Clement of Alexandria · c. 150 – c. 215

Exhortation to the Greeks; The Instructor; Stromata

c. 190–215 · Ante-Nicene Fathers vol. 2 (1885) · translated from the Greek

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Chapter I.—Exhortation to Abandon the Impious Mysteries of Idolatry for the Adoration of the Divine Word and God the Fa1
Chapter II.—The Absurdity and Impiety of the Heathen Mysteries and Fables About the Birth and Death of Their Gods.2
And Euripides:—2
Chapter III.—The Cruelty of the Sacrifices to the Gods.3
Chapter IV.—The Absurdity and Shamefulness of the Images by Which the Gods are Worshipped.3
Chapter V.—The Opinions of the Philosophers Respecting God.4
Chapter VI.—By Divine Inspiration Philosophers Sometimes Hit on the Truth.4
Chapter VII.—The Poets Also Bear Testimony to the Truth.5
Renounce Olympus!"5
Chapter VIII.—The True Doctrine is to Be Sought in the Prophets.5
Chapter IX.—"That Those Grievously Sin Who Despise or Neglect God's Gracious Calling."6
Chapter X.—Answer to the Objection of the Heathen, that It Was Not Right to Abandon the Customs of Their Fathers.6
Do I myself wander?"6
Chapter XI.—How Great are the Benefits Conferred on Man Through the Advent of Christ.7
Chapter XII.—Exhortation to Abandon Their Old Errors and Listen to the Instructions of Christ.7
And a double Thebes,"7
Book I8
Chapter I. The Office of the Instructor.8
Chapter II.—Our Instructor's Treatment of Our Sins.8
Chapter III.—The Philanthropy of the Instructor.8
Chapter IV.—Men and Women Alike Under the Instructor's Charge.8
Chapter V.—All Who Walk According to Truth are Children of God.8
Chapter VI.—The Name Children Does Not Imply Instruction in Elementary Principles.9
Chapter VII.—Who the Instructor Is, and Respecting His Instruction.10
Chapter VIII.—Against Those Who Think that What is Just is Not Good.10
Chapter IX.—That It is the Prerogative of the Same Power to Be Beneficent and to Punish Justly. Also the Manner of the10
Chapter X.—That the Same God, by the Same Word, Restrains from Sin by Threatening, and Saves Humanity by Exhorting.11
Chapter XI.—That the Word Instructed by the Law and the Prophets.11
Chapter XII.—The Instructor Characterized by the Severity and Benignity of Paternal Affection.11
Chapter XIII.—Virtue Rational, Sin Irrational.11
Book II.12
Chap. I.—On Eating.12
Chapter II.—On Drinking.12
Chapter III.—On Costly Vessels.13
Chapter IV.—How to Conduct Ourselves at Feasts.13
Chapter V.—On Laughter.13
Chapter VI.—On Filthy Speaking.13
Chapter VII.—Directions for Those Who Live Together.13
Chapter VIII.—On the Use of Ointments and Crowns.14
Chap. IX.—On Sleep.14
Chapter X. —Quænam de Procreatione Liberorum Tractanda Sint.14
Chapter XI. —On Clothes.15
Chap. XII.—On Shoes.15
Chapter XIII—Against Excessive Fondness for Jewels and Gold Ornaments.15
Book III.16
Chapter I.—On the True Beauty.16
Chapter II.—Against Embellishing the Body.16
Chapter III.—Against Men Who Embellish Themselves.16
Chapter IV.—With Whom We are to Associate.17
Chapter V.—Behaviour in the Baths.17
Chapter VI.—The Christian Alone Rich.17
Chapter VII.—Frugality a Good Provision for the Christian.17
Chapter VIII.—Similitudes and Examples a Most Important Part of Right Instruction.17
Chapter IX.—Why We are to Use the Bath.17
Chapter X.—The Exercises Suited to a Good Life.17
Chapter XI.—A Compendious View of the Christian Life.18
Chapter XII.—Continuation: with Texts from Scripture.19
I.19
II.19
III.19
Book I20
Chapter I.—Preface—The Author's Object—The Utility of Written Compositions.20
Chapter II.—Objection to the Number of Extracts from Philosophical Writings in These Books Anticipated and Answered.20
Chapter III.—Against the Sophists.20
