Opening the library…

Search the Bible

Epistle of Clement to James

Pseudonymous letter writer

Chapter 14

About this work

Author: Pseudonymous letter writer

Chapter XIV.—The Vessel of the Church.

“For the whole business of the Church is like unto a

‹ Chapter 13 Chapter 15 ›

great

ship

,

bearing

through

a

violent

storm

men

who

are

of

many

places

,

and

who

desire

to

inhabit

the

city

of

the

good

kingdom

.

Let

,

therefore

,

God

be

your

shipmaster

;

and

let

the

pilot

be

likened

to

Christ

,

the

mate

to

the

bishop

,

and

the

sailors

to

the

deacons

,

the

midshipmen

to

the

catechists

,

the

multitude

of

the

brethren

to

the

passengers

,

the

world

to

the

sea

;

the

foul

winds

to

temptations

,

persecutions

,

and

dangers

;

and

all

manner

of

afflictions

to

the

waves

;

the

land

winds

and

their

squalls

to

the

discourses

of

deceivers

and

false

prophets

;

the

promontories

and

rugged

rocks

to

the

judges

in

high

places

threatening

terrible

things

;

the

meetings

of

two

seas

,

and

the

wild

places

,

to

unreasonable

men

and

those

who

doubt

of

the

promises

of

truth

.

Let

hypocrites

be

regarded

as

like

to

pirates

.

Moreover

,

account

the

strong

whirlpool

,

and

the

Tartarean

Charybdis

,

and

murderous

wrecks

,

and

deadly

founderings

,

to

be

nought

but

sins

.

In

order

,

therefore

,

that

,

sailing

with

a

fair

wind

,

you

may

safely

reach

the

haven

of

the

hoped

-

for

city

,

pray

so

as

to

be

heard

.

But

prayers

become

audible

by

good

deeds

.

Notes

1
It is impossible to translate these terms very accurately. I suppose the πρωρεύς was rather the “bow-oarsman” in the galley.