Clement to the Corinthians

Let every one of you, brethren, give thanks to God in his own order, living in all good conscience, with becoming gravity, and not going beyond the rule of the ministry prescribed to him. Not in every place, brethren, are the daily sacrifices offered, or the peace offerings, or the sin offerings, and the trespass offerings, but in Jerusalem only. And even there they are not offered in any place, but only at the altar before the temple, that which is offered being first carefully examined by the high priest and the ministers already mentioned. Those, therefore, who do anything beyond that which is agreeable to his will, are punished with death. You see, brethren, that the greater the knowledge that has been vouchsafed to us, the greater also is the danger to which we are exposed. The apostles have preached the gospel to us from the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has done so from God. Christ, therefore, was sent forth by God, and the apostles by Christ. Both these appointments, then, were made in an orderly way, according to the will of God. Having, therefore, received their orders, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and established in the word of God, with full assurance of the Holy Ghost, they went forth proclaiming that the kingdom of God was at hand. And thus preaching through countries and cities, they appointed the first fruits of their labors, having first proved them by the Spirit, to be bishops and deacons of those who should afterwards believe. Nor was this any new thing, since indeed many ages before it was written concerning bishops and deacons, for thus says the scripture a certain place, I will appoint their bishops in righteousness and their deacons in faith. And what wonder is it, if those in Christ who were entrusted with such a duty by God, appointed those ministers before mentioned, when the blessed Moses also, a faithful servant in all his house, noted down in the sacred books all the injunctions which were given him, and when the other prophets also followed him, bearing witness with one consent to the ordinances which he had appointed. 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 having shut the doors of the tabernacle, he sealed the keys, as he had done the rods, and said to them, Men and brethren, the tribe whose rods shall blossom has God chosen to fulfil the office of the priesthood, and to minister to him. And when the morning was come, he assembled all Israel, six hundred thousand men, and showed the seals to the princes of the tribes, and opened the tabernacle of witness, and brought forth the rods. And the rod of Aaron was found, not only to have blossomed, but to bear fruit upon it. What think you, beloved? 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 the name of the true and only God might be glorified, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. End of chapter 43 Chapter 44 Our apostles also knew through our Lord Jesus Christ, and there would be strife on account of the office of the episcopate. For this reason, therefore, inasmuch as they had obtained a perfect foreknowledge of this, they appointed those ministers already mentioned, and afterwards gave instructions, 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 afterwards 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. Blessed are those presbyters who, having finished their course before now, have obtained a fruitful and perfect departure from this world, for they have no fear lest anyone deprive them of the place now appointed them. But we see that you have removed some men of excellent behaviour from the ministry which they fulfilled blamelessly and with honour. Ye are fond of contention, brethren, and full of zeal about things which do not pertain to salvation. Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit. Observe that nothing of any unjust or counterfeit character is written in them. There you will not find that the righteous were cast off by men who themselves were holy. The righteous were indeed persecuted, but only by the wicked. They were cast into prison, but only by the unholy. They were stoned, but only by transgressors. They were slain, but only by the accursed, and such as had conceived an unrighteous envy against them. Exposed to such sufferings, they endured them gloriously. For what shall we say, brethren? Was Daniel cast into the den of lions by such as feared God? Were Ananias, and Azarius, and Michael shut up in a furnace of fire by those who observed the great and glorious worship of the Most High? Far from us be such a thought! Who then were they that did such things? The hateful, and those full of all wickedness, were roused to such a pitch of fury, that they inflicted torture on those who served God with a holy and blameless purpose of heart, not knowing that the Most High is the defender and protector of all such as with a pure conscience venerate his all-excellent name, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. But they who with confidence endured these things are now heirs of glory and honor, and have been exalted and made illustrious by God, and their memorial for ever and ever. Amen. Such examples, therefore, brethren, it is right that we should follow, since it is written, Cleave to the holy, for those who cleave to them shall themselves be made holy. And again in another place the scripture says, With a harmless man you shall prove thyself harmless, and with an elect man you shall be elect, and with a perverse man you shall show thyself perverse. Let us cleave, therefore, to the innocent and righteous, since these are the elect of God. Why are there strifes and tumults and divisions and schisms and wars among you? Have we not all one God and one Christ? Is there not one Spirit of grace poured out upon us? And have we not one calling in Christ? Why do we divide and tear to pieces the members of Christ and raise up strife against our own body, and have reached such a height of madness as to forget that we are members one of another? Remember the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, how he said, Woe to that man by whom offenses come! It were better for him that he had never been born, than that he should cast a stumbling block before one of my elect. Yea, it were better for him that a millstone should be hung about his neck, and he should be sunk in the depths of the sea, than that he should cast a stumbling block before one of my little ones. Your schism has subverted the faith of many, has discouraged many, has given rise to doubt in many, and has caused grief to us all. And still your sedition continues. End of chapter 46 Chapter 47 Take up the epistle of the blessed apostle Paul. What did he write to you at the time when the gospel first began to be preached? Truly under the inspiration of the Spirit he wrote to you concerning himself, and Cephas, and Apollos, because even then parties had been formed among you. But that inclination for one above another entailed less guilt upon you, inasmuch as your partialities were then shown towards apostles, already of high reputation, and towards a man whom they had approved. But now reflect who those are that have perverted you, and lessened the renown of your far-famed brotherly love. It is disgraceful, beloved, yea, highly disgraceful, and unworthy of your Christian profession that such a thing should be heard of, as that the most steadfast and ancient Church of the Corinthians should, on account of one or two persons, engage in sedition against its presbyters. And this rumor has reached not only us, but those also who are unconnected with us, so that through your infatuation the name of the Lord is blasphemed, while danger is also brought upon yourselves. End of chapter 47 Chapter 48 Let us therefore with all haste put an end to this state of things, and let us fall down before the Lord, and beseech him with tears that he would mercifully be reconciled to us, and restore us to our former seemly and holy practice of brotherly love. For such conduct is the gate of righteousness, which is set open for the attainment of life, as it is written, Open to me the gates of righteousness, I will go in by them, and will praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord, the righteous shall enter in by it. Although therefore many gates have been set open, yet this gate of righteousness is that gate in Christ, by which blessed are all they that have entered in, and have directed their way in holiness and righteousness, doing all things without disorder. Let a man be faithful, let him be powerful in the utterance of knowledge, let him be wise in judging of words, let him be pure in all his deeds. Yet the more he seems to be superior to others in these respects, the more humble-minded ought he to be, and to seek the common good of all, and not merely his own advantage. End of chapter 48 Chapter 49 Let him who has love in Christ keep the commandments of Christ. Who can describe the blessed bond of the love of God? What man is able to tell the excellence of its beauty, as it ought to be told? The height to which love exalts is unspeakable. Love unites us to God. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love bears all things, is long-suffering in all things. There is nothing base, nothing arrogant in love. Love admits of no schisms. Love gives rise to no seditions. Love does all things in harmony. By love have all the elect of God been made perfect. Without love, nothing is well-pleasing to God. In love has the Lord taken us to Himself. On account of the love He bore us, Jesus Christ our Lord gave His blood for us by the will of God, His flesh for our flesh, and His soul for our souls. End of chapter 49 Chapter 50 Ye see, beloved, how great and wonderful a thing is love, and that there is no declaring its perfection. Who is fit to be found in it except such as God has vouchsafed to render so? Let us pray, therefore, and implore of His mercy that we may live blameless in love, free from all human partialities for one above another. All the generations from Adam even to this day have passed away, but those who through the grace of God have been made perfect in love now possess a place among the godly, and shall be made manifest at the revelation of the kingdom of Christ. For it is written, Enter into thy secret chambers for a little time, until my wrath and fury pass away, and I will remember a propitious day, and will raise you up out of your graves. Blessed are we, beloved, if we keep the commandments of God in the harmony of love, that so through love our sins may be forgiven us. For it is written, Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will not impute to him, and in whose mouth there is no guile. This blessedness comes upon those who have been chosen by God through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.