faith, and [reminding them of] the tradition which had been so
lately received from the Apostles." [Euseb. Eccl. Hist. v. c. 6.]

[Footnote 26: See St. Paul to the Philippians, iv. 3. "And I
entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which
laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with
other my fellow-labourers, whose names are in the book of
life."]

Of the many works which have been attributed to Clement, it is now
generally agreed, that one, and only one, can be safely received as
genuine, whilst some maintain that even that one is not altogether free
from interpolations, if not itself spurious[27]. But though we must
believe the other works to have been assigned improperly to Clement; yet
I have not thought it safe to pass them by unexamined, both because some
of them are held in high estimation by writers of the Church of Rome,
and especially because whatever pen first composed them, of their very
great antiquity there can be entertained no reasonable doubt. Indeed,
the Apostolical Canons, and the Apostolical Constitutions, both ascribed
to Clement as their author, acting under the direction of the Apostolic
Council, stand first among the records of the Councils received by the
Church of Rome.

[Footnote 27: Archbishop Wake concludes that this first Epistle
was written shortly after the end of Nero's persecution, and
before A.D. 70.]

To Clement's first Epistle to the Corinthians, now regarded by many as
the only genuine work of that primitive writer, the date of which is
considered by many to be about A.D. 90, Jerome bears this very
interesting testimony in his book on illustrious men:

"He, Clement, wrote in the person of the Church of Rome, to the Church
in Corinth, a very useful epistle, which is publicly read in some
places; in its character agreeing with St. Paul's Epistle to the
Hebrews, not only in the sense, but even in the words: and indeed the
resemblance is very striking in each." [Catalogus Scriptorum
Ecclesiasticorum, Jeron., vol. iv, part ii. p. 107, edit. Benedict.
Paris, 1706.] {81}

It is impossible to read this Epistle of one of the earliest bishops of
Christ's flock in the proper frame of mind, without spiritual
edification. A tone of primitive simplicity pervades it, which is quite
delightful. His witness to the redemption by the atoning sacrifice of
Christ's death, and to the life-giving influences of the Spirit of
grace, is clear