as an exposition. Seek ye first the kingdom of heaven and its righteousness," for these are the great things but the small things," and things relating to this life, these shall be added to you.' Perhaps this exposition was added to the 33d verse of the sixth chapter of Matthew, in some copies of that gospel. The curious may do well to consult Mill upon the place.

This is the only saying of Christ,' not in our gospels, taken out of Clement, in Grabe's collection of these things. As for any quotations of words of Christ from the gospel according to the Hebrews, or the gospel according to the Egyptians, we have sufficiently considered them already, in what has been said of those gospels.

I think, upon the whole, it appears that there is no good reason to suppose that St. Clement received as scripture,' in the highest sense of the word, any christian writings beside the books of the New Testament, now commonly received by us.

XIV. I have as yet taken no particular notice of St. Clement's opinion of the Sibylline books: for, if they are genuine, they are not a christian, but a Jewish or a heathen writing, published long before the nativity of our Saviour. However, I think myself obliged to acknowledge, before I conclude this chapter, that St. Clement, St. Theophilus, and some other Greek fathers of the second century, had a much greater respect for the Sibyls than they deserved: for I am well satisfied that the Sibylline Verses quoted by them are the forgery of some christian. The ancient Sibylline Verses did not recommend the worship of the one God alone, condemning all manner of idolatry, as these do which are cited by Justin, m Theophilus, and Clement: not to mention at present any other things. Nevertheless it must be owned, that Clement calls the Sibyl a prophetess, and seems to quote her verses as scripture, in the strictest sense of the word, together with the scriptures of • Ζητειτε δε πρωτον την βασιλειαν των ερανων, και την δικαιοσυνην ταυτα yap μεγαλα τα δε μικρα, και περι τον βιον, ταυτα προστιθησεται ύμιν. Str. 1. iv. p. 488. A. Spic. Patr. T. i. p. 14. Ad Autol. 1. ii. p. 112, 113.

k

1 Cohort. ad Gr. p. 16, 17.
Admon. ad Gent. p. 32. D. 41. B. et alibi.

• Ώρα τοινυν,—επι τας προφητικας είναι γραφας—γραφαι δε αἱ θειαι, και πολιτείαι σωφρονες, σύντομοι σωτηρίας ὁδοι. -αυτικά γεν ή προφητες ἡμιν ασάτω πρωτη Σιβυλλα το ασμα το σωτηριον ενθεως σφοδρα την μεν απατην απεικάζεσα τῳ σκοτει —Ιερεμιας δε ὁ προφήτης, ὁ πανσοφος, μάλλον δε εν Ιερεμία το άγιον πνευμα. κ. λ. Adm. ad G. p. 50. C. D. 51. Α.

P If the Sibylline Verses are the prophetical books recommended in the Preaching of Peter, as appears probable from what has been said at note, p. 255, 256, they seem to be represented also as ancient and divine scripture by the author

the Old Testament: so that if there be any books improperly advanced by him into the rank of sacred scripture, we may say that the Sibylline are the books. But yet, after all, I think it not likely that he did esteem them of equal authority with the books of the Jewish canon.

I shall observe but one thing more: That Clement himself affords us evidence, that those verses, which he quotes to the Greeks, were rejected by them in his time. For having proposed to them the Sibyla prophetess, as a mistress' to teach them, and quoted some verses from her, he adds: But if you do not choose to hearken to a prophetess, hear your philosopher, the Ephesian Heraclitus.' Why should they not hearken to a prophetess as readily as to a philosopher? Clement gives us the reason: the philosopher was theirs, the prophetess not. The heathen people therefore knew nothing of these verses till they were found out, or rather forged, by some christian, and then incautiously and imprudently recommended by others.

CHAP. XXIII.

POLYCRATES. HIS HISTORY.

