MDCCCLXVII.
CONTENTS.
| PAGE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Notice, | [11] | |
| EXHORTATION TO THE HEATHEN. | ||
| CHAP. | ||
| I. | Exhortation to abandon the Impious Mysteries of Idolatryfor the Adoration of the Divine Word and God theFather, | [17] |
| II. | The Absurdity and Impiety of the Heathen Mysteries andFables about the Birth and Death of their Gods, | [26] |
| III. | The Cruelty of the Sacrifices to the Gods, | [48] |
| IV. | The Absurdity and Shamefulness of the Images by whichthe Gods are worshipped, | [52] |
| V. | The Opinions of the Philosophers respecting God, | [66] |
| VI. | By Divine Inspiration Philosophers sometimes hit on theTruth, | [69] |
| VII. | The Poets also bear Testimony to the Truth, | [73] |
| VIII. | The True Doctrine is to be sought in the Prophets, | [76] |
| IX. | That those grievously sin who despise or neglect God’sgracious Calling, | [80] |
| X. | Answer to the Objection of the Heathen, that it was notright to abandon the Customs of their Fathers, | [85] |
| XI. | How great are the Benefits conferred on Man through theAdvent of Christ, | [100] |
| XII. | Exhortation to abandon their Old Errors and listen to theInstructions of Christ, | [106] |
| THE INSTRUCTOR. | ||
| BOOK I. | ||
| I. | The Office of the Instructor, | [113] |
| II. | Our Instructor’s Treatment of our Sins, | [115] |
| III. | The Philanthropy of the Instructor, | [118] |
| IV. | Men and Women alike under the Instructor’s Charge, | [121] |
| V. | All who walk according to Truth are Children of God, | [122] |
| VI. | The name “Children” does not imply Instruction in ElementaryPrinciples, | [131] |
| VII. | Who the Instructor is, and respecting His Instruction, | [149] |
| VIII. | Against those who think that what is just is not good, | [155] |
| XI. | That it is the Prerogative of the same Power to be beneficentand to punish justly; also, the Manner of theInstruction of the Logos, | [164] |
| X. | That the same God, by the same Word, restrains from Sinby threatening, and saves Humanity by exhorting, | [174] |
| XI. | That the Word instructed by the Law and the Prophets, | [179] |
| XII. | The Instructor characterized by the severity and benignityof Paternal Affection, | [181] |
| XIII. | Virtue rational, Sin irrational, | [184] |
| BOOK II. | ||
| I. | On Eating, | [186] |
| II. | On Drinking, | [200] |
| III. | On Costly Vessels, | [211] |
| IV. | How to conduct ourselves at Feasts, | [215] |
| V. | On Laughter, | [219] |
| VI. | On Filthy Speaking, | [222] |
| VII. | Directions for those who live together, | [225] |
| VIII. | On the use of Ointments and Crowns, | [230] |
| IX. | On Sleep, | [240] |
| X. | Quænam de procreatione liberorum tractanda sint, | [244] |
| XI. | On Clothes, | [255] |
| XII. | On Shoes, | [264] |
| XIII. | Against excessive Fondness for Jewels and Gold Ornaments, | [266] |
| BOOK III. | ||
| I. | On the True Beauty, | [273] |
| II. | Against Embellishing the Body, | [276] |
| III. | Against Men who Embellish themselves, | [284] |
| IV. | With whom we are to Associate, | [292] |
| V. | Behaviour in the Baths, | [296] |
| VI. | The Christian alone Rich, | [298] |
| VII. | Frugality a good Provision for the Christian, | [301] |
| VIII. | Similitudes and Examples a most important part of rightInstruction, | [304] |
| IX. | Why we are to use the Bath, | [308] |
| X. | The Exercises suited to a good Life, | [310] |
| XI. | A Compendious View of the Christian Life, | [313] |
| Clothes, | [313] | |
| Ear-rings, | [315] | |
| Finger-rings, | [315] | |
| The Hair, | [317] | |
| Painting the Face, | [319] | |
| Walking, | [324] | |
| The Model Maiden, | [325] | |
| Amusements and Associates, | [325] | |
| Public Spectacles, | [326] | |
| Religion in Ordinary Life, | [327] | |
| Going to Church, | [328] | |
| Out of Church, | [329] | |
| Love, and the Kiss of Charity, | [329] | |
| The Government of the Eyes, | [330] | |
| XII. | Continuation, with Texts from Scripture, | [332] |
| Prayer to the Pædagogus, | [342] | |
| A Hymn to Christ the Saviour, | [343] | |
| To the Pædagogus, | [346] | |
| THE MISCELLANIES; OR, STROMATA. | ||
| BOOK I. | ||
| I. | Preface—The Author’s Object—The Utility of WrittenCompositions, | [349] |
| II. | Objections to the Number of Extracts from PhilosophicalWritings in these Books, Anticipated andAnswered, | [360] |
| III. | Against the Sophists, | [362] |
| IV. | Human Arts, as well as Divine Knowledge, proceedfrom God, | [364] |
| V. | Philosophy the Handmaid of Theology, | [366] |
| VI. | The Benefit of Culture, | [371] |
| VI. | The Eclectic Philosophy paves the way for Divine Virtue, | [374] |
| VIII. | The Sophistical Arts useless, | [376] |
| IX. | Human Knowledge necessary for the Understanding ofthe Scriptures, | [379] |
| X. | To Act well of greater consequence than to Speak well, | [381] |
| XI. | