THIRD CENTURY.

says

XXIV. CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA.

WADDINGTON, Writing on Clemens, in his Church History,

Clemens, surnamed the Alexandrian, a presbyter of the Church, succeeded his preceptor Pantænus in the direction of the "Catechetical School," towards the conclusion of the second century, and adorned his office by the extent and variety of his learning. The works which have come down to us perhaps justify the opinion of his contemporaries-and among them (besides his " Admonition to the Gentiles" and his "Pædagogus") is the more celebrated "Stromates" (Towμareis). The appellation indicates the character of the composition-consisting of a great variety of substances, carelessly sown together, without regard to uniformity in quality, or harmony in colour. These writings profess, indeed, to inculcate the Christian doctrines, and recommend the Christian morality; and denounce with strong censure, and expose, by very plain and particular description, the

foul and lascivious mysteries of heathen profligacy. They dilate too upon the mythological depravity of the old superstition, and unveil the consecrated scandals of Mount Olympus. Nor are there wanting some warm and unaffected expressions of rational piety. But the mixture of dissociable matter which pervades the whole; and the great number of illogical inferences, irrelevant arguments and inapt illustrations, render the works of Clement of little value, in these days, for purposes either of reason or edification. They are a mass of mingled Christianity, philosophy, and mythology, in which the two latter greatly predominate. Classical fancies and Christian truths are ****heaped together without any discrimination. Jupiter ti and Jehovah, Plato and Christ, are thrown into the (:༠༠༤༠༠་( same miscellany, almost as if they were of equal authority and equal holiness; and the very morality, which is sometimes well inforced, might have proceeded, for the most part, from the pen of a heathen. So that, though the effect of the works of Clemens might possibly be to raise Christianity to the level of philosophy, they are scarcely calculated to exalt it much higher. We may likewise add, as more immediately in connexion with our own researches, that they are peculiarly barren of any particulars which throw light on the doctrine, government, or discipline of the early church.

DUPIN writes thus of him:

He speaks nobly on the necessity and efficacy of Baptism. "Baptism," (says he) is called grace, illumination, perfection, washing, by which name it is called because it cleanses us from our sins; it is

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grace, because it remits the punishment due for our
sins; illumination, because it enlightens us with the
illumination of faith; perfection, because it makes
us perfect.

Lond

Afterwards, at page 90, occurs what follows:

These bonds of sin are immediately broken by the faith of man, and the grace of God. Sins are remitted by this admirable remedy of Baptism, and we immediately cease to be sinners; from being blind, as we were before, we become clear-sighted; for what is taught to the catechumens is purely instruction to guide them to that faith which is thus internally conveyed by the Holy Spirit.

CARY, in his "Testimonies of the Fathers, &c.," writes on the 27th Article thus:

Clement of Alexandria, having observed that our Lord being God is perfect, says that " he was baptized by John, because it was necessary for him, as Man, to fulfil his duty as such, although he learned nothing from John."

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Clement then continues: "But is he made perfect by who?
washing only, and is he sanctified by the coming of the
Spirit? Just so. And this same thing happens also with
regard to us, of whom the Lord was a pattern: being
baptized, we are enlightened; being enlightened, we
are adopted sons; being adopted sons, we are made per-
fect; being made perfect, we are rendered immortal."

His words are [Ps. lxxii, 6.] "I have said ye are
Gods; and ye are all the children of the most Highest."

Cary then quotes the same as Dupin in the last page, and
writes thus:

And further on, in the same chapter, having

vol. I.

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observed how darkness and ignorance lead men into sin, he says: "But these bonds how quickly are they loosed; by human faith; by divine grace; our sins being forgiven by means of one all-sufficient cure, that is, by Baptism according to the word.

The Greek of this is as follows: (p. 116.)

« Τὰ δὲ δεσμὰ ταῦτα ᾗ τάχος ἀνίεται· πίστει μὲν ἀνθρωπίνη, θεϊκῇ δὲ τῇ χάριτι, ἀφειμένων τῶν πλημμελημάτων ἑνὶ παιωνίῳ φαρμάκῳ, λογικῷ βαπτισματι· πάντα μὲν οὖν ἀπολουόμεθα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα, οὐκέτι δὲ ἐσμὲν παρὰ πόδας κακοί.

In Latin:

Hæc autem vincula quam celerrime remittuntur, humana quidem fide, divina vero gratia, quum nimirum remittuntur peccata uno medicamento Pæonio, nempe Baptismo secundum Verbum. Omnia ergo peccata eluimus, et e vestigio mali non sumus amplius.*

DR SAMUEL HEBDEN quotes Clemens Alexandrinus, and argues for a different purpose: Hebden writes:

Clement of Alexandria sometimes calls Baptism a sign of Regeneration; and in another place speaks thus: "The Father of the universe entertains them who fly to him, and having regenerated them by the spirit of adoption, he knows them to be of a gentle disposition—ἀναγεννήσας πνεύματι εἰς υἱοδεσίαν ἡπίους οἶδεν [PÆDAG. lib. i.]—and them only he loves, assists, and fights for." Observe those whom he regenerates, he knows to be of a gentle disposition, loves, assists, and fights for. Can any one pretend that Clement, here, by regeneration means Baptism?

It is evident that Cary's translation was taken from the Latin, not from the Greek. The same observation holds good elsewhere.

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де clean (says our Lord throth word thour the Hen bent jou

A. D. 220.] XXIV. CLEMENS ALEXANDRINUS.

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243

Again he says: "The heathen philosophers express teaching and enlightening, by regeneration:" and he himself applies this same word to conversion and repentance, in the plainest manner possible; for, speaking of a lewd woman, he says, " She lives unto sin, but is dead to the commands; but when she repents, being regenerated, in regard to a change of behaviour, she has the regeneration of life

Μετανοήσασα οὖν εἰ ἀναγεννηθεῖσα κατὰ τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν τοῦ βιοῦ παλιγγενεσίαν ἔχει ζωης. [Strom. lib. V.]

-she being dead as to her past adultery, but regenerated by repentance.

In which passage, by regeneration of life is meant such a change as tendeth to life; or such inward renovation as fits and prepares for eternal life. The adulterous woman, when changed and brought to repentance, is expressly said to be regenerated thereby, in contradiction to our modern assertors of Baptismal Regeneration, who boldly and inconsiderately affirm again, that there is a mighty difference between Regeneration and Conversion:* and that, whenever the ancients speak of the former, they always mean Bap- ¦ tism by it. And Shine Sher

In the "Treatise on Baptism &c." by the REV. E. BICKERSTETH,

Here occurs the following note: "Some modern assertors of Baptismal Regeneration sometimes speak, as though they took these to be the same at other times they speak differently: thereby shewing that, when they put Regeneration and Conversion together, they mean only this, that Regeneration, or being born of water and the Spirit, is not sufficient without a conversion of the heart, or an inward renovation, in the case of grown persons.