; and the Lord shall come suddenly
into his temple, even the Holy One, who?n ye expect.
24. Let us understand, dearly beloved, How the
Master continually showeth unto us the resurrection
that shall be hereafter whereof he made the Lord
Jesus Christ the first fruit, when he raised him from
the dead. Let us behold, dearly beloved, the resurrection which happeneth at its proper season. Day
and night show unto us the resurrection.
The
the double-minded,

night falleth asleep, and the day ariseth; the day

departeth, and night cometh on.
Let us mark the
fruits, how and in what manner the sowing taketh
place.
The sower goeth forth and casteth into the
earth each of the seeds; and these, falling into the
earth dry and bare, decay then out of their decay
the mightiness of the Master's providence raiseth
them up, and from being one they increase manifold
:

and bear

fruit.

25. Let us consider the marvelous sign which is

seen in the regions of the east, that is, in the parts

There is a bird which is named the

phoenix.
This, being the only one of its kind, liveth for five hundred years; and when it hath now
reached the time of its dissolution that it should
die, it maketh for itself a coffin of frankincense and

about Arabia.

* Conjectured to be from the lost apocryphal book

and Modad," or from the "Assumption of Moses."

"

Eldad

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

40

myrrh and the other

spices, into the which in the

entereth, and so it dieth.
But as
the flesh rotteth, a certain worm is engendered,
which is nurtured from the moisture of the dead
creature and putteth forth wings.
Then, when it
is grown lusty, it taketh up that coffin where are
the bones of its parent, and carrying them journeyeth from the country of Arabia even unto Egypt,
to the place called the City of the Sun
and in the
daytime, in the sight of all, flying to the altar of the
Sun, it layeth them thereupon; and this done, it
setteth forth to return.
So the priests examine the
registers of the times, and they find that it hath
come when the five hundredth year is completed.
26. Do we then think it to be a great and marvelous thing if the Creator of the universe shall
bring about the resurrection of them that have
served him with holiness in the assurance of a good
faith, seeing that he showeth to us even by a bird
the magnificence of his promise ?
For he saith in
a certain place And thou shalt raise me up, and I
wNl praise thee j and I went to rest and slept, and I
was awaked, for thou art with me. And again Job
saith
And thou shalt raise 'this my flesh which hath

fullness of time

it

endured all
27.

these things.

With

hope therefore let our souls be

that is faithful in his promises and
He that comrighteous in his judgments.
this

bound unto him

that

is

manded not
lie

to lie, much more shall he himself not

for nothing is impossible with God save to lie.

let our faith in him be kindled within us,

us understand that all things are nigh unto
him. By a word of his majesty he compacted the
Who
universe, and by a word he can destroy it.
shall say unto him, What hast thou done? or who
When he
shall resist the might of his strength?
and
listeth and as he listeth, he will do all things
nothing shall pass away of those things that he hath

Therefore

and

let

;:

CLEMENT OF ROME.

41

All things are in his sight, and nothing

decreed.
escapeth his counsel, seeing that the heavens declare
the glory of God and the firmament proclaimeth his
handiwork. Day uttereth word unto day, and night
proclaimeth knowledge unto night, j and there are
neither words nor speeches, whose voices are not heard.
28. Since therefore all things are seen and heard,
let us fear him and forsake the abominable lusts of
evil works, that we may be shielded by his mercy
from the coming judgments. For where can any of
us escape from his strong hand ? And what world
will receive any of them that desert from his service ?
For the holy writing saith in a certain part
Where shall I go, and where shall I be hidden from
thy face ?
If I ascend into the heaven, thou art there ;
if I depart into the farthest parts of the earth, there is
thy right hand j if I make my bed in the depths, there
Whither then shall one depart, or
is thy Spirit.
where shall one flee, from him that embraceth the
universe ?
29. Let us therefore approach him in holiness
of soul, lifting up pure and undefined hands unto
him, with love toward our gentle and compassionate
Father, who made us an elect portion unto himself.
For thus it is written
When [quoting Deut.
xxxii. 8, 9].
And in another place he saith Behold, the Lord taketh for himself a nation out of the
midst of the nations, as a man taketh the first fruits of
his threshing floor ; and the holy of holies shall come
forth from that nation.
30. Seeing then that we are the special portion
of a holy God, let us do all things that pertain unto
holiness, forsaking evil speakings, abominable and
impure embraces, drunkennesses and tumults, and
hateful lusts, abominable adultery, hateful pride
for God, he saith, resisteth the proud, but giveth grace
to the lowly.
Let us therefore cleave unto those to
whom grace is given from God. Let us clothe our:

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

42

lowly-minded and temperholding ourselves aloof from all backbiting and

evil speaking, being justified by works and not by
words. For he saith He that saith much shall hear
selves in concord, being

ate,

Doth

also again.

the ready talker think to be righteous /

of a woman that liveth but a

not thou abundant in words*
Let
be with God, and not of ourselves for
God hateth them that praise themselves. Let the
testimony to our well-doing be given by others, as
it was given unto our fathers who were righteous.
Boldness and arrogance and daring are for them
that are accursed of God
but forbearance and
humility and gentleness are with them that are
Blessed

is

the offspring

short time.
our praise

Be

blessed of

God

us, therefore, cleave unto his blessing;,

us see what are the ways of blessing. Let
us study the records of the things that have happened from the beginning. Wherefore was our faWas it not because he
ther Abraham blessed?
wrought righteousness and truth through faith?
Isaac with confidence, as knowing the future, was
led a willing sacrifice. Jacob with humility departed from his land because of his brother, and went
unto Laban and served and the twelve tribes of
Israel were given unto him.
32. If any man will consider them one by one
in sincerity, he shall understand the magnificence
of the gifts that are given by Him. For of Jacob
are all the priests and Levites who minister unto
the altar of God of him is the Lord Jesus as concerning the flesh of him are kings and rulers and
governors in the line of Judah yea, and the rest
of his tribes are held in no small honor, seeing that
God promised, saying, Thy seed shall be as the stars

31.

and

Let

let

of heaven.

They

all,

therefore,

were

glorified

magnified, not through themselves or their

* The Septuagint rendering of Job

xi. 2, 3.

and

own

'

CLEMENT OF ROME.

43

works or the righteous doing which they wrought,

but through his will. And so we, having been called
through his will in Christ Jesus, are not justified
through ourselves or through our own wisdom or
understanding or piety or works which we wrought
in holiness of heart, but through faith whereby the
Almighty God justified all men that have been from
the beginning to whom be the glory for ever and
;

Amen.

ever.

Must
33. What then must we do, brethren?
idly abstain from doing good, and forsake love ?
May the Master never allow this to befall us at
but let us hasten with instancy and zeal to
least
accomplish every good work. For the Creator and
Master of the universe himself rejoiceth in his
works. For by his exceeding great might he established the heavens, and in his incomprehensible
wisdom he set them in order. And the earth he
separated from the water that surroundeth it, and
he set it firm on the sure foundation of his own
will; and the living creatures which walk upon it

we

he commanded to

exist by his ordinance.

Having
before created the sea and the living creatures
therein, he inclosed it by his own power.
Above
all, as the most excellent and exceeding great work
of his intelligence, with his sacred and faultless
hands he formed man in the impress of his own
image. For thus saith God Let us make man after
our image and after our likeness. And God made
man; male and female made he them. So, having
finished all these things, he praised them and blessed
them and said, Increase and multiply. We have seen
that all the righteous were adorned in good works.
Yea, and the Lord himself having adorned himself
Seeing then that we
with good works rejoiced.
have this pattern, let us conform ourselves with all
diligence to his will; let us with all our strength
work the work of righteousness.
:

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

44

The good workman

receiveth the bread of

slothful and careless dareth not look his employer in the face.
It is,
therefore, needful that we should be zealous unto
well-doing, for of him are all things since he forewarneth us, saying, Behold the Lord, and his reward
is before his face, to recompense each man according
He exhorteth us, therefore, to believe
to his work.
on him with our whole heart, and to be not idle
34.

his

work with boldness, but the

nor careless unto every good work. Let our boast

and our confidence be in him let us submit ourselves to his will let us mark the whole host of his
angels, how they stand by and minister unto his
will.
For the scripture saith Ten thousands of ten
thousands stood by him, and thousands of thousands
ministered unto him j and they cried aloud, Holy,
holy, holy is the Lord of Sabaoth ; all creation is full
of his glory. Yea, and let us ourselves then, being
gathered together in concord with intentness of
heart, cry unto him as from one mouth earnestly
that we may be made partakers of his great and
For he saith, Eye hath not seen
glorious promises.
;

and ear hath

not heard,

and

it

hath not entered into

of man, what great things he hath prepared

for them that patiently await him.
35. How blessed and marvelous are the gifts of
God, dearly beloved! Life in immortality, splendor in righteousness, truth in boldness, faith in
And all
confidence, temperance in sanctification
What
these things fall under our apprehension.
the heart

then, think ye, are the things preparing for them

The Creator and Father
that patiently await him ?
of the ages, the All-holy One himself, knoweth their
number and their beauty. Let us therefore contend, that we may be found in the number of those
that patiently await him, to the end that we may be
But how shall this
partakers of his promised gifts.
If our mind be fixed through
be, dearly beloved ?

CLEMENT OF ROME,
God

toward

45

we seek out

those things
which are well pleasing and acceptable unto him
if we accomplish such things as beseem his faultless
will, and follow the way of truth, casting off from
ourselves all unrighteousness and iniquity, covetousness, strifes, malignities and deceits, whisperings
and backbitings, hatred of God, pride and arroFor they that
gance, vainglory and inhospitality.
do these things are hateful to God and not only
they that do them, but they also that consent unto
them. For the scripture saith But unto [quoting
Ps. 1. 16-23].
36. This is the way, dearly beloved, wherein we
found our salvation, even Jesus Christ the High
Priest of our offerings, the Guardian and Helper
Through him let us look steadof our weakness.
through him
fastly unto the heights of the heavens
we behold as in a mirror his faultless and most exthrough him the eyes of our hearts
cellent visage
were opened; through him our foolish and darkened mind springeth up unto the light ; through
him the Master willed that we should taste of imfaith

if

who being the brightness of his

majesty is so much greater than angels as he hath inFor so it is written
herited a more excellent name.
Who maketh his angels spirits and his ministers a
flame of fire ; but of his Son the Master saith thus
Thou art my Son, I this day have begotten thee. Ask
but of me, and I will give thee the gentiles for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession.
And again he saith unto him Sit thou on my right
hand, until I make thine enemies a footstool for thy
They that are
feet. Who then are these enemies ?
mortal knowledge

wicked and resist his will.

37. Let us therefore enlist ourselves, brethren,
with all earnestness in his faultless ordinances. Let
us mark the soldiers that are enlisted under our
rulers,

how

exactly,

how

readily,

how

submissively

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

46

they execute the orders given them.

All are not
prefects, nor rulers of thousands, nor rulers of hundreds, nor rulers of fifties, and so forth but each
man in his own rank executeth the orders given by
the king and the governors.
The great without the
small'can not exist, neither the small without the great.
There is a certain mixture in all things, and therein
is utility.
Let us take our body as an example.
The head without the feet is nothing so likewise
the feet without the head are nothing; even the
smallest limbs of our body are necessary and useful
for the whole body
but all members conspire and
unite in subjection, that the whole body may be
saved.
38. So in our case let the whole body be saved
in Christ Jesus, and let each man be subject unto
his neighbor, according as also he was appointed
with his special grace. Let not the strong neglect
the weak
and let the weak respect the strong.
Let the rich minister aid to the poor and let the
poor give thanks to God, because he hath given him
;

one through whom his wants may be supplied. Let

the wise display his wisdom, not in good words, but
in good works.
He that is lowly in mind, let him
not bear testimony to himself, but leave testimony
He that is
to be borne to him by his neighbor.
pure in the flesh, let him be so, and not boast,

knowing

that

it

is

Another who bestoweth

his

con-

tinence upon him.

Let us consider, brethren, of
what matter we were made; who and what manner
of beings we were, when we came into the world
from what a sepulchre and what darkness he that
molded us and created us brought us into his
world, having prepared his benefits aforehand ere
Seeing therefore that we have
ever we were born.
all these things from him, we ought in all things to
give thanks to him, to whom be the glory for ever

and

ever.

Amen.

CLEMENT OF ROME.

47

39. Senseless and stupid and foolish and ignorant men jeer and mock at us, desiring that they
themselves should be exalted in their imaginations.
For what power hath a mortal? or what strength
hath a child of earth ?
For it is written
There
[quoting Job iv. 16 to v. 5].
40. Forasmuch then as these things are manifest beforehand, and we have searched into the
depths of the divine knowledge, we ought to do all
things in order, as many as the Master hath commanded us to perform at their appointed seasons.
Now the offerings and ministrations he commanded
to be performed with care, and not to be done rashly
or in disorder, but at fixed times and seasons.
And
:

when and by whom he would have them performed

he himself fixed by his supreme will that all things
being done with piety according to his good pleasure might be acceptable to his will.
They therefore that make their offerings at the appointed seasons are acceptable and blessed
for while they
follow the institutions of the Master they can not
go wrong. For unto the high priest his proper services have been assigned, and to the priests their
proper office is appointed, and upon the Levites
their proper ministrations are laid.
The layman is
bound by the layman's ordinances.
41. Let each of you, brethren, in his own order
give thanks unto God, maintaining a good conscience and not transgressing the appointed rule of
his service, but acting with all seemliness.
Not in
every place, brethren, are the continual daily sacri:

fices offered,

or the free-will offerings, or the sin

and the trespass offerings, but in Jerusalem alone. And even there the offering is not made
offerings,

in every place, but before the sanctuary in the court

of the altar and this, too, through the high priest
and the aforesaid ministers, after that the victim to
be offered hath been inspected for blemishes. They
;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

48

who do anything

contrary to the seemly

ordinance of his will receive death as the penalty.
Ye see, brethren, in proportion as greater knowledge
hath been vouchsafed unto us, so much the more
are we exposed to danger.
42. The apostles received the gospel for us from
the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ was sent forth
from God. So then Christ is from God, and the
apostles are from Christ.
Both therefore came of
the will of God in the appointed order.
Having
therefore received a charge, and having been fullyassured through the resurrection of our Lord Jesus
Christ and confirmed in the word of God with full
assurance of the Holy Ghost, they went forth with
the glad tidings that the kingdom of God should
come. So preaching everywhere in country and
town, they appointed their first fruits, when they
had proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and
deacons unto them that should believe. And this
they did in no new fashion for indeed it had been
written concerning bishops and deacons from the
very ancient times for thus saith the scripture in
therefore

a certain place,
eousness

and

will appoint their bishops in righttheir deacons in faith.

And what

marvel, if they which were intrusted in Christ with such a work by God appointed the aforesaid persons ? seeing that even
the blessed Moses, who was a faithful servant in all
his house, recorded for a sign in the sacred books
And him
all things that were enjoined upon him.
also the rest of the prophets followed, bearing witness with him unto the laws that were ordained by
him.
For he, when jealousy arose concerning the
priesthood, and there was dissension among the
tribes which of them was adorned with the glorious
name, commanded the twelve chiefs of the tribes to
bring to him rods inscribed with the name of each
And he took them and tied them and sealed
tribe.
43.

CLEMENT OF ROME.

49

them with the signet rings of the chiefs of the

and put them away in the tabernacle of the
testimony on the table of God. And having shut
the tabernacle, he sealed the keys and likewise also
tribes,

And he

said unto them, Brethren, the

this hath God chosen to be
Now when morning
pi'iests and ministers unto him.
came he called together all Israel, even the six
hundred thousand men, and showed the seals to
the chiefs of the tribes, and opened the tabernacle
And the
of the testimony and drew forth the rods.

the doors.
tribe

whose rod shall bud,

rod of Aaron was found not only with buds, but

What think ye, dearly beloved ?
also bearing fruit.
Did not Moses know beforehand that this would
come to pass? Assuredly he knew it. But that
disorder might not arise in Israel, he did thus, to
the end that the

might be
ever.

name

glorified, to

of the true and only God

be glory for ever and

whom

Amen.

And our apostles knew through our Lord

Jesus Christ that there would be strife over the
name of the bishop's office. For this cause therefore, having received complete foreknowledge, they
appointed the aforesaid persons, and afterward they
provided a continuance [gave instructions] that if
these should fall asleep, other approved men should
44.

succeed to their ministration.

Those therefore

who were appointed by them, or afterward by other

men of repute with the consent of the whole church,
and have ministered unblamably

to the flock of
Christ in lowliness of mind, peacefully and with all

modesty, and for a long time have borne a good

report with all these men we consider to be unFor it
justly thrust out from their ministration.
will be no light sin for us, if we thrust out those
who have offered the gifts of the bishop's office unblamably and holily. Blessed are those presbyters
who have gone before, seeing that their departure

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

50

was fruitful and ripe for they have no fear lest

any one should remove them from their appointed
place.
For we see that ye have displaced certain
persons, though they were living honorably from
the ministration which they had kept blamelessly.
45. Be ye contentious, brethren, and jealous
;

about the things that pertain unto salvation. Ye

have searched the Scriptures, which are true, which
were given through the Holy Ghost and ye know
that nothing unrighteous or counterfeit is written
;

in

them.

Ye

will not find that righteous persons

been thrust out by holy men. Righteous men

persecuted, but it was by the lawless
they
imprisoned, but it was by the unholy.
They
stoned by transgressors; they were slain by
those who had conceived a detestable and unrighteous jealousy. Suffering these things, they endured
nobly.
For what must we say, brethren ? Was
Daniel cast into the den of lions by them that feared
God ? Or were Ananias and Azarias and Misael
shut up in the furnace of fire by them that professed the excellent and glorious worship of the
Most High ? Far be this from our thoughts. Who
then were they that did these things ? Abominable
men and full of all wickedness were stirred up to
such a pitch of wrath as to bring cruel suffering
upon them that served God in a holy and blameless

have
were
were
were

purpose, not knowing that the Most High is the

champion and protector of them that in a pure
conscience serve his excellent name unto whom
be the glory for ever and ever. Amen. But they
that endured patiently in confidence inherited glory
and honor they were exalted, and had their names
recorded by God in their memorial for ever and
:

ever.

Amen.

46. To such examples as these therefore, brethFor it is written

ren, we also ought to cleave.
:

Cleave unto the saints, for they that cleave unto them

CLEMENT OF ROME.
shall be sanctified.

And

51

again he saith in another

With the guiltless 7?ian thou shall be guiltless,

place
and with the elect thou shall be elect, and with the
Let us therefore
crooked thou shall deal crookedly.
cleave to the guiltless and righteous and these are
Wherefore are these strifes and
the elect of God.
wraths and factions and divisions and war among
you ? Have we not one God, and one Christ, and
one Spirit of grace that was shed upon us? And is
Wherefore do we
there not one calling in Christ ?
tear and rend asunder the members of Christ, and
stir up factions against our own body, and reach
such a pitch of folly as to forget that we are memRemember the words of
bers one of another ?
Woe unto that man.
Jesus our Lord for he said
It were good for him if he had not been born, rather
than that he should offend one of mine elect. It were
better for him that a millsto7ie were hanged about him,
and he cast into the sea, than that he should pervert
Your division hath perverted
one of mine elect.
many it hath brought many to despair, many to
doubting, and all of us to sorrow. And your sedition still continueth.
47. Take up the epistle of the blessed Paul the
What wrote he first unto you in the beApostle.
ginning of the gospel ? Of a. truth he charged you
in the Spirit concerning himself and Cephas and
Apollos, because that even then ye had made parYet that making of parties brought less sin
ties.
upon you for ye were partisans of apostles that were
highly reputed, and of a man approved in their
sight.
But now mark ye, who they are that have
perverted you and diminished the glory of your
renowned love for the brotherhood. It is shameful, dearly beloved, yes, utterly shameful and unworthy of your conduct in Christ, that it should be
reported that the very steadfast and ancient church
of the Corinthians, for the sake of one or two per:

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

52

maketh

sons,

sedition against

its

presbyters.

And

hath reached not only us, but them also

which differ from us, so that ye even heap blasphemies on the name of the Lord by reason of your
this report

and moreover create

folly,

peril for yourselves.

Let us therefore root this out quickly, and

let us fall down before the Master and entreat him
with tears, that he may show himself propitious and
be reconciled unto us, and may restore us to the
seemly and pure conduct which belongeth to our
For this is a gate of rightlove of the brethren.
eousness opened unto life, as it is written Open me
the gates of righteousness, that I may enter in thereby
and praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord j
the righteous shall enter in thereby. Seeing then that
many gates are opened, this is that gate which is in
righteousness, even that which is in Christ, whereby
all are blessed that have entered in and direct their
path in holiness and righteousness, performing all
things without confusion.
Let a man be faithful,
let him be able to expound a deep saying, let him
be wise in the discernment of words, let him be
strenuous in deeds, let him be pure for so much
the more ought he to be lowly in mind, in proportion as he seemeth to be the greater; and he ought
to seek the common advantage of all, and not his
own.
49. Let him that hath love in Christ fulfill the
commandments of Christ. Who can declare the
48.

bond of the love of God ?

Who

is

sufficient to tell

The height whereunto

the majesty of its beauty?
love exalteth is unspeakable. Love joineth us unto
God love covereth a. multitude of sins love endureth all things, is long-suffering in all things.
There is nothing coarse, nothing arrogant in love.
Love hath no divisions love maketh no seditions
In love were all
love doeth all things in concord.
the elect of God made perfect; without love no;

CLEMENT OF ROME.

53

well pleasing to God in love the Master

took us unto himself; for the love which he had
toward us, Jesus Christ our Lord hath given his
blood for us by the will of God, and his flesh for

thing

our

is

flesh

50.

and

Ye

his life for our lives.

velous a thing
perfection.

dearly beloved, how great and marlove, and there is no declaring its

see,

is

Who

is

sufficient to

be found therein,

Let
save those to whom God shall vouchsafe it ?
us therefore entreat and ask of his mercy that we
may be found blameless in love, standing apart
from the factiousness of men. All the generations

Adam unto this day have passed away; but

they that by God's grace were perfected in love
dwell in the abode of the pious and they shall be
made manifest in the visitation of the kingdom of
from

God.
very

For

little

it

is

written

Enter

into the closet for

and my wrath shall

remember a good day and will

while, until mine anger

pass away, and

I will

from your tombs. Blessed were we, dearly

beloved, if we should be doing the commandments
raise you

of God in concord of love, to the end

may through love be forgiven us. For

that our sins

it is written
Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and

whose
the

Blessed is the man to whom

shall i?npute no sin, ?ieither is guile in his

sins are covered.

Lord

This declaration of blessedness was prothat have been elected by God

through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory

mouth.

nounced upon them

and ever. Amen.

For all our transgressions which we have
committed through any wiles of the adversary, let

for ever
51.

Yea,
us entreat that we may obtain forgiveness.
and they also who set themselves up as leaders of
faction and division ought to look to the common
ground of hope. For such as walk in fear and love
desire that they themselves should fall into suffering rather than their neighbors
and they pro;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

54

nounce condemnation against themselves rather

than against the harmony which hath been handed
down to us nobly and righteously. For it is good
for a

man

to

make

confession of his trespasses rather

than to harden his heart, as the heart of those was

hardened who made sedition against Moses the

servant of God; whose condemnation was clearly
manifest, for they went down to hades alive, and
Death shall be their shepherd. Pharaoh and his host
and all the rulers of Egypt, their chariots and their
horsemen, were overwhelmed in the depths of the
Red Sea, and perished for none other reason but
because their foolish hearts were hardened after
that the signs and the wonders had been wrought
in the land of Egypt by the hand of Moses the servant of God.
52. The Master, brethren, hath need of nothing
at all.
He desireth not anything of any man, save
For the elect David sa'ith /
to confess unto him.
:

will confess unto the Lord, and it shall please hi?n

more than a young calf that groweth horns and hoofs.

Let

the poor see

it,

and

rejoice.

And

again

He

saith

Sacrifice to God a sacrifice of praise, and pay thy vows

to the Most High ; and call upon me in the day of
will deliver thee, and thou shall
thine affliction, and

glorify me.

For a sacrifice

God is a broken spirit.

know well, the sacred

unto

53. For ye know, and

scriptures, dearly beloved,

and ye have searched

We

write these things

into the oracles of God.
therefore to put you in remembrance. When Moses
went up into the mountain and had spent forty
days and forty nights in fasting and humiliation,
God said unto him Moses, Moses, come down quickly hence, for my people whom thou leddest forth from
:

the

land of Egypt have wrought iniquity ; they have

transgressed quickly out of the way which thou didst

command unto them: they have made for themselves
And the Lord said unto him /
molten images.
:

CLEMENT OF ROME.
have spoken

thee once

u?ito

and

twice, saying,

55

I have

and behold it is stiff-necked. Let me

and I will blot out their names
fro?n tender heaven, and I will make of thee a nation
great and wonderful and numerous more than this.
And Moses said Nay, not so, Lord. Forgive this
people their sin, or blot me also out of the book of the
seen this people,
destroy

the??i utterly,

O unsurpassable perfecservant is bold with his Master

he
asketh forgiveness for the multitude, or he demandeth that himself also be blotted out with them.
Who
54. Who therefore is noble among you ?
Who is fulfilled with love ? Let
is compassionate ?
him say If by reason of me there be faction and
strife and divisions, I retire, I depart, whither ye
will, and I do that which is ordered by the people
only let the flock of Christ be at peace with its duly
appointed presbyters. He that shall have done this,
shall win for himself great renown in Christ, and
every place will receive him; for the earth is the
Lord's and the fullness thereof. Thus have they done
and will do that live as citizens of that kingdom of
God which bringeth no regrets.
55. But, to bring forward examples of Gentiles
Many kings and rulers, when some season
also
of pestilence pressed upon them, being taught by
oracles, have delivered themselves over to death,
that they might rescue their fellow citizens through
Many have retired from their
their own blood.
living.

tion

mighty love

The

own cities, that they might have no more seditions.

We know that many among ourselves have delivered
themselves to bondage, that they might ransom othMany have sold themselves to slavery, and,
ers.
receiving the price paid for themselves, have fed
Many women, being strengthened through
others.
the grace of God, have performed many manly
The blessed Judith, when the city was bedeeds.
leaguered, asked of the elders that she might be suf-

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

56

fered to go forth into the camp of the aliens.

So
she exposed herself to peril and went forth for love
of her country and of her people which were beand the Lord delivered Holophernes
leaguered
into the hands of a woman.
To no less peril did
Esther also, who was perfect in faith, expose herself, that she might deliver the twelve tribes of Israel, when they were on the point to perish.
For
through her fasting and her humiliation she entreated the all-seeing Master, the God of the ages and
he, seeing the humility of her soul, delivered the
people for whose sake she encountered the peril.
56. Therefore let us also make intercession for
them that are in any transgression, that forbearance
and humanity may be given them, to the end that
they may yield, not unto us, but unto the will of
God. For so shall the compassionate remembrance
of them with God and the saints be fruitful unto
Let us accept chastisement,
them, and perfect.
whereat no man ought to be vexed, dearly beloved.
The admonition which we give one to another is
good and exceeding useful; for it joineth us unto
For thus saith the holy word
the will of God.
The Lord hath indeed chastened me, and hath not deFor whom the Lord lovlivered me over mito death.
eth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he
receiveth.
For the righteous, it is said, shall chasten
me in mercy and shall reprove me, but let not the mercy
And again he saith
of sinners anoint my head.
Blessed [quoting Job v. 17-26]. Ye see, dearly beloved, how great protection there is for them that
are chastened by the Master for, being a kind father, he chasteneth us to the end that we may obtain
mercy through his holy chastisement.
57. Ye therefore that laid the foundation of the
sedition, submit yourselves unto the presbyters and
receive chastisement unto repentance, bending the
knees of your heart. Learn to submit yourselves,
;

CLEMENT OF ROME.

57

laying aside the arrogant and proud stubbornness

of your tongue. For it is better for you to be found
little in the flock of Christ and to have your name

on God's roll than to be had in exceeding honor

and yet be cast out from the hope of him. For thus
Behold [quoting
saith the All-virtuous Wisdom
:

Prov.

23-33].
58. Let us therefore be obedient unto his most
holy and glorious name, thereby escaping the threatenings which were spoken of old by the mouth of
wisdom against them which disobey, that we may
dwell safely, trusting in the most holy name of his
Receive our counsel, and ye shall have
majesty.
no occasion of regret.- For as God liveth, and the
Lord Jesus Christ liveth, and the Holy Spirit, who
are the faith and the hope of the elect, so surely
shall he, who with lowliness of mind and instant in
gentleness hath without regretfulness performed the
ordinances and commandments that are given by
God, be enrolled and have a name among the number of them that are saved through Jesus Christ,
through whom is the glory unto him for ever and
ever.

i.

Amen.

But if certain persons should be disobedient

unto the words spoken by him through us, let them
understand that they will entangle themselves in no
slight transgression and danger
but we shall be
guiltless of this sin.
And we will ask, with instancy of prayer and supplication, that the Creator
of the universe may guard intact unto the end the
number that hath been numbered of his elect
throughout the whole world, through his beloved
son Jesus Christ, through whom he called us from
darkness to light, from ignorance to the full knowledge of the glory of his name.
Grant unto us, Lord, that we may set our hope
on thy name, which is the primal source of all creation, and open the eyes of our hearts, that we may
59.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

58

know

thee,

who

alone abidest Highest in the highest,

Holy in the holy ; who lay est low the insole?ice of the
proud ; who scatterest the imaginings of nations j who
settest the lowly on high, and bringest the lofty low j

who

makest rich and makest poor ; who killest and

makest alive ; who alone art the Benefactor of spirits and the God of all flesh
who lookest i?tto the
abysses j who scannest the works of man; the Succor of them that are in peril, the Saviour of them
that are in despair ; the Creator and Overseer of
every spirit who multipliest the nations upon earth,
and hast chosen out from all men those that love
thee through Jesus Christ, thy beloved son, through
whom thou didst instruct us, didst sanctify us, didst
honor us. We beseech thee, Lord and Master, to
be our help and succor. Save those among us who
are in tribulation; have mercy on the lowly; lift,
up the fallen; show thyself unto the needy; heal
the ungodly convert the wanderers of thy people
release our prisoners
raise up
feed the hungry
the weak; comfort the faint-hearted.
Let all the
Gentiles know that thou art God alone, and Jesus
Christ is thy son, and we are thy people and the sheep
;

of

thy pasture.

60. Thou through thine operations didst make

manifest the everlasting fabric of the world. Thou,
Lord, didst create the earth. Thou that art faithful throughout all generations, righteous in thy judgments, marvelous in strength and excellence, thou
that art wise in creating and prudent in establishing
that which thou hast made, that art good in the
things which are seen and faithful with them that
trust on thee, pitiful and compassionate, forgive us
our unrighteousnesses and our transgressions and
shortcomings.
Lay not to our account every sin
of thy servants and thine handmaids, but cleanse
us with the cleansing of thy truth, and guide our
steps to walk in holiness and righteousness and sin-

CLEMENT OF ROME.

59

gleness of heart, and to do such things as are good

and well pleasing in thy sight and in the sight of our
Yea, Lord, make thy face to shine upon us
rulers.
in peace for our good, that we may be sheltered by
thy mighty hand and delivered from every sin by
thine uplifted arm. And deliver us from them that
hate us wrongfully.
Give concord and peace to us
and to all that dwell on the earth, as thou gavest
to our fathers, when they called on thee in faith
and truth with holiness, that we may be saved, while
we render obedience to thine almighty and excellent

name, and to our rulers and governors upon

the earth.

Thou, Lord and Master, hast given them

power of sovereignty through thine excellent
and unspeakable might, that we, knowing the glory
and honor which thou hast given them, may submit
61.

the

ourselves unto them, in nothing resisting thy will.

Grant unto them therefore, O Lord, health, peace,
concord, stability, that they may administer the
government which thou hast given them without
failure.
For thou, O Heavenly Master, King of the
ages, givest to the sons of men glory and honor and
power over all things that are upon the earth. Do
thou, Lord, direct their counsel according to that
which is good and well pleasing in thy sight, that,
administering in peace and gentleness with godliness the power which thou hast given them, they
may obtain thy favor. O thou, who alone art able
to do these things and things far more exceeding
good than these for us, we praise thee through the
High Priest and Guardian of our souls, Jesus Christ,
through whom be the glory and the majesty unto
thee both now and for all generations, and for ever

Amen.
As touching those things which befit our
religion and are most useful for a virtuous life to
such as would guide their steps in holiness and
and

ever.

62.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

60

we have written fully unto you, brethFor concerning faith and repentance and
genuine love and temperance and sobriety and patience we have handled every argument, putting
you in remembrance that ye ought to please Almighty God in righteousness and truth and longsuffering with holiness, laying aside malice and pursuing concord in love and peace, being instant in
righteousness,
ren.

gentleness even as our fathers, of whom we spake

before, pleased him, being lowly-minded toward
their Father and God and Creator and toward all
;

men.

And we have

ed,

and

put you in mind of these

we knew that we were

are faithful and highly accounthave diligently searched into the oracles of

things the
writing to

more

gladly, since

men who

the teaching of God.

63. Therefore

right for us to give heed to

examples, and to submit the
neck, and, occupying the place of obedience, to
take our side with them that are the leaders of our
souls, that ceasing from this foolish dissension we
may attain unto the goal which lieth before us in
truthfulness, keeping aloof from every fault.
For
ye will give us great joy and gladness, if ye render
obedience unto the things written by us through
the Holy Spirit, and root out the unrighteous anger
of your jealousy, according to the entreaty which
we have made for peace and concord in this letter.

so great

and

so

it

is

many

also sent faithful and prudent men

walked among us from youth unto old
age unblamably, who shall also be witnesses between
you and us. And this we have done that ye might
know that we have had, and still have, every solicitude that ye should be speedily at peace.
64. Finally, may the All-seeing God and Master
of spirits and Lord of all flesh, who chose the Lord
Jesus Christ, and us through him for a peculiar

And we have
that have

people, grant unto every soul that

is

called after his

CLEMENT OF ROME.
excellent and holy

name

faith, fear,

long-suffering, temperance, chastity,

61

peace, patience,
and soberness,

they may be well pleasing unto his name

through our High Priest and Guardian Jesus Christ,
through whom unto him be glory and majesty,
might and honor, both now and for ever and ever.
that

Amen.
65. Now send ye back speedily unto us our
messengers Claudius Ephebus and Valerius Bito,
together with Fortunatus also, in peace and with
joy, to the end that they may the more quickly report the peace and concord which is prayed for

and earnestly desired by us, that we also may the

more speedily rejoice over your good order.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
and with all men in all places who have been called
by God, and through him, through whom is glory
and honor, power and greatness, and eternal dominion, unto him, from the ages past and for ever and
ever.
Amen.

CLEMENTINE LITERATURE.
Besides the letters ascribed to Clement, three
size have borrowed the sancthe " Clementine Homilies/* the

works of considerable
tion of his

name

"Recognitions of Clement/' and the "Apostolical

Constitutions." The two former of these are simply two recensions of the same work, which is a religious romance embodying what purport to be discourses of the Apostle Peter. It is evidently an Ebionitic production, that is, a work of that branch of
the church which retained so strong a Jewish character as to be deemed heretical by Catholic Christians.
Its date is variously estimated from the middle of
6

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

62

the second

to the middle of the third century.

Scholars differ as to which of the present forms was

prior, and as to whether or not both were rewritten

from some more primitive document. On the supposition that they were so rewritten, the original
must recede very near to the earlier date named.
Of the two, the " Homilies " are the more heretical,
an effort having evidently been made to bring the

" Recognitions " into

of the church.

both the forms

is

harmony with the teachings

Save in details the narrative of
the same.

THE STORY OF THE RECOGNITIONS.

Clement, a

Roman

citizen

pondering the mysteand deter-

ries of life, falls into great perplexity,

to go to Egypt to make inquiry as to the

immortality of the soul.
About this time tidings
come to Rome of a certain One in Judea who is
preaching of the kingdom of God, and soon a disciple of His, Barnabas, appears and proclaims the
Gospel, which induces Clement to set out for Judea.

mines

[The
meet

"
at

Homilies " make Clement and Barnabas

Alexandria, whither Clement had been

driven by adverse winds.]

Coming

to Caesarea, Clement is introduced to

under the direction of the other apostles who have just been driven from Jerusalem, has
come there to oppose Simon Magus. A public discussion has been arranged but, it being delayed for
a time, Peter discourses to Clement on the preparatory Jewish dispensation, the coming and rejection
of the true Prophet, and the recent history of the
church.
[In the "Homilies" this instruction to
Clement is different, being of an esoteric nature,

Peter, who,

CLEMENT OF ROME.

63

and declaring the text of Scripture (0. T.) to be

corrupt.] The disputation with Simon lasts three
Peter determines to
days, after which Simon flies.
Having ordained
follow him to the Gentile world.
Zaccheus bishop of Caesarea, and having baptized
ten thousand converts, he sets out for Tripolis, first
sending before him twelve men to prepare the way.
Two of the converts are Niceta and Aquila, who
had been followers of Simon. Peter goes by way
of Dora to Tripolis, and after preaching there three
months, and baptizing many converts, he goes on
toward Antioch. [The " Homilies," having given
only part of the discussion, say that Simon flies to
Tyre; that Clement, Niceta, and Aquila are sent
thither by Peter that Clement has a discussion with
Appion on mythology; that Peter then comes by
way of Tyre, Sidon, and Berytas to Tripolis.] Journeying from Tripolis, Clement relates to Peter his
family history.
In his youth his mother, having
had a warning vision, had sailed away from Rome
with his infant twin brothers, and had never been
heard from afterward. His father, going in search
of them, had never returned, so that he was now
alone in the world.
Soon after this Peter and
Clement make an excursion to the island of Aradus,
where a beggar woman, telling the story of her life,
proves to be Clement's mother.
Resuming their
journey, they come to Laodicea, the mother accompanying them. Here the repetition of her story
leads to the recognition of Niceta and Aquila as
the twin brothers of Clement, who, after they had
been shipwrecked with their mother, had been
picked up and sold as slaves. After this Peter and
the three brothers meet on the sea-shore an old
man poorly clad, who yet proves to be very learned,
and who enters into a discussion with the Christians
which continues several days.
His favorite doctrine is that of genesis, a doctrine of fates, in illus;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS,

64

which he tells the story of his own life

how, owing to a certain conjunction of the stars, his
wife had been compelled to commit adultery with a
slave, and to sail away to meet her death by shipThis leads to explanations and another
wreck.
recognition, the old man proving to be Faustinianus,
tration of

husband and father of the long separated famiAfter this we have a discourse by Clement on
the heathen mythology, and then an account of the
transformation of Faustinianus by the magic of
Simon Magus, so that his face is the counterpart

the
ly.

of Simon's.
to

Peter, after using this false appearance

to Simon, restores to Faustinianus his

work harm

own
pily.

face the latter is baptized, and all ends hap[In the " Homilies " the main disputation be;

tween Peter and Simon occurs here

at Laodicea,

Clement's father acting as umpire.]

"

This narrative as it appears in the " Homilies

one from Peter to
is preceded by two letters
James, saying that the teachings of the book are to
and one from
be withheld from the multitude
Clement to James, announcing Peter's martyrdom
:

and

his

own

succession to the bishopric of

Rome.

DOCTRINE OF THE WORKS.

Both are Ebionitic, but the " Homilies " are the
more pronounced. Judaism and Christianity, according to the " Homilies," are substantially the

Moses or Christ is sufficient.

"Recognitions" both must be received.
The " Homilies " reject sacrifices utterly, declaring
the passages of Scripture favoring them to be corrupt. The " Recognitions " say that sacrifices were

same

In the

to receive either

CLEMENT OF ROME.

65

divinely prescribed until the true Prophet should

them by baptism.
The " Homilies " say
had been incarnate repeatedThe " Recogly, first in Adam and lastly in Jesus.
nitions " only teach that he had revealed himself
The dignity of
to and inspired other holy men.
replace

that the true Prophet

Christ

is

greater here than in the " Homilies "

but

work gives Him the New Testament rank.

These works have been deemed of great importance by writers of the Tubingen school,' as con-

neither

tributing to their theory that the primitive Christianity

was extremely Judaistic (Petrine), and that,

it was supplanted by the pres-

after a sharp contest,

ent (Pauline) faith.

THE APOSTOLICAL CONSTITUTIONS.

The

" Apostolical Constitutions " is a collection

of ecclesiastical regulations purporting to

the Apostles.

It is

composed of

come from

eight books, not

Their value has been very variWhiston claimed that they were
u
the most sacred of the canonical books of the New
Testament, having been " delivered at Jerusalem,
and in Mt. Sion, by our Saviour to the eleven apostles there assembled after the resurrection"; while
most writers bring their date down into the neighborhood of the Nicene age, and some place it as
late as the fifth and sixth centuries.
There are
three parts to the work: 1, the first six books; 2,
the seventh book and 3, the eighth book.
Book
seventh is thought to be a rewriting of books first to
all

of like origin.

ously estimated.
,,

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

66

perhaps as a summary or appendix.

Book
eighth has been identified by Bunsen with the work
of Hippolytus on "Gifts."
At the close of this
book are found
sixth,

THE APOSTOLICAL CANONS.

These are a collection of

fifty

(Western Church)

or eighty -five (Eastern Church) ecclesiastical can-

come from the Holy Apostles.

The Eastern Church regards them as genuine and

ons, purporting to

authoritative

the

Roman Church

does not.

compilation in the present form dates from

in the West,

and from

a. d.

Their

a. d.

the origin of their contents, opinions

differ.

500

As

550 in the East.

to

Bishop

Beveridge, a conservative writer, while not claiming their apostolic origin, contended that they were
the decrees of synods of the latter part of the sec-

ond

or early part of the third century,

and

that

they were formed into a codex in the third century.

Von Drey

canons were collected in

century, partly from decrees of Post - Nicene councils, partly from the
" Constitutions," the other thirty-five canons having
thinks the

the early part of the

been added

fifty

fifth

later.

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH.
The
Ignatian
letters

evident antiquity of certain of the so-called

letters, and the important place which these

have held in ecclesiastical discussions, have

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH.

67

given to Ignatius himself a prominence which he

would not otherwise hold. This father, as we learn

from Eusebius, was the second bishop of Antioch

after Peter. We know nothing certain of his history,
save that of his last days, though the "Acts of Martyrdom'' declare that he was a disciple of the Apos" Tradition says [Euseb., " Eccl. Hist.,"

tle

John.

iii.

36] that he was sent

and was

away from Syria

to

Rome,

on account of his
testimony to Christ and that being carried through
Asia under a most rigid custody, he fortified the
different churches in the cities where he tarried by
his discourses and exhortations, particularly cautioning them against the heresies which even then were
springing up and prevailing. He exhorted them to
adhere firmly to the tradition of the apostles which,
for the sake of greater security, he deemed it necessary to attest by committing it to writing."
Eusebius mentions by name seven epistles
to the
Ephesians, the Magnesians, the Trallians, the Romans, the Philadelphians, the Smyrneans, and to
Polycarp which he says were written by Ignatius,
on his way to Rome. For the particulars of his
martyrdom, we have only the questionable testimony of the "Acts of Martyrdom of Ignatius," of
which we have no trace before the sixth century,
though Irenseus refers to the fact of his having
The date
been condemned to the wild beasts.
most commonly assigned to the martyrdom is Dec.
The legends as to Ignatius's having
20, a. d. 116.
been taken into Christ's arms when a child, and as
to his having had a vision of angels singing anticast as food to wild beasts,
;

phonally to the Holy Trinity, are only legends.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

68

The
into

Ignatian epistles have long been divided

two

classes,

spurious epistles.

known as the genuine and the

The former class has common-

embraced the seven letters mentioned by Euseand these are known to us, in Greek, in two
forms, the longer and the shorter recensions.
Of
these, the first was the earlier known to modern

ly

bius,

but the manifest corruption of the text

by Archbishop Usher, which resulted in the discovery, first of two Latin texts, and
then of a Greek text, of the shorter recension. These
were published, the Latin in 1644 by Usher, and
the Greek in 1646 by Vossius; and in time they
had come to be regarded by most scholars as the
genuine letters of Ignatius, the longer form being
looked upon as an interpolation. After two hundred years, however, a new discovery was made,
which again left the " Ignatian question " an open
This was the finding at a Nitrian convent in
one.
1843 of two very ancient Syriac manuscripts of the
Instead of the seven epistles of
Ignatian epistles.
the Vossian collection, these manuscripts contained
scholars

led to researches

only three, the epistles to Polycarp, to the Ephesians,

and

to the

Romans, and these

in a shorter

form than that of the Greek collection. These three

were confidently claimed by their first editor, Cureton, and by Bunsen, who also edited them, to be
the epistles of Ignatius, as opposed to the seven
Vossian epistles.
Into the discussion which this
claim awakened, or into the more recent discussions which have followed upon the discovery of an
Armenian translation from the Syriac of all seven
It
of the epistles, it is not needful here to enter.

IGNA TJUS OF ANTIOCH.

69

sufficient to say that, in preparing this

book, the
judgment of Bishop Lightfoot, as expressed in his
review of " Supernatural Religion," has been deemed
is

a safe one. This judgment was that the three Curetonian epistles might be confidently received as
genuine, and that the seven Vossian epistles might

be looked upon as authoritative for the middle of

Guided by this principle, our
the second century.
text presents, as the indisputably genuine works of
BunIgnatius, the three short or Syriac epistles.
sen's translation has been preferred to the Curetonian, and is given without change.

THE THREE EPISTLES OF

A.

The Epistle

to

ST.

IGNATIUS.

Polycarp,

Ignatius [who also is Theophoros] to Polycarp,

overseer of the Smyrneans, who rather is overseen
by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, much
greeting.
1.

is

Heartily welcoming thy mind, which in

founded

as

upon an immovable rock,

God

I praise

God the more abundantly for having been accounted worthy to behold thy unblamable countenance,
of which may I have to rejoice in God
I beseech
thee, by the grace with which thou art clothed, that
thou add to thy course, and exhort all men to be
Make thy office to be respected with all
saved.
diligence both of body and spirit.
Be careful for
unanimity, than which there is nothing more excellent.
Bear all men even as the Lord beareth thee.
Have patience with all in love, even as thou doest.
Be instant in prayer. Ask for more understanding
than thou hast. Watch, for thou hast already a
spirit that sleepeth not.
Speak to every one accord!

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

70

ing to the manner in which God speaketh.

Bear
the infirmities of all men like a perfect athlete for
where there is much labor, much also is the gain.
If thou love the good disciples only, thou hast no
grace rather subdue by meekness those who are
All wounds are not healed by one salve.
evil.
Allay paroxysm by embrocation. Be wise as the
serpent in everything, and harmless as the dove.
For this reason art thou both of flesh and of spirit,
that thou mayest be persuasive as to those things
which appear to thee before thy face, and mayest
ask for the things invisible that they may be revealed
to thee, in order that thou mayest be deficient in
;

nothing and mayest abound in all gifts which it is

time thou shouldest pray for, as the pilot for the
wind* and as he who is tossed by the tempest for
the harbor, that thou mayest attain God.
Be vigilant as God's athlete. The meed is incorruptibility
and life eternal, of which things thou also art persuaded. In everything I pledge for thy soul myself
and my bonds, which thou hast loved. Let not
those confound thee who, appearing worthy of truth,
teach strange doctrines. Stand in the truth like an
;

anvil which is struck, for it becomes a great athlete

be struck and to conquer. More especially on
God's account it behooveth us to endure everything, that he also may endure us. Be careful more
than thou art. Be discerning of the times. Expect
him who is above times, him to whom there are no
times, him who is unseen, him who for our sakes
became seen, him who. is impalpable, him who is
without suffering, him who for our sakes suffered,
him who for our sakes endured everything in every
form.
2. Let not the widows be neglected; after our
Lord be thou their guardian. Let nothing be done
without thy will, neither do thou anything without
Stand
nor indeed doest thou.
the will of God
to

IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH.

71

Let the meetings be more frequent seek to

know every man personally. Despise not the slaves,
male and female, neither let them be puffed up
but as for the glory of God let them work more,
that they may be meet for that more excellent libLet them not desire to be
erty which is of God.
redeemed from the common stock, that they may
not be found the slaves of lust. Fly the coquetting
women, but the more hold converse with the aged
matrons. Say to my sisters that they love the Lord,
and that they be content with their husbands in
body and spirit. Likewise charge my brothers in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they love
their wives as the Lord his church.
If a man be
able to continue in chastity of body for the honor
of our Lord, let him continue without boasting; if
he boast, he is lost if he have made it known to
anybody except the bishop, he is gone into perdition.
It is becoming to men and women who marry,
that they be married by the counsel of the bishop,
that the marriage may be made according to the
Lord and not according to lust. Let everything be
done for the honor of God.
well.

Keep ye

3.

to the bishop, that

God

also

may

pledge my soul for those who are

subject to the bishop and the presbyters and deacons
may my portion with God be with them
Labor together, struggle together, run together, go to
sleep together, rise together as God's stewards and

keep

to you.

Please him under

from whom you also receive the
wages. Let no man be found a deserter. Let your
baptism be to you as armor, and faith as a helmet,
and love as a spear, and patience as a panoply. Let
your credit be your good works, that ye may get
paid out what is worthy of you.
Have patience in
meekness as God has with you. May I have to rejoice in you at all times
The Christian has not
intimate friends and ministers.

whom you

serve,

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

72

power over himself, but is in the service of God. I

salute him who is deemed worthy to go to Antioch
in

my

stead, as I

B.

charged thee.

The Epistle

to the

Ephesians.

Ignatius [who also is Theophoros] to the church

is blessed in the greatness and fullness of the
Father, to her who is preordained before the world
to be for ever unto lasting and unchangeable glory,
perfected and elected in a true purpose in the will
of the Father of Jesus Christ our God to the most
blissworthy church which is in Ephesus, all hail in
Jesus Christ in pure joy
i. Since I have received in God that much-loved
manifestation which you have rightmindedly made
according to the faith and love in Jesus Christ our
Saviour, because, as those who imitate God, you
have been excited in your blood fully to accomplish
the Godlike work for when you had heard that I
was bound and prevented from visiting you on account of our common name and hope, trusting in
your prayer (to obtain) to be thrown among the
beasts at Rome, in order that by achieving this I
might be enabled to be a disciple of God, you have
made haste to see me since, therefore, I have in
the name of God received the visit of all of you in
the person of ons, nay, who in unspeakable love is
your bishop and I pray in Jesus Christ that you
may love him and that you may all be like him, for
blessed is he who has vouchsafed you to be worthy
of having such a bishop
since, then, love does not
allow me to be silent toward you, on this account I
have chosen to exhort you to conform to the will
of God.
For when no lust worketh in you with
power to torment you, ye live according to God.
Your off-scouring is also your sanctification, O EpheYe of that church which is renowned in the
sians

which

IGNA T/[/S OF ANTIOCH.

73

Carrial men can not do spiritual things,

world
nor spiritual men carnal things; just as faith can
not do the things of unbelief, nor unbelief those of
faith.
But even the works you do according to the
flesh are spiritual works
for you do all in Jesus
Christ, prepared as you are for the building of God
the Father, carried up to the height through the
engine of Jesus Christ which is the cross, using the
!

Holy Spirit as the rope, while faith is the pulley

and love the way carrying up to God.
2. As to other men, pray for them
for there is
hope of their repenting that they may be partakers
of God.
Give them opportunity of becoming your
Against their lofty
disciples even by your works.
words put humility, and against their blaspheming
meekness in constant prayers, against their seduc-

firmness in the faith, against their violence

not striving to imitate them. But by
meekness let us strive to be imitators of the Lord,
than whom who was ever more wronged ? or deprived ? or depressed ? For it is not a question of
promise, but whether one be found in the strength
Rather than to speak
of faith even unto the end.
and to be nothing, it is better to be silent and to
be something, in order that one may work by what
one speaks, and may be known by what one is silent
about.
3. My spirit boweth down before the cross,
which is a scandal to the unbelieving, but to us salvation and life eternal. Thus were hidden from
the prince of this world the virginity of Mary, and
three shouting
the birth and death of the Lord
From
mysteries were operated in God's quietness.
the appearance of the star and the manifestation
thereby of the Son, every magic power disappeared,
and every bond was dissolved, and the old kingdom, and the ignorance of wickedness perished.
From that time everything was put in commotion,
tion

mildness

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

74

because the dissolution of death was meditated, and

what was ordained with God took its beginning.
C.

The Epistle

to the

Romans.

Ignatius [who also is Theophoros] to the church

which has found mercy by the greatness of the Father most high, to her who presides in dignity over
the country of the Romans, to her who is worthy
of God and is worthy of her honorable position,
worthy of being called blessed, worthy of praise and
worthy that her prayer be heard, who excelleth before all in love, and hath Christ for her law blame-

much

greeting!
since prayed to God that I
might be worthy to see your God-worthy faces, I
now hope that I shall salute you, being bound in
Jesus Christ, if it be God's will that I should be
deemed worthy of God to the end. For the beginning has been well disposed, if I attain to receive
without hindrance my portion at last by suffering.
For I am fearful of your love, lest it should injure
me. For to you it is easy to do whatsoever you
please but for me, it is difficult that I should atFor I
tain God, if indeed you do not spare me.
lessly,
i.

Having long

have such opportunity to attain God nor

now be silent, ever have the benefit of
a better work. If ye keep silence about me, I shall
become God's speech but if ye love my body, I
Do not try to
shall be again an echo of myself.
give me anything better than this, that I should be
shall not

will ye, if ye

sacrificed to
ye,

God

whilst the altar

becoming a loving

in Christ Jesus that

is

prepared, that

may praise the Father

he deemed the bishop worthy
choir,

be God's, when he called him from the rising of

sun to the setting. It is good that I should set
from the world to God, that I may rise into him.
Ye have never envied any man. Ye have taught
to

the

IGNA TIUS OF ANTIOCH.

Only pray

others.

75

for strength from within

and

I may not
may not be

only speak, but also

called only a Chrisfor if I am
tian, but also may be found to be one
found to be, I am also fit to be called, faithful even
when not appearing in the world. Nothing, indeed, that is only appearing is good for Christianity is not a work of persuasion, but of high-mindedness, when hated by the world.
2. I write to the churches, and I declare to all,
that willingly I die for God, if it be that you hinder
me not. I beg of you, do not become to me an unseasonable love. Let me be of the beasts, by whose
means I am enabled to obtain God. I am God's
wheat, and by the teeth of the beasts am I ground,
that I maybe found God's pure bread. Rather entreat kindly the beasts that they may be a grave for
me, and may leave nothing of my body that not
even when I am fallen asleep, I may be a burden
upon any man. Then I shall be in truth a disciple
of Jesus Christ, when the world seeth not even my
body. Supplicate our Lord for me, that by these
instruments I may be found a sacrifice to God. I

from without, that

may

will

that I

am

not

were
were

commanding you like Peter and Paul

am a condemned convict

apostles, I
free, I

am

hitherto a slave.

But

if I

they
they

suffer, I

am

a freed man of Jesus Christ, and I shall rise

from the dead, in him, a free man.
3. And now, since I am in bonds, I learn to
From Syria to Rome I am cast
desire nothing.
among beasts, by sea and by land, by night and by
day since I am bound between ten leopards, who
get worse when I do good to them.
But by their
ill treatment I am furthered in my apprenticeship
still by that I am not justified.
May I have to
rejoice of the beasts prepared for me
and I pray
that they may be found ready for me, and I will
kindly entreat them quickly to devour me, and not,
;

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

76

have done to some, being afraid of them, to

keep from touching me. And should they not be
willing, I will force them.
what is expedient for me, I know
4. Pardon me
Let nothing envy me, neither things visimyself.
ble nor invisible, that I may attain Jesus Christ.
Fire and the cross, scattering of the bones and the
array of the beasts, the mutilation of the limbs and
the grinding of the whole body
hard torments of
the devil
let them come upon me, if only I may
as they

'

attain Jesus Christ. The pains of child-birth await

my love is crucified, and there is no fire in
I do not desire the food of
to love matter.
corruption, nor the desires of this world.
The
bread of God I seek, which is the body of Christ
and as drink I seek his blood, which is love incor-

me
me

ruptible.

My

you, and the love of the

me as for the name
of Jesus Christ.
For also those who are not bodily
near to the road accompanied me in every city.
5.

spirit saluteth

churches which have received

And now that I am near to Rome, I meditate many

things in God but I moderate myself, that I may
;

not perish through boasting; for now it is becoming in me that I should fear the more abundantly,
and should not look to those that puff me up. For
those who say to me " Martyr," scourge me it is
true that I desire to suffer, but I do not know if I
be worthy. For my zeal is not apparent to many,
but it wars within me.
I want, therefore, meekness because by that the prince of this world is
made powerless. I am able to write to you heavenly things
but I fear lest I should do you harm
(pardon me), that, not being able to take it in, you
might be choked. For even I, for being in bonds
and able to know heavenly things, and the places
of angels and the station of powers and the things
visible and invisible, am for all that not a dis:

POLYCARP OF SMYRNA.
ciple

for I lack

77

much

of being perfected for God.

end, in the patience of Jesus

Farewell to the
Christ.

POLYCARP OF SMYRNA.
If Clement attracts us

eur of his person,

if

by a certain vague grand-

Ignatius invites our attention

by the sharp outlines of his ecclesiastical teachings,

Polycarp of Smyrna compels our regard by the
For his life
unique importance of his position.
spans with one grand arch the entire chasm of historic uncertainty which appears in our accounts of
the early church.
One firm abutment rests upon
the Apostle John, the other, as secure, rests
the well-known Irenaeus
ture

is

and over

upon

this solid struc-

borne down in security the stream of apos-

In vain did the# turbid waters of

second-century heresies seek to pollute the
stream in vain do modern scholars contend that
the stream which reached Irenaeus was one of minIregled waters, flowing from diverse fountains.
naeus himself says, Nay, it was one stream, flowing
from one source over this single life.
Irenaeus, having been the pupil of Polycarp,
gives testimony of him which is entirely trustworthy.
In a letter to an early companion he says " For I
remember the occurrences of those days better than
the more recent so that I can tell even the spot
in which the blessed Polycarp sat and conversed,
and his outgoings and incomings, and the character
of his life, and the form of his body, and the contolic traditions.

the

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

78

versations which he held with the multitude

and
John
and the rest who had seen the Lord, and how he
rehearsed their sayings, and what things they were
which he had heard from them with regard to the
Lord and his miracles and teaching. All these
things Polycarp related in harmony with the writings, as having received them from the eyewitnesses
of the Word of life. These things then I was in
the habit of eagerly hearing through the mercy
given me by God, storing them up, not on paper,
but in my heart." Again he says " And Polycarp,
who was not only instructed by apostles, and had
intercourse with many who had seen Christ, but
was also appointed for Asia by apostles, in the
church that is in Smyrna, an overseer, whom also

how he

related his familiar intercourse with

we have seen

in the

beginning of our

life,

for

he re-

mained a long time and at an exceeding old age,

having borne his testimony gloriously and most
notably,

departed

this

life,

which also he gave

things,

alone are true.'

He

always taught these

to the church,

carp's earnest opposition to the heretic

also of his visit to

and which

further gives account of Poly-

Rome

Marcion

in the time of Anicetus,

and the friendly variance of Polycarp and Anicetus

with respect to the observance of Easter.
In regard to the writings of his early teacher
Irenaeus speaks explicitly. Alluding to certain doctrines,

letters

he says " This also can be proved from his

which he (Polycarp) sent either to the neigh:

boring churches, confirming them, or to some of

the brethren, warning them and urging them on."
Again " There is also a letter of Polycarp 's written
:

POLYCARP OF SMYRNA.
to

79

the Philippians, of a most satisfactory nature,

from which also those who are willing and have a

care about their salvation can learn the character

of his faith, and the proclamation of the truth."

How

few characters of antiquity, whether secuhave such testimony from an

actual pupil to their person and works
Surely,

lar or ecclesiastical,

when we
be upon

talk of Polycarp,

we may

feel ourselves to

historic ground.
This apart from the tesin the " Martyrium of Polycarp," a

timony given

document purporting to be a letter from the church

Smyrna to a neighboring church, giving an account of the martyrdom of their bishop. This is
the most ancient of all the Martyria, and has commonly been regarded as a genuine work of the
Smyrnean Church. It was so regarded by EuseThe
bius, who embodied most of it in his history.
at

account

is

a detailed one of how, in a time of per-

secution, Polycarp

was persuaded to leave the city,

by a servant, was brought back

but, being betrayed

and put

death in the stadium, after having nobly

Various incidents of this story
have been subjected to such adverse criticism that
we may not safely press its accuracy in details yet
both external and internal evidence lead to the
opinion that in outline (even if largely interpolated)
to

confessed Christ.

it

is

true.

to this "

Certain chronological notes appended

Martyrium

"

by a

later writer,

a very early one, declare the

though still
to have

martyrdom

occurred in the spring-time of the proconsulship of

This is shown by the most
Statius Quadratus.
recent investigations to have been in the year 155.
This date, allowing him to have died at the age of

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

80

eighty-six

as

years,

given

in

the

" Martyrium,"

would fix his birth in a. d. 69. Assigning the death

of John to the very earliest conjectured date, Polycarp must still have been of an age sufficient to comprehend and hand down in their purity the teachings
of John and the other apostles. These teachings, he
told Irenaeus, were " in harmony with the writings "
by which Irenaeus, who had substantially our canon,
meant the Scriptures which we read to-day.

The Epistle of Polycarp to the Philippians is,

we have seen, most satisfactorily attested, though
certain chapters are known only in a Latin version.
as

Its integrity

has been questioned, the genuineness

of chapter thirteen being denied

Zahn (whose

but such scholars

been followed) and

Lightfoot claim that the whole epistle is the work
Granting its integrity, its date can
of Polycarp.
as

not be
tius's

much

death.

ings have

text has here

later

No

than

a. d. 116, the

time of Igna-

other remains of Polycarp's writ-

come down

to us.

THE EPISTLE OF POLYCARP TO THE PHILIPPIANS.

Polycarp and the presbyters that are with him
church of God which is at Philippi Mercy
unto you, and peace from God Almighty, and the
Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour, be multiplied.
1. I rejoiced greatly with you, in our Lord Jesus
Christ, that ye received the patterns of true love,
and accompanied, as it behooved you, those who
were bound with chains, the fitting ornament of
saints, the crowns of those who are truly chosen of
God and our Lord and that the firm root of your
faith, which was preached from ancient times, reto the

POLYCARP OF SMYRNA,
now, and brings forth

81

our Lord
Jesus Christ, who suffered himself to be brought
even to death for our sins whom God raised up,
having loosed the pains of death : in whom, not seeing,
ye believe, with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

mains

until

fruit to

Into which joy many desire to enter, knowing that

by grace ye are saved, not of works, but by the will
of God, through Jesus Christ.
2. Wherefore, girding up your loins, serve God in
fear and truth, laying aside all empty and vain
speech, and the error of many, believing in him that
raised up our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and
gave him glory, and a throne at his right hand to
whom all things in heaven and earth are subject
whom every living creature worships; who comes
to be the judge of the quick and the dead
whose
blood God shall require of them that believe not in
him. But he that raised him up from the dead
shall raise up us also, if we do his will, and walk in
his commandments, and love the things which he
abstaining from all unrighteousness, inorloved
dinate affection, love of money, evil speaking, false
witness not rendering evil for evil, or railing for
railing, or blow for blow, or curse for curse; but
remembering what the Lord taught us, saying, Judge
not, that ye be not judged ; forgive, and it shall be forgiven unto you ; be merciful, that ye may obtain mercy :
for with the measure that ye mete withal, it shall be
measured to you again ; and that Blessed are the poor,
and they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake ;
;

for 'theirs is the kingdom of God.

3. I have not assumed to myself, brethren, the
liberty of writing to you those things concerning
righteousness but ye yourselves before encouraged
me. For neither can I, nor any other such as I am,
come up to the wisdom of the blessed and renowned
Paul, who, being among you, in the presence of
;

those

who then

lived, taught

with exactness and

82

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

soundness the word of truth who in his absence

also wrote an epistle to you, into which if ye diligently look, ye may be able to be edified in the faith
delivered unto you, which is the mother of us all, being followed with hope and led on by love, both
toward God and Christ, and toward our neighbor.
For if any one hath these things within himself, he
hath fulfilled the law of righteousness for he that
hath charity is far from all sin.
4. But the love of money is the beginning of all
;

Knowing,

therefore, that we brought nothing

we able to carry anything
out, let us arm ourselves with the armor of righteousness, and teach ourselves first to walk in the commandment of the Lord then also [teach] your
wives [to walk] in the faith and love and purity
which is given unto them, loving their own husbands in all truth, and kindly affectionate to all
others equally in all temperance, and to bring up
their children in the instruction and fear of God
[teach] that the widows be sober as to what concerns the faith of the Lord, praying without ceasing
for all men, being far from all detraction, evil-speakevils.

into the world, neither are

ing, false witness, love of money, and all evil knowing that they are the altar of God, and that he sees
all blemishes, and nothing is hid from him, either
of words or thoughts, nor any of the secret things
of the heart.
5. Knowing, therefore, that God is not mocked,
we ought to walk worthy both of his command and
of his glory. In like manner the deacons must be
blameless in the sight of his righteousness, as the
ministers of God and Christ, and not of men not
false accusers, not double-tongued, not lovers of
money, temperate in all things, compassionate, careful, walking according to the truth of the Lord,
who became the servant of all whom if we please
in this present world, we shall be made partakers
;

;::

POLYCARP OF SMYRNA.

83

also of that which is to come, according as he hath

promised to us that he will raise us from the dead
and that if we shall walk worthy of him, we shall

we believe. In like
young men must be blameless in all
things, above all taking care of their purity, and
restraining themselves from all evil.
For it is good
to emerge out of the lusts which are in the world
for every lust warreth against the spirit ; and neither
also reign together with him, if

manner

the

fornicators, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves

with mankind shall inherit the kingdom of God,
Wherefore, it is
neither they which act foolishly.
necessary that ye abstain from all these things, being subject to the presbyters and deacons, as unto
God and Christ. The virgins also should walk in
a spotless and pure conscience.
6. Let the elders also be compassionate, merciful to all, bringing back such as are in error, seeking out all those that are weak, not neglecting the
widow or the fatherless, or the poor but providing
always what is good in the sight of God and menabstaining from all wrath, respect of persons, and
unrighteous judgment being far from all covetousness not ready to believe anything against any
not severe in judgment, knowing that we are all
debtors in point of sin. If therefore we pray to the
;

would forgive us, we ought also to

For we are before the eyes of our Lord
and God, and must all stand before the judgment seat
of Christ, and must every one give an account of himLet us therefore so serve him, with fear and
self.
all reverence, as he himself hath commanded, and
as the apostles who have preached the gospel unto
us, and the prophets who have foretold the coming
being zealous of
of our Lord [have taught us]
what is good, abstaining from all offense, and from
false brethren, and from those who bear the name
of Christ in hypocrisy, who deceive vain men.

Lord

that he

forgive.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

84

For whosoever

confesses not that Jesus Christ

in the flesh is a?itichrist ; and whosoever confesses not the suffering of the cross is of the devil
7.

is co7?ie

and whosoever perverts the oracles of the Lord to

own lusts, and says there is neither resurrection
nor judgment, he is the first-born of Satan. Wherefore, leaving the vanity of many, and the false doctrines, let us return to the word which was delivered
to us from the beginning, watching unto prayer, and
his

persevering in fasting; with supplication beseeching the all-seeing God not to lead us into temptation,
as the Lord hath said, The spirit indeed is willing,
but the flesh is weak.
8. Let us therefore without ceasing hold steadfastly to him who is our hope, and the earnest of
our righteousness, even Jesus Christ, who bore our
sins in his own body on the tree ; who did no sin,
neither
all

was guile found

for our sakes, that

in his

mouth ; but endured

live through him.

we might

Let us therefore imitate his patience and if we

name, let us glorify him.
For this
example he hath given us by himself, and so we
have believed.
9. I exhort you all therefore to obey the word
of righteousness, and exercise all patience, which
ye have seen set forth before your eyes, not only in
the blessed Ignatius, and Zosimus, and Rufus, but
also in others among yourselves, and in Paul himbeing confident of this,
self, and the other apostles
that all these have not run in vain, but in faith and
righteousness and that they are gone to the place
which was due to them, in the presence of the Lord,
with whom also they suffered. For they loved not
this present world, but him that died for us, and
was raised again by God for our sake.
L* 10. Stand therefore in these things, and follow
the example of the Lord, being firm and immutable
;

suffer for his

* From the Latin version.

POLYCARP OF SMYRNA.

85

in the faith, lovers of the brotherhood, lovers of

one another, companions together in the truth, exhibiting toward each other the sweet reasonableness
of the Lord, despising none. When it is in your
power to do good, defer it not ; for charity deliverBe all of you subject one to anotheth from death.
er, having your conversation honest among the gentiles,
that by your good works both ye yourselves may receive praise, and the Lord may not be blasphemed
through you. But woe to him by whom the name of
the

Lord

blasphemed.

is

which do ye

sobriety, in

n.

am

Wherefore teach

all

men

also exercise yourselves.

greatly afflicted for Valens,

who was

once made a presbyter among you that he should

so little understand the place that was given unto
Wherefore I admonish you that ye abstain
him.
from cupidity, and that ye be chaste and true
Keep yourselves from all evil. For he
of speech.
that in these things can not govern himself, how
If
shall he be able to prescribe them to another?
a man doth not keep himself from concupiscence,
he shall be polluted with idolatry, and he shall be
judged as if of the gentiles, who are ignorant of the
judgment of the Lord. Do we not know that the
saints shall judge the world? as Paul teaches. But I
have neither perceived nor heard anything of the
kind in you, among whom the blessed Paul labored,
and who are [named] in the beginning of his episFor he glories of you in all the churches which
tle.
alone had then known God for we [in Smyrna]
had not yet known him. Wherefore, brethren, I
am exceedingly sorry both for him (Valens) and
;

for his wife

pentance.

to

And

whom may

the

Lord grant true

re-

be ye then moderate on this occasion and consider not such as enemies, but call them
back, as suffering and erring members, that ye may
save your whole body.
For by so doing ye edify
;

yourselves.

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

86

For

ye are well exercised in the

that nothing is hid from you
but to me it is not granted [to edify you]. Only,
as it is written in the Scriptures, Be ye angry and
sin not, and Let not the sun go down upon your wrath.
Blessed is he that remembereth, which I trust to be
true of you. Now the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and he himself who is our everlasting
High Priest, the Son of God, even Jesus Christ,
build you up in faith and truth, and in all meekness
and lenity, and in patience and long-suffering, and
forbearance and chastity and grant unto you a lot
and portion among his saints, and unto us with
you, and unto all that are under heaven, who shall
believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and in his Father
who raised him from the dead. Pray for all the saints.
Pray also for kings, and authorities, and princes, and
for those who persecute you and hate you, and for
the enemies of the cross that your fruit may be
manifest in all, and that ye may be perfect in Him.]
13. Both ye and Ignatius wrote to me, that if
12.

Holy

I trust that

Scriptures,

and

any one went [hence] into Syria, he should carry with

him what was written by you which I will attend
to, if I have a convenient opportunity, either by
myself, or by him whom I shall send acting for me
and upon your account. The epistles of Ignatius
which he wrote unto us, and others as many as we
;

have with us, we have sent to you, according to

your order which are suojoined to this epistle
from which ye may be greatly profited. For they
treat of faith and patience, and of all things which
pertain to edification in our Lord.
:

[* What ye know more certainly of Ignatius, and

those that are with him, signify unto us.
14. These things have I written unto you by
Crescens, whom up to this day I have recommended
For he hath had
to you, and do now recommend.

* From the Latin version.

BARNABAS.

87

his conversation without blame among us, and I

You will also
trust in like manner also with you.
have regard unto his sister when she shall come
unto you. Be ye safe in the Lord Jesus Christ
and his grace be with you all. Amen.]

BARNABAS.
That

there existed very early in the history of

the church a letter written by one Barnabas, and

come down to us, there can be

Barnabas was, however, we do
not know. The early writers, beginning with Clement of Alexandria, identify him with Barnabas the
companion of Paul but that supposition is disproved by the epistle itself. Barnabas the Cyprian
was a Levite, and was of course familiar with the
Jewish rites probably practiced some of them to
the end of his life he must also, from his presence
at the apostolic council at Jerusalem, in which that
subject was discussed, have known perfectly the
opinions of the twelve as to the relation of Judaism
But the epistle was written by one
to Christianity.
that that letter has

little

Who

doubt.

who not simply

but makes gross errors

Jewish observances; and by
one who, instead of regarding Judaism as the legitimate predecessor of Christianity the Law a schoolmaster to lead to Christ as did the apostles, represents the Jews as entirely wrong in ever having observed the ceremonial law. This of itself would disprove the early tradition; but it may be added that
concerning,

distorts,

common

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

S8

all Syrians to have been circumwhich could not have been made
by one who had resided long at Antioch that it was
written subsequent to a. d. 70, whereas Barnabas
the Cyprian is thought to have died before a. d. 62
and that it betrays a style of reckless allegorizing utterly foreign to one who had consorted with the apostles, not to say with our Lord himself. There is little
satisfaction in thus showing who was not the author,
but this is almost the only certain thing we can say.
It is supposed by most critics, however, that it was
written by a Gentile Christian who was either a
resident of Alexandria or lived within Alexandrian
influence.
Evidence of this is seen in the allegorizing tone of the epistle, and in the importance it

the epistle declares

cised, a mistake

attaches to knowledge (yvcooLc) as contrasted with

faith (-lone), which features were characteristics

The

of that school of thought.

readers for

whom

was intended are conjectured to have been Alexandrian Christians, who were in danger of being
drawn away into Jewish practices; though Origen

it

calls

it

a catholic epistle, that

eral circulation.

Its

date

is

is

intended for genIt can not

uncertain.

have been earlier than the destruction of Jerusalem.

It would seem also to have been quoted by Celsus

the passage calling the apostles sinners above

about the middle of the second century. Beall

sin

tween these dates we have but slight indications of

a definite time, though what we have point to the
first quarter of the century, from a. d. 119 to 126.
The epistle is in two parts, chaps. 1-17 and
1S-21, which are somewhat dissimilar in style; but
both parts are quoted by Clement, and there is no

"

BARXABAS.
reason

sufficient

whole

epistle is

ancient

found

in

integrity.

The

Greek, in one of the most

which

Sinaiticus,

follows the canonical

it

The semi-canonical

books.

89

its

extant manuscripts, the Codex

a. d. 350), in

[cir.

question

to

character thus indi-

cated was accorded to the letter by both Clement

and Origen. The latest critical text is that of Gebby which the translation here used has been
amended. The italicized words are supplied. Quo-

hardt,

tations have their appropriate marks.

Attention

is

called tojDut a single passage at the close of chap,;

ter iv.

As

it

is

written,

'

many

called but few

chosen/

THE EPISTLE OF BARNABAS.

Joy be with you, sons and daughters, in the
Lord who loved us in peace. Seeing
that God's just requirements are great and abounding to you ward, I rejoice exceedingly and beyond
measure in your blessed and glorious spirits
in
such manner have ye received the engrafted grace
Wherefore also I the
of the free gift of the Spirit.
more rejoice in mine own heart, hoping to be saved,
because that I truly perceive within you the spirit
of the Lord's love poured forth from his riches
upon you. With so great joy concerning you hath
Being perthe desired sight of you moved me.
suaded therefore of this, and convinced in my own
mind for having spoken many things among you, I
know that the Lord hath been my companion in
i.

name

of the

way

the

of righteousness,

and am

utterly constrained

also myself to this, namely, to love you above

own soul, for great faith and love dwell within

in

hope of

if I

am

at

his life

accounting

my
you

this therefore, that

pains concerning you to impart some

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

90

portion of that whereof I have received, that to

minister to such spirits will be to me not without
reward, I made haste shortly to send unto you, that
ye might have your knowledge (yvtioig) perfected
with your faith (rc'iong). There are then three revour hope of life, its beginning,
elations of the Lord
and the beginning of faith is righteousness,
its end
and the end thereof love, the work of gladness and
exultation in witness of righteousness.
For the
master hath revealed to us by the prophets that
which is past and that which is at hand, and hath
given us also the first fruits of the taste of that which
shall be.
Of which things we behold the gradual
:

accomplishment, according as he hath said, and

ought with the more abundance and uplifting of
I then, not as a
heart to draw near to his altar.
teacher but as one of your own selves, will show
forth a few things, by the which in the present time
of trial ye shall be made glad.
2. [The Jewish sacrifices are now abolished under the new law of Jesus Christ.]
3. [Showing that the fasts observed by the Jews
are not true fasts acceptable to God.]
4. [The final offense concerning which it is
We must not err by] saying
written is at hand.
that the covenant belongs to them (the Jews) and
us also. To us it belongeth; but they lost it thus
[We must
utterly, though Moses once received it.
avoid iniquity, lest we be judged as Israel has been.]
Let us take heed lest so be that we be found, as it
is written, "many called but few chosen."
5. For to this end the Lord endured to deliver
up his flesh to destruction, that we might be cleansed
by the remission of sins, which is in the blood of
his sprinkling .... Is. liii. 5-7 ....
[Christ]
that he might abolish death and show forth the
resurrection from the dead, since it behooved him
to be manifested in the flesh, endured suffering that

BARNABAS,

91

he might restore the promise to the fathers, and

might himself prepare his new people for himself,
and by being upon the earth show forth that when
he hath himself accomplished the resurrection he
And when he chose out
will judge mankind ....
his own apostles who should preach his gospel, who,
that he might show that " He came not to call the
righteous but sinners," were transgressors above all
sin, then did he manifest himself to be the Son of
God .... [He came also to bring to a head the
sins of the Jews.]
6. [Various prophecies, e. g., that of the stone
rejected by the builders, explained by gnosis.]
7. [Fasting, and the goat sent away, shown to
be types of Christ. The chapter closes with these
words :] Thus, he (Jesus) saith, they who would see
me, and lay hold of my kingdom, must through
tribulation and suffering obtain me.
8. But what type think ye it is, that it hath been
commanded to Israel, that those men in whom sins
are at the full should offer a heifer, and slay and
burn it, and that children should take up the ash,
and cast it into vessels, and bind the scarlet wool
upon wood (behold again the type of the cross and
the scarlet wool) and hyssop therewith, and that
after this manner the children should sprinkle the
people one by one, that they may be purified from
their sins ? Consider how in all simplicity it is said
unto you, The calf is Jesus the men who make
offering, being sinners, tire they who offered him for
[But now the men are no longer
the slaughter.
But
guilty, are no longer regarded as sinners.] *
the boys who sprinkle are they who preached unto
us the gospel of the remission of sins and the purification of the heart, unto whom, being twelve in
number for a witness of the tribes for there are
twelve tribes in Israel he gave authority over the
;

* Doubtful

text.

92

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

gospel, that they should preach it.

But wherefore
are the boys that sprinkle three in number ?
For a
testimony unto Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because
And why the wool
these are mighty before God.
upon the wood ? Because the kingdom of Jesus is
established upon wood, and they that hope upon him
shall live for ever.
But wherefore the wool withal
and the hyssop ? Because in his kingdom there
shall be days evil and polluted, in the which we
shall be saved.
For he that is sick in the flesh is
healed by the pollution of the hyssop. And therefore are the things which were so done clear unto
us, but unto them dark, because they have not
heard the voice of the Lord.
9. Furthermore, he saith concerning the ears,
how that our circumcision is of the heart. The
Lord saith in the prophet, " To the hearing of the

ear they did obey me." And again he saith, "With

hearing shall they that are afar off hear, they shall
know what things I have done." And "Be ye circumcised," saith the Lord, "in your hearts." And
again he saith, " Hear, O Israel, that the Lord thy
God saith these things." And again the Spirit of
the Lord prophesieth, " Who is he that will live for
ever ? With hearing let him hear the voice of my
Son." And again he saith, "Hear, O heaven, and
give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken these
things for a testimony." And again he saith, " Hear
the word of the Lord, ye rulers of this people."
And again he saith, " Hear, ye children, the voice
of one crying in the wilderness/' So then he circumcised our hearings, that we might hear the word
and believe. For the circumcision on which they
have trusted hath been done away for he hath
declared that circumcision was made not of the
But they went out of the way, for an evil
flesh.
He saith unto them, "These
angel beguiled them.
;

things saith the

Lord your God

(so

do

find the

BARNABAS.

93

commandment), Sow not upon

thorns, be ye circumcised unto your Lord/' And why saith he,

" Be ye circumcised in the hardness of your hearts,
and ye shall not be stiffnecked " ? Take again,
" Behold, saith the Lord, all the nations are uncir-

cumcised with uncircumcision of the flesh, but this

But thou
is uncircumcised in their hearts."
wilt say, Yea, verily, the people hath been circumcised for a seal but likewise is every Syrian and
Arabian, and all the priests of idols think ye they
too are of their covenant ? Moreover, the Egyptians
Understand then, chilalso are in circumcision.
dren of love, concerning all things richly, that
people

Abraham, who first gave circumcision, circumcised

looking forward in the spirit unto Jesus, having received the ordinances of three letters. For he saith,
" And Abraham circumcised of his household eighteen males and three hundred.'' What then was
the knowledge that was given unto him ?
Understand ye that he saith the eighteen first, and then,
after an interval, three hundred.
In the eighteen,
I H, thou hast Jesus.
And inasmuch as the cross
was destined to show forth grace in the sign T, he
adds three hundred.
So then he showeth forth
Jesus in the two letters, and in the single one the
cross.
He knoweth it who hath put within us the
engrafted word of his doctrine no man hath learned
of me a truer instruction, but I know that ye are
worthy.
10. [Spiritual significance of Moses's commands
respecting various kinds of foods.]
n. Let us inquire whether it pleased the Lord
to show beforehand of the water [of baptism] and
of the cross.
[Such references discerned in Jer. ii.
12, 13; Isa. xvi. 1, 2, xlv. 2, 3, xxxiii. 16-18; Ps. i.
3-6; Zeph. iii. 19; Ezek. xlvii. 12.]
12. Likewise again he giveth intimation concerning the cross in another prophet, saying " And
;

94

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

when

be accomplished ? saith the

bent down and rises again,
and when blood shall drop out of wood." Again
thou hast a testimony of the cross and of Him that
should be crucified.
And he speaketh again in
Moses, when the strange nations made war upon
Israel
and that he might call to their remembrance
in the midst of war that for their sins they were deshall these things

When

Lord.

a tree

is

livered unto death, the Spirit speaketh in the heart

of Moses that he should make a type of the cross
and of Him that should suffer, showing, saith he,
that except they hope upon him they shall be at
war for ever. So Moses put one shield upon another in the midst of the battle, and he stood above
them all and stretched forth his hands and so
Israel again prevailed
then, as soon as he let down
his hands, they were again smitten to death.
To
what end ? that they might know that they can not
;

be saved except they hope upon him. And again

in another prophet he saith, " The whole day long
have I spread out my hands to a people disobedient
and gainsaying my righteous way." Again Moses
setteth forth a type of Jesus, that he must suffer
and that he shall make alive whom they shall think
to have slain, by the sign of a pole when Israel was
falling.
For the Lord made all manner of serpents
to bite them, and they died (for through the serpent was transgression found in Eve), that he might
convince them, that for their transgression's sake
they should be delivered unto the affliction of death.
Yea, furthermore, though Moses himself gave commandment, " Ye shall have no molten nor graven
image for your god " yet he himself made it that he
might show forth a type of Jesus. Moses therefore
made a serpent of brass, and put it up conspicuously, and called the people together by a proclamation.
When they were come together therefore to the
same place, they entreated Moses, that he should

BARNABAS.
made

95

But Moses spake

unto them and said When any man of you is bitten, let him come to the serpent that is set upon
the wood, and let him hope thereon, believing that
it is able even though dead to restore to life, and
immediately he shall be saved. And they did so.
offer for their

being

whole.

In these things too thou findest again the glory of

Jesus, that in him and unto him are all things.
Again what saith Moses to Jesus (Joshua), the son of
Nave, to whom he gave this name as being a prophet,
that all the people might give ear to him only, because in him the Father makes all things manifest
concerning his son Jesus ? Moses then saith unto
Jesus, son of Nave, when he gave him this name
and sent him forth to spy out the land, " Take a
book into thy hands, and write what the Lord saith,
that the Son of God shall cut off by the roots all
Behold
the house of Amalek at the last days."
again Jesus, not a son of man, but Son of God, by
Now since some will
type manifested in the flesh.
say that Christ is David's son, David himself prophesieth, fearing and understanding the error of sin" The Lord saith unto my Lord, Sit
ful men
thou at my right hand until I make thy enemies thy
And again Esaks likewise saith, " The
footstool."
:

said unto Christ my Lord, whose right hand

have holden, that nations should give ear before
him, and the strength of kings will I break in
Behold how David calleth him Lord, and
pieces."
Son of God.
13. [Christians and not Jews are heirs of the
covenant, as prefigured in the preference of Jacob
to Esau and Ephraim to Manasseh; and proved in
the promise that Abraham should be the father of
uncircumcised nations.]
14. Yea, verily, but let us inquire of the covenant which he swore to the fathers to give to the
He hath given
people, whether he hath given it.

Lord

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

96

but they were not found worthy to receive it

because of their sins. [How Moses received the
tables written with the finger of God, but cast them
down and we received the covenant from the Lord
himself who was manifested for this end. See Isa.
it;

xlii. 6, 7, xlix. 6, lxi. i, 2.]

15. Further it hath been written concerning the

sabbath also in the Ten Words, wherein the Lord
spake to Moses on Mount Sinai face to face, " And
keep ye the sabbath of the Lord holy with pure
hands and a pure heart." And in another place he
saith, " If my sons observe my sabbath, then will I
cause my mercy to rest upon them." He speaks
of the sabbath at the beginning of the creation

"And God made the works of his hands in six

days, and made an end on the seventh day, and
rested on it and sanctified it."
Give heed, my
children, why he saith thus, " He made an end in
six days."
This he saith, signifying that in six
thousand years the Lord will make an end of all
things for one day is with him a thousand years.
And he hijmself beareth me witness, saying, " Behold,
to-day shall be as a thousand years." Therefore,
my children, in six days, that is to say in six thousand years, shall an end be made of all things.
"And he rested on the seventh day." This signifieth, that when his son shall come and utterly destroy this present time, and shall judge the ungodly,
and change the sun, and the moon, and the stars,
then he shall truly rest on the seventh day. Yea,
and he saith furthermore, " Thou shalt keep it holy
;

with pure hands and a pure heart." If, then, a

man is now able to keep holy the day which God
hath made holy, without being pure in heart, we
have gone utterly astray.
Behold then he doth
not truly rest and keep it holy until that day when
we shall ourselves be able so to do, having been
justified and having received the promise, where

BARNABAS.

97

ungodliness is no more, but all things are made

new by the Lord then shall we be able to keep it
Furholy, having been ourselves first made holy.
thermore he saith unto them, " Your new moons and
sabbaths I can not away with." Look ye how he
saith, "Your present sabbaths are not acceptable
unto me, but the sabbath which I have made, in the
which, when I have finished all things, I will make
the beginning of the eighth day, which is the beginning of the new world." Wherefore also we keep
the eighth day unto gladness, in the which Jesus
also rose from the dead, and, after that he had
been manifested, ascended into the heavens.
16. [Concerning the true spiritual temple of
God, that it is not a house made with hands, but
The chapter
the purified heart of the believer.
Gontains these words :] Ye perceive that their (the
Moreover, he again says,
Jews') hope is vain.
"Behold, they who have cast down this temple,
even they shall build it up again." It has so hapFor through their going to war, it was
pened.
destroyed by their enemies and now they, as the
servants of their enemies, shall rebuild it.
17. [All things in the present are thus explained.
Should the author write about future things, the
readers would not understand.]
;

18. But let us pass also to another form of

knowledge and doctrine. There are two ways of
doctrine and authority, the way of light and the
way of darkness. And between these two ways
For over the one are
there is a wide difference.
stationed light-bearing angels of God, but over the
And God is the Lord from
other angels of Satan.

everlasting to everlasting, but Satan the prince of

the time which now is of unrighteousness.
9

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

98
19.

This then

is

the

way

of

light, if

man

desire

walk in the way toward the appointed place, and

The knowledge then that
is zealous in his works.
hath been given us whereby we may walk therein is
on this wise. [The principal virtues enumerated
are to love God; to be simple in heart; to hate
hypocrisy to be lowly-minded to be pure in heart
and life not to speak God's word amidst the unclean
not to respect persons
to be meek and
to

peaceable not to bear malice not to take the

Lord's name in vain; to love one's neighbor; not
to commit murder by abortion; to train children
in the fear of the Lord
not to be covetous to
bow before the visitations' of God to be obedient
servants and kind masters to be liberal to love
;

who

minister the word of the Lord to remember the day of judgment; to seek daily the presence of saints to labor to save souls to hate the
wicked to judge justly to make confession of
sins
not to pray with an evil conscience.]
20. But the way of blackness is crooked and
full of cursing.
For it is a way of eternal death
with punishment, wherein are those things which
destroy men's souls idolatry, insolence, haughtiness of power, hypocrisy, doubleness of heart, adulall

tery, murder, extortion, pride, transgression, guile,

malice, self-will, sorcery, witchcraft, covetousness,
no fear of God. Persecutors are they of the good,
hating truth, loving lies, knowing not the reward
of righteousness, cleaving not to good, cleaving not
to just judgment, heeding not the widow and orphan, watching not unto the fear of God but to
evil, from whom meekness and patience stand afar
off, loving vain things, pursuing after recompense,
having no compassion on the poor, laboring not for
him that is spent with labor, prone to evil speaking,
knowing not Him that made them, slayers of children, defilers of God's workmanship, turning away

BARNABAS.

99

from him that is in need and oppressing him that

is afflicted, advocates of the rich, lawless judges of
all manner of sin.
[Conclusion, in which exhortation is given
For the day is at hand on
to all obedience.]
which all things shall perish with the Evil One.
The Lord is at hand and his reward.
FareThe Lord of
well, ye children of love and peace.
glory and of all grace be with your spirit, Amen.

the poor, filled with

21.

