0100-0200- Auctor Incertus ? The Stromata - Documenta Catholica ...

0150-0207- Clemens Alessandrinus - The Stromata Transliteration of Greek words: All phonetical except: w = omega; h serves
three puposes: 1. = Eta; 2. = rough breathing, when appearing intially
before a vowel; 3 = in the aspirated letters theta = th, phi = ph, chi =
ch. Accents are given immediately after their corresponding vowels: acute =
' , grave = `, circumflex = ^. The character ' doubles as an apostrophe,
when necessary. THE STROMATA, OR MISCELLANIES, BOOKS I-II
BOOK I
CHAP. I.--PREFACE--THE AUTHOR'S OBJECT--THE UTILITY OF WRITTEN
COMPOSITIONS.(1)
[Wants the beginning] ..........that you may read them under your hand,
and may be able to preserve them. Whether written compositions are not to
be left behind at all; or if they are, by whom? And if the former, what
need there is for written compositions? and if the latter, is the
composition of them to be assigned to earnest men, or the opposite? It were
certainly ridiculous for one to disapprove of the writing of earnest men,
and approve of those, who are not such, engaging in the work of
composition. Theopompus and Timaeus, who composed fables and slanders, and
Epicurus the leader of atheism, and Hipponax and Archilochus, are to be
allowed to write in their own shameful manner. But he who proclaims the
truth is to be prevented from leaving behind him what is to benefit
posterity. It is a good thing, I reckon, to leave to posterity good
children. This is the case with children of our bodies. But words are the
progeny of the soul. Hence we call those who have instructed us, fathers.
Wisdom is a communicative and philanthropic thing. Accordingly, Solomon
says, "My son, if thou receive the saying of my commandment, and hide it
with thee, thine ear shall hear wisdom."(2) He points out that the word
that is sown is hidden in the soul of the learner, as in the earth, and
this is spiritual planting. Wherefore also he adds, "And thou shall apply
thine heart to understanding, and apply it for the admonition of thy son."
For soul, me thinks, joined with soul, and spirit with spirit, in the
sowing of the word, will make that which is sown grow and germinate. And
every one who is instructed, is in respect of subjection the son of his
instructor. "Son," says he, "forget not my laws."(3)
And if knowledge belong not to all (set an ass to the lyre, as the proverb
goes), yet written compositions are for the many. "Swine, for instance,
delight in dirt more than in clean water." "Wherefore," says the Lord, "I
speak to them in parables: because seeing, they see not; and hearing, they
hear not, and do not understand; "(4) not as if the Lord caused the
ignorance: for it were impious to think so. But He prophetically exposed
this ignorance, that existed in them, and intimated that they would not
understand the things spoken. And now the Saviour shows Himself, out of His
abundance, dispensing goods to His servants according to the ability of the
recipient, that they may augment them by exercising activity, and then
returning to reckon with them; when, approving of those that had increased
His money, those faithful in little, and commanding them to have the charge
over many things, He bade them enter into the joy of the Lord. But to him
who had hid the money, entrusted to him to be given out at interest, and
had given it back as he had received it, without increase, He said, "Thou
wicked and slothful servant, thou oughtest to have given my money to the
bankers, and at my coming I should have received mine own." Wherefore the
useless servant "shall be cast into outer darkness."(5) "Thou, therefore,
be strong," says Paul, "in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the
things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit
thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."(6) And
again: "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
If, then, both proclaim the Word--the one by writing, the other by speech--
are not both then to be approved, making, as they do, faith active by love?
It is by one's own fault that he does not choose what is best; God is free
of blame. As to the point in hand, it is the business of some to lay out
the word at interest, and of others to test it, and either choose it or
not. And the judgment is determined within themselves. But there is that
species of knowledge which is characteristic of the herald, and that which
is, as it were, characteristic of a messenger, and it is serviceable in
whatever way it operates, both by the hand and tongue. "For he that soweth
to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be
weary in well-doing."(1) On him who by Divine Providence meets in with it,
it confers the very highest advantages,--the beginning of faith, readiness
for adopting a right mode of life, the impulse towards the truth, a
movement of inquiry, a trace of knowledge; in a word, it gives the means of
salvation. And those who have been rightly reared in the words of truth,
and received provision for eternal life, wing their way to heaven. Most
admirably, therefore, the apostle says, "In everything approving ourselves
as the servants of God; as poor, and yet making many rich; as having
nothing, yet possessing all things. Our mouth is opened to you."(2) "I
charge thee," he says, writing to Timothy, "before God, and Christ Jesus,
and the elect angels, that thou observe these things, without preferring
one before another, doing nothing by partiality."(3)
Both must therefore test themselves: the one, if he is qualified to speak
and leave behind him written records; the other, if he is in a right state
to hear and read: as also some in the dispensation of the Eucharist,
according to(4) custom enjoin that each one of the people individually
should take his part. One's own conscience is best for choosing accurately
or shunning. And its firm foundation is a right life, with suitable
instruction. But the imitation of those who have already been proved, and
who have led correct lives, is most excellent for the understanding and
practice of the commandments. "So that whosoever shall eat the bread and
drink the cup of the Lord unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood
of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread
and drink of the cup."(5) It therefore follows, that every one of those who
undertake to promote the good of their neighbours, ought to consider
whether he has betaken himself to teaching rashly and out of rivalry to
any; if his communication of the word is out of vainglory; if the only
reward he reaps is the salvation of those who hear, and if he speaks not in
order to win favour: if so, he who speaks by writings escapes the reproach
of mercenary motives. "For neither at any time used we flattering words, as
ye know," says the apostle, "nor a cloak of covetousness. God is witness.
Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we
might have been burdensome as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle
among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children."(6)
In the same way, therefore, those who take part in the divine words, ought
to guard against betaking themselves to this, as they would to the building
of cities, to examine them out of curiosity; that they do not come to the
task for the sake of receiving worldly things, having ascertained that they
who are consecrated to Christ are given to communicate the necessaries of
life. But let such be dismissed as hypocrites. But if any one wishes not to
seem, but to be righteous, to him it belongs to know the things which are
best. If, then, "the harvest is plenteous, but the labourers few," it is
incumbent on us "to pray" that there may be as great abundance of labourers
as possible.(7)
But the husbandry is twofold,--the one unwritten, and the other written.
And in whatever way the Lord's labourer sow the good wheat, and grow and
reap the ears, he shall appear a truly divine husbandman.
"Labour," says the Lord, "not for the meat which perisheth, but for that
which endureth to everlasting life."(8) And nutriment is received both by
bread and by words. And truly "blessed are the peace-makers,"(9) who
instructing those who are at war in their life and errors here, lead them
back to the peace which is in the Word, and nourish for the life which is
according to God, by the distribution of the bread, those "that hunger
after righteousness." For each soul has its own proper nutriment; some
growing by knowledge and science, and others feeding on the Hellenic
philosophy, the whole of which, like nuts, is not eatable. "And he that
planteth and he that watereth," "being ministers" of Him "that gives the
increase, are one" in the ministry. "But every one shall receive his own
reward, according to his own work. For we are God's husbandmen, God's
husbandry. Ye are God's building,"(10) according to the apostle. Wherefore
the hearers are not permitted to apply the test of comparison. Nor is the
word, given for investigation, to be committed to those who have been
reared in the arts of all kinds of words, and in the power of inflated
attempts at proof; whose minds are already pre-occupied, and have not been
previously emptied. But whoever chooses to banquet on faith, is stedfast
for the reception of the divine words, having acquired already faith as a
power of judging, according to reason. Hence ensues to him persuasion in
abundance. And this was the meaning