It is evident from hence, that from the time that this philofophizing spirit had entered into the church, through Justin, it had procured to itself a refpect to which its merit no way intitled it. What is there even of good Ethics in all the philofophers, which Clement might not have learnt in the New Teftament, and much more perfectly, and without the danger of pernicious adulterations? Doubtless many valuable purposes are anfwered by an acquaintance with thefe writers; but to dictate to us in religion, Clement should have known, was no part of their business: that "the world by wisdom knew not God," and "beware of philofophy." The christian world was now gradually learning to neglect thefe cautions, and Divine knowledge is certainly much too high a term for any human doctrine whatever.

He fucceeded his mafter Pantænus in the catechetical school, and under him were bred the famous Origen, Alexander Bishop of Jerufalem, and other eminent men. I am forry to hear him fay, that as the husbandman firft waters the foil, and then casts in his feed, (the Egyptian ideas of agriculture are plainly before him) fo the notions he derived out of the writings of the Gentiles ferved first to water and foften the earthy parts of the foul, that the fpiritual feed might be the better cast in, and take vital root in the minds of men.

This certainly is not a christian dialect, nor did the Apostles place Gentile philofophy in the foundation, nor believe at all that it would affift in raising the superstructure of chriftianity. On the contrary, they looked on philofophical religion as fo much rubbish; but in all ages the blandishments of mere reafon deceive us, "vain man would be wife."

Befides

"Alexan

Befides the office of Catechift, he was made Prefbyter in the church of Alexandria. During the perfecution under Severus, moft probably, he vifited the Eaft, and had a peculiar intimacy with Alexander Bishop of Jerufalem. He appears to have been a holy man, and fuffered imprisonment for the faith, and in that fituation wrote a letter to the church of Antioch, which was carried by Clemens. Something of the fpirit of chriftianity appears in the fragment of this letter. der, a fervant of God, and aprifoner of Jefus Chrift, to the bleffed church at Antioch, in the Lord, greeting. Our Lord has made my bonds, in this time of my imprisonment, light and eafy to me; while I understood that Afclepiades, a perfon admirably qualified by his eminency in the faith, was by Divine Providence become Bishop of your holy church of Antioch. These letters, brethren, I have fent you by Clemens the bleffed Prefbyter, a man of approved integrity, whom ye both do already and fhall ftill further know; who having been here with us according to the good will of God, hath much established and augmented the church of Chrift." From Jerufalem Clemens went to Antioch, and afterwards returned to his charge at Alexandria. The time of his death is uncertain.

The philofophy, to which he was fo much addicted, would naturally darken his views of fome of the most precious truths of the gofpel: particularly the doctrine of juftification by faith in Jesus Christ will always fuffer from this connection, the philofophers knowing no religion but what is infufed. There is doubtless good proof of the folid piety of this learned man. Little is known of his life. But a more complete idea may be formed of his religious taste and spirit by a few quotations.

*

His exhortations to the Gentiles is a difcourfe written to convert the Pagans from their religion, and perfuade them to embrace that of Jefus Chrift. In the beginning of it he fhews what difference there is between the defign of Jefus Chrift, and that of Orpheus, and thofe ancient musicians who were the first authors of idolatry, by telling us that these drew in men by their finging and the sweetness of their mufic, to render them miferable flaves to idols, and to make them like the very beasts, and stocks, and ftones whom they adored. "Whereas Jefus Chrift, who from all eternity was the Word of God, always had a compaffionate tenderness for men, and at laft took their nature upon him, to free them from the flavery of Dæmons, to open the eyes of the blind, and the ears of the deaf, to guide their paths in the way of righteoufnefs, to deliver them from death and hell, and to bestow on them everlasting life, and to put them into a capacity of living an heavenly life here upon earth; and, laftly, that God made himself man to teach man to be like unto God." He fhews them, that eternal falvation cannot otherwise be expected, and that eternal torments cannot otherwise be avoided, but by believing in Jefus Chrift, and by living conformably to his laws. "If you were permitted," fays he, "to purchase eternal falvation, what would you not give for it? And now you may obtain it by faith and love, there is nothing can hinder you from acquiring it, neither poverty, nor mifery, nor old age, nor any state of life. Believe, therefore, in one God, who is God and man, and receive eternal falvation for a recompence. Seek God, and you fhall live for ever."

* Dupin Clement.

The

The candid christian sees that the fundamentals of the gospel are here laid down, as one might expect in a discourse of this nature, though not in the clearest and happiest manner. * In his Pædagogue he defcribes the word incarnate as the inftructor of men; that he performs his functions by forgiving our fins as he is God, and by inftructing us as he is man, with great sweetness and love; tho' he equally inftructs all forts, because all are children in one fenfe. Yet we must not look on chriftian doctrines as childish and contemptible on the contrary, the quality of children which they receive in baptifm renders them perfect in the knowledge of Divine things, by delivering them from fins by grace, and enlightening them with the illumination of faith; fo that we are at the fame time both children and men; and the milk with which we are nourished, being both the word and will of God, is very folid and fubftantial nourishment." Here feein to be fome of his best ideas of chriftianity.

In his Stromata he fpeaks with his ufual partiality in favour of philofophy, and shews the effect his regard for it had on his own mind, by faying that faith is God's gift, but fo as to depend on our own free will. His account of the perfect christian, whom he calls Gnofticus, is fullied by ftoical rhapsodies +. "He is never angry, and nothing affects him: because he always loves God, he will look upon that time as loft which he is obliged

* Du Pin.

Or regeneration. The outward fign and the inward fpiritual grace, on account of their ufual connection in the primitive church, are used as fynonimous by a number of primitive writers, which bas unhappily given occafion to one of the worst abuses, from those who place all grace in form and ceremony only.

+ Fleury, B. 4.

obliged to spend in receiving nourishment, he is employed in continual and mental prayer. He is mild, affable, patient, but at the fame time fo rigid as not to be tempted, neither giving way to pleasure nor pain." But enough of thefe views. Pfeudo-religionists have fince his time dealt largely in these reveries, fo inconfiftent with that humbling fense of imbecility, and that fincere conflict against the fin of our nature, which is peculiarly chriftian. In truth, if his knowledge of chriftian doctrine was defective any where, it lay in the point of original fin. Of this his philofophers knew nothing aright; and it must be owned he fpeaks of it in a confufed manner at leaft. On the whole, fuch is the baneful effect of mixing things which will not incorporate, human inventions with chriftian truth, that this writer, learned, laborious, and ingenious as he was, in the subject of real christian knowledge and in the experience of divine things, according to the light of fcripture, may seem to be far exceeded by many obfcure and illiterate perfons at this day: his being a truly pious perfon, in the main, is no objection to this account; it only demonftrates, in a stronger manner, the danger of admitting the peftilent fpirit of human felf-fufficiency to dictate in chriftian religion.

CHA P. V.

THE AFFAIRS OF THE CHURCH DURING THE REIGNS OF SEVERUS AND CARACALLA.

TH

HE lives of the four perfons, we have reviewed, feem proper to be prefixed to the general history of the third century, partly because they

were