2

may submit, not unto us, but to the will of God. For by this means they shall obtain a fruitful and perfect remembrance, with mercy, both in our prayers to God, and in our mention of them before His saints. Let us receive correction, at which no man ought to repine. Beloved, the reproof and the correction which we exercise towards one another is good, and exceedingly profitable; for it unites us the more closely to the will of God. For so says the Holy Scripture, "the Lord corrected me, but He did not deliver me over unto death." 1 "For whom the Lord loveth, He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth." "The righteous," saith he, "shall instruct me in mercy, and reprove me; but let not oil of sinners make fat my head." 3 And again he saith, "Happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty. For He maketh sore and bindeth up; He woundeth and His hands make whole. He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee. In famine He shall redeem thee from death; and in war from the power of the sword. Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue; neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh. Thou shalt laugh at the wicked and sinners; neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth. The wild beasts shall be at peace with thee: then shalt thou know that thy house shall be in peace; and the habitation of thy tabernacle shall not Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thy offspring as the grass of the earth. Thou shalt come to thy grave as the ripe corn that is taken in due time, like as a shock of corn cometh in in its season. ."4 Ye see, beloved, how there shall be a defence to those that are corrected of the Lord; for, being a good instructor, He is willing to admonish us by His holy discipline.

err.

LVII. Do ye, therefore, who laid the first foundation of this sedition, submit yourselves unto your priests; and be instructed unto repentance, bending the knees of your hearts. Learn to be subject, laying aside all proud and arrogant boasting of your tongues; for it is better for you to be found little, and approved in the sheepfold of Christ, than to seem to yourselves better than others, and be cast out of His fold. 1 Psal. cxviii. 18. 2 Prov. iii. II. ? Psal. cxli. 5. * Job v. 17, &c.

For thus speaks the excellent and all-virtuous Wisdom, "Behold, I will pour out the word of My spirit upon you; I will make known My speech unto you. Because I called, and ye would not hear,-I stretched out My words, and ye regarded not; but ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of my reproof,—I will also laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you, then ye shall call upon Me, but I will not hear you. The wicked shall seek Me, but they shall not find Me; for that they hated knowledge, and did not seek the fear of the Lord. They would not hearken unto My counsel; they despised all My reproof: therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own wickedness." For because they robbed the simple they shall be slain; and an inquisition shall destroy the ungodly. whoso hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell securely, and shall rest secure from all evil.1

LVIII. Let us therefore be obedient to His most holy and glorious Name, fleeing from the judgments thus foretold by the Wisdom 2 upon those who are disobedient, that we may, dwell in safety, putting our trust in the most holy Name o His Majesty. Receive ye our counsel, and ye shall have none occasions of sorrow. For as God liveth and the Lord Jesus Christ liveth, and the Holy Spirit, the Faith and the Hope of the elect, so shall he who, in lowliness of mind with steadfast meekness, hath wrought without sorrow the judgments and statutes which are given by God, even he shall be enrolled and had in honour among the number of those who are saved through Jesus Christ, by whom is glory to Him for ever and ever. Amen.

LIX. But if some should be disobedient unto the things spoken from Him through us, let them know that they shall entangle themselves in no small transgression and danger, but we shall be guiltless of this sin. And we shall pray, earnestly making petition and supplication, that the Creator of all things will keep in perfect safety and unbroken the number which is without number of His elect in all the world, through His be1 Prov. i. 32, 33, LXX.

2 The name 66

Wisdom" was given to the Book of Proverbs, from which Clement has just been quoting.

loved Son Jesus Christ, by whom He called us out of darkness into light, out of ignorance to perfect knowledge of the glory of His Name.

Grant to us, O Lord, to have hope in Thy Name, which is the first cause of all creation; open the eyes of our heart to the knowledge of Thee, who alone dwellest the Most High in the highest places, Holy in the holy places, who bringest down the high looks of the proud, and bringest the counsels of the heathen to nought, and settest the lowly on high, and bringest down the proud, who makest rich and makest poor, who killest and makest alive, who alone art the benefactor of spirits and God of all flesh, Thou who lookest down into the depths, who art the Overseer of the works of men, the Succourer of those in peril, the Saviour of those without hope, the Creator and Bishop of every spirit, who dost multiply nations upon earth, and from them all hast chosen out those that love Thee through Jesus Christ, Thy Beloved Son, by whom Thou didst instruct, sanctify, honour us. We beseech Thee, Lord, be Thou our succour and our defender. Save those among us who are in affliction. Have mercy upon the humble. Raise up those who are fallen. Manifest Thyself to the needy. Heal the ungodly. Turn again the wanderers of Thy people. Feed the hungry. Set at liberty those of us that are bound. Raise up the weak. Comfort the faint-hearted. Make all the heathen to know that Thou art God alone, and that Jesus Christ is Thy Son, and that we are Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture.

