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.
Let us review all the generations, and let us learn that in generation after generation the Master has given a place of repentance to those who will turn to him.
Noah preached repentance and those who obeyed[*](Noah) were saved.
Jonah foretold destruction to the[*](Jonah and the Ninevites) men of Nineveh, but when they repented they received forgiveness of their sins from God in answer to their prayer, and gained salvation, though they were aliens to God.
The ministers of the grace of God spoke[*](Repentance in the Prophets) through the Holy Spirit concerning repentance,
and even the Master of the universe himself spoke with an oath concerning repentance; For as I live, said the Lord, I do not desire the death of the sinner so much as his repentance, and he added a gracious declaration,
Repent, O house of Israel, from your iniquity. Say to the sons of my people. If your sins reach from the earth to Heaven, and if they be redder than scarlet, and blacker than sackcloth, and ye turn to me with all your hearts and say ‘Father,’ I will listen to you as a holy people.[*](The origin of this quotation is obscure: possibly Clement’s text of Ezekiel was different from ours and really contained it.)
And in another place he speaks thus, Wash
you, and make you clean, put away your wickedness from your souls before my eyes, cease from your wickedness, learn to do good, seek out judgment, rescue the wronged, give judgment for the orphan, do justice to the widow, and come and let us reason together, saith the Lord; and if your sins be as crimson, I will make them white as snow, and if they be as scarlet, I will make them white as wool, and if ye be willing and hearken to me, ye shall eat the good things of the land, but if ye be not willing, and hearken not to me, a sword shall devour you, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things.Thus desiring to give to all his beloved a share in repentance, he established it by his Almighty will.
Wherefore let us obey his excellent and glorious will; let us fall before him as suppliants of [*](Examples of obedience)his mercy and goodness; let us turn to his pity, and abandon the vain toil and strife and jealousy which leads to death.
Let us fix our gaze on those who have rendered perfect service to his excellent glory.
Let us take Enoch, who was[*](Enoch) found righteous in obedience, and was translated, and death did not befall him.
Noah was found[*](Noah) faithful in his service, in foretelling a new beginning to the world, and through him the Master saved the living creatures which entered in concord into the Ark.
Abraham, who was called the Friend, was[*](Abraham) found faithful in his obedience to the words of God.
He in obedience went forth from his country and from his kindred and from his father’s house, that by leaving behind a little country and a feeble kindred and a small house he might inherit the promises of God. For God says to him,
Depart from thy land and from thy kindred and from thy father’s house to the land which I shall show thee, and I will make thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and I will magnify thy name, and thou shalt be blessed; and I will bless those that bless thee, and I will curse those that curse thee, and all the tribes of the earth shall be blessed in thee.
And again, when he was separated from Lot, God said to him, Lift up thine eyes and look from the place where thou art now, to the North and to the South and to the East and to the West; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever.
And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth. If a man can number the dust of the earth thy seed shall also be numbered.