apostolicfathers0201clem - Carmel Apologetics

Churches of Asia (Euseb. H. E. v.
THE GENUINENESS. 383
24), or the precedent
of S. Peter
and S. Paul with the Church of Rome He has much to say against
Judaism. The Quartodecimans were taunted by their opponents with
Judaizing. Must he not have exculpated himself, if a Quartodeciman
And would he not have assailed the opposite party, if not
a Quartodeciman Two centuries later the writer of the spurious
Life of Polycarp, bearing the name of Pionius, must needs represent
S. Paul as condemning by anticipation the practice of the Quartodecimans
(§ 2). Nay even in the latter half of the fourth century, when
the fury of the storm was altogether spent and the question had
been set at rest by the Council of Nicsea, the Ignatian forger of
the Long Recension cannot altogether
hold his hands off this subject
{Philipp. 14).
Yet here not a word, not a hint, which could be
turned to any use on either side. Is not the natural inference that
the writer lived before the controversy arose
Again; another controversy which concentrated upon itself the
interest of the Church in the latter half of the second century was
the Montanist. The theatre of this controversy was the very region
with which these epistles are concerned. The Churches of Proconsular
Asia and Phrygia were alive with synods and counter-synods
discussing the question. Philadelphia more especially, with which our
author corresponds,
is mentioned in connexion with the Montanist
disputes, as the residence of Ammia a reputed forerunner of the Montanist
prophetesses Priscilla and Maximilla (Anon, in Euseb. H. E.
V. 17).
Has our author then no interest in these disputes Does he
say nothing which betokens either approval or disapproval
of this
*
new dispensation
'
Is there not a word which betrays his opinion
of these prophetesses Is there no mention at all of the Paraclete,
no reference whatever to the New Jerusalem How is it that we
cannot put our finger on a single expression which decides his position
respecting the two opposing views of the prophet's inspiration Yet
writing to the Philadelphians,
he claims for himself that he was moved
to speak by the Spirit (§ 7). Why did he not seize with avidity the
opportunity of declaring himself on this leading question of the day
But again ;
when we turn to the region of speculative theology, the
result is the same. Three great heresiarchs tower above the rest during
the last three quarters of the second century. If our author had written
during that period, we should have expected to find in a man of such
rigid and outspoken orthodoxy some reference or at least some hint
bearing on one or other of these more flagrant forms of heresy. But
there is
nothing of the kind.