AUTHORS OFTEN CLASSED

WITH

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

HERMAS.
The
is

" Pilgrim's Progress of the Early Church "

name given to the " Shepherd of

the appropriate

Hermas. Who Hermas was whether indeed there

was a real character of that name who wrote the
book, or whether, like Christian, it was a fictitious
name we do not certainly know. The earliest
mention of the work is found in the Muratorian
fragment on the canon, which says " Hermas composed the Shepherd very lately in our times in the
,,

Rome, while the Bishop Pius, his brother,

occupied the chair of the Roman Church and it
ought therefore indeed to be read, but it can never
be publicly used in the church, either among the
prophets [the number being complete], or the
Apostles." A Latin poem ascribed to Pius gives a
similar account.
Irenaeus quotes' from the work
with marked respect, and Clement of Alexandria
city of

refers to

Hermas

but neither of them helps us to

Origen conjectures that he

identify the author.

was the Hermas of Rom.

xvi. 14

a guess doubtless

"

HERMAS.

101

prompted by the desire to give apostolic sanction

For the " Shepherd " very soon came
to the book.
to be regarded as inspired, and as such was highly
esteemed by most of the churches, though. TertulIn the absence of
speaks slightingly of it.
counter-evidence its authorship by Hermas, brother
This
of Pius, may not unreasonably be accepted.

lian

gives

an

a date from a. d. 130 to 140. The work is

now divided (though not by the manu-

it

allegory,

scripts) into three

partsVisions, Commands, and

Our

text gives a large part of the

Similitudes.

book of
to

visions,

indicate

and

their

sufficient

character.

from the other books

" The book," says

Donaldson, "ought to derive a peculiar interest

from its being the first work extant, the main effort
of which is to direct the soul to God.
The other
religious books relate to internal workings in the
church
this alone specially deals with the great
change requisite to living to God. ... Its creed is
a very short and simple one. Its great object is to
;

exhibit the morality implied in conversion.

The
entire

text.

There

scripts not varying in

The

an almost
Latin manu-

Sinaitic manuscript has given us

Greek

text here followed

are, besides,

substance from the Greek.

the

is

Greek

by

as edited

Hilgenfeld.

THE SHEPHERD OF HERMAS.

[As

now commonly

edited, the "

divided into three books

I.

Shepherd

Visions

II.

"

is

Com-

mandments; III. Similitudes.

Book One begins with Hermas's account of

his

102

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

admiration for a beautiful lady, as he had rescued

her from the river Tiber at Rome. Afterward,
being alone in the country, praying, the spirit of
this lady appears and reproaches him with an unhallowed regard for her, at which he is sadly grieved.
Vision First.
After the lady has disappeared,
Hermas has a vision of an old woman clad in a
splendid robe, and sitting in a great chair of wool,
who charges him to admonish his household of
their sins.
She then reads to him from a book
some very terrible words, closing, however, with
words of gentleness. Rising up, her chair is borne

away to the east by four young men, and she tells

Hermas that the harsh words are for heathens and
apostates, the mild ones for the righteous
after
which two men bear her away to the east on their
shoulders.
Again, a year later, the same old
Vision Second.
woman appears to him and gives him a book to
transcribe, which when he does, the book is snatched
away by unseen hands. Soon after, the writing, at
It is a
first unintelligible, becomes plain to him.
message relating principally to the faults of his wife
and sons, but assuring him that he himself shall be
saved on account of his simplicity and his great
self-control, which traits shall save all who are
characterized by them it also contains a warning
Again, a revelation was made to
to one Maximus.
;

Hermas while he slept, by a young man who explained that the old woman was the Church. Later
this woman comes and directs him to prepare two
one for
copies of the book he had transcribed
Clement, who would send it to foreign countries
one for Grapte, who would admonish the widows
and orphans. He himself was to " read the words
in the city, along with the presbyters who preside
over the church." Then follows vision third, which
is here given entire.]
:

HERMAS.

103

VISION THIRD.
i. The vision which I saw, my brethren, was of
Having fasted frequently,
the following nature
and having prayed to the Lord that he would show
me the revelation which he promised to show me
through that old woman, the same night the old
woman appeared to me, and said to me, " Since
you are so anxious and eager to know all things,
go into the part of the country where you tarry;
and about the fifth hour I shall appear unto you,
:

all that you ought to see."

I asked
"
Lady, into what part of the country ?
"Wherever you will," said she. I chose a spot
suitably retired. Before, however, I began to speak
and to mention the place, she said to me, " I will
come where you wish." Accordingly, brethren, I
went to the country, and counted the hours, and
reached the place where I had promised to meet
her and I see an ivory seat ready placed, and on
the seat a linen cushion, and spread out above the
linen a covering of fine linen.
Seeing these laid
out, and yet no one in the place, I began to feel
awe, and as it were a trembling seized hold of me,
and my hair stood on end, and a horror as it were
came upon me, I being alone. But on coming
back to myself and calling to mind the glory of
God, I took courage, bent my knees, and again

and show you

her, saying, "

my

God as I had done before.

woman approached, accompaby six young men whom I had also seen beand she stood behind me, and listened to me

confessed

Whereupon
nied
fore
as I

sins to

the old

prayed and confessed my sins to the Lord.

touching me, she said, " Hermas, cease praying continually for your sins; pray for righteousness, that you may have a portion of it immediately

And

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

On this she took me by

104

in your house."

the hand,

and brought me to the seat, and said to the young

men, " Go and build." When the young men had
gone and we were alone, she said to me, " Sit here."
say to her, " Lady, permit my elders to be seated
" Do what I bid you," said she
" sit down."
When I would have sat down on her right, she did
not permit me, but with her hand beckoned to me
to sit down on the left.
While I was thinking
about this, and feeling vexed that she did not let
me sit on the right, she said, " Are you vexed,
Hermas ? The place to the right is for others who
have already pleased God, and have suffered for
his name's sake
and you have yet much to accomplish before you can sit with them.
But abide as
you now do in your simplicity, and you will sit with
them, and with all who do their deeds and bear
what they have borne."
" Listen,"
2. " What have they borne ? " said I.
" scourges, prisons, great tribulations,
said she
crosses, wild beasts, for God's name's sake.
On
this account the right hand of the holy place is
theirs, and every, one's who shall suffer for God's
name the left hand is to the rest. But both for
those who sit on the right and those who sit on the
only
left there are the same gifts and promises
those sit on the right and have some glory. You,
then, are eager to sit on the right with them, but
But you will be
your shortcomings are many.
cleansed from your shortcomings and all who are
not given to doubts shall be cleansed from all their
Saying this, she wished
iniquities up till this day."
to go away. But, falling down at her feet, I begged
her by the Lord that she would show me the vision
which she had promised to show me. And then
she again took hold of me by the hand, and raised
me, and made me to sit on the seat to the left, and
and, lifting up a
she sat down upon the right
I

first."

HERMAS.

105

splendid rod, she said to me, " Do you see something great? " And I say, " Lady, I see nothing."
She said to me, " Lo do you not see opposite to
you a great tower, built upon the waters, of splenFor the tower was built
did square stones ? "
square by those six young men who had come with
But myriads of men were carrying stones to
her.
it, some dragging them from the depths, others removing them from the land, and they handed them
They were taking them
to these six young men.
and building; and those of the stones that were
dragged out of the depths they placed in the building just as they were for they were polished and
fitted exactly into the other stones, and they became so united one with another that the lines of
juncture could not be perceived. And in this way
the building of the tower looked as if it were made
out of one stone.
Of those stones, however, which
were taken from the dry land they rejected some,
some they fitted into the building, and some they
cut down and cast far away from the tower.
Many
other stones, however, lay around the tower, and
the young men did not use them in building for
some of them were rough, others had cracks in
them, others had been made too short, and others
were white and round, but did not fit into the
Moreover, I saw other
building of the tower.
stones thrown far away from the tower, and falling
into the public road, yet not remaining on the road,
but rolling into a pathless place and others falling
!

into the fire and burning others also falling close

to the water, and yet not capable of being rolled
into the water, though they wished to be rolled
down, and to enter the water.
3. On showing me these visions she wished to
retire.
I said to her, " Lady, what is the use of my
;

having seen all this while I do not know what it

means?" She said to me, "You cunning man,

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

106

wishing to
"

tower."

my

tell it

to

know

the

"

Many

know everything
Even so, O Lady/'

that
said

brethren, that, hearing

relates to
" that I

I,

this,

they

the

may
may

much

glory."
And she said,
indeed shall hear, and hearing, some shall

Lord

in

be glad and some shall weep. But even these, if

they hear and repent, shall also rejoice.
Hear,
then, the parables of the tower for I will reveal all
And give me no more trouble in regard
to you.
to revelation, for these revelations have an end, for
;

they have been completed. But you will not cease

praying for revelations, for you are shameless. The
tower which you see building is myself, the Church,
who have appeared to you now and on the former
occasion. Ask, then, whatever you like in regard to
the tower, and I will reveal it to you, that you may
I said to her, " Lady,
rejoice with the saints."
since you have once deemed me worthy of all
being revealed to me, reveal it." She said to me,
" Whatsoever ought to be revealed will be revealed
only let your heart be with God, and doubt not

whatsoever you shall see." I asked her, " Why was

the tower built upon the waters, O Lady ? " She
answered, " I told you before, and you still inquire
carefully

therefore inquiring you shall

the tower is built

find the

Hear then why

upon the
waters It is because your life has been and will
be saved through water. For the tower was founded on the word of the almighty and glorious Name,
and it is kept together by the invisible power of
truth.

the Lord."
4. In reply I said to her, " This is magnificent
and marvelous. But who are the six young men
who are engaged in building?" And she said,
" These are the holy angels of God, who were first
created, and to whom the Lord handed over his
whole creation, to exalt and build up and rule over
every creature. By them will the building of the

HERMAS.

107

tower be finished." "But who are the other per"

sons who are engaged in carrying the stones ?
11
These also are holy angels of the Lord, but the
former six are more excellent than these.
The
building of the tower then will be finished, and all
will rejoice together around the tower, and they
will glorify God because the tower is finished."
I asked her, saying, " Lady, I should like to know

what becomes of the stones, and what was meant

by them." In reply she said to me, " Not because
you are more deserving than all others that this

revelation should be made to you

for there are
others before you, and bettef than you, to whom
these visions should have been revealed but that
the name of God may be glorified, has the revelation been made to you, and it will be made on account of the doubtful who ponder in their hearts
whether these things will be or not. Tell them
that all these things are true, and that none of them
All of them are firm and
is beyond the truth.
sure, and established on a strong foundation.
" Hear now with regard to the stones which
5.
Those square white stones
are in the building.
which fitted exactly into each other are apostles,
bishops, teachers, and deacons, who have lived in
godly purity, and have acted as bishops and teachers and deacons chastely and reverently to the
elect of God, some of them having fallen asleep,

still alive.
And they have always
agreed with each other, and been at peace among
themselves, and listened to each other. On account
of this, they join exactly into the building of the
tower." " But who are the stones that were dragged
from the depths, and which were laid into the building and fitted in with the rest of the stones previ-

and some being

" They are those who suffered for

ously laid ? "
" But I wish to know, O Lady,
the Lord's sake."
who are the other stones who were carried from the

"
ioS

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

land."
"Those," she said, "which go into the
building without being polished are those whom
God has approved of, for they walked in the straight
ways of the Lord, and practiced his commandments.
" But who are those who are in the act of being
brought and placed in the building? " " They are
those who are young in faith and are faithful.
But
they are admonished by the angels to do good, for
no iniquity has been found in them." " Who, then,
"
are those whom they rejected and cast away ?
" These are they who have sinned and wish to repent.
On this account they have not been thrown
far from the tower, because they will yet be useful
in the building if they repent.
Those then who are
to repent, if they do repent, will be strong in faith
if they now repent while the tower is building.
But
if the building be finished, there will no longer
be room, but they will be rejected.
This [privilege] will only be theirs because they lie near the
tower.
6. " As to those who were cut down and thrown
far away from the tower, do you wish to know who
they are ? They are the sons of wickedness, and
they believed in hypocrisy, and all iniquity did not
depart from them. For this reason they are not
saved, since they can not be used in the building
on account of their iniquities.
Wherefore they
have been cut off and cast far away on account of
the anger of the Lord, for they have roused him to
anger.
But as to the other stones which you saw
lying in great numbers, and not going into the
building, those which are rough are those who have
known the truth and not remained in it, and have
not been joined to the saints; on this account are
they unfit for use." "Who are those that have
" These are they who are at discord in
rents ? "
their hearts one with another, and are not at peace
among themselves who indeed keep peace before
;

HERMAS.

109

each other, but when they separate one from the

other, their wicked thoughts remain in their hearts.
These, then, are the rents which are in the stones.
But those which are shortened are those who have
indeed believed, and have the larger share of righteousness yet they have also a considerable share
of iniquity, and therefore they are shortened and
not whole." " But who are these, Lady, that are
white and round, and yet do not fit into the building of the tower ? " She answered and said, " How
long will you be foolish and stupid, and continue
to put every kind of question and understand nothing ?
These are those who have faith indeed,
but they have also the riches of this world. When,
therefore, tribulation comes, on account of their
riches and business they deny the Lord."
I answered and said to her, " When, then, will they be
;

useful for the building, Lady ? " " When the riches
that now seduce them have been circumscribed,
then will they be of use to God. For as a round
stone can not become square unless portions be
cut off and cast away, so also those who are rich in
this world can not be useful to the Lord unless
their riches be cut down.
Learn this first from
your own case.
When you were rich you were
useless but now you are useful and fit for life. Be
ye useful to God, for you also will be used as one
of these stones.
" Now, as to the other stones which you saw
7.
cast far away from the tower, and falling upon the
public road and rolling from it into pathless places
they are those who have indeed believed, but
through doubt have abandoned the true road.
Thinking, then, that they could find a better, they
wander and become wretched, and enter upon
pathless places.
But those which fell into the fire
and were burned are those who have departed for
ever from the living God nor does the thought of
;

10

no

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

repentance ever come into their hearts, on account

of their devotion to their lusts and to the crimes
which they committed. Do you wish to know who
are the others which fell near the waters, but could
not be rolled into them ? These are they who have
heard the word, and wish to be baptized in the
name of the Lord but when the chastity demanded
by the truth comes into their recollection, they
draw back, and again walk after their own wicked
desires." She finished her exposition of the tower.
But I, shameless as I yet was, asked her, " Is repentance possible for all those stones which have
been cast away and did not fit into the building of
the tower, and will they yet have a place in the
tower? " "Repentance," said she, "is yet possible,
but in this tower they can not find a suitable place.
But in another and much inferior place they will
be laid, and that, too, only when they have been
tortured and completed the days of their sins. And
on this account will they be transferred, because
they have partaken of the righteous Word. And
then only will they be removed from their punishments when the thought of repenting of the evil
deeds which they have done has come into their
But if it does not come into their hearts,
hearts.
they will not be saved, on account of the hardness
;

of their hearts."
8. When, then, I ceased asking in regard to all
these matters, she said to me, " Do you wish to see

anything else "

And

was extremely eager to

countenance beamed with
She looked toward me with a smile and said,
joy.
" Do you see seven women around the tower ? " " I
"This tower," said she, "is
do, Lady," said I.
supported by them according to the precept of the
The first
Listen now to their functions.
Lord.
?

see something more,

as I

my

of them,

Through

who

clasping her hands, is called Faith.

her the elect of God are saved. Another,
is

HERMAS.

in

who has her garment tucked up and

acts with vigor,

called Self-restraint.
She is the daughter of
Faith. Whoever then follows her will become happy in his life, because he will restrain himself from
all evil works, believing that, if he restrain himself
from all evil desire, he will inherit eternal life."
"
" But the others," said I, "
Lady, who are they ?
"
And she said to me, They are daughters of each
other.
One of them is called Simplicity, another
Guilelessness, another Chastity, another Intelligence,
another Love. When, then, you do all the works
of their mother, you will be able to live." " I should
Lady, what power each
like to know," said I, "
is

them possesses."
"Hear," she said, "what
power they have. Their powers are regulated by
each other, and follow each other in the order of
their birth.
For from Faith arises Self-restraint
of

from

Self-restraint, Simplicity
from Simplicity,
Guilelessness; from Guilelessness, Chastity; from
Chastity, Intelligence and from Intelligence, Love.
The deeds, then, of these are pure, and chaste, and
;

divine.
Whoever devotes himself to these, and is
able to hold fast by their works, shall have his
dwelling in the tower with the saints of God."
Then I asked her in regard to the ages, if now
there is the conclusion.
She cried out with a loud
voice, " Foolish man
do you not see the tower yet
building? When the tower is finished and built,
then comes the end; but it will be finished quickly.
Ask me no more questions. Let this be a
sufficient reminder and renewal of your spirits to
you and to all the saints. But not for your own
sake alone have these revelations been made to
you, but that you may show them to all.
For after
three days
this you will take care to remember
I expressly command you, Hermas, to speak all the
words which I am to say to you into the ears of the
saints, that, hearing them and doing them, they
!

;;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

H2

may be

cleansed from their iniquities, and you

along with them.
" Give ear unto me, O Sons
I have brought
9.
:

you up in much simplicity, and guilelessness, and

chastity, on account of the mercy of the Lord, who
has dropped his righteousness down upon you, that
ye may be made righteous and holy from all your
iniquity and depravity
but you do not wish to
Now, therefore, listen to
rest from your iniquity.
me and be at peace one with another, and visit
each other, and bear each other's burdens and do
not partake abundantly of God's creatures alone,
but give also of them to the needy. For some
through the abundance of their food produce weakness in their flesh, and thus corrupt their flesh
while the flesh of others who have no food is corrupted, because they have not sufficient nourishment, and their bodies waste away. This intemperance in eating is thus injurious to you who have
abundance, and do not distribute among those who
are needy.
Give heed to the judgment that is to
come. Ye, therefore, who are high in position,
seek out the hungry so long as the tower is not finished for after the tower is finished you will wish
Give
to do good, but will find no opportunity.
heed, therefore, ye who glory in your wealth, lest
those who are needy should groan, and their groans
should ascend to the Lord, and ye be shut out with
all your goods beyond the gate of the tower. Wherefore I now say to you who preside over the church
and love the first seats, Be not like to drug-mixers
for the drug-mixers carry their drugs in boxes, but
ye carry your drug and poison in your heart. Ye
are hardened, and do not wish to cleanse your
hearts, and to mingle a purpose to do this with
purity of heart, that you may have mercy from the
;

Take heed, therefore, children, that

great King.
these dissensions of yours do not deprive you of

HERMAS.

113

How will you instruct the elect of the

you yourselves have not instruction ? Instruct each other, therefore, and be at peace among
yourselves, that I also, standing joyful before your
Father, may give an account of you all to your
Lord."
10. On her ceasing to speak to me, those six
young men who were engaged in building came
and conveyed her to the tower, and other four lifted
up the seat and carried it also to the tower. The
faces of these last I did not see, for they were
turned away from me. And as she was going, I
asked her to reveal to me the meaning of the three
forms in which she appeared to me. In reply she
" With regard to them, you must ask
said to me
another to reveal their meaning to you." For she
had appeared to me, brethren, in the first vision
the previous year under the form of an exceedingly
old woman, sitting in a chair. In the second vision
her face was youthful, but her skin and hair betokened age, and she stood while she spoke to me.
She was also more joyful than on the first occasion.
But in the third vision she was entirely youthful
and exquisitely beautiful, except only that she had
the hair of an old woman but her face beamed
Now I was exwith joy, and she sat on a seat.
your

Lord

life.

if

ceeding sad in regard to these appearances, desirThen I see

ing to know what the visions meant.
the old

woman

in a vision of the night, saying

Every prayer should be accompanied with humility; fast, therefore, and you will obtain from the
Lord what you beg.
I fasted therefore for one day.
That very night
there appeared to me a young man, who said
"Why do you ask in prayer that revelations be
granted you ?
Take heed lest by asking many
things you injure your flesh. Be content with these
revelations. Will you be able to see greater revela,,

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

114

tions than those which you have seen ? "

I answered and said to him " Sir, one thing only I
ask, that in regard to these three forms the revelaHe answered
tion may be rendered complete."
long are ye sensitive ? But your doubts
me "
:

How

make you

sensitive,

because you have not your

But I answered
heart turned toward the Lord."
and said to him " From you, sir, we shall learn
these things more accurately."
n. "Hear, then," said he, "with regard to the
three forms, concerning which you are inquiring.
Why in the first vision did she appear as an old
woman seated on a chair ? Because your spirit is
now old and withered up, and has lost its power in
consequence of your infirmities and doubts. For,
like elderly men who have no hope of renewing
their strength and expect nothing but their last
sleep, so you, weakened by worldly occupations,
have given yourselves up to sloth, and have not
cast your cares upon the Lord.
Your spirit therefore is broken, and you have grown old in your
" I should like then to know, sir, why
sorrows."
He answered " Because
she sat on a chair."
every weak person sits on a chair on account of
his weakness, that the weakness of his body may
be sustained. Lo you have the form of the first
:

vision.
12. "Now in the second vision you saw her
standing with a youthful countenance, and more
joyful than before; still she had the skin and hair
of an aged woman.
Hear," said he, "this parable
also.
When one becomes somewhat old, he despairs of himself on account of his weakness and
poverty, and looks forward to nothing but the last
day of his life. Then suddenly an inheritance is
left him
and hearing of this, he rises up, and becoming exceeding joyful, he puts on strength, and
now no longer reclines, but stands up and his
;

HERMAS.

115

already destroyed by his previous actions, is

renewed, and he no longer sits, but acts with vigor.
So happened it with you on hearing the revelation
which the Lord revealed to you. For He had compassion on you, and renewed your spirit, and ye
laid aside your infirmities, and vigor arose within
you, and ye grew strong in faith and the Lord,
seeing your strength, rejoiced.
On this account he
showed you the building of the tower and he will
show you other things if you continue at peace
with each other with all your heart.
13. " Now, in the third vision, you saw her still
younger, and she was noble and joyful, and her
spirit,

shape was beautiful. For just as when some good

news comes suddenly to one who is sad, immediately he forgets his former sorrows, and looks for
nothing else than the good news which he has
heard, and for the future is made strong for good,
and his spirit is renewed on account of the joy
which he has received so ye also have received
the renewal of your spirits by seeing these good
things.
As to your seeing her sitting on a seat,
that means that her position is one of strength, for
For the
a seat has four feet and stands firmly.
world also is kept together by means of four eleThose therefore who repent completely
ments.
and with the whole heart will become young and
;

firmly

established.

You now have

the

relation

completely given you. Make no further demands

for revelations.
If anything ought to be revealed,
it will be revealed to you."
[Two visions more close the book. Vision
Fourth.
In this is seen a great beast, indicating

the tribulations that are to come upon men.

Vision
To Hermas, lying upon his couch, appears
Fifth.
one dressed like a shepherd, and announces himself as sent to be his guardian.
He also directs
Hermas to write down the commandments and

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

n6

which he makes known, and which are

comprised in Books Two and Three.
[Book Two. The twelve commandments are
similitudes

On

faith in the

One God;

On

avoiding evil,
and on giving alms in simplicity; 3. On avoiding
falsehood, and on Hermas's repentance for his dissimulation 4. On putting away one's wife for adultery; 5. Concerning anger and patience; 6. How
to recognize the two spirits attendant on each man
7. On fearing God and not the devil; 8. On shunning the evil and doing the good 9. On praying
with confidence; 10. Of grief as crushing out the
i.

2.

Holy Spirit; n. On trying the spirits by their

works 12. Of banishing every evil desire and putting on the good and holy desire.]
[Book Three is commonly divided into ten Similitudes, though several of the divisions contain no
similes.
Sim. 0?ie, which Bunsen would make part
;

of the closing address of the previous book, enjoins

upon Hermas,

as

upon one

living in a foreign city,

not to spend his wealth for earthly houses and

lands, but to " buy afflicted souls," and minister to
widows and orphans, and thus purchase houses and
lands in his own city, against the day when he shall
be called to reside in it. Sim. Two likens the elm

and the
rich

vine, in their

man and

the poor

mutual dependence, to the

man

the rich supports the

poor by his benefactions the poor blesses the rich

by his prayers.
Sim. Three likens trees in the
winter, when the green can not be distinguished
from the withered, to men in this world, where the
just can not be distinguished from the unjust. Sim.
;

likens the summer of the year, when some

trees are budding and fruiting and others appear

Four

withered, to the world to come, the "summer of

the righteous," when the just will show fruit, but
the heathen and sinners, those who have been
occupied with overmuch business here, will appear

HERMAS.

117

withered and unfruitful. Sim. Five, under the figure of a slave, laboring faithfully in his master's
vineyard, and receiving reward therefor by being
associated as co-heir with the master's son, presents
He, the Flesh in which dwelt the
the Son of God.
Holy Spirit, served faithfully here on earth, and is
now received by God as co-heir and partner with
the (unincarnate) Holy Spirit (the master's son).
By this is taught the dignity of the body, which, as
enshrining the Spirit, is to be* kept pure.
Doing
Sim. Six,
this will be a true fasting unto God.
under the figure of two shepherds, one gayly-clad
and merry, dancing among his sheep, one clothed
in goat-skin and austere, and treating his sheep
harshly, represents the angel of luxury and deceit
and the angel of punishment and penitence. The
latter takes such as have given themselves up to
luxury, but have not blasphemed the name of the
Lord, and punishes them in this world, until they
become true servants of the Lord. Those who
have blasphemed the name of the Lord are left to
Sim.
death, there being for them no repentance.
Seven contains no simile. They who repent must
bring forth worthy fruits.
Sim. Eight pictures a
great willow-tree overshadowing plains and mountains, under which congregate all who have called
on the name of the Lord, and receive from a majesThese branches
tic angel branches from the tree.
they afterward return, some wholly and some partially withered, some wholly green, some budding
The angel crowns those with the
and fruiting.
fruitful branches, and sends them into the Tower.
Those whose branches are variously withered are
given over to the angel of penitence, who takes
their branches and plants and waters them, so that
some of them become green and even fruitful, after
which they are again presented to the angel who
had distributed them. This willow is God's law.

n8

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

The branches

are the law as received into the

Accordingly as these do or do
hearts of believers.
not bring forth fruit, they are rewarded or are remanded to a course of discipline under God's care,
until at last they receive of his grace and live. Only
those who have blasphemed the Lord utterly perish.
Sim. Nine is the most elaborate and beautiful of
all.
From a hill in Arcadia an angel shows to
Hernias a vast plain with twelve mountains around,
the first black as soot, the second without grass,
the third full of thorns, the others becoming fruitful more and more to the twelfth, which is white
and very beautiful. In the midst of the plain is a
great white rock, higher than the mountains, capable of holding the whole world.
The rock is old,
but has a splendid gate appearing new. Around
Six distinguishedthe gate are twelve virgins.
looking men summon a multitude and command
that a tower be built above the rock, which is done,
the virgins carrying the stones through the gate.
Some of the stones are brought from the mountains, some are taken from the earth near by, and
all alike, when placed in the tower, become beautiThe building finished, the Lord of
fully white.
the tower, in stature overtopping the tower, comes
The imperfect stones are removed,
to inspect it.
and those suitable are redressed for other places.
The rest are borne back to the mountains by twelve
women, very beautiful in form, clothed in black,
and with disheveled hair. The tower, completed,
appears as one smooth stone. That night Hennas
remains alone with the virgins by the tower, rejoicing and praying with them. The next day all is
explained.
The rock and the gate are the Son of
God. The tower is the Church. The twelve virgins are Faith, Continence, Power, Patience, etc.
The women in black are Unbelief, Incontinence,
Disobedience, Deceit, etc. The mountains are the

PAPIAS.

119

twelve nations inhabiting the world, who, however

various, become one when joined together in the
Church of God. Sim. Ten presents Hermas receiving commands concerning a ministry of repentance
and almsgiving, which he is to perform with the
help of twelve virgins (Christian virtues) who will
abide with him.]

PAPIAS.
"

Treasure held

in

earthen vessels "

is

the

suggestion of a leading Christian scholar, in referBut,

ring to the gospel in the hands of Papias.
however earth-born his own conceptions of gospel
truth, he undoubtedly testifies as to the existence
He was
and the origin of two of our gospels.
bishop of Hieropolis, a friend of Polycarp, and a

many intimate acquaintances of the aposnotably of Aristion and the presbyter John.
His work suggests for him a Judaic origin, though

hearer of
tles,

he may have been a Phrygian. The approximate

He wrote (dr.
period of his life was a. d. 75-150.
130-140) a work in five books, " Expositions of
Oracles of the Lord," of which only a few fragments are left.
This is thought to have been a
commentary on the gospels, though it is claimed
by some to have treated only of our Lord's words,
as

handed down by

tradition.

Whatever

was,

it

the illustrative matter was drawn from testimonies

by the " living voice " of those who had talked with
apostles.

Among

other informants, Papias

men-

tions the daughters of Philip the Evangelist,

who

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

120

dead man had been raised to life

and that Justus Barsabas had drunk poison without harm.
The most
noticeable features of the work are its strong chiliasm and its gross literalism. There was to be " a
certain millennium after the resurrection, " and " a

related that a

in his (probably Philip's) day,

corporeal reign of Christ on this very earth." The

work, says Eusebius, who had it entire, "used proofs

from the First Epistle of John, and likewise from

It is said by Andreas Csesariensis
that of Peter/'
to have testified to the inspiration of the RevelaThe estimates put upon Papias vary. Eusetion.
bius says he was learned in the Scriptures, but
" very limited in his comprehension." Irenaeus rates
him much higher. Although more nearly contemporary with Justin, he is commonly associated with
the Apostolic Fathers, as here.

tained that

Hope

is

we may some time have more than

fragments, as a manuscript of Papias "

Words

of the

Lord

"

was

enter-

these

On

the

in existence as late as

a. d. 1218.

FRAGMENTS FROM THE EXPOSITION OF ORACLES

OF THE LORD.
From

to

the Preface, as

found

in Eusebius, quoting Irenceus.

And I shall not be backward in subjoining

my interpretations whatsoever I at any time

learned with accuracy from the elders, and remem-

bered
not, as

for I have
it to be true
do the many, found pleasure in those who

faithfully, affirming

say many things, but in those speaking the truth

nor in those treasuring up strange commands, but

PAPIAS.

