The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians

Clemens Romanus (Clement of Rome)

Clement of Rome. The Apostolic Fathers, Volume 1. Lake, Kirsopp, editor. London: William Heinemann Ltd.; New York: The Macmillan Company, 1912.

Let us then serve in our army, brethren, with[*](The necessity for subordination) all earnestness, following his faultless commands.

Let us consider those who serve our generals, with

what good order, habitual readiness, and submissiveness they perform their commands.

Not all are prefects, nor tribunes, nor centurions, nor in charge of fifty men, or the like, but each carries out in his own rank the commands of the emperor and of the generals.

The great cannot exist without the small, nor the small without the great; there is a certain mixture among all, and herein lies the advantage.

Let us take our body; the head is nothing without the feet, likewise the feet are nothing withr out the head; the smallest members of our body are necessary and valuable to the whole body, but all work together and are united in a common subjection to preserve the whole body.

Let, therefore, our whole body be preserved in[*](The duties of mutual help) Christ Jesus, and let each be subject to his neighbour, according to the position granted to him.

Let the strong care for the weak and let the weak reverence the strong. Let the rich man bestow help on the poor and let the poor give thanks to God, that he gave him one to supply his needs; let the wise manifest his wisdom not in words but in good deeds;

let him who is humble-minded not testify to his own humility, but let him leave it to others to bear him witness; let not him who is pure in the flesh be boastful, knowing that it is another who bestows on him his continence.

Let us consider, then, brethren, of what matter we were formed, who we are, and with what nature we came into the world, and how he who formed and created us brought us into his world from the darkness of a grave, and prepared his benefits for us before we were born.

Since, therefore, we have everything from him we ought in everything to give him thanks, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.