POLYCRATES was bishop of the church of Ephesus, the latter part of the second century. He was the eighth christian bishop of his family. About the year 196, he called a numerous synod of the bishops of Asia, upon occasion of the controversy about the time of celebrating Easter, which was then kept by the churches of Asia Minor on the fourteenth day of the moon, on whatever day of the week it happened; but by the Romans, and most other churches, on the Lord's day following. Victor, bishop of of that work. I shall transcribe his words, to be considered by those who are so disposed. So Peter goes on in the place there cited: Kalws Eyeуpañто ταυτα παντα, ά εδει αυτόν παθειν, και μετ' αυτον ἁ εται. Ταυτα εν επιγνοντες, επιτευσαμεν τῷ Θεῷ δια των γεγραμμένων εις αυτόν. Και μετ' ολιγα επιφέρει παλιν, θεία πρόνοια τας προφητειας γεγενησθαι παριςας ώδε Εγνωμεν ότι ο θεος αυτα προσέταξεν οντως, και εδεν ατερ γραφης λεγομεν. Str. 4 Διδασκαλον δε ύμιν παραθησομαι την

1. vi. p. 678. B.

προφητιν Σιβυλλαν. Adm. ad G. p. 32. D.

Συ δε, αλλ' ει μη προφητιδος επακέεις, το γε σε ακεσον φιλοσοφες το Εφεσιν Ηρακλειτε. Ibid. p. 33. B.

Vid. Eus. H. E. 1. iii. cap. 31. 1. v. cap. 24.

Rome, required the bishops of Asia to follow the custom of other churches. Polycrates, having consulted the bishops of Asia, wrote a letter with their approbation to Victor and the church of Rome, declaring their resolution to keep Easter at the time they had hitherto observed it: whereupon Victor excommunicated all the churches of Asia, and those in their neighbourhood. Of this epistle there are two fragments in Eusebius. This is in short the history of Polycrates. It will be confirmed by that part of his letter which I am now about to transcribe, so far as is suitable to our purpose.

Only would first of all observe, that confirms the account given by Eusebius: and farther speaks of Polycrates as a person of considerable capacity and authority; and says, he flourished in the time of the emperor Severus, who began his reign in 193.

d

6

'We therefore,' says Polycrates, observe the true and genuine day, neither adding nor detracting any thing. For in Asia there are great lights buried, which shall be raised up in the day of the Lord's advent, in which he shall come with glory from heaven, and shall raise up all his saints as Philip, one of the twelve apostles; and moreover John, who leaned upon the Lord's breast. And what need I mention Melito, the eunuch, who conducted himself in all things by the Spirit; who rests in Sardis, expecting the visitation from heaven, at which he shall rise from the dead? All these have kept the day of Easter on the fourteenth day according to the gospel; not transgressing in the least, but following the rule [or canon] of faith. And so have I Polycrates, who am the least of all, according to the tradition of my relations, some of whom also I have followed; for seven of my relations have been bishops, and I am the eighth and my relations always kept the day, when the people [of the Jews] cast away their leaven. I therefore, brethren, who am sixty-five years of age in the Lord, and who have conversed with the brethren in many

Eus. l. v. c. 24. p. 192. B. C. et Socrat. H. E. 1. v. c. 22. p. 284. B. Hæc propterea posui, ut ingenium et auctoritatem viri ex parvo opusculo demonstrarem. Floruit temporibus Severi principis. De Vir. Ill. cap. 45. d Ap. Eus. p. 191. • Ετι δε και Ιωαννης ὁ επι το ήθος · Οὗτοι παντες ετήρησαν την ήμεραν της τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατης το πασχα κατα το ευαγγέλιον, μηδεν παρεκβαινοντες, αλλά κατα τον κανόνα της πίςεως ακολοθεντες. p. 191. D.

Κυριο αναπεσων.

