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this done, it sets forth to return. So the priests examine the registers of the times, and they find that it has come when the five hundredth year is completed." Is it, then, any more wonderful that the Creator should revive the bodies of men? In thankful recognition of this marvel, let the Disciples lead a holy, sober, humble, industrious life. Breaking off in the midst of these exhortations, he raises a hymn to Christ which soars above his usual prosaic style, and he glorifies "Jesus Christ the High-priest of our offerings, the Guardian and Helper of our weakness. Through him let us steadfastly look unto the heights of the heavens ; through him we behold as in a mirror his faultless and most excellent visage. Through him the eyes of our hearts were opened. Through him our foolish and darkened mind springeth up into the light. Through him the Master [despotes] willed that we should taste of the immortal knowledge."

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An unpleasant controversy had occurred on the question. of the election of officers in the Corinthian society. appease the ill-feeling our author diligently sets himself. Tracing the origin of the "episkopoi" and "diakonoi," he says: "The apostles received the Gospel for us from the Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ was sent forth from God. So then Christ is from God, and the apostles are from Christ. So, preaching everywhere in country and town, they appointed their first-fruits, when they had proved them by the Spirit, to be Bishops and Deacons unto them that should believe." And he makes believe to quote from the scripture [here, as always elsewhere, he quotes the Septuagint], but changes the verse (Is. lx. 17), “I will make thy princes peaceable and thine overseers righteous," into "I will appoint their Bishops in righteousness and their Deacons in faith." After rebuking his correspondents for displacing certain estimable men from office, he appeals to them as "the ancient church of the Corinthians" [this is a broad index to the date] to "take up the epistle of the blessed Paul the Apostle" [a reference to 1 Cor.], wherein the sectarian spirit was strongly condemned. He then launches out in

praise of the grace of love, calling to mind the love of Christ, who "gave his blood for us by the will of God" [this allusion to the blood is, unlike the preceding cases, quite appropriate], and citing freely from the "oracles of God"—i.e.,

the Old Testament. He contributes an example of fidelity to the Lord's cause from the story of Judith. Towards the close of the document he offers up a fervent prayer for divine protection and assistance: "Heal the ungodly; feed the hungry; release our prisoners; raise up the weak; comfort the faint-hearted," etc. His last words beg for patience, forbearance, temperance, chastity. A postscript names the messengers who carry the epistle.

Our general impression of the writer is that he was a simple-minded man, eager for peace and harmony; reverent in attitude towards the Old Testament, though not deeming it needful to quote with exactness; ignorant of, or indifferent to, the details of the biography of Jesus, and accepting Christ as a superhuman person, a divine High-priest and Guardian. Several passages resemble parts of the Epistle to the Hebrews. A tradition preserved by Eusebius assigns the epistle to Clement, bishop of Rome. Many critics place it in 95 C.E. One objection to this date is the writer's use of the phrase, "the ancient church of Corinth."*

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Much disputation has circled round the question as to whether "Clement" quotes from the Synoptic Gospels. The matter is really a very simple one. To begin with, the writer never names a New Testament book except Paul's letter to the Corinthians. And when he quotes familiar Christian sentences (in chaps. xiii. and xlvi.) he introduces them in this way: "Remembering the words of the Lord Jesus......for thus he said." The supposed quotations are: "Be pitiful, that ye may be pitied. Forgive, that it may be forgiven you. As ye do, so shall it be done unto you. As ye give, so shall it be given to you. As ye judge, so shall it be judged to you. As ye show kindness, so shall kindness be shown to you. With what measure ye mete, with the same shall it be measured to you." [These sentences are continuous, and no such passage exists in the Synoptics.] Again: "Woe to that man; it were well for him if he had not been born than that he should offend one of my elect."

* Translations in Lightfoot's "Apostolic Fathers,” and in vol. i. of the "Ante-Nicene Christian Library;" Kurtz's "History;" Johnson's Antiqua Mater;" J. Donaldson's "Critical History of Christian Literature and Doctrine."

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A remark of that general nature occurs in the gospels, but without the words, "one of my elect." These quotations are detached pieces of reminiscence, such as passed from mouth to mouth among the Saints, and they furnish no evidence of the contemporary existence of the gospels as now known to us. *

18. The Epistle of "Barnabas."-Eusebius the historian drew up a list of "nothoi," or non-inspired books-the "Acts of Paul," "The Shepherd," "The Revelation of Peter," "The Teachings of the Apostles," "Barnabas." Towards the close of the second century Clement of Alexandria speaks of this epistle of Barnabas as the work of Barnabas, the companion of Paul. As a matter of fact, the authorship is undiscoverable. Critics are almost unanimous in regarding it as an Alexandrian production. It was written in Greek. In our recapitulation of the main arguments of the epistle the writer's anti-Judaic attitude will appear. His object is to prove that, though the perverse Jews did not perceive it, the Gospel plan was fully revealed in the Old Testament. He builds up the new gospel on artificial Rabbinic foundations.

"I bid you greeting, sons and daughters, in the name of the Lord that loved us, in peace." So he begins. After intimating that he is prepared to send them a trifle [i.e., the present essay], he proceeds: "Seeing, then, that the days are evil, and that the Active One himself has the authority, we ought to give heed to ourselves, and to seek out the ordinances of the Lord." Sacrifices were displeasing to the Lord, and he quotes the prophetic contempt for the "fat of lambs and blood of bulls." The New Law of the Lord Jesus Christ has annulled the old sacrificial order. Nor does fasting win acceptance with God. The Saints must hasten to abandon such errors, for the times pass, and the ten-horned beast will soon come. The sons of God must beware lest "the Black One effect an entrance." They must become a "temple perfect unto God." Many are called, but few chosen. "To this end, the Lord endured to deliver his flesh unto corruption, that by the remission of sins we might be cleansed, which cleansing is through.

* 66 Supernatural Religion," vol. i., part ii.

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the blood of his sprinkling." The Son of God was Lord of the whole world, and to him God had said: 'Let us make man after our image," he taught Israel, and performed miracles; he chose very sinful men as apostles to show that he came not to call the righteous; and he suffered " tree." Numerous texts are cited to show how Moses and the prophets foretold the manifestation of the Son in human flesh. In the two goats employed in the Jewish Atonement, and in the slain heifer, he finds types of the suffering Jesus. Then take circumcision. Even Syrians, Arabs, and Egyptians practise circumcision. But Abraham's circumcision differed; it embodied the Christian mystery; for did he not circumcise his 318 slaves? Now 318=18+ 300. In Greek 18 is represented by I=10, and H=8; and these/ letters, wonderful to observe, are the initial letters of the name Jesus [IHΣOYΣ]; and in the letter T, which represents 300, we behold the cross.

The writer pauses to congratulate himself and his readers: "No man has ever learned from me a more genuine word; but ye are worthy."

Hidden meanings are divined in the prohibited foods of the Mosaic Law-the forbidden hyena, which changes its sex from male to female (!), is an emblem of the adulterer; the detestable weasel, which is impregnated through the mouth, prefigures foul-mouthed women. The brazen serpent and many other signs in the Old Testament typified the cross. Moses broke the Tables of Stone; the Jews lost the covenant; it was reserved for the Christian Gentiles. The Sabbath-day served as a pattern for the great sabbath of divine rest after the Judgment-day. The new world will begin on the mystical Eighth day. "Wherefore also," says the writer, "we keep the Eighth Day" [see p. 34] "for rejoicing, in the which also Jesus rose from the dead, and having been manifested_ascended into the heavens" [on the same day, apparently]. Finally, the old material Temple acted as a forecast of the spiritual temple, which consisted of the Saints.

An appendix, possibly by another hand, then goes on:"There are Two Ways of teaching and of power-the one of light, and the other of darkness; and there is a great difference between the Two Ways. For on the one are stationed the light-giving angels of God, on the other the angels of

Satan," etc. The reader will recognise this as another version of the Didache. An epitome of the moral portion of the Teaching is given, but without any Christian expressions. In this epitome the way of darkness is also named the Way of the Black One.

The epistle may date some time between 95 and 125.*

Fruitless attempts have been made to find in the quotation, "Many are called, but few are chosen," and one or two other sentences, a sign of dependence on the Synoptic gospel of Matthew.t

It may be noted here that the term "Apostolic Fathers” embraces Clement, Barnabas, Hermas, Ignatius, Polycarp, Papias, and Diognetus. ‡

19. The Rest of the Words of Baruch.-In 135 Barcochba died fighting for the freedom of Jerusalem; the soil of the Holy City was ploughed up; the new settlement of Ælia Capitolina arose on the ruins; and the Hebrews were forbidden to approach the beloved spot at any time except on one day of the year. But the prohibition did not extend to Christians; and if the Jews accepted the Christian religion they might possibly secure the privilege of admission. In the opinion of Professor J. R. Harris, such a suggestion is thrown out to the Jews by an unknown author, who, about 136, penned an apocalypse under the name of Baruch. It has come down to us in Ethiopic, and a Greek version has recently been discovered. The writer appears to have borrowed ideas from the Apocalypse of Baruch (p. 168), iv. Ezra, and the Ascension (Martyrdom) of Isaiah. The work contains nine short chapters.

The opening scene is laid in Jerusalem, at the moment when the Chaldæans are about to enter and take the citizens captive. God bids Jeremiah and Baruch fly from the devoted city. Jeremiah in vain begs for mercy on behalf of Jerusalem. The two prophets weep in the Temple. They behold a vision of angels, carrying fiery torches, and encircling the city. At God's command Jeremiah buries

* Translations by Lightfoot, and in "Ante-Nicene Library," vol. i.; Kurtz's "History;" Donaldson's "Christian Literature," vol. i. +"Supernatural Religion," vol. i.

So enumerated in Kurtz's " History."

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