A DISSERTATION UPON THE TWO EPISTLES ASCRIBED TO CLEMENT OF ROME, LATELY PUBLISHED BY MR. WETSTEIN. WITH LARGE EXTRACTS OUT OF THEM, AND AN ARGU- 1. Extracts out of these epistles, for showing the Author's testimony to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. II. External evidence against the genuineness of these epistles. III. Internal evidence to the same purpose, and their time. IV. The Author anonymous. V. The importance and use of these epistles. VI. The Con clusion. EXTRACTS. I. My extracts from these two epistles will relate chiefly to the books of scripture quoted therein. 1. In these epistles several books of the Old Testament are quoted; the book of Genesis several times; Exodus; the Judges, and several of the following historical books; the book of the Proverbs, often; the book of Ecclesiastes once; Isaiah once, and also the story of Susanna. 2. Out of the New Testament are taken several passages of Matthew, one of Luke, several of John's gospel. The Acts of the Apostles may be supposed to be referred to. I cannot tell whether there be a reference to Acts xxvi. 25, in some words, which I place below, that others may judge. There are also passages out of the apostle Paul's epistle to the Romans, both the epistles to the Corinthians, the epistles to the Galatians, the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, the first and second to the Thessalonians, the first and second to Timothy, the epistle to the Hebrews, Domino Jesu Christo ministrârunt mulieres e possessionibus suis. Ep. 2. n. 15. Vid. Luc. viii. 3. Porro Paulus, et Barnabas, et Timotheus, cum cæteris, quorum nomina scripta sunt in libro vitæ. Ep. i. c. 6. Conf. Philip. iv. 3. ――et loquimur cum illis verba exhortationis et honestatis. Ep. 2. cap. 1. two or three quotations, which will be taken notice of presently, and many passages out of the epistle of James. But I have not clearly discerned any passages out of the epistle of Paul to Titus, or Philemon; nor out of the epistles of Peter, or John, or Jude, or the book of the Revelation. 3. I say, there are passages out of the several books of scripture before mentioned. But there occurs not the name of any book or writer, either of the Old or the New Testament; except in general, in the gospel, the apostle, meaning Paul, and the like. 6 4. The passages of the epistle to the Hebrews are these: But, brethren, we are persuaded of you, that you will think of these things, which are necessary to your salvation. But we thus speak of them, because,' and what follows. Where the author must have had an eye to Heb. vi. 9. 5. I suppose likewise, that there may be a reference to Heb. vi. 15-19, as well as to Isaiah Ivi. in a passage whiche I transcribe below. 6. Again: For he said: "Honour your elders, and when you see their conversations, and their manners, imitate their faith." Which must be allowed to be a reference to, or quotation of, Heb. xiii. 7. 7. The forms of quotation are such as these: For he said,' in the place just quoted: They who are truly virgins, for God's sake, hear him, who said.' Where he quotes divers passages from the book of the Proverbs. Suchh virginity the Lord calls foolish, as he says in the gospel.' See Matt. xxv. 'Therefore he said rightly to that generation.' And of such servants it is said.' As it is written.' • And m they hear not him, who says.' Quoting the epistle of James. And again he says.'Have you not read of Amnon n d Confidimus autem de vobis, fratres, vos cogitaturos ea, quæ necessaria sunt saluti vestræ. Sed ita loquimur de iis, quæ loquimur, propter famam et rumorem malum, &c. Ep. i. c. 10. e--sed desiderat spem promissam et præparatam et positam in cœlis Deo, qui promisit ore, et non mentitur; qui major est filiis et filiabus, et dabit virginibus locum celebrem in domo Dei- -Ep. i. c. 4. Dixit enim Seniores vestros honorate; et quando videtis conversationes eorum, et mores eorum, imitamini eorum fidem. Ep. i. c. 7. Qui autem vere sunt virgines propter Deum, audiunt eum qui dixit. Ep. i. c. 2. scriptum est. i. 10.. k Et dictum est de talibus servis. i. 9. n Et iterum dicit. i. 11. liberis Davidis? ii. c. 11. • Nonne legisti de Amnone et Thamare, 6 6 S 6 and Thamar, children of David?' In the next chapter, 'Have you not read of the family of Solomon?' • They a did not remember that saying.' Behold, we find what is written of Moses aud Aaron. For so the holy scriptures speak in these very words.' As the apostle said.' See 2 Cor. xi. 12. Whom" the divine apostle rejects.' 