Miscellanies Quotes

“Since the fact that pleasure is not a good thing is admitted from the fact that certain pleasures are evil, by this reason good appears evil, and evil good. And then, if we choose some pleasures and shun others, it is not every pleasure that is a good thing.

Similarly, also, the same rule holds with pains, some of which we endure, and others we shun. But choice and avoidance are exercised according to knowledge; so that it is not pleasure that is the good thing, but knowledge by which we shall choose a pleasure at a certain time, and of a certain kind. Now the martyr chooses the pleasure that exists in prospect through the present pain. If pain is conceived as existing in thirst, and pleasure in drinking, the pain that has preceded becomes the efficient cause of pleasure. But evil cannot be the efficient cause of good. Neither, then, is the one thing nor the other evil.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“What reason is there in the law's prohibiting a man from "wearing woman's clothing?" Is it not that it would have us to be manly, and to be effeminate neither in person and actions, nor in thought and word ? For it would have the man, that devotes himself to the truth, to be masculine both in acts of endurance and patience, in life, conduct, word, and discipline by night and by day; even if the necessity were to occur, of witnessing by the shedding of his blood.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“But true philosophic demonstration will contribute to the profit not of the listeners' tongues, but of their minds. And, in my opinion, he who is solicitous about truth ought not to frame his language with artfulness and care, but only to try to express his meaning as he best can.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“For pre-eminently a divine image, resembling God, is the soul of a righteous man; in which, through obedience to the commands, as in a consecrated spot, is enclosed and enshrined the Leader of mortals and of immortals, King and Parent of what is good, who is truly law, and right, and eternal Word, being the one Saviour individually to each, and in common to all.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“We shall understand the mode of purification by confession, and that of contemplation by analysis, advancing by analysis to the first notion, beginning with the properties underlying it; abstracting from the body its physical properties, taking away the dimension of depth, then that of breadth, and then that of length. For the point which remains is a unit, so to speak, having position; from which if we abstract position, there is the conception of unity.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“Ainsi donc, il veut que, convertis au Seigneur, nous redevenions comme des enfants qui reconnaissent leur véritable père, régénérés qu'ils sont par l'eau du baptême, autre création dans la création.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“But God has no natural relation to us, as the authors of the heresies will have it; neither on the supposition of His having made us of nothing, nor on that of having formed us from matter; since the former did not exist at all, and the latter is totally distinct from God, unless we shall dare to say that we are a part of Him, and of the same essence as God. And I know not how one, who knows God, can bear to hear this when he looks to our life, and sees in what evils we are involved. For thus it would turn out, which it were impiety to utter, that God sinned in [certain] portions, if the portions are parts of the whole and complementary of the whole; and if not complementary, neither can they be parts. But God being by nature rich in pity, in consequence of His own goodness, cares for us, though neither portions of Himself, nor by nature His children. And this is the greatest proof of the goodness of God: that such being our relation to Him, and being by nature wholly estranged, He nevertheless cares for us. For the affection in animals to their progeny is natural, and the friendship of kindred minds is the result of intimacy. But the mercy of God is rich toward us, who are in no respect related to Him; I say either in our essence or nature, or in the peculiar energy of our essence, but only in our being the work of His will.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“And this is being just and holy with wisdom; for the Divinity needs nothing and suffers nothing; whence it is not, strictly speaking, capable of self-restraint, for it is never subjected to perturbation, over which to exercise control; while our nature, being capable of perturbation, needs self-constraint, by which disciplining itself to the need of little, it endeavours to approximate in character to the divine nature.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“ἄφες καὶ ἀφεθήσεταί σοι, βιαζομένης
ὥσπερ τῆς ἐντολῆς εἰς σωτηρίαν δι' ὑπερβολὴν ἀγαθότητος.

