er date, which includes the latter writings in its
canon, it seems that the Epistles on Virginity gradually replaced the
earlier pair in certain Syrian churches--even should Lightfoot be right
in doubting if this had really occurred by Epiphanius's day (_S. Clement
of Rome_, i. 412).

Probably these epistles did not originally bear Clement's name at all,
but formed a single epistle addressed to ascetics among an actual circle
of churches. In that case they, or rather it, may date from the 3rd
century in spite of Eusebius's silence, and are not pseudo-Clementine in
any real sense. It matters little whether or not the false ascription
was made before the division into two implied already by Epiphanius (c.
A.D. 375). Special occasion for such a hortatory letter may be discerned
in its polemic against intimate relations between ascetics of opposite
sex, implied to exist among its readers, in contrast to usage in the
writer's own locality. Now we know that spiritual unions, prompted
originally by highstrung Christian idealism as to a religious fellowship
transcending the law of nature in relation to sex, did exist between
persons living under vows of celibacy during the 3rd century in
particular, and not least in Syria (cf. the case of Paul of Samosata, c.
265, and the Synod of Ancyra in Galatia, c. 314). It is natural, then,
to see in the original epistle a protest against the dangers of such
spiritual boldness (cf. "Subintroductae" in Herzog-Hauck's
_Realencyklopaedie_), prior perhaps to the famous case at Antioch just
noted. Possibly it is the feeling of south Syria or Palestine that here
expresses itself in remonstrance against usages prevalent in north
Syria. Such a view finds support also in the New Testament canon implied
in these epistles.

(3)[a] _The Epistle of Clement to James_ (the Lord's brother). This was
originally part of (3)[b], in connexion with which its origin and date
are discussed. But as known to the West through Rufinus's Latin version,
it was quoted as genuine by the synod of Vaison (A.D. 442) and
throughout the middle ages. It became "the starting point of the most
momentous and gigantic of medieval forgeries, the Isidorian Decretals,"
"where it stands at the head of the pontifical letters, extended to more
than twice its original length." This extension perhaps occurred during
the 5th century. At any rate the letter in this form, along with a
"second epistle to James" (on the Eucharist, church fur