Clement of Alexandria.

At this time Clement, [1] being trained with him [2] in the divine Scriptures at Alexandria, became well known. He had the same name as the one who anciently was at the head of the Roman church, and who was a disciple of the apostles. [3] In his Hypotyposes [4] he speaks of Pantaenus by name as his teacher. It seems to me that he alludes to the same person also in the first book of his Stromata, when, referring to the more conspicuous of the successors of the apostles whom he had met, [5] he says: [6]

"This work [7] is not a writing artfully constructed for display; but my notes are stored up for old age, as a remedy against forgetfulness; an image without art, and a rough sketch of those powerful and animated words which it was my privilege to hear, as well as of blessed and truly remarkable men. Of these the one -- the Ionian was in Greece, the other in Magna Graecia; [9] the one of them was from Coele-Syria, [10] the other from Egypt. There were others in the East, one of them an Assyrian, [11] the other a Hebrew in Palestine? But when I met with the last, [13]--in ability truly he was first,-- having hunted him out in his concealment in Egypt, I found rest. These men, preserving the true tradition of the blessed doctrine, directly from the holy apostles, Peter and James and John and Paul, the son receiving it from the father (but few were like the fathers), have come by God's will even to us to deposit those ancestral and apostolic seeds." [14]

CHAPTER XII.

The Bishops in Jerusalem.

At this time Narcissus [1] was the bishop of the church at Jerusalem, and he is celebrated by many to this day. He was the fifteenth in succession from the siege of the Jews under Adrian. We have shown that from that time first the church in Jerusalem was composed of Gentiles, after those of the circumcision, and that Marcus was the first Gentile bishop that presided over them. [2] After him the succession in the episcopate was: first Cassianus; after him Publius; then Maximus; [3] following them Julian; then Gaius; [4] after him Symmachus and another Gaius, and again another Julian; after these Capito [5] and Valens and Dolichianus; and after all of them Narcissus, the thirtieth in regular succession from the apostles.

CHAPTER XIII.

Rhodo and his Account of the Dissension of Marcion.

At this time Rhodo, [1] a native of Asia, who had been instructed, as he himself states, by Tatian, with whom we have already become acquainted, [2] having written several books, published among the rest one against the heresy of Marcion. [3] He says that this heresy was divided in his time into various opinions; [4] and while describing those who occasioned the division, he refutes accurately the falsehoods devised by each of them. But hear what he writes: [5]

"Therefore also they disagree among themselves, maintaining an inconsistent opinion. [6] For Apelles, [7] one of the herd, priding himself on his manner of life [8] and his age, acknowledges one principle, [9] but says that the prophecies [10] are from an opposing spirit, being led to this view by the responses of a maiden by name Philumene, [11] who was possessed by a [3] demon. But others, among whom are Potitus and Basilicus, [12] hold to two principles, [13] as does the mariner [14] Marcion himself. These following the wolf [15] of Pontus, and, like him, unable to fathom the division of things, became reckless, and without giving any proof asserted two principles. Others, again, drifting into a worse error, consider that there are not only two, but three natures. [16] Of these, Syneros [17] is the leader and chief, as those who defend his teaching [18] say." The same author writes that he engaged in conversation with Apelles. He speaks as follows:

"For the old man Apelles, when conversing with us, [19] was refuted in many things which he spoke falsely; whence also he said that it was not at all necessary to examine one's doctrine, [20] but that each one should continue to hold what he believed. For he asserted that those who trusted in the Crucified would be saved, if only they were found doing good works. [21] But as we have said before, his opinion concerning God was the most obscure of all. For he spoke of one principle, as also our doctrine does."

Then, after stating fully his own opinion, he adds:

"When I said to him, Tell me how you know this or how can you assert that there is one principle, he replied that the prophecies refuted themselves, because they have said nothing true; [22] for they are inconsistent, and false, and self-contradictory. But how there is one principle he said that he did not know, but that he was thus persuaded. As I then adjured him to speak the truth, he swore that he did so when he said that he did not know how there is one unbegotten God, but that he believed it. Thereupon I laughed and reproved him because, though calling himself a teacher, he knew not how to confirm what he taught." [23]

In the same work, addressing Callistio, [24] the same writer acknowledges that he had been instructed at Rome by Tatian. [25] And he says that a book of Problems [26] had been prepared by Tatian, in which he promised to explain the obscure and hidden parts of the divine Scriptures. Rhodo himself promises to give in a work of his: own solutions of Tatian's problems. [27] There is also extant a Commentary of his on the Hexaemeron. [28] But this Apelles wrote many things, an impious manner, of the law of Moses, blaspheming the divine words in many of his works, being, as it seemed, very zealous for their refutation and overthrow? So much concerning these.