121

[mindful of] what was given from. the

Lord to the faith, and who proceed from the truth
But if indeed, anywhere, one who had folitself.
lowed the elders came, I inquired searchingly about
in those

the words

of the elders

what

Andrew

or what

Peter said, or what Philip, or what Thomas or

James, or what John or Matthew or which other
of the Lord's disciples [had spoken] that which
also Aristion and the presbyter John, disciples of
the Lord, spoke.
For that which I obtained from
books seemed not so valuable to me as what [I derived] from the living and abiding voice.
[Eusebius also speaks of " a tradition which he
(Papias) sets forth concerning Mark, who wrote
the Gospel, in the following words "]
And the presbyter said this Mark, being the
interpreter of Peter, wrote accurately whatever he
remembered, though indeed not [setting down] in
order what was said or done by Christ for he did
not hear the Lord, nor did he follow him
but
afterward, as I said, [he followed] Peter, who adapted his discourses to the necessities of the occasion,
but not so as to furnish a systematic account of the
oracles of the Lord; so that Mark committed no
fault when he wrote some things as he recollected
them. For of one thing he took care to pass by
nothing which he heard and not to falsify in any;

thing.
["

Of Matthew,'* Eusebius

stated as follows

continues, " he has

"]

Matthew wrote the oracles in the Hebrew tongue

and every one interpreted them as he was able.

ii

THE APOLOGISTS
OF THE

SECOND CENTURY.

The Age of

was the time when the

began to make formal expositions

the Apologists

rising faith first

and defenses of itself before the learned world. Not

the works of the age were of this apologetic
character on the contrary, the range of Christian
literature was now wide, in comparison with that
all

of the earlier part of the period. Besides letters,

such as those of Dionysius of Corinth, there were
chronicles, like that of Hegesippus

books of

tra-

visions, such as the

dition, like those of Papias
" Shepherd of Hermas " ; tales, like the Clementine
;

treatises

on particular doctrines, like that of Atheand other forms of

nagoras on the resurrection

composition.
Characteristic Writings.

Still

the works which

characterized the age were apologies, or treatises in

defense either of Christians or of Christian truth.

These were of two kinds first, those addressed to

and designed to secure to Christians
:

political rulers,

their political rights

secondly, those intended to

THE APOLOGISTS.
influence individual opinions.

again be grouped as

minds

2,

1,

The

123

latter class

may

those directed to Gentile

those setting forth the claims of Chris-

tianity as against

Judaism

faith against heretics.

3,

those defending the

The remains

are small, but sufficient to

of these writings

show us what they were.

Two of the earliest apologetic writers were the

Athenians Quadratus and Aristides.
Both their
apologies were of the first class, having been addressed to the Emperor Hadrian during one of his
The appeal of Quadratus is said
visits to Athens.
to have procured the rescript to Minucius in favor of
(See p. 180.) The single passage of
apology which we have is the following " The
works of our Saviour were always present for they
were real even those healed and those raised from
the dead who were seen not only when they were
healed and raised up, but also [were seen] continually, being present
and that not only while the
Saviour remained, but also after his departure for a
considerable time, so that some of them survived
even to our time."
An apology of the second class, which, if not
actually written at Athens, yet, judging from its
tone, might have been, is the valuable " Epistle
to Diognetus."
It belongs to the group directed
to gentile and philosophic thinkers.
The second
group of this class was represented by such works
as the " Dialogue between Jason and Papists,"
which has been attributed to Aristo of Pella. This
work, which was praised by Origen for its dramatic
skill, represented a Hebrew Christian as convincing
an Alexandrian Jew that the prophecies of the Mesthe Christians.
this

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

124

were applicable to Jesus. The third group

contained works like that of Agrippa Castor. He
wrote in refutation of Basilides, and, by certain
strictures which he made upon the latter's use of
imaginary prophets, proved to us that the second
century was not wholly devoid of historical critisiah

cism.

Other apologies of the

first

class

were those of

Claudius Apollinaris, Miltiades, Melito, Justin, and

Athenagoras. All of these writers addressed apologies to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. The first, who
was bishop of Hierapolis, wrote various treatises,
of which we have left only two short fragments in
regard to the observance of Easter. Of the works
of Miltiades, who was a converted rhetorician, we
have nothing. Of the other three, sketches are given

before their several writings.

Suffice

it

here to say

and the represenage was Justin.

Two names

that the central Christian figure

tative apologist of his

only remain to be mentioned, of the apologists who

adhered to the Catholic Church. Theophilus was

made bishop

of Antioch during the reign of Marcus

Aurelius. Besides other works, he wrote (in the reign

of Commodus) three books to Autolycus, which

have come down to us. These books were designed
to convince a learned heathen of the truth of Christianity, and are chiefly prized to-day on account of
their many references to books of the New Testament. Hermias, of whom we know nothing save
that he was called the philosopher, and lived toward
the close of the period, wrote a brief work entitled
" A Deriding of Gentile Philosophers."
An exceptional writer of his age was Hegesippus.

THE APOLOGISTS.
He was

125

a Hebrew, who, desirous of learning the

doctrines and practices of the whole Church,

made

Rome, visiting manyway, and finding among all the same

a journey from Jerusalem to

bishops on the

The results of his inquiries he recorded

Memorials of Ecclesiastical Transactions."
The books are now lost, but they were in the hands
of Eusebius, who classes Hegesippus with other
" champions of the truth " whose writings proved
their orthodoxy and soundness in the faith.
Some
interest centers in this writer on account of the
claim made by certain critics that he was an Ebionite, and that, since he says that all the churches of
his day were agreed, the whole Church was strongly
Judaistic down to a late day, when, by the influence
of the forged Gospel of John, it was carried over to
doctrine.

in five "

The simple reply made to

has been that Eusebius explicitly
testified to Hegesippus's orthodoxy.
Dionysius of Corinth and Pinytus were mentioned in our introduction, as also a letter from the
the Catholic doctrines.
this conjecture

churches of Vienne and Lyons. This letter, preserved in large part by Eusebius, was written to the
brethren in Asia and Phrygia, and gave a detailed
account of the fearful torture and the triumphant

who had lately been perThese Western churches also subjoined

their opinions as to the Montanists, who were then
first appearing in the East, which opinions, says
Eusebius, were " at once pious and most orthodox/'

faith of the Christians

secuted.

An estimate of the Christian life of

age can not be rightly formed without considering certain writers outside the Church. From the
Heretics,

this

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

126

days of the apostles there had been teachers of false

more or less closely associated with the
great body afterward known as Catholic Christians.
There were existing in the age under discussion

doctrines,

two opposite types of error

cal exaggeration of the

Ebionism, or a hereti-

Jewish-Christian idea of

ritual observances; and a speculative Gnosticism,

which dealt with Christianity as a philosophy rather
than as a power to regenerate mankind. It was an
age of intellectual activity, and, as we have seen,
Christianity was beginning to displace the old philosophies.
But with Christian truth there was mingled by the Gnostics every variety of Oriental theological and Greek philosophical speculation.
Such
views came to prevail very widely, side by side
with Christian teachings, and thus controversies
between Christians and Gnostics formed a feature

of the religious

Among
ilides,

who

life

of the day.

Gnostic writers should be noticed BasHe claimed

lived early in the century.

have certain esoteric knowledge, given him by

Matthias, who had heard it from the Lord when
teaching privately. Origen says that he wrote a
" gospel," which is now conjectured to have been a
work on the philosophy of Christianity, or possibly
commentaries on the Gospel. Later lived ValenHe
tinus, who gave his name to a Gnostic sect.
professed to follow the teachings of one Theodas, a
follower of Paul. He wrote the " Gospel of Truth,"
a work thought to have been speculative and mystical, rather than historical like the canonical Gosto

pels.

Two

circulated

other " gospels " of a similar character

among

the Gnostics

the

Gospel of

THE APOLOGISTS.

127

Eve " and the " Gospel of Perfection." Heracleon

and Ptolemaeus were both Valentinians. The former wrote commentaries on the Gospels the latter
systematized the teachings of Valentinus. Of the
;

works of these four writers only fragments are left

but these are regarded with interest, from their testimony to the early recognition of the New Testa-

ment books

We

who were
Church.
ried

as Scripture.

now two important heretical writers

one time connected with the Catholic
Tatian was a disciple of Justin, and car-

notice
at

on the

after his

East, he

latter's

work

at

Rome

for a little time

Subsequently, removing to the

death.

became leader of the Gnostic

sect

known

Tatian wrote many works, of

which we have only one, an " Address to Greeks,"
written probably before he left the Church.
He
wrote also an important work known as the " Diatessaron," which Eusebius says was " a combination
as the Encratites.

and collection, of the Gospels," and which began

with the opening statement of the Gospel of John.
Marcion, also contemporary with Justin, was a

man

of great personal power.

after having, as

it is

He

left

the church

said, aspired to the first place

church at Rome, and gained in time a great

Polycarp is said to have denounced him
His doctrine was
as the "first-born of Satan."
of an extreme anti-Judaistic type, Pauline writings
alone being received by him as Scripture.
He
formed the first canon of the New Testament, which
consisted of " The Gospel," a recension of Luke,
and " The Apostolicon," or ten epistles of Paul.
Among other works written by Catholics against

in the

following.

128

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

Marcion were those of Philippus and Modestus,

that of the latter being extant in the time of Jerome.

AUTHOR OF EPISTLE TO DIOGNETUS.

" Indisputably, after Scripture, the finest monument we know of sound Christian feeling, noble
courage, and manly eloquence.
Such is the estimate of this work by Bunsen, and yet of its author
we know literally nothing. Long assigned without
,,

reason to Justin, the epistle has since been variously conjectured to be the work of Apollos, Quadratus, Aristides, and Marcion.
Others, influenced

by the absence of

all

allusions to the epistle in an-

cient writers, have called it a modern forgery. The

author of " Supernatural Religion " thinks it a late

work, " written expressly in imitation of early ChrisCommonly, however, it is allowed

tian feeling."
to be an early work, the assigned dates ranging
somewhere from a. d. 125 to 175. The epistle is

two parts caps. i.-x. and xi.-xii. of which the

second is by a later (though not much later) author
than the first. Part first has a distinctively Grecian cast, exalting faith j part second an Alexandrian tone, extolling knowledge. The whole work is
claimed by apologists to bear strong testimony to

in

the writings of

John and Paul.

The

single original

manuscript, from which the text here used was derived,

was destroyed

in 1870.

THE APOLOGISTS.

129

EPISTLE TO DIOGNETUS.
i. Since I see thee, most excellent Diognetus,
very eager to learn the habits of worship of the
Christians, and inquiring very wisely and carefully
concerning them by the worship of what God, and
how adoring him, they all despise the world and
make light of death, and neither receive the gods
worshiped by the Greeks nor cherish the superstition of the Jews; also what sort of love they cherish for one another
and why then this new sort of
fashion has come into the world now, and not long
ago I heartily approve this thy desire, and seek
from God, who gives us to speak and to hear, both
to grant me so to speak that above all thou, hearing, mayest be bettered, and to grant thee so to
hear that I, speaking, shall not regret.
2. Come, then, having divested thyself of all
the considerations preoccupying thy mind, and
laying aside the habits which beguile thee, and becoming, as from the beginning, a new man, and as
about to be a learner of a new doctrine, even as
thou hast confessed, behold, not only with the eyes
but also with the mind, of what nature or what
form they happen to be whom ye think of and worship as gods.
Is not one a stone, like that trodden
upon and another brass, not better than skewers
wrought for our use and another wood, even now
rotten and another silver, needing a man to guard
it, that it may not be stolen
and another iron, weakened by rust; and another clay, no more sightly
than that devoted to unhonored usage ? Are not all
these of perishable materials ? Are they not forged
by iron and fire ? Did not the stone-cutter fashion
one of them, and the brazier another, and the silversmith another, and the potter another ? Before
.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS,

130

they were wrought by the arts of these into these

forms, had not each of them in its own way been
transformed, as still happens ?
Would not what
are now skewers, made of this material, should they

chance upon the same artificers, become like to

these? Are not these again which are now worshiped by you able to become skewers like the
others by the power of man?
Are they not deaf?
Are they not blind ? Are they not lifeless ? Are
they not without feeling ? Are they not all liable
Are they not all corruptible ? Ye call
to rot ?
these gods ye serve them, ye worship them and
ye become absolutely like them. On account of
this ye hate the Christians, because they do not
deem these to be gods. [Why this ?] For do not
ye who now recognize and serve them much more
Do ye not much rather
cast contempt on them ?
mock and despise them, worshiping those of stone
and clay without affording them keepers, and those
of silver and gold, shutting up by night and placing
under keepers by day, that they be not stolen ?
By that which ye intend to present to them as an
honor, if they are sensible, ye rather punish them
but if they are senseless, ye convict them thereof
when ye worship them with blood and the steam
of sacrifices. Let one of you suffer these things.
Let one of you endure that these things happen to
himself.
But no human being will willingly permit
one of these affronts, for he has sensation and reason the stone, however, permits it, for it is without sensation. Therefore do ye prove their want
of sensation.
Concerning the Christians not worshiping such gods, then, I am able to say many
and different things; but if these should not seem
sufficient to any one, I deem it superfluous to say
'

more.
3.

about

Next
this,

deem

thee most desirous of knowing

that they [Christians]

do not worship

THE APOLOGISTS.

131

according to the same usages with the Jews. The

Jews, then, if they avoid this servitude before mentioned, and if they deem it right to worship one
God as Lord of all, think wisely but if they offer
this worship to him in a like manner with those before mentioned, they are foolish.
For they, thinking to offer to God, as if he needed anything, those
;

by the offering of which to the senseless and

the Greeks prove their folly, rightly declare
For he, having
it to be foolishness, not worship.
made heaven and earth and all things in them, and
providing for us all that which we need, himself
has need of no one of those things which he supplies to those thinking to give.
And those thinking to offer sacrifice to him with blood and smoke
and burnt offering, and to honor him with these
tokens, seem to me to differ in no way from those
paying the same tribute to things that are dumb,
that are not able to receive honor, in that they
think to give something to one who has need of
nothing.
4. But, in truth, as to their scrupulousness about
meat, and the superstition about the sabbath, and
the vain boasting of circumcision, and the hypocrisy
about fasting and the new moon, ridiculous and
not worthy of speech, I do not suppose you care to
For the receiving of some of the
learn from me.
things created by God for the use of man as created
well, and the rejection of some as useless and bad,
how is it not godless ? And the false representation of God as forbidding to do any good on. the
sabbath day, how is it not impious ? And the pretending that the diminution of the flesh is a witness
of election, as if on account of this they were especially beloved of God, how is it not worthy of ridicule ?
And their observance of months and days,
being always with the stars and the moon, and
their assigning of the appointments of God and the
things,

dumb

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

132

changes of the seasons according to their own imsome for feasting and some for mourning,
who thinks to be a proof of reverence to God and
not much more of foolishness ? I think thee, then,
sufficiently persuaded that Christians rightfully abstain from the common vanity and error, and from
the meddlesomeness and vain boasting of the Jews;
but thou must not expect to be able to learn the
mystery of their peculiar way of worshiping God
from a man.
5. For Christians are different neither in country, nor speech, nor race, from the rest of men.
For they do not anywhere inhabit a city of their
own, nor do they use any strange dialect, nor do
they follow any marked kind of life. This wisdom
of theirs is not found out for them by any reflection or deep thought of inquisitive men, nor do
they, like some men, set forth human doctrine. Inhabiting both Grecian and barbarian cities, as each
has received by lot, and following the nations
among whom they dwell in dress and food and the
other affairs of life, they exhibit the wonderful and
pulses,

confessedly paradoxical character of their polity.

They inhabit their native country, but only as sojourners they share all things as citizens, and endure all things as foreigners every foreign land is
as their native country, and every land of their
They marry as do all, and
birth as a foreign land.
beget children, but they do not expose their offspring; they have a common table, but not a common bed. They chance to be in the flesh, but
they do not live according to the flesh they reside
upon earth, but their dwelling place is in heaven;
they obey the established laws, and in their own
They love all, and
lives they rise above the laws.
by all they are pursued. They are unknown,' and
are condemned
they are put to death, and are
made alive again. They are poor, and they make
;

;;

THE APOLOGISTS.
many

133

they are destitute of all things, and in

They are without honor, and in
all they abound.
this want of honor they glory
they are evil spoken
They are reviled, and
of, and they are justified.
they bless they are insulted, and they pay honor.
Doing good, they are punished as evil doers being
punished, they rejoice as being made alive. They
rich

are assailed

by Jews

as strangers,

and by Greeks

they are persecuted and cause for the opposition

those who hate them have none to assign.
As the soul is in the
6. But to put it plainly
body, so are Christians in the world. The soul
permeates all the members of the body, and Christians are throughout the cities of the world.
The
soul dwells in the body and is not of the body
Christians too dwell in the world and are not of
The soul, invisible, keeps guard in the
the world.
visible body; and Christians are known as being
in the world, but their way of worshiping God remains unseen.
The flesh hates the spirit and
makes war upon it, though suffering nothing, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures and
the world hates Christians, being in no way injured,
because they forswear pleasures. The soul loves
the flesh which hates it, and the members
and
The soul is
Christians love those who hate them.
shut up in the body, and itself preserves the body
Christians also dwell in the world as in a prison,
and themselves preserve the world. The immortal
soul abides in a mortal tabernacle and Christians
dwell in perishable [habitations], expecting incorDeprived of food and drink,
ruption in heaven.
the soul becomes better Christians again, punished
every day, rather increase in numbers.
To such a
station God assigns them, which it were not lawful
;

them to forsake.
For this is not, as I say, an earthly invention
which is committed to them, nor do they think it
for

7.

12

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

134

worth their while to guard so carefully a mortal discovery, nor are they intrusted with the administration

of

human

But

mysteries.

truly of his

own

accord the omnipotent and all-creating and unseen

God himself fixed in men and established in their
hearts the truth from heaven and the holy and incomprehensible Word
not, as some man might
suppose [he would], having sent some servant, either
messenger or governor, either one of those who direct earthly affairs, or one of those intrusted with
governments in the heavens but the very Creator
and Fashioner of all things, by whom he confined
the sea within its own bounds, whose mysterious
laws all the starry signs faithfully observe, from
whom the sun receives for observance the bounds
of his daily course, whom the moon obeys as he commands to shine by night, whom the stars obey following in the course of the moon, by whom all
things are marked out and defined and put in subjection, the heavens and things in the heavens, the
;

earth and things in the earth, the sea and things in

the sea, fire, air, the abyss, things in the heights
and things in the depths, and those in middle space.
This one he sent to them. Was it* then, as one
might suppose, for tyranny and [to cause] fear and
consternation ?
Not at all but in sweet reasonableness and mildness.
As a King sending his
as
son, a King, he sent him as God he sent him
to men he sent him
as saving he sent him as
persuading, not as compelling for compulsion does
not characterize God. He sent him as calling, not
as pursuing us he sent him as loving, not judging.
For he will send him as judge and who shall stand
before his coming? .... [Dost thou not see them]
thrown to the wild beasts in order that they may
deny the Lord, and not overcome ? Dost thou not
see that as more of them are punished, so the rest
increase the more ?
These things seem not to be
'

THE APOLOGISTS.
these are the power of
the work of man
these are the evidences of his manifestation.
;

For who among men at

until he came ?
Can

135

God

understood what
be that thou dost
receive the senseless and frivolous words of those
[deemed] trustworthy philosophers ? of whom some
said that God was fire (they call that God to which
they are about to come), and some water, and
some some other one of the elements created by
God. And, indeed, if any one of these opinions
is received, it would be possible also for each one
of the other things created to be represented as
God. But these things are the humbug and error
And no one of men has seen him or
of sorcerers.
made him known but he has revealed himself.
And he has revealed himself through faith, by which
For God the
alone it is permitted to see God.
Lord and Fashioner of all, having made all things,
and having assigned them to their position, not
only proved to be a lover of men, but also longBut he was always of such nature, and
suffering.
is and shall be, kind and good and without wrath
and true, and he is alone good and having considered the great and unspeakable plan, he communicated it to his Son alone. So long, therefore,
as he kept in mystery and guarded his own wise
counsel, he seemed to be unmindful and careless of
us but when he made a revelation through his beloved Son, and disclosed the things prepared from
the beginning, all things came to us at once, both
to share in his good deeds and to see and notice
things which who of us would even have expected ?
8.

God

is,

all

it

Having already therefore administered all

by himself with his Son, during [all] the
time past, he suffered us as we would to be carried
away with lawless impulses, being overcome of
pleasures and lusts, not at all delighting in our sins
9.

things

but suffering [them], neither approving of the then

THE APOSTOLIC FATHL

136

ss, but working out the present [time] of righteousness that being convinced in
that time of our unworthiness of life through our
own works, we might now become worthy through
the good::
-od; and having made ma:
the impossibility of coming through our own s
:he kingdom of God, we should become able
through the power of God. And when our sin was
filled up, and it was made fully manifest that the
reward of the same, punishment and death, was
2nd the time came which God had alappointed to make manifest his goodnes: the surpassing benevolence and lc
he did not hate us, nor thrust us away, nor
God
us malice but he was long-suffering and forHe himself took on him our sins, himbearing.
:wn Son a ransom for us, the holy
self g:
One for the lawless, the blameless One for the
d, the righteous One for the unrighteou
spotless One for the defiled, the immortal One for
For what else but his righteous
mortals.
able to cover our sins ? By whom could we, lawmd disobedient, be made righteous but by the
ret exchange!
O unSon of God alone
traceable working
O unexpected kindnesses that
the lawlessness of many should be hid in One who
is righteous, and the righteousness of One should
make righteous many who were lawless. Having
proved in the time past the powerlc
our nature to attain to life, and having now made
things [which
manifest a Saviour, able
as once] impossible t
by both these
things he sought that we should believe in his goodness ; that we should esteem him our Xourisher,
Father, Teacher, Counsellor, Healer. Wisdom,
\ Honor, Glory. P:
that we should
not be anxious about dress and food.
10. .If thou also dost desire this faith, thou must

time of unrigh:

THE APOLOGISTS.

137

gain a knowledge of the Father.

For God
loves men, on whose account he made the world, to
whom he subjected all things in [the earth], to
whom he gave reason, to whom understanding, to
whom alone he gave to look upward to himself,
first

whom

he formed after

his

own

image, to

whom

he

sent his only begotten Son, to whom he gave promise of the kingdom in heaven, and he will give it to
And knowing [the Father],
those who love him.
with what joy dost thou think to be filled? Or
how wilt thou love him who has so loved thee beAnd having loved, thou mayest be an imifore ?
And do not wonder if it is
tator of his goodness.
If
possible for a man to be an imitator of God.
he desire it, it is possible. For it is not happiness,
either to oppress one's neighbors, or to wish to have
preeminence over those who are weaker, or to be

wealthy and use violence toward inferiors nor is

any one able by these things to be an imitator of
God, but these things are foreign to his majesty.
But whoever takes upon himself the burdens of his
neighbor, who, in whatsoever he is superior, wishes
to benefit him who is lacking, who, whatever he has
received from God, by ministering to those who
lack becomes a God to them receiving, this one is
an imitator of God. Then thou shalt see, being
upon earth, that God rules in heaven then shalt
thou begin to speak the mysteries of God then
thou shalt both love and admire those who are punished on account of their unwillingness to deny
God then thou shalt condemn the deceit of the
world and the error, when thou knowest what it is
truly to live in heaven, when thou despisest what
is here called death, when thou fearest what is truly
death, which is reserved for those condemned to
fire eternal which punishes those given over to it
unto the end. Then those suffering for righteousness' sake the fire of the present thou shalt admire,
;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS,

138

shalt deem
that fire ....

and thou

know

them blessed when thou

shalt

ii. [I do not speak of strange things, nor do I

seek things unlooked for; but, being a disciple of
the apostles, I become a teacher of the Gentiles,
ministering worthily of the things given me to those
who are disciples of the truth. For who, having been
rightly instructed, and having become a friend to the
Word, does not seek to learn wisely the things made
clearly manifest through the Word to the disciples, to
whom the Word appearing has revealed them, speaking frankly, not understood by unbelievers, but
speaking in detail to disciples, who being accounted
faithful by Him know the mysteries of the Father.
On account of which he sent the Word that he
might be manifest to the world, who having been
despised by the people [the Jews], and being
preached by the apostles, is believed on by the
Gentiles.
This is he who was from the beginning,
appearing now and being found old, and being
everywhere born in the hearts of the saints. This
is the everlasting One, who is to-day accounted the
Son, through whom the Church is enriched, and
grace spread abroad is increased in the saints, supplying understanding, revealing mysteries, announcing seasons, rejoicing over the faithful, being given
to those who seek, by whom the vows of the faith
are not broken, and the landmarks of the fathers are
not removed.
Then the fear of the law is chanted,
and the grace of the prophets is known, and the
faith of the gospel is established, and the tradition of the apostles is guarded, and the grace of
the Church is exultant.
Grieving not which grace,
thou shalt know what things the Word discourses,
through whom he will, when he pleases. For whatsoever things we are moved to declare with pains by

;;

THE APOLOGISTS.

139

the will of the commanding Word, from love of the

things disclosed to us, we become sharers with
you.
12. Reading and listening to which things with
attention, ye shall know what things God has prepared for those who rightly love [him], being made
a paradise of delight bearing in themselves a fruitful, flourishing tree, and being adorned with all
manner of fruits. For in this place is planted the
tree of knowledge and the tree of life
but the
[tree] of knowledge does not kill, though disobedience destroys. For not without significance are
the writings that God from the beginning planted
in the midst of paradise the tree of knowledge and
the tree of life, through knowledge revealing life
which not using properly, they who were from the
beginning were stripped naked through the deceit
of the serpent
For there is no life without knowledge, nor is knowledge secure without true life.
Wherefore each was planted a neighbor to the other.
Perceiving the force of which, the apostle, blaming
that knowledge which, without the commanding
force of truth, influences life, says, " Knowledge
puffeth up, but love edifieth."
For thinking to
know anything without knowledge which is true
and is testified to by the life, one knows nothing
he is deceived by the serpent, not having loved
;

life

but knowing with

fear,

and seeking

life,

one

plants with hope, expecting fruit.

Let your heart
be knowledge and your life true wisdom, contained
within.
Bearing which tree and seizing its fruit,
you will be gathering always that which is desired
by God, which the serpent does not touch neither
is Eve [then] approached by deceit, nor corrupted,
but, a virgin, is trusted
and salvation is set forth,
and apostles are filled with understanding, and the
passover of the Lord advances, and the tapers are
gathered and placed in order, and the Word, teach;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

ing the saints, rejoices, by whom the Father
rified
to whom be glory for ever.
Amen.]
140

is

glo-

JUSTIN.
Philosopher and Martyr
born

He was
Greek parents, somewhere about
Becoming an earnest seeker after God,
us in his " Dialogue with Trypho," he

in Samaria, of

a. d. ioo.

as

are the distinguishing

of this chief of the early apologists.

titles

he

tells

studied with the various philosophical sects, hearing

the most to
last,

commend among

At

the Platonists.

finding the object of his search revealed in

the prophetic writings, which pointed to

God

the

Father of all and to Christ as the Son of God (see

" Dialogue"), he became a Christian.
His conversion, like that of Paul, was a call to proclaim to the
world the knowledge of Christ not like the apostle, by founding Churches, but by retaining his philosophers dress and habits, and quietly teaching
this new and divine philosophy to all seekers after
truth.
Like Paul, he felt himself a debtor to all
men, of every race and rank in life, to teach them,
as much as in him lay, of his new Master and of the
;

salvation.
We see him at Ephesus using
knowledge of Scripture to persuade a little
group of Jews to receive Jesus as the promised

way of
all

his

Christ.

We

hear him in his apologies to the

Em-

perors not merely arguing as a philosopher for the

toleration of Christians, but appealing personally to

the sovereigns of the world to accept this faith in a

JUSTIN.
crucified Lord.

141

Again we see him in his work

Rome, commending

the truth to

all

at

who congre-

gated there from every nation, and denouncing the

falsehoods of heretics like Marcion and Crescens.

In such labors he passed his life, his reward being

like Paul
a martyr's death at Rome, a. d.

again

An

ancient " Martyrium " says that, in

comwas beheaded.
Justin's praises are sounded by the whole early
Church. Writers like Irenaeus and Tertullian borrowed very largely from his works later fathers
appeal to him as to one speaking with authority
no other name so great as his intervenes between
John and Origen. It is, however, the man more than
and in the writings it
his writings that we admire
is the truth which he utters, rather than the form in
which he puts it, that attracts us. He appears in
the midst of that cultured and curious, but hollow
and heartless second century, like an old Hebrew
prophet waking after a sleep of centuries, and assuming the philosopher's cloak as the nearest approach to his old sheepskin mantle. He denounces
woes upon the Csesar if he does not repent, as
He
boldly as Elijah rebuked the sins of Ahab.
163.

pany with other

confessors, he

through every fiber of his being that he is

God, and so speaking
he knows no fear. And yet, with all his prophetic
feels

called to utter the truth of

boldness, Justin was a philosopher, and, in spite of

of occasional narrow reasonings, he was a broad

thinker.

He

could discern good beyond the circle

For his doctrine

of the Logos, by-which Christianity appeared to him
of nominal believers in Christ.

as the full

and perfect manifestation

in

humanity

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

142

Word or Reason of which philosophy

and prophecy had already given feeble suggestions,
led him to commend everything that was true in
philosophy, as well as in prophecy, as of God.
They who had uttered such truth were Christians.
Elijah was a Christian.
Socrates was a Christian
They were not, however, Christ. Some seeds of
the /loyoc o-epuartKog had germinated within them.
They were not themselves the Word that was God.
Still, for what they were, Justin revered them.
God
had spoken through them. Suffering for the truth,
they had been martyrs of the Word, as truly as any
who were then witnessing with their lives. Thus
the history of the world had been one continuous
progress of the Divine Word, making himself felt
somewhat among the Greeks, revealing himself
more fully among the Hebrews, but at last standing
of that Divine

forth in entirety in the Saviour of the world.

Justin's works, of the genuineness of

which there

no reasonable doubt, are two "Apologies," adu

Dialogue with
dressed to the emperors, and the
Trypho." There are attributed to Justin, but on

is

doubtful evidence, the following works

"

An Ad-

"A

Hortatory Address to the

Greeks," fragments of a work on " The Resurrection

dress to the Greeks,"

work on the " Sole Government

Other works have been assigned to him
which have no shadow of claim to his authorship.
A large part of the " First Apology " is here
of the Dead," and a
of God."

given.

Of

the " Dialogue," which, in

full

of about the size of this volume, only a

text, is

summary

could be given full enough, however, to indicate

the scope and order of the argument.

JUSTIN,

143

THE FIRST APOLOGY OF

i.

To

Emperor Titus

the

JUSTIN.

