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Concerning the Quartodecimans. 5. Concerning Novatus. 6. Concerning Nepos. PROLOGUE. That the Lord Christ also foretold the heresies that were to come. Since in the preceding books we have made clear the heresies that are opposed to each other, come then, let us also teach those who are ignorant about the others, which sprouted up between these and those. For just as field mice are brought forth from the earth from a certain imbalance of the air and a quality of foul putrefaction, and destroy seeds and destroy plants, but the farmers, hunting these, destroy them; so from the evil artifice of the devil heresies appeared, which harmed the more frivolous of men; but these the best husbandmen of piety drove out from the divine cornfields, and made them vanish. And the Lord has foretold their plots, both through the parable of the tares, and explicitly taught the apostles, at one time saying, that many false Christs and false prophets and false apostles would appear; and at another time exhorting them to be on guard, and adding: "Many will come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Then he teaches how it is proper to discern the difference between the sheep and the wolf clothed in the fleece. "For by their fruits," he says, "you will know them." Then through a certain image he makes the saying clearer. "For do they," he says, "gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? So every good tree produces good fruits, but the bad tree produces bad fruits." And expanding on the saying he added: "Therefore by 83.401 their fruits you will know them." Sufficient, then, even in and of themselves are the impious and altogether abominable doctrines to show their own father. "For by the fruit," he says, "the tree is known." And their end is also enough to expose the falsehood. For falsehood is easily dissolved, but the power of truth is lasting. For this very reason, the myths of diabolical activity have vanished; but the doctrines of the Gospels flourish and have blossomed. And though many have made war, both peoples, and demagogues, and generals, and kings, the foundations of the Church have remained firmly fixed upon the rock; but the preachers of the ill-omened heresies have fled, according to the Wise Man who said, when no one was pursuing. For his is the voice: "I have let go my hands, and they have withered, and have become like dry grass on the housetops; but my salvation will be forever, and my righteousness will not fail." But let us proceed to the narration of the remaining doctrines. 1. -Concerning the Nicolaitans. The heresy of the Nicolaitans was formed not only from foolishness, but also from licentiousness. But Clement taught more clearly the things concerning this. And he said that Nicolas had been one of the seven deacons, whom the company of the apostles had ordained for the care of the widows. And that having a beautiful wife, he was accused before the apostles, as having received the passion of jealousy. And that he, trying to turn away this opinion, brought his wife into their midst, and permitted anyone who wished to have relations with her; not legislating this, but refuting the slander of his accusers. From this, some people, having most wickedly received what was done by him for the aforementioned reason, legislated to have wives in common. But Nicolas, Clement said, was one of those who were distinguished for self-control, and his children the beyond

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Περὶ τῶν Τεσσαρεσκαιδεκατιτῶν. εʹ. Περὶ Ναυάτου. ςʹ. Περὶ Νέπωτος. ΠΡΟΛΟΓΟΣ. Ὅτι καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐσομένων αἱρέσεων προείρηκεν ὁ ∆εσπότης Χριστός. Ἐπειδὴ τὰς ἐναντίας ἀλλήλαις αἱρέσεις ἐν τοῖς προτέροις βιβλίοις πεποιήκαμεν δήλας, φέρε δὴ καὶ τὰς ἄλλας, αἳ μεταξὺ τούτων κἀκείνων ἐβλάστησαν, τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας διδάξωμεν. Καθάπερ γὰρ οἱ ἀρουραῖοι μῦες ἔκ τινος δυσκρασίας ἀέρος καὶ σηπε δόνος δυσώδους ποιότητος ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀναδίδονται, καὶ λυμαίνονται μὲν σπέρματα, λυμαίνονται δὲ φυτὰ, οἱ δὲ γηπόνοι τούτους θηρεύοντες διαφθείρουσιν· οὕτω ἐκ τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου κακοτεχνίας ἀνεφάνησαν αἱρέσεις, αἳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοὺς κουφοτέρους ἐσίνον το· ἀλλὰ ταύτας τῆς εὐσεβείας οἱ ἄριστοι γεωργοὶ τῶν θείων ληΐων ἐξήλασαν, καὶ φρούδους ἀπ έφηναν. Τὰς δὲ τούτων ἐπιβουλὰς, καὶ διὰ τῆς τῶν ζιζανίων παραβολῆς ὁ ∆εσπότης προείρηκε, καὶ διαῤῥήδην τοὺς ἀποστόλους ἐδίδαξε, ποτὲ μὲν εἰπὼν, πολλοὺς ψευδοχρίστους καὶ ψευδοπροφήτας καὶ ψευδ αποστόλους φανήσεσθαι· ποτὲ δὲ φυλάττεσθαι, τού τους παρεγγυήσας, καὶ ἐπαγαγών· "Πολλοὶ ἐλεύ σονται πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν ἐνδύμασι προβάτων, ἔσωθεν δέ εἰσι λύκοι ἅρπαγες." Εἶτα διδάσκει, πῶς διαγνῶναι προσήκει τὴν τοῦ προβάτου, καὶ τὴν τοῦ τὸ κώδιον περιβεβλημένου λύκου διαφοράν. "Ἐκ τῶν καρ πῶν γὰρ αὐτῶν, φησὶν, ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς." Ἔπειτα διά τινος εἰκόνος σαφέστερον ἀποφαίνει τὸν λόγον. "Μήτι γὰρ, φησὶ, συλλέγουσιν ἀπὸ ἀκανθῶν σταφυλὰς, ἢ ἀπὸ τριβόλων σῦκα; Οὕτω πᾶν δένδρον ἀγαθὸν ἀγαθοὺς καρποὺς ποιεῖ, τὸ δὲ πονηρὸν δένδρον καρποὺς πονηροὺς ποιεῖ." Καὶ πλατύνας τὸν λόγον ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἄρα γε ἐκ 83.401 τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς." Ἱκανὰ μὲν οὖν καὶ αὐτὰ καθ' ἑαυτὰ τὰ δυσαγῆ καὶ παμ μίαρα δόγματα τὸν οἰκεῖον ἐπιδεῖξαι πατέρα. "Ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ καρποῦ, φησὶ, τὸ δένδρον γινώσκεται." Ἀπόχρη δὲ καὶ τὸ τούτων τέλος διελέγξαι τὸ ψεῦδος. Εὐδιάλυτον γὰρ τὸ ψεῦδος, μόνιμον δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ κράτος. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο, φροῦδοι μὲν τῆς διαβολι κῆς ἐνεργείας οἱ μῦθοι· ἀνθεῖ δὲ καὶ τέθηλε τῶν Εὐαγγελίων τὰ δόγματα. Καὶ πολλῶν πεπολεμηκό των, καὶ δήμων, καὶ δημαγωγῶν, καὶ στρατηγῶν, καὶ βασιλέων, διέμεινεν ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας ἐρηρεισμένα τὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας θεμέλια· οἱ δὲ τῶν δυσωνύμων αἱρέ σεων κήρυκες ἔφυγον, κατὰ τὸν εἰρηκότα Σοφὸν, οὐδενὸς διώκοντος. Αὐτοῦ γάρ ἐστι φωνή· "Ἀνῆκά μου τὰς χεῖρας, καὶ ἐξηράνθησαν, καὶ ἐγένοντο ὡσεὶ χόρτος ξηρὸς ἐπὶ δωμάτων· τὸ δὲ σωτήριόν μου εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἔσται, καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη μου οὐ μὴ ἐκλί πῃ." Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν διήγησιν τῶν ὑπολοίπων μεταβῶμεν δογμάτων. Αʹ. -Περὶ Νικολαϊτῶν. Ἡ Νικολαϊτῶν αἵρεσις οὐ μόνον ἐξ ἀνοίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἀκολασίας συνέστη. Σαφέστερον δὲ τὰ περὶ ταύτης ὁ Κλήμης ἐδίδαξεν. Ἔφη δὲ τὸν Νικόλαον ἕνα γεγενῆσθαι τῶν ἑπτὰ διακόνων, οὓς ὁ χορὸς τῶν ἀποστόλων διὰ τὴν τῶν χηρῶν ἐχειροτόνησε θεραπείαν. Εὔοπτον δὲ ἐσχηκότα γυναῖκα, αἰτιαθῆ ναι παρὰ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, ὡς ζηλοτυπίας εἰσδεξάμε νον πάθος. Τοῦτον δὲ ἀποτρέψασθαι τήνδε τὴν δόξαν πειρώμενον, εἰς μέσον ἀγαγεῖν τὴν γυναῖκα, καὶ ἐπιτρέψαι κοινωνῆσαι αὐτῇ τὸν βουλόμενον· οὐ τοῦτο νομοθετοῦντα, ἀλλὰ τὴν τῶν κατηγορηκότων συκοφαντίαν ἐλέγχοντα. Ἐντεῦθεν τινὲς τὸ παρὰ τούτου διὰ τὴν προῤῥηθεῖσαν αἰτίαν γενόμενον κά κιστα παραδεξάμενοι, κοινὰς ἔχειν τὰς γυναῖκας ἐνομοθέτησαν. Τὸν δὲ Νικόλαον ὁ Κλήμης ἔφη τῶν ἐπὶ σωφροσύνῃ λαμπρυνομένων γενέσθαι, καὶ τὰ τέκνα τὴν ὑπὲρ