Interesting and valuable as is the history of this Council, as to its organization and direct judicial and legislative action, the principles declared of comprehension and Catholicism were of higher importance. No sooner had the door of faith been opened to the Gentiles than a strong opposition and dissension arose. Two parties sprang up in the Church, one chiefly composed of proselytes from Judaism, the other from the Gentiles. The Christians at Jerusalem condemned St. Peter for that he had gone in to men uncircumcised, and eaten with them. * And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, because on the Gentiles also was poured forth the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is needless to cite passages to prove that the Judaizing teachers held the absolute necessity of obeying the Mosaic law on which Christianity was grafted, and particularly that circumcision was essential. This certain men who went from Judea to Antioch taught the brethren. Then at the Council the great truth was unfolded by Peter, that God had before chosen him, through whom the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe that God had put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Adverting to the rigor of the law, he adds, there was a yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear; but through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we as they shall be saved.

James also enforces the argument of Peter, quoting the prophets † to prove that the call of the Gentiles was in fulfilment of the law; that the rebuilding the Tabernacle of David was, that the residue of men might seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles.

From this moment the law was, that in the Christian Church there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond, nor free; but that Christ is all and in all.

Acts xi. 3. † Amos ix. 11, 12.

ART. V. A CLEMENTINE COMMENT.

The forty-fourth Chapter of the Epistle of St. Clement, Bishop of Rome, to the Church of Corinth. Ante-Nicene Christian Library. S. & T. Clark, Edinburgh, 1870. New York, Charles Scribner & Co., 654 Broadway.

Ir appears from the Epistle of St. Clement, that in consequence of a strife in the Church at Corinth respecting some of the Presbyters and Deacons of that Church, a part of the Church advocating their removal, a letter was sent to St. Clement requesting his opinion respecting the ejection of these ministers from their office. His Epistle was written in compliance with that request.

The translation of the forty-fourth chapter of the Epistle of Clement here presented is from the recent work entitled AnteNicene Christian Library.

"Our Apostles also knew through our Lord Jesus Christ, that there would be strife on account of the office of the Episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they have obtained a perfect fore-knowledge of this they appointed those [ministers] already mentioned, and afterwards gave instruc tions, that when these should fall asleep, other approved men should succeed them in their ministry. We are of opinion therefore, that those appointed by them or afterward by other eminent men with the consent of the whole Church, and who have blamelessly served the flock of Christ in a humble, peaceable and disinterested spirit, and have for a long time possessed the good opinion of all, cannot be justly dismissed from the Ministry. For our sin will not be small if we eject from the Episcopate those who have blamelessly and holily fulfilled its duties."

"Also." This word very correctly represents xai which in this place indicates a logical connection of what follows with what immediately precedes, a part of which is here transcribed.

"For when rivalry arose concerning the Priesthood and the tribes were contending among themselves as to which of them should be adorned with that glorious title, he commanded the twelve princes of the tribes to bring him their rods, each one being inscribed with the name of the tribe, and he took them and bound them [together] and sealed them with the rings of the princes of the tribes and laid them up in the tabernacle of witness on the table of God, * * and the rod of Aaron was found not only to have blossomed but to bear fruit upon it. What think ye, believer? Did not Moses know beforehand that this would happen? Undoubtedly he knew, but he acted thus that there might be no sedition in Israel and that

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the name of the true and only God might be glorified to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." (Ep. of Clem. chapter 43.)

"Our Apostles also knew," through our Lord Jesus Christ, "that there would be strife on account of the office of the Episcopate." The parallel between the Apostles and Moses should be noted. Moses was instructed by God how to institute the Priesthood. The Apostles were instructed by Jesus Christ to institute the Christian Ministry. Moses was forewarned that it would be necessary to guard against rivalry and strife. The Apostles also were forewarned to guard against the same evil in the Church. And as Moses provided against contention about the Priesthood according to the will of God, so St. Clement says the Apostles acting under the directions of the Lord Jesus Christ gave to the Church a constitution by which the succession of His Ministers should be preserved. St. Clement, therefore, affirms that as Moses constituted the Priesthood under the law by a direct revelation from God, so the Apostles by a like revelation from the Lord Jesus constituted and ordered the sacred Ministry of the new dispensation, and that this Divine and authoritative constitution was given so that the order of the Ministry should be wise, permanent, and unchangeable, in no way subject to the whims of the multitude or the designs of ambitious men.