LX. Thou through Thy works didst make known the everlasting foundation of the world. Thou, O Lord, didst create the earth, Thou who art faithful throughout all generations, just in Thy judgments, wonderful in might and magnificence, Thou that art wise in creation and prudent in establishing the things that are made, Thou that art good in the things that are seen and faithful towards those who have trusted in Thee, merciful and full of compassion; forgive our evil doings and deeds of unrighteousness, and transgressions and errors. Reckon not every sin of Thy servants and handmaids, but cleanse us with the cleansing of Thy truth, and guide Thou our footsteps to walk in holiness and righteousness and singleness of heart, and to do those things that are good and wellpleasing in Thy sight and in the sight of our rulers. Yea,

Lord, shew Thy countenance upon us for good in peace, that we may be sheltered by Thy mighty hand and delivered from all sin by Thy lifted up arm, and deliver us from those who hate us unrighteously. Give oneness of mind and peace unto us and to all those that dwell on the earth, as Thou didst give to our forefathers who called upon Thee in holiness, in faith and truth, so that we may be saved as we become obedient to Thy Almighty and adorable Name.

LXI. Thou, Lord, hast given to our rulers and governors upon the earth the power of their sovereignty, through Thine exceeding and unutterable might, that we, knowing the glory and honour which is given unto them from Thee, may submit ourselves unto them, in no wise resisting Thy will. Give unto them, Lord, health, peace, oneness of mind, stability, that they may order the government which hath been committed to them of Thee without stumbling. For Thou, O Heavenly Lord, King of the ages, givest glory to the sons of men, and honour and power over the things which are upon the earth. Do Thou, O Lord, direct aright their counsel towards that which is good and well-pleasing in Thy sight, that ordering devoutly in peace and meekness the authority committed to them by Thee, they may obtain Thy mercy. O Thou Only Strong to do these things, and things far more exceeding good among us, we glorify Thee through the High Priest and Surety of our souls, Jesus Christ, through whom be the glory and the majesty unto Thee both now, and from generation to generation, and unto the ages of the ages. Amen.

LXII. Now concerning the things which belong unto our worship, and the things which are requisite for a virtuous life to those who desire to direct their wills in piety and righteousness, we have written to you in full, my brethren. For concerning faith and repentance, and true love and temperance, and sound mind and patience, we have examined each point, putting you in remembrance how ye ought to please Almighty God holily in righteousness and truth and long-suffering; being of one mind and not mindful of wrong; in love and peace with steadfast gentleness; even as also our fathers whose examples are before us, were well-pleasing, being lowly in mind towards their Father, and God, and Creator, and towards all men. And we have put you in mind of these things the more gladly, seeing that we knew well that we were

writing unto men faithful and had in honour, and who have studied diligently the oracles of the teaching of God.

LXIII. Therefore it is right for us, having been brought to the knowledge of so great and so many examples, to bow the neck, and having freely chosen the place of obedience, to join ourselves unto them who are the leaders of our souls, to the end that having ceased from this vain dissension, we may attain unto the mark which lieth before us in truth, keeping apart from every fault. For ye will afford joy and gladness to us if being obedient unto the things written by us through the Holy Ghost, ye cut off the unrighteous passion of your jealousy, according to the exhortation which we have made for peace and oneness in mind in this our letter. And we have also sent men, faithful and prudent, who have had their conversation unblameably among us from youth unto old age, who shall also be witnesses between you and us. And this have we done, that ye may know that there hath been and is in us every longing that ye may quickly be at peace.

LXIV. Now God, the overseer of all things, the Father of spirits, and the Lord of all flesh--who hath chosen our Lord Jesus Christ, and us by Him to be His peculiar people-grant to every soul of man that calleth upon His glorious and holy name, faith, fear, peace, long suffering, patience, temperance, holiness, and sobriety, unto all well-pleasing in His sight; through our high priest and protector Jesus Christ, by Whom be glory, and majesty, and power, and honour, unto Him, now and for evermore. Amen.

LXV. The messengers whom we have sent unto youClaudius Ephebus, and Valerius Bito, with Fortunatus--send back to us again, with all speed, in peace and with joy, that they may the sooner acquaint us with your peace and concord, so much prayed for and desired by us, and that we may rejoice in your good order.

LXVI. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, and with all that are any where called by God through Him, to whom be honour, and glory, and might, and majesty, and eternal dominion, by Christ Jesus, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen.