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Epistle of Clement to James

Pseudonymous letter writer

Chapter 2

About this work

Author: Pseudonymous letter writer

Chapter II.—Ordination of Clement.

But about that time, when he was about to die,

‹ Chapter 1 Chapter 3 ›

the

brethren

being

assembled

together

,

he

suddenly

seized

my

hand

,

and

rose

up

,

and

said

in

presence

of

the

church

:

“

Hear

me

,

brethren

and

fellow

-

servants

.

Since

,

as

I

have

been

taught

by

the

Lord

and

Teacher

Jesus

Christ

,

whose

apostle

I

am

,

the

day

of

my

death

is

approaching

,

I

lay

hands

upon

this

Clement

as

your

bishop

;

and

to

him

I

entrust

my

chair

of

discourse

,

even

to

him

who

has

journeyed

with

me

from

the

beginning

to

the

end

,

and

thus

has

heard

all

my

homilies

—

who

,

in

a

word

,

having

had

a

share

in

all

my

trials

,

has

been

found

stedfast

in

the

faith

;

whom

I

have

found

,

above

all

others

,

pious

,

philanthropic

,

pure

,

learned

,

chaste

,

good

,

upright

,

large

-

hearted

,

and

striving

generously

to

bear

the

ingratitude

of

some

of

the

catechumens

.

Wherefore

I

communicate

to

him

the

power

of

binding

and

loosing

,

so

that

with

respect

to

everything

which

he

shall

ordain

in

the

earth

,

it

shall

be

decreed

in

the

heavens

.

For

he

shall

bind

what

ought

to

be

bound

,

and

loose

what

ought

to

be

loosed

,

as

knowing

the

role

of

the

Church

.

Therefore

hear

him

,

as

knowing

that

he

who

grieves

the

president

of

the

truth

,

sins

against

Christ

,

and

offends

the

Father

of

all

.

Wherefore

he

shall

not

live

;

and

therefore

it

becomes

him

who

presides

to

hold

the

place

of

a

physician

,

and

not

to

cherish

the

rage

of

an

irrational

beast

.

”