'Forgive, and it shall be forgiven you'; the commandment, as it were, compelling people to salvation, out of a superabundance of goodness. (Strom. 7.14.86.6)”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“He, in truth, bears witness to himself that he is faithful and loyal towards God; and to the tempter, that he in vain envied him who is faithful through love; and to the Lord, of the inspired persuasion in reference to His doctrine, from which he will not depart through fear of death; further, he confirms also the truth of preaching by his deed, showing that God to whom he hastes is powerful. You will wonder at his love, which he conspicuously shows with thankfulness, in being united to what is allied to him, and besides by his precious blood, shaming the unbelievers. He then avoids denying Christ through fear by reason of the command; nor does he sell his faith in the hope of the gifts prepared, but in love to the Lord he will most gladly depart from this life; perhaps giving thanks both to him who afforded the cause of his departure hence, and to him who laid the plot against him, for receiving an honourable reason which he himself furnished not, for showing what he is, to him by his patience, and to the Lord in love, by which even before his birth he was manifested to the Lord, who knew the martyr's choice. With good courage, then, he goes to the Lord, his friend, for whom he voluntarily gave his body, and, as his judges hoped, his soul, hearing from our Saviour the words of poetry, "Dear brother," by reason of the similarity of his life. We call martyrdom perfection, not because the man comes to the end of his life as others, but because he has exhibited the perfect work of love.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“For self-control is common to all human beings who have made choice of it. And we admit that the same nature exists in every race, and the same virtue. As far as respects human nature, the woman does not possess one nature, and the man exhibit another, but the same: so also with virtue. If, consequently, a self-restraint and righteousness, and whatever qualities are regarded as following them, is the virtue of the male, it belongs to the male alone to be virtuous, and to the woman to be licentious and unjust. But it is offensive even to say this. Accordingly woman is to practise self-restraint and righteousness, and every other virtue, as well as man, both bond and free; since it is a fit consequence that the same nature possesses one and the same virtue. We do not say that woman's nature is the same as man's, as she is woman. For undoubtedly it stands to reason that some difference should exist between each of them, in \ virtue of which one is male and the other female. Preg-\ nancy and parturition, accordingly, we say belong to woman, |as she is woman, and not as she is a human being. But if there were no difference between man and woman, both would do and suffer the same things. As then there is sameness, as far as respects the soul, she will attain to the same virtue ; but as there is difference as respects the peculiar construction of the body, she is destined for child-bearing and housekeeping.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“Voilà pourquoi il faut, dit l'apôtre, n'instituer évêques que ceux qui se sont préparés, par le gouvernement de la famille, au gouvernement de l'Église entière.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“The first step to salvation is the instruction accompanied with fear, in consequence of which we abstain from what is wrong; and the second is hope, by reason of which we desire the best things; but love, as is fitting, perfects, by training now according to knowledge.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“En effet, ils n'ont ni connu ni fait la volonté de la loi ; ce qu'ils ont pensé, ils ont cru que la loi le voulait. Ainsi ils n'ont pas cru à la loi en tant que parole prophétique, ils n'ont vu en elle qu'une parole stérile. C'est par crainte, non par affection ni par foi qu'ils lui ont été fidèles; car Jésus-Christ, dont l'avènement a été prédit par la loi, est la fin de la loi pour justifier tous ceux qui croiront.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“For, on the other hand, he who in chaste love looks on beauty, thinks not that the flesh is beautiful, but the spirit, admiring, as I judge, the body as an image, by whose beauty he transports himself to the Artist, and to the true beauty[.]”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“Une fois qu'il a reçu la rémission de ses péchés, l'homme ne doit donc plus faillir, parce que la première pénitence, celle d*s fautes qui souillèrent la vie de paganisme, c'est-à-dire la vie d'ignorance, est la meilleure. Elle est proposée à ceux qui ont été appelés comme purification de l'âme pour y établir la foi. Mais le Seigneur qui lit dans le secret des cœurs et connait l'avenir, a prévu d'en haut et dès le commencement l'inconstance de l'homme, son penchant aux rechutes, elles artifices du démon. Il n'ignore pas que l'ange du mal, jaloux de ce que l'homme jouit du privilège de la rémission des péchés, suggérera des occasions de faillir aux serviteurs de Dieu, et que sa malice leur tendra habilement des pièges pour 152 les entrainer dans sa ruine. Dieu l'a prédit, et dans l'abondance de sa miséricorde, il a fait don d'une seconde pénitence aux enfants de la foi qui viendraient à tomber ; afin que si la faiblesse, cédant à la force ou à la séduction, se laissait tenter, elle reçût une seconde pénitence, celle après laquelle il n'y a plus de pénitence.

