VOLUME VIII

THE TWELVE PATRIARCHS, EXCERPTS AND EPISTLES, THE CLEMENTIA, APOCRYPHA, DECRETALS, MEMOIRS OF EDESSA AND SYRIAC DOCUMENTS, REMAINS OF THE FIRST AGES

----------

AMERICAN EDITION

Ta\ a0rxai=a e!qh kratei/tw.

The Nicene Council

Volume VIII

Introductory Notice

The Twelve Patriarchs

Introductory Notice to the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs

I.-The Testament of Reuben Concerning Thoughts

II.-The Testament of Simeon Concerning Envy

III.-The Testament of Levi Concerning the Priesthood and Arrogance

IV.-The Testament of Judah Concerning Fortitude, and Love of Money, and Fornication

V.-The Testament of Issachar Concerning Simplicity

VI.-The Testament of Zebulun Concerning Compassion and Mercy

VII.-The Testament of Dan Concerning Anger and Lying

VIII.-The Testament of Naphtali Concerning Natural Goodness

IX.-The Testament of Gad Concerning Hatred

X.-The Testament of Asher Concerning Two Faces of Vice and Virtue

XI.-The Testament of Joseph Concerning Sobriety

XII.-The Testament of Benjamin Concerning a Pure Mind

Note by the American Editor

Theodotus

Introductory Notice to Excerpts of Theodotus Or, Selections from the Prophetic Scriptures

Excerpts of Theodotus

Clement of Rome

Introductory Notice to Two Epistles Concerning Virginity

Translator's Introductory Notice

Two Epistles Concerning Virginity

The First Epistle of the Blessed Clement

The Second Epistle of the Same Clement

Pseudo-Clementine Literature

Introductory Notice to Pseudo-Clementine Literature

Recognitions of Clement

Introductory Notice to the Recognitions of Clement

Book I

Book II

Book III

Book IV

Book V

Book VI

Book VII

Book VIII

Book IX

Book X

Introductory Notice to the Clementine Homilies

Epistle of Peter to James

Epistle of Clement to James

The Clementine Homilies

Homily I

Homily II

Homily III

Homily IV

Homily V

Homily VI

Homily VII

Homily VIII

Homily IX

Homily X

Homily XI

Homily XII

Homily XIII

Homily XIV

Homily XV

Homily XVI

Homily XVII

Homily XVIII

Homily XIX

Homily XX

Apocrypha of the New Testament

Introductory Notice to Apocrypha of the New Testament

The Protevangelium of James

The Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew

The Gospel of the Nativity of Mary

The History of Joseph the Carpenter

The Gospel of Thomas

First Greek Form

Second Greek Form

Latin Form

The Arabic Gospel of the Infancy of the Saviour

The Gospel of Nicodemus

Part I.-The Acts of Pilate

Part II.-The Descent of Christ into Hell

The Letter of Pontius Pilate

The Report of Pilate the Procurator

First Greek Form

Second Greek Form

The Giving Up of Pontius Pilate

The Death of Pilate, Who Condemned Jesus

The Narrative of Joseph

The Avenging of the Saviour

Acts of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul

The Story of Perpetua

Acts of Paul and Thecla

The Acts of Barnabas

The Acts of Philip

Of the Journeyings of Philip the Apostle

Acts of Saint Philip the Apostle When He Went to Upper Hellas

Addition to Acts of Philip

Acts and Martyrdom of the Holy Apostle Andrew

Acts of Andrew and Matthias

Acts of the Holy Apostles Peter and Andrew

Acts and Martyrdom of St. Matthew the Apostle

Acts of the Holy Apostle Thomas

Acts of the Holy Apostle Thomas

Consummation of Thomas the Apostle

Martyrdom of the Holy and Glorious Apostle Bartholomew

Acts of the Holy Apostle Thaddaeus, One of the Twelve

Acts of the Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian

Revelation of Moses

Word and Revelation of Esdras

Revelation of Paul

Revelation of Saint John the Theologian

The Account of St. John the Theologian

The Passing of Mary

First Latin Form

Second Latin Form

The Decretals

Introductory Notice to the Decretals

The Epistles of Zephyrinus

The First Epistle

The Second Epistle

Notes by the American Editor

The Epistles of Pope Callistus

The First Epistle

The Second Epistle

Note by the American Editor

The Epistle of Pope Urban First

The Epistles of Pope Pontianus

The First Epistle

The Second Epistle

Note by the American Editor

Pope Anterus The Epistle

The Epistles of Pope Fabian

The First Epistle

The Second Epistle

The Third Epistle

Note by the American Editor

Decrees of Fabian

The Decrees of the Same

Elucidations

Memoirs of Edessa

Introductory Notice to Memoirs of Edessa and Other Syriac Documents

Relating to the Earliest Establishment of Christianity in Edessa and the Neighbouring Countries

A Canticle of Mar Jacob the Teacher on Edessa

Extracts from Various Books Concerning Abgar the King and Addaeus the Apostle

Ancient Syriac Documents

The Teaching of Addaeus the Apostle

Syriac Calendar

The Teaching of the Apostles

The Teaching of Simon Cephas In the City of Rome

Acts of Sharbil,

Further, the Martyrdom of Barsamya,

Elucidation

Martyrdom of Habib the Deacon

Martyrdom Of the Holy Confessors

History of Armenia

Homily on Habib the Martyr

A Homily on Guria and Shamuna

Introduction to Ancient Syriac Documents

Bardesan

A Letter of Mara, Son of Serapion

Ambrose

Elucidations

Remains of the Second and Third Centuries

Introductory Notice to Remains of the Second and Third Centuries

Quadratus, Bishop of Athens

Aristo of Pella

Melito, the Philosopher

Hegesippus

Dionysius, Bishop of Corinth

Rhodon

Maximus Bishop of Jerusalem

Claudius Apollinaris, Bishop of Hierapolis, and Apologist

Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus

Theophilus Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine

Serapion Bishop of Antioch

Apollonius

Pantaenus The Alexandrian Philosopher

Pseud-Irenaeus

The Letter of the Churches of Vienna and Lugdunum to the Churches of Asia and Phrygia

Note by the American Editor

Elucidation

Introductory Notice

This volume completes the American series, according to our agreement. But it will be found to afford much material over and above what was promised, and the editorial labour it has exacted has been much greater than might at first be suspected. The Bibliography with which the work is supplemented, and which is the original work of Dr. Riddle, has been necessarily thrown into the Index by the overgrowth of this volume in original matter.

The Apocryphal works of the Edinburgh collection have been here brought together, and "Fragments" have been sifted, and arranged on a plan strictly practical. To my valued collaborator Dr. Riddle I have committed a task which demanded a specialist of his eminent qualifications. He has had, almost exclusively, the task of editing the Pseudo- Clementina and the Apocryphal New Testament. To myself I assigned the Twelve Patriarchs and Excerpts, the Edessene Memoirs and other Syriac Fragments, the False Decretals, and the Remains of the First Ages. I have reserved this retrospect of historic truth and testimony to complete the volume. As in music the tune ends on the note with which it began, so, after the greater part of the volume had been surrendered to forgery and fiction (valuable, indeed, for purposes of comparison and reference, but otherwise unworthy of a place among primitive witnesses), I felt it refreshing to return to genuine writings and to authentic histories. The pages of Melito and others will restore something of the flavour of the Apostolic Fathers to our taste, and the student will not close his review of the Ante-Nicene Fathers with last impressions derived only from their fraudulent imitators and corrupters.

The editor-in-chief renews his grateful acknowledgments to those who have aided him in his undertaking, with whose honoured names the reader is already acquainted. Nor can he omit an expression of thanks to the reverend brother1 to whom the hard work of the Indexes has been chiefly committed. It would be equally unjust not to mention his obligations to the meritorious press which has produced these pages with a general accuracy not easily ensured under difficulties such as have been inseparable from this undertaking.2 The support which has been liberally afforded to the enterprise by Christians of divers names and communions ought not to be recognised by words of mere recognition: it is a token of their common interest in a common origin, and a sign, perhaps, of a longing for that precious unity and brotherhood which was the glory of the martyr ages, for which all should unite in praise to God. To the Christian press a grateful tribute is due from the editor and his publishers alike; more especially as it has encouraged, so generally, the production of another series, of which the first volume has already appeared, and which will familiarize the minds and Hearts of thousands with the living thought and burning piety of those great doctors of the post-Nicene period, to whom the world owes such immense obligations, but who have been so largely unknown to millions even of educated men, except as bright and shining names.

It is a cheering token, that, while the superficial popular mind may even be disposed to regard this collection as a mere museum of fossils, having little or no connection with anything that interests our age, there is a twofold movement towards a fresh investigation of the past, which it seems providentially designed to meet. Thus, among Christians there is a general appetite for the study of primitive antiquity, stimulated by the decadence of the Papacy, and by the agitations concerning the theology of the future which have arisen in Reformed communions; while, on the other hand, scientific thought has pushed inquiry as to the sources of the world's enlightenment, and has found them just here,-in the school of Alexandria, and in the Christian writers of the first three centuries. "It is instructive," says a forcible thinker,3 and a disciple of Darwin and Huxley, "to note how closely Athanasius approaches the confines of modern scientific thought." And again he says: "The intellectual atmosphere of Alexandria for two centuries before and three centuries after the time of Christ was more modern than anything that followed, down to the days of Bacon and Descartes."

It would be unmanly in the editor to speak of the difficulties and hindrances through which he has been forced to push on his work, while engaged in other and very sacred duties. The conditions which alone could justify the publishers in the venture were quite inconsistent with such an editorial performance as might satisfy his own ideas of what should be done with such materials. Four years instead of two, he felt, should be bestowed on such a work; and he thought that two years might suffice only in case a number of collaborators could be secured for simultaneous employment. When it was found that such a plan was impracticable, and that the idea must be abandoned if not undertaken and carried forward as it has been, then the writer most reluctantly assumed his great responsibility in the fear of God, and in dependence on His lovingkindness and tender mercy. Of the result, he can only say that "he has done what he could" in the circumstances. He is rewarded by the consciousness that at least he has enabled many an American divine and scholar to avail himself of the labours of the Edinburgh translators, and to feel what is due to them, when, but for this publication, he must have remained in ignorance of what their erudition has achieved and contributed to Christian learning in the English tongue.

And how sweet and invigorating has been his task, as page after page of these treasures of antiquity has passed under his hand and eye! With unfailing appetite he has risen before daylight to his work; and far into the night he has extended it, with ever fresh interest and delight. Obliged very often to read his proofs, or prepare his notes, at least in their first draught, while journeying by land or by water, he has generally found in such employments, not additional fatigue, but a real comfort and resource, a balance to other cares, and a sweet preparation and invigoration for other labours. Oh, how much he owes, under God, to these "guides, philosophers, and friends,"-these Fathers of old time,-and to "their Father and our Father, their God and our God"! What love is due from all who love Christ, for the words they have spoken, and the deeds they have done, to assure us that the Everlasting Word is He to whom alone we can go for the words of life eternal!