38 36 43 of his name, to hope in thy name, the author of every creature, having opened the eyes of our hearts that we may know thee, who only art most high among the highest, holy resting among the holy," who humblest the arrogance of the proud, who bringest to naught the desires of the nations," who settest the humble on high, and humblest the lofty, who enrichest and makest poor, who killest and makest alive," the only benefactor of spirits and God of all flesh," who lookest upon the depths," beholder of the works of men," helper of those in peril, saviour of those without hope, creator and guardian of every spirit," who increasest the nations on earth, and from them all hast chosen out them that love thee, through Jesus Christ, thy beloved Son, through whom thou hast taught us, sanctified us, honored us. We beseech thee, O, Lord, to be our helper and protector." Save those of us who are in tribulation, have mercy on the humble, lift up the fallen, appear to those in want, heal the ungodly, turn those of thy people who have gone astray; feed the hungering, deliver those of us who are in bonds, raise up the weak, comfort the faint-hearted ;" let all the nations know that thou alone art God," and Jesus Christ, thy Son, and we, thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture." 46 LX.-Thou hast made manifest the perpetual constitution of the world through thy workings50 thou, Lord, hast created the earth,51 who art faithful in all generations," just in judgments, marvelous in might and majesty, wise in creating, and prudent in establishing that which is created, good in the things which are seen," and faithful to them that trust in thee; O, thou, who art full of mercy and pity, forgive us our transgressions of thy law and our iniquities, and our trespasses and our faults." Impute not any sin of thy servants and handmaidens, but purify us with the purification of thy truth, and order our steps,56 that we may walk in holiness of heart," and do that which is good and well pleasing in thy sight," and in the sight of our rulers. Yea, Lord, make thy face to shine upon us for good59 in peace, that we may be covered with thy mighty hand, and delivered from every sin by thine uplifted arm, and deliver us from them that hate us unjustly. Give harmony and peace to us, and to all that dwell on the earth, as thou gavest to our fathers, when they called upon thee 35 Isa. lvii: 15 (lxx). 60 36 Isa. xiii: II. 38 Job v: 11; cf. Ezek. xv: 11, 24. 37 Ps. xxxiii (xxxii): 10. 39 1 Samuel ii: 7; cf. Deut. xxxii: 39. 41 Sirach xvii: 18 sq. 44 Job x: 12. 45 Judith ix: II. 46 ἀσεβεῖς. Gebhardt conjectures ἀσθενεῖς because all the rest of these prayers are for Christians. 47 1 Thess. v: 14. 50 Wisdom vii : 17. 48 1 Kings viii: 60. 49 Ps. lxxix (lxxviii) : 13. 51 Ps. lxxxix (lxxviii): 12. 52 Deut. vii: 9. 53 (cf. Ro. i: 20) opwμevo15, Harnack conjectures 6Coμévors, Gebhardt ὡρισμένοις, Hilgenfeld ερωμένοις. 54 Sirach ii: Iosq. 55 Numb. xiv: 18 (lxx). 57 1 Kings ix: 4. 56 Ps. cxix: (cxviii) 133. 59 Ps. lxvii lxvi): I. in faith and truth, becoming obedient to thine omnipotent and most excellent name. LXI. "To our rulers and governors upon the earth, thou, Lord, hast given the power of their kingdom, through thine excellent and unspeakable might, in order that we, recognizing the glory and honor given them by thee, may be subject unto them, in nothing withstanding thy will. Give to them, Lord, health, peace, harmony, well-being, in order that they may exercise the authority given them by thee without offence, for thou, heavenly Lord, eternal King," givest to the sons of men glory, and honor, and power, over that which is upon the earth. Order their counsels, Lord, according to that which is good and wellpleasing in thy sight," so that they, in peace and clemency, devoutly exercising the power given them by thee, may find thee gracious. Thou who alone art able to do these and yet more abundant good things among us, we confess to thee, through the high priest and patron of our souls, Jesus Christ, through whom to thee be glory and majesty, both now and from generation to generation, and for ever and ever. Amen. 64 65 LXII. Now, respecting those things which pertain to our religion, and are most useful for a virtuous life to those who wish to order (it) righteously and godly, we have written suitably to you, brethren. For, concerning faith and repentance, and sincere love and temperance, and sobriety and patience, we have touched upon every topic, putting you in remembrance, that by righteousness and truth and patience, ye ought in holiness to please God, being of one mind, forgetful of injuries, in love and peace, with unfailing gentleness, as also our fathers, of whom we have spoken, pleased (him), walking humbly before their Father and God and Creator, and all men. And the more gladly have we put you in remembrance of these things, since we knew certainly that we write to men faithful and most worthy, and who have looked deeply into the oracles of the instruction of God. 67 LXIII. Therefore, it is right for those succeeding to such and so great examples, to bow the neck, and to occupy again the place of obedience; in order that, ceasing from vain sedition, free from all blame, we may reach the goal set before us in truth. For ye shall cause joy and gladness to us, if, becoming obedient to those things which have been written by us, ye cast out through the Holy Spirit the lawless violence of your strife, according to the exhortation which we have made concerning peace and harmony in this epistle. But we have sent faithful and prudent men, who have lived blamelessly among us from youth to old age, who shall be witnesses between you and us. And this we have done, that ye may know that all our care has been and is that ye may speedily be at peace. 61 For the general subject of this chapter, cf. Ro. xiii: 1 sq; 1 Pet. ii: 13 sq. 17; 1 Tim. ii: I sq; Tit. iii: 1. 65 пάντα Tónov (sc. Bibliorum, Harnack, Bryennius). 64 Eph. iii: 23. 66 MS. εvxapiórεiv. Gebhardt, Harnack, Hilgenfeld, Evapεórεlv, an evi dent and necessary correction. 67 Literally most elect, ¿Mλoyiμwrάto15. 68 This fragment adds little that is essential to the Epistle, since it contains only the prayer, renewed exhortations to obedience, a general summary, and a commendation of the bearers of the letter. These messengers are called "men who have lived blamelessly among us from youth to old age," which indicates, if further proof be needed, that the Epistle belongs to the time of Domitian, not to the reign of Nero. It may be noted that Christ is called " Beloved Son" twice in the prayer (c. 59), and no where else in the Epistle; and that the doctrine of the Trinity is found in c. 58, where "God and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit," are designated "the faith and hope of the elect." But these chapters are chiefly remarkable, as showing the attitude and spirit of the Roman Church. It must be remembered, that the advice of Rome was wholly unasked and unsought by the Corinthians. The Epistle owes its existence simply to tidings, which, in some way, had reached the metropolis (c. 47), of a sedition in Corinth against the officers of the church, joined to the solicitude which those tidings awakened. We may find the Roman ideal of a Christian church sketched (c. 2) in speaking of the former condition of the church at Corinth. "Ye wrestled night and day (in prayer) in behalf of the whole brotherhood. Every faction and every schism was abominable to you. Ye grieved over the transgressions of your neighbors; their faults ye deemed your own." So we find the Roman Church here,69 assuming responsibility for the schism at Corinth, and sending men to be "witnesses between us and you," because "all our care has been, and is, that ye may speedily be at peace." Not only does the Roman Church consider its interference abundantly warranted, but it even urges its plea with divine authority. "Receive our counsel, and it shall not repent you, for he that humbly doeth God's commands shall be saved" (c. 58). "Ye shall cause joy to us if, becoming obedient to what we have written, ye cast out through the Holy Spirit the lawless violence of your strife.""" 68 Cf. the list of authorities for the later date, Par. Apost. opp., l. c., p. lix sq. 69 C. 59. But if any be disobedient, we shall be blameless, implying that the Roman church would have sinned had it not reminded the Corinthians of their duty. 7ο C. 63. υπήκοοι γενόμενοι τοῖς ὑφ ἡμῶν γεγραμμένοις διὰ του ἁγίου πνεύματος ἐκκόψητε κ. τ. λ. Jacobi suggests (Stud. und Krit. Here the Roman Church plainly regards its advice as virtually embodying God's commands to the Corinthians, and invokes the help of the Holy Spirit to assist them in obeying that advice. And this divine authority is explicitly asserted, c. 59: "But if any are disobedient to the words spoken by him (God) through us, let them know that they shall involve themselves in transgression and no small danger." This earnest sympathy and help in the difficulties of other churches; this Christian love, which never failed either in the "faithful wounds" of rebuke for spiritual failings, or in the liberal supply of temporal wants, seems to have been from the first peculiarly characteristic of the church at Rome. Already Rome has assumed a part in "the care of all the churches," and writes to Corinth in terms of the severest reproof, yet with rare wisdom and warm Christian love, such as Paul himself had exemplified. From its position in the world's capital the Roman Church early acquired a great importance and influence in the West, and the orderly, lawabiding Roman spirit soon made it powerful as an organization. Whatever the Roman Christians saw, they saw clearly; whatever they held, they held firmly; and their claims to divine guidance in their actions as a church are not, in those early times at least, more conspicuous, than the sagacity, liberality, and piety by which those claims were supported. It is this early maturity of development, this keen eye, warm heart, and ready hand, which put Rome so soon into the first place among the Christian churches." It is this Catholic spirit which accounts for such utterances as that of Dionysius from this same church of Corinth, about seventy years after receiving the Epistle of Clement. "For this practice has prevailed with you from the very beginning, to do good to all the brethren in every city, and to send contributions to many churches in every city; thus refreshing the needy in their want, 1876, p, 715.) that the above may be read "becoming obedient to what has been written by us through the Holy Spirit, ye cast out," etc. But it is more natural to translate as we have done (cf. Harnack's note ad loc., Patr. Apost. opp. 1. c.), and we can hardly imagine the Roman Church here using a formula like that in Acts xv: 28. 71 cf. Harnack, Theol. Literaturzeitung, 19 Feb., 1876, p. 102 sq.; Jacobi, Stud. und Krit., 1876, p. 715, from which are borrowed some of the thoughts here expressed. and furnishing to the brethren condemned to the mines what was necessary; by these contributions which ye have been accustomed to send from the beginning, you preserve as Romans the practices of your ancestors." "To-day we have passed the Lord's holy-day, in which we read Soter's Epistle, in reading which we shall always have our mind stored with admonition, as we shall, also, from that written to us before by Clement. "72 We may infer that Clement's Epistle was received in a Christian spirit like that which dictated it, since it was read in the church on Sunday for many years. Soon after Dionysius, Irenæus, and especially Cyprian in the third century, emphasize the pre-eminence of the church at Rome.78 But we must carefully notice that there is no assumption of authority in Clement's Epistle on the part of the church which sent it. The Roman Christians appeal to the reason of men whom they recognize as worthy of such an appeal (c. 62). They exhort the Corinthians on the ground of general truths: the unity of the church (c. 37, sq.), the apostolic institutions (c. 42), the ordinances of God (c. 40, sq.), the example of Christ (c. 16). They distinctly define their own office, as that of reminding, admonition (c. 42), and they urge their brethren in Corinth to submit, "not to them, but to the will of God" (c. 56). They appeal to Peter and Paul (c. 5), but it is as examples, not as authorities; they adduce the Jewish priesthood (c. 40), but only to prove that all things should be done decently and in order; they uphold the officers of the church throughout, but only the presbyters of the local church in Corinth are referred to. There is here not a trace of any hierarchical aim; not the sign of any attempt to exercise authority over the other church. Irenæus and Cyprian are witnesses that the preeminence of the Roman church was due only to its representative position and character. While both these bishops conceded Rome's dignity and superiority, yet they both sharply remonstrated against the usurpation by a Roman bishop of power over other churches.74 72 Euseb., H. E. iv: 23. Eng. Tr., vol. ii, p. 176, of Bagster's Ed. of the Greek Ecclesiastical Historians. 73 Irenæus (iii: 3, § 2.). Cyprian (passages collected in Rothe, Anfænge der Christlichen Kirche, p. 655 sq.) regards the Roman Church as the centre, and as representing the unity of the Catholic Church. 74 Cf. Irenæus, Ep. to Victor, and Cyprian, Epp. to Stephen and to Pompeius. |