The reference that follows has in some respects a rather marked resemblance to that which we were discussing in Justin, and for the relation between them to be fully appreciated should be given along with it:—­

Justin, Apol. i. 61.

Except ye be born again ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

[Greek:  An mae anagennaethaete ou mae eiselthaete eis taen basileian ton ouranon.]

Clem.  Hom. xi. 26.

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be born again with living water, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

[Greek:  Amaen humin lego, ean mae anagennaethaete hudati zonti eis onoma patros, uhiou, hagiou pneumatos, ou mae eiselthaete eis taen basileian ton ouranon.]

John iii. 3, 5.  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except any one be born over again (or ‘from above’) he cannot see the kingdom of God ...  Except any one be born of water and Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

[Greek:  Amaen amaen lego soi, ean mae tis gennaethae anothen, ou dunatai idein taen basileian tou Theou ... ean mae tis gennaethae ex hudatos kai pneumatos, ou dunatai eiselthein eis taen basileian tou Theou.]

[Greek:  pneum]. add. [Greek:  hagiou] Vulg. (Clementine edition), a, ff, m, Aeth., Orig. (Latin translator).

Here it will be noticed that Justin and the Clementines have four points in common, [Greek:  anagennaethaete] for [Greek:  gennaethae anothen], the second person plural (twice over) for [Greek:  tis] and the singular, [Greek:  ou mae] and the subjunctive for [Greek:  ou dunatai] and infinitive, and [Greek:  taen basileian ton ouranon], for [Greek:  taen basileian tou Theou].  To the last of these points much importance could not be attached in itself, as it represents a persistent difference between the first and the other Synoptists even where they had the same original.  As both the Clementines and Justin used the first Gospel more than the others, it is only natural that they should fall into the habit of using its characteristic phrase.  Neither would the other points have had very much importance taken separately, but their importance increases considerably when they come to be taken together.

On the other hand, we observe in the Clementines (where it is however connected with Matt. xxviii. 19) the sufficiently near equivalent for the striking Johannean phrase [Greek:  ex hudatos kai pneumatos] which is omitted entirely by Justin.

The most probable view of the case seems to be that both the Clementines and Justin are quoting from memory.  Both have in their memory the passage of St. John, but both have also distinctly before them (so much the more distinctly as it is the Gospel which they habitually used) the parallel passage in Matt. xviii. 3—­ where all the last three out of the four common variations are found, besides,