The record-union., 1898-03-21

Christian world has been thrilled with a
brilliant succession of documentary
finds, in which Christian literature Of the
first three centuries are familiar to every
Christian scholar 1t will be necessary
to give merely an outline of some OF
these important finds.
The most important discovery since
the Convent of ST. Catherine in 1859
gave up the renowned Sinaitic manu-
script must be reckoned that of the
'Diadache" in 1878, by Bryennois, in the
Jerusalem monastery at Constantinople.
This was published in 1888 and took the
Christian world by storm. It's coming
produced vast literature on both sides
of the Atlantic. Christian scholars
everywhere have recognized this as the
oldest church manual going back to
the early part of the second century and
giving most valuable light on church
life, as well as showing the large liberty
allowed in the mode of Christian bap-
tism.
IN connection with his manuscript was
found the complete epistles of Clemens
The first epistle, as is well known, was
discovered in the same folios with the
Alexandria manuscripts, but here was
brought to light the second epistle, thus
completing the letters of this important
church father.
These letters seem to have been cher
ished as much almost as the canonical
writings. Eusebius Identifies Clemens
as the friend of st. Paul, and, speaking
OF the first epistle declares: I'VE are
aware that this epistle has been publicly
read in very many churches, both in old
times and also in our own day" AS 10
the second epistle it's authenticity may
be questioned, but evidence is abundant
to show that it was a homily to be read
III the churches and may be assigned to
the early part of the second century.
We next have to notice the finding of
the gospel of Peter and the apocalypse
OF Peter. This discovery was made by
the French Archaeological mission in
Cairo in 1886. In the grave of a monk
in an ancient cemetery at Akhmin. the
ancient PanopoliG, upper Egypt. was
found parchment containing the gospel
of Peter and a fragment of the apo
calypso of Peter, together with frag-
ment of the book Of Enoch, in Greek.
The gospel of Peter was published in
1892, under the care Of Mr.. Bouriant in
logical mission at Cairo. This parchment
Codex, which is now in the museum at
Gizeh, is assigned to a date between the
sixth and twelfth centuries. Harnack
assigns the gospel to the first quarter OF
the second century. Previous to this
discovery all that had been known of
this gospel was illusions by Scraps,
Bishop of Antioch, Origen, Eusabius and
Theodoret 1t differs in many important
details from the canonical gospels, but
corroborates them in general. Harnack
in "Texte und Untersuchungen," has
given a critical examination of its pecu-
liarities.
One of the most romantic histories is
that of the recovery of the text OF
Tatian's 'Diatessaron. or Harmony of
the Four Gospels" The reconstruc-
ton of the text from ancient authori-
ties is a monument of Zahn's brilliant
but it was not until 1888
that we came into possession of the
connected text itself.
The Arabic text was published at
Rome in 1888 from manuscript brought
from the East by Joseph Assermani in
1I19 When the visitor apostolic OF
the Catholic copts was in Rome in
1856 and was informed of the Vatican
he told of another manu-
script of which he knew and which he
was instrumental in sending to the
Borgan Museum. The latter manu-
script is complete. containing $50 TO-
lios. The Importance of the Dates
saron Of Tatian, which must have been