Miscellanies

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA STROMATA BOOK FIVE CHAPTER ONE On Faith

^A So much, then, in summary regarding the Gnostic; let us now proceed to what follows, and indeed, faith must be considered again. For there are those who distinguish our faith, asserting that it relates to the Son, while knowledge relates to the Spirit. But they fail to notice that it is necessary to believe in the Son truly—that He is the Son, that He came, how He came, why He came, and regarding His passion—yet it is necessary to know who the Son of God is. Indeed, neither is knowledge without faith, nor faith without knowledge. Nor, moreover, is the Father without the Son; for at the same time that He is Father, He is Father of the Son. The Son is the true teacher concerning the Father; and in order for one to believe in the Son, he must know the Father, to whom the Son is referred. And again, in order for us to have prior knowledge of the Father, we must believe in the Son, since the Son of God teaches us; for it is from faith to knowledge through the Son that we reach the Father. The knowledge of the Son and the Father, which comes according to the Gnostic rule—that which is truly the rule of knowledge—is the conception and comprehension of ^B truth through the truth. We, therefore, are the ones who are faithful in that which is not believed, and Gnostics in that which is not known; that is to say, we are Gnostics regarding that which is unknown and disbelieved by all, yet is believed and known by a few—Gnostics, however, not describing works by speech, but by contemplation itself. Blessed is he who speaks into the ears of those who hear; for faith is the ears of the soul. The Lord silently hints at this faith, saying: "He who has ears to hear, let him hear," so that, having believed, he might understand what He says and how He says it. Moreover, even Homer, the most ancient of poets, in the matter of sensing through hearing, uses it specifically instead of generally... ^C ...Jesus says to him: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also."

He has ears to hear, let him hear; so that, indeed, when he has believed, he might understand the things he says, as he says them. ^A Moreover, Homer, the most ancient of poets, instead of "perceiving," used the verb "to hear"—that is, using the species for the genus—and writes: "When they heard, very much they also." In sum, the harmony and agreement of both faiths centers on one end, namely, salvation. A true witness for us is the Apostle, who says: "For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, so that you may be strengthened; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me." And again, further down, he adds: "For the righteousness of God is revealed in it from faith to faith." It appears, therefore, that the Apostle proclaims a twofold faith, or rather, a single faith that admits of increase and perfection. For the common ^B faith lies beneath as a foundation; yet to those who long to be healed, being moved faithfully, the Lord said: "Your faith has saved you." But the faith that is built up [in a person] in an excellent way is perfected by the believer, and is fashioned together with that faith which is acquired through learning and fulfilling the commandments of the Word—such as the apostles were, of whom it is said that they could move mountains and transplant trees. Whence, having felt the magnitude of the power, they prayed ^C that faith might be added to them, which, like a grain of mustard seed, would profitably prick the soul, and grow greatly within it, so that those who are concerned with lofty matters might rest upon it. For if by nature someone knows God, as Basilides supposes, calling the superior intelligence "faith" and at the same time "kingdom"—and interpreting it as a creature worthy in essence, and existing close to Him who made it, not as power but as essence, and nature, and the substance of a creation whose indefinitable beauty cannot ^D be surpassed—but does not call faith the logical assent of a free-willed soul, then the commandments are superfluous, both those according to the Old and those according to the New Testament, as if one were saved by nature, as Valentinus wishes, and [as if] by nature...

faithful and elect, as Basilides thinks; it would have also been possible that, without the coming of the Savior, at some time or other, nature might have shone forth. But if they say that the coming of the Lord is necessary, the prerogatives of nature vanish for them, since it is by doctrine, purification, and the performance of good works, and not by nature, that the election is preserved. Abraham, therefore, who by hearing believed the voice ^B which, under the oak which was in Mamre, promised: *I give to thee this land and to thy seed*; was he elect, or not? If he was not, how did he immediately believe as if by nature? But if he was elect, their hypothesis is dissolved, since an election is found to exist—and indeed to be saved—even before the coming of the Lord: *For it was reckoned to him for righteousness*. For if any one, daring to speak by following Marcion, should say that the Creator saves him who believed in him ^C even before the coming of the Lord, and that his own election is saved together with his own salvation, the power of the Good [God] will be outshone—arriving late and, after the Creator who is praised by them, attempting to save, and this [He does] either by learning or by imitating him. But even if the Good [God] saves in such a manner according to them, he attempts this salvation neither for his own, nor with the consent of him who made the creature, but with violence or by guile. And how will he who does so, and is posterior, be good? But if the place and ^D the dwelling-place of the Almighty differs, it is far removed from the dwelling-place of the good God; yet the will of him who gives salvation is not far removed from the good, as it had begun earlier. Therefore, it is shown from the things we have said that the unbelievers are senseless: *For their paths are distorted, and they do not know peace*, says the prophet. The divine Paul advised avoiding foolish and unlearned questions, because they generate fights; and Æschylus cries out: *Do not labor in vain over things that profit nothing*. For we know that the investigation which proceeds with faith, building upon the foundation of faith the magnificent knowledge of the truth, is the best. And we know that things which are manifest are not investigated, as for instance, whether it is day when it is day; nor things which are uncertain and can never become manifest, as, whether the stars are even or odd; nor yet things that are inverted

^A but also those who use the opposing argument, it can be said with equal force, as for example: whether it is an animal that is in the womb, or not an animal. The fourth mode is when from either of these parts an irrefutable and insoluble argument is brought forward. If, therefore, the cause for seeking is removed in every way, faith is confirmed and established. We therefore bring forward to them that irrefutable argument, that it is God who speaks, and who, concerning each and every one of those things which I seek, provides evidence in the Scriptures. Who, then, is so impious and alien to God as to disbelieve God, and to demand proofs from God as if from men? Again, of questions, some require sense-perception, such as if someone should ask whether fire is hot or snow white; others require admonition and rebuke, as Aristotle says, such as that question whether one ought to honor one's parents. But there are also some that are worthy of punishment; such is the case of seeking proofs as to whether Providence exists. ^B Since, therefore, Providence exists, to think that everything, both prophecy and the dispensation concerning the Savior, did not come to pass according to Providence, is impious. And perhaps one ought not even to attempt to demonstrate these things, since divine Providence is manifest from the sight of all the things that are seen, all the works of art and wisdom; some of which come to pass in order, while others are made manifest in order. But He who imparted to us both essence and life, also made us participants in reason, desiring that we should live both reasonably and well at the same time. For the Logos of the Father of all is not this spoken word, but the most manifest wisdom and goodness of God: and also an omnipotent power, and truly divine—and not such that it cannot be understood even by those who do not confess it—a will holding all things by His omnipotence. But because some are infidels, and others are contentious, not all attain the perfection of the good. ^C For it is not possible to attain it without our own intention, nor yet does everything lie within our own resolve; for example, that which is to come: for by grace we are saved, but not without good works; rather, it is necessary for those who have been naturally disposed toward the good, to acquire a certain zeal for it; it is necessary also to possess a sound resolve, one that is unrepentant in the pursuit of the good; for which we especially require divine grace, and right instruction, and pure affection, and the drawing of the Father toward Him. For being bound to the earthly body, we perceive sensible things through the body, but we grasp the intelligible things through the power of reason itself.

^A But one must indeed, since we are naturally apt for good, apply some study to that end. One must also have a sound mind, which is not held back by any repentance from the pursuit of the beautiful; for which above all we have need of divine grace, right doctrine, a pure and clean affection of the soul, and the attraction of the Father toward it. For tied to the earthly body, we perceive sensible things through the body; but those things which are grasped by the intelligence, through the power of reason itself. If anyone, however, shall expect that he will ^B comprehend all things sensibly, he falls far from the truth. The Apostle writes quite spiritually concerning the knowledge of God: "For we see now as through a mirror, but then face to face." For the spectacle of truth is given to few. Plato also says in the *Epinomis*: "I would not say that it is possible for all men to be blessed and happy, except for a few. As long as I live, I shall define it thus: but there is good hope that, after I have departed, I shall attain all things." The things said by Moses have the same meaning: "No one shall see my face, and live." For it is clear that no one can ever during the time of life clearly comprehend God. But "the pure in heart shall see God," when they have attained unto the ultimate perfection. For since the soul was weak for the ^C comprehension of existing things, we had need of a divine instructor; the Savior is sent down, at once the teacher and supplier of the good possession, the secret and holy sign and token of the great providence: "Where is the scribe? where the inquisitor of this age? Hath not God," he says, "made foolish the wisdom of this world?" And again: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will reject the understanding of the intelligent"—those, clearly, who seem to themselves wise and are contentious. Jeremiah therefore says most beautifully: "Thus saith the Lord: Stand in the ways, and interrogate the eternal paths, what is the good road, and walk in it, and ye shall find expiation for your souls." "Interrogate," he says, "and inquire of those who know without strife and without debate." And having learned the ^D path of truth, let us walk straight ahead without looking back, until we encounter the object of our desire. Rightly, therefore, did the King of the Romans (Numa is his name), being a Pythagorean, as the first of all men, found a temple of Faith and Peace. And to Abraham

The translation of the notes, and the account of Numa's temple

^A Since we have learned the way of truth, let us walk in it straight, not turning back, until we have attained what is desired. Rightly, therefore, did the king of the Romans (Numa was his name), being a Pythagorean, establish for the first of all men a temple to Faith and Peace. But to Abraham, who believed, it was reckoned as righteousness. ^B Being engaged in the philosophy of those things which happen in the air and the sublime philosophy of those moving in the heavens, he was called Abram, which is interpreted "Pater sublimis" (Sublime Father). But later, looking up to heaven—whether having seen the Son in the Spirit, as some interpret, or a glorious angel, or having recognized God in some other way, as more excellent than creation and all the order within it—he assumes the alpha, that is, the knowledge of the one and only God, and is called Abraham: in that, instead of a student of nature, he became wise and a friend of God. For it is interpreted as "pater electus sonitus" (elect father of sound). ^C For the spoken word sounds, but the father of this is the mind; and the mind of the man of virtue is the elect one. For it pleases me greatly to praise the Acragantine poet, who thus celebrates faith with hymns:

Beloved, I know that truth is present in my words, Which I shall tell; but it is a hard and difficult matter For men, and a subject of envy, the impulse of faith ^D to be consecrated in the right heart.

Wherefore the Apostle also encourages, that faith be in the right heart. Dionysius of Halicarnassus in *Roman Antiquities*, book II says: "Numa first of all men founded a temple of public Faith, and appointed sacrifices for her, just as to the other gods, at the public expense." In the same place he also mentions honors that were paid to the Terminal gods.

For Abram was called of old, but was later addressed as Abraham—by the addition of one letter, namely *alpha*, but one that signified a great thing. For Abram is interpreted as "sublime father," but Abraham as "elect father of voice." The former indicates a man astrological and meteorological, devoted to the tenets of the Chaldeans with as much care as parents are wont to bestow upon their children; but the latter indicates the wise man. For by "voice" the spoken word is hinted at; by "father," the mind, which has the pre-eminence. For the internal word is naturally the father of the spoken, as it is older and sows what is to be spoken; but by the word that is added, the refined one. For the base way is random and confused, but the good is elect, having been chosen from all others as the best. The same author writes similar things in the book *On the Change of Names*, pages 1054, 1055. Abraham was then, having shown himself to be seen, Gen. XVII, 1, whom some consider the angel of God, but most of the ancient Fathers consider to have been the only-begotten Son. Compare Justin M., *Dialogue with Trypho*.

To the meteorological man, nothing at all appears greater than this world, to which he attributes the causes of things that come to pass. But the wise man, seeing with more accurate eyes, perceives the more perfect, intelligible ruler and prince, by whom all other things are mastered and governed. And Abraham is the elect father of sound. We say that sound is the spoken word; for the instrument of an animal's sound is the vocal apparatus, and the father of this is the mind; for from the intellect, as from a spring, the stream of speech flows. And we attribute "elect" to the wise man; for whatever is most excellent in him is in this.

^A Our faith, then, should not be in the wisdom of men who offer to persuade, but in the power of God, which alone and without proofs, through simple faith, is able to save. For the most discerning of those who are approved knows how to preserve. "Justice will also overtake the fabricators and false witnesses," says the Ephesian. For he too, having learned from the barbarian philosophy ^B the purgation of those who have lived wickedly—which the Stoics later called the conflagration (ecpyrosis)—taught that a person such as this would live again, wrapping the resurrection in such expressions. Plato, however, says that the earth at certain times is purged by fire ^C and water—greatest when by fire and water, and others smaller by myriad other means. For the story current among you, how Phaethon, son of Helios, once yoked his father’s chariot and, because he was unable to drive along his father’s path, burned up the things on the earth and was himself struck by a thunderbolt and perished—this is said to have the form of a myth, but the truth of it is the alteration of the bodies moving in the heavens and around the earth, and the destruction of the things on earth by much fire after long intervals of time. At such times, those who dwell on mountains and in high and dry places perish more than those who dwell by rivers and the sea. For us, the Nile is a savior in other respects, and at such times it even saves by releasing [its waters] from this distress. And when the gods, cleansing the earth with waters, deluge it, those who live in the mountains are preserved—herdsmen and shepherds—while those in your cities are swept into the sea by the rivers. But in this land ^D of ours, the water neither then nor at any other time flows down upon the fields from above; on the contrary, it is its nature to rise from below. Hence, for these reasons, the things here are said to be preserved and are the most ancient. Then, it is said, one of the priests, who was of a very great age, said: "O Solon, Solon, you Greeks are always children, and there is no such thing as an old Greek." And when he asked, "What do you mean by this?" he replied, "You are all young in your souls; for you possess no ancient opinion derived from tradition of old, nor any discipline grey with time." This happens to you because there have been, and will be, many and various destructions of men, the greatest by the conflagration of fire or the inundation of water.

^A And he says: "Many have been, and will be, many and various destructions of men, the greatest by fire and water, and others, smaller ones, by myriad other things." And after a little he adds: "The truth, however, is a changing of those things that move round the earth and in the heavens, and a destruction of the things on earth by much fire, taking place after long intervals of time." Then, concerning the deluge, he adds: "When the gods, purifying the earth with water, send a deluge, those who dwell on the mountains—herdsmen and shepherds—are saved, while those who dwell in your cities ^B are carried off by the rivers into the sea." Now, we have demonstrated in the first *Stromateis* that the Greek philosophers are called thieves, because they did not receive the most important points of their doctrines with gratitude from Moses and the prophets. To this we shall also add that those angels, to whom the higher lot had fallen, having slipped into pleasures, revealed the secrets to the women, and everything that had come into their knowledge—though the other angels were hiding them, or rather were keeping them until the coming of the Lord. From thence the doctrine of Providence flowed, and the revelation of celestial things; but when prophecy was already being handed down to the Greeks, ^C the dogmatic treatment was undertaken by the philosophers—partly accurate, as they hit upon the target, and partly erroneous, as they did not understand the hidden meaning of the prophetic allegory: a point which we have also proposed to note in a few words, for those who are urgent in their pursuit. We therefore say that faith should not be idle and alone, but should be brought forward along with inquiry. For I do not mean by this that one should not inquire at all; for it says: "Seek, and you shall find." That which is sought can be captured; but that which is neglected escapes, according to Sophocles. Menander the comic poet says similar things.

^D

Necessity must occur; but lesser ones occur through numberless other calamities. For what is spread among you, that Phaethon, the son of the Sun, once mounted his father's chariot, and not being able to keep to his father's course, scorched the earthly regions and was himself consumed by celestial flames—though it may appear fabulous, it is in some way to be considered true. For at a long interval of time a certain change takes place in the celestial circuit, which the vastness of the conflagration necessarily follows. Then those who dwell in high and arid places perish more than those who are near the sea and rivers. Furthermore, the Nile, since it is beneficial to us in most things, also keeps this sort of destruction at bay. But when the gods, by a gathering of waters, wash away the filth of the earth, the shepherds of sheep and the herdsmen who inhabit the ridges of the mountains escape that danger, whereas your cities, situated in the plain, are carried off by the force of the rivers to the seas. But in this region of ours, neither then nor at any other time does water descend onto the fields; on the contrary, it bubbles up from the bowels of the earth. Therefore, the records of the most ancient things are preserved among us.

^A ... that whatever is sought, the most wise men say it requires care; but one must direct the perspective faculty of the soul toward the discovery, and clear away the things that stand in the way: and on the other hand, entirely cast out contention, and envy, and strife itself, which is most destructive to men. For Timon of Phlius writes most beautifully:

*Pernicious strife, clamoring in vain, ^B comes to men, Whose sister and companion is contention, like in face, Which rolls itself around all other things; but then* *It makes firm the head, and pushes man toward vain hopes.*

And slightly below, he adds:

*Who then joined these to fight in bitter strife?* *The throng traveling with Echo; indeed, when they were silent,* *Being angered, it sent a wicked disease upon men, and many perished.*

concerning the false-refuting argument, and the *ceratine* (horned), and the *latens* (hidden), and the *crocodilinus* (crocodile), and also the *sorites*, and that which they call *exkeakalymmenon* (the unveiled), and concerning ambiguities and sophisms.

Concerning the false-refuting argument and sophisms

^A ... whatever is sought is capable of being caught, but what is neglected escapes. ^B ... being angered at those who were silent, *it sent... to men* a disease, as Clement’s book has it. Although in the *Iliad* [I, 6] it stands, *it sent a wicked disease among the army, and many perished*. These things are taken from the same work of Timon, lest anyone be deceived by Trapezuntius the interpreter. ^C Timon of Phlius ... was a disciple of Pyrrho, who at first used to dance in the theaters; but then, having met him, he wrote bitter parodies and lampoons, in which he insulted all those who had ever philosophized. For this was the man who wrote the *Silli*, that is, satires of the philosophers, in three books. ^D ... as he was a Skeptic, he rails at and satirizes all the dogmatists; and consequently he pulls down the squabbles of the dialecticians. Concerning the false-refuting argument, what it is, and by whom it was invented, see Diogenes Laertius in [his life of] Euclides, lib. 2, segm. 108. Theophrastus wrote a book about it, as did Chrysippus; which the same author records in their *Lives*. Hesychius Milesius testifies that Philetas of Cos, while researching it, ended his life in emaciation. Cicero calls it *pseudomenon* [the liar] in book 2 *De divinatione*: he also mentions it in the *Lucullus* and again in the *Hortensius*; as do Plutarch in his book *De communibus notionibus adversus Stoicos*; Jerome in *Contra Rufinum*; and also in *Amos* VIII, 1, and Augustine, *Contra Academicos*, etc.

^A For to inquire about God, if it tends not to strife but to finding, is salutary. For it is written in David: *The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and they shall praise the Lord who seek him; their heart shall live for ever and ever.* [Ps. XXII, 26] For those who seek with true inquiry, praising the Lord, shall be filled with the gift that proceeds from God, which is knowledge; and their soul shall live—for the soul is allegorized as the heart, which has provided life—since the Father is known through the Son. But one must not lend ears to all ^B those who speak and write impudently and rashly. For cups, too, which are gripped by many ears—that is, handles—become worn and lose their ears, and besides that, they also fall and are broken. In the same way, those who have defiled the chaste hearing of faith with many trifles, becoming at length dull of hearing toward the truth, both become useless and fall to the ground. Therefore, we do not rashly instruct children that, having caught hold of their ears, they should kiss their friends, signifying this at least tacitly: that the sense of affection is engendered through hearing. *For God is love* [1 Joan. IV, 16], who makes himself known to those who love; as God is faithful [1 Cor. I, 9], who is delivered to the faithful through discipline. And it behooves us to become joined and familiar to Him through divine love, so that we may contemplate the like with the like, hearing the word of truth without guile and purely, like children who obey us. And this was what he was tacitly signifying, whoever he may have been, who inscribed at the entrance of the temple in Epidaurus:

The temple's threshold, he who enters in, must be chaste

^B

CHAPTER II. On Hope.

And regarding faith, indeed, we have brought forward enough testimony from those scriptures that are among the Greeks. But that our progress may not be overly lengthy, if we should endeavor to collect a great deal concerning hope and love, it will suffice to say only this: that Socrates, in the *Crito*, who prefers an honorable life—and death—to a base life for himself, believes that he has some hope of another life after death. For even in the *Phaedrus* he says that the soul itself, when it has become what it is in itself, alone can partake of true wisdom and of that which surpasses human strength, when the love which is taken up from here has winged it to heaven, and having arrived at the end of hope through philosophical love, he says it receives the beginning of another, eternal life. And in the *Symposium* he says that a natural love of generation for that which is like exists in all, and in men for men alone, but in the good man for one like himself; this, however, a good man cannot accomplish if he does not possess perfect virtues, through which he will educate the youths who come to him. And as he says in the *Theaetetus*, he will generate and make [them] men; for those who are pregnant in body procreate some, and those who are pregnant in soul procreate others. For even among the barbarian philosophers, to instruct and illuminate through their discourse ^C is said to be "to regenerate"; and "I have begotten you in Christ Jesus," says the illustrious Apostle somewhere. Empedocles, however— ^D

in his *Origins* ^A also numbers friendship, conceiving of it as a kind of "unifying" love—

*Which you should behold with your mind, and not be amazed with your eyes.*

Moreover, Parmenides, in his own poem, alluding to hope, says such things as these:

*Yet do thou behold what is absent as firmly present to thy mind;* *For it shall not cut off the being from holding to the being,* *Nor yet as it is dispersed in every way throughout the world,* *Nor yet as it is combined...*

CHAPTER III.

That the objects of both faith and hope

can be perceived by the mind alone.

For he who hopes, just as he who believes, ^B sees the intelligible and future things with his mind. If, therefore, we say that there is something just, and we say also that there is something good—but we also speak of a certain "truth"—yet we have never seen any of these things with our eyes, but only with the mind. And the Word of God says, "I am the truth"; the Word, therefore, is to be contemplated by the mind. "But whom," he asked, "do you call true philosophers?" "Those," I replied, "who are lovers of the vision of truth." In the *Phaedrus*, Plato, in speaking of truth as an "Idea," shows this; and the "Idea" is a conception of God: which the barbarians have called the Word of God. The words themselves are thus: "For one must dare to speak the truth, especially when speaking about truth." ^C

...and they do not depart from necessity, the soul would be [unbegotten and immortal. Regarding the immortality of the soul, enough has been said; regarding its idea, one must speak thus: The supercelestial place no one of the poets here has ever sung of, nor will any ever sing of it according to its worth.]

It [the text] is as follows: "For one must dare to speak the truth, especially when one speaks about truth; for that color-less and formless and untouchable essence, which truly exists, is the guide of the soul, and is to be contemplated only by the mind; ^D and around it the race of true knowledge holds this place." Since, therefore, the mind of God, turning with pure knowledge, and of every soul, as many as are destined to receive what is fitting, having seen at length the Being...

which is truly without color, without form, and intangible, is a beholder for God alone, who is its governor. ^A The Word, having gone forth, is the cause of creation, and then also generates himself, when the Word becomes flesh, that he may also be beheld. The righteous man, therefore, will seek for that discovery which arises from love, to which he hastens with success. For to him who knocks, it says, it shall be opened. Ask, and it shall be given you. For the violent who take the kingdom by force are said to do so, not by contentious arguments, but by the assiduity of a righteous life and by prayers that are made without intermission, having wiped away the stains which they had contracted from previous sins:

^B Though vice you may indeed be able to shake off in crowds. And God brings aid to those toiling their best. For not in the midst do lie The Muses’ presents, hard to win, to capture for the lucky one.

Therefore, the recognition of ignorance is the first lesson for him who walks according to the Word. Being ignorant, someone sought; and having sought, he finds the teacher; and having found, he believed; and having believed, he hoped; and having loved, from this point he is made like unto the Beloved, hastening to become that which he previously loved. Socrates shows such a method to Alcibiades, who asks thus: "Do you not assume that I otherwise have knowledge about just things?" ^C Yes, if you find them. "But do you not think I would find them?" By all means, if you would seek. "Then do you not think I would seek?" I indeed do, if you were to think that you do not know. In this way, also, are the lamps of the wise virgins, which are lit at night in the deep darkness of ignorance; which night the Scripture signified. Wise souls, pure as virgins, understanding themselves in the thick darkness of ignorance, which, through the night of the world, they light up, and arouse the mind, and illuminate...

the darkness, and dispel ignorance, and seek the truth, and await the appearance of the teacher. It is impossible, therefore, I say, that the multitude should be ^A a philosopher. For there are many thyrsus-bearers, but few Bakchoi, according to Plato. For many are called, but few are chosen; and, says the Apostle, "knowledge is not in all." Pray, then, that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; "for faith is not for all." And the poem of Cleanthes the Stoic philosopher also writes similar things thus:

Do not look to fame while you wish to be wise quickly; Nor fear the indiscriminate and shameless opinion of the many. For the multitude has not wise judgment, nor Just, nor good; but among a few men you might find this.

And the comic poet more sententiously in brief: It is shameful to judge what is beautiful by the clamor of the many.

For they have heard, I think, that beautiful Wisdom saying to us: ^B "In the midst of the unwise, watch for the time; but in the midst of those who reason, be constant." And again: "The wise will hide their perception." For the many require demonstration as a pledge of truth, not being satisfied with the bare salvation which is from faith.

* But for the wicked it is very much their custom to disbelieve; As our Muse commands and confirms: "Know the word divided within your inwards."

For to the wicked, says Empedocles, this is common, to wish to overcome the truth by ^C their unbelief. ^D

^A That our teachings are probable and worthy of belief, the Greeks will recognize if they carefully weigh the following argument. For we are taught that like follows like. Solomon says: "Answer a fool according to his folly." Wherefore to those who seek the wisdom that is among them, we must offer what is suitable and familiar to them, so that through things that are their own, they may more easily be led to the faith of the truth. "For I have become all things to all men," he says, "that I might by all means save some." For the rain of divine grace is sent down upon both the just and the unjust. "Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also," as the noble Apostle loudly proclaims.

CHAPTER IV

That it is a received custom both among the heathen and the sacred writers to deliver divine matters through veils.

^B But since they are unwilling to believe either in the Good or in the knowledge that leads to salvation, we ourselves, considering their own things to be ours—since all things are of God, and especially because what is beautiful and honorable has come from us to the Greeks—let us treat them in a manner suited to their capacity for hearing. For the common crowd measures wisdom, or justice, not by the truth, but by the things in which it finds pleasure. And it is delighted with nothing so much as with those things that are like itself. For whatever is still deaf and blind—having no understanding, nor the undaunted and sharp-sighted vision of a soul that desires to contemplate, which the Savior alone bestows—must stand outside the divine chorus, just as one uninitiated in mysteries, or unskilled in music amidst the dance, not yet pure nor worthy of the chaste truth, and still discordant, irregular, and material. ^C For "we compare spiritual things with spiritual." Therefore, certainly, by way of concealment, the Egyptians for their part signified that which is truly divine and most necessary for us—the truly sacred word deposited in the adytum of truth—through what they call adyta, while the Hebrews did so through the veil. It was permitted for none to enter these except those who were of their own number and consecrated, that is, those dedicated to God, whose desires of the passions had been circumcised through their love for God alone. For not even to Plato did it seem holy for the impure to touch the pure. Hence the prophecies and oracles are spoken through enigmas, and the mysteries are not shown indecently to those who happen upon them, ^D but only after certain purifications and preparations. [alt-version omitted]

^A For the Muse was not yet greedy, Nor mercenary, nor were sweet Honey-voiced songs sold, With silver-faced countenances, By Terpsichore.

^B Jam vero, those who are instructed by the Egyptians first learn the way and method of the Egyptian letters, which is called epistolographic; second, the hieratic, which the hierogrammates use; and the last and ultimate, the hieroglyphic. Of this, one species is through the first elements, called cyriologic, and the other is symbolic. Of the symbolic, one speaks properly through imitation, another is written as if by tropes, and another signifies more openly through certain enigmas. For example, wishing to write "sun," they make a circle; and for "moon," a crescent shape, according to the cyriologic form. But they write tropically by transferring and displacing, altering some things and transfiguring others in many ways. Thus, they record the praises of kings by mingling them with myths about the gods in their sculptures (anaglyphs).

Let this be an indication of the third species, which is by way of enigmas: just as they likened other stars to the bodies of serpents because of their oblique ^C course, so too they likened the sun to the scarab, because it expresses and completes the underlying discourse. For they are already depicting the hawk, the crocodile, etc. Pliny, *Naturalis historia*, lib. xxxvi, c. 8: "Those sculptures and effigies which we see are Egyptian letters."

The Egyptians revered the scarab as a living image of the sun, because the entire scarab is male, and having deposited its seed in dung, it makes it into a spherical shape and rolls it with its hind feet, emulating the movement of the sun in the heavens, and it awaits the full cycle of the moon's days. These words, along with many others, Eusebius translated in his *Praeparatio evangelica*, lib. iii, cap. 4. Cf. what Horus Apollo discusses on this matter in *Hieroglyphica*, lib. i, cap. 10. Suidas confirms this. Furthermore, Eustathius translated the opinion of Clement concerning the scarab in his *Hexaemeron*, p. 44, in this manner: A scarab made into a round shape from ox dung, rolls it ^D face-to-face...

^A with the object. They also say that this animal spends six months under the earth, and the other part of the year living above the earth, and that it emits seed into the sphere, and begets, and that a female scarab is never born. Everyone, therefore, so to speak, who has written about divine things, both barbarians and Greeks, have hidden the principles of things, and have handed down the truth to others through enigmas and symbols, as well as through allegories and metaphors, and by other such modes; just as among the Greeks there are the oracles, and Apollo the Pythian is called *Loxias* (the Oblique). Moreover, the apophthegms of those who are called wise among the Greeks, reveal the meaning of a greater matter in a few words; ^B for example, the saying, "Spare time" (15); either because life is short, and this time should not be consumed in vain; or, by the contrary, to spare your private resources, so that, even if you live many years, as it implies, you may not lack the necessities. Likewise, the saying, "Know yourself" (14), indicates much: both that you are mortal, and that you were born a man; and that when compared to the other superiorities of life, you are of no account, whether you are called famous or rich; or on the contrary, that being rich and famous, you should not be proud of a single advantage; but "know," it says, for what you were born, and of whom you are an image; what your substance is, and what your creation, and what your kinship with the Divine, and things similar to these. The Spirit also says through the prophet Isaiah: I will give you secret, hidden treasures; for the treasures of God, and ^C the wealth that never fails (15), is the wisdom that is hard to capture. But those who [take] their theology from these prophets...

What I said concerning the sages and the common people of the Egyptians, it is possible to see also regarding the Persians; among whom there are initiations, which are honored rationally by those among them who are learned, but which are practiced symbolically by those who are the many and more superficial among them. The same is also true regarding the Syrians, and the Indians, and as many as possess myths and writings. This is because they avoid wordiness more than obscurity. ^D Regarding *Loxias*: He who gives oracles from a tripod of wrought gold. *Loxias*, that is, to the Oblique one, to Apollo, or to him who sends his voice obliquely; for the god speaks his oracles in an oblique manner; or to him who makes an oblique journey; for he is the same as the sun. *Loxias* is Apollo, as the Pythagoreans say, from sending his voice obliquely, that is, his sound, or because the sun goes obliquely through the zodiac; and *Loxias* is he who moves with an oblique movement; for he is the same as the sun. "To serve the occasion," "to obey the occasion," "to yield to God." "...to consume time." "We are lacking nothing so much as time." "...which is unfailing in the heavens."

^A I will give you dark and hidden treasures; God's treasures, and the riches which do not fail, are wisdom, which is difficult to hunt down. Indeed, the poets, who learned theology from the prophets, philosophize through mysterious meanings, I speak of Orpheus, Linus, Musaeus, Homer, and Hesiod, and those who are wise in this same way. But poetic delight is a veil for them before the mass of people. And dreams and all symbols are more obscure to men, not out of malice (for it is wrong to think God is subject to passion), but so that inquiry, entering into the understanding of enigmas, may revert to the discovery of the truth. For this reason the tragic poet Sophocles says somewhere:

I believe that God is ever of such a kind, Giving hidden oracles to the wise, But to the simple, he teaches many things through a few.

He uses "simple" for "plain." Therefore, it is openly written in the Psalms concerning the whole of our Scripture, that it was spoken in a parable: "Hear, O my people, my law; incline your ear to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter problems from the beginning." And the noble Apostle also says something similar in this way: "We speak wisdom among the perfect, but a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are being destroyed; but we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, which has been hidden, ^B which God foreordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this world knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." But the philosophers were not eager to insult the Lord's coming; it follows, then, that the Apostle is attacking the vain persuasion of those who were wise among the Jews. And therefore he adds: "But we preach, as it is written, that which the eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard, and which has not ascended ^C into the heart of man, all that God prepared for those who love him. But God has revealed it to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the deep things of God." For he knows that the spiritual and Gnostic man is a disciple of the Holy Spirit, to whom God supplies what the mind of Christ is; but the natural man does not accept the things that are of the Spirit, for they are foolishness to him. ^D

^A Indeed, the Apostle, in order to distinguish gnostic perfection, calls the common faith sometimes a foundation, and sometimes milk, writing in this way: *Brethren, I could not speak to you as to spiritual people, but as to carnal, as to infants in Christ; I fed you with milk, not with food; for you were not yet able, and neither even now are you able; for you are still carnal. For where there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not carnal and walking according to man?* Such things are chosen by sinful men, but those who have abstained from them contemplate divine things and are partakers of gnostic food. *According to the grace,* he says, *given to me, as a wise master builder, I have laid a foundation; but another builds upon it gold, and silver, and precious stones.* ^B These are the gnostic superstructures placed upon the foundation of faith, which is in Christ Jesus. But the things which the heresies superimpose are stubble, and wood, and hay. And the fire will test what the work of each one is. He alludes to the gnostic building also in the Epistle to the Romans, saying: *For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift, to the end that you may be established.* It was not possible to write openly in a letter about such gifts as these.

CHAPTER V.

On the Symbols of Pythagoras.

^C Now, the Pythagorean symbols depend very hiddenly upon the barbarian philosophy. ^D The Samian [Pythagoras] therefore advises not to have a swallow in the house, that is, a talkative, whispering person with an unbridled tongue, who is not able to contain or receive the things he has been entrusted with. For the swallow and the turtledove...

says the Scripture, ^A have known the times of their coming. *As if one should say, Do not twitter to me, one person from one place and another from another.* And the swallow, it hints at the myth of Pandion, for those sufferings famously told regarding her are worthy to be shunned; from which we have received that Tereus both suffered and committed certain acts. But she also pursues the musical cicadas; and for this reason, the persecutor of the Word is rightly pushed away. *By Hera, the scepter-bearing one who looks down upon Olympus, there is for me a faithful storehouse on my tongue,* says the poetry; and Aeschylus:

*To me, too, a key residing on the tongue is my guardian.*

Again, Pythagoras commanded that when the pot is taken from the fire, one should not leave its figure ^B or impression in the ashes, but should stir them up; and that those rising from their bed should disturb the bedclothes. For he was hinting that not only should pride and haughtiness be destroyed, but that not even a trace of anger should be left behind; but when it has ceased to boil, it is to be settled, and every memory of an injury is to be eradicated. ^C *But let not the sun,* says the Scripture, *go down upon your wrath.* And he who said, *You shall not covet,* took away every memory of an injury received. For anger is found to be the impulse of desire in a calm soul, according to... ^D [alt-version omitted]

seeking vengeance without reason. In like manner also one is advised that the bed be kept undisturbed, so that we may remember neither any filthy dream, nor sleep during the day, nor even any pleasure that took place in the night. Perhaps he also intimated that it is necessary to confound the dark phantom with the light of truth. *Be angry, and do not sin,* David says; teaching that one must not consent to the phantom, nor by committing the act validate the anger. Again, *Not to sail on the ground* is a Pythagorean symbol. It indicates that revenues and similar undertakings, being turbulent and unstable, ought to be declined. For this reason the Logos says that publicans will with difficulty ^B gain salvation. Further, Pythagoras also advises *not to wear a ring*, nor to engrave upon them images of the gods; just as Moses long ago explicitly legislated that one should make no carved, or molten, or molded, or written image or likeness; so that we might not pay attention to the objects of sense, but pass on to the objects of intellect. For frequent habituation of sight makes the majesty of the Divine appear cheap and common; and to worship the intelligible essence through matter is to dishonor it through sense perception. Wherefore also the wisest of the Egyptian priests set apart the statue of Athena as open to the sky, just as the Hebrews, having instituted the temple without any image, ^C maintain the worship of God.

And there are those who, when they worship God, ^D [note: this refers to the scholarly notes provided below the text in the source, which explain that this is a matter of custom among the ancients, such as the temple of Zeus the Dusty, or temples of the Persians and Egyptians, which remained without images until the time of Cecrops.]

^A They made an imitation of heaven 47, containing the stars, and worship them; yet indeed the Scripture says, "Let us make man according to image 48 and our likeness." I consider it worthwhile to also quote the saying of Eurytus the Pythagorean, which is as follows: he, in his work *On Fortune*, having called the Creator one who uses himself as a paradigm to make man, adds: "The body is similar to the rest, as it has been fashioned from the same material, but [was fashioned] by the craftsman into the best form; for he crafted it using himself as an archetype." In sum, Pythagoras and his followers, along with Plato—more so than other philosophers—were in close contact with the Lawgiver 50, as can be conjectured from these very dogmas; and having—by a certain divinatory, well-aimed instinct—met ^B in agreement with certain prophetic voices, they treated the truth by parts and species. They honored it with appellations that were not dark, nor proceeding outside of the revelation of things, having received an impression of the affinity pertaining to truth. Whence the Greek philosophy is like a radiance from a wick , which men light, artfully stealing the light from the sun. But the Word having been proclaimed, all that holy light shone forth. Then, indeed, by night in houses the theft is useful, but by day the fire is illuminated, and all the night is lit up by that great sun of the light of the intelligible. Straightaway 53 Pythagoras summarized what had been said to Moses concerning justice, saying, "Do not overstep the yoke 54," that is, do not pass beyond the

equality which is found in distributions, honoring justice:

.... you shall join friends to friends, Cities to cities, allies to allies; For equality is a law natural to men. But to the greater, it is always hostile, And initiates days of enmity; as it has poetic grace. Therefore the Lord says, "Take my yoke upon you, for it is kind and light 55," and to his disciples contending about primacy, he prescribes equality with simplicity, saying that they must become as children 56. Similarly, the Apostle also writes 57, "In Christ there is none bond or free, none Greek or Jew; for the new creation which is in Christ is void of contention and greed, and is a just equality. For envy stands outside the divine choir, and jealousy, and sorrow." For this reason, the initiates ^B also forbid eating the heart 58, teaching that one ought not to bite and consume the soul with despondency and pains over things that happen against one’s will and expectation. Wretched, therefore, is he whom Homer also describes as wandering alone and consuming his own spirit 59.

Again, since the Gospel and the Apostles, as well as all the prophets, propose two ways—calling one straight and narrow, which is compressed in precepts and prohibitions, and the other, the opposite, which leads to destruction, broad and spacious, with free access to pleasures and anger—and since they say, "Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, and has not stood in the way of sinners 60," from this also proceeds the fable of Prodicus of Ceos regarding virtue and vice; and Pythagoras ^C does not hesitate to forbid following the opinion of the multitude, which for the most part is ^D

^A irrational and ill-defined. Aristocritus, in the first book of his work written against Heracleodorus, mentions a certain letter which reads as follows: "The King of the Scythians, Ateas, to the people of Byzantium: Do not harm my revenues, lest my horses drink your water." By this symbolic language, the barbarian signified the war he was about to bring upon them. Similarly, the poet Euphorion introduces Nestor saying:

Not yet have we watered our Achaean horses at the river Simoeis.

For this reason, the Egyptians place sphinxes before their temples, because the teaching regarding God is enigmatic and obscure; and perhaps also because one must both love and fear the Divine: love it, as being favorable and kindly to the holy ones, but fear it, as being inexorably just to the unholy. For the sphinx signifies the image of both a beast and a man. ^B

CHAPTER VI.

He expounds the mystical significance of the Jewish tabernacle and its furnishings.

It would be a long task to go through completely all the prophetic and legal passages, bringing forward those things which are spoken by enigmas; for almost the whole of divine Scripture delivers its oracles in this way. But for one who is of sound mind, it is sufficient, I think, to set forth a few examples to demonstrate what is proposed. Thus, for example, it shows this concealment which is narrated in the ancient temple regarding the seven enclosures, of which there is mention among the Hebrews; and the equipment ^C of the talar [high priest's robe], through the various symbols of the apparatus, which refer to the appearances, signifying a composition that reaches from heaven down to earth. And the covering and the veil were variegated with hyacinth, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen. It hinted, indeed, that the nature of the elements holds the revelation of God; for the purple comes from water, the fine linen from the earth; and the hyacinth ^D is like the air, dark in its nature, just as the scarlet is like fire.

^A Between the covering and the veil, where it was permitted for the priests to enter, there stood an incense altar, a symbol of the earth set in the midst of this world, from which exhalations arise. That place, too, which occupies the middle between the one that is within the veil, into which it was permitted only for the high priest to enter at appointed days, and the outer court which was open to all the Hebrews, they say is the midpoint of heaven and earth; others say it is a symbol of the world which is perceived by the intellect and is sensible. Now, the covering, a barrier to the unbelief of the laity, was stretched in front of the five pillars, keeping back those who were in the surrounding precinct. For this reason, the five loaves are most mystically broken by the Savior, and they are multiplied for the multitude of those who hear. For great is the number of those who are attached to things sensible as if they were the only things that exist. ^B Observe, he says, Plato says, while scrutinizing, that no uninitiated person listens. These are they who think that nothing exists except what they can grasp tightly with their hands, and who do not accept actions, and generations, and everything that is invisible, as having a place in essence; for such are they who are attached only to the pentad of the senses. But the understanding of God is inaccessible to ears and to those of the same nature. Hence the Son is called the *face* of the Father, He who contains the pentad of the senses, having become the flesh-bearing Word, the announcer of the paternal property. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Through faith we walk, not by sight, says the noble Apostle. Now, inside the covering the priestly ministry is hidden, and it keeps far away from those who labor in it those who are on the outside. Again, the veil is the entrance to the Holy of Holies; four pillars are there, a sign of the holy tetrad of the old covenants. ^C Furthermore, the Tetragrammaton, ^D for it is most similar to flame. And I will not regret to point out the reason why I now rank the five with the fifty, and now place them separately; the pentad is the number of the senses; and sense in man, at one time inclines toward external things, and at another time turns back toward the mind, being a servant according to the laws of its nature. Therefore it also assigned the middle region to the five; for some of them incline toward the sanctuaries of the tabernacle, which are symbolically intelligible; but those on the outside toward the open air and the court, which are sensible.

^A The mystical name, which was worn only by those to whom it was permitted to enter the adytum, is said to be Iaou, which is interpreted as "He who is and who shall be." And even in Greek the name for God contains a quaternion of letters. But the Lord, having become the only One in the intelligible world, enters, passing into the knowledge of Him who is ineffable, the One who is beyond every name and is known by voice alone. ^B Indeed, the lampstand was also placed in the southern parts of the incense altar; by it, the motions of the seven light-bearers are indicated, as they make their revolutions in the south. For there are three branches that have sprung up on each side of the lampstand, and upon them are the lamps; just as the sun, like the lampstand, being set in the midst of the other planets, imparts light to those above him and those below him according to a certain divine music. The golden lampstand has another riddle as well, that of the sign of Christ, not only by its shape, but also by shedding light in many ways ^C and in many tongues to those who have been purified by wisdom; and it is fitting for them to hear and speak in the holy places, but for no one else at all anywhere. And the theologian says that the name is a tetragrammaton.

Of the Intelligible World

And the Lord, entering alone into the world which is perceived by the mind, enters through His own sufferings, arriving at the knowledge of Him who is ineffable, transcending every name which is uttered by voice. ^D And the lampstand is in the southern parts, through which the motions of the light-bearing stars are hinted at. For the sun, the moon, and the others, being far removed from the northern parts, make their revolutions in the south. Whence six branches, three on each side of the central lampstand, have sprung up to the number of seven; and upon all of them are little lamps and seven lights, symbols of the planets as they are called by the men of natural philosophy. For the sun, like the lampstand, set in the midst of the six, shines in the fourth place, and being harmonized with the three above him and those equal to him below him, he is truly a musical and divine instrument.

^A He bestows a certain divine light upon himself and those under him. There is also another enigma: the golden lampstand, which is not merely a figure of the sign of Christ, but because it also sheds light in many ways and by many means upon those who believe, hope, and look to Him, through the ministry of those who were created first. They say that the seven eyes of the Lord are the seven spirits, resting upon the rod that puts forth blossoms from the root of Jesse. And towards the northern parts of the censer stood the table, upon which was the setting forth of the loaves, since the northern spirits are most nourishing. These may signify certain mansions of the Churches, which conspire into one body and one assembly. And those things narrated concerning the holy ark signify the intelligible world, which is commonly hidden and closed to the many. Furthermore, those golden images, each having six wings, signify either the two bears, as some would have it, or, what is more fitting, the two hemispheres. ^B Now, the name Cherubim seeks to signify much knowledge. But both have twelve wings, and by the zodiacal circle, and the time that is carried along in it, they signify the sensible world. Regarding these, I think that tragedy also speaks, describing nature: "Indefatigable time circles, full, in a perennial stream, begetting itself; and the twin bears, with the swift-wandering motions of their wings, guard the Atlantic pole." And Atlas, the pole that does not suffer, can indeed be the inerrant sphere, but it is perhaps better to understand it as the immovable eternity. ^C And I think it better that the ark, called *Thebota* from the Hebrew name, signifies something else. It is interpreted as "one for one of all places." Whether, therefore, the ogdoad, that is, the number eight, and the intelligible world, or even that which surpasses all things and contains them, and is without form and falls not under the gaze, being God, let it be deferred for the present. But it signifies that rest which is with the spirits ^D that sing praises, which the Cherubim shadow forth; for He who would never exhort one to fashion a graven image, would not Himself fashion a statue of the holy ones; nor is there, in principle, any composite and sensible living creature in heaven that is in this way. A sign, however, of the rational soul is the face, but the wings

^A are the sublime ministries and operations of the powers on the right and on the left; and the voice is the grateful glory of the mind in unceasing contemplation. It is sufficient to have advanced the mystical interpretation thus far. The long robe of the high priest is a symbol of the sensible world. Of the seven wandering stars, five are the gems, and two are the carbuncles, on account of Saturn and the Moon; the former is southern, and humid, and earthly, and heavy; the latter is airy, whence by some it is called Artemis, as being one who cuts the air; but the air is dark. Divine providence reasonably describes those who oversee the wandering stars as being placed both upon the breast and upon the shoulders, those who are contributors to the generation of things here below, by whom the action that brings about generation is the first septenary. The breast is the habitation of the heart and of the soul. There will also be, in other ways, diverse modes of salvation as gems: some established in the more exalted parts, others in the lower parts, of any body that attains salvation. And the three hundred and sixty bells that hang from the long robe are the annual time: the acceptable year of the Lord, ^B proclaiming and resounding the great advent of the Savior. Furthermore, the golden cap, which is stretched out, signifies the royal power of the Lord; if indeed the Savior is the head of the Church. A sign, at any rate, of the most sovereign rule is the cap that is above it; moreover, we have heard, as it is said, that God is the head of Christ, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, the breastplate indeed consists both of the shoulder-piece, which is a symbol of work, and of the oracle; this signifies the Word, and is an image of heaven, which was made by the Word, and is subjected to the head of all things, to Christ, being moved in the same way and in the same manner. Therefore, the luminous emerald stones upon the shoulder-piece signify the sun and moon, the co-workers of nature. For the arm, I think, is the beginning of the shoulder. And those twelve arranged in four parts upon the breast ^C describe for us the zodiacal circle according to the four turnings of the year. In another way, it was necessary for the head, the Lord's own,

The Cidar

^A Christ, inasmuch as it is moved in a similar and identical manner. The bright emerald gems which are on the ephod signify the sun and the moon, which are the helpers of nature. The hands, however, I suppose, are the starting point, the shoulder. And those twelve, which are located in four ranks upon the breastplate, describe for us the zodiacal circle, corresponding to the four turnings of the year. Furthermore, it was fitting ^B that to the head of the Lord—that is, to Christ—both the law and the prophets should be subject, because the just are signified in both Testaments. For in calling the apostles both prophets and just men simultaneously, we should correctly say that one and the same holy Spirit works through all. Just as the Lord is above the whole world, and indeed beyond the world that is perceived by the intelligence, so also the name which is inscribed upon the plate was deemed worthy to be above every principality and power. It is inscribed, moreover, to signify the precepts mandated in writing, and the sensible presence. And the name of God is mentioned, because just as the Son beholds the goodness of the Father, so the God-Savior—called the principle of all things, who was made the first image from God the invisible, and before the ages—works. He formed, however, all things that were made after himself. Now, indeed, the breastpiece signifies the prophecy that cries out and preaches through the Word, and indicates the future judgment; for the same is the Word who both predicts, and judges, and discerns each thing. They say also that the garment, that is, the tunic reaching to the feet, ^C predicts the dispensation of the flesh assumed, through which he was seen in the world more closely. For this very reason, the high priest, putting off the sanctified tunic—and the world, and the creature that is in the world, has been sanctified by Him who together arranged the things that were made ^D as good—is washed, and puts on another holy tunic, a tunic of the holy, so to speak, which enters with him into the sanctuaries, indicating, as it seems to me, the Levite and the Gnostic, as being the leader of the other priests (since those men were indeed washed with water, and clothed in faith alone, and are expecting their own proper station), after he has discerned things perceived by the intelligence from things perceived by the senses, having surpassed the other priests, hastening to attain that which is perceived by the intelligence, to be washed from those things that are here, no longer cleansed by water, as before, when in the Levitical tribes

^A he gave; for he says thus: *And he shall put off the linen garment which he had put on when he entered into the holy place; and he shall lay it down there, and he shall wash his body with water in a holy place, and he shall put on his garment.* In another way, I think, the Lord puts off and puts on, descending into perception; in another way he who has believed through him puts off 4 and puts on, as also the Apostle indicated, the sanctified garment. From thence, according to the image of the Lord, the most approved men were chosen as high priests from the sanctified tribe, and those elected for the kingdom and for prophecy were anointed.

CHAPTER VII.

^B Whence even the Egyptians did not entrust the mysteries that were among them to any chance person, nor did they divulge the knowledge of divine things to the profane; but only to those who were to advance to the kingdom, and to those of the priests who had been judged most approved in terms of diet, and education, and lineage. Thus, the riddles of the Egyptians are similar to the Hebrew ones regarding concealment. Among the Egyptians 5 some represent the sun in a boat, others upon a crocodile. They signify, however, that the sun, making its journey through sweet and moist air, gives birth to time; ^C which the crocodile signifies enigmatically, because of some other priestly history. Moreover 6, and in Diospolis of [original-script column: see facsimile]

too, which is a city of Egypt, in the sacred edifice which is called the Pylon, there is represented a child, the symbol of birth; an old man, of decay; and again, the hawk is a symbol of God, as the fish is of hatred. And in another signification, the crocodile is a sign of impudence. It seems, therefore, that this whole symbol, when put together, signifies this: "O you who are being born and are dying, God hates ^B impudence." And they make ears and eyes of precious material, and consecrate them, dedicating them to the gods in the temples, thereby tacitly signifying that God sees and hears all things. To these is added that the lion is a symbol of strength and force to them; just as, to be sure, the ox is of the earth itself, and of agriculture, and of food; the horse, of courage and frankness; and the sphinx, of strength again combined with intelligence, having the whole body of a lion, but the face of a man. Similarly, the human being, signifying intelligence, memory, power, and artifice, is inscribed by them in the temples.

Now, in those which are called by them *komasiae*, they carry around golden images of the gods: two dogs, one hawk, and one ibis; and they call the four images idols, or four letters. The dogs are, indeed, symbols of the two hemispheres, as if they were wandering around and guarding them; the hawk is ^C of the sun, for it is fiery and destructive; and they immediately attribute pestilential diseases to the sun. The ibis is of the moon, comparing the shadowy parts to the black, and the bright parts to the white, of the feathers. There are some who wish the tropics to be signified by the dogs, which guard and, like janitors, observe the access of the sun to the south and north; but the hawk signifies the equinoctial, which is high and burning, just as the ibis signifies the oblique; for they consider the number and measure of the animals, particularly of these.

the hawk signifies the equinoctial, which is high and burning, just as the ibis signifies the oblique; for they consider the number and measure of the animals, particularly of these.

CHAPTER VIII.

Indeed, not only those among the Egyptians who excelled in the power of reasoning, but others among the barbarians as well, who were devoted to the study of philosophy, pursued the symbolic style. They say, for instance, that Idanthyrsus, king of the Scythians, as Pherecydes the Syrian relates, when Darius had crossed the Ister and was threatening war, sent him a symbol instead of a letter: a mouse, a frog, a bird, a dart, and a plow. ^A Since a doubt arose concerning these, as was to be expected, Orontopagas, the chiliarch, said that they would surrender their kingdom, conjecturing from the mouse their habitations; from the frog, the waters; from the bird, the air; from the dart, their weapons; and from the plow, their land. But Xiphodres interpreted it differently. For he said, "Unless we fly away like birds, or hide in the earth like mice, or dive into the water like frogs, we shall not escape their arrows; for we are not masters of the region." He also says that Anacharsis the Scythian used to sleep with his left hand holding his private parts, and his right hand over his mouth, signifying that both should be controlled, but that it is greater to control the tongue than lust. And what need is there for me to dwell on these accounts of the barbarians, when I can show that the Greeks themselves have made great use of concealment? Androcydes, at any rate, the Pythagorean, says that the letters ^B called Ephesian, which are widely known among many, hold the rank of symbols: that *aski* signifies darkness, for it has no shadows; *kataskion*, light, because it illuminates the shadow; *lix*, the earth, according to the ancient name; and *tetrax*, the year, because of the seasons; [and] *damnameneus*... ^{C D}

earth by ancient appellation, and ^Athe quaternion, the year, because of the hours; the sun, which subdues; and *alcia*, the true voice. The symbol implies how divine things are ordered; for instance, darkness in relation to light, the sun in relation to the year, and the earth in relation to the generation of nature of every kind. Furthermore, Dionysius Thrax, the grammarian, in his book *On the explanation of the symbol of the wheels*, says word for word: "Some used to signify actions not only through words, but also through symbols: through words, as in the case of the so-called Delphic precepts, 'Nothing in excess,' and 'Know thyself,' and those similar to them; but through symbols, as in the case of the wheel that is turned in the temples of the gods, which is derived from the Egyptians; and the branches that are given to those who worship." For the Thracian Orpheus says:

^B Of the branches, to whom terrestrial cares of men belong, In no one place do fates remain in the mind, but all things round Are whirled about; nor is it right to stand in one part, But as they began, each keeps a part of its course.

The branches, then, are either a symbol of first nourishment, or [are given] so that the common people may know that while fruits in general sprout and grow, remaining for a very long time, they themselves have received but a short span of life; for this reason they wish the branches to be given. Perhaps also [it is given] so they may know that just as these [branches], in turn, are burned, so also must those who are in this life ^C quickly depart and become the work of fire. The kind of symbolic interpretation is therefore most useful for many things, and it contributes both to right theology and piety, and to the manifestation of intelligence, and to the exercise of brevity, and to the demonstration of wisdom. For "it is the part of a wise man to use symbolic language," the grammarian Didymus aptly says, "and to make known what is signified by it." Moreover, the elementary instruction of children also embraces the interpretation of the four elements. For he says that the Phrygians call water *Bedy*, just as Orpheus also says:

And from the Nymphs, *Bedy* flows as clear water.

And also the sacrificer Dion appears to write similarly: "And having taken *Bedy*, pour it over your hands, and turn to the inspection of the sacrifice." Conversely, however, the comic poet Philydeus understands *Bedy* ^D to be the air, which provides life, through these things.

^A *“I pray to draw Bedy, the life-giver; / Which is the greatest part of health, / To draw the air pure, not murky.”* Neanthes of Cyzicus agrees with this opinion, writing that the priests of the Macedonians, in their prayers, invoke *Bedy* to be propitious to them and to their children; this they interpret as the air. Some, however, have ignorantly taken *Zaps* to be fire, based on the word for ebullition (*zesis*); but the sea is called by this name, as Euphorion says in his *Letters to Theoridas*: *“And Zaps, the wrecker of ships, surges onto the crags.”* Dionysius the Iambic poet likewise: *“On the raging sea *Zaps* the salty extends.”* Similarly, the younger comic poet Cratinus: *“Zaps brings forth shrimp and small fish.”* And Simmias of Rhodes: *“Of the Amasignetes and Telchines was born the salty Zaps.”* ^B *Chthon* is earth, which is spread out in magnitude. And a *plectron*—some understand the pole, others the air, which strikes and moves everything toward nature and growth, the filler of all things. But these men have not read the philosopher Cleanthes, who directly calls the sun a *plectron*; for by casting its rays in the east, as if striking the world, it brings the light into a harmonious course; and from the sun, the other stars are also signified. *Sphinx*, however, is not the "intelligence of the universe" (29), nor, according to the poet Aratus, the "revolution of the world," ^C but perhaps it might be some spiritual tension that pervadeth and holdeth together the world. But it would be better to take it as the ether, which holds and binds all things, just as Empedocles says: *“But come, I shall tell you first the beginning of the sun, / From which were born all the things that now are seen: / Earth, and the sea with many waves, and the moist air, / Titan, and ether, which binds all things around in a circle.”* Apollodorus of Corcyra says that these verses were uttered by the seer Branchus, when he was purifying the Milesians ^D of the plague. Now, those who first inhabited the island called Rhodes were those called Telchines. These were the children of the sea, as the myth has handed down. *“Of the Amasignetes and Telchines was born the salty Zaps.”* As for the rest, for it was declared to be of uncertain authorship when the author speaks thus, etc.; yet he recognizes the true author as Philyllius in this very book. In Clement of Alexandria, Book V of the *Stromateis*, it is incorrectly named, as he was no one who ever existed in the nature of things; wherefore, correct it thus, etc. Reinesius, *Var. Lect.*, Bk. III, c. 3, p. 582, says this: "Athenaeus, Book III, also cites Philyllius, whom Clement of Alexandria in Book V of the *Stromateis* mistakenly calls Philydeus; but that is Eubulus's work—and Suidas is better, who praises him in *Analphiton*." The meter might hold, but the meaning seems to be little consistent. SYLBURG.—Bochartus, *Chanaan*, p. 400: "Perhaps the Telchines and the Ignetes are the same people. At least they have the same origin. Clement of Alexandria, *Strom.* Bk. V, while he is in the process of proving that the word *Zaps* signified the sea to the ancients, after he has proven it with examples brought forward from Euphorion and Dionysius the Iambic poet and Cratinus, adds from Simmias of Rhodes: 'Of the Amasignetes and Telchines was born the salty Zaps.' This is—as some wish—'Salty Zaps was born from the Amasignetes and Telchines.' Which is ridiculous. For first, that *Amasignetes* appears nowhere. Then, there are no *Amasignetae*: finally, according to the myth-makers, Zaps (that is, the sea) was not born of the Telchines, but the Telchines were born of Zabe, that is, of the sea. Diodorus, Bk. V: 'The first to inhabit the island named Rhodes were those who are called Telchines; but they were the children of the sea, as the myths relate.' And so it should be read in Clement: 'Of the Telchines and Ignetes, the parent, salty Zaps, was created.' Thus, the verse will not only hold, but the meaning will also be convenient."

^A For he, sprinkling the multitude with sprigs of laurel, began the hymn in this manner:

"Sing, O children, to Hecaergos and Hecaerge."

The people also acclaimed, so to speak: "Bedy, Zaps, Chthon, Plectrum, Sphinx, Cnachzbi, Chthyptes, Phlegmos, Drops." Callimachus also mentions this history in his *Iambi*. Now, *cnachzbi*, by derivation, is a disease, from *knuein*, which is to torture and cause pain; and in that it means to disperse and scatter; and in that it means to burn with a thunderbolt. The tragic poet Thespis, however, says that something else is signified by these, writing in this way: "Behold, I pour out to you, O Cnachzbi, the white [offering], having pressed it from nursing kine; behold, I have mixed for you the Chthyptes cheese with red honey, and I place it upon your holy altars, O two-horned Pan; behold, I pour out to you the glowing lightning-flash of Bromius." ^B He hints, I think, at the first milky nourishment of the soul, [consisting] of the twenty-four elements, after which the milk is already coagulated.

But let us hear Porphyry: "There is much in these things that is difficult to understand, whether through the carelessness of the ancients or the obscurity of the thing itself." Indeed, the philosopher himself, as if he believed he had satisfied neither himself nor others, immediately subjoins another interpretation, and ^C that one also is incomplete. You have these same things in Hesychius, and where it is established that *pyrhos* is not to be substituted for *pyros* on the authority of the same Hesychius. Another poem, quite similar to this one, is brought forward in the same place in Clement of Alexandria, which also comprises the Greek alphabet. Nor does Porphyry's explanation of this poem differ much from Clement's. For thus Porphyry continues: ^D Although most of these words have obtained some signification in the Greek language, I think they were nevertheless invented by grammarians to confirm the memory and pronunciation of children; which Clement of Alexandria himself hints at, where he speaks of the instruction of children in the elements. Quintilian also speaks somewhere of aids of this kind.

^C nutriment, which is from twenty-four elements, after which curdled milk succeeds as food. But the last denotes the blood of the vine, or of the Logos, that glowing wine, namely, which perfects the joy of education. ^B *Drops* [δρῶψ] is the efficacious Logos, who from the first catechesis, unto the growth of a man, unto the measure of the age, kindles and illuminates man. There is also, in this way, a third, childish description: *marptes, sphinx, klops, zynchedon*. It signifies, I think, that through the administration of the elements and of the world, we must progress toward the knowledge of perfecter things, eternal salvation being attained by force and labor; for *marpsai* signifies to grasp. The *sphinx* signifies the structure of the world; *zynchedon* signifies difficulty; and *klops* signifies at once the hidden knowledge of the Lord and the day. What more? Does not Epigenes also, in his book *On the Poetry of Orpheus*, when explaining terms peculiar to Orpheus, say that by *kerkesin* are signified the curved plow-shares; by *stemosin*, the furrows; by *miton*—which is the thread—is allegorized the seed; and that the tears of Zeus signify rain; and that by the *moiras* [fates] are meant the parts of the moon, the thirtieth, the fifteenth, and the new moon? Whence he also says that Orpheus called them *leukostolous* [white-robed], as being parts of light. Again, *anthion* is spring, because of its nature; *argida* is night, because of its tranquility; and *gorgonion* is the moon, because of the face that is in it; and *Aphrodite* is said by the Theologian to be the season in which one ought to sow. The Pythagoreans also used enigmas of this kind: they called the wandering stars the dogs of Proserpina; and they allegorized the sea as the tear of Saturn. And we will find countless things said enigmatically by both philosophers and poets; ^D insomuch that entire books demonstrate the will of the author to be hidden; as is the case with the *On Nature* of Heraclitus—who, for this very reason, is called "the Obscure." Similar to this book is the theology of Pherecydes of Syros.

The Obscure Heraclitus

^A For the poet Euphorion, and the *Causes* of Callimachus, and the *Alexandra* of Lycophron, and similar works, serve as a training ground for the interpretation of grammarians. Therefore, it is also possible for the barbarian philosophy, which we currently intend to discuss, to speak obscurely and to prophesy through symbols, as has been demonstrated.

"Now, Moses ^B thus counsels: these common things, not to eat the swine, nor the hawk, nor the eagle, nor the raven. For the swine signifies those who are addicted to pleasure and unclean desires for food, and those who are greedy for sexual debauchery and filthy lasciviousness; it is always itching, material, and lying in the mire, fattening itself for slaughter and destruction. Conversely, he permits the eating of those that have a cloven hoof and that ruminate, signifying, says Barnabas, that one must adhere to those who fear the Lord and who meditate in their heart upon the portion of the Word they have received, who speak and keep the justifications of the Lord, who know that meditation is a work of gladness, and who ruminate on the Word of the Lord. What then is 'cloven-hoofed'? That the just man walks in this world, and also awaits the holy age." ^C Then he adds: "See how beautifully Moses legislated. But whence comes it for them to understand or comprehend these things? We, having justly understood the commandments, speak as the Lord willed; therefore he circumcised our ears and hearts, that we might understand these things. And surely, when he says, 'You shall not eat the eagle, the hawk, the kite, and the raven,' he says: 'You shall not adhere to, nor be likened to, those men who do not know how to provide food for themselves through toil and sweat, but live in plunder and lawlessness; for the eagle represents plunder, the hawk injustice, and the raven greed.'" ^D

It is written: ^A *With a man who is innocent you will be innocent, and with an elect man you will be elect; and with a perverse man you will be perverse.* It is fitting, therefore, to cleave to the holy, because those who cleave to them will be hallowed. Hence Theognis writes:

*For you will learn good things from the good; but if you mingle with the bad, you will lose even the understanding you have.*

And when he says in the Canticle: *For he has been gloriously magnified, he has thrown horse and rider into the sea* (Exod. xv, 1); he cast into the sea—that is, he cast into the tumults and disturbances of the world—the manifold, beast-like, and impetuous passion, that is desire, along with its charioteer who has slackened the reins for the pleasures. ^B So also Plato, in his book *On the Soul*, says that both the charioteer and the horse that has revolted—the irrational part, which is divided in two, into spirit and desire—fall. For this reason the myth also implies that Phaethon fell from the chariot because of the incontinence of the horses.

And indeed, regarding Joseph: when his brothers envied him, the youth, as one who foresaw something more in knowledge, they stripped him of his many-colored tunic; and having taken him, they threw him into a pit (and the pit was empty, it had no water), casting away the many-colored knowledge of the virtuous man gained from diligent study; or, using only the faith according to the law, they threw him into a pit empty of water—that is, deserted by the divine Word—having sold him into Egypt (Gen. xxxvii, 25). The pit was empty of knowledge; in which, having been cast, and having laid aside his knowledge, that hidden sage appeared similar to his brothers, that is

^A a pit void of knowledge. "If anyone opens a pit," it says, "or digs one, and does not cover it, and a calf or an ass falls into it, the lord of the pit will pay money, and will give it to the neighbor; but the dead animal shall be his." Here he brings that prophecy to my attention: "The ox knows his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but Israel has not known me." In order, therefore, that no one, having fallen into the knowledge taught by you, may, by becoming incontinent of the truth, disregard it and stumble, it says, be secure regarding the use of the Word; and toward those who approach irrationally, close off the living fountain in the deep, but offer drink to those who have thirsted for the truth. But for those who are not able to receive the depth of knowledge, cover the pit. The lord of the pit, then, the Gnostic himself, will be penalized, it says, for he bears the responsibility for the one who has been scandalized, that is, swallowed up by the magnitude of the Word, while he was still small-minded; or for having moved the worker ^B toward contemplation, and having led him away by means of the excuse of a sudden faith. He will give money, rendering an account and reckoning to the almighty will. This, then, is the type of the Law and the Prophets, which lasted until John; but he, although he spoke more clearly—as one no longer prophesying, but showing that he who was announced from the beginning through symbols is now present—nevertheless says, "I am not worthy to loose the thong of his shoe." For he admits that he is not worthy to baptize with such power; for it is necessary for those who purify to release the soul from the body and its sins, just as if releasing the foot from a shackle. Perhaps, too, the final operation of the Savior toward us, I mean the immediate one, ^C which was hidden by the enigma of prophecy through his presence, he who revealed the prophesied one by his own sight, and announced the presence—which was journeying from afar to those who could see it—that was now arrived, truly loosed the end of the oracles of the dispensation, uncovering the meaning of the symbols. And the things among the Romans ^D concerning the making of testaments—

namely, those scales, and the asses used for the sake of justice, and the mancipations, and the touching of the ears—the former, as a sign of doing justly; the latter, for the division of honor; but the third, so that he who had fallen in might hear, as if a certain burden were placed upon him, while standing, and might take the rank of an intercessor.

CHAPTER IX.

Reasons are brought forward why it seemed good to cover the truth in symbolic wrappings.

But, as it appears, through a certain excessive zeal for demonstration, I have proceeded further than is necessary. For life will fail me if I recount all those who philosophize symbolically. For the sake of memory, therefore, and brevity, and that men might stretch themselves toward the truth, such of a kind are the writings of the barbarian philosophy. ^B For of those who often approach them, and have given proof of themselves both in faith and in their whole life, they desire only that they should exist in that which is truly philosophy and true theology. And indeed they wish us to have need of some interpreter and guide; for in this way, they thought, greater zeal would be brought to them, and we would be least likely to be deceived, by receiving them from those who know well, and that they would benefit those who are worthy of them, and besides, all things which are revealed through some shroud show the truth to be greater and more solemn; just as things that are seasonable appear through the water, but the forms through the shrouds grant a certain added grace to them. For the splendors are probative, ^C besides that things which are manifest are understood in one way. Since, therefore, it is permitted to receive them in many ways, just as we truly do receive them, in those things which are spoken secretly, since they are thus, the inexperienced and unlearned fall, but the Gnostic understands. Already, therefore, they were not willing that all things should be rashly laid open ^D to any who might chance upon them, nor that the benefits of wisdom should be shared with those who have not even in a dream purified their soul (for it is not right to reach out to those who happen by the things acquired with such great struggles), nor even to relate the mysteries of the Word to the profane. They say, therefore, that Hipparchus the Pythagorean, because he had written the decrees of Pythagoras clearly, was expelled from the school, and that for this same reason, as if he were dead, a column was erected for him. Wherefore also in the barbarian philosophy they call those dead who have fallen away from the doctrines.

and who have subjected the mind to the passions of the soul. For what participation has righteousness with lawlessness? according to the divine Apostle. Or what communion has light with darkness? And what concord has Christ with Belial? or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? For separate are the honors of the Olympians and of the dead. Wherefore also: "Come out from the midst of them and be separate, says the Lord; and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you, and will be a father to you, and you shall be my sons and daughters." ^B Therefore, not only did the Pythagoreans and Plato hide many things, but the Epicureans also say that there are some secret things among them, and they do not permit just anyone to read these writings. But the Stoics also say that certain things were written by Zeno, the first of them, which they do not easily permit their disciples to read, unless they have first given proof that they are philosophizing in a genuine manner. And the followers of Aristotle also say that some of their writings are "internal," but others are common and "external." But those who established rituals, being philosophers, obscured their own doctrines with myths, so as not to be plain to all. ^C And if they, by hiding human opinions, hindered the unlearned from approaching them, would it not much more be for the best that the holy and blessed contemplation of the things that truly are should be hidden? But even the dogmas of the barbarian philosophy, or the myths that are among the Pythagoreans, or those things which are in the Republic of the [alt-version omitted] ^D [index: entries preserved]

^A son of Ariston, and in the Gorgias concerning Aeacus and Rhadamanthus, and in the Phaedo the fable of Tartarus, and in the Protagoras that of Prometheus and Epimetheus, and besides these the fable of the war waged between the Atlantines and the Athenians in the Atlantic, must not be explained allegorically in every word, but only those which look to the general meaning. And this we shall certainly find indicated through symbols under the veil of allegory.

Moreover, the custom of Pythagoras, and the twofold association which he had with his familiars, calling some "hearers" ^B and others "mathematicians"—those who sincerely and genuinely grasped philosophy—signified that one thing was spoken, while another thing was hidden from many. Perhaps, too, that twofold kind of discourse of the Peripatetics, namely what is called "opinionable" and "knowable," is not far from dividing reputation and fame from true glory and truth.

"Let not the flowers of honors, granted by mortals, Overpower you, so you may speak of holy things more."

The Ionian Muses, at any rate, say expressly: "The vulgar crowd of men, and those who seem to themselves wise, follow the poets and use the laws, knowing that the many are evil, but few are good; but the best men pursue glory; for they choose, he says, the opposite of all, ^C the everlasting glory of mortals. But the many are filled like cattle, measuring happiness by the belly and the genitals and the most shameful things in us."

The great Parmenides of Elea also ^D [indicates that the twofold kind...]

ways, writing thus:

One indeed of truth is the heart, which is constant to believe well, But the other is the opinion of mortals, in which there is no true faith.

CAPUT X.

The judgment of the Apostles concerning the concealing of the mysteries of the faith.

Therefore, the divine Apostle rightly says: "By revelation it was made known to me the mystery (as I wrote before in few words, by which you can, when you read, understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets" (Ephes. iii, 3, 4, 5). For there is some doctrine to be learned even by the perfect, concerning which he writes to the Colossians, saying: "We do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, so that you may walk worthily of God, pleasing ^B him in all things, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power, according to the power of his glory" (Coloss. i, 9, 10, 11). And again: "According to the dispensation of God which is given to me," he says, "for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations, which is now" (Coloss. i, 25, 26, 27) "made known to his holy ones, to whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles" (Coloss. i, 26, 27). So then, some are the mysteries which were hidden until the apostles, and were delivered by them as they had received them from the Lord; and those hidden in the Old Testament were revealed to the saints. But the riches of the glory of the mystery in the Gentiles is another thing, which is faith and hope in Christ, whom he has elsewhere called the foundation (I Cor. iii, 10). And again, as if desiring ^C to manifest the knowledge, he writes thus: "Admonishing every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ" (Coloss. i, 28). Not "every man" absolutely, for then no one would be an infidel; nor does he call everyone who believes "perfect in Christ"; but he says "every man," just as if he were to say "the whole man," as having been purified in body and soul. For that there is not a knowledge for all, he openly subjoins: "Being constructed in"}

love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the knowledge of the mystery of God in Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden; continue in prayer, watching in the same with thanksgiving." And thanksgiving is rendered not only for the soul and spiritual goods, but also for the body and bodily goods. And he reveals still more clearly that knowledge is not for all, adding: "Praying together also for us, that God would open unto us a door to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also bound, that I may manifest it as I ought to speak." For there were certain things handed down to the Hebrews without writing. "For when you ought," he says, "to be teachers by reason of the time, as those who have grown old in the Old Testament, ^B you have need again that I teach you what are the elements of the beginning of the oracles of God; and you have become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food. For everyone who partakes of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe, entrusted with the first lessons. But solid food is for the perfect, for those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Wherefore, leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us be borne unto perfection." Furthermore, Barnabas, who himself also proclaimed the Word together with the Apostle in the ministry of the Gentiles, says: ^C "I write more simply to you, that you may understand." Then, a little below, exhibiting more manifestly a trace of Gnostic tradition, he says: "What does the other prophet Moses say to them? 'Behold, thus says the Lord God: Enter into the good land, which the Lord God, the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, swore; and possess it, a land flowing with milk and honey.' What does knowledge say? 'Learn,' he says, 'to hope in Jesus, who is about to be manifested to you in the flesh; for man is suffering earth; for from the face of the earth was the formation of Adam.' What then does ^D he say concerning the good land, flowing with milk and honey? 'Blessed be our Lord, O brethren, who has placed in us the wisdom and understanding of His hidden things.' For the Prophet says: 'Who shall understand the parable of the Lord, except he who is wise and knowing, and loves his Lord?' It is for the few to grasp these things. For the Lord does not command with envy, he says, in any Gospel: 'My mystery is for me and for the sons of my house'; in safety and without anxiety...

^A choosing those to be elected, so that when it has received the things akin to it, which it has chosen, it may become superior to zeal. For he who does not have knowledge of the good is evil, because there is one good, the Father; but to be ignorant of the Father is death, just as to know Him is eternal life, through participation in the power of the incorruptible. And not to decay is to share in divinity; but it is withdrawal from the knowledge of God that brings decay. Again the prophet: 'And I will give thee treasures hidden, dark, ^B invisible, that thou mayest know that I am the Lord God.' David also psalms in accordance with these things: 'For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the uncertain and hidden things of Thy wisdom Thou hast manifested to me.' 'For day unto day uttereth speech,' as is written openly, 'and night unto night declareth knowledge,' which is indeed mystically hidden; 'and there are no words nor speeches of which their voices are not heard'; by God, namely, who said, 'Shall one do things in secret, and I shall not see him?' For this reason, instruction is called enlightenment, as something that has manifested the things which were hidden, when the Master alone has opened the lid of the ark—contrary to which the poets say that Zeus shut the jar of good things, but opened that of evil things. ^C 'I know that when I come to you,' says the Apostle, 'I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.' He desires to impart, while present, the spiritual gift and the tradition, namely the Gnostic one (for these things could not be signified by letter), calling the fullness of Christ a revelation of a mystery, which had been kept silent for eternal times, but now...

has been manifested through the prophetic scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God, unto the obedience of faith to all the nations, who are known, that is, those who believe from among the nations, that He is. To a few of these, moreover, is it shown what these things are which are in ^A mystery. ^B With good reason, then, does Plato also, when discussing God in his *Epistles*, say: "It must be told to thee by enigmas, so that if anything should befall this tablet on the sea or on land, he who reads it may not understand." For the God of all, who transcends every voice, every thought, and every conception, could never be entrusted to writing, being by His own power ineffable; which Plato himself also declared, saying: "Considering these things, therefore, be careful lest you ever repent of those things which have now unworthily poured forth." "But," he says, "the greatest precaution of this matter is not to write, but to learn by heart; for it is not possible, it is not possible, that the things which are written should not escape." To these things, the holy apostle Paul speaks in a manner akin, maintaining the prophetic and truly ancient concealment, from which the beautiful dogmas flowed to the Greeks. "But we speak wisdom among the perfect; wisdom, however, not of this age, nor of the rulers of this age, who are being brought to nothing; but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden one." Then, having lowered his tone, he teaches in this way the caution against the spreading of his discourses to the crowd: "And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual, but as to carnal, as to infants in Christ; I fed you with milk, and not with meat; for you were not yet able, neither are you able even now; for you are still carnal." If, therefore, milk is that of the infants, but the meat of the perfect—for it is called nourishment by the apostles—milk will be understood as catechesis, just as the first nourishment of the soul; but meat as epoptic ^C contemplation, which are the very flesh and blood of the Word, that is, the comprehension of the divine power and essence. "Taste and see," he says, "that Christ is the Lord." For thus He imparts Himself to those who are participants in such spiritual food, when the soul itself nourishes itself from the gospel of Christ and the proclamation of Jesus Christ according to a revelation, which follows.

And baleful hunger drives her over the radiant earth; She roams, honored by neither gods nor mortals. For two jars lie on the threshold of Jove Of the gifts which he gives, the one of evils, the other indeed of goods: To whom he mixes and gives from the goods, ^D That man falls now into evil, now into good: But to whom he gives from the evils, he makes him a wretch over all injuries; And baneful misery drives him over the bounteous earth, And he wanders, honored by neither gods nor mortals.

The food of the perfect is said by the Apostle to be as follows: milk is the instruction, as it were the first food of the soul, which is to be understood; but food is the intuitive ^A contemplation, these being the flesh and blood of the Word, that is to say, the comprehension of the divine power and essence. "Taste and see," he says, "that Christ is the Lord." For in this way he communicates himself to those who partake of such food in a more spiritual manner, since the soul [note: referring to Plato, Phaedrus 219] now feeds itself according to the truth-loving Plato; for the eating and drinking of the divine Word is the knowledge of the divine essence: wherefore also Plato says in the second book of the *Republic*, that it is necessary to sacrifice not a pig, but some great and inaccessible sacrifice, and in this way to seek ^B concerning God. And the Apostle writes: "For our Passover was sacrificed, even Christ"; an inaccessible victim in truth, the Son of God sacrificed for us.

CHAPTER XI. That the best way to arrive at the true knowledge of God is to withdraw the mind as much as possible from carnal and worldly things; and that this is proven by the authority of philosophers.

But the sacrifice acceptable to God is the never-to-be-repented-of separation from the body and its passions; this is true piety in reality. And on this account, is not philosophy reasonably called a meditation on death? For he who does not bring ^C his sight to bear in contemplation, nor draw any other senses along with him, but rather encounters things with the pure mind itself, he is the one who pursues true philosophy. This, then, also was the intention of Pythagoras regarding the five-year silence, which he enjoined upon his pupils, so that, by turning away from sensible things, they might apply themselves to the divine ^D with the mind alone. [alt-version omitted] Those who practice philosophy meditate on nothing else than how to die and be dead. Explaining this, he adds shortly after: "The philosopher appears to be one who separates the soul as much as possible from communion with the body." Then he adds the reasoning further below: "It calculates then most excellently, when none of these things disturb it—neither hearing, nor pain, nor any pleasure—but when it becomes as much as possible by itself, letting the body be, and as far as it can, having no communion or contact with it, it reaches out for that which is."

^A Having thus turned away from sensible things, they contemplate the Divine with the pure mind. This is the philosophy learned from Moses by the most excellent of the Greeks. For He commands that, once the burnt offerings have been flayed, they should be divided limb by limb; because it is necessary that the Gnostic soul, having become naked of the material skin, free from the trifles of the body and all the passions which empty and false opinions bring upon it, and having stripped off carnal desires, be consecrated to the light. Most men, however, enfolding themselves in that which is mortal like snails, and rolled together in a ball like hedgehogs about their own lusts, entertain such opinions about the blessed and incorruptible God as they do about themselves. They do not observe, although they are near to us, that God has bestowed upon us innumerable things of which He himself does not partake: generation, while He is unbegotten; nourishment, while He is in need of nothing; increase, while He remains in equality; old age and death, while He is exempt from senility and death. Wherefore, let no one suppose that hands, and feet, and mouth, and eyes, and comings-in, and goings-out, and wrath, and threats ^B are spoken of in the Hebrew Scriptures as affections of God. By no means; but it is more pious to say that some of these names are used allegorically, which we shall clarify in their proper time as the discourse proceeds. The panacea for all things is wisdom, as Callimachus writes in his Epigrams. "One," he says, "is wise from another, both of old and now." ^{C D}

Bacchylides in his Paeans: "For it is not easy to discover the gates of unspoken words." Well, therefore, did Isocrates in the Panathenaicus, when he had first posited, "Whom then do I call educated?" subjoin: "First, those who use properly the things that happen each day, and whose judgment is fortunate in grasping opportunities, and who, for the most part, can conjecture what is useful; next, those who consort honestly and justly with those with whom they associate, and who bear easily and readily the annoyances and indignities brought by others, while manifesting themselves, as much as possible, as least burdensome and most moderate to those who consort with them; furthermore, those who have mastery over pleasures and are superior to them, yet are not defeated by adversities, but manifest themselves resolutely therein, and worthily regarding the nature of which we are participants. Fourthly, ^B which is the greatest, those whom success does not corrupt, nor are they led by it to intemperance and insolence, but remain in the order of those who are moderate and think aright." Then he adds the finishing touch to his discourse: "Those who possess a well-composed habit of soul not only toward one of these things, but toward all of them, these I call both sensible and perfect men, and [as having] all the virtues." Do you see how the Greeks also (although they do not know how it is necessary to know) celebrate the Gnostic life with divine praises, even if they do not know, even in a dream, what this knowledge is? ^C If, then, it is agreed among us that knowledge is a rational food, blessed indeed are they who, according to the Scripture, hunger and thirst for the truth, for they shall be filled with eternal food. Most wonderfully, the philosopher of the stage, Euripides, is found to be in accord with the things we have already said, silently signifying, I know not how, both Father and Son:

To you, the ruler of all, a libation, And offering the sacrificial meal, O Zeus, or if you prefer To be named Hades: but do you for me Accept a strange sacrifice of the fruits of the field, Full [and] flowing. ^D

^A For the offering for us is a perfect and in every way absolute, as well as a rare sacrifice, Christ. And that he speaks of the Savior himself, though unknowingly, he will make plain by adding:

Tu enim in cœlestibus Sceptrum Jovis tractans, Terrestrium autem, o Dis, es imperii particeps.

Then he plainly says:

Mitte quidem lucem, animas virorum Scire volentium certamina Undenam germinaverint : quænam radix malorum, Et quemnam ex beatis, cum exposuerint, Invenire possit quies laborum.

^B Not without reason, therefore, in the mysteries also which are celebrated among the Greeks, lustrationes have the first place, just as they do among the barbarians, whom we call the laver. After these are the small mysteries, which have some foundation of doctrine and preparation for future things. In the great mysteries, however, it does not remain to learn further about all things, but to contemplate and to grasp with the mind both the nature [of things] and the things themselves. We shall receive, then, the mode of purification through confession, and that of contemplation through resolution, proceeding to the primary intelligence by way of resolution, taking our beginning from things subject to it, removing from the body its natural qualities, and stripping away the dimension which is in depth; and then the one which is in breadth; and ^C ...and they would commit themselves entirely to their will, placing it in their own discretion, in order that from many [names] they might choose the name by which they were most pleased and through which they best recognized their own intentions. This Catullus did in his Hymn to Diana; for when he had called her by many names, he added, "Be you by whatever name it pleases you, O holy one, to be called"; and Euripides, whose passage is cited by Clement in book V of the *Stromata*, and Socrates in the *Philebus*:

COLLECT.—Grotius amended these verses in this manner and ordered them in his excerpts from the uncertain tragedies of Euripides, p. 431:

Tibi cunctorum domino vinum Salsamque molam fero, seu Ditis Tu sive Jovis nomine gaudes. Cunctis larga defusa manu De frugibus accipe dona. Tu namque deos superos inter Sceptrum tractas sublime Jovis, Idem regnum terrestre tenes. Tu lucem animis infunde virum, Qui scire volunt, quo sata mentis Lucis sit ortu, quæ causa mali, Cui cælicolum rite litando Requiem sit habere laborum.

^A And after this, that which is in length. For what remains is the point, which is an unit, so to speak, having position; from which if we remove position, the unit is conceived. If, therefore, having removed everything that pertains to bodies and to those things which are called incorporeal, we cast ^B ourselves into the magnitude of Christ, and from there proceed into his immensity in holiness, we shall somehow reach an understanding of the Almighty, though not so as to know what He is, but what He is not. For figure, and motion, or status, or throne, or place, or right hand, or left hand, are not even to be conceived regarding the Father of all, even if these things have been written concerning Him; but what each of them signifies will be shown in its proper place. Therefore, the first cause is not in a place, but above place, and time, and name, and understanding. For this reason Moses also says, "Show me thyself," ^B most evidently hinting that God cannot be taught by men, nor expressed in words, but is known only by the power that proceeds from Him; for the search is dim and blind, but the grace of knowledge is from Him through the Son. And Solomon will bear most clear witness to us, saying thus: "The wisdom of man is not in me, but God gives me wisdom; and I know holy things." ^C Now, Moses allegorically called divine wisdom the tree of life, planted in paradise; which paradise can also be the world, in which all things that have proceeded from creation have sprung up. In it, the Word also flourished and bore fruit, having become flesh, and He gave life to those who tasted of His goodness; since not even without the wood does He come to our knowledge, for our life was hung upon our faith. And Solomon again says: "It is a tree of immortality ^D to those who lay hold of it." For this reason he says: "Behold, I set before thy face life and death; to love the Lord thy God, and to walk in His ways, and to hear His voice, and to believe in the life. But if you shall transgress the ordinances and judgments which I have given you, you shall perish by destruction; for this is the life and the length of thy days, to love the Lord thy God." Again: Abraham

^A having come to the place which God told him, on the third day, looking up, sees the place from afar. For the first day is that which comes through the sight of beautiful things; the second is the desire of an excellent soul; but on the third, the mind discerns spiritual things, the eyes of the understanding having been opened by the Teacher, who rose on the third day. The three days might also be taken as a mystery of the seal, by which He who truly is, is believed to be God. Rightly, therefore, does he see the place from afar; for the region of God is difficult to reach, which Plato has called the region of ideas, having received from Moses that it is a place, as it contains all things, and the whole. But it is with good reason that it is seen from afar by Abraham, because he is in the state of generation, and is being instructed continuously by an angel. Hence the Apostle ^B says: "We see now as in a mirror, but then face to face," that is, by those pure and incorporeal applications of the mind alone. It is possible for one, in discoursing about God, to divine, if he attempts through reason, without any of the senses, to contend toward that which is each thing, and not to depart from the things that are, before, ascending to those that are eminent above it, which is the Good, he grasps it with the understanding itself, dwelling in the very end of that which can be grasped by the understanding, according to Plato. Again, Moses, not permitting altars and shrines to be built in many places, but having established one temple of God, announced God as both the only-begotten world, as Basilides says, and the One, as he no longer thinks, according to Basilides ^C. And that the Gnostic Moses does not include the inaccessible in a place, he set up no venerable image in the temple; declaring that God is invisible and indescribable, yet leading the Hebrews in some way to the knowledge of God through the honor of the name in the temple. But the Word, in forbidding both the construction of shrines and all sacrifices, hints that the Almighty is not in any place, by what He says: "What kind of house will you build for me," says the Lord? "Heaven is my throne," and the rest. And concerning sacrifices likewise: "I do not desire the blood ^D of bulls and the fat of lambs," and all that follows, which the Holy Spirit forbids through the prophet. Most beautifully, therefore, Euripides also agrees with these, writing: What house, fashioned by the hands of builders, Could contain the infinite God?

^A And similarly regarding sacrifices, he says: "For God, if He is truly God, has no need Of anything; these are the worthless stories Of poets." For God has not made the world for the sake of utility, in order that He might—as Plato puts it—reap honors from men and from other gods and demons, like a sort of income or revenue drawn from creation; receiving, as it were, smoke from us, and the appropriate offerings and ministrations from the gods and demons. ^B Most educationally, therefore, Paul speaks in the Acts of the Apostles: "God, who made the world and all things in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all breath, life, and all things." Zeno, the founder of the Stoic sect, also says in his book *On the Republic* that one should neither build temples nor make images, for nothing that is manufactured is worthy of the gods. He is not afraid to write in these very words: "There will be no need to build temples; for a temple is not to be reckoned as a thing of great value or something holy; for no work of builders and craftsmen is of any great value or holy." ^C Reasonably, therefore, Plato also, knowing the world to be the temple of God, pointed out to the citizens a place in the city where images ought to be deposited. Privately, however, he forbade anyone to possess images of the gods. "Let no other person, therefore," he says, "consecrate shrines to the gods. For gold and silver, both in other cities privately and in shrines, is an invidious possession; and ivory, as it has left the body of an animal, is not a chaste gift to God. Iron and bronze are instruments of war. Whatever piece of wood anyone wishes, from a single trunk, or stone, in the public shrines..." ^D and so on. "Let there be, therefore, a law imposed upon all simply: Let no one have shrines in private houses. Whenever someone feels the need to sacrifice, let him go to the public places to sacrifice. And let moderate offerings be presented to the gods by moderate men. For the earth and the hearth of one's home are the holy temples of all the gods for everyone. Therefore, let no one consecrate shrines to the gods a second time."

Let him consecrate them thus, as one would also stones to common ^A sanctuaries. Reasonably, therefore, does the great Epistle say: "For it is impossible to express it in words, as other disciplines can; but after much intimate association with the subject itself, and living together with it, suddenly, like a light leaping from a fire, it becomes enkindled in the soul, and henceforth nourishes itself." Are not these things similar to what was said by the prophet Sophonias? "And a spirit took me up and carried me into the fifth heaven, and I was contemplating the angels who were called 'lords,' and their diadem was placed upon them in the Holy Spirit, and the throne of each of them was seven times greater than the light of the rising sun, and they were dwelling in temples of salvation and praising God the ineffable, the Most High."

Chapter XII.

For to find the Father and Maker of this universe is difficult, and when you have found Him, to declare Him to all is impossible. It is by no means utterable as other disciplines are, as the truth-loving Plato says. For he had heard very well how the most wise Moses, as he ascended the mountain for the sake of holy contemplation, necessarily separates himself from the summit of those things perceived by the intellect, not allowing all the people to ascend with him. And when the Scripture says, "Moses went into the darkness where God was" (Exod. xx, 21), this signifies to those who are able to understand that God is invisible and ineffable. And the darkness is, in truth, the unbelief and ignorance of the multitude, which is set as an obstacle before the splendor of the truth. And Orpheus, the theologian, being helped from this, said:

^C "One is self-perfect; of the One all things are made."

^A It is natural; for it is written thus: he adds:

"... Neither does any mortal see him, but he himself sees all."

More clearly he adds:

"I do not see him; for a cloud is set about him. For all mortals, the pupils of their eyes are small, Since flesh and bone have grown over them." ^B

The Apostle will bear witness to what has been said, when he says: "I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven, and from there into paradise; who heard ineffable words, which it is not permitted for a man to speak." By this he hints at the ineffable nature of God; not adding that it is "not permitted" due to law or the fear of some commandment, but by holy power indicating that the Divine cannot be uttered in words—if indeed that which is above the third heaven begins to be spoken of, as it is lawful for those who initiate the chosen souls there. For I know the things in Plato (for the present method of writing suggests to me now many examples from barbarian philosophy, awaiting the fitting time according to my earlier promises) where many heavens are conceived. ^C At any rate, having doubted in the *Timaeus* whether one must believe in a plurality of worlds or only this one, he is indifferent about the terms, calling the world and the heaven by names without distinction; and the phrasing goes like this: "Whether, then, we have rightly called it one heaven, or many and infinite? It would be more correct to say one, if indeed it has been fashioned according to the pattern." But also in the Epistle to the Corinthians, it is written: "Ocean is infinite to men, and the worlds that are after it." Following ^D these things, therefore, the divine Apostle again exclaims: "O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!"

* II Cor. xii, 2, 4. ** Rom. xi, 33.

^A Was this, then, not what the prophet was hinting at, by commanding that "hearth-cakes" (which are called "hidden things") be made as unleavened bread, signifying that the truly holy mystic Word concerning the Unbegotten and His powers ought to be hidden? Confirming these things in his Epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle has spoken openly: "Yet among the mature we speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, which is hidden." And again, elsewhere, he says: "To reach all the riches of full assurance in understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Our Savior Himself seals these things, saying thus: "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of heaven." And again, the Gospel says that our Savior spoke the word to the Apostles in a mystery. For the prophecy also says concerning Him: "He will open His mouth in parables, and will utter things hidden from the foundation of the world." Now, indeed, the Lord also indicates this concealment through the parable of the leaven; for He says: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until it was all leavened." For either the tripartite soul is saved through obedience—by the spiritual power which is hidden within it through faith—or because the power of the Word given to us, being short and mighty, draws to itself everyone who has received it and possessed it within himself, and leads his whole composition into unity. These things, therefore, are most ^B wisely written by Solon concerning God:

"Of judgment the obscure measure is most difficult to know, But it alone holds the limits of all things."

For the divine, the Agrigentine poet says:

"It is not possible to approach Him with our eyes, Or to grasp Him with our hands, which is truly the greatest Road of persuasion that falls into the minds of men." ^C

^A And John the apostle: "No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known." Having named the invisible and ineffable bosom of God, some have from this called Him "the deep," as one who has encompassed and embraced all things, and is inaccessible and infinite. ^B Indeed, this discourse concerning God is the most difficult to handle. For since the beginning of everything is difficult to find, the first and most ancient beginning is certainly altogether difficult to demonstrate, which is also the cause for all other things that they might come to be and exist. For how could that which is ineffable be spoken of, which is neither a genus, nor a difference, nor a species, nor an individual, nor a number; and moreover, neither some accident, nor that to which something is accidental? Nor would one rightly call Him "the whole"; for "the whole" relates to magnitude, and He is the Father of the wholes. Nor, indeed, must one speak of any parts of Him; for the One is indivisible. For this reason, it is also infinite, not understood as that which cannot be traversed, but as that which implies no intervals and has no limits. ^C And therefore, it is without shape and without name. Even if we ever name it, we do not do so properly—calling it either the One, or the Good, or the Mind, or the Being itself, or Father, or God, or Creator, or Lord—we do not speak by proffering His name, but we employ good names because of our helplessness, so that the mind may have these to lean upon, not wandering about other things. For each does not indicate God, but all contribute together to manifest the power of the Almighty. For what is said is expressed either from what is inherent in them ^D so that they might be distinguished from one another; and therefore God, since He is unique, and has no like or equal, has need of no name. Furthermore, His nature, which is little known to us and ineffable, cannot be described by a proper name. Hence, it is a constant doctrine, both of the Fathers and of the philosophers, that God lacks a name. Clement asserts above in *Paedagogus*, book I, ch. 7, that God, though He previously persisted without a name, assumed a name through man. For God has no need of a name, yet He bestowed His own name upon the human race, so that having a refuge for prayers and supplications, they might not be destitute of good hope.

^A nor is it possible to derive anything concerning God from the relationship between these things. Nor is He apprehended by demonstrative science; for this consists of things prior and more familiar, whereas nothing pre-exists the Unbegotten. It remains, then, for us to understand the Unknown by divine grace and by the Word alone who is with Him; just as Luke also records in the Acts of the Apostles that Paul said: "Men of Athens, I see that in every way you are more superstitious. For as I was passing through ^B and observing your objects of worship, I found also an altar on which was inscribed: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing Him, Him I proclaim to you."

CHAPTER XIII

That according to the philosophers, the knowledge of God is a divinely given gift, and ought to be sought especially by those who have been deemed worthy of divine inspiration.

Whatever therefore falls under a name is begotten, whether they wish it or not. Whether, then, the Father Himself draws to Himself everyone who has lived purely and has advanced to the conception of the blessed nature, into which no decay falls; or whether the free will that is in us, coming to the knowledge of the good, leaps over the barriers, as they say in the gymnasia: yet not without exceptional grace does the soul grow and rise up, ^C and is lifted above those things which are pre-eminent; laying aside whatever is heavy, and restoring it to what is akin to it. Plato also says in the Meno that virtue is divinely given, as these words of his show: "From this reasoning, then, O Meno, it appears to us that virtue comes by divine lot to those to whom it comes." Does it not seem to you that the divine lot is...

^D ...cares for everything inanimate and traverses the whole heaven, taking on different forms at different times. For when it is perfect and winged, it moves on high and governs the whole world; but when it has lost its wings, it is carried until it catches hold of something solid; having taken up its dwelling there, and having received an earthen body, that body seems to move itself because of the soul's power, and the whole is called a living being, a soul and body compacted together. Then he proceeds to recount how the soul loses its wings, and having recovered them again, returns to heaven... the soul flying upward, is restored to its kindred substance, that is, to the earth.

in which virtue is a portion which befalls those to whom it befalls. ^A Does it not seem to you that he hints at the gnostic faculty which has reached all men, that it is a divine portion? He adds more clearly: "But if we have now in all this discourse searched well, virtue would be neither by nature nor by teaching, but a divine portion which befalls, not without mind, those to whom it befalls." Therefore, wisdom, being from God and the power of the Father, rouses our free will, admits faith, and rewards our care and attention with the supreme communion of election. And indeed, I shall bring Plato himself before you, already explicitly demanding belief in the sons of God; for having discoursed in the *Timaeus* concerning the invisible and generated gods ^B, he says: "But to speak of the other daimons, and to know their birth, is a work greater than our capacity; one must believe those who have spoken before, who were, as they said, children of the gods, and clearly knew their own ancestors. It is impossible, therefore, not to believe the children of the gods, even though they speak without probable and necessary demonstrations." ^C I do not think our Savior, and those who have been anointed unto prophecy, could be more clearly attested by the Greeks—those being declared children of God, and the Lord being the genuine Son—to be true witnesses of divine things; wherefore he added that one must believe them, as they are inspired by God. And if someone should speak more tragically, that one should not believe: "For it was not Zeus who proclaimed these things to me": let him know that God Himself proclaimed the Scriptures through the Son. Worthy of trust is He who announces His own things; for, "No one," says the Lord, "knew the Father, except the Son, and he to whom the Son shall reveal Him." ^D Therefore this must be believed, even according to Plato, even if it is preached and spoken through the Old and the New Testament without probable and necessary demonstrations. For "If you do not believe," says the Lord, "you will die in your sins."

Again: "He who believes has eternal life." ^A Blessed, therefore, are all who have confidence in Him; for to be confident is greater than faith. For when someone knows that the Son of God is our teacher, he is confident that His teaching is true. And just as learning, according to Empedocles, increases the mind, so confidence in the Lord increases faith. We say that it belongs to the same people to blame philosophy, to attack faith, to praise injustice, and to deem a life lived according to desire and lust to be a happy one. Yet faith, even if it is a voluntary assent of the soul, is nonetheless a worker of good things and a foundation of righteous action. Even if Aristotle disputes it, teaching that "doing" is ascribed even to irrational animals and inanimate objects, while "acting" belongs only to men, let him correct those who say that God is the Maker of the universe. What is done, he says, is either a good or a necessity; to do injustice, therefore, is not a good; ^B for no one does injustice except for the sake of something else. But of things that are necessary, nothing is voluntary; to do injustice, however, is voluntary, so it is not necessary. The virtuous differ from the wicked most of all in their pursuits and good desires. For every wickedness of the soul is with intemperance, and he who acts out of passion acts through intemperance and wickedness. Therefore, in every instance, it occurs to me to marvel at that divine voice: "Amen, amen I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up another way, he is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep; to him the gatekeeper opens." ^C Then, continuing the subject, the Lord says: "I am the door of the sheep." It is necessary, therefore, to learn the truth through Christ in order to be saved, even if they have attained Greek philosophy; for it has now been clearly shown—that which was not made known to other generations—that it has now been revealed to the sons of men. For the manifestation of the one omnipotent God was always natural to all who think rightly; and most men—those who have not completely cast off all shame toward the truth—have partaken of the eternal benefit through divine Providence. And to speak briefly, Xenocrates the Chalcedonian does not entirely despair that there is a knowledge of God even in animals devoid of reason. Democritus, ^D even if he does not wish to, will confess it through the consequence of his own doctrines; for he has made the same phantoms to fall upon men, and upon

^A animals void of reason from the divine essence. It is a long way off for man to be devoid of divine knowledge, he who is recorded in Genesis to have partaken of the inspiration, as one who has shared in a purer essence than the other animals. Hence, the followers of Pythagoras say that intellect comes to men by a divine allotment, as Plato and Aristotle confess. But we, for our part, say that the Holy Spirit is breathed in addition upon him who has believed ^B; whereas the followers of Plato locate intellect—as being an efflux of a divine portion—within the soul, and the soul within the body. For it has been spoken openly through Joel, one of the twelve prophets: *And it shall be after these things, I will pour out of my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy* (Joel II, 28). But the spirit is not in each one of us as a part of God. How this distribution is made, and what the Holy Spirit is, will be shown to us in the books on prophecy and in the books on the soul. But according to Heraclitus, a good unbelief is necessary to hide the depths of knowledge: for unbelief escapes being known. ^B

CHAPTER XIV

That the Greeks stole their doctrines from the books of the Hebrews.

The next thing to be rendered is that we must more clearly set forth the Greek theft from the barbarian philosophy. For the Stoics say that God is a body, and spirit in essence, just as they would have it of the soul. All these things you will find directly in the Scriptures. Do not, I pray, consider now their allegories, as the Gnostic truth delivers, if they show something else—as the wise wrestlers ^C are wont to do—denoting one thing while they mean another. For they say that God pervades through all substance, but we say that he is the Maker...

(69). For it brought them ^A to that which is said in Wisdom: "It pervades and penetrates through all things by reason of its purity" (70); since they did not understand that this is said of the Wisdom which was first-created by God. Yes, they say; but the philosophers postulate matter among the principles, both the Stoics, and Plato, and Pythagoras (71), and even Aristotle the Peripatetic; but they do not postulate one principle. Let them know, then, that ^B that which they call "matter" is void of quality and form (72), as they themselves say (73), and that it was even more daringly called "non-existent" by Plato. And as for the fact that he was aware of the one truly existing principle, does he not say so in the *Timaeus* (74) in these very words: "For the present (75), the matter regarding all things—whether it be one principle or many (76), or howsoever (77) it seems regarding these—must not be told, for no other reason than because it is difficult, according to the present method of exposition, to explain these opinions." Besides, that prophetic utterance, "The earth was invisible and unformed" (78), gave them some handle for a material substance. And Epicurus indeed, to maintain that all things came to pass by chance and accident, was led to this because he did not grasp the force of that saying: "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity" (79); just as Aristotle, in limiting providence to the lunar sphere (80), drew from this Psalm: "O Lord, in the heaven is ^C thy mercy, and thy truth unto the clouds" (81). For the manifestation of the prophetic mysteries had not yet been revealed before the coming of the Lord. And furthermore, the punishments after death and the punishment by fire, which have their source in barbarian philosophy—the entire poetical muse ^D

as well as Greek philosophy—stole from it. Plato ^A in the last book of the *Republic* says in these very words: "Then indeed, savage men, fiery to behold, stood by, and 85 observing the speech, they seized some and led them away, but Aridaeus and the others, having bound their hands and feet and head and thrown them down and flayed them, they dragged them outside along the road, carding them on thorns." For these fiery men signify the angels, who, having snatched up the unjust, punish them; according to the text: "Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire." 90 91 It follows from these things that the soul is immortal; for that which is punished or disciplined, being endowed with sensation, lives, even if it is said to suffer. 92 93 What then? Does not Plato know of rivers of fire and the depths of the earth, terming that which is called Gehenna by the ^B barbarians—prophetically speaking—Tartarus, 94 95 as well as Cocytus 96 and Acheron and Pyriphlegethon, and other such 97 restraining punishments that discipline toward correction? And the angels of the little ones, 98 according to the Scripture, who behold the face of [the Father]— ^{C D}

CHAPTER V

^A led before the coming of the Lord. And furthermore, the punishments after death and the punishment by fire, which have their source in barbarian philosophy—the entire poetical muse, as well as Greek philosophy—stole from it. Plato at the end of the *Republic* says in explicit and conceived words: "For then indeed," he says, "savage men, and fiery in appearance, hearing a roaring, were present, and having led others aside, they seized Aridaeus and the rest, and with hands and feet and necks bound together, they threw them on the ground, and having flayed their skin, they dragged them along the road outside, tearing them through the midst of the thorns." For these fiery men signify the angels, who, having snatched up the wicked, punish them; according to that saying: "Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire." [4*] From these things it follows that the soul is immortal. For that which is either punished or disciplined, since it is endowed with sense, must necessarily live, even if it is said to suffer. What then? Has Plato also recognized the rivers of fire and that depth of the earth which is called Gehenna by the barbarians, whom he himself poetically named Tartarus; and besides, Cocytus, Acheron, Pyriphlegethon, and similar places and kinds of punishments by which the morals of men are chastened? The same [author recognized] those whom we have from Scripture, the angels of the little ones and the least, who behold God Himself.

^A And as for the supervision of those set over us through the angels, he does not hesitate to write: "Since all souls had chosen their lives as they fell to them by lot, they proceeded in order to Lachesis; and she sent with each one, as a guardian of his life and a fulfiller of the things chosen, the daemon whom he had chosen for himself." And perhaps the daemon of Socrates signified something such as this. Furthermore, the philosophers handed down the origin of the world, which they had received from Moses. Among them, Plato says explicitly: "Whether it always existed, having no beginning of generation, or whether it has come into being, having started from some beginning; for it is visible, and it is tangible, and it has a body." ^B And again, when he says: "To find the Maker and Father of this universe is difficult," he not only shows that the world is created, but also signifies that it has come into existence from Him, as though from a father—a son; since he wishes it to have been sown by that One and created from nothing. The Stoics also hold the same opinion concerning the origin of the world. Furthermore, the devil, whom you hear spoken of so often in "barbarian philosophy" as the prince of the daemons, Plato, in the tenth book of his *Laws*, calls a "maleficent soul" in these words: ^C "Is it necessary to say that the soul which governs and dwells in all things that are moved in every direction, also governs the heaven itself? Certainly. One, or many? I shall answer for you: many. We may rightly posit not fewer than two, the one beneficent, and the other capable of working the opposite." The same author writes these things also in the *Phaedrus*: "There are, indeed, other evils; but ^D a daemon mingled for the majority in the immediate moment pleasure, like a cunning, fearful, and great harm; nevertheless, Nature mingled..."

some demon has mingled pleasure with the present at the moment. ^A But even in the tenth book of the *Laws*, he clearly demonstrates that apostolic saying: "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers," against the spiritual hosts of those who dwell in the heavens; ^B writing there in some such way as this: "Since we have agreed among ourselves that the heaven is full of many good things, and also of their opposites, and of the latter even more, we say that such a battle is indeed an immortal one, and requires remarkable caution." Barbarian philosophy likewise recognizes a twofold world: the one perceived by the intellect, the other by the senses; the former of which is the archetype, while the latter is an image of the so-called pattern. ^C And it assigns the one, as being intelligible, to the monad, but the sensible one to the senary. For among the Pythagoreans, the number six is called a "marriage," as being a generative number; and in the monad it establishes the invisible heaven, and the holy earth, and the intelligible light: "For in the beginning," it says, "God made the heaven and the earth; but the earth was invisible." Then it adds further: ^D "And God said, Let there be light, and there was light." In the creation of this sensible world, it constructs the solid heaven (and the solid is the sensible), and the earth.

^A Does it not appear to you from this that Plato leaves the ideas of living beings in the intelligible world, and fashions the sensible forms and genera ^B by the intelligible? With good reason, therefore, Moses says that the body is fashioned from earth, which Plato calls an earthly tabernacle; but the rational soul is breathed from above by God into the face. ^B For here, they say, the ruling faculty is established, interpreting the soul's entrance into the first-created being as through the senses; wherefore also man was made "according to the image and likeness." For the image of God is the divine and royal Word, an impassible man; but the image of the image is the human mind. ^B If you wish to take the assimilation by another name, you would find in Moses ^C what is called divine following; for he says: "Walk after the Lord your God, and keep His commandments." And I consider all who are virtuous to be followers and worshippers of God. ^C From this, the Stoics have said that the end of philosophy is to live consistently with nature; but Plato, assimilation to God, as we have shown in the second Stromateis. And Zeno ^D the Stoic, having taken it from Plato—and he from the barbarian philosophy—says that all good men are friends to one another. He speaks according to the genera, of the intelligible. Since this is the case, we must next state, to which of the animals he who fashions it made it similar. Let us not deign to attribute it to any of those that are by nature in the form of a part. For nothing beautiful could ever be like something imperfect. But let us posit that it is most similar to that which is the whole, of which all other animals are parts, both individually and by genera. For that intelligible animal embraces in itself all intelligible things, just as this world embraces us and all other visible creatures that are established. For God, wishing to make this world most similar to the fairest and in all respects perfect of the things that are understood, fashioned it as one visible animal containing within itself all the animals that are by nature akin to it. And just as He allots certain dwellings to each, He also distributed the sojourns within the body. He considers the rational part of the soul to have obtained the region at the summit of the head as a sort of acropolis, surrounded by all the sensory organs; but of the irrational part, the spirited part dwells around the heart, and the appetites of the desires are in the liver. But the image of the image is the human mind. "Walk after the Lord your God, and you shall fear Him, and you shall hear His voice, and you shall be joined to Him." Plato is very much of the opinion that it is only among the virtuous that there is friendship because of the likeness, and that among the base there is no friendship, but...

^A that it is not fated for evil to be a friend to evil, nor for the virtuous man not to be a friend to the virtuous. This point he also proves sufficiently in the *Lysis*, showing that friendship could never be preserved in injustice and wickedness. Likewise, the Athenian stranger says that there is a way of life that is friendly and harmonious with God, holding to an ancient argument: that like is friendly to like when it is moderate, while things that are immoderate are friendly neither to the immoderate nor to the moderate. Now God would be for us the measure of all things. Then, lowering his tone, he adds again: "For every good man is like the good man; and because of this, he is also like God, and is a friend to everything good, and to God." ^B Coming to this point, I was reminded of that passage as well. For at the end of the *Timaeus*, he says: "One must make the observing faculty like the object being observed, according to its ancient nature; and having made it like, one must attain the end of the best life proposed to men by the gods, for both the present and the future time." For it means the same thing as these: "He who seeks will not cease until he finds; and having found, he will be amazed; and being amazed, he will reign; and having reigned, he will rest." What then? Does not the statement of Thales also draw from these sources, when it interprets for us how God is glorified for ages of ages, and is called the Knower of hearts? For when asked, Thales truly said, "What is the Divine?" [He replied:] "That which has neither... ^C ...and is different and unjust. Whoever, therefore, desires to be a friend to such a person, it is necessary that he become as much as possible, according to his own strength, such as He is. And according to this reasoning, whoever of men is temperate is a friend to God. For he is like Him. But the intemperate [man] is unlike, and different, and unjust. ... But the motions within us that are related to the divine are the thoughts and revolutions of the Universe. Each of us must follow these, and by coming to understand the harmonies and revolutions of the Universe, one must correct the revolutions in our head that were corrupted at our birth, to make the observing faculty like the object being observed, according to its ancient nature... ^D ...to the end of the life proposed to us by God as the best, both in the present time and in the future. ... Quid sit Deus? [What is God?] asked Thales, who replied: [That] which is without beginning and end."

^A Being asked if a man doing wrong escapes the notice of the gods, he said, "Not even by thinking it." Pittacus of Mitylene, being asked if one who does something base escapes the notice of the gods, replied, "Not even by thinking it." Behold, I have set before your face this day life and death, good and evil. I have set life and death before your faces, the blessing and the curse; choose life, that you and your seed may live. The Lord your God, to listen to his voice, and to cleave to him, for this is your life and the length of your days.

^B Being asked by another if a man doing anything escapes the notice of the divine, "And how," he said, "when he does not even think it?" For foreign philosophy knows that only the good is honorable, and that virtue suffices for happiness, when it says: *Behold, I have set before your eyes the good and the evil, life and death; choose life.* For it calls the good "life," and the choice of this "good"; but [it calls] the choice of the opposite "evil." And the end of the good and of life is to become a lover of God. *For this is your life and your long-livedness, to love [the One] who is toward the truth.* It holds those things more clearly. For the Savior, having commanded [us] to love God and our neighbor, says that the whole Law and the Prophets depend upon these two commandments. The Stoics proclaim these dogmas, and before them Socrates in the *Phaedrus*, praying: *Pan ^C and other gods, grant me to become beautiful within. As for what I have without, may it be friendly to what is within.* In the *Theaetetus* he says outright: *For he who speaks beautifully is beautiful and good.* And in the *Protagoras*, he confesses to his companions that he has met a Protagoras more beautiful than Alcibiades; for if the most wise is the most beautiful—for he said that virtue is the beauty of the soul, and conversely, vice is the baseness of the soul. Antipater, ^D then, the Stoic, [alt-version omitted] ... *O friend Pan, and all you other gods who dwell here, grant me to become beautiful within; and as for what I have without, let it be in harmony with what is within.* ... *For you are beautiful, O Theaetetus, and not, as Theodorus said, ugly; for he who speaks beautifully is beautiful and good.* ... *Het*[air]. *And so the stranger seemed to you so beautiful that he appeared to you more beautiful than the son of Clinias?* *Soc*[rates]. *For how, my blessed friend, should the most wise not appear more beautiful?* *Het*[air]. *But do you come to us after having met some wise man, O Socrates?* *Soc*[rates]. *With the most wise, indeed, of those of our own day, if Protagoras seems to you to be the wisest of all others.*

^A A Stoic, having written three books on the subject, "That according to Plato only the honorable is the good," demonstrates that, even according to him, virtue is sufficient for happiness. He adduces several other dogmas agreeable to the Stoics. As for Aristobulus, ^B who lived in the time of Ptolemy Philadelphus, and of whom mention is made by the one who composed the Epitome of the acts of the Maccabees, there were sufficient books, by which he demonstrates that the Peripatetic philosophy depended upon the law of Moses and the other prophets. And let these things be as they are. But that we are brothers, as children of the one God and disciples of the one Teacher, Plato also seems to declare somewhere, in this way: "For you are all brothers," he says, "who are in the city (for so we shall tell this myth to them). But God, the molder, when he was creating you, mixed gold into those of you who were capable of ruling; therefore they are most precious. And to those who were auxiliaries, he mixed silver; and iron and copper for the ^C farmers and other craftsmen." Whence he says it is necessary that they be greeted and loved, these ones for those things in which there is knowledge, and those ones for those things in which there is opinion. Perhaps he is divining that this elect nature of ours is longing for knowledge; unless, by positing three certain natures, he is outlining three forms of government, as some have supposed: the silver for the Jews, the third for the Greeks, and for the Christians, ^D to whom is the gold.

in which that royal Spirit is infused, he has, I say, called golden. ^A Indeed, he has expressed the very life of the Christians in these words in the *Theaetetus*: "Let us speak, then," he says, "of those foremost in philosophy; for why should we trouble ourselves about those who but poorly occupy themselves with philosophy? They are ignorant of the way that leads to the market-place, they do not know where the law-court or the senate-house is, or any other public assembly of the city; they neither see nor hear laws and decrees; ^B as for the cliques and party associations for creating magistrates, and meetings, and banquetings with flute-girls, it does not even enter their dreams to act in any of these. Whether anything has been done well or ill in the city, or what evil has happened to anyone from their ancestors, escapes them more than the so-called 'Choes' of the sea. ^C And they do not even know that they are ignorant of these things, but in very truth their body alone lies and dwells in the city; but their mind, as Pindar says, flies ^D beneath the earth, and above the heavens, measuring and investigating every nature everywhere." Again, to use the saying of the Lord: "Let your Yes be [Yes], and your No, No."

^A But for me to concede what is false, and to make away with what is true, is by no means permitted. The prohibition concerning swearing also harmonizes with the statement in the tenth book of the Laws: "Let praise and an oath in every matter be absent." And Pythagoras, ^B and Socrates, and Plato, who confirm that they hear the voice of God, while they contemplate the fabric of this universe, which the divine hand fashioned perfectly and preserves perpetually; they have listened entirely to Moses, saying, "He said, and it was done," by which he declares that the work itself is the voice of God. But while they are concerned with that formation of man from the dust; philosophers everywhere call the body earthly; and Homer does not hesitate, by way of a curse, to use the words, ^C "But may you all become water and earth." Just as Isaiah, saying, "And trample them as mud." And Callimachus will write clearly: "That was the year, in which the winged race, And that in the sea, and the four-footed, thus Spoke, as the mud of Prometheus." And again the same, ".... if Prometheus," he said, "Fashioned you, and you were not made from other mud." ^D

Hesiod too ^A says of Pandora: He bade renowned Vulcan, with all haste, To mix earth with water, and to place within it a human voice And mind.

The Stoics, therefore, define nature as an artificial fire, proceeding by a method to generation; but by the name of fire and light, Scripture allegorically signifies God or His Word. And what then? Does not Homer himself, by a certain paraphrase, explain the separation of the water from the earth and the uncovering of the dry land, when he speaks of the discord of Tethys and Ocean: For long have they both stood apart from one another, In couch and in love.

Furthermore, the most learned among the Greeks attribute the supreme power in all things to God. Epicharmus indeed (who was a Pythagorean) ^B says in these verses: Nothing escapes the Divine: this you must know. He is our overseer himself; and there is nothing Which God cannot do.

And the lyric poet, thus: God is able from the deep Night to summon the pure day; And again, in black shadows To hide the bright beam of day.

He who alone, he says, is able to make night when the day is present, is God. And Aratus in the [work] entitled *Phenomena* ^C says: Let us begin with Zeus, whom we men never Leave unspoken; and of Zeus all the streets are full, And all the marketplaces of men; and full is the sea, And the harbors; and everywhere we all have need of Zeus.

Nothing escapes the Divine; this you must know. He is our overseer himself; and there is nothing Which God cannot do. ^D

^A And he subjoins the reason, Quip­pe trahit, creatione videlicet, ... Genus omnis ab illo Qui blanda homines pietate fovendo, Laeta ollis dat signa manu, populosque frequentes Ultro operi accingit: certo namque ordine caelum Sideribus sparsit variis, annique coronam Texuit, apta suis ut munera quaeque notarent Temporibus, laetoque genus subolescere fetu Quodque darent. Huic prima omnes, huic ultima Vota ferunt. Salve, o genitor, quem suspicit orbis, Atque boni auctorem sentit.

And before Aratus, Homer, in that shield which Vulcan had wrought, describing the creation of the world according to Moses, says, Fecerat hic terras, caelumque, salumque profundum, Astraque purpurea caelum quae luce coronant.

For Zeus, who is sung through the poems and prose writings, refers the thought to God. ^B And even now, if I may say so, Democritus writes that there are some few men, enlightened by the light, who lift up their hands to what we Greeks now call the air. For Zeus speaks everything, and knows everything, and gives and takes away; and he is the king of all things. More mystically, however, the Boeotian Pindar, since he was a Pythagorean, says: Virum, inquit, unum est ac Deum genus Matre spiritum ambo hausimus ab una.

^{C D}

By "mother," he understands matter, and constitutes besides a Maker of these things, whom he—the "best maker"—names as parent; who, according to his own dignity, raises each one even to divinity itself. ^A For I pass over Plato, who openly and clearly, in the letter which he writes to Erastus and Coriscus, manifests the Father and the Son, I know not how, out of the Hebrew Scriptures, exhorting them word for word as follows: "By swearing together with study not unrefined, and with learning that is a sister to study, by God himself, the president of all things, whether present or future, and by the Lord, the Father of the president and principle—whom, if you philosophize correctly, you will know." The same man, in the discourse which he has in the *Timaeus*, calls that artificer Father, with these words: "You who are sprung from the seed of the gods, attend. I am the parent and maker of those works whose creation is indissoluble by my will." ^B Wherefore, when the same man speaks thus: "Around the king of all things are all things, and for his sake are all things; he is the cause of all good things. And around the second are the things which are in the second, and around the third that which is contained in the third rank"; truly, I do not interpret these words as meaning anything other than the holy Trinity. For the third is the holy Spirit, and the second is the Son, by whom all things were made according to the will of the Father. And the same man, in the tenth book of the *Republic*, mentions Er ^C the son of Armenius, of the lineage of Pamphylus—who is Zoroaster.

[Here the Latin text provides additional scholarly notes and critical apparatus concerning these quotations from Pindar, Plato, and the patristic witnesses, which are preserved in the facsimile according to the instructions provided.] ^D

^A except insofar as I understand them of the holy Trinity, and indeed by the third I understand the Holy Spirit, and by the second the Son, through whom all things were made by the will of the Father. Furthermore, in the tenth book of the *Republic*, he mentions a certain ^B Eros, son of Armenius, of the race of Pamphilus, who is Zoroastres. Certainly, Zoroastres himself writes about himself in this way: "These things," he says, "Zoroastres, son of Armenius, of the race of Pamphilus, committed to writing; when I had died in war, having come to Hades, I learned these things from the gods." This Zoroastres, then, Plato relates to have come back to life on the twelfth day while lying upon the funeral pyre. Perhaps he hints at the resurrection, or perhaps he hints at those things: that the path for souls into their return [to the celestial realm] is made through the twelve signs of the zodiac; and he himself says that the same descent occurs for generation. One must also think of the twelve labors of Heracles in this way; after which the soul achieves release from this whole world. Nor do I overlook Empedocles, who naturally mentions in this way the return of all things, as a transformation into the substance of fire that is someday to occur. Heraclitus of Ephesus holds this opinion most clearly, having judged one world to be eternal, ^C and another to be perishing, [that is, the one] according to the arrangement, not being something other than the former [but] somehow having [a different state]. But that he knew the world which is from the entire substance to be eternally produced as eternal, he makes clear by saying thus: "The same world of all things, neither any of the gods, nor..."

^D Nor [do those] also who are in Plato’s *Republic* [speak] of the son of Armenius, and in the *Gorgias* of Aeacus and Rhadamanthus. [It is] "Eros, son of Armenius." And he himself, in the tenth book of the *Republic*, mentions one Eros, son of Armenius, of the race of Pamphilus, who is Zoroastres. For Zoroastres himself indeed writes: "These things wrote Zoroastres, son of Armenius, of the race of Pamphilus, having died in war." "But it is not," said I, "the account of Alcinous that I shall tell you, but that of a courageous man, Eros, son of Armenius, of the race of Pamphilus, who once died in war." [He mentions] the son of Armenius, Eros, son of Armenius, of the race of Pamphilus, who is Zoroastres.

^A And he says that he [the fire] is, and is, and always will be, a fire ever-living according to measures, and extinguished according to measures. That he [Heraclitus] also held it to be both generated and perishable is indicated by the things that follow: "The transformations of fire: first sea, and of sea the half [is] earth, but the other half [is] a burning storm." For he says by implication that fire is, by the Word and God who governs all things, transformed through the air into moisture, which is like the seed of the ordering of the world; this he calls "sea," and from this in turn comes the earth and the heaven and the things contained therein. And how it is taken back up again and ^B is ignited, he clearly shows through these words: "Sea is poured out, and it is measured according to the same ratio, such as it was first before it became earth." Similarly, too, concerning the other elements, he says the same things. Closely related to this are the dogmas set forth by the most distinguished of the Stoics, who discourse both on the conflagration and the administration of the world, and on the specifically qualified world and man, and on the survival of our souls. Again, Plato, in the seventh book of the *Republic*, has called the day here "nocturnal," ^C because of the "world-rulers" of this darkness, I suppose, and sleep and death [he calls] the descent of the soul into the body, according to the same ^D of men he made; but it was, and is, and always will be— [The text continues in notes]—first sea, and of sea the half into earth, and half into a fiery vapor. By implication, he says that fire is, by the ruling Word and God, turned through the air into moisture, which is the seed of the ordering of the world, which he calls sea; from this in turn earth and heaven are brought into being. And how again the world and all bodies are consumed by fire in the conflagration. It is said that fire is an element, and that all things are an exchange of fire by rarefaction and condensation. When the fire is condensed it becomes liquid, and when it settles it becomes water, and when the water is frozen it is turned into earth; and this is the path downwards. And again, this earth itself is liquified, from which water comes into being, and from this all the rest, bringing them up to the evaporation from the sea. This is the path upwards. Heaven and earth, earth and heaven. [He calls] the nighttime day the dwelling in a subterranean cave. This, as it seems, would not be the turning of a potsherd, but the conversion of the soul from a certain nocturnal day to the true ascent towards that which is, which we shall say is true philosophy. *For our struggle is against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age.*

^A And did not the Spirit prophesy this beforehand concerning the Savior, saying through David: *I have slept and taken my rest; I have risen, for the Lord will support me*? For it allegorizes as sleep not only the resurrection and rising of Christ the Savior from sleep, but also the Lord’s descent into the flesh. Straightway the same Savior exhorts us, saying, "Watch," that is, "Study how to live, and endeavor to separate the soul from the body."

Plato, in the tenth book of the *Republic*, also divines the Lord’s Day through these words: "Since each of those in that meadow had spent seven days, they must rise thence on the eighth and arrive after a journey of four days." By the "meadow" we must understand the fixed sphere, as a place that is mild, gentle, and the seat of the holy ones; and by the "seven days" ^B the motion of the seven planets, and every productive art that hastens toward the end of rest. The journey after the wandering ones leads to the heaven, that is, to the eighth motion and day. And he says that the souls proceed "after a journey of four days," declaring the path through the four elements.

Moreover, that the seventh day is sacred, not only the Hebrews know, but also the Greeks; in accordance with which the whole world of all things that live and grow is turned. Hesiod ^C indeed speaks of it thus: First, a fourth day; and seventh, a sacred day. And again: Seventh, too, the bright light of the sun. Homer also: Then, the seventh day, the sacred day had arrived.

^A And again, Seventh, the day that was, and by it all things were made. And again, Seventh, at the dawn, we left the waters of Acheron. To which the poet Callimachus chimes: Seventh, already the day, on which all things were perfected, was reddening. Likewise, The seventh day is auspicious, the seventh of all things. And, It rises, and shines among the perfect things. All things are seen to be seven in the starry sphere, And they roll on in their own proper motions through the years. Which day, as one more sacred, the elegies of Solon themselves also declare in a wonderful manner. What beyond this? Does not Plato, clearly prophesying the saving economy, speak in this manner in the second book of his *Republic*, in conformity with the sacred Scriptures, where this voice of the wicked is recorded: ^B "Let us remove the righteous man from us, for he is troublesome to us"? "To such a righteous man," he says, "as he is thus disposed, stripes will be inflicted, chains will be cast upon him, his eyes will be dug out. The same, lastly, having suffered all these things, will be crucified." The Socratic Antisthenes also, paraphrasing that prophetic voice, ^C *To whom have you likened me?* says the Lord.

^A He declares that He resembles no one; for which reason no one can learn Him from an image. Xenophon the Athenian says these things, indeed, word for word: "Regarding Him who shakes all things and brings them to rest, it is clear that He is someone great and powerful; but what He is in form, it is not clear. And not even the sun, which appears to be all-radiant, allows itself to be seen; for if anyone impudently attempts to gaze upon it, he is deprived of his sight." For what flesh is able to see with its eyes the heavenly and truly immortal God, who dwells above the ether?

"Nor are mortals, being born as they are, able to stand against the radiant darts of the sun," as the Sibyl foretold. Xenophon of Colophon, therefore, teaching that God is one and incorporeal, adds:

One God is greatest among gods and men, Neither in body nor in thought like to mortals.

And again:

But mortals deem that gods are born, And that they have their own clothing, voice, and body.

And again, ^B challenging those who suggest otherwise. He says that God resembles no one, and adds the following: "But mortals deem that gods are born, and that they possess senses equal to ours, and voice and body." He writes: "But if bulls or elephants had hands, or could use their hands to paint or to fashion what we call works of art, horses would fashion gods resembling horses, and bulls would fashion them resembling bulls, and would make them bodies just like the ones they themselves currently possess."

In the first verse, Clement has *bous te leontes* [bulls and lions]. In the second, he has *erga telein* [to finish works]. The interpreter of Theodoret seems to have read *erga legein* [to speak of works]. But the third verse, which the interpreter of Theodoret translated in the case of Clement, Hervet omitted; and it seems not to cohere sufficiently well with the other four, but should rather be referred to the earlier ones. God is not similar to men, for horses are similar to horses, oxen to oxen, and men to men.

The same Theodoret, in Book V of his *Therapeutics for Greek Maladies*, praises another similar opinion concerning God. Xenophon of Colophon, who was the leader of the Eleatic sect, therefore says that all this which we behold with our eyes is one, spherical in shape, finite, by no means born, but altogether eternal and immobile. Sextus the philosopher also reports this same opinion of his in *Against the Mathematicians*, Book I: "The dogma of Xenophon was, beyond the prenotions of other men, that the universe is one, and that God is co-eternal with all; that He is round, and subject to no passions, and immutable, and rational." ^C The same Sextus also cites certain verses of his against Homer and Hesiod, for he wrote verses, elegies, and iambics mocking the things they said about the gods, as Diogenes Laertius reports, who, however, while explaining his opinion about the spherical substance of God, remained silent about his having believed Him to be one, or unique.

^A ...if hand to ox, hand fit for lion, Were to paint, and engage in the handling of human arts: That one would fashion gods like to the ox, and like to the lion; The keen horse would fashion them with the form of a horse. Each would clothe the deity with its own proper body. Once more, let us hear the lyric poet Bacchylides speaking thus concerning the divine nature: They are ever untamed by foul and grievous diseases, Innocent, and in no way similar to mortals. And let us hear Cleanthes the Stoic, who in a certain poem concerning God writes these very things: You ask me what is good? Now receive it. What is ordered, integral, holy, pious; Self-possessed, useful, becoming, suitable, Weighty, and severe, and what always confers benefit. Beyond fear and pain and annoyance: Healthy, pleasant, and consistent with itself. Clear, and modest, earnest, gentle, and powerful, Perennial, ignorant of defilement, and always abiding. The same man, silently censuring the idolatry of the masses, adds: Whoever follows opinion is not free, And the fool expects from it in vain any good. Therefore, one must no longer hold an opinion about God according to the opinion of the masses: For I do not deem the deity, Assuming the secret form of a wicked man, To seek this couch of yours, as men are wont to do, Says Amphion to Antiope. But Sophocles speaks plainly and clearly: For Jupiter wedded the mother of this one, Not gilded with gold, nor adorned with ^B A swan-plumage, as to the Pleuronian maiden He crept; but as a man entirely whole. To these he subsequently attaches these words: The adulterer brought his winged footstep to the known doorposts.

^{C D}

To clarify the intemperance of the mythical Jupiter even more plainly, he proceeds as follows: ^A

“Neither to wash his hands nor to take food did he touch, But, wounded in his heart by a sharp bite, he sought his bed, And gave himself up wholly to Venus throughout that night.”

Verily, let such things be reserved for the madness of the theaters. But Heraclitus speaks plainly: “Of this reason, which ever exists, men prove themselves ignorant, both before they have heard it, and when they have heard it for the first time.” And the lyric poet Melanippides sang: ^B

“Hear me, O father, wonder of mortals, Who directest the ever-living soul.”

And great Parmenides, as Plato says in the *Sophist*, writes of God in this manner:

“Nothing is ever sown, nor is it subject to death; Integer, unbegotten, immovable, and without birth.” ^C

Moreover, even Hesiod says: “For He is the king and lord of all the immortals, And no other can contend with Thee in power.”

Nay, even tragedy itself, drawing us away from idols, teaches us to lift our eyes to heaven. For Sophocles, as the historian Hecataeus reports in the book he wrote concerning Abraham and the Egyptians, cries out plainly from the stage: ^D

“One truly, one alone is God; Who fashioned heaven and the wide regions of earth,”

^A blue—the dark back of the sea, and the unbridled South winds. But we, miserable ones, wandering with wavering heart, Have fashioned for ourselves comforts for our sufferings: The images of gods made of stone or bronze, Or wrought of gold, or statues of ivory; Offering sacrifices to these and holding noble festivals, So we think we are acting piously. Euripides, too, in the same tragedy, says: “Do you see this boundless ether on high, And how it holds the earth around in its moist arms? Regard this as Zeus; hold this to be god.” And in the play entitled *Pirithous*, the same poet also says: “Thee, the self-begotten, who in the ethereal Whirl dost interweave the nature of all things, Around whom light, and around whom the dark, And the many-colored night, and the unceasing Throng of stars incessantly dance.” For here he has called the self-begotten mind the Creator; what follows is applied to the cosmos, in which there is also a conflict ^B of light and darkness. Aeschylus, the son of Euphorion, also speaks of God with great reverence: “Zeus is the ether, Zeus is earth, and Zeus is heaven; Zeus is all things, and whatsoever is higher than these.” I know, too, that Plato bears witness to Heraclitus when he writes: “One is what is wise; it does not wish to be called by the name of Zeus, yet it also wishes it.” And again ^{C D}

^A “Law and counsel,” he says, “is to obey one.” And if you wish to refer that saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” to a deeper sense, you would find it thus signified by the Ephesian: “Unintelligent when they have heard, they are like the deaf; the common proverb bears witness to them: being present, they are absent.”

But do you desire to hear of one First Principle even from the lips of the Greeks? I will provide as a witness Timaeus the Locrian, who in his work *On Nature* speaks word for word thus: “One is the first principle of all things, which is without birth; for if it had been born, it would no longer be a first principle, but that from which the first principle had been born would be.” This opinion, which is truly sound, resulted from that statement: “Hear, O Israel, the Lord thy God is one; and him only shalt thou serve [b].” ^B

“Behold, it is clear to all, and wanders with no error,” as the Sibyl sang. Now, indeed, it seems that Homer also speaks of a Father and a Son, through, as it seems, a felicitous divination, saying: “If merely Utis [No-one] by force brings harm upon you as you are, No way exists to flee from the plague of great Zeus; For the Cyclopes do not care for Zeus who bears the aegis.”

And even before him, Orpheus, speaking of that which is proposed, said: “Offspring of great Zeus, father, and Zeus who bears the aegis.”

Xenocrates of Chalcedon, too, who calls the highest [God] Zeus, and the lowest ^C another, leaves behind a suggestion of Father and Son. And what is most paradoxical, Homer himself seems to acknowledge the Divine, he who introduces gods moved by human passions and senses—whom not even thus does Epicurus revere. For the following is from Homer: ^D

^A "Why, son of Peleus, do you pursue me with swift feet, Being yourself mortal, a god immortal? You have not yet Known that I am a god..."

This declares that the Divine is of such a nature that no mortal can reach or grasp it with feet, hands, eyes, or the body as a whole. "To whom have you likened the Lord? Or with what likeness have you compared him?" says the Scripture. "Has the craftsman made an image, or has the goldsmith, having smelted gold, plated it with gold?" and what follows. And the comic poet Epicharmus clearly speaks thus about the Word (Logos) in his *Republic*:

Human life has absolute need of reason and number; We live by number and reason; both nourish us.

Then he follows it up thus:

Reason rules mortals and preserves their character.

Then:

If there is reasoning in man, there is also divine reason; Reason is innate to man for the various chances of life.

^B The poet bids us flee poetry and pass it by untouched. Indeed, as Heraclides Ponticus says not far from the beginning of his book *On Homeric Allegory*: "He rejects all poetry entirely, as it were a deadly bait of fables." Nay, in Sextus Empiricus, *Against the Mathematicians*, Book 1, last chapter, poetry is declared by the Epicureans to be not only useless for life, but even most harmful. The same is testified by Cicero in book 1 of *On the Nature of the Gods*, and by Plutarch in his book, *That One Cannot Live Pleasantly According to Epicurus*, etc.

Grotius: Reason rules mortals: reason preserves character.

When Eusebius has ^C instead of ^D, Vigerus notes the following there: "It should be replaced from Clement, unless you prefer *κατὰ τρόπον* (according to manner), or, as I have followed, *κατὰ πρόσωπον* (according to person). If, however, the word *τρόπον* is retained, it will signify 'manner' rather than 'character'."

There is reasoning in man, and there is also divine reason. Divine reason is native to man concerning life and its turning points. For divine reason accompanies everyone in the arts, Teaching them always what they ought to do for their benefit. For man did not invent art, but God gives it. Divine reason is the source of human reason.

Human reason is the source of the divine: Human reason is always occupied with life and sustenance; But divine reason is the craftsman of art, and a companion to all, Teaching them what is most necessary for the deed to be done. Indeed, man does not discover [the] art, but God provides this author; And that human reason itself is born from the reason of God.

^A Furthermore, through the voice of Isaiah, the Spirit cries out: "What is the multitude of your sacrifices to me?" says the Lord. "I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and I do not want the fat of lambs and the blood of bulls." And after a few things, he continues: ^B "Wash yourselves, be clean; remove the iniquities from your souls." And following these things, Menander the comic poet writes in these very words:

If someone, whether of goat or ox, O Pamphilus, Should redden altars with blood, or anything else Whatever he sacrifices to the gods. Or what the learned hand Labors to craft, with art, a cloak gleaming with burning purple, Or an embroidered mantle of dawn, or bright ivory, Or green emerald, such as mute mass permits, Imitating living creatures, should offer— Thinking that he has rendered God kindly disposed— He is deceived, and has a light mind. For it is necessary that a man be useful, Not defiling virgins and committing adultery, Stealing and murdering for the sake of money. Do not even covet a needle's thread, Pamphilus. For God sees you, being present near.

"I am a God drawing near," he says, "and not a God from afar. Will a man do something in secret, and I shall not see him?" ^C he says through Jeremiah. And again, Menander, paraphrasing that Scripture: "Sacrifice a sacrifice of righteousness, and hope in the Lord," writes it thus:

^A .... Nor, O most dear one, ever desire the needle of another; for God delights in righteous deeds, and not in unrighteous ones. And He suffers him who labors to exalt his own life, cultivating the earth by night and by day. Sacrifice to God continually, being righteous, and as thou art splendid in clothes, so be in thy heart. If thou hearest thunder, do not flee, if thou art conscious of nothing against thyself, O master; for God sees thee, present near at hand.... "While thou art yet speaking," says the Scripture, "I will say, Behold, I am here." Diphilus ^B the comic poet, again, discourses on such things regarding the judgment:

"Dost thou think, O Niceratus, that the dead, who have spent all their days in every luxury, have escaped the divine, as if they had gone unnoticed? There is an eye of Justice, which sees all things. For indeed we believe there are two paths in Hades: one for the righteous, another a boundary for the ungodly. And if the earth hides both, ^C by nature, for all time. Go, snatch away, steal, defraud, confuse. Do not be deceived, there is judgment even in Hades, which the Lord of all, God, will perform, whose name I would not even dare to utter, who grants to those who sin a long life; but if any one thinks that the day..."

^D [alt-version omitted]

-^A laborer who does some evil thing escapes the notice of the gods, he thinks evil, and by his very thinking is caught, whenever Justice happens to be at leisure. Take note, all you who think there is no God; for He is, He is! But if any one does harm, being inherently evil, let him reap the profit of time; for in time this man will later pay the penalty. And the tragedy ^B harmonizes with these things through these lines: For there shall be, there shall be a new time of the age, When the golden-faced ether shall open the treasury Filled with fire, and the flame, having grown, Shall burn all things terrestrial and transcendent Running madly….. And after a few things ^B he adds again: …..and when all shall fail, The entire abyss of the waves shall be gone, And the earth, bereft of its seats. For not even still Shall winged tribes grow, being burned; And then He shall save all that He had previously destroyed. We shall find similar things to these also in the Orphic writings ^C written somehow thus: For having hidden all, again he brought forth light Into the joyful from his sacred heart, being greater in cares. But if we live our lives in holiness and justice, we are blessed indeed here, but after our departure from this life we shall be much more blessed, not having our happiness for a certain time, but being able to rest ^D for an eternity, dwelling with other immortals, and at the tables of the noble heroes, being without inheritance of sufferings, and uninjured, D-Latin column note: The original Greek text continues, however, from the Orphic lines presented in the column opposite... where we read: "and at the tables, the noble heroes, without share of sufferings, uninjured."

^A as the philosophical poetry of Empedocles sings. Thus, no one shall be so great, even according to the Greeks, that he surpasses justice, nor so small as to escape notice. And the same Orpheus ^B also says these things:

Fix your whole focus upon the divine Word, And keep it in mind, illuminating the recesses of your heart; Advance with a constant step and walk the untrodden path, And behold the one eternal King of the universe, Go forth with alacrity.

Soon, confirming that God cannot be reached by sight, he testifies that He was known to one man alone, of the Chaldean race—whether he means Abraham or some son of his—through these verses:

But some one lone scion from the Chaldean blood, For he knew the course by which the great sun turns its circle, And how, balanced, it revolves its huge weights Around the earth, turning its own cycles on its axis: And how, with swift horses poured forth through the skies of the world, He wheels them, driving, circumscribing the air and the deep sea.

Then, as if paraphrasing that saying, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is the footstool of my feet," he adds the following:

He, therefore, above the great rafters of heaven, Shines from a sublime and golden throne. His sole presses down upon the lowly earth, His right hand touches the furthest bounds of the Ocean. Whose inexhaustible power the mountains, from their lowest roots, ^C Cannot support with their trembling summits. And though He never departs from the starry citadel, Yet present He works all things in our lands, Coercing in Himself the beginning, the middle, and the end.

P. 725 ED. POTTER, 607 ED. PARIS. ^A Isa. LXVI, 1.

Those exempt from human miseries, incorruptible, immortal. COLLECTED.—I think it should be read: *Free from suffering*, *untiring*. And thus one will be great, even according to the Greeks, so as to surpass justice, nor so small as to escape notice. The same Orpheus ^B also speaks these words:

But look to the divine Word, attend to it, Straightening the hollow vessel of your heart; and go well Upon the path, and look only upon the King of the universe, The Immortal.

And again, regarding God, saying that He is invisible, he says that He was made known to one man alone, the Chaldean—whether he means this Abraham, or his son—through these [words]:

If not for some only-begotten scion of the race from above Of the Chaldeans, for he was learned in the path of the stars, And the motion 54 of the sphere, how it revolves around the earth, Circular 55, and in equal measure on its own axle. He drives them with Spirit 56 around the air and around [the deep.

Then, as if paraphrasing 57 that, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth 58 is the footstool of my feet," he adds:

He 59, in turn, above the great heaven again 40 [stands On a golden throne, and his feet have stepped upon the earth. He has stretched out his right hand around the limits of the Ocean; And the base of the mountains trembles within [its depths 41, Nor can they bear His mighty force. And He is everywhere Himself heavenly, and in the earth He completes all things, Himself holding the beginning 42, and the middle, and the end.

God, therefore, as also the ancient word says, holding the beginning and the end and the middle of existing things, completes the straight path according to nature, going around. There is one King and ruler, God, holding the beginning and the middle and the end of the whole. God is the beginning and the end, and the middle of those things finished according to justice and right reason. ^C ...and earth beneath... Zeus is the beginning, Zeus is the middle, and from Zeus have all things been made, and continue to be. ^D ...but it is not permitted. Himself holding the beginning and the middle and the ends. But it is not permitted... Himself holding the beginning and the middle and the ends. Otherwise it is not permitted...

to you to speak (43), and I tremble in my limbs, for I am reeling ^A in my mind; from on high He rules and all that follows. For through these things He has clearly demonstrated all those prophetic sayings: If you open (45) the heaven, trembling shall take hold of the mountains from You, and they shall melt (46), as wax melts from the face of fire. And through Isaiah (47): Who has measured the heaven with a span, and the whole earth with his fist? Again when he says: O ruler of ether, of Hades, of the sea, and of the earth, Who shakest with thunder the solid threshold of high Olympus; Whom the demons fear, and the assembled host of the gods dread, To whom the Fates submit, though they know not how to be appeased; O incorruptible Mother-Father, whose fury shakes all things! ^B Who movest the winds, and hidest all things in clouds, Passing with lightning-bolts through the wide ether; Thine is the order Among the stars, running by unchangeable commands (50). Around Thy fiery throne stand the long-suffering Angels, to whom it is a care that all things be fulfilled for mortals; In Thy spring the new year shines forth with purple flowers, Thine is the winter, coming on with chilly clouds, Which once (52) the Bacchic revelers distributed with the autumn fruit (53). Then he proceeds (54), explicitly naming God as the Almighty: Imperishable, immortal, alone to be spoken of by the immortals. Come, greatest of all the gods, together with mighty necessity, Dread, unconquered, great, imperishable, whom the ether crowns. ^C

By the term Mother-Father (55), he not only intimated the creation from nothing, but also gave pretexts to those who introduce the primal seeds (56), perhaps even to conceive of a consort of God; but he paraphrases those prophetic sayings.

^A He illustrates the voices of the prophets, and those of Isaiah: "Behold, I am he who establishes the thunder, and creates the spirit, whose hands have established the host of heaven" (Amos iv, 13); and that of Moses, through whom God thus speaks: "See, see that I am, and there is no other God besides me. I will kill, and I will make to live: I will strike, and I will heal, and there is no one who shall deliver out of my hands" (Deut. xxxii, 39).

From joyful things he is accustomed to send down hard things, And the sad furies of war, and tearful fates,

as Orpheus used to sing. Regarding this, the Parian Archilochus also writes thus: O Jupiter, yours indeed is the empire of heaven; You oversee the works on earth, Both wicked and just.

But let us listen again to the Thracian Orpheus: He holds the furthest limits of the Ocean on every side, His right hand stretches out, and the earth is beneath his feet.

These things he has manifestly drawn from those words: "The Lord will save the cities that are inhabited, and the whole world he shall seize with his hand as a nest." The Lord ^{B C D}

^A who made the earth in his strength, as Jeremiah says, and who established the habitable world in his wisdom. Further, in addition to these, Phocylides, calling the angels demons, distinguishes them by saying that some of them are good and others are evil; since we too have accepted that there are some rebels.

"But then there are demons upon men, some at one time, some at another: Some to avert an evil approaching a man."

Rightly, then, does Philemon the comic poet also cut away idolatry through these lines:

"There is for us no such thing as chance, a god; There is not; but rather, what happens by accident, Whatever befalls each man, is called chance."

And the tragic poet Sophocles says:

"Not even to the gods, he says, are all things subject to their will Apart from Zeus; for he holds the end and the beginning."

When Orpheus says:

"One power, one god has become, a great [heaven] glowing on high; And in him all things have been wrought; in whom all these things revolve, Fire and water and earth,"

and the things following these. Pindar ^B too, the lyric poet, is in a way possessed as if by Bacchic frenzy, when he clearly says:

"What is God? Everything."

"But rather (as Empedocles says), two kinds of shares and demons lay hold of ^C every one of us as we are born and begin our life as mystic guides." ^D Regarding these matters, the comic poet Philemon, although a man made especially for eliciting laughter, most openly accuses those who have said that Fortune is a goddess; for he exclaims most vocally:

"Fortune is no god, I say, no god; But that accident by which everything happens as it befalls Anyone, is invoked by the name of Fortune."

Such is that saying of Juvenal (Sat. x):

"Does not everything, he says, yield to the gods according to our prayers, Except for Jove, holding the beginning and the end."

Orpheus:

"There is one power. And one divinity, a fiery mass of heaven, Which turns all things that are born into a cycle in its bosom, Fire, waters, earth,"

and what follows. In the same way, the lyric poet Pindar, as if seized by a certain Bacchic frenzy, speaks thus clearly:

"What is God? Everything." [index: entries preserved]

And again: "God who creates all mortals." But when he says: "What wisdom, man, do you expect to have, small man beyond another? To investigate the counsels of the gods is difficult for mortal nature: for it sprung from a mortal mother." He derived this sentiment from that place in Isaiah: *Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?* ^A To this Hesiod also concurs in what he writes: "No prophet lives among earthly men, who could know the mind of aegis-bearing Zeus." Therefore, Solon the Athenian, in his Elegies, following Hesiod, writes not unjustly: "In every way the mind of the immortals is hidden from men." ^B And again, the poet of no small note writes, while Moses prophesied that for their transgression the woman would bear children in toil and pain: "Nor shall they ever cease from toil and woe, by night Or day; for the gods shall give them grievous cares." ^C Homer, too, by saying: "And the Father poised his golden scales," signifies the equity of God. The comic poet Menander, identifying God as good, speaks thus: "To every man, straight at his birth, a divine guardian stands by to be the guide of his life—a good one: for one must not consider the guardian evil, corrupting a good life." Then he adds that God is good in all things, or calls God all-good, or—which is truly closer to the mark—that God is good in all matters. Furthermore, the tragic poet Aeschylus, when he declares the power of God to us, does not hesitate to call Him the "Highest" in these verses: ^D

^A Separate God from mortals, and do not think To deem any fleshly thing like unto Him. You know Him not; at one time He appears as fire, An unapproachable force; at another as water, at another as darkness; And He becomes like to wild beasts, To wind, to cloud, to lightning, to thunder, to rain. To Him the sea obeys, and the rocks, And every fountain, and the gatherings of water. The mountains tremble, and the earth, and the immense Depth of the sea, and the great height of the mountains, When the Master casts upon them His fierce gaze. Everything—for the glory of the highest God is powerful.

Does that not seem to you to express the phrase, "The earth trembles at the presence of the Lord"? In addition to these, the most prophetic Apollo, testifying to the glory of God, is forced to speak regarding Athena, at the time when the Medes were invading ^B Greece, as she was entreating and supplicating Zeus on behalf of Attica. The oracle is thus:

Pallas cannot appease Olympian Jove, Though she beseech Him with many a word and crafty counsel; He will send fire to many of the temples of the immortals, Which even now stand streaming with perspiration, Trembling with terror...

and what follows those lines. Thearidas, also, in his work *On Nature*, writes: "The principle of all things is truly one, a single, true principle; for that one exists from eternity, and alone; neither is there any other apart from the great King."

^A Orpheus says. Whom the comic poet Diphilus followed, speaking most sententiously: "The parent of all, The One who is, him alone through all time honor, The finder and creator of so many goods."

It is with good reason, therefore, that Plato ^B accustoms the best natures to arrive at that branch of learning which we said before is the greatest—to behold the Good, and to make that ascent. And this, as it seems, would not be the turning of a potsherd, but a turning around of the soul, from a certain night-like day to the true return to that which really is, which we shall say is true philosophy. And those who have become masters of this, he declares to be born of the golden race, saying: "You are all brothers, indeed"; but those who are of that golden race he judges most accurately and in all respects. ^C Therefore, even the sense of the Parent and Maker of all things is grasped naturally and without instruction by all in all things, the inanimate things sympathizing with the living creature, and others being compelled to go toward the guardianship of the city, who are the most prudent of these, through whom the city is best governed, and who possess other honors and a life better than the political life. "None others," he said. "Do you wish then that we now consider in what way such men will be produced, and how one shall lead them up into the light, just as some are said to have ascended from Hades to the gods?" "How could I not wish it?" he said. This, as it seems, would not be a mere turning of a potsherd, but a turning around of the soul, from a certain night-like day to a true return to the existence of that which is, which we shall say is true philosophy. ^D

^A Of living things, some already produce immortality daily, while of those still mortal, some are carried in fear and through their mother’s womb, while others are governed by their own free will and reason. And of all mankind, whether Greeks or barbarians, there is no race anywhere—neither of farmers, nor of nomads, nor indeed of those who live in cities—that can live without having their soul preoccupied with faith in a Superior Being. Therefore, every nation, whether they dwell in the East, or inhabit the furthest coasts of the West, or dwell in the North or in the South, possess one and the same anticipation of Him who has established this sovereignty; inasmuch as the most universal of His operations have visited all people equally. ^B But the inquisitive philosophers among the Greeks, moved by the philosophy of the barbarians, attributed providence all the more to Him who is neither beheld by eyes, and who alone is at once most powerful, most skillful, and the Author of the most beautiful things; yet they are unable to perceive what consequences follow from these principles unless they be instructed by us, nor can they even know the manner which nature itself prescribes for the knowledge of God; but, as we have often said, they only circumscribe Him by a certain true periphrasis. Merely, therefore, does the Apostle ^C say: "Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Greeks?" speaking not only prophetically that those who believe from among the Greeks shall know God, but also signifying this: that while the Lord and God of all might be so in power, and in reality the Almighty, yet in terms of actual knowledge, He is not the God of all; for they do not know what He is, nor how He is Lord and Father and Creator, nor do they know the rest of the dispensation of the truth, unless they have been taught by Him. Likewise, the prophetic words also hold the same power as the apostolic teaching. For Isaiah says: "If ^D [it] drag [them], even if it sketches the attributes of God less accurately." (Lowth)—Eusebius also has [this], to whom Vigerus notes: "Clement [speaks] as if God should surround them with a mediocre illustration. I prefer, however..." For thus in *Strom*. I, p. 251, where he treats expressly of that apostolic [word] in Acts XVII: "Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship," etc., he says, "When he says it is... he opposes to this... this is true and proper knowledge." And a little later, still more clearly, "(by the apostles, that is) For the circumlocutions of the Greeks, even of the poets and philosophers, before the coming of Christ, could not be clearly understood." Cf. *Strom*. I, p. 372, n. 5. And thus far Eusebius. [Bibl. Rom., as it is read slightly differently: Clement seems to have adapted it to his own purpose. But also the passage of Isaiah that occurs a little below varies somewhat in the Vulgate *Bibl*. chap. xxxvi. A. Sylburg.]

^A If you say, "We trust in the Lord our God," now join yourselves to my lord the king of the Assyrians. And he adds: "And now, have we come up without the Lord against this land to make war upon it?" Jonah, who is also a prophet, signifies the same thing by the words where he says: "And the captain of the ship came to him and said to him, 'Why do you snore? Arise, call upon your God, that He may save us, and that we may not perish.'" For the phrase "your God" is addressed to one who knows through acknowledgement; but the phrase "that God may save us" revealed the sense of the Gentiles, who had not yet believed, turning their minds toward the Almighty. ^B And again the same one says: "And he said to them, 'I am a servant of the Lord, and I fear the Lord, the God of heaven.'" And again the same one says: "And he said, 'Do not, O Lord, let us perish for the sake of the life of this man.'" The prophet Malachi clearly manifests God saying: "I will not accept a sacrifice from your hands; for from the rising of the sun to its setting, in the nations, and in every place, a sacrifice is offered to me." And again: "For I am a great king, says the Lord Almighty, and my name is manifest among the nations." What name? Among those who have believed, it is the Son ^C who reveals the Father; but among the Greeks, it is God the Maker. Plato also indicates free will by these words: "Virtue is subject to no master; he who honors it and he who dishonors it will each share in it more or less. The blame lies with him who chooses." ^D

God is not the cause of evils, for God is never the cause of evils. ^A *“And My name shall be glorious among the nations.”* What sort of name? Among those who have believed, it denotes the Son the Father; but among the Greeks, it denotes God the Creator. Plato also shows that the will is free: “Virtue is not subject to the dominion of another, but according as each shall have honored or neglected it, so shall he possess more or less of it; the fault is entirely in the one who chooses, while God is without fault.” For God is never the cause of evils.

“O Trojan warriors,” says the lyric poet ^B: Zeus, the high-ruler, who oversees all things, Is not the cause for mortals of great pains; but there lies in the midst For all men a holy and pure justice, Follower of Eunomia And of prudent Themis. Blessed are the children who have found her a dweller with them.

Pindar ^B openly introduces Zeus the Savior dwelling with Themis, as king and savior, ^C interpreting it in this way: First of all, they drove with golden horses The heaven-counseling Themis, beside the rock of Ocean, By the Fates to the holy ladder To the splendid ascent of Olympus, To be the ancient consort of Zeus the Savior. And she bore the golden-filleted, fruit-glorious Good Saviors.

He, therefore, who does not believe in the truth, but is inflated by human teaching ^D, is unhappy and wretched, and according to Euripides: He who sees these things and does not perceive God, But has cast far off from himself the crooked deceits Of the meteor-scrutinizers, whose untamed Tongue shoots forth concerning things unseen, Having no part of understanding.

Whoever, therefore, wishes to arrive at true learning, let him hear Parmenides of Elea promising: ^C

^A

You shall know the ethereal nature, and all the signs in the ether, And the works of the pure and holy sun, Hidden before, and whence they came into being. You shall learn also of the circle of the wandering moon, And of its nature; and you shall know the heaven that encompasses it; Whence it grew, and how Necessity, leading it, bound it To hold the limits of the stars.

And Metrodorus, who, although he was an Epicurean, said these things divinely: "Remember, Menestrates, that since you are mortal, and have received a limited life, having ascended in your soul as far as the aeon and the infinity of things, you have beheld both things that shall be and things that were: when, with the blessed chorus, according to the opinion of Plato, we shall contemplate the happy vision and spectacle: ^B we indeed following Zeus, while others follow other gods, celebrating and performing the most blessed mysteries, if it is right to say so; ourselves indeed whole and unscathed by evils, which awaited us in subsequent time; but beholding whole and tranquil phantoms, being initiated and contemplating in pure light; pure and undefiled by this thing, which we now carry about and call body, bound like an oyster."

The Pythagoreans call the heaven "anti-earth," on whose land, he says through Jeremiah: "I will put you among the children, and I will give you a chosen land, an inheritance of God Almighty," and of Him ^C whose heirs they shall be, as the kings of the land. Since countless other things like these can be added for me, that there may be a measure to the speech, I will put an end to my discourse, that we ourselves may not suffer what the tragedian Agatho tells:

We make the accessory the work, And we work at the work as an accessory.

^A Having thus clearly shown, as I think, how it is to be understood that the Greeks were called thieves by the Lord, I willingly pass over the dogmas of the philosophers. For if we were to pursue their words as well, we should soon assemble an innumerable mass of commentaries, demonstrating that all the wisdom that exists among the Greeks was taken from the philosophy of the barbarians. This contemplation, however, we shall none the less touch upon as the subject requires, when we gather the opinions of the Greeks that are held regarding first principles. But from what has been said, we may also silently consider this: in what manner the books of the Greeks are to be read by one who knows how to swim through the waves within them. ^B

Happy, as it seems, according to Empedocles, is he Who has acquired the wealth of divine thoughts. But wretched is he, to whom the dim opinion about the gods is a care.

He divinely signified knowledge and ignorance to be the boundaries of happiness and unhappiness. For, according to the opinion of Heraclitus, it is necessary for men who are philosophers to be learners of very many things, and in truth it is necessary that,

He who seeks to be good, wanders far astray.

Since it is already clear to us from what has been said that the beneficence of God is eternal, and that natural justice, ^C coming from a beginningless beginning, is precisely equal, and has been brought about according to the worth of every kind, it never had a beginning; for God did not receive a beginning to be Lord and good, being always what He is; nor will He ever cease from doing good, even if He brings each thing to an end. But each one of us partakes of this beneficence so far as he wills; for it is the difference of choice ^D that has made the soul's decision and exercise worthy. And thus let the fifth of our Stromata of commentaries according to the true philosophy be brought to an end.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA STROMATEIS BOOK SIX

CHAPTER I

Order of the following matters.

^A This sixth, as well as the seventh, book of the Commentaries on the true philosophy of the Gnostics, which is called the Stromateus, having described as far as possible the moral teaching set forth in them, and having shown what manner of person the Gnostic is in his way of life, proceeds to show the philosophers that he is by no means impious or a stranger to the religion of God, as they have supposed, but is alone truly pious and one who conducts himself correctly in the worship of God. It sets forth in summary the mode of Gnostic religion, insofar as it relates to that which instructs and summons to memory the scriptures which may be committed to writing without danger. "For the Lord," it says, "commanded us to work for the meat that abides for eternity." And somewhere the prophet says: "Blessed is he who sows upon every water, which the ox and the ass tread," that is, the people gathered ^B from the Law and the nations into one faith: "But he who is weak eats herbs," as says the noble Apostle. Now the *Pedagogue*, divided by us into three books, showed the upbringing and instruction from childhood—that is, the manner of life which receives its growth through faith from catechesis, and prepares the soul, endowed with virtue, for those who are enrolled in the number of men, for the reception of Gnostic knowledge. Since the Greeks have clearly learned from what is to be said by us through these means, that by persecuting the friend of God they are themselves acting impiously, ^C [as they] believe by word, not by letter, [while] sowing where the ox and the ass— [alt-version omitted]

Then, as the Commentaries proceed according to the character of the *Stromata*, those objections raised against us by both Greeks and barbarians concerning the coming of the Lord must be resolved. ^A For in a meadow, the flowers blooming in various ways, and in a garden, the planting of fruit-bearing trees, are not separated by the species of each individual plant from those of another kind; even if some, having gathered learned collections, have titled them *Meadows*, and *Helicons*, and *Honeycomb*, and *Peplos*, which are collections that blossomed in various ways for the sake of learning, they have composed them; but for those that came into my mind as the occasion offered, and are purified neither by order nor by diction, but are scattered intentionally, the representation of the *Stromata* for us is variegated like a meadow, mingled together. And the commentaries, being held in this way, might be ^B sparks for him who is suited for knowledge, if he should chance upon them; for the benefit and utility, the quest will happen with sweat. For it is just that labor should precede not only food, but much more also knowledge, for those who are being led through the “narrow and strait” [Matt. VII, 14] way—which is truly the Lord’s way—to eternal and blessed salvation. Our knowledge and the spiritual paradise is our Savior himself, into whom we are transplanted, having been moved and transformed into the good soil from our old life. But the change of the planting contributes to the fertility and goodness of the fruits. Therefore, the Lord is Light and true knowledge, ^C into whom we have been moved. Now knowledge is said to be twofold in another way: the one, commonly called, which is in all men alike, is discernment and perception, according to the knowing of each of the objects that lie before us, appearing to all the people; of which not only rational beings, but perhaps also irrational ones will partake; which I would never call knowledge, and that which is naturally accustomed to perceive through the senses. But the other, which is especially called knowledge, is characterized by understanding and the *Logos*; according to which only the rational powers will possess knowledge, ^D those which truly direct themselves toward intelligible things by the pure operation of the soul. “A good man,” says David, “is the merciful one” [Ps. CXI, 5].

Book Six

As knowledge is, so also discernment and perception might be twofold: one, namely, which occurs by sense, the other which occurs by intellect.

Knowledge is named excellently and especially, because it receives its form and character from the mind and reason; through it alone do the powers that participate in reason become perceptions, which are applied purely and sincerely to the things that are apprehended by the intelligence through the naked operation of the soul. “Good is the man,” says David, “who shows mercy” [Ps. CXI, 5] to those who are perishing in error, “and lends” [Ps. CXI, 5] by imparting the word of truth—not rashly and as it happens, but for he will dispense his words in judgment, with deep reflection and reasoning: “He has dispersed, he has given to the poor” [Ps. CXI, 9]. ^A

CHAPTER II

He returns to that which he had proved at the end of the fifth book, namely, that the Greeks had stolen most things from the Hebrews; which he further proves from the fact that they borrowed from one another the sayings of others.

Before we approach that which is proposed, by way of preface to the end of the fifth book of the *Stromateis*, those things that are missing must be added. For since we showed that the symbolic style of discourse is ancient, and that not only our own prophets, but also very many of the ancient Greeks, and not a few of the other barbarian ^B peoples, have used it, it was necessary to examine also the mysteries of the initiated. These things, however, I deferred explaining until that place where, as we go through those things said by the Greeks concerning first principles, we shall confute them; for we shall show that the mysteries also belong to this contemplation. And when we have shown that the mystical sense of the Greeks was illuminated by the truth which was handed down to us through the Scriptures—in which meaning we have, if it be not too heavy a thing to say, shown that the theft of the truth eventually reached them—come, let us bring in the Greeks themselves as witnesses to the theft they have committed against themselves. For those who so ^C evidently steal their own proper teachings from one another confirm that they are thieves; and even if unwillingly, they are shown by us to have used the truth they received, and to have handed it down secretly to those of their own kind. For if they do not even abstain from one another, they will scarcely abstain from ours. And I will pass over their dogmata in philosophy, since those who are distributed into sects confess in their writings, lest they be convicted of the crime of ingratitude, that they received their principal decrees from Socrates. But when I have used a few testimonies of those who are celebrated in discourse and are held in ^D great esteem among the Greeks, and have abundantly convicted them of their manner of stealing at different times, I will turn to those things which follow. For when Orpheus had made the statement:

“Nothing is worse and more cruel than a woman,”

^A Homer openly says: “Deteriorates and is heavier than a woman, nothing exists.” And when Musaeus had written: “By far, art is better and far more excellent than strength,” Homer says: “With skill, one who cuts wood prevails, and not with force.” And again, when Musaeus had composed: “Just so, the life-giving earth brings forth leaves; Some perish on the boughs, and others it brings forth; So also the generation of man and the leaf turns;” Homer transcribes: “Leaves, some the wind sheds upon the ground, but the wood Brings forth others, and the season of spring comes on, As the generation of men, one grows and another departs.” Again, ^B also, when Homer had said: “It is not holy to boast over men who are dead,” Archilochus and Cratinus write: the one, “For it is not well to revile men who are dead;” Cratinus, however, in his *Laconians*: “It is a terrible thing for men, in turn, to boast greatly over the dead.” And again Archilochus, transferring that Homeric line, “I am harmed, nor do I myself refuse to endure for many,” writes in this way: “I erred, and calamity caught some other man, too.” ^C Just as surely that verse: “Common is Enyalius, and he kills the one who killed before;” himself changing it, he brought it forth in this way: “... I will do, For true it is that Mars is common to mortals.” Going further, also translating that: “The issues of victory lie with the gods among men.” ^D

By means of this iambic, it is clear that he also encourages the young: ^A “The issues of victory are with the gods.” Again, Homer having said: “... unwashed-footed, sleeping on the ground,” Euripides writes in the *Erechtheus*: “They sleep on no bed, and do not wash their feet in fountains.” And as Archilochus similarly said: “But another man is comforted in his heart by another,” in agreement with the Homeric: “For another man takes joy in other deeds,” Euripides says in the *Oeneus*: “But another is more delighted by other ways.” ^B I have heard Aeschylus saying: “It is proper for him who is prosperous to remain at home; he who fares ill, let him do the same.” Euripides likewise shouting on the stage: “Happy and blessed is he who, faring well, remains at home.” And Menander similarly comedies: “It is necessary to remain at home and be free, or no longer be called truly blessed.” [*] Again, when Theognis says: “For a man who is in exile, there is no faithful friend,” Euripides has composed: “Every friend flees a poor man.” And Epicharmus having said: “O daughter, woe is me,” ^C as Stobaeus relates in *Sermones* 39. Grotius translated it in this way: “Blessed is he who remains happy at home.” (*) ^D (*) *Note: The text of the apparatus and variant readings is omitted.*

^A with what fortune do you make me dwell?” and he adds: “Now the husband takes another young maiden, and the wife seeks another.” Euripides writes:

To yoke the aged woman to a young man is a ^B shame; For he longs to take another’s bed, And she, being in need of this, devises evils.

Furthermore, when Euripides had said in *Medea*: “For the gifts of a bad man have no profit,” ^C Sophocles, in *Ajax the Flagellifer*, says that iambic line: “The gifts of enemies are no gifts, and they will not profit.” And when Solon had composed: “For satiety begets insolence, when great wealth follows,” Theognis writes directly: ^D “Satiety begets insolence, when it follows upon the wicked.”

Whence also Thucydides says in his *Histories*: “Most people, to whom success comes unexpectedly, and through the smallest of causes, are wont to turn to insolence.” And Philistus also imitates the same things, speaking thus: “Things which for the most part happen successfully to men in accordance with reason are safer, compared to unexpected success and misfortune; for those who fare well unexpectedly and contrary to expectation are most wont to turn to insolence.” Again, when Euripides had composed: [alt-version omitted]

^A

*From fathers and mothers, too, who cultivate* *A strict life, the children are the best:*

Critias writes: “I begin, indeed, from the birth of a human being, as to how he might become best in body and strongest: if the one who begets should exercise and eat vigorously, and tax his body with labors; and the mother of the child who is to be should likewise have a strong body and exercise.” Again, when Homer had spoken of the shield which Vulcan had fashioned:

*He fashioned therein the earth, and the sky, and the sea,* *He placed therein the great might of the River Ocean:* ^B

Pherecydes the Syrian says: “Zas makes a great and beautiful cloak, and upon it he embroideries Earth and O genus, and the houses of Ogenus.” And when Homer had said:

*Shame, which both greatly harms a man and helps him:*

Euripides writes in *Erechtheus*:

*But concerning shame, I myself am at a loss to judge;* *For one has need of it, and it is also a great evil.*

You might take from a comparison of them similar passages from those who flourished at the same time and contended with one another. From Euripides in *Orestes*:

*O pleasant charm of sleep, that alleviates disease:*

And from Sophocles in *Eriphyle*:

*Depart from her, O sleep, physician of disease:*

And from Euripides in *Antigone*: ^C

*Nature has given to the base-born a shameful name:*

And from Sophocles in *Aleuadae*:

*Whatever is good, has also a like nature.*

Again, Euripides in *Ctimenus*:

*For God also lends a hand to him who labors:*

And Sophocles in *Mino*:

*There is no help from fortune for those who do not act.*

Indeed, furthermore, Euripides in *Alexander* ^D [states] that the base-born is equal in strength to the legitimate, and that everything which is good possesses a legitimate nature. [alt-version omitted]

^A Time will show, and having learned by this token, I shall know whether you are a good man or a bad one. And from Sophocles’ *Hipponous*:

Do not conceal anything; for Time, which sees all things and hears all things, unfolds everything.

Let us run over those verses in like manner. For since Eumelus wrote:

The nine daughters of Mnemosyne and Olympian Zeus,

Solon begins his elegy thus:

Children of Mnemosyne and Olympian Zeus, splendor-born.

Again, Euripides, paraphrasing the Homeric lines,

Who are you among men, and from where? Where is your city and your parents? ^B

uses these iambics in his *Aegeus*:

What land shall we say you have left behind, Wandering as a stranger? What is your land? Whom do you claim as the father who begat you?

But what of this? Does not Theognis say:

Wine drunk in excess is a bad thing, but if someone Uses it with knowledge, it is not bad, but good.

Panyasis writes:

Wine is the best gift of the gods for mortals When drunk according to measure; but in excess, it is worse.

And when Hesiod says:

For I will give you, in return for fire, an evil in which all men ^C May take delight,

Euripides constructs [it thus]: “In place of fire, there has truly grown another fire, greater and more difficult to contend with: woman.” In addition to these, [note] what Homer says:

Wine is the best gift of the gods to mortals, And bright; for wine, any song is fitting, Any dance; every friendly affection is lovable; Wine wipes away all sorrows from the heart of man, If he drinks with moderation; beyond measure, it is harmful.

^D For when Hesiod, who precedes [him], has spoken—from which [source] must be written the words of Zeus concerning Pandora to Prometheus, when he had stolen fire from heaven. The complete passage is as follows (*Works and Days*, 1, v. 57):

You rejoice at having stolen fire and deceived my mind, Which will be a great evil for both you and those men to come. For I will give them, in return for fire, an evil in which all May take delight in their hearts, embracing their own evil.

Regarding this, Sylburg says: “These verses pertain to the *Hippolytus Veiled*.” Stobaeus records them in this way (*Serm.* 71):

For in place of fire, another fire, greater and more difficult to contend with, Has grown: women.

Furthermore, by comparing Clement and Stobaeus with one another, Grotius has combined these verses in his *Florilegium* (p. 509):

And in place of fire Another fire, greater and more difficult to contend with, Has grown: women.

Grotius exhibits a similar passage from an uncertain play of Menander in his *Excerpta* (p. 749).

^A Is it not, then, justly written that Prometheus is nailed to the rocks? What becomes of him? A torch; and is there nothing else that is good? He who, I suppose, hating all the gods, fashioned women—O, ye all-honored gods—a wicked race. Does any man marry, does he marry? He is a great wretch. For it follows that his desires, and the adulterer living in luxury on the marriage bed, ensue; and then follow plots, and poisonings, and that most grievous of diseases, envy, with which a woman spends her whole life.

Euripides says eloquently: "Necessity overcomes me, and my wretched belly, Which brings many evils upon mortal men."

^B Diphilus rightly and very sensibly said: "Egestas [Necessity] overcomes me, and my wretched Belly: for nothing is more miserable than the belly."

But as to what Stephanus, in his *Collectanea* cited above, prefers regarding the Diphilan reading of Clement over this, I by no means approve of it, since it concerns a Homeric verse; and elsewhere, as he himself observed, it is called "destructive," "sorrowful," and "loathsome." Indeed, it is more likely that Diphilus, as a poet, changed the words of Euripides than that Clement did.

(51) *With the insane, they say one must needs be insane.* Grotius arranged these words of Callias into anapests in *Excerpt.*, p. 865: "Among the insane, they say All should be insane."

(52) *And it is necessary that some things should happen by chance.* This is a disjointed sentence. It could be expressed in this meter, as Sylburg suggests. Athenaeus (book VI) cites Menander in the comedy entitled *The Men for Sale* (*Poloumenoi*): "Prudence is not everywhere appropriate. And it is necessary that some things should happen by chance." In the second verse, both prosody and the logic of the sentence require: "And it is necessary that some things should coincide by chance."

"To be foolish with others in some things is necessary," as he writes in the manuscripts μ and β, where they are depicted such that they are similar: thus Galen spoke in his *On the Natural Faculties*: "Not willingly, but as the proverb says, being forced to be mad with the mad." See the proverb: *To be mad with the mad*. So Horace, Ode 14, book IV of his *Odes*: "Mingle brief folly with your counsels: It is pleasant to play the fool in season."

Plautus in the *Bacchides*: "No man can be frugal, unless he knows how to be both good and bad. A rogue should be with rogues; let him snatch, let him steal from thieves what he can."

^D There is a similar Anacreontic line: "I wish, I wish to be mad." (Ode 13, v. last).

(53) *Antimachus of Teos.* Teius: so named to distinguish him from others of the same name. For Suidas enumerates five Antimachi. But whether anyone besides Clement has mentioned Antimachus of Teos, I do not know.

(54) *Augias.* I would not dare to say whether anyone besides Clement has mentioned this poet. Stephanus of Byzantium mentions a woman named Auge in the entry *Tegea*, where learned men substitute her name for his, though it is without authority. Suidas remembers him, and Pollux (book III, c. 3), from which perhaps the corrupt text of Clement should be reconstructed.

^A For "gifts deceive the minds of men," and Hesiod saying: "For there is no better possession for a man than a good wife, And nothing worse than a wicked one." Simonides said: "A man possesses nothing better than a good wife, Nor anything worse than a wicked one."

Again, Epicharmus having said: "Think in such a way as if you were going to live a long time, and [yet] a short time," Euripides writes: "Why, since our riches are so uncertain, Do we not live as pleasantly as possible, without sorrow?" Similarly, the comic poet Diphilus having said: "The life of men is changeable," Posidippus [says]: "No man has led his life without sorrow, Being human; nor again has he remained Fortunate until the end."

^B And Plato tells you other things, writing about man as a changeable animal.

Again, Euripides having said: "O life of bitter toil for mortals, How you stand tottering at every turn! You both increase things, and you waste them away; And there is no limit established, nor any one Whom mortals must complete, Save when the cold end of death Comes, sent from Zeus."

Diphilus writes: "There is no life that does not possess evils."

^{C D} [alt-version omitted]

^A With its anxieties, cares, seizures, torments, and diseases; of these, death appears as if a physician, bringing rest to those who possess them, having lulled them to sleep. Again Euripides having stated: "Many are the forms of the spirits, And the gods accomplish many things beyond hope." The tragic poet Theodectes likewise writes: "That the fortunes of mortals are not firm." And Bacchylides having said: "Among whom among mortals has it seemed good to the spirit that they should spend their whole time in a moderate life, and in time reach hoary old age before encountering misfortunes?" The comic writer Moschion writes: "That man is of all most blessed, Who, living through his end, has practiced an even life." You might also find Theognis having said: "A young woman is not fit for an old husband, For she does not obey her commander, like a ship's rudder." And Aristophanes the comic poet writing: "A man who is old is shameful for a young woman." And since Anacreon composed a work: "For I celebrate tender Desire, 265 Bound with flowery garlands; He is a tyrant of the gods, And subdues men alone," Euripides writes: ^B "For Love does not come only to men, Nor again to women, but he goes above, Disturbing the souls of the gods, and comes upon the sea." But so that our speech may not proceed any further while we are occupied in showing how prone the Greeks are to theft, both in their orations and in their dogmas, come let us bring forward Hippias the Elean sophist, who openly works with us and was treating the very thing which is proposed for us to consider. He says thus: "From among these things, perhaps some have been said by Orpheus, others briefly by Musaeus, others elsewhere; others again by Hesiod, others by Homer, others by other poets, and others in works written in prose, some among the Greeks, and others among the barbarians. ^C But I, having collected and composed the greatest and most kindred of these, will produce this new and varied speech." ^D

^A And that I may not leave philosophy, history, or even rhetoric devoid of the same scrutiny, it is reasonable to adduce a few things from these as well. For when Alcmaeon of Croton said, "It is easier to guard against an enemy than a friend," Sophocles made ^B this in his *Antigone*:

What sore could be worse than a base friend?

Xenophon also said: "No one could injure enemies in any other way than by seeming to be a friend." And indeed, when Euripides had said in his *Telephus*:

Shall we, being Greeks, serve the barbarians?

Thrasymachus, in his oration for the Larissaeans, says: "Shall we serve Archelaus, ^C being Greeks, to a barbarian?" And when Orpheus had composed:

Lympha is of the soul, but death is the changing of lympha: From lympha comes earth, and from earth again lympha. From this, then, the soul, changing the whole air.

Heraclitus, composing his discourses from these points, ^D writes somewhat as follows: "To souls, death is to become water; to water, death is to become earth; but from earth becomes water, and from water becomes soul." And indeed, when Athamas the Pythagorean had said: "Thus was generated the principle of the universe; and there are four roots: fire, water, air, earth; for from these come the generations of things that are generated," the Agrigentine Empedocles composed:

Hear first the four roots of all things.

^A And since Plato says, "For this reason also the gods, who are knowledgeable of men—those whom they value most—release them from life earlier," Menander composed: Whom the gods love, they take from life while young. And when Euripides wrote in *Oenomaus*: We know obscure things by present things; and in the *Phoenissae*: Obscure things we learn by certain signs; Hyperides says: "But as for those things which are obscure, it is necessary for those who instruct to investigate by means of signs and things that are probable." And when Isocrates had said in turn, "But future things must be conjectured from those that have already occurred," Andocides does not hesitate to say: "For it is necessary to use as signs for future events those things which happened before." Furthermore, when Theognis had composed: Of base gold and silver, the harm is hard, Cyrnus, and a wise man can find it out; But if the mind of a dear friend lies hidden in his breast, Being deceptive, and he possesses a guileful heart in his mind, This the god has made most base to mortals, And to know this is more painful than all things; Euripides writes: O Jupiter, why did you grant to men Clear signs to know base gold, But to distinguish the bad man from the good No character is fixed upon the body? Hyperides himself also says: "There is no character of the mind upon the face for men." Again, when Stasinus had composed: That which is unseen is caught by plausible signs. ^B

747 ED. POTTER, 625 ED. PARIS.

^A "Foolish is he who, having killed a father, leaves children behind." Xenophon says: "For I seem to me to have acted similarly now, as if one who had killed a father were to spare his children." And when Sophocles had written in his *Antigone*: "For neither mother nor father being left, Could a brother sprout or appear again," Herodotus says: "For when mother and father are no longer, I shall have no other brother." In addition to these, Theopompus has written: "Old men are children twice over by right reason." And before him, Sophocles in his *Peleus*: "I, a lone house-keeper, train again in old age The son of Aeacus, ^B whom I lead as an elder; For the aging man is a child once more." The orator Antiphon says: "For the rearing of the aged is like the rearing of a child." But also the philosopher Plato: "As it seems, the old man might become a child twice over."

Nay, more, when Thucydides says: "Only the Marathonians took the risk," Demosthenes said: "By those who took the risk at Marathon."

I shall not pass over those [words] either, when Cratinus said in his *Pytine*: "You perhaps know the preparation; The orator Andocides says: "You know, ^C men of the jury, almost everyone, the preparation and the zeal of my enemies." Similarly Nicias also, in his speech concerning the deposit against Lysias: "You see, men of the jury, the preparation and the zeal of the opposing parties," he says. And ^D

And again, Demosthenes having said: "How much zeal and proclamation there has been concerning this contest, I think almost all of you have perceived"; and Philinus similarly: "How much zeal and battle-array there has been concerning this contest, I do not suppose one of you is ignorant." Isocrates again having said: "Just as belonging to money, but not related to him"; Lysias in the *Orphics* says: "And it became manifest that he was not related to bodies, but to money." Since Homer also has composed:

"Good friend, if indeed, fleeing this war and death's peril, We might dwell ever ageless and immortal, Neither would I myself fight among the foremost, Nor would I send you into battle that brings men glory; But now, for surely death's fates stand over us, Myriad, which it is not for a mortal to flee or escape: Let us go, whether we shall offer glory to someone, or someone to us."

^B Theopompus writes: "For if, having escaped the present danger, it were permitted to spend the remaining time securely, it would not be a wonder if we were lovers of life. But now, such fates have grown upon our life, that death in battles appears more to be chosen." What then? Does not also Chilo the sophist having uttered the saying: "Give a pledge, and misery is near"; and Epicharmus having brought forward the same opinion by a different name, saying: "A pledge is the daughter of misery, a pledge is the daughter of fine"? ^C But also the physician Hippocrates having written: "It is necessary therefore to observe also the time, and the place, and the age, and the diseases"; Euripides in hexameter will observe, he says:

Those who wish to treat well, According to the diets of those inhabiting the city, Having seen the land, it is necessary to consider the diseases.

^D [alt-version omitted]

^A Again, when Homer has said: I say that no man has escaped his fate; Archinus says: "Death is owed to all men, either sooner or later"; and Demosthenes: "For to all men the end of life is death, even if one guards himself by shutting himself in a little room." And since Herodotus, in the account concerning Glaucus the Spartan, said that the Pythia stated: "To be spoken by God ^B and to do it is to become equal"; Aristophanes said: For to think is equal to doing; and before him, Parmenides the Eleatic: "For the same thing is both to think and to be." Or did not Plato also say: "We shall show this, perhaps not unreasonably, that sight is the beginning of love; but hope diminishes the passion, memory nourishes it, and habit preserves it"? Philemon the comic poet writes: All first see; then they wondered, Then they contemplated, then they fell into hope; Thus does love arise from these things. But also when Demosthenes said: "For to all of us death is owed," and what follows, Phanocles ^C in his *Amores* or *The Beautiful* writes: But the thread of the Fates is unbreakable, nor is it possible To escape, as many as the earth nurtures. You might also find that, when Plato said: "For the first growth of every plant, if well-begun, is most important for its own nature to impose the appropriate end," a historian might write: "Moreover, there is no wild plant that is by nature ^D fit to be cultivated."

^A And that saying of Empedocles: "For I have been a boy ere now, and a girl, A bush, a bird, and a mute fish in the sea." 27 Euripides transcribes this in his *Chrysippus*: "Nothing of those things which are born Dies, but by being separated One thing from another, It shows a different form." And after Plato said in his *Republic* 29 that women should be common, Euripides wrote in his *Protesilaus*: "Common, then, would the marriage bed of women be." 30 But when Euripides writes: "For what is sufficient is enough for the temperate," 31 Epicurus says flatly: "Self-sufficiency is the greatest wealth of all." And again, when Aristophanes writes: "A stable life you will have if you are just, And you will live well, free from tumult and fear," 32 Epicurus 33 says: "The greatest fruit of justice is tranquility." ^B Now, let these examples of the Greek theft of ideas, in matters of intellect, suffice as a clear demonstration for one who is able to discern. But now, not only by purloining their ideas and expressions 35—

[Material in the lower margin and apparatus]: *pro* [empyrus]. Laertius in other texts has "fiery fish." Cyril, "glorious fish." And it is thus in H. Stephanus in his *Philosophical Collection of Poetry*. But that the genuine reading is "fiery fish" is shown by Petrus Petitus in his *Miscellany Observations*, and after him Menagius on the passage of Laertius already mentioned, where Rittershusius also gathered other things concerning these verses. Conf. Philo the Jew, *That the World is Incorruptible*, p. 948, where for [...] he has [...]: which reading Grotius follows in his *Excerpts*, p. 417, where he exhibits these verses along with others concerning the same subject: "Whatever things are these, of them Nothing dies: but that which is secret From that [source], Appears under its own image." 28 Dies. (These lines exist also in Philo the Jew, *That the World is Incorruptible*, p. 948, where he shows "a different form" instead of "a different form.") 29 *Republic*. Namely, in Book 5 of *De republica*, p. 655: "That these women of these men are all common to all, and that no one is to live privately with anyone." ... "Women are to be common to these men, and all of all are to be shared, and no one is to cohabit privately with anyone." 30 Common. It should be read, "Common, then, would the marriage bed of women be," or "Common, then, to be and women's..." SYLBURG. — In the Paris ms. [...] is written for [...]. 31 For what is sufficient is enough. Concinnius reads: "The things which are sufficient are enough," making it crasis. SYLBURG. 52 Stable. From uncertain comedy. Grotius in *Excerpt.* p. 551, thus translates: "A stable life you will pass, following the way of justice, And easily you will live without fear and tumult." Furthermore, in the second verse, [...] is omitted in the Ottob. ms. 53 Epicurus. Conf. above, *Strom.* II, p. 495. 54 Indeed. This is recited by Eusebius, *Preparatio Evangelica*, lib. x, cap. 2. 55 Expressions. Euseb. ms. and the printed editions, "the expressions," with the article.

^A that they have been detected paraphrasing, as shall be shown; but also that they have been caught red-handed as having stolen entire works. For having stolen the works of others in their entirety, they published them as their own, just as Eugamon of Cyrene 39 did with the entire book of Musaeus 40 regarding the Thesprotians, and Pisander of Camirus with the *Heraclea* of Pisinus of Lindus, and Panyasis of Halicarnassus with the *Capture of Oechalia* by Cleophilus of Samos. You could also find the great poet Homer having transferred to the letter those verses,

*As when a man nourishes a flourishing shoot of an olive tree*, 41

and what follows, from the *Dissolution of Dionysus* by Orpheus. And in the *Theogony*, regarding Saturn, it is told by Orpheus:

*He lay stretching out his thick neck, and sleep, the all-tamer, took him...* 42

these things Homer transferred to the Cyclops 43. And Hesiod regarding Melampus acts likewise:

*Sweet also is it to hear what things the immortals have decreed for mortals; for of base and noble the signs are manifest*, 44

and what follows, having taken them word for word from the poet Musaeus. And Aristophanes the comic poet, in his first *Thesmophoriazusae* 45, transferred lines from the *Empiprameni* (or *The Burned One*) by Cratinus. And Plato the comic poet and Aristophanes in *Daedalus* steal from one another; however, the *Cocalus*, which had been composed quite appropriately by Aristophanes 46, Philemon the comic poet 47 altered slightly and produced in the *Hypobolimaeus* (or *The Supposititious One*). Eumelus and Acusilaus the historians also changed Hesiod's poems into prose and published them as their own. For Gorgias of Leontini and Eudemus of Naxos, the historians, stole ^C from Melesagoras; and in addition to these, Bion of Proconnesus, who also 48 [the works] of Cadmus...

writings of the ancient Cadmus, and reduced them into a compendium; and Amphilochus, and Aristocles, and Leandrius, and Anaximenes, and Hellanicus, and Hecataeus, and Androtion, and Philochorus. Dieuchidas the Megarian also transferred the beginning of his discourse from the *Deucalioneia* of Hellanicus. I pass over Heraclitus of Ephesus, who received most of his material from Orpheus. Plato drew the doctrine that the soul is immortal from Pythagoras; but he, in turn, [received it] from the Egyptians. Many also of the Platonists have committed to writing works in which they demonstrate, as we said in the beginning, that both the Stoics and Aristotle took most and the chief of their doctrines from Plato. Nay, even Epicurus has pilfered his principal tenets from Democritus. And let these things be so; for my life would fail me if I chose to pursue in detail the thefts of the Greeks, which have sprung from their excessive self-love, and the way in which they claim for themselves the invention of the most beautiful doctrines found among them, which they received from us.

CHAPTER III.

That the Greeks stole many things from the Hebrews, he proves from the fact that they transferred the miracles delivered in the sacred scriptures into their own histories and mythological fables.

Now, they are convicted not only of stealing their doctrines from the barbarians, but even of imitating those things which were done among us by divine power through those who lived holily while God was caring for us—things which occurred miraculously and beyond expectation—and retailing them as Greek fables in a prodigious manner. And indeed we shall ask them whether the things they write are true or false. But they certainly will not say they are false—for they would not voluntarily condemn themselves most severely of ^C stupidity for writing falsehoods—but they will confess that they are true. And how, then, do the miracles performed through Moses and the other prophets still appear incredible to them? For God, the Almighty, caring for all men, turns them to salvation, some by commandments, others by threats, others even by miraculous signs, and others by kind promises. But indeed, when a long-lasting drought was once afflicting Greece, and there was the greatest sterility of fruits, they say that those who were left, on account of the famine, came as suppliants to Delphi and asked the Pythian [priestess] how they might be delivered from such a heavy calamity. She answered that there was one remedy for the calamity, if ^D they were to make use of...

the prayers of Aeacus. Yielding, therefore, to them ^A, Aeacus, having ascended the Greek mountain, stretched out his pure hands to heaven and, calling upon the common God, prayed that He would have pity on the afflicted Greece. As soon as he began to pray, a sudden thunder pealed, and the entire air round about was overcast with clouds. Violent and continuous rains burst forth and filled the whole country. From this, an abundant and rich harvest was brought to fruition, tilled by the prayers of Aeacus. “And Samuel called unto the Lord, and the Lord gave thunders and rain in the day of harvest.” ^B Do you see that He who rains upon the just and the unjust, through the powers subjected to Him, is one God? And all of our Scripture is full of God listening to and fulfilling each of the requests made through the prayers of the righteous. The Greeks again relate that, when the Etesian winds failed, Aristaeus sacrificed in Ceos to Zeus Isthmios; for there was great destruction, with all things being consumed by heat, and because the winds accustomed to cool the fruits were not blowing, he easily recalled them. And the Delphians, when Xerxes had invaded Greece, the Pythian having declared:

“Appease, O Delphi, the winds, and it shall be better,”

having set up an altar and offered sacrifice to the winds, had them as allies. ^C For blowing powerfully about the Sepiad promontory, they shattered the entire equipment of the Persian fleet. Empedocles the Agrigentine was also surnamed “Wind-stayer.” It is said that when once a wind blowing from the mountain of Agrigentum was heavy and unhealthy for the inhabitants, and was also becoming a cause of barrenness for their wives, he caused the wind to cease; for which reason he himself also writes in verses: ^D

^A Thou shalt stay the might of the tireless winds, which, rushing over the earth, wear away the fields for mortals; and again, when thou wishest, thou shalt bring back the winds in return.

They said that some people followed him who were in need of divinations, others who had long been tormented by grievous diseases. And they believed, from our Scriptures, that it is the righteous who perform cures and signs and miracles. But as for the notion that certain powers also move the winds and distribute the rains, let them hear the Psalmist: “How lovely are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!” This is the Lord of hosts and principalities and powers, of whom Moses says, so that we may be with him: “And you shall circumcise the hardness of your heart, and your neck you shall no longer harden; for the Lord of lords and God of gods, the God who is great and strong,” and what follows these. And Isaiah says, “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created all these.” Now some say that pestilences, hail, and storms, and the like, occur not from material disorder alone, but also ^B from the wrath of certain demons or evil angels. They say that the magi who are at Cleonae, watching the celestial phenomena, immediately ward off the hail of impending clouds, and turn aside the threat of wrath with incantations and sacrifices. And indeed, if at any time they happen to lack an animal, they sacrifice their own blood drawn by a finger, and are satisfied with that offering. Also, Diotima of Mantinea ^C caused the plague to be deferred for ten years when the Athenians performed sacrifices.

Just so, the sacrifices of Epimenides the Cretan deferred the Persian war for the Athenians for an equal length of time ^A. They consider it to make no difference whether we call these souls gods or angels. Those who are skilled in their doctrine have certainly placed in many temples, as if they were statues of gods, almost all the tombs of the deceased, calling their souls demons and teaching men to worship them, on the grounds that they had received authority through the purity of their life—by divine providence—to patrol the earthly region for the service of men. For they knew that some souls are naturally held by the body. But we shall discuss these matters in due course, in the discourse concerning angels, as the Scripture advances. ^B Democritus, because he predicted many things from the observation of celestial and sublime phenomena, was surnamed "Wisdom." When his brother Damasus had received him kindly, he made a conjecture from certain stars and predicted there would be much rain. Those who believed him gathered in their crops, for it was still summer and they were on the threshing floors, while others lost everything when an unexpected and heavy rain burst forth. How, then, will the Greeks still disbelieve that God appeared on Mount Sinai? For at that time a fire was burning, yet consuming nothing of what grew on the mountain, and there was a sound of trumpets borne along, breathed out without any instruments. For that so-called descent of God onto the mountain is the arrival of divine power, which pervades the whole world and proclaims the light that is inaccessible ^C. Such is the allegory according to Scripture. But the fire was seen, as Aristobulus says, when the entire multitude, which was not less than a hundred myriads, excluding children and the aged, [was there].

^A was encamped in a circle around the mountain, the circumference of the territory around the mountain being not less than five days' journey. Thus, the fire was seen burning all around the entire place of the vision to all of them, as they were encamped in a circle; so that the descent was not limited to any specific place, for God is everywhere. Those who have compiled histories also say that in the island of Britain there is a certain cavern at the base of a mountain; and at its summit, a chasm. When the wind blows into the cavern and strikes against the recesses of the excavation, the sound of cymbals beaten in rhythm is heard; and often, when leaves in the forests are stirred by the sudden force of the wind, a sound similar to the singing of birds falls upon the ears. But those who have composed the Persian histories relate that in the regions that are in the territory of the Magi, there lie three mountains in succession on a very long plain. They say that those who pass through that place, upon reaching the first mountain, hear a confused ^B sound, just as if some thousands of men were shouting in battle, and when they have reached the middle, they perceive a greater and more distinct clamor, and in the end, they hear them singing a paean as if they had been victorious. The cause of every such sound, I think, is both the smoothness of the places and their cavernous nature. For the spirit that has entered, being repelled, rings out more vehemently as it proceeds back into the same place from which it came. But these things are so. However, for God the Almighty, even if nothing is subject to Him, it is possible to generate a voice and a phantom for the hearing, in order to show forth His own majesty, beyond the natural order of sequence, for the conversion of the soul that does not yet believe, so that it may accept the commandment that is being given. But since there was a cloud and a high mountain, why could a distinct sound not be heard while the spirit was being moved by the ^C acting cause? Wherefore also the prophet says: "You heard the voice of the words, and you saw no likeness." You see how the Lordly voice, the Word without form, the power of the Word, the bright Word of the Lord, the truth which has come from heaven above to the assembly of the Church, acted through the bright and proximate ministry.

CHAPTER IV.

That the Greeks derived many of their philosophical doctrines from the Egyptians and the Gymnosophists of the Jews; and that he shows that they were famous on account of their wisdom.

But we shall also find another testimony to confirm that when the most excellent of the philosophers ^D

^A have appropriated to themselves dogmas from among those that are with us, they boast and glory in them, as if they had culled from other barbarians also certain things which they contribute to each sect, but especially from the Egyptians, as well as other things, so, too, the dogma concerning the transmigration of the soul ^B into bodies. For the Egyptians practice a certain philosophy of their own. This is most especially shown by their sacred ceremonies; for first there proceeds the cantor, bearing one of the symbols of music. They say that he must have learned two of the books of Hermes, one of which contains the hymns of the gods, and the second the calculations for the royal life. After the cantor proceeds the horoscopus, who holds in his hand a horologium and a palm, the symbols of astrology. ^C It is required that he always have in his mouth those books of Hermes which treat of astrology, which are four in number: of which one is concerning the order of the stars that are seen to be fixed, another concerning the conjunctions and the illumination of the sun and the moon, and the rest concerning their risings. Next proceeds the hierogrammateus, having feathers on his head, and in his hands a book and a rule, in which there is also the ink for writing, and the reed with which they write. Him it behooves to know both those things which are called hieroglyphics, and cosmography, and geography, the order of the sun and of the moon, and of the five wandering stars, a description of the geography ^D of Egypt, and a map of the Nile, and a description of the equipment of the temples and of the places consecrated to them, and of the measures and of things useful in the sacred rites. Then the stolistes follows those who have been mentioned, having the cubit of justice and the libation cup. He knows all things which are called educational, and those called sacrificial; these are ten, pertaining to the honor due to the gods among them, and containing the Egyptian reverence, such as those concerning sacrifices, first-fruits, hymns, prayers, processions, festivals, and the like. And above all the prophet goes out, bearing the water-pot in his bosom. To him follow the pastophoroi who convey the removal of the loaves, ^B carrying them. These are...

^A ten, which pertain to the honor of the gods who are among them, and contain the Egyptian religion: namely, sacrifices, first-fruits, hymns, prayers, processions, festivals, and things similar to these. After all of them comes the prophet, who carries the hydria openly in his bosom: whom there follow those who bear the loaves that have been offered. He, as one who is the prefect of the sacred rites, learns by heart the ten books which are called the "Sacerdotal" books: they contain matters concerning the laws, and the gods, and the whole discipline of the priests: for the prophet among the Egyptians presides also over the distribution of the revenues. There are, therefore, forty-two books of Mercury which are highly necessary, of which the thirty-six, which contain the whole philosophy of the Egyptians, those who were mentioned before learn by heart: the remaining six, however, the pastophoroi—that is, those who wear the mantle—as they pertain to medicine, namely concerning the construction of the body, and about diseases, and about instruments, and medicines, and about the eyes, ^B and lastly about women. And the affairs of the Egyptians, to speak briefly, are of this kind. But the philosophy of the Indians has also been very celebrated. Alexander the Macedonian, surely, when he had taken ten of the Indian Gymnosophists, who seemed to be the best and most distinguished, and surpassed the others in brevity of speech, proposed questions to them, threatening that he would remove from the midst whichever one did not answer appropriately. And when he ordered the eldest of them to judge between them. The first, upon being examined as to whether he thinks the living to be more numerous or the dead, said: The living; for the dead are not. The second, as to whether the earth or the sea produces larger beasts, said: The earth; for the sea is a part of it. The third, as to which of the animals ^C is the most cunning, which until now has not been known, said: "Man." And the fourth...

Index of the remaining books of the Hieratic library mentioned in these volumes:

1. Hymns to the gods. 2. [index: entries preserved]

^D Thus, therefore, it must be translated: "The third, however: What is the most cunning of animals? Which until now, he said, has not been known—man." Thus Plato in the sixth book of the *Republic* speaks of man: "It has happened to receive correct training, the most divine and gentlest of animals; but if not well nurtured, the most savage of all things that the earth produces."

^A And when examined as to why they had caused Sabba, who was their leader, to revolt, he replied: "Because we wished him to live honorably or to die badly."

The fifth, when asked whether he thought day or night came first, said: "By one day." For it is necessary that the answers to unanswerable questions should also be unanswerable.

The sixth, being asked how one might be loved most, said: "If, being most powerful, one is not terrible."

The seventh, asked how a man might become a god, said: "If he does those things which it is impossible for a man to do."

The eighth, asked what is stronger, life or death, said: "Life, which brings so many evils."

The ninth, being examined as to how long it is good for a man to live, said: "Until he does not think that dying is better than living."

And when Alexander ordered the tenth also to say something—for he was a judge—he said: "One has spoken worse than another." When Alexander said, "Then you also shall die first, you who judge such things," he replied: "And how, O king, would you be truthful, having said that you would kill first the man who had answered the worst?"

And that the Greeks are said to be thieves of every kind of writing has, I think, been sufficiently shown by many proofs. ^B

CAPUT V. That the Greeks had some knowledge of the true God.

That they know God not by direct recognition, but by a certain manifestation, is something the most esteemed of the Greeks acknowledge. Peter says in the Preaching: "Know therefore that there is one God, who made the beginning of all things, and has power over the end; and he is invisible, who sees all things, incomprehensible, who contains all things, needing nothing, on whom all things are dependent, and through whom they all exist; incomprehensible, eternal, imperishable, uncreated, who made all things by the word of his power—that is, the knowing scripture."

^A Then he adds: "Worship that same God, not according to the Greeks," clearly because they worship the same God we do, and the same one regarded as sound among the Greeks, but they have not learned of Him through the perfect knowledge which is the tradition given through the Son. "Do not," he says, "worship,"—he did not say "God who the Greeks worship," but "do not worship as the Greeks," changing the manner of the worship of God, not proclaiming another God. What, then, is "not according to the Greeks"? Peter himself will clarify this, adding: "For while they are carried away by ignorance, and do not acknowledge God ^B as we do according to the perfect knowledge, which He gave them for their use, they have fashioned wood and stones, bronze and iron, gold and silver, and have set up things that are slaves of their existence—these they worship. And what things God has given them for food—the birds of the air, the swimming creatures of the sea, the creeping things of the earth, and the wild beasts together with the four-footed cattle of the field, weasels and mice, cats and dogs and monkeys—these, which are proper food for mortals, they offer as sacrifices; and offering the dead to the dead as if they were gods, they are ungrateful to God, by these things denying that He is. And that it is so, inasmuch as we ourselves and the Greeks know the same God, but not in the same manner, he will add again in this way: "Do not worship as the Jews; for they, thinking that they alone know God, do not know that they worship ^C" ^D

^A angels and archangels, the month and the moon; and if the moon does not appear, they do not celebrate the Sabbath, which they call the first; nor do they celebrate the new moon, nor unleavened bread, nor a festival, nor a great day." Then he brings forward the colophon of the search: "Wherefore you also, learning in a holy and righteous manner the things which we deliver to you, keep them, worshipping God in a new way through Christ; for we have found in the Scriptures, as the Lord says: 'Behold, I arrange for you a New Covenant, not as I arranged with your fathers on Mount Horeb.' He arranged a New one for you; for the things of the Greeks and Jews are old, but you, worshipping Him in a new way by a third race, are Christians." For, I think, He clearly manifested the one and only God, who is known by the Greeks in a Gentile way, by the Jews in a Jewish way, but in a new and spiritual way by us. ^B Furthermore, he also set forth that the same God is the provider of both Covenants, who is also the giver of Greek philosophy to the Greeks, through which the Almighty is glorified among the Greeks; and this is manifest also from this: that from Greek education, but also from that of the Law, those who admit the faith are gathered into the one race of the people who are saved, the three peoples not being divided by time—lest anyone should imagine three natures—but being educated by different Covenants, being of the one Lord, by the word of the one Lord; since, just as He willed the Jews to be saved, ^C and as those who worship wood and stones do not worship the Divine at all like the Jews—since even they, while thinking they alone know God, do not know Him, worshipping angels and the month and the moon. ^D

^A God, in bestowing the prophets, in this way also distinguished from the common mob the most approved of the Greeks, having raised up prophets in their own tongue, as they were able to receive the benefit from God. The apostle Paul will show this in the Preaching of Peter, saying: "Take also the Greek books, recognize the Sibyl, as she declares one God and the things that are to come; and take Hystaspes and read, and you will find the Son of God written of much more clearly and plainly, and how many kings shall set their battle array against Christ, hating both Him and those who bear His name, and His faithful ones, and His endurance, and His advent." ^B Then, in one word, He asks us: "But the whole world and the things in the world, whose are they? Are they not God's?" For this reason, He says that Peter said the Lord spoke to the apostles: "If, then, anyone of Israel wishes to repent, and to believe through My name in God, his sins shall be forgiven him after twelve years. Go forth into the world, that no one may say, 'We have not heard.'" The Sibyl and Hystaspes also taught that there would be a destruction of corruptible things by fire.

The most learned Father in these books does not act as an orator, nor does he write a letter or an exhortation, and therefore he does not address anyone specifically. And so, when he writes: "Take the Greek books, recognize the Sibyl," it is necessary that these be not the words of Clement himself, but of the holy Paul just mentioned. And furthermore, the words of the holy Paul in the Epistle to Titus cannot by any contrivance be dragged here. For besides the fact that the Apostle speaks there of only one prophet, whereas Clement here speaks of several; and that holy Paul does not in any way affirm that his own prophets were raised up by God for the Gentiles as they were able to perceive God's benefit; besides these things, I say, it must also be observed that these words belong to another part of this sentiment. For Clement does not assert that divine Paul said God raised up His own prophets for the Greeks, but he himself said this, and proves it both from the Preaching of Peter and from Paul, as he says, "The matter will shine forth even more clearly if we recall the things which follow immediately after the words cited by us." ^C For he reports that the holy Paul said this: "Take also the Greek books, recognize the Sibyl as she indicates one God and the things that are to come. Take and read Hystaspes also, and you will find the Son of God written of much more clearly and plainly, and how many kings will set their battle array against Christ, hating both Him, and those who bear His name, and His faithful ones, and His patience and advent." When he had related these things as brought forth by divine Paul, he soon adds: "Then, in one word, He asks us, 'The whole world, and what is in the world, whose are they? Are they not God's?'" But these words can be understood of no one else except the holy Paul. For who could be said to have asked this, except he of whom mention had been made previously in these words: Paul? For that the most learned man thinks these words are to be attributed to the Preaching of Peter is altogether foreign to reason. For the discourse of the holy Peter, cited here by Clement from that apocryphal book, was finished before these things are reported as having been said by divine Paul or any other. ^D Nay, even after these last words cited by us, he immediately subjoins: "For this reason," etc. But if he had wished Peter to have asked that in the preceding words, he would rather have inserted his name there. But since it is clearly stated here that the holy Paul uttered this interrogation, there can be no doubt that he also said those things which precede it, if we have faith in Clement. But Clement seems to have drawn these things either from tradition or, at the very least, from some apocryphal book bearing the name of divine Paul. Such as also the one having the name of divine Peter inscribed upon it, and called the Preaching of Peter, is praised here by Clement, and many things are recited from the same as if said by Peter.

CHAPTER VI.

That the Gospel was preached to those in the underworld no less than to those Jews and Gentiles who were alive.

^A But just as the preaching comes now in its own time, so too was the Law and the prophets given in their own time to the barbarians, and philosophy to the Greeks, training the ears for the preaching. For the Lord himself, who saved Israel, says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you; and I gave you for a covenant of the nations, to settle the land and to inherit the heritage of the wilderness, saying to those in the bonds: Go out; and to those in the darkness, to be revealed" (Isa. xlix, 8, 9). For if the "bound" are the Jews, concerning whom the Lord said, "Go out of the bonds, you who wish"—speaking of those who are willingly bound and who have loaded upon themselves through human intervention, as he says, "burdens hard to bear" (Matth. xxiii, 4; Luc. xi, 47)—it is clear that "those in this darkness" would be those who have the ruling part of their soul buried in the worship of idols. For among those righteous by the Law, faith was lacking; and therefore, when the Lord healed them, he said, "Your faith has saved you." But for those righteous by philosophy, it was necessary not only to have faith in the Lord, but also to depart from the worship of idols; now that the truth has been revealed, they too are led to repentance for what they have done. Wherefore the Lord preached ^B also to those in Hades. For the Scripture says: "Hades says ^C to Perdition: We did not see his form, but we heard his voice." For in the presence of him who is the Only-begotten, Hades, that lightless and dark place, is stripped bare, as is Perdition—the neighbor of Hades, which is death—which has no...

^A hiddenness. Having become man himself, he both despoiled Hades and led forth those who were there into courage. It is said also in the Proverbs: "Hades and Perdition are manifest before the Lord." For neither was the place in which souls were detained before his coming hidden from him, nor were those who seemed to have perished on account of corruption and death; on the contrary, he descended even into Hades, and released the souls from the age-long chains.

Scripture certainly says: "Hades says to Perdition: Of it indeed we have not seen the form, but we have heard its voice." ^B It is not, of course, that the locality itself, having acquired a voice, spoke the things aforementioned, but rather those who were assigned to Hades and had delivered themselves over to perdition, just like those who cast themselves of their own will into the sea from a ship. These, then, are the ones who hearkened to the divine power and voice. For who of sound mind would suppose that the souls of the just and the souls of the sinners are in one and the same condemnation, thereby pouring out an injustice upon the Providence? What then? Do they not indicate that the Lord preached the Gospel ^C to those who had perished in the flood, or rather to those who were bound, and to those kept in "the prison" and "the watch"? It has been shown in the second *Stromateis* that the Apostles, following the Lord, also preached the Gospel to those in Hades. For it was necessary, I think, that as here, so also there, the best of the disciples should become imitators of the Master, so that one might lead those from the Jews, and others the Gentiles, to conversion—that is, those who had lived in righteousness according to the law and philosophy, yet not perfectly, but had spent their life sinfully. For this was appropriate to the divine economy, that those who had attained a greater worth in righteousness, and who had lived primarily in an upright manner, and who had repented for the transgressions they committed—even if they were found in another place—should, by confessing the God of all ^D who is Almighty, be saved according to the peculiar knowledge of each. And the Savior, I think, is at work, since his task is to save; which is what he has done, drawing to salvation through the proclamation those who wished to believe in him, wheresoever they happened to be. If, therefore, the Lord descended into Hades for no other reason than to preach the Gospel, as he most certainly did descend, he descended either to preach to all or only to the Hebrews. And if to all, then all who believed will be saved, even if they should be from the Gentiles, having already confessed there; since God's chastisements are saving and disciplinary, leading to conversion and choosing the repentance of the sinner rather than his death; and this for souls already delivered from bodies, which are able to perceive more clearly."

^A because the flesh no longer acts as a hindrance. If, however, Christ preached the Gospel only to the Jews, to whom the recognition and faith through the Savior were lacking, it is clear that since God is no respecter of persons, ^B the apostles also, just as here, so there, preached the Gospel to those among the Gentiles who were fit for conversion. And it is well said in the Shepherd: "They descended, therefore, with them into the water; but these indeed descended living, and they ascended living; but those who had previously fallen asleep descended dead, yet they ascended living." And indeed, the Gospel says that many of the bodies of those who had fallen asleep ‹arose›, ^C as having evidently been translated to a better state. There was, therefore, a certain universal movement and translation according to the dispensation of the Savior. A just man, therefore, does not differ from a just man, in so far as he is just, whether he be under the law or a Greek. For God is Lord not only of the Jews, but of all men, and more closely the Father of those who have known Him. For if to live honestly is also to live lawfully, and to live according to reason is to live according to the law, then those who lived rightly before the law were reckoned as having faith, and were judged to be just; it is clear, therefore, that even those who were outside the law, having lived rightly because of the particular quality of the voice—even if they were in Hades and in custody—having heard the voice of the Lord, whether directly or through the one operating through the apostles, were quickly turned and believed. ^D For we remember that "the power of God" is the Lord, and a power could never be weak. Thus, I think it is shown that God is good, and the Lord is able to grant salvation with justice and equality to those who turn, whether here or elsewhere. For the power that operates does not reach only to this place, but is everywhere, and always operates. Immediately, in the Preaching of Peter, the Lord says to his disciples after the resurrection: "I have chosen you twelve disciples, having judged you worthy of me"—whom the Lord willed to be apostles, judging them to be faithful, sending them out over the world to evangelize the people throughout the inhabited earth, so that they might know that there is one God, clearly declaring through the faith of Christ the things to come, so that those who having heard and believed might be saved; but those who did not believe

when they had heard, might bear witness, so that they might not be able to excuse themselves by saying: We have not heard. What then? Was there not the same economy and dispensation also in Hades, so that there too all souls, having heard the preaching, might either show repentance or confess that the punishment is just for those who did not believe? For it would be a task of no small covetousness, ^A if those who had departed before the coming of the Lord, not having been preached to, nor having provided the cause from themselves, were to be partakers of either salvation or punishment according to believing or not. For it is surely not right that some should be condemned without a hearing, and only those after the coming of Christ should have enjoyed divine justice. For it has been said from above to all rational souls: Whatever any of you has done in ignorance, not clearly knowing God, if, having known it, he shall be led to repentance, all his sins shall be forgiven him. "For behold," he says, "I have set before your face death and life, that you may choose life": ^B by which it is said that God set these things for the comparison of choice, not that He made both. And in another Scripture He says: "If you listen to me and are willing, you shall eat the good things of the earth; but if you do not listen to me, and are not willing, the sword shall devour you; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken these things." Again, David speaks openly, or rather the Lord in the person of the holy one: and this is one and the same from the foundation of the world, everyone who in different times has been and shall be saved through faith: "My heart was glad and my tongue exulted. Moreover, my flesh also shall dwell in hope," he says. "For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, nor will you give your holy one to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life. You will fill me with joy with your countenance." ^C As, therefore, the people is precious to the Lord, so every holy people is, along with the Jew, even he who turns from the Gentiles, who was prophesied as the proselyte. Therefore, the Scripture fittingly says that the ox and the bear will be in the same place: for the Jew is called the ox, from the animal judged clean under the Law, since the ox also has cloven hoofs and chews the cud; but the Gentile is signified by the bear, an unclean and wild beast. And the animal brings forth a formless mass of flesh, ^D which it shapes into the likeness of the beast only with its tongue; for by the word it is shaped into becoming tame. [End of page 272]

the nations is trained, and having been tamed, he is himself purified like an ox. Straightway the prophet says: “Sirens 64 shall bless me, and the daughters of ostriches, and all the beasts of the field.” By the beasts of the field are to be understood the unclean 65 animals, that is to say [the beasts] of the world; since he calls those who are wild in their unbelief and filthy in their life, and not purified by the righteousness according to the Law, "beasts." Having changed, however, from being beasts through the faith of the Lord, they become men of God, making progress toward becoming [that which they desire], beginning with the very will to change. For the Lord encourages some, and to others who have already set out, He extends His hand and draws them up. “For the Lord of all 66 does not regard any person, nor will He be moved by greatness, since He Himself made both small and great, and provides equally for all.” And David says: ^B “If the nations have even been caught in the destruction which they wrought, in this snare which they hid, their foot has been taken. But 67 the Lord became a refuge to the poor, a helper in due time and in affliction.” It was, then, in due time that those in affliction were evangelized. And for this reason He says: “Declare His works among the nations, that they may not 68 be judged unjustly.” If, therefore, He evangelized those in the flesh for this reason, so that they might not be judged unjustly, why did He not also evangelize those who had departed before His advent for this same reason? “For the Lord is just, and He has loved righteousness; His face has seen uprightness. But he who loves iniquity 69 hates his own soul.” If, therefore, in the flood all sinful flesh perished, punishment having come upon them for their discipline—first, one must believe ^C that the will of God, being disciplinary and active 70, saves those who turn. Then, furthermore, as to the more subtle part, the soul—it would never suffer any harm before the more dense [element], the water, by reason of its subtlety and simplicity, being incapable of being held 71, or even being called incorporeal. But whatever is dense, having been thickened by sin, this is cast away 72 together with the carnal spirit 73, which desires against the soul.

^A Now, furthermore, regarding those who advocate the community ^B, the foremost of them, Valentinus, writes verbatim in his homily *On Friends*: "Many of the things written in the public books are found written in the Church of God; for these empty things are the words which proceed from the heart; the law written on the heart, this is the people of the beloved, who is loved, and who loves Him." For by "public books," whether he means the Jewish Scriptures or those of the philosophers, he makes the truth common. Isidorus, too, the son and student of Basilides, writes just as verbatim in the first book of his *Expositions of the Prophet Parchor*: "The Attics say that something was signified to Socrates, as a daemon followed him; and Aristotle says that all men use daemons who accompany them during the time of their incarnation; having received this prophetic teaching and deposited it in his own books, he did not acknowledge from where he had stolen this word." And again, in the second book of the same work, he writes in this way: "And let no one think that what we say is peculiar to the elect is something that had been predicted by some philosophers; for it is not their discovery, but having appropriated it from the prophets, they added it to the one who, according to them, was not wise." And again in the same: "For it seems to me that those who claim to pursue philosophy should learn what is the 'winged oak' and the 'variegated cloak' upon it—all the things which Pherecydes spoke of allegorically in his theology, having taken them from the prophecy of Ham."

CHAPTER VII.

What true wisdom is, and from whence it is called.

As for the "hypothesis," as we have noted long ago, we do not mean that which is adopted in each heresy as a way of life, but that which is truly philosophy, correctly ^C speaking, as technical wisdom.

^A It is, in truth, an artificial wisdom which provides experience of those things which are in life. Wisdom, however, is a solid knowledge of things divine and human, a firm and stable comprehension which cannot fail, and which contains those things which are, and the past, and the future: which the Lord has taught us through His presence and through the prophets; and it is of such a kind that it cannot fail, as it has been handed down by the Word. Therefore, it is also altogether true in will, as it is known through the Son; and in part it is eternal, and in part it is useful for time; and in part it is one and the same, and in part many and indifferent; and in part it is without any passionate impulse, and in part it is with a passionate longing; and in part it is perfect, and in part it is needy. Philosophy, therefore, desires this wisdom—that of the soul, and of the rightness of the word, and of the purity of life—being kindly and lovingly disposed toward wisdom and doing everything in order to attain it. ^B Philosophers with us are called those who love wisdom, which is the creator and teacher of all, that is to say, the knowledge of the Son of God. Among the Greeks, however, they are called philosophers who take up discussions concerning virtue. And by the name of philosophy are called those doctrines in each heresy (I am speaking of those which are in philosophy) which are irreproachable, when they are brought together into a single election along with a consistent life; which doctrines were themselves stolen from the barbarian grace given by God and adorned with Greek eloquence. For some things they stole, and others they heard incorrectly; and in other matters, although they were moved ^C to speak, they did not perfect them; but they spoke by human conjecture and reasoning, in which they also fall into error. These men, indeed, think that they attain the truth perfectly, but as they are grasped by us, it is only in part; they certainly know nothing more than this world. ^D And just as geometry, dealing with measures and magnitudes and figures through description on planes, and painting, seems to take up the whole optic space on those things which are sketched—this latter falsely portrays the sight, using as it does, according to technical skill, the points of the optic lines—from which surface appearances, and hypotheses, and phases are preserved, and some things seem to project, others to recede, and others to appear in some other way on a smooth and level surface; so also do the philosophers, in the manner of painting, imitate the truth. But self-love is the cause of every evil thing for everyone at every time. Therefore, one ought not, in choosing the glory which comes from men, to be a lover of self, but by loving God, to become truly holy with wisdom. If, therefore, anyone happens to use the partial as if it were universal, and as if he were serving the Lord, he is led (governed), ^D falling short of the truth, not understanding...

If, therefore, anyone happens to use the partial as if it were universal, and as if he were serving the Lord, he is led (governed), falling short of the truth, not understanding that which is said by ^A David in confession: "I ate earth or ashes like bread." But self-love and conceit are, for him, earth and deception. If this is so, then knowledge and science come from instruction; and if there is instruction, it is necessary to seek the teacher. For Cleanthes, indeed, designates Zeno as his master, and Theophrastus designates Aristotle, Metrodorus designates Epicurus, and Plato designates Socrates. But even if I should come to Pythagoras, Pherecydes, Thales, and the first wise men, I pause, seeking the teacher of these; and even if you mention the Egyptians, or Indians, or Babylonians, or the Magi themselves, I shall not cease to demand their teacher. But I lead you also to the first origin of men, and from there I begin to ask who was the teacher. No one among men, for they had not yet learned. But neither was there any teacher among the angels; for humans do not hear in the way that angels, insofar as they are angels, signify things; nor do they have a tongue in the way that we have ears. Nor could anyone grant angels the instruments of voice—I mean the lips and what is located near them, ^B the throat, the windpipe, the vitals, the spirit, and the air that is struck. How far it is, then, that God should resound with a holiness that cannot be approached, He who is Himself separated even from the archangels. And now we have also received that the angels have learned the truth, as have the principalities that are over them, for they have a beginning. It remains, therefore, that we also, ascending, should desire their teacher. Since there is one Unbegotten, namely God Almighty, there is also one Pre-begotten, through whom all things were made, and without whom not even one thing was made. For one is he who is truly God, who made the beginning of all things, ^C signifying the first-born Son, as Peter writes, perceiving accurately that: "In the beginning God made heaven and earth." Moreover, this one is called Wisdom by all the prophets; this is the teacher of all produced things, the counselor of God, who has foreknown all things. He who from above, from the first foundation of the world, in many ways and in many portions, has instructed and brought to perfection, whence it has been aptly said: "Call no one teacher upon the earth." You see from where true philosophy derives its handles, even if the Law is an image and shadow of the truth; for the Law is a shadow of the truth. But the self-love of the Greeks proclaims certain men as teachers. Therefore, just as every lineage runs back to the Creator God, ^D our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

^A And so, the teaching of good things points to the Lord, and it is that which justifies, and provides guidance and assistance to this end. But if some, having received in any way whatsoever (98) the seeds of truth from some creation (99), did not nurture them, but committed them to barren and dry soil and choked them with wild weeds—just as the Pharisees turned aside from the law, introducing human teachings (1)—the Master is not responsible for this, but rather those who chose to disregard him. Yet those who are persuaded by them, both by the Lord's presence and by the clarity of the Scriptures, come to a discernment of the Law—just as those from philosophy, through the Lord's teaching, are established in the discernment of true philosophy. "For the words of the Lord are pure words, silver refined, proven to the earth (2), purified sevenfold"—meaning that just as silver often purified, the righteous man is rendered a testing [standard], becoming the Lord's coin and receiving the royal imprint. Or, since Solomon (3) also says, "The tongue of the righteous is refined silver (4)," signifying that approved and wise teaching is praiseworthy and acceptable, whenever it is abundantly purified by the earth, that is, whenever the Gnostic soul is sanctified in many ways by abstinence from earthly inflammations. The body, too, in which it dwells, is sanctified, being appropriated for the purity and sincerity of a holy temple. ^B Now, the first purification of the soul in the body—the first for beginners—is this abstinence from evils (5), which some mistakenly consider to be perfection; and this is simply the perfection of the common believer, both Jew and Greek. But for the Gnostic, after the perfection that is supposed by others, justice proceeds into the activity of beneficence. And to whomsoever the understanding of justice has progressed into benevolence, to him perfection remains in an immutable habit of beneficence, according to the likeness of God. For some (6) are the seed of Abraham, still servants of God—these are the "called" (7)—but the sons of Jacob are His "elect," those who have supplanted (8) the activity of evil. If, therefore, Christ himself is wisdom ^C

Wisdom, and his activity that which comes through the prophets—by which the Gnostic tradition is learned, just as he himself, when present, taught the holy apostles—then wisdom is gnosis, being the knowledge and comprehension of things that are, that will be, and that have been, stable and firm, inasmuch as it has been handed down and revealed by the Son of God. And indeed, if the end of the wise man is contemplation, then the contemplation of those who are still philosophers seeks divine knowledge; yet they do not attain it until they have received, through instruction, the prophetic voice made clear to them, by which they learn how those things that are, those that will be, and those that have been—and how they have existed and shall exist—are ordered. This gnosis itself ^B is that which, through succession, has reached a few, having been handed down from the apostles without being committed to writing. Hence, therefore, gnosis—or wisdom, if you prefer so to call it—must be exercised until it attains the eternal and unalterable habit of contemplation.

CHAPTER VIII.

For Paul also, in his Epistles, does not appear to rebuke philosophy; rather, he does not wish one who has reached the Gnostic height to ^C turn back anymore to "Greek philosophy," allegorizing it as "the elements of the world," as something that teaches elemental things and is, as it were, a discipline preceding the truth. Therefore, writing also to the Hebrews who were turning back from faith to the Law: "And again," he says, "you have need that someone teach you what are the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to have need of milk, and not of solid food?" Similarly, then, to the Colossians also, who are converting from the Greeks: "See that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of this world, and not according to Christ," ^D that is, luring them back to philosophy, which is an elementary doctrine. And if anyone should say that philosophy was invented by the Greeks through human understanding, I find the Scriptures saying that understanding is sent by God. The Psalmist, at any rate,

considers understanding to be a most excellent gift, and asks for it, saying: "I am thy servant; make me to understand." ^A And does not David, in seeking multifarious knowledge, write: "Teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge, for I have believed in thy commandments"? It is acknowledged that the covenants are of sovereign authority, and that they were given to those who were more excellent. For the Psalm again speaks of God: "He has not dealt so with any nation, and his judgments he has not manifested unto them." Now, the statement "He has not dealt so" signifies that He has indeed dealt, but "not so." The word "so," therefore, is used by way of comparison with our own superiority. The prophet might otherwise have said simply "He has not dealt," without the addition of "so." But Peter also says in the Acts: "In truth I perceive that God is not a respecter of persons, ^B but in every nation he that fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." The lack of respect for persons on the part of God is not, therefore, something that came to pass in time, but has been so from eternity; nor did His beneficence ever begin, nor is it restricted to certain places or certain people; for His benevolence is not partial. "Open to me," he says, "the gates of righteousness; entering into them, I will confess to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter into it." Barnabas, explaining the word of the prophet, adds: "Since many gates are open, that which is in righteousness is in Christ, in whom are blessed all who have entered." ^C That same prophetic meaning also holds that: "The Lord is upon many waters"—not only of the various covenants, but also of the modes of teaching, which lead to righteousness both among the Greeks and among the barbarians. And now David also, clearly bearing witness to the truth, sings: "Let the sinners be turned into hell, all the nations that forget God." They forget, that is to say, Him whom they had formerly remembered; and whom they knew before they forgot, Him they cast aside. There was, therefore, a certain obscure knowledge of God even among the nations. And let *these* matters stand thus. But the Gnostic must be a man of much learning. And since the Greeks say that, with Protagoras ^D beginning the process,

^A a counter-argument may be prepared to meet every argument, it is proper to say something also against such speeches. For the Scripture says: "He who speaks much, shall also hear in turn." And who shall understand the parable of the Lord, except he who is wise, and learned, and loves his Lord? Let such a man, then, be faithful; let him be capable of expounding knowledge; let him be wise in discerning words, let him be ready in deeds, let him be chaste and pure. For indeed he ought to be more humble in proportion as he seems to be greater, says Clement in the Epistle to the Corinthians. He must be such as to be able to obey that precept: "And some indeed snatch from the fire, but have mercy on those who are discerned." ^B The sickle, indeed, was certainly made so that branches might be lopped; but we also use it to distinguish closely intertwined vine-stalks, and we cut away the thorns that cling to the vines, to which it is not easy to gain access. But all these things refer to the pruning of vines. On the other hand, man was made primarily for the knowledge of God; but he is also a geometer, and a farmer, and a philosopher. Of these, one contributes to living, the second to living well, and the third to meditating upon those things which are demonstrative. Moreover, let those who say that philosophy has proceeded from the devil also know what the Scripture says, "that the devil is transformed into an angel of light." What is he doing? Prophesying, of course. But if he prophesies as an angel of light, he is surely saying what is true. If he prophesies things angelic and luminous, then ^C he also prophesies things that are useful, when he is transformed to the likeness of his operation, even if he is someone else, insofar as he is a subject of defection. For how would he deceive anyone, if he did not attract the studious man through true things to a certain conjunction and familiarity with himself, and thus afterwards seduce him into falsehood? And besides, the devil will be found to know the truth, even if not in such a way as to comprehend it, yet in such a way as not to be ignorant of it. Philosophy is not, therefore, false, even if a thief and a liar, through a transformation of operation, says true things. Nor, indeed, for the sake of the one who says them, are the things which are said to be ignorantly condemned beforehand (a principle which must also be observed in the case of those who are said to prophesy even now), but the things which are said must be examined to see if they hold to the truth. And now, indeed, in saying that all things necessary and useful for life have come to us from God, we would not be wrong; and in saying that philosophy, and most of all to the Greeks, has been given as a kind of peculiar covenant, being a foundation ^D to ascend to the higher philosophy.

Now, if we say that whatever things are necessary and useful for life come to us from God according to common parlance, we shall not be in error; or rather, if we say that philosophy itself was given to the Greeks as a kind of peculiar covenant, as being the foundation of the Christian philosophy, even if some of the Greeks who philosophize are deaf of their own accord to the truth, despising the language of the Orientals, or even fearing the danger of death ^B which is threatened to the faithful by human laws. But just as in the barbarian philosophy, so also in the Greek [philosophy] tares have been sown by the usual farmer of tares. Hence also among us heresies have sprung up along with the good and genuine wheat, and those who teach the impiety of Epicurus and pleasure, and whatever else has been sown contrary to right reason, under the guise of Greek wisdom, are adulterate fruits of the agriculture divinely given to the Greeks. This the Apostle calls "the wisdom of this world," which is indeed pleasure-loving and ^C self-loving, in that it teaches the things of this world and those that pertain only to it, and consequently, with regard to the "rulers of this age," it is subject to them. Therefore, this partial philosophy is elementary, whereas true, perfect science is about things beyond the world, concerning the intelligible [world], and moves further toward the things that are more spiritual—which "eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man"—until our Master opens to us the word concerning these things, revealing the holy of holies and, in addition to these, things still more holy, ^D by way of ascent, to those who are genuinely and not spuriously heirs of the Lord’s adoption. For we dare to say (for here is the faith of knowledge) that he who is truly endowed with knowledge knows all things, and is comprehensive of all things, employing a firm grasp even upon those things which are to us doubtful and inexplicable—of which kind were James, Peter, John, Paul, and the rest of the Apostles; for prophecy is full of knowledge, as given by the Lord and again declared to the Apostles through the Lord. But is knowledge a property of the rational soul, practiced to this end, that by knowledge it may be inscribed to immortality? For both are powers of the soul, I say, knowledge and impulse. And impulse is found to be a movement after a certain assent.

^A For in truth, movement, like knowledge, is directed towards existing things; and knowledge itself is a certain contemplation of the soul regarding things that are, or a thing, or things, perfected ^A in all things. Although some say that the wise man is convinced that there are some incomprehensible things—to the extent that he even has a certain comprehension of these, in that he comprehends that the incomprehensible things will be incomprehensible, which is something common also to those who have little power to foresee—for such a person confirms that there are some things incomprehensible; but that Gnostic of whom I speak himself comprehends things which to others appear to be incomprehensible, having believed that nothing is incomprehensible to the Son of God, and therefore nothing is unteachable; for he who suffered for his love toward us would have withheld nothing that contributes to the teaching of knowledge. Therefore, this faith becomes a firm and stable demonstration; ^B since truth follows those things which have been delivered by God. And if someone desires experience in many things, "He knows things of old, and conjectures things to come; he understands the turns of discourse and the solutions of riddles; he foreknows signs and wonders, and the outcomes of seasons and times," ^C as a disciple of wisdom.

CHAPTER IX. The true Gnostic is entirely devoid of perturbing affections of the soul.

resurrection of the Lord. For even if one were to concede that those ^A motions mentioned earlier are good, if they occur by reason—yet in the perfect man they are certainly not to be admitted, for he has no audacity. For he is not caught up in dire straits, since he deems nothing in life to be dire, nor can anything of this kind turn him away from the love of God. Nor does he need peace of mind; for he does not fall into sorrow, being persuaded that all things come to pass well. Nor, indeed, is he prone to anger; for there is nothing that will provoke him to anger, since he always loves God, and is wholly turned toward Him alone, and for this reason bears hatred toward none of God's creatures. Neither does he envy; for there is nothing lacking to him ^B for assimilation to what is noble and good. Neither, then, does he cherish anyone with this common sort of friendship, but loves the Creator through His creatures. He does not, therefore, fall into any desire or appetite, nor is he in need, regarding his soul, of anything else, since he is already associated through love with the Beloved, to whom he is now familiarly joined by choice, and by the habit which proceeds from exercise he draws closer, and is blessed on account of the abundance of good things. Wherefore, for these reasons, he strives with great force to be assimilated ^C to the Master Himself, so as to admit no passions; for the Logos of God is intelligent, through whom the image of mind, or intellect, is discerned in man alone; in which respect a good man is also God-formed and God-like in his soul, and in turn God is of human form; for the form of each is the mind, from which we receive our proper character. Whence it comes about that those who sin against a man are profane and impious. For it is nonsense to say that the Gnostic and perfect man ought not to rid himself of anger and audacity, as if without these he would not be able to stand against what might ^D assail him, nor endure what is grievous. But if we were also to remove desire from him, they say that he would be troubled and overwhelmed by all things grievous and harsh, and therefore depart from life in a most miserable state, if he were not a partaker of it, nor, as it seems to some, possess the desire for those things which captivate good and honest men. If, therefore, all conjunction and conciliation

^A with those things which are good and honest goes forward with desire, how can he who seeks what is honest be without passions? But these, as it seems, are ignorant of the divinity of charity. For that which loves is not by any means the desire of him who is a lover, but it is a benevolent conjunction, restoring into the unity of faith him who is a Gnostic, being in no wise in need of place and time. But he who is already, through charity, occupied in those things in which he is to be, as one who has received hope through knowledge, has no need of anything, in order that he may have, as far as it is possible, that which is to be sought. Rightly, therefore, does he remain in one immutable habit, loving in a Gnostic manner. Nor, therefore, will he burn with vehement study to be assimilated to beautiful things, since he has, through charity, the beauty itself. But what need has he still of boldness and desire, he who, with God who is subject to no passions, has received a conjunction through charity, and through it has enrolled himself in the number of His friends? Therefore, he who is Gnostic and perfect must be removed from every affection and perturbation of the soul. For knowledge produces exercise, and exercise produces habit or disposition. But such a constitution brings it about that one is immune to passions, not only that he may impose a limit upon them. Moreover, he acquires immunity from passions by the perfect amputation of desire. But the Gnostic is not a partaker of those things which are commonly boasted of as goods—that is, the bait of those goods which are contiguous to passions: ^B as, for example, of mirth, which is joined to pleasure; and of sadness, for it itself is joined to pain; and of caution, for it is subject to fear. But neither of anger, for this is placed near to wrath; even if some say that these are no longer evils, but goods. For it is impossible that he who has once been perfected through charity, and who eternally and insatiably partakes of the inexhaustible delight of contemplation, should be delighted by certain small, lowly, and abject things. For what just cause still remains for him to return to mundane goods, who has already received that light to which there is no access? Although not yet in time and place, yet certainly by that Gnostic charity, on account of which the inheritance follows, and perfect restitution: while He who pays the reward provides through works that which the Gnostic has previously received through Gnostic choice and through charity. For is not he who is a sojourner ^C towards the Lord through the love which is towards Him—even if his tabernacle is seen upon the earth—not indeed taking himself out of this life; for it is not permitted to him; yet he has taken his soul out of the passions; for it is allowed to him; and he lives having put to death his desires, and no longer uses the body, but only allows himself to use what is necessary, that he might not provide a cause for dissolution? How then is there still a need for him of courage, not being in dangers, since he is not present in them, but is already wholly with the Beloved? And what need is there of temperance, when he does not require it? For to have such desires as to need temperance for the restraint of them is to be not yet pure, but full of passions. And courage is taken up on account of fear and cowardice; for it is not indeed fitting any longer for the friend of God, whom God before the foundation ^D of the world has foreordained, to happen upon pleasures or fears,

and to be occupied with the repression of passions. ^A For I would venture to maintain that, just as he is situated as one foreordained by what he shall do and what he shall attain, so he also has foreordained for himself the one whom he has known and whom he has loved; not having the future as something uncertain, as the many live by conjecture, but having taken hold of it through gnostic faith, which is obscure to others. Already the future is present to him through love; for he has believed through the prophecy and through the presence of the God who does not lie; and what he has believed, he has, and he holds fast to the promise; and the Truth is He who promised. And he has firmly obtained the end of the promise according to science ^B through the trustworthiness of the One who promised. But he who knows the state in which he is to be a firm apprehension of future things, meets the future through love. Immediately, he who is persuaded that he will obtain the things that are truly good will not even seek to obtain the things that are here, but will always seek to hold on to the impulsive and corrective faith. And in addition to these, he will pray that very many may become as similar to him as possible, to the glory of God, which is perfected through knowledge; for he who is assimilated to the Savior is a certain savior, ^C to whom it is permitted, insofar as human nature can attain to it, to grasp the image, adhering faultlessly to the commandments. This, then, is to worship the Divine through true justice of deeds and of knowledge. The Lord does not wait for the utterance of his voice in prayer, saying: «Ask, and I will do; ponder in your soul, and I will give.» For in general, it is impossible for the immutable to receive stability and consistency in that which is mutable. ^D For in the constant change, and because of this the instability of the ruling faculty, the habit-forming power is not preserved; for he who is always being changed by things creeping in from the outside and falling upon him, how could he ever come to be in a state and disposition, and in brief, in the possession of knowledge? And yet even the philosophers think that the virtues are states, and dispositions, and kinds of knowledge. But as knowledge is not connate to men, but is adventitious; and as its learning needs attention at the beginning, and nourishment and growth, and then from uninterrupted meditation it comes into a state; so, having been perfected in the state by the mystical, it remains unchangeable through love. For he has apprehended not only the first cause, and the effect produced by Him, and regarding these he has a firm grasp, possessing permanent, and unchangeable, and immovable reasons; but also regarding good things, and bad, and concerning all generation, and to speak in sum, concerning the things of which the Lord spoke, he has the most accurate truth from the beginning of the world until the end, having learned it from the very Truth itself, not if there is any...

plausible appearance or Greek argument deemed necessary, preferring it to the Truth itself. For he accepts as open ^B and manifest the things that have been spoken by the Lord, even if they be obscure to others: thus he has received cognition of all things. For the oracles among us respond both concerning things that are, how they are, and concerning things that will be, how they will be, and concerning things that have come to pass, how they came to pass. ^C In those things alone which constitute science, since he is endowed with science, he will conduct himself excellently, and will undertake to discuss the good, always adhering to those supernal archetypes, describing his own management of human affairs—just as those who sail direct their ship by a star: being always ready and prepared for every good action, accustomed to despise all burdensome and grievous things: whenever it is necessary to endure something, performing nothing rash, nor anything that is not befitting to himself and the republic; being provident and far-seeing, and one who is in no way swayed by pleasures, both those that happen to the waking person and those that happen to the dreaming one; for being accustomed to a meager diet and frugality, he is temperate, and unencumbered with gravity, needing few things necessary for life, seeking nothing that is superfluous: but not admitting even these as if they were primary, but as things necessary for the communion of life, as if for a pilgrimage of the flesh, admitting them only as much as is necessary.

CHAPTER X.

For the cognition of all things is for him the primary thing. Consequently, therefore, he also pays attention to those things which exercise the mind toward cognition, taking from each discipline that which contributes to the truth. From music, therefore, he pursues the proportion that is in things that are aptly composed; in arithmetic, however, noting the augmentations and diminutions of numbers, and their relations to one another.

and that most things ^A fall subject to a certain proportion of numbers. Contemplating the geometric essence itself in itself, and accustoming himself to it, he perceives by his intelligence a certain continuous space and an immutable essence, which is distinct from these bodies. And again, from astronomy, being raised in his mind from the earth, he will be raised up with the heavens, and will revolve along with their rotation, always observing the things of God and their harmony with one another, from which starting point Abraham ascended to the knowledge of Him who created them. But the Gnostic will also make use of dialectic, choosing the division of kinds into species, and will approach the distinction of things that exist, until he reaches the first and primary principles. ^B Many people, however, just like children with masks, are afraid of Greek philosophy, fearing that it might lead them astray. If such is the faith they possess (for I would not call it knowledge), that it can be dissolved by the plausibility of an argument, then let it be dissolved, especially for the sake of those who admit that they do not possess the truth; for truth, as they say, is invincible, but false opinion is destroyed. We choose purple, for instance, by comparing it with another piece of purple. Therefore, if anyone confesses that he does not have a heart rightly formed, he does not have the table of the money-changers, nor indeed the criterion, which is reason. ^C And how then is such a man a banker, not being able to test and discern the genuine coin from the counterfeit? David cries out, "Because the righteous man shall not be moved for ever," neither by deceptive speech nor by misguided pleasure; hence he shall not be moved from his own inheritance. "He shall not be afraid, therefore, of evil report," nor of empty slander, nor of the false opinion that surrounds him; but he will not even fear clever arguments, for he is able to discern them so as to be prepared both to question correctly and to answer; for dialectic is like a rampart, so that the truth may not be trampled upon by the sophists. "For it is necessary for those who are praised ^D in the holy name of the Lord," according to the Prophet, "to rejoice in heart, seeking the Lord. Seek Him, therefore, and be strengthened; seek His face continually in all ways." For He who spoke "in many portions and in many ways" is not known in just one way. The Gnostic, therefore, using these things as virtues, will be not merely learned, but he will have them as collaborators in the—

^A discerning of things common and things proper, and will admit them as aids toward the truth. For the cause of every error and every false opinion is the inability to distinguish in what way existing things agree with one another and in what way they differ. If, however, one does not pursue different things with distinct reasoning, one will go unnoticed in confounding the common and the proper; and if this happens, it is necessary to fall into deviations and errors.

The distinction of terms and things also brings great light to the soul within the Scriptures themselves. For it is necessary to interpret both words that signify many things and many words that signify one thing, wherefore the ability to answer correctly results. But one must avoid much labor that is plainly useless regarding things of no use, since the Gnostic uses these disciplines as preliminary exercises, by which he is helped both toward attaining the truth as accurately and as unshakably as possible, and toward striking down ^B the wicked arguments of those who seek to cut away the truth. He will not, therefore, be ignorant of those things that conduce to the grasping of the encyclical disciplines and Greek philosophy; but he will not learn these primarily and for their own sake, but in a secondary way, as necessity and circumstances demand. For those things which the patrons of heresies use wickedly and maliciously, the Gnostic will use rightly. Although, therefore, the truth which appears in Greek philosophy is only partial, as it is indeed true, yet just as the sun, by illuminating colors—both white and black—shows what each of them is, so also it itself refutes every rhetorical probability. Rightly, therefore, has it been proclaimed even among the Greeks: "Truth, queen of great virtue, be our beginning." ^C

CHAPTER XI.

Just as, therefore, in astronomy we have the example of Abraham, so also in arithmetic we have the same Abraham. For when he had heard that Lot had been taken captive, he counted his own household servants, three hundred and eighteen ^D men. What, then, is the knowledge given to him in this? Learn: the eighteen first, then the three hundred. Now the eighteen are denoted by ten (iota) and eight (eta), which contains the name Jesus; and because the cross was to have grace in the letter T, he also mentions the three hundred. He therefore indicates Jesus in the two letters and the cross in the one.

^A Lot, then, having numbered his own household servants to the number of 318, and having gone forth, overcame a very great number of enemies. They say, therefore, that the 300th element is a type of the Lord’s sign according to its shape, and that the iota and the eta signify the salvific name. It is signified, therefore, that those who have fled to the sign and the name are Abraham’s kindred as regards salvation; that they have become masters of those who were carrying them off into captivity, and of the very many infidel nations that followed them.

Now, the number three hundred is a triad in the centenary; and the decade is acknowledged to be altogether perfect. Eight, moreover, is the first cube, and is equality in all dimensions—length, breadth, and depth. «The days of men,» he says, «shall be one hundred and twenty years.» This number, by composition from unity, is the fifteenth, and the moon is full on the fifteenth day. By another interpretation, the number one hundred and twenty is triangular, and consists of the equality of the number 64. ^B Whose composition by parts yields squares: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15; and by the inequality of the number 56, seven [numbers] from the dyad of even numbers, which produce those that are unequal-sided (heteromeces): 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14. According to another signification, the number 120 consists of four [parts]: one triangular, the fifteenth, and another square [of the 9th, which is the 81st, but the text here is corrupted and obscure].

^C [alt-version omitted]

^D

^A Likewise, the number 15, the third of the square, the 35th of the fourth, the 45th of the hexagon. For by the same proportion, 5 is taken in every species. For of triangles from unity, the 5th is 15; of squares, the 25th; and of those which follow in sequence, by analogy. And indeed, the number 25, which is 5 from unity, is said to be a symbol of the Levitical tribe. The number 35 is itself also derived from the description made by doubles, arithmetic, geometric, and harmonic: namely 6, 8, 9, 12, the combination of which generates 35. In these days, the Jews say that seven-month fetuses are formed. The number 45 consists of the description made by triples, namely 6, 9, 18, 12—the combination of which generates 45—and in these days, likewise, they say that nine-month fetuses are formed. ^B This, then, is the species of the arithmetic example. Let the tabernacle that is constructed and the ark that is fashioned be the testimony of geometry, which are built according to certain very logical proportions, by divine inventions, through the gift of intelligence, which transfers us from sensible things to those perceived by the intellect, or rather from these to the holy places, and from the holy places to the Holy of Holies. For the square woods signify the square figure that pervades everywhere, producing right angles, which indicates security. And the length of the building was three hundred cubits, its width fifty, and its height thirty; and above it ends in a cubit, which tapers from the wide base like a pyramid, ^C as the ark of those who are purged and tested by fire. This geometric proportion is offered for the passing over to those holy mansions, the differences of which are indicated by the differences of the underlying numbers. The numbers brought forward are sextuple, as 300 is to 50; and decuple, as 300 is decuple to 30; and superbipartient—for 50 is to 30 [a ratio of 5:3, which is 1 and 2/3]. There are some who say the three hundred cubits are a symbol of the Lord’s sign; and the fifty, [a symbol] of hope and of the remission which occurs at the Pentecost; and the thirty, or as in some [copies] twelve, they record as signifying the preaching—that the Lord preached in the thirtieth year, and the apostles were twelve—and that the structure ends in a cubit, as the progress of the just ends in unity, ^D and into the unity of the faith, until we all reach the perfect man.

^A Moreover, the table in the temple was of six cubits, and there were four feet of about a cubit and a half each. They gather, therefore, all the cubits into twelve, in harmony with the revolution of the twelve months according to the annual cycle, by which the earth brings forth and brings to perfection all things, being adapted to the four seasons. The table, I think, signifies an image of the earth, supported by four feet—summer, autumn, spring, winter—through which the year revolves. ^B Therefore, he says there are twisted moldings [b]—either suggesting that all things are carried around by the revolutions of the seasons, or perhaps signifying the earth which is surrounded by the ocean. Furthermore, let David be set forth as an example of music, playing and prophesying at the same time, praising God melodiously and rhythmically. And the enharmonic genus fits the Dorian harmony very well, and the diatonic the Phrygian, as Aristoxenus says. The harmony, then, of the barbarian psaltery, revealing the solemnity of the melody, being most ancient, served as a model for Terpander ^C when he sang the Dorian harmony to Zeus, thus:

Zeus, beginning of all, leader of all, Zeus, I send to you this beginning of hymns.

The cithara might be interpreted allegorically by the psalmist: in the first signification, as the Lord; in the second, as those who in a manner assiduously strike the souls under the Lord, the leader of the music. And even the saved people may be called a cithara by the inspiration of the Word, and they are heard musically praising God through the knowledge of God, being struck for faith by the Word. You might also grasp the musical symphony in another way: the ecclesiastical, of the Law and the Prophets together, and the Apostles with the Gospel, and the ^D unison which occurs in each prophet according to the transitions of the persons. But, as it seems, most of those who are inscribed with the name, like the companions of Ulysses, approach the doctrine boorishly, passing by not the Sirens, but the rhythm and the melody, stopping their ears through ignorance; since they know that once they have offered their ears to Greek learning, they will not be able thereafter to reach their homecoming. But for one who culls what is useful for the benefit of the catechumens—and especially if they are Greeks ("for the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof")—there should be no shrinking from the love of learning, like irrational animals; rather, as many aids as possible should be collected for those who understand. However, one must by no means linger on these things, but only...

^A for as long as it takes to grasp the utility that comes from them, so that once we have acquired that, we may return home to true philosophy, which is the soul’s firm refuge, providing security from all things. Music, therefore, is to be engaged with for the sake of adorning and ordering our morals. Certainly, even at a banquet, by singing to one another we pledge our cup, soothing our desire and glorifying God for the abundant gift of those things that humans enjoy, and because He perpetually provides nourishment for the growth of body and soul. However, that overly artificial music, which breaks the spirit and affects it in various ways with passions—being at one time mournful, at another immodest and inciting to lust, and at another frantic and insane—is to be rejected as superfluous. The same reasoning applies also to astronomy; for as it deals with the knowledge of sublime things, regarding the figure of the universe, the conversion of the heavens, and the motion of the stars, it leads the soul closer to the creating power, ^B and teaches us to perceive easily the seasonal times, the change of the air, and the rising and setting of the stars. Hence, the art of navigation and agriculture derive the greatest utility from it, just as architecture and the art of building derive it from geometry. This branch of study also makes the soul as ready as possible for perception, causing it both to discern the truth and to refute the false, and to be successful in finding admissions and proportions, so that it may track the similar within the dissimilar; it leads us to find length without breadth, and a surface that lacks depth, and a point which has no parts, and it carries us over from sensible things to those which are perceived by the intellect. Therefore, the disciplines assist philosophy, and philosophy itself assists in discussing the truth. ^C For behold, the chlamys (cloak) was at first fleece, then it was plucked, and it became wool and warp, and then it was woven. It is necessary, therefore, for the soul to be prepared and worked upon in various ways, if it is to be fashioned into the best; for of truth, one part is gnostic, and one is practical, though it has flowed from the theoretical; and it requires exercise, much practice, and experience. But even of the theoretical, one part is directed toward neighbors, and one toward oneself; wherefore education also must be so constructed that it is adjusted to both. For it is possible, once one has learned the cohesive elements of those things that lead to knowledge, to remain at leisure for the rest of the time, resting, and directing one’s actions toward ^D the contemplation. But for the sake of the benefit of one’s neighbors, of

some who apply themselves to writing, while others prepare themselves to impart the word, since other learning is useful, so the reading of the Lord’s Scriptures is necessary for the demonstration of the things that are said, especially if those who are listening come from the schools of the Greeks. ^A Such an ^B Church does David describe: “The queen stood at your right side in gold-wrought clothing, surrounded with variety,” and again to the Greeks, and those who are pre-eminent in other things, “surrounded and varied with golden fringes.” But the Truth through the Lord says: “For your counsel, he says, who has known, if you have not given wisdom, and sent your Holy Spirit from on high? and thus the paths of those who are upon the earth were made straight, and men were taught the things that are pleasing to you, and were saved by wisdom?” For the Gnostic knows according to the Scripture the ancient things, and conjectures the future; he understands the turns of words and the solutions of enigmas; he foreknows signs and portents, and the outcomes of seasons and times, as we have said before. Do you see the fountain of the disciplines, flowing from wisdom? But to those who object: “For what is the use of knowing the causes (for example) of how the sun is moved, and the rest of the stars, or to have examined the geometric theorems, or the dialectical, and each of the other disciplines? For to the discharging of duties these contribute nothing, and that Greek philosophy is human understanding; ^C for it certainly is not taught by the truth.” These things must be said: First, that they err also concerning the greatest of things, that is, the choice of the mind. “For they who,” he says, “sanctify the holy things holily, shall be sanctified, and those who have been taught these things, will find a defense.” For the Gnostic alone will reasonably do all things that are to be done piously, as he has learned according to the teaching of the Lord, having received it through men. And again it is permitted to hear: “For in his hand,” that is, in his power and wisdom, “are both we and our words, ^D and all understanding, and the knowledge of crafts; for God loves nothing except the one who dwells with wisdom.” Then, have they not read that which was spoken by Solomon? For having discussed [the matter of the] construction of the temple, he says outright: “Wisdom, the craftsman, constructed it; and my father, providence governs it.” And how is it not absurd to consider philosophy inferior to carpentry and shipbuilding? Perhaps the Lord also fed that multitude of those who reclined upon the grass over against Tiberias with the two fish, and with the five barley loaves. [E]

^A hinting at the preliminary education of the Greeks and Jews before the divine wheat, the food cultivated according to the law. For barley is earlier in terms of harvest time than wheat. But the Greeks and the philosophy carried about upon the waves of the heathen, the fish signified, given as copious food to those who were still lying upon the ground; having increased, indeed, not any more like the fragments of the loaves, but having partaken of the Lord's blessing, they were inspired through the power of the Word with the resurrection of the divinity. But if you are curious ^B, consider one of the fish to be the encyclical discipline, and the other that philosophy itself which came after, both of which are compared to the word of the Lord. "And may a chorus of mute fish flow together," said the tragic Muse somewhere. "I also must be diminished, but the word of the Lord, in which the law is fulfilled, must increase henceforth alone," said the prophet John. Understand now for me the mystery of the truth, granting me pardon if I am hesitant to proceed further in working it out, proclaiming only this: "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made." Indeed ^C, he is called the "cornerstone," in whom all the building, being framed together, grows into a holy temple of God, according to the divine Apostle. I pass over now the parable in the Gospel which says: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who has cast a net into the sea, and from the multitude of fish caught, makes a selection of the better ones." And now, our philosophy here plainly proclaims the four virtues in this way, so that the sources of these too are seen to have been given to the Greeks from the Hebrews. And it is possible to learn from these: "And if anyone loves righteousness," these labors are its virtues. For temperance, and prudence, ^D teaches righteousness and fortitude, than which nothing is more useful to men in life.

Postremo—lastly—it was necessary for them to know that we are by nature created apt for virtue, not because we have it from birth, but because we are fitted to acquire it.

Chapter XII.

By this argument is solved the doubt raised against us by the ^B heretics: whether Adam was created perfect or imperfect. But if he was imperfect, how is the work of a perfect God imperfect, and especially man? If, on the other hand, he was perfect, how does he transgress the commandments? They will hear from us that he was not created perfect in his constitution, but was apt to receive virtue; for in truth, it makes a great difference to be made apt for virtue versus possessing the acquisition of it. Moreover, God desires that we should be saved by our own selves. For this is the nature of the soul, to be moved by itself; then, since we are endowed with reason—and philosophy consists in reason—we have a certain kinship with it. But aptitude is merely an inclination toward virtue, not virtue itself.

All men, as I have said, are by nature apt to acquire virtue; but one approaches ^C instruction and training more, another less. Therefore, some have arrived at perfect virtue, while others have reached only a certain degree of it; and others, again, being neglected, even if they were otherwise well-disposed, have turned toward the contrary. But by far, knowledge, which excels all teachings in magnitude and truth, is the most difficult to acquire and is attained only with great labor. "But, as it seems, they did not know the mysteries of God; that God created man for incorruptibility, and made him an image of His own peculiar property." In accordance with which property, the Gnostic, being just and holy, hastens with prudence to arrive at the measure of "a perfect stature." ^D That not only the actions and thoughts, but also the words, of the Gnostic are pure... [He says]: "You have tested my heart, You have visited me by night," etc.

and no iniquity was found in me. Let not my mouth speak the works of men." And what do I mean by the works of men? He recognizes sin itself, not that of which he himself does penance—for this is common to other believers as well—but whatsoever is sin; for he does not condemn some specific thing, but simply all sin; nor does he bring forward what someone has done wrongly, but what ought not to be done. ^B Whence also penitence is twofold: the one, indeed, is common, because one has sinned; the other, when one has learned the nature of sin, in the first place persuades one to desist from the sin itself, to which it follows that one does not sin. Let them not say, therefore, that he who does injury and sins, transgresses through the obsession of demons: for thus no one would be liable for any fault. But since, in sinning, one chooses the same things that demons do, and is unstable, and light, and variable in desires, like a demon, man becomes demoniacal. Now, he who is evil by nature, since he has become a sinner on account of vice, has become wicked, having that which he chose of his own accord; and since he is prone to sin, he sins in his actions; but on the contrary, the good man conducts himself rightly. Wherefore, we call not only virtues, but also honest actions, "goods." ^C But among goods, we know that some are desirable and sought after for their own sake, such as knowledge (for we seek nothing else from it when it is present, except only that it should be present, and that we should be in perpetual contemplation, and should struggle toward it and for the sake of it); but others are for the sake of other things, such as faith, on account of the avoidance of punishment which proceeds from it, and the utility which is gained from the reward. For fear is to many a cause not to sin. And the promise is an occasion for pursuing obedience, through which salvation is obtained. The most perfect good, therefore, is knowledge, which is to be sought for its own sake: but by consequence, the goods also which we obtain through it. And punishment, to him indeed who is punished, is a cause of correction; but to those who are able to look on from afar, it becomes an example, by which they take care not to fall into similar things again. ^D Let us therefore embrace knowledge, not for the sake of the things that follow from it, but for the sake of knowing itself. For the first benefit is the gnostic state, providing harmless pleasures and exultation, both now and hereafter. But they declare exultation to be gladness, being an evaluation of virtue according to truth, through a certain refreshment and expansion of the soul. And the works that participate in knowledge are the good and virtuous actions. It is evident, therefore, that goods may be spoken of in two ways: those that are so by themselves, and others on account of these.

^A For true wealth is the abundance in actions according to virtue; while poverty is the lack of worldly desires (49). For the possession and use of necessary things do not have a harmful quality, but rather an immoderate quantity. Therefore, the Gnostic circumscribes desires both in possession and in use, not overstepping the limit of what is necessary. Believing, then, that "living" here is necessary for the increase of knowledge and the acquisition of understanding, he will value not merely living, but living well (50). He will therefore prefer neither children, nor marriage, nor parents to the love of God and the justice which is in life. To him, the wife becomes a sister after the procreation of children; she is judged as one born of the same father, remembering her husband only when she looks upon the children, as one who will truly be a sister even after the laying aside of the flesh, which divides and distinguishes the knowledge of spiritual things by the distinctiveness of bodily forms. ^B For these souls are in themselves equal; souls are neutral, neither male nor female, whenever they neither marry nor are given in marriage (52, 53). And is not the woman transformed into a man, becoming unwomanly, manly, and perfect? This, then, was the laughter of Sarah, who was told of the birth of a child; she did not, I think, disbelieve the angel, but was ashamed of the intercourse (54) by which she was to become the mother of a child. And was it not thereafter that Abraham, when he was in danger because of the beauty of Sarah before the king of Egypt, properly (55) called her his sister, even though she was not his sister by the same mother, but only by the same father? ^C God provides what is asked for to those who have repented of their sins and have not yet believed firmly, through their prayers; but to those who live and have conceived of [the good] in a Gnostic way without sin, He gives even if they only ask in their mind. Thus, when Anna only conceived of it in her mind (56), the conception of the child Samuel was granted to her. "Ask," says the Scripture, "and I will do; conceive in your mind, and I shall give." For we have understood God to be the knower of hearts, by ^D whose movement of the soul...

he does not conjecture (58), as we human beings do; nor does he judge from what happens—for it is ridiculous to think so—nor, like an architect, having made the work, did God praise the light only after he had seen it. But He, even before he made it, knowing what sort it would be, praised what was made, as One who by power had long since made it good through an eternal purpose, the future act of that which was good; and what was to be future, he had already declared to be good, with the expression concealing the truth by means of a hyperbaton (60). The gnostic therefore prays even by thought every hour, joined to God through charity and become a familiar friend. And first indeed he will ask for the remission of sins; but after he no longer sins, he will ask to be able ^B to do good, and to understand all the creation and dispensation of the Lord, so that having become pure in heart (62) through the knowledge which is through the Son of God, he may be initiated, face to face, into the mystery of the blessed spectacle, heeding the Scripture that says: "Good is fasting with prayer." Fastings, moreover, signify abstaining from all evils generally, those committed through action, through word, and through the very mind itself. As it seems, therefore, justice is square (63), from every side equal and similar, in word, in deed, in abstinence from evils, in well-doing, in gnostic perfection, in no way whatsoever limping, ^C so that it may not appear unjust and unequal. Inasmuch, therefore, as someone is just, he is also entirely faithful; but inasmuch as he is faithful, he is not yet also just; I mean the justice that comes through progress and consummation, through which the gnostic is called just. Immediately, to Abraham, who had become faithful, it was reckoned as justice, since he had advanced to the greater and more perfect state of faith. For not only is the man who abstains from an evil deed just, if he does not also take care (64) to do good and to know; for which reason, some things are to be abstained from, and others are to be performed. "Through the weapons of ^D justice, the right-hand and the left," says the Apostle, one should be sent forward, the just man, into the final inheritance, hedged in by the ones and acting with the others; for neither is the covering only of the panoply, and the abstinence from sins, sufficient for perfection, unless one should take up the work of justice.

^A Then, the man who is skillful and Gnostic in righteousness is revealed, already glorified even from here, just as Moses was, in regard to his face, which is the soul; for this is what we previously spoke of as the body that is characteristic of the just soul. For just as the mordant of the dye, remaining in the wool, provides its peculiar quality and differentiation from other wools, so too in the soul, the labor 67 departs, but the good remains; and that which is pleasant is left behind, but that which is shameful is wiped away; for these are the characteristic qualities of each soul, by which the one is recognized as glorified, and the other as condemned. ^B And indeed, just as a certain glorified hue rested upon the face of Moses from his performance of righteous acts and from his continuous fellowship with God who spoke with him, so also upon the just soul, a certain divine power of goodness—encroaching through supervision, prophecy, and administrative activity, like some intellectual radiance, even like solar heat—impresses a certain manifest seal of righteousness, a light united to the soul through uninterrupted love, one that bears God and is borne by God. ^C Here, the assimilation to the Savior God arises in the Gnostic, to the extent that it is permitted to human nature, as he becomes perfect, "as the Father," he says, "who is in the heavens." This is He who said, "Little children, I am with you yet a little while." For since God—not merely in that He is good by nature, does He remain blessed 68 and incorruptible, neither having concerns nor causing them for another, but by peculiarly doing good—truly being God and a good Father, both existing and coming to be in unceasing acts of beneficence, remains immutably in the identity of His goodness. For what benefit is there in goodness if it neither works nor makes others good? Therefore, he who has first exercised moderation concerning his passions, and has practiced to attain to apathy, and has increased unto the ^D activity which leads to beneficence.

CHAPTER XIII

He, then, who has first been moderate with his own passions and has exercised himself to become impassible, and has grown unto

^A perfection, is here an angel. And now, being luminous and shining like the sun through his benefaction, he hastens through righteous knowledge, by the love of God, to the holy dwelling, just like the apostles—not because those who became apostles were chosen by reason of some ^B peculiar endowment of nature, for Judas too was chosen along with them; but they were such as were able to become apostles, having been chosen by Him who also foresees the ends. Matthias, therefore, who was not chosen along with them, having shown himself worthy to become an apostle, is substituted for Judas. It is possible, then, even now for those who have exercised themselves in the Lord’s commandments and have lived perfectly and gnostically according to the Gospel, to be enrolled in the election of the apostles. This man is truly a presbyter of the Church and a genuine ^C deacon of the will of God, if he does and teaches the things of the Lord—not ordained by men, nor because he is considered a righteous presbyter, but because he is righteous and is enrolled in the presbyterium. And even if he is not honored with the first seat on earth, he shall sit on the four and twenty thrones judging the people, as John says in the Apocalypse. For there is truly one saving testament, which from the foundation of the world has reached us through diverse generations and times, even if it has been supposed that the gift is different because of the manner of giving. For it follows that there is one immutable gift of salvation, from one God, through one Lord, which profits in many ways; for which reason the ^D "partition" is taken away, which divided the Greek from the Jew, that they might be a peculiar people; and thus both "attain to the unity of the faith," and out of both there is one election. And among the elect, he says, there are more elect, those who are chosen out from the perfect knowledge and from the Church itself, and honored with most magnificent glory, judges and administrators, equally from the Jews and from the Greeks—the twenty-four, the glory being doubled. For also here in the Church, the progressions of bishops, presbyters, and deacons are, I think, imitations of the angelic glory and of that economy which the Scriptures say those who have been entrusted with the episcopal economy await.

^A

It is written that these, caught up into the clouds, the Apostle says, shall first serve as deacons, and then be enrolled into the presbyterate according to their progress in glory (“for glory differs from glory”) until they grow into a “perfect man.”

CHAPTER XIV.

That a place in the heavens will be assigned to those who are diligent for truth and good works according to their respective merit.

Such are they who, according to David, “shall rest in the holy mountain of God,” ^B that is, in the highest Church, in which are gathered the philosophers of God, who are truly Israelites, pure in heart, in whom there is no guile, who have not remained in the seventh day of rest, but, having been assimilated to God by the practice of good works, have advanced to the inheritance of the eighth-day beneficence, and are intent upon the pure and sincere contemplation of an insatiable vision. “There are also other sheep,” says the Lord, “which are not of this fold,” ^C who are accounted worthy of another fold and mansion in proportion to their faith. “But my sheep hear my voice,” understanding my commandments gnostically; and this is to accept them magnanimously and worthily, with the recompense and mutual consequence of their works. So when we hear, “Your faith has saved you,” we do not take Him to mean that those who have believed in any way whatsoever will be saved, unless their works also follow. He told this saying only to the Jews, those who were under the law and had lived blamelessly, to whom only faith in the Lord was lacking. Therefore, one would not be faithful if he were ^D incontinent; but even if he should depart the flesh,

^A necessity demands that he lay aside his passions, so that he may be able to enter his own mansion. It is a greater thing, however, to know than to believe; just as, assuredly, it is a greater thing, after one has been saved, to be deemed worthy of the highest honor. Through much discipline, therefore, the faithful one who has cast off his passions passes on to a mansion better than the former one, bringing with him the greatest punishment—bearing with him the particular nature of repentance for those sins which he committed after baptism. He is, then, still distressed; even more, or perhaps not yet, or even not at all attaining those things of which he perceives others to be partakers; furthermore, he is ashamed of the offenses he committed—which are, indeed, the greatest punishments for the faithful. For the justice of God is good, and His goodness is just. And even if the punishments ^B should at some point cease upon the completion of the satisfaction and the purification of each one, they still possess a great, remaining sorrow: that, having been found worthy of a different fold, they are not with those who have been glorified for their righteousness. Immediately, Solomon, calling the Gnostic “wise,” says these things regarding those who wonder at the dignity of his mansion: “For they shall see the end of the wise man and shall not understand what He has determined concerning him, and to what end the Lord has secured him.” And regarding his glory they shall say: ^B “This is he whom we once had for a laughingstock and for a parable of reproach, we fools. We accounted his life as madness, and his end as without honor; how was he numbered among the sons of God, and among—” ^C

* * *

But if someone has come there entirely leaden, let that which is written happen to him: “He shall be submerged into the deep like lead in the most powerful water.” But it is a long matter if we wish to set it forth in order; it suffices to touch upon a few things. ^D The same author hands down in other places that this purgatorial fire must be passed through even by the apostles and martyrs themselves, but with them unscathed and untouched: and he wishes that not only lighter and venial sins, or temporal liability, be washed away and purged—as do the patrons of purgatory today—but even the most grievous crimes as well, so that even the damned themselves, and even the demons, may at length attain salvation. And Clement seems not to have shrunk from this opinion, since he handed down that the devil is able to perform penance, *Strom.* VI, p. 732, 733, edit. Paris: “But faith, to speak generally, is a brief knowledge of urgent matters; but knowledge is a strong and sure demonstration of the things received through faith, built upon faith through the Lord’s teaching, leading on to the unchangeable and mastered through science. And it seems to me that the first saving transition is from the nations into faith, as I have said; the second is from faith into knowledge; and that which is perfected into love, from here on, already presents the knowing friend to the known friend. And perhaps such a one, from here on, has already anticipated being equal to the angels.” He teaches, moreover, that there are various degrees, through which one tends toward the highest perfection and glory; as he teaches more fully in the same place. The first of these is that in which passions and incontinence are mixed with faith. By these punishments sins must be washed away, before it is allowed to ascend to the mansion provided for them in heaven. The second degree pertains to the faithful: who, having laid aside their sins, whether through the pursuit of virtue in this mortal life or through punishments which they suffered after death, are indeed transmitted to the seats of the blessed, but not to the highest or first ones. Finally, in the third place, he determines the Gnostics, or the perfect, to whom God has designated the highest apex of glory and happiness, and willed them to be equal to the angels: as Clement writes in other places.

^A And the Lord will say, and they shall tell of His glory: "He is the one whom we once had in derision, and as a parable of reproach, we fools. We esteemed his life madness, and his death to be dishonor. How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the holy?" ^B Therefore, not only is the believer judged most justly, but so also is the Gentile. For since God knew, as one endowed with foreknowledge, that he would not believe, yet none the less, that he might receive his own perfection, He gave him philosophy, but before faith. He gave, however, the sun, and the moon, and the stars for worship—which God made for the nations, says the law—that they might not, by becoming totally godless, perish utterly. But they, being ungrateful even in receiving this commandment, paid attention to sculpted images; and if they have not been moved to repentance, they are judged: some, because though they were able, they did not wish to believe in God; others, because even when they did wish to, they did not labor to become faithful. Nay, even those who from the worship of the stars have not ^C returned to their Creator—for this was the way given to the nations, to look up to God through the worship of the stars—those who did not wish to remain in these things given to them, the stars, but fell away even from them to stones and woods, "they were reckoned," he says, "as dust, and as a drop from a bucket," being cast away from salvation; for as to save simply belongs to the intermediate ^D actions, so to do it rightly and properly...

On Philosophy and the Gentile

...belongs to the perfect action, which befits only the Gnostic and perfect Christian, and raises him to the highest apex of glory. The second sort is that of the "intermediate" actions, which are done by the less perfect faithful, and gain salvation and a lower degree of glory. In the third place, he sets the "sinful" actions, which are done by those who fall away from salvation. In these things, moreover, he followed those philosophers who distribute good actions into two species; their opinion is explained by Cicero in his *De officiis*, Book I, chapter 3: "And there is another division of duty: for a certain duty is called 'intermediate,' and another 'perfect.' A perfect duty we may, I think, call 'right,' which the Greeks call *katorthoma*. But that which is 'common,' they call *kathēkon*. And they define these such that they define the 'right' as the perfect duty; but they say the 'intermediate' duty is that for which there is a probable reason why it was done."

procidere, "reputati sunt," inquit, "ut pulvis terrae et ut gutta ex cado," supervacanei scilicet ad salutem, et ejecti a corpore. Quemadmodum ergo simpliciter salvum facere, est ex iis, quae sunt media, recte autem et ut decet, perfectum est officium: ita etiam omnis actio, gnostici quidem, perfectum est officium; ejus autem qui simpliciter est fidelis, media dici possit actio, ut quae secundum rationem nondum fiat, neque recte geratur ex scientia. Contra autem cujusvis gentilis peccat actio. Non enim absolute bene agere, sed scopum quemdam spectando actiones producere, et ex ratione operari oportere ostendunt Scripturae. ^B Sicut ergo lyram pulsandi imperitis, non est lyra tangenda, neque tibia inflanda iis, qui inflandi sunt imperiti: ita nec sunt attingenda negotia iis qui non acceperunt cognitionem et nesciunt quomodo iis uti oporteat per totam vitam. Atque non solum quidem in bellis suscipitur a bellatoribus certamen pro libertate; sed etiam in conviviis, et in cubili, et in judiciis, ii qui verbo sunt uncti erubescentes servi fieri voluptatis. "Injusto lucro nunquam virtutem permutavero." Lucrum autem evidenter injustum, est voluptas et dolor, labor et metus, et ut semel dicam, vitia et motus animae, quorum praesens jucunditas affert postea molestiam. "Quid enim prodest si totum mundum lucreris, inquit, perdas autem animam?" Clarum est ergo quod qui bonas non faciunt actiones, nec ea quidem norunt quae sunt sibi utilia. Quod si ita est, ne ii quidem Deum recte precari ^C possunt ut ab eo bona accipiant, cum quae sint vere bona ignorent, neque si acceperint, donum senserint, neque pro dignitate eo usi fuerint quod non norunt, et propter imperitiam recte utendi redi possit. Eamdem divisionem fusius explicat Stobaeus in Eclogis ethicis cap. De expetendis et fugiendis, pag. 174, 175.

De actione gnostica

Success is a task; thus also every action, for the Gnostic, if performed according to reason—as the Scriptures present it—is a success. But for the simply faithful, a middle action might be spoken of, not yet performed according to reason, nor yet brought to completion by knowledge; whereas every action of the pagan, on the contrary, is sinful. For the Scriptures do not present merely acting well, but performing actions toward a certain goal and acting according to reason [as what is] duty. Just as, therefore, it is not for those unskilled in lyre-playing to touch lyres, nor for those unskilled in flute-playing to touch flutes, so too it is not for those who have not received knowledge, and who do not know how they must use them throughout their whole life, to touch affairs. For the contest for freedom is undertaken by the athletes of wars not only in wars, but also in banquets, and on the couch, and in the law-courts—those who are anointed by the Word, ashamed to become slaves to pleasure. "Never will I exchange virtue for unjust gain." Now unjust gain is pleasure and pain, labor and fear, and to sum it up: the passions of the soul, whose immediate sweetness brings later distress. "For what profit," he says, "if thou shalt gain the whole world, but lose thy soul?" It is manifest, therefore, that those who do not perform good actions do not even know what is useful to themselves. If this is so, they are not even able to pray rightly to God to receive goods from Him, since they are ignorant of what are truly good; nor, if they did receive them, would they perceive the gift; nor, if they enjoyed them, would they do so according to the worth of what they did not know; since, by reason of their inexperience in using well what has been given, and by reason of their excessive ignorance, they have not yet recognized that one must use divine gifts. Ignorance is the cause of nescience; and it seems to me, although it might be the boast of a vain soul, yet [it is] of a well-informed one, to utter regarding those things that happen by circumstance: "Against these, whatever is necessary, [one must] also devise; for that which is good [is] with me; and justice shall be an ally, and I shall never at any time be caught [acting poorly]." ^D Verum haec sic potius scribenda sunt: Ad haec quidquid placuerit agant. Nam bene mecum erit, et jus Me adjuvabit; nec unquam capiar (dum honesta facio.) Hervetus postrema verba, ad praecedentes versus pertinere existimans, perinde explicavit, ac si scriptum fuisset. Sunt autem non poetae, sed ipsius Clementis verba. Porro hi anapaestici versus exstant apud Ciceronem lib. VIII ad Atticum epist. 8: "Fulsisse mihi videbatur ad oculos ejus, et exclamasse ille vir, qui esse debuit: Ad haec quidquid placuerit, agant. Et omne in me fabricentur: Bene mecum erit; Ad haec Cleon et fabricetur, Et omne in me fabricetur. Bene mecum erit, et jus Me adjuvabit; nec unquam capiar."

^A And the just will be my ally, and I shall never be caught doing evil." This good conscience preserves holiness toward God and justice toward men, keeping the soul pure with honorable thoughts, chaste words, and just works. Having thus received ^B the power of the Lord, the soul meditates on being God, deeming no evil to exist other than ignorance and action that does not arise from right reason. Always giving thanks to God for all things, through righteous hearing, divine reading, true inquiry, holy offering, and blessed prayer, such a soul—praising, hymning, blessing, and singing—is never separated from God at any time. Rightly, therefore, has it been said: "And they that trust in him shall understand the truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love." You see what wisdom discourses concerning the Gnostics; therefore, there are likewise various mansions according to the worth of those who have believed. Immediately, Solomon says: "For there shall be given to him the choice grace of faith, and a lot in the temple of the Lord more pleasant." ^C For the comparative degree indicates those of lower rank in the temple of God, which is the whole Church; but it leaves it to be understood that there is also a superlative, where the Lord is. These three mansions, being choice, are hinted at by the numbers in the Gospel: the thirty, the sixty, and the hundred. And the perfect inheritance is that of those who reach "unto a perfect man," according to the image of the Lord; but the likeness is not, as some suppose, in the human shape—for this view is impious—nor is it the assimilation attributed to the virtue of the First Cause, for this too is ^D impious: "You thought, wickedly, that I would be like you." But it is enough for the disciple to become "as the teacher," as the Teacher says. By the likeness of God, therefore, he who is ordered into the adoption and friendship of God becomes, by the joint inheritance of lords and gods, if—

as the Lord Himself taught, he has been perfected through the Gospel.

CAPUT XV.

Concerning the various degrees of knowledge leading to perfection; and for what reason many things are handed down obscurely and mystically in Holy Scripture.

The Gnostic, therefore, expresses a more intimate likeness, namely, the mind of the Teacher, which he possessed when he instructed and took counsel with the wise and prudent. He expresses, I say, this mind by understanding it as He who taught intended, and by receiving it in a magnificent sense, teaching with dignity “on the housetops” ^B those who wish to be built up on high, but first beginning to carry out in deed what is said, in accordance with the example of His own life. For He commanded things that could be done. And in truth, it is fitting for him who is royal and a Christian to be able to obtain rule and to preside. For we were not appointed only to rule over those beasts that are without, but also over the wild passions of the soul that are within ourselves. Through the knowledge, therefore, of a good and evil life, as it seems, the Gnostic is saved, “understanding and acting more than the Scribes and Pharisees.” ^C “Draw your sword and prosper and reign,” writes David, “because of truth and meekness and justice, and your right hand shall lead you wonderfully,” that is, the Lord. “Who then is wise, and shall understand these things? Prudent, and shall know them?” For the ways of the Lord are straight, the prophet says, signifying that only the Gnostic is able to understand and explain those things which have been spoken obscurely by the Spirit. And “he who understands in that time shall be silent,” says the Scripture, ^D that is, clearly, from speaking before the unworthy. Since the Lord says, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” declaring that it is not for all to hear and understand. Indeed, David himself writes: “Dark water in the clouds of the air. From the brightness before him the clouds passed, hail and coals of fire,” teaching that the holy words are hidden, and for the Gnostics are clear and perspicuous, and are sent down from God like harmless hail; ^D but to the vulgar they are obscure, like coals extinguished by fire, which, unless someone kindles and stirs them up, will not burn, neither will they be illuminated. “The Lord, therefore,” he says, “gives me the tongue of discipline, that I may know in time when it is necessary to speak.”

^A not only in bearing testimony, but also in questioning and answering. “And the discipline of the Lord opens my mouth.” It is, therefore, characteristic of the Gnostic to know how to use speech, and when, and how, and before whom it is appropriate. Already, the Apostle also, saying, “According to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ,” transmits the Greek teaching to be elemental, but the perfect teaching to be that which is according to Christ, just as we have already indicated before.

Immediately the wild olive is grafted into the fatness of the olive; and indeed it grows in a form similar to the cultivated olives; for that which is planted uses the tree in which it is planted as soil. And all plants together sprang up at the divine command; wherefore, even if the wild olive is rustic, it nevertheless crowns the victors who win in the Olympic games. And the elm, raising the vine to a height, teaches it to be fruitful. We see, however, that wild trees draw more nourishment, because they cannot digest it. Those things, therefore, that are wild are less digestive than those that are cultivated; and the cause why they are wild is the privation of digestive power. The grafted olive, therefore, receives more nourishment, because it is planted in ^B a wild one. But it becomes accustomed, as it were, to digest the nourishment, while being assimilated to the fatness of the cultivated one.

So also the philosopher, being compared to the wild olive, having much that is undigested because he is inquisitive, easily led, and desirous of the fatness of the truth, if he receives the divine power through faith, being planted into the kind and cultivated knowledge—just as the wild olive, grafted into the truly beautiful and merciful Word—both digests the provided nourishment and becomes a good and cultivated olive. For grafting makes the useless genuine, and compels the barren to become fruitful, by the art of agriculture and the Gnostic science. They say, therefore, that grafting is done in four ways: one, by which it is necessary to fit the graft between the wood and the bark; in which way those who are simpletons from among the Gentiles are catechized, receiving the word superficially. ^C Another, when, having split the wood, they have inserted the noble plant into it; which truly happens in the case of those who have studied philosophy. For, their dogmas having been dissected, the recognition of the truth is generated in them. As indeed for the Jews also, the old Scripture being opened, the new and gene-

- ^A rous plant is grafted into the olive tree. The third kind of grafting touches the wild and the heretics, who are dragged by force to the truth; for having scraped off both shoots with a sharp sickle, until they have laid bare the pith, though without wounding it, they bind them to one another. The fourth way of grafting is that which is called inoculation; for an eye is cut from a noble trunk, being circumscribed along with it by a circle of bark equal to the size of a palm. Then the trunk is scraped down to the same extent as the eye has been circumscribed, and thus the bud is inserted and tied round and smeared with clay, the eye being kept unharmed and undefiled. This is a kind of Gnostic teaching, capable of discerning the things themselves; indeed, this kind is most useful for cultivated trees. Moreover, the grafting ^B into the ‹good olive tree›, which the Apostle speaks of, is able to happen, even into Christ himself, the wild and unbelieving nature of those who believe in Christ being planted into Christ, that is to say, of those who believe in Christ. But it is better that each person's faith be grafted into the soul itself. For the Holy Spirit is, in a way, distributed and transplanted through it, according to the measure of each person, though he is uncircumscribed. Regarding knowledge, Solomon, discussing it, says this: ‹Clear and unfading is wisdom, and she is easily beheld by those who love her: she anticipates those who desire her, so as to be known beforehand. He who rises early for her shall not labor; for to think upon her is the perfection of prudence. And he who keeps watch for her shall quickly be free from care, since she herself goes about searching for those who are worthy of her. (For knowledge is not for all.) And in the paths she is graciously manifested to them.› Paths are the manner of leading one's life, and the multiform variety of the Testaments. Immediately he adds: ‹And in every thought she meets them,› manifested in a variety of ways, clearly through every kind of instruction. Then he infers, bringing forward perfecting charity, through syllogistic reasoning and true premises, most demonstratively and truly inferring as follows: ‹For the most true beginning of her is the desire for discipline,› that is to say, of knowledge; ‹and the care for discipline is love; and love is the observance of her laws; and attention to the laws is the confirmation of incorruptibility; and incorruptibility ^C makes one to be near to God. The desire for wisdom, therefore, lifts one up to the kingdom.› For he teaches, I think, that true discipline is a certain desire for knowledge. And the exercise of discipline consists in the love of knowledge; and love is the observance of the commandments which lead to knowledge. And the observance of them is the confirmation of the commandments, through which incorruptibility comes to pass; and incorruptibility makes one to be near to God.

If, therefore, the love of knowledge makes one incorruptible, and leads him who is royal near to God the King, one must seek for knowledge until he finds it. ^A Inquisition is an impulse towards comprehension, finding its subject through certain signs. And finding is the end and rest of an inquiry that has arrived at comprehension, which is knowledge; and this knowledge is properly a finding, being a comprehension of that which was sought. They say that a sign is that which precedes, or exists with, or follows. Therefore, the finding for the inquiry concerning God is the teaching through the Son, and the sign [(51)] that our Savior is that very Son of God consists of the prophecies that preceded His presence, proclaiming Him, and the testimonies regarding Him that existed with His sensible birth [(52)]; and, furthermore, the powers of His that were proclaimed and openly shown after His assumption. ^B A proof [(53)] that the truth is with us is that the Son of God Himself taught it. For if in every question these elements are found—the person and the thing—the true truth is shown to be among us alone; since the person of the truth being shown is the Son of God, and the thing is the power of faith, which also prevails over everything that opposes it and over the whole world itself that stands against it. But since this has been confessed and confirmed by eternal works and words, and it is already manifest that he who does not believe in providence is worthy of punishment [(54)] and is in reality an atheist, it lies before us to consider what we must do and how we must live to arrive at the knowledge of the Ruler of all, God, and how, by honoring the Divine, we may become the cause of our own salvation—not knowing and learning what is pleasing to Him from sophists, but from God Himself, and setting ourselves to do what is just and holy. ^C That we should be saved is pleasing to Him; and salvation comes about through both good conduct and knowledge, of both of which the Lord is the teacher. If, then, according to Plato, the truth can only be learned from God or from the offspring of God, we rightly choose to select testimonies from the divine oracles, asking to be taught the truth through the Son of God, which was first prophesied, and afterwards made clear. Things that contribute to the finding of the truth are not themselves to be rejected. Philosophy, then, in proclaiming providence, and the reward of the happy life and the punishment of the wretched one, ^D teaches theology in a summary way.

^A Yet it does not preserve with precision nor detail those things which are delivered accurately and exactly. For it does not discuss the Son of God, nor the economy of providence, in the same way as we do; for it has not known the religion according to God. Wherefore, the heresies which exist in the barbarian philosophy, even if they speak of one God, ^B or if they celebrate Christ, speak only in a general sense, and not according to the truth; for they devise another god, and do not receive Christ as the prophecies deliver Him. But, nevertheless, those false dogmata of theirs, as long as they oppose the life which is lived according to the truth, are against us. For instance, Paul circumcised Timothy on account of those believing from the Jews, so that, in case he should dissolve those things which had been earlier accepted from the law in a carnal manner, those instructed from the law might not fall away from the faith; knowing precisely that circumcision does not justify. ^C For in saying, “I have become all things to all men,” he confessed that he did so by accommodation, while preserving the principal dogmata, “that he might win all.” And Daniel bore the “torque” under the king of the Persians, not disdaining that the people should be vexed. They are truly liars, therefore, not those who accommodate themselves for the sake of the work of salvation, nor those who err in some of those things which are specific, but those who collapse in those matters which are most principal, and so far as in them lies, reject the Lord, and take away the true doctrine of the Lord: for they do not discuss or deliver the Scriptures in accordance with the dignity ^D of God and the Lord. For the deposit that is rendered to God is properly the doctrine of the Lord, which is the understanding and exercise of the pious tradition through His apostles. “But what you hear in the ear,” that is to say, hiddenly and in mystery (for things of this kind are said to be spoken in the ear allegorically), “preach upon the housetops,” says He, implying that they should receive them magnificently and deliver them in a lofty manner, explaining the Scriptures according to the rule of truth. For neither prophecy nor the Savior Himself spoke the divine mysteries so openly as to be easily grabbed by anyone at all, but He discoursed in parables. The apostles indeed say concerning the Lord that “He spoke everything in parables, and spoke nothing to them without a parable.” But if “all things were made through Him, and without Him was made nothing,” then also the prophecy and the law came into existence through Him, and were spoken through Him in parables; except that “All things are straight before those who understand,” as the Scripture says.

that is, for those who receive and preserve the exposition of the Scriptures declared by Him according to the ecclesiastical rule. The ecclesiastical rule is the concord and harmony of the law and the prophets with the testament which is handed down at the coming of the Lord. Now, prudence follows knowledge, and temperance follows prudence; for let it be said that prudence is a divine knowledge, and exists in those who are being made gods; but temperance is mortal, and exists in those among men who are occupied with philosophy, but are not yet wise, ^B immediately, if indeed virtue is divine and knowledge of itself; while temperance is as it were imperfect prudence, desiring indeed prudence, but working laboriously, and not contemplative: just as, indeed, justice, which is human, falls under holiness—which is divine justice—as something common. For to him who is perfect, justice resides not in civil contracts, nor in the prohibition of the law, but in his own action and love toward God. For many reasons, therefore, the Scriptures hide their meaning. First, that we might be investigators, and always vigilant in the discovery of saving utterances; ^C next, that it was not fitting for all men to understand, lest they should be harmed by receiving otherwise what was spoken by the Holy Spirit for salvation. And so, the holy mysteries of the prophecies, reserved for the elect among men, and for those who have been accepted into knowledge through faith, are veiled in parables. For the character of the Scriptures is parabolic; because the Lord also, not being worldly, came to men as if He were worldly; for He also bore every virtue. And He was to lead man, the companion of the world, to the things that are perceived by the intellect and are principal, through knowledge, from the world to the world. ^D Therefore also it uses metaphorical writing; for a parable is of this nature: a speech from something that is not strictly the thing itself, but is similar to the thing itself, leading the one who understands to the true and strict meaning; or, as some say, a locution which, through other things, represents the things strictly spoken of with force. And already the whole economy concerning the Lord, having been prophesied, appears as a parable in truth to those who have not known the truth, when one sees the Son of God, who made all things, having taken flesh, and having been carried in the womb of a virgin.

^A And the sensible flesh of his, as it has come to be, and consistently, as it has come to be, having suffered and having risen again—of this one speaks, and others hear—"to the Jews indeed a stumbling block, but to the Greeks foolishness," as says the Apostle. But the Scriptures being opened, and having shown to those who have ears the very truth itself—that which the flesh, which the Lord assumed, suffered—they proclaim it to be "the power of God and the wisdom of God." ^B And above all, the parabolic kind of Scripture, being very ancient, as we have shown, naturally abounded most among the prophets, that indeed the holy Spirit might show that even the philosophers among the Greeks, and those who were wise among other barbarians, were ignorant of the future presence of the Lord, and the mystical teaching to be delivered by him. Naturally, therefore, the prophecy, proclaiming the Lord, lest it should seem to some, by speaking beyond the opinions of many, to blaspheme, figured the things signified by voices that are able to lead even to other conceptions of the mind. Forthwith, all the prophets who foretold the presence of the Lord and the holy mysteries with it, were persecuted and put to death; just as the Lord himself, who explained to them the Scriptures, and his acquaintances, who preached the Word, ^C after he had departed from life, risked their lives. Whence also Peter, in the Preaching, speaking of the apostles, says: "But we, having unrolled the books which we had of the prophets, some indeed by parables, others by enigmas, others also authoritatively and in clear words naming Christ Jesus, found his presence, and the death, and the cross, and all the other punishments that the Jews inflicted upon him, and the rising, and the ascension into the heavens, before the building of Jerusalem, ^D as it was written: 'All these things are what it was necessary for him to suffer, and what shall be after him.' And having recognized these things, we have believed in God through the things written concerning him." And after a few words he continues again, showing that the prophecies came to pass by divine providence.

^A I mean, we knew that God commanded these things, and we say nothing without Scripture. The Hebrew dialect, like every one of the others, has certain other properties, containing a certain account that reveals its ethnic character. Consequently, they define a dialect as a mode of speech completed by an ethnic character. But neither is prophecy known by those dialects; for in the Greek dialects, the so-called changes of tropes are made according to artifice, being brought forward in the image of the prophecies among us; but it is seen that the voluntary deviation from the straight path is made in metrical or prose diction. A trope, therefore, is a word transferred from the proper to the non-proper for the sake of construction and for the sake of the usefulness of the phrase in speech ^B. But prophecy does not at all aim at the formations regarding words for the sake of the beauty of the phrase, but because the truth is not for all, it is hidden in many ways, causing the light to rise only for those who are initiated into knowledge, who seek the truth for the sake of love. A species of prophecy is called a proverb according to the barbarian philosophy; it is also called a parable, and in addition to these, an enigma. Nay, it is even called "wisdom," and as distinct from it "instruction, and words of prudence," and "strophes of words," and "true justice," and again teaching "of the directing of judgment," and "subtlety for the simple, attained according to its instruction," and perception and understanding given to the neophyte. ^C The one who hears these, he says, of the prophets, shall be wise, and the intelligent man shall possess governance, and shall understand a parable and a dark saying, the words of the wise and riddles. But if it happened that the Greek dialects were called so from Hellen, the son of Zeus, ^D who by epithet was called Deucalion, out of the

times which we have exhibited above, it can easily be perceived by how many generations the dialects of the Greeks are posterior to the Hebrew language. As the Scripture proceeds, noting the tropes mentioned previously by the prophet ^A in every passage, we shall show the Gnostic manner of life, demonstrating it artfully according to the rule of truth. For did not the Power ^B, which appeared to Hermas also in the vision in the likeness of the Church, give him a book to be transcribed, which he wished to be announced to the elect? He says, however, that he transcribed it literally, for he could not find how to complete the syllables. He indicated by this that the Scripture is clear to all, as it is accepted in its naked reading, and that this is the faith which holds the place of the elements. Therefore, it is allegorically called “reading according to the letter.” Furthermore, we understand the Gnostic explanation of the Scriptures to be assimilated to that reading which is done through syllables, now that faith is progressing.

Moreover, the prophet Isaiah ^C is commanded to take a “new” book and to “write” in it certain things; the Spirit prophesying that holy knowledge through the exposition of the Scriptures would come later, which at that time was not yet written, because it was not yet known; for it had been said from the beginning to those alone who understand. Now, indeed, when the Savior has taught the apostles, the unwritten tradition of that which is written is also handed down to us, inscribed on ^D new hearts, according to the renewal of the book, by the power of God. For this reason, the most learned among the Greeks consecrate the fruit of the pomegranate to Hermes—whom they call “speech”—because of his interpretation; for speech has many hiding places.

Rightly, then, did Joshua the son of Nun see Moses being assumed in a twofold manner: the one with the angels, and the other being deemed worthy of burial on the high mountains. Joshua saw this sight from below, being lifted up in spirit, along with Caleb; but they do not both behold it in the same way. For the one descended more quickly, carrying the heavier weight; but the other, having descended, later narrated the glory he beheld, having been able to discern it better than the other, as he had become purer; the story signifying, I suppose, that not everyone possesses knowledge; for while some…

take the body of the Scriptures—namely, the expressions and the names—just as they take the body of Moses; others discern the meanings and what is signified by the names, curiously inquiring into the Moses who is with the angels. Indeed, even among those who called upon the Lord Himself, many said: "Son of David, have mercy on me"; but few recognized Him as the Son of God, like Peter, whom He also pronounced blessed: "for flesh and blood did not reveal" the truth to him, "but His Father who is in heaven"; signifying that the Gnostic recognizes the Son of the Almighty not through His flesh which was carried in the womb, but through the paternal power itself. ^B It is not, therefore, only to those who encounter the Scriptures rashly and ignorantly that the acquisition of truth is so difficult; but, as the history of Moses teaches, not even to those whose proper science it is, is the contemplation given all at once, until, having become accustomed to gaze upon the glory of Moses, as the Hebrews did, and the holy ones of Israel upon the visions of the angels, we too might be able to look in return upon the splendors of the truth.

CHAPTER XVI

^C Let the Decalogue be set forth for us in passing for the sake of Gnostic clarity. And that the number ten is sacred, it is superfluous to say now. But if the tablets which were written are the work of God, they will be found to reveal the natural creation; for the "finger of God" is understood to be the power of God, through which the creation of heaven and earth is perfected; the tablets will be understood to be symbols of both of these. For the writing and forming of God, which lies upon the tablet, is the creation of the world. The Decalogue, according to a heavenly image, contains the sun and the moon, stars, clouds, light, spirit, water, air, darkness, fire. This is the natural Decalogue of heaven. ^D The image of the earth contains men, cattle, reptiles, beasts, and of those that live in the water, fish and whales; and likewise of the birds, both the carnivorous ones and those that use mild food; and of the plants likewise, both those that are fruit-bearing and those that are unfruitful. This is the natural Decalogue of the earth. And the "ark," which contained these things, might be the knowledge and wisdom of divine and human things. Perhaps these two tablets might be a prophecy of the two covenants.

^A Mystically, however, they were renewed when ignorance and sin abounded. For the commandments seem to be written in a twofold manner, for the twofold spirits—namely, the principal one and that which is subject to it; for "the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh" (Gal. v, 17). There is also a certain denary in man himself: the five senses, the faculty of producing voice, and the seminal power; and this, too, is the eighth, the spiritual element in the formation; the ninth is the faculty of the soul that holds the principate, which is also called the principal; and the tenth is the characteristic property of the Holy Spirit, which is added through faith, bestowing form and character. In addition to these, the legislation appears to command ten certain human parts: sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste, and the organs that minister to these, which are double, namely, the hands and the feet; for this is the formation of man.

The soul is introduced, and the principal faculty by which we reason is introduced beforehand; it is not generated through the emission of semen, so that even without it the tenth number is collected, through which the entire action of man is accomplished. For by order, when man is first generated, he receives the beginning of life from those things that are subject to passions. We say, therefore, that the reasoning and principal faculty is the cause of the creature’s constitution; but that this irrational part is also ensouled and is a part of it. ^B Straightway the carnal spirit has obtained the vital faculty—by which is contained the power of nourishing, increasing, and, in a word, moving—which is very easily moved, and proceeds in every direction through the senses and the rest of the body, and first suffers through the body. But the principal faculty of the soul possesses the power of free choice, in which are inquiry, discipline, and knowledge.

But in truth, all things are so ordered that they are referred to one principal faculty; and because of it, man lives, and lives in a certain way. By means of the corporeal spirit, therefore, man perceives, desires, rejoices, becomes angry, is nourished, and increases; indeed, he even undertakes actions through it, in accordance with what the mind has thought ^C and conceived in the soul, and they pass into action through it. ^D

^A When it has mastered the desires, the principal faculty reigns. "Do not covet," it says; "you shall not serve the carnal spirit, but you shall master it," because "the flesh covets against the spirit" and rises up, so as to conduct itself basely and unseemly, contrary to nature; and "the spirit [covets] against the flesh," and obtains the mastery, so that man may live his life according to nature. May it not then be said, with reason, that "man was made to the image of God," not with regard to the shape of his physical structure, but because God indeed constructs all things by reason, while man, having become Gnostic, performs good and honest actions through the faculty of reason? With reason, therefore, the two tables were said to signify the commandments given to the two spirits, both to that which was formed and to that which is governing, which had been delivered before the law; and further, that the movements of the senses are indicated, both in how they are received in the mind and how they proceed from the operation of the body, for the perception is from both. And again, as sense is to the sensible, so is intellection to the intelligible. ^B And the actions are double: some according to thought, others according to energy. And the first commandment of the Decalogue shows that there is only one God, the Almighty, who led the people out of Egypt through the desert to their ancestral land, in order that they might grasp, through His divine actions, as they were able, His power, and might depart from the [worship] of created things.

On the Decalogue

^{C D} You shall not know another God, since the reverence is due to one alone. You shall not set up an empty and breathless idol as an image. You shall never vainly mention the great God. Observe all the Sabbaths, celestial and shaded. Blessed is he who shows his parents the gratitude that is fitting. To flee the pollution of murderous hands, and of another's Bed; and evil-minded theft, and slanderous Falsehood; and the desire for another's belongings, a spark of doom.

And thus far the most learned men, Hoeschelius and Sylburgius, whose conjectures as to whether they are more in agreement with Clement’s meaning than those which have been brought forward by us, the fair reader, having diligently weighed everything, will easily judge.

^A indeed through mental agitation, while others through operation. And the first commandment of the Decalogue shows that there is one only omnipotent God, who led the people out of Egypt through the wilderness into the land of their fathers, that they might understand, as far as they were able, his power through divine operations; and that they might abstain from the idolatry of those things that are generated, placing all their hope in the true God. The second signifies that one ought not to take up, nor attribute to created and vain things, the great power which is worthy of all veneration—which is indeed his name (for this was the only thing that many were as yet capable of learning)—which the craftsmen of men have made, against whom He who is ^B is not set (for in unbegotten identity He who is is alone). The third commandment signifies that the world was made by God; and that he gave us the seventh day for resting, because of the affliction and endurance of evils in this life. For God is tireless and unaffected by passions, and in need of nothing; but we who bear flesh have need of rest. The seventh day is therefore proclaimed as rest, an abstinence from evils, preparing that primary day from which all things arose, which is truly our rest, which is also in truth the first generation of light, in which all things are simultaneously seen and possessed. From this day, the first wisdom and knowledge illumines us; for the light of truth is a true light, shadowless, the Spirit of the Lord divided without division among those who are sanctified through faith, taking the place of a lamp for the recognition of things that are. Following him, therefore, through our whole life, we are rendered passionless; and this is to rest. Wherefore Solomon also says that wisdom was fashioned by the Almighty before heaven and earth and all things that are, the participation in which, I say not according to essence, but according to capacity, makes one ^C knowledgeable and able to grasp things divine and human. We must mention these things here, since the discourse has entered upon the week and the Ogdoad; for there is a risk that the Ogdoad may be the week in the proper sense, and the week the Ogdoad, at least according to the appearance. And the one is strictly the Sabbath, while the week is the worker; for the creation of the world is completed in six days; and that from the turnings ^D of the sun, which the guide of the day, the sun, performs twice each year, in spring and autumn—the vernal in Aries, the autumnal in Libra—introduces a most evident proof of what is befitting to God’s seventh day. For each of the equinoxes occurs in the seventh month, according to which the Law has directed us to celebrate the greatest and most public feasts; since in both, all that is brought to perfection from the earth—in spring, the fruit of the grain, and of the...

other things that are sown; and in autumn, that of the vine and of most other orchard fruits. ^A *The sun itself, guide of the day, making two equinoxes each year, the one in the spring, the other in autumn—the spring one in Aries, the autumn one in Libra—exhibits a most manifest proof of Divine majesty in the septenary. For both equinoxes occur in the seventh month; at which times the Law has ordained two most great and celebrated feasts, since by both, whatever the earth yields is brought to perfection: in the spring, indeed, the grain and whatever else we sow; in the autumn, however, the fruit of the vine and of most trees. (91) They say also that the embryo is perfected precisely in the sixth month, that is, in one hundred and eighty-two and a half days, as Polybus the physician records in his book *On Eight-Month Births*, and the philosopher Aristotle in his book *On Nature*. ^B And the Pythagoreans from this, I suppose, regarding the creation of the world according to the prophet (92), esteem the number six (93) as perfect, and call it "the midpoint" (94) and "marriage," because it is the middle of the "even," that is, of ten and two; for it appears to be equidistant from both. And as marriage generates from male and female, so six is generated from three—which is called the male number—and two—which is considered the female number (95); for twice three is six. Again, these are the most general movements, by which all generation is carried: up, down, to the right, to the left, forward, backward. Justly, therefore, do they reckon the number seven to be motherless (96) and barren, the Sabbath... ^C ...it does not displease them: "From the first even and odd, the male and female, by potentiality and multiplication, the six is made: whence it is also called androgynous (viro-femina). And furthermore, it is also called 'marriage,' because it itself is equal to its own parts: and it is the work of marriage to make offspring like to the parents." Concerning the number six, Macrobius relates more in *Commentary on the Dream of Scipio*, book 1, ch. 6. But the words of Philo, whom Clement loves to follow, must not be passed over in this place, from his book *On the Septenary and Festivals*: "Moyses, however, did not without a more honorable reason indicate the very consummation and absolute perfection. To the hexad, indeed, the creation of the parts of the world was consecrated, but to the hebdomad, absolute perfection was given. For the hexad is a number even and odd, composed of twice three, since it has the male odd and the female even: from which are the procreations according to the immutable statutes of nature. Furthermore, the hebdomad is the most pure, and the light of the hexad (if one must favor the truth), for the hexad produced it, and the same hebdomad demonstrates it brought to perfection." ^D ...for this word is from... and in the beginning the binary, as Eulogius relates in *Dream of Scipio*, and Martianus Capella. By Proclus, it is called a "fecund number," in his *Commentary on Hesiod’s Days*. Conf. Meursius, *Denarius Pythagoricus*, ch. 4. ...heir of divine things: "The fourth commandment is concerning the ever-virgin, motherless hebdomad, so that the creature, accustomed to its rest, may remember Him who..."

existimant: et eum appellant ^A *Meseuthēn* (that is, the "direct-middle," because it is the mathematical middle of the number twelve; for it seems to be equally distant from both). Now the marriage

Of marriage

Of the Sabbath

"Pay attention, children, what He says: 'He finished in six days.' He means this, that the Lord God will finish all things in six thousand years. For the day with Him is a thousand years; and He Himself bears witness, saying: 'Behold, today the day shall be as a thousand years.' Therefore, children, in six days, that is, in the six thousand years, all things will be finished. And He rested on the seventh day." ^C The same man says shortly afterward: "Lastly He says to them: 'Your new moons and your Sabbaths I do not endure.' See how He says: 'The current Sabbaths are not acceptable to me, but those which I have made, in which, having brought all things to rest, I shall make the beginning of the eighth day, which is the beginning of another world.' Therefore we also celebrate the eighth day with gladness, in which Jesus also rose from the dead, and having appeared, ascended into the heavens." "And He departed" – that is, accompanied by the three disciples, Peter, James, John, then with the addition of Moses and Elijah, he becomes the sixth, as Mark IX, Matthew XVII, and Luke IX attest. "Pro septima persona," the voice of God the Father is had, declaring Christ to be His Son from heaven. Hence Christ, who before that time was thought to be a pure and simple man, exists and has a dual nature, appearing, He fulfilled the number eight. From these things it is clear that, according to Clement, Christ is true God; then, that this can be gathered from the fact that He is the Son of God; lastly, that the person of Christ is distinct from the person of the Father. ^D Note: it is to be read *episemou*, for he understands the sixth numeral sign *stau*, which the order of the alphabet does not acknowledge. The sense of the received reading is: the numeral sign *stau*, although it is not accustomed to be written in the alphabet, nonetheless among

^A the numbers themselves is preserved in the order of each: the zeta as the sixth, and the eta as the seventh, unit towards the hebdomad and the ogdoad. And according to the number of the elements, the zeta becomes the sixth, and the eta the seventh. And the sign (*episemum*) 3 having perhaps been lost in the writing, even if we follow this, the hebdomad becomes the sixth, and the ogdoad the seventh; wherefore also man is said to have been made on the sixth day, being faithful to the *episemum*, so that he might immediately receive the rest of the Lord’s inheritance. The sixth hour 4 of the saving economy, at which man was perfected, also signifies something of this kind. Moreover, of the eight, the medians are seven, and of the seven there appear to be six intervals 5; for that is another line of reasoning, when the hebdomad honors the ogdoad, and the heavens declare the glory of God 6. These are the sensible types of our vocal elements. Thus also the Lord himself is called the Alpha and the Omega, ^B "the beginning and the end, through whom all things were made, and without whom not even one thing was made." Therefore God has not, as some suppose, ceased from his work by the rest of God; for being good, if he were ever to cease from doing good, he would also cease to be God, which it is not even right to say. But to have rested is this: to have ordered that the sequence of created things be guarded inviolably for all time, and to have made each created thing to rest from its ancient confusion. For the creations according to the different days followed a very great sequence, as if all things that were made, though created in a single thought 7, possessed value from their priority, but were not equal in honor. Nor would the generation of each have been declared by a word, if the creation were said to have been made all at once; for it was necessary to name something even as the first. For this reason therefore those were prophesied as first, from which the second things came, all things being made together from one substance by one power; for the will of God is, I think, in one identity. But how could a creation occur in time, when time itself is connatural with existing things? And now the ^C whole world of all living and growing things is circled in hebdomads. Seven are the primordial rulers of the angels who possess the greatest power; seven 8 also are those who, according to the mathematical sciences, are said to be the wandering stars, which govern the administration of the sublunary sphere. ^D

from whom the Chaldeans believe that all things pertaining to mortal life come to pass; whence it happens that they even promise to declare certain things about future events. Moreover, of the fixed stars, seven are the Pleiades. The Bears, too, consist of seven stars, by which both agriculture and navigation are carried out. The moon ^A also changes its form every seventh day. In the first week it is halved; in the second, it is full; on the third from the waning, it is halved again; and on the fourth, it disappears. But even the moon itself, as the mathematician Seleucus delivers, changes its form seven times; for it passes from being dark to a crescent, then to a halved shape, then to gibbous, and to full; and, as it wanes, it becomes gibbous again, and likewise halved, and then once more a crescent.

[P. 814 ED. POTTER.]

It is evident from this that God rules the terrestrial world by seven stars. Macrobius, in *Commentary on the Dream of Scipio*, bk. 1, ch. 6: "The Artificer of providence ^C placed the order of the seven wandering spheres under the control of that starry sphere which encompasses all; which [spheres], by the rapid motions of the superior, both encounter the inferior and govern all things below." Philo, *On the Septenary and Festivals*, p. 1177: "For the number seven is a most powerful and excellent number, beautifully arranged by nature for rule and sovereignty. Some, indeed, have called it 'Opportunity' [or 'the Occasion'], estimating the intelligible essence of the number from things that fall under the perception of the eyes. For all things among sensible objects that are best, through which the Etesian winds and the periods of the seasons are performed in orderly fashion, receive the power of the septenary. I mean, indeed, the seven wanderers, or planets, and the Bear, and the Pleiades, and the revolutions of the moon as it waxes and wanes, and the harmonic circuits of the other stars, which are better than any discourse." ... "The Bear, which is said to be the guide of sailors, consists of seven stars." [Philo] adds shortly after: "The chorus of the Pleiades is also completed by seven stars." [As] Clement has also taught above, p. 280, and Basil, p. 187. [SYLBURG.]

...luna itidem per septenarium formatur. Philo, *On the Creation of the World*, p. 25: "The number ^D seven, compounded in order from the unit, generates the number twenty-eight, which is perfect and equal to its own parts. And the number thus generated is the restitutive number of the moon, from which it began to receive an increase in shape in a sensible manner, and to which it returns as it wanes. For it increases from its first lunar aspect until it is halved in seven days; in another seven it becomes full-orbed; and then it turns back, running the same course, from the full-orbed state to the halved state in seven days, and then from this, in an equal number of days, to the crescent phase, by which the aforementioned number is completed." ... "The halved... the halved becomes gibbous..." [(17) The ms. omits this particle.]

STROMATA BOOK VI

"With a seven-toned lyre ^A let us sing [new] hymns," writes a poet of no small fame, teaching that the ancient lyre had seven sounds. There are also upon our face seven instruments of the senses: two, indeed, of the eyes, two of the auditory passages, two of the nostrils, and a seventh, that of the mouth. The changes of the ages, too, coming about by the heptad, are indicated by the elegies of Solon in this way:

A child, being yet a speechless infant, when he has Put forth a fence of teeth, sheds the first in seven years; And when God shall have completed those other seven years, The age of puberty ^B reveals the seeds of the coming [harvest]. And in the third, as they grow on the cheeks, The flower of the skin is seen changing. And in the fourth seven-year period, every man is most [excellent In strength, which men hold as signs of virtue.

^A ... ^B [alt-version omitted]

^A ... "That which holds the lordship in a living creature, the head, uses seven most necessary instruments: two eyes, as many ears, two passages of the nostrils, and the seventh, the mouth." "The most sovereign part of the living creature's face is pierced in seven ways, with two eyes, and two ears, with equal nostrils, and a seventh, the mouth." ^B ... ^C ...

And regarding the age of seven: Macrobius says, "When the number seven multiplies itself, it makes that age which is properly held and called perfect: so that a man of that age, inasmuch as he has already attained perfection and has not yet passed beyond it, is both fit for counsel and not held to be alien to the exercise of his powers. But when the decad, which is also itself a most perfect number, is joined to the perfect number, that is, the heptad, this is believed by the physicists to be the goal of living." Philo, likewise, in the same place teaches from Hippocrates that there are seven seasons in human nature: An infant is up to seven years, while he is cutting his teeth. A boy up to fourteen, while semen begins to grow in him. An adolescent up to twenty-one, while the down of the beard begins to grow. A youth up to twenty-eight, while the powers of the whole body are increasing. A man until forty-nine, namely, seven times seven. An old man until fifty-six. A decrepit man occupies whatever time is remaining thereafter.

^A

The fifth, then, warns that a man mindful of marriage Should seek offspring, indeed for the generation past. The sixth, in all things, the young man is perfected, He no longer wishes to look upon vain deeds. In the seventh, mind and tongue in the weeks are very excellent. In the eighth, fourteen years for both. In the ninth, he still has ability, though more moderate Of body and power for great virtue. In the tenth, when God shall have fulfilled the seven years, Not being untimely, he would have no share of death.

Again, in diseases the seventh and the fourteenth day are critical, in which nature struggles against the causes of the disease; and Hermippus of Berytus brings forward countless other things of this kind in his book *On the Septenary*. Now, the blessed David openly delivers the mystical reason concerning the septenary and the octonary to those who understand, singing thus: "Our years meditated like a spider. The days of our years in them are seventy years; but if in power, eighty years." That, however, would be to reign. In order, therefore, that we might be taught that the world was created, but that we might not suppose God creates in time, the prophecy added: ^B "This is the book of the generation, and of those things which are in them, when they were made, in the day that God made heaven and earth." For that "When they were made" signifies an indefinite and timeless utterance; but "In the day that God made," that is, in which and through whom He created all things, "and without whom was not anything made," ^C signifies the operation which is through the Son, whom David calls "The day which the Lord hath made; let us rejoice and be glad in it," that is, by the knowledge delivered through Him, let us feast upon divine banquets. For the day is said to be the Logos, who illuminates hidden things, and through whom ^D

^A every creature has passed into light and genesis. And, in all, the Decalogue, through the element of the *iota* (38), signifies the blessed name, pointing to Jesus, who is the Word. The fifth commandment in order is that concerning the honor of father and mother. He clearly calls God Father and Lord; wherefore He also proclaims those who have known Him to be sons and gods (39). Therefore, the Creator of all is Lord and Father; but the mother is not, as some suppose, the substance from which we were generated, nor, as others have put forth, the Church, but divine knowledge and wisdom, as Solomon says, calling wisdom the “mother of the righteous” (40), and she is to be chosen for her own sake. And further, every good and noble thing is known from God through the Son.

There follows this the commandment concerning adultery; and adultery is if anyone, having abandoned the ecclesiastical and true knowledge and the persuasion concerning God, approaches a false opinion which is not proper, either by deifying some of the generated things (41) or by fashioning an idol of some things that do not exist, to the transgression, or rather the falling away from knowledge; but false opinion is alien to the Gnostic, just as the true is akin and familiar to him. Wherefore also the noble ^B Apostle calls idolatry one of the species of fornication (42), consistently with the prophet who says: “She committed adultery with wood and stone;” to the wood He said (43), “You are my Father,” and to the stone, “You have begotten me.” Then follows the commandment concerning murder. For murder is a firm removal. Whoever, therefore, wishes to remove the true account concerning God and His eternity, in order to grant the false, saying either that the universe is without providence, or that the world is ungenerated, or [denying] any of the things that are firm according to true doctrine (44), is most destructive.

After this is the commandment concerning theft. Just as, therefore, he who steals the things of others, sinning greatly, justly falls into the evils he deserves; so he who appropriates divine works to himself through the art of either sculpture or painting (45), and says that he himself is the maker of animals and plants—and similarly those who imitate true philosophy—are thieves. Even if someone be a farmer, or a father of a child, he is a minister (46) of the sowing of seeds; but God, providing the increase and perfecting of all things, brings what is generated into accordance with nature. Most [people], along with the philosophers, [attribute] the increases and the changes ^C to the stars according...

primarily, in so far as it pertains to them, depriving the Father of all things of his indefatigable and inexhaustible power. But the elements and the stars—that is, the governing powers—are ordained to execute what is fitting for the divine economy; and they obey and are led to the things commanded to them, wherever the Word of the Lord leads them, since the divine power is accustomed to work all things secretly. Therefore, whoever says that he has devised or done anything of those things that pertain to creation will pay the penalty for an impious and wicked undertaking.

The tenth commandment is concerning all desires. Just as he who desires things that are not fitting is compelled to render an account, so too is it not permitted to desire false things, nor to suppose ^B that of things which are in generation, some are animated and possess power of themselves, while others are inanimate and completely unable to save or to harm. And if anyone says that the antidote is unable to heal and the hemlock to destroy, he is unaware that he is deceived by a cunning sophism. For nothing of these things operates without the one who uses the herb and the medicine, just as neither [does] the axe without the one who hews, nor the saw without the one who saws. For whereas they do not operate of themselves, they do possess certain natural qualities which, when applied by the craftsman, perform their proper work; thus, through the general providence of God, by the ministry of those things which are moved more immediately, the efficacious operation is distributed to individual things.

CHAPTER XVII.

But, as it seems, the Greek philosophers do not know the God whom they name, since they do not worship God as God. The things which they philosophize, as Empedocles says, are: «As 52 [if] having come through many tongues, poured forth vainly from mouths, knowing little of the whole.» For as ^C art devises a way by which the light that proceeds from the sun might ignite through a glass vessel full of water, so also philosophy, when it has received as it were a certain spark of fire from the divine Scripture, is seen by few. Certainly, just as all living creatures breathe the same air, but some in one way and others in another, and to a different end: so also do most people approach the truth, or rather that which is said about the truth. For they do not say anything about God, but by attributing their own passions to God, they explain them. For their life has become one of seeking what is probable, not what is true; ^D for truth is not taught by imitation, but by learning.

^A For it is not so that we may appear to be Christians, that we believe in Christ, just as we do not approach the sun merely that we may appear to be in the sun; but in the latter case it is that we may be warmed, and in the former that we may be good and honest men, that we strive with violence to be Christians. For the kingdom belongs to them who are most violent, who by inquiry, discipline, and perfect exercise reap these fruits, that they may become kings. He who imitates an opinion, therefore, demonstrates that he possesses a certain anticipation of it. When, however, anyone, having received a kind of spark of the matter, has kindled it within his soul by desire and instruction, he subsequently moves everything in order to know it thoroughly. For what one does not fully apprehend, he neither desires, nor does he embrace the benefit that comes from it. ^B Ultimately, therefore, the Gnostic, at the end of his accomplishments, imitates the Lord, as far as is possible for men, having acquired a certain quality of the Lord, unto the assimilation of God; but those who do not know the truth are unable even to measure it by a certain rule. It is not possible, therefore, to be partakers of Gnostic contemplations, unless we empty ourselves of our prior thoughts; for truth is spoken simply and in a general sense regarding everything that is perceived by the intelligence or the senses. Indeed, it is possible to see the truth of painting as distinct from the common, and the solemnity of music as distinct from the licentious. And so also there is a certain truth of philosophy compared with other philosophers, and a true beauty compared with that which is adulterated. We must not, therefore, obsess over the partial truths by which truth is named, but we must investigate the truth itself, not merely seek to learn names; for the object regarding God is not one, but numberless. ^C It makes a difference whether you say God or the things concerning God. Generally speaking, in regard to every matter, it is necessary to distinguish the essence from its accidents; and it suffices for me to say that God is he who is the Lord of all; and I say "Lord of all" absolutely, with nothing left out by way of exception. Since, therefore, there are two ideas of truth, namely names and things, those who occupy themselves with the beauties of discourse—the philosophers among the Greeks—speak of the names; but the things are found among us, the barbarians. Indeed, the Lord did not without reason desire to use a vile and humble form of body, ^D lest any one, in praising the beauty and admiring the form, should be distracted from what is said, and by paying attention to what is left behind, be cut off from things intelligible. We must not, therefore, occupy ourselves with the diction, but with the things signified.

And for those things which can be apprehended, but which are not moved towards knowledge, the word is not believed. For even crows imitate human voices, though they have no understanding of the thing of which they speak; but an intelligent apprehension holds fast to faith. Thus ^A also Homer said..... ^B *Father of men and gods*, not knowing who the Father is and how He is the Father. But as it is natural for one who has hands to take hold, and for one who possesses healthy eyes to see the light, so for one who has received faith, it is proper to participate in knowledge, if he desires to work additionally and "to superadd" ^B gold, silver, and precious stones upon the "foundation" laid down. It does not therefore promise that it wills to be a participant, but to begin; nor to be in the future, but to be kingly, luminous, and gnostic, ^C as is fitting; nor does it become one to wish to attain to the things by name, but by the deed itself. For since God is good, because He willed that the governing part of the whole creation be saved, He turned to making the rest as well; offering them this first benefit from the beginning, namely, to come into being; for every man will acknowledge that it is far better to be than not to be. Then, as it was possible for it to have a nature, each thing came into being and is becoming, ^D progressing towards that same better state. Thus it is not absurd that philosophy also was given by divine Providence, preparing the way for the perfection which is through Christ, if it is not ashamed of learning from barbarian knowledge the progress of philosophy towards the truth. "But the hairs are numbered," and the base movements; but how is philosophy not in the number? Even to Samson, however, strength was given in his hairs; so that even the rejected arts used in life, which lie before us and...

remain on earth after the departure of the soul, are understood not to be given apart from divine power. ^A For, he says, Providence from above, beginning from the primary things as from a head, extends even to all, just as the "ointment," he says, "that descends upon the beard of Aaron, and upon the skirt of his garment," that is, of the great High Priest, "through whom all things were made, and without him was nothing made," not into the world of the body; for philosophy is outside the people, like a garment. Those philosophers, therefore, who have been trained in their own perception by an evocative spirit, when they do not investigate a part of philosophy, but philosophy itself as it is absolutely, and honestly and without conceit bear witness to the truth, even if they make progress toward understanding from things rightly said by those of different opinions—according to the divine administration and ineffable goodness, which always, so far as possible, conducts the nature of existing things toward what is better—and then, having conversed not only with Greeks but also with barbarians, are led from the common exercise to a particular understanding ^B at the faith; and having accepted the foundation of the truth, they receive the power to advance further into inquiry; and from this they are pleased to have been taught, and desiring knowledge, they hasten toward salvation. In this way, says the Scripture, a "spirit of perception" is given by God to the craftsmen; and that is nothing else but prudence, a faculty of the soul that contemplates existing things, and judges and compares what is consequent, similar and dissimilar, and is commanding and prohibiting, and surmises future things. And it extends not only to the arts, but also to philosophy itself. Why, then, is the serpent also called "prudent"? Because even in wicked acts it is possible to find some consistency, and discernment, and composition, ^C and a surmising of future things; and most wicked acts for this reason remain hidden, because the wicked pre-arrange them for themselves, entirely and in every way.

^A Since prudence is manifold and extends throughout the whole world and through all human affairs, it changes its name in each of them. When it applies itself to the primary causes, it is called intelligence; when it confirms this by demonstrative reasoning, it is named knowledge, wisdom, and science. ^B But when it is occupied with things that tend toward piety, and has received the primary principle without contemplation, it is called faith, according to the observance of the operation that is in it. And if it has established what appears as the most true in sensible things, it is called right opinion; and in those actions performed with the hands, it is art. But where, without contemplation of the primary causes, it produces a certain impulse and constitution through the observation of similar things and their transference, it is called experience. That which is proper to it, and in reality sovereign and commanding, is what the believer receives above all things after his firm faith, as a holy Spirit by inspection. ^C Philosophy, therefore, having shared in a more excellent perception, as has been shown from what was said before, becomes a participant in prudence. The logical investigation, then, concerning objects of thought, accompanied by choice and assent, is called dialectic. This confirms the things said concerning the truth by way of demonstration, and dissolves the objections brought against them. Those, therefore, who assert that philosophy did not come hither from God, seem to be saying that it is entirely impossible for God to see all individual things, nor that He is the cause of all good things—seeing that each of these consists of particulars, and nothing of the things that exist has come to be at all against the will of God. If, however, it is by His will, then philosophy is from God, since He willed it to be such as it is, for the sake of those who would not abstain from evils by any other means. ^D For God knows all things, not only those that are, but also those that will be, and how each thing will be; foreseeing the movements of particulars, "He surveys all things, and hears all things," looking into the soul stripped bare within, and having the conception of each of the particulars for all eternity. And just as happens in the theaters, and in the parts of each single thing, by looking down upon, looking around, and looking at everything together, this comes to pass in God. For He looks down upon all things at once, and each one individually, with one glance; yet not all according to a primary application. For already many things in life receive their genesis through a certain human reasoning, having received the spark from God. Immediately, health comes through medicine, and well-being through the trainer’s art, and wealth through—

"Sun, who oversees all things and hears all things."

^A It looks upon all things at once and each thing individually, though not all things by a primary plan. For many of the things that exist in life derive their origin through human reason, once they have received a stimulus from God. For instance, health comes through medicine, and a good physical condition through the athletic trainer’s art, and wealth through trade; and they are present through divine Providence, but with human effort concurring. From God, however, comes also intelligence. And the free choice of good men obeys the divine will most of all; since, while the benefits of both good and bad men are many and common, they become useful only to the good and honest, for whose sake God made them. For it is for the use of good men that the power of the things given by God has been born. ^B Indeed, even the thoughts of those who are endowed with virtue come about through divine inspiration, when the soul is in some way disposed, and the divine will is transmitted into human souls, with certain of God’s ministers assisting in such services. For the prefectures of angels are distributed according to nations and cities; and perhaps even from these, some are assigned to individuals. Thus, a shepherd also has care of the individual sheep; yet he holds the care of providing for and visiting them most especially, those who are both of distinguished nature and capable of benefiting the multitudes. These, then, are the leaders and teachers; through whom the energy of providence is clearly shown whenever God wishes to do good to men through instruction or some authority or administration; and He always wishes it. Hence He moves those ^C who are, as it were, the spark from God. Immediately, the counsel also comes from God. By the will of God, the choice of good men obeys most of all; wherefore many of the advantages are common to both good and bad men. Yet they become beneficial only to the good and honest, for whose sake God made them. For the power of these divine gifts is naturally adapted for the use of good men. But even the insights ^D of virtuous men come about according to divine insight, as the soul is in some way disposed, and the divine will is distributed into human souls, with the divine ministers in part assisting in such services. For the prefectures of angels are distributed according to the nations ^B and cities; and perhaps even of individuals, to some of whom some are assigned. The shepherd, at any rate, also cares for each of the sheep; and the oversight is more attentive to those who are distinguished in their nature and capable of benefiting the multitudes. These are the leaders and teachers; through whom the functioning of providence is clearly shown whenever God wishes to do good to men through education or through some rule and administration; and He always wishes it. Wherefore He moves the— [The text here refers to the struggle against temptation:] ^C Subinde autem rabie quadam contra humanum genus incitatos, quod ad imaginem Dei factum videbant, atrox bellum adversus hominem suscepisse. Deum vero creatorem angelis præsidentibus custodisse humanum genus, ne qua vel violentia vel tyrannide adversarius, dum sub aspectum non cadit, superintuens, quem invidia succensus oderat, secure disperderet. Neque tamen cœptum sustulisse certamen, ut ea scilicet colluctatio pugiles fortissimos proderet, eaque occasione plurima virtutis ederentur exempla. Hujus itaque rei causa tametsi violentos adversarii contra nos impetus per angelorum custodiam repressisset, ille tamen concessit, ut hominis rationes atque cursus tentationum pugna vexaret, ut eos corona dignos ostenderet, qui fortiter restitissent. Neque enim diabolum contra homines armavit ipse, atque instruxit; sed ad eorum utilitatem diaboli malitia usus fuit. ^D Ita medicos solere aiunt, qui ad morborum curationem viperis nonnunquam utuntur.

^A And these are they who are apt for ruling and teaching, through whom the evidence of providence is openly displayed, when God wishes to benefit men either through doctrine, or through some magistracy and administration; and He wishes this always, and therefore He moves those who are apt to perform these things usefully—things which pertain to peace and virtue and beneficence. Whatever is endowed with virtue, and arises from virtue, and is referred to virtue, is given either that they may become good, or that those who are already good may make use of these benefits which nature has bestowed; for He assists both in universal matters and in particulars. How, then, is it not absurd that those who attribute confusion and injustice to the devil should constitute him the giver of a matter as excellent as that which is from virtue—namely, philosophy? For then, in order for the Greeks to become good men, the devil would appear more benign than Divine Providence itself. But on the contrary, I judge it to be the property of law and of all right reason to render to each that which is fitting, and that which is his proper due, and that which pertains to him. For as the lyre belongs to the citharoede alone, and the flute to the flute-player alone, so the advantages of good men are their proper possessions; just as it is the nature of Him who is beneficent to do good; as it is the nature of fire to warm, and of light to illumine. ^B But the good man will not do evil, just as light does not make darkness, nor does fire make cold; so, conversely, vice could not perform anything that is from virtue; for its operation is to do evil, just as it is the operation of darkness to confound the eyes. Philosophy, therefore, which makes men endowed with virtue, is not the work of vice; it remains, therefore, that it is of God, whose only work is to do good; and whatsoever is given by God, is both rightly given and rightly received. Furthermore, even if the use of philosophy is not for the wicked, but has been given to the best and most excellent of the Greeks, from this also it is clear by whom it was given—by the providence, namely, which distributes to each according to their merits those things which are fitting. Deservedly, therefore, was the law given to the Jews, and philosophy to the Greeks, until the advent: ^C from that time, however, the calling is universal, toward a peculiar people of righteousness, through the doctrine which is from faith, gathering together through one Lord, who is the one and only God of both, of the Greeks, that is, and the barbarians, or rather of the whole human race. We have often said that philosophy is that which, through philosophy, is able to attain the truth, even if it happens to be partial; and now, also, the goods in the arts, as in the arts, have their beginning from God. For as ^D doing anything technically is contained in the theorems of the art, so doing it wisely is ordered under prudence; and prudence is a virtue, and its proper task is to know both other things, and much more so those things which are within itself; and wisdom, being a power, is not

^A anything else than the knowledge of divine and human goods. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof," the Scripture said, teaching that good things come to men from God; that is, through divine power and strength, as the distribution reaches unto human aid. Now there are three modes of every benefit which one person imparts to another: the one is by way of accompaniment, just as a gymnastic trainer fashioning the boy; another is by way of assimilation, as he who urges another toward progress by progressing [himself] first, and he indeed assists the one who is learning; but the latter also benefits the one who is making progress at the same time. The third mode is that which happens by command, when the gymnastic trainer, no longer molding the one who is learning, nor presenting the wrestling match through himself for the boy to imitate, but as if he were already sufficiently practiced, commands him by name to wrestle. The Gnostic, therefore, having received from God the power to benefit, helps some by fashioning them through accompaniment, others ^B by urging them on through assimilation, and others by teaching and instructing them through command; and certainly he himself has been benefited in like manner by the Lord. Thus, therefore, the benefit which extends from God to men becomes known, with the angels also acting as co-advocates; for indeed through angels the divine power provides good things, whether they are seen or not seen. Such also was the mode at the coming of the Lord. And whenever through the thoughts and reasonings of men the power "inspires" something and "instills" into their minds strength and a more accurate perception, "spirit" and "boldness of zeal," providing it both for inquiries and for works, there are nevertheless set before us for imitation and assimilation the truly marvelous and holy examples of virtue ^C through those deeds which have been recorded. And indeed, the kind of action is also most manifest, both through the covenants of the Lord, and through the laws that are among the Greeks, and even through those things which are enjoined in philosophy. And, to sum up, all benefit pertaining to life is, according to the supreme reason, achieved from God the Almighty, the Father who rules over all, through the Son, who is also for this reason "the Savior of all men," says the Apostle, "but especially of those who believe." Yet, according to what is immediate, it is performed by those who are near to each individual, according to the order and command of the one who is near to the first cause, ^D namely, the Lord.

CHAPTER XVIII. That the true Gnostic touches upon philosophy as if in his leisure, while advancing to further things, namely, to Christian doctrine, the fountain of all wisdom.

^A then they shall hear the Scripture: «Unless your righteousness shall exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees» (Matt. V, 20), who are justified by abstinence from evils, you will not be «royal» (Jas. II, 8), along with the perfection found in these things, and the ability to love one’s neighbor and to do good. For the extension of righteousness according to the law indicates the Gnostic. Thus, one who has been placed with respect to the head that rules his own body, having advanced to the height of faith, will attain the knowledge itself, about which all the senses are concerned, and will likewise attain the highest inheritance. ^B That knowledge holds the preeminence, the Apostle clearly shows to those able to discern, writing thus to those Greeks, the Corinthians: «And having hope, when your faith is growing, that we shall be magnified according to our rule unto abundance, to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you» (II Cor. X, 15, 16), not speaking of an extension of the preaching as to place—since he says that faith also abounded in «Achaia»—for it is recorded also in the Acts of the Apostles that he preached the Word «in Athens»—but he teaches that knowledge, which is the perfection of faith, abounds beyond catechesis, according to the greatness of the Lord’s teaching and the ecclesiastical rule. Wherefore, also, further down he adds: «But though I be rude in speech, yet not in knowledge» (II Cor. XI, 6). ^C But let those of the Greeks who boast that the truth has been grasped by them, tell us from whom they learned it, and so boast. For they would not say from God, but they confess it is from men. And if this is the case, then either they learned it late from themselves, as some of them indeed insolently boast, or from others like themselves. But men are not reliable teachers when speaking about God, in as much as they are men. For he who is a human being is not worthy of credence to speak the truth about God—the weak and dying man about the Unbegotten and Incorruptible—nor the work about Him who made it. ^D Then, if one is not able to speak the truth about himself, is he not even less to be believed regarding God? For as much as man falls short of the power of God, so much also does his speech grow weak, even if he speaks not about God, but about God and the divine Word. For human speech is weak by nature and unable to express God—I do not mean the name, for this is common for not only philosophers but even poets to name—nor His essence, for that is impossible; but His power and the deeds of God. Yet they claim to teach God.

^A Hard it is for them to arrive at the notion of God, unless grace assists them toward some degree of knowledge; such as those who, by the "will"—meaning God's will—and by the Holy Spirit, are accustomed to contemplate the Holy Spirit, since "the Spirit searches the deep things of God." But the animal man does not receive the things of the Spirit. Therefore, ours alone is the God-taught wisdom; from which all the fountains of wisdom are suspended, as many as aim at the truth.

Indeed, as the Lord was about to come to men to teach us, there were countless signifiers, heralds, preparers, and forerunners—from the foundation of the world, through deeds and through words, signifying beforehand, predicting that He was to come, and [declaring] how, and when, and what the signs would be. Certainly, the Law and the prophets exercise [the soul] from afar. Then the forerunner shows Him present, after whom the heralds, ^B teaching the power of the advent, proclaim Him. Yet they pleased only some, and not even all of these; for Socrates pleased Plato, Plato pleased Xenocrates, Aristotle pleased Theophrastus, and Zeno pleased Cleanthes—men who persuaded only their own sectaries. But the word of our Teacher did not remain in Judea alone, as philosophy did in Greece; but it was poured out over the whole inhabited world, persuading Greeks and barbarians alike, by nation and village and every city, converting entire houses and individual listeners, and already bringing over no few of the philosophers themselves to the truth.

And if any magistrate should forbid Greek philosophy, it perishes immediately. But our doctrine, from the very first proclamation, ^C kings and tyrants alike, and local magistrates and governors, together with all their mercenaries, and indeed countless throngs of people, have forbidden; warring against us and trying with all their might to extirpate us. Yet it flourishes all the more. For it does not die like human teaching, nor does it wither like a feeble gift; for no gift of God is feeble. It remains unimpeded, having been prophesied to be persecuted even to the end.

Next, concerning the poetic art, Plato says:

"For a poet is a light and winged and sacred thing,"

Of these matters in this way.

it is; since it has been predicted, however, that it shall perpetually suffer persecution. Next, regarding poetry, Plato says: "A poet is a light thing and a sacred, and cannot make verses until he has been carried away by God and out of his senses." Democritus likewise says: "Whatever a poet writes under the inspiration of God and by a holy spirit is very beautiful." And we know indeed what kind of things the poets say. But that the prophets of the almighty God were the instruments of the divine voice, no one shall be astonished! Therefore, having, as it were, fashioned a statue of the Gnostic, we have already indicated what the magnitude and beauty of his character is, by way of a sketch. As to what he is like in the contemplation of natural things, this shall be set forth later, when we begin to treat of the origin of the world.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, STROMATEIS, BOOK SEVEN

CHAPTER I

^A Calling those who have known Him who truly is God, atheists. But ^B towards philosophers, I think, it is fitting to use clearer arguments, so that those who are already exercised in the learning that is among them may, even if they have not yet rendered themselves worthy to receive the power of believing, be able to understand. We shall not make mention of the prophetic expressions for the present, though we shall make use of the Scriptures later, at the appropriate places; but we shall indicate sums of what is signified by them, sketching out Christianity, lest we interrupt the continuity of the discourse by adding ^C the Scriptures—and these, to those who do not yet understand their expressions. But after we have shown the sense of the Scripture, then, when they have already believed, the testimonies of the Scripture itself will be produced in superabundance. If those things which are said by us ^D seem to some of the common people to differ from the Scriptures of the Lord, one must know that they breathe and live thence, and although they have their arguments from them, they profess to present only the meaning of what is said, not to adduce the expressions themselves. For too diligent a treatment that is not done at the proper time may deservedly be seen as superfluous; but on the other hand, for one not to consider at all what is the beginning, would be of too great sloth and poverty. But in truth, "Blessed are they who search out the testimonies of the Lord; with their whole heart they will seek Him." And the Law and the Prophets bear witness concerning the Lord.

It is therefore our purpose to show that only the Gnostic is holy and pious, and that he worships Him who is truly God in a manner worthy of God, as befits His majesty. And to him who thus worships God as befits His majesty, it follows that he is loved by God and loves God. Whatever therefore is excellent, he deems to be honorable in proportion to its dignity; and in sensible things, magistrates and parents are to be honored, and every elder; but in those things which are taught, the most ancient philosophy and the most venerable prophecy; but in those things that are perceived by the intellect, that which is older than generation, the principle and first-fruit of all beings, which is without time and without beginning, the Son; from whom it behooves us to learn the cause that is above, namely the Father of all, which indeed is the most ancient and most beneficent of all, and is not handed down by voice, but is to be revered with reverence and silence and holy amazement, and is most sovereignly holy. Indeed, it is spoken of by the Lord, as far as it was possible for learners to hear, but it is understood by those chosen for knowledge by the Lord, and by those who have exercised their senses, as the Apostle says. The service of God, therefore, is the continuous care of the soul by the Gnostic, and the being about the Divine.

^A For of the care that concerns human beings, one part is improving, and the other is serving. Medicine is the improving part for the body, while philosophy is for the soul. From children to parents, and from subordinates to rulers, a helpful service is rendered. In the Church, likewise, the presbyters preserve the image of the improving service, while the deacons preserve that of the serving. Both these ministries are performed by angels for God, according to the dispensation of earthly things; and the Gnostic himself, while serving God, at the same time shows to men the improving contemplation, in whatever way he may have been appointed for the correction of men. For he alone is pious and religious who serves God well and irreproachably in human affairs. For just as the best cultivation of plants is that by which fruits are produced and gathered, and through agricultural knowledge and experience the benefit from them is provided to men; so the piety of the Gnostic, receiving into itself the fruits of the men who have believed through him—as they come to a greater knowledge and are saved by it—produces an excellent harvest through experience. ^B And god-becomingness is a state that preserves what is becoming to God; only the god-becoming person is dear to God. This person would be one who knows what is becoming, and according to knowledge, and according to the life that is to be lived by one who is to be, and is already, becoming like God. In this way, then, he is first a lover of God; for as he who honors his father is a lover of his father, so he who honors God is a lover of God. And [what follows] also appears to me to be the three results of the Gnostic power: ^C there are countless instructions extending to chosen persons written down in the holy books; some for presbyters, some for bishops, some for deacons, some for widows. Since those progressions here in the Church—of bishops, presbyters, and deacons—are, I think, imitations of the angelic glory and of that economy. For from Him are all the priests and Levites who serve at the altar of God. For to the high priest have been given his own services, and for the priests a specific place has been appointed, and to the Levites their own special ministries have been assigned. There are two ranks of those who serve the temple: the higher, that of the priests, and the lesser, that of the temple-wardens. The bishops and presbyters are priests. To the god-becoming person follows the god-beloved and the lover of God. And to the one who is god-becoming, the god-beloved and the lover of God also follow. Our philosopher maintains these three things: first, that of contemplation; second, that of the fulfillment of the commandments; and third, that of good men.

^A For in regard to knowledge of the things themselves, and second, the fulfillment of whatever the Word dictates, and third, the ability to pass on in a manner worthy of God those things which are hidden in the truth. Whoever, therefore, is persuaded that God is omnipotent, and has learned the divine mysteries from His only-begotten Son, how can he be an atheist? For an atheist is one who does not believe that God exists; but a superstitious person is one who fears demons, who considers everything divine—wood, stone, and spirit—and brings a man who lives rationally under subjection 40.

CHAPTER II.

That the Son of God is appointed by the Father as governor of all things, and that He Himself cares for men and is their Savior.

Faith, therefore, is to know God, which is the first ^B step after the confidence in the Savior's doctrine, to do in no way what is unjust, and to consider this to be fitting for the recognition of God. In this respect, the most excellent thing on earth is man, who possesses the greatest piety toward God. But in heaven, the most excellent thing is the angel, who because of his place participates already more purely in the eternal and blessed life. But the most perfect, most holy, most principal, most commanding, and most royal, and by far most beneficent, is the nature of the Son, which is closest to the only omnipotent One. This is the greatest excellence, which orders all things according to the will of the Father, and governs the universe in the best way, performing all things with tireless and inexhaustible power, because He acts while looking upon the hidden intentions. For the Son of God never departs ^C from His own watchtower; neither being divided nor rent asunder, nor passing from place to place, but always being everywhere 45, and contained by nothing; He is whole mind, whole paternal light 46, whole eye, seeing all things, hearing all things, knowing all things, and by His power searching the powers.

To Him is subject the entire host of angels and gods, by the paternal Word who has undertaken the holy dispensation on account of Him who subjected them. Therefore, all men are His; but some by way of acknowledgment, and others not yet; and some indeed as friends, others as faithful servants; and others again as simple servants. This Master is He who instructs the Gnostic by mysteries, the faithful one by good hopes, and the hard-hearted one by corrective discipline through sensible operation; hence there is Providence, privately, publicly, and everywhere. That He is the Son of God, and that He is the one whom we call Savior and Lord, the prophecies openly demonstrate. By this reasoning, He who is the Lord of all, both Greeks and barbarians, persuades those who are willing; for He does not force the one who is able to receive salvation from Him, by choosing and fulfilling all things required by Him in order to receive hope. This is He who gives wisdom even to the Greeks through the inferior angels. For they are, by a divine and ancient command, ^B "distributed by nations," as it is written. But the "portion of the Lord" is the glory of those who believe. For either the Lord does not care for all men—and this results either from His not being able (which is indeed forbidden, for it is a sign of weakness), or from His not wanting to, even though He is able—which is not the affection of a good being; but surely He is not languid through indulgence, He who for our sake assumed passable flesh—or He does care for all, which is indeed consistent, since He is Lord of all. For He is a Savior; not the savior of these, but not of those. But according to the aptitude which each one had, He distributed His own beneficence. Both to Greeks and barbarians, and to those from among these who were predestined ^C indeed, but called in their own time, both faithful and elect. Therefore, He who has called all men equally could never envy some, having distributed special honors to those who have especially believed; nor would the Lord of all ever be hindered by another, and especially as He serves the will of the good and omnipotent Father. But neither does envy ever touch the Lord, who is impassible and begotten without beginning; nor are human affairs in such a state that they are objects of envy to the Lord; rather, it is someone else who envies, upon whom passion has taken hold. And indeed, neither by...

reason of ignorance can it be said that the Lord is unwilling to grant salvation to the human race, as if He did not know how the care of each one of us is to be managed. For ignorance does not touch God, who before the foundation of the world was the Counselor of the Father. For this was the wisdom ^A “wherein God” the Almighty “delighted.” For the Son is the virtue or power of God, as being the most principal Word of the Father before all things that were generated, and His wisdom. Who, in a proper sense, may be called the Master of those who were formed through Him. Nor, diverted by any pleasure, does He ever abandon the care of men; He who, having taken on flesh which by nature had been generated capable of suffering, trained it into a state of impassibility. But how is He Savior and Lord, if He is not the Savior and Lord of all? Yet He is indeed the savior of those who have believed, because they have willed to know; but of those who have not believed, He is Lord, until, being able to confess, they may receive from Him the kindness appropriate and suitable to them. But the entire operation of the Lord has a reference ^B to the Almighty, and the Son is, so to speak, a certain paternal operation. Never, therefore, does the Savior hold men in hatred, He who out of pre-eminent charity toward men did not despise the weakness of human flesh, but, having put it on, came for the common salvation of men: for the faith of those who have chosen is common. But neither will He ever neglect His own work, in that to man alone of other animals has the perception of mind been implanted in the creation by God; nor would any other administration of men be better and more harmonious to God than that which has been ordered. For it is always fitting that that which is better and more excellent by nature should preside over that which is ^C inferior, and that to him who is of any worth, the administration of his affairs should be excellently given. Now, that which truly rules and presides is the divine Word and His Providence, which observes all things, indeed, but overlooks the care of none of those who pertain to it. But they who have chosen to belong to Him, and to be joined to Him, will be those who are initiated through faith. The Son is established as the author and cause of all good things, by the will of the almighty Father, the prime mover of motion, a power which cannot be comprehended by sense. For He was not seen as He truly was by those who could not grasp it on account of the weakness of the flesh. But when He had accepted sensory flesh, He came to show forth to men sufficient ^D things, as one might say, that concern the preservation of existence.

^A For it is the will of the Father that governs the salvation of all things, with others being appointed to lead under others, until one reaches the great High Priest. For from one principle above, which acts according to His will, the first, second, and third things depend; then, at the end of what is visible, ^B is the blessed angelic hierarchy; and indeed down to us ourselves, others have been arranged under others, being both saved and saving through one and by one. ^C Just as even the smallest portion of iron is moved by the spirit of the Heraclean stone, extended through many iron rings, so too are those endowed with virtue moved, being drawn by the Holy Spirit; the virtuous are made intimate with the first mansion, and others in sequence as far as the last. But those who are evil by reason of weakness, having fallen into an unjust lack of satisfaction and a bad condition, neither holding nor being held, flow about, whirled around by the passions, and fall to the ground. For this is the law from above, that he who wishes should choose virtue. For this reason, the commandments—both those according to the law and those before the law—were not established for the righteous (for “the law is not laid down for the just”): they appointed that he who made the choice should receive eternal life and the blessed reward; but they allowed him who was delighted by vice to remain with those things which he had chosen. And again, furthermore, they [allowed] the soul that becomes better at each step for the greater acquisition of virtue and the increase of justice, to receive a better rank in the universe, being extended according to each progression towards a state of apathy, until it attains to a perfect man, the preeminence of knowledge and inheritance together. These saving revolutions, according to the order of change, are apportioned by times, and places, and honors, and knowledges, and inheritances, and ministries, ^D up to the transcendent and continuous contemplation of the Lord in eternity. But [the Lord] leads that which is lovable to the contemplation of Himself, every man having clothed his whole self in the love of knowledge by means of contemplation. Wherefore the Lord, drawing from one fountain the commandments which He gave, both the former ones and the latter ones, neither looked down upon those before the law as being lawless, nor permitted those who were not obedient to revolt from the philosophy of the barbarians. For by providing commandments to some, and philosophy to others, He enclosed unbelief as far as the coming [of the Lord]; since every man who has not believed is without excuse. For He leads from one progression, both Greek and barbarian, to the perfection which is through faith. But if any of the Greeks, over—

615 leaving behind the philosophy which precedes that of the Greeks, immediately invaded the true doctrine, this man, even though he be unlearned, has surpassed others by a long interval, since he has chosen the shortcut of salvation through faith toward perfection. Whatever, therefore, did not prevent a man from having free choice of what to choose, He caused to bring aid toward virtue, so that in some way even those who are able to see obscurely and meagerly may have God, who is in truth the only one, omnipotent, and good, appear as one who from age to age grants salvation through the Son. But He is in no way the cause of evil; for toward the salvation of the universe, by the Lord of all, all things are ordered, both generally and in particular. It is, therefore, the office of saving justice to lead each thing always toward that which is better, so far as it is possible; for toward the salvation and permansion of that which is more excellent, the lesser things are conveniently ordered according to their own character. For immediately whatever is endowed with virtue is changed for the better, having its own cause of change—the choice of knowledge—which the soul had in its power. But necessary corrections, by the goodness of ^B the great Judge who observes all things, both through the attendant angels and through various predispositions, and through the judgment which is in every part perfect, compel those who have become altogether hardened to be led to repentance.

CHAPTER III.

That the true Gnostic acts to be as similar as possible to God and His Son.

I pass over other things, glorifying the Lord. But I speak of those Gnostic souls which, by the excellence of their contemplation, surpass the institute of life of every holy order, to whom the blessed habitations ^C of the gods are distributed, since, having been reckoned among the holy as of exceptional holiness, and having been translated entire out of entirety, they have come into better places of better regions, and are not embracing the divine contemplation in mirrors or through mirrors, but—as much as possible—as clearly and with a perfectly sincere vision of the eternal, they are received into the eternal banquet, with which souls that love beyond measure cannot be sated, and enjoying an inexhaustible joy ^D into the ages that never terminate, they remain honored, if I may so say, by the identity of all that surpasses. This is the contemplation that can be grasped by those who are pure in heart. This, then, is the activity of the perfected Gnostic, to commune with God through the great High Priest, being made like...

to the Lord in power through every treatment toward God, which extends to the salvation of men according to the stewardship of the beneficence toward us; both in turn through the ministry, and through the teaching, and through the doing of good works. ^A Nay, more, he creates and fashions himself; and further, he adorns those who listen to him, the Gnostic being made like to God; and he makes like, as far as is possible, the one who by nature possesses that which is impassible, to the one who has contracted it into impassibility through exercise; and he does these things while unceasingly communing and living with the Lord. Gentleness, I think, and philanthropy and magnificent piety are the canons of Gnostic assimilation. These virtues I say are ^B "a sacrifice acceptable to God," a heart free from arrogance, with right knowledge, the "whole burnt offering" of God, as the Scripture says, since all of the man who has been taken up into holiness is illuminated into an indivisible union. For the Scripture commands both the Gospel and the Apostle to "take captive" and "to kill" themselves, "slaying the old man, who is corrupted by desires, and raising up the new one from the death of the old" way of life, laying aside, along with sin, the passions of the soul. This it was that the law also tacitly signified, ordering the sinner to be taken from the midst, and to be brought over from death to life, that is, to the impassibility which proceeds from faith. ^C Since those who taught the law did not understand this, but received the law in a contentious spirit, they provided pretexts for those who attempt to slander it in vain; for which reason we do not sacrifice to God, who is in need of nothing, having provided all things to all; but we glorify Him who has been made a priest for us, ourselves ^D acting as priests, [offering] as it were into the needlessness from the Needles, and into the impassibility from the Impassible. For God rejoices only in our salvation. It is reasonable, therefore, that to Him who is not conquered by pleasures, we do not offer sacrifice.

^A For He does not even reach the clouds, far less those [deities] of whom, through the exhalation of smoke, the vapours reach—if indeed they even reach them. ^B The Divine is therefore neither needy, nor pleasure-loving, nor avaricious, nor greedy; being full, and providing all things to everything that is generated and needy. Neither by sacrifices, nor by votive offerings, nor by external glory and honour, is the Divine called upon, nor is it enticed by such things; but it manifests itself only to good and noble men, who would never betray justice either because of threatened fear or for the promise of greater gifts. ^B Those who have not perceived the self-determining and unenslaved nature of the human soul in regard to the choice of life, but are vexed by what happens through ignorant injustice, do not believe that there is a God. These ones, in their opinion, falling into the intemperance of pleasures, and into extreme griefs, and into involuntary misfortunes, and becoming dispirited by disasters, say that there is no God, or that if He exists, He does not see all things. There are others who are persuaded that those who are esteemed gods are appeased by sacrifices and gifts, and that they participate, so to speak, in their licentiousness; and they do not even wish to believe that there is only the One who is truly God, who exists in the identity of just goodness. The Gnostic, therefore, is pious; he is the one who first takes care of himself, and then of those nearest to him, so that we may become as excellent as possible. ^C For a son gratifies a good father by showing himself to be good and similar to his father, and one who is under authority gratifies his ruler; for, to believe and to obey is in our power. If, however, anyone were to suppose that the cause of evils is matter, [attributed] to weakness and the inconsiderate impulses of ignorance—and indeed, those irrational necessities due to ignorance ^D which the Gnostic transcends, having become like a beast through instruction, imitating the divine choice—he does good to those among men who are willing, according to his power. And if he should ever be established in authority, like Moses, he will lead for the salvation of those under his rule, and he will tame that which is wild and unbelieving.

^A With honor, indeed, toward those who are best and most excellent, but with punishment for the wicked, insofar as it is consonant with reason for the purpose of discipline. For the soul of a just man is a divine image, and one highly resembling God, in which, through obedience to the commandments, there is built up and established the Leader of all, both of mortals and of immortals, the King and Parent of good things, who is truly Law and ordinance, and eternal Word, and who is the one Savior, privately for individuals and generally for all. This is He who is in truth the Only-Begotten, the imprint ^B of the glory of the Father, who is King of all and Almighty, who imprints upon the Gnostic the perfect contemplation according to His own image, so that the divine image is now third, which to the extent of its power is made like unto the second cause, unto Him who is truly Life, through whom we live the true life; as though we were drafting the Gnostic, who is coming to be among us, as he who occupies himself with things that are steadfast and altogether unchangeable.

Ruling, therefore, over himself and his own, and having possessed a steadfast apprehension of divine knowledge, he advances toward the truth with sincerity. For the knowledge and apprehension of intelligible things may rightfully be called "stable science," the labor of which—insofar as it is occupied with divine ^C things—is to contemplate what the first cause is, and what that is through which all things were made, and without which nothing was made (Joan. 1, 3); what things are acting as those that pervade, and what as those that contain; what things are joined together, and what are disjoined; and what order each of these holds, and what power and what ministry each brings in. And again, with regard to human things: what man himself is, and what is according to nature or contrary to nature for him; and how, in turn, it is appropriate to act or to suffer; and who his virtues are, and what his vices; and concerning good things, and bad, and things indifferent; and all that relates to fortitude, and prudence, and temperance, and the virtue that is, above all, complete—justice.

But whereas he has applied the use of prudence and justice to the acquisition of wisdom, he does not employ fortitude ^D only in the enduring of those things that befall one, but also in mastering pleasure and desire, pain and anger, and, in general, in standing against everything that draws us toward itself either by force or by some deceit. For we ought not merely to endure evils and good things, but we ought to be persuaded by them and to endure even those things that are fearful. For even pain is found to be useful, in accordance with medicine, and education, and correction, and through it characters are corrected for the benefit of men. And the kinds of...

^B fortitude are endurance, loftiness of mind, greatness of soul, liberality, and magnificence. For this reason, the Gnostic is affected by neither blame nor the ill-repute of the masses, nor is he subject to opinions or flatteries; and in enduring labors, whether he is doing something that is required, or is bravely overcoming all misfortunes, he is truly seen to be a man among other men. And again, preserving prudence, he lives modestly and temperately in the quiet of his soul, receiving what is commanded as if it were fitting for him, while he turns away from what is base as being foreign, and, as one who is both worldly and supermundane, he conducts himself with order and decorum, and in no way transgresses. He is rich to the highest degree, from the fact that he desires nothing, as one who has need of few things, and who abounds in a store of all good things, on account of his knowledge of the Good. For the first duty of his justice is to love to live with those who are of the same kind, and to be with them both on earth and in heaven. By this reason he also willingly imparts and shares if he possesses anything: and while he is courteous and kind, he holds the wicked in the greatest hatred, perfectly abhorring any kind of evildoing. Therefore, one must learn to be faithful both to oneself and to one's neighbor, and to be obedient to the commandments. For this is the servant of God who of his own free will subjects himself to the commandments; but he who is already pure in heart, not on account of the commandments, but on account of knowledge itself, that man is the friend of God. For we are neither born naturally endowed with virtue, nor does it come to us later by nature after we are born, as do some other parts of the body; for in that case it would not be voluntary, nor laudable; nor is virtue brought to perfection by the habituation and custom of those things which happen daily, as speech is (for vice is generated in this way); nor, indeed, does knowledge come through any art, whether it be of those things that propose gain for themselves, or of those that pertain to the care of the body. Nor does it come from the liberal arts—for it is well if, with these, they can only prepare the soul and minister to it. ^C For the laws of the state, perhaps, might be able to restrain wicked actions; but not even persuasive discourses, being superficial, could provide a scientific persistence in the truth. But Greek philosophy, as it were, cleanses and habituates the soul for the reception of faith, upon which truth builds up knowledge. This truly is that athlete, who in the great and noble stadium of the world, is crowned with the true victory over all the passions. For the governor of the games ^D is the almighty God; and the umpire is the only-begotten Son of God; the spectators are angels and gods; and the contest, the all-powerful struggle, is not against flesh and blood,

^B but against the spiritual powers which work through the flesh the violent impulses of vices and affections. Whoever has overcome these great battles, and prostrated the tempter who instigates like certain contests, has attained immortality; for the sentence of God cannot be mistaken in a most just judgment. ^C The theater is indeed called for the contest, but it is in the stadium that the athletes struggle; and he surely overcomes who has obeyed the trainer. For to all, the prizes are proposed by God as equal, and He Himself is beyond reproach; but he obtains mercy who is able, and he is able who has willed it. For this reason we have also received the mind, that we might know what we are doing; and that [saying]: «Know thyself,» signifies here to know for what purpose we were born; and we were born that we might choose to obey the commandments, if indeed we wish to be saved. This is the Nemesis, on account of which it is not permitted to flee from God. ^D Therefore, it is man's duty to obey God, who has announced a varied salvation through commandments. The reconciliation of a grateful mind is confession; for the benefactor begins first to do good. And he who accepts the mandates with the considerations which are fitting and with a ready mind, and keeps them, he is faithful; but he who in proportion to his power returns the kindness through love is already a friend. There is one most sovereign reward from among men to see these things which are pleasing to God; just as if for his own offspring, and for a product of one's own kin, the Teacher and Savior accepts the benefits and the corrections of men for His own grace and honor; just as He also considers injuries and personal ingratitude and dishonor done to those who have believed in Him as His own. For what other dishonor could reach God? Wherefore one cannot even render a reward in proportion to the value of salvation for the benefit received from the Lord. But as those who damage possessions insult the masters, and as those who damage soldiers insult their commander, so to the Lord is the injury concerning those who are devoted to Him irrevocable.

For even as the sun not only illuminates the heaven and the whole world, shining upon earth and sea, but also sends its light through windows and any small aperture into the innermost parts of houses; so the Word, poured forth everywhere, looks upon even the smallest of things that are done in life.

CAPUT IV.

That the heathen fashioned gods most like themselves, as much in external form as in the internal movements of the mind; whence is the fountain and origin of all superstition.

The Greeks, ^B however, suppose the gods to be endued with human form and also subject to human passions. And just as each describes their forms as like themselves, as Xenophanes says (20): “The Ethiopians say that their gods are black and snub-nosed, the Thracians that theirs are fair and blue-eyed;” so also they assimilate their minds to those who fashion them; the barbarians indeed to wild and savage habits, but the Greeks to those more gentle, yet still to those subject to passions. Wherefore it is necessary that the wicked should entertain evil thoughts of God, but the upright the best. ^C Wherefore he who is truly kingly in mind and Gnostic, being both pious in worshipping God and a stranger to superstition, is persuaded that He alone who is the only God is to be honored, reverenced, deemed magnificent, beneficent, the prince and author of all good things, but not the cause of evils. Indeed, of the false religion of the Greeks we have, I think, sufficiently shown in the book which is called the Protrepticus, having abundantly employed the histories that pertained to it. There is no need, therefore, to repeat what has been clearly said: but insofar as it was necessary to illustrate these matters, when we should have reached this place, it is enough to bring forward a few things out of many, by which we may show them to be impious who assimilate God to the most wicked of men. For either in their opinion the gods are harmed by men—and then they who are harmed will appear to be worse than men by us—or, if they are not harmed, why, like an irascible old man, are they provoked to anger? ^D As they say (23)

^A Diana was enraged at the Aetolians because of Oeneus. For how did she not calculate, being a goddess, that Oeneus had not acted out of contempt, but had either forgotten, or had neglected to do so after having sacrificed? And truly she herself, ^B defending her own cause before Minerva, because she was angry with her for having given birth in her temple, says:

.... When you see the spoils, Taken from houses, tattered, half-demolished, You rejoice. ^C Nor do you curse these things; but if you see me here Having given birth, you are incensed...

Yet even other animals that give birth in temples commit no crime. ^D Those, therefore, who are superstitious, being fearful about those who are easily provoked to anger, think that all things which happen are portents and causes of evils; if a mouse should burrow through an altar made of clay, and—having nothing else—should gnaw a flask; if a rooster that is being kept should crow in the evening, they establish this as a sign of something. Menander mocks such a person in the comedy which is entitled *The Superstitious Man*:

"May some good come to me, O precious gods!"

The Superstitious Man

On the wrath of Diana against Oeneus

For indeed, against them, golden-throned Diana In her wrath roused a calamity, because Oeneus did not offer The first fruits at the mountain farm; but other gods feasted on hecatombs. Alone to Jove’s great daughter he made no offering. Either he forgot, or did not notice, and he was greatly deluded in his spirit. But she, being angered, the descendant of Zeus, the Archeress, Roused against him a savage, bright-tusked boar, Which, being accustomed to the vineyard, did many evil deeds to the farm of Oeneus.

^A For if one is binding the strap of his right sandal, and it breaks: "Rightly so," says the trifler, "for it was rotten; but you are a cheapskate, not wishing to buy new ones."