"Strife." (Epic). Our author in the use of this word doubtless had in mind the sedition and contention which arose about the Levitical priesthood stirred up in the rebellion of Korah, alluded to in the passage quoted above, about which a few things should be noticed.

Korah and his coleaders in the conspiracy, actuated by a personal ambition sought to supplant Aaron and the whole economy of the priesthood, that they might exalt themselves to this dignity. To this end they denied the divine authority by which Moses had given the law constituting the priestly office, and employed the customary arts of ambitious men to enlist the masses in their favor, by flattery, setting forth their dignity and importance. Korah and his company said, "Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy every one of them, and the Lord is among them, wherefore lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord?" (Num. xvi. 3.)

It is hardly needful to say that these conspirators employed the

usual arts of demagogues and ambitious men and aspirants for place and power. It would seem that the Corinthian Church was, when St. Clement wrote his Epistle, disturbed in a similar manner. From the Epistles of St. Paul it is evident that the spirit of disorder and insubordination began to be developed early in the history of that Church, which rebuked by him sharply was not wholly subdued. They seem to have had the notion that because all Christians were "called to be saints," all had an equal call to teach and to direct the affairs of the Church, subverting the established order of the Ministry, claiming to themselves the right to teach, and to set up whom they pleased to be Ministers, or of deposing those appointed to the sacred office at their plea

sure.

Thus far the parallel is complete. The attempt in both cases to subvert the established order, and from similar motives, and by the use of like appeals to the people as holy, gives us examples illustrating the significance of that "strife" against which, according to St. Clement, the Lord Jesus Christ forewarned His disciples to guard by giving to the Church, a wise and unchangeable order and constitution of the sacred Ministry. Without such an admonition they might have supposed that by the holy calling by which all Christians are called, believers would be so completely freed from the old man, and so imbued with the meekness and gentleness of Christ, that there would be no need of an established government in the Church, and no fixed and unchangeable order in the Ministry. But the Master taught them otherwise, and directed them to provide against the wickedness and insubordination of depraved men whose working would show itself in the professed disciples of Christ Jesus.

"Office of the Episcopate." Our translators have failed to give a true rendering of the words ὀνόματος τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς, by " office of the Episcopate." The rendering in the foot note, "title,” can hardly be regarded an improvement. 'Ovóparos cannot be better translated than by the corresponding English word "name" as in the common version of the Holy Scriptures when similarly connected with other words. The phrases "my name;"-"his name;""The name of the Lord Jesus;"-"The name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost," are to be understood as emphatic designations of the persons to whom they rela*

Accordingly St. Clement affirms that the Lord Jesus had foretold to the Apostles that there would be strife concerning the Episcopate with special reference to the substance, or as the Greeks would say, divas, of the same, and as he is treating of the constituting of the several officers, and the designation of persons by whom the power of constituting was to be exercised, we must give to εлoxол as here used a significance which would correspond. And as our author proceeds to say that the Apostles to prevent strife assumed to themselves in the first instance the appointing or ordaining power, we cannot doubt that the Episcopate contemplated a superior rule or oversight as the word signifies when rendered literally. It is claimed for this interpretation that it accords with usage and harmonizes with the design and argument of the author.

"For this reason;" to wit, unless prevented by a wise constitution there would be strife about authority and rule in the Church. It should be noted that the action of the Apostles was taken from considerations pertaining to known characteristics of man, the nature and dignity of the sacred office, and their relation to those who should believe the Gospel. It is perfectly evident that St. Clement received from the Apostles that a ministry is essential to the preaching of the Gospel, the administration of the Sacraments, and the order and harmony of the Church, and that it was committed to them to determine how it should be constituted and perpetuated. The question to be considered is not whether the constitution of the Apostles was wise or, whether, if it had been invariably followed, perfect concord would have ever obtained, or whether all contention about the ministry has proceeded from a departure from the Apostolic arrangement. Nor yet whether the Apostles did give to the Church the constitution ascribed to them by St. Clement. It is important to a correct understanding of the writer to keep in mind the different circumstances of the present interpreter or expounder of his words, and of those to whom his Epistle was directed. With the facts narrated by him they were perfectly familiar. The order of the ministers then existing they well knew, and they could not be ignorant that it was the same which was instituted by the Apostles, for many of the ministry had been ordained by them. St. Clement therefore did not recount what the Apostles had done to give them information on that subject,