Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume IX/The Epistles of Clement/The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians/Chapter 45

Chapter XLV.&#8212;It is the Part of the Wicked to Vex the Righteous.

Ye are fond of contention, brethren, and full of zeal about things which do not pertain to salvation.&#160; Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit.&#160; Observe that nothing of an unjust or counterfeit character is written in them.&#160; There you will not find that the righteous were cast off by men who themselves were holy.&#160; The righteous were indeed persecuted, but only by the wicked.&#160; They were cast into prison, but only by the unholy; they were stoned, but only by transgressors; they were slain, but only by the accursed, and such as had conceived an unrighteous envy against them.&#160; Exposed to such sufferings, they endured them gloriously.&#160; For what shall we say, brethren?&#160; Was Daniel cast into the den of lions by such as feared God?&#160; Were Ananias, and Azarias, and Michael shut up in a furnace of fire by those who observed the great and glorious worship of the Most High?&#160; Far from us be such a thought!&#160; Who, then, were they that did such things?&#160; The hateful, and those full of all wickedness, were roused to such a pitch of fury, that they inflicted torture on those who served God with a holy and blameless purpose [of heart], not knowing that the Most High is the Defender and Protector of all such as with a pure conscience venerate His all-excellent name; to whom be glory for ever and ever.&#160; Amen.&#160; But they who with confidence endured [these things] are now heirs of glory and honour, and have been exalted and made illustrious by God in their memorial for ever and ever.&#160; Amen.