Chapter XXV.—True Perfection Consists in the Knowledge and Love of God.

“Happy he who possesses the culture of knowledge, and is not moved to the injury of the citizens or to wrong actions, but contemplates the undecaying order of immortal nature, how and in what way and manner it subsists. To such the practice of base deeds attaches not,” Rightly, then, Plato says, “that the man who devotes himself to the contemplation of ideas will live as a god among men; now the mind is the place of ideas, and God is mind.” He says that he who contemplates the unseen God lives as a god among men. And in the Sophist, Socrates calls the stranger of Elea, who was a dialectician, “god:” “Such are the gods who, like stranger guests, frequent cities. For when the soul, rising above the sphere of generation, is by itself apart, and dwells amidst ideas,” like the Coryphæus in Theætetus, now become as an angel, it will be with Christ, being rapt in contemplation, ever keeping in view the will of God; in reality

“For the dead bury their dead.” Whence Jeremiah says: “I will fill it with the earth-born dead whom mine anger has smitten.”1093    Jer. xxxiii. 5.

God, then, being not a subject for demonstration, cannot be the object of science. But the Son is wisdom, and knowledge, and truth, and all else that has affinity thereto. He is also susceptible of demonstration and of description. And all the powers of the Spirit, becoming collectively one thing, terminate in the same point—that is, in the Son. But He is incapable of being declared, in respect of the idea of each one of His powers. And the Son is neither simply one thing as one thing, nor many things as parts, but one thing as all things; whence also He is all things. For He is the circle of all powers rolled and united into one unity. Wherefore the Word is called the Alpha and the Omega, of whom alone the end becomes beginning, and ends again at the original beginning without any break. Wherefore also to believe in Him, and by Him, is to become a unit, being indissolubly united in Him; and to disbelieve is to be separated, disjoined, divided.

“Wherefore thus saith the Lord, Every alien son is uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh” (that is, unclean in body and soul): “there shall not enter one of the strangers into the midst of the house of Israel, but the Levites.”1094    Ezek. xliv. 9, 10. He calls those that would not believe, but would disbelieve, strangers. Only those who live purely being true priests of God. Wherefore, of all the circumcised tribes, those anointed to be high priests, and kings, and prophets, were reckoned more holy. Whence He commands them not to touch dead bodies, or approach the dead; not that the body was polluted, but that sin and disobedience were incarnate, and embodied, and dead, and therefore abominable. It was only, then, when a father and mother, a son and daughter died, that the priest was allowed to enter, because these were related only by flesh and seed, to whom the priest was indebted for the immediate cause of his entrance into life. And they purify themselves seven days, the period in which Creation was consummated. For on the seventh day the rest is celebrated; and on the eighth he brings a propitiation, as is written in Ezekiel, according to which propitiation the promise is to be received.1095    Ezek. xliv. 27. And the perfect propitiation, I take it, is that propitious faith in the Gospel which is by the law and the prophets, and the purity which shows itself in universal obedience, with the abandonment of the things of the world; in order to that grateful surrender of the tabernacle, which results from the enjoyment of the soul. Whether, then, the time be that which through the seven periods enumerated returns to the chiefest rest,1096    The jubilee. [Elucidation VII.] or the seven heavens, which some reckon one above the other; or whether also the fixed sphere which borders on the intellectual world be called the eighth, the expression denotes that the Gnostic ought to rise out of the sphere of creation and of sin. After these seven days, sacrifices are offered for sins. For there is still fear of change, and it touches the seventh circle. The righteous Job says: “Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there;”1097    Job i. 21. not naked of possessions, for that were a trivial and common thing; but, as a just man, he departs naked of evil and sin, and of the unsightly shape which follows those who have led bad lives. For this was what was said, “Unless ye be converted, and become as children,”1098    Matt. xviii. 3. pure in flesh, holy in soul by abstinence from evil deeds; showing that He would have us to be such as also He generated us from our mother—the water.1099    i.e., Baptism. For the intent of one generation succeeding another is to immortalize by progress. “But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.”1100    Job [xviii. 5.; Prov. xiii. 9.] That purity in body and soul which the Gnostic partakes of, the all-wise Moses indicated, by employing repetition in describing the incorruptibility of body and of soul in the person of Rebecca, thus: “Now the virgin was fair, and man had not known her.”1101    Gen. xxiv. 16. And Rebecca, interpreted, means “glory of God;” and the glory of God is immortality.1102    [On Clement’s Hebrew, see Elucidation VIII.] This is in reality righteousness, not to desire other things, but to be entirely the consecrated temple of the Lord. Righteousness is peace of life and a well-conditioned state, to which the Lord dismissed her when He said, “Depart into peace.”1103    Mark v. 34. For Salem is, by interpretation, peace; of which our Saviour is enrolled King, as Moses says, Melchizedek king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who gave bread and wine, furnishing consecrated food for a type of the Eucharist. And Melchizedek is interpreted “righteous king;” and the name is a synonym for righteousness and peace. Basilides, however, supposes that Righteousness and her daughter Peace dwell stationed in the eighth sphere.

But we must pass from physics to ethics, which are clearer; for the discourse concerning these will follow after the treatise in hand. The Saviour Himself, then, plainly initiates us into the mysteries, according to the words of the tragedy:1104    Eurip., Bacchæ, 465, etc.—

And if you ask,

You will hear again:—

And if any one will inquire curiously what they are, let him hear:—

Now God, who is without beginning, is the perfect beginning of the universe, and the producer of the beginning. As, then, He is being, He is the first principle of the department of action, as He is good, of morals; as He is mind, on the other hand, He is the first principle of reasoning and of judgment. Whence also He alone is Teacher, who is the only Son of the Most High Father, the Instructor of men.

Ὄλβιος ὅστις τῆς ἱστορίας ἔσχε μάθησιν, μήτε πολιτῶν ἐπὶ πημοσύνην μήτ' εἰς ἀδίκους πράξεις ὁρμῶν, ἀλλ' ἀθανάτου καθορῶν φύσεως κόσμον ἀγήρω, πῇ τε συνέστη καὶ † ὅπῃ καὶ ὅπως. τοῖς δὲ τοιούτοις οὐδέποτ' αἰσχρῶν ἔργων μελέτημα προσίζει. εἰκότως οὖν καὶ Πλάτων τὸν τῶν ἰδεῶν θεωρητικὸν θεὸν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ζήσεσθαί φησι· νοῦς δὲ χώρα ἰδεῶν, νοῦς δὲ ὁ θεός. τὸν [οὖν] ἀοράτου θεοῦ θεωρητικὸν θεὸν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ζῶντα εἴρηκεν καὶ ἐν τῷ Σοφιστῇ δὲ τὸν Ἐλεάτην ξένον διαλεκτικὸν ὄντα ὁ Σωκράτης θεὸν ὠνόμασεν, οἵους τοὺς θεοὺς ξείνοισιν ἐοικότας ἀλλοδαποῖσιν ἐπιφοιτῶντας τοῖς ἄστεσιν **. ὅταν γὰρ ψυχὴ γενέσεως ὑπεξαναβᾶσα καθ' ἑαυτήν τε ᾖ καὶ ὁμιλῇ τοῖς εἴδεσιν, οἷός ἐστιν ὁ ἐν τῷ Θεαιτήτῳ κορυφαῖος, οἷον ἄγγελος ἤδη γενόμενος σὺν Χριστῷ τε ἔσται, θεωρητικὸς ὤν, ἀεὶ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ θεοῦ σκοπῶν, τῷ ὄντι οἶος πεπνυμένος, τοὶ δ' ὡς σκιαὶ ἀίσσουσιν· νεκροὶ γὰρ τοὺς ἑαυτῶν θάπτουσι νεκρούς. ὅθεν Ἱερεμίας λέγει· πληρώσω αὐτὴν νεκρῶν γηγενῶν, οὓς ἔπαισεν ἡ ὀργή μου. ὁ μὲν οὖν θεὸς ἀναπόδεικτος ὢν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπιστημονικός, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς σοφία τέ ἐστι καὶ ἐπιστήμη καὶ ἀλήθεια καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τούτῳ συγγενῆ, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἀπόδειξιν ἔχει καὶ διέξοδον. πᾶσαι δὲ αἱ δυνάμεις τοῦ πνεύματος συλλήβδην μὲν ἕν τι πρᾶγμα γενόμεναι συντελοῦσιν εἰς τὸ αὐτό, τὸν υἱόν, ἀπαρέμφατος δέ ἐστι τῆς περὶ ἑκάστης αὐτοῦ τῶν δυνάμεων ἐννοίας. καὶ δὴ οὐ γίνεται ἀτεχνῶς ἓν ὡς ἕν, οὐδὲ πολλὰ ὡς μέρη ὁ υἱός, ἀλλ' ὡς πάντα ἕν. ἔνθεν καὶ πάντα· κύκλος γὰρ ὁ αὐτὸς πασῶν τῶν δυνάμεων εἰς ἓν εἰλουμένων καὶ ἑνουμένων. διὰ τοῦτο ἄλφα καὶ ὦ ὁ λόγος εἴρηται, οὗ μόνου τὸ τέλος ἀρχὴ γίνεται καὶ τελευτᾷ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄνωθεν ἀρχήν, οὐδαμοῦ διάστασιν λαβών. διὸ δὴ καὶ τὸ εἰς αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ δι' αὐτοῦ πιστεῦσαι μοναδικόν ἐστι γενέσθαι, ἀπερισπάστως ἑνούμενον ἐν αὐτῷ, τὸ δὲ ἀπιστῆσαι διστάσαι ἐστὶ καὶ διαστῆναι καὶ μερισθῆναι. διὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει κύριος· πᾶς υἱὸς ἀλλογενὴς ἀπερίτμητος καρδίᾳ καὶ ἀπερίτμητος ἐστι σαρκί, τουτέστιν ἀκάθαρτος σώματί τε καὶ πνεύματι, οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὰ ἅγια ἀπὸ τῶν ἀλλογενῶν ἐν μέσῳ οἴκου Ἰσραήλ, ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ Λευῖται. ἀλλογενεῖς δὲ εἴρηκεν τοὺς μὴ πιστεῦσαι βουληθέντας, ἀλλ' ἀπιστεῖν ἐθέλοντας. μόνοι τοίνυν οἱ καθαρῶς βιοῦντες ἱερεῖς ὄντως τοῦ θεοῦ. διὰ τοῦτο πασῶν περιτεμνομένων τῶν φυλῶν ἁγιώτεραι ἐλογίσθησαν αἱ εἰς ἀρχιερεῖς τε καὶ βασιλεῖς καὶ προφήτας χρίουσαι. ὅθεν μηδὲ ἅπτεσθαι νεκρῶν αὐτοὺς κελεύει μηδ' ἐπεισιέναι κατοιχομένοις, οὐχ ὡς μιαροῦ τοῦ σώματος ὄντος, ἀλλ' ὡς τῆς ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἀπειθείας σαρκικῆς τε οὔσης καὶ ἐνσωμάτου καὶ νεκρᾶς καὶ διὰ τοῦτο βδελυκτῆς. μόνῳ οὖν πατρὶ καὶ μητέρι υἱῷ τε καὶ θυγατρὶ τελευτήσαντι ἐπιτέτραπται ἐπεισιέναι τὸν ἱερέα, ὅτι συγγενεῖς οὗτοι σαρκὸς καὶ σπέρματος μόνοι, παρ' ὧν τὴν προσεχῆ αἰτίαν τῆς εἰς τὸν βίον παρόδου καὶ ὁ ἱερεὺς εἴληφεν. καθαρίζονται δὲ καὶ οὗτοι ἡμέραις ἑπτὰ δι' ὅσων ἡ γένεσις τελειοῦται· τῇ ἑβδόμῃ γὰρ ἡ ἀνάπαυσις θρῃσκεύεται, τῇ δὲ ὀγδόῃ ἱλασμὸν προσφέρει, ὡς ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ γέγραπται, καθ' ὃν ἱλασμὸν ἔστι λαβεῖν ἐστι τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν. τέλειος δ', οἶμαι, καθαρισμὸς ἡ διὰ νόμου καὶ προφητῶν εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον πίστις· ἱλασμὸς δὲ ἡ δι' ὑπακοῆς πάσης ἁγνεία σὺν καὶ τῇ ἀποθέσει τῶν κοσμικῶν εἰς τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀπολαύσεως τῆς ψυχῆς εὐχάριστον τοῦ σκήνους ἀπόδοσιν. εἴτ' οὖν ὁ χρόνος εἴη ὁ διὰ τῶν ἑπτὰ περιόδων τῶν ἀριθμουμένων εἰς τὴν ἀκροτάτην ἀνάπαυσιν ἀποκαθιστὰς εἴτε ἑπτὰ οὐρανοί, οὕς τινες ἀριθμοῦσι κατ' ἐπανάβασιν, εἴτε καὶ ἡ ἀπλανὴς χώρα ἡ πλησιάζουσα τῷ νοητῷ κόσμῳ ὀγδοὰς λέγοιτο, πλὴν ἐξαναδῦναι γενέσεώς τε καὶ ἁμαρτίας χρῆναι λέγει τὸν γνωστικόν. ἐπὶ γοῦν ταῖς ἑπτὰ ἡμέραις τὰ ἱερεῖα ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν θύεται, ἔτι γὰρ τροπῆς εὐλάβεια καὶ τῆς ἑβδόμης ἅπτεται περιφορᾶς. Ἰὼβ δὲ ὁ δίκαιος αὐτὸς φησὶ γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι ἐκεῖ, οὐ κτημάτων γυμνός (τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ μικρόν τε καὶ κοινόν), ἀλλ' ὡς δίκαιος γυμνὸς ἄπεισι κακίας τε καὶ ἁμαρτίας καὶ τοῦ ἑπομένου τοῖς ἀδίκως βιώσασιν ἀειδοῦς εἰδώλου· τοῦτο γὰρ ἦν τὸ εἰρημένον ἐὰν μὴ στραφέντες γένησθε ὡς τὰ παιδία, καθαροὶ μὲν τὴν σάρκα ἅγιοι δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν κατὰ ἀποχὴν κακῶν ἔργων, δεικνύντος [τοῦ θεοῦ] ὅτι τοιούτους ἡμᾶς εἶναι βούλεται, οἵους καὶ γεγέννηκεν ἐκ μήτρας ὕδατος· γένεσις γὰρ γένεσιν διαδεχομένη κατὰ προκοπὴν ἀπαθανατίζειν βούλεται, τῶν δὲ ἀσεβῶν ὁ λύχνος σβεσθήσεται. ναὶ μὴν τὴν κατά τε σῶμα κατά τε ψυχὴν ἁγνείαν, ἣν μέτεισιν ὁ γνωστικός, ὁ πάνσοφος Μωυσῆς ἐκπρεπῶς τῇ ἐπαναλήψει χρησάμενος ἐμήνυσεν, τὸ ἀδιάφθορον τοῦ τε σώματος τῆς τε ψυχῆς διαγράφων ἐπὶ τῆς Ῥεβέκκας ὧδέ πως· ἡ δὲ παρθένος ἦν καλή, [παρθένος ἦν,] ἀνὴρ οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτήν. Ῥεβέκκα δὲ ἑρμηνεύεται θεοῦ δόξα, θεοῦ δὲ δόξα ἀφθαρσία. αὕτη ἡ τῷ ὄντι δικαιοσύνη, μὴ πλεονεκτεῖν ἐν θατέρῳ, ὅλον δὲ εἶναι ἡγιασμένον νεὼν τοῦ κυρίου. δικαιοσύνη οὖν ἐστιν εἰρήνη βίου καὶ εὐστάθεια, ἐφ' ἣν ὁ κύριος ἀπέλυε λέγων· ἄπελθε εἰς εἰρήνην· Σαλὴμ γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται εἰρήνη, ἧς ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἀναγράφεται βασιλεύς, ὅν φησι Μωυσῆς, Μελχισεδὲκ βασιλεὺς Σαλὴμ ὁ ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ὁ τὸν οἶνον καὶ τὸν ἄρτον τὴν ἡγιασμένην διδοὺς τροφὴν εἰς τύπον εὐχαριστίας. καὶ δὴ ἑρμηνεύεται ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ βασιλεὺς δίκαιος, συνωνυμία δέ ἐστι δικαιοσύνης καὶ εἰρήνης. Βασιλείδης δὲ ὑποστατὰς ∆ικαιοσύνην τε καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτῆς τὴν Εἰρήνην ὑπολαμβάνει ἐν ὀγδοάδι μένειν ἐνδιατεταγμένας. Μετιτέον δὴ ἀπὸ τῶν φυσικωτέρων ἐπὶ τὰ προφανέστερα [τὰ] ἠθικά· ὁ γὰρ περὶ ἐκείνων λόγος μετὰ τὴν ἐν χερσὶ πραγματείαν ἕψεται. αὐτὸς οὖν ἡμᾶς ὁ σωτὴρ ἀτεχνῶς κατὰ τὴν τραγῳδίαν μυσταγωγεῖ, ὁρῶν ὁρῶντας καὶ δίδωσιν ὄργια. κἂν πύθῃ· τὰ δὲ ὄργια ἐστὶ τίν' ἰδέαν ἔχοντά σοι; ἀκούσῃ πάλιν· ἄρρητ' ἀβακχεύτοισιν εἰδέναι βροτῶν, κἂν πολυπραγμονῇ τις ὁποῖα εἴη, αὖθις ἀκουσάτω· οὐ θέμις ἀκοῦσαί σε, ἔστιν δ' ἄξι' εἰδέναι· ἀσέβειαν ἀσκοῦντα ὄργι' ἐχθαίρει θεοῦ· ὁ θεὸς δὲ ἄναρχος, ἀρχὴ τῶν ὅλων παντελής, ἀρχῆς ποιητικός. ᾗ μὲν οὖν ἐστιν οὐσία, ἀρχὴ τοῦ φυσικοῦ τόπου· καθ' ὅσον ἐστὶν τἀγαθόν, τοῦ ἠθικοῦ· ᾗ δ' αὖ ἐστι νοῦς, τοῦ λογικοῦ καὶ κριτικοῦ τόπου· ὅθεν καὶ διδάσκαλος μόνος ὁ λόγος, υἱὸς τοῦ νοῦ πατρός, ὁ παιδεύων τὸν ἄνθρωπον.