An Appeal to Renounce Obstinacy and Schism

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An Appeal to Renounce = Obstinacy=20 and Schism=20

By St. Clement of Rome=20

St. Clement writes his epistle to the Corinthians to = rebuke=20 them for the discord appearing in their midst, with some = following=20 base men who rose up against their spiritual leaders out of=20 jealousy. His words, erudite and imbued with Holy Scripture, = can=20 also be applied to the sad situation of the Orthodox Church, = wherein=20 many have risen up against their elders, living and = departed, and=20 tried to seize control of the Church and pervert it to their = own=20 opinions. Let us all take these words to heart in our = relations with=20 each other, and with kindness and love look to the task of = obeying=20 God.=20

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My brothers, do let us have a little humility; let us = forget our=20 self-assertion and braggadocio and stupid quarrelling, and = do what=20 the Bible tells us instead. The Holy Spirit says, The = wise man is=20 not to brag of his wisdom, nor the strong man of his = strength, nor=20 the rich man of his wealth; if a man must boast, he should = boast of=20 the Lord, seeking him out and acting with justice and = uprightness.=20 More particularly, let us remember what the Lord Jesus = Christ=20 said in one of His lessons on mildness and forbearance, = Be=20 merciful, He told us, that you may obtain mercy; = forgive,=20 that you may be forgiven. What you do yourself, will be done = to you;=20 what you give, will be given to you; as you judge, so you = will be=20 judged; as you show kindness, so it will be shown to you. = Your=20 portion will be weighed out for you in your own scales. = May this=20 precept, and these commands, strengthen our resolve to live = in=20 obedience to His sacred words, and in humility of mind; for = the Holy=20 Word says, Whom shall I look upon, but him that is gentle = and=20 peaceable, and trembles at my sayings?

It is surely more right and reverent for us, my brothers, = to obey=20 God than to follow people whose insolent unruliness has made = them=20 the ringleaders of this odious rivalry. It is no trifling = risk that=20 we run but on the contrary the most deadly peril, if we = rashly lend=20 ourselves to the designs of some who are plunging into = strife and=20 sedition to divert us from what is right. Rather let us show = kindliness to one another, in the same sweet spirit of = tenderness as=20 our Maker. It is written, the kind-hearted will inhabit = the=20 earth, and the innocent will remain upon it, but the = transgressors=20 will be rooted out of it; and again, I saw the = ungodly=20 soaring and shooting up like the cedars of Lebanon; but when = I=20 passed by again, lo and behold, he was gone, and when I = searched for=20 his place I could not discover it. Take good care of = innocence, and=20 keep your eyes on what is right; for a man of peace shall = leave a=20 posterity to follow him.

Let us ally ourselves, then, with those who work for = peace out of=20 genuine devotion, and not with men who only pay lip service = to it.=20 There is a text in Scripture that says, These people = honour me=20 with their lips, but their heart is far from me; and = again,=20 Blessings are in their mouth, but curses in their heart. = It also=20 says, They spoke to him with lips of lovers, and their = tongues=20 uttered feigned vows; but their heart was not straight with = him, nor=20 did they keep faith with his covenant. And for that = reason,=20 Let the lying lips be struck dumb that speak wickedly = against the=20 righteous; and furthermore, May the Lord destroy all = lying=20 lips, and the braggart tongue, and those who say, We will = enlarge=20 our tongues; our lips belong to ourselves, who is lord over = us?=20 Because of the misery of the poor and the lamentations of = the needy,=20 I will rise up now, says the Lord, and place him in = security; I will=20 show myse lf bold in his defence.

From "Early Christian Writings" Translated by Maxwell = Staniforth.=20 (Penguin Books: Harmondsworth, 1968) pp. 29-30=20

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