m given to the angel, or, as others explain it, to the frightful beaft which appeared to him; thefe evidently betray a writer, who was educated in the Jewish mode of thinking.--And that it was compofed in the firft century, is probable from the firft book. In this the old woman foretells the fortunes of the church, and indeed in a very myfterious manner. But all her prophecies are fo general and indeterminate, that nothing more can be learnt from them than that, "the Chriftians were to be greatly perfecuted." Now had the author lived later, in the fe that turn unto him, at it is written in the book of Heldam and Modal, who prophesied to the people in the wilderness." These are the words of the author himfelf. The history to which he alludes, is found in Numb. xi. 26, 27. But the Hebrew names of thefe prophets are Eldad and Medad. In the Synopf. Scripturæ S. which is known under the name of Athanafius, there is a book Heldam and Modal mentioned among the apocryphal writings of the Old Testament. העירין,m The name in the work itfelf is Hegrin See Vifio. iv. §. 2. p. 83. & Not. Oxonienf. in loc. cond, or even third century for inftance, he would certainly have made his prophetess to give a more determinate and complete defcription of those perfecutions; of the tyrants who fhould command them; of the cruelties, and modes of torment and death which fhould hereafter be made ufe of; and fubjects of the like nature. -The author, it may be added, who in the whole compofition appears to have been a good, though an ill-informed man, calls himself Hermas, and affures his reader, that he wrote it at Rome", and at the time when Clement was Bishop of that church. We perceive, therefore, even without external evidence, that it is extremely probable that this work came from the apoftolical Hermas. And this is corroborated n Vifio. i. §. 1. p. 75. • For in Vifio. ii. §. 4. p. 78. he receives a command to write two copies of this prophecy, and to fend one of them to Clement, who would transmit it to the foreign cities. by by the exprefs teftimonies of Irenæus, Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Eufebius, Athanafius, and Jerom, who not only inform us, that the apoftolical Hermas did really leave us fuch a book, but they alfo quote from it many and long paffages, and thefe exactly agreeing with our prefent copies. We cannot therefore refufe to attribute this book to the above-mentioned writer, without bringing into fufpicion the whole of ecclefiaftical history. Eufebius gives us the following information concerning the Paftor, which many in his time fuppofed to have been written by the apoftolical Herinas; "That fome believed it to be a very ufeful book, as an introduction to religion, and that it was therefore read publicly in the churches." This opinion agrees very These paffages are collected together in Cotelerius, vol. i. p. 68–72. where they may be feen all at one view. « φ' ἑτερων αναγκαιοτατον, ὁις μαλιςα δεν 501χειώσεως F 2 very well with the work which we have at prefent. Its style is entirely adapted to the fenfes. The Similitudines in which the writer clothes his inftruction, are nothing more than a collection of fimilies, taken from common objects, for inftance, from a vine, a green tree, or a flock. This is the cafe alfo with. the Mandata and Vifiones. And thus we in modern times compofe books of inftruction for children; but indeed with this difference, that it is written in a rough and unpolished style. The whole plan of the book is, if I may ufe the expreffion, dramatic; as if adapted to children and beginners. The author does not teach, but relates. The first book is the narrative of his conferences with a venerable matron; and the other two contain the relation of his converfation with a fhepherd. χειώσεως εισαγωγικής, κέκριται ὅθεν ηδη και εν εκκλησιαις, ισμεν αυτο δεδημοσιευμενον. Hist. Εccl. Lib. III. cap. iii. p. 90. Thefe Thefe converfations are throughout dramatic. A fplendid tower is erected by a variety of artifts, and compofed of ftones of every fpecies. Hermas walks into the country; here his inftructor points out now a vine, now a tree just shooting forth its leaves; and, at every profpect, takes occafion to inftruct him.-The writer of this book is fometimes reprefented as an enthufiaft who fancied that he faw a variety of vifions, and heard revelations. We might with equal justice, on account of the fairy tales in her Magazine for children, call Beaumont a fanatic. This form in which Hermas has compofed his book, did not certainly afford him any opportunity to quote paffages from the Bible, as proofs in his fyftem of inftruction. Many fimilar thoughts and expreffions have been produced, of which Lardner has col Credibility, vol. ii. p. 52-65. lected |