XLV. I have now put down from St. Clement what is proper for confirming the antiquity and genuineness of the books of the New Testament. I have omitted divers lesser matters, that might be taken notice of; but I have endeavoured to select the most remarkable. I have also omitted some passages, because they might be supposed equally, if not rather, to refer to some text in the Old, than the New Testament. And where I have alleged any passages that contain any words of the Old Testament, as well as the New, I have marked them, as I have gone along.

In the passages I have alleged, the references or allusions are not all equally clear. But I think the sum of the testimony of Clement to the scriptures of the New Testament, does amount to thus much.

The first epistle to the Corinthians is expressly ascribed to Paul. Words of our blessed Lord, found in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are recommended with a high degree of respect, but without the names of the evangelists. And though, as I have already owned, all these passages are not equally important or clear; yet I think they are such as deserve to be considered, whether they are not allusions (beside the evangelists) to the Acts of the Apostles; the epistle of Paul to the Romans; both the epistles to the Corinthians; the epistles to the Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians; the first to the Thessalonians; first and second to Timothy, to Titus, the epistle to the Hebrews, the epistle of James, and the first and second of Peter: but

all without any name, or so much as a mark of citation. Among these books, the references and allusions to some are manifest, and I think undeniable: as those to the epistle to the Romans, and the first to the Corinthians. I should likewise willingly place here the epistle to the Hebrews, as certainly alluded to, were it not for those considerations above mentioned at Numb. XXXVI. and for one more, which I shall now mention. Eusebius and St. Jeroma inform us, that the church of Rome in their time did not receive the epistle to the Hebrews. This seems very much to weaken the supposition, that Clement had often alluded to that epistle. For if the church of Rome in his time owned it as an epistle of Paul, or otherwise canonical; it would be somewhat difficult to conceive how they should afterwards reject it.

Mill however allows, that it appears from this epistle, that Clement had in his hands, not only our first three gospels, but also the Acts of the Apostles, and the epistle to the Romans, both the epistles to the Corinthians, and the epistle to the Hebrews.

And the testimony hereby given to the antiquity, genuineness, or authority of the books of the New Testament, is to be esteemed not only the testimony of Clement, but likewise of the church of Rome in his time. Moreover, it ought to be allowed, that the Corinthians likewise, to whom this epistle was sent, were acquainted with, and highly respected, the books quoted or alluded to.

I would also observe concerning this epistle, as I did before of that ascribed to Barnabas, that I have not perceived in it any quotations, or references to any of the apocryphal gospels, as they are called. Nor do I remember, that any of the passages of the gospel according to the Hebrews, or that according to the Egyptians, which have been collected by learned men from the writings of the ancient christians, are taken out of this epistle.

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The only exception to this must be, I think, the quotation at Numb. XXXVII. Let that be far from us which is written, "Miserable are the double minded." But if he does not intend the epistle of St. James, nor the second of St. Peter; still I apprehend it most likely, that he does not refer to any apocryphal book of the New Testament, but to some writing of the Old Testament, either canonical or apocryphal; the rather, because the same words are quoted in the fragment, called Clement's second epistle, 2 xi. • Ad Dardanum, ep. 129. ord. vulg. edit. Proleg. n. 140.

H. E. 1. 3. c. 3. Martian. T. 2. p.

608.

D

in this manner: "For the prophetic word says: Miserable are the double-minded"- -which was a common form of quotation among the ancient christians, when they intended the scriptures of the Old Testament.

CHAP. III.

A FRAGMENT CALLED ST. CLEMENT'S SECOND EPISTLE.

BESIDE the epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, there is a fragment of a piece called his second epistle: which being doubtful, or rather plainly not Clement's, I do not quote as his. I shall however, as I promised, give an account of the method of quoting the scriptures of the New Testament in this piece, which by some is thought not to be an epistle, but a discourse or sermon.

I. iv. Let us then not only call him Lord, for that will not save us. For he saith: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall be saved, but he that doth righteousness, "Matt. vii. 21. 'Wherefore if we should do such wicked things, the Lord hath said: Though ye should be joined unto me, even in my very bosom, and not keep my commandments, " I would cast you off," and say unto you: "I know ye not whence ye are, ye workers of iniquity," Matt. vii. 23. Luke xiii. 27.

II. Ch. ii. And another scripture saith: "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners," Matt. ix. 13.

III. Ch. v. For the Lord saith: "Ye shall be as sheep in the midst of wolves," [Matt. x. 16.] Peter answered and said: What if the wolves shall tear in pieces the sheep? Jesus said unto Peter, Let not the sheep fear the wolves after death. "And ye also fear not those that kill you, and after that have no more that they can do unto you: but fear him, who, after you are dead, has power to cast both soul

• Προφητικος λογος. Euseb. Comm. in Ps. p. 83. C. Δεικνυσιν ὁ προTIKOS Moyos. Theodoret. in Ps. lxxvii. v. 24. T. 1. p. 707. D. Sidaokel ToVEV ὁ προφητικός λόγος. Id. ad Ps. xxiv. v. 16. p. 721. D. Εν τω ψαλμῳ ο προφητικός λόγος. Ad. Ps. cv. p. 824. Α. et. passim. Περι ής το προφητικόν avevμa onor. Alex. Episcop. Alex. ap. Theod. H. E. 1. 1. c. 4. p. 12. C. o evayyeλikog λoyoç. Theod. in Es. cap. x. T. 2. p. 50. D. a Sed nec

-Et vero re

epistolæ formam servat secunda hæc, quæ dicitur, epistolacentiorem illam esse Clemente, et pro ejus didax? potius habendam, alibi ostendimus. Dodwell de Annis priorum Romæ Episcop. Diss. 2. c. vi. p. 202. Vid. et Diss. i. Iren. sect. 29, &c. Vid. et Grabe Spicil. P. i. p. 268.

and body into hell-fire." See Luke xii. 4, 5, and also Matt. x. 28.

IV. Ch. iii. For even he himself says: "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father." See Matt. x. 32.

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V. Ch. viii. For so the Lord hath said: "They are my brethren, who do the will of my Father." See Matt. xii. 50. VI. Ch. viii. For the Lord saith in the gospel: "If ye have not kept that which was little, who will give you that which is great? For I say unto you: He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much." See Luke xvi. 10, 12.

VII. Ch. vi. For thus saith the Lord: "No servant can serve two masters." If therefore we shall desire to " serve God and Mammon," it will be no profit to us. [Luke xvi. 13, and Matt. vi. 24.]" For what shall it profit, if one gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" See Matt. xvi. 26.

VIII. Ch. i. This fragment begins thus: Brethren, we ought so to think of Jesus Christ as of God; as of the "judge of the quick and the dead." Where may be thought to be a reference to Acts x. 42. But as this character of Christ was a common article of every christian's belief, and may be found in other texts of the New Testament, that cannot, I think, be depended upon.

IX. Ch. vii. And yet all are not crowned, but they only that labour much, and strive gloriously,' comp. 2 Tim. ii, 5. In the same chapter, or section, seem to be divers allusions to 1 Cor. ix. 24, 25.

X. Ch. iii. but have by him been brought to the knowledge of the Father of truth. Whereby shall we show that we do know him [or what is the knowledge which is toward him,] but by not denying him, by whom we have come to the knowledge of him? Perhaps here is an allusion to 1 John iii. 19, or v. 20.

XI. Lastly, Ch. xii. near the conclusion of this fragment, are some words mentioned, as spoken by our Lord, which are not in our gospels, and are supposed to be taken out of an apocryphal writing, called the gospel according to the Egyptians which are to this purpose: The Lord himself being asked by some body, when his kingdom should 6 come, said: When two shall be one, and that which is 'without as that which is within, and the male with the 'female neither male nor female.'

XII. What we have to observe here is, that we have the

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gospels several times quoted in this fragment more expressly than in Clement's epistle to the Corinthians with such terms as these: He himself says:' The Lord saith:' Thus saith the Lord: Another scripture says:' and, 'The Lord saith in the gospel:' and that in a fragment not one fifth part so large as the forementioned epistle to the Corinthians. This is an internal character, that may confirm the account given by Eusebius, and the judgment of those modern critics, who have supposed it not to have the same author with the Epistle to the Corinthians, and to be of a later date. For which reason I may be the shorter in my remarks upon it: though it is undoubtedly ancient, written before the time of Eusebius, in the third century at the latest.

And as this piece has not Clement for its author, we have the less reason to be concerned about the apocryphal quotation just mentioned. For whenever that gospel was composed, this quotation can never prove it to be so ancient as our gospels, nor as Clement himself.

Mr. Jones has made divers just observations upon this fragment, and several of the passages here cited by me.

CHAP. IV.

HERMAS. HIS HISTORY.

THE antiquity of the book, called the Shepherd or Pastor of Hermas, is manifest and unquestionable from the quotations of it in Irenæus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, and others.

I must be as brief as I can in the testimonies I allege. Therefore referring to Cotelerius for the rest, I shall only put down those of Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History, and St. Jerom in his Catalogue of Illustrious Men; as representing very much the sense of the ancients before them, concerning the value of this book, as well as that of the christians of their own time.

Eusebiusb speaking of what are the genuine writings of Peter and Paul, adds: Forasmuch as the apostle, in the 'salutations at the end of his epistle to the Romans, makes

b See New and Full Method, &c. Vol. i. in the Appendix, p. 522-531. Patres Apost. vol. i. See also A. B. Wake's Preliminary Discourse, chap. viii. Cave Hist. Lit. Du Pin. Bibl. et Tillemont Mem. Eccles. T. ii. Part i. Fabric. Bib. Gr. T. v. p. 7, &c. H. E. 1. 3. c. 3. p. 72. C. D.