Chapter IV.—Human Arts as Well as Divine Knowledge Proceed from God.20
Chapter V.—Philosophy the Handmaid of Theology.21
Chapter VI.—The Benefit of Culture.21
Chapter VII.—The Eclectic Philosophy Paves the Way for Divine Virtue.21
Chapter VIII.—The Sophistical Arts Useless.21
Chapter IX.—Human Knowledge Necessary for the Understanding of the Scriptures.21
Chapter X.—To Act Well of Greater Consequence Than to Speak Well.21
Chapter XI.—What is the Philosophy Which the Apostle Bids Us Shun?21
Chapter XII.—The Mysteries of the Faith Not to Be Divulged to All.22
Chapter XIII.—All Sects of Philosophy Contain a Germ of Truth.22
Chapter XIV.—Succession of Philosophers in Greece.22
Chapter XV.—The Greek Philosophy in Great Part Derived from the Barbarians.22
Chapter XVI.—That the Inventors of Other Arts Were Mostly Barbarians.22
Chapter XVII.—On the Saying of the Saviour, "All that Came Before Me Were Thieves and Robbers."22
Chapter XVIII.—He Illustrates the Apostle's Saying, "I Will Destroy the Wisdom of the Wise."23
Chapter XIX.—That the Philosophers Have Attained to Some Portion of Truth.23
Chapter XX.—In What Respect Philosophy Contributes to the Comprehension of Divine Truth.23
Chapter XXI.—The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity Than the Philosophy of the Greeks.23
Chapter XXII.—On the Greek Translation of the Old Testament.24
Chapter XXIII.—The Age, Birth, and Life of Moses.24
Chapter XXIV.—How Moses Discharged the Part of a Military Leader.24
Chapter XXV.—Plato an Imitator of Moses in Framing Laws.24
Chapter XXVI.—Moses Rightly Called a Divine Legislator, And, Though Inferior to Christ, Far Superior to the Great Legis24
Chapter XXVII.—The Law, Even in Correcting and Punishing, Aims at the Good of Men.24
Chapter XXVIII.—The Fourfold Division of the Mosaic Law.25
Chapter XXIX.—The Greeks But Children Compared with the Hebrews.25
Book II.25
Chapter I.—Introductory.25
Chapter II.—The Knowledge of God Can Be Attained Only Through Faith.25
Chapter III.—Faith Not a Product of Nature.25
Chapter IV.—Faith the Foundation of All Knowledge.25
Chapter V.—He Proves by Several Examples that the Greeks Drew from the Sacred Writers.25
Chapter VI.—The Excellence and Utility of Faith.26
Chapter VII.—The Utility of Fear. Objections Answered.26
Chapter VIII.—The Vagaries of Basilides and Valentinus as to Fear Being the Cause of Things.26
Chapter IX.—The Connection of the Christian Virtues.26
Chapter X.—To What the Philosopher Applies Himself.26
Chapter XI.—The Knowledge Which Comes Through Faith the Surest of All.26
Chapter XII.—Twofold Faith.27
Chapter XIII.—On First and Second Repentance.27
Chapter XIV.—How a Thing May Be Involuntary.27
Chapter XV.—On the Different Kinds of Voluntary Actions, and the Sins Thence Proceeding.27
Chapter XVI.—How We are to Explain the Passages of Scripture Which Ascribe to God Human Affections.27
Chapter XVII.—On the Various Kinds of Knowledge.27
Chapter XVIII.—The Mosaic Law the Fountain of All Ethics, and the Source from Which the Greeks Drew Theirs.27
Chapter XIX.—The True Gnostic is an Imitator of God, Especially in Beneficence.28
Chapter XX.—The True Gnostic Exercises Patience and Self-Restraint.28
Chapter XXI.—Opinions of Various Philosophers on the Chief Good.28
Chapter XXII.—Plato's Opinion, that the Chief Good Consists in Assimilation to God, and Its Agreement with Scripture.29
Chapter XXIII.—On Marriage.29
Book III.30
Caput I.—Basilidis Sententiam de Continentia Et Nuptiis Refutat.30
Caput II.—Carpocratis Et Epiphanis Sententiam de Feminarum Communitate Refutat.30
Caput III.—Quatenus Plato Aliique E Veteribus Præiverint Marcionitis Aliisque Hæreticis, Qui a Nuptiis Ideo Abstinent Q30
Caput IV.—Quibus Prætextibus Utantur Hæretici ad Omnis Genetis Licentiam Et Libidinem Exercendam.30
Caput V.—Duo Genera Hæreticorum Notat: Prius Illorum Qui Omnia Omnibus Licere Pronuntiant, Quos Refutat.31
Caput VI.—Secundum Genus Hæreticorum Aggreditur, Illorum Scilicet Qui Ex Impia de Deo Omnium Conditore Sententia, Conti31
Caput VII.—Qua in Re Christianorum Continentia Eam Quam Sibi Vindicant Philosophi Antecellat.31
Caput VIII.—Loca S. Scripturæ Ab Hæreticis in Vituperium Matrimonii Adducta Explicat; Et Primo Verba Apostoli Romans 6:31
Caput IX.—Dictum Christi ad Salomen Exponit, Quod Tanquam in Vituperium Nuptiarum Prolatum Hæretici Allegabant.31
Caput X.—Verba Christi Matt. xviii. 20, Mystice Exponit.31
Caput XI.—Legis Et Christi Mandatum de Non Concupiscendo Exponit.31
Caput XII.—Verba Apostoli 1 Cor. vii. 5, 39, 40, Aliaque S. Scripturæ Loca Eodem Spectantia Explicat.32
Caput XIII.—Julii Cassiani Hæretici Verbis Respondet; Item Loco Quem Ex Evangelio Apocrypho Idem Adduxerat.32
Caput XIV.—2 Cor. xi. 3, Et Eph. iv. 24, Exponit.32
Caput XV.—1 Cor. vii. 1; Luc. xiv. 26; Isa. lvi. 2, 3, Explicat.32
Caput XVI.—Jer. xx. 14; Job xiv. 3; Ps. l. 5; 1 Cor. ix. 27, Exponit.32
Caput XVII.—Qui Nuptias Et Generationem Malas Asserunt, II Et Dei Creationem Et Ipsam Evangelii Dispensationem Vitupera32
Caput XVIII.—Duas Extremas Opiniones Esse Vitandas: Primam Illorum Qui Creatoris Odio a Nuptiis Abstinent; Alteram Illo32
Book IV.33
Chapter I.—Order of Contents.33
Chapter II.—The Meaning of the Name Stromata or Miscellanies.33
Chapter III.—The True Excellence of Man.33
Chapter IV.—The Praises of Martyrdom.33
Chapter V.—On Contempt for Pain, Poverty, and Other External Things.33
Chapter VI.—Some Points in the Beatitudes.33
Chapter VII.—The Blessedness of the Martyr.34
Chapter VIII.—Women as Well as Men, Slaves as Well as Freemen, Candidates for the Martyr's Crown.34
Chapter IX.—Christ's Sayings Respecting Martyrdom.34
Chapter X.—Those Who Offered Themselves for Martyrdom Reproved.35
Chapter XI.—The Objection, Why Do You Suffer If God Cares for You, Answered.35
Chapter XII.—Basilides' Idea of Martyrdom Refuted.35
Chapter XIII.—Valentinian's Vagaries About the Abolition of Death Refuted.35
Chapter XIV.—The Love of All, Even of Our Enemies.35
Chapter XV.—On Avoiding Offence.35
Chapter XVI.—Passages of Scripture Respecting the Constancy, Patience, and Love of the Martyrs.35
Chapter XVII.—Passages from Clement's Epistle to the Corinthians on Martyrdom.35
Chapter XVIII.—On Love, and the Repressing of Our Desires.36
Chap. XIX.—Women as well as Men Capable of Perfection.36
Chapter XX.—A Good Wife.36
Chapter XXI.—Description of the Perfect Man, or Gnostic.36
Chapter XXII.—The True Gnostic Does Good, Not from Fear of Punishment or Hope of Reward, But Only for the Sake of Good36
Chapter XXIII.—The Same Subject Continued.37
Chapter XXIV.—The Reason and End of Divine Punishments.37
Chapter XXV.—True Perfection Consists in the Knowledge and Love of God.37
Chapter XXVI.—How the Perfect Man Treats the Body and the Things of the World.37
Book V.38
Chap. I.—On Faith.38
Chap. II.—On Hope.38
Chapter III.—The Objects of Faith and Hope Perceived by the Mind Alone.38
Chapter IV.—Divine Things Wrapped Up in Figures Both in the Sacred and in Heathen Writers.38
Chapter V.—On the Symbols of Pythagoras.39
Chapter VI.—The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.39
Chapter VII.—The Egyptian Symbols and Enigmas of Sacred Things.39
Chapter VIII.—The Use of the Symbolic Style by Poets and Philosophers.39
Chapter IX.—Reasons for Veiling the Truth in Symbols.40
Chapter X.—The Opinion of the Apostles on Veiling the Mysteries of the Faith.40
