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.
And again he says to him Sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies a footstool of thy feet.
Who then are the enemies? Those who are wicked and oppose his will.
Let us then serve in our army, brethren, with[*](The necessity for subordination) all earnestness, following his faultless commands.
Let us consider those who serve our generals, with
what good order, habitual readiness, and submissiveness they perform their commands.Not all are prefects, nor tribunes, nor centurions, nor in charge of fifty men, or the like, but each carries out in his own rank the commands of the emperor and of the generals.
The great cannot exist without the small, nor the small without the great; there is a certain mixture among all, and herein lies the advantage.
Let us take our body; the head is nothing without the feet, likewise the feet are nothing withr out the head; the smallest members of our body are necessary and valuable to the whole body, but all work together and are united in a common subjection to preserve the whole body.
Let, therefore, our whole body be preserved in[*](The duties of mutual help) Christ Jesus, and let each be subject to his neighbour, according to the position granted to him.