has multiplied them for his Holy Churches sake is angry with thee because thou hast sinned against me And I answering said unto her Lady If I have sinned against thee tell me where or in what Place or when did I ever speak an unseemly or dishonest Word unto thee Have I not always esteemed thee as a Lady Have I not always reverenced thee as a Sister Why then dost thou imagine these wicked things against me Then she smiling upon me said The desire of Naughtiness has risen up in thy heart Does it not seem to thee to be an ill thing for a Righteous Man to have an evil desire rise up in his heart It is indeed a Sin and that a very great one to such a Man for a righteous Man thinketh what is righteous And whilst he does so and walketh uprightly he shall have the LORD in Heaven favourable unto him in all his Works But as for those who think wickedly in their hearts they take to themselves Death and Captivity and especially those who love this present World and glory in their Riches and regard not the good things that are to come their Souls wander up and down and know not where to fix Now this is the Case of such as are Doubtful who trust not in the LORD and despise and neglect their own life But do thou pray unto the LORD and he will heal thy Sins and the Sins of thy whole House and of all his Saints II. AS soon as she had spoken these Words the Heavens were shut and I remained utterly swallowed up in Sadness and Fear and said within my self If this be laid against me for Sin how can I ever be saved or how shall I ever be able to intreat the LORD for my many and great Sins With what Words shall I beseech him to be merciful unto me As I was thinking over these things and meditating in my self upon them behold a Chair set over against me of the whitest Wool as bright as Snow And there came an old Woman in a bright Garment having a Book in her hand and sate alone and saluted me saying HERMAS hail And I being full of Sorrow and weeping answered Hail Lady and she said unto me Why art thou sad Hermas who wert wont to be patient and modest and always cheerful I answered and said to her Lady a Reproach has been objected to me by an excellent Woman who tells me that I have sinned against her She replied Far be any such thing from the Servant of God But it may be the desire of her has risen up in thy Heart For indeed there is such a Thought even in the Servants of God leading unto Sin Nor ought such a detestable Thought to be in the Servant of God nor should a Spirit that is approved desire that which is evil nor especially HERMAS who contains himself from all wicked Appetites and is full of all Simplicity and of great Innocence III. NEVERTHELESS the LORD is not angry with thee for thine own sake but upon the account of thy House which has committed Wickedness against the LORD and against their Parents And that Act of thy Fondness towards thy Sons in that thou hast not admonished them but hast permitted them to live wickedly and for this Cause the LORD is angry with thee But he will heal all the Evils that are done before thee in thy House For through their Sins and Iniquities thou art wholly consumed in secular Affairs But now the Mercy of God hath taken Compassion upon thee and upon thine House and hath greatly comforted thee only as for thee do not wander but be of an even Mind and comfort thy House As the Workman bringing forth his Work offers it to whomsoever he pleases so shalt thou by teaching every day what is just cut off a great sin Wherefore cease not to admonish thy Sons for the LORD knows that they will repent with all their heart and he will write thee in the Book of Life And when she had said this she added unto me Wilt thou hear me Read I answer'd her Lady I will Hear then said she And opening the Book she read gloriously greatly and wonderfully such things as I could not keep in my Memory For they were terrible Words such as no Man could bear Howbeit I committed her last Words to my Remembrance for they were but few and of great use Behold the mighty LORD who by his invincible Power and with his excellent Wisdom made the World and by his glorious Counsel encompassed the Beauty of his Creature and with the Word of his strength fix'd the Heaven and founded the Earth upon the Waters and by his powerful Vertue establish'd his Holy Church which he hath blessed Behold he will remove the Heavens and the Mountains the Hills and the Seas and all things shall be made Plain for his Elect that he may render unto them the Promise which he has promised with much Honor and Joy if so be that they shall keep the Commandments of God which they have received with great Faith IV. AND when she had made an end of Reading she rose out of the Chair and behold four Young-men came and carried the Chair to the East And she called me unto her and touch'd my Breast and said unto me Did my Reading please thee I answered Lady These last things please me but what went before was severe and hard She said unto me These last things are for the Righteous but the foregoing for the Revolters and Heathen And as she was talking with me Two more appeared and took her up on their shoulders and went to the East where the Chair was And she went chearfully away and as she was going said unto me HERMAS be of good chear VISION II. Again of his Neglect in Correcting his Talkative Wife and of his Lewd Sons and of his Own Manners I. AS I was on the Way to Cumae about the same time that I had been the last Year I began to call to mind the Vision I formerly had And again the Spirit carried me away and brought me into the same Place in which I had been the Year before And when I was come into the Place I fell down upon my Knees and began to Pray unto the LORD and to Honour his Name that he had esteemed me worthy and had manifested unto me my former Sins And when I arose from Prayer behold I saw over against me the Old Woman whom I had seen the last Year walking and reading in a certain Book And she said unto me Can'st thou tell these things to the Elect of God I answered and said unto her Lady I cannot retain such great things in my Memory but give me the Book and I will write them down Take it says she and see that thou restore it again to me As soon as I had receiv'd it I went aside into a certain Place of the Field and transcribed every Letter for I found no
