The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

Clemens Romanus (Clement of Rome)

Clement of Rome. The Apostolic Fathers, Volume 1. Lake, Kirsopp, editor. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; New York: The Macmillan Company, 1912.

since The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament

telleth his handiwork, day uttereth speech unto day, and night telleth knowledge to night. And there are neither words nor speeches, and their voices are not heard.

Since then all things are seen and heard by[*](The omniscience of God) him, let us fear him, and leave off from foul desires of evil deeds, that we may be sheltered by his mercy from the judgments to come.

For whither can any of us fly from his mighty hand? And what world shall receive those who seek to desert from him?

For the Writing[*](An accurate quotation of an unintelligible sentence, τὸ γραφεῖον means the third division of the Jewish bible, sometimes called the Hagiographa; it was in a sense Scripture but not considered as important as the Law and the Prophets.) says in one place: Where shall I go and where shall I hide from thy presence? If I ascend into heaven thou art there, if I depart to the ends of the earth there is thy right hand; If I make my bed in the abyss there is thy spirit.

Whither then shall a man depart or where shall he escape from him who embraces all things?

Let us then approach him in holiness of soul,[*](The privileges of Christians) raising pure and undefiled hands to him, loving our gracious and merciful Father, who has made us the portion of his choice for himself.

For thus it is written: When the most high divided the nations,

when he scattered the sons of Adam, he established the bounds of the nations according to the number of the angels of God. His people Jacob became the portion of the Lord, Israel was the lot of his inheritance.

And in another place he says Behold the Lord taketh to himself a nation from the midst of nations, as a man taketh the first-fruit of his threshing-floor, and the Holy of Holies shall come forth from that nation.[*](The passages quoted in the margin are those which most nearly resemble this quotation, but the difference is considerable, and Clement may be referring to some lost source.)