'Widows' • Let us be mindful of whom the divine apostle refuseth.' the word, which says.' See Eccles. vii. 26. As we have learned from the law, the prophets, and the Lord Jesus Christ.' Let us inquire and search from the law to the New Testament.' W 8. Farther, he seems in several places to refer to a practice then in use of reading the scriptures in private houses, and at visits. For be blames some, whom he calls idle, who went about to the houses of brethren, and sisters, virgins, under a pretence of visiting them, or reading the scriptures to them, or exorcising them, or teaching them.' Representing his own and other good people's way of travelling, whose conduct is set forth to be an example, he says: When" we come to a place where there is no man, but all are faithful women and virgins, when we have gathered them all together, and find they live in peace, we speak to them in all purity, and read to them the scriptures.' Afterwards in the next chapter: If we come to a place, and there be one faithful woman only alone, and nobody else; we do not stay there, nor pray there, nor read the scriptures there, but we flee away as from the face of a serpent, and P Nonne legisti de familiâ Salomonis, &c. ii. 12. recordati sunt dicti illius, &c. ii. 13. est de Mose et Aarone. ii. 14. ad verbum. ii. 14. 9 Non enim Ecce reperimus quod scriptum Sic enim scripturæ sacræ testantur u Quos -aut cum viduis, quas fugit -sed simus memores verbi dicentis Sicut dixit apostolus. i. 12. aversatur apostolus divinus. i. 10. Domino Jesu Christo. i. 12. W * Sicut didicimus de Lege, et Prophetis, et y Inquiramus et scrutemur a Lege ad * Alii autem circumeuntes per domos virginum, fratrum, et sororum, prætextu visitandi eos, aut legendi scripturas, aut exorcizandi eos, aut docendi eos, quia sunt otiosi. i. 10. a Si autem contingat, ut nos recipiamus in locum, ubi vir non est, sed omnes sunt mulieres et virgines, cogantque nos pernoctare in illo loco; vocamus omnes illos in unum locum, ad latus dextrum--et quando congregatæ veniunt omnes, et videmus quomodo in pace sunt, loquimur cum illis verba castitatis in timore Dei, et legimus illis scripturas in verecundiâ, &c. ii. 4. b Si autem recipian.us nos in locum, et inveniamus ibi unicam mulierem fidelem solam, nec quisquam alius ibi sit nisi illa sola, non stamus ibi, neque oramus ibi, neque legimus ibi scripturas, sed fugimus, sicut coram facie serpentis, et tanquam coram laqueo peccati ii. 5. from a dangerous snare.' And in another place. We do not sing psalms, nor read the scriptures to Gentiles.' EXTERNAL evidence. II. Having made these extracts, it will be proper to consider the age and authority of the epistles from whence they are taken. When it was first reported among us, that Mr. Wetstein of Amsterdam had received out of the East a Syriac translation of two new epistles of Clement, bishop of Rome, I said, it was a mistake. It was more probable, that he had received a Syriac translation of the epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, and of the other epistle often ascribed to him. And if that was the case, the translation might be very valuable, and of great use, because we have not the epistle to the Corinthians entire, and of the other epistle a fragment only. And undoubtedly those two epistles, if entire, though in a translation only, would have been an acceptable present to the learned world. But I was mistaken in my conjecture. The report first made has been confirmed by the event. The two epistles received by Mr. Wetstein, and published by him, have been hitherto unknown. It must therefore be very fit that we examine their title to this high original, before we receive them as genuine. In the first place I will consider the external, then the internal evidence. In examining these epistles by external evidence we are led to recollect what ancient writers have said of Clement and his works. 6 e 1. Says Irenæus, bishop of Lyons in Gaul, who flourished about the year 178, in his books against heresies: When the blessed apostles Peter and Paul had founded and ⚫ established the church, (at Rome,) they delivered the office of the bishopric in it to Linus-to him succeeded Anencletus. Next to whom in the third place after the 'apostles, Clement obtained the bishopric, who had seen the 'blessed apostles, and conversed with them--In the time 'therefore of this Clement, when there was no small dissen⚫sion among the brethren at Corinth, the church of Rome 'sent a most excellent letter to the Corinthians, exhorting them to peace among themselves, and reminding them of the doctrine lately received from the apostles, which declares, that there is one God Almighty, Maker of the • Propterea non psallimus gentibus, neque legimus illis scripturas. ii. 7. d Præcipuum vero, ut tandem ad rem ipsam veniam, manuscripti hujus ornamentum sunt duæ Clementis Romani Epistolæ, hactenus non ineditæ solum, verum nostri temporis eruditis plane incognitæ. Wetst. Proleg. p. v. Iren. Contr. Hær. 1. 3. c. 3. p. 176. ed. Massuet. Et. conf. Euseb. H. E. 1. 3. c. 15. et 16. et 1. 5. c. 6. heavens and the earth, who brought in the flood, and • called Abraham; who brought the people out of Egypt, who spake with Moses, who ordained the law, and sent 'the prophets.' This is the only writing of Clement, which is taken notice of by Irenæus. If he had known of any other, why should he not have quoted it, the more effectually to confute and silence the unreasonable men against whom he was arguing? 2. Dionysius, bishop of Corinth, flourished about the year 170. Eusebius mentions an epistle of his to Soter, then bishop of Rome, Inf which letter, says the ecclesias"tical historian, he makes mention also of the epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, testifying that it had been 'wont to be read in the church from ancient time, saying, To-day we have kept the holy Lord's-day, in which we read your epistle. Which we shall also read frequently "for our instruction, as well as the former, written to us 6 by Clement.' This, as it seems to me, affords an irrefragable argument, that there was but one epistle of the church of Rome, written by Clement to the Corinthians. 3. We are also assured by Eusebius, that Hegesippus, who flourished about the year 173, madeh mention of the epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. 4. Clement of Rome is several times quoted by his namesake of Alexandria, about the year 194. But he quotes only the epistle of Clement, ork of the Romans, to the Corinthians. 5. Origen, about 230, has some passages out of Clement's epistle to the Corinthians in his books of Principles, and in his Commentary upon St. John's gospel. He elsewhere" quotes a work called, Circuits, ascribed to Clement. 6. We come now to Eusebius of Cesarea, about the year 315, who, having mentioned the order of the succession of the first bishops of Rome to Clement, whom he reckons the third after the apostles, adds: Of this Clement there is 6 Euseb. H. E. 1. 4. c. 3. p. 145. B. C. προτεραν ἡμιν δια Κλημεντος γραφεισαν. Ibid. παρει μετα τινα περι της Κλημεντος προς Κορινθιες H. E. 1. 4. c. 22. in. Vid. et. 1. 3. c. 16. επιςολής αυτῷ ειρημένα. Αυτικά ὁ Κλημης εν τη p. 289. A. Paris 1629. Αλλα καν τη 1 De Princip. m Comm. in Jo. c. i. v. 29. προς Κορινθιες επιτολή κατα λεξιν φησι. Str. I. i. T. 2. p. 143. Huet. • H. E. 1. 3. c. 15. et 16. k Philoc. cap. 23. p. 81. Cant. |