CHAPTER XIV.

The False Prophets of the Phrygians.

The enemy of God's Church, who is emphatically a hater of good and a lover of evil, and leaves untried no manner of craft against men, was again active in causing strange heresies to spring up against the Church. [1] For some persons, like venomous reptiles, crawled over Asia and Phrygia, boasting that Montanus was the Paraclete, and that the women that followed him, Priscilla and Maximilla, were prophetesses of Montanus. [2]

CHAPTER XV.

The Schism of Blastus at Rome. [1]

Others, of whom Florinus [2] was chief, flourished at Rome. He fell from the presbyterate of the Church, and Blastus was involved in a similar fall. They also drew away many oft the Church to their opinion, each striving to introduce his own innovations in respect to the truth.

CHAPTER XVI.

The Circumstances related of Montanus and his False Prophets. [1]

Against the so-called Phrygian [2] heresy, the power which always contends for the truth raised up a strong and invincible weapon, Apolinarius of Hierapolis, whom we have mentioned before, [3] and with him many other men of ability, by whom abundant material for our history has been left. A certain one of these, in the beginning of his work against them, [4] first intimates that he had contended with them in oral controversies. He commences his work in this manner: [5] "Having for a very long and sufficient time, O beloved Avircius Marcellus, [6] been urged by you to write a treatise against the heresy of those who are called after Miltiades, [7] I have hesitated till the present time, not through lack of ability to refute the falsehood or bear testimony for the truth, but from fear and apprehension that I might seem to some to be making additions to the doctrines or precepts of the Gospel of the New Testament, which it is impossible for one who has chosen to live according to the Gospel, either to increase or to diminish. But being recently in Ancyra [8] in Galatia, I found the church there [9] greatly agitated by this novelty, not prophecy, as they call it, but rather false prophecy, as will be shown. Therefore, to the best of our ability, with the Lord's help, we disputed in the church many days concerning these and other matters separately brought forward by them, so that the church rejoiced and was strengthened in the truth, and those of the opposite side were for the time confounded, and the adversaries were grieved. The presbyters in the place, our fellow-presbyter Zoticus [10] of Otrous also being present, requested us to leave a record of what had been said against the opposers of the truth. We did not do this, but we promised to write it out as soon as the Lord permitted us, and to send it to them speedily."

Having said this with other things, in the beginning of his work, he proceeds to state the cause of the above-mentioned heresy as follows: "Their opposition and their recent heresy which has separated them from the Church arose on the following account. There is said to be a certain village called Ardabau in that part of Mysia, which borders upon Phrygia. [11] There first, they say, when Gratus was proconsul of Asia, [12] a recent convert, Montanus by name, through his unquenchable desire for leadership, [13] gave the adversary opportunity against him. And he became beside himself, and being suddenly in a sort of frenzy and ecstasy, he raved, and began to babble and utter strange things, prophesying in a manner contrary to the constant custom of the Church handed down by tradition from the beginning. [14] Some of those who heard his spurious utterances at that time were indignant, and they rebuked him as one that was possessed, and that was under the control of a demon, and was led by a deceitful spirit, and was distracting the multitude; and they forbade him to talk, remembering the distinction [15] drawn by the Lord and his warning to guard watchfully against the coming of false prophets? But others imagining themselves possessed of the Holy Spirit and of a prophetic gift,[17] were elated and not a little puffed up; and forgetting the distinction of the Lord, they challenged the mad and insidious and seducing spirit, and were cheated and deceived by him. In consequence of this, he could no longer be held in check, so as to keep silence. Thus by artifice, or rather by such a system of wicked craft, the devil, devising destruction for the disobedient, and being unworthily honored by them, secretly excited and inflamed their understandings which had already become estranged from the true faith. And he stirred up besides two women, [18] and filled them with the false spirit, so that they talked wildly and unreasonably and strangely, like the person already mentioned. [19] And the spirit pronounced them blessed as they rejoiced and gloried in him, and puffed them up by the magnitude of his promises. But sometimes he rebuked them openly in a wise and faithful manner, that he might seem to be a reprover. But those of the Phrygians that were deceived were few in number.

"And the arrogant spirit taught them to revile the entire universal Church under heaven, because the spirit of false prophecy received neither honor from it nor entrance into it. For the faithful in Asia met often in many places throughout Asia to consider this matter, [20] and examined the novel utterances and pronounced them profane, and rejected the heresy, and thus these persons were expelled from the Church and debarred from communion." Having related these things at the outset, and continued the refutation of their delusion through his entire work, in the second book he speaks as follows of their end: "Since, therefore, they called us slayers of the prophets [21] because we did not receive their loquacious prophets, who, they say, are those that the Lord promised to send to the people, [22] let them answer as in God's presence: Who is there, O friends, of these who began to talk, from Montanus and the women down, that was persecuted by the Jews, or slain by lawless men? None. Or has any of them been seized and crucified for the Name? Truly not. Or has one of these women ever been scourged in the synagogues of the Jews, or stoned? No; never anywhere. [23] But by another kind of death Montanus and Maximilla are said to have died. For the report is that, incited by the spirit of frenzy, they both hung themselves; [24] not at the same time, but at the time which common report gives for the death of each. And thus they died, and ended their lives like the traitor Judas. So also, as general report says, that remarkable person, the first steward, [25] as it were, of their so-called prophecy, one Theodotus- who, as if at sometime taken up and received into heaven, fell into trances, and entrusted himself to the deceitful spirit- was pitched like a quoit, and died miserably? They say that these things happened in this manner. But as we did not see them, O friend, we do not pretend to know. Perhaps in such a manner, perhaps not, Montanus and Theodotus and the above-mentioned woman died." He says again in the same book that the holy bishops of that time attempted to refute the spirit in Maximilla, but were prevented by others who plainly co-operated with the spirit. He writes as follows:

"And let not the spirit, in the same work of Asterius Urbanus, [27] say through Maximilla, 'I am driven away from the sheep like a wolf. [28] I am not a wolf. I am word and spirit and power.' But let him show clearly and prove the power in the spirit. And by the spirit let him compel those to confess him who were then present for the purpose of proving and reasoning with the talkative spirit,- those eminent men and bishops, Zoticus, [29] from the village Comana and Julian, [30] from Apamea, whose mouths the followers of Themiso [31] muzzled, refusing to per-knit the false and seductive spirit to be refuted by them." Again in the same work, after saying other things in refutation of the false prophecies of Maximilla, he indicates the time when he wrote these accounts, and mentions her predictions in which she prophesied wars and anarchy. Their falsehood he censures in the following manner: "And has not this been shown clearly to be false? For it is to-day more than thirteen years since the woman died, and there has been neither a partial nor general war in the world; but rather, through the mercy of God, continued peace even to the Christians." [32] These things are taken from the second book. I will add also short extracts from the third book, in which he speaks thus against their boasts that many of them had suffered, martyrdom: "When therefore they are at a loss, being refuted in all that they say, they try to take refuge in their martyrs, alleging that they have many martyrs, and that this is sure evidence of the , power of the so-called prophetic spirit that is with them. But this, as it appears, is entirely fallacious. [33] For some of the heresies have a great many martyrs; but surely we shall not on that account agree with them or confess that they hold the truth. And first, indeed, those called Marcionites, from the heresy of Marcion, say that they have a multitude of martyrs for Christ; yet they do not confess Christ himself in truth."A little farther on he continues:

"When those called to martyrdom from the Church for the truth of the faith have met with any of the so-called martyrs of the Phrygian heresy, they have separated from them, and died without any fellowship with them, [34] because they did not wish to give their assent to the spirit of Montanus and the women. And that this is true and took place in our own time in Apamea on the Maeander, [35] among those who suffered martyrdom with Gaius and Alexander of Eumenia, is well known."