Miscellanies 7.17.107
Summary: Since the heresies are later counterfeits, the true church is the one ancient catholic church, which, like the one God and one Lord, is one and gathers the elect into the unity of one faith.
Textual problem in this passage: the printed text is uncertain or disputed here. See the notes.
Greek text · Stählin 2
Μαρκίων γὰρ κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτοῖς ἡλικίαν γενόμενος ὡς πρεσβύτης νεωτέροις συνεγένετο. † μεθʼ ὃν Σίμων ἐπʼ ὀλίγον κηρύσσοντος τοῦ Πέτρου ὑπήκουσεν. ὧν οὕτως ἐχόντων συμφανὲς ἐκ τῆς προγενεστάτης καὶ ἀληθεστάτης ἐκκλησίας τὰς μεταγενεστέρας ταύτας καὶ τὰς ἔτι τούτων ὑποβεβηκυίας τῷ χρόνῳ κεκαινοτομῆσθαι παραχαραχθείσας αἱρέσεις. ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἄρα φανερὸν οἶμαι γεγενῆσθαι μίαν εἶναι τὴν ἀληθῆ ἐκκλησίαν τὴν τῷ ὄντι ἀρχαίαν, εἰς ἣν οἱ κατὰ πρόθεσιν δίκαιοι ἐγκαταλέγονται. ἑνὸς γὰρ ὄντος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἑνὸς τοῦ κυρίου, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ ἄκρως τίμιον κατὰ τὴν μόνωσιν ἐπαινεῖται, μίμημα ὂν ἀρχῆς τῆς μιᾶς. τῇ γοῦν τοῦ ἑνὸς φύσει συγκληροῦται ἐκκλησία ἡ μία, ἣν εἰς πολλὰς κατατέμνειν βιάζονται αἱρέσεις. κατά τε οὖν ὑπόστασιν κατά τε ἐπίνοιαν κατά τε ἀρχὴν κατά τε ἐξοχὴν μόνην εἶναί φαμεν τὴν ἀρχαίαν καὶ καθολικὴν ἐκκλησίαν, »εἰς ἑνότητα πίστεως« μιᾶς, τῆς κατὰ τὰς οἰκείας διαθήκας, μᾶλλον δὲ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην τὴν μίαν διαφόροις τοῖς χρόνοις, ἑνὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ βουλήματι διʼ ἑνὸς τοῦ κυρίου συνάγουσαν τοὺς ἤδη κατατεταγμένους· οὓς προώρισεν ὁ θεός, δικαίους ἐσομένους πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου ἐγνωκώς. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ἐξοχὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καθάπερ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς συστάσεως, κατὰ τὴν μονάδα ἐστίν, πάντα τὰ ἄλλα ὑπερβάλλουσα καὶ μηδὲν ἔχουσα ὅμοιον ἢ ἴσον ἑαυτῇ.
English · Claude translation
For Marcion, who lived at the same time as they did, associated as an old man with younger men. … After him Simon for a short time heard Peter preaching. This being so, it is evident from the most ancient and truest church that these later heresies, and those still later in time, have been newly invented as counterfeits. From what has been said, then, it has become clear, I think, that the true church, the one that is truly ancient, is one, and into it those who are righteous according to God's purpose are enrolled. For since God is one and the Lord is one, what is supremely honorable is also praised for its oneness, being an imitation of the one first principle. So the one church shares in the nature of the One, the church which the heresies try forcibly to cut up into many. In substance, then, in conception, in origin, and in pre-eminence, we say that the ancient and catholic church is alone, gathering together “into the unity of the one faith,” the faith according to its own covenants, or rather according to the one covenant at different times, by the will of the one God through the one Lord, those already appointed, whom God predestined, having known before the foundation of the world that they would be righteous. And the pre-eminence of the church, like the origin of its constitution, lies in its oneness, surpassing all other things and having nothing like or equal to itself.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- A dagger in the edition marks the sentence about Simon as corrupt; Simon Magus (Acts 8:9–24) was earlier than Marcion, so the chronology as printed is confused. The allusions are Eph 4:4–6, 13 (one Lord, unity of the faith), Rom 8:29–30 (predestined), and Eph 1:4 (before the foundation of the world).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period and accent: grave on οὓς; stray period in the digital text; stray periods in the digital text): κατὰ τὴν μόνωσιν ἐπαινεῖται. μίμημα → κατὰ τὴν μόνωσιν ἐπαινεῖται, μίμημα; διαφόροις τοῖς χρόνοις. ἑνὸς → διαφόροις τοῖς χρόνοις, ἑνὸς; οὕς προώρισεν ὁ θεός. δικαίους → οὓς προώρισεν ὁ θεός, δικαίους; ἡ ἐξοχὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας. καθάπερ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς συστάσεως, κατὰ τὴν μονάδα ἐστίν. πάντα → ἡ ἐξοχὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καθάπερ ἡ ἀρχὴ τῆς συστάσεως, κατὰ τὴν μονάδα ἐστίν, πάντα.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.17.107 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/17/107/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 7.17.107 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/7/17/107/).
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