^Elius Adrianus

An-

toninus Pius Augustus Caesar, to his son Verissimus

the philosopher, and Lucius the philosopher, the
natural son of Caesar, but the adopted son of Pius,
and the lover of learning, and to the sacred Senate,
and to the whole people of Rome, in favor of those
men of all -nations who are unjustly hated and oppressed, I, Justin, the son of Priscus, and grandson
of Bacchius, native of Flavia Neapolis, a city of
Palestine, being one of them, have composed this
address and petition.
2, Reason directs that all who are really pious
and philosophical should honor and love that alone
which is true, and refuse to follow the opinion of
the ancients, should they prove to be worthless;
for sound reason requires that we should not only
reject those who do or teach anything wrong, but
that by every means, and before his own life, the
lover of truth ought, even if threatened with death,
to choose to speak and to do what is right.
You everywhere, then, hear yourselves termed
pious, and philosophers, and guardians of justice,
and lovers of learning it shall [now] be seen
whether you are indeed such. For we have not
come to flatter you by these writings of ours, nor to
bespeak favor but to make our claim to be judged
after a strict and searching inquiry
so that neither
by prejudice, nor desire of popularity from the superstitious, nor by any unthinking impulse of zeal,
nor by that evil report which has so long kept possession of your minds, you may be urged to give a
For it is our maxim
decision against yourselves.
that we can suffer harm from none, unless we be
convicted as doers of evil, or proved to be wicked
you may indeed slay us, but hurt us you can not.
;

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

144

But lest any should think that this is a senseand rash assertion, I entreat that the charges
against us maybe examined; and if they be sub3.

less

be punished as it is right to punish

no man has anything of which to
true reason does not allow you through a

stantiated, let us

any other
accuse

us,

but

wicked report

who

selves,

if

to

wrong the innocent, or rather your-

(so doing) are disposed to

conduct

this

not by judgment but by passion. And every

sober-minded person will think this to be the only
good and right proceeding, namely, t,hat the subjects
should give a blameless account of their life and
doctrine and that their rulers should, on the other
hand, equally give sentence, not under the guidance
of violence and tyranny, but of piety and wisdom.
Thus will both prince and people be blessed. For
one of the ancients has somewhere said, " Unless
the princes and people become philosophers, it is
impossible for cities to become happy." It is my
undertaking, then, to give all men an account both
of our life and doctrines lest, instead of those who
see fit to be ignorant of our customs, we should pay
the penalty of those offenses which they blindly
commit; but it is your duty, as reason requires,
when you hear us, to approve yourselves good
judges.
For if, for the rest, you, having understood,
do not what is just, it is [an offense] without excuse
suit

against

God.

The naming

of a name, then, implies neither

good nor evil, apart from the actions which are
connected with that name and we, as far as the
name that is laid to our charge goes, must be considered as very good men.
[Referring to the similarity of xpiorog, Christ, and X? 7] OT ^^ excellent.]
But as we should not think it right, if convicted of
any crime, to ask to be acquitted for the sake of the
name, so on the other hand, if we be found guilty
of no wrong, either through our adoption of a name
4.

JUSTIN.

145

or through our mode of life, it is your duty to take

anxious care that you do not, by unjustly punishing the innocent, justly bring punishment on yourFrom a name, then, neither praise nor punselves.
ishment can rightly spring, unless something be
produced good or bad in practice. [The test must
reach the lives of the individuals who bear the

name.]

[The charge of atheism comes from demons

likewise accused Socrates.]
6. Hence it is that we are even termed atheists.
And we confess ourselves atheists as regards such
beings if they be esteemed as gods, but not with
respect to the most true God and Father of righ5.

who

teousness and sobriety, and

all

other virtues, and

who partakes not of evil but both him and his son,
who came from him, and taught us these truths,
and the host of the other good angels who follow
;

and imitate him, and the Spirit of prophecy, we

reverence and worship, honoring him in reason and
truth, and fully instructing every one who wishes to
learn as we are taught ourselves.
7.

[Each Christian must be

tried

by

his

own

life.]

[Christians confess their faith in God, who,

wicked everlastingly.]
9. [Folly of idol worship.]
10. And we have learned that God has no
need of material offerings from man, seeing that he
gives us all things, and we have been taught, and
are convinced and believe, that he only receives
those who imitate the virtues which appertain to
8.

by

Christ, will punish the

him, namely, temperance, and justice, humanity, and

all that is worthy of a God who is called by no
proper name. And we are also taught that he in
his goodness created all things in the beginning
from shapeless matter, for the sake of men, who, if
by their works they approve themselves worthy to
*3

146

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS,

we believe, be thought worthy of

a dwelling with him, there to reign with him, free
henceforth from corruption and suffering.
For as
he created us at first when we were not, so also we
believe that he will hold those who choose what is
pleasing to him worthy, because of their choice,
of immortality and of dwelling with himself; for
though our birth was not originally our own doing,
yet in order that we may choose to follow what is
pleasing to him, he, by the reasonable faculties which
he has bestowed on us, both persuades us, and leads
And we think that it is to the benefit
us to faith.
of all men that they are not prohibited from the
knowledge of these things, but are even urged to
turn their attention to them.
For what human laws
were incapable of doing, that the Word, which is
divine, would effect, were it not that the evil demons, aided by the wicked and varied inclination
to evil, which is in the nature of every man, have
scattered about so many false and godless accusations, of which none apply to us.
n. And, when you hear that we look for a
kingdom, you rashly conclude that we mean a human one, although we declare that it is to be that
which is with God, as is proved by the fact that, when
examined by you, we own ourselves to be Chrishis counsel, shall,

though we know that for every one who conpunishment is death. For, if we expected a human kingdom, we should deny our name
that we might escape destruction, and should endeavor to elude you, that we might obtain our expectations but since we fix not our hopes on the
present, we take no thought when men murder us,
death at any rate being owed by all.
12. [Christians live as under God's eye, and so
should not be feared by good princes.]
13. That we are not atheists, therefore, what
moderate person will not confess, from our worship
tians,

fesses this the

JUSTIN.

147

of the Creator of this universe, whom we assert, as

we have been taught, to have no need of sacrifices
of blood, and libations, and incense, but whom we
praise to the best of our power with the reasonable
service of prayer and thanksgiving, in all our oblations, having been instructed that the only service
that is worthy of him is, not to consume by fire what
he has given us for our sustenance, but to apply it
to our own benefit, and to that of those who are in
need, and, showing ourselves grateful to him, in
speech to offer him solemn acts of worship and
hymns for our creation, for all our means of health,
for the qualities of things, and for the changes of
seasons, and putting up prayers that we may have
a resurrection to incorruptibility through our faith
in him.
Our Teacher of these things is Jesus Christ,
who was even born for that purpose, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, procurator of Judea in
the reign of Tiberius Caesar; whom, having learned
him to be the Son of the very God, and holding
him to be in the second place, and the Spirit of
prophecy in the third, I will prove that we worship
with reason.
From this, however, people assure us
of madness, affirming that we assign the second
place, after the immutable and eternal God and
Father of all things, to a crucified man not knowing the mystery that is herein to which I entreat
you to give heed, as I proceed to explain it.
14. [The demons misrepresent Christian doc;

trine.]

On

chastity then he [Christ] spoke thus:

a woman to lust after
her, hath committed adultery with her already in
his heart before God."
And, " If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out
it is better for thee
to
enter into the kingdom of heaven with one eye.
rather than having two eyes to be cast into everlasting fire."
And, "Whosoever shall marry her that
15.

"Whosoever looketh upon

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

143
is

divorced from another husband, committeth adul-

And, " There are some who are made

eunuchs of men, and some who are born eunuchs,
and some who have made themselves eunuchs for
the kingdom of heaven's sake but all can not receive this saying."
So that all who, by human law,
contract second marriages, are sinners in the eyes
of our Master, and they who look upon a woman

tery."

for not only is the man who comto lust after her
mits adultery in fact rejected by him, but even he
who does so in will, since not only are our works
manifest to God, but even our very wishes.
And
there are many men and women, of sixty and seventy
years of age, who were disciplined to Christ from
their youth, and now remain spotless
and it is my
pride to be able to produce such from every nation.
What shall I say, too, of that countless multitude
who have laid aside their former licentiousness, and
learned these things? For Christ called not the
righteous and the temperate to repentance, but the
wicked and the intemperate, and the unjust. And
he spoke as follows " I came not to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." For our heavenly Father would rather the repentance of a sinner
;

than his punishment.

And, on the love that we should bear to all men,

u
If ye love them which love you,
what new thing do ye ? For even fornicators do
the same.
But I say unto you, Pray for your enemies, love those that hate you, bless them which
curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use
you." And to incite us to communicate to those
who have need, and to do nothing for praise, he
" Give to every one that asketh, and from
said
him that would borrow turn not away for if ye
lend to them of whom ye hope to receive again,
what new thing do ye ? This even the publicans do.
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth
he taught thus

JUSTIN.

149

where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves

break through but lay up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where moth and rust doth not corrupt.
For what is a man profited, if he shall
gain the whole world and lose his own soul or,
what shall a man give in exchange for it ? Lay up
for yourselves therefore treasures in heaven, where
neither moth nor rust doth corrupt." And, "Be
you kind and merciful, as your Father is kind and
merciful, who maketh his sun to rise upon sinners,
on the just and on the evil. Take no thought what
ye shall eat, or what ye shall put on. Are ye not
much better than birds and beasts ? And yet God
feedeth them.
Be not therefore solicitous what ye
shall eat, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed
for
your Father which is in heaven knoweth that ye
have need of these things. But seek ye first the
kingdom of heaven, and all these things shall be
added unto you. For where the treasure is, there
also is the mind of man."
And, "Do not these
things to be seen of men, otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven."
16. And what he said about being patient and
ready to assist all men, and free from anger, is as
" Whosoever shall smite thee on thy cheek,
follows
turn to him the other also; and him that would
;

take away thy cloak or thy coat, forbid not. Whosoever is angry is in danger of the fire. Whosoever
shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
Let your good works so shine before men, that they
may see them, and glorify your father which is in
heaven." For we ought not to rise up in strife, nor
would he have us imitators of the wicked, but he
has urged us, by patience and meekness, to convert
all from shame and the lust of evil.
And this
[work] I have to show in the case of many that
were numbered with you, who changed from violent

and tyrannical characters, being overcome either

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS,

150

from having watched the constancy of their neighbors' lives, or from having observed the wonderful
patience of fellow travelers under unjust exactions,
or from the trial they made of those with whom they
were concerned in business.

And with regard to not swearing at all, and always speaking the truth, he has commanded as follows " Swear not at all But let your yea be yea,
and your nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than
these is of evil." And he thus persuaded us that
it is right to worship God
alone.
"This is the
;

commandment, Thou shalt worship the

Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve, with
all thy heart, and with all thy strength, the Lord
thy God which made thee." And when one came
to him and said, " Good Master," he answered saying, " There is none good but God only, who made
all things."
But let those who are not found to be
greatest

he commanded be assured, that they are

not Christians at all even though with the tongue
they confess the doctrine of Christ for he has declared that not the sayers only, but those who are

living as

also doers, shall be saved.

His words are as follows " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
:

Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but

he that doeth the will of my father which is in
heaven for whosoever heareth me, and doeth what
I say, heareth him that sent me.
For many will
say unto me, Lord, Lord, have we not eaten and
drunk in thy name, and done wonders ? And then
will I say unto them, Depart from me, ye that work
iniquity.
Then shall there be wailing and gnashing of teeth, when the righteous shall shine forth as
the sun, but the wicked are sent into everlasting
fire.
For many shall come in my name, clothed
outwardly in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ravening wolves ye shall know them by their
works.
But every tree that bringeth not forth good
:

JUSTIN.

151

hewn down, and cast into the fire." And

we entreat that they who are not living according
to his commandments, but who are only called
Christians, may be punished also by you.
fruit is

We

17.

everywhere, before

all

things,

to pay tribute and taxes to those

point, as we were taught by him.

endeavor

whom you

ap-

For persons at
that time came to him and asked him if it were lawful to pay tribute to Caesar
and he answered
" Tell me whose image this coin bears ? and they
said, Caesar's.
And he answered them again, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."
;

Hence we render worship to God alone, but we

serve you gladly' in other things, acknowledging
you to be kings and rulers of men, and praying
that you may be found to unite to your imperial
power, sound wisdom also. But if you disregard
our prayers and public professions, we shall suffer
no loss, since we believe I should rather say, we
are fully convinced
that each will suffer punishment by eternal fire, according to the merit of his
actions and that an account will be required of
every one in proportion to the powers which he received from God, as Christ has declared in these

" For unto whomsoever God hath given

words
much, of him shall the more be required."
18. For look back to the end of each of the
Emperors, how they died the death which is com:

mon

terminated in insensibility,
But since
to all the wicked.
sensation remains in all men who have been in existence, and everlasting punishment is in store, do
not hesitate to be convinced and believe that these
things are true. And, indeed, let even necromancy,
and the divinations by uncontaminated children,
and the invocation of human souls, and those who
are termed by the magicians senders of dreams and
to

all,

which,

if it

would be a godsend

;
;

152

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

familiars, together with the actions of those

who

are

acquainted with these things, persuade you that

souls are in a state of sensation even after death
and those who are seized and dashed down by the
souls of the dead, whom all term demoniacs, and
insane, and your oracles as you term them, of Amphilochus, Dodona, Pytho, and others of the same
kind, with the doctrine of your writers Empedocles
and Pythagoras, Plato and Socrates, and the ditch
of Homer, and the descent of Ulysses to see these
[souls], and the testimony of these who have taught
the same as these in a like manner with [your reception of] whom, do you also receive us for we
believe in God no less than they, but more, for we
expect to receive our bodies again, even after they
are dead and cast into the earth, affirming that with
God nothing is impossible.
19. [Possibility of the resurrection argued from
the formation of the body from the human soul
containing also the following :] For we know that
our Master Jesus Christ has said, " What is impossible with men is possible with God"; And
" Fear not them that kill you, and after that have
,,
no power to do anything, he said, " but fear him
who after he hath killed is able to cast both soul
,,
This Gehenna is a place
and body into Gehenna.
where all will be punished who live unrighteously,
and who believe not that what God has taught
through Christ will come to pass.
20. And the Sibyl, and Hystaspes, have said
that there should be a dissolution of things cor:

ruptible

by

fire.

And

who

those philosophers

are

termed Stoics teach that God himself shall be resolved into fire, and say that again, after this
change, the world shall be formed anew but we
know that God, the Creator of all things, is superior
If therefore
to the things that are to be changed.
we assert on certain points things like those poets
;

JUSTIN.

153

and philosophers whom you honor, but speak on

others more convincingly and divinely than they,
and if we only have proof, why are we thus unjustly
hated beyond all? For in our assertion that all
things were ordered and created by God, we are
found to speak the language of Plato, and in our
opinion that there will be a conflagration, we use
that of the Stoics but in our doctrine that the souls
of the wicked will be punished, and are in a state
of sensation after death, while those of the righteous
are freed from torment and remain in bliss, we
teach like the poets and philosophers. In denying
that we ought to worship the work of men's hands,
we agree with Menander the comedian, and others
of his opinion for they have said that the workman is greater than his work.
21. [Analogies to the history of Christ in what
is believed of certain of the gods.]
22. But the Son of God, who is called Jesus,
even if only a man in common with others, is worthy for his wisdom of being called the Son of God
for all your writers term God the Father both of
men and of gods. And if we affirm that the Word
of God was begotten of God even in a peculiar
manner, and beyond the ordinary generation, as I
have already said, let this be common to you who
affirm Hermes to be the messenger-word from God.
And should any object that he [Christ] was crucified,
the fact is that this was also common to the forementioned sons of Jupiter of yours, who underwent
suffering.
For in their case the sufferings of death
are not recorded to have been similar, but different
so that he appears not to be behind them even in
his peculiar manner of suffering
nay, I will prove
him superior, as I have undertaken to do in the
previous part of my defense or rather it is already
proved for he who is the superior shows it by his
actions.
But if we affirm that he was born of a
;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

154

also may take this as held in common

And when we declare that he made
of Perseus.
the lame, paralytic, and blind from their birth whole,
and that he raised the dead to life, even the like
actions to those which are said to have been done
by ^Esculapius may we be thought to assert of him.
23. And that this also may be made plain to
you (1), that whatever things we assert, having
learnt them from Christ and the prophets who preceded him, are alone true, and more ancient than
and that not because we say the same
all writers
as they, we claim to be believed, but because we
and (2), [that] Jesus Christ alone
state the truth
is properly the Son of God, as being his Word and
First-begotten, and Power, and that being made
man by his will, he taught us these doctrines for
the renewal and restoration of mankind and (3),
[that] before he was born as a man among men,
certain men, at the instigation of the before-mentioned demons, by the instrumentality of the poets,
recounted as facts wT hat they [really] spoke as mythmakers, in the same way as they have fabricated
the charges of impious and abominable deeds that
are brought against us, and of which they have
neither witness nor proof I shall produce the folvirgin,

you

lowing arguments.
24. [First, Christians alone are persecuted for
the name of Christ, while others may worship every
variety of gods.]
25. [Secondly, Christians have abandoned these
false gods.]
26. Thirdly, after the ascension of Christ into
heaven, the devils put forward certain men who
styled themselves gods, who not only were not persecuted by you, but were even deemed worthy of
honors.
There was Simon of Samaria, a native of
a village called Gitto, who in the time of Claudius
Caesar, through the craft of the devils working by

JUSTIN,

155

means, performed acts of magic, and was held

in your royal city of Rome to be a god, and was
honored by you with a statue like a god, which
his

statue was raised on the river Tiber, between the

two bridges, bearing this inscription in the Roman
language, " To Simon the holy god." And almost

the natives of Samaria, with a few of other nahim to be the first god, worship
him and a certain Helena, who traveled about
with him at that time, and had formerly exposed
herself in the stews, they term the first idea geneI know, too, that one Menander,
rated from him.
another Samaritan of the village of Capparatea, and
a disciple of Simon, was also influenced by devils,
all

tions, confessing
;

and when in Antioch he deceived many by means

of his magic and he even persuaded his followers
that they should never die, which some of his disciples still believe.
And there is a Marcion of
;

Pontus, who is even now teaching his disciples to

believe in another and greater god than the Creator; who, by the assistance of devils, has made
many of every nation utter blasphemies, denying
the Creator of this universe to be God, and causing
them to confess another, who as being a greater
god has done greater things than he. All wT ho
come of these are, as I have said, called Christians
just as those who do not agree with the philosophers in their doctrines, yet bear the common
title which is derived from philosophy.
Whether
or not these people commit those shameful and
fabulous actions
the putting out the lights, indulging in promiscuous intercourse, and eating
human flesh I know not; but that they are not
persecuted and put to death by you, at least for
their opinions, I do know. I have by me, however,
a treatise composed against all the heresies that have
existed, which, if you \vish to peruse it, I will present to you.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS,

156

[Wickedness and sad

27.

results of

exposing

children.]
28. For with us the prince of the evil spirits is
called a serpent, and Satan, and the devil, as you
may learn even from an examination of our writings
who, Christ has foretold, will be sent into fire with
his host, and the men who are his followers, there
For the deto be tormented to an endless eternity.
lay of God in not yet having brought this to pass is
for the sake of the human race
for he foreknows
that some will be saved by repentance, some even
In the beginning
that are not yet perhaps born.
;

indeed he made man with understanding, and with

the power of choosing the truth, and of acting uprightly, in order that all men might be without excuse before him, for they were created with reason
and contemplation. If, therefore, any one shall not
believe that God regards these things, or conclude
indirectly that he has no existence, or affirm that
he is, but takes pleasure in evil, or that he resembles a stone, and that neither virtue nor vice is anything, but men consider them to be good or bad in
opinion only, this is the greatest impiety and injustice.
29. And again [we are taught not to expose
children] lest any one of them may not be found,

but

But we
perish, and we be homicides.
do not marry at first, unless to bring up chil-

may

either

dren or, declining it, we live in continence. And

to prove to you that promiscuous connection is not
a mystery of ours, one of our number presented
;

a petition to Felix, the Prefect of Alexandria, to

entreat permission to be made an eunuch by a surgeon for, without the sanction of that officer, the
surgeons of the place said that they were prohibited
from performing the operation. And when Felix
would by no means consent*to sign, his petition, the
;

young man remained

single,

and was

satisfied with

JUSTIN.

157

conscience, and the conscience of those who

were of the same mind with himself. And I do not
think it irrelevant to allude in this place even to
Antinoiis, who is lately dead, whom all were eager
with fear to worship as a god, although they knew
his

own

both who he was and what was his origin.

30. But lest any should ask us, in objection,
what prevents him whom we call Christ from being
a man, of men, who performed what we term miracles by magic craft, and therefore appeared to be
the Son of God, I will now offer my proof, not trusting to the words of those who affirm these things,
but necessarily believing those who foretold what
should happen before it came to pass for we see
with our very eyes that events have happened, and
are happening, as was foretold; and this will, I
think, appear even to you the greatest and truest
;

proof.

There were then certain persons among the

of God, by whom the
Spirit of prophecy foretold events that were about
to happen, before they came to pass
and the prophecies of these persons the King of Judah for the
time being acquired and took care of, as they were
31.

Jews,

who were prophets

when

uttered prophetically in their own

language, and arranged in books by the
prophets themselves. But when Ptolemy, King of

spoken,

Hebrew

'

Egypt, was forming his library, and endeavoring to

collect the works of every author, he heard also
about these prophetic writings, and sent to Herod,
who was then King of the Jews, entreating that the
books of the prophecies might be transmitted to
him. And Herod the king sent them written in their
Hebrew language mentioned before. But when
their contents were not understood by the Egyptians, he sent a second time to request the presence
of persons to translate them into Greek.
When
this was done, the books remained in the possession
14'

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

158

of the Egyptians even to the present time, and they

are in the hands of all the Jews throughout the
world who, although reading them, do not understand what is said in them, but consider us as their
enemies and opponents, killing and ill-treating us,
as you do, whenever they have the power, as you
may well believe for even in the late Jewish war,
Barcochebas, the ringleader of the Jewish revolt,
commanded that Christians alone should be dragged
to cruel torture, unless they would deny Jesus to
be Christ and blaspheme him. And we find it foretold in the books of the prophets that Jesus our
Christ should come, born of a virgin, and grow to
manhood, and heal every disease and every malady,
and raise the dead, and be envied and unrecognized
and crucified, and should die, and rise again and
go up to heaven, and should both be, and be called,
the Son of God and that certain persons should
be sent by him into every nation of men to proclaim these facts, and that rather the men of GenAnd this was foretile race should believe in him.
told belore his coming at first, five thousand years
then,
then, three thousand then, two thousand
one thousand and, lastly, eight hundred for, according to the succession of generations, other and
yet other prophets arose.
32. Moses then, in truth, who was the first of
" The
the prophets, spoke iri these very words
scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver
;

from between his feet, until he come for whom it is

and he shall be the desire of the nations,
binding his foal to the vine, and washing his robe
in the blood of the grape."
It is your duty to inquire with accuracy and learn until whose time
there was a ruler and king among the Jews peculiar
to themselves.
[This was] until the appearance of
Jesus Christ our Teacher, and the Expounder of
those prophecies which were unknown, as was forein store

JUSTIN.

159

by the divine and holy spirit of prophecy

through Moses " The scepter shall not depart from
Judah, until he come for whom the kingdom is in
For Judah was the forefather of the Jews,
store."
and it is from him that they derive the title of
Jews and you, since his (Christ's) appearance,
have ruled also over the Jews, and held possession
But the words, " He shall
of their whole country.
be the expectation of the Gentiles," signify that
men from all nations should look for his coming
again, as you yourselves may see and be convinced
by the facts': for from all nations men look for him
who was crucified in Judea, after whom the land
of the Jews was at once delivered into your hands
And the expression, " Binding
as a spoil of war.
his foal to the vine, and washing his robe in the
blood of the grape," was a symbol significative of
the events that were to happen to Christ, and of
the works that should be performed by him.
For
the foal of an ass stood at the entrance of a village
bound to a vine, and he commanded his disciples
and when it was brought, he
to bring it to him
mounted and sat upon it, and entered into Jerusalem, where was the chief temple of the Jews, which
was subsequently destroyed by you and after this
he was crucified, that the rest of the prophecy
might be fulfilled. For the words " Washing his
robe in the blood of the grape " were prophetical
of the passion which he was to undergo, cleansing
by his blood those who believed on him. For that
which the Divine Spirit terms by the prophet his
told

robe are those who believe in him, in whom dwells

that seed which is from God, namely, the Word.

And what is called the blood of the grape, signifies

that he who should appear would have blood, but
not of human seed, but of Divine power.
For the
first Power after God the Father and Lord of all
things, even his Son, is the Word, who took flesh

160

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

and was made man,

in the manner which shall be

described hereafter.
For as man made not the
blood of the grape, but God, so also this blood is
declared to have been not of human seed, but of
the power of God, as aforesaid.
And Isaiah, also
another prophet, declaring the same things in other
words, speaks thus " A star shall rise out of Jacob,
and a flower shall grow out of the root of Jesse
and in his arm shall the nations trust." A star of
light has arisen, and a flower has sprung up from
the root of Jesse, this the Christ.
For of a virgin
who was of the seed of Jacob the father of Judah,
whom we have shown to be the father of the Jews,
through the power of God was he born, and Jesse
was his forefather according to this prophecy, and
he was the son of Jacob and Judah, according to
the succession of generation.
33. And again, hear how he was foretold in express terms by Isaiah, as about to be born of a
" Behold, a virgin shall
virgin.
It is spoken thus
conceive, and bear a son, and they shall say of his
name, God with us." For the things that are considered to be incredible and impossible with men,
the same has God declared beforehand by the Spirit
of prophecy to be about to come to pass that when
they have come to pass, they should not be disbelieved, but from having been foretold should be
believed.
But lest any, not understanding the
prophecy which I have cited, should accuse us of
saying the same things as we have laid to the
charge of the poets, who say that for the sake of
sensual gratifications Jupiter formed a union with
women, I will endeavor to explain its expressions.
The words then, " Behold, a virgin shall conceive,"
signify that the virgin shall conceive without intercourse.
For, if she had intercourse with any one
whomsoever, she was no longer a virgin but the
power of God coming upon the virgin overshad:

JUSTIN.
owed
ceive,

same

her,

and caused

And

her,

161

being a virgin, to con-

the angel of God,

who was

virgin at that time, brought her

sent to this

good

tidings,

saying, " Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb

of the Holy Ghost, and shalt bring forth a Son, and
he shall be called the Son of the Most High and
thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins," as they who have related
all the things about our Saviour Jesus Christ taught
whom we believe, for by the forementioned Isaiah
also the Spirit of prophecy declared that he should
be born as I have previously stated. It is right
then to conceive the Spirit, and the power which is
from God, to be nothing other than the Word, who
is also the first-born of God, as Moses the forementioned prophet has declared. And this, when it
came upon the virgin and overshadowed her, not
by intercourse, but by power, made her pregnant.
But the name Jesus in the Hebrew language means
2wT7/p (Saviour) in the Greek.
Hence also the
angel said to the virgin, " And thou shalt call his
name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their
But that the prophets are inspired by no
sins."
other than the Divine Word even you, as I think,
;

will admit.

34. And hear in what part of the world he was

be born, as another prophet, Micah, declared.
And thus he spoke " And thou, Bethlehem, in the
land of Judah, art not the least among the princes
of Judah, for out of thee shall come forth a Gover-

to

nor, who shall feed my people."

Now 'this is a
certain village in the country of the Jews, thirtyfive stadia distant from Jerusalem, in which Jesus
Christ was born as you may also learn from the
lists of the taxing, which was made in the time of
Cyrenius, the first governor of yours in Judea.
35. And that Christ, after his birth, should be
unknown to other men until he was grown to man's
;

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

162

which

estate,

told of this.

came to pass, hear what was foreThe words are as follows "'A child

also

born to us, and a young man is given to us,

whose government is upon his shoulders," which is
significant of the power of the cross
to which,
when crucified, he applied his shoulders, as shall
be shown more clearly in the course of my explanation. And again the same prophet Isaiah, who was
" I have
inspired by the prophetical Spirit, says
stretched out my hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people, to those who walk in a way that is
not good. They ask me now for judgment, and
presume to draw nigh to God." And again in
other words, by another prophet, he says " They
pierced my hands and my feet, and cast lots upon
my garments." Yet David, the king and prophet,
who uttered these words, underwent none of these
is

things

but Jesus Christ stretched out his hands,

and was crucified by the Jews, who contradicted

him and denied him to be the Christ. For, indeed,
as the prophet said, they mocked him, and set him
on the judgment-seat, and said, Judge us. But the
words, " They pierced my hands and my feet," are
a description of the nails that were fixed in his
his feet on the cross.
And after he was
crucified, those who crucified him cast lots for his
garments and divided them among themselves.
And that these things were so, you may learn from
the Acts which were recorded under Pontius Pilate.
And that he was expressly foretold as about to
enter into Jerusalem, sitting on the foal of an ass,
I will prove by the words of the prophecy of another prophet, Zephaniah.
They are these " Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion proclaim it, O
daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh to
thee lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt
the foal of an ass."
$6. But when you hear the words of the proph-

hands and

;;

JUSTIN.

163

spoken as by some person, you should not suppose them to be spoken by those who are inspired,
but by that Divine Word who moves them. For
at one time he declares as it were prophetically
what is to come to pass at another, he speaks as
from the person of God, the Lord and Father of all
things at another, as from the person of Christ
at another, as from the person of the people answering the Lord or his Father such as you may
see even in your own writers, some one person being the writer of the whole, but introducing the
persons who speak. This the Jews, who have the
writings of the prophets, not understanding, acknowledged not Christ even when he came but
even hate us who affirm that he has come, and who
prove that as was foretold he was crucified by
them.
Citations from
37. [Utterances of the Father.
ets

Isa.

i.

i. n-15
4 lxvi. 1
[Utterances of the Son.

3,

38.

lviii. 6.]

Citations from Isa.

Ps. xxii. 16, 18

iii. 5 ; xxii. 7.]
39. But when, as prophesying what is about to
come to pass, the Holy Ghost speaks, his words are
" For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
as follows
lxv. 2

1.