Also of the Cleanness of the Body I. AS I was fasting and sitting down in a certain Mountain and giving Thanks unto God for all the things that he had done unto me behold I saw the Shepherd who was wont to converse with me sitting by me and saying unto me What has brought thee hither thus early in the Morning I answer'd Sir To Day I keep a Station He answer'd What is a Station I reply'd It is a Fast. He said What is that Fast I answer'd I fast as I have been wont to do Ye know not said he what it is to fast unto God nor is this a Fast which ye fast profiting nothing with God Sir said I what makes you speak thus He reply'd I speak it because this is not the true Fast which you think that you fast but I will shew you what that is which is a compleat Fast and acceptable unto God Hearken said he The LORD do's not desire such a needless Fast For by Fasting in this manner thou advancest nothing in Righteousness But the true Fast is this Do nothing wickedly in thy Life but serve God with a pure Mind and keep his Commandments and walk according to his Precepts nor suffer any wicked Desire to dwell in thy Mind And trust in the LORD that if thou dost these things and fearest him and abstainest from every evil Work thou shalt live unto God If thou shalt do this thou shalt perfect a great Fast and an acceptable one unto the LORD II. HEARKEN unto the Similitude which I am about to propose unto thee as to this matter A certain Man having a Farm and many Servants planted a Vineyard in a certain part of his Estate for his Posterity And taking a Journey into a far Country chose one of his Servants which he thought the most faithful and approved and deliver'd the Vineyard into his care commanding him that he should stake up his Vines Which if he did and fulfilled his Command he promised to give him his Liberty Nor did he command him to do any thing more and so went into a far Country After then that that Servant had taken that Charge upon him he did whatsoever his LORD commanded him And when he had staked the Vineyard and found it to be full of Weeds he began to think with himself saying I have done what my Lord commanded me I will now dig this Vineyard and when it is digg'd it will be more beautiful and the Weeds being pull'd up it will bring forth more Fruit and not be choak'd by the Weeds So setting about his Work he digg'd it and pluck'd up all the Weeds that were in it And by that means the Vineyard became very beautiful and prosperous and not over-run and choak'd with Weeds After some time the LORD of the Vineyard comes and goes into the Vineyard and when he saw that it was handsomely stak'd and digg'd and the Weeds pluck'd up that were in it and the Vines flourishing he rejoyced greatly at the Care of his Servant And calling his Son whom he loved and who was to be his Heir and his Friends with whom he was wont to consult he tells them what he had commanded his Servant to do and what his Servant had done more And they immediately congratulated that Servant that he had received so full a Testimony from his Lord. Then he said unto them I indeed promised this Servant his Liberty if he observed the Command which I gave him and he observed it and besides has done a good Work to my Vineyard which has exceedingly pleased me Wherefore for this Work which he hath done I will make him my Heir together with my Son because that when he saw what was good he dissembled it not but did it This Design of the LORD both his Son and his Friends approved namely that this Servant should be Heir together with his Son Not long after this the Master of the Family calling together his Friends sent from his Supper several kinds of Food to that Servant Which when he had received he took so much of them as was sufficient for himself and divided the rest among his Fellow Servants Which when they had received they rejoyced and wish'd that he might find yet greater favour with his Lord for what he had done to them When his Lord heard all these things he was again fill'd with great Joy and calling again his Friends and his Son together he related to them what his Servant had done with the Meats which he had sent unto him They therefore so much the more assented to the Master of the Houshold that he ought to make that Servant his Heir together with his Son III. I SAID unto him Sir I know not these Similitudes neither can I understand them unless you expound them unto me I will says he expound all things unto thee whatsoever I have talk'd with thee or shewn unto thee Keep the Commandments of the LORD and thou shalt be approved and shalt be written in the Number of those that keep his Commandments But if besides those things which the LORD hath commanded thou shalt add some good thing thou shalt purchase to thy self a greater Dignity and be in more favour with the LORD than thou shouldst otherwise have been If therefore thou shalt keep the Commandments of the LORD and shalt add to them these Stations thou shalt rejoyce but especially if thou shalt keep them according to my Commands I said unto him Sir Whatsoever thou shalt command me I will observe for I know that thou wilt be with me I will said he be with thee who hast taken up such a Resolution and I will be with all those who purpose in like manner This Fast saith he whilst thou dost also observe the Commandments of the LORD is exceeding good Thus therefore shalt thou keep it First of all take heed to thy self and keep thy self from every wicked Act and from every filthy Word and from every hurtful Desire and purifie thy Sense from all the Vanity of this present World If thou shalt observe these things this Fast shall be such as it ought to be Thus therefore do Having perform'd what is before written that day on which thou fastest thou shalt taste nothing at all but Bread and Water and computing the Quantity of Food which thou art wont to eat upon other Days thou shalt lay aside the Expence which thou shouldst have made that Day and give it unto the Widow the Fatherless and the Poor And thus thou shalt perfect the Humility of thy Soul that he who receives of it may satisfie his Soul and his Prayer come up to the LORD God for thee If therefore thou shalt thus accomplish thy Fast as I command thee thy Sacrifice shall be acceptable uto the LORD and thy Fast shall be written in his Book This Station thus perform'd is good and pleasing and acceptable unto the LORD These things if thou shalt observe with
The Genuine EPISTLES OF THE Apostolical Fathers S. BARNABAS S. IGNATIUS S. CLEMENT S. POLYCARP THE SHEPHERD of HERMAS And the Martyrdoms of St. Ignatius and St. Polycarp Written by Those who were present at their Sufferings Being together with the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament a compleat Collection of the most Primitive Antiquity for about CI Years after Christ. Translated and Publish'd with a large Preliminary Discourse relating to the several Treatises here put together By W. Wake D.D. Chapl. in Ordinary to their 〈◊〉 and Preacher to the Honorable Society of Grays-Inn LONDON Printed for Ric. Sare at Grays-Inn Gate next Holborn 1693. Imprimatur Apr. 11. 1693. Carolus Alston R.P.D. Hen. Episc. Lond. à sacris A CATALOGUE OF THE Several PIECES contain'd in this Book and the Order of them A Discourse concerning the Treatises here collected and the Authors of them PART I. The First Epistle of St. Clement to the Corinthians The Epistle of St. Polycarp to the Philippians The Genuine Epistles of St. Ignatius A Relation of the Martyrdom of St. Ignatius written by those who were present at his Sufferings The Epistle of the Church of Smyrna concerning the Martyrdom of St. Polycarp PART II. The Catholick Epistle of St. Barnabas The Shepherd of Hermas in Three Books The Remains of St. Clement's Second Epistle to the Corinthians An INDEX to both Parts A DISCOURSE CONCERNING The several Treatises contain'd in the following Collection and the Authors of them The INTRODUCTION 1. HAD I designed the following Collection either for the Benefit or Perusal of the learned World I should have needed to say but very little by way of Introduction to it The Editors of the several Treatises here put together having already observed so much upon each of them that it would I believe be difficult to discover I am sure be very needless to trouble the Reader with any more 2. BUT as it would be Ridiculous for me to pretend to have design'd a Translation for those who are able with much more Profit and Satisfaction to go to the Originals so being now to address my self to those especially who want that Ability I suppose it may not be amiss before I lead them to the Discourses themselves to give them some Account both of the Authors of the several Pieces I have here collected and of the Tracts themselves and of that Collection that is now the first time made of them in our own Tongue Tho' as to the first of these I shall say the less by reason of that excellent Account that has been already given of the most of them by our Pious and Learned Dr. Cave Whose Lives of the Apostles and Primitive Fathers with his other Admirable Discourse of Primitive Christianity I could heartily wish were in the hands of all the more judicious part of our English Readers 3. NOR may such an Account as I now propose to my self to give of the following Pieces be altogether useless to some even of the Learned themselves who wanting either the Opportunity of Collecting the several Authors necessary for such a search or leisure to examin them may not be unwilling to see that faithfully brought together under one short and general View which would have required some Time and Labour to have search'd out as it lay diffus'd in a Multitude of Writers out of which they must otherwise have gather'd it CHAP. II. Of the First Epistle of S. Clement to the Corinthians Of the Value which the Ancients put upon this Epistle Of St. Clement himself who was the Author of it That it was the same Clement of whom S. Paul speaks Phil. iv 3 Of his Conversion to Christianity When he became Bishop of Rome as also whether he suffer'd Martyrdom uncertain Of the Occasion of his Writing this Epistle and the two main Parts of it Of the Time when it was written That there is no reason to doubt but that the Epistle we now have was truly written by S. Clement The Objection of Tentzelius against it of no force How this Epistle was first published by Mr. Patrick Young and translated by Mr. Burton into English Of the present Edition of it 1. THE first Tract which begins this Collection and perhaps the most worthy too is that Admirable or as some of the Ancients have called it that wonderful Epistle of S. Clement to the Corinthians and which he wrote not in his