every temptation arising through children and wife or through domestics and
possessions. He, however, who is without a family, for the most part escapes
temptation. Caring, then, for himself alone, he is surpassed by one who is inferior
to him in what pertains to his own salvation, but is superior to him in the conduct
of his life.”
7, 17, 107, 3
“From what has been said, then, it seems clear to me that the true Church, that
which is really ancient, is one; and in it are enrolled those who, in accord with a
design, are just...We say, therefore, that in substance, in concept, in origin and in
eminence, the ancient and Catholic Church is alone, gathering as it does into the
unity of the one faith which results from the familiar covenants, - or rather, from
the one covenant in different times, by the will of the one God and through the one
Lord, - those already chosen, those predestined by God who knew before the
foundation of the world that they would be just.”
Fragments from Clemens Alexandrinus (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 6,
14):
“Again, in the same books Clement has set down a tradition which he had
received from the elders before him, in regard to the order of the Gospels, to the
following effect. He says that the Gospels containing the genealogies were written
first, and that the Gospel according to Mark was composed in the following
circumstances:-Peter having preached the word publicly at Rome, and by the
Spirit proclaimed the Gospel, those who were present, who were numerous,
entreated Mark, in as much as he had attended him from an early period, and
remembered what had been said, to write down what had been spoken.”
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