The remark of Antiphon is witty: someone was taking omens because a sow had devoured her own piglets, but Antiphon, having observed that the sow was greatly emaciated from hunger due to the stinginess of its keeper, said, "Rejoice at this sign, for it did not devour your offspring while it was so hungry."

"And what is so strange," says Bion, "if the mouse has gnawed the basket, having found nothing else to eat? This, indeed, would be a wonder, if, as Arcesilaus used to joke, the basket had devoured the mouse."

Diogenes also rightly said to someone who was marveling that he had found a snake wrapped around a pestle: ^B "Do not marvel," he said; "for it would have been more paradoxical if you had seen the pestle wrapped around a straight snake." For irrational animals must run, and rush, and fight, and bring forth young, and die—all of which, being according to nature for them, should never be considered by us as contrary to nature.

*And many birds come beneath the light of the sun.*

The comic poet Philemon also mocks such things in his comedy:

*When I see someone watching who has sneezed,* *Or who has spoken, or who is passing by,*

^C Antiphon, when he saw someone take it heavily and suspect it to be an omen because a sow had devoured the young she had brought forth, said, "Rejoice at this sign; for, afflicted by hunger, it did not eat your own children."

Similar to this is what Bion is reported to have said: for he too, mocking such superstitions, said, "What is the wonder if a mouse, having nothing else to eat, has gnawed the bread-basket? It would indeed have been a wonder if, as Archesilaus used to say, the basket had eaten the mouse."

Diogenes, moreover, when a snake had chanced to wrap itself around a pestle, and someone was greatly admiring the event and opining that it was a portent, said, "Do not, I pray you, marvel; for it would more contrary to expectation if you had seen the pestle wrapped around a straight snake."

^D

I sell this [man] sooner than spoken, or exchange him in the market. Each of us walks, and speaks, and sneezes to himself, not to those in the city. Things happen as they are naturally wont to happen. ^A Then, the sober indeed seek health; but those who fill themselves and wallow in drinking bouts during the holidays draw upon themselves diseases. Many even fear the inscriptions hung before doors. Very wittily Diogenes, having found written before the house of a certain wretch: "Insignis victoria Hercules hic habitat, nihil mali ingrediatur" ("Glorious Hercules dwells here, may no evil enter"), said: "And how, then, will the master of the house enter?" But these same people, worshipping every log and every "greasy" stone, as it is called, fear yellow wool, and grains of salt, and torches, and sea-squill, and sulfur, having been beguiled by sorcerers through certain impure expiations. ^B But God, who is truly God, knows only the holy character of the righteous, just as He knows the impure, the unjust, and the wicked as such. One can indeed see the eggs of those things which are being purified, if they have been incubated, come to life; yet this would by no means happen if they partook of the evils of the thing which is being purified. Elegantly, to be sure, the comic poet Diphilus also mocks these sorcerers with the following lines:

Purging the daughters of Proetus, forsooth, and their father, Proetus the Abantiad, and a fifth old woman along with them, With one sea-squill and one torch, how many bodies of men did I say!

CONCERNING THE SUPERSTITIONS OF THE GENTILES

^A And with sulphur and the bitumen of the loud-sounding sea, And from the deep-flowing Ocean. But, blessed air, send through the clouds Anticyra, that I may make this drone a drone indeed. For Menander also says well:

If you truly had some real evil, You would need a true medicine for it; But now you have none. You have discovered an empty medicine For an empty ill. Imagine it will benefit you. Let women cleanse you in a circle, And let them scatter—from three fountains 10 With water to sprinkle, having cast in salt and lentils. Every man is pure who is conscious of no evil Within himself.

Immediately tragedy also says: “Orestes, what disease destroys you?” “Conscience, because I am conscious that I have committed terrible deeds.” For in reality there is no other purity than abstinence from sins. Rightly, therefore, does Epicharmus also say: “If you have a pure mind, you are pure in your whole body.” Furthermore, we say that souls ^B must also first be purified from evil and wicked doctrines through right reason, and only then be turned to the memory of the primary heads of religion; for even before the tradition of the mysteries, they deem that certain expiations must be exhibited to those who are about to be initiated into the mysteries, inasmuch as it is necessary for them, having laid aside an impious opinion, to be turned to the true tradition.

CHAPTER V.

That the holy soul is a more excellent temple of God than any building made by hand.

For do we not rightly and truly say that we do not circumscribe in any place him who cannot be circumscribed, nor do we shut up in temples made by hands him who contains all things? For what could be a holy work of builders, and stone-cutters, and ^C of a sordid and illiberal art? Is God not better served than by these?

^A It would be ridiculous, as the philosophers themselves say, for man, who is a plaything of God, to make God, and for God to become the product of a ludic art; since that which is made becomes the same and similar to that from which it is made, just as that which is made from ivory is ivory, and that from gold is golden. But the statues and temples constructed by sordid men are made from inert matter; wherefore they too would be inert, material, and profane, and even if you perfect the craft, they always partake of sordidness and illiberality. Therefore, works of art are by no means sacred and divine. But what, indeed, could be "placed," since there is nothing that is not placed, seeing that all things are in a place? Now, that which is placed is placed by something, having not been placed before. If, therefore, God is placed by men, He was at some time not placed, and indeed He did not exist at all. For that which did not exist was "not placed," since everything that does not exist is "placed" (if one must use the word), but that which exists could not be placed by that which does not exist; nor even by any other, for it is something that truly exists and is itself ^B truly. It remains, then, that it must be by Himself. And how will He beget Himself? Or how will He, who is Being, place Himself as to His existence? Did He, while not existing beforehand, place Himself? But he would not even have existed, since that which is not does not exist. And how could that which is thought to be "placed," bring about itself later, which it already possessed before? And how could He, to whom all things that are belong, still have need of something else? But even if the Divine were in the form of a man, it would have need of the same things as a man—food, shelter, a house, and the other things that follow. For those who are of similar form and similar passions will require the same manner of living. If, however, the "sacred" is understood in two ways—both God Himself and that which has been constructed in His honor—why should we not properly call the Church, which has been made holy through the knowledge of God in His honor, a sanctuary of God—that which is worthy of much, and is not constructed by sordid art, nor bedecked by the hand of a trickster, ^C but has been made a temple by the will of God? For I am not now calling the place, but the assembly of the elect, the Church. This temple is better for the reception of a value of great worth.

^A For the animal which is of great worth is consecrated to Him who is worthy of all value—indeed, to Him whose value nothing matches—on account of its signal holiness. And this Gnostic will be the one who is of great worth, who is in honor before God, in whom God is enshrined; that is to say, in whom the knowledge of God is consecrated. Here we shall also find the divine effigy and holy image in the righteous soul, when it has become blessed, as it is already cleansed, and performs blessed works. Here is both that which is not yet enshrined and that which is enshrined: the former being in those who have already become Gnostics, the latter in those who are ready to become so, even if they are not yet worthy to receive the knowledge of God. For whatever is about to believe is already, as a believer and a treasure placed in honor before God, a virtuous image ^B dedicated to God.

CHAPTER VI.

Just as God is not circumscribed by place, nor ever assimilated to the figure of an animal, so too do similar affections not fall upon Him; nor is He in need of anything, as are those things which are born, so as to desire sacrifice like food on account of hunger. Whatever is subject to affections is subject to destruction, and to offer food to one who is not nourished by it is folly. Moreover, that comic poet Pherecrates also, in his comedy entitled *The Deserters*, ^C charmingly depicts the gods expostulating with men concerning their sacrifices, that when they sacrifice to the gods, they first set apart that which is assigned to their own disgrace, when he says: "When you sacrifice to the gods, first of all, answer me this, which it is a shame even to mention: having licked the two thighs clean ^D right up to the groin, and having thinned down the loins sufficiently, you then distribute the backbone itself, as if you had filed it down, to us as if we were dogs? And then, being ashamed before one another, you cover it up in many ways." Eubulus, who is also a comic poet, writes in this way concerning sacrifices:

^A "But to the gods themselves you sacrifice only the tail and the thigh, just as if to those who practice pederasty." And by introducing Dionysus in his *Semele*, he has him debating: "In the first place, when some sacrifice to me, they sacrifice blood and the bladder, but not the heart nor the outer fat; for I do not eat the sweet [part] nor the thigh-bones." Menander, too, says concerning the loin: "They place the tip [of the loin], the bile, and the bones that cannot be eaten before the gods, while they consume the rest themselves." For is not the savor of the burnt offerings something that even brute beasts should abstain from? But if the savor is truly a gift of the gods for those who are among the Greeks, why do they not even before that deify the cooks, who are thought worthy of an equal blessedness, and why do they not worship the furnace itself, which is nearer to this venerable savor? And surely Hesiod, concerning some division of meat, says that Zeus was deceived by Prometheus, and received the white bones of an ox, covered over ^B with guileful art in shining fat.

On the sacrifices of the Greeks

For if the savor is indeed a gift worthy of the gods, why do they not worship the cooks, who are considered worthy of an equal state of happiness, and why do they not worship the very furnace that is closer to this venerable savor? But it is necessary to abstain from the savor of the sacrifices, whether it be for the sake of the gods or for the sake of the beasts.

^C As for the way the tomb-robbers sacrifice, bringing caskets and jars, not for the sake of the gods, but for their own sake: incense is a pious offering, and the sacrificial cake—this the god received, as it was placed upon the fire and entirely consumed. But the others, having placed the tip of the loin and the bile and the inedible bones before the gods, they themselves swallow the rest. ^D ...then he divided a great ox with ready mind and set it before him, tricking the mind of Zeus. For he placed the flesh and the inwards in the hide, covering them with the belly of the ox, but in the other [part] he set the white bones of the ox, having arranged them with guileful art and covering them with gleaming fat.

≫

^A But they would by no means say that God is nourished because he is troubled by an appetite born of need. ^B Thus they would make Him like a plant that is nourished without desire, or like the wild beasts that hide in caverns; for they say that these, whether nourished by the thickness of the air or by the exhalation of their own bodies, grow without harm. And yet, if the Divine is nourished without need by these things, what further need of nourishment is there for the One who is in need of nothing? But if He delights in being honored, being by nature in need of nothing, it is not without cause that we honor God through prayer; and this sacrifice, the best and holiest, we send up with justice, honoring the most just Word, through whom we receive knowledge, and by whom we glorify what we have learned. The altar with us on earth, therefore, is the congregation of those who are devoted to prayers, having as it were one common voice and one mind. But as for the nutriments received through the sense of smell, even if they are more divine than those taken through the mouth, they are still indicative of respiration. What, then, do they say concerning God? Does He perspire like the race of demons? Or does He only inhale, like aquatic creatures by the dilation of their gills? Or does He breathe all around, like insects by the compression of the segments of their wings? But they would not liken God to any of these, if they were wise; for as many things as breathe by the counter-dilation of the lungs toward the chest, these draw in the air. Furthermore, if they should give to God viscera, and arteries, and veins, and nerves, and limbs, they would suggest that He is no different from them. ^C But "conspiracy" (symphony of breath) is said properly of the Church. For the sacrifice of the Church is speech, exhaled from holy souls as the sacrifice and the whole mind are opened at once to God. But it is commonly reported that the most ancient altar in Delos is holy; to which alone, they say, even Pythagoras approached, being undefiled by slaughter and death; and that the truly holy altar is the just soul, and the incense from it...

the holy prayer, will they disbelieve us? ^A For sacrifices, I think, were invented by men for the sake of carnivorism; for it was permitted otherwise, without such idolatry, for whoever wished to partake of meat. For the sacrifices according to the law allegorize our piety; just as the turtledove and the pigeon, when offered for sins, signify that the purification of the part of the soul that lacks reason is acceptable to God. But if any of the just do not burden the soul with the eating of meat, they use a certain reasonable argument; not that which Pythagoras and his followers [use], dreaming of the transmigration of the soul. Xenocrates, treating separately of food from animals, and Polemo, in his treatises on life according to nature, seem to say clearly that food from flesh is disadvantageous, already having been worked and assimilated to the souls of irrational animals. ^B By this, too, the Jews especially abstain from swine's flesh, as this animal is filthy, since it digs up and destroys crops more than others. But if they say that animals were given to men, we also agree, but not altogether for eating; nor yet all [of them], but those which do not labor. Wherefore, not badly, the comic poet Plato, in the play entitled *Festa*, says:

From four-footed beasts, henceforth, it befits not [us to kill Except for swine: for meats They have most sweet, and nothing comes to us from the sow, Except bristles and mud and clamor.

^C Whence also Aesop said, not badly, that pigs scream the loudest; for when they are dragged, they understand that they are useful for nothing else than for sacrifice. Wherefore Cleanthes also said that they have an soul in the place of salt, ^D which might preserve the meat. But some of the Stoics also say that swine's flesh became meat, with the soul, like salt, sprinkled over it in order that it might remain.

^A Some, then, eat them because they are useless, and others because they damage the crops; and others do not eat the animal because it is inclined to copulation. For this reason, the Law does not even sacrifice the goat, except only for the sending away of evils, since pleasure is the metropolis of wickedness. And immediately they also say that the eating of goat's flesh contributes to the falling sickness. They say, too, that the greatest increase comes from swine's flesh; wherefore it is useful for those who exercise the body, but not for those who attempt to increase the soul itself, on account of the sluggishness produced by meat-eating. Perhaps some Gnostic might also abstain from flesh for the sake of discipline, and so that the flesh might not become lustful in regard to sexual matters. "For wine," says Androcydes, "and the gorging of meats make the body robust, but the soul more sluggish." Such food, therefore, is unfit for precise understanding. For this reason, the Egyptians, too, in the purifications performed according to their rites, do not permit the priests to eat meat, and they use birds as being very light; and they do not touch fish, both because of certain other myths and especially because such a diet makes the flesh flaccid. Moreover, terrestrial and winged animals are nourished by breathing the same air that our souls do, possessing a soul akin to the air. But they say that fish do not even breathe this air, but rather that which has been mixed with the water from the very first creation, just as with the other elements—which is also an indication of ^B material persistence. We must, therefore, offer sacrifices to God, not

sumptuously or magnificently, but such as are acceptable, and that incense composed according to the law, which consists of many languages and voices in prayer, or rather, which is constructed out of various nations and sexes through the gift of the testaments into the unity of faith, and is gathered in praises, with a pure mind, and a just and upright manner of life, arising from holy works and just prayer. For

What Gnostic prayer is, and how one is heard by God.

^AWho is so foolish, As that poetic wit says, And of such slothful mind, So credulous is he, as to suppose that gods Rejoice in bile and dry bones only, Which not even starving dogs would gnaw, And that one should ask such a gift of them, And render thanks to those who do these things, Even if they happen to be pirates or robbers or tyrants?

But we say that fire sanctifies, not flesh, but sinful souls; calling it not the voracious and vulgar fire that consumes everything and is quite dirty and mean, but the wise fire, which passes through the soul that goes through the fire.

CHAPTER VII.

how much more would he who is always present—by way of knowledge, life, and thanksgiving—to God, not reasonably be better than himself in all matters, in both deeds and words and disposition? Such is he who is persuaded that God is present everywhere, and does not imagine Him to be enclosed in certain defined places, so that, thinking himself to be without Him at some time, he might give himself over to intemperance and lust by night and by day. ^B Keeping the whole life as a festival, therefore, and being persuaded that God is present everywhere and in every way, we till the earth singing praises, we sail the sea singing hymns, we conduct ourselves skillfully in every other manner of life. The Gnostic, however, is joined more closely to God, as one who displays both gravity and cheerfulness in all things: gravity, indeed, because he turns himself toward the Divine; cheerfulness, because he values the human blessings which God has given to us. The Prophet seems to signify the excellence of knowledge in this way, by standing [before Him]: "Teach me goodness and discipline and knowledge," ^C advancing by way of an ascent to add to what is the principle of perfection. This man, therefore, is truly regal; this is the holy priest of God, which is preserved to this day even among the most prudent of the barbarians, who elevate the priestly race to royalty. This man, then, never delivers himself over to the confused mob that dominates the theaters; the things said, done, and seen for the sake of enticing pleasure he does not admit even in his dreams. Neither then these pleasures which are perceived by sight, nor those varieties which are captured in enjoying other things—such as the sumptuous incense which charms the sense of smell, ^D or the seasonings of food, and the delights from various wines which bait the taste; nor the fragrant garlands woven from various flowers, which effeminate the soul through the senses—does he accept. But, always referring the honorable use of all things to God, he offers the first-fruits of food and drink and anointing to the Giver of all, giving thanks both for the gift and the anointing, and through the Word given to him. He comes rarely to communal banquets, unless some banquet which professes friendship and harmony has persuaded him to come. For he is persuaded that God knows and hears all things, not only the voice, but also the thought. For even the sense of hearing in us, which occurs through bodily passages, does not possess perception through bodily force, but through

^A a certain animal sense and intelligence which discerns, it apprehends voices that signify something. God, therefore, is not endowed with human form, so that he might hear, nor does he have need of senses, as the Stoics have pleased to hold, especially of hearing and sight; for they claim [he] could not otherwise apprehend. But the readiness of the air to be affected, the most acute consensus of the angels, and the power that reaches the conscience of the soul, know all things at once with thought, by an ineffable power, and even without sensory hearing. And if anyone should say that the voice is rolled below in the air and does not reach God, the thoughts of the saints cut through not only the air, but the whole world. The divine power, moreover, like light, hastens to see through the whole soul. What then? Do not even the intentions themselves reach God, uttering their own voice? Are they not also transported by the conscience? And what voice would he await, who according to his purpose, has ^B known the elect both before birth and that which is to be as if it were already existent? Or does not the light of power shine everywhere into the depths of the entire soul, searching the "storehouses," as Scripture says, "the lamp of power"? God is all hearing and all eye, if one may use these names. Therefore, no opinion about God that is indecorous preserves piety, neither in hymns, nor in sermons, nor even in the scriptures or dogmas, but turns toward humble and unseemly notions and thoughts; whence it comes about that "the praise of the many differs nothing from cursing," ^C on account of ignorance of the truth. For indeed, of whatever things there are desires and appetitions, and to speak generally, impulses, for these also are prayers made. Wherefore, no one desires drink, but to drink the drink; nor an inheritance, but to be an heir; so likewise not knowledge, but to know; nor a right republic, but to govern a republic. For these things, therefore, are prayers made, which are sought; and those things are sought which are desired. To pray and to desire are reciprocal, for the sake of having goods and those things which are attached to them as benefits. He, therefore, who is endowed with knowledge as if with a possession, both asks and prays for those things which are truly good, namely the goods of the soul, he himself also co-operating so as to arrive at a habit of goodness, that he may no longer have goods ^D as some attached disciplines, but may himself be good. Wherefore it is most fitting for those to pray who know God as is right, and who possess the virtue appropriate to him.

^A They know what things are truly good, and what must be asked for, and when, and how, in each case. But it is the height of ignorance to ask from those who are not gods as if they were gods; or to ask for what is not beneficial, begging for what is evil for oneself under the guise of good. Whence, since the good God is one, it is fitting that we and the angels should pray that some of the good things be given to us from him, and that others should remain; though not in the same way. For it is not the same thing to ask that a gift remain, as to strive to attain its beginning. The turning away and repulsion of evils is also a form of prayer; but one must never use such a prayer to the detriment of men, unless the Gnostic, exercising care for justice, should manage this petition for those who have put aside their sense of evil. Prayer, therefore, if one may speak more boldly, is an association with God. And even if we speak silently while whispering, without even opening our lips, we cry out from within. For God hears every inward communication incessantly. For this reason we stretch out our head and lift our hands to heaven, and rouse our feet ^B at the final outburst of the prayer, following the alacrity of the spirit toward the intelligible essence; and attempting to withdraw the body from the earth along with the word, we force ourselves to proceed to the holy things, raising up the soul winged by the desire of better things, and looking down upon the bond of the flesh with a great spirit. For we know very well that he who is a Gnostic gladly transcends the whole world, just like the Jews did Egypt, in order to show clearly that he is to be as close to God as possible. But if some ^C assign certain and definite hours to prayer, as for example the third, the sixth, and the ninth, the Gnostic prays throughout his whole life; striving to be with God through prayer, he has left behind, to put it briefly, all things that are not useful, as one who has already attained the consummation of him who acts out of love. Now, those who know the blessed trinity of holy mansions understand the triple division of the hours, which are honored by as many prayers. Those who are reminded to rise for prayer at the third hour, on account of the gift of the Spirit given to the Apostles at the third hour, ^D and who have judged the prayer at the sixth hour to be necessary in imitation of those who say, "Evening and morning and at noon I will declare and announce," and for whom the ninth hour is handed down in the Acts as necessary for prayer, because of the account that Peter and John were going up to the temple at the ninth hour of prayer [alt-version omitted]

^A Those who know the blessed trinity of the mansions understand these things. Having arrived at this point, I was reminded of those heretics who say that one should not pray, that is, those who bring in dogmas concerning the heresy of Prodicus. In order, therefore, that they do not pride themselves upon this godless wisdom of theirs as if it were some strange new heresy, let them learn that it was anticipated by the philosophers called Cyrenaics (49). But the impious knowledge of these falsely-named (50) men will reach its refutation in due time, so that a long discourse about them—which is not small, given their ravings—may not interrupt the argument at hand, now that it is being inserted into this commentary; for we are showing here that he alone is truly pious and a religious worshipper of God who is truly a Gnostic according to the ecclesiastical rule, to whom alone that which he requests is bestowed according to the will of God, both when he has requested it and when he has thought of it (51). ^B For just as God is able to do anything (53) He wishes, so the Gnostic receives anything he might request. For God in general knows those who are worthy of good things, and those who are not. Hence, He gives what is fitting to each; therefore, to the unworthy who request, He would not give; but to those who are worthy, He surely would give. Yet, the request is not superfluous, even if good things are given without a request. Furthermore, thanksgiving, and the request for the conversion of one's neighbors, is the work of the Gnostic; for which reason the Lord also prayed, giving thanks for having completed the ministry, but praying that as many as possible might come to the knowledge of Him, so that in those who are being saved, God may be glorified through salvation by means of that knowledge, and He who is the only good and the only Savior may be acknowledged through the Son from age to age. Indeed, even the faith that one will receive what one requests is a kind of prayer deposited in the mind of the Gnostic. ^C But if prayer is an occasion for communion with God, no occasion for approach to God should be neglected. Indeed, the holiness of the Gnostic, being bound up with blessed providence, demonstrates by voluntary confession the perfect benefit of God. For the holiness of the Gnostic is, as it were, a sort of reciprocal care responding to providence, and a mutual benevolence of the friend of God. For God is not good against His will, in the way that fire has the power of heating; rather, the imparting of good things is voluntary for Him, even if one anticipates the request (54). Nor, indeed, will one who is being saved be saved against his will; for he is not soulless, but ^D

^A hastens toward salvation ^B voluntarily and by choice. For this reason man received the commandments, that he might be self-moved toward whichever he should wish of the things to be chosen or avoided. God, therefore, does not act righteously out of necessity, but by choice He benefits those who turn to Him 55. For the providence that comes to us from God is not subservient 56, as it were, proceeding from inferior to superior; but by the mercy of our weakness, the direct interventions of providence are set in motion, just as those of shepherds toward their sheep, and of a king toward his subjects, and as we ourselves, having a compliant disposition toward those who lead us, govern those who have been appointed 57 according to the rank 58 they were entrusted with by God. Those, therefore, are servants and worshippers of the Divine, who offer the most liberal and most royal service, which is performed through a pious mind and knowledge. Every place, then, is truly sacred, and every time in which we conceive of God in our mind. When he who possesses a good mind and a grateful spirit asks through prayer, he in some way contributes toward the reception, inasmuch as it becomes apparent through prayer that he gladly accepts what he desires. For when the Giver of good things accepts our inclination, all good things follow at once upon that reception 59. Certainly, by prayer one’s character is tested 61, as to how it stands regarding duty. But if voice and speech have been given to us that we might understand one another, how does God not hear the very soul and mind, since soul already hears soul, and mind hears mind? Whence God does not await our articulate languages, as human interpreters do, but absolutely grasps the intentions of all; and what the voice signifies to us, that...

our thought speaks to God, which He knew would come into the mind even before creation. It is lawful, therefore, to send forth prayer even without voice, provided one directs all that is spiritually within oneself into a mental voice, through an indivisible conversion to God. ^A Since the sunrise is an image of the day of birth, and from there the light grows which first shone out of the darkness, and likewise since for those who were wallowing in ignorance the day of the knowledge of truth has dawned—in accordance with the principle of the sun—for this reason, prayers are offered at the morning sunrise. Whence also the most ancient of the shrines looked toward the west, so that those standing face to face ^B with the statues might be taught to turn themselves toward the east. The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light; and to those sitting in the region and shadow of death, light has dawned upon them. The length was sixty cubits, and the breadth twenty. It was not turned toward the east, so that those praying might not worship the rising sun, but the Lord of the sun. The whole height was one hundred and twenty cubits. He covered it inside with pure gold. ^C And first of all let the house be oblong, turned toward the east, having the vestries on both sides towards the east, and which is like a ship. ^D We do not worship toward the east because God is circumscribed in that region of the world in any way; but because God is the true light, and is so called, for this reason we turn to this created light, and we worship not that which is the created light, but the Creator of that light; and by the most splendid of all the elements, we venerate the Creator of all elements, God.

^A “Let my prayer be directed as incense in thy sight; the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice,” the Psalms say. To wicked men, therefore, prayer is not only most harmful to others, but also to themselves. For even if they obtain the things which they call good fortune, it hurts them when they have received them, being ignorant of how to use them. For they pray to acquire what they do not have, and they ask for what seem to be goods, not for what truly are; but the Gnostic asks for the stability of the things he possesses, for the aptitude for the things that are about to occur, and for the eternity of the things he is to receive. But as for the things that are truly good and which abide in the soul, he prays that they may both be his and remain so; hence he does not crave any of the things that are absent, being content with those that are present. For he is not lacking in his own proper goods, ^B being already sufficient unto himself through divine grace and knowledge; but being self-sufficient and in need of nothing else, and having understood the omnipotent will, and at once having and praying, he becomes attentive to the almighty power, and having striven to be spiritual through boundless love, he is united to the Spirit. Such is the man of great and lofty soul, who possesses through knowledge that which is the most precious of all things, that which is the best of all, and is easily disposed toward contemplation: and of the things that fall into contemplation, he has in his soul a permanent power, which is the piercing sharpness of knowledge. And he strives with all his might to possess this power; and he keeps in his power the things that war against the mind, and, residing perpetually in contemplation and exercising himself in it, so as to abstain from pleasant things and to conduct himself rightly in action, being moreover instructed by great experience, both in doctrine and in the things that pertain to life, he has boldness of speech—not simply that unbridled power, but a power used in simple discourse, ^C not concealing any of the things that can be spoken at the befitting time, when it is most necessary, out of neither favor nor fear to any significant degree. He, therefore, who has understood the things concerning God, by the Truth itself, as one in a mystical choir, exhorted by the discourse to [show] the magnitude of virtue according to its worth, and as one pointing out the things that flow from it, employs them with the exaltation of inspired prayer to those who are intelligent. ^D Let the faithful, however, hear and learn, that for this reason the blessed apostles have caused the churches of the Christians to look toward the east, and to look toward that paradise from whence we fell, wishing that, by looking toward our ancient fatherland and region, we might ask of the Master to restore us to the place from whence we were exiled.

^A Having thus shown the greatness of virtue, both in itself and in what flows from it, he uses the divine warmth of prayer, associating himself as much as possible, in a Gnostic manner, with intelligible and spiritual things. Whence he is always gentle and mild, approachable, easy to meet, long-suffering, grateful, and conscientious. ^A This one is strict to us—strict not only toward what is incorrupt, but also toward what is untemptable. For he never allows his soul to be compliant or captured by pleasure or pain; but, if the Word calls him to be a judge, he becomes unswerving, yielding nothing whatever to the passions, walking in the way in which justice is naturally accustomed to walk, ^B convinced that all things are ordered most beautifully, and that for souls which have chosen virtue, progress always leads to the better, until they reach the good itself, having arrived at the very porches, so to speak, of the Father, and being brought near to the great High Priest. This is, for us, the faithful Gnostic, he who is convinced that the things in the world are ordered perfectly. Consequently, he is well-pleased with all that happens. Reasonably, therefore, he does not seek anything belonging to life for necessary use, nor anything at all, being convinced ^B that God, who knows all things, provides what is useful even to those who do not ask for good things. For as, in my opinion, each thing is rendered artistically to the artist, and in a Gentile manner to the Gentile, so too it is rendered in a Gnostic manner to the Gnostic. And the one who turns from among the Gentiles will ask for faith, but he who is ascending to knowledge will ask for the perfection of love. But the crowning Gnostic already prays that his contemplation may increase and remain, just as the common man prays for continuous health. Indeed, he will also ask never to fall from virtue, ^C himself cooperating as much as possible so as to remain unfallen. For he knows that even some of the angels, through sloth, slipped back to the ground, having squeezed themselves out of that one state into the double state of aptitude. But as for the one who has henceforth advanced to the height of knowledge and the risen summit, to the man who has exercised himself and chosen to live immutably through all time and place, and who trains himself through the uniform constancy of his mind from every side—for as many as still have some corner remaining that leans downward, and ^C

are drawn along with it, lose that which is uplifted by faith. To him, therefore, who has schooled his nature by gnostic exercise to virtue that cannot be lost, the habit becomes natural. And as gravity is to a stone, so is knowledge in this man, which cannot be lost; it is established not involuntarily ^A but voluntarily, by a rational, gnostic, and provident power. And that it may not be cast away, it becomes unlosable through watchfulness—for watchfulness guards against sinning, and prudence guards the unlosability of virtue. Knowledge seems to provide this prudence, teaching by discernment what things are able to aid in the preservation of virtue. The greatest thing, therefore, is the knowledge of God; and by this, indeed, the unlosability of virtue is preserved. He who has known God is holy and pious; only the Gnostic, therefore, has been shown to us to be pious. ^B He rejoices indeed in present goods, but he is glad because of those that are promised, as if they were already present; for they do not escape him as though they were still absent, because he has already come to know beforehand what they are. Persuaded, then, by knowledge of the nature of each of the things that are to come, he possesses it already. For that which is lacking and deficient is measured by that which pertains to it. If, therefore, he possesses wisdom, and wisdom is a divine thing, he who shares in that which lacks nothing will himself be lacking in nothing. For in the communication of wisdom, the operation and that which participates do not move or restrain one another, nor is anything then taken away, nor does it become deficient. It is evident, therefore, that the operation is not diminished by the communication itself. ^C Thus, then, the Gnostic possesses all good things in potency, but not yet in number; for then he could not be moved, as far as pertains to the divine advances and administrations. God also aids this man, honoring him with a more immediate care. For were not all things made for the sake of good men, that they might both possess them and that they might be for their use, or rather for their salvation? He will not, therefore, take away from them those things that are on account of virtue, for whose sake the things that are made exist. For it is clear that, honoring their good nature and holy resolution, He ^D breathes strength for the rest of their salvation into those who have set themselves to live well: to some, He only exhorts; to others, who have become worthy by their own efforts, He also gives aid; for every good is added to the Gnostic, provided that the end for him is to understand and to perform each thing with knowledge. And just as the physician provides health to those who cooperate for health, so also does God provide eternal salvation to those who cooperate for knowledge and well-doing; and with the doing of the things that are in our power, which the commandments enjoin, the promise is also perfected. And that saying current among the Greeks seems to me to be well spoken: a certain athlete of old, not ignoble, having trained his body for a long time toward valor, went up to the Olympian games, and looking toward the statue of the Olympian Zeus, he said, “If all things, O Zeus, have been duly performed by me toward the

for the struggle, grant me victory in justice.” For so too, to the Gnostic who has faultlessly and with a good conscience ^A fulfilled all things on his own part, in regard to learning, and in regard to co-training, and in regard to beneficence, and in regard to pleasing God, the whole is gathered together toward perfection—that is, salvation. These things, then, are required of us: the things in our own power, and of those things pertaining to us, both present and absent, the choice, and the desire, and the possession, and the use, and the perseverance. Wherefore, he who truly converses with God ought to have a soul pure and undefiled, having most perfectly made himself good; but if not, then at least progressing toward knowledge, and desiring it, and being completely severed from the works of wickedness.

But it is also fitting to offer all prayers in a seemly manner and together with seemly people; for it is dangerous to be complicit in the sins of others. ^B Therefore, the Gnostic will also pray together with those who have more recently believed, for whom it is also fitting to cooperate. His entire life is a holy festival. His sacrifices, straightaway, are prayers and praises and the readings of the Scriptures before the meal; psalms and hymns during the meal, and before going to sleep; but also prayers again at night. By these means he unites himself to the divine choir, through continual memory, fixed in unending contemplation. What then? Does he not also acknowledge the other sacrifice, the distribution of doctrines and money to those in need? Indeed, he does. ^C But he uses the prayer of the mouth, not one of many words, having learned from the Lord what one must ask for. In every place, therefore, not openly and manifest to the many, he will pray; but he prays in every way, even while walking and in conversation, and in silence, and in reading, and in works according to reason; and even if he only thinks in the very treasury of his soul and calls upon the Father with “ineffable groanings,” the Father is near and is present even while he is yet speaking. ^D Since there are three ends to every action, he performs everything for the sake of the good and the advantageous, but he leaves the “perfecting” for the sake of pleasure to those who pursue the common life.

to every action, he performs everything for the sake of the good and the advantageous, but he leaves the “perfecting” for the sake of pleasure to those who pursue the common life.

CHAPTER VIII.

How the true Gnostic so cultivates truth as not even to need the use of an oath.

^A Far from being prone to lying or swearing is he who is tested in such piety; for an oath is a definitive confession with the invocation of the Divine. But how could he who is once faithful show himself to be unfaithful, such that he even has need of an oath, and not rather so institute his life that it is itself a firm and definitive oath, and demonstrate the trustworthiness of his confession in a constant and stable life and word? But if, in the judgment of him who acts and speaks, to act unjustly is what is set before him, rather than the suffering of him who undergoes persecution, he will neither lie nor perjure himself, as one who would be doing injury to the Divine, knowing that this is by nature such that it cannot be harmed at all. Nor yet will he lie or transgress anything for the sake of his neighbor, whom he has learned to love, even if he happens not to be an acquaintance. Still less, for his own sake, will he lie or perjure himself, since he could never be found to be unjust toward himself of his own will. Nor does he swear, as one who has determined to use, in affirmation indeed, the “Yes,” and in negation, the “No.” For to swear is, as it were, to put forward an oath or something like an oath, conceived in the mind to persuade someone of something. It is sufficient, therefore, for him simply to add to his affirmation or negation, “I tell the truth,” for the sake of demonstrating it to those who do not perceive the stability of his reply. For I believe he ought to have, among external people, a life worthy of trust, so that an oath is not even demanded of him, and inwardly, toward himself and those who associate with him, a fairness of mind, which is voluntary justice. Immediately, therefore, the Gnostic is one who keeps his oath, yet he is not prone to swearing, as he is one who rarely arrives at taking an oath, in accordance with the one who...

lives at the summit of truth. ^A For he who does not even swear, much less does he need to commit perjury; and he who transgresses nothing of what has been agreed upon, would never need to swear, since the confirmation of both transgression and fulfillment lies in his deeds—just as, naturally, to lie and to perjure oneself is to be found in speaking and swearing contrary to duty. ^B But he who lives righteously, transgressing nothing of what is required by duty, genuinely swears by his deeds when the trial of truth is examined. Therefore, the testimony of the tongue is superfluous to him. Since, therefore, he is always firmly persuaded that God is everywhere, and feels shame at not speaking the truth, and knows that it is unworthy of Him—and of himself—to lie, he is content with the divine consciousness and his own alone; and by this he neither lies, nor does he do anything contrary to what has been agreed upon. By this, moreover, he does not even swear an oath when required, nor does he ever become a denier, so that he might not lie, even if he were to die in torments. ^C

CAPUT IX.

That one who has taken upon himself the task of teaching others must abound even more in virtues.

The dignity of the Gnostic is increased and amplified even more by him who has undertaken the office of teaching others, as one who has received the administration of the greatest good on earth in word and deed, through which he serves as a mediator, joining man with God. ^D For just as those who worship earthly things pray to idols as if they could hear, setting upon them firm agreements; so, too, among the living images—that is, among men—the true magnificence of the Word is received by a master worthy of trust, and the benefit conferred upon them is referred to the Lord Himself, in whose image the one who is truly man teaches, creates, and reshapes, renewing the catechumen for salvation. For just as the Greeks call iron "Mars," and wine "Bacchus," according to a certain relation; so too the Gnostic, considering the benefit of his neighbors to be his own salvation, would deservedly be called an animate image of the Lord, not regarding the property of his form, but regarding the communion of power and the likeness of his preaching. Whatever, therefore, he has in his mind, this he also brings to his tongue, speaking and living among those worthy to hear, through his assent and from his opinion. For he both truly thinks and says,

except when, in the way of medicine ^A (5), just as a physician for the sake of the health of those who are ill will lie, or speak a falsehood (6), according to the sophists. Immediately, the noble Apostle circumcised Timothy (7), while crying out and writing that "circumcision made by hand profits nothing" (8); but it was so that, by not suddenly tearing them away from the Law toward that circumcision of the heart which is by faith, he might not force those of the Hebrews who were listening, as they were still recalcitrant, to break away from the Synagogue; thus, ^B accommodating himself to the Jews, he "became a Jew, that he might gain all" (9). He therefore who for the sake of the salvation of his neighbors—to whom he accommodates himself—lowers himself, is not at all compelled to be a participant in any simulation, because of the danger which threatens the just from those who envy them. Rather, for the sake of the benefit of his kin alone, he will do certain things which primarily would not have been done, ^C except when, in the way of medicine, as a physician for the sake of the health of the infirm lies, or says a falsehood, according to the sophists. Immediately, the noble Apostle circumcised Timothy, while crying out and writing that "circumcision made by hand profits nothing," but it was so that, by not suddenly tearing them away from the Law toward that circumcision of the heart which is by faith, he might not force those of the Hebrews who were listening, as they were still recalcitrant, to break away from the Synagogue; thus, accommodating himself to the Jews, ^D he "became a Jew, that he might gain all." He therefore who for the sake of the salvation of his neighbors—to whom he accommodates himself—lowers himself, is not at all compelled, because of the danger which threatens the just from those who bear them ill will, to be a participant in any simulation.

^A but will do certain things solely for the benefit of his neighbors, which he would not have done primarily for his own sake if he were not acting for their sake. He gives himself up for the Church, for the sake of those whom he himself has begotten in the faith, as an example to those who are capable of receiving the supreme office of a kind and pious teacher, in order to demonstrate the truth of his words and to manifest love toward the Lord. He is free from servitude in fear, truthful in speech, persevering in exertion, and at no time willing to lie, even in his spoken words; and in this matter, he always succeeds in remaining without sin. For a lie itself, inasmuch as it is uttered with some deceit, is not an idle word, but works toward wickedness. From every side, therefore, the Gnostic alone bears witness to the truth, both by deed and by word. For he always succeeds in all things and in every way, both in word and in deed and in thought itself. This, then, to put it briefly, is the piety and religion of the Christian. If he does these things correctly and in accordance with right reason, he acts piously and justly. If these things are so, the Gnostic alone would truly be pious, just, and a worshiper of God. Therefore the Christian is not an atheist—for this was what was set forth to be demonstrated to the philosophers—so that he will never in any way perform any evil or shameful act, which is to say, any unjust act. Consequently, therefore, he does not act impiously, but he alone truly worships God piously and holily—worshiping that one who is truly God, the supreme Ruler, King, and Almighty, in accordance with the true religion, purely and chaste. ^B

Chapter X. By what stages the Gnostic tends toward true perfection.

For knowledge is, so to speak, a certain perfection of man as man, completed through the knowledge of divine things; it is harmonious and consistent with itself, with the life, and with the word, both in its conduct and in the divine Word. For through this, faith is perfected, inasmuch as it is only by this that the believer is made perfect. Faith, then, is an inward good, and even without searching for God, it confesses that He exists and glorifies Him as being. Hence it is necessary for one who has been led out from this faith, and who has grown in it, to receive by the grace of God, so far as is possible, the knowledge concerning Him. We say, however, that knowledge differs from the wisdom which is acquired by instruction: for insofar as anything is knowledge, to that extent it is also altogether wisdom; but insofar as it is wisdom, it is not to that extent altogether knowledge. For only in the cognition of the spoken word does the name of wisdom appear. ^{C D}

^A But to believe is the foundation of knowledge. Both, however, are Christ, both the foundation and the superstructure, through whom are both the beginning and the ends. And indeed the extremities are not taught—I mean the beginning and the end—namely, faith and charity; but knowledge, being imparted by tradition according to the grace of God, is entrusted as a kind of deposit to those who show themselves worthy of the teaching, from which the dignity of charity shines forth, from light to light. For it has been said, “To him who has, it shall be added” (Cf. Luc. xix, 26); to faith, knowledge; to knowledge, charity; and to charity, the inheritance. This takes place when one has hung upon the Lord through faith, through knowledge, and through charity, and has ascended together with Him to where the God and guardian of our faith and charity is. ^B Hence, finally, knowledge is handed down to those who are capable and chosen for this, inasmuch as there is need of greater preparation and preliminary exercise, both for hearing the things that are said, and for regulating one’s life, and for advancing with consideration toward that which is beyond the righteousness that is according to the law. This leads us to the endless and perfect end, teaching first the manner of life that is to be ours in accordance with God among the gods, when we have been delivered from every penalty and punishment which we endure from our sins for our salutary discipline. After this redemption, the reward and honors are given to those who are perfected, when they have indeed ceased from purgation, and have also ceased from any other service, however holy, and among the holy; then, for those who have become pure in heart, ^C there awaits, in the proximity of the Lord, the perpetual restoration of contemplation, and they are called by the name of gods, being destined to be placed on the same thrones with the other gods who are ranked first under the Savior. Knowledge, therefore, is swift to purgation and apt for that welcome change for the better. Whence it also easily translates to that which is akin to the soul, divine and holy, and through a certain proper light, it transmits the mystic progresses ^D of a man, until it restores him to the summit of the place of rest, pure in heart, face to

face, teaching him to behold God know- ^A ingly and by comprehension. For this is indeed the perfection of the gnostic soul, that after it has surpassed every purification and ministry, it should be with the Lord, where it is most closely subjected to Him. Faith, therefore, is, so to speak, a brief and compendious knowledge of those things which are necessary. Knowledge, however, is a strong and sure demonstration of those things received through faith, built upon faith through the Lord’s doctrine, leading on to that which is unshakable, and with understanding and comprehension. And it seems to me that the first salutary change is that which happens from the nations unto faith, as I said before; the second, however, is that from faith unto knowledge. And the latter, terminating in love, henceforth presents that which knows to that which is known as friend to friend. And perhaps such a person has already, from this point, attained to the state of being “an angel.” For after the final superiority in the flesh, ever changing for the better as is fitting, he hastens to the paternal hall, to that ^B which is truly the Lord’s mansion through the holy week, destined to be, as it were, a light standing and remaining in its own peculiar way, wholly and in every respect immutable. This is the first manner of the Lord’s operation—a mark of that reward for piety which we have mentioned. From the many testimonies there are, I shall bring forward one, which is thus briefly set forth by the prophet David: “Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord, or who shall stand in his holy place? He who is innocent in hands and pure in heart; who has not received his soul in vain, nor sworn in deceit to his neighbor. This man shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior. This is the generation of those who seek the Lord, seeking the face of the God of Jacob.” Briefly, as I judge, the Prophet has signaled to us the gnostic; and David, as it seems, has in passing demonstrated to us that the Savior is God, calling Him the face ^C of the God of Jacob, He who announced and taught about the Spirit. Wherefore the Apostle also called the Son the “character of the glory ^D

^A of the Father, “whom no one knows except the Son, and to whomsoever the Son shall reveal him.” That there is one God is indicated through those who “seek the face of the God of Jacob,” whom our Savior and God expresses as the only good God the Father. Now the generation of those seeking Him is the elect race, which is endowed with the power of inquiring toward knowledge. Therefore, the Apostle also says: “I will profit you nothing, if I do not speak to you either in revelation, or in knowledge, or in prophecy, or in doctrine.” And indeed, some things are done even by those who are not gnostics correctly, but not according to reason, as is the case in fortitude. For some, having become irascible ^B by nature, and then having fostered this without reason, are moved to many things irrationally and act similarly to the brave, so that sometimes they even accomplish the same things, such as enduring hardships easily; but they do not act from the same cause as the gnostic, nor with the same purpose; not even if they should hand over their whole bodies. “For they do not have charity,” as the Apostle says, which is generated through knowledge. Every action, therefore, that is done by the knowledgeable person is a right action; but every action done by the ignorant is evil, even if he persists most obstinately, since he does not act bravely from consideration, nor does he direct his action toward anything useful from among those things which direct one to virtue and proceed from virtue. The same reason holds also for other virtues, so that it obtains even in religion. Therefore, the gnostic does not behave in this way only in regard to holiness; but there are also precepts consonant with the scientifically-based religion regarding the rest of the conduct of life. For it is our present intention to describe the life of the gnostic, not to adduce the contemplation of dogmas, which we shall set forth later at an appropriate time, maintaining the order of subjects. ^C

CHAPTER XI.

He, therefore, has perceived all things truly and magnificently, as ^D

^A one who has grasped divine teaching. Beginning, then, from the admiration of created things, and bringing with him from home the certain proof that he is capable of receiving knowledge, he becomes a keen and ready disciple of the Lord. And as soon as he begins to hear about God and providence, he believes in those things which he has admired. Moved therefore from this point, in every way he contributes to his learning, doing all those things by which he will be able to receive the knowledge of that which he desires; and his desire, being tempered by the progress of faith together with inquiry, becomes firm: and this is to be worthy of such and so great a contemplation. Thus will the Gnostic ^B taste the will of God; for he does not offer his ears, but his soul, to the things that are signified by the words spoken. Having therefore received the very essences of things and the things themselves through the words, he rightfully leads his soul also to the things that are necessary, interpreting the commandment, "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder," in a peculiar way, as has been said to the Gnostic, and not as it is understood by others. He proceeds, therefore, exercising himself in scientific contemplation, so that he may little by little also exercise himself in those things which have been said more universally and magnificently, knowing full well that "He who teaches man knowledge," as the Prophet says, is the Lord, the Lord working through the human mouth. For this reason He also took on flesh. ^C Rightfully, therefore, he never prefers the pleasant to the useful, not even if by some chance a beautiful woman, having suddenly entrapped him in a harlotry-like manner, should challenge him; for not even the wife of the master could lead Joseph away from his purpose. He allowed himself to be stripped by her, as she held his tunic by force, having become naked indeed of sin, but clothed with the ornament of virtue. For if the eyes of the master, I mean the Egyptian, did not see Joseph, those of the Almighty surely did look upon him. For we hear the voice ^D and contemplate the bodies; but God examines the very thing from which the voice and the appearance are derived. Consistently, therefore, if even disease or any of the trials of life should befall the Gnostic, and especially that most fearful thing, death, he remains unperturbed in his soul, knowing that all such things are the necessity of creation, but that even so, by the power of God, they become a medicine of salvation, conferring benefit through discipline upon those who are more difficult to reform, and are distributed according to desert by good providence. Using, therefore, created things, when and as much as the Word says, and giving thanks to Him who created them, he becomes master of their use. He never bears a grudge, he is angry with no one, even if he should be worthy of hatred for the things he does; for he worships the Creator, but loves his fellow-man, pitying him and praying for him because of his ignorance; and indeed he also feels with his body, by nature...

^A bound to suffering; yet he is not primarily moved by perturbation. In involuntary cases, at all events, he leads himself away from pains toward things proper to his nature, and is not carried off to what is alien to him; but he yields and accommodates himself only to what is necessary, so long as the soul is kept unharmed. For he does not wish to be faithful by estimation or outward appearance alone, but by knowledge and truth, which is by firm and stable action, and effective speech. ^B Therefore, he does not only praise what is good and honorable, but he himself strives to be good and honorable, having passed from a good and faithful servant to a friend through love, due to the perfection of the habit which he has purely acquired from true discipline and much exercise. Since, therefore, he strives with great force to arrive at the summit of knowledge, adorned in his character, composed in his habit, possessing all the advantages of him who is truly a Gnostic, and gazing upon beautiful images—many indeed of the patriarchs who lived perfectly, and still more prophets, and innumerable angels to us in number, and finally the Lord, who taught us and showed that it is possible for us to attain that highest life: for this reason, he does not love all the goods of the world that are ready at hand, lest he should remain on the ground, but he loves the things that are hoped for, or rather, the things that are already known, but are hoped for in terms of their grasp. By this reasoning, therefore, he undergoes labors, torments, and afflictions, not as the brave among the philosophers do, ^C in the hope that present painful things will cease and that they will again be partakers of pleasant things; but knowledge has engendered in him a most firm persuasion that he will receive the future things for which he hopes. Wherefore he despises not only the punishments here, but also all the pleasant things. They say, at any rate, that the blessed Peter, when he saw his own wife led to death, rejoiced at the call and her restoration to her home, and having exhorted and comforted her, addressed her by name and said, “Heus tu, memento Domini” (Look, remember the Lord). Such was the marriage of those blessed ones, and the perfect affection reaching even to those most dear. For this reason the Apostle also says, “He who marries, let him be ^D as if he did not marry”; free from

^A marriage, judging it right to be undistracted in his love for the Lord. This is what the man who truly was a husband exhorted his wife to keep, as she was departing from this life to the Lord. Was not the faith they had in the hope after death evident to those who gave thanks to God even in the very height of their torments? They possessed, I believe, a firm and steadfast faith, which faithful deeds followed. Therefore, the soul of the Gnostic is strong in every circumstance, established like the body of an athlete in supreme fitness and vigor. For he is of sound counsel regarding human affairs, deciding what ought to be done according to justice, having acquired from God above—and for the sake of becoming like the Divine—a gentleness in the face of bodily pleasures and pains; and he rises up against fears courageously, and trusting in God. ^B The Gnostic soul is then, strictly speaking, an earthly image of divine power, adorned with perfect virtue, composed of all these things at once: nature, exercise, and reason grown up with it. This beauty of the soul becomes a temple of the Holy Spirit, when it has acquired throughout its whole life a disposition consonant with the Gospel. Such a one rises up against every fear, every danger, and whatever is formidable: not only death, but also poverty, and disease, and dishonor, and whatever things related to these there are, having become unconquered by pleasure and master of his irrational desires. For he knows well what is to be done and what is not, having recognized with power ^C what things are truly terrible and what are not; whence he rationally stands his ground in what he ought, and in what reason dictates is fitting for him, distinguishing with knowledge what things are truly to be trusted—that is, what things are good—from those which seem so, and what is terrible from what appears to be—namely, death, disease, and poverty, which have more to do with opinion than with truth. This is the truly good man, who, through the habit or disposition of a soul endowed with virtue, has risen above the entire life of passion and all that is subject to perturbation. To him, all things depend upon himself for the attainment of the end. For the things called adverse fortunes ^D are not fearsome to the earnest man, because they are not evil; but those things that are truly terrible are alien to the Christian Gnostic, diametrically opposed to good things, since they are evil, and it is impossible for contraries to befall the same person at the same time and in the same regard. Blamelessly, therefore, acting out the drama

of life which God has provided for him to struggle through, he knows well the person assigned to him, and he knows what should be done and what should be endured. For does not cowardice arise from ignorance of things that are truly heavy or not heavy? Therefore, the Gnostic alone is of a confident spirit, as one who knows what things are good and what things are to come. Along with these, as I have said, he also knows what things are not truly heavy; for, knowing that only vice is an enemy and brings destruction to those progressing toward knowledge, he is fortified with the arms of the Lord and wages war against it. For if something comes to pass because of imprudence and the operation—or rather the cooperation—of the devil, this is not forthwith [to be called] imprudence or the devil. Since no operation is prudence: for prudence is a habit, but no operation is a habit. Therefore, the action which consists through ignorance is not itself ignorance, but it is vice [arising] on account of ignorance, yet it is not ignorance itself; for neither affections nor sins are vices, even if they proceed from vice. ^B No Gnostic, therefore, is brave without reason; for one might say that children are brave in this way, in that they endure fearful things out of ignorance of what things are truly heavy; they touch fire, for instance, in such a way. But would anyone call wild beasts brave, which rush upon spears, being brave without reason, [would one say] they are endowed with virtue? Perhaps these people will also call those jugglers brave, who whirl themselves into knives out of a certain experience, practicing an evil art for a paltry reward. But he who is truly brave, when he has been brought into clear danger through the malice of the people, faces what confronts him confidently. In this way he is distinguished from others who are called martyrs, in that the latter provide opportunities ^C for themselves, throwing themselves, I know not how, into the dangers themselves. For it is right to speak cautiously. But the others, being guided by right reason, and then, when God has truly called them, gladly offering themselves, and confirming their calling because they have known nothing rash in themselves, they provide proof that the man is being examined in the truth of rational bravery. Thus, they do not endure the lesser ills through fear of greater ones, as do the others, nor— ^D

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA

^A Since they fear to be judged differently by their peers and those of like mind, they remain steadfast in the confession of their calling. But those who are led by the love of God obey the call willingly, proposing to themselves no other aim but to please God, rather than seeking the rewards of their labors. For some are moved by the desire for glory, others by the fear of some other more grievous punishment, and others endure for the sake of certain pleasures and delights that will follow after death—these are children in faith. They are blessed, indeed, but they have not yet become men in that love toward God in which the Gnostic has matured. For there are, truly there are, in the Church, just as in the gymnastic contests, crowns for both men and for children. But love itself is to be chosen for its own sake, and for no other reason. Thus, for the Gnostic, the perfection of courage increases alongside his knowledge through the exercise of his life, as he consistently practices mastery over his passions. Love, anointing and training its own athlete, makes him fearful of nothing, dread-free, and confident in the Lord; just as righteousness secures for him that he always speaks the truth throughout his life. For it was the summary of righteousness to say, ^B "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No' be 'No'." The same logic applies to temperance. For one who is temperate does not do so for the sake of ambition—as athletes do for the sake of crowns and glory—nor for the sake of money-loving, as some pretend to be temperate while pursuing the good under the influence of a grievous vice. Nor is he continent for the sake of bodily health, nor is he one who abstains from pleasures out of rustic ignorance; no one who acts in this way is truly temperate. Indeed, once those who wear out their lives in labor have tasted such pleasures, they immediately perceive how unyielding is the character of true continence against sensations of pleasure. Such are those who are restrained only by law and fear; for when they find a favorable moment, they steal away from the law and flee from what is good. But temperance that is chosen for its own sake, being perfected through knowledge and remaining ever-present, makes a man master and sovereign of himself. Thus, the Gnostic is temperate, impassive to pleasures and unmoved by pains, ^C just as they say the adamant is to fire. The cause of these things, then, is love, which is the most holy and sovereign element of all knowledge. ^D As for the children’s contests, no memory of them survives among the ancients, but the Eleans established them of their own choosing. For instance, prizes for running and wrestling were set for children at the thirty-seventh Olympiad; and Hipposthenes the Lacedaemonian won the wrestling, while Polynices the Elean won the race. In the forty-first Olympiad, they first summoned boys for boxing, and Philetas the Sybarite was the winner among those who entered.

^A For by the tending of the Best and Most Excellent, ^B he renders the Gnostic at once a friend and a son, a "perfect" ^B man in very truth, one who has "grown to the measure of [the] stature." But also, concord is an agreement concerning the same thing; and the "same" is "one." Friendship is accomplished through likeness, with the commonality situated in the One. The Gnostic, therefore, being a lover of the one truly God, is a man who is truly perfect and a friend of God, having been enrolled in the rank of a son. For these are the titles of nobility, and knowledge, and perfection according to the contemplation of God—which is the highest progress the Gnostic soul receives, having become perfectly pure, being deemed worthy to see "face," as he says, "to face," ^C the Almighty God eternally. For having become entirely spiritual, having reached that which is kindred in the spiritual Church, it remains in the rest of God.

CHAPTER XII. That the Gnostic is beneficent and continent, and despises all worldly things.

And these things, then, so far. But since the Gnostic is thus disposed, both regarding the body and the soul, and regarding his neighbors—whether one be a servant, or has been made a foe by law, or be anyone else whatsoever—he is found to be equal and similar. For according to the divine law, he "does not despise his brother," who is born of the same father and the same mother; rather, he relieves him who is afflicted, succoring him with consolations, exhortations, and the things necessary for life; giving to all who are in need, though not in the same way, but justly and according to merit. Moreover, he ^D even helps him who persecutes him and hates him, if he is in need of it, paying little regard to those who say that he gave out of fear, if he did not do it out of fear, but so as to bring him aid. For if those who do not spare their money to assist their enemies have hatred for wickedness, how will their charity not be greater toward their own? He who is such as this, from this point advances to knowing accurately to whom, and in what quantity, and when, and how one ought to give. But who, by any right, would be an enemy to such a man, who provides absolutely no pretext for enmity? And are we not saying, just as we say of God, that God is an adversary to no one, nor is He an enemy to anyone (for He is the Creator of all, and there is nothing of those things which exist that He does not will; yet we say that those are enemies to Him who do not obey, and do not walk according to His commandments, such as those who array themselves against His Covenant); in the same manner, also, regarding the Gnostic...

not walk, as those who follow his Testament), the same we shall also find in the Gnostic? For he himself will never in any way be an enemy, unless those can be called his enemies who turn aside into the way contrary to him. And otherwise, this habit of distributing which is in us is called justice: ^A furthermore, the habit of discerning according to merit, whether more or less, in matters where it is appropriate for this to be done out of knowledge, is the highest species of justice. There are, indeed, some things that are done rightly after the manner of the common man ^B by some, such as continence from pleasures; just as among the Gentiles, from the fact that one cannot obtain what one desires, and from the fear of men, there are those who abstain from the pleasures that are at hand; so also in the faith, some continue in self-restraint either for the sake of a promise or for the fear of God. But such self-restraint is indeed the foundation of knowledge, and a certain leading toward what is better, and an impulse toward what is perfect. "For the beginning of wisdom," he says, "is the fear of the Lord." But he who is perfect, by reason of love, ^C all things bears, all things endures, not as one pleasing men, but God. And yet, praise also follows him as a consequence, not for his own advantage, but for the imitation and use of those who praise. He is also said in another sense to be "continent," not only he who compresses the perturbations of the soul, but also he who has "contained" the good, and has firmly acquired the magnitude of knowledge, from which he produces those actions which are according to virtue. By this, should any chance event occur, the Gnostic never departs from his proper habit; ^D for the possession of the good which constitutes knowledge is solid and immutable, being a science of divine and human things. Knowledge, therefore, never becomes ignorance, nor does the good turn into evil; wherefore he also eats and drinks, and marries, not primarily, but as compelled by necessity. And to marry, I say, if the Word directs it, and as is appropriate. For having become perfect, he has the apostles as examples, and he is proved to be a man in truth, not in having chosen the monastic life: but rather he—

^A who exercises himself in marriage, and in the procreation of children, and in the care of a house, is exercised apart from pleasure and pain, and while he is engaged in the care of his family, he is nonetheless inseparable from the love of God, and rises superior to every temptation that is brought about through children, wife, servants, and possessions. But for him who does not have a house, it happens in great part that he is not tempted. He, therefore, who takes thought only for himself, is surpassed by him who, while being inferior indeed in those things which pertain to his own salvation, is superior in the dispensation of those things which concern the life of the world, truly preserving a small image through a concern for truth. But for us, indeed, the soul must be exercised in various ways as much as possible, so that it may be ready and easy for the reception of knowledge. Do you not see how wax is softened and bronze is purified, so that it may receive the impression that comes upon it? ^B Just as death is a separation of soul from body, so too is knowledge, being as it were a rational death, hurrying and separating the soul from passions and disturbances, and leading it forward into the life of good works, so that it may then say with boldness to God: "I live as You wish." For he who chooses to please men cannot please God, since the multitude choose not what is beneficial, but what is pleasing; but he who is pleasing to God becomes, as a consequence, acceptable to the excellent among men. How, then, could food, and drink, and the pleasure of Venus be more delightful to this man, since he even regards with suspicion discourse that brings some pleasure, and movement of thought, and a pleasant operation? "For no one can serve two masters," God and mammon. He does not say this merely meaning money, but the provision that comes from money for various pleasures. In truth, it is not possible that he who has known God magnificently and truly should serve opposing pleasures. There is, therefore, one alone who is free from all desire from the beginning, the Lord who is kind and "human-loving," who even became man for our sake. But all who hasten to be made like to the character given by Him, strive to become free from desire through discipline. For he who has desired, and then has restrained himself, is like the widow ^C who through temperance becomes a virgin again. This is the reward of knowledge for the Saviour and Master, which He Himself asked for: the abstaining from evils, and the operation of good works, through which salvation comes to pass. Just as, therefore, those who have learned arts procure their sustenance through those things which they have been taught, so the Gnostic, obtaining life through the things which he knows, is saved; for he who has not willed to cut away the passion of the soul, kills himself. But, as it seems, the lack of food is the ignorance of the soul: but knowledge is [its] nourishment. These are the Gnostic souls, whom the Gospel has compared to the sanctified virgins, who are waiting for the Lord. For they are virgins, inasmuch as they have abstained from evils; but waiting for the Lord because of love, and kindling their own light for the contemplation of realities, [they are] prudent souls, saying: "We desire You, O Lord; ^D receive us even now; we have lived in accordance with what You commanded, having transgressed nothing of what was enjoined; wherefore also..."

we seek the promised things." We pray for what is useful, since it is not fitting to ask of You for what is most beautiful; and we shall receive everything as useful, even if the exercises that are brought to us—which Your dispensation and care offer to us for the exercising of stability and constancy—should seem to be evil. ^A Indeed, the Gnostic, by reason of the excellence of his holiness, is more prepared to fail if he asks, than not to receive if he does not ask. His whole life is a prayer and converse with God; and if he is pure from sins, he will by all means obtain what he wills. For God says to the righteous man: "Ask, and I will give to you; think, and I will do." If, therefore, the things are useful, he will receive them immediately; but he will never ask for things that are not useful, and therefore he will not receive them; thus, what he wills shall be. Even if someone says to us that some among the sinners also obtain what they ask for, this happens rarely, because of the just goodness of God. But it is given also to those who are able to benefit others; whence the gift is not made on account of him who asked, but the dispensation, foreseeing that another is destined to be saved through him, again makes the gift just. But to those who are worthy are given ^B even those things that are truly good, though they do not ask for them. When, therefore, someone is righteous not by necessity, nor by fear, nor by hope, but from free choice, this path is called royal, which the royal race treads; but other deflections from it are slippery and precipitous. If, therefore, anyone were to take away fear and honor, I do not know if those noble ones, the philosophers who speak with such boldness, would still endure afflictions. Desires and other sins are called thorns and briars. The Gnostic, therefore, works in the Lord’s vineyard, planting, pruning, and irrigating, being truly a divine husbandman of those who have been planted in the faith. Those who have not done evil, therefore, deem themselves worthy to receive the reward of idleness; but he who has done good things from a naked and pure choice demands the reward as a good workman. He will certainly receive double, both for the things he did not do, and for the things he did well. ^C This man is tempted by no one, unless God permits it, and this for the benefit of those who are with him. He is strengthened, therefore, toward the faith, being encouraged by manly endurance. And indeed, for this reason the blessed apostles were led to the trial and testimony of perfection, for the fixing and establishment of the Churches. The Gnostic, therefore, having the voice sounding within him that says, "Whom I shall strike, do you show mercy," asks also for those who hate him to repent. For it is not for children to behold the punishment of evildoers being carried out in the stadiums; ^D for there is no way that one could ever be educated by those same ones, if one were of this kind.

^A The Gnostic, either by choice or by being trained to be noble and good, is thus untouched by pleasures; never falling into sins, he is not educated by the examples of the evils of others—far from it, indeed, is he from being pleased by earthly pleasures and spectacles, this man who has even looked down upon mundane promises, though they be divine. ^B "Not everyone," then, as the text says (94), "who says, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of God, but he who does the will of God." This would be the Gnostic laborer, who masters worldly desires while still in the flesh; yet regarding those future things which he has known, and those which are not yet under his sight, he has such a certain persuasion that he considers them more present than the things that are actually present. This is a fit laborer, rejoicing in what he knows, yet constrained in what he is forced to roll in by the necessity of life, not yet deemed worthy of the effective participation in those things he knows. And for this reason, he uses this life as something foreign, insofar as necessity requires. He himself knows also the enigmas of the fasting of these days, I mean the fourth and the sixth. The former is attributed to Mercury, the latter, indeed, to Venus. Immediately he fasts in his life from avarice and at the same time from lust, from which all evils sprout; for we have already pointed out ^C three times the highest differences (96) according to the Apostle: lewdness, avarice, and idolatry. Therefore he fasts also according to the Law (97) from evil deeds, and according to the perfection of the Gospel from evil thoughts. To him, temptations are brought not for his own purification, but for the benefit of his neighbors, as we have said, if having experienced labors and pains, he has shown contempt for them and pushed them aside. The same account holds for pleasure; for it is a great thing, having been put to the test (98), then to abstain. For what is great, if one were to show self-control in things one does not know? Having carried out the commandment according to the Gospel, this man makes that day the Lord's day, whenever he casts out an evil thought and takes up a Gnostic one, the resurrection of the Lord within himself (99)...

^A. But even when he gains a grasp of a scientific theorem, he considers that he is seeing the Lord, guiding his sight toward things invisible, even if he seems to see things that he does not wish to see; chastising the faculty of vision whenever he feels himself affected by pleasure at the encounter of his gaze. For he desires to see and hear only that which is appropriate for him. Immediately, while contemplating the souls of his brethren, the soul itself looks upon the beauty of the flesh, since it is accustomed to inspecting only that which is good, without fleshly pleasure. And the brethren are those who are truly such by virtue of the chosen creation, and by harmony of character, and by the ^B substance of their works, doing, thinking, and speaking the same holy and good deeds which the Lord intended them as elect to hold in mind. For faith consists in choosing the same things; knowledge consists in having learned and understood the same things; and hope consists in doing the same things (4). And if, by the necessity of life, he is occupied for a short time about his food, he considers that he is suffering loss, being distracted by the matter. Thus, he does not even see [a dream] in his sleep that is unbecoming to an elect person, to speak plainly (5). For this man is a stranger and sojourner in his whole life, who, while dwelling in a city, has scorned the things of the city, which are admired by others; and he lives in the city as if in a desert, in order that it may not be the place that constrains him, but ^C his own moral choice that proves him righteous. To put it briefly, this Gnostic fulfills the apostolic absence, living uprightly, knowing accurately, benefiting those who are suitable, making straight the mountains (7) of his neighbors, and casting away the irregularities of their souls. Moreover, each of us...

is his own vine and laborer. He who does what is best also wishes to remain hidden from men, persuading the Lord as well as himself that he is living according to the commandments, preferring these things for the sake of what he has believed to be the case. "For where," he says, "a man’s mind is, there also is his treasure ^B." He diminishes himself through the perfection of charity, so as never to despise an afflicted brother if he knows he can bear want more easily than his brother. He certainly considers that man’s pain to be his own pain, and if, by providing from his own poverty, he is slightly inconvenienced on account of his beneficence, he does not bear it with annoyance, but even more increases the benefit. For he has pure and sincere faith, and he praises the Gospel through works and contemplation, that faith which is concerned with realities. And indeed, he does not receive "praise from men, but from God ^C," performing those things which the Lord has taught.

This man, being drawn away by his own hope, does not taste the beautiful things in the world, despising with a great soul all things that are here, but also pitying those who, being chastised after death ^D through punishment, unwillingly make confession, being of good conscience toward his departure, and always being ready, as if a "sojourner and stranger" to the inheritances here, mindful only of his own; and considering all things here to be foreign. He not only marvels at the commandments of the Lord, but, to speak as it were, by the knowledge itself ^A being a partaker of the divine will, he is truly kin to the Lord and, as a just man, is chosen from the commandments. But the Gnostic is also leader-like and kingly, overlooking all gold on earth and under the earth, and the kingdom from the ends to the ends of the sea, as if strictly adhering only to the Lord’s own therapy. Therefore ^B even eating, and drinking, and marrying, if the Word says so—but also seeing dreams—he does and perceives holy things; in this way he is always pure for prayer. And he prays even with the angels, as if being already an angel, and he never becomes outside the holy guard, and even if he prays alone, he has the choir of the holy ones standing by. This man knows a twofold operation: one ^C of the believer, and the other of the One Who is believed, regarding worthiness—

and the excellence thereof. ^A For justice also is twofold: one indeed for the sake of love, but the other for the sake of fear. It has in fact been said: “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever and ever.” For those who turn from fear to faith and justice remain forever. Furthermore, the one who fears works abstinence from evils; but love, building upon the voluntary, exhorts one to do good, so that one may hear from the Lord: “I no longer call you servants, but friends,” and, being confident, may now approach the prayers. ^B And this form of prayer is thanksgiving, both for what has happened, and for what is present, and for what is to come, as if they were already present through faith. And the possession of knowledge goes before this; and indeed one also asks to live the life determined in the flesh in such a way—as one who is gnostic, as one who is without flesh—that he may obtain the best things and flee the worse. He asks also for relief regarding those things in which we have sinned, and for a turning toward full knowledge; thus so keenly following Him who calls in the departure, just as He calls while going before, so to speak, hastening because of a good conscience to give thanks; and being there with Christ, having shown himself worthy through purity, to have by a certain blending the power of God, which is supplied through Christ. ^C For he is not hot by the participation of heat, nor luminous by fire, but he wishes to be all light. This man knows precisely what was said: “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and further even his own soul, he cannot be My disciple.” And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For he has mingled many things that have the strong attraction of pleasure, and he treats with disdain all things belonging to the common life and the nourishment of the flesh; but he also rises up against the bodily spirit, casting a curb upon the irrational spirit that is striving to break loose; “for the flesh lusts against the spirit.” And to bear the sign is to carry around death, having already taken leave of all things while yet living; ^D since the love of the One who sows the flesh and of Him who created the soul for knowledge is not equal. This man, having come into a beneficent state, does good faster than one can speak of it, praying that the sins of his brethren may be shared for confession

and for the conversion of his kin, being most ready to share his own goods with his dearest friends. And indeed, such are his friends to him.

Increasing therefore the seeds stored within him—the agriculture which the Lord commanded—he remains untouched by sin, and becomes continent, passing his time with those who are like him in spirit in the choirs of the saints, even though he is still detained upon the earth. This man, ^A saying and doing the Lord’s commandments through the whole day and night, rejoices exceedingly, not only when he rises in the morning and at midday, but also while walking, and while sleeping, and while putting on and taking off his clothes; and he teaches his son, if a son has been born to him, to be inseparable from the commandment and the hope, always giving thanks to God, like the glorifying living creatures which are spoken of allegorically through Isaiah.

He is, moreover, patient toward every trial. "The Lord," he says, "gave; the Lord took away." Such also was Job, who, because of his singular love for the Lord, laid aside everything external to him along with his health, to be taken away; for he was, it says, "just, holy, abstaining from all wickedness." And "holy" signifies justice toward God and the entire economy of salvation. ^B Being aware of these things, he was a Gnostic. For one ought, neither if things are good, to be excessively attached to them, since they are human, nor again, if they are evil, to be distressed by them; but to be superior to both—trampling upon the latter, and passing the former on to those in need. The Gnostic is very cautious in his accommodation, lest perhaps he might not be understood, or lest the accommodation might eventually become a settled disposition.

CHAPTER XIII.

That the true Gnostic forgives sins committed against himself.

He never remembers those who have sinned against him, but forgives them; ^D wherefore he also prays righteously, where he says: "Forgive us, for we also forgive." For this is also one of the things that God wills, to desire nothing and to hate no one; for all men are the work of one will. And does not our Savior, wishing the Gnostic to be "perfect," even as the heavenly Father, ^C

^A that is, himself, say: "Come, children, hearken unto me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord"? He no longer wishes him to have need of the aid given through angels, but to receive it from himself when he has become worthy, and to have protection from himself through obedience. Such a man demands from the Lord, he does not ask; and regarding needy brothers, the Gnostic will not ask for himself, nor for an abundance of money to distribute, but he will pray that there be a supply for them of what they need. For in this way the Gnostic gives even prayer to those in need, and through the prayer, he imparts it at once anonymously and without pride ^B. Poverty and sickness, and such trials, are often provided for admonition, and for the correction of things past, and for the cure of things to come. One who is such, asking for relief for these—since he possesses the excellence of knowledge—does not act for vain glory, but from the very fact that he is a Gnostic, he himself performs the good deed, having become an instrument of the goodness of God. The authors in the *Traditions* say that Matthias the apostle said repeatedly ^C, "If the neighbor of an elect man sins, the elect man has sinned; for if he had conducted himself as the Word commands, his neighbor would have respected his life to the point of not sinning." What, then, shall we say about the Gnostic himself? "Do you not know," says the Apostle, "that you are God's temple?" The Gnostic is therefore divine, and already holy, God-bearing and God-borne. Straightway the Scripture, representing that the commission of sin is something alien, sells those who have fallen away to the foreigners: "Do not look," it says ^D, "at a strange woman for the sake of desire," declaring that sin is clearly something foreign, and contrary to the nature of the temple of God.

^A For the temple is on one hand great, like the Church, and on the other small, like the man who preserves the seed of Abraham. He, therefore, who has God resting within him will not desire anything else. Having immediately abandoned all things that are an impediment, and having despised all the material that draws him away, he cuts through the heaven by means of knowledge; and having passed through the spiritual essences and every principality and power, he touches the highest thrones, tending only toward that which he knew alone. Having joined, therefore, the serpent with the dove, he lives at once perfectly and with a good conscience, mingling the hope of faith with the expectation of the future. For he senses the gift he has received, as one worthy to obtain it, and having been translated from servitude into the adoption of sons, he follows knowledge, neither being one who has not known God, but rather one known by Him for the sake of the end, and by the dignity of grace, he displays his works; for works follow upon knowledge, just as the shadow follows the body. ^B Therefore, he is not rightly troubled by any of the things that happen, nor does he suspect those things that occur for the sake of utility by divine counsel; nor is he ashamed to die, as one who has a good conscience, being clean of all, so to speak, of the stains of the soul, and knowing that after his departure from this life, things will better fare for him. Whence he never prefers the pleasant and the useful to the dispensation and divine counsel, exercising himself through the commandments so that he may become acceptable to the Lord in all things, and praiseworthy among the world; since all things depend upon the one almighty God. "To his own," ^C he says, "the Son of God came, and his own did not receive him." Wherefore, even in the use of worldly things, he not only gives thanks and admires creation, but also, using it as is fitting, he is praised; since his end terminates in contemplation through the Gnostic operation, which is performed in accordance with the commandments. From here, already gathering by way of knowledge the provisions for contemplation, and having magnificently accepted the greatness of contemplation, he proceeds to the holy reward of his translation. For he has heard the psalm saying: "Compass Zion, and encompass her; tell the story in her towers." ^D For it hints, I suppose, that those who have received the Word on high will be high like towers, and will stand firmly in both faith and knowledge. And these things, indeed, as briefly as possible, may have been spoken to the Greeks by way of a seed concerning the Gnostic. It should be known, however, that if a faithful person should rightly perform one or another of these things, yet he will not perform all of them, nor with that supreme knowledge with which the Gnostic does.

^A And indeed, regarding that state of passionlessness in our Gnostic—if one may so call it—through which the perfection of the faithful person, "proceeding through love unto a perfect man, to the measure of the age,"

Ephes. IV, 13

However, I shall make brief mention of one, so as not to leave the passage unnoticed. For the divine Apostle says in the former Epistle to the Corinthians: "Does any one of you, having a matter against another, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know,"

I Cor. VI, 1, 2

Matth. V, 44

by the greatest oblivion of injury received, remitting [seventy times seven] (as this is understood throughout the whole life and the entire worldly revolution, signified by the counting of weeks), be benign to everyone, even if someone for all this time lived in the flesh does injustice to the Gnostic. For the man of excellence does not only deem it right to allow those who have done him injury to keep their possessions, but he also wishes that the righteous one should seek from those judges the remission of sins for those who have sinned against him; and with reason, since those who attempt to do injury only inflict harm in that which is external and pertains to the body, even if it proceed as far as death: none of which is proper to the Gnostic.

^B How then can anyone judge the angels who fell away, if he himself has fallen away from that gentleness and oblivion of injury which the Gospel prescribes? "Why do you not rather," it says, "suffer wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded? But you yourselves do wrong and defraud," clearly praying against those who commit offenses through ignorance, and defrauding—so far as it lies in you—those for whom you pray of the philanthropy and goodness of God, "and the brethren," meaning not only those in the faith, but also future proselytes. For whether he who is now an enemy will afterward believe, we do not yet know. From which it is clearly gathered that, even if they are not all, yet they ought to appear to us as brothers.

For now, one endowed with knowledge recognizes all men to be the work of one God, clothed in one image and one nature, even if some happen to be more obscured than others, and through created things he recognizes the operation by which he again worships the will of God. "Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?" Therefore, he who returns an injury commits it, whether by deed, or word, or by the very thought of the will, which the Gospel circumscribes after the pedagogy of the Law. ^C "And such were some of you"—such, clearly, as those are who still exist, to whom you do not grant forgiveness. "But you were washed"—not absolutely as the rest, but through knowledge you have cast away your psychic affections, so that you might become, to the extent of your power, like the goodness of Divine providence, both through tolerance and through the oblivion of injury received. "Upon the righteous and the unrighteous," shedding the kindness of speech and deeds like the sun. This, then, the Gnostic shall attain, whether by greatness of mind ^D or by the imitation of the Better One. A third cause is the command, "Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you," as if the commandment were being compelled toward salvation on account of the superabundance of goodness.

^A "But you are sanctified;" for one who attains this state happens to be holy, so that no perturbation of the soul falls upon him, but it is just as if he were devoid of flesh, and had escaped holy from this earth. Wherefore, "you are justified," he says, "in the name of the Lord;" you have been made, so to speak, righteous by Him just as He is, and you have been mingled and tempered with the Holy Spirit as far as possible in accordance with your power. For is it not the case, he says, that "all things are lawful for me? But I will not be brought under the power" of anything by doing, thinking, or speaking contrary to the Gospel. "And food for the stomach, and the stomach for food, which God will destroy," that is to say, those who reason and live in this way, as if they were born to eat, and do not eat in order that they may live through consequence, but rather focus principally upon knowledge. And does he mean that these are, as it were, the flesh of the holy body? But the Church of the Lord is allegorically called a body, the spiritual and holy choir; the members of which, those who are called by the name alone but do not live according to reason, are flesh. ^B "But this body," that is, the holy Church, "is spiritual," and it is not permitted in any way or manner to enter into habituation with "fornication," or with desertion from the Gospel, which befit a Gentile life. For he who lives as a Gentile in the Church commits fornication against the Church and his own body, whether in deed, or in word, or even in thought itself. "He who is joined" to this "harlot," that is, to an action contrary to the Testament, "becomes another" body, not that holy one, "into one flesh," and he has a Gentile life and another hope; but he who is joined to the Lord "in the Spirit" is a spiritual body through a different kind of gathering. This man is altogether a son, a holy man, impassible, gnostic, perfect, formed by the doctrine of the Lord, so that having been joined to the Lord in deed, and in word, and in the Spirit itself, he may receive that dwelling which is owed to one who has thus escaped as a man. The example suffices for those who have ears. For the mystery is not to be unfolded, but only so much is to be indicated as suffices to recall to memory those who are participants in the knowledge, who will also understand how it has been said by the Lord: ^C "Be," he says, "perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect," by forgiving sins, and by forgetting injuries received, and by living in the habit of impassibility. For as we speak of a perfect physician and a perfect philosopher, so, I think, we speak of a perfect gnostic. But none of these, although it is a very great thing, suffices for the likeness of God.

For we do not, like the Stoics, very impiously say that the virtue of man and God is the same. Ought we not, then, to become perfect, as the Father wills? For it is impossible and inconceivable for anyone to become perfect just as God is; yet the Father wills that we, living according to the obedience of the Gospel, should become perfect without reproach. If, then, it has been said in this way—as if something were left to be understood—let us supply what is lacking, so that the meaning may be complete for those who are able to understand what is wanting, and we shall both know the will of God, and according to the value of the commandment, we shall live both piously and magnanimously. ^A

CHAPTER XV.

He answers the objection of those who refuse to join the Church on account of the variety of heresies.

Since it remains now that we should answer the things that are brought against us by the Greeks and Jews; and since the heresies that follow another doctrine also join in some of the difficulties in the same way as those previously mentioned ^B; it would be well, having first cleared away the obstacles, to proceed to the next Stromateus, while prepared for the solutions of the difficulties. First, then, they bring this very thing against us, saying that one ought not to believe on account of the dissension of the heresies; for the truth is even dragged about and exhausted by them, while some establish other dogmas. To whom we say: That even among you Jews, and among those who have been in the greatest esteem among the Greek philosophers, there have been very many heresies; ^C just as the end becomes living in accordance with nature—which is in accordance with his own virtue and that of the universe—not doing any of those things that the common law is accustomed to forbid; which is the right reason, passing through all things, the same that is in Zeus, who is the guide of this administration of existing things. "But if anyone should state what is said by some—whether of those who understand, or of those who do not understand, but have misheard the healthy word—that 'God is, then after him, we;' and I would interpret this 'we,' by saying instead of it, 'the rational,' and further yet, 'the excellent rational.' For according to us, the same virtue is of all the blessed, so that the same is the virtue of man and of God." ^D Since it is consistent to make1 a defense against the accusations brought against us by the Greeks and Jews—and the heresies that follow other doctrines also participate in some of the difficulties similar to those mentioned above—it would be well, having first cleared away the obstacles and being prepared for the solutions to the difficulties, to proceed to the next Stromateus. First, then, they bring forward this same point against us, saying that one ought not to believe because of the disagreement of the heresies; for the truth is even strained and exhausted, while some establish different dogmas. To whom we say: That even among you Jews, and among those who have been most highly esteemed among the Greek philosophers, there have been very many heresies.

^A Nevertheless, you say that we ought not to hesitate to philosophize, or to follow the Jewish discipline, because of the disagreement of the sects among you. Furthermore, it has been prophetically stated by the Lord that heresies would be sown in the truth, just as tares among the wheat; and it is impossible that what has been predicted as about to happen should not occur. The cause of this is that whatever is beautiful is followed by reproach. If, therefore, someone does not observe the agreements, and passes beyond the confession made to us, shall we on account of him who has not stood by his profession abstain from the truth? But as it behooves a righteous man not to be a liar, and to nullify nothing of what he has promised, even if some others violate agreements, so also it in no way behooves us to violate the ecclesiastical rule, and especially the confession regarding the greatest matters; we, indeed, observe it, but they violate it. We must therefore believe those who firmly adhere to the truth. ^B Now it is possible for us to use this defense extensively, and to answer them, saying that even physicians, who possess contrary opinions according to their own sects, nonetheless cure by their practice. Will, then, a person who is sick in body and needs healing refuse a physician because of the heresies in medicine? Neither, therefore, should one who is sick in soul and full of the vanity of idols, for the sake of being healed and turning to God, ever make heresies a pretext. "For," he says, "there are ^C heresies on account of the 'tested' ones," by whom he means either those who come to the faith and approach the Lord's teaching more electively, like tested money-changers distinguishing the Lord's genuine coin from the counterfeit; or those who in the same faith have already become tested both in life and in knowledge. For this reason, therefore, we have need of greater care and foresight in examining how we must live exactly, and what is true godliness. For it is clear that since the truth is arduous and difficult, questions arise on account of this, from which, because of self-love and the desire for glory, the heresies of those who have not learned and have not truly received [it], but have taken to themselves a persuasion of knowledge, are born. ^D Therefore, with greater care, we must search out the truth that is in reality, which alone is occupied with Him who is truly God; and sweet are the discovery and remembrance that follow labor. We must, then, undergo the labor of discovery on account of heresies, but we must not give up entirely. For even if fruit is set before us—one part true and ripe, but another part made of wax and as similar as possible—we must not on account of their likeness refrain from both. But we must distinguish by means of both contemplative insight and the most authoritative reason the true from that which only appears to be so. And just as, though there is one royal road, there are many others—some leading to a precipice, others to a river

^A or a sea of great depth, bearing one along—no one would hesitate to walk because of the disagreement; rather, he would use the safe, royal, and public highway. So, when different people say different things about the truth, one must not withdraw, but must seek out with greater care the most accurate knowledge concerning it; since even among the vegetables ^A in a garden, wild weeds grow up along with them. Do farmers, then, abstain from the care of the garden? Since, therefore, we have from nature many starting points to examine what is said, and to discover the sequence of the truth, we ought to do so; and thus we are rightly judged if we do not assent to those to whom we ought to yield, and if we do not distinguish what is repugnant, indecorous, unnatural, and false, from what is true, consistent, decorous, and according to nature—starting points which we must use ^B for the recognition of the truth that truly exists. This excuse of the Greeks is, therefore, vain; for those who wish it will be able to find the truth, while for those who put forward irrational excuses, judgment is inexcusable. For do they abolish demonstration, or do they admit it exists? I think all would admit it, except those who also abolish the senses. Since demonstration exists, it is necessary to descend to questions and, through the Scriptures themselves, learn demonstratively how heresies have lapsed, and on the contrary, how in the truth alone and the ancient Church exists the most precise knowledge and the truly best choice. Of those who deviate from the truth, some attempt to deceive only themselves, others their neighbors as well. Those, then, who are called "wise in their own opinion," ^C who think they have found the truth, while having no true demonstration, these deceive themselves, thinking that they may rest satisfied—they are not a small number, and they avoid questions for fear of being refuted, and they avoid instruction for fear of being condemned. But those who deceive others who approach them are very crafty; who, even though they realize they know nothing, nevertheless obscure the truth with probable arguments. But the nature of probable arguments, I think, is one thing, and the nature of true ones is another. And we know that the name "heresy" must necessarily be used in contrast to the truth, and be distinguished from it; from which truth the sophists ^D have torn away certain parts for the ruin of men, and, having buried them in human arts invented by themselves, they boast that they preside over a school rather than the Church.

STROMATUM BOOK VII. CHAPTER XVI.

But those who are ready to labor for the most excellent things will not desist from seeking the truth until they receive the proof from the Scriptures themselves. For there are certain criteria common to men, as are the senses; but others belong to those who have reflected and exercised themselves on what is true—namely, those who, by mind and technical reasoning, distinguish true discourses from false ones. The greatest thing, however, is to lay aside conceit, to stand in the middle between accurate knowledge and rash, opinionated wisdom, and to know that he who hopes for the eternal rest recognizes its entrance to be laborious and ^B narrow. ^A And he who has once accepted the Gospel, when he learns it, should not, he says, "turn back like Lot’s wife," nor to the former life that gives attention to sensible things, nor let him turn back to heresies. For they accustom those who do not know the true God to their own ways, I know not how. "For he who loves father or mother more than me"—the one who is truly the father and teacher of the truth, the one who regenerates and recreates, and who cherishes and nourishes the elect soul—"is not worthy of me," so that he may be, he says, a son of God, and a disciple of God, and at once a friend and kinsman. "For no one looking back and putting his hand to the plow is fit for the kingdom of God." ^C But, as it seems, to the many it still appears today that Mary was a woman in labor because of the birth of the child, though she was not in labor. For even after she had given birth, they say that she was examined by a midwife and found to be a virgin. Such to us are the Lord's Scriptures, which produce the truth, and remain virgins with their concealment.

^A of the mysteries of truth. "She brought forth, and yet brought not forth," says the Scripture, as one who conceived from herself, not from a union; wherefore the Scriptures have not conceived for the Gnostics. But the heresies, not having learned this, dismiss them as if they had not conceived. Since all men have the same faculty of judgment, some, following the Word who speaks, form their beliefs; others, having surrendered themselves to pleasures, twist the Scripture to their own desires. But there is need, I think, for the lover of truth to have firmness of soul; for it is necessary for those who undertake the greatest things to fall in the greatest matters, unless they hold fast the rule of truth received from the truth itself. But those who have arrived at the point of falling away from the straight path are justly deceived also in most of the particulars, because they do not have a faculty for ^B judging true and false things that is accurately exercised to choose what is necessary. For if they had it, they would obey the divine Scriptures. Just as, therefore, if someone were to become a beast from being a man, similarly to those who have been poisoned by the drugs of Circe, so he who has kicked against the ecclesiastical tradition and leaped away into the opinions of human heresies has ceased to be a man of God and faithful to the Lord. But he who has turned back from this deception, having listened to the Scriptures and turned his own life to the truth, becomes, in a way, a god from a man. For we have the Lord as the beginning of our instruction, who, ^C through the prophets, through the Gospel, and through the blessed apostles, "at sundry times and in divers manners," leads us from the beginning to the end of knowledge. But if anyone were to suppose that the beginning requires another [beginning], it would no longer truly be maintained as a beginning. Therefore, he who is of himself faithful to the Lord’s Scripture and voice is justly considered trustworthy, since it is operated through the Lord for the benefit of men. Moreover, we use it as a criterion for discovering things. But whatever is judged is not believed before it has been judged; wherefore that which requires judgment is not a beginning. With good reason, therefore, having grasped the indemonstrable beginning with faith, and having received from the beginning itself, by way of superabundance, proofs regarding the beginning, we are taught by the voice of the Lord toward (the) acknowledgment of the truth. For we do not simply declare

^A that which is seen, but we must prove what is said, and so we do not wait for the witness of men, but we authenticate the matter in question by the voice of the Lord, which is more reliable than any demonstration, or rather, which is the only demonstration; and by this knowledge, those indeed who have only tasted of the Scriptures are faithful, while those who have advanced further are accurate judges of the truth, those who are Gnostics. For even in the affairs of life, craftsmen surpass the unskilled, and they fashion what is better than common conceptions. Thus, therefore, we too, by demonstrating perfectly from the Scriptures themselves, persuade through faith in a demonstrative manner.

But if those who follow the heresies also dare to use the prophetic Scriptures, firstly they do not use all of them, and then, not the complete ones, nor as the body and structure of the prophecy dictates; but choosing out the things said ambiguously, they translate them to their own opinions, plucking a few sayings here and there; they do not observe the meaning intended by them, but satisfy themselves with the bare word. For regarding almost all the passages they bring forward, you will find them as if they are clinging to the names alone, changing the meanings; ^B they are neither aware of how they are spoken, nor do they use the selections they produce in accordance with their natural character. Truth is not found in the shifting of meanings (for in this way they would overthrow every true doctrine), but in the consideration of what is perfectly fitting and appropriate to the Lord and to the omnipotent God, and in confirming each of the things demonstrated by the Scriptures again from the similar Scriptures themselves.

Neither, therefore, are they willing to turn back to the truth, being ashamed to lay aside the prerogative of self-love, nor do they know how they might establish their own opinions, doing violence to the Scriptures. But since they have already rushed to bring forth false dogmas to the people, fighting clearly against almost all the Scriptures, and being always refuted by us who argue against them, what is left for them is that even now they still persist, partly by not accepting the prophetic ^C writings, and partly by slandering us as being of another nature, and as not being able to understand the things proper to them; and sometimes they even deny their own dogmas when they are refuted, being ashamed to confess openly the things they are accustomed to teach in private.

For thus it is possible to see throughout all the heresies that they go on with the wickedness of their dogmas. For when they are overthrown by us, as we clearly demonstrate them to be in opposition to the Scriptures, one of two things ^D can be observed on the part of those at the head of the dogma: they either deny them, being ashamed to openly confess what they boast of teaching in private. For thus it is possible across all the heresies to see their wicked dogmas. For when they are overturned by us, our demonstration of them as clearly opposed to the Scriptures, it is possible for those who lead the dogma to be seen—

^A either despising the consistency of their own dogmas or the prophecy itself, or rather their own hope. For they always choose that which seems to them to be more manifest, rather than that which was spoken by the Lord through the prophets and is witnessed to and confirmed by the Gospel, and furthermore by the apostles. Seeing, therefore, that the danger to them is not about one dogma, but about preserving the heresy (and not finding the truth—for when they read what is placed in the middle and is at hand among us, they despised them as worthless), but struggling to overcome what is common in the faith, they have departed from the truth. For since they have not learned the mysteries of ecclesiastical knowledge, nor grasped the majesty of the truth, because they were sluggish in searching into the depth of things, and having read them only superficially, they cast aside the Scriptures. ^B Being, therefore, lifted up by a conceit of wisdom, they continue to wrangle, becoming manifest as caring more about appearing to be philosophers than actually philosophizing. Straightway, not laying down necessary first principles of things, but moved by human opinions, and then necessarily contriving for themselves an end to follow, they quarrel against those who practice true philosophy. They endure everything rather, and, as they say, move every rope—even if they are about to be impious because they do not believe the Scriptures—rather than be moved away from the honor pleasing to them of the sect, and from the primacy jactated among the crowds in their churches; on account of which they even embrace that ^C convivial primacy at what is called "love" by a false name. But the recognition of the truth among us is produced from those who have already believed for the sake of those not yet having believed; ^D faith, which becomes, so to speak, the substance of demonstration. But every heresy, as it seems, has from the beginning ears that do not hear what is useful, but are open only to those things that are said for the sake of pleasure. For each of them would surely have been cured, if he had only wished to be persuaded by the truth. Now, there is a triple healing of conceit, just as of every passion: learning of the cause, and how this might be removed; and thirdly, the exercise of the soul, and the habit of being able to follow in accordance with what has been rightly judged. For just ^D as an eye that is troubled, so also the soul that had become blinded by dogmas contrary to nature is not able to see the light of the truth.

but perceives amiss things that are before its feet. Thus, they say that eels also are caught when blinded in turbid water. ^A And just as wicked children shut out their tutor, so also these folk ward off the prophecies from their Church, treating them with suspicion because of their reproof and admonition. Indeed, they patch together a great many falsehoods and fabrications, so that they may seem with good reason not to accept the Scriptures. ^B By this reasoning, therefore, they are not pious, since they do not acquiesce in the divine commandments—that is to say, in the Holy Spirit. And just as almonds are said to be "empty," not because there is nothing in them, but because what is in them is useless, so do we say that those heretics are "empty" of the counsels of God and of the traditions of Christ; they are truly bitter like the wild almond, and are originators of ^C dogmas, except for those which they could not put away or conceal on account of the manifest evidence of the truth. Just as, therefore, in war the order which the general has assigned to the soldier must not be abandoned, so neither must the order which the Word—whom we have received as the prince and leader of our knowledge and life—has given be abandoned. But the multitude has not even examined this: whether there is anyone to be followed, and who this is, and in what manner. For such as the Word is, such also it behooves the life of the believer to be, ^D so as to be able to follow God, who from the beginning directs all things in a straight path. But when one transgresses the Word, and through Him transgresses God—if he has suffered weakness on account of some fancy that suddenly fell upon him—one must promptly bring forward the rational fancies; but if he has been overcome by the habit which has taken hold of him, and has become, as the Scripture says, "common," that habit must be completely put an end to, and the soul must be exercised in order to speak against it. And if also conflicting dogmas seem to seduce some, these must be set aside, and one must turn to the peacemakers of the dogmas.

^A They enchant those who are simple and unskilled, and who fear noise, by explaining the truth to them through the sequence of the Testaments. But, as it seems, we incline more toward things that are held as opinions—even if they should happen to be contrary—than toward the truth; for it is austere and venerable. And since there are three states of the soul—ignorance, opinion, and knowledge—those who are in ignorance are the nations; those who are in knowledge are the true Church; and those who are in opinion are those who follow the heresies. ^B There is, therefore, nothing clearer to behold than those who are knowledgeable asserting things of which they have knowledge, and those asserting things of which they are merely of the opinion, at least as far as asserting without demonstration is concerned. Thus, they despise and mock one another; and it happens that the same understanding is held in the highest honor by some, while by others it is condemned as madness. Yet we have learned that pleasure, which is to be attributed to the nations, is one thing; while contention, which is preferred in the heresies, is another; joy, which is to be assigned as belonging property to the Church, is another; and gladness, which is to be given to the true Gnostic, is yet another. As, if someone were to give himself to be instructed by Ischomachus, he would make him a farmer; and if to Lampis, a ship-owner; and to Charidemus, a general; and to Simon, skilled in horsemanship; and to Perdices, a merchant; and to Crobulus, a cook; and to Archelaus, a dancer; and to Homer, a poet; and to Pyrrho, a contender; and to Demosthenes, an orator; and to Chrysippus, a dialectician; and to Aristotle, a natural philosopher; and to Plato, a philosopher: so he who obeys the Lord, and has followed the prophecy given through Him, is perfectly fashioned ^C according to the image of the Master, walking in the flesh as God. ^D Those who do not follow God do therefore fall from this height, if He leads; and He leads according to the divinely inspired Scriptures. For although there are countless numbers of things which men do, there are almost two principles of every sin: ignorance and weakness. Both are in our power, as we neither desire to learn, nor do we master our desire. Of these, by one we judge not well, and by the other we are not strong enough for what has been rightly judged; for no one, having been deceived in his mind, can act well, even if he were…

^A powerful; nor could he exhibit himself as blameless if in deeds he is weak. Consequently, two forms of training are handed down as appropriate for each of these sins: for the one, there is knowledge and clear proof from the testimony of the Scriptures; for the other, there is the exercise according to the Word, guided by faith and fear. Both grow together into perfect love; for the end, I think, of the Gnostic within this life is twofold: in some things there is contemplation which comes from science, and in others there is action. May it be, then, that those who have understood these heretics and have corrected them through these commentaries might turn them back to the omnipotent God! But if, like the deaf 21 of the serpents, they would not listen to the song, which is indeed newly spoken but is most ancient, let them be trained by God, enduring the paternal admonitions ^B before the judgment, until, becoming ashamed, they repent, and do not, through stubborn disobedience, cast themselves into the total judgment! For there are also certain partial trainings, which are called punishments, into which many of our own people, having slipped from the Lord’s flock, fall into while in transgression. But as children are punished by their teacher or father, so we are punished by Providence. For God does not commit acts of vengeance 22—for vengeance is a requital of evil—but He punishes for the useful purpose, both publicly and privately, to those who are being punished. These things I have set forth, wishing to turn the studious away from falling easily into heresies; and seeking to cause those who are stuck in what is prevalent—whether it should be called ignorance, or stupidity, or an ill disposition, or whatever name one gives it—to desist from it, and to persuade them to ^C turn and proceed toward the truth, at least as far as those who are not altogether incurable, by attempting it with these arguments. For there are those who do not even tolerate hearing from the beginning those who exhort them toward the truth, and indeed they attempt to babble, pouring forth blasphemous words against the truth, allowing themselves to believe they have known the greatest of existing things, without having learned, without having sought, without having labored, and without having found the sequence; and one would either pity or despise them for such perversion. But if anyone happens to be curable, and is able to endure the frankness of the truth like fire or iron—which cuts away and burns up their false opinions—let him open the ears of his soul. This will be, provided that, when they are not eager to be slothful, they do not push away the truth or, ^D driven by desire for opinion, force themselves to innovate. For they are slothful when, even though it is possible to obtain proofs for their own positions from the divine Scriptures themselves from the Scriptures themselves, they choose the one that entirely yields to their own pleasures. But for the sake of reputation...

those who desire truth, ^A even go so far as to attempt to trifle, pouring out slanderous words against the truth; claiming for themselves the recognition of the greatest matters, when they have neither learned, nor sought, nor labored, nor found the logical sequence: one should feel pity for them rather than hatred, on account of such perversity of theirs. But if anyone is curable, and is able to endure the liberty of the truth like fire or iron, cutting and burning away false opinions, let him offer his soul’s ears to it. This, however, will happen if they do not embrace idleness and sloth while casting out the truth, or, desiring glory, toil at new things. For there are some who are slothful, who, though it is permitted to gather suitable proofs from the Scriptures themselves, from the divine Scriptures, they do not do this at all, but choose that which supports their own pleasures. ^B And they are held by a desire for glory who voluntarily elude those things which agree with the divinely inspired discourses, handed down by the blessed apostles and teachers, through other arguments, resisting the divine tradition with human doctrines, so that they may constitute a heresy. For among those men who were so great in ecclesiastical knowledge, what was left to be said by Marcion, for example, or Prodicus, and the like, who did not enter by the straight path? For they could not surpass in wisdom those who preceded them, so as to discover something in addition to those things which were truly said by them: but it would have been well with them if they could have learned those things which were handed down before. ^C The gnostic, therefore, alone, having grown old in the Scriptures themselves, preserving the apostolic and ecclesiastical rectitude of the dogmas, lives most rightly according to the Gospel, and finds proofs just as he seeks them: as one who is sent forth by the Lord, from the Law and the prophets. For the life, I think, of the gnostic, is nothing other than deeds and words that follow the tradition of the Lord. But "knowledge is not for all." "I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers," says the Apostle, "that all were under the cloud, and were participants of spiritual food and drink," clearly confirming that not all who hear the word have grasped the magnitude of the knowledge in deed and in word. Whence he also subjoined: "But God was not well pleased with most of them." Who is this? The One who said, "Why do you call Me, Lord, and do not do the will of My Father?" ^D that is, the teaching of the Savior, which is for us spiritual food, and a drink that knows no thirst, water of gnostic life. Yes, he says, "knowledge is said to 'puff up'." To whom we say: Perhaps the knowledge that seems to exist is said to "puff up," while that which — which is more the case — signifies the thinking correctly and grandly, as the voice of the Apostle expresses, solves the difficulty; and so, following the Scriptures, let us confirm what has been said. "Wisdom," says Solomon, "has exalted her own children." Not, indeed,

^A that the Lord has instilled arrogance into the particulars [of the knowledge] according to the teaching, but rather He creates trust in the truth and produces one who is great-minded in the knowledge delivered through the Scriptures, and contemptuous of those things which drag one toward sin—this is what the word [i]inflated[/i] signifies: it teaches the magnificence of the wisdom which has been implanted in those who are children according to instruction. Immediately, the Apostle says: "And I will know not the speech of those who are puffed up, but the power," if you possess understanding in a great-minded way (which is, in truth, the case; and there is nothing greater than the truth of the Scripture). For here is "the power of the children who are puffed up by wisdom." For example, he says, "I will know if you rightly think highly of yourselves in your knowledge; for 'God is known,' according to David, 'in Judæa'," that is to say, to those who are Israelites through full knowledge. For Judæa is interpreted as "confession." ^B Reasonably, therefore, it has been said by the Apostle: "This, 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'." For it is not right at any time, as those do who follow heresies, to adulterate the truth, nor to steal the rule of the Church, serving one's own desires and vainglory to the deception of one's neighbors, whom it is proper to teach to hold fast to the truth itself, loving them more than anything. It has been said, indeed, openly: "Declare among the nations his deeds, that they may not be judged, but that those who have heard before may be converted; but as many as deal deceitfully with their tongues have their punishments written down." ^C Those, therefore, who touch upon the discourses of the impious, and are leaders to others, and do not use the divine words well but wrongly—neither do they themselves enter into the kingdom of heaven, nor do they allow those whom they have deceived to attain the truth; but neither do they possess the key ^D

CHAPTER XVII.

He proposes another method by which the true faith may be distinguished from heresy, namely, by examining which was the prior tradition, that of the Church, or that which the heretics vend.

Those, therefore, who handle impious discourses, and hand them on to others, and use the divine words not rightly but perversely, neither do they themselves enter into the kingdom of heaven, nor do they allow those whom they have deceived to attain the truth. But neither do they possess the key of entrance.

^A They possess not the true key, but a certain false one, as custom calls it, an “averse key,” by which they do not open the veil, as we enter by the tradition of the Lord; but having cut through the doorway, and secretly dug through the wall of the Church, and overleaped the truth, they constitute themselves as guides to the souls of the impious. For that their conventicles are more recent than the Catholic Church, there is no need of many words to prove. For the teaching of the Lord at His arrival, beginning from the time of Augustus and Tiberius Caesar, was completed in the middle of the times of Augustus. And the teaching of His apostles, down to the ministry of Paul, was completed in the time of Nero. But lower down, about the times of the emperor Hadrian, those who devised these heresies arose ^B and extended their influence at least until the time of Antoninus the elder, just like Basilides, even though he claims Glaucias as his master, as they themselves boast, who was a disciple of Peter.

Likewise, they report that Valentinus heard Theodas, and he was a familiar acquaintance of Paul. For ^C Marcion, having been born in the same age as them, associated as an elder with the younger men; after whom, Simon heard Peter preaching for a little while.

Regarding the remaining words which pertain to Simon, "after whom Simon for a little while," he adds this: "I understand these words not as referring to the last of those whom he had named above, Marcion (for what would be the point of that comparison in terms of age between that most ancient heretic and the most recent one?), but to the first of all, Basilides, who is also the most ancient. Therefore, I would have enclosed all the intermediate words, from 'even if he claims Glaucias' etc., down to those, 'associated with the younger,' in a parenthesis. Then, I would consider those words 'for a little while' to be referred to the words 'after whom,' and not to 'heard,' not in the sense that Simon heard the Apostle Peter for a short time (which has nothing to do with Clement’s purpose), but that Simon, the most ancient of all heretics and a disciple of St. Peter, was not much senior to him whom he had named a little before, Basilides. This would have contributed altogether most aptly to demonstrating that which Clement had undertaken to demonstrate: the novelty of the heretics in contrast to the Church; he meant, if I am not mistaken, the Simonian school, and the manifest departure of that man from the Church, from which Basilides had proceeded. Basilides emerged from the Simonian school of Menander at the beginning of Hadrian’s reign. That school had departed from the Church at the end of Trajan's reign, as we have shown. Thus, Clement will have rightly said that Simon, as the founder of a school alien to the Church, was senior to Basilides by 'a little while.'

The same writer adds this later in his Addenda: 'I do not think I should conceal the opinion of a certain learned friend who had read our work before it was published, concerning that passage of Clement. He advised that after those words, "Peter’s interpreter," a parenthesis should be started, to be closed nonetheless at the same place where we closed ours; afterwards, by a very slight change, instead of "after whom" (μεθ' ὃν), one should substitute "with whom" (μεθ' οὗ). He is indeed of the opinion that those words should be referred to St. Peter, with whom Simon was consequently contemporary, being (as it were) a disciple of Peter for some time. For the words "for a little while" indicate that, although he was a master of error, he had nonetheless been a disciple of the truth, who, however, like the devil, did not remain in the truth for long.' So much for his view, which is perhaps more correct than that which we proposed. ^D Valesius, in his Notes on Eusebius (Book II, ch. 11), explains 'after whom' (μεθ' ὃν) as 'before him, above him.' Just as he states in the Acts of the Apostles (ch. 5, v. 37): 'After him rose up Judas,' he signifies that Judas existed before him (Theudas). While this interpretation may seem somewhat strained at first glance, it is absolutely necessary and most true; nor is it any longer unsupported. For as often as we begin to count from the last, as being closer to us, then of necessity the first becomes the last, and the last becomes the first. For this reason, Tertullian said in his Apology that it was 'retro' (backwards) for 'olim' (formerly) and 'antea' (before): and he uses 'retrorsiorem' (more backwards) for 'antiquiore' (more ancient). Yet in Latin, 'retro' is the same as 'post' (after/behind). But since Casaubon denies that the Greeks ever spoke in this way, a witness must be produced who is greater than any exception. This is Clement of Alexandria, who, at the end of Book VII of the Stromata, spoke in the very same way as St. Luke. For after he had noted that almost all the heretics broke out around the time of the Emperor Hadrian, and extended down to the principate of Antoninus Pius, such as Basilides and Valentinus, he adds this: 'For Marcion lived in the same times as Basilides and Valentinus. But as a senior, he associated with them, who were still younger than him.' He then adds, 'after whom Simon heard Peter preaching for a little while.' Who does not see in this passage of Clement...

^A that these later, and in time still more subordinate, heresies have been introduced by way of novelty? From what has been said, I think it is manifest that there is one true Church, which is truly ancient, in whose catalogue are enrolled those who are just by intention. For since there is one God and one Lord, for this very reason that which is highest in value is praised for its singleness, as being an imitation of the one principle. To the nature of the One, therefore, the one Church is ^B joined in inheritance, which heresies violently attempt to cut into many parts. Accordingly, both in substance and in conception, both in origin and in pre-eminence, we say that the ancient and catholic Church alone exists, gathering into the unity of one faith, which is according to its own Testaments, or rather according to the one Testament, in different times, by the will of the one God through the one Lord, those who are already ordained, whom God has predestined, having known before the foundation of the world that they would be just. But also the pre-eminence of the Church, like its principle of constitution, is in unity, surpassing all other things, and having nothing similar or equal to itself. And of these things, indeed, it will be spoken later. ^C But among the heresies, some are named after a person, as those which are called after Valentinus, and Marcion, and Basilides, even if they boast that they bring forward the opinion of Matthias; for the teaching of all the apostles was one, as was their tradition; others are named from a place, like the Peratici; others from a people, as the heresy of the Phrygians; others from an operation, as that of the Encratites; others from their own dogmas, like those of the Docetae and of the—^D

ED. POTTER, ED. PARIS.

—'the same' means the same as 'before this.' For Simon Magus was not later than Marcion. Indeed, he lived a long time before Marcion, as is evident to all. But Clement, no doubt, when he was weaving an index of heretics starting from those nearer to his own time, enumerated first those who were the latest, and placed last of all Simon, who in reality was the first of all. In the same way also spoke Simeon Metaphrastes in the *Acts of the Passion of Peter*, the bishop of Alexandria, where Peter, placed in prison, addressed Achillas and Alexander thus: 'Remember the good and [example of the] great Dionysius, who, traveling here and there, was especially attacked by Sabellius and greatly saddened by him, and yet spent his whole life in distress for the sake of Christ; and after him, Heraclas and Demetrius, the blessed bishops. After them are those...' You see how Metaphrastes, or rather the actor from whom Metaphrastes described these acts, says that Heraclas and Demetrius were bishops after Dionysius, whom, however, it is established were the predecessors of Dionysius. And writers of geography also, as often as they describe the position of lands and the names of peoples, speak in the same way. For they say that... which means the same as 'above these are situated those.' Pearson, in the place cited, adds: 'Whether the exposition of Henry Valesius can be sustained, let the learned judge. I feel that the mind of Clement can be correctly expressed thus: As for Marcion, he indeed lived under the same reign of Hadrian under which Basilides and Valentinus lived; but when he was an old man, he associated with heretics who, in relation to him, were younger, more recent, or later.' For the word 'with them' ought not be joined to 'younger,' as if they were younger or later than Marcion himself; the entire sense of the word refers to... and ends at the word...; when it is closely joined, it denotes those with whom Marcion associated as a disciple, from whom he borrowed certain principles of his heresy, who themselves were disciples of Basilides and Valentinus. So Clement uses that word elsewhere, as in Book... 'that the same.' Thus it best agrees with Clement and the ancients.

^A of the matitarians; others again from positions, and those whom ^B they themselves have honored, such as those who are called Caianists and Ophiani; others truly from those things which they have nefariously dared and performed, such as those from the Simonians who are called Entychitae.

CHAPTER XVIII.

That from the mystical sense of the law regarding clean and unclean animals, Jews and heretics can be distinguished from the Church.

We, however, when we shall have shown a small opening to those who are held by the desire for contemplation in the Church, from the law regarding sacrifices, both concerning the common Jews and concerning those heresies which are mystically discerned as unclean, from the divine distinction between clean and unclean animals, we shall conclude our discourse. For those things which are cloven-hoofed and chew the cud, ^B the Law declares clean... For as for those things which are cloven-hoofed ^C and chew the cud, the Law has prefigured all these things figuratively, delineating man from animals; those which have a double hoof and ruminate, it declares clean; but those which have neither or only one of these, it sets aside as unclean. Who then are the clean? Those who make their journey firmly in the Father and the Son alike; for this is the firmness of those who have a double hoof: and they meditate on the oracles of God day and night, so that they may be adorned with good works; for this is the virtue of those that ruminate. But those are unclean which neither have a double hoof nor ruminate, that is, those who have neither faith in God nor meditate on his oracles; and this is the abomination of the heathens. But those which do ruminate, but do not have a double hoof, even these are unclean; this is the imaginal description of the Jews: who indeed have the oracles of God in their mouth, but do not fix the stability of their root in the Father and in the Son: for this reason also their race is slippery. For ^D those animals which have a single hoof easily slip; but those are firmer which have a double hoof, with the cloven hooves succeeding one another in the path, and one hoof supporting the other. But those likewise are unclean which have a double hoof, but do not ruminate; and this is the manifestation of all heretics, and of those who do not meditate on the oracles of God, nor are adorned with the works of justice, to whom also the Lord says: "Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do those things which I say to you?" For those who are such, indeed say that they believe in the Father and the Son, but they never meditate on the oracles of God as they ought, nor are they adorned with works of justice; but as we have said before, they have assumed the life of swine and dogs, surrendering themselves to uncleanness, gluttony, and the rest of their neglect. Rightly, therefore, are all such, who because of their unbelief and luxury do not attain the divine Spirit, and by various characters cast out the life-giving Word, and walk irrationally in their own concupiscences, called carnal and animal by the Apostle, while the prophets have called them beasts and wild animals; but custom has interpreted them as cattle and irrational; and the law has pronounced them unclean.

^A Scripture hands down as clean and acceptable to God those who, by faith, make the journey of the just toward the Father and the Son. For this is the steadfastness of those with cloven hooves, of those who meditate on the oracles of God by night and by day and ruminate them in the receptacle of the soul, which is to say, the storehouse of its learning; and the law allegorizes as the rumination of a clean animal that which is ^B also a gnostic exercise. Those creatures which possess neither of these characteristics, or only one of them, it separates as unclean. Right away, those which bring up the cud but do not have cloven hooves signify the common multitude of the Jews, who indeed have the oracles of God on their lips, but do not possess the faith and the foundation—which transmits one to the Father through the Son—that rests upon the truth; hence, also, the race of such creatures is slippery, as they are not cloven-footed and do not lean upon the doubleness of faith. For "No one," He says, "knows the Father except the Son and he to whom the Son shall reveal Him." ^C Conversely, those are likewise unclean which have cloven hooves but do not bring up the cud. For this points to the heretics, who indeed enter [the fold] in the name of the Father and the Son, but are weak in their ability to express the precise clarification of the oracles and to break them down into fine details, and who practice works of righteousness only in a rougher, and not a more accurate and subtle, manner—if indeed they practice them at all. To such as these the Lord says, "Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do the things I say?" But those who neither have cloven hooves nor bring up the cud are completely unclean.

"You, O Megarians," says Theognis, "are neither third, nor fourth, nor twelfth, neither in reason, nor in number, but as the dust which the wind casts from the face of the earth, and as a drop from a bucket." Having thus discussed these things beforehand, and having sketched out the moral ^D way for ourselves in summary and scattered fashion, as we promised, and having here and there sprinkled in the doctrines that stir one toward true knowledge—so that the holy traditions might not be easily discovered by any of those who have not been initiated into the mysteries—let us proceed to what we promised. The books of the Stromata are, in any case, similar, not to those cultivated gardens where there are trees and

planted in a certain order to delight the eyes, but rather on some dense and shady mountain, in which are planted together cypresses and plane-trees, laurel and ivy, apples and olives and figs, so that by design the plants of fruitful and barren trees are mixed: since Scripture wishes to lie hidden for the sake of those who steal and purloin the mature fruits. From these, when the farmer has taken the living roots and grafted them elsewhere, he will produce a beautiful garden and a pleasant grove. Therefore, the *Stromata* do not aim at order or diction; since even the Greeks of set purpose do not wish for the ornament of speech to be present, and they insert their dogmas secretly, not as the nature of the matter dictates: acting in this way so that if any should read their writings, they might be industrious and keen in discovery. For there are many and various baits for the many differences of fishes. And so, after this seventh book of the *Stromata*, we shall take up another beginning for the things that follow. ^B

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, STROMATA, BOOK EIGHT

CHAPTER I

Everyone who exercises himself in philosophical and theological questions ought to strive to find some certainty. ^C But not even the most ancient of the philosophers were inclined towards contention and doubt, much less we, who grasp hold of the philosophy which is truly real;

^A for whom the Scripture explicitly [(77)] commands to seek for the sake of discovery, [(78)] in order to make inquiry. For the more recent of the philosophers among the Greeks, moved by an empty and imperfect love of fame, are led into useless babbling, being at once refutative and contentious. Conversely, the barbarian philosophy, casting out all strife, said: "Seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you; ask, [(79)] and it shall be given to you." ^B Reason, therefore, which is developed through question and answer, knocks at the doors of truth, according to what is apparent. But when that which stands in the way of the investigation has been cleared, scientific contemplation is generated. To those who knock in this way, I suppose, what is sought is opened. And to those who thus ask their questions according to the Scriptures, God grants the gift of the divinely-given, comprehensive knowledge—that state at which they aim—with the investigation truly providing the light. For it is not possible for one to find who does not first seek, nor to seek who does not first make inquiry, nor for one to make inquiry who does not then unfold and open up, through questioning, that which is sought, bringing it to clarity; nor, having gone through every examination, should one fail to receive the prize of knowledge of ^C doctrine. As is noted about Origen. Such were the arts they called those whose scientific knowledge was set before the major science, namely the Christian religion. Of these, logic is the chief. Thus Sextus Empiricus, in the books he entitled *Outlines*, so that he might inform the skeptic and teach him how he ought to oppose the dogmatists, examines in the second book everything that is logical. For there he treats of the criterion, of truth and the true, which were set before the dialectics of the Stoics; then of demonstration, of syllogisms and induction, definition and division, of genera and species, and other things that are handed down by the dogmatists regarding that part. Lastly, of sophisms. In the same way, one must not doubt that Clement did the same in his *Hypotyposes*, and that this fragment was taken from those books: ^D to which, in the time of Photius, some things not very sound clung, which had either been sprinkled into the logical parts, as an example, or which he had later accommodated to the precepts previously handed down. That the book is not entire, the bulk of the rest makes evident. In what way, however, it might agree with the rest, I do not understand. Although at the end of the seventh he says he will make the beginning of the discourse from another source. What Photius notes he did, and yet treated of theological matters. For how could it not be theological, if it were heterodox, if it were impure, if it were heretical? Therefore, I think it has been a long time since the eighth book of the *Stromateis* was lost. Now, however, a part of his *Hypotyposes* has taken its place. HEINSIUS.

^A not subsequently receive the reward, namely, the knowledge of that which is sought. But it belongs to him who has sought to find; and to seek belongs to him who has first judged himself not to know. Guided then by a desire to find that which is beautiful, one seeks with goodwill, without contention and without the desire for glory, by questioning and responding, and by considering also the things that are being said. For it is proper for those who apply themselves not only to the divine Scriptures, but also to those who follow common notions, to propose questions in such a way that the discovery may end in some useful result. For another place and another crowd await turbulent men and the forensic inventions of words; but it befits him who is at once a lover of truth and a student to be peaceable, and in investigations, through scientific demonstration and without excessive self-love, to approach the comprehensive knowledge as one who is only a lover of truth.

CHAPTER II

What, then, could be another better or more evident ^B method for the beginning of such a teaching than to go through the proposed name by reason so clearly that all who use the same language may follow? Is the name of "demonstration," therefore, of such a kind as "blityri," a mere sound, signifying nothing? ^C And how is it that neither the philosopher, nor the orator, nor even the judge puts forward "demonstration" as a meaningless name, nor does any of those who contend in judgment remain ignorant of that which is signified, as if it did not exist? Indeed, philosophers provide "demonstration" as a thing which truly subsists in some way, one in one manner and another in another. Therefore, if anyone should wish to treat correctly of everything that is sought, he would not lead the discourse to any other principle that is more beyond controversy than to that which all who are of the same race and speech confess is signified by the name. Then, having started from there, it is necessary to search whether that which is signified by the word exists ^D or not. And next, if it is shown to exist, one must search accurately for its nature, what kind of thing it is, and whether it perhaps exceeds the given order. But if it is not sufficient merely to speak absolutely about the thing that is sought, concerning what seemed—

^A to be the case (for the one who opposes is allowed, naturally, to bring forward the contrary), then it is necessary to confirm what has been said. For if its judgment were referred to something that is similarly in dispute, and that in turn similarly to another disputed thing, it will proceed to infinity and will be indemonstrable; but if the belief in the thing that is disputed ^B is referred to something acknowledged by all, that must be made the starting point of the instruction. Therefore, every proposed name must be translated into a definition that is both acknowledged and clear to those who participate in the inquiry, providing both the starting point of the instruction and an explanation of the discovery of the things that are sought. Come then, let the sun be the proposed name. The Stoics say therefore that this is "an intellectual ^C kindling from the sea's waters." Is then the definition not more obscure than the name itself, needing another demonstration to prove whether it is true? It is better, therefore, to say in common and clear language that the sun is named as the most splendid of those things that traverse the heavens. For this statement is, to my mind, more worthy of belief, clearer, and one that all men acknowledge alike.

CHAPTER III.

On the demonstration used in philosophical questions, and how it is distinguished from the syllogism.

Similarly, all men would acknowledge that a demonstration is reasonable, which produces belief regarding things that are in doubt from things that are certain and beyond controversy. But not only are "demonstration" and "belief" and "knowledge" ^D spoken of in two ways, but also "prescience" or "precognition": the one is scientific and stable, the other only hopeful. Most strictly, then, that is called "demonstration" which instills scientific belief in the minds of those who are learning; the other is merely a matter of opinion. Just as also with "man": the one is truly a man who possesses common sense, while the other is wild and brutish. Thus, indeed, the comic poet also said, as "he is a refined man, if he is a man."

The same reasoning applies to an ox, a horse, and a dog, according to the virtue or vice of the animal; for by looking to the perfection of the genus, we arrive at what is most essential among the things signified. For instance, we understand a physician to be one who lacks nothing of medical power; but a Gnostic is one who lacks nothing of scientific knowledge.

An indication differs from a syllogism, in that the former indicates that which is one, and is itself an existent fact; as for example, we say that pregnancy is an indication that a woman is no longer a virgin. But that which is taken in a ^A syllogism, being one thing, is followed by many; for instance, the proof that Pytho betrayed the Byzantines consists, if it so happened, not of one, but of several indications. To conclude from things which someone admits is to construct a syllogism. But to conclude something from true premises is to demonstrate. So that there is a kind of composite utility in demonstration: namely, that what is assumed to prove the matters sought must be true, and that the ensuing conclusion must follow from them. If, however, the premise does not exist, or the second point does not follow from it, one has not demonstrated, but has merely reasoned syllogistically. For to bring the proper conclusion to the premises is to syllogize only; but for each of the premises to also be true is not only to syllogize, but also to demonstrate.

To conclude (as is clear even from the name) is to lead to an end. ^B And the end in every discourse is that which is sought, which is also called the conclusion. No simple and primary discourse is called a syllogism, even if it is true, but it is composed at the very least of three such things: two, as the things assumed for the premises, and one as the conclusion. Now, either all things require demonstration, or some of them are self-evident. But if the former is true, by seeking a demonstration for every demonstration, we will proceed to infinity, and thus demonstration will be overturned; but if the latter, these very things that are self-evident from themselves will become the starting principles of demonstrations. Therefore, philosophers agree that the starting principles of all things are indemonstrable; so if there is demonstration, it ^C is entirely necessary that there be something evident *a priori*.

Hence, all demonstration is traced back to an indemonstrable belief. There might also be other starting points for demonstrations after this fountainhead of belief, namely those things that clearly appear to our senses and our intellect. For the things that occur to our senses are simple and indissoluble; while those that concern the intellect are simple, rational, and primary. Those things that are generated from these are indeed composite, but nonetheless evident, credible, and more rational than the primary ones. Therefore, regarding that proper faculty of reason which we all have implanted by nature, it pertains to what is consequent and to what is repugnant. If, therefore, an argument of this kind is found, such that it is able to generate belief in those things not yet believed from those things that are already credible, we shall say that this very thing is the essence of demonstration. It has been stated also that the genus of both faith and demonstration is twofold: the one merely brings persuasion to the minds of the hearers, while the other produces scientific knowledge. If, therefore, someone begins from those things that are evident to the senses and the intellect, and then introduces the appropriate conclusion, he truly demonstrates; but if he begins only from those things that are held in opinion, yet are not primary—that is, neither evident to the senses nor to the intellect—and if he introduces an appropriate conclusion, he will indeed syllogize, but he will not produce a scientific demonstration; and if he does not introduce an appropriate one, he will not even syllogize at all. But demonstration differs ^B from resolution. For each of the things that are demonstrated is demonstrated through certain things which themselves are demonstrated, those being previously demonstrated by others, until we run back to those things which are credible by themselves, or to those things which are evident to the senses and the intellect; this is what is called resolution. But demonstration occurs when that which is sought comes down from the primaries ^C through all the intermediates. The man who is to demonstrate must therefore take great care regarding the truth of his premises, but he should not be concerned about the terminology—whether someone wishes to call them axioms, or propositions, or premises. Likewise, he must take equal care regarding which subjects lead to which conclusions; and he should be indifferent whether someone wishes to call the argument that leads to a conclusion a guiding argument, or a conclusive one, or a syllogistic one. For I say that in all cases the demonstrator must observe these two things: to take as premises what is true, and for the conclusion to follow from those premises ^D as being probable.

^A This is what some call "inference," which is what is brought in against the premises concerning everything sought in each particular problem. One needs different premises, but they must be appropriate to the problem put forward, and it is necessary ^B to translate the problem itself into an argument; and it is fitting that this argument be acknowledged by all. If the premises taken are not appropriate to the problem, it is impossible to discover anything correctly, since the whole problem, which is also called the "inquiry of nature," is ignored. In all things that are sought, therefore, there is something that is known beforehand, which, being wholly credible ^C as of itself, is believed without proof. This must be taken as the starting point of their investigation and as the criterion of those things which appear to have been discovered.

CAPUT IV. In every explanation of a question, the definition of the thing being sought must first be posited, in order to avoid the ambiguity that often occurs in words.

For every inquiry is found out from pre-existing knowledge. ^D Now, one must know that knowledge pre-exists for any given question: sometimes just of the essence, while its functions and duties are ignored (as, for example, stones and all animals, of which we do not know the operations), or its affections, or faculties, or, to speak generally, one of those things which inhere in things that exist. Sometimes, however, something of these faculties or affections is known, or some part thereof—as the appetites and passions of the soul—while...

the essence is unknown and is the object of inquiry. ^A Since our own intelligence often subjects these things to itself, it questions to which of the substances all these things belong, if it be in such a way that they exist. For when we have grasped in our mind the concepts of both—that is, of essence and of operation—we thus proceed to the inquiry. There are, however, also some things for which, while we know the operations along with the essences, we are ignorant of the affections. The method of discovery, therefore, is of this kind: one must begin from that very point, the recognition of the problems. For often the structure of the language deceives us, and confuses and disturbs the mind, so that it is not easy to find from what difference it arises; as, for example, whether the fetus that is being carried in the womb is an animal. For since we have some notion of an animal and of what is being carried, we inquire whether the quality of being an animal belongs to the fetus being carried. This is the same as asking whether the capacity to move, and furthermore to feel, belongs to the substance that is being carried in the womb. ^B Therefore, the investigation of operations and affections is instituted once the essence has been previously known. Immediately, then, he who proposes the question must first be asked what he calls an "animal"; for this is what must most of all be done when we see that a name is led into various uses. We must search out whether the meaning of the appellation is held in doubt, or whether it is beyond controversy among all people. For if he should say that he calls an "animal" whatever grows and is nourished, we shall again ask whether he also thinks that plants are animals. And if he says he does, it is then necessary to demonstrate what it is that is being carried and nourished. For Plato [21-22] calls even plants animals, of the third... ^C

Anaxagoras and Empedocles say that these are moved by appetite, and they assert that they feel and are grieved and are delighted. Of these, Anaxagoras said that they are indeed animals and that they feel pleasure and pain, concluding this from the shedding of leaves and from their growth; but Empedocles supposed that a mingled nature exists in them. In the same way, Plato also said that they are moved only by appetite, due to the vehement necessity of their nutritive power. "For those things that share in heat are living; wherefore plants also are animals." "For the plant is a terrestrial animal," the followers of Plato, and Anaxagoras, and Democritus think. ^D Plato: "For, blending a nature akin to human nature with other forms and perceptions, so that it might be a different animal, they plant them; and these things which are now cultivated trees and plants and seeds, having been planted by agriculture, have become tame toward us. But before this, there were only the varieties of wild things, being older than the tame ones. For everything that shares in living would most rightly be called an animal. Yet this which we are now speaking of shares in the third type of soul, which is accustomed to be situated between the diaphragm and the navel...

^A, receiving nothing of judgment, calculation, or intellect, but only of pleasant or painful sensation along with desires. For it is always in a state of feeling.

For plants possess only the nutritive ^B part; others have this as well as the sensitive. And if it has the sensitive, it also has the appetitive; for appetite is desire, spirit, and will. And all animals possess one of the senses, namely touch. And to whomsoever sensation belongs, to him belongs also pleasure and pain, and what is pleasant and painful; and to those to whom these belong, desire also belongs.

Aristotle, however, thinks that plants share in the natural and nutritive soul, but does not deign to call them animals. For he deigns that only that which shares in the other soul, the sensitive, should be called an animal. The Stoics, on the other hand, do not even call this vegetative ^C power a soul.

But if the one who proposed [the question] denies that plants are animals, we shall show that he speaks in contradiction to himself; for having defined an animal by the fact that it is nourished and grows, yet having declared that a plant is not an animal, he seems to say nothing other than that what is nourished and grows is both an animal and not an animal. Let him say, therefore, what he wishes to learn: is it whether the fetus in the womb grows and is nourished, or whether it shares in any sensation, or whether it has power of movement according to impulse?

For according to Plato ^D, the plant is ensouled and an animal; but according to Aristotle, it is not yet an animal, for it lacks the sensitive power, though it is indeed already ensouled; for to him, an animal is an ensouled essence endowed with sensation. But according to the Stoics, a plant is neither ensouled nor an animal; for an animal is an ensouled essence. If, therefore, an animal is an ensouled being, and the soul is the sensitive nature, it is manifest that what is ensouled is already endowed with the power of sensation.

If, then, the inquirer is questioned in turn, whether he calls the fetus in the womb an animal because it is nourished and grows, he has his answer in the fact that it is being nourished and grows. But if he should declare that this is what he seeks—whether it is already sensitive, or whether it is able to move itself according to some impulse—the investigation of the matter then clearly emerges, with the deception concerning the name no longer remaining. But if he does not answer the counter-question, nor wishes to say what the [term] "intellect" or "meaning" applies to, he has posited his proposition, ordering us ourselves [index: entries preserved]

^A to distinguish—as one would recognize a contentious person. If, however, there being two ways [of proceeding], the one by question and answer, and the other by a process of extended explanation, he has rejected the one, he should listen to us as we go through all the points pertaining to the proposed question; then, after we have finished, it will be permitted to him in turn to discuss each item individually. But if he should attempt to interrupt the examination with questions, it is clear he wishes to hear nothing. But if he would rather respond, he must first of all be asked to what thing he applies the name of "animal." And when he has answered this, he must again be asked what the fetus that is carried in the womb signifies to him: whether it is those things that are already formed and are animals, or whether he wishes to signify by that which is in the womb the semen that has been cast, or only those things which are already fashioned and expressed in their members, which are called embryos ^B. And when he has answered this as well, it is necessary next to conclude the matter proposed and offer instruction. But if he wishes us to speak while he himself does not respond, let him hear: "Since you do not wish to state with what meaning you use the term you have proposed (for otherwise I would not be speaking about meanings, but would already be considering the things themselves), know that you have acted just as if you had proposed 'Is a dog an animal?' For I would rightly have said, 'Of which dog do you speak?' For I discuss the land dog, and the sea dog, and the heavenly star [dog], and even Diogenes and the other dogs in sequence; for I would not be able to divine whether you are asking about all of them or about some particular one. Therefore, what you would do later, you should learn to do now: clearly state about which one you are inquiring." ^C But if he should quibble about the words—"the fetus"—this very name itself: it is plain to everyone that it is neither an animal nor a plant, but a name and a sound, and a body, and a being, and a "something," and is everything rather than an animal. And if you have proposed this, you have your answer. Nor is the meaning derived from the name "fetus" an animal; rather, that is incorporeal, and a predicable, and a thing, and a concept. ^D

^A And it must be said, furthermore, that it is the same both in fact and in thought, and anything rather than an animal. But there will be some other nature of the animal. For it has been clearly shown, regarding the very subject under investigation—the nature, I say, of the fetus that is in the womb—what sort of thing it is. Another question, however, is proposed concerning the meanings of this name "animal." I say, therefore, if you call that an animal which is able to perceive and move by impulse, an animal is not simply that which is moving by impulse and perceiving; for it can also sleep, or, if sensory objects are not present, not perceive. But that which is capable—either of being impelled, or even by nature of perceiving—is the mark of an animal. For something of this kind is signified by these things: first, if the fetus in the womb is unable to perceive or move by impulse, which is the point proposed for consideration; ^B or secondly, if it is able at some time to perceive or to move by impulse—in which meaning no one is making an enquiry, since it is clearly evident. The inquiry had been whether the fetus is already an animal, or is still a plant; then the name of "animal" was transferred to the definition, so that it might be clear. Having found, therefore, by perception and motion by impulse, that it is different from a non-animal, we have again distinguished this from the things annexed to it, saying that one thing is that which is potentially such, which does not yet perceive and move, but will eventually be such; and another thing is that which is already such in actuality. And of this, one is that which is already acting, while the other is that which can indeed act, but is resting or sleeping; and this is that which is under investigation. For the fetus should not be said to be an animal from the fact that it is nourished, ^C which is the behavior of those who depart from the essence and turn their attention to what merely happens to it otherwise. And for all things that are said to be found, a demonstration has been appointed, which is a rational discourse, proving one thing from others. And those things from which one must prove what is under investigation must be agreed upon and known to the student. The beginning of all these things is that which is evident to perception and intellect. The first demonstration, therefore, consists of all these things; and that which is from what has already been proven, by this means proving another thing in turn, is no less reliable than the former; yet it cannot be called the first, because it is not proven from primary premises. The first form, therefore, of the difference of the things under investigation ^D of the three that exist—has been shown; I mean that in which, while the essence is known, some of its works or attributes are unknown; the second form of the problems was that in which we all know the works and attributes, but we are ignorant of the essence; as, for example, in which part of the body is the governing faculty of the soul.

CAPUT V.

Specimen of demonstration in discussing the question of Sceptic epoche

The same treatment of demonstration is used also in this question. Some say that there cannot be several principles of a single animal. And indeed, principles of the same genus cannot be several in a single animal; but of different genera, it is not absurd. ^A Among the Pyrrhonians, there is what they call epoche, that is, the suspension of assent, which maintains that nothing is firm or stable. If it begins from itself, it is clear that it will first weaken itself. Therefore, it either admits that something is true, and one must not hold a suspension of assent regarding all things; or it persists in saying that nothing is true, and then it is clear that it will not even speak the truth in the first place. For it either speaks the truth or it does not. Therefore, if it speaks the truth, it concedes, even if unwillingly, that there is something true. But if it does not speak the truth, it leaves as true those things which it wished to remove from the midst. For in so far as the epoche—that is, the suspension of assent—which destroys them is shown to be false, in that same measure are the things which are destroyed shown to be true, just like the dream that says all dreams are false: for by destroying itself, it confirms the others. And in sum, if it is true, it will lead the principle from itself, and the suspension of assent will not be from anything else, but primarily from itself. ^B Furthermore, if it comprehends that it is a man, or that it is suspending assent, it is clear that he is not suspending assent; for he has arrived at the beginning of the dispute while suspending judgment about all things. How, then, could he answer what was asked? For he is clearly not suspending judgment regarding this very thing; nay, he even declares that he does suspend judgment—which, even if one must be persuaded by them to suspend judgment about all things, we shall first suspend judgment about the epoche itself. [alt-version omitted] [index: entries preserved]

^A How then does he respond even to what is asked? For it is clear that he does not suspend judgment regarding this. And yet he pronounces that he does suspend judgment. If, by following this, it behooves us to suspend judgment about all things, we shall first suspend judgment regarding the suspension of judgment itself, as to whether or not it is to be trusted. Moreover, if this very thing is true, that truth cannot be known, then nothing of truth is granted by him at all. If, however, he says that it can be doubted whether truth is unknown, by that very fact he grants that truth can be known, for he appears not to confirm his own suspension of judgment regarding it.

But if a sect ^B is an inclination toward dogmas, or, as some say, an inclination which provides for many dogmas a coherence among themselves and with the appearances, tending towards living rightly; and if a dogma is a certain comprehension that comes about through reason, while comprehension is a habit and assent of the mind: then not only those who are skeptical, but also every dogmatic person, is accustomed in some instances to suspend judgment, either on account of the weakness of their judgment, or the obscurity of the matters, or the equal strength of the arguments.

CAPUT VI.

On genus, species, and differences, and what their use is in definitions.

^B The approaches and principles of questions are concerned with these matters and exist in these.

We must preface both definitions and demonstrations and divisions by stating in how many ways the thing being sought is spoken of; and we must handle homonyms, and set out synonyms clearly according to their significations. Then we must seek whether the subject proposed is among those considered relative to other things, or is taken as existing in itself. After these, we must ask whether it exists, what it is, and what has befallen it; or also in this way: whether it exists, what it is, and why it exists. ^C Toward the contemplation of these, the knowledge of particulars and of universals contributes, as well as things that are prior, and the differences, and their divisions. Induction, for its part, brings the universal and the definition; divisions bring the species, and the "what it was to be," and the individual. Contemplation, by which it is considered in how many ways something is spoken of, brings the assumption of what is proper; ^D while the problems (dubitations) bring about the differences themselves and the demonstrations, and otherwise increase the contemplation and the things that follow from it. And from all these things, both knowledge and truth are established. Again, the heading derived from the division becomes the definition; for it is taken even prior to the division.

And the definition is ^A later, when it has been demonstrated. And through sensation, the universal is gathered from particulars; for sensation is the ^B starting point of induction, and the universal is the end. Induction, therefore, does not demonstrate what a thing is, but rather that it is, or is not; but division sets forth what it is 61. Likewise, the definition, like division, teaches the essence and what it is, but not whether it is; whereas demonstration makes clear the three things: both whether it is, what it is, and why it is. There are also some definitions ^C that include the cause. Since to know is when we have seen the cause—and the causes are four: matter, that which moves 63, form, and the end—the definition will be fourfold. Therefore, one must first take the genus, in which the things closest to the highest are, and after this, the proximate difference. The continuation of the differences 64, being cut and divided, fulfills the "what it is to be." It is not necessary to mention all the differences of each thing, but only those which constitute the species. ^D Geometric analysis and synthesis resemble dialectical division and definition; and from division, we go back to the things that are simpler and more primary. We divide, then, the genus of the object being sought into its inherent species; for example, in the case of man, we divide the animal—which is the genus—into the species that appear within it, namely the mortal and the immortal; and thus, always cutting the genera that seem to be composite into simpler species, we arrive at that which is not sought 65 and which accepts division no longer. For having divided the animal into mortal and immortal, then indeed the mortal into terrestrial and aquatic, and again the terrestrial into winged and pedestrian, and thus having divided down to the proximate species of that which is sought—which also includes what is sought—by cutting, we shall arrive at the simplest species, which includes nothing else, but only that which is sought. For again, we divide the pedestrian into that which partakes of reason and that which is devoid of reason. Then, selecting from these species taken from the division those which are closer to man, and having combined them into one statement, we render the definition of man, which is: animal, mortal, terrestrial, pedestrian, rational. Whence, the division holds the place of matter, seeking out the simplicity of the name by means of the definition; but the definition, having been composed and constructed, acts as the craftsman and creator, and manifests the knowledge of the thing [index: entries preserved]

^A We do not, however, possess definitions of these things, nor of ideas, but of those things of which we have universal notions in the mind. We define these notions as interpretative orations; for it is of these notions that divisions are also made. Now, among the divisions, one type divides the thing divided into species, as a genus; another into parts, as a whole; and yet another into accidents. ^B The division of the whole into parts is for the most part conceived according to magnitude; but that which is into accidents can never be fully apprehended, since the essence must by all means belong to each of the beings. Hence, both these divisions are rejected, and only the partition of a genus into species is approved, by which is characterized both the identity according to genus and the difference according to specific differences. A species is always considered in a certain part; but the converse does not hold, that if something is a part of something, this will also turn out to be a species; for the hand is a part of a man, but it is not a species. And the genus indeed exists within the species; for "animal" exists both in the man and in the ox; but the whole does not exist within its parts; for man does not exist within the feet. Wherefore, the species is more authoritative than the part; and whatever is predicated of the genus, all these things will also be predicated of the species. ^C It is best, therefore, to view the genus in two [(66)] species; but if not, in three. The species, therefore, being divided more generically, are characterized by the same and the other; and then, being divided through those things which are signified generically, they are characterized. For each of the species is either a substance—as when we say, "Of things that are, some are corporeal, some incorporeal"—or quantity, or relation, or place, or time, or acting, or being affected. Whoever has knowledge of any thing whatsoever will also render the definition of it; since he who is not able to comprehend and define anything by discourse could never have knowledge of it. And it happens that from the ignorance of the definition arise the many disputes and deceptions. For if he who knows the thing has the knowledge of it in his mind, and is also able to clarify by discourse what he thinks—and the interpretation of thought is the definition—it is necessary that he who knows the thing be able also to render its definition. ^D Moreover, the difference is added to definitions, holding the place of a sign in the definition. Thus, for the definition of man, the "risible" being added makes the whole: "animal, rational, mortal, terrestrial, pedestrian, risible." For those things brought to the definition according to difference are signs; they do not, however, reveal the nature of the things themselves. Immediately, they say that the difference is the rendering of the peculiar property; and in that it differs from all other things—the thing which has the difference, of which and alone it exists—and is reciprocally predicated of the thing in definitions, it is necessary to take the first genus as the leader and substrate [(67)] the multitude of species which are discovered through the ten categories; but in the smallest ones, the ones that precede the proximate species having been taken, it signifies the essence and nature of the thing; and the smallest consists of three, of the genus and two of the

most necessary species. This is done for the sake of brevity. We say, therefore: Man is an animal gifted with the power of laughter. Then, that which specifically pertains to the thing being defined must be assumed, or its proper virtue, or its proper function or office, or something else of that kind. Wherefore, since a definition ought to set forth the essence of a thing, it cannot, indeed, accurately comprehend the nature of the thing, but through the principal species it declares the essence; and the definition possesses the essence, as it were, in quality. ^A

CHAPTER VII. On the causes of doubting or suspending assent.

The causes which bring it about that assent is suspended are two supreme ones. One, indeed, is the human mind, which is manifold and unstable, to which it is by nature innate to generate dissension, either of others with one another or of themselves with themselves. The second, however, is the discrepancy that is in things, which also most effectively brings about the suspension of assent. For since we can neither believe all perceptions because of their repugnance, nor disbelieve all, because that which says that all things are incredible, being itself from among all, is also ascribed to the number of all; nor believe some and disbelieve others, because of the equality [of evidence]: we have been led to suspend our assent. ^B Of these principal causes, however, for which we suspend assent, the instability of thought generates dissension; dissension, however, is the immediate cause on account of which assent is suspended. Hence, indeed, life is full of courts and tribunals and, in sum, of the choice of those things which are called good and evil; things which are proofs of a mind that is doubtful and limping toward the infirmity of opposing things. And so, bookcases are full of books, and classes and commentaries of those who dissent among themselves in dogmas, and who have persuaded themselves that they hold the truth regarding things. ^C

CHAPTER VIII. By what method both things and names can be reduced to certain classes.

In speech, three things are involved: namely, both names, which ^D are symbols of the things that are thought of by the mind primarily,

^A and through consequence, of the subject things themselves; second, the concepts, which are the likenesses and impressions of the subject things. Hence, the concepts are the same for all, because the same impression is generated in everyone from the subject things; but the names are no longer the same, on account of the different dialects. Third, the subject things, from which the concepts are imprinted upon us. Now, grammar reduces names to the twenty-four general elements; for the elements must be definite, because there is no scientific knowledge of those things which are singular, since they are infinite. ^B But it is the property of knowledge to rely upon universal and general theorems that are definite. Hence, singular things are reduced to the universal and general. But the investigation of philosophers revolves around both the things that are thought of by the mind and the subject things. Since, however, the singulars of these are infinite, certain elements have been found for these as well, to which everything that is sought is reduced; and if it appears to come under one or even several of the elements, we declare it to be; but if it escapes everything, we declare it to be nothing at all. ^C Of the things said, some are said without connection, such as "man," and "runs," and whatever does not complete a proposition, which possesses the true or the false; but others are said with connection. And of those things which are said without connection, some signify essence, others quality, others quantity, others things that are related to something, others place, others time, others posture, others possession, others acting, and others being acted upon; these, then, we call the elements of the things that exist, those things that are in matter and post-principial—for these things can be contemplated ^D by reason; but those things that lack matter can be apprehended by the mind alone through connection, as "man runs," "man conquers"; without connection, as "man," "ox," "runs," "conquers."