own Name but in the Name of the whole Church of Rome to them An Epistle so highly esteem'd by the Primitive Church that we are told it was wont to be publickly read in the Assemblies of it And if we may credit one of the most ancient Collections of the Canon of Scripture was placed among the Sacred and Inspired Writings Nor is it any small Evidence of the Value which in those days was put upon this Epistle that in the only Copy which for ought we know at this day remains of it we find it to have been written in the same Volume with the Books of the New Testament And which seems to confirm what was before observed concerning it that it was heretofore wont to be read in the Congregations together with the Holy Scriptures of the Apostles and Evangelists 2. BUT of the Epistle it self I shall take occasion to speak more particularly by and by It will now be more proper to enquire a little into the Author of it and consider when and upon what occasion it was written by him 3. AND first for what concerns the Person who wrote this Epistle it is no small Commendation which the Holy Ghost by S. Paul has left us of him Phil. iv 3 Where the Apostle mentions him not only as his Fellow-Labourer in the Work of the Gospel but as one whose Name was written in the Book of Life A Character which if we will allow our Saviour to be the Judg far exceeds that of the highest Power and Dignity And who therefore when his Disciples began to rejoyce upon the account of that Authority which he had bestow'd upon them insomuch that even the Devils were subject unto them Luke x. 17 tho' he seem'd to allow that there was a just matter of Joy in such an extraordinary Power yet bade them not to Rejoyce so much in this that those Spirits were subject unto them but rather says he Rejoyce that your Names are written in the Book of Life 4. IT is indeed insinuated by a late very Learned Critick as if this were not that Clement of whom we are now discoursing and whose Epistle to the Corinthians I have here subjoyn'd But besides that he himself confesses that the Person of whom S. Paul there speaks was a Roman both Eusebius and Epiphanius and S. Hierome expresly tell us that the Clement there meant was the same that was afterwards Bishop of Rome Nor do we read of any Other to whom either the Character there mentioned of being the Fellow-Labourer of that Apostle or the Elogy given of having
no longer continu'd to these latter Ages may warrantably be despised in the Pretenders of the present days yet we cannot doubt but that at the time when this Book was written the extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost were very frequent And we need not question but that such Revelations too among the rest were communicated to Holy Men for the Benefit of the Church 16. BUT I shall not pursue this Subject any farther Nor will I add very much to what I have before said with relation to St. Clement and his First Epistle concerning that Part which still remains of a Second under his Name and which concludes the following Collection 17. THAT this Second Epistle was not of so great a Reputation among the Primitive Fathers as the foregoing Eusebius not only plainly tells us but gives us this Testimony of it That he could not find it quoted as the Other was by any of them But St. Jerome is more severe he represents it to us as rejected by them And Photius after him calls it a Spurious Piece And not to mention any more our most Reverend Bishop Usher not only concurs in the same Censure but offers several Arguments too in proof of it 18. AND yet when all is done it do's not appear but that St. Clement was indeed the Author of this as well as of the other Epistle before spoken of tho' it was not so much esteem'd nor by consequence so generally known to the Ancients as that In the Manuscript of St. Thecla we find this set forth under the same Title with the other And in all the other Catalogues of the Ancients wherever One is spoken of the Other is for the most part set together with it As may particularly be observed in the Apostolical Canons one of the most early Collections of this kind 19. NOR does Eusebius deny this Epistle to be St. Clement's but only says that it was not so celebrated as the Other And true it is we do not find it either so often or so expresly mention'd as that But yet if the Conjecture of Wendeline approved by a very Learned Man of our own Country may be admitted Eusebius himself will afford us an Instance of one who not only spake of it but spake of it as wont to be publickly read in the Church of Corinth For discoursing of the Epistles of Dionysius Bishop of that See he tells us that in One of them which he wrote to the Romans he took notice of St. Clement's Epistle in these Words Today have we kept the LORD 's Day with all Holiness in which we have read your Epistle as we shall always continue to read it for our Instruction together with the former written to us by Clement What that Epistle was that Dionysius here speaks of as written by the Church of Rome to that of Corinth and publickly read in the Congregation there it do's not appear nor can we give any account of it unless it was that which St. Clement wrote to them in the Name of the Church of Rome and which Eusebius tells us was publickly read in that Church in those days But then if this be so as I think it most likely that it is we must conclude that the Epistle of which we are now speaking was indeed the first written to them however called his Second Epistle and wont to be read together with that other which he sent in the Name of the Roman Church to them in their Assemblies 20. NOW that which yet more favours this Opinion is that