Chapter XI.—Abstraction from Material Things Necessary in Order to Attain to the True Knowledge of God.40
Chapter XII.—God Cannot Be Embraced in Words or by the Mind.40
Chapter XIII.—The Knowledge of God a Divine Gift, According to the Philosophers.41
Chapter XIV.—Greek Plagiarism from the Hebrews.41
Book VI.42
Chapter I.—Plan.42
Chapter II.—The Subject of Plagiarisms Resumed. The Greeks Plagiarized from One Another.42
Chapter III.—Plagiarism by the Greeks of the Miracles Related in the Sacred Books of the Hebrews.42
Chapter IV.—The Greeks Drew Many of Their Philosophical Tenets from the Egyptian and Indian Gymnosophists.43
Chapter V.—The Greeks Had Some Knowledge of the True God.43
Chapter VI.—The Gospel Was Preached to Jews and Gentiles in Hades.43
Chapter VII.—What True Philosophy Is, and Whence So Called.43
Chapter VIII.—Philosophy is Knowledge Given by God.44
Chapter IX.—The Gnostic Free of All Perturbations of the Soul.44
Chapter X.—The Gnostic Avails Himself of the Help of All Human Knowledge.44
Chapter XI.—The Mystical Meanings in the Proportions of Numbers, Geometrical Ratios, and Music.44
Chapter XII.—Human Nature Possesses an Adaptation for Perfection; The Gnostic Alone Attains It.45
Chapter XIII.—Degrees of Glory in Heaven Corresponding with the Dignities of the Church Below.45
Chapter XIV.—Degrees of Glory in Heaven.45
Chapter XV.—Different Degrees of Knowledge.45
Chapter XVI.—Gnostic Exposition of the Decalogue.46
Chapter XVII.—Philosophy Conveys Only an Imperfect Knowledge of God.46
Chapter XVIII.—The Use of Philosophy to the Gnostic.47
Book VII.47
Chapter I.—The Gnostic a True Worshipper of God, and Unjustly Calumniated by Unbelievers as an Atheist.47
Chapter II.—The Son the Ruler and Saviour of All.47
Chapter III.—The Gnostic Aims at the Nearest Likeness Possible to God and His Son.47
Chapter IV.—The Heathens Made Gods Like Themselves, Whence Springs All Superstition.48
Chapter V.—The Holy Soul a More Excellent Temple Than Any Edifice Built by Man.48
Chapter VI.—Prayers and Praise from a Pure Mind, Ceaselessly Offered, Far Better Than Sacrifices.48
Chapter VII.—What Sort of Prayer the Gnostic Employs, and How It is Heard by God.48
Chapter VIII.—The Gnostic So Addicted to Truth as Not to Need to Use an Oath.49
Chapter IX.—Those Who Teach Others, Ought to Excel in Virtues.49
Chapter X.—Steps to Perfection.49
Chapter XI.—Description of the Gnostic's Life.49
Chapter XII.—The True Gnostic is Beneficent, Continent, and Despises Worldly Things.49
Chapter XIII.—Description of the Gnostic Continued.50
Chapter XIV.—Description of the Gnostic Furnished by an Exposition of 1 Cor. vi. 1, Etc.50
Chapter XV.—The Objection to Join the Church on Account of the Diversity of Heresies Answered.50
Chapter XVI.—Scripture the Criterion by Which Truth and Heresy are Distinguished.50
Chapter XVII.—The Tradition of the Church Prior to that of the Heresies.51
Chapter XVIII—The Distinction Between Clean and Unclean Animals in the Law Symbolical of the Distinction Between the Ch51
Book VIII.51
Chapter I.—The Object of Philosophical and Theological Inquiry—The Discovery of Truth.51
Chapter II.—The Necessity of Perspicuous Definition.51
Chapter III.—Demonstration Defined.51
Chapter IV.—To Prevent Ambiguity, We Must Begin with Clear Definition.51
Chapter V.—Application of Demonstration to Sceptical Suspense of Judgment.51
Chapter VI.—Definitions, Genera, and Species.51
Chapter VII.—On the Causes of Doubt or Assent.52
Chapter VIII.—The Method of Classifying Things and Names.52
Chapter IX.—On the Different Kinds of Cause.52
II.52
Clemens Alexandrinus53
Who is the Rich Man that Shall Be Saved?53

Exhortation to the Greeks; The Instructor; Stromata

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