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CLEMENT OF ROME
THE FIRST EPISTLE OF CLEMENT TO THE CORINTHIANS
translated by Charles H. Hoole, 1885
CHAPTER 0
0:1 The Church of God which sojourneth at Rome, to the Church of God which sojourneth at Corinth, to them that are called
and
sanctified in the will of God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and
peace be
multiplied unto you from Almighty God through Jesus Christ.
CHAPTER 1
1:1 On account of the sudden
and
repeated calamities and mischances,
brethren, that
have come upon us, we suppose that we have the more slowly given heed
to the
things that are disputed among you, beloved, and to the foul and unholy
sedition, alien and foreign to the elect of God, which a few headstrong
and
self-willed persons have kindled to such a degree of madness, that your
venerable and famous name, worthy to be loved of all men, is greatly
blasphemed.
1:2 For who that hath tarried
among
you hath not approved your most virtuous and firm faith, hath not
admired your
sober and seemly piety in Christ, hath not proclaimed your splendid
disposition
of hospitality, hath not deemed blessed your perfect and unerring
knowledge?
1:3 For
ye
did all things without respect of persons, and walked in the laws of
God,
submitting yourselves to them that have the rule over you, and giving
the due honour to the presbyters that are
among you. Young men ye
enjoined to think such things as be sober
and grave.
Women ye exhorted to perform all things in a blameless and honourable
and pure conscience, loving dutifully their own husbands; and ye taught
them to
manage the affairs of their houses with gravity, keeping in the rule of
obedience, being temperate in all things.
CHAPTER 2
2:1 And ye were all humble,
boasting
of nothing, submitting yourselves rather than subjecting others, more
gladly
giving than receiving, content with the provision that God had given
you; and
attending diligently to his words, ye received them into your very
hearts, and
his sufferings were before your eyes.
2:2 Thus a deep and rich peace
was
given to all, and an insatiable longing for doing good,
and a plentiful outpouring of the Holy Spirit was upon all of you.
2:3 And ye, being filled with a
holy
desire, with excellent zeal and pious confidence, stretched out your
arms to Almighty
God, beseeching him to be merciful unto you, if ye had in anything
unwillingly
done amiss.
2:4 Ye
contended day and night for the whole brotherhood, that in his mercy
and good
pleasure the number of his elect might be saved.
2:5 Ye
were
simple and sincere without malice one toward another:
2:6 all sedition and all schism
were
abominable unto you. Ye grieved over the transgressions of your neighbour, judging his short-comings your own.
2:7 Ye
repented not of any well-doing, being ready to every good work;
2:8 and being adorned with a
very
virtuous and holy habit of life, ye did all things in his fear. The
commandments and ordinances of the Lord were written on the breadth of
your
heart.
CHAPTER 3
3:1 All
honour and enlargement was given to you,
and then was
fulfilled that which is written: -- The beloved ate and drank, and was
enlarged
and grew fat and kicked.
3:2 From
this came emulation and envy, strife and sedition, persecution and
disorder,
war and captivity.
3:3 Thus
the mean men were lifted up against the honourable;
those of no repute against those of good repute; the foolish against
the wise;
the young against the elder.
3:4 Through this justice and
peace
are afar off, because each of you leaveth
off the
fear of God and is dimsighted in his
faith, nor walketh in the laws of his
commandments, nor behaveth as becometh a citizen of
Christ; but each walketh according to his
own evil
lusts, having taken up unjust and unholy envy, by which also death
entered into
the world.
CHAPTER 4
4:1 For
it
is thus written: And it came to pass after certain days, that Cain
brought of
the fruits of the ground a sacrifice to God, and Abel brought also of
the
firstlings of the sheep and of their fat.
4:2 And God had respect unto Abel and unto his
gifts; but unto Cain and his gifts he had no regard.
4:3 And Cain was grieved greatly, and his countenance fell.
4:4 And God said unto Cain, Why
art
thou very sorrowful, and why hath thy countenance fallen? If thou hast
rightly
offered, but hast not rightly divided, hast thou not sinned?
4:5 Hold
thy peace; thy gift returneth unto thee,
and thou shalt be master over it.
4:6 And Cain said unto Abel,
Let us
pass over into the field. And it came to pass while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother and
slew him.
4:7 Ye
see,
brethren, jealousy and envy wrought the slaughter of a brother.
4:8 Through
envy our father Jacob fled from the face of his brother Esau.
4:9 Envy caused Joseph to be persecuted unto
death, and to enter into bondage.
CHAPTER 5
5:1 But
let
us pass from ancient examples, and come unto those who have in the
times
nearest to us, wrestled for the faith.
5:2 Let
us
take the noble examples of our own generation. Through jealousy and
envy the
greatest and most just pillars of the Church were persecuted, and came
even
unto death.
5:3 Let
us
place before our eyes the good Apostles.
5:4 Peter, through unjust envy,
endured not one or two but many labours,
and at last,
having delivered his testimony, departed unto the place of glory due to
him.
5:5 Through
envy Paul, too, showed by example the prize that is given to patience:
5:6 seven times was he cast
into
chains; he was banished; he was stoned; having become a herald, both in
the
East and in the West, he obtained the noble renown due to his faith;
5:7 and having preached
righteousness to the whole world, and having come to the extremity of
the West,
and having borne witness before rulers, he departed at length out of
the world,
and went to the holy place, having become the greatest example of
patience.
CHAPTER 6
6:1 To
these men, who walked in holiness, there was gathered a great multitude
of the
elect, who, having suffered, through envy, many insults and tortures,
became a
most excellent example among us.
6:2 Through
envy women were persecuted, even the Danaides
and Dircae, who, after enduring dreadful
and unholy insults,
attained to the sure course of the faith; and they who were weak in
body
received a noble reward.
6:3 Envy hath estranged the minds of wives
from their husbands, and changed the saying of our father Adam: This is
now
bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.
6:4 Envy and strife have
overthrown
mighty cities and rooted out great nations.
CHAPTER 7
7:1 These
things we enjoin you, beloved, not only by way of admonition to you,
but as
putting ourselves also in mind. For we are in the
same arena,
and the same contest is imposed upon us.
7:2 Wherefore,
let us leave empty and vain thoughts, and come unto the glorious and
venerable
rule of our holy calling.
7:3 Let us consider what is
good and
pleasing and acceptable before him who made us.
7:4 Let us look steadfastly to
the
blood of Christ, and see how precious in the sight of God is his blood,
which
having been poured out for our salvation, brought to the whole world
the grace
of repentance.
7:5 Let us go back to all
generations, and learn that in every generation God hath granted a
place for
repentance to such as wished to return unto him.
7:6 Noah preached repentance,
and as
many as hearkened unto him were saved.
7:7 Jonah prophesied
destruction to
the Ninevites, and they, repenting of
their sins,
appeased God through prayer, and, though alien from God, obtained
salvation.
CHAPTER 8
8:1 The
ministers of the grace of God spake by the
Holy
Spirit concerning repentance;
8:2 and the
Lord
of all himself spake concerning repentance
with an
oath. As I live,
saith the Lord, I desire not the death of a
sinner,
as I desire his repentance; adding thereto an excellent saying:
8:3 Repent, O house of
8:4 And in another place he speaketh in this wise: Wash, and be ye clean;
take away the
wickedness from your souls from before my eyes; cease from your evil
deeds,
learn to do well; seek judgment; deliver him that is oppressed; give
judgment
for the orphan, and justify the widow; and come and let us reason
together, saith he; and though your sins
be as purple, I will make
them white as snow; and though they be as scarlet, I will make them
white as
wool. And if ye be willing and hearken unto me, ye shall eat the good
things of
the earth; but if ye be not willing, and hearken not, the sword shall
devour
you; for the mouth of the Lord hath said this.
8:5 Desiring, therefore, that
all his
beloved ones should partake of repentance, he hath confirmed it by his
almighty
will.
CHAPTER 9
9:1 Wherefore, let us submit
ourselves to his excellent and glorious will, and, becoming suppliants
of his
mercy and goodness, let us fall before him and betake ourselves to his
mercies,
having laid aside the vain toil and the strife and the jealousy that leadeth unto death.
9:2 Let
us
look steadfastly at those that have ministered with perfectness
to his excellent glory.
9:3 Let us
take
as example Enoch, who, having been found just by reason of obedience,
was
translated, and his death was not found.
9:4 Noah, having been found
faithful, preached, by his ministry, regeneration unto the world,
and by him God preserved the animals that entered with one consent into
the
ark.
CHAPTER 10
10:1 Abraham, who was called
the
friend, was found faithful, inasmuch as he became obedient to the words
of God.
10:2 This
man, by obedience, went out from his land and his kinsfolk, and the
house of his
father, that, by leaving a scanty land and weak kinsfolk and a small
house, he
might inherit the promises of God.
10:3 For he saith
unto him, Go out from thy land and thy kinsfolk, and the house of thy
father,
unto the land that I shall show thee, and I will make thee a great
nation, and
bless thee, and magnify thy name, and thou shalt
be
blessed; and I will bless them that bless thee, and curse them that
curse thee,
and in thee shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed.
10:4 And again, when he
separated
from Lot, God said unto him, Lift up thine
eyes, and
look from the place where thou now art unto the north and unto the
south, and
unto the east and unto the sea; for all the land which thou seest,
to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever,
10:5 and I will make thy seed
as the
dust of the earth: if any man can number the dust of the earth, thy
seed also
shall be numbered.
10:6 And
again he saith, God brought forth Abraham,
and said
unto him: Look up to heaven and number the stars, if thou art able to
number
them, so shall thy seed be. And Abraham believed God, and it was
counted to him
for righteousness.
10:7 Through
faith and hospitality a son was given unto him in old age, and through
obedience he offered him a sacrifice unto God on one of the mountains
that he
showed him.
CHAPTER 11
11:1 By hospitality and
goodness Lot
was saved out of Sodom when the whole region round about was judged
with fire
and brimstone; the Lord making it manifest that he leaveth
not them that hope upon him, but appointeth
to
punishment and torment them that turn in another way.
11:2 For his wife, who went out
together with him, being of another mind, and not being in concord with
him,
was on that account placed as a sign, so that she became a pillar of
salt even
to this day; that it might be known to all that the double-minded, and
they who
doubt concerning the power of God, are for a judgment and a sign to all
generations.
CHAPTER 12
12:1 Through
faith and hospitality Rahab the harlot was
saved;
12:2 for when spies were sent
unto
Jericho by Jesus, the son of Nun, the king of the land knew that they
had come
to spy out his country, and sent out men to apprehend them that they
might be
taken and put to death.
12:3 But
the hospitable Rahab having received them,
hid them
in an upper story under the stalks of flax.
12:4 When, therefore, the men
from
the king came upon her, and said, There came unto thee men who are
spies of
this our land; bring them out, for the king so commandeth
it; she answered, The two men whom ye are seeking entered in unto me,
but they
departed quickly and are on their way; but she showed not the men unto
them.
12:5 And she said unto the men,
Of a
surety I know that the Lord your God has given over this city unto you;
for the
fear and trembling of you hath fallen upon them that inhabit it; when,
therefore, it hath happened unto you to take it, save me and the house
of my
father.
12:6 And
they say unto her, So shall it be, even as thou hast spoken unto us.
When,
therefore, thou hast perceived that we are coming, thou shalt
gather together all thy household under thy
roof, and
they shall be saved; but as many as shall be found without the house
shall be
destroyed.
12:7 And they proceeded further
to
give her a sign, that she should hang from her house scarlet, making it
manifest beforehand that through the blood of the Lord there shall be
redemption to all who believe and hope upon God.
12:8 Behold, beloved, how there
was
not only faith, but prophecy in the woman.
CHAPTER 13
13:1 Let us therefore,
brethren, be
humble, laying aside all boasting and pride, and folly and wrath, and
let us do
that which is written; for the Holy Spirit saith,
Let
not the wise boast in his wisdom, nor the strong in his strength, nor
the rich
in his riches; but let him that boasteth
make his
boast in the Lord, even by seeking him and doing judgment and justice.
Let us
especially remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ which he spake when teaching gentleness and
long-suffering, for he spake thus:
13:2 Show mercy, that ye may
obtain
mercy; forgive, that it may be forgiven unto you; as ye do, so shall it
be done
unto you; as ye give, so shall it be given unto you; as ye judge, so
shall ye
be judged; as ye are kindly affectioned,
so shall
kindness be showed unto you; with whatsover
measure
ye measure, with the same shall it be measured unto you.
13:3 With
this commandment and with these exhortations let us strengthen
ourselves, that
we may walk obedient to his holy words with all humility. For the Holy
Scripture saith,
13:4 Upon
whom shall I have respect but upon him that is meek and quiet, and that
trembleth at my words?
CHAPTER 14
14:1 It
is
therefore meet and right, men and brethren, that we should be obedient
unto God
rather than follow them that in pride and disorderliness are leaders of
detestable sedition.
14:2 For we shall incur no
slight
harm, but rather a great danger, if we rashly give ourselves up to the
wills of
men who launch out into strife and sedition so as to estrange us from
that
which is good.
14:3 Let us, therefore, show
kindness towards them according to the mercy and sweetness of him that
made us.
14:4 For
it
is written, The men of kindness shall inherit the land. The innocent
shall be
left upon it; but they that be lawless
shall be
destroyed out of it.
14:5 And again he saith, I saw the unrighteous man exalted on high
and lifted
up like the cedars of Lebanon. And I passed by, and behold he was not;
I sought
his place and found it not. Keep innocence, and regard righteousness;
for there
is a remnant that remaineth to the man of
peace.
CHAPTER 15
15:1 Let
us
therefore cleave unto them who live in peace and godliness, not unto
them who
hypocritically profess to desire peace.
15:2 For
he
saith in a certain place, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is
far from
me.
15:3 And
again, With their mouth did they bless, but with their heart did they
curse.
15:4 And
again he saith, They loved him with their
mouth, and
with their tongue they lied against him. For their heart was not right
with
him, nor were they faithful in his covenant.
15:5 Let the crafty lips be put
to
silence, and may the Lord destroy all the deceitful lips, even the
haughty
tongue, they who said, Let us magnify our tongue, our lips are our own;
who is
master over us?
15:6 On account of the misery
of the
poor, and on account of the groaning of the needy, I will now arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety, I will
deal
confidently with him.
CHAPTER 16
16:1 For Christ belongeth
unto them that are humble, not unto them that exalt themselves over his
flock.
16:2 Our Lord Jesus Christ, who
is
the sceptre of the majesty of God, came
not in the
arrogance of boasting and pride, though he was able to do so; but in
humility,
even as the Holy Spirit spake concerning
him.
16:3 For
he
saith, Lord, who hath believed our report,
and to
whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? Like a child have we
delivered our
message before him; he is as a root in a thirsty land. There is no form nor glory in him, and we beheld him, and
he had
neither form nor comeliness, but his form was despised, lacking
comeliness,
beyond the form of the sons of men. He was a man stricken and in toil,
knowing
how to bear infirmity, for his face was turned away; it was dishonoured
and held in no reputation.
16:4 He beareth
our sins and suffereth pain on our
account, and we
esteemed him as one in toil, stricken and afflicted.
16:5 He was wounded for our
sins,
and for our transgressions did he suffer infirmity; the chastisement of
our
peace was upon him, and by his stripes we were healed.
16:6 All
we, like sheep, have gone astray, every one hath erred in his own way,
16:7 and the Lord hath
given him up for our sins; and he, through affliction, openeth
not his mouth. He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb
before
its shearers is dumb, so openeth he
not his mouth.
16:8 In
his
humiliation his judgment was taken away, and who shall declare his
generation,
for his life is taken from the earth;
16:9 for the iniquity of my
people
he hath come unto death.
16:17 See, beloved, what is the
example that hath been given unto us; for if the Lord so humbled
himself, what
shall we do who have through his mercy come under the yoke of his
grace?
CHAPTER 17
17:1 Let us be imitators of
them
also who went about in goat-skins and sheep-skins, preaching the coming
of
Christ; we mean Elias and Elisaeus and
Ezekiel the
prophets, and beside them those who have obtained a good report.
17:2 Abraham obtained an
exceeding
good report, and was called the friend of God, and saith,
looking steadfastly to the glory of God in humility, I am but earth and
ashes.
17:3 And,
moreover, concerning Job, it is thus written: Job was a just man and
blameless,
truthful, one that feared God, and abstained from all evil.
17:4 But he himself, accusing
himself, saith, No one is pure from
pollution, though
his life be but for one day.
17:5 Moses was called faithful
in all his house, and by his ministry God
judged his people
17:6 And
again he saith, I am but as the smoke from
a pot.
CHAPTER 18
18:1 But what shall we say of
David,
who obtained a good report; unto whom God said, I have found a man
after my own
heart, David, the son of Jesse, with my everlasting mercy have I
anointed him.
18:2 But he himself saith unto God, Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy
great mercy, according to the multitude of thy compassion do away with
mine
iniquity;
18:3 wash me throughly
from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For
I know my
iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.
18:4 Against
thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest be justified in thy words, and overcome
when thou
art judged.
18:5 Behold, I was shapen in wickedness, and in sin did my mother
conceive me.
18:6 Behold, thou hast loved
truth;
thou hast shown me the secret and hidden things of thy wisdom.
18:7 Thou shalt
sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Thou shalt
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
18:8 Thou shalt
make me to hear of joy and gladness; the bones that have been
humiliated shall
rejoice.
18:9 Turn away thy face from my
sins, and blot out all my misdeeds.
18:11 Cast me not away from thy
presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.
18:12 O give me again the joy
of thy
salvation, and establish me with thy guiding Spirit.
18:13 I will teach sinners thy
ways;
the ungodly shall be converted unto thee.
18:15 my tongue shall rejoice
in thy
righteousness. O Lord, thou shalt open my
mouth, and
my lips shall show forth thy praise.
CHAPTER 19
19:1 The humility of men so
many in
number and so great, and who have obtained so good a report, and their
subjection through obedience, hath made not only us but the generations
before
us better, namely, those who in fear and truth have received his
oracles.
19:2 Since, therefore, we have
become the partakers in many great and glorious actions, let us finally
return
to that goal of peace that was given us from the beginning; let us look
steadfastly to the Father and Creator of the whole world, and let us
cleave to
the glorious and excellent gifts and benefits of his peace.
19:3 Let us behold him in
spirit,
and look with the eyes of the soul to his long-suffering will. Let us
consider
how gentle he is toward all his creation.
CHAPTER 20
20:1 The
heavens, being put in motion by his appointment, are subject to him in
peace;
20:2 night and day accomplish
the
course ordered by him, in nothing hindering one another.
20:3 The
sun and the moon and the dances of the stars according to his
appointment, in
harmony and without any violation of order, roll on the courses
appointed to
them.
20:4 The
fruitful earth bringeth forth in due
season,
according to his will, abundant nourishment for men and beasts; nothing
doubting, nor changing in anything from the things that are decreed by
him.
20:5 The
unsearchable things of the abyss, and the secret ordinances of the
lower parts
of the earth, are held together by the same command.
20:6 The
hollow of the vast sea, gathered together by his hand into its
reservoirs, transgresseth not the bounds
placed around it; but even as
he hath appointed to it, so it doeth;
20:7 for he said, Thus far shalt thou come, and thy waves shall be broken
within thee.
20:8 The ocean,
impassable to men, and the worlds that are beyond it, are governed by
the same
commandments of their Master.
20:9 The
seasons of spring and summer, autumn and winter, in peace succeed one
another.
20:11 All these things the
great
Maker and Master of all things hath appointed to be in peace and
harmony, doing
good unto all things, but more especially unto us, who have fled for
refuge to
his mercies, through our Lord Jesus Christ,
CHAPTER 21
21:1 Beware, beloved, lest his
many
blessings come to be a condemnation to all of us, unless, walking
worthily of
him, we do what is honourable and well
pleasing
before him with oneness of mind.
21:2 For
he
saith in a certain place, The Spirit of the
Lord is a
candle, searching out the secret places of the heart.
21:3 Let
us
see how near he is at hand, and how none of our thoughts and reasonings
do
escape him.
21:4 It
is
right, therefore, that we should not desert from his will.
21:5 Let
us
offend against men who are foolish, and senseless, and puffed up in the
pride
of their own speech, rather than against God.
21:6 Let
us
have respect to our Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was given for us.
Let us
reverence them that are over us. Let us honour
our
elders. Let us instruct the young in the discipline of the fear of God.
Let us
direct our wives to that which is good;
21:7 let them show forth the
lovely
habit of chastity, and exhibit the pure disposition of meekness. Let
them make
manifest by their conversation the government of their tongues; let
them show
love, not according to partiality, but equally to all that fear the
Lord in
holiness.
21:8 Let your children be
partakers
of the discipline of Christ; let them learn how much humility availeth before God; what power a pure love hath
with God;
how his fear is honourable and great,
preserving all
who, with a pure mind, walk in holiness before him.
21:9 For he is a searcher out
of
thoughts and counsels, his breath is in us, and when he willeth
he will take it away.
CHAPTER 22
22:1 All
these things doth the faith which is in Christ assure. For he
himself, through the Holy Spirit, thus calleth
unto
us: Come, ye children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of
the Lord.
22:2 What
man is he that wisheth for life and would
fain see
good days?
22:3 Keep thy tongue from evil,
and
thy lips that they speak no guile.
22:4 Turn
away from evil and do good;
22:5 seek peace and pursue it.
22:6 The
eyes of the Lord are over the just, and his ears are open to their
prayer. But
the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to destroy their
memorial
out of the land.
22:7 The
righteous cried, and the Lord heard him, and delivered him out of all
his
troubles.
22:8 Many
are the afflictions of the sinner, but they that hope in the Lord,
mercy shall
compass them round about.
CHAPTER 23
23:1 The Father whose mercies
are
over all things, who loveth to do good,
hath bowels of compassion for them that fear him, and with gentleness
and
kindness bestoweth his favour
upon them that come unto him with a pure mind.
23:2 Wherefore
let us not be double-minded, nor let our hearts form vain imaginations
concerning his excellent and glorious gifts.
23:3 Let
not that scripture be applicable unto us which saith,
Wretched are the double-minded, even they that doubt in their heart and
say, We
have heard these things in the time of our fathers; and lo, we have
grown old,
and none of them hath happened unto us.
23:4 O foolish ones! compare yourselves to a tree. Take, for example,
the vine:
first it sheddeth its leaves, then cometh
the bud,
then the leaf, then the flower, after that the unripe grape, then the
ripe
grape. See how in a little time the fruit of the tree attaineth
to maturity.
23:5 Of a truth, quickly and
suddenly shall his will be fulfilled; the scripture also bearing
witness that
he shall come quickly, and shall not tarry; and the Lord shall come
suddenly
into his temple, even the holy one, whom ye expect.
CHAPTER 24
24:1 Let us consider, beloved,
how
the Master showeth to us continually the
resurrection
that is about to be, of which he hath made our Lord Jesus Christ the
first
fruit, having raised him from the dead.
24:2 Let
us
look, beloved, at the resurrection that is ever taking place.
24:3 Day and night show to us
the
resurrection; the night is lulled to rest, the day ariseth;
the day departeth, the night cometh on.
24:4 Let us consider the
fruits, in
what way a grain of corn is sown.
24:5 The
sower goeth
forth and casteth it into the ground, and
when the seeds are cast
into the ground, they that fell into the ground dry and naked are
dissolved;
then after their dissolution, the mighty power of the providence of the
Lord raiseth them up, and from one seed
many grow up and bring
forth fruits.
CHAPTER 25 25:1 Let us consider
the
wonderful sign that happeneth in the
region of the
east, even about Arabia.
25:2 There
is a bird which is called the phoenix. This, being
the only
one of its kind, liveth for five hundred
years.
And when the time of its death draweth
near, it maketh for itself a nest of
frankincense and myrrh and the
other perfumes, into which, when its time is fulfilled, it entereth,
and then dieth.
25:3 But as its flesh rotteth, a certain worm is produced, which being
nourished
by the moisture of the dead animal, putteth
forth
feathers. Then, when it hath become strong, it taketh
the nest wherein are the bones of its ancestor, and bearing them, it flieth from the region of Arabia to that of
Egypt, to the
city which is called Heliopolis;
25:4 there, in day-time, in the
sight of all, it flieth up, and placeth
them upon the altar of the sun, and having done so, returneth
back.
25:5 The
priests, therefore, look into the registers of the times, and find that
it has
come at the completion of the five-hundredth year.
CHAPTER 26
26:1 Shall
we then think it great and wonderful, if the Maker of all things shall
make a
resurrection of those who, in the confidence of a good faith, have
piously
seized him, when even by means of a bird he showeth
the greatness of his promises?
26:2 For
he
saith in a certain place, And thou shalt raise me up, and I will give thanks unto
thee; and
again: I slumbered and slept; I arose up because thou art with me.
26:3 And
again Job saith, Thou shalt
raise up this my flesh, which hath suffered all these things.
CHAPTER 27
27:1 In
this hope, therefore, let our souls be bound unto him who is faithful
in his
promises and just in his judgments.
27:2 He who hath commanded men
not
to lie, much more shall he not lie; for nothing is impossible with God,
except
to lie.
27:3 Let our faith, therefore,
in
him be kindled afresh within us, and let us
consider
that all things are near unto him.
27:4 By
the
word of his majesty did he constitute all things, and by a word he is
able to
destroy them.
27:5 Who
shall say unto him, What hast thou done? or
who shall
resist the might of his strength? He will do all things when he willeth and as he willeth,
and
none of the things decreed by him shall pass away.
27:6 All
things are before him, and nothing hath escaped his counsel:
27:7 seeing that the heavens
declare
the glory of God, and the firmament showeth
the work
of his hands: day unto day uttereth
speech, and night
unto night proclaimeth knowledge; and
there is no
speech nor language where their voices are not heard.
CHAPTER 28
28:1 Since, therefore, all
things
are seen and heard of him, let us fear him and abandon the filthy
desires for
evil deeds, that we may be sheltered by his mercy from the judgments to
come.
28:2 For
whither can any of us fly from his mighty hand, and what world shall
receive
any of them that desert from him?
28:3 For
the scripture saith in a certain place,
Whither shall
I go, and where shall I conceal myself from thy face? If I ascend into
heaven,
thou art there; if I depart into the uttermost parts of the earth,
there is thy
right hand; if I shall make my bed in the abyss, there is thy Spirit.
28:4 Whither
then shall we depart, and where shall we fly from him that embraceth
all things?
CHAPTER 29
29:1 Let us,
therefore, approach him with holiness of spirit, lifting unto him pure
and
undefiled hands; loving the kind and compassionate Father who hath made
us a
part of his elect.
29:2 For
it
is thus written, When The Most High divided the nations, when he
dispersed the
sons of Adam, he settled the boundaries of the nations according to the
number
of the angels of God. The portion of the Lord was his people Jacob.
29:3 Israel was the measurement
of
his inheritance. And in another place he saith,
Behold the Lord taketh to himself a nation
from the
midst of the nations, even as a man taketh
the firstfruits of his threshingfloor;
and there shall go forth from that nation the Holy of Holies.
CHAPTER 30
30:1 Since, therefore, we are a
portion of the Holy One, let us do all such things as pertain unto
holiness,
avoiding evil-speaking, foul and impure embraces, drunkenness,
disorderliness,
abominable desires, detestable adultery, execrable pride;
30:2 for God, he saith,
resisteth the proud, but giveth
grace unto the humble.
30:3 Let
us
cleave, therefore, to them to whom grace has been given from God. Let
us clothe
ourselves with concord, being humble, temperate, keeping ourselves far
from all
whispering and evil speaking, justified by our deeds, and not by our
words.
30:4 For
he
saith, He who saith
many
things shall, in return, hear many things. Doth he that is eloquent
think
himself to be just?
30:5 -- doth he that is born of
woman and liveth but for a short time
think himself
to be blessed? Be not abundant in speech.
30:6 Let our praise be in God,
and
not for ourselves, for God hateth
the self-praisers.
30:7 Let the testimony of right
actions be given us from others, even as it was given to our fathers
who were
just.
30:8 Audacity, self-will, and
boldness belong to them who are accursed of God; but moderation,
humility, and
meekness, to them that are blessed of God.
CHAPTER 31
31:1 Let
us
cleave, therefore, to his blessing, and let us see what are the ways of
blessing. Let us consult the records of the things that happened from
the
beginning.
31:2 On
what account was our father Abraham blessed? Was it not that he wrought
righteousness and truth through faith?
31:3 Isaac, with confidence,
knowing
the future, willingly became a sacrifice.
31:4 Jacob, with humility,
flying
from his brother, went out from his own land and journeyed unto Laban and served as a slave, and there were
given unto him
the twelve tribes of Israel.
CHAPTER 32
32:1 If
any
one will consider these things with sincerity and one by one, he will
recognize
the magnificence of the gifts that were given by him.
32:2 For from Jacob came the priests and all the Levites that serve
the altar of
God. From him came our Lord Jesus Christ according to the flesh; from
him came
the kings and rulers and governors of the tribe of Judah; and the
remainder of
his tribes are of no small glory, since God hath promised, Thy seed
shall be as
the stars of heaven.
32:3 All
these, therefore, have been glorified and magnified, not through
themselves or
through their works, or through the righteousness that they have done,
but
through his will.
32:4 And we who through his
will
have been called in Christ Jesus are justified, not by ourselves, or
through
our wisdom or understanding or godliness, or the works that we have
done in
holiness of heart, but by faith, by which all men from the beginning
have been
justified by Almighty God, to whom be glory world without end. Amen.
CHAPTER 33
33:1 What,
then, shall we do, brethren? Shall we cease from well-doing, and
abandon
charity? May the Master never allow that this should happen to us! but let us rather with diligence and zeal hasten
to fulfil every good work.
33:2 For the Maker and Lord of
all
things rejoiceth in his works.
33:3 By
his
supreme power he founded the heavens, and by his incomprehensible
understanding
he ordered them. The earth he separated from the water that surrounded
it, and
fixed it on the firm foundation of his own will. The animals which
inhabit
therein he commanded to be by his ordinance. Having made beforehand the
sea and
the animals that are therein, he shut them in by his own power.
33:4 Man, the most excellent of
all
animals, infinite in faculty, he moulded
with his
holy and faultless hands, in the impress of his likeness.
33:5 For
thus saith God: Let us make man in our own
image, and
after our own likeness. And God made man. Male and female made he them.
33:6 When,
therefore, he had finished all things, he praised and blessed them, and
said,
Be fruitful, and multiply.
33:7 Let us see, therefore, how
all
the just have been adorned with good works. Yea, the Lord himself
rejoiced when
he had adorned himself with his works.
33:8 Having, therefore, this
example, let us come in without shrinking to his will; let us work with
all our
strength the work of righteousness.
CHAPTER 34
34:1 The
good workman receiveth boldly the bread of
his labour, but the slothful and remiss looketh
not his employer in the face.
34:2 It is therefore right that
we
should be zealous in well-doing, for from Him are all things;
34:3 for he telleth
us beforehand, Behold the Lord cometh, and his reward is before his
face, to
give to every one according to his work.
34:4 He exhorteth
us, therefore, with this reward in view, to strive with our whole heart
not to
be slothful or remiss towards every good work.
34:5 Let our glorying and our
confidence be in him; let us submit ourselves to his will; let us
consider the
whole multitude of his angels, how they stand by and serve his will.
34:6 For
the scripture saith, Ten thousand times
ten thousand
stood beside him, and thousands of thousands served him; and they
cried, Holy,
holy, holy Lord of Sabaoth! all
creation is full of his glory.
34:7 And let us, being gathered
together in harmony and a good conscience, cry earnestly, as it were
with one
mouth, unto him, that we may become partakers of his great and glorious
promises;
34:8 for he saith,
Eye hath not seen, and ear hath not heard, neither hath there entered
into the
heart of man, what things he hath prepared for them that wait for him.
CHAPTER 35
35:1 Behold, beloved, how
blessed
and wonderful are the gifts of God
35:2 -- life in immortality,
cheerfulness in righteousness, truth in liberty, faith in confidence,
temperance in sanctification; and all these things have already come
within our
cognizance.
35:3 What
therefore
are the things that are prepared for them that abide in patience? The
Maker and
Father of the worlds, the all-holy one, he knoweth
how many and how beautiful they are.
35:4 Let us,
therefore, strive to be found in the number of them that await him,
that we may
partake of the promised gifts.
35:5 And
how will this be, beloved? If our mind be established by faith toward
God; if
we seek out what is pleasant and acceptable in his sight; if we perform
such
things as harmonize with his blameless will, and follow in the way of
truth,
casting from us all unrighteousness and lawlessness, covetousness,
strife,
malice and fraud, whispering and evil speaking, hatred of God, pride
and
insolence, vainglory and churlishness.
35:6 For
they who do these things are hateful unto God, and not only they who do
them,
but also they who have pleasure in them that do them.
35:7 For
the scripture saith: But unto the sinner
God hath
said, Why dost thou speak of my ordinances, and takest
my covenant in thy mouth:
35:8 but thou hast
hated instruction and hast cast my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief thou wentest
with
him, and hast cast in thy portion with the adulterers; thy mouth hath
abounded
with evil, and thy tongue hath contrived deceit. Thou satest
and spakest against thy brother, and hast
slandered
the son of thy mother.
35:9 This
hast thou done, and I kept silence. Thou thoughtest,
O wicked one, that I was like unto thee;
35:10 but I will convict thee,
and
set thyself before thee.
35:11 Consider
this, ye who forget God, lest he seize you as a lion, and there be none
to save
you.
35:12 The
sacrifice of praise shall honour me; and
there is the
way by which I will show him the salvation of God.
CHAPTER 36
36:1 This
is
the way, beloved, in which we found our salvation; even Jesus Christ,
the high
priest of our oblations, the champion and defender of our weakness.
36:2 Through him we look
steadfastly
to the heights of the heavens; through him we behold, as in a glass,
the
immaculate and lofty countenance of God the Father; through him the
eyes of our
heart were opened; through him our foolish and darkened understanding springeth up again to his marvellous
light; through him the Lord hath willed us to taste of immortal
knowledge; who,
being the brightness of his glory, is so far better than the angels, as
he
hath, by inheritance, obtained a more excellent name than they.
36:3 For
it
is thus written: Who maketh his angels
spirits, his
ministers a flame of fire.
36:4 But of his Son the Lord
hath
thus said: Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and
I will
give thee the heathen for thine
inheritance, and the
uttermost parts of the world for thy possession.
36:5 And,
again, he saith unto him: Sit on my right
hand until
I make thy enemies thy footstool.
36:6 Who
then are the enemies? Even the wicked, and
they who
resist the will of God.
CHAPTER 37
37:1 Let us, therefore, men and
brethren, carry on our warfare with all earnestness in his faultless
ordinances.
37:2 Let us consider those who
fight
under our rulers, how orderly and obediently and submissively they
perform what
is commanded them.
37:3 All are not prefects, or
commanders of thousands, or commanders of hundreds, or commanders of
fifties,
or such-like; but each in his own rank performeth
what has been ordered by the king or the commanders.
37:4 The
great cannot exist without the small, nor the small without the great.
There is
a certain mixture in all things, and from thence ariseth
their use.
37:5 Let us
take, for example, our body; the head is nothing without the feet, nor
the feet
without the head. The smallest members of the body are necessary and
useful to
the whole body, and all unite and work with harmonious obedience for
the
preservation of the whole body.
CHAPTER 38
38:1 Let,
therefore, our whole body be saved in Christ Jesus, and let each be
subject to
his neighbour, according to the gift which
he hath
received.
38:2 Let
not the strong man despise the weak, and let the weak pay regard to the
strong.
Let him that is rich minister to him that is poor. Let him that is poor
praise
God that he hath given unto him one by whom his want may be supplied.
Let the
wise show his wisdom, not in words, but in good deeds; let him that is
humble not
bear witness to himself, but leave another to bear witness to him. Let
him that
is pure in the flesh boast not of it, knowing that it is another that giveth him the power of continence.
38:3 Let us consider, brethren,
of
what matter we are made, of what sort and who we are that have come
into the
world, as it were out of the tomb and darkness. He that made and
fashioned us
hath brought us into this world, having prepared beforehand his
benefactions,
even before we were born.
38:4 Having, therefore, all
these
things from him, we ought in all respects to give thanks unto him, to whom be glory world without end. Amen.
CHAPTER 39
39:1 The
senseless and unwise, the foolish and unruly, make a mock of us,
wishing to
exalt themselves in their own imagination.
39:2 For
what can a mortal do? or what strength hath
he that is
born of earth?
39:3 For
it
is written, There was no form before my eyes, only I heard a breath and
a
voice.
39:4 For
what? shall a mortal be pure before the
Lord? or is a man blameless from his works?
seeing
that he putteth no trust in his servants,
and beholdeth somewhat of iniquity in his
angels;
39:5 yea,
the heaven is not pure in his sight. Away, ye who dwell in houses of
clay, of
whom are we also even of the same clay. He hath smitten them even as it
were a moth, and in a single day they are no
more. Because
they could not help themselves they perished:
39:6 he blew among them, and
they
died, because they had no wisdom.
39:7 Call, now, and see if
there is
any one that will obey thee, if thou shalt
behold any
of the holy angels. For anger destroyeth
the fool, and envy putteth him to death
that is gone
out of the way.
39:8 I
have
beheld the foolish casting forth roots, but straightway his habitation
was
eaten up.
39:9 Let his sons be far from
safety, let them be mocked at the gates of their inferiors, and there
shall be
none to deliver them. For that which had been prepared for them the
just shall
eat, and they shall not be delivered out of their troubles.
CHAPTER 40
40:1 Since,
therefore, these things have been made manifest before unto us, and
since we
have looked into the depths of the divine knowledge, we ought to do
everything
in order, whatsoever the Lord hath commanded us to do at the appointed
seasons,
and to perform the offerings and liturgies.
40:2 These
he hath not commanded to be done at random or in disorder, but at fixed
times
and seasons.
40:3 But when and by whom he wisheth them to be fulfilled he himself hath
decided by his
supreme will; that all things, being done piously, according to his
good
pleasure, might be acceptable to his will.
40:4 They,
therefore, who at the appointed seasons make their offerings are
acceptable and
blessed; for while following the laws of the Master they do not
completely sin.
40:5 For
to
the High Priest were assigned special services, and to the priests a
special
place hath been appointed; and on the Levites special duties are
imposed. But
he that is a layman is bound by the ordinances of laymen.
CHAPTER 41
41:1 Let each of you, brethren,
in
his own order, give thanks unto God,
continuing in a
good conscience, not transgressing the fixed rule of his ministry, with
all
gravity.
41:2 Not in every place,
brethren,
are sacrifices offered continually, either in answer to prayer, or
concerning
sin and neglect, but in Jerusalem only; and even there the offering is
not made
in every place, but before the temple in the court of the altar, after
that
which is offered has been diligently examined by the high priest and
the appointed
ministers.
41:3 They,
therefore, who do anything contrary to that which is according to his
will have
for their punishment death.
41:4 Ye
see, brethren, by as much as we have been thought worthy of greater
knowledge,
by so much the more are we exposed to danger.
CHAPTER 42
42:1 The Apostles received for
us
the gospel from our Lord Jesus Christ; our Lord Jesus Christ received
it from
God.
42:2 Christ, therefore, was
sent out
from God, and the Apostles from Christ; and both these things were done
in good
order, according to the will of God.
42:3 They, therefore, having
received the promises, having been fully persuaded by the resurrection
of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and having been confirmed by the word of God, with
the full
persuasion of the Holy Spirit, went forth preaching the good tidings
that the
kingdom of God was at hand.
42:4 Preaching, therefore,
through
the countries and cities, they appointed their firstfruits
to be bishops and deacons over such as should believe, after they had
proved them
in the Spirit.
42:5 And this they did in no
new
way, for in truth it had in long past time been written concerning
bishops and
deacons; for the scripture, in a certain place, saith
in this wise: I will establish their bishops in righteousness, and
their
deacons in faith.
CHAPTER 43
43:1 And
wherein is it wonderful, if they who, in Christ, were entrusted by God
with
this work appointed the aforesaid officers? since
even
the blessed Moses, the faithful servant in all his house, signified in
the
sacred books all the things that were commanded unto him, whom also the
prophets have followed, bearing witness together to the laws which were
appointed by him.
43:2 For he, when a strife
arose
concerning the priesthood, and when the tribes contended which of them
should
be adorned with that glorious name, commanded the twelve chiefs of the
tribes
to bring to him rods, each inscribed with the name of a tribe; and when
he had
taken them, he bound them together, and sealed them with the seals of
the heads
of the tribes, and laid them up on the table of God, in the tabernacle
of the
testimony.
43:3 And
when he had closed the tabernacle, he sealed the keys, and likewise the
rods,
43:4 and said unto them, Men
and
brethren, of whatever tribe the rod shall bud, this hath God chosen to
be his
priest, and to serve him.
43:5 And when morning was come,
he
called together all Israel, even six hundred thousand men, and showed
unto the
heads of the tribes the seals, and opened the tabernacle of the
testimony and
brought forth the rods, and the rod of Aaron was found not only to have
budded,
but also bearing fruit.
43:6 What
think ye, beloved? did not Moses know
beforehand that
this was about to happen? Most assuredly did he know it.
But, that there might be no disorder in
CHAPTER 44
44:1 Our Apostles, too, by the
instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ, knew that strife would arise
concerning
the dignity of a bishop;
44:2 and on this account,
having
received perfect foreknowledge, they appointed the above-mentioned as
bishops
and deacons: and then gave a rule of succession, in order that, when
they had
fallen asleep, other men, who had been approved, might succeed to their
ministry.
44:3 Those who were thus
appointed
by them, or afterwards by other men of good repute, with the consent of
the
whole Church, who have blamelessly ministered to the flock of Christ
with
humility, quietly, and without illiberality, and who for a long time
have
obtained a good report from all, these, we think, have been unjustly
deposed
from the ministry.
44:4 For
it
will be no small sin in us if we depose from the office of bishop those
who
blamelessly and piously have made the offerings.
44:5 Happy are the presbyters
who
finished their course before, and died in mature age after they had
borne
fruit; for they do not fear lest any one should remove them from the
place
appointed for them.
44:6 For
we
see that ye have removed some men of honest conversation from the
ministry,
which had been blamelessly and honourably
performed
by them.
CHAPTER 45
45:1 Ye
are
contentious, brethren, and are zealous concerning things that pertain
not unto
salvation.
45:2 Look
diligently into the scriptures, which are the true sayings of the Holy
Spirit.
45:3 Ye
know how that nothing unjust or corrupt hath been written in them; for
ye will
not in them find the just expelled by holy men.
45:4 The just were persecuted,
but
it was by the lawless; they were thrown into prison, but it was by the
unholy;
they were stoned, but it was by sinners; they were slain, but it was by
wicked
men, even by those who had taken up an unjust envy against them.
45:5 They,
therefore, when they suffered all these things, suffered them with a
good
report.
45:6 For
what shall we say, brethren? was it by
those that
feared God that Daniel was cast into the den of lions?
45:7 Was
it
by those who practised the magnificent and
glorious
worship of the Most High that Ananias, Azarias, and Misael,
were shut up
in the fiery furnace? Let us not suppose that such was the case. Who,
then,
were the men who did these things? Abominable men and full of all
wickedness
were inflamed to such a degree of wrath that they cast into tortures
those who,
with a holy and a blameless purpose, served God, not knowing that the
Most High
is a champion and defender of those who with a pure conscience serve
his most
excellent name, to whom be glory world without end. Amen.
45:8 But they, abiding
steadfastly
in their confidence, have inherited honour
and glory,
and have both been exalted and made beautiful by God, in the memory
that is
made of them world without end. Amen.
CHAPTER 46
46:1 To
such examples ought we also to cleave, brethren.
46:2 For
it
is written, Cleave unto them that are holy, for they that cleave unto
them
shall be made holy.
46:3 And
again, in another place he saith, With the
guiltless
man thou shalt be guiltless, and with the
excellent
thou shalt be excellent, and with him that
is crooked
thou shalt be perverse.
46:4 Let us,
therefore, cleave to the guiltless and the just, for they are the elect
of God.
46:5 Why are there strivings,
and
anger, and division, and war among you?
46:6 Have we not one God and
one
Christ? Is not the Spirit of grace, which was poured out upon us, one?
Is not
our calling one in Christ?
46:7 Why do we tear apart and
rend
asunder the members of Christ, and make sedition against our body, and
come to
such a degree of madness that we forget we are members one of another?
Remember
the words of our Lord Jesus,
46:8 for he said, Woe unto that
man;
it were good for him if he had never been born, rather than that he
should
cause one of my elect to offend. It were better for him that a
millstone were
tied about him, and that he were cast into the sea, rather than that he
should
cause one of my little ones to offend.
46:9 This
your schism has perverted many; hath cast many into despondency; many
into
doubt; all of us into grief, and, as yet, your sedition remaineth.
CHAPTER 47
47:1 Take
into your hands the epistle of the blessed Apostle Paul.
47:2 What
did he first write unto you in the beginning of his gospel?
47:3 Of
a
truth, he warned you spiritually, in a letter, concerning himself, and
concerning Cephas and Apollos,
because even then there were factions among you;
47:4 but the faction of that
time
brought less sin upon you; for ye inclined unto Apostles of good
repute, and
unto a man approved among them.
47:5 But
now consider who they are that have perverted you, and have diminished
the
glory of your famous brotherly love.
47:6 Disgraceful, brethren,
yea,
very disgraceful is it, and unworthy of the conduct which is in Christ,
that it
should be reported that the most firm and ancient Church of the
Corinthians
hath, on account of one or two persons, made sedition against its
presbyters.
47:7 And
this report came not only unto us, but also unto the Gentiles, who go
not with
us. So that ye heap blasphemies on the name of the
Lord
through your folly, and withal cause danger to yourselves.
CHAPTER 48
48:1 Let us, therefore, remove
this
thing as quickly as possible, and let us fall before the feet of the
Master,
and beseech him with tears, that he will have mercy and be reconciled
unto us,
and restore us again to the grave and pure conversation of brotherly
love.
48:2 For
this is a gate of righteousness opened unto life, as it is written,
Open unto
me the gates of righteousness; I will go in unto them, and give thanks
unto the
Lord:
48:3 this is the gate of the
Lord;
the righteous shall enter thereby.
48:4 Now,
since many gates have been opened, the gate of righteousness is that
which is
in Christ. Happy are all they that enter therein, and who keep their
path
straight in holiness and righteousness, quietly performing all their
duties.
48:5 If
a
man be faithful, if he be mighty to expound knowledge, if he be wise in
the
interpretation of words, if he be pure in his deeds,
48:6 by so much the more ought
he to
be humble, and by as much as he seemeth to
be
greater, by so much the more ought he to seek the common advantage of all, and not of himself alone.
CHAPTER 49
49:1 Let him that hath the love
which is in Christ keep the commandments of Christ.
49:2 Who
can describe sufficiently the bond of the love of God?
49:3 Who
is
sufficient to speak as he ought of the excellence of its beauty?
49:4 The
height to which love leads up is unspeakable.
49:5 Love
joineth us unto God; love hideth
a multitude of sins; love beareth all
things; is long
suffering in all things. In love there is nothing illiberal, nothing
haughty.
Love hath no schism; love maketh not
sedition; love
doth all things in harmony; in love all the elect of God have been made
perfect. Without love nothing is acceptable unto God.
49:6 In
love, our Master hath taken us to himself. Through the love that he
hath for
us, Jesus Christ our Lord hath given his blood for us, by the will of
God, his
flesh for our flesh, his soul for our soul.
CHAPTER 50
50:1 Ye
see, brethren, how great and wonderful a thing love is, and how there
is no
describing its perfection.
50:2 Who
is
sufficient to be found in it, except those whom God shall have deemed
worthy?
Let us pray, therefore, and ask from his mercy that we may live in
love,
without human partiality, blameless.
50:3 All
the generations, from Adam even unto this day, are gone by; but they
who have
been made perfect in love according to the grace of God inhabit the
abode of
the pious, and shall be made manifest in the visitation of the
50:4 For
it
is written, Enter into the secret chambers but a little while, until my
anger
and wrath be passed, and I will remember the good day, and will raise
you up
from your sepulchres.
50:5 Blessed
are we, beloved, if we do the commandments of God in the harmony of
love, so
that through love our sins may be forgiven us.
50:6 For
it
is written, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose
sins are
covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth
not sin, and in whose mouth there is no guile.
50:7 This
blessedness cometh unto them who are elect by God, through Jesus Christ
our
Lord, to whom be glory world without end. Amen.
CHAPTER 51
51:1 Whatever
errors, therefore, we have committed through the assaults of the
adversary, let
us for these ask pardon; and they who have been leaders of the sedition
and
division ought to consider the common ground of our hope.
51:2 For they who have their
conversation
in fear and love wish that they themselves, rather than their neighbours, should fall into suffering; and
would rather
that themselves should undergo condemnation, than that the harmony
which hath
been honourably and justly handed down to
us should do
so.
51:3 For it is better that a
man
should make confession concerning his sins, than that he should harden
his
heart, even as the heart of them was hardened who made sedition against
Moses
the servant of God; whose condemnation was manifest,
51:4 for they went down alive
into hell, and death swallowed them up.
51:5 Pharaoh and his army, and
all
the leaders of Egypt, their chariots and their riders, through no other
cause
were sunk in the Red Sea, and perished there, than through the
hardening of
their foolish hearts, after that the signs and wonders happened in
Egypt
through the hand of Moses the servant of God.
CHAPTER 52
52:1 The Lord of all things,
brethren, is in need of naught; neither requireth
he
anything of any one, except to confess unto him.
52:2 For
the elect David saith, I will confess unto
the Lord,
and that shall please him more than a young calf that putteth
forth horns and hoofs. Let the poor behold and rejoice thereat.
52:3 And
again he saith, Offer unto the Lord the
sacrifice of
praise: pay thy vows unto the Most High. And call upon me in the day of
thy
affliction, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt
glorify me.
52:4 For
the sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit.
CHAPTER 53
53:1 Ye
know, beloved, and know well, the sacred scriptures, and have looked
into the
oracles of God; call, therefore, these things to remembrance.
53:2 For, when Moses had gone
up
into the mount, and had tarried there forty days and forty nights in
fasting
and humiliation, the Lord said unto him, Moses, Moses, get thee down
quickly
hence, for thy people, whom thou broughtest
out of
the land of Egypt, have wrought iniquity. They have gone astray quickly
out of
the way that thou commandest them, and
have made unto
themselves molten images.
53:3 And the Lord said unto
him, I
have spoken unto thee once and twice, saying, I have beheld this
people, and,
lo, it is a stiffnecked people. Let me
alone, that I
may destroy them, and I will wipe out their name from under heaven, and
make of
thee a nation great and wonderful, and far more numerous than they.
53:4 And Moses said, Be it far
from
thee, O Lord. Forgive this people their sin, or wipe my name also out
of the
book of the living.
53:5 Oh, the great love! Oh,
the
unsurpassable perfection! The servant is bold towards the Lord: he asketh remission for the people, or demands
otherwise that
he himself should be destroyed together with them.
CHAPTER 54
54:1 Who
among you is noble? who is compassionate? who is filled with love?
54:2 Let him speak in this
wise: If
through me sedition and strife arise, I will depart, I will go away
whithersoever ye will, and I will do that which is commanded by the
majority,
only let the flock of Christ be at peace together with the appointed
presbyters.
54:3 He who doeth this shall
gain
for himself great glory in the Lord, and every place shall receive him;
for the
earth is the Lord's, and the fulness
thereof.
54:4 These
things have they done who are citizens of the
CHAPTER 55
55:1 But, to bring forward
examples
from the Gentiles, also many kings and leaders, when a time of
pestilence had
arisen, being warned by oracles, gave themselves
unto
death, that they might deliver their citizens by their blood. Many went
out
from their own cities, that there might be no more sedition therein.
55:2 We
know that many among us gave themselves up unto bonds, that they might
deliver
others. Many have given themselves up unto slavery, and, having
received their
own price, have therewith fed others.
55:3 Many
women, waxing strong through the grace of God, have performed many
manly deeds.
55:4 The
blessed Judith, when the city was besieged, asked of the elders that
she should
be permitted to go forth into the camp of the aliens.
55:5 She
therefore delivered herself unto danger, and went out through love of
her
country and of her people, who were besieged. And the Lord delivered Olophernes into the hands of a woman.
55:6 To no smaller danger did
Esther, being perfect in faith, expose herself, that she might deliver
the
twelve tribes of Israel, who were about to perish. For by fasting and
humiliation she besought the Master, who overlooketh
all things, the God of Ages, who, seeing the humiliation of her soul,
delivered
the people for whose sake she put herself in jeopardy.
CHAPTER 56
56:1 Let us, therefore, pray
for
those who have fallen into any transgression, that moderation and
humility may
be given unto them, to the end that they should submit themselves, I do
not say
unto us, but unto the will of God; for so shall they obtain a fruitful
and
perfect remembrance and compassion before God and his saints.
56:2 Let us accept, brethren,
that
discipline at which no one needeth to be
offended.
The admonition which we make one toward another is good and useful
exceedingly,
for it joineth us unto the will of God.
56:3 For
thus speaketh the holy word: The Lord hath
chastened
me with chastisements, but he hath not given me over unto death.
56:4 For
whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth,
and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
56:5 The
righteous shall chastise me in pity and shall rebuke me, but let not
the oil of
sinners anoint mine head.
56:6 And
again he saith: Blessed is the man whom
the Lord hath
rebuked; refuse not thou the admonition of the Almighty, for he maketh thee to grieve, and again he restoreth
thee;
56:7 he hath smitten,
and his hands have healed thee;
56:8 six times shall he deliver
thee
from calamity, and the seventh time evil
shall not
touch thee.
56:9 In
the
time of famine he shall deliver thee from death, in war he shall redeem
thee
from the hand of iron.
56:10 From
the scourge of the tongue shall he hide thee, and thou shalt
not be afraid when evils approach.
56:11 The
unjust and the sinner shalt thou laugh to
scorn;
56:12 and of the wild beasts
thou shalt not be afraid, for the wild
beasts shall be at peace
with thee.
56:13 Then shalt
thou know that thy house shall be at peace; the habitation of thy
tabernacle
shall not fail.
56:14 Thou
shalt know that thy seed is abundant, thy
children like all
the herb of the field.
56:15 Thou shalt
come to thy tomb like a ripe ear of corn reaped in due season, like the
heap of
a threshing-floor that is gathered at its proper time.
56:16 Ye
see, beloved, that there is a protection for them that are chastened by
the
Master, for God chasteneth us because he
is good, to
the end that we should be admonished by his holy discipline.
CHAPTER 57
57:1 Do ye, therefore, that
have
laid the foundation of the sedition submit yourselves to the
presbyters, and be
chastised to repentance, bending the knees of your hearts.
57:2 Learn to submit
yourselves,
laying aside the vain and haughty self-will of your tongues; for it is
better
that you should be small and approved in the flock of Christ, rather
than that,
seeming to be superior to others, ye should be cast out of his hope.
57:3 For
thus saith the most excellent Wisdom,
Behold, I will
send upon you the language of my Spirit; I will teach you my word.
57:4 Since I called and ye did
not
hearken, and prolonged my words, and ye attended not, but made my
counsels of
none effect, and were not obedient to my reproofs, therefore I will
laugh at
your destruction, I will exult when desolation cometh upon you; when
perturbation hath suddenly come upon you, and ruin is at hand like a
whirlwind,
when tribulation and oppression cometh upon you.
57:5 For
the
time shall come when ye shall call upon me, and I shall not hearken
unto you;
the wicked shall seek me, and shall not find me. They hated wisdom and
chose
not the fear of the Lord; they were not willing to attend to my
counsels, they
mocked at my rebukes.
57:6 Wherefore
they shall eat the fruits of their own way; they shall be filled with
their own
unrighteousness.
57:7 For
because they wronged the innocent they shall be slain, and judgment
shall
destroy the unrighteous; but he who hearkeneth
unto
me shall abide trusting in hope, and shall rest securely from all evil.
CHAPTER 58
58:1 Let us, therefore, submit
to
his all-holy and glorious name, and escape the threats that have been
before
spoken by Wisdom against the disobedient, that we may abide trusting in
the
most holy name of his greatness.
58:2 Accept
this our advice, and it will not be repented of by you. For as God liveth, and as the Lord Jesus Christ liveth,
and the Holy Spirit, the confidence and hope of the elect, he who observeth in humility with earnest obedience,
and repining
not, the ordinances and commands given by God, he shall be reckoned and
counted
in the number of them that are saved by Jesus Christ, through whom is
there to
him glory, world without end. Amen.
CHAPTER 59
59:1 But
if
some should be disobedient to the things spoken by him through us, let
them
know that they will entangle themselves in no small transgression and
danger,
59:2 but that we shall be
guiltless
of this sin; and we will ask, making with earnestness our prayer and
supplication, that the Maker of all things may keep uninjured in all
the world
the number of those that have been numbered as his elect, through his
beloved
Son, Jesus Christ, through whom he hath called us from darkness unto
light, and
from ignorance to a knowledge of the glory of his name.
59:3 That we may hope in thy
name,
which is the first of all things, open the eyes of our heart to know
thee, who
art alone highest among the highest, holy among the holy, who puttest down the haughtiness of the proud, who scatterest the reasonings of the Gentiles, who exaltest the humble on high, and lowerest
the lofty, who makest rich and makest
poor, who killest and makest
to live, the only benefactor of spirits, and God of all flesh, who lookest into the abysses, who beholdest
the works of men, who art the helper of those in danger, the saviour of those who have lost hope, who art the
maker and
bishop of every soul, who makest the
nations to
multiply upon earth, and out of all hast chosen those that love thee
through
Jesus Christ thy beloved Son, through whom thou hast taught us, hast
sanctified
us, hast honoured us.
59:4 We ask thee, Lord, to be
our
helper and assister, save those of us who are in affliction, have
compassion on
the humble, raise the fallen, appear to those who are in need, heal the
sinners, convert those of thy people who are wandering from the way,
feed the
hungry, ransom our prisoners, raise up the sick, encourage the
feeble-hearted,
let all the nations know that thou art God alone and Jesus Christ thy
Son, and
that we are thy people and the sheep of thy pasture.
CHAPTER 60
60:1 Thou hast made manifest
the
everlasting constitution of the world by the things that happen. Thou,
Lord,
who art faithful in all generations, hast founded the world; thou who
art just
in thy judgments, who art wonderful in strength and greatness; thou who
art
wise in creating and prudent in establishing the things that are made;
thou
that art good in the things that are seen and faithful among them that
trust
upon thee, merciful and compassionate, forgive us our transgressions
and unrighteousnesses, our sins and our negligences.
60:2 Take not into account
every sin
of thy servants and handmaids, but purify us with the purification of
thy
truth, and make straight our steps in holiness and righteousness and
singleness
of heart, that we may so walk and do such things as are right and well
pleasing
before thee, and before our rulers.
60:3 Yea,
Lord, cause thy face to appear to us in peace to our good, that we may
be sheltered
by thy mighty hand, and preserved from all sin by thy lofty arm, and
deliver us
from those that hate us unjustly.
60:4 Give unity and peace both
to us
and to all that dwell upon the earth, as thou gavest
to our fathers when they called upon thee with faith and truth, so that
we
should become obedient to thy all-powerful and most excellent name, and
to
those who rule and govern us upon the earth.
CHAPTER 61
61:1 Thou, Lord, hast given the
authority of the kingdom to them through thy almighty and unspeakable
power, so
that we, knowing the estimation and honour
given to
them by thee, might submit ourselves to them, in no way opposing thy
will; to
whom give, O Lord, health, peace, concord, stability, so that they may
discharge the rule given unto them by thee without offence;
61:2 for
thou,
heavenly Lord, everlasting King, givest to
the sons
of men glory and honour and authority over
the things
that are upon the earth. Do
thou, Lord, direct their counsel according to what is good and
pleasing before thee, that, fulfilling with peace and meekness and
piety the
authority given unto them by thee, they may obtain mercy from thee.
61:3 Thou who alone art able to
do
these and greater good things among us, to thee do we give thanks
through the
high priest and protector of our souls, Jesus Christ, through whom to
thee be
the glory and majesty, now and to all generations, world without end.
Amen.
CHAPTER 62
62:1 Concerning
the things that pertain to our religion, and the things that are most
useful to
a virtuous life, for those who are willing to live piously and
righteously, we
have sufficiently charged you, men and brethren.
62:2 For we have handled every
argument concerning faith and repentance, and genuine love and
temperance, and
moderation and patience, reminding you that ye must by righteousness
and truth
and long-suffering approve yourselves with piety to almighty God, being
of one
mind, without malice, in love and peace with earnest obedience, even as
our
fathers, who were beforementioned,
approved themselves
with humility both with regard to God the Father and Creator and to all
men.
62:3 And these things have we
so
much the more gladly put you in mind of, inasmuch as we knew plainly
that we
wrote unto men who are faithful and of high repute, and who have looked
into
the oracles of the instruction of God.
CHAPTER 63
63:1 It
is
right, therefore, that those who have attended to so great and so many
examples
should submit their necks, and fill the place of obedience, so that
being at
peace from the vain sedition we may attain, without any blame, to the
end set
before us in truth.
63:2 For joy and rejoicing will
ye
afford us if, becoming obedient to the things that have been written by
us, ye
put an end, by the suggestion of the Holy Spirit, to the unlawful wrath
of your
discord, according to the supplication which we have made concerning
peace and
unity in this epistle.
63:3 But we have also sent unto
you
men who are faithful and prudent, who from youth up to old age have
behaved
blamelessly among us, who also will be witnesses between yourselves and
us;
63:4 and this we have done that
ye
may know that our whole thought has been and is
this,
that ye may speedily be at peace among yourselves.
CHAPTER 64
64:1 Finally, my God, who overlooketh all things, who is the Master of
spirits and
Lord of all flesh, who hath chosen our Lord Jesus Christ, and us
through him to
be a peculiar people, give unto every soul that is called after his
glorious and
holy name, faith, fear, peace, patience, long-suffering, continence,
purity,
sobriety, to the well-pleasing of his name, through our high priest and
protector, Jesus Christ, through whom be ascribed unto him glory and
greatness,
strength and honour, both now and world
without end.
Amen.
CHAPTER 65
65:1 See that ye send back
quickly
unto us in peace and with joy Claudius Ephebus
and Valerius Bito,
together also with
Fortunatus, who were sent unto you from us,
that they
may the more quickly bring us news of your peace and order, which we
pray for
and desire, so that we may the sooner have joy concerning your good
order.
65:2 The grace of our Lord
Jesus
Christ be with you, and with all who everywhere are called of God
through him,
to whom through him be glory, honour,
might, majesty,
and eternal dominion, world without end. Amen.
END OF 1 CLEMENT
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