CHAPTER XIL

Serapion, and the writings ascribed to him.

SERAPION, however, it is probable, has left many monuments of his application to learning, which are preserved by others; but only those that are addressed to Domninus have come down to us. He was one of those that had fallen away from the faith, at the time of the persecution, and relapsed into Jewish superstition. Those epistles, also, that he addressed to Pontus and Caricus, ecclesiastical writers, and many others to others. There is also another work composed by him on the gospel of Peter, as it is called; which, indeed, he wrote to refute the false assertions which it contains, an account of some in the church of Rhosse,* who by this work were led astray to perverted doctrines. From which it may be well to add some brief extracts, by which it may be seen what he thought of the book:-

"We, brethren," says he, "receive Peter and the other apostles as Christ himself. But those writings which falsely go under their name, as we are well acquainted with them, we reject, and know also, that we have not received such handed down to us. But when I came to you, I had supposed that all held to the true faith; and as I had not perused the gospel presented by them under the name of Peter, I said, 'If this be the only thing that creates difference among you, let it be read;' but now having understood, fron, what was said to me, that their minds were enveloped in some heresy, I will make haste to come to you again; therefore, brethren, expect me soon. But as we perceived what was the heresy of Marcianus, we plainly saw that he ignorantly contradicted himself, which things you may learn from what has been written to you. For we have borrowed this gospel from others, who have studied it, that is, from the successors of those who led the way before him, whom we call Docetæ, (for most opinions have sprung from this sect.) And in this we have discovered many things, superadded to the sound faith of our Sa

• Rhosse was a town of Cilicia. Plutarch calls it Orossus.

viour; some also, attached that are foreign to it, and which we have also subjoined for your sake." Thus far of the works of Serapion.

CHAPTER XIIL

The works of Clement.

Or Clement there are, in all, eight books extant, called Stromata,* to which he has prefixed the following title: "Stromata of Commentaries, by Titus Flavius Clement, on the Knowledge of the True Philosophy."

Equal in number to these, are the books that go under the title of Hypotyposes, or Institutions. In these, he also mentions Pantanus by name, as his teacher, giving the opinions that he expressed, and traditions that he had received from him. There is also a book of exhortation, addressed by him to the Greeks. Also, one entitled the Pædagogue, and another with the title, "What Rich Man may be saved." A work also on the Passover. Discussions also on Fasting and Detraction. An Exhortatation also, to Patience, or an Address to the New Converts. (Neophytes.) A work also, with the title, Ecclesiastical Canon, or an Address to the Judaizing (Christians,) which he dedicated to the abovementioned bishop Alexander. In these Stromata, he has not only spread out the divine Scriptures (made a spreading), but he also quotes from the Gentiles where he finds any useful remark with them, elucidating many opinions held by the multitude both among the Greeks and barbarians. Moreover, he refutes the false opinions of the heresiarchs. He also, reviews a great

• The Greek word stromateus, which Clement prefixed as the title to each of his books, means a covering, or hangings for a table, or couch, mostly of various colours. It also signified, in later times, the bag in which the beds and covers were tied up. The former, however, gave rise to the use of it as a title for books of various contents. Hence, they were miscellanies. The plural of this word is stromates, or stromateis, to avoid which we use the synonymous stromata.

† Our author here plays upon the title Stromateus, giving us by the way to understand what was meant by the word, viz., a variegated covering spread out.

point of history, in which he presents materials of great variety of learning. With all these he intermixes the opinions of philosophers; whence, in all probability, he took the title Stromata, as corresponding to the materials (of his book.) In these he also makes use of testimony from the Antilegomenoi, the disputed Scriptures; also from that book called the Wisdom of Solomon, and that of Jesus the son of Sirach; also the Epistle to the Hebrews, that of Barnabas, and Clement, and Jude. He mentions also the work of Tatian against the Greeks; Cassian, also, who wrote a history of the times in chronological order. Moreover, he mentions the Jewish authors Philo, and Aristobulus, Josephus, and Demetrius, and Eupolemus, as all of these in their works prove, that Moses and the Jewish nation are much older than the earliest origin of the Greeks. The works of this writer here mentioned, also abound in a great variety of other learning. In the first of these he speaks of himself as being the next that succeeded the apostles, and he promises in his works also, to write a commentary on Genesis; also in his treatise on the Passover, he acknowledges that for the benefit of posterity, he was urged by his friends to commit to writing those traditions that he had heard from the ancient presbyters. He mentions, also, Melito and Irenæus, and others, some of whose narratives he also gives.

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

probable that the title, Paul For as he wrote to the He

epistle, as in the Acts. "But it is the Apostle, was not prefixed to it. brews, 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 abovementioned 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.

CHAPTER XV.

Of Heraclas.

BUT when he saw that he was not adequate at the same time to the more intense study of divine things, and to the interpretation of the Scriptures, and in addition to the instruction of the catechumens, who scarcely allowed him even to draw breath, one coming after another from morning till night, to be taught by him, he divided the multitude, and selected Heraclas, one of his friends, who was devoted to the study of the Scriptures, and in other respects also a most learned man, not unacquainted with philosophy, and associated him with himself in the office of instruction. To him, therefore, he committed the elementary initiation of those that were yet to be taught the first beginning, or rudiments, but reserved for himself lecturing to those that were more familiar with the subject.

CHAPTER XVI.

The great study which Origen devoted to the holy Scriptures.

BUT so great was the research which Origen applied in the investigation of the holy Scriptures, that he also studied the Hebrew language; and those original works written in the Hebrew