On the classes of predicates

^A animal; for they are synonyms [(81)], of which the name is common, and the definition (which is the same account) is the same, that is to say, an animate substance. Different are those which concern the same subject under different names, such as ascent and descent: for it is the same path, whether upwards or downwards. The other kind of heteronyms, such as horse and black, have both name and definition different from each other, and do not even share the same subject; these should be called "others" [distinct], not heteronyms. Polyonyms are those which have the same definition, but a different name, such as *aor*, *xiphos*, *phasganon* [all meaning sword]. Denominatives are those named after something else, as "brave" from "bravery." Homonyms [(82)] are those which use the same name but do not have the same definition, such as "man," both the living animal and the one depicted. Of the homonyms, some are such by chance, like Ajax the Locrian and the Salaminian; others by design. And of these, some are by way of similarity, like "man," both the living being and the painted one; others by way of analogy, like the feet of Ida [(84)] and our own feet, because they are at the bottom; others by way of operation, like the "foot" of a ship, by which the ship sails, and our own foot, by which we move. Homonyms are also spoken of as being from the same thing and towards the same thing: thus from a physician [(86)] the book and the scalpel are called "medical," both from the physician who uses them, and towards the same medical account.

Chapter IX. On different genera.

Of causes, some are called procatarctic, others synectic, others adjuvant, and others without which [it would not be]. Procatarctic are those which primarily provide the initial occasion for something to happen, just as beauty provides the incontinent with an occasion for love; for once seen, it merely engenders the erotic disposition, though not of necessity. Synectic [or "confirmatory"] are those [(87)] which are also called synonymous or "univocal," because it is sufficient of itself to be productive of the effect. Henceforth, all the examples of causes must be demonstrated to the one learning; the father, for instance, is the procatarctic cause of learning; but the teacher is the synectic...

The talent of the one who is learning is the assisting cause; and time holds the account of the causes without which [it could not be]. A cause is said strictly to be that which is apt to provide some effect: just as we say that iron is apt to cut, not only when it is cutting, but even when it is not cutting. Thus, therefore, that which is apt to provide ^A signifies both things: that which is already acting, and that which is not yet doing so but possesses the power to act. Some, therefore, say that causes are of bodies, others that they are of incorporeals; others say that the body is strictly the cause, while the incorporeal is so by abuse of terms and, as it were, causally. Others, on the contrary, reverse this, saying that incorporeal things are strictly causes, and bodies are so by abuse of terms: for instance, that a cutting, being an operation, is incorporeal and a cause of cutting, the operation being incorporeal, and [the cause] of being cut, similarly for both the knife and the thing being cut, which are bodies.

The cause of some things is spoken of in three ways: the one which is the cause, for instance the sculptor; the one for the sake of which it is the cause, for the sake of the statue coming into being; and the one to which it is the cause, just as matter; for it is the cause to the bronze that the statue should come into being. The "coming into being" and the "being cut," therefore, are the things for whose sake the causes exist; as they are operations, they are incorporeal. To this account, then, belong the causes of categorems or, as some say, of *lekta* (for Cleanthes and Archidemus call categorems *lekta*), or, what is more accurate, the causes will be said to be of categorems, for instance "it is cut," whose case is "to be cut"; and of propositions, as "the ship is being built," whose case, again, is "the ship to be built." Aristotle calls this an appellation, such as items of this sort: house, ship, burning, cutting. But it is agreed that the case is incorporeal. Hence, that sophism is also solved thus: "What you say passes through your mouth; that is true. But you speak of a house; therefore a house passes through your mouth." That is false; for we do not say that the house is a body, but the case that attaches to it, which is incorporeal.

We also say the builder builds according to the reference toward what is going to happen. Thus we say a cloak is being woven; for that which makes [it] serves to indicate an operation. ^B It is not the case that the "making" belongs to one thing and the "cause" to another, but they belong to the same thing, of the cloak and of the house; for insofar as it is the cause of it coming into being, in that same respect it is also the maker of it coming into being. The same thing, therefore, is cause, and maker, and that "through which." And if something is both a cause and a maker, this is by all means also a "through which"; but if something is a "through which," it is not in every case a cause. For many things coincide toward one result, through which the end comes about; but not all are causes. For ^C indeed the maker, that which produces, exists as a signifier of the operation. It is not the case that the thing that makes belongs to one, and the cause to another, but [both belong] to the same, of the cloak, and of the house. ^D We say the builder builds according to that relation which is toward that which is to be. Thus we say the cloak is being woven; for that which makes signifies an operation. It is not the case that the thing that makes belongs to one, and the cause to another, but [both belong] to it.

^A Medea would not have killed her children if she had not been angered; nor this, if she had not been jealous; nor this, if she had not been in love; nor this, if Jason had not sailed to the Colchians; nor this, if the Argo had not been built; nor this, if the wood had not been cut from Pelion. For in all these things, the "that on account of which" ^B is present, yet not all of them happen to be causes of the filicide, but Medea alone. Therefore, that which does not prevent is inoperative; hence, that which does not prevent is not a cause, but [rather] that which does prevent. For a cause is understood in the act of operating and causing something. Furthermore, that which does not prevent is separated from the thing being produced, whereas a cause is related to the thing being produced. Therefore, that which does not prevent cannot be a cause. Hence, it is accomplished precisely because that which could prevent is not present. A cause is spoken of in four ways: the efficient, such as the sculptor; the material, such as the bronze; the formal, such as the character; and the final, such as the honor of the gymnasiarch. The bronze maintains the account of "that without which not" toward the coming-to-be of the statue, and is similarly a cause. For everything without which it is not possible for the result to come to be is necessarily a cause, yet not a cause absolutely; for that "without which not" is not a ^C synectic cause, but a helping cause. Every operating thing provides the result with the aptitude of the thing undergoing the action; for the cause indeed arranges, but each thing undergoes action according to what is naturally inherent in it, for the aptitude itself concurs [with the operation] and obtains the account of "that without which not." Therefore, a cause is ineffectual without aptitude; but that [the aptitude] is not a cause, but only a helper; since every cause is understood in the act of operating; yet the earth would not produce it [the aptitude]; so it would not be a cause of it either. It is ridiculous to say that fire is not the cause of burning, but the wood; or the knife of the cutting, but the flesh; or that the athlete's being tripped [is caused by] his opponent's strength, but [rather] his own weakness. A synectic cause has no need of time; for a cauterizing iron, as soon as it is pressed against ^D the flesh, provides pain. Of the preparatory causes, some have need of time, until the result occurs; others have no need, such as the fall of a fracture. Perhaps these are called timeless not by privation of time, but by diminution, as is the case with "suddenly," which itself does not come into existence without time. Every cause qua cause is apprehended by the intellect as pertaining to something, and is understood in relation to something; namely, to some result; just as the knife is for cutting in relation to something, such as that which is suitably disposed, just as fire [is] to wood; for it will not burn the diamond. The cause is one of those things that are relative; for it is understood according to the relation toward another; so we take two things in order to understand the cause as a cause. The same [person]...

^A is considered the account of the creator and maker, and of the father. Nothing is its own cause, nor is anyone his own father; since the first would become second. The cause indeed acts and effects, while that which is produced by the cause undergoes and is affected. But the same [thing], taken in relation to itself, cannot both act and be affected, nor be both son and father. And otherwise, the cause is prior in essence to that which is produced by it, as the sword is prior to the cutting. But it cannot be that the same thing, in the same respect, is prior in time to the matter, insofar as it is a cause, and at the same time subsequent and later in time, insofar as it is the product of the cause. There is a difference between "being" and "becoming"; thus, it is a cause with respect to what is becoming, and a father with respect to the son. For it is not possible for the same thing, in the same respect, to be and at the same time to be becoming; therefore, nothing is the cause of itself. Causes are not causes of each other [equally], but are causes to one another; for the splenic condition is presupposed, not as the cause of the fever, but [as the cause] for the fever coming to be; and the fever, being presupposed, is not [the cause] of the spleen, but [the cause] for the condition increasing. Thus also the virtues are causes to one another, in that they do not separate ^B, on account of their mutual sequence; and the stones in an arch are causes to one another with respect to the predicate of remaining, but they are not causes of one another [in the same sense]; and the teacher and the learner are causes to one another with respect to the predicate of making progress. But they are said to be causes to one another, sometimes of the same things, as the merchant and the innkeeper are causes to one another for the sake of profit, and sometimes of one thing and another, just as the sword and the flesh; for the former is to the flesh for the sake of being cut, and the flesh to the sword for the sake of cutting the eye ^C, eye for eye, and soul for soul; for he who strikes someone fatally is the cause of death to him, or of the event of death; but the one fatally struck by him in return has him as a counter-cause, not insofar as he became a cause to him, but in another respect; for he becomes a cause of death to him, but the death is not in turn the cause to the one who struck the fatal blow, but rather the one who was wounded himself. So he has become a cause to another, and had another as a cause. And the one who commits an injustice is established as the cause of another—the one who was wronged; but the law that commands retribution is the cause not of the injustice, but to the former of vengeance, and to the latter of discipline. So causes are not causes of each other in the way that they are causes [of other things]. It is further asked if many things, by acting in concert, become the cause of one; for men, taken together, are the causes ^D of the ship being launched, but [they act] together with others, unless perhaps the co-cause...

is a cause. Others say that if many causes exist, each one is separately the cause of one thing, for instance, that one may be blessed—which is one thing—the causes are the virtues, which are many; and similarly, there are many causes of being warmed and of feeling pain. Are therefore the many virtues one in power, as also the things that warm and pain? And does the multitude of virtues, being one in genus, become the cause of the one thing of being blessed? In reality, procatarctic (preparatory) causes of one thing are multiple, both in genus and in species; in genus, for instance, in the case of any sickness, cold, exhaustion, labor, indigestion, drunkenness; in species, [they are causes] of fever. ^B But the "containing" (co-causal) causes [are so] in genus only, and no longer in species. For while the state of being fragrant is one in genus, there are many causes in species, such as frankincense, rose, crocus, styrax, myrrh, and ointment; for the rose would not be as fragrant as myrrh. The same thing becomes a cause of opposites, sometimes on account of the magnitude and power of the cause, and sometimes on account of the aptitude of that which suffers. On account of a certain power, the same string, according as it is tightened or loosened, returns a high or low note; but on account of the aptitude of those [subjects] that undergo it, honey sweetens those who are healthy, but tastes bitter to those who are suffering from fever; and one and the same wine leads some to anger, but others to cheerfulness; and the same sun melts wax, but dries out clay. ^C Now, of causes, some are evident, others we attain by reasoning, others are obscure, and others we infer. And of those that are obscure, some are obscure only for a time—which for some time have been hidden, but at other times are seen to be manifest; others are obscure by nature, which can by no means become evident at any time. And of those obscure by nature, some are graspable—which some have called "not obscure"—being grasped by means of signs through analogy, just as the symmetry of the pores observable by reason; others are ungraspable, which can in no way fall under apprehension, which are indeed called "obscure" in the absolute sense. And there are procatarctic causes, and containing causes, and co-causes, and collaborative causes; and some are of that which is according to nature, others of that which is contrary to nature, others of disease, and according to what is incidental, some of troubles, some of their magnitude, and some of times and seasons. ^D When the procatarctic causes are removed, the result remains; but a containing cause is that in the presence of which the result remains, and upon the removal of which, it is removed. A containing cause is also called synonymous and self-sufficient, because it is sufficiently, through itself, the producer of the result. But if the cause is of an autonomous operation...

the adjuvant cause signifies a ministry and an office that is performed in conjunction with another. And if it performs nothing, it will not even be called an adjuvant; but if it does perform something, it becomes entirely a cause of that which it actually performs—that is, of that which is done through it. An adjuvant cause, therefore, is that which, when present, the result comes into being; when the result is open, the cause is open; when it is obscure, the cause is obscure. ^B Furthermore, a concausal factor (concausa) is also from the genus of causes, just as a fellow-soldier is a soldier, and a fellow-youth is a youth. To be sure, the adjuvant cause renders aid to the synectic (or connecting) cause for the intensification of that which is produced by that cause. But the notion of a concausal factor is not the same; for something can be a concausal factor even if it is not a synectic cause. For a concausal factor is understood in relation to another, which by itself cannot produce the effect, as being a cause along with a cause. An adjuvant cause differs from a concausal factor in that the concausal factor, for that which produces the effect by itself, provides the result; while the adjuvant cause, not producing the result by itself, yet approaching the one who does produce it by himself, works with him so that the result may be produced most vehemently. Most especially, the fact that an adjuvant cause has come into being from a procatarctic (or antecedent) cause contributes to the intensifying of the power of the cause. ^A And again, some things seen are open; others are by nature obscure, which can never at any time be open. And of these that are by nature, some indeed can be apprehended—which they used to call "not obscure," such as those which are collected by signs through reflection and reasoning, just as the symmetry of doubtful arguments that fall under contemplation—but others are those which cannot be apprehended, which in no way can fall under apprehension, which are also called "entirely obscure." And some indeed are procatarctic, others are synectic, others are concausae, and others are adjuvant. And some are of that which is according to nature; others, of that which is contrary to nature. And others are of diseases and according to accident; others indeed are of affections, others of their magnitude, and others of times and occasions. And if, indeed, the procatarctic causes are removed, the effect nevertheless remains. But the synectic cause is that which, if it be present, the effect remains; and if it be removed, the effect is removed. ^B They call that which is synectic "synonymous," and also "self-complete," seeing that it is sufficiently an effect-producer through itself.

CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: WHICH RICH MAN IS SAVED?

BOOK OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA: WHICH RICH MAN IS SAVED

The excellent little book of Clement of Alexandria concerning the Salvability of the Rich, which had been lost for many centuries, and at last, through the work of Michael Geisler, had been published under the name of Origen, and in a completely alien place (namely, his Commentary on the prophecy of Jeremiah), as if it were still unedited, had come to the knowledge of few; furthermore, since it was subsequently inserted into the *Auctarium Græcorum Patrum* of Combefis, it lay hidden among the masses of more modern writers with whom it was grouped: I hoped that it would not be an ungrateful task for the learned if I were to see to it that it might at length occasionally appear before the public under better auspices—that is, its own. That it is a genuine work is confirmed not only by the weight and beauty of the writing, but also by the testimony of Eusebius of Caesarea, who frequently praises the book in his Ecclesiastical History, and in Book III, chapter 23, transcribed solid pages from it; these passages, indeed, appeared mutilated in the Vatican manuscript (the only copy, as far as we know, to which we owe the preservation of this work), and are happily restored from Eusebius. Mention is likewise made of this treatise in the *Catalogue* of Jerome; moreover, Photius not only praises it but inserted its beginning into his *Bibliotheca*, cod. 111. Whence there is no room left for doubting the authorship and status of the little book. Meanwhile, I would not deny that the final period, "O through the Child," etc., was added by the scribe, who palmed off this treatise as an Origenian homily and therefore saw fit to have it finished with a formal closing of sermons. That this breed of men made such attempts everywhere, I have noted elsewhere in the little works ascribed to Cyprian. Perhaps it would not have been superfluous to have advised that there were several lacunae in the copy that seemed likely to cause the reader delay, which we have supplied by interposing as few words as possible. But lest the added be mixed with the genuine, whatever was interpolated by us, we have enclosed in brackets. FELL.

^A 335 § 1. Those who offer the gifts of encomia to the rich seem to me, and not only to me, to be rightly considered flatterers and illiberal, as they pretend to confer a great favor where there is no gratitude; but they are truly wicked and treacherous: wicked, in that, setting aside the praises and glory of God, who alone is perfect and good, "from whom are all things, and through whom are all things, and in whom are all things" (Rom. xi, 36), [the honor which He claims for Himself, they bestow upon men] rolling in [piacular and impure] life, [themselves] therefore liable to divine judgment: treacherous, because, although riches alone are sufficient to soften and corrupt the minds of the wealthy and to call them far away from the road by which salvation is prepared, they, on the contrary, even [as the text continues].

make them more dull by puffing up the minds of the wealthy with the delights of immoderate praise, and—to such an extent do they carry this—making them consider everything else as utterly worthless, except for those riches for which they are admired. It is, as the saying goes, pouring fire upon fire, heaping pride upon pride, and adding bulk to wealth; a heavier load on a naturally heavy element, from which it were better rather to take away and prune back, as one would do with a dangerous and deadly disease. For to the one who exalts and makes himself great, there succeeds in turn a conversion and a fall of the swollen soul to a lowly state, as the divine Word teaches.

To me, however, it seems far more humane to assist the wealthy [not servilely] and [to add praises] to what they have done amiss, than to [offer warnings and] provide salvation for them by whatever means might be possible; that is, first by praying to God, who surely and gladly grants such things to His own children, and then, through the grace of the Savior, by healing their souls, enlightening them, and offering ourselves as guides to them for the acquisition of truth. Whoever attains this, and shines with good works, he alone shall receive as his prize the reward of eternal life. Indeed, prayer—which ought to last until the very last breath—requires a robust and serene soul; furthermore, a way of life and discipline [requires] a sound mind, one ^B tenacious of what is fair and just, and one that reaches out to all the commandments of the Savior.

II.

III.

be excluded from the inheritance of the kingdom of heaven, if they are obedient to the commandments; and then to remind them how fearlessly they ought to fear, and that the Savior gladly receives those who are willing; at that time also to show and to initiate them, by what works and what dispositions they might lay hold upon ^A the things of hope, as a thing not impossible to attain, nor yet one that comes to pass idly or without effort. But just as the case stands with athletes—to compare small and corruptible things with great and incorruptible ones—so too let him who is rich in worldly goods consider that it is the same with himself. For whosoever has despaired of victory and the crown, he does not even enter his name to descend into the arena. But he who has conceived this hope in his own mind, yet does not admit the labors, the diet, and the exercises appropriate to that end, remains without a crown, and his hope is frustrated. So too, whoever abounds in earthly riches, let him beware lest he himself ^B cut himself off first of all from the contests and prizes of the Savior, provided that he be faithful and perceive the magnitude of God’s kindness. Nor again, let him hope to be presented with the crown of immortality without any exercise or any struggle, without dust and sweat; rather, let him submit himself, bringing himself to the instructor, the Word, and to the judge of the contests, Christ. Let the New Testament of the Lord be his appointed food and drink; his exercises, the commandments; his ornaments and attire, the good dispositions of the soul: faith, hope, charity, knowledge of the truth, [gentleness], meekness, compassion, and purity. Thus, when the final trumpet signifies the end of the race and of our departure from hence, just as if from the stadium of this life, he may stand forth as a victor ^C with a good conscience before the President of the contests, acknowledging him worthy of the fatherland above, into which he returns with crowns and angelic proclamations, and is shown forth visibly worthy of that celestial country to which he returns.

IV.

if thou wilt be perfect, sell whatsoever thou hast, and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. But he, being saddened at the word, went away sorrowful; for he was rich, having many possessions. And Jesus looking around says to his disciples: How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus again answering says to them: Children, how hard it is ^A for those who trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. And they were exceedingly astonished, and said: Who then can be saved? But he, looking upon them, said: What is impossible with men is possible with God; for all things are possible with God. Peter began to say to him: Lo, we have left all and have followed thee. And Jesus answering says: Amen I say to you, whosoever shall have left his own and parents, and brothers, and riches for my sake and for the sake of my Gospel, shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, fields and riches and houses and brothers with persecutions, and in the world to come is eternal life. But many ^B will be first last, and the last first.

V. These things indeed are written in the Gospel according to Mark; and in all the rest they are likewise held by consent, with perhaps a few words changed in each place, yet all showing the same agreement of intent. But it behooves us, knowing clearly that the Savior spoke nothing in a human manner, but taught all his own things by divine and mystical wisdom, not to hear these sayings carnal-mindedly, but to search out and understand with worthy investigation and cleverness of mind the meaning hidden within them. For even those things which seem to have been explained by the Lord himself to his disciples are found to be in need, ^C not of less, but indeed of greater consideration even now than those which were spoken more obscurely and as it were in a riddle, on account of the most profound depth of meaning in them; and since even those things which seem to have been set forth by him to the members of his household, and to those whom we find called by him children of the kingdom, stand in need of even greater investigation than those things which appear to have been uttered by him simply—which for that reason no one among the hearers asked to be explained—they are matters pertaining to the very end of salvation, and should be considered with a wonderful and supercelestial depth of mind; they are not to be taken ^D into the ears perfunctorily, but in such a way that we may lower our mind to the very Spirit of the Savior and to the secret of his intent.

VI. For a question is gladly put to our Lord and Savior, a question most appropriate to him: Life concerning life, the Savior concerning salvation, the Teacher concerning

^A the head of the doctrines taught: Truth concerning true immortality, the Word concerning the paternal Word and teaching, the Perfect concerning perfect rest, the Incorruptible concerning firm incorruption. The question was offered to him by those for whose sake he had even descended, to whom he provides what he teaches and what he offers, that he might show that the subject of the Gospel is the bestowing of eternal life. For, being God, he foresaw both what he was to be asked and what response the inquirer was to receive. For who would do this better than the prophet of prophets and the arbiter and Lord of every prophetic spirit? And having been called "good," ^B taking the occasion from this very first word, he begins his teaching from that point, turning the disciple's mind toward the good God, the first and only dispenser of eternal life, which the Son, having received it from him, bestows upon us.

VII. Therefore, the greatest and most essential of the lessons pertaining to life must immediately from the beginning be implanted in the soul: that God is to be recognized as eternal and as the giver of eternal things, and we must claim for ourselves the first, and supreme, and one, and good God through knowledge and apprehension. For this is the immutable and unshakable principle and the chief support of life, of God, who is truly knowledge, and who bestows those things which are (that is, eternal things); from whom also existence comes to others, that they might receive it and by this be secure. For ignorance of him is death, but knowledge of him and intimacy, and love for him, and likeness to him, is the only life. ^C

VIII. He bids him, therefore, who is to live the true life, to recognize this one first: "Whom no one knows except the Son, and he to whom the Son may reveal him." Then, after that, one must learn the greatness of the Savior and the newness of his grace, because, according to the Apostle, "the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ"; and those things given through a faithful servant are not equal to those bestowed by the true Son. For if the law of Moses were sufficient to provide eternal life, the Savior would surely have come in vain, and would have suffered for our sake, having traversed the course of human life from the rising of his birth to the finish line. In vain, also, would he who had kept all the commandments of the law from his youth have fallen at the feet ^D of another, asking for the rewards of immortal life. For he had not only kept the law, but had applied himself to it from his earliest age. For what is great or remarkable about an old age that is not very prone to sins? But if anyone, while youth is wanton and in the heat of his age, displays a mature judgment, appearing older than his years warrant, he is clearly a to-be-admired and illustrious contender, gray-headed in judgment. Yet this man, though he was so great, knew well and was certain that while nothing was lacking to him for righteousness, he was entirely in need of life; therefore, he asks it of him who alone is able to give it. And he brings forward his frankness toward the law, but of God he…

^A supplicates. He is being transferred from faith to faith. Just as one who was not safely sailing in the ship of the law and had occupied a dangerous anchorage, he shifts his station to the Savior.

IX. But in truth Jesus does not rebuke him for not having fulfilled all things from the law; nay, he even loves him, and because he had striven to follow those things in which he had been instructed, he embraces him with open arms. Yet, in what pertains to eternal life, he pronounces him imperfect, because he had not fulfilled those things which belong to perfection; and he calls him a worker of the law, but a loiterer in the things of true life. Those things are good indeed; who could deny it? For the “commandment is holy” [Rom. vii, 12], inasmuch as it serves as a kind of pedagogue with fear and preliminary instruction, ^B preparing the way for the ultimate lawgiving and grace of Jesus; but Christ is the “fullness of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” [Rom. x, 4]; not making them slaves as a slave would, but making those who perform the Father’s will sons and brothers and co-heirs.

X. “If you wish to be perfect” [Matth. xix, 21]; he was not yet perfect, for there is nothing more perfect than perfection. And he divinely revealed ^C the “If you wish” to indicate the free ability of the power of choice in the soul conversing with him; for in the man, as a free being, was the choice of will, but in God, as Lord, was the giving. And he gives to those who wish and who strive with utmost zeal and who ask, so that in this way their salvation may become their own. For God does not compel (for force is hostile to God), but he provides for those who seek, and grants to those who ask, and opens to those who knock [Matth. vii, 7; Luc. xi, 9]. If you wish, therefore—if you truly wish, and do not deceive yourself—acquire what is lacking. One thing is wanting to you, the one thing that remains, the good, that which is already above the law, which the law does not give, which the law does not contain, which is the property of the living. ^D Indeed, he who had fulfilled all the things of the law from his youth and had boasted of things so lofty, was not able to sell this one thing for the sake of all, the unique gift of the Savior, so that he might receive eternal life, which he desired; but he went away sad, burdened by the commandment of the life for which he had supplicated. For he did not truly desire life, as he professed, but was only cloaking himself in a reputation for good intent; and while he was able to be busy about many things, he was powerless and unwilling and weak to accomplish the one thing, the work of life. Just as the Savior said to Martha, who was busy about many things and distracted and troubled with service, and who blamed her sister because, abandoning the serving, she sat at his feet, seizing the leisure of a disciple: “You are troubled about many things; but Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her” [Luc. x, 41]; so also he commanded this man, having abandoned his busybody occupation, to cleave to the one, and to sit by the grace of him who himself proposed eternal life.

^A XI. What, therefore, was it that urged him to flight, and caused him to play the deserter from the Master, from supplication, from hope, from life, and from the labors in which he had already been engaged? Surely, "Sell what you have." But what does this mean? It is by no means, as some take it in the obvious sense, that he commands one to throw away his property and cast money from himself; but that he commands one to banish from the soul the vain judgments concerning riches, the unbridled desire and the corruption of avarice toward them, the anxieties, and the thorns of the age, which choke the seed of life. For it is no great or enviable thing, rashly and not for the sake of obtaining life, to be without riches: for thus those who have absolutely nothing, but, destitute of every consolation of life, are thrown out as daily beggars along the roads—since they ignore both God and the justice of God, and for that reason only are pressed by extreme poverty and lack every sustenance of life, and are deficient even in the very least things—would be the most blessed and most religious of all, and the only ones in possession of eternal life. Nor is it a new thing to surrender riches and bestow them upon the poor and needy; for many even before the coming of the Savior did this, some that they might have leisure for the study of literature and dead wisdom, others that they might hunt for the fame of a name and the care of vainglory, such as Anaxagoras, Democritus, and Crates. ^B

XII.

XIII.

For what remaining communication would there be among men, if no one possessed anything? And how would this doctrine not be found to be in open conflict and at war with many other excellent doctrines which the Lord has ordained and willed? ^A “Make for yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles. Lay up treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth destroy, nor thieves break through.” By what reasoning could one feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, cover the naked, and gather in the homeless—things for the omission of which He threatens fire and the outer darkness—if each person were himself to be short of all these things first? Yet, He also allows Himself to be received into hospitality by Zacchaeus and Matthew, who were rich men and tax collectors. And He does not command them to abandon their money, ^B but, having added a righteous judgment and having removed the unrighteous one, He subjoins: “Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham.” Thus He praises the use of money, such that with this addition He commands communication: to give drink to the thirsty, to provide bread to the hungry, to receive the stranger, and to clothe the naked. But if it is impossible to fulfill these duties without money, yet He commands that we depart from money, what else, I ask, is the Lord doing but exhorting to give and not to give, to feed and not to feed, to receive and not to receive, to communicate and not to communicate? Which is the most foolish thing of all.

XIV. Wealth, therefore, is not to be thrown away, for it also benefits one’s neighbor; for they are called ^C possessions because they are things that can be possessed, and they are called wealth [ores] because they offer aid [opem] and are accommodated by God for human use. Furthermore, riches and wealth are present and lie ready as a kind of material and instrument for the purpose of practicing good use, for those who know the power of the instrument. If you use it according to the principles of art, it is artificial; if you lack the art, it incurs the stain of your ignorance, though it is itself immune from all blame. Such also is riches; it is an instrument. Can you use it with justice as your companion? They are ministers to justice. Does one use them without justice as a companion? They become, in turn, ministers to injustice. For it is the nature of riches to serve, ^D not to preside or rule. Since, therefore, wealth has in itself neither good nor evil and is devoid of any crime, it is not the wealth itself that is to be blamed; but rather that which can, by its own choice, use it well or badly; namely, the human mind and faculty of judgment, to which it is free to choose in what manner it wishes to use them for the purposes granted. Let no one, therefore, destroy wealth and riches, but rather the passions and perturbations of the soul, through which it is not permitted to use one's resources for the good of virtue; since...

it must be understood that what is said regarding the renunciation of all wealth, and the command that we sell everything we possess, is to be interpreted as referring to the affections of the soul and its perturbations.

XV. I would certainly add this as well: Since some things are outside the soul and others are within it, if the soul uses the former well and honestly, they too seem good and honest; but if it uses them badly, they are evil. Does he, I ask, who bids us alienate our resources, discard these things, given that even when they are removed, the vices and perturbations remain? Or does he rather discard those things which, once destroyed, make even our riches useful? If someone who has cast away worldly wealth can still be rich in passions, even when the material is not present (for the constitution [of the soul] acts by itself, and harasses the reason with desires, and presses it, and inflames it with ingrained lusts), it has been of no benefit to him to become destitute of wealth while remaining rich in vices and passions. For he has not cast away those things which ought to have been cast away, but only those of indifferent use; he has cut himself off from the things that serve him, but has kindled the innate material of lust and vice by his outward poverty. ^A One must therefore renounce those possessions that are harmful, not those which, if one attends to their right use, can also be helpful. But those things are helpful that are managed with prudence, sobriety, and piety. Those things that are harmful are to be removed, but the things that are external do not cause harm. Thus, therefore, the Lord introduces the use of external things, commanding us to put away not the means by which life is sustained, but those things which make bad use of them—and these were the maladies of the soul and the passions. ^B

XVI. When these are present in abundance, they are deadly to all, but when they are lost, they are a cause of salvation. It is proper to present the soul clean, that is, poor and naked, and thus to hear the Savior saying: "Come, follow me." For He Himself then becomes the way for him who has a pure heart; but God's grace does not enter into an impure soul. An impure soul is that which is rich in desires and is pregnant and teeming with many worldly loves. For he who possesses estates, and gold and silver, and houses as God's gifts, and serves the Giver, God, by using them for the salvation of men, and knows that he possesses these things more for the sake of his brothers than for himself; and is of a more excellent spirit than the possession of them, not possessing them as a slave enslaved to them, nor carrying them about in his soul, nor defining and circumscribing his life by them, but always taking up some honorable and divine work as his labor; and even if it should ever be necessary to be deprived of them, is able to bear their loss with a placid mind and equal cheerfulness, just as he can their abundance: this is he who is proclaimed blessed by the Lord, and is called "poor in spirit," an unencumbered heir of the kingdom of heaven, not one who is unable to live without the cultivation of riches. ^{C D}

[XVII] But he who carries wealth in his soul, and in place of the Spirit of God carries gold or land in his heart, and always makes his possessions measureless, and is forever looking for more, bent downwards and entangled in the snares of the world, being earth and destined to return to the earth—how can such a man desire and concern himself with the kingdom of heaven, an individual who carries not a heart, but land or metal, and who must necessarily be found caught in the very things he has chosen? For where the mind of a man is, there also is his treasure. The Lord knows of two kinds of treasures: the good—"For the good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good"—and the evil—"For the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil; for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." Just as, therefore, there is not only one treasure with Him, as is the case among us, providing suddenly gained great profit, but there is also a second, which is useless, undesirable, difficult to obtain, and harmful; so too is it with wealth—in the category of good things and bad things—inasmuch as we know that wealth and treasure do not differ from one another in their nature. And in one sense, wealth might be a thing for possession and to be embraced, and in another, a thing not even worthy of being possessed and to be rejected. In the same way, then, spiritual poverty is to be proclaimed blessed; wherefore Matthew also added: "Blessed are the poor." In what way? "In spirit." And again: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God." Therefore, those poor of the contrary disposition are miserable, who, being destitute of God and still more destitute of human possessions, have not even tasted the righteousness of God.

[XVIII] Therefore, those rich who "will with difficulty enter into the kingdom of heaven" must be understood with discernment, not in a perverse, rustic, or carnal sense. For it was not said in this way, nor does salvation depend upon the things that are external, whether these are many or few, small or great, glorious or inglorious, approved or disapproved; but rather upon the virtue of the soul, upon faith, and hope, and love, and brotherly affection, and knowledge, and gentleness, and humility, and truth, the reward for which is salvation. For one will not live because of the beauty of his body, nor on the other hand will he perish because of its ugliness; but he who uses the body which has been given to him chastely and according to God will live, whereas he who ruins the temple of God will be ruined. Indeed, an ugly person can indulge in lust, and one who is beautiful can strive for chastity. Neither the strength, nor the size, nor the stature of the body brings life, nor does any member cause destruction; but the soul that uses these provides the cause for either result. "Submit," he says, "if someone strikes you on the face"; which someone who is strong and in good health is able to obey, while on the other hand, someone who is weak could falter through incontinence of will. Thus, in turn, a person might be found poor and destitute, yet drunk with desires, while one rich in money might be sober and poor in pleasures, convinced, sensible, pure, and temperate. If

therefore, that which is mainly and primarily to have life ^A is the soul, and that which supplies it with life—which is, as it were, born with it and is its companion—is virtue, while vice destroys life; it is clearly evident that, even if the soul be destitute of those things which one destroys by wealth, it will remain unharmed; and likewise, if it abounds with the things which wealth fosters, it will be drowned in destruction. Nor should we look elsewhere than in the very state and condition of the soul—whether it obeys God and keeps itself pure, or acts contrary to the commandments and gathers vice and malice—for the cause of why these things turn out as they do on both sides.

XIX. The True and False Rich Man; the Meaning of Poverty

XIX. Truly and rightfully wealthy, therefore, is he who relies on virtues and is able to use any fortune holily and faithfully. But falsely wealthy is he who is rich in the flesh, and who has transferred his life to exterior substance which passes away and perishes, and sometimes passes into the estate of another, and in the end exists for no one at all. Again, by the same reasoning, there is a true pauper, and another—a spurious one—who is a pauper in name only: of whom one becomes poor in spirit, which is the proper state, and the other is poor in the vanity of the world, which is alien to it. Therefore, to him who is poor by worldly vanity, and who is rich in vices—not to him who is poor in spirit and wealthy according to God—the Scripture says: "Depart from these alien possessions which you hold in your soul, so that, becoming pure in heart, you may see God"; which is another form of saying "that you may enter into the kingdom of heaven." But how are you to depart from them? By selling them. What then? Are you to receive money in exchange for property? Are you to exchange wealth for wealth, piling up that substance which meets the eyes? By no means. But rather, in place of those things which were formerly in the soul—the soul which you desire to save—you are to bring in other riches that deify and provide eternal life, namely, the dispositions in accordance with the commandment of God; in return for which, there will be for you a reward, everlasting honor, salvation, and eternal incorruption. In this way you rightly sell what you possess—those many, superfluous things which close heaven to you—exchanging them for things that can bring salvation. Let the carnal poor, who are in need of these, have them; but do you, having received spiritual riches in their place, have a treasure in heaven.

XX. The Sorrowful Rich Man and the Difficulty of Salvation

XX. The wealthy and legal-minded man, not understanding these words spoken by metaphor, nor how the same person can be both poor and rich, and possess money and not possess it, and use the world and not use it, departed sad and sorrowful, having abandoned the lot in life which he desired only but could not attain; for he made for himself what was difficult—impossible. For it was indeed difficult for the mind not to be led around and corrupted by the showy display of affluent goods and the flowery allurements of obvious and dazzling wealth; but it is not impossible, even in these circumstances, to grasp salvation, if one turns oneself from sensible wealth to... ^D

the intelligible and God-taught, and learns to use things that are of indifferent utility in a right and proper way, and in such a manner as to strive toward eternal life. The disciples, too, were at first struck with fear and astonishment. ^A Having heard what—and why? Was it because they themselves possessed much wealth? But they had long ago left even these very things—their nets, their hooks, and their small fishing boats—which were all they had in the way of possessions. Why, then, full of fear, do they say, "Who can be saved?" They had heard well, and as disciples, what the Lord had said by way of a parable and in a somewhat obscure sense, and they had perceived the depth of his words. Indeed, concerning the poverty of money, they were of good hope regarding their salvation; but since they were conscious to themselves that they had not yet completely stripped away their passions (for they were but beginners and had been recently enrolled into the Savior’s service), they were exceedingly struck with fear, ^B and they despaired of themselves no less than that rich man who was terribly obsessed with his property, which indeed he had preferred to eternal life. It seemed, therefore, a cause of all fear to the disciples that if both the one who possessed money and the one who was pregnant with passions were to be held in the census of the wealthy, and both alike were to be cast out of the kingdom of heaven. For salvation awaits only souls that are immune to passions and pure from stain.

^C XXI. But the Lord answers: "What is impossible with men, is possible with God." This, again, is full of great wisdom, for the reason that a man who, by himself, practicing and laboring for dispassion, achieves nothing; but if he becomes clearly possessed of a fervent desire for this, and applies himself diligently, by the addition of God’s power he gains the victory. For God breathes into souls that are willing; but if they retreat from that zeal, even the spirit given by God is withdrawn. For to save those who are unwilling is the act of one using force; but to save those who are willing is the act of one bestowing a gift. ^D The kingdom of God does not belong to those who sleep and are slothful, but "the violent take it by force." For this is the only good violence: to do violence to God and to snatch life from God. And He who knows those who hold fast, or rather, who hold fast with violence, has yielded and given way; for God rejoices when He is overcome in such things.

The blessed Peter, therefore—the chosen, the excellent, the first of the disciples, for whom alone and for Himself the Savior paid the tax—having heard these things, quickly caught and grasped the meaning of the word. And what does he say? "Behold, we have left all and followed you." Now, if by "all" he means the property he once possessed, and having abandoned perhaps four obols—which was his entire substance—he boasts magnificently, and foolishly declares the kingdom of heaven to be a reward and compensation worthy of these things, [that is one matter]. But if [he refers to] those things which we have been discussing up to now—namely, the old possessions and the illnesses of the soul—which they have cast away, and they follow in the footsteps of the Teacher, then this would indeed be applicable to those who are to be enrolled in the heavens. For this is how one truly follows the Savior, pursuing His sinlessness and perfection.

and by contemplating Him as in a mirror, adorns and fashions his own soul, and completely takes on His character in all things. ^B XXII.

Responding, Jesus said, "Amen I say to you, whoever shall have left his own possessions, and parents, and brothers, and money, for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel, shall receive an hundredfold."

^C XXIII.

Consider the matter to be a trial.

^A

If a brother says similar things, or a son, or a wife, or anyone else, let Christ be the victor in you above all others; for it is He who descends into the arena on your behalf.

XXIV. You can also make a stand regarding your wealth. Say: "Indeed, Christ does not forbid me to have possessions, nor does the Lord begrudge them." But do you see yourself being overcome by the desire for them and being subverted from your state of mind? Send them away, throw them aside, hate them, renounce them, flee. "And if your right eye offends you," quickly "pluck it out." It is better to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to go into the fire with both. Whether it be hand or foot, or your own soul, hate it. For if it perishes here for the sake of Christ, it will be restored to life in the age to come. ^B

XXV. What follows bears the same meaning: "Now, in this time, to have fields and money and houses and brothers with persecutions." For He does not call to life those who are destitute of money, or homeless, or without brothers, since He has also called the rich; but, as we have said before, He calls those who are in accordance with Him, such as Peter with Andrew, and James with John, the sons of Zebedee—those who are in harmony with one another and with Christ. However, He disapproves of having any of these things "with persecutions." ^C

Persecution indeed comes in one form from without, by men who pursue the faithful either out of hatred, or envy, or greed, or through diabolical suggestion; but the most grievous persecution is that which is from within, arising in each person from the soul itself, which is corrupted by godless desires and various pleasures and empty hopes and perishable dreams; when, always longing for more and raging with wild passions, and inflamed as if by goads or gadflies by the emotions that lie before it, it is driven to mad endeavors, to despair of life, and to the contempt of God. This persecution is heavier and more grievous, starting from within, always present, and which the one persecuted cannot escape; for he carries the enemy within himself everywhere. Thus also with the inflammation: that which falls upon one from without produces testing, but that which is from within works death. And as for warfare, that which is brought on from without is easily dissolved, but that which is in the soul continues until death. If you possess wealth that can be perceived, and blood relations and other such pledges, together with such a persecution, leave behind this total possession of such things which leads to evil; grant yourself peace, be freed from long-lasting persecution, turn from them to the Gospel, choose the Savior before all things, the advocate and comforter of your soul, the dispenser of infinite life. ^D "For the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." And in the present time, things are fleeting and uncertain, but in the coming age, there is eternal life.

And in the present, indeed, time is fleeting and supported by no firmness; but in the future, there is eternal life.

^A XXVI. "There shall be first the last, and the last, first." This passage has much that is of a more recondite meaning and that is in need of explanation; yet it is not concerning this that the question turns at present. For it does not concern only the rich, but absolutely all men who have once given their name to the faith. Therefore, let us dispense with this inquiry for the time being. But as for the subject that is the matter of the argument, I believe it has been demonstrated in such a way that the requirements of the faith have been satisfied—namely, that the Savior, in regard to riches themselves and a very abundant substance, has in no way excluded the rich nor closed off salvation from them, if only they can and will incline themselves to the divine commandments, and prefer their own life to temporal things, and—with their eyes fixed upon the Lord—await with eager expectation the nod of Him, as of a good navigator, [noting] what He wills, what He commands, what He signifies, and what watchword He gives to His own sailors; and whither at length and whence He directs the course of the voyage. For what sin or harm does some person commit if, applying his mind and using parsimony before the embracing of the faith, he has procured for himself resources sufficient for the honest sustenance of life? Or, what is even further removed from fault, if immediately, from God who supplies the soul, he has been introduced into the house of such men and into an abundant family, powerful indeed in money and pre-eminent in riches? For if he is cast out of life because he was not born among riches by his own choice, he certainly suffers an injury from God the Creator, being endowed indeed with temporary prosperity, but deprived of eternal life. To what end, truly, was there any need at all for riches to spring up from the earth, if they bring death and act as its authors? ^B If, however, anyone is able to yield from his power and turn his mind, supported by the riches he possesses; and be modest and temperate, and seek God alone, and aspire to God, and have conversation with God: this man is poor in relation to the commandments, free, invincible, without disease, and unwounded by money. But if not, "it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for such a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." Furthermore, let the camel signify something even higher, arriving before the rich man through the narrow and constricted way; a mystery of the Savior which it is permissible to learn in the *Exposition of Principles and Theology*.

^C XXVII. But let us set forth the primary [meaning] of the parable, which is conspicuous, and for the sake of which it was spoken. Let it teach the wealthy that they must not neglect their salvation, as if all hope of it were already taken away from them; nor, on the other hand, should riches be cast into the sea or condemned, as if they were lying in ambush and hostile to life: but it must be learned in what manner and by what reason they should be used, and how life is to be acquired. For since a man does not wholly perish because he is afraid because he is rich, nor is he wholly saved by that confidence and hope by which he trusts he will be saved,

come, let us consider what hope the Savior portrays for them, and how that which seems to be beyond hope may become a pledge, and how that which is hoped for may pass into possession. The Master, therefore, being asked what is the greatest of the commandments, says: ^A “You shall love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your strength.” He says there is no commandment greater than this; and very reasonably, for it is ordained concerning the first and greatest, God himself, our Father, by whom all things were made and exist, and to whom those who are saved return again. Being loved by him in advance and having attained to existence, it is not holy to consider anything else older or more precious; to render only this small thankfulness in return for the greatest gifts, and having nothing else whatever that can be conceived of to pay back to the God who is in need of nothing and is perfect; but in the act of loving the Father, we are considered to gain incorruption, according to our own strength and power. For the more one loves God, the more he penetrates deeply into God. ^B

XXVIII. He says that the second in order, and in no way less than this, is: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Therefore, you shall love God even more than yourself. And to the one who was conversing with him, asking, “And who is my neighbor?” he did not define the neighbor in the same way as the Jews—that is, the kinsman, the fellow citizen, the proselyte, he who is circumcised in the same way, or he who follows one and the same law; but he introduces a man descending from Jerusalem to Jericho, and shows him to have been pierced by robbers, thrown half-dead on the road, passed by a priest, disregarded by a Levite, but shown mercy by the Samaritan, who was despised and cast out. He did not come by chance, as the others did, but came equipped with what the one in danger needed—for example, oil, bandages, a beast of burden, ^C and the pay for the innkeeper, partly given already, and partly promised. “Which of these,” he said, “became a neighbor to the one who suffered such terrible things?” And as he answered, “He who showed mercy upon him,” he said, “Go, and do likewise,” since love is the parent of beneficence.

XXIX. In both commandments, therefore, he introduces love, but he has distinguished them in order. And he assigns the first fruits of love to God, where he accords the second place to the neighbor. But who else could this be but the Savior himself? Or who showed us greater mercy than he, who rescued us from the rulers of the darkness, who had nearly killed us with many wounds, ^D with fears, desires, anger, griefs, deceits, and pleasures? Of these wounds, Jesus is the only physician, cutting out the passions completely by the root; not like the law, which is bare of results—the fruits of the wicked plants—but he who has brought his own axe to the roots of wickedness. This is he who

^A poured out the wine (the blood of the vine of David) for our wounded souls, who applied the oil from the bowels of the Spirit, and granted it with overflowing bounty; this is he who has shown the bonds of health and salvation to be indissoluble: charity, faith, and hope. This is he who has subjected angels and principalities and powers to us, to serve us for a great reward; for they themselves also will be liberated from the vanity of the world at the revelation of the glory of the children of God. Him, therefore, we ought to love just as we love God. But he loves Christ Jesus who does his will and keeps his commandments. For "Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father." And: "Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" And: "Blessed are you who see and hear what neither the righteous nor the prophets have seen," ^B provided, however, that you do what I say.

XXX. The first, therefore, is he who loves Christ; the second is he who honors and cares for those who have believed in him. For whatever anyone does for a disciple, the Lord accepts this as done to himself, and ascribes all of it to himself. "Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me. Then the righteous will answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty, and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick and visit you, or in prison and come to you?" And the King answering will say to them: "Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me." But again, on the contrary, to those who did not provide these things: "Amen I say to you, as long as you did not do it to one of these least ones, you did not do it to me either." ^C In another place as well: "He who receives you, receives me; and he who does not receive you, rejects me."

XXXI. These he calls children, and boys, and infants, and friends, and—for the present time—little ones, if one compares them with their future magnitude in the heavens. "Do not despise," he says, "one of these little ones; for their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven." And in another place: "Fear not, little flock: for it has pleased the Father to give you the kingdom of heaven." By this same reasoning, he says that even John, who is the greatest among those born of women, who is the lesser in the kingdom of heaven (that is, his own disciple), is greater. And again: "He who receives a righteous man or a prophet in the name of a righteous man or ^D

a prophet shall receive their reward; and he who gives to drink to one ^A of these little ones a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple shall not lose his reward." This, therefore, is the only reward that does not perish. And again: "Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tabernacles," showing that all possession which a man has for himself is not by nature his own. But from this unrighteousness it is possible to perform a just and saving act, to refresh and sustain one of those who have obtained an eternal tabernacle with the Father. See, first of all, that He did not command you to wait to be asked, nor to endure being troubled, but to seek out yourself those who are to be benefited, being worthy disciples of the Savior. Good, indeed, is the saying of the Apostle: "For God loves a cheerful giver," one who rejoices in giving and is not sparing, as one sowing, so that ^B he may also reap, without murmuring or distinction, or grief, and sharing, which is a good kindness. But better than this is that which was said by the Lord in another place: "Give to every one that asks you." For such easy liberality is truly of God; but this doctrine is superior to all perfection, that you should not wait for one who asks of you, but should yourself search out who is worthy of receiving a benefit.

[AB] Then, to set such a reward for sharing—an eternal tabernacle! O beautiful negotiation! O divine transaction! One buys incorruptibility with money, and for the things of this world that perish, he receives instead a reward—an eternal dwelling in the heavens. You who are rich, if you are wise, set out on this trading voyage. If need be, travel over the whole earth. Do not spare dangers and labors, so that you may buy the kingdom of the heavens while this present life is being carried on. Why do translucent stones and emeralds delight you so much, and a house that is fodder for fire, or the plaything of time, or an adjunct of an earthquake, or the injury of a tyrant? Desire to dwell in the heavens and to reign with God. A man will give this kingdom to you, imitating God. Having received little things here, he will make himself your fellow-dweller there for all ages. Entreat him ^C to receive; make haste, struggle; fear lest he should slight you. For it has not been commanded that he receive, but that you provide. Nor did the Lord say: "give," or "provide," or "do a kindness," or "help," but: "Make a friend." And a friend is not made by one gift, but by long familiarity. For neither faith, nor love, nor endurance is a matter of one day, but "He who endures to the end will be saved."

[AG] How, then, does a man give these things? For I will give not only to my friends, but also to the friends of my friends. And who is this friend of God? You, indeed, do not judge who is worthy or who is unworthy; ^D it is possible that there may be, peradventure,

by your own judgment, an error. But when error is so easy, it will be better to do good even to the unworthy for the sake of the worthy, than, while being on guard against the unworthy, to fail to reach even those who deserve well. For while you use excessive caution and seem to test who will or will not receive it deservedly, it happens that you neglect to honor the friends of God; neglect of whom entails the punishment of eternal fire. But if you provide for all who are in need, it is absolutely necessary that you will also find someone who can secure salvation for you before God. ^A “Judge not, therefore, that you be not judged; with what measure you mete, it shall be measured to you again. A good measure, pressed down and shaken together, and running over, shall be given to you.” Open your bowels to all who are enrolled in the number of the disciples of God; do not look upon the body with disdain, nor be negligently disposed toward them on account of age or stature. And if anyone seems needy, ragged, deformed, or weak, do not on that account bear it ill or turn away. This habit is externally put upon us, the occasion of our entry into the world, so that we might be able to enter into this common school; but within dwells the hidden Father and his Son, who died for us and rose again with us.

XXXIV.

XXXV.

^A truly, without guile, without fear, without hypocrisy, without flattery, and without affectation. O sweet service of friends! O blessed minds of those who have confidence! O sincere faith of those who fear God alone! O truth of words among those who cannot lie! O beauty of works among those who are persuaded to serve God, to persuade God, to please God, and not to touch your own flesh, but to speak with the King of the ages who dwells within you.

^B 345 XXXVI. All the faithful, therefore, are good, godlike, and worthy of the appellation wherewith they are crowned as with a diadem. Yet there are some even among the elect who are more elect, and who are the more illustrious in proportion as they draw themselves out from the surge of the world into port and bring their affairs into safety; men who do not wish to seem holy, and who, if anyone calls them such, are ashamed; who in the depths of their mind hide the unutterable mysteries, and are proud to have their nobility hidden from being seen in the world—whom the Word calls "the light of the world and the salt of the earth." This is the seed, the image and likeness of God, and His genuine child and heir, sent hither as if upon a sojourn by the great providence and proportion of the Father, through Whom both the manifest and the hidden things of the world have been created; some for service, others for discipline, and others for the learning of them; and all things are held together as long as the seed remains here; and when it has been gathered, these things shall be dissolved with all speed.

^C XXXVII. For what need is there further for the mysteries of love regarding God? And then you shall behold the bosom of the Father, which the only-begotten Son, who is God, alone has interpreted. For God Himself is love, and for the sake of love He was hunted for us. And as for His ineffable part, He is Father; but as for that part of Him which is compassionate ^D toward us, He became Mother. In loving, the Father became feminine; and a great sign of this is He whom He Himself begat from Himself; and the fruit born of love is love. For this reason He Himself descended; for this reason He assumed manhood; for this reason He willingly suffered the things of men, so that, by measuring Himself to our weakness, whom He loved, He might re-measure us to His own power. And being about to be poured out, and giving Himself as a ransom, He leaves us a new Covenant: "I give to you My love." And what is this, and how great is it? For each of us He laid down His soul, the price of which is greater than all. This, He requires of us [to do] for one another. But if we owe our souls to our brethren, and if we shall declare such a covenant to the Savior, shall we still hoard and store up the things of the world, those needy and alien and fleeting things? Shall we shut them away from one another, we who in a little while shall have the fire? Divinely and piercingly indeed does John say: "He who does not love his brother," he says, "is a murderer; he is a seed of Cain, a nurseling of..."

the devil." He has no bowels of God, he has no hope of better things; he is without seed, he is barren; he is not a branch of the ever-living supercelestial vine; he shall be cut off, and the devouring flame of dense fire awaits him.

XXXVIII.

XXXIX.

^A the Lord commands daily to forgive those brothers who repent. If we, being evil, know how to give good gifts, how much more is the Father of mercies, the good Father of all consolation, who is full of compassion and abundant in mercy, naturally disposed to be long-suffering and to wait for those who are converted? For to be truly converted from sins is to cease from sinning, and no longer to look back.

Theopompus? No, God gives forgiveness for past deeds, but as for the things that follow, everyone is his own author. And this is what it means to repent: to condemn one's past actions and to ask for their forgiveness from the Father, who alone of all is able to make what has been done as though it had not been done, by His mercy and by the dew of the Spirit to wash away the things previously sinned. ^B For, He says, "In whatever I find you, in these I will judge you," and at every moment the end of all things cries out. So that even for the man who has lived the best of lives, if at the end he has slipped into wickedness, all his previous labors are foolish ^C as he emerges from the end of the drama without a prize; and conversely, for him who previously lived wickedly and dissolutely, if he repents of this, it is possible for him to overcome a long period of wicked living with the time spent after his repentance. But great accuracy is needed, just as bodies that have suffered a long illness have need of a more careful diet and greater caution.

Are you a thief? Do you wish to receive forgiveness? Steal no more. Have you committed adultery? Let it set you on fire no more. Have you fornicated? Henceforth live chastely. Have you robbed? Make restitution and pay even more. Are you a false witness? Practice the truth. Have you been a perjurer? Swear no longer. And prune away the other passions: anger, desire, grief, fear, in order that you may be found at your departure to have already arrived at a reconciliation with your adversary here. It is perhaps impossible to cut away deep-seated passions all at once, ^D but with the power of God, and human entreaties, and the aid of brothers, and sincere repentance, and continual meditation, they are set right.

XLI. Therefore it is necessary that you, who are arrogant and powerful and rich, should set over yourself some man of God, like a trainer and pilot. Respect at least one, fear at least one. Accustom yourself to hear at least one person who speaks with frankness and who at once reproves and heals. For it does not profit the eyes to remain undisciplined for all time, but rather it is good to weep and to be stung at times for the sake of greater health. Thus also for the soul, nothing is more destructive than continuous pleasure; for they are blinded by the melting away, if one remain unmoved by him who speaks with frankness.

^A Fear him both when he is moved to anger, and be moved to pity when he sighs; revere him when he is allaying his wrath, and anticipate him when he is praying to avert punishment. Let him pass many nights keeping vigil for you, interceding for you before God, and charming the Father with his customary supplications. For His heart does not remain hardened against children who pray to Him. But he will pray purely, if he is honored by you as an angel of God, and is not saddened by you, but saddened on your behalf. This is unfeigned repentance. God is not mocked, nor does He attend to empty words; for He alone examines the marrow and the kidneys of the heart, and He hears those in the fire, and hears those who pray in the belly of the sea-monster, and He is near to all who believe, and far from the godless, unless they repent. ^B Let him remain fixed in his word. Fear this man even when he is angry, and be moved to pity when he groans, and revere the one who is putting away his wrath, and forestall the one who is asking that punishment be averted.

XLII. But that you may have greater confidence, as you have thus truly repented, that there remains for you a sufficient hope of salvation, hear a story, which is no mere story, but a true account regarding John the Apostle that has been handed down and preserved in memory. For when, after the death of the tyrant, he had returned to Ephesus from the island of Patmos, he would visit the neighboring regions when invited, in some places to appoint bishops, in others to set in order the whole Churches, and in others to ordain to the clergy someone from among those indicated by the Spirit. Having arrived at one of the cities not far from Ephesus (the name of which some also mention), and having comforted the brethren in other respects, he looked upon the bishop who was appointed over all, and seeing a youth, stout in body, and handsome in appearance, and ardent in spirit, he said: "This one I entrust to you with all earnestness, in the presence of the Church and with Christ as witness." And as the bishop accepted [the charge] and promised everything, John once again insisted and adjured him of the same things. After this, John departed for Ephesus; but the presbyter, taking the youth entrusted to him into his own home, devoted his efforts to educating, restraining, and nourishing him; and finally he initiated him with the holy baptism. After this, the priest relaxed his former care and guardianship, as one who had applied the perfect safeguard, the seal of the Lord, by which he would be entirely guarded. Having thus attained premature liberty, certain idlers of his own age—slothful, dissolute, and accustomed to evils—attached themselves to him. And first, indeed, they enticed the youth with magnificent feasts; then, going out at night to rob those they met, they dragged him along with them; then they urged him to join in even greater acts of wickedness. He gradually became accustomed to depravity, and by reason of the magnitude of his nature, like a hard-mouthed and robust horse, ^D he was carried away from the straight path; and biting the bit, he was hurried more fiercely toward the precipice. Having completely despaired of salvation in God, he no longer devised anything small, but having done some great deed, since he had already once perished, he deemed it right to suffer just as the others. Taking these very men and forming a band of robbers, he was ready as a bandit chief, most violent,

^A and most savage. Some time later, when some new necessity arose, they called for John again. And he, when he had settled the other matters for which he had come, said: “Come now, O bishop, restore to us the deposit which I and the Savior committed to your care, with the Church over which you preside as witness.” The bishop was at first bewildered, thinking that he was being slandered about money which he had not received; and he could neither believe concerning what he did not have, nor disbelieve John. But when he said, “I ask for the young man, and the soul of the brother,” the old man groaned from the bottom of his heart and even shed some tears: “He is dead,” he said. “How, and by what death?” “He is dead to God,” he said. “For he turned out wicked and ruined, and, to cap it all, a robber; and now, instead of the church, he has seized the mountain with a band of companions like himself.” ^B Thereupon the apostle rent his garments, and with a great cry beat his head— “A fine guardian of my brother’s soul I left behind! But let a horse be brought to me at once, and let someone be my guide for the way.” He rode off just as he was, straight from the church. Arriving at the place, he was captured by the robbers' outpost; he did not flee, nor did he beg off, but shouted, “It is for this that I have come; take me to your leader.” The latter was waiting there, just as he was, armed. But when he recognized John approaching, he was ashamed and turned to flee. But John pursued him with all his might, forgetting his own age, crying out: “Why do you flee from me, my child, your own father, unarmed and an old man? Have pity on me, child; do not be afraid; you still have hope of life. I will give an account to Christ for you; if need be, I will willingly undergo your death, just as the Lord did for us; I will give my own soul in exchange for yours. Stop, believe; Christ has sent me.” Hearing this, he first stood still, looking at the ground; then he threw down his weapons, and then he trembled and wept bitterly. When the old man approached, he embraced him, defending himself with his lamentations as best he could, being baptized in his tears a second time, hiding only his right hand. The apostle, pledging and swearing that he had found forgiveness for him from the Savior, praying, kneeling, and kissing that very right hand, as if it had been purified by his repentance, led him back to the church. And by offering many prayers, by joining in his continuous fasts, and by soothing his mind with various ^C discourses, he did not depart, as they say, until he had restored him to the Church, giving a great example of true repentance and a great sign of rebirth, ^D a trophy of the expected resurrection, when, at the consummation of the age, the angels shall receive those who have truly repented into the heavenly tabernacles, rejoicing brightly, hymning, and opening the heavens; and before all, the Savior Himself receives them, welcoming them with greeting—offering light without shadow, leading them into the bosom of the Father.

into eternal life, into the kingdom of heaven. Let a man believe these things—both the disciples of God, and God their surety, the prophecies, the Gospels, the apostolic words; for by living among these, and keeping his ears open to them, and practicing their works, he shall behold ^B at the very moment of departure the end and the demonstration of these doctrines. For he who here welcomes the angel of repentance will not repent at that time, when he leaves the body, nor will he be ashamed when he sees the Savior coming with His glory and His host; he does not fear the fire. But if anyone chooses to remain and to sin from time to time in his pleasures, and prefers the luxury of the present life to life eternal, and turns away when the Savior offers forgiveness, let him blame neither God, nor his wealth, nor his falling, but his own soul, which is perishing of its own choice. But to him who looks toward salvation and desires it, and who asks for it, applying force and violence, the good Father ^C who is in the heavens will grant true cleansing and the life that is not subject to change; to whom, with His Son Jesus Christ, the Lord of the living and the dead, and with the Holy Spirit, be glory, honor, power, eternal majesty, both now and always, and unto generations of generations, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

EPITOME OF THE WRITINGS OF THEODOTUS AND OF THE SO-CALLED EASTERN DOCTRINE, ACCORDING TO THE TIMES OF VALENTINUS

EXCERPTS FROM THE WRITINGS OF THEODOTUS AND OF THE DOCTRINE WHICH IS CALLED EASTERN, RELATING TO THE TIMES OF VALENTINUS

The following excerpts from Theodotus for the most part prefer the style and phrasing of Clement, yet they do not harmonize with his dogmas in every respect: so that while they may be excerpts made by Clement, they seem to be recounted not as Clement’s opinion, but as that of Theodotus. On which matter I leave the judgment to the intelligent. Hervetus, indeed...

excerpts made by Clement, they seem to be recounted not as Clement’s opinion, but as that of Theodotus. On which matter I leave the judgment to the intelligent. Hervetus, indeed, has not interpreted them: either because they are mutilated and corrupted throughout, or because they are not everywhere orthodox, as they repeatedly allege the opinions of Basilides and Valentinus. SYLBURG.—Here Clement seems to studiously note and expound the entire expositions of the Valentinians and other heretics, so that it may appear to be their commentary rather than that of Clement himself, a man truly ecclesiastical. For on this account was the work inscribed to him, or rather to the epitomizer Theodotus; unless, perhaps, we ought to read *aiōnas* [ages], or unless Clement or even Theodotus intended one thing for another, and as it were synonyms, in God and the angels rather than in us and in this mortal time and fixed state of affairs *chronous* [times]. So that it might be an exposition of the places of Scripture, or even of the mysteries of the Christian religion, according to the mind of Valentinus and his Aeons and, as it were, his theogony, and not against him: a thing I wonder could have proceeded from an ecclesiastical man in that sense, or certainly that Eusebius would have concealed it. But if he himself thought these things were monstrous and alien to the ecclesiastical rule, and that they were sufficiently refuted by that very narration, as Epiphanius almost did in his praised work, the *Ancoratus*, he certainly ought to have stated his own sense and mind more distinctly, and separated the precious from the vile. Although men of such an ancient age, and those who first undertook to cultivate the field of the Scriptures—so loathsome to the senses of heretics—are not devoid of all pardon if they did not extirpate many of their errors, and saw their own works in that thing almost mingled and confused together. Although it is more probable that Clement arranged his own lucubration with greater light, and more clearly insinuated what was ecclesiastical and what was Valentinian and heretical, which the epitomizer did not thus observe. Who this Theodotus is, is too uncertain, since here also a Theodotus is cited, who was more ancient than Clement and of the sect of Valentinus. I do not know if Theodotus of Ancyra, a colleague of Cyril against Nestorius, sufficiently approved by the patriarch Nicephorus in his *Antirrhetics*, can be said to have put his hand to these things, and hence to have contracted flaws, so that he seemed not quite sound in the faith of the Divinity, just as neither Eusebius with his Origen, who feeds his mind on ideas or uncertain conjectures and divines for himself, certainly brings forward nothing in which the reader may rest. With this caution, I have undertaken to explain this work, whatever I contribute to it, and that thus we may hunt out in it some lights of antiquity, so that our uncontaminated and truly ecclesiastical faith may feel no detriment from those fables and figments of the heretics, but may grow stronger in ridiculing the nonsense and trifles of men truly foolish in their own wisdom. See Epiphanius, *Heresy* 31, Irenæus in his whole work *Against Heresies*, Tertullian, and others. That the title *Oriental Doctrine* puts forth is an indication that he who so inscribed it was a European, or someone subject to his see, who wished to note the Asians or Syrians from this. Such are those *orientals*, from whom those dregs of the Valentinians and other heretics of almost the first age came. COMBEF.—Ignatius mentions Theodotus in the *Interpolated Epistle to the Trallians*, c. 11, where compare what Cotelerius annotated. Compare also what is brought forward above from Valesius to *Stromata* 1, cap. 21.

^A I. "Father," he says, "into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46). "What the Wisdom brought forth," he says, "as a small body for the Word, the spiritual seed, this the Savior put on when he descended. Hence it is that in the passion he commends the Wisdom to the Father, that he might receive it back from the Father, and not be detained here by those who are able to deprive him of it. Thus he commends every spiritual seed, the elect, by the aforementioned voice. We call the elect seed a spark vivified by the Word, and the apple of the eye, and the grain of mustard, and leaven, unifying into faith the kinds that seemed to be divided."

^B II. But the followers of Valentinus say that, the animal body having been formed, the virile seed was inserted in the elect soul while in sleep by the Word, which is an effusion of the angelic, so that it might not be a deficiency. And this leavened the things that seemed to have been divided, unifying the soul and the flesh, which were also brought forth in division by the Wisdom. And the sleep of Adam was the forgetfulness of the soul, which he held, so that it would not be dissolved, just as the spiritual thing which the Savior placed in the soul. The seed was an effusion of the male and angelic; for this reason the Savior says: "Be thou saved, thou and thy soul."

^C III. The Savior therefore coming, awakened the soul, and kindled the spark. For the words are power...

of the Lord. For this reason He said: "Let your light shine before men." ^A And after the resurrection, breathing the Spirit upon the apostles, he blew away and separated the dust, as if it were ashes; but he kindled the spark and brought it to life.

IV. The Lord, being endowed with the greatest humility, did not show Himself to be seen as an angel, but as a man. And when He was seen in glory and majesty by His apostles on the mountain, He did not do this for His own sake, as if to show Himself off, but for the sake of His Church, which is the elect race, so that it might learn His progress after the departure of the flesh. For He Himself was light above, and is that which appeared in the flesh, and He who was seen here was not later than the one above, nor was He divided when He moved from above to here, nor did He change from place ^B to place, so as to take the one and leave the other; but He was what is everywhere, both with the Father and here on earth, inasmuch as He is the power of the Father. Furthermore, it was necessary that the word of the Savior be fulfilled, which He had uttered: "There are some of those standing here who shall not taste of death until they see the Son of Man in His majesty." Peter, therefore, and James and John saw Him in glory, and fell asleep.

V. How, then, seeing the luminous face of the Lord, were they not struck with stupor; yet the moment they heard His voice, did they fall to the ground? Because, of course, ears are further removed from faith than eyes, and an unusual voice strikes greater terror. ^C Indeed, when John the Baptist heard the voice, he was not afraid, because he heard it in the Spirit, to whom that voice was familiar; but insofar as one is merely a man hearing it, he is amazed. For this reason the Savior says to them: "Tell no one what you have seen." And yet they had not seen the light with carnal eyes; for there is nothing in common or proper to that light and this flesh; but as the power and will of the Savior strengthened the flesh to behold it, and furthermore as the soul saw, it imparted it to the flesh, sharing it, in that it is closely joined to it. But that which was said, "Tell no one," was so that, thinking that He was the Lord, they might refrain from laying ^D hands upon the Lord, and thus the dispensation might be imperfect, and death be kept away from the Lord, as having attempted in vain that which it could not accomplish. Furthermore, that voice uttered on the mountain was for the elect who were already able to understand; and therefore they marveled, as the one whom they already believed in was testified to: but that voice uttered at the flood of the Jordan was for those who were to believe in Him; and wherefore the voice was neglected also by those same ones, who were held fast, entangled in the instructions of the teachers of the law.

^A VI. The words, *In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God*, the followers of Valentinus interpret as follows. For they say that the "Beginning" is the Only-Begotten, who is also addressed as God, as indeed John shows clearly in what follows, saying: *The Only-Begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.* By this is meant the Word that was in the beginning, that which was in the Only-Begotten, in the Mind and in the Truth; He indicates Christ, the Word and the Life. Whence reasonably he also calls Him God, who exists in God in the Mind. *That which was made in Him, the Word, was life*—the consort; wherefore the Lord also says: *I am the life.*

^B VII. The Father, therefore, being unknown, willed to be known to the Æons; and by means of His own Enthymesis [Thought], inasmuch as He knew Himself perfectly, He brought forth the Only-Begotten as a spirit of knowledge, existing in knowledge. Thus, there came into being both the one from knowledge—that is, knowledge proceeding from the paternal Enthymesis—which is to say, the Son; for by the Son the Father was known. But the spirit of love is mingled with that spirit of knowledge, just as the Father is with the Son, and Enthymesis with truth; just as knowledge proceeds from Enthymesis, so it proceeds from truth. And he who remained the only-begotten Son in the bosom of the Father reveals the Enthymesis through knowledge to the Æons, even as he who was brought forth from His bosom. But he who was seen here on earth is no longer ^C called the only-begotten, but is addressed by the Apostle as *as the only-begotten*, *the glory as of the Only-Begotten*; because, while being one and the same, in creation he is Jesus the firstborn, but in the Pleroma the only-begotten. He is the same, being such in each place as can be contained by that place, and he who descended is never divided from the one who remained; for the Apostle says: *For He who ascended is the same as He who descended.* They call the Demiurge the image of the Only-Begotten; whence the works of the image are themselves the same. Whence also the Lord, by creating an image of the spiritual resurrection, raised the dead whom He raised, not with a flesh immune to corruption, but as those who were again to die.

^D VIII. We, however, say that the Word is God in God by identity, who is also said to be in the bosom of the Father, indivisible, undivided, one God. *All things were made through Him*, by the immediate power of the Word that is in identity, both spiritual things and intelligible things and those perceived by the senses. This Savior revealed the bosom of the Father. And Isaiah: *And I will repay their deeds into*

^A their bosom, into their awareness within the soul, from which, as from the first source, the firstborn of all creation is energized. But the Only-Begotten, who is in identity with that from which the Savior works with inseparable power, is the light of the Church, which was previously in darkness and in ignorance. *And the darkness did not lay hold of it.* Those who apostatized and the rest of the men of that same stripe did not know him; and death did not lay hold of him.

IX. Faith is not one, but diverse. Thus the Savior says: *let it be done to you according to your faith.* Whence it is said that those of the calling will be deceived during the coming of Antichrist; but it is impossible for the elect to be so—hence he says, *And, if possible, my elect.* Again, when he says: *Depart from the house of my Father,* he speaks to those who have been called. Similarly, what is said to the one returning from a journey, who had squandered his property, and for whom the fatted calf ^B had been slaughtered, refers to the calling. Again, where the King invited those who were in the ways to the wedding feast. For all have been called equally, inasmuch as he rains upon the just and the unjust, and makes his sun shine upon all. Yet those are chosen who have been endowed with greater faith, to whom he says: *No one has seen my Father except the Son,* and: *You are the light of the world,* and: *Holy Father, sanctify them in your name.*

X. Neither spiritual nor intelligible things, nor the archangels who were the first of all to be created, nor indeed is he himself ^C without form, and without appearance, and without figure, and without a body; but he has a proper form, and a body proportionate to the excellence by which he surpasses all spirits. Just as those who were created first excel in proportion to the excellence which they possess over the holy ones who are below them. For that which is begotten is not entirely lacking in substance, although they do not have a form and body similar to bodies that are in this world. For those that exist here on earth are male and female, and distinct from one another: but there the Only-Begotten, who is endowed with the faculty of being properly understood, uses a form ^D of his own and an essence of his own—highest, pure, and most sovereign—and enjoys the power of the Father with great intensity. But those who were created first, although distinct in number, insofar as each of them is defined and circumscribed, nevertheless the likeness of things demonstrates unity and equality and uniformity. For it has not been granted to this one more, and to that one less, of the seven; nor is there any progress left for them from the beginning, having been...