8 Εγω ουν, αδελφοι, έξηκοντα πεντε έτη έχων εν Κυρίῳ, και συμβεβληκως τοις απο της οικουμένης αδελφοις, και πασαν ἁγίαν γραφήν διεληλυθως, ε πτυρομαι επι τοις καταπλησσομενοις. Οἱ γαρ εμε μείζονες ειρηκασι, πειθαρχειν δει θεῳ μαλλον η ανθρωποις. p. 192. Α.

parts of the world, and have read over all the holy scripture, am not moved at what I am threatened with. For they who are greater than me have said: "We ought to obey God rather than men," "Acts v. 29.

We are at present to observe only what has a relation to any particular books of the New Testament, or to the collection of them in general.

When Polycrates calls Melito an eunuch, possibly he refers to Matt. xix. 12, where our Lord says: "There be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake."

When he observes of John, that be leaned on the Lord's breast: he very probably refers to those places of St. John's gospel where this particular is mentioned: as ch. xiii. 25; xxi. 20.

Where he says, that greater than he had said: "We ought to obey God rather than men," there is an undoubted reference to Acts v. 29.

He moreover speaks of many who had observed this feast on the fourteenth day according to the gospel;' probably meaning thereby the collection of gospels, which he likewise calls the rule of faith.

Lastly, he says, he had read over all the holy scripture;' meaning, it is likely, the scripture of the Old and the New Testament, and perhaps those of the New in par ticular.

This testimony needs not be summed up: it lies in a short compass.

CHAP. XXIV.

HERACLITUS,

And several other writers near the end of the second century.

HERACLITUS, says Cave, flourished about the year 196. He is mentioned by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History, together with several other writers of the church, who lived in the reign of Commodus and Severus, or about that time.

Hist. Lit. p. 60.

b L. v. cap. 27.

Moreover,' says he, there still remain, in the hands of many, divers monuments of the laudable industry of those 'ancient and ecclesiastical men. Of such of them as have come to our knowledge are the writings [or commentaries] of Heraclitus upon the apostle: and of Maximus, 'concerning the question so much discoursed of among the 'heretics, Whence proceeds evil? and concerning the 'creation of matter: and of Candidus upon the six days' 'work, and of Appion upon the same argument. Likewise the treatise of Sextus on the resurrection, and a book of 'Arabianus, and innumerable other:' whose time, Eusebius says, he did not know. He goes on: There are besides 'treatises of many others, whose names we have not been able to learn; d orthodox and ecclesiastical men, as the interpretations of the divine scripture given by each one of them manifest.'

e

f

St. Jerom has inserted a short account, in his Book of Illustrious Men, of all these writers, whom Eusebius has mentioned by name; of Heraclitus, Maximus, & Candidus, Appion, Sextus, and Arabianus. And Eusebius in another work has preserved a large fragment of Maximus, of whom he there gives a great encomium.

Of Heraclitus St. Jeromm says, agreeably to Eusebius, In the time of Commodus and Severus he wrote commentaries upon the apostle:' by which is generally understood, that Heraclitus wrote commentaries upon the epistles of St. Paul. It is pity Eusebius, or Jerom, if they had read Heraclitus, did not give us a more particular account of his performance, and how many of the apostle's epistles he had explained.

I have nothing farther to add here, but that it may be probably concluded that all, or most, of those writers, who, as Eusebius says, had manifested their orthodoxy by their 'interpretations of the divine scriptures,' had taken some notice of the books of the New, as well as of the Old Testament.

§ Ων γε μην αυτοι διεγνωμεν, ειη τα Ηρακλείτε εις τον αποςολον. Ibid. d Ορθοδοξων μεν και εκκλησιατικών, ώς γε δη ή έκατο παραδεικνυσι της θειας γραφης ἑρμηνεια. Ibid.

Cap. 48.

* Cap. 51.

* Cap. 46.

h Cap. 49.

i Cap. 50. 1 Præp. Evan. 1. vii, p. 337. A. &c.

f

Cap. 47.

m Heraclitus sub Commodi Severique imperio in apostolum commentarios composuit. De Vir. Ill. cap. 46.