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the very same instance, in proof of the same point; as the learned Junius(q) has particularly shewn in his notes upon this passage; and the authority of whose works no one yet ever called in question upon that account; I would only ask, thirdly, what if St. Clement really believed the truth of what he here wrote concerning this matter? that there was such a bird; and that he did revive out of the cinders of the body before burnt? where was the great harm either in giving credit to such a wonder: or believing it, to make such a use as he here does of it?

24. The truth is, whosoever shall consider both the general credit which this story had in those days; and the particular accident which fell out, not long before the time that this Epistle was written to confirm the belief of it, (of which one of the most judicious of all the Roman historians(r) has left us a large account ;) I mean of the Phoenix that was said to have come into Egypt a little after the death of Christ, and to have given occasion of much discourse to the most learned men both of the Greeks and Romans, concerning the very miracle of which St. Clement here speaks; will find it to have been no such strange thing in this holy man to have suffered himself to be led away with the common opinion; and to have believed what so many learned men did, among the Jews(s) and Gentiles, (t) no less than among the Christians, viz. that God was pleased to give the world this great earnest and type of a future resurrection; and to silence thereby the cavils of such as should pretend, (what we know the generality of the wise men of the world did) that it was impossible for God to effect such a restitution.

(9) Tertullian. Origin. Cyril. Hierosolym. Euseb. Greg. Naz. Epiphanus, Synesius, Hieronym. Lactantius, &c. Jun. Notæ in Clem. pag. 34.

(r) Tacitus Annal. libr. vi. num. 28.

(8) Vid. Annot. Edit. Oxon. in loc. Bochartus Hierozoic, in Phœnice, &c. apud Tentzel. pag. 18, 19.

(t) Vid. Ed. Oxo. loc. cit. Adde. Annot. Schotti. in Photium, Tmem. cxxvi. pag. 305.

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25. But I insist too long on so trifling an objection however magnified by some men: and may, I think, from what I have said conclude, that if this be indeed, as they(u) confess it is, the greatest ground they have to call in question the credit of this Epistle, there is then nothing that ought to move any considering man to entertain the least doubt or scruple concerning it.

26. There are indeed two other exceptions which Photius(x) has made against St. Clement upon the account of the Epistle before us, which yet he looked upon as unquestionably his: the one for that he speaks in it of the worlds beyond the ocean; the other, in that he seems not to have written so honourably as was fitting, of the divinity of our blessed Saviour. But as the latter of these is but a mere cavil against this holy man, who not only in his other Epistle expressly asserts the divine nature of Christ, but even in this speaks in such a manner of him, as shews him to be much more than a mere creature ; (y) so in the former he said nothing but what was agreeable both to the notions and language of the times in which he lived; when it was common to call the British Isles another world, or as St. Clement here styles them, the worlds beyond the ocean.

27. And these I think are the chief exceptions that have been raised against the following Epistle; and which however insisted upon in these latter times, yet did not hinder the first and best ages of the church, when men were lesscurious, but much more pious than they now are, from putting a very great value upon it. Nor will they I suppose have any more weight with any serious and ingenuous person at this day: or hinder him from esteeming it a very great blessing to our present times, that a work so highly esteemed among

(u) Aliis argumentis, tum HOC IMPERIMIS. Tentzel. Dissert. cit. pag. 33. (x) Photii Bibl. Cod. cxxvi.

(y) Indeed to be God. See Bishop Bull, def. fid. Nic. Sect. ii. cap. 3. and Dr. Grabe's learned Annot. on that Chapter.

Hent Fathers, but so long, and as it was justly irrecoverably lost to these latter ages, was at happily found out, for the increase and conon both of our faith and charity.

