The "Pastor" of Hermas, the editors of the _Ante Nicene Christian,
Library_ inform us in their Introductory notice (vol. I., p. 319), was
one of the most popular books, if not the most popular book, in the
Christian Church during the second, third, and fourth centuries. W.
Osburn, in his "Doctrinal Errors of the Early Fathers," p. 35, 1835,
declares--with much show of reason--it is "the silliest book that ever
exercised an influence over the human understanding." This gives a
sufficient gauge of the value of the judgment of those centuries. As
with all other early Christian writings, with the exception of some of
the epistles of Paul, much doubt exists as to its author. The earliest
opinion was that it was the production of the Hermas who is saluted by
Paul in his Epistle to the Romans xiv., 14. Origen, in his commentary
on the Romans (bk. x., 31), states this opinion distinctly, and it is
repeated by the ecclesiastical historian Eusebius (hi., 3.,), and by
Jerome in his work against heresies (iv., 20, 2). There is an early
AEthiopic version of Hermas which contains the curiously bold figment
that it was written by the Apostle Paul himself, under the title of
"Hermes," which name, as stated in the twelfth verse of the fourteenth
chapter of the Acts of the Apostles, was bestowed upon him by the
inhabitants of Lystra.
The Muratorian fragment on the Canon, however (the authorship of which
is unknown, but which may plausibly be dated about the year 200,)
asserts that "The 'Pastor' was written very lately in our times, in
the city of Rome, by Hermas, while Bishop Pius, his brother, sat in the
chair of the church of the city of Rome" (i.e., 142--157 A.C.), and
the best modern authorities since the time of Mosheim incline to this
opinion. Yet it is quite possible that the name of the author is as
fictitious as the contents of the work.
It is a threefold collection of visions, commandments, and similitudes.
The author claims to receive a divine message and to record the words of
angels, and there is evidence that in the early days of the Church
this claim was unquestioned. C. H. Hoole, in the introduction to his
translation of the work (p. xi.) says: "At the very earliest period it
was undoubtedly regarded as on a level with the canonical books of the
New Testament being distinctly quoted by Irenaeus as Scripture." Irenaeus,
as everyone knows, is the first who mentions the four Gospels by name.
Clement of Alexandria speaks of it as divine revelation (Strom. I.,
xxix). Origen claims it as inspired by God (loc. cit.) All the early
Fathers accepted its authority except Tertullian, and he only disputed
it after he became an heretical Montanist. In his orthodox works he too
cites it as part of Holy Scripture. Eusebius tells us that it was read
publicly in the churches, and it is found in the Sinaitic Codex of the
New Testament, together with the epistle of Barnabas, along with the
canonical books. Dupin ("Ecclesiastica Writers," p. 28, 1692,) says:"The
'Pastor' hath been admitted by many churches as canonical."
Hermes makes no mention of a Trinity nor of the Incarnation, and, though
he speaks of the Son of God, this Son of God seems to be the same as
the Holy Spirit. Of the man Jesus he makes no mention. When the Arians
appealed to this book its reputation sank with the orthodox party. About
the year 494 it was condemned in the decree of Pope Gelasius, and from
that time it has declined in public favor. Jerome, who in his Chronicon
had lauded it, in his commentary on Habakkuk taxes it with _stultia_
foolishness. And not unjustly. Its visions are almost as fantastic as
those recorded in the Apocalypse. Its divine revelations are about on a
level with the maudlin platitudes uttered through the lips of spiritist
trance mediums. Although so highly appreciated by the primitive
Christians, there are few among the moderns who would not find his
vagaries puerile and unreadable. He has a complete system of angelology.
"There are two angels with a man--one of righteousness, and the other of
iniquity--" (Commandment Sixth, chap, ii., p. 359,) and these originate
all evil and all good. There is even an angel over the beasts. Hermes is
acquainted with this angel's name. It is Thegri (Vision iv., 2, p. 346).
From these angels he receives much valueless information. Mosheim says
of his work: "It seems to have been written by a man scarcely sane,
since he thought himself at liberty to invent conversations between
God and angels, for the sake of giving precepts, which he considered
salutary, a more ready entrance into the minds of his readers. But
celestial spirits with him talk greater nonsense than hedgers, or
ditchers, or porters among ourselves" (Ec. Hist., pt. ii., chap, ii.,
sec. 21; vol. i., p. 69,1863). If we bear in mind that this book was the
most popular among the primitive Christians, we shall have a good idea
of the extent of their attainments. In his work on Christian affairs
before the time of Constantine, Mosheim gives his opinion of this Father
that "he knowingly and wilfully was guilty of a cheat." "At the time
when he wrote," continues Mosheim, "it was an established maxim with
many of the Christians, that it was pardonable in an advocate for
religion to avail himself of fraud and deception, if it were likely
that they might conduce towards the attainment of any considerable good"
(vol. i., p. 285; Vidal tr., 1813). He has also been deemed the forger
of the Sibylline oracles. It is curious that in his second vision he
confounds an old woman, who is said to represent the Church, with the
Sibyl (Ch. iv., p. 331). Neither his reputation for veracity nor the
value of his ethical teaching, as given by angels, is enhanced by his
statement that when commanded to love the truth he said to his angelic
messenger: "I never spoke a true word in my life, but have ever spoken
cunningly to all, and have affirmed a lie for the truth to all; and no
one ever contradicted me, but credit was given to my words." Whereupon
the divine visitor informs him that if he keeps the commandments now,
"even the falsehoods which you formerly told in your transactions may
come to be believed through the truthfulness of your present statements.
For even they can become worthy of credit" (Commandment Third, p. 351).
The testimony of such a man would be of very little value indeed, but it
is certain that he gives none whatever to the New Testament, and this,
although his writings are the most extensive of any of the Apostolic
Fathers. Dr. Teschendorf even does not suggest that Hermas gives
any indication of acquaintance with our Gospels, and although Canon
Westcott, who admits "it contains no definite quotation from either Old
or New Testament" (on the Canon, p. 200, 1881), strives to show that
some of his similitudes, such as that of the Church to a tower, may have
been derived from the New Testament, Canon Sanday, another Christian
apologist, admits that these references are very doubtful. The only
direct quotation from Scripture is from a part which is not included in
our Holy Bible, and which, indeed, is no longer extant. In the Second
Vision, chap. iii., he says: "The Lord is near to them who return unto
Him, as it is written in Eldad and Modat, who prophesied to the people
in the wilderness." In Numbers xi, 26, 27, we read of Eldad and Medad
who prophesied in the camp, and a book under their name appears in the
Stichometria of Nicephorus among the apocrypha of the Old Testament.
Having thus cursorily reviewed the writings of the first five Fathers,
who are usually, though unwarrantably, denominated "Apostolic," we will
briefly examine