The next passage is a saying of our Lord on the cross, which is given in the Recognitions: “_Father, forgive them their sin, for they know not what they do._”(347) In the Homilies we have the original Greek: “Father, forgive them their sins, for they know not what they do.”(348) Rufinus has unconsciously altered the text in translating it by making “sins” singular instead of plural.
It is not necessary to note the insignificant difference of the word ἅ in the Homily and the word τί in the Gospel. But who cannot see that the addition of the words, “their sins,” completely changes the thought of the Saviour? Jesus prays God to forgive the Jews the crime they commit in crucifying him, and not to pardon all the sins of their lives that they have committed. The addition of these two words not merely modify the thought; they represent another of an inferior order. They would not have been introduced into the text if the author of the Gospel used by the pseudo‐Clement had had the Gospel of St. Luke before him. These words were certainly not derived from St. Luke; they are due to a separate recollection or tradition of the sayings of the Saviour on the cross. Those sayings we may well believe were cherished in the memory of the early disciples. Tradition always modifies, weakens, renders commonplace the noblest thoughts and most striking sayings, and colours the most original with a tint of triviality.(349)
We find in both the Recollections and Homilies a passage which has been thought to be a quotation from St. John: “_Verily I say unto you, That unless a man is born again of water, he shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven._”(350) Here, again, the hand of Rufinus is to be traced. The same quotation is made in the Homilies, and it stands there thus: “_Verily I say unto you, Unless ye be born again of the water of life_ (or _the living water_) _in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, ye cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven._”(351)
That the narrative of the interview with Nicodemus was in the Gospel of the Hebrews, we learned from Justin Martyr quoting it. We will place the parallel passages opposite each other:
GOSPEL OF THE HEBREWS. GOSPEL OF ST. JOHN. JUSTIN MARTYR, 1 Apol. 61. c. iii. 3, 5. “_Christ said, Except ye be “3. Jesus answered and said born again, ye cannot enter unto him, Verily, verily, I into the kingdom of heaven._” say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” PSEUDO‐CLEMENT, Hom. xi. 26. “_And Christ said (with an “5. Jesus answered, Verily, oath),_(_352_)_ Verily I say verily, I say unto thee, unto you, Unless ye are born Except a man be born of water again of the water of life (in and spirit, he cannot enter the name of the Father, and of into the kingdom of God.” the Son, and of the Holy Ghost), ye cannot enter into the kingdom of Heaven._”