Now the manner of its discovery and publiwas this. It hapenned about the beginning last age, that Cyril Patriarch of Alexandria emoved from thence to Constantinople, brought with him a great treasure of books to that place.

the rest he had a very antient manuscript oth of the Septuagint old, and of the new Testament, written about four hundred years Christ. (z) This he sent, as the most valuable that he was master of, to our late royal soveing Charles the first, by Sir Thomas Roe, his 's ambassador at that time at the Port. Being rought into England, and placed in the royal at St. James's Mr. Patrick Young, the learned of the king's library at that time, discovered Distle, with part of another, at the end of the Testament; and was thereupon commanded by jesty to publish it for the benefit of the world. e accordingly did, with a Latin translation, and t Oxford, Anno 1633. It was not long(a) after very learned man, and a great master of the tongue, Mr. William Burton, translated it nglish; and published it very accurately, and new annotations of his own upon it. This not seen till the first sheets of the present edition ent to the press; nor had I any other knoweither of that, or of the author, than what I in the accounts given by our late Reverend Dr. b) and Monsieur Colomesius(b) of the one, and laborious antiquary Mr. A. Wood(c) of the ; in his useful collection of the lives and writings

Vid. Præfat. Jun. in Edit.

Anno 1647. Lond. 4to

Edit. Colomesii, Lectori. Cave. Hist. Literar. in Clem.
Athenæ Oxon. 2. part. p. 137, 138.

of our modern authors. And though I believe whosoever shall take the pains to compare the two trans, lations together, will find them generally agreeing as to the sense; yet there will otherwise appear such manifest differences between them, as may abundantly satisfy any impartial person, that I have truly translated it from the original Greek, and not revised only Mr. Burton's edition of it.

CHAPTER III.

OF THE EPISTLE OF ST. POLYCARP TO THE PHILIPPIANS.

Of the time when St. Polycarp wrote this Epistle. The reason of its being placed before the Epistles of Ignatius. That St. Polycarp wrote several other pieces; yet nothing of his now remaining but only this Epistle. Whether this Epistle has been interpolated, as those of Ignatius were ? the latter part of it vindicated against the exceptions of Monsieur Daille, and some others. Of the translation of it into our own language by Dr. Cave; and of the present edition of it.

1. THE next piece that follows in the present collection, is the Epistle of St. Polycarp to the Phillippians. In placing of which I have followed the example, not so much of our most reverend Archbishop Usher, (d) as of St. Polycarp himself; though in the order of time the Epistles of Ignatius ought to have had the precedence; St. Polycarp not writing this letter to the Pillipians till about, or a little after, the time that that glorious martyr suffered for the faith of Christ; as from several passages in the Epistle itself may plainly be made appear.

2. For first, having in his ninth chapter exhorted the Philippians to obey the word of righteousness, and to exercise all patience after the examples of those holy men whom they had seen among them; he par

(d) Edit. Polycarp. & Ignat. Oxon. Annot. 1644.

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instances in Ignatius(e) as one of them. Now (f) of the martyrdom of that holy Bishop tell the time when they beheld his patience set forth heir eyes was, when he passed by them in chains e, in order to his being cast to the wild beasts ng to the sentence pronounced upon him by peror Trajan; by consequence that this Epistle ve been written some time after his condemna

at St. Polycarp goes yet farther; and in the ords supposes, that Ignatius might have been the time he wrote to them for enforcing his tion to them to follow the examples of Ignatithe rest of those excellent men whom he ames he subjoins; being confident of this, that I these have not run in vain, but in faith and usness, and are gone to the place that was due from the Lord, with whom also they sufFor they loved not this present world, but no died, and was raised again by God for us. ch words he evidently implies that Ignatius too, as the rest of those whom he there menwas by this time gone to the place that was due from the Lord, upon the account of his suf; and by consequence had finished his martyr

was then about the time of Ignatius's death Polycarp wrote this Epistle to the Philippians. et that if this holy man had suffered, it was but little time that he had done so, is clear from r passage of the same Epistle; (g) where he the Philippians to send him word what they had with any certainty concerning Ignatius, and hat went to Rome with him. From whence it s, that though he supposed that Ignatius by that

pist. of Polycarp, Numb. ix. Mart. of Ignat. Numb. x.

pist. of Polycarp, Numb. xiv.

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