omans; (Rom. i. 29.) which passage, from the peculiarity of the
words which compose it, and from their order, it is manifest that he
must have taken from the book. The same remark may be repeated of some
very singular sentiments in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Secondly, that
there are many sentences of Saint Paul's First Epistle to the
Corinthians standing in Clement's epistle without any sign of quotation,
which yet certainly are quotations; because it appears that Clement had
Saint Paul's epistle before him, inasmuch as in one place he mentions it
in terms too express to leave us in any doubt:--"Take into your hands
the epistle of the blessed apostle Paul." Thirdly, that this method of
adopting words of Scripture without reference or acknowledgment was, as
will appear in the sequel, a method in general use amongst the most
ancient Christian writers.--These analogies not only repel the
objection, but cast the presumption on the other side, and afford a
considerable degree of positive proof, that the words in question have
been borrowed from the places of Scripture in which we now find them.
But take it if you will the other way, that Clement had heard these
words from the apostles or first teachers of Christianity; with respect
to the precise point of our argument, viz. that the Scriptures contain
what the apostles taught, this supposition may serve almost as well.
III. Near the conclusion of the epistle to the Romans, Saint Paul,
amongst others, sends the following salutation: "Salute Asyncritus,
Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren which are with
them." Of Hermas, who appears in this catalogue of Roman Christians as
contemporary with Saint Paul, a book bearing the name, and it is most
probably rightly, is still remaining. It is called the Shepherd,
(Lardner, Cred. vol. i. p. 111.) or pastor of Hermas. Its antiquity is
incontestable, from the quotations of it in Irenaeus, A.D. 178; Clement
of Alexandria, A.D. 194; Tertullian, A.D. 200; Origen, A.D. 230. The
notes of time extant in the epistle itself agree with its title, and
with the testimonies concerning it, for it purports to have been written
during the life-time of Clement.
In this place are tacit allusions to Saint Matthew's, Saint Luke's, and
Saint John's Gospels; that is to say, there are applications of thoughts
and expressions found in these Gospels, without citing the place or
writer from which they were taken. In this form appear in Hermas
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