it seems by many Arguments to appear that this Letter which he wrote in his own Name tho' as being sent from a particular Person and not in it self so considerable as the Other it was usually set after that which he wrote by the Order of the Church and in their Name to the Corinthians was yet indeed the first written And for being read in the Churches Epiphanius expresly tells us that this Epistle no less than the foregoing was in his time wont to be publickly read in the Congregation And tho' St. Jerome and Photius indeed speak but meanly of it in those places where they seem to deliver the Judgment of Eusebius rather than their own Opinion yet upon other Occasions they make no exception against the Authority of it but equally ascribe it to St. Clement with the Other of which there is no doubt 21. IT were an easie matter to shew that the same was the Opinion of the other Ecclesiastical Writers of those Times But this having been done at large by Wendeline first and since by Cotelerius and his perpetual Transcriber Natalis Alexander I shall forbear and conclude with this That it is an Epistle tho' not of equal Value with the Other yet of good use and which if it were not written by St. Clement as I make no doubt but it was has yet nothing in it that is in the least unworthy of him 22. AND now having said thus much concerning these two last Pieces and with which the present Collection is concluded I have but this to add That they are Both of them now first of all put into our own Language and presented to the perusal of the English Reader The Former from the Old Latin Version which is by some much complained of tho' by others as stifly defended The Latter from the Original Greek as it was publish'd by Mr. Patrick Young from the Alexandrian Manuscript the only Copy that for ought appears do's at this day remain of it 23. IF any one shall ask how it came to pass that our Learned Country-Man Mr. Burton when he set out the former Epistle of St. Clement in English did not subjoyn this to it the Answer which himself warrants us to return is this That taking what has been said by the Antients before mentioned in the strictest Sense he looked upon this Epistle as a Spurious Piece And which tho' it carried the Name of St. Clement was yet truly no more his than those Constitutions and Recognitions which are also publish'd under the same Name but are generally acknowledged to be none of his as in the prosecution of this Discourse I shall take occasion more particularly to shew 24. AS for the Epistle it self I have concluded it somewhat sooner than the Greek which yet remains of it do's But that which I have omitted being only an imperfect Piece of a Sentence and which would have made the Conclusion much more abrupt than it is now I chose rather to add what follow'd here than to continue it there And to make the Reader the better amends for this Liberty I have not only subjoyn'd what remains of St. Clement but have endeavour'd to make out the Sense of what is wanting in our Copy from the Other Clement who seems to have follow'd this Original FOR the LORD himself being asked by a certain Person when his Kingdom should come answer'd When Two shall be One and that which is without as that
Offices were by the Spirit enabled to make of them So 3 dly If we look to those Accounts which still remain to us of them they will plainly shew us that they were endued and that in a very singular manner with this Power and Gift of the Blessed Spirit 19. OF Barnabas the Holy Scripture it self bears Witness that He was a good Man full of the Holy Ghost and of Faith Acts xi 24 Hermas is another of whom St. Paul himself makes mention Rom. xvi 14 as an early Convert to Christianity And what extraordinary Revelations he had and how he foretold the Troubles that were to come upon the Church his following Visions sufficiently declare 20 CLEMENT is not only spoken of by the same Apostle but with this advantageous Character too that he was the Fellow-Labourer of that great Man and had his Name written in the Book of Life Phil. iv 3 And when we shall consider to how much lesser and worser Men these Gifts were usually communicated at that time we can hardly think that so excellent a Man and the Companion of so great an Apostle employed first in the planting of the Gospel with him and then set to govern one of the most considerable Churches in the World should have been destitute of it 21. AS for St. Ignatius I have before observed that he had this Gift and by the help of it warned the Philadelphians against falling into those Divisions which he fore-saw were about to rise up amonst them 22. POLYCARP not only Prophecy'd of his own Death but spake often times of things that were to come And has this Witness from the whole Church of Smyrna that nothing of all that he foretold ever failed of coming to pass according to his Prediction 23. IT remains then that the Holy Men whose Writings are here subjoyn'd were not only instructed by such as were Inspir'd but were themselves Inspir'd too And therefore we must conclude that they have not only not mistaken the Mind of the Apostles in what they deliver to us as the Gospel of Christ but were not capable of doing of it By consequence that we ought to look upon their Writings tho' not of equal Authority with those which we call in a singular manner The Holy Scriptures because neither were the Authors of them called in so extraordinary a way to the writing of them nor endued with so eminent a Portion of the Gifts of the Blessed Spirit for the doing of it Nor have their Writings been judg'd by the common Consent of the Church in those inspir'd Ages of it when they were so much better qualified than we are now to judge of the Divine Authority of those kind of Writings to be of equal Dignity with those of the Apostles and Evangelists yet worthy of a much greater Respect than any Composures that have been made since however Men may seem to have afterwards written with more Art and to have shewn a much greater Stock of humane Learning than what is to be found not only in the following Pieces but even in the Sacred Books of the New Testament it self 24. I SHALL add but One Consideration more the better to shew the true Deference that ought to be paid to the Treatises here collected and that is Sixthly That they were not only written by such Men as I have said instructed by the Apostles and judg'd worthy by them both for their Knowledg and their Integrity to govern some of the most eminent Churches in the World and lastly endued with the extraordinary Gift of the Holy Ghost and upon all these Accounts to be much respected by us But were moreover received by the Church in those First Ages as Pieces of a very great value which could not be mistaken in its Judgment of them 25. THE Epistle of St. Clement was a long time read publickly with the Other Scriptures in the Congregations of the Faithful made a part of their Bible and was numbred among the Sacred Writings however finally separated from them And not only the Apostolical Canons but our most ancient Alexandrian Manuscript gives the same place to the Second that it do's to the First of them And Epiphanius after both tells us that they were both of them wont to be read in the Church in his Time 26. THE Epistle of St. Polycarp with that of the Church of Smyrna were not only very highly approved of by particular Persons but like those of St. Clement were read publickly too in the Assemblies of the Faithful And for those of Ignatius besides that we find a mighty Value put upon them by the Christians of those Times they are sealed to us by this Character of St. Polycarp That they are such Epistles by which we may be greatly profited For says he They treat of Faith and Patience and of all things that pertain to Edification in the LORD 27. THE Epistle of Barnabas is not only quoted with great Honour by those of the next Age to him but as I have before shewn is expresly called Catholick and Canonical And in the ancient Stichometry of Cotelerius we find it placed the very next to the Epistle of St. Jude and no difference put between the Authority of the One and of the Other 28. AND for the Book of Hermas both Eusebius and St. Jerome tell us that it was also used to be read in the Churches In the same Stichometry I before mentioned it is placed in the very next Rank to the Acts of the Holy Apostles And in some of the most ancient Manuscripts of the New Testament we find it written in the same Volume with the Books of the Apostles and Evangelists as if it had been esteem'd of the same Value and Authority with them 29. SO that now then we must either say that the Church in those days was so little careful of what was taught in it as to allow such Books to be publickly read in its Congregations the Doctrine whereof it did not approve Or we must confess that the following Pieces are deliver'd to us not only by the Learned Men of the First Ages of the Church but by the whole Body of the Faithful as containing the pure Doctrine of Christ and must be look'd upon to have nothing in them but what was then thought worthy of all Acceptation 30. NOW how much this adds to the Authority of these Discourses may easily be concluded from what I have before observed For since it is certain that in those Times the Extraordinary Gifts of the Holy Ghost were bestowed not only upon the Bishops and Pastors of the Church tho' upon them in a more eminent degree but also upon a great many of the common Christians too Since One particular Design of these Gifts was for the Discerning of Prophecies to judg of what was proposed by any to the Church or written for the Use and Benefit of it We cannot doubt but what was universally approved of and allow'd not by a few Learned Men but by
the whole Church in those days what was permitted to be publickly read to the Faithful for their Comfort and Instruction must by this means have received a more than Humane Approbation and ought to be look'd upon by us tho' not of Equal Authority with those Books which they have deliver'd to us as strictly Canonical yet as standing in the first Rank of Ecclesiastical Writings and as containing the true and pure Faith of Christ without the least Error intermix'd with it CHAP. XI Of the Subject of the following Discourses and of the Use that is to be made of Them That in the following Treatises there is deliver'd to us a good account both of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church in the Apostolical Times This shewn in several particulars What they taught concerning God the Father our Saviour Christ and the Holy Ghost Of Angels and Spirits Of the rest of the Articles of the Apostles Creed Concerning the two Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper Of the Holy Scriptures and the Divine Authority of them What we meet with in these Treatises concerning the Government of the Church Of the Necessity of Communicating with the Bishops and Pastors of it Of Schismaticks Hereticks and Apostates Of their publick Assembling for the Service of God and what was done by them in those Meetings Of several other Instances of their Discipline particularly of their Fasting and Confession of Sins Of the Care which their Bishops had of the whole Church Of the Respect that was paid to them Of their Martyrs and the Veneration which they thought due to them Of their Practical Instructions and how severe their Morality was shewn in several particulars That upon the whole we may here see what the State of Christianity then was and still ought to be 1. AND now having shewn in the foregoing Chapter what Deference we ought to pay to the Authority of those Holy Men whose Writings I have here collected it may not be amiss in the Third place to enquire What it is which they deliver to us what account we find in them of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church in those Times in which they lived 2. IT would be endless for me to go about to make a just Catalogue of all the Particulars of this kind that occur in the following Pieces and I have already in a great measure perform'd it in the Index which I have for that purpose subjoyn'd to them I shall therefore here consider only a few particulars in such Points as may seem most worthy to be remarked and by them as by a short Specimen shew How the Judicious Reader may himself improve it into a more particular History of the Faith and Practice of the Church in the best and most ancient State of it 3. AND 1 st for what concerns the Doctrines of those Times there is hardly any Point that is necessary to be believed or known by us that is not very plainly delivered in Some or Other of the following Pieces 4. HERE we may read what we are to believe concerning the first Article of all of our Creed God the Father That he is One Almighty Invisible the Creator and Maker of all things That he is Omniscient Immense Neither to be comprehended within any Bounds nor so much as to be perfectly conceived by us That his Providence is over all things And that we can none of us flee from him or escape his Knowledg That we are to believe in him to fear him to love him And fearing him to abstain from all Evil. 5. IF from thence we go on to the next Person of the Blessed Trinity Our Saviour Jesus Christ here we shall find all that either our Creed teaches us to profess concerning him or that any Christian need to believe That he Existed not only before he came into the World but from all Eternity That he is not only the Son of God but is himself also God That in the fulness of Time he took upon him our Nature and became Man Was born of the Virgin Mary was crucified under Pontius Pilate That he suffer'd for our Salvation and was raised again from the dead not only by the Power of the Father but by his Own also That he is our High-Priest and Protectour now and shall come again at the End of the World to judge the whole Race of Mankind That there is no coming unto God but by him Insomuch that even the Ancient Fathers who died before his Appearing are yet saved by the same means that we are now 6. AS for what concerns the Holy Spirit the Third Person in the Glorious Godhead he is here set out to us not only as a Person but as distinct from the Father and the Son And to shew what kind of Spirit he is We may here see him joyn'd together in the same Worship with the Father and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 7. AND now I am mentioning the Holy Spirit let me add that we may here see what is needful to be known concerning all the Other Spirits of an inferiour Nature How the Holy Angels minister unto us but especially then when we have most need of them at the time of our Death And that tho' the Devil may attacque us and use all his Arts to draw us away from our Duty yet it must be our own Faults if we are overcome by him and therefore that we ought not to be afraid of him 8. BUT to return to our Creed and the Articles of it Here we may farther see both what a great Obligation there lies upon us to keep up a Communion of Saints in the Unity of the Church on Earth and what is that true Fellowship that we ought to have with those who are gone before us to Heaven That it consists not in the Worship of any tho' never so gloriously exalted by God but in Love and Remembrance in Thanksgiving to God for their Excellencies and in our Prayers to him joyn'd with hearty Endeavours of our own to imitate their Perfections 9. AND whilst we do this we are here assured of the Forgiveness of our Sins too through the Merits and Satisfaction of Jesus Christ. And that not only of those which we committed before our Baptism but of all such as we shall chance to fall into after if we truly repent of them 10. AS for the next Point the Resurrection of the Body it is not only asserted but at large proved too in the following Discourses There we may see not only that there shall be a future Resurrection but that we shall be raised in the very same Bodies in which we go down into the Grave And that being raised we shall be judged by Christ according to our Works and be either unspeakably rewarded or exceedingly punished and that to all Eternity 11. IF from the Articles of our Creed we go on to the Sacraments of the Church Here we have set out to us the great Benefit of our Baptism and
Syllables And as soon as I had finished what was written in the Book the Book was suddenly caught out of my hands but by whom I saw not II. AFTER fifteen days when I had fasted and intreated the LORD with all earnestness the Knowledge of the Writing was revealed unto me Now the Writing was this Thy Seed O HERMAS hath sinned against the LORD and have betrayed their Parents through their great Wickedness And they have been called the Betrayers of their Parents and have gone on in their Treachery And now have they added Lewdness to their other Sins and the Pollutions of Naughtiness Thus have they fill'd up the Measure of their Iniquities But do thou upbraid thy Sons with all these Words and thy Wife which shall be thy Sister And let her learn to refrain her Tongue with which she calumniates For when she shall hear these things she will refrain her self and shall obtain Mercy And they shall be instructed when thou shalt have reproach'd them with these Words which the LORD has commanded to be revealed unto thee Then shall their Sins be forgiven which they have heretofore committed and the Sins of all the Saints who have sinned even unto this day if they shall repent with all their Hearts and remove all Doubts out of their Hearts For the LORD hath sworn by his Glory concerning his Elect having determined the certain Day that if any one shall even now sin he shall not be saved For the Repentance of the Righteous has its End The Days of Repentance are fulfilled to all the Saints but to the Heathen there is Repentance even unto the Last Day Thou shalt therefore say to those who are over the Church that they order their Ways in Righteousness that they may fully receive the Promise with much Glory Stand fast therefore ye that work Righteousness and continue to do it that your Departure may be with the Holy Angels Happy are ye as many as shall endure the Great Tryal that is at hand and whosoever shall not deny his Life For the LORD hath sworn by his Son that who so denieth his Son and him being afraid of his Life he will also deny him in the World that is to come But those who shall never deny him he will of his exceeding great Mercy be favourable unto them III. BUT thou O Hermas remember not the Evils which thy Sons have done neither neglect thy Sister but take care that they amend of their former Sins For they will be instructed by this Doctrine if thou shalt not be mindful of what they have done wickedly For the Remembrance of Evils worketh Death but the Forgetting of them Life Eternal But thou O HERMAS hast undergone a great many Wordly Troubles for the Offences of thy House because thou hast neglected them as things that did not belong unto thee and thou art wholly taken up with thy great Business Nevertheless for this cause shalt thou be saved that thou hast not departed from the Living God And thy Simplicity and singular Continency shall preserve thee if thou shalt continue in them Yea they shall save All such as do such things and walk in Innocence and Simplicity They who are of this kind shall prevail against all Impiety and continue unto Life Eternal Happy are all they that do Righteousness they shall not be consumed for ever But thou wilt say Behold there is a great Tryal coming If it seems good to thee Deny him again The LORD is nigh to them that turn to him as it is written in the Books of Heldam and Modal who prophecy'd to the Israelites in the Wilderness IV. MOREOVER Brethren it was reavealed to me as I was sleeping by a very goodly young Man saying unto me What thinkest thou of that old Woman from whom thou receivedst the Book Who is she I answered a Sybil. Thou art mistaken said he she is not I reply'd who is she then Sir He answered me it is the Church of God And I said unto him Why then do's she appear Old She is therefore said he an Old Woman because she was the first of all the Creation and the World was made for her After this I saw a Vision at home in my own House and the Old Woman whom I had seen before came to me and ask'd me whether I had yet deliver'd the Book which she had given me to the Elders of the Church And I answered that I had not yet She reply'd Thou hast well done for I have certain Words more to tell thee But when I shall have finished all the Words they shall be clearly understood by the Elect. And thou shalt write two Books and send one to Clement and one to Grapté For Clement shall send it to the foreign Cities because it is permitted to him so to do But Grapté shall admonish the Widows and Orphans But thou shalt read it to the Elders that are over the Church VISION III. Of the Building of the Church-Triumphant and of the several Orders of Reprobates I. THE Vision which I saw Brethren was this When I had often fasted and pray'd unto the LORD that he would manifest unto me the Revelation which he had promised by the Old Woman to shew unto me The same Night she appear'd unto me and said unto me because thou dost thus afflict thy self and art so desirous to know All things come into the Field where thou wilt and about the sixth Hour I will appear unto thee and shew thee what thou must see I ask'd her saying Lady into what part of the Field She answered wherever thou wilt only chuse a good and a private place And before I could begin to speak and tell her the place she said unto me I will come where thou wilt I was therefore Brethren in the Field and I observed the Hours and came into the place where I had appointed to go And I beheld a Bench placed it was a linnen Pillow and over it spread a Covering of fine Linnen When I saw these things order'd in this Manner and that there was no Body in the place I began to be astonish'd and my Hair stood on end and a kind of Horror seiz'd me for I was alone But being come to my self and calling to mind the Glory of God and taking Courage I fell down upon my Knees and began again to confess my Sins as before And whilst I was doing this the Old Woman came thither with the six young Men whom I had seen before and stood behind me as I was praying and confessing my Sins unto the LORD And touching me she said leave off now to pray only for thy Sins pray also for Righteousness that thou maist receive a part from her in thy House And she lifted me up from the place and took me by the Hand and brought me to the Seat and said to the young Men Go and Build As soon as they were departed and we were alone she said unto me sit here