The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XXXVIII. Concerning the Epistle of Clemens, and those other Writings, which are falsly attributed to him.

AS for example, the Epistles of Ignatius, which we have reckoned up, and that of Clemens acknowledged by all as undoubted, which he wrote in the name of the Roman to the Corin∣thian Church. Wherein, seeing he has inserted many sentences taken out of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and sometimes had made use of the ex∣press words of it, it evidently manifests that that work is not new; whence it has seemed agree∣able to reason to reckon this Epistle amongst the rest of the Writings of that Apostle. For Paul having written to the Hebrews in his own coun∣try Language, some say that Luke the Evangelist, but others that this Clemens, of whom we speak, translated that work. Which latter seems the truest opinion, because the stile both of Clemens his Epistle, and also of that to the Hebrews appeares to be very like; and the sense and expressions in both the works are not much different. You must also know that there is a second Epistle, which is said to be Clemens his: But we know for certain that this is not so generally acknowledged, nor approved of as the former, because we are sure the Antients have not quoted any authorities out of it. Further also, some have of late produced other voluminous and large works, as if they were his, containing the a 1.1 Dialogues of Peter and b 1.2 Apion; c 1.3 of which there is not the least mention extant amongst the Antients; neither does there appear in them the d 1.4 pure form of Apostolical sound do∣ctrine. Now therefore 'tis apparent which are the genuine and undoubted writings of Clemens: we have also spoken sufficiently concerning the works of Ignatius and Polycarpe.

Notes

• a 1.1

  In the tenth book Recognit. of Clemens Romanus there is mention of Appion, who is said to have come to Antioch with Anubion about the same time that the Apostle Peter came thi∣ther. But there is nothing said there of Peters dispute with Appion. What shall we say then? that the book of Clemens which contains Peters dispute with Appion is different from his books Recognit? To me indeed they seem not to be two books. For if there had been two books of Clemens's, the one Recognit. the other containing the dispute of Peter with Appion, why should Eusebius mention one onely, and omit the other? There was▪ therefore but one book of Clemens's en∣titled 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. But 'twas divided into two parts; the former mentioned Matidia and Faustinianus to be acknowledged of their children; in the second part was contained the dialogues of Peter and Appion. Indeed Rufinus, who translated that book of Clemens's into Latine, does testifie, in his Epistle to Gaudentius the Bishop, that there were two parts of this book in the Greek; in the one of which some things occurred which the other had not▪ he writes also that on set purpose he omitted some things, because they disa∣greed from sound doctrine. Vales.
• b 1.2

  This name is written with a double p, in all our M. SS. but that of M^r Fukett, where tis writ with à single p, as it is in Josephus and others. Photius, in Biblioth. chap. 112, agrees with our copies; and Clemens also in B. 10. Recognit. where he says that Appion Plisto∣nicensis came to Antioch with Anubion. Lastly Agellius, in his 6 B. says Appion Graecus homo qui plistonices est appellatus. Undoubtedly Appion is a Roman name, wrested into a Greek form, as is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; and the like. Appion was a common name amongst the Egyptians; derived from Apis, whom they worshipped; as, Serapion, Anubion, and the like. Ptolcmaeus King of the Cyrenae was called Apion. Where∣fore seeing this Grammarian the son of Plistonices was an Egyptian, it seems that he should be called Apion, rather than Appion. For Appion that was Consul in Justinians time, the Latine Annalls calls Appion; but the Chronicon Alexandrinum calls him Apion. Vales.
• c 1.3

  But Origen, in his 3^d B. Explanat. on Genesis, makes mention of these books of Clemens's; and quotes a passage out of them, which is still extant in the books of Clemens's Recognit. This quotation of Origens is in the 22 chap. Philocal. (pag. 81. Edit. Cambr. 1658.) and in the common editions of that piece the▪ place is said to be taken out of his B. 2. against Celsus; but in the books of Origen against Celsus now ex∣tant, it is not to be found. This quotation out of Clemens is indeed in his 3^d B. Explanat. on Genesis.—But I have observed that Origen does often quote books, whose authority is unknown; wherein he does, like the Bee, gather honey from venomous flowers. Vales.
• d 1.4

  Photius testifies the same, chap. 112. Biblioth. and before him, Rufinus in his Epistle to Gaudentius the Bishop, to wit, that in those books Recognit. of Clemens's there are some things said concerning the Son of God, which disagree from the true rule of Faith, and make for the opinion of the Arrians. Epiphanius, in Heres. Ebionaeorum chap. 15. doe•• expresly affirm, that those books of Clemens Romanus, entitled 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, were corrupted and falsified by the Ebionites. Vales.