Miscellanies 6.12.98
Summary: Sinners cannot blame demons: by choosing what demons choose, a person becomes demonic; some goods, like knowledge, are chosen for themselves, others, like faith, for their results, since most avoid sin from fear and obey for the promised reward.
Greek text · Stählin 2:481
Μὴ τοίνυν λεγόντων ὡς ὁ ἀδικῶν καὶ ἁμαρτάνων κατʼ ἐνέργειαν δαιμόνων πλημμελεῖ, ἐπεὶ κἂν ἀθῷος γένοιτο, τὰ δὲ αὐτὰ τοῖς δαιμονίοις κατὰ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν αἱρούμενος, ἀνέδραστος καὶ κοῦφος καὶ εὐμετάβολος ἐν ἐπιθυμίαις, ὡς δαίμων, γίνεται ἄνθρωπος δαιμονικός. αὐτίκα ὁ μὲν κακὸς φύσει, ἁμαρτητικὸς διὰ κακίαν γενόμενος, φαῦλος καθέστηκεν, ἔχων ἣν ἑκὼν εἵλετο· ἁμαρτητικὸς δὲ ὢν καὶ κατὰ τὰς πράξεις διαμαρτάνει· ἔμπαλιν δὲ ὁ σπουδαῖος κατορθοῖ. διὸ οὐ μόνον τὰς ἀρετάς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς πράξεις τὰς καλὰς ἀγαθὰ καλοῦμεν· τῶν δὲ ἀγαθῶν ἴσμεν τὰ μὲν αὐτὰ διʼ αὑτὰ αἱρετά, ὡς τὴν γνῶσιν (οὐ γὰρ ἄλλο τι ἐξ αὐτῆς θηρῶμεν, ἐπειδὰν παρῇ, ἢ μόνον τὸ παρεῖναι αὐτὴν καὶ ἐν ἀδιαλείπτῳ θεωρίᾳ ἡμᾶς εἶναι καὶ εἰς αὐτὴν καὶ διʼ αὐτὴν ἀγωνίζεσθαι), τὰ δὲ διʼ ἕτερα, ὡς τὴν πίστιν διὰ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῆς περιγενομένην φυγήν τε τῆς κολάσεως καὶ ὠφέλειαν τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως. φόβος μὲν γὰρ αἴτιος τοῦ μὴ ἁμαρτάνειν τοῖς πολλοῖς, ἐπαγγελία δὲ ἀφορμὴ τοῦ διώκειν ὑπακοήν, διʼ ἧς ἡ σωτηρία.
English · Claude translation
Let them not say, then, that the one who does wrong and sins transgresses through the working of demons; for then he would be innocent. Rather, by choosing the same things as the demons in sinning, unstable, light, and changeable in his desires like a demon, a man becomes demonic. For instance, the bad man, having become sinful in nature through vice, is established as worthless, having what he willingly chose; and being sinful, he also errs in his actions; conversely, the good man acts rightly. That is why we call good not only the virtues but also good actions. Of goods, we know that some are chosen for their own sake, like knowledge (for once it is present we seek nothing else from it except that it be present, that we be in unbroken contemplation, and that we strive toward it and for its sake); and others for the sake of other things, like faith, for the sake of the escape from punishment and the benefit of the reward that result from it. For fear is the cause of not sinning for the many, and the promise is the starting point for pursuing obedience, through which comes salvation.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The phrase “the bad man, having become sinful in nature through vice” renders κακὸς φύσει, ἁμαρτητικὸς διὰ κακίαν γενόμενος; with the comma as printed it could also mean “bad by nature,” which would contradict the stress on free choice. The division of goods into those chosen for their own sake and for the sake of others is Stoic and Aristotelian.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (misspelling in the digital text (φύσει)): κακὸς φύσι, → κακὸς φύσει,.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.12.98 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/12/98/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 6.12.98 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/6/12/98/).
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