matter, these writings are too venerable for their antiquity, too often appealed to with respect and affection by some who have been among the brightest ornaments of the Christian Church, and contain too copious a store of evangelical truth, sound principle, primitive simplicity, and pious sentiment, to admit of their being passed over with levity or neglect.

THE EPISTLE OF ST. BARNABAS.

In this work,* written probably by a converted Jew about the close of the first century, or certainly before the middle of the second, we search in vain for any trace of the worship or invocation of any being except God alone. The writer gives directions on the subject of prayer; he speaks of angels as the ministers of God; he speaks of the reward of the righteous at the day of judgement: but he suggests not the semblance of a supposition that he either held the doctrine himself which the Church of Rome now holds with regard to the Virgin Mary, or was aware of its existence among Christians.

Among his many valuable rules for a Christian's guidance we read, "Thou shalt preserve what thou hast received, neither adding thereto, nor taking therefrom. Thou shalt not come with a bad conscience to thy prayer." The closing sentences contain this blessing:

"Now God, who is the Lord of all the world, give to you wisdom, skill, understanding, knowledge of his judgements, with patience. And be ye taught of God, seeking what the Lord requires of you; and do it, that ye may be saved in the day of judgement. The Lord of glory and of all grace be with your spirit.

Amen.” †

The edition here used is that of Cotelerius, revised by Le Clerc. Antwerp, 1698.

+ Pp. 50. 52.

In this writer there is no mention whatever made

of the Virgin Mary.

SHEPHERD OF HERMAS.

This work, deriving its name from the circumstance of an angelic teacher being represented as a shepherd, is now considered by many to have been the production of Hermas, a brother of Pius, Bishop of Rome ;* though others are persuaded that it is of a much earlier date. The writer speaks much of prayer; but not the faintest hint occurs throughout the three books, of which the work consists, that he had any idea of worship or prayer of any kind being offered to any created being.

The following passage, found in the Greek quotation from Hermas made by Antiochus (Hom. 85), the Latin of which is now read in the second book, ninth mandate, is part only of a section, the whole of which will repay a careful perusal.

"Let us then remove from us doubleheartedness and faintheartedness, and never at all doubt of supplicating anything from God, nor say within ourselves, How can I, who have been guilty of so many sins against Him, ask of the Lord and receive? But with all thine whole heart turn to the Lord, and ask of him without doubting; and thou shalt know his great mercy, that he will not forsake thee, but will fulfil the desire of thy soul;"† with much to the same effect, contrasting very strongly with the modern doctrine of approaching Christ through Mary.

In the twelfth section of the ninth similitude, the Latin (the Greek being lost) contains this passage:

* The appointment of Pius to the see of Rome is generally referred to the year 153. + Book iii. sim. 2.

"These all are messengers to be reverenced for their dignity. By these, therefore, as it were by a wall, the Lord is girded round. But the GATE is the Son of God, WHO IS THE ONLY WAY to God.

one shall enter in to God, except by his Son."

For no

How sad a degeneracy has crept into that Church, which now addresses Mary as "the gate of heaven," and implores her to be "our way to God!"

This primitive writer will not suffer us to be deterred by any consciousness of our own transgressions from approaching God himself directly and immediately ourselves; but he bids us draw near to the mercy-seat of our heavenly Father, through his only Son our only Mediator.

In his works no allusion whatever is made to the Virgin Mary.

ST. CLEMENT, BISHOP OF ROME.

It is impossible to read the testimony borne by Eusebius, and other ancient writers, to the character and circumstances of Clement, without becoming interested in whatever production of his pen may have escaped the ravages of time. "Third from the Apostles," (says Eusebius,) " Clement obtained the bishopric of Rome; one who had seen the Apostles and conversed with them, and had still the sound of their preaching in his ears, and their tradition before his eyes." †

Clement's first epistle to the Corinthians is considered by many as the only genuine work of his now extant. Archbishop Wake sees reason to believe that it was written about A. D. 70; others assign it a date twenty years later. St. Jerome speaks of it in high terms of

*Euseb. Eccles. Hist. v. c. 6.

+ See St. Paul to the Philippians, c. iv. v. 3.

admiration, and few will read it now without assenting to his judgment, that it is a very useful and admirable work.* A delightful tone of primitive simplicity pervades it. His testimony to our redemption by the atoning sacrifice of Christ, and to the life-giving influences of the Holy Spirit, is clear, direct, and repeated. Perhaps in our present inquiry this epistle of Clement becomes even more interesting, as the pastoral letter of one of the earliest bishops of that Church whose present belief and practice we are now testing by the evidence of primitive times. In his writings diligent search has been made for any expression which (as to the point at issue) might throw light upon the tenets and practices whether of Clement himself, of the Church in whose name he wrote, the Church whose members he addressed, or the Catholic Church at large. But so far from a single word occurring which would lead us to suppose that he was cognizant of any invocation of the Virgin, or any reliance on her intercession prevailing among Christians, his evidence is more than negative against it. Clement speaks of Angels; he speaks of the holy men of old who pleased God,-Enoch, Abraham, David, Elijah, and Job; he bids us think on Peter and Paul, to look to them all with reverence and gratitude, in order that we may imitate their good examples. He speaks of prayer; he urges on all the duty of prayer; he specifies the object of our prayers; he particularizes the subjects of our prayers; but he speaks only of prayer to God in the name and for the sake of his blessed Son. Of any other mediator or intercessor Clement seems to have had no knowledge.

* Cat. Script. Eccles. Jerom. vol. iv. part. ii. p. 107. Edit. Benedict. Paris, 1706.

Clement speaks of the Lord Jesus having descended from Abraham according to the flesh; but he makes no mention of that daughter of Abraham of whom Christ was born.

The following are a few among many passages selected in furtherance of our present inquiry:

"Let us venerate the Lord Jesus, whose blood was given for us."*

"Let us approach him in holiness of soul, lifting up holy and undefiled hands towards him; loving our merciful and tender Father, who hath made us a portion of his elect."†

"This is the way, beloved, in which we find Jesus Christ our salvation, the Chief-priest of our offerings, our Protector, and the Succourer of our weakness. By him let us look steadfastly to the heights of heaven; by him let us behold his most high and spotless face; by him the eyes of our hearts are opened; by him our ignorant and darkened minds shoot forth into his marvellous light; by him the Supreme Governor willed that we should taste immortal knowledge; who, being the brightness of his magnificence, is so much greater than the Angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they." ‡

"The all-seeing God, the Sovereign Ruler of spirits, and the Lord of all flesh, who hath chosen the Lord Jesus, and us through him to be a peculiar people, grant to every soul, that calleth on his glorious and holy name, faith, fear, peace, patience, long-suffering, self-control, purity, and temperance, to the good pleasure of his name, through our High-priest and Protector, Jesus Christ; through whom to him be glory

* C. 21.

+ C. 29.

C. 36.