The Online Library of Liberty

A project of Liberty Fund, Inc.

• Preface.
• A.: Recently Discovered Additions to Early Christion Literature.
• I.: Works Connected With the Gospels.
• The Gospel of Peter
• Introduction.
• The Gospel According to Peter.
• Synoptical Table of the Four Canonical Gospels and the Gospel According to Peter
• The Diatessaron of Tatian
• Introduction.
• Introductory Notes.
• 1.
• In the Borgian Ms.
• 2.
• In the Vatican Ms.
• The Text of the Diatessaron.
• [section I.]
• Section II.
• Section III.
• Section IV.
• Section V.
• Section VI.
• Section VII.
• Section VIII.
• Section IX.
• Section X.
• Section XI.
• Section XII.
• Section XIII.
• Section XIV.
• Section XV.
• Section XVI.
• Section XVII.
• Section XVIII.
• Section XIX.
• Section XX.
• Section XXI.
• Section XXII.
• Section XXIII.
• Section XXIV.
• Section XXV.
• Section XXVI.
• Section XXVII.
• Section XXVIII. 4
• Section XXIX.
• Section XXX.
• Section XXXI.
• Section XXXII.
• Section XXXIII.
• Section XXXIV.
• Section XXXV.
• Section XXXVI.
• Section XXXVII.
• Section XXXVIII.
• Section XXXIX.
• Section Xl.
• Section Xli.
• Section Xlii.
• Section Xliii.
• Section Xliv.
• Section Xlv.
• Section Xlvi.
• Section Xlvii.
• Section Xlviii.
• Section Xlix.
• Section L.
• Section Li.
• Section Lii.
• Section Liii. 2
• Section Liv.
• Section Lv.
• Subscriptions.
• 1.
• In Borgian Ms.
• 2.
• In Vatican Ms. 4
• Suggested Emendations.
• II.: The Apocalypse of Peter Visio Pauli Apocalypse of Maria Virgo Apocalypse Sedrach
• The Revelation of Peter.
• Introduction.
• The Apocalypse of Peter.
• Fragments of the Apocalypse of Peter.
• The Vision of Paul.
• The Apocalypse of the Virgin.
• The Apocalypse of the Holy Mother of God Concerning the Chastisements.
• The Apocalypse of Sedrach.
• The Apocalypse of Sedrach.
• The Testament of Abraham, the Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena, the Narrative of Zosimus.
• Introduction.
• The Testament of Abraham.
• The Acts of Xanthippe and Polyxena.
• Introduction.
• Life and Conduct of the Holy Women, Xanthippe, Polyxena, and Rebecca.
• The Narrative of Zosimus.
• Introduction.
• The Narrative of Zosimus Concerning the Life of the Blessed.
• III.: The Epistles of Clement.
• Introductory Notice to 1 St Clement.
• Additional Introduction.
• The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians. 1
• Chap. I.—
• The Salutation. Praise of the Corinthians Before the Breaking Forth of Schism Among Them.
• Chap. II.—
• Praise of the Corinthians Continued.
• Chap. III.—
• The Sad State of the Corinthian Church After Sedition Arose In It From Envy and Emulation.
• Chap. IV.—
• Many Evils Have Already Flowed From This Source In Ancient Times.
• Chap. V.—
• No Less Evils Have Arisen From the Same Source In the Most Recent Times. the Martyrdom of Peter and Paul.
• Chap. VI.—
• Continuation. Several Other Martyrs.
• Chap. VII.—
• An Exhortation to Repentance.
• Chap. VIII.—
• Continuation Respecting Repentance.
• Chap. IX.—
• Examples of the Saints.
• Chap. X.—
• Continuation of the Above.
• Chap. XI.—
• Continuation. Lot.
• Chap. XII.—
• The Rewards of Faith and Hospitality. Rahab.
• Chap. XIII.—
• An Exhortation to Humility.
• Chap. XIV.—
• We Should Obey God Rather Than the Authors of Sedition.
• Chap. XV.—
• We Must Adhere to Those Who Cultivate Peace, Not to Those Who Merely Pretend to Do So.
• Chap. XVI.—
• Christ As an Example of Humility.
• Chap. XVII.—
• The Saints As Examples of Humility.
• Chap. XVIII.—
• David As an Example of Humility.
• Chap. XIX.—
• Imitating These Examples, Let Us Seek After Peace.
• Chap. XX.—
• The Peace and Harmony of the Universe.
• Chap. XXI.—
• Let Us Obey God, and Not the Authors of Sedition.
• Chap. XXII.—
• These Exhortations Are Confirmed By the Christian Faith, Which Proclaims the Misery of Sinful Conduct.
• Chap. XXIII.—
• Be Humble, and Believe That Christ Will Come Again.
• Chap. XXIV.—
• God Continually Shows Us In Nature That There Will Be a Resurrection.
• Chap. XXV.—
• The PhŒnix an Emblem of Our Resurrection.
• Chap. XXVI.—
• We Shall Rise Again, Then, As the Scripture Also Testifies.
• Chap. XXVII.—
• In the Hope of the Resurrection, Let Us Cleave to the Omnipotent and Omniscient God.
• Chap. XXVIII.—
• God Sees All Things: Therefore Let Us Avoid Transgression.
• Chap. XXIX.—
• Let Us Also Draw Near to God In Purity of Heart.
• Chap. XXX.—
• Let Us Do Those Things That Please God, and Flee From Those He Hates, That We May Be Blessed.
• Chap. XXXI.—
• Let Us See By What Means We May Obtain the Divine Blessing.
• Chap. XXXII.—
• We Are Justified Not By Our Own Works, But By Faith.
• Chap. XXXIII.—
• But Let Us Not Give Up the Practice of Good Works and Love. God Himself Is an Example to Us of Good Works.
• Chap. XXXIV.—
• Great Is the Reward of Good Works With God. Joined Together In Harmony, Let Us Implore That Reward From Him.
• Chap. XXXV.—
• Immense Is This Reward. How Shall We Obtain It?
• Chap. XXXVI.—
• All Blessings Are Given to Us Through Christ.
• Chap. XXXVII.—
• Christ Is Our Leader, and We His Soldiers.
• Chap. XXXVIII.—
• Let the Members of the Church Submit Themselves, and No One Exalt Himself Above Another.
• Chap. XXXIX.—
• There Is No Reason For Self-conceit.
• Chap. Xl.—
• Let Us Preserve In the Church the Order Appointed By God.
• Chap. Xli.—
• Continuation of the Same Subject.
• Chap. Xlii.—
• The Order of Ministers In the Church.
• Chap. Xliii.—
• Moses of Old Stilled the Contention Which Arose Concerning the Priestly Dignity.
• Chap. Xliv.—
• The Ordinances of the Apostles, That There Might Be No Contention Respecting the Priestly Office.
• Chap. Xlv.—
• It Is the Part of the Wicked to Vex the Righteous.
• Chap. Xlvi.—
• Let Us Cleave to the Righteous: Your Strife Is Pernicious.
• Chap. Xlvii.—
• Your Recent Discord Is Worse Than the Former Which Took Place In the Times of Paul.
• Chap. Xlviii.—
• Let Us Return to the Practice of Brotherly Love.
• Chap. Xlix.—
• The Praise of Love.
• Chap. L.—
• Let Us Pray to Be Thought Worthy of Love.
• Chap. Li.—
• Let the Partakers In Strife Acknowledge Their Sins.
• Chap. Lii.—
• Such a Confession Is Pleasing to God.
• Chap. Liii.—
• The Love of Moses Towards His People.
• Chap. Liv.—
• He Who Is Full of Love Will Incur Every Loss, That Peace May Be Restored to the Church.
• Chap. Lv.—
• Examples of Such Love.
• Chap. Lvi.—
• Let Us Admonish and Correct One Another.
• Chap. Lvii.—
• Let the Authors of Sedition Submit Themselves.
• Chap. Lviii.—
• Submission the Precursor of Salvation.
• Chap. Lix.—
• Warning Against Disobedience. Prayer.
• Chap. Lx.—
• Prayer Continued.
• Chap. Lxi.—
• Prayer Continued—for Rulers and Governors. Conclusion.
• Chap. Lxii.—
• Summary and Conclusory—concerning Godliness.
• Chap. Lxiii.—
• Hortatory, Letter Sent By Special Messengers.
• Chap. Lxiv.—
• Blessings Sought For All That Call Upon God.
• Chap. Lxv.—
• The Corinthians Are Exhorted Speedily to Send Back Word That Peace Has Been Restored. the Benediction.
• Introductory Notice.
• The Second Epistle of Clement. 1
• Chap. I.—
• We Ought to Think Highly of Christ.
• Chap. II.—
• The Church, Formerly Barren, Is Now Fruitful.
• Chap. III.—
• The Duty of Confessing Christ.
• Chap. IV.—
• True Confession of Christ.
• Chap. V.—
• This World Should Be Despised.
• Chap. VI.—
• The Present and Future Worlds Are Enemies to Each Other.
• Chap. VII.—
• We Must Strive In Order to Be Crowned.
• Chap. VIII.—
• The Necessity of Repentance While We Are On Earth.
• Chap. IX.—
• We Shall Be Judged In the Flesh.
• Chap. X.—
• Vice Is to Be Forsaken, and Virtue Followed.
• Chap. XI.—
• We Ought to Serve God, Trusting In His Promises.
• Chap. XII.—
• We Are Constantly to Look For the Kingdom of God.
• Chap. XIII.—
• God’s Name Not to Be Blasphemed.
• Chap. XIV.—
• The Church Spiritual.
• Chap. XV.—
• He Who Saves and He Who Is Saved.
• Chap. XVI.—
• Preparation For the Day of Judgment.
• Chap. XVII.—
• Same Subject Continued.
• Chap. XVIII.—
• The Author Sinful, Yet Pursuing.
• Chap. XIX.—
• Reward of the Righteous, Although They May Suffer.
• Chap. XX.—
• Godliness, Not Gain, the True Riches.
• IV.: The Apology of Aristides the Philosopher
• Introduction.
• The Apology of Aristides As It Is Preserved In the History of Barlaam and Josaphat.
• The Apology of Aristides the Philosopher.
• V.: The Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs.
• Introduction.
• The Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs.
• B.: Commentaries of Origen.
• Epistle to Gregory and Origen’s Commentary On the Gospel of John
• Introduction.
• Letter of Origen to Gregory.
• I.: Origen’s Commentary On the Gospel of John.
• Book I.
• Book II.
• Fragments of the Fourth Book. 1
• From the Fifth Book.
• Sixth Book.
• Tenth Book.
• II.: Origen’s Commentary On the Gospel of Matthew
• Introduction.
• From the First Book of the Commentary On Matthew. 1
• From the Second Book of the Commentary On the Gospel According to Matthew.
• Book II. 1
• Book X.
• Book XI.
• Book XII.
• Book XIII.
• Book XIV.

