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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies
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Book I Chapter I.—Preface—The Author’s Object—The Utility of Written Compositions.
Chapter III.—Against the Sophists.
Chapter IV.—Human Arts as Well as Divine Knowledge Proceed from God.
Chapter V.—Philosophy the Handmaid of Theology.
Chapter VI.—The Benefit of Culture.
Chapter VII.—The Eclectic Philosophy Paves the Way for Divine Virtue.
Chapter VIII.—The Sophistical Arts Useless.
Chapter IX.—Human Knowledge Necessary for the Understanding of the Scriptures.
Chapter X.—To Act Well of Greater Consequence Than to Speak Well.
Chapter XI.—What is the Philosophy Which the Apostle Bids Us Shun?
Chapter XII.—The Mysteries of the Faith Not to Be Divulged to All.
Chapter XIII.—All Sects of Philosophy Contain a Germ of Truth.
Chapter XIV.—Succession of Philosophers in Greece.
Chapter XV.—The Greek Philosophy in Great Part Derived from the Barbarians.
Chapter XVI.—That the Inventors of Other Arts Were Mostly Barbarians.
Chapter XVII.—On the Saying of the Saviour, “All that Came Before Me Were Thieves and Robbers.”
Chapter XVIII.—He Illustrates the Apostle’s Saying, “I Will Destroy the Wisdom of the Wise.”
Chapter XIX.—That the Philosophers Have Attained to Some Portion of Truth.
Chapter XX.—In What Respect Philosophy Contributes to the Comprehension of Divine Truth.
Chapter XXII.—On the Greek Translation of the Old Testament.
Chapter XXIII.—The Age, Birth, and Life of Moses.
Chapter XXIV.—How Moses Discharged the Part of a Military Leader.
Chapter XXV.—Plato an Imitator of Moses in Framing Laws.
Chapter XXVII.—The Law, Even in Correcting and Punishing, Aims at the Good of Men.
Chapter XXVIII.—The Fourfold Division of the Mosaic Law.
Chapter XXIX.—The Greeks But Children Compared with the Hebrews.
Book II. Chapter I.—Introductory.
Chapter II.—The Knowledge of God Can Be Attained Only Through Faith.
Chapter III.—Faith Not a Product of Nature.
Chapter IV.—Faith the Foundation of All Knowledge.
Chapter V.—He Proves by Several Examples that the Greeks Drew from the Sacred Writers.
Chapter VI.—The Excellence and Utility of Faith.
Chapter VII.—The Utility of Fear. Objections Answered.
Chapter VIII.—The Vagaries of Basilides and Valentinus as to Fear Being the Cause of Things.
Chapter IX.—The Connection of the Christian Virtues.
Chapter X.—To What the Philosopher Applies Himself.
Chapter XI.—The Knowledge Which Comes Through Faith the Surest of All.
Chapter XIII.—On First and Second Repentance.
Chapter XIV.—How a Thing May Be Involuntary.
Chapter XV.—On the Different Kinds of Voluntary Actions, and the Sins Thence Proceeding.
Chapter XVI.—How We are to Explain the Passages of Scripture Which Ascribe to God Human Affections.
Chapter XVII.—On the Various Kinds of Knowledge.
Chapter XIX.—The True Gnostic is an Imitator of God, Especially in Beneficence.
Chapter XX.—The True Gnostic Exercises Patience and Self-Restraint.
Chapter XXI.—Opinions of Various Philosophers on the Chief Good.
Book III. Caput I.—Basilidis Sententiam de Continentia Et Nuptiis Refutat.
Caput II.—Carpocratis Et Epiphanis Sententiam de Feminarum Communitate Refutat.
Caput IV.—Quibus Prætextibus Utantur Hæretici ad Omnis Genetis Licentiam Et Libidinem Exercendam.
Caput VII.—Qua in Re Christianorum Continentia Eam Quam Sibi Vindicant Philosophi Antecellat.
Caput X.—Verba Christi Matt. xviii. 20, Mystice Exponit.
Caput XI.—Legis Et Christi Mandatum de Non Concupiscendo Exponit.
Caput XIV.—2 Cor. xi. 3, Et Eph. iv. 24, Exponit.
Caput XV.—1 Cor. vii. 1 Luc. xiv. 26 Isa. lvi. 2, 3, Explicat.
Caput XVI.—Jer. xx. 14 Job xiv. 3 Ps. l. 5 1 Cor. ix. 27, Exponit.
Book IV. Chapter I.—Order of Contents.
Chapter II.—The Meaning of the Name Stromata or Miscellanies.
Chapter III.—The True Excellence of Man.
Chapter IV.—The Praises of Martyrdom.
Chapter V.—On Contempt for Pain, Poverty, and Other External Things.
Chapter VI.—Some Points in the Beatitudes.
Chapter VII.—The Blessedness of the Martyr.
Chapter VIII.—Women as Well as Men, Slaves as Well as Freemen, Candidates for the Martyr’s Crown.
Chapter IX.—Christ’s Sayings Respecting Martyrdom.
Chapter X.—Those Who Offered Themselves for Martyrdom Reproved.
Chapter XI.—The Objection, Why Do You Suffer If God Cares for You, Answered.
Chapter XII.—Basilides’ Idea of Martyrdom Refuted.
Chapter XIII.—Valentinian’s Vagaries About the Abolition of Death Refuted.
Chapter XIV.—The Love of All, Even of Our Enemies.
Chapter XV.—On Avoiding Offence.
Chapter XVI.—Passages of Scripture Respecting the Constancy, Patience, and Love of the Martyrs.
Chapter XVII.—Passages from Clement’s Epistle to the Corinthians on Martyrdom.
Chapter XVIII.—On Love, and the Repressing of Our Desires.
Chap. XIX.—Women as well as Men Capable of Perfection.
Chapter XXI.—Description of the Perfect Man, or Gnostic.
Chapter XXIII.—The Same Subject Continued.
Chapter XXIV.—The Reason and End of Divine Punishments.
Chapter XXV.—True Perfection Consists in the Knowledge and Love of God.
Chapter XXVI.—How the Perfect Man Treats the Body and the Things of the World.
Chapter III.—The Objects of Faith and Hope Perceived by the Mind Alone.
Chapter IV.—Divine Things Wrapped Up in Figures Both in the Sacred and in Heathen Writers.
Chapter V.—On the Symbols of Pythagoras.
Chapter VI.—The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
Chapter VII.—The Egyptian Symbols and Enigmas of Sacred Things.
Chapter VIII.—The Use of the Symbolic Style by Poets and Philosophers.
Chapter IX.—Reasons for Veiling the Truth in Symbols.
Chapter X.—The Opinion of the Apostles on Veiling the Mysteries of the Faith.
Chapter XII.—God Cannot Be Embraced in Words or by the Mind.
Chapter XIII.—The Knowledge of God a Divine Gift, According to the Philosophers.
Chapter XIV.—Greek Plagiarism from the Hebrews.
Chapter II.—The Subject of Plagiarisms Resumed. The Greeks Plagiarized from One Another.
Chapter III.—Plagiarism by the Greeks of the Miracles Related in the Sacred Books of the Hebrews.
Chapter V.—The Greeks Had Some Knowledge of the True God.
Chapter VI.—The Gospel Was Preached to Jews and Gentiles in Hades.
Chapter VII.—What True Philosophy Is, and Whence So Called.
Chapter VIII.—Philosophy is Knowledge Given by God.
Chapter IX.—The Gnostic Free of All Perturbations of the Soul.
Chapter X.—The Gnostic Avails Himself of the Help of All Human Knowledge.
Chapter XI.—The Mystical Meanings in the Proportions of Numbers, Geometrical Ratios, and Music.
Chapter XII.—Human Nature Possesses an Adaptation for Perfection The Gnostic Alone Attains It.
Chapter XIII.—Degrees of Glory in Heaven Corresponding with the Dignities of the Church Below.
Chapter XIV.—Degrees of Glory in Heaven.
Chapter XV.—Different Degrees of Knowledge.
Chapter XVI.—Gnostic Exposition of the Decalogue.
Chapter XVII.—Philosophy Conveys Only an Imperfect Knowledge of God.
Chapter XVIII.—The Use of Philosophy to the Gnostic.
Chapter II.—The Son the Ruler and Saviour of All.
Chapter III.—The Gnostic Aims at the Nearest Likeness Possible to God and His Son.
Chapter IV.—The Heathens Made Gods Like Themselves, Whence Springs All Superstition.
Chapter V.—The Holy Soul a More Excellent Temple Than Any Edifice Built by Man.
Chapter VI.—Prayers and Praise from a Pure Mind, Ceaselessly Offered, Far Better Than Sacrifices.
Chapter VII.—What Sort of Prayer the Gnostic Employs, and How It is Heard by God.
Chapter VIII.—The Gnostic So Addicted to Truth as Not to Need to Use an Oath.
Chapter IX.—Those Who Teach Others, Ought to Excel in Virtues.
Chapter X.—Steps to Perfection.
Chapter XI.—Description of the Gnostic’s Life.
Chapter XII.—The True Gnostic is Beneficent, Continent, and Despises Worldly Things.
Chapter XIII.—Description of the Gnostic Continued.
Chapter XIV.—Description of the Gnostic Furnished by an Exposition of 1 Cor. vi. 1, Etc.
Chapter XV.—The Objection to Join the Church on Account of the Diversity of Heresies Answered.
Chapter XVI.—Scripture the Criterion by Which Truth and Heresy are Distinguished.
Chapter XVII.—The Tradition of the Church Prior to that of the Heresies.
Book VIII. Chapter I.—The Object of Philosophical and Theological Inquiry—The Discovery of Truth.
Chapter II.—The Necessity of Perspicuous Definition.
Chapter III.—Demonstration Defined.
Chapter IV.—To Prevent Ambiguity, We Must Begin with Clear Definition.
Chapter V.—Application of Demonstration to Sceptical Suspense of Judgment.
Chapter VI.—Definitions, Genera, and Species.
Chapter VII.—On the Causes of Doubt or Assent.
Those, who denounce fear, assail the law; and if the law, plainly also God, who gave the law. For these three elements are of necessity presented in the subject on hand: the ruler, his administration, and the ruled. If, then, according to hypothesis, they abolish the law; then, by necessary consequence, each one who is led by lust, courting pleasure, must neglect what is right and despise the Deity, and fearlessly indulge in impiety and injustice together, having dashed away from the truth.
Yea, say they, fear is an irrational aberration,417 Instead of ἔκκλισις, it has been proposed to read ἔκλυσις, a term applied by the Stoics to fear; but we have ἔκκλισις immediately after. and perturbation of mind. What sayest thou? And how can this definition be any longer maintained, seeing the commandment is given me by the Word? But the commandment forbids, hanging fear over the head of those who have incurred418 According to the correction and translation of Lowth, who reads τῶν οὔτῶ ἐπιδεχομένων instead of τὸν οὔτως, etc., of the text. admonition for their discipline.
Fear is not then irrational. It is therefore rational. How could it be otherwise, exhorting as it does, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Than shalt not bear false witness? But if they will quibble about the names, let the philosophers term the fear of the law, cautious fear, (εὐλάβεια) which is a shunning (ἔκκλισις) agreeable to reason. Such Critolaus of Phasela not inaptly called fighters about names (ὀνοματομάκοι). The commandment, then, has already appeared fair and lovely even in the highest degree, when conceived under a change of name. Cautious fear (εὐλάβεια) is therefore shown to be reasonable, being the shunning of what hurts; from which arises repentance for previous sins. “For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; good understanding is to all that do it.”419 Ps. cxi. 10. He calls wisdom a doing, which is the fear of the Lord paving the way for wisdom. But if the law produces fear, the knowledge of the law is the beginning of wisdom; and a man is not wise without law. Therefore those who reject the law are unwise; and in consequence they are reckoned godless (ἄθεοι). Now instruction is the beginning of wisdom. “But the ungodly despise wisdom and instruction,”420 Prov. i. 7. saith the Scripture.
Let us see what terrors the law announces. If it is the things which hold an intermediate place between virtue and vice, such as poverty, disease, obscurity, and humble birth, and the like, these things civil laws hold forth, and are praised for so doing. And those of the Peripatetic school, who introduce three kinds of good things, and think that their opposites are evil, this opinion suits. But the law given to us enjoins us to shun what are in reality bad things—adultery, uncleanness, pæderasty, ignorance, wickedness, soul-disease, death (not that which severs the soul from the body, but that which severs the soul from truth). For these are vices in reality, and the workings that proceed from them are dreadful and terrible. “For not unjustly,” say the divine oracles, “are the nets spread for birds; for they who are accomplices in blood treasure up evils to themselves.”421 Prov. i. 17, 18, “Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird, and they lay wait for their own blood.” How, then, is the law still said to be not good by certain heresies that clamorously appeal to the apostle, who says, “For by the law is the knowledge of sin?”422 Rom. iii. 20. To whom we say, The law did not cause, but showed sin. For, enjoining what is to be done, it reprehended what ought not to be done. And it is the part of the good to teach what is salutary, and to point out what is deleterious; and to counsel the practice of the one, and to command to shun the other. Now the apostle, whom they do not comprehend, said that by the law the knowledge of sin was manifested, not that from it it derived its existence. And how can the law be not good, which trains, which is given as the instructor (παιδαγωγός) to Christ,423 Gal. iii. 24. that being corrected by fear, in the way of discipline, in order to the attainment of the perfection which is by Christ? “I will not,” it is said, “the death of the sinner, as his repentance.”424 Ezek. xxxiii. 11, xviii. 23, 32. Now the commandment works repentance; inasmuch as it deters425 Adopting the conjecture which, by a change from the accusative to the nominative, refers “deters,” and “enjoins,” to the commandment instead of to repentance, according to the teaching of the text. from what ought not to be done, and enjoins good deeds. By ignorance he means, in my opinion, death. “And he that is near the Lord is full of stripes.”426 Judith viii. 27. Plainly, he, that draws near to knowledge, has the benefit of perils, fears, troubles, afflictions, by reason of his desire for the truth. “For the son who is instructed turns out wise, and an intelligent son is saved from burning. And an intelligent son will receive the commandments.”427 Prov. x. 4, 5, 8. And Barnabas the apostle having said, “Woe to those who are wise in their own conceits, clever in their own eyes,”428 Isa. v. 21. added, “Let us become spiritual, a perfect temple to God; let us, as far as in us lies, practice the fear of God, and strive to keep His commands, that we may rejoice in His judgments.”429 [See vol. i. p. 139. S.] Whence “the fear of God” is divinely said to be the beginning of wisdom.430 Prov. i. 7.
Οἱ δὲ τοῦ φόβου κατηγοροῦντες κατατρέχουσι τοῦ νόμου, εἰ δὲ τοῦ νόμου, δῆλόν που ὡς καὶ τοῦ δεδωκότος τὸν νόμον θεοῦ. τρία γὰρ ταῦτα ἐξ ἀνάγκης ὑφέστηκεν περὶ τὸ ὑποκείμενον, ὁ διοικῶν, ἡ διοίκησις, τὸ διοικούμενον. εἰ γοῦν καθ' ὑπόθεσιν ἐξέλοιεν τὸν νόμον, ἀνάγκη δήπου ἕκαστον ὃς ἄγεται ὑπὸ ἐπιθυμίας, ἡδονῇ χαριζόμενον ἀμελεῖν μὲν τοῦ καλῶς ἔχοντος, ὑπερφρονεῖν δὲ τοῦ θείου, ἀσεβεῖν δὲ ἅμα καὶ ἀδικεῖν ἀδεῶς ἀποσκιρτήσαντα τῆς ἀληθείας. ναί, φασίν, ἄλογος ἔκκλισις ὁ φόβος ἐστὶ καὶ πάθος. τί σὺ λέγεις; καὶ πῶς ἄν σοι ἔτι σῴζοιτο οὗτος ὁ ὅρος διὰ λόγου δοθείσης μοι τῆς ἐντολῆς; ἐντολὴ δὲ ἀπαγορεύει, τὸν φόβον ἐπαρτῶσα διὰ παιδείαν τῶν οὕτως ἐπιδεχομένων νουθετεῖσθαι. οὐ τοίνυν ἄλογος ὁ φόβος, λογικὸς μὲν οὖν· πῶς γὰρ οὔ, παραινῶν οὐ φονεύσεις, οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις, οὐ ψευδομαρτυρήσεις; ἀλλ' εἰ σοφίζονται τὰ ὀνόματα, εὐλάβειαν καλούντων οἱ φιλόσοφοι τὸν τοῦ νόμου φόβον, εὔλογον οὖσαν ἔκκλισιν. ὀνοματομάχους τούτους οὐκ ἀπὸ τρόπου ὁ Φασηλίτης ἐκάλει Κριτόλαος. ἀστεία μὲν οὖν ἤδη καὶ καλλίστη πέφηνε τοῖς ἐγκαλοῦσιν ἡμῖν ἡ ἐντολὴ ὀνόματος ἐναλλαγῇ νοηθεῖσα. ἡ οὖν εὐλάβεια λογικὴ δείκνυται, τοῦ βλάπτοντος ἔκκλισις οὖσα, ἐξ ἧς ἡ μετάνοια τῶν προημαρτημένων φύεται. ἀρχὴ γὰρ σοφίας φόβος κυρίου, σύνεσις δὲ ἀγαθὴ πᾶσι τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν. τὴν σοφίας λέγει ποίησιν, ἥ ἐστι φόβος θεοῦ ὁδοποιῶν εἰς σοφίαν. εἰ δὲ ὁ νόμος φόβου ἐμποιητικός, ἀρχὴ σοφίας γνῶσις νόμου, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνευ νόμου σοφός. ἄσοφοι τοίνυν οἱ παραιτούμενοι τὸν νόμον, ᾧ ἕπεται ἀθέους αὐτοὺς λογίζεσθαι. παιδεία δὲ ἀρχὴ σοφίας. σοφίαν δὲ καὶ παιδείαν ἀσεβεῖς ἐξουθενήσουσιν, λέγει ἡ γραφή. Τίνα δὲ τὰ φοβερὰ ὁ νόμος καταγγέλλει, θεασώμεθα. εἰ μὲν τὰ μεταξὺ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας, οἷον πενίαν καὶ νόσον καὶ ἀδοξίαν καὶ δυσγένειαν καὶ ὅσα παραπλήσια, ταῦτα μὲν καὶ οἱ κατὰ πόλιν νόμοι προτείνοντες ἐπαινοῦνται, καὶ τοῖς ἐκ Περιπάτου τρία γένη τῶν ἀγαθῶν εἰσηγουμένοις καὶ τὰ τούτων ἐναντία λογιζομένοις εἶναι κακὰ ἁρμόνιος ἥδε ἡ δόξα· ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ δοθεὶς νόμος τὰ τῷ ὄντι κακὰ ἀπο φεύγειν προστάττει, μοιχείαν, ἀσέλγειαν, παιδεραστίαν, ἄγνοιαν, ἀδικίαν, νόσον ψυχῆς, θάνατον, οὐ τὸν διαλύοντα ψυχὴν ἀπὸ σώματος, ἀλλὰ τὸν διαλύοντα ψυχὴν ἀπὸ ἀληθείας· δειναὶ γὰρ καὶ φοβεραὶ τῷ ὄντι κακίαι αὗται καὶ αἱ ἀπὸ τούτων ἐνέργειαι· οὐ μὴν ἀδίκως ἐκτείνεσθαι δίκτυα πτερωτοῖς λέγουσιν οἱ χρησμοὶ οἱ θεῖοι, αὐτοὶ γὰρ αἱμάτων μετέχοντες θησαυρίζουσιν ἑαυτοῖς κακά· πῶς οὖν ἔτι οὐκ ἀγαθὸς ὁ νόμος πρός τινων αἱρέσεων λέγεται ἐπιβοωμένων τὸν ἀπόστολον λέγοντα διὰ γὰρ νόμου γνῶσις ἁμαρτίας; πρὸς οὕς φαμεν· ὁ νόμος οὐκ ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ἔδειξεν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν· προστάξας γὰρ ἃ ποιητέον ἤλεγξε τὰ μὴ ποιητέα. ἀγαθοῦ δὲ τὸ μὲν σωτήριον ἐκδιδάξαι, τὸ δὲ δηλητήριον ἐπιδεῖξαι, καὶ τῷ μὲν χρῆσθαι συμβουλεῦσαι, τὸ δὲ ἀποφυγεῖν κελεῦσαι. αὐτίκα ὁ ἀπόστολος, ὃν οὐ συνιᾶσι, γνῶσιν εἶπεν ἁμαρτίας διὰ νόμου πεφανερῶσθαι, οὐχὶ ὑπόστασιν εἰληφέναι. πῶς δ' οὐκ ἀγαθὸς ὁ παιδεύων νόμος, ὁ παιδαγωγὸς εἰς Χριστὸν δοθείς, ἵνα δὴ ἐπιστρέψωμεν διὰ φόβου παιδευτικῶς κατευθυνόμενοι πρὸς τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ τελείωσιν; οὐ βούλομαι φησίν, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ὡς τὴν μετάνοιαν αὐτοῦ. μετάνοιαν δὲ ἐντολὴ ποιεῖ, κωλυτικὴ μὲν τῶν μὴ ποιητέων, ἐπαγγελτικὴ δὲ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν. θάνατον, οἶμαι, τὴν ἄγνοιαν λέγει· καὶ ὁ ἐγγὺς κυρίου πλήρης μαστίγων· ὁ συνεγγίζων δηλονότι τῇ γνώσει κινδύνων, φόβων, ἀνιῶν, θλίψεων διὰ τὸν πόθον τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπολαύει· υἱὸς γὰρ πεπαιδευμένος σοφὸς ἀπέβη, καὶ διεσώθη ἀπὸ καύματος υἱὸς νοήμων, υἱὸς δὲ νοήμων δέξεται ἐντολάς. καὶ Βαρνάβας ὁ ἀπόστολος οὐαὶ οἱ συνετοὶ παρ' ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ἐπιστήμονες προτάξας ἐπήγαγεν· πνευματικοὶ γενώμεθα, ναὸς τέλειος τῷ θεῷ. ἐφ' ὅσον ἐστὶν ἐφ' ἡμῖν, μελετῶμεν τὸν φόβον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ φυλάσσειν ἀγωνιζώμεθα τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, ἵνα ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασιν αὐτοῦ εὐφρανθῶμεν. ὅθεν ἀρχὴ σοφίας φόβος θεοῦ θείως λέλεκται.