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To sum up briefly, he has given in the Hypotyposes abridged accounts
of all canonical Scripture, not omitting the disputed books, I refer
to Jude and the other Catholic epistles, and Barnabas and the
so-called Apocalypse of Peter. He says that the Epistle to the
Hebrews is the work of Paul, and that it was written to the Hebrews
in the Hebrew language; but that Luke translated it carefully and
published it for the Greeks, and hence the same style of expression is
found in this epistle and in the Acts. But he says that the words,
Paul the Apostle, were probably not prefixed, because, in sending
it to the Hebrews, who were prejudiced and suspicious of him, he
wisely did not wish to repel them at the very beginning by giving his
name.
Farther on he says: "But now, as the blessed presbyter said, since
the Lord being the apostle of the Almighty, was sent to the
Hebrews, Paul, as sent to the Gentiles, on account of his modesty
did not subscribe himself an apostle of the Hebrews, through respect
for the Lord, and because being a herald and apostle of the Gentiles
he wrote to the Hebrews out of his superabundance."
Again, in the same books, Clement gives the tradition of the
earliest presbyters, as to the order of the Gospels, in the following
manner: The Gospels containing the genealogies, he says, were
written first. The
Gospel according to Marks had this occasion. As Peter had preached
the Word publicly at Rome, and declared the Gospel by the Spirit,
many who were present requested that Mark, who had followed him for a
long time and remembered his sayings, should write them out. And
having composed the Gospel he gave it to those who had requested it.
When
Peter learned of this, he neither directly forbade nor encouraged it.
But, last of all, John, perceiving that the external facts had been
made plain in the Gospel, being urged by his friends, and inspired by
the Spirit, composed a spiritual Gospel. This is the account of
Clement.
Again the above-mentioned Alexander, in a certain letter to
Origen, refers to Clement, and at the same time to Pant'nus, as
being among his familiar acquaintances. He writes as follows:
"For this, as thou knowest, was the will of God, that the
ancestral friendship existing between us should remain unshaken; nay,
rather should be warmer and stronger. For we know well those blessed
fathers who have trodden the way before us, with whom we shall soon
be; Pant'nus, the truly blessed man and master, and the holy
Clement, my master and benefactor, and if there is any other like
them, through whom I became acquainted with thee, the best in
everything, my master and brother."
So much for these matters. But Adamantius, for this also was a name
of Origen, when Zephyrinus was bishop of Rome, visited Rome,
"desiring," as he himself somewhere says, "to see the most ancient
church of Rome."
After a short stay there he returned to Alexandria. And he performed
the duties of catechetical instruction there with great zeal;
Demetrius, who was bishop there at that time, urging and even
entreating him to work diligently for the benefit of the brethren.
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