CHAPTER XIV

THE BOOKS THAT CLEMENT MENTIONS

IN the work called Hypotyposes, to sum up the matter briefly, he has given us abridged accounts of all the canonical Scriptures, not even omitting those that are disputed, (The Antilegomenoi), I mean the book of Jude, and the other general epistles. Also the epistle of Barnabas, and that called the revelation of Peter. But the Epistle to the Hebrews he asserts was written by Paul, to the Hebrews, in the Hebrew tongue; but that it was carefully translated by Luke, and published among the Greeks. Whence, also, one finds the same character of style and of phraseology in the epistle, as in the Acts. “But it is probable that the title Paul the apostle was not prefixed to it; for as he wrote to the Hebrews, who had imbibed prejudices against him, and suspected him, he wisely guards against diverting them from the perusal by giving his name.” A little after this he observes: “But now, as the blessed presbyter used to say, ‘since the Lord, who was the apostle of the Almighty, was sent to the Hebrews, Paul by reason of his inferiority, as if sent to the Gentiles, did not subscribe himself an apostle of the Hebrews; both out of reverence for the Lord, and because he wrote of his abundance to the Hebrews, as a herald and apostle of the Gentiles.’ ” Again, in the same work, Clement also gives the tradition respecting the order of the gospels, as derived from the oldest presbyters, as follows: “He says that those which contain the genealogies were written first; but that the gospel of Mark was occasioned in the following manner: ‘When Peter had proclaimed the word publicly at Rome, and declared the gospel under the influence of the Spirit; as there was a great number present, they requested Mark, who had followed him from afar, and remembered well what he had said, to reduce these things to writing, and that after composing the gospel he gave it to those who requested it of him. Which, when Peter understood, he directly neither hindered nor encouraged it. But John, last of all, perceiving that what had reference to the body in the gospel of our Saviour, was sufficiently detailed, and being encouraged by his familiar friends, and urged by the Spirit, he wrote a spiritual gospel.” Thus far Clement. But again, the above-mentioned Alexander mentions both Clement and Pantænus, in a certain epistle to Origen, as men with whom he was familiarly acquainted. Thus he writes: “For this thou knowest was the divine will, that the friendship which has existed between us from our ancestors, should remain unshaken, rather, that it should grow warmer and firmer. For we well know those blessed fathers, that have trod the path before us, and to whom we ere long shall go. Pantænus, that truly blessed man, my master, also the holy Clement, who was both my master and benefactor, and whoever there may be like them, by whom I have become acquainted with thee, my lord and brother surpassing all.” Such is the complexion of these matters. But Adamantius, for this too was Origen’s name, whilst Zephyrinus, at this time, was bishop of the church of Rome, says that he also came to Rome, being desirous of seeing the very ancient church of Rome. After no long stay, he returned to Alexandria, and there fulfilled the duties of an instructor, with the greatest diligence, in which he was also encouraged by Demetrius, who was then bishop, and who earnestly counselled him to labour cheerfully for the benefit of the brethren.