Onesimus: Memoirs of a Disciple of St. Paul

NOTES.

Many of the dialogues and some of the descriptions in the preceding pages, are borrowed from ancient authors; who however wrote in most cases after the times of Onesimus. For example, whereas Onesimus lived at ColossÆ about 60 A.D.; Epictetus probably flourished a generation later; Maximus of Tyre, the defender of Polytheism from the social side, who is represented above by the fictitious Nicostratus, wrote under the Antonines; Ælius Aristides, the eulogist of Asclepius, who is represented above by Oneirocritus, was born about 117 A.D.; Apuleius from whom is borrowed (pp. 17, 18) the description of the ergastulum, and also (p. 181) the description of the dancers of Cybele, wrote in the second century after Christ; Celsus, the sceptic, who is represented (pp. 123-8) by the sceptical Artemidorus, wrote at the beginning of the second century; and lastly Justin Martyr and IrenÆus, from whom are mainly borrowed the discourse of Lucius of Cyrene, wrote severally about 150 A.D. and 170 A.D.

“A confession of anachronism then?” Yes: anachronism. But if only such sayings have been selected from these authors as express thoughts that were, at least in their germs, contemporaneous with Onesimus, then the life of St. Paul’s convert is really better illustrated by this systematic anachronism than by the most felicitously invented dialogue of modern scholars. Artemidorus, Nicostratus, Philemon and Oneirocritus represent thoughts that must have been in the air throughout Asia as early as 60 A.D., though they did not find expression in extant books till some time later. So also of Justin and IrenÆus; it may safely be asserted that the tendency to see in each of the acts of Jesus the exact fulfilment of some prophecy, and in each prophecy the prediction of some act of Jesus—the next step being to believe, and then to assert, that that act must consequently have occurred—permeated the early Christian church at least as early as the date of the composition of the Introduction to St. Matthew’s Gospel, and long before it found expression in the pages of Justin and IrenÆus.

In the following notes on special passages, it has not been thought necessary to give a separate reference for every quotation, but only in those cases where the words of some ancient author seemed in danger of being supposed to be modern.

Book.	Sect.
i.	6.	This description of the slaves in the ergastulum is from Apuleius.
i.	7.	“The cross has been the tomb,” etc., a quotation from Plautus.
ii.	2.	Epictetus was probably a child at this time.
ii.	2.	The remarks of Nicostratus and Heracleas are taken from Maximus of Tyre.
ii.	2.	The remark of Heracleas on the ancient transformations is taken from Pausanias.
ii.	3.	The whole of this description of a festival is from Maximus of Tyre.
ii.	4.	For the story of the fighting-cock and the rest, see FriedlÄnder’s work on the Religion of the Ancients (French translation), vol. iv., 180.
ii.	4.	Oneirocritus, describing his sickness and the favors of Asclepius, here repeats the sentiments of P. Ælius Aristides, about 117 A.D. (see Friedlander, ib., 181-4).
ii.	4.	Pliny esteemed it right to build temples, etc., of gods in whom he disbelieved.
ii.	6.	The account of the descent into the cave of Trophonius is borrowed from Pausanias, who himself went down.
ii.	6.	“I could not restrain myself from laughing:” this detail is borrowed from Pausanias.
ii.	7.	The whole travesty of Socrates is taken from Lucian’s Halcyon.
ii.	7.	“Sobriety and incredulity,” etc: see note on iii. 3.
iii.	3.	Philip is reported to have raised a dead man (Euseb. H.E., iii. 39): but the account given in the text is borrowed from the account of the revivification of the Archbishop of Bordeaux, written out for the Author by one who heard it from the Archbishop himself.
iii.	3.	“Sober incredulity,” etc: a translation of the proverb, ??fe ?a? ??as’ ?p?ste?? ?e??a ta?ta t?? f?e???.
iii.	7.	“With whom I do not agree; neither would I,” etc.: this statement about the diversity of opinions concerning the nature of Christ, is a quotation from Justin, Dial., 48.
iii.	8.	The “Tradition” here mentioned by Onesimus in the beginning of this section, is the matter common to the first three Gospels. It may be roughly represented by the Gospel of St. Mark, excluding the verses after Mark xvi. 8, which are recognized by all scholars to be an interpolation. For fuller information on the nature of this “Tradition” the reader may consult the article on Gospels in the new edition of the EncyclopÆdia Britannica.
iv.	1.	The description of the voyage is from Lucian. iv. 2. Almost the whole of this letter is borrowed from Celsus as represented in Origen’s treatise against him.
iv.	6-9.	The sayings here put into the mouth of Epictetus are, almost without exception, extracted from his works.
iv.	10.	The parable of the ant-hill is from Lucian. iv. 10. “If you are resolved to deal in such wares,” etc. This passage is borrowed from Lucian’s Auction of the Gods.
iv.	10.	“Though my body dwelleth,” etc., “Enjoy the present,” etc.; these two inscriptions are still extant on the same tomb of husband and wife. See a paper by Mr. Newton in the Nineteenth Century, August, 1878.
iv.	10.	“Sleep soundly stretched at ease:” this is the advice of Teiresias in Lucian, 484-5. v. 1. This description of the dancing of the women of the priest of Cybele is from Apuleius.
v.	4.	“Heraclitus, the crying philosopher:” this is borrowed from Lucian.
vi.	2.	“Whether the true God had nails, and hair, and teeth, and the like.” Such are the difficulties suggested by the Manicheans to Augustine, Confessions, iii. 7.
viii.	3.	The description of the High-priest is from Ecclesiasticus, 50.
viii.	3.	The description of the miseries of Jerusalem is from 2 Esdras, iii. 28.
viii.	3.	“The hand which now had power:” this quotation is from 2 Esdras, v. 3. “The spoils should be carried back to the cities of the East:” this is from the Fourth Sibylline Book.
viii.	10.	The whole of this narrative is borrowed from the account of the Martyrdom of St. Perpetua.

THE DISCOURSE OF LUCIUS OF CYRENE.

Page.
296.	For the importance attached to prophecy, see IrenÆus (Against Heresies, ii. 4): “If, however, they maintain that the Lord performed such works simply in appearance, we shall refer them to the prophetical writings, and prove from these both that all things were thus predicted regarding Him, and did take place undoubtedly.” Justin Martyr also takes the same view, I. Apol., 30.
296.	“Who shall declare his generation?” This passage is similarly applied by Justin Martyr, Dialogue, 63.
298.	“He shall take away,” etc. So Justin (Dial., 77), “But now the prophecy has stated it with this addition: ‘Before the child knows how to call father or mother, he shall take the power of Damascus and spoils of Samaria.’ And you cannot prove that such a thing ever happened to any one among the Jews. But we are able to prove that it happened in the case of Christ.” And he then proceeds to interpret Damascus as referring to the Magi, and Assyria to Herod, as in the text.
299.	“Behold a Man, the East is his name,” Zech. vi. 12, according to the Septuagint quoted by Justin, Dial., 106.
300.	“He shall dwell in a cave,” etc.: quoted by Justin Martyr from the Septuagint version of Isaiah xxxiii. 16 (Dial., 70).
302.	“The Lord God remembered his dead people of Israel,” etc. This passage is quoted by Justin Martyr (Dial., 72), who accuses the Jews of cancelling this and other passages of the Scriptures. It is also quoted by IrenÆus (Against Heresies, iii. 20) as from Isaiah, and (ib. iv. 22) as from Jeremiah. But it is not found in our Scriptures.

Messrs. Roberts Brothers’ Publications.

PHILOCHRISTUS:

MEMOIRS OF A DISCIPLE OF THE LORD.

Second and Cheaper Edition. Price $1.50.

From Harper’s Magazine.

“Philochristus” is a very unique book, both in its literary and its theological aspects. It purports to be the memoirs of a disciple of Jesus Christ, written ten years after the destruction of Jerusalem.... Artistically, the book is nearly faultless. In form a romance, it has not the faults which have rendered the Gospel romances such wretched works of art. It is characterized by simplicity in expression and by an air of historic genuineness.... Theologically, it is characteristic of the era. It belongs to no recognized school of theology. The critics do not know what to make of it. In this respect, it reminds one of “Ecce Homo.” It is not Orthodox, ... yet he throughout recognizes Christ as in a true sense the manifestation of God in the flesh.... Those who are inclined to dread any presentation of the life and character of Christ which does not openly and clearly recognize the old philosophy respecting him will look on this book with suspicion, if not with aversion. Those who are ready to welcome fresh studies into this character will find a peculiar charm in this singular volume.

From the Contemporary Review.

The winning beauty of this book, and the fascinating power with which the subject of it appears to all English minds, will secure for it many readers. It is a work which ranks rather with “Ecce Homo” than with Canon Farrar’s “Life of Christ.” It is associated, indeed, with the former book by the dedication: “To the author of ‘Ecce Homo,’ not more in admiration of his writings than in gratitude for the suggestive influence of a long and intimate friendship.”

From the Christian Register.

Since “Ecce Homo,” no religious book has appeared which can be compared with “Philochristus” for its power to nourish and deepen the interest felt by multitudes in the life and spirit of Jesus of Nazareth.

The Bible for Learners.

By Dr. H. Oort, of Leyden, and Dr. I. Hooykaas,
Pastor at Rotterdam.

Translated from the Dutch by Rev. P.H. Wicksteed, of London.

The Old Testament. 2 vols. 12mo. Price $4.00.
The New Testament. 1 vol. 12mo. Price $2.00.

“This work emanates from the Dutch school of theologians. Nowhere in Europe,” said the lamented J.J. Tayler, “has theological science assumed a bolder or more decisive tone [than in Holland]; though always within the limits of profound reverence, and an unenfeebled attachment to the divine essence of the gospel.... We know of no work done here which gives such evidence of solid scholarship joined to a deep and strong religious spirit. The ‘Bible for Young People’ should be the means to very many, both old and young, of a more satisfying idea of what Israel really was and did among the nations.”

Sold by all Booksellers. Mailed, postpaid, by the Publishers,

ROBERTS BROTHERS, Boston.

Transcriber’s Notes

Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations in hyphenation and all other spelling and punctuation remains unchanged.

The typography of the headings has been standardised on all upper case rather than the occasional small caps.

In Book 7, section § 6. the sentence “So great was my terror that my first resolve was to depart at once to Rome.” has been corrected to ...from Rome.

Clyx.com