THE PASSION OF THE SCILLITAN MARTYRS.

When Præsens, for the second time, and Claudianus were the consuls, on the seventeenth day of July, at Carthage, there were set in the judgment-hall Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Donata, Secunda and Vestia.

Saturninus the proconsul said: Ye can win the indulgence of our lord the Emperor, if ye return to a sound mind.

Speratus said: We have never done ill, we have not lent ourselves to wrong, we have never spoken ill, but when ill-treated we have given thanks; because we pay heed to our Emperor.

Saturninus the proconsul said: We too are religious, and our religion is simple, and we swear by the genius of our lord the Emperor, and pray for his welfare, as ye also ought to do.

Speratus said: If thou wilt peaceably lend me thine ears, I can tell thee the mystery of simplicity.

Saturninus said: I will not lend mine ears to thee, when thou beginnest to speak evil things of our sacred rites; but rather swear thou by the genius of our lord the Emperor.

Speratus said: The empire of this world I know not; but rather I serve that God, whom no man hath seen, nor with these eyes can see.1 I have committed no theft; but if I have bought anything I pay the tax; because I know my Lord, the King of kings and Emperor of all nations.

Saturninus the proconsul said to the rest: Cease to be of this persuasion.

Speratus said: It is an ill persuasion to do murder, to speak false witness.

Saturninus the proconsul said: Be not partakers of this folly.

Cittinus said: We have none other to fear, save only our Lord God, who is in heaven.

Donata said: Honour to Cæsar as Cæsar: but fear to God.2

Vestia said: I am a Christian.

Secunda said: What I am, that I wish to be.

Saturninus the proconsul said to Speratus: Dost thou persist in being a Christian?

Speratus said: I am a Christian. And with him they all agreed.

Saturninus the proconsul said: Will ye have a space to consider?

Speratus said: In a matter so straightforward there is no considering.

Saturninus the proconsul said: What are the things in your chest?

Speratus said: Books and epistles of Paul, a just man.

Saturninus the proconsul said: Have a delay of thirty days and bethink yourselves.

Speratus said a second time: I am a Christian. And with him they all agreed.

Saturninus the proconsul read out the decree from the tablet: Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Donata, Vestia, Secunda and the rest having confessed that they live according to the Christian rite, since after opportunity offered them of returning to the custom of the Romans they have obstinately persisted, it is determined that they be put to the sword.

Speratus said: We give thanks to God.

Nartzalus said: To-day we are martyrs in heaven; thanks be to God.

Saturninus the proconsul ordered it to be declared by the herald: Speratus, Nartzalus, Cittinus, Veturius, Felix, Aquilinus, Laetantius, Januaria, Generosa, Vestia, Donata and Secunda, I have ordered to be executed.

They all said: Thanks be to God.

And so they all together were crowned with martyrdom; and they reign with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen.

B.

Commentaries of Origen.

EPISTLE TO GREGORY AND ORIGEN’S COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

by ALLAN MENZIES, D.D.