"caufe all things are God's. Finally, the "true Chriftian alone is rich, wife and "noble; thus far the image of God: and

k

being made just and holy in spirit by Jesus

Chrift, becomes united to God. This grace "the prophet reveals in these words, I have faid ye are gods and fons of the Highest.' "Us, us I say he has adopted, and wills to "be called our Father, but not the Father " of unbelievers. Such is the state of us Chrif"tians. As our thoughts, so are our words; "as our words, fuch are our actions; and all " uniting in the confiftent tenor of a good life."

The next work of Clement is a treatise in three books, entitled the Pedagogue, whose inftruction is intended, to use the Author's words, "not fo much to teach knowledge, "as to amend the heart: for this Mafter and Phyfician of Souls, is Chrift our Gode." The first book confifts of an exhortation to those who come to Chrift in faith, that they fhould render themfelves, as children, docile to his law, meditate on their heavenly inheritance, and evidence their title to incorruption by following the fteps of their Lord and Master, in peace, gentlenefs, and unaffected moderation, in the practice of virtue, in all noble, honeft and eftimable qualities.

• Όδε ήμέτερος παιδαγωγος άγιος Θεος Ιησες" αυτος ὁ φιλαν θρωπος Θεός εςι παιδαγωγος. lib. i. cap. 7.

The reward and end of Christianity is then declared, namely, eternal reft with God; and its fuperiority afferted over the precepts of heathen philofophy, which only affect this prefent world.

The fecond book enters into very minute details of the conduct which becomes a Chriftian in eating and drinking, in dress, in company, and all the ufual habits of life. The fumptuous and coftly luxury which the Author notices, not without elegance, among his countrymen', may furprise those who study refinement and voluptuousness even in modern days. And his ftrictures are more likely to be efficacious in correcting licentiousness, because he acts not the part of a rigid and auftere cenfor, but delivers them in a tone of temperance and moderation. These are fome of his fentiments; A man "should smell not of perfumes, but of good "actions, and good manners. Make friends by your beneficence; they are the best "ornaments, with which you can embellish yourself. Liberality is the most becoming " ornament to the hand; to the neck, mo

66

defty; to the ear, a readiness to receive religious inftruction g.”

f Our Author was of the fame age and country with Athenæus.

* Chap. 11.

In the third book the fame fubject is continued: the Author praises that beauty which is within; he recommends frugality, exercise, employment; and concludes with appofite quotations from Scripture, and a prayer to the Inftructor, as to God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost h.

The chief and most elaborate compofition of Clement, are his eight books, entitled Erpwpares, or tapestry-work; being a mifcellany, containing information and remarks upon theological and profane fubjects, and defigned, according to the Author's own description, as "a repofitory, for the benefit of his old age, of all the memorable and useful things "which he had been fortunate enough to "learn, at different times and places, from

cr

holy and worthy men; a fhadowy refem"blance of energetic and animated originalsi."

A sense of duty, in fulfilling the office I had undertaken, induced me to read the Stromata; but I feel incompetent to give, within my prefent limits, a regular analysis of a compofition, which extends, without fyftematic arrangement or connection of its parts, through 300 folio pages, in a ftyle of languid mo

h έλαθε τοις σοις παιδαγωγε παιδίοις, πατες, ἡνιοχε Ισραήλ, υἷς και πατες, εν αμφω, κυριε. p. 266.

i Strom. lib. i. p. 274.

notony, though interfperfed with judicious and exalted fentiments. My object will be, after offering a concise fummary of the contents of each book, to felect certain paffages from the whole work, in fupport of thofe two main propofitions, the Divinity of Jesus Chrift, and the true criterion of divine Inspiration, to which I wish constantly to direct your attention, in the courfe of this Lecture.

k

Clement had embraced the eclectic philofophy, and his great object is to make all kinds of learning and knowledge subservient to the purposes of righteousness, and the establishment of Chriftian faith. It is the It is the property, he fays, of divine wisdom, to turn to good even that which had an evil origin: as fire warms, and light spreads itself. The first book alleges that philofophy is to the Gentiles, what the Law was to the Jews, a Schoolmafter to bring them to Christianity. In the fecond book the Author ftates, that true religion confifts not, as the Gnoftics contended, in any fuperiority of nature, but in faith, which the Greeks defpifed; yet without which, he obferves, on the authority of St. Paul, it is impoffible to please God. He refutes the immoral tenet of the Gnof

k Lib. ii.

p.

288.

1 Αγαθοποιειν φυσις Θεο. p. 312.

tics, that vices are appendages of our original conftitution; he maintains that from true faith all virtues naturally spring, and that good actions are the test of our refemblance to God.

m

The third book confifts of a differtation on Marriage, and the fourth on Martyrdom. On both these fubjects oppofite and extreme opinions were propagated: while fome fects, as the Carpocratians, lived in promifcuous concubinage, others, as the Marcionites, deviated into the oppofite extreme of rigorous celibacy while some Christians fhunned martyrdom, as felf-deftruction, others courted it voluntarily. In both cafes Clement condemns all violent exceffes, and inculcates precepts of moderation and fobernefs of mind, upon fcriptural grounds: and he particularly explains this present state to be a state of probation, in which the grace given by God may be rejected, abused, or progreffively improved for our falvation. Our Author adduces the examples of St. Peter and St. Philip" in favour of matrimony; He confiders the husband of one wife, whether he be a Prieft, a Deacon, or a Layman, to be on that account blameless: and quotes St. Paul's

m Είκων Θε8 ανηρ ευεργετων, p. 404. n P. 448.

。 P. 464.