Miscellanies 4.1.3
Summary: Only after completing the ethical preparation, like the lesser mysteries before the greater, will Clement treat the knowing tradition's natural philosophy, beginning from the creation account and rising to theology.
Greek text · Stählin 2:249
Τελειωθείσης τοίνυν τῆς προθέσεως ἡμῖν ἁπάσης ἐν οἷς, ἐὰν θελήσῃ τὸ πνεῦμα, ὑπομνήμασι πρὸς τὴν κατεπείγουσαν ἐξυπηρετοῦμεν χρείαν (πολλὴ γὰρ ἡ τῶν προλέγεσθαι ὀφειλομένων τῆς ἀληθείας ἀνάγκη), τότε δὴ τὴν τῷ ὄντι γνωστικὴν φυσιολογίαν μέτιμεν, τὰ μικρὰ πρὸ τῶν μεγάλων μυηθέντες μυστηρίων, ὡς μηδὲν ἐμποδὼν τῇ θείᾳ ὄντως ἱεροφαντίᾳ γίνεσθαι προκεκαθαρμένων καὶ προδιατετυπωμένων τῶν προϊστορηθῆναι καὶ προπαραδοθῆναι δεόντων. ἡ γοῦν κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀληθείας κανόνα γνωστικῆς παραδόσεως φυσιολογία, μᾶλλον δὲ ἐποπτεία, ἐκ τοῦ περὶ κοσμογονίας ἤρτηται λόγου, ἐνθένδε ἀναβαίνουσα ἐπὶ τὸ θεολογικὸν εἶδος. ὅθεν εἰκότως τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς παραδόσεως ἀπὸ τῆς προφητευθείσης ποιησόμεθα γενέσεως, ἐν μέρει καὶ τὰ τῶν ἑτεροδόξων παρατιθέμενοι καὶ ὡς οἷόν τε ἡμῖν διαλύεσθαι πειρώμενοι. ἀλλὰ γὰρ τὸ μὲν γεγράψεται, ἢν θεός γε ἐθέλῃ καὶ ὅπως ἂν ἐμπνέῃ, νυνὶ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον μετιτέον καὶ τὸν ἠθικὸν ἀποπληρωτέον λόγον.
English · Claude translation
When, then, our whole purpose has been completed in the notes by which, if the Spirit wills, we serve the pressing need (for great is the necessity of what must be said beforehand about the truth), then indeed we will go on to the truly knowing natural philosophy, having been initiated into the lesser mysteries before the greater, so that nothing may stand in the way of the truly divine revelation of sacred things, what must be related and handed down first having been purified and sketched beforehand. The natural philosophy, then, or rather the highest vision, of the knowing tradition according to the rule of truth depends on the account of the origin of the world, ascending from there to the theological form. Fittingly, then, we will begin the tradition from the creation that was prophesied, setting out in part also the views of the heterodox and trying, as far as we can, to refute them. But this will be written, if God wills and as he inspires; now we must go on to the subject before us and complete the ethical account.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- “The rule of truth” is Clement's term for the church's standard of faith. The promised work on creation was probably never written.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.1.3 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/1/3/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.1.3 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/1/3/).
Download citation:BibTeX ·RIS (Zotero, EndNote)
Whole work:BibTeX ·RIS ·Markdown text