RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Clementina
Clergy
Jewish Christendom lost by Jerusalem. This was revised at Csesarea shortly before 200 in a strongly Jewish-Christian sense, to support the claim of Csesarea to the prunacy, and gave us the HomUies, while the Recognitions are a fresh version made m favor of Antioch early in the third century.
None of these vievs^s has obtained universal acceptance. It is impossible to assert the absolute priority of either the Homilies or the Recognitions, or to regard one as a working-over of the other. Opinions as to date of composition differ more widely than ever. Where there used to be practical unanimity in referring the works to the second century, 170 or 180 at latest, Harnack has said that they can not go further back than the first half of the third. The importance of the Clementina for early church history, asserted by Baur and Schwegler, is now abandoned. (G. UHLHORNf.)
Bibliography: A bibliography to 1886 is in ANF, Bibliography, pp. 92-95; cf. Kruger, History, p. 371, and Harnack, Utimtur, ii. 2, pp. 518-519. Eng. transl. is in ANF, viii. 77-211, 215-346. Consult: Kriiger, History, pp. 371-377; A. Neander, Die pseiidoclementinischen Homilien, Berlin, 1818; F. C. A. Schwegler, Das nachapostolische Zeitalter, i. 386-406, 481-490, Tubingen, 1846; A. Hilgenfeld, Die dementinischen Recognitionen und Homilien, Jena, 1848; J. Lehmann, Die dementinischen Schriften, Gotha, 1869; R. A. Lipsius, Die Quellen der romischen Petrus-Sage, Kiel, 1872; A. B. Lutterbeck, Die Clementinen, Giessen, 1872; [W. R. Cassels], Supernatural Religion, ii. 1-37, 336-354, -London, 1879; Harnack, Dogma, i. 311 sqq.; idem, Litteraiur, i. 144, 212-213, 322 sqq., ii., part 1, 701; C. Bigg, in Studia Biblica, ii. 157-193, Oxford, 1890; J. Langen, Die Klemensromane, Gotha, 1890; DCB, i. 567-578; Schaff, Christian Church, ii. 435-442.
CLERGY.
I. The Name.
II. The Doctrine of the Clerical Office.
Not Instituted by Christ as a Distinct Office (§ 1).
But Necessary and Indispensable (§ 2).
View of Roman and Greek Churches (§ 3).
The Lutheran Doctrine (§ 4).
The Reformed and Anglican Doctrine (§ 5).
III. The Call.
IV. Legal Status of the Clergy.
The clergy constitute the entire body of public servants or ministers in the Christian Church, duly set apart for their office by Consecration or Ordination (qq.v.); the remainder of the Christian community, in contradistinction to the clergy, constitute the Laity (q.v.).
I. The Name: The English word "clergy" (and the French clerge, clergie) is from ecclesiastical Latin (dericMS = " clergyman, priest, clerk "; see Clerk) and is more remotely connected with the Greek kleros, "lot," which was applied to the clergy " either because they are the lot of the Lord, or else because the Lord himself is their lot and portion" (Jerome, Epist.,lu., ANF, vi. 91; cf. Acts i. 26; Num. xviii. 20; Deut. x. 9, xviii. 2, LXX.). Another term of ecclesiastical Latin is spirituales. Paul had designated as " spiritual " certain Christians m whom the spirit of Christ manifested itself with special power (I Cor. xiv. 37; Gal. vi. 1; cf. jrenffius on I Cor. ii. 6, Hasr.,Y vi. 1; Theodoret on
, 15). The priest, according to Chrysostom 4fi^ V? Priesthood," iii. 4; NPNF, 1st ser., ix. ^o),has avocation instituted neither by "man, nor
angel, nor archangel, nor any other created power, but the Paraclete himself." According to Peter Lombard (Sent, iv., dist. 4), the office is a munus spirituale ; all the seven grades of holy orders are spirituales ; the ordo is " something sacred by which the power of the Spirit is imparted to the ordained." In consequence of this point of view the designation " spirituales " and its German equivalent " Geistliche " were transferred to the incumbents of the office.
II. The Doctrine of the Clerical Office: Christ promised and sent the Holy Spirit to his congregation here below, and instituted the sacraments. According to Roman Catholic and Anglican belief he also instituted a special status within his congregation, which in distinction from the rest of the congregation should be furnished with the prerogatives of the spiritual profession. Thus he called the Twelve, made them his companions and representatives, and in Matt, xviii. 18 he gives his disciples the assurance that whatever dispositions they shall adopt as his disciples, in his name, and for the continuation of his work shall be effectual as of divine, not human ordination. Protestant bodies other than the Anglican reject these claims. In the farewell addresses, John xiii.-xvii., the assembled disciples are considered in a twofold relation: on one side as the founders appointed by Jesus himself for his congregation, on another 1. Not In- gj^g ^]^g congregation itself, left oi^lyff^?! behind by Jesus on earth; but not as an ordained estate of administrators with a commission over the rest of the congregation. In John xx. 21-23 the risen Christ reveals to those present the transformation which his resurrection has effected in their relation to his person, and in their attitude toward the world; but what he says does not apply to them and their contingent successors in distinction from the rest of the congregation. In II Cor. iii. 3-10 Paul treats of the glory of the New Testament ministration, but not of its particular institution; in Eph. iv. 11 the emphasis rests on the " he " (Gk. auios): by him, the exalted Christ, are they all given who labor for the congregation, but the passage knows naught of a special act of institution by Jesus when living in the flesh. Again it is stated in Acts XX. 28-29 that the Holy Spirit has appointed the persons addressed as " overseers," but not that this was done by means of a special ecclesiastical act. In reality there confront us in the New Testament all kinds of designations with respect to such as were active in the instruction and administration of the congregations: " elders " (Gk. presbyteroi ; Acts xv. 2, xx. 17; I Tim. v. 17; Titus i. 5; James v. 14); "those over you " (proistamenoi; I Thess. v. 12); "those which have the rule over you " {hegoumenoi ; Heb. xiii. 7); " overseers " or " bishops " (episkopoi ; Acts xx. 28; Phil. i. 1; I Tim. iii. 2); "deacons" {diakonoi ; Phil. i. 1; I Tim. iii. 8, 12); " pastors " {poimenes ; Eph. iv. 11); "angels" {anggeloi ; Rev. i. 20); " evangelists " and " teachers " ieuanggelistai, didaskaloi; Eph. iv. 11). The most evident inference from any of these names is the special activity of those mentioned; there can be no question
Christ as a Distinct Office.
Clergy Clerk