Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, or Miscellanies

For it is not suitable to the nature of the thing itself, that they should apprehend in the truly gnostic manner the truth, that all things which were created for our use are good; as, for example, marriage and procreation, when used in moderation; and that it is better than good to become free of passion, and virtuous by assimilation to the divine. But in the case of external things, agreeable or disagreeable, from some they abstain, from others not. But in those things from which they abstain from disgust, they plainly find fault with the creature and the Creator; and though in appearance they walk faithfully, the opinion they maintain is impious. That command, “Thou shall not lust,” needs neither the necessity arising from fear, which compels to keep from things that are pleasant; nor the reward, which by promise persuades to restrain the impulses of passion.

And those who obey God through the promise, caught by the bait of pleasure, choose obedience not for the sake of the commandment, but for the sake of the promise. Nor will turning away from objects of sense, as a matter of necessary consequence, produce attachment to intellectual objects. On the contrary, the attachment to intellectual objects naturally becomes to the Gnostic an influence which draws away from the objects of sense; inasmuch as he, in virtue of the selection of what is good, has chosen what is good according to knowledge (γνωστικῶς), admiring generation, and by sanctifying the Creator sanctifying assimilation to the divine. But I shall free myself from lust, let him say, O Lord, for the sake of alliance with Thee. For the economy of creation is good, and all things are well administered: nothing happens without a cause. I must be in what is Thine, O Omnipotent One. And if I am there, I am near Thee. And I would be free of fear that I may be able to draw near to Thee, and to be satisfied with little, practising Thy just choice between things good and things like.

Right mystically and sacredly the apostle, teaching us the choice which is truly gracious, not in the way of rejection of other things as bad, but so as to do things better than what is good, has spoken, saying, “So he that giveth his virgin in marriage doeth well; and he that giveth her not doeth better; as far as respects seemliness and undistracted attendance on the Lord.”1083 1 Cor. vii. 38, 35.

Now we know that things which are difficult are not essential; but that things which are essential have been graciously made easy of attainment by God. Wherefore Democritus well says, that “nature and instruction” are like each other. And we have briefly assigned the cause. For instruction harmonizes man, and by harmonizing makes him natural; and it is no matter whether one was made such as he is by nature, or transformed by time and education. The Lord has furnished both; that which is by creation, and that which is by creating again and renewal through the covenant. And that is preferable which is advantageous to what is superior; but what is superior to everything is mind. So, then, what is really good is seen to be most pleasant, and of itself produces the fruit which is desired—tranquillity of soul. “And he who hears Me,” it is said, “shall rest in peace, confident, and shall be calm without fear of any evil.”1084 Prov. i. 33. “Rely with all thy heart and thy mind on God.”1085 Prov. iii. 5.

On this wise it is possible for the Gnostic already to have become God. “I said, Ye are gods, and1086 Ps. lxxxii. 6. sons of the highest.” And Empedocles says that the souls of the wise become gods, writing as follows:—

“At last prophets, minstrels, and physicians,

And the foremost among mortal men, approach;

Whence spring gods supreme in honours.”

Man, then, genetically considered, is formed in accordance with the idea of the connate spirit. For he is not created formless and shapeless in the workshop of nature, where mystically the production of man is accomplished, both art and essence being common. But the individual man is stamped according to the impression produced in the soul by the objects of his choice. Thus we say that Adam was perfect, as far as respects his formation; for none of the distinctive characteristics of the idea and form of man were wanting to him; but in the act of coming into being he received perfection. And he was justified by obedience; this was reaching manhood, as far as depended on him. And the cause lay in his choosing, and especially in his choosing what was forbidden. God was not the cause.

For production is twofold—of things procreated, and of things that grow. And manliness in man, who is subject to perturbation, as they say, makes him who partakes of it essentially fearless and invincible; and anger is the mind’s satellite in patience, and endurance, and the like; and self-constraint and salutary sense are set over desire. But God is impassible, free of anger, destitute of desire. And He is not free of fear, in the sense of avoiding what is terrible; or temperate, in the sense of having command of desires. For neither can the nature of God fall in with anything terrible, nor does God flee fear; just as He will not feel desire, so as to rule over desires. Accordingly that Pythagorean saying was mystically uttered respecting us, “that man ought to become one;” for the high priest himself is one, God being one in the immutable state of the perpetual flow1087 θεῖν … Οεός. of good things. Now the Saviour has taken away wrath in and with lust, wrath being lust of vengeance. For universally liability to feeling belongs to every kind of desire; and man, when deified purely into a passionless state, becomes a unit. As, then, those, who at sea are held by an anchor, pull at the anchor, but do not drag it to them, but drag themselves to the anchor; so those who, according to the gnostic life, draw God towards them, imperceptibly bring themselves to God: for he who reverences God, reverences himself. In the contemplative life, then, one in worshipping God attends to himself, and through his own spotless purification beholds the holy God holily; for self-control, being present, surveying and contemplating itself uninterruptedly, is as far as possible assimilated to God.

Οὐ γὰρ αὐτῇ τῇ φύσει τοῦ πράγματος οἰκειοῦνται ὡς τῷ ὄντι γνωστικῶς καταλαβέσθαι καλὰ μὲν εἶναι πάντα ὅσα εἰς χρῆσιν ἡμῶν ἐκτίσθη, ὡς γάμον φέρε εἰπεῖν καὶ παιδοποιίαν μετὰ σωφροσύνης παρειλημμένα, καλοῦ δὲ εἶναι ἄμεινον [τὸ διὰ] τὴν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ἐξομοίωσιν ἀπαθῆ καὶ ἐνάρετον γενέσθαι. τοῖς δὲ ἔξωθεν εὐχρήστοις ἢ δυσχρήστοις προσαγόμενοι τῶν μὲν ἀπέχονται, τῶν δ' οὔ· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὧν ἀφίστανται, μυσαττόμενοι ταῦτα φαίνονται, τὴν κτίσιν καὶ τὸν δημιουργὸν διαβάλλοντες, κἀν τῷ δοκεῖν πιστῶς ἀναστρέφεσθαι τὴν κρίσιν ἔχουσιν ἀνόσιον. τὸ δὲ οὐκ ἐπιθυμήσεις οὔτε ἀνάγκης τῆς ἐκ φόβου δεῖται, τῆς βιαζομένης ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἡδέων, οὔτε μισθοῦ τοῦ δι' ἐπαγγελίας ἀναπείθοντος ἀνακόπτειν τὰς ὁρμάς· οὐδὲ τὴν ὑπακοὴν διὰ τὴν ἐντολήν, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν αἱροῦνται οἱ διὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ὑπακηκοότες τῷ θεῷ, δελέατι ἡδονῆς ᾑρημένοι, οὐδὲ μὴν ἡ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἀποστροφὴ τὴν πρὸς τὰ νοητὰ οἰκείωσιν ἀκολούθως ποιοίη ἄν, ἔμπαλιν δὲ ἡ πρὸς τὰ νοητὰ οἰκείωσις κατὰ φύσιν περιαγωγὴ τῷ γνωστικῷ ἀπὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶν γίνεται κατ' ἐκλογὴν τῶν καλῶν τἀγαθὸν ἑλομένῳ γνωστικῶς, θαυμάζοντι μὲν τὴν γένεσιν καὶ ἁγιάζοντι τὸν ποιητήν, ἁγιάζοντι δὲ τὴν πρὸς τὸ θεῖον ἐξομοίωσιν· αὐτὰρ ἐγὼν ἐμὲ λύσομαι τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, φήσει, διὰ τὴν πρὸς σὲ οἰκείωσιν, κύριε. καλὴ γὰρ ἡ κτι σθεῖσα δὴ οἰκονομία καὶ πάντα εὖ διοικεῖται, οὐδὲν ἀναιτίως γίνεται, ἐν τοῖς σοῖς εἶναί με δεῖ, παντοκράτορ· κἂν ἐνταῦθα ὦ, παρὰ σοί εἰμι· ἀδεὴς δ' εἶναι θέλω, ἵνα σοὶ συνεγγίζειν δυνηθῶ, καὶ ὀλίγοις ἀρκεῖσθαι, μελετῶν τὴν σὴν ἐκλογὴν τὴν δικαίαν τῶν καλῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ὁμοίων. μυστικώτατα καὶ ὁσιώτατα ὁ ἀπόστολος διδάσκων ἡμᾶς τὴν ἀληθῶς εὐχάριστον ἐκλογὴν οὐ κατὰ ἀπεκλογὴν τῶν ἑτέρων ὡς φαύλων, ἀλλ' ὡς καλῶν καλλίονα ποιεῖσθαι μεμήνυκεν εἰπών· ὥστε καὶ ὁ γαμίζων τὴν παρθένον αὐτοῦ καλῶς ποιεῖ, καὶ ὁ μὴ γαμίζων κρεῖσσον ποιεῖ πρὸς τὸ εὔσχημον καὶ εὐπάρεδρον τῷ κυρίῳ ἀπερισπάστως. ἴσμεν δὲ τὰ μὲν δυσπόριστα οὐκ ἀναγκαῖα, τὰ δὲ ἀναγκαῖα εὐπόριστα γεγενῆσθαι φιλαγάθως παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ. διόπερ ὁ ∆ημόκριτος εὖ λέγει, ὡς ἡ φύσις τε καὶ διδαχὴ παραπλήσιόν ἐστι καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν συντόμως προσαποδέδωκεν· καὶ γὰρ ἡ διδαχὴ μεταρυθμίζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον, μεταρυθμοῦσα δὲ φύσις ποιεῖ, καὶ διήνεγκεν οὐδὲν ἢ φύσει πλασθῆναι τοιόνδε ἢ χρόνῳ καὶ μαθήσει μετατυπωθῆναι. ἄμφω δὲ ὁ κύριος παρέσχηται τὸ μὲν κατὰ τὴν δημιουργίαν, τὸ δὲ κατὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς διαθήκης ἀνάκτισίν τε καὶ ἀνανέωσιν. τὸ δὲ συμφέρον τῷ κυριωτέρῳ τοῦτο αἱρετώτερον, κυριώτατον δὲ πάντων ἡ διάνοια. ὅτῳ τοίνυν [τὰ] τῷ ὄντι καλὰ φαίνεται ἥδιστα, παρ' αὑτοῦ πορίζεται ὃν ποθεῖ καρπόν, τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς εὐστάθειαν. ὁ δὲ ἐμοῦ ἀκούων, φησίν, ἀναπαύσεται ἐπ' εἰρήνῃ πεποιθὼς καὶ ἡσυχάσει ἀφόβως ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ. ἴσθι πεποιθὼς ἐν ὅλῃ καρδίᾳ σου καὶ τῇ διανοίᾳ σου ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ. τούτῳ δυνατὸν τῷ τρόπῳ τὸν γνωστικὸν ἤδη γενέσθαι θεόν· ἐγὼ εἶπα· θεοί ἐστε καὶ υἱοὶ ὑψίστου. φησὶ δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἐμπεδοκλῆς τῶν σοφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεοὺς γίνεσθαι ὧδέ πως γράφων· εἰς δὲ τέλος μάντεις τε καὶ ὑμνοπόλοι καὶ ἰητροὶ καὶ πρόμοι ἀνθρώποισιν ἐπιχθονίοισι πέλονται· ἔνθεν ἀναβλαστοῦσι θεοὶ τιμῇσι φέριστοι. Ὁ μὲν οὖν ἄνθρωπος ἁπλῶς οὕτως κατ' ἰδέαν πλάσσεται τοῦ συμφυοῦς πνεύματος· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνείδεος οὐδ' ἀσχημάτιστος ἐν τῷ τῆς φύσεως ἐργαστηρίῳ δημιουργεῖται, ἔνθα μυστικῶς ἀνθρώπου ἐκτελεῖται γένεσις, κοινῆς οὔσης καὶ τῆς τέχνης καὶ τῆς οὐσίας, ὁ δέ τις ἄνθρωπος κατὰ τύπωσιν τὴν ἐγγινομένην τῇ ψυχῇ ὧν ἂν αἱρήσηται χαρακτηρίζεται. ᾗ καὶ τὸν Ἀδὰμ τέλειον μὲν ὡς πρὸς τὴν πλάσιν γεγονέναι φαμέν· οὐδὲν γὰρ τῶν χαρακτηριζόντων τὴν ἀνθρώπου ἰδέαν τε καὶ μορφὴν ἐνεδέησεν αὐτῷ. ὃ δὲ ἐν τῷ γίνεσθαι τὴν τελείωσιν ἐλάμβανεν καὶ δι' ὑπακοῆς ἐδικαιοῦτο, τοῦτο ἦν ἀπανδρούμενον τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ κείμενον· αἰτίᾳ δὲ ἑλομένου, καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον τὸ κωλυθὲν ἑλομένου, ὁ θεὸς ἀναίτιος· διττὴ γὰρ ἡ γένεσις, ἣ μὲν τῶν γεννωμένων, ἣ δὲ τῶν γινομένων. καὶ ἡ μὲν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀνδρεία ἐμπαθοῦς ὄντος, φασί, κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν ἄφοβον καὶ ἀήττητον τὸν μετέχοντα αὐτῆς ποιεῖ, καὶ ἔστι δορυφόρος τοῦ νοῦ ὁ θυμὸς ἐν ὑπομονῇ καὶ καρτερίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ὁμοίοις, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τάττεται καὶ ἡ σωφροσύνη καὶ ἡ σωτήριος φρόνησις, θεὸς δὲ ἀπαθὴς ἄθυμός τε καὶ ἀνεπιθύμητος· καὶ οὐ ταύτῃ ἄφοβος ᾗ τὰ δεινὰ [οὐκ] ἐκκλίνει οὐδὲ μὴν σώφρων ᾗ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν ἄρχει· οὔτε γὰρ ἂν περιπέσοι τινὶ δεινῷ ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ φύσις οὔτε φεύγει ὁ θεὸς δειλίαν, ὥσπερ οὐδὲ ἐπιθυμήσει, ἵνα καὶ ἄρξῃ ἐπιθυμίας. μυστικῶς οὖν ἐφ' ἡμῶν καὶ τὸ Πυθαγόρειον ἐλέγετο ἕνα γενέσθαι καὶ τὸν ἄνθρωπον δεῖν, ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἷς, ἑνὸς ὄντος τοῦ θεοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀμετάτρεπτον τοῦ ἀεὶ θεῖν τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἕξιν. αὐτίκα ὁ σωτὴρ διὰ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας συνανῄρει καὶ τὸν θυμόν, τιμωρίας ὄντα ἐπιθυμίαν· καθόλου γὰρ τὸ παθητικὸν * * παντὶ γένει ἐπιθυμίας, εἰς δὲ τὴν ἀπάθειαν θεούμενος ἄνθρωπος ἀχράντως μοναδικὸς γίνεται. καθάπερ οὖν οἱ ἐν θαλάττῃ ἀπὸ ἀγκύρας τονούμενοι ἕλκουσι μὲν τὴν ἄγκυραν, οὐκ ἐκείνην δὲ ἐπισπῶνται, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν ἄγκυραν, οὕτως οἱ κατὰ τὸν γνωστικὸν βίον ἐπισπώμενοι τὸν θεὸν ἑαυτοὺς ἔλαθον προσαγόμενοι πρὸς τὸν θεόν· θεὸν γὰρ ὁ θεραπεύων ἑαυτὸν θεραπεύει. ἐν οὖν τῷ θεωρητικῷ βίῳ ἑαυτοῦ τις ἐπιμελεῖται θρῃσκεύων τὸν θεὸν καὶ διὰ τῆς ἰδίας εἰλικρινοῦς καθάρσεως ἐποπτεύει τὸν θεὸν ἅγιον ἁγίως· ἡ γὰρ σωφροσύνη ἐν παραστάσει γε νοουμένη ἑαυτὴν ἐπισκοποῦσα καὶ θεωροῦσα ἀδιαλείπτως ἐξομοιοῦται κατὰ δύναμιν θεῷ.