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And

he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke
many people and they shall beat their swords into
plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks
and nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more." And that
For from Jeit so came to pass you may believe.
rusalem there went out into the world twelve men
in number, and they obscure persons, and unskilled
in speaking
but through the power of God they
;

declared to every race of men that they were sent

by Christ to teach all men the word of God and
we, who were formerly murderers of each other, not
only make no war on our enemies, but, to avoid
;

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

164

even lying or deceiving those who examine us, we

willingly confess Christ and die.
For it were possible that
"

what

My tongue

is said,

has sworn

it,

but

my

mind's unsworn,"

We should do

in this case.
For it would be ridiculous that the soldiers who are mustered and enrolled
by you should prefer even to their own life, their
parents, their country, and all their kindred, their
allegiance to you, although you are unable to give
them any incorruptible reward but that we, enamored of incorruptibility, should not endure all
things, in order to receive the rewards we long for,
from him who is able to give them.
40. Hear also how it was foretold of those who
;

preached his doctrine and proclaimed his appearance, the beforementioned prophet and king speaking thus by the Spirit of prophecy " Day unto
day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth
There is no speech nor language
knowledge.
where their voices are not heard. Their voice has
gone out through all the earth, their words to the
end of the world. In the sun hath he placed his
tabernacle, and he as a bridegroom that goeth out
of his chamber shall rejoice as a giant to run his
way." Besides these, I think it right and applicable to mention some other prophecies which were
uttered by the same David, from which you may
learn how the Spirit of prophecy urges men to live,
and how he spake of that conspiracy of Herod the
King of the Jews, and of the Jews themselves, and
of Pilate your procurator in their country, with his
soldiers, against Christ, and that men from every
:

nation should believe in him, and that God calls

him his Son, and has declared that he will put all

enemies under him

and how the

devils, as far as

they can, endeavor to escape the power of God the

Father and Lord of all, and that of Christ himself;

JUSTIN.

165

and how God calls all men to repentance before

the day of judgment comes. He speaks thus [quotation of the first and second psalms].
41. And again, in another prophecy, the same
Spirit of prophecy, declaring through the same Da:

vid that after his crucifixion Christ should reign,

spoke as follows [citation of Ps. xcvi., closing with
the words, " The Lord hath reigned from the tree,"
the last three of which Justin ("Dial. Tryph.") accuses the Jews of having erased from the text].
42. But when the Spirit of prophecy speaks of
what is about to happen as having already come to
pass, as may be seen even from the passages previously cited by me, in order that this may not
afford any excuse to my readers, I will explain this
:

also.

The

things that are assuredly

known by him

as about to take place, he foretells as having already

been fulfilled. And that we ought thus to receive
it,

consider with earnest application of

mind what

uttered. David spoke the before-mentioned passages about fifteen hundred years before Christ was
incarnate and crucified ; and no one of those who
were before his time, by being crucified, brought
is

joy to the Gentiles nor did any of those who were

But our Jesus Christ, being crucified
after him.
and dying, rose again, and reigned, ascending into
;

and, from the tidings which were proclaimed by him through the apostles in all nations,
is the joy of those who look for the incorruptibility
which is promised by him.

heaven

43. [Men, unlike irrational creatures, are free

and responsible.]
44. [Having cited Deut. xxx. 15, 19, and Isa. i.

16-20, to prove that the prophets recognized men's

responsibility, he says :] So also Plato, in his words,
" The blame is his who chooses, but God is without

blame," took his saying from Moses the prophet.

For Moses was before all the writers of Greece.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

i66

And

that both philosophers and poets have

said about the immortality of the soul, or the punishments after death, or the contemplation of celestial subjects, and the like doctrines, they have taken
their suggestions from the prophets, so as to be
able to understand and explain those matters.
Hence with all there appear to be seeds of truth,
but they are proved to have understood them inaccurately, when they speak in contradiction of themselves.
So that when we say that future events
have been foretold, we do not assert that they came
to pass by any compulsion of destiny, but that God,
foreknowing what all men would do, and determining with himself that every man should be rewarded
according to the worth of his actions, foretells by
the Spirit of prophecy that men should receive even
from him recompense in proportion to the worth of
their works
always urging the human race to renewed exertion and recollection, and showing that
he has a care of it, and takes thought for it. But
through the agency of evil demons death was proclaimed against those who read the books of Hystaspes, or the Sibyl, or the prophets, that they might
through fear turn their readers from receiving the
knowledge of good, and keep them slaves to themselves which in the end they were not able to acin

all

For we not only read them without fear,

you see, offer them to you for inspection; knowing that they will appear well-pleasing
to all.
And if we convince even a few, we shall
gain the greatest rewards, for, like good husbandmen, we shall receive the recompense from the Lord.
45. That God the Father of all things would
bring Christ to heaven, after he rose from the dead,
and keep him there until he smote the demons his
enemies, and the number of those who are foreknown by him as being good and full of virtue
should be accomplished, for whom he delays the
complish.

but

also, as

JUSTIN.

167

consummation, hear the words of the prophet Da-

They are as
The words then,

follows: [citation of Ps. ex. 1-3].

He will send to thee the rod of
power out of Jerusalem," are presignificant of that
powerful doctrine which his apostles went out from
vid.

"

Jerusalem and preached everywhere and, although

death is decreed against those who teach, or in
any way confess, the name of Christ, we everywhere
both embrace and teach it. And if you also should
read these words as enemies, you can do no more,
as I have already said, than put us to death, which
to us indeed involves no loss, but to you, and to
all who persecute us unjustly, and do not repent,
;

brings eternal punishment by

fire.

But lest any should unreasonably urge, to

turn men away from our doctrines, that we assert
Christ to have been born one hundred and fifty
years ago, under Cyrenius, and to have taught under Pontius Pilate what we long afterward affirm
that he did teach
and should urge it against us as
if all men who were born before him were irresponsible, I will, by anticipation, answer this difficulty.
We are taught that Christ is the first-born of God,
and we have shown above that he is the Word, of
whom the whole human race are partakers. And
46.

who lived according to reason are Christians,

even though accounted atheists, such as, among the

those

Greeks, Socrates and Heraclitus and those who resembled them, and of the barbarians Abraham, and
Ananias, and Azarias, and Misael, and Elias, and
many others, from going through the list of whose
actions or names, knowing that it would be tedious,
I now beg to be excused.
So also they who have
been before him and lived without reason were
worthless, and enemies to Christ, and murderers of
those who governed their lives by reason but they
who lived and now live in accordance with it are
Christians, and are fearless and tranquil.
But for
;

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

168

what reason, through the power of the Word, according to the will of God, the Father and Lord of
all things, he was born as man of a virgin, and was
called Jesus, and was crucified, and died, and rose
again, and went up into heaven, from all that I
have said already at such length, a man of understanding will be able to comprehend. But as the
discussion of the proof is not necessary now, I will
pass on, for the present, to those proofs which are
pressing.
47. That the land of the Jews, then, was to be laid
waste, hear what was said by the Spirit of prophecy.
His words were uttered as in the person of the people wondering at what had been done.
They are
[citation of Is. lxiv. 10-12].
as follows
And that
Jerusalem w as laid waste, as it was foretold should
come to pass, you know. Of this desolation, and
of none of its people being permitted to inhabit it,
" Their country is
the prophet Isaiah spoke thus
desolate, their enemies devour it in their presence,
and there shall not be one of them to dwell in it "
and that it is guarded by you to prevent any
one from dwelling in it, and that death is decreed
against a Jew who is detected in entering it, you
:

know

well.

And

that it was foretold that our Christ

diseases, and raise the dead, hear
what was said. It is as follows [citation of Isa.
xxxv. 5, 6.]. That he performed these things you
may easily be satisfied, from the Acts of Pontius
Pilate.
And how it was foretold by the Spirit of
prophecy that both he and those who trusted in
him should lose their lives, hear what was said by
48.

should heal

all

Isaiah.

It is this

And again,

[Isa. lvii. 1, 2].

[hear] how it was said by the same

Isaiah that the people of the Gentiles who did not
look for him should worship him, but that the Jews
who were always looking for him should not ac49.

JUSTIN.

169

knowledge him when he came. His words were

spoken as in the person of Christ himself. They
For the
[quotation of Isa. lxv. 1-3].
are these
Jews who had the prophecies, and always looked
and not only so,
for Christ to come, knew him not
:

but even ill-treated him while the Gentiles, who

never heard any thing about Christ until the apostles went out from Jerusalem, and preached the
things concerning him, and gave them the prophecies, were filled with joy and faith, and put away
their idols, and dedicated themselves to the unbeBut that these infagotten God, through Christ.
mous things which were to be spoken against those
who confess Christ were foreknown, and that they
who slandered him, and who said that it was well to
keep the ancient customs, were to be miserable, hear
;

what

is

briefly said

by

Isaiah.

It is this

"

Woe

unto those who call sweet bitter and bitter sweet."

50. But that when he had become man for our
sakes, he endured to suffer and be dishonored, and
that he shall come again with glory, hear the prophecies which were uttered on this subject.
They
[quotation of Isa. liii. 12
Hi. 13-15
are as follows
After his crucifixion, then, even they
liii.
1-8].
that were acquainted with him all denied and forsook him but afterward, when he rose from the
dead, and was seen by them, and taught them to
read the prophecies in which all these things were
foretold as about to happen, and when they had
seen him go up into heaven, and had believed, and
received power from thence, which was sent them
from him, they went forth to the whole race of men,
and taught these things, and received the name of
:

apostles.

And further, to bear witness to us that he

suffered those things had a generation that
could not be declared, and is King over his enemies,
the Spirit of prophecy spoke thus
[quotation of
51.

who

15

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

170

8 to end].
And hear how he was to go up
into heaven as was prophesied.
It was spoken
[citation of Ps. xxiv. 7, 8].
thus
And how he was
to come again from heaven in glory, hear what was
said to this purport by the prophet Jeremiah.
His
words are as follows "' Behold, one like the Son of
man cometh upon the clouds of heaven, and his
Isa.

liii.

angels with him."

52. [Certain fulfillment of the prophecy of a second advent of Christ. Citations from Ezek. xxxvii.
7; Isa. xlv. 23; lxvi. 24; Zech. ii. 6; xii. n; Joel
ii. 13;
Isa. lxiii. 17; lxiv. 11.]
53. [Summary of the prophecies: Judea to be
desolated Gentiles to be converted, more in numbers than the Jews.
Quotations of Isa. liv. 1 i. 9
;

Jer. ix. 26.]

54. [Heathen mythology arose from

fect imitation by demons of the truths of

they thinking thereby to prejudice

story of Christ.
Citations of Gen.

men

an imperprophecy,

against the

xlix. 10,

Ps.

xix. 5.]

55. But in no case, and upon none of those who

are called the sons of Jupiter, did they imitate the
being crucified for it did not occur to them, everything which was spoken in relation to this having
been uttered symbolically, as I have already said.
This, as the prophet foretold, is the greatest mark
of his strength and power, as is also shown by the
things which fall under our observation for consider all the things in the world, whether without
this form there is any administration, or any community possible to be maintained. The sea can
not be plowed except that trophy which is called a
sail abide safe in the ship
the earth is not tilled
without it; diggers, handicraftsmen also, do not
perform their task unless by tools bearing this
shape.
And the figure of man differs from that of
the unreasoning brutes only in this, that he is up;

JUSTIN.

171

and has power

to stretch out his hands

and
has in his face extended from his forehead what is
called his nose, through which the animal draws
his breath, and which displays nothing else than
right,

And it is thus spoken by

the figure of the cross.
" The breath before our face is Christ
the prophet
the Lord." And your symbols, those upon the
banners and trophies with which your processions
are universally made, display the power of this
form and by these you show the signs of your
rule and authority, even if you do so without knowing what you do. And you consecrate the images
of your emperors, on their demise, by this form
and by inscription you term them gods. And since
we have urged you as far as our power admits, by
reason, and this conspicuous figure, we know that
henceforth we are blameless, even if you believe
not for our part is now done and perfected.
:

56. [Demons
ers like Simon.]

still

mislead

men through

pretend-

[They cause us to be persecuted.]

[They also raise up heretics like Marcion.]
59. And that you may learn that Plato borrowed
from our teachers (I mean the account which is
given by the prophets) when he said that God altered
shapeless matter, and created the world, hear how
the same things are expressly taught by Moses, who
has been mentioned before as the first Prophet, and
older than the Greek writers, by whom the Spirit
of prophecy, declaring how, and from what, God in
57.
58.

the beginning created the world, spoke thus " In

the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth.
And the earth was invisible and unfurnished,
and darkness was upon the face of the deep and the
spirit of God moved over the waters. And God said
Let there be light; and it was so." So that both
Plato, and those who agree with him, and we ourselves, have learned, and you may be persuaded, that
:

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

172

by the Word of God the whole world was created

out of substance which was described before by
Moses. That too which the poets call Erebus, we
know to have been previously mentioned by Moses.
60. So that which is spoken physiologically by
Plato in his Timaeus about the son of God, when he
says " He placed him in the universe after the manner of the letter^," he likewise borrowed from Moses.
For it is related in the Mosaic writings that at the
same time when the Israelites went out of Egypt,
and were in the desert, venomous beasts, vipers,
and asps, and every kind of serpents, assailed them,
and destroyed the people on which Moses, from
the inspiration and direction communicated from
God, took brass, and formed it into the shape of
a cross, and placed it on the holy tabernacle, and
said to the people, " If you look upon that figure
and believe, you shall be saved." And when this
was done, he related that the serpents died, and
recorded that by this means the people escaped
;

death.
Plato, then, read this and not accurately knowing or perceiving that it was a figure of the cross,
but seeing only the form of the letter %, he said
that the power next to the first God was in the uniAnd his mention of a
verse in the shape of an %.
third is derived, as I have already said, from his
reading the words of Moses, " The Spirit of God
moved above the waters." For he gives the second
place to the Word of God, who, he says, is placed
the universe, and the
after the manner of an %
;

third to the Spirit who is said to move above the

And
water, saying, "The third about the third."
hear how the prophetic Spirit declared by Moses
He spoke as
that there should be a conflagration.
a
follows
An everlasting fire shall descend, and
burn to the pit below." It is not then that we hold
the same opinion as others, but that all men imitate
:

JUSTIN,

173

For you may hear and learn these

things among us, from those who do not even know
the shape of their letters, but who are ignorant and
rude in speech, though wise and faithful in mind,
some too being blind or deprived of their eyes
thus you may perceive that these things have not
been by human wisdom, but are uttered by the
power of God.
61. How we dedicated ourselves to God, being

and repeat

ours.

new made through

Christ, I will explain, lest, if I

appear to be cheating in my explanation.

All, then, who are persuaded and believe
that the things who are taught and affirmed by us
are true and who promise to be able to live accordingly, are taught to pray, and beg God with
fasting to grant them forgiveness of their former
Then we
sins; and we pray and fast with them.
bring them where there is water, and after the same
manner of regeneration in which we also were regenerated ourselves, they are regenerated for, in
the name of God, the Father and Lord of all things,
and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, and of the Holy
Ghost, they then receive the washing of water. For
Christ indeed said " Except ye born again, ye shall
not enter into the kingdom of heaven." And that
it is impossible for those who are once born to enter
into their mother's wombs, is plain to all.
And it
is declared by the prophet Isaiah, as I have already
written, in what way those who have sinned, and
who repent, shall escape their sins. It is said as
follows
[quotation of Isa. i. 16-20]. And we have
received the following reason from the apostles
for so doing.
Since we were ignorant of our first
birth, and were born by necessity of the moist seed
through the mutual union of our parents, and were
brought up in evil customs and wicked training in
order that we might not remain the children of necessity and ignorance, but of choice and of knowlomit

this,

174

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

edge, and that we might obtain remission of the

sins we had formerly committed in the water there
is called over him who chooses the new birth and
repents of his sins, the name of God the Father
and Lord of all things, and calling him by this name
alone, we bring the person to be washed to the
For no one can declare the name of the
laver.
ineffable God, but if any one presume to say that
he has any, he commits an act of incurable madNow this washing is called illumination, beness.
cause they who learn the meaning of these things
are enlightened in their mind.
And in the name
of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius
Pilate, and in the name of the Holy Ghost, who
foretold by the prophets all these things about Jesus, does he who is enlightened receive his wash:

ing.

62. And the devils, hearing of this baptism which

was taught by the prophet, instigate those who
enter into their temples, and who are about to come
before them, paying drink offerings and burnt offerings, also to sprinkle themselves
and they cause
men to go and wash their whole persons before
they come to the temples where they are enshrined.
Moreover, the command given by the priests to
those who enter the temples and worship in them to
put off their shoes the devils have learned and imitated from what happened to Moses, the prophet
whom I have mentioned. For at the time when
Moses was commanded to go down into Egypt, and
;

bring out the people of Israel who were there, as he

was feeding the sheep of his uncle on the mother's
side in the land of Arabia, our Christ held converse
with him in the shape of fire from a bush, and said,
" Put off thy shoes and draw near and hear. ,, And
when he put off his shoes and drew near, he heard
that he was to go down into Egypt, and bring out
And he rethe people of Israel who were there.

JUSTIN.

175

ceived a mighty power from Christ, who spoke to

him in the shape of fire, and he went down and led
out the people, having wrought great and wonder-

which if you wish, you may learn them

accurately from his writings.
63. But all the Jews teach even now that the
unnamed God spoke with Moses whence the Spirit
of prophecy, when blaming them by Isaiah, the before-mentioned prophet, spoke as I have already
" The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass
related
his master's crib, but Israel doth not know me, my
people hath not understood me." And Jesus the
Christ, because the Jews knew not what the Father
was and what the Son, upbraids them in like man" No man knoweth the Father but
ner, and says
the Son, nor the Son but the Father, and those to
whom the Son will reveal him." But the Word of
God is his Son, as I have already said. And he is
called Angel and Apostle, for he declares all that
ought to be known, and is sent to proclaim what is
" He that
told, as indeed our Lord himself said
heareth me heareth him that sent me." And this
will be clear from the writings of Moses, in which
" And the Angel of God spake
it is said as follows
unto Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a
I AM, the God of
bush, and said, I
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
the God of .thy fathers.
Go down into Egypt, and
bring up my people." And what followed you who
wish may learn from them, for it is not possible to
write all the events in this book.
But thus much
has been said to prove that Jesus, the Christ, is the
Son and Apostle of God, being formerly the Word
and appearing at one time in the form of fire and
at another in the image of incorporeal beings
but
now, by the will of God, being made man for the
human race. He endured also to suffer all that the
devils caused to be inflicted on him by the senseless

ful things

AM THAT

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

176

Who, having

it expressly said in the Mosaic

the Angel of God spake with Moses
in a flame of fire in the bush, and said, I
I AM, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob, " affirms that it was
the Father and Maker of all things who spoke thus.
Hence also the Spirit of prophecy upbraids them as
follows " Israel hath not known me, my people hath
not understood me." And again, Jesus, as we have

Jews.

writings, "

And

AM

THAT

shown, when with them, said, "

No

one knoweth

the Father but the Son, nor the Son but the Father,
and those to whom the Son will reveal him." The
Jews then, always thinking that the Father of all
things spoke to Moses, he who spoke to him being
the Son of God, who is called both Angel and
Apostle, are rightly upbraided both by the Spirit
of prophecy and by Christ himself, as knowing
neither the Father nor the Son.
For they who say
that the Son is the Father are proved neither to
know the Father, nor that the Father of all things
has a Son, who, being moreover the first-born Word
And formerly, through the
of God, is also God.
shape of fire, and through an incorporeal image, he
appeared to Moses and the other prophets; but
now, in the time of your government, as I said before, he was made man of a virgin, according to the
counsel of the Father, for the salvation of those who
believed on him, and endured to be set at nought
and to suffer, that by dying and rising again he
might overcome death. But that which was spoken
from the bush to Moses, " I
I AM, the
God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, and the God of thy fathers," is significant that
they though dead remain in existence, and are the
men of this very Christ for these are the first of all
men who were employed in the search after God,
Abraham the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father
of Jacob, as Moses also wrote.

AM THAT

JUSTIN.

177

And

that the devils incited them to place

the image of her who is called Proserpine at the
fountains of waters, in imitation of what was spoken
64.

by Moses, you may perceive from what has been

For Moses declared, as I have prealready said.
viously written, " In the beginning God created the
heavens and the earth and the earth was invisible
and unformed, and the Spirit of God moved upon
the waters." In imitation then of the Spirit of God,
which was said to be borne upon the water, they
declared that Proserpine was the daughter of JuMinerva, too, in like manner, they craftily
piter.
affirmed to be the daughter of Jupiter, not from
sexual union but when they knew that God, by
his Word, conceived and made the world, they described Minerva as the first conception which we
consider to be most ridiculous, to adduce the female
form as the image of the conception. And in like
manner their actions convict the others who are
called sons of Jupiter.
65. But after thus washing him who has professed, and given his assent, we bring him to those
who are called brethren, where they are assembled
together to offer prayers in common both for ourselves and for the person who has received illumination, and all others everywhere, with all our
hearts, that we might be vouchsafed, now we have
learnt the truth, by our works also to be found good
citizens and keepers of the commandments, that we
may obtain everlasting salvation. We salute one
another with a kiss when we have concluded the
Then is brought to the president of the
prayers.
brethren bread and a cup of water and wine, which
he receives, and offers up praise and glory to the
Father of all things, through the name of his Son
and of the Holy Ghost, and he returns thanks
at length for our being vouchsafed these things
by him when he has concluded the prayers and
;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

178

thanksgivings, all the people who are present express their assent by saying Amen.
This word,
Amen, means in the Hebrew language, so let it be.
And when the president has celebrated the eucharist, and all the people have assented, they whom we
call deacons give to each of those who are present
a portion of the eucharistic bread, and wine and
water, and carry them to those who are absent.
66. And the food is called by us eucharist, of

which no one

is

allowed to partake but he

lieves the truth of our doctrines,

who be-

and who has been

washed with the washing that is for the forgiveness

of sins and to regeneration, and who so lives as
Christ has directed.
For we do not receive them
but as by the
as ordinary food or ordinary drink
word of God Jesus Christ our Saviour was made
flesh, and took upon him both flesh and blood for
our salvation, so also the food which was blessed
by the prayer of the word which proceeded from
him, and from which our flesh and blood, by trans;

mutation, receive nourishment, is, we are taught,

both the flesh and blood of that Jesus who was
made flesh. For the apostles, in the records which
they made, and which are called gospels, have thus
that
delivered to us what was commanded them
Jesus took bread, and gave thanks, and said, " This
do in remembrance of me this is my body and in
like manner he took the cup, and blessed it, and
and he gave it to them
said, This is my blood "
alone.
The same thing in the mysteries of Mithra,
also, the evil demons imitated, and commanded to
be done for bread and a cup of water are placed
in the mystic rites for one who is to be initiated,
with the addition of certain words, as you know or
;

may

learn.

But we, after these things, henceforward always remind one another of them and those of us
who have the means assist all who are in want
67.

JUSTIN*.

and we are always

179

And

our oblations we bless the Maker of all things, through his

Son Jesus Christ, and through the Holy Ghost.
And on the day which is called Sunday there is an
assembly in the same place of all who live in cities
or in country districts and the records of the apostles, or the writings of the prophets, are read as
long as we have time. Then the reader concludes,
together.

in all

and the president verbally instructs and exhorts us

to the imitation of these excellent things. Then we
all rise together and offer up our prayers.
And, as
I said before, when we have concluded our prayer,
is brought, and wine and water, and the president in like manner offers up prayers and thanksgivings with all his strength, and the people give
their assent by saying Amen
and there is a distribution and a partaking by every one of the eucharistic elements, and to those who are not present they
are sent by the hands of the deacons.
And such
as are in prosperous circumstances, and wish to do
so, give what they will, each according to his choice
and what is collected is placed in the hands of the
president, who assists the orphans, and widows, and
such as through sickness or any other cause are in
want and to those who are in bonds, and to strangers from afar, and, in a word, to all who are in
But Sunday is the day on
need, he is a protector.
which we all hold our common assembly, because
it is the first day on which God, when he changed
the darkness and matter, made the world and
Jesus Christ our Saviour on the same day rose from
the dead
for the day before that of Saturn he was
crucified, and on the day after it, which is Sunday,
he appeared to his apostles and disciples, and taught
them these things which we have given to you also
for your consideration.
68. If, then, these things appear to you to have
reason and truth, respect them but if they seem

bread

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

180

be frivolous, hold them in contempt as frivolities

and do not decree death against those who
have done no wrong, as if they were enemies. For
we forewarn you that you shall not escape the future judgment of God, if you continue in your injustice
and we will exclaim, Let what is pleasing
And although, from the letter of
to God be done.
the greatest and most illustrious Emperor Adrian
your father, we might entreat you to command that
judgment should be done according to our petition,
yet it is not on the ground of Adrian's decision
that we the rather urged this
but we have made
our appeal and exposition, because we know that
we ask what is just. I have, however, subjoined a
copy of Adrian's letter that you may know that we
speak truth in this also. The copy is as follows
to

Epistle of Adrian in behalf of the Christians.

have received the letter addressed to me by your

predecessor Serenius Granianus, a most illustrious man
and this communication I am unwilling to pass over in
silence, lest innocent persons be disturbed, and occasion
be given to the informers for practicing villainy. Accordingly, if the inhabitants of your province will so far sustain
this petition of theirs as to accuse the Christians in some
court of law, I do not prohibit them from doing so but I
will not suffer them to make use of mere entreaties and
I

For it is far more just, if any one desires to

If,
accusation, that you give judgment upon it.
therefore, any one makes the accusation, and furnishes
proof that the said men do anything contrary to the laws,
you shall adjudge punishments in proportion to the offenses. And this, by Hercules, you shall give special heed
to, that if any man shall, through mere calumny, bring an
accusation against any of these persons, you shall award
to him more severe punishments in proportion to his
outcries.

make an

wickedness.

JUSTIN.

181

SYNOPSIS OF DIALOGUE WITH TRYPHO.

Walking in the Xystus (at Ephesus), Justin is

addressed by Trypho, a Jew, who, emboldened by
Justin's dress, asks for instruction for himself and
" And in what would you be profited
J.
by philosophy so much as by your own lawgiver
friends.

" T.
?
" Do not the philosophers
every discourse on God ? "
Justin replies
that, while granting to God a general care of the
universe, most philosophers deny his attention to
individuals, and so take license for their conduct.
Others, claiming that the soul is both immortal and
insensible to suffering, teach that it needs nothing
from God. Asked for his own opinion, he says
that he has studied with the Stoics, the Peripatetics,
that Platonism had seemed
and the Platonists
most satisfactory to him
but that once, while
meditating near the seashore, a venerable man had
appeared and, in a learned conversation, shown
him the insufficiency of his philosophy, and had
then told him* of the prophets, who, being filled
with the Holy Ghost, had revealed divine truth
authoritatively, glorifying the God and Father of
all things, and proclaiming his Son, the Christ.
The old man had disappeared, a but straightway,"
says Justin, " a flame was kindled in my soul and
a love of the prophets, and of those men who are
and while revolvfriends of Christ, possessed me
ing his words in my mind, I found this philosophy
alone to be safe and profitable. " Assuring Trypho
that he too may find happiness in Christ, the Jew
replies that it is better to be circumcised and observe the law.
Justin in reply proposes to prove
that Christians have not believed empty fables,
" but words filled with the Spirit of God and big

and the prophets

turn

16

182

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

with power."

Trypho

Some

of his companions jeer, but

seats himself respectfully to hear the arguHis opposition to Christians, he says, is

ment.
simply that they do not observe the law he does
not share the vulgar belief in their immorality.
Justin accordingly begins by declaring that the
law is abrogated by the new covenant made in
Christ, adducing Scripture to prove that such a
new and universal law should succeed. This law
the Jews despise, but Isaiah teaches that sin is to
be cleansed, not by the blood of sacrifices, but by
the blood of Christ (Isa. liii.).
Baptism in Christ
;

alone purifies, as says Isaiah, who also describes

the true fasting.
Circumcision was given to the
Jews to designate them for persecution for their
treatment of Christ. The Jews, spreading calumnies everywhere against Christians, are responsible
both for their own and for others' sins. Christians
would observe the law if they did not know why it
was given. The patriarchs were acceptable to God
without circumcision thus God, in enjoining sacrifices, and the observance of sabbaths, and the
choice of meats, had accommodated himself to an
unrighteous nation, but had not made such observIf there was no
ances works of righteousness.
need of circumcision before Abraham, or of the
keeping of sabbaths, etc., before Moses, there is no
need now. But while the old circumcision is obsolete, Christ circumcises all who will.
Those who now say they are sons of Abraham,
continues Justin, are represented by Isaiah as crying out to God for an inheritance. To this remark
;

rejoins, "What is this you say? that none

of us shall inherit anything in the holy mountain
of God ? "
" I do not say so, but those who
J.
persecute Christ, if they do not repent, shall not
inherit."
Gentiles who believe shall inherit along
with patriarchs and prophets and the just descend-

Trypho

JUSTIN.
ants of Jacob (Isa.

lxii.

and

lxiii.)

183
.

T.

" Why do you

quote whatever you wish from the prophetic writings, but do not refer to those which command the
observance of sabbaths ? For Isaiah thus speaks
The prophets did command
(Isa. lxviii. 13, 14). J.
like things with Moses, but only from the hardness
Circumcision of the flesh
of the peoples' hearts.
but even Scythians
avails nothing to Egyptians
having knowledge of Christ have a circumcision
Those baptized of the Holy Ghost
that avails.
:

need no other

rite.

Christians, says Justin, call upon God through

Christ, at whose name demons are now overcome,
and whose power at his advent in glory shall be incomparable (Dan. vii. 7-28). Trypho objects that

Daniel describes Christ as glorious. Justin distinguishes two advents, one humble, one glorious,
quoting Ps. ex. and lxxii., which, he argues, do not

Hezekiah and Solomon.

Trypho says that some who confess Jesus eat
meat offered to idols. Justin replies that the existrefer to

ence of heretics confirms the prophecy of Christ

concerning false apostles coining in his name. He
also proves that Christ is called Lord of hosts and
should be worshiped. The Jews hate Christians,
because these truths convict them of hardness of
heart.

Trypho, allowing that Christ must

suffer, calls

for proof of his identity with Jesus.

Justin first
alludes to certain figures, and then instances Jesus's

birth from a virgin.

To questions Justin replies that those who kept
the law before Christ were saved thereby but not
so those who now keep the law.
Still, in his opinion, men are at liberty, if they so desire, to keep
the law, though some say otherwise.
Resuming the argument, Justin says that Jesus
may be proved the Christ without proving that he
;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

184

preexisted as God, as indeed some (the Ebionites)

hold.
To the suggestion that Elijah must precede
the Christ, Justin says he will in person precede
the second coming but that his spirit, in the person of John, had heralded the first coming. That
;

John was Christ's precursor is shown from Isaiah.

Jacob and Zechariah predicted that Christ should
ride upon an ass.
The "blood of the grape,"
meaning the blood of Christ, proves that he was
not begotten of man, since the blood of the vine is
from God.
Trypho asks that any God but God the Father
may, without metaphor, be shown him from ScripJustin proves that God who appeared to
Abraham is distinguished from God the Father;
also God who appeared to Jacob and to Moses.
He then adduces the " Wisdom " begotten of the
Father, and the words, " Let us make man." Tryture.

pho admits the

proof, but says he does not need

adducing further proof, explains
the passage, "my glory will I not give to another."
He proves that Christ was born of a virgin, whereupon Trypho compares him with Perseus. Justin
convicts him of bad faith, and shows how the devil
had invented fables about Bacchus, Hercules, and
^Esculapius also that the mysteries of Mithras are
The Jews have cut out
distorted from prophecies.
and misinterpreted passages of the version of the
Christ.

Justin,

The name of God is shown from Exbe Jesus (Joshua), and the prophecy of
Isaiah is shown to accord with Christ alone.
Justin asserts, against Trypho, that the wicked angels
revolted against God; and also maintains (saying,
however, that some Christians do not) that Jerusalem will* be rebuilt, and the saints shall reign
there a thousand years, arguing this from Isaiah and
Septuagint.

odus

to

the Apocalypse.
The prophetical gifts of the
Jews were transferred to Christians. After proving

yusrnv.

185

further that Jesus is Christ the Lord, and enumerating various Old Testament figures of the wood
of the cross, Justin explains the words " The Spirit
of God shall rest on him," showing that Christ did
not receive the Spirit on account of poverty. He
notices the prefigurement of the cross of Christ in
Scripture, and holds that the same kind of righteousness has always been taught, and is summed
up in two precepts of Christ. Christ upon the
cross took upon himself the curse due to us.
He
then examines Ps. xxii. at length, showing its reference to Christ. The resurrection of Christ also is
typified in the history of Jonah.
Micah's prediction of the conversion of the Gentiles is already in
part fulfilled, and will be entirely fulfilled at the

second advent. These two advents were symbolized by the two goats.
Continuing, Justin adduces
various symbols of the blood of Christ. Joshua, he
says, is a figure of Christ.
He claims that Zechariah's prediction suits Christians, and speaks of
Malachi's prophecy concerning sacrifices.
Christians are the holy people promised to Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob, and Judah.
The belief of the Gentiles in Jesus proves him the Christ.
Christians
are the true Israel, the sons of God.
He further
explains the word Israel, and shows the various Old
Testament names of Christ, who appeared as a
person.
Returning to the conversion of the Gentiles, he shows them to be more faithful than the
He notices the power of Jesus's name in
Jews.
the Old Testament.
The Jews are hard-hearted
nevertheless Christians pray for them.
Leah was
a type of the Jewish people, Rachel of the Christian church
The Jews,
Christ serves for both.
rejecting Christ, had rejected God.
Justin exhorts
his hearers to be converted.
He shows Noah to
have been a figure of Christ.
In Christ all are
free
but the Jews hope in vain for salvation. The
;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

186

Jews are not excusable for crucifying Christ, as all

men are free agents.
The conference thus ending, the Jews thank
Justin and depart.

NOTICE OF THE MURATORIAN FRAGMENT.

The
list

earliest

approach to a Scripture canon or

now extant is found

of the books of Scripture

in a celebrated Latin manuscript, discovered in the

last

century by Muratori, at the Ambrosian Library

This manuscript originally belonged to

in Milan.

Columban's monastery

at

Bobbio, and dates from

the seventh or the eighth century.

The work

is

but a fragment, which begins in the midst of a sentence the sentence following referring to Luke's
Gospel and ends abruptly. There is strong internal evidence that it was translated from the Greek,
though some dissent from this view. Its authorship is unknown but Muratori conjectured that it
was by Caius of Rome, and Bunsen has confidently
Most scholars agree
ascribed it to Hegesippus.
that it belongs to the second century, probably not
later than a. d. 170, as is apparent from its reference to Pius of Rome as to a contemporary. A
later date has been assigned by some, among them
Donaldson, but their reasons are not conclusive.
Westcott judges the work to have been apologetical rather than historical, as it omits to refer to
books which were certainly received at Rome in

THE MURATORIAN FRAGMENT.

the last quarter of the century
is

187

or that possibly

it

a -compilation of passages from a larger work.

The

text

is

very imperfect, the reading in some

The

passages being only conjectural.

here given has been

in Westcott

"On

amended by

translation

the text given

the Canon."

THE MURATORIAN FRAGMENT.

....

which he was present, and so he placed

book of the Gospel according to
Luke, that physician, after the ascension
Luke.
of Christ, when Paul had taken him along with him
as a companion of his travels [or, " when Paul had
taken him as assistant, since he was desirous of
righteousness "], wrote it in his own name, as
seemed good to him notwithstanding he had not
himself seen the Lord in the flesh and according
as he was able to understand the same
so he began
The fourth
to speak from the nativity of John.
Gospel is that of John, one of the disciples. When
his fellow disciples and overseers urged hira, he
it.

The

at

third

said, " Fast

ye together for

me

to-day for three

and let us relate to each other the revelation

which we receive." The same night it was revealed
to Andrew, one of the apostles, that, while all looked
over, John should write out all things in his own
And therefore, although various bename.
ginnings are presented by each book of the gospels,
this makes no difference as respects the faith of believers, since all things in all are declared by the
days,

one guiding Spirit concerning the nativity, concerning the passion, concerning the resurrection, concerning his intercourse with his disciples, and concerning his two advents the first, which has been
despised in its humility; the second, which is to

THE APOSTOLIC FA THERS.

i88

What wonbe distinguished by regal power.

der is it, then, that John should address each thing
so uniformly in his epistles, saying, in regard to
himself, " The things which we have seen with our
eyes, and heard with our ears, and our hands have
handled, these are the things which we have written"? For he professes himself not only a seer,
but also a hearer and also a writer of all the wonderful works of the Lord in order.
Now the Acts
of all the Apostles were written in one book. Luke
.

in his work to the most excellent Theophilus only the things which were done in his
presence and this is plainly proved by his omission of all mention of the death of Peter and of the
setting out of Paul from the city to Spain.
Then come the letters of Paul. The letters themselves declare to those who wish to know from
what place or from what cause they were sent.
First of all there was the letter to the Corinthians
forbidding the schism of heresy then that to the
and then he
Galatians forbidding circumcision
wrote more largely to the Romans, penetrating into
the order of the Scriptures, and showing that Christ
is the foundation of them, concerning each of which
things we need to speak particularly; since the
blessed apostle Paul himself, following the order of
his predecessor John, writes only to seven churches
by name in the following order: first to the Corinthians, second to the Ephesians, third to the
Philippians, fourth to the Colossians, fifth to the
Galatians, sixth to the Thessalonians, seventh to
the Romans.
But to the Corinthians and Thessalonians, though for rebuke he wrote twice, notwithstanding it is known that there is only one Church
scattered over the whole earth
and John also,
although in the Apocalypse he writes to seven
churches, yet speaks to all.
Moreover, one was

embraced
;

dedicated to Philemon, and one to Titus, and two

MELITO.
to

Timothy,

in consideration of his love

189

and

affec-

tion for them, yet also in honor of the catholic

church and the order of the Church discipline.
There is one also in circulation addressed to the
Laodiceans, and one to the Alexandrians forged in

name

of Paul, bearing upon the heresy of Marand many others which can not be received
by the catholic church for it does not suit to mix
vinegar with honey. The letter of Judas also and
the two letters of John above-mentioned are reckoned genuine in the catholic church. Also the
Wisdom written by the friends of Solomon in his
honor.
We receive only the revelations of John
and Peter, the latter of which some of our people
do not wish to be read in the Church. Moreover,
the

cion,

Hermas very

lately in

in the city of

Rome, while

our times wrote the Pastor

his brother Pius sat as
overseer in the chair of the church of the city of
Rome and it ought therefore indeed to be read,
but it can never be publicly used in the Church,
either among the prophets (the number being com;

among

the apostles.
Nor do we receive
of Arsinous, or Valentinus, or Miltiades, who also wrote a new book of psalms for
Marcion, along with Basilides, the Asiatic founder
of the Cataphrygians.
plete

?)

or

anything at

all

MELITO.
Melito, bishop of

Sardis,

was born early

century, and lived until after a. d. 169.

He

in the

claims

our attention on account of his voluminous writings,

titles of which indicate to us the subjects engaging the thought of the Christians of his day.

the

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS,

190

His apology, already noticed, has been preserved

to us in a Syriac translation.

translation of a

list

following treatises

He

of his works
"

and On the Prophets

and another On the

On

also, as a Syriac

tells us,

Easter two, and

and another

On

wrote the

On

Polity

Church
First Day of the Week and
again another On the Faith of Man and another
On his Formation and again another On the
Hearing of the Ear of Faith; and besides these,
On the Soul and Body and again On Baptism,
and On the Truth, and On the Faith and On the
Birth of Christ, and On the Word of his Prophecy
and again On the Soul and on the Body and another On the Love of Strangers, and On Satan, and
On the Revelation of John and again another On
To this list Eusebius
God who put on the Body.
adds " The Key," of which it is claimed that we
have a version in Latin. Excepting this work and
;

the

,,

we have only fragments of Melito's

One of these fragments, however, thought

the apology,
writings.

belong to the work On Faith, is of great interest

an approach to a confession of faith
of the church of that day.

to

as furnishing

EXTRACT FROM MELITO

We

WORK ON

FAITH.

have made collections from the law and

the prophets relating to those things which are declared concerning our Lord Jesus Christ, that we
might prove to your love that he is the perfect
Reason, the Word of God who was begotten before the light who was Creator together with the
Father; who was the Fashioner of man; who was
;

MELITO.

191

who among the patriarchs was

things in all
Patriarch who in the law was Law among the
among kings, Governor
priests, Chief Priest
among the prophets, Prophet among the angels,
Archangel among voices, the Word among spirin God, God,
in the Father, the Son
its, Spirit
For this is he who
the King for ever and ever.
all

was Pilot to Noah who conducted Abraham who

was bound with Isaac who was in exile with Jacob who was sold with Joseph who was Captain
with Moses; who was the Divider of the inheritance with Jesus the son of Nun; who in David
and the prophets foretold his own sufferings who
was incarnate in the Virgin who was born at
Bethlehem who was wrapped in swaddling-clothes
in the manger; who was seen of the shepherds;
who was glorified of the angels who was worshiped by the Magi who was pointed out by John
;

who assembled the apostles who preached the

kingdom who healed the maimed who gave light
who raised the dead who appeared
to the blind
who was not believed on by the
in the temple
people who was betrayed by Judas who was laid
hold on by the priests
who was condemned by
who was pierced in the flesh who was
Pilate
hanged upon the tree who was buried in the earth
who rose from the dead who appeared to the
apostles who ascended into heaven who sitteth
on the right hand of the Father; who is the Rest
of those who are departed, the Recoverer of those
who are lost, the Light of those who are in darkness, the Deliverer of those who are captives, the
Guide of those who have gone astray, the Refuge
;

of the afflicted, the Bridegroom of the Church, the

Charioteer of the cherubim, the Captain of the
angels, God who is of God, the Son who is of the
Father, Jesus Christ, the King for ever and ever.

Amen.

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

IQ2

ATHENAGORAS.
Although Athenagoras was
in his

own

age, in literary merit

we

sophic culture,

One

yet

the superior of

and

know but

of our sources of information

Philip of Sida,

who

tells

in

all

broad philo-

little

of his

life.

the writings of

us that Athenagoras was the

leader of the school at Alexandria in the reign of

Hadrian and Antoninus

only other source

is

is

the manuscripts of Athenagoras's " Apology "

Embassy

The

not trustworthy.

the following inscription on

:

"

The

of Athenagoras the Athenian, a philoso-

pher and a Christian, to the Emperors Marcus

Aurelius Antoninus and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, Armeniaci, Sarmatici, and, what is greatest,
,,
From this inscription, and from
philosophers.
certain internal evidences, this "

Embassy

"

is

as-

signed to the close of a. d. 176 or the beginning of

177.

Some

think the work to have differed from

the ordinary apology of that age in that, in the in-

Athenagoras actually went

and
in person presented his arguments before the emperor.
The studied compliments of the address

terval of peace in 177,

to

Rome

as a representative of the Christians,

favor this supposition, and, as the only event in

Athenagoras's

life

which can be traced even with

admirers naturally fix upon it.

Apart from this conjecture we only know that our
author was an Athenian and a philosopher, and

probability,

his

A THENA GORA S.
that he flourished in the reign of

193

Marcus Aure-

lius.

the best defense

we have a
by

Besides his scholarly apology

of the Christians in that age

him

"

On

treatise

the Resurrection of the Dead."

The

thought of this work shows careful reflection, and

Scarcely a
is stated with philosophical precision.
superfluous word is used, says Donaldson, while
the language is beautiful and at times forcible.
The treatise is thought to have been delivered before a

company

The

of philosophic friends.

argu-

ments adduced are not from Scripture, but such as

would emanate from a Christian philosopher. A
noticeable feature of both treatises is their free
reference to and use of the poets and philosophers.
The latter are asserted to have mostly believed in
the unity of God.
There are numerous manuscripts, of which the
three most ancient and most valuable, dating from
the tenth and thirteenth centuries, contain both the
treatises.

The chapters here given have been corrected

according to Professor Gildersleeve's text.

CHAPTERS FROM THE EMBASSY ABOUT CHRISTIANS,

PHILOSOBY ATHENAGORAS THE ATHENIAN
PHER AND CHRISTIAN.
:

To the Emperors Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

and Lucius Aurelius Commodus, conquerors of
Armenia and Sarmatia, and more than all philosophers.

Chapter

5.'

17

Poets

and philosophers have not

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

194

been voted

atheists for inquiring concerning God.

Euripides, speaking of those who, according to
popular preconception, are ignorantly called gods,
says doubtingly
" If Zeus indeed does reign in heaven above,
Not ever on one man should ills be sent."

But speaking of him who

is apprehended by the
understanding according to knowledge, as mind
has it, he gives his opinion decidedly, thus

" Seest thou

on high him who, with humid arms,

Clasps both the boundless ether and the earth ?
Him reckon Zeus, and him regard as God."

For

as to these (so-called gods)

real existence, to

which a name

he neither saw any

is

usually assigned,

underlying them (" Zeus," for instance " who Zeus

is I know not, but by report "), nor that any names
were given to realities which actually do exist (for
of what use are names to those who have no real
existences underlying them?)
But him [he did
see] by means of his works, considering with an
eye to things unseen the things which are manifest
Him, therefore, from
in air, in ether, on earth.
whom proceed all created things, and by whose
Spirit they are governed, he concluded to be God
and Sophocles agrees with him when he says
:

"

There

is

one God,

Who made the

in truth there is but one,

heavens, and the broad earth beneath."

is speaking] of the nature of God, which

works with beauty, and teaching both where
God must be, and that he must be One.
Chapter 6.
Philolaus, too, when he says that

[Euripides
fills

his

things are included in God as in a stronghold, teaches that he is one, and that he is
superior to matter.
Lysis and Opsimus -the one
defines God as an ineffable number, the other as
the excess of the greatest number beyond that
all

A THENA GORA S
which comes nearest

195

So then, since ten is

the greatest number according to the Pythagoreans,
being the Tetractys, and containing all the arithmetical and harmonic principles, and the nine
stands next to it, God is a unit that is, one. For
the greatest number exceeds the next least by one.
Then there are Plato and Aristotle- not that I am
about to go through all that the philosophers have
said about God, as if I wished to exhibit a complete
summary of their opinions for I know that, as you
excel all men in intelligence and in the power of
your rule, in the same proportion do you surpass
them all in an accurate acquaintance with all learning, cultivating as you do each several branch with
more success than even those who have devoted
themselves exclusively to any one. But, inasmuch
as it is impossible to demonstrate without the citato

it.

names that we are not alone in confining

the notion of God to unity, I have directed my at" To find
tention to dogmas.
Plato, then, says
out the Maker and Father of this universe is difficult; and when found it is impossible to declare
him to all," conceiving of one uncreated and eternal God. And if he recognizes others as well, such
as the sun, moon, and stars, yet he recognizes them
" gods, offspring of gods, of whom I am
as created
the Maker, and the Father of works which are indissoluble apart from my will
but whatever is
compounded can be dissolved." If, therefore, Plato
is not an atheist for conceiving of an uncreated
God, the Framer of the universe, neither are we
tions of

who acknowledge and firmly hold that he

God who has framed all things by the Logos,

atheists
is

and holds them in being by his Spirit. Aristotle,

again, and his followers, recognizing the existence
of one

whom

living

being, speak of

they regard as a sort of

and body, thinking

his

God

compound

as consisting of soul

body

to

be the ethereal


196

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

space and the planetary stars and the sphere of the

stars, moving in circles
but his soul, the
reason which presides over the motions of the body,
itself not subject to motion, but becoming the cause
of motion to the other. The Stoics also, although
by the appellations they employ to suit the changes
of matter, which they say is permeated by the Spirit
of God, they multiply the Deity in name, yet in
reality they consider God to be one.
For, if God
is an artistic fire advancing methodically to the
production of [the several things in] the world,
embracing in himself all the seminal principles by
which each thing is produced in accordance with
fate, and if his Spirit pervades the whole world,
then God is one according to them, being named
Zeus in respect of the fervid part of matter, and
Hera in respect of the air, and called by other
names in respect of that particular part of matter
fixed

which he pervades.
Chapter 10. That we are not atheists, therefore,
seeing that we acknowledge one God, uncreated,

eternal, invisible, impassible, incomprehensible,

who

il-

apprehended by the understanding only and the reason, who is encompassed by

light, and beauty, and spirit, and power ineffable,
by whom the universe has been created through
his Logos, and set in order, and is kept in being
[I say " his
I have sufficiently demonstrated.
Logos"], for we acknowledge also a Son of God.
Nor let any one think it ridiculous that God should
have a Son. For we do not think concerning God
limitable,

is

the Father or concerning the Son, with the poets

who fictitiously represent the gods as no better
than men. But the Son of God is the Logos of
for after the
the Father, in idea and in energy
pattern of him and by him were all things made,
the Father and the Son being one.
And, the Son
being in the Father and the Father in the Son, in
;

THENA GORA S.

197

oneness and power of spirit, the understanding and

reason of the Father is the Son of God.
But if, in
your surpassing intelligence, it occurs to you to inquire what is meant by the Son, I will state briefly
that he is the first product of the Father, not as
having been brought into existence (for from the
beginning God, who is the eternal mind, had the
Logos in himself, being from eternity instinct with
Logos) but in that he came forth to be the idea
;

and energizing power of

all

material things, which

and an inactive

lay like a nature without attributes,

earth, the grosser particles being

mixed up with

the lighter.
The prophetic Spirit also agrees with
our statements. "The Lord," it says, "made me
the beginning of his ways to his works."
The
Holy Spirit himself also, which operates in the
prophets, we assert to be an effluence of God, flowing from him, and returning back again like a beam
Who, then, would not be astonished to
of the sun.
hear men who speak of God the Father, and of
God the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and who declare both their power in union and their distinction in order, called atheists ?
Nor is our teaching
in what relates to the divine nature confined to

these points but we recognize also a multitude of

angels and ministers, whom God the Maker and
Framer of the world distributed and appointed to
their several posts by his Logos, to occupy themselves about the elements, and the heavens, and
the world and the things in it, and the goodly ordering of them all.
Chapter 13.
But, as most of those who charge
us with atheism, and that because they have not
even the dreamiest conception of what God is, and
are doltish and utterly unacquainted with natural
and divine things, and such as measure piety by
the rule of sacrifices, charge us with not acknowledging the same gods as the cities, be pleased to
;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

198

attend to the following considerations, O EmpeAnd first, as to our not sacrirors, on both points.
The Framer and Father of this universe
ficing
does not need blood, nor the odor of burnt-offerings, nor the fragrance of flowers and incense, forasmuch as he is himself perfect fragrance, needing
nothing either within or without but the noblest
sacrifice to him is for us to know who stretched
out and vaulted the heavens, and fixed the earth in
who gathered the water
its place like a center
into seas, and divided the light from the darkness
who adorned the sky with stars, and made the
earth to bring forth seed of every kind who made
animals and fashioned man. When, holding God
to be this Framer of all things, who preserves them
in being and superintends them all by knowledge
and administrative skill, we "lift up holy hands"
to him, what need has he further of a hecatomb ?
:

" For they,

To do

when

aright,

mortals have transgressed or failed

by

sacrifice

and

Libations and burnt offerings,

prayer,

may be

soothed/'

I to do with hecatombs, which God

does not stand in need of? though indeed it does
behoove us to offer a bloodless sacrifice and " the
service of our reason."
Chapter 16. Beautiful without doubt is the

And what have

world, excelling as well in its magnitude as in the

arrangement of its parts, both those in the oblique
circle and those about the north, and also in its
spherical form.
Yet it is not this, but its Artificer,
For when any of your subthat we must worship.
jects come to you, they do not neglect to pay their
homage to you, their rulers and lords, from whom
they will obtain whatever they need, and address
themselves to the magnificence of your palace
but if they chance to come upon the royal residence,
they bestow a passing glance of admiration on its
;

;;

A THENA GORA

S.

199

beautiful structure but it is to you yourselves that

they show honor, as being "all in all." You sovereigns, indeed, adorn your palaces for yourselves
but the world was not created because God needed
it
for God is himself everything to himself light
unapproachable, a perfect world, spirit, power, reason.
If, therefore, the world is an instrument in
tune, and moving in well-measured time, I adore
the Being who gave its harmony, and strikes its
notes, and sings the accordant strain, and not the
instrument; for at the musical contests the adjudicators do not pass by the lute-players and crown
Whether then, as Plato says, the world
the lutes.
be a product of divine art, I admire its beauty and
adore the Artificer; or whether it be his essence
and body, as the Peripatetics affirm, we do not
neglect to adore God, who is the cause of the motion of the body, and descend " to the beggarly and
weak elements," adoring in the impassible air (as
they term it) passible matter or, if any one apprehends the several parts of the world to be powers
of God, we do not approach and do homage to the
powers, but their Maker and Lord. I do not ask
of matter what it has not to give, nor, passing God
by, do I pay homage to the elements which can do
:

nothing more than what they were bidden for, although they are beautiful to look upon, by reason
of the art of their Framer, yet they still have the
nature of matter.
And to this view Plato also
" for," says he, " that which is
bears testimony
called heaven and earth has received many blessings from the Father, but yet partakes of body
hence it can not possibly be free from change."
If, therefore, while I admire the heavens and the
elements in respect of their art, I do not worship
them as gods, knowing that the law of dissolution
is upon them, how can I call those objects gods of
whom I know the makers to be men ?
;

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

200

Chapter 25. These angels, then, who have fallen

from heaven, and haunt the air and the earth, and
are no longer able to rise to heavenly things, and
the souls of the giants, which are the demons who
wander about the world, perform actions, the demons such as resemble the natures they have received, the angels such as accord with the appetites
they have indulged. But the prince of matter, as
may be seen merely from what transpires, exercises
a control and management contrary to the good
that

is

in

God

" Ofttimes this anxious thought has crossed my mind,

Whether 'tis chance or deity that rules
The small affairs of men, and, spite of hope
As well as justice, drives to exile some
Stripped of all means of life, while others still
Continue to enjoy prosperity."

and adversity, contrary

Prosperity

made

to

hope and

impossible for Euripides to say to

whom belongs the administration of earthly affairs,
which is of such a kind that one might say of it

justice,

"

it

How then,
There

The same

is

while seeing these things, can we say

"
a race of gods, or yield to laws ?

thing led Aristotle to say that the things

below the heavens are not under the care of Providence, although the eternal providence of God concerns itself equally with us below
"

The earth, let willingness move her or not,

Must herbs produce, and thus sustain my flocks

"

and addresses itself to the deserving individually,

according to truth and not according to opinion
and all other things, according to the general constitution of nature, are provided for by the law of
reason.
But because the demoniac movements
and operations proceeding from the adverse spirit
produce these disorderly

sallies,

and moreover

A THENA GORA 5.

201

one way and some in another,

as individuals and as nations, separately and in
common, in accordance with the tendency of matter on the one hand, and of the affinity for divine
things on the other, from within and from without,
some who are of no mean reputation have therefore
thought that this universe is constituted without
any definite order, and is driven hither and thither
by an irrational chance not understanding that
of those things which belong to the constitution of
the whole world, there is nothing out of order or
neglected, but that each one of them has been produced by reason, and that therefore they do not
transgress the order prescribed to them and that
man himself, too, so far as he that made him is
concerned, is well ordered, both by his original nature, which has one common character for all, and
by the constitution of his body, which does not
transgress the law imposed upon it, and by the
termination of his life, which remains equal and
common to all alike but that, according to the
character peculiar to himself and the operation of

move men, some

in

the ruling prince and of the demons his followers,

is impelled and moved in this direction or in
that, notwithstanding that all possess in common
the same original constitution of mind.

he

THE TREATISE OF ATHENAGORAS ON THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD.

Closing Argument.

Each of those things which are constituted by

and of those which are made by art, must

nature,

have an end peculiar to itself, as indeed is taught

us by the common sense of all men, and testified
by the things that pass before our eyes. For do

THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

202

we not

see that husbandmen have one end, and

physicians another, and again the things which
spring out of the earth another, and the animals

nourished upon

it, and produced according to a

If this is evident,
certain natural series, another ?
and natural and artificial powers, and the actions
arising from these, must by all means be accompanied by an end in accordance with nature, it is absolutely necessary that the end of men, since it is
that of a peculiar nature, should be separated from
community with the rest for it is not lawful to
suppose the same end for beings destitute of rational judgment, and of those whose actions are
regulated by the innate law and reason, and who
;

live

an intelligent

life

and observe

justice.

Free-

dom from

pain, therefore, can not be the proper

end for the latter, for this they would have in common with beings utterly devoid of sensibility nor
can it consist in the enjoyment of things which
nourish or delight the body, or in an abundance
of pleasures else a life like that of the brutes must
hold the first place, while that regulated by virtue
For such an end as this,
is without a final cause.
I suppose, belongs to beasts and cattle, not to men
possessed of an immortal soul and rational judg:

ment.

Nor again

the happiness of soul separated

are not inquiring about the life
or final cause of either of the parts of which man
consists, but of the being who is composed of both
for such is every man who has a share in this present existence, and there must be some appropriate
end proposed for this life. But if it is the end of
both parts together, and this can be discovered
neither while they are living in the present state of
existence through the numerous causes already
mentioned, nor yet when the soul is in a state of
separation, because the man can not be said to

from body

is

for

it

we

A THENA GORA S.

203

when

the body is dissolved, and indeed entirely scattered abroad, even though the soul continue by itself, it is absolutely necessary that the
ejid of man's being should appear in some reconstitution of the two together, and of the same living
And as this follows of necessity, there
being.
must by all means be a resurrection of the bodies
which are dead, or even entirely dissolved, and the
same men must be formed anew since the law of
nature ordains the end not absolutely, nor as the
end of any men whatsoever, but of the same men
who passed through the previous life but it is impossible for the same men to be reconstituted unless the same bodies are restored to the same souls.
But that the same soul should obtain the same
body is impossible in any other way, and possible
only by the resurrection for if this takes place, an
end befitting the nature of men follows also. And
we shall make no mistake in saying, that the final
cause of an intelligent life and rational judgment
is, to be occupied uninterruptedly with those objects to which the natural reason is chiefly and
primarily adapted, and to delight unceasingly in
the contemplation of Him who is, and of his decrees
notwithstanding that the majority of men,
because they are affected too passionately and too
violently by things below, pass through life without
attaining this object.
For the large number of
those who fail of the end that belongs to them does
not make void the common lot, since the examination relates to individuals, and the reward or punishment of lives ill or well spent is proportioned
to the merit of each.
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1 vol.,

D.

APPLETON &

12mo.

Cloth.

Price, $1.50.

CO., Publishers, 549

&

551

Broadway, N. Y.

THE BOOK OF

JOB:

ESSAYS, AND A METRICAL PARAPHRASE.

By EOSSITEE W. RAYMOND,
With an Introductory Note by
12mo.

Ph. D.

the Rev. T. J. Conant,

D. D.

Cloth, $1.25.

" The book is in iambic tetrameter rhyming verse, with three-lined

Of course it does not follow the original word for word,
it keeps remarkably close to the literal translation
and where
it departs from the literal it often brings out the meaning of the original more clearly than a word-for-word rendering can do. But as a reproduction of the spirit and tone of the original, as a translation
a carrying overinto English, not of its words and phrases, but of the
poem as a whole, the writer has done with his paraphrase what it
would be perhaps impossible to do in a literal translation. Regarded
merely as an attempt to create on the mind of the English reader something of the impression which the Hebrew poem made on the minds
of those to whom it was first rehearsed, Mr. Raymond's paraphrase is
perhaps the best English translation of Job that has yet been made.
The rendering is printed in parallel columns with Conant's translation, and is accompanied with copious introduction and not 3."
N. Y. Independent.
stanzas.

though

THE COMPREHENSIVE CHURCH;

OR,

Christian Unity

and Ecclesiastical Union

in

the Protestant Episcopal Church.

By

the Right Rev.

THOMAS
12mo.

H. VAIL, D.
-

D LL

D., Bishop of Kansas.

Cloth, $1.25.

"As far as it goes it is the best book of the kind we have ever seen,
and it goes far enough, considering the object which the author had in
view. It is just the thing to put into the hands of those who are ignorant concerning the principles and custom s of the Church. A general
and hearty welcome, we are sure, awaits it."N. Y. Churchman.
able and excellent teacher of the true position of the Church.
N."An
Y. Episcopal Begister.

1'

"Bishop Vail presents his views with an impressive sincerity,

which will not only commend the volume to those who share his belief,

but also to

all

thoughtful readers.'

Providence Journal.

^PV.

D.

APPLETON &

CO., Publishers, 549

&

551

Broadway, N. Y.

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