« Car, si nous péchons volontairement après avoir reçu la connaissance de la vérité, il n'y a plus désormais de victime pour les péchés, mais il ne nous reste qu'une attente terrible du jugement, et le feu vengeur qui dévorera les ennemis de Dieu. »

Ceux dont les pénitences et les fautes se succèdent continuellement ne diffèrent en rien de ceux qui n'ont pas encore la foi, sinon qu'ils ont péché avec connaissance de cause. Et je ne sais ce qu'il y a de plus funeste, ou de pécher sciemment, ou de se repentir de ses péchés et d'y retomber de nouveau ; des deux côtés la faute est évidente. Ici, pendant l'acte même, l'iniquité est condamnée par l'ouvrier de l'iniquité ; là, l'auteur du péché le connait avant de le commettre, et pourtant il s'y livre avec la conviction que c'est un mal. L'un se fait l'esclave de la colère et du plaisir, n'ignorant pas à quels penchants il s'abandonne ; l'autre qui, après s'être repenti de ses vices, se replonge de nouveau dans la volupté, touche de près à celui qui, dès le principe, pèche volontairement; faire succéder au repentir d'un péché. l'acte de ce même pèche, tout en le condamnant, n'est-ce pas le commettre avec connaissance de cause ? Celui donc d'entre les gentils qui, de sa vie antérieure et profane, a pris son vol vers la foi, a obtenu d'un seul coup la rémission de tous ses péchés. Mais celui qui, pécheur relapse, s'est ensuite repenti, lors même qu'il obtient son pardon, doit rougir de honte, comme n'étant plus lavé par les eaux baptismales pour la rémission des péchés. Car il faut qu'il renonce, non-seulement aux idoles dont il se faisait auparavant des dieux, mais encore aux œuvres de sa vie antérieure, l'homme qui est né à la foi, non du sang ni de la volonté de la chair, mais qui a été régénéré dans l'esprit; ce qui arrivera si, fidèle à ne pas retomber dans le même péché, il se repent avec sincérité.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“Those, then, who run down created existence and vilify the body are wrong; not considering that the frame of man was formed erect for the contemplation of heaven, and that the organization of the senses tends to knowledge; and that the members and parts are arranged for good, not for pleasure. Whence this abode becomes receptive of the soul which is most precious to God; and is dignified with the Holy Spirit through the sanctification of soul and body, perfected with the perfection of the Saviour.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“Of the gnostic so much has been cursorily, as it were, written. We proceed now to the sequel, and must again contemplate faith; for there are some that draw the distinction, that faith has reference to the Son, and knowledge to the Spirit. But it has escaped their notice that, in order to believe truly in the Son, we must believe that He is the Son, and that He came, and how, and for what, and respecting His passion ; and we must know who is the Son of God. Now neither is knowledge without faith, nor faith without knowledge. Nor is the Father without the Son ; for the Son is with the Father. And the Son is the true teacher respecting the Father; and that we may believe in the Son, we must know the Father, with whom also is the Son. Again, in order that we may know the Father, we must believe in the Son, that it is the Son of God who teaches ; for from faith to knowledge by the Son is the Father. And the knowledge of the Son and Father, which is according to the gnostic rule—that which in reality is gnostic—is the attainment and comprehension of the truth by the truth.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“Nous donc, selon les paroles de l'illustre apôtre, c'est en vertu de la foi que nous espérons recevoir la justice; car, eu Jésus-Christ, ni la circoncision ni l'incirconcision ne servent, mais la foi qui agit par la charité.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“Wherefore also Cleanthes, in the second book, On Pleasure, says that Socrates everywhere teaches that the just man and the happy are one and the same, and execrated the first man who separated the just from the useful, as having done an impious thing. For those are in truth impious who separate the useful from that which is right' according to the law.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“La loi ancienne, qui cachait dès l'origine le symbole de notre régénération future sous la génération charnelle, associait son baptême à la faculté génératrice de la semence humaine, comme pour attester qu'elle n'avait pas la procréation en horreur.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“So I think it is demonstrated that the God being good, and the Lord powerful, they save with a righteousness and equality which extend to all that turn to Him, whether here or elsewhere. For it is not here alone that the active power of God is beforehand, but it is everywhere and is always at work.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Volume 12. The Writings of Clement of Alexandria

“La génération est un mal, dites-vous? — Soutenez donc alors que le Seigneur a passé par la souillure du mal, puisqu'il est ne par la voie de la génération ; que la Vierge a passé par la souillure du mal, puisqu'elle a enfanté.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“former une âme par l'enseignement de la foi et lui ouvrir les yeux à la lumière véritable s'appelle aussi dans la philosophie barbare la régénérer.

« C'est moi qui vous ai engendrés en Jésus-Christ, »

dit quelque part le divin apôtre.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“N'est-il pas évident que le même Dieu qui a dit :

« Tu ne feras aucune image taillée »

n'aurait pas ordonné les représentations des chérubins, si elles n'avaient caché un symbole? Il n'y a d'ailleurs dans le ciel aucun être sensible et composé qui leur ressemble. Le visage figure l'âme intelligente ; les deux ailes, les fonctions et les actes élevés qu'accomplissent en nous les organes de notre gauche ou de notre droite ; la voix est l'hymne de gloire qu'entonne l'âme reconnaissante, plongée dans une indéfectible contemplation. Ces interprétations mystiques suffiront, sans qu'il soit nécessaire de les pousser plus loin.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“Il faut conclure de là que pour être sauvé il est nécessaire d'avoir appris la vérité de la bouche du Christ, quand même on se serait élevé jusqu'aux maximes de la philosophie grecque.

Stromates Livre V, XIII”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“Le dogme des châtiments après la mort, ces expiations par le feu, sont encore des emprunts que la muse des poètes, en tous lieux, et en Grèce la philosophie a faits à la philosophie des barbares. Je lis ces paroles solennelles dans le dernier livre de la République de Platon :

« En ce moment, des hommes qui paraissaient être de feu, et dont le visage respirait la férocité, répondant à l'appel de l'abime, apparurent tout à coup. Ils commencèrent par emmener à l'écart les nouveau-venus. Puis ils se saisirent d'Aridée et de quelques autres, leur lièrent la tête, les mains, les pieds, les étendirent par terre, leur arrachèrent la peau, et les trainèrent dehors, en leur déchirant les membres sur des pointes d'aspalathes (21) qui bordaient le chemin.»

Je le demande, ces hommes au visage de feu ne représentent-ils pas les mauvais 432 anges qui saisissent les coupables pour les torturer, suivant cette parole de l'Écriture :

« Qui fait de ses anges l'esprit des tempêtes et de ses ministres la flamme dévorante. »”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“« Tout est soumis au roi de toutes choses. C'est par lui que l'ensemble de l'univers existe : il est l'auteur de tout bien. Les choses qui tiennent le second rang relèvent du second ; les troisièmes du troisième; »

je ne puis voir dans ces paroles que l'énonciation du mystère de la sainte Trinité; le troisième désigne le Saint-Esprit, et le second représente le Fils par lequel tout s'exécute d'après la volonté du Père.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“portant comme châtiment suprême le poids du repentir personnel des péchés qu'il a commis après son baptême. Livre VI, XV”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies

“Numa the king of the Romans was a Pythagorean, and aided by the precepts of Moses, prohibited from making an image of God in human form, and of the shape of a living creature. Accordingly, during the first hundred and seventy years, though building temples, they made no cast or graven image. For Numa secretly showed them that the Best of Beings could not be apprehended except by the mind alone.”
― Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies