the venerable hearer of the apostles does not fall short, in the display of this principle, of the finest passages of their writings.  He calls to the remembrance of the Corinthian church its former character in which “ye were all of you,” he tells them, “humble-minded, not boasting of anything, desiring rather to be subject than to govern, to give than to receive, being content with the portion God had dispensed to you and hearkening diligently to his word; ye were enlarged in your bowels, having his sufferings always before your eyes.  Ye contended day and night for the whole brotherhood, that with compassion and a good conscience the number of his elect might be saved.  Ye were sincere, and without offence towards each other.  Ye bewailed every one his neighbour’s sins, esteeming their defects your own.”  His prayer for them was for the “return of peace, long-suffering, and patience.” (Ep.  Clem.  Rom. c. 2 & 53; Abp.  Wake’s Translation.) And his advice to those who might have been the occasion of difference in the society is conceived in the true spirit, and with a perfect knowledge of the Christian character:  “Who is there among you that is generous? who that is compassionate?  Who that has any charity?  Let him say, If this sedition, this contention, and these schisms be upon my account, I am ready to depart, to go away whithersoever ye please, and do whatsoever ye shall command me; only let the flock of Christ be in peace with the elders who are set over it.  He that shall do this shall get to himself a very great honour in the Lord; and there is no place but what will he ready to receive him; for the earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof.  These things they who have their conversation towards God, not to be repented of, both have done, and will always be ready to do.” (Ep.  Clem.  Rom. c. 54; Abp.  Wake’s Translation.)

This sacred principle, this earnest recommendation of forbearance, lenity, and forgiveness, mixes with all the writings of that age.  There are more quotations in the apostolical fathers of texts which relate to these points than of any other.  Christ’s sayings had struck them.  “Not rendering,” said Polycarp, the disciple of John, “evil for evil, or railing for railing, or striking for striking, or cursing for cursing.”  Again, speaking of some whose behaviour had given great offence, “Be ye moderate,” says he, “on this occasion, and look not upon such as enemies, but call them back as suffering and erring members, that ye save your whole body.” (Pol.  Ep. ad Phil. c. 2 & 11.)

“Be ye mild at their anger,” saith Ignatius, the companion of Polycarp, “humble at their boastings, to their blasphemies return your prayers, to their error your firmness in the faith; when they are cruel, be ye gentle; not endeavouring to imitate their ways, let us be their brethren in all kindness and moderation:  but let us be followers of the Lord; for who was ever more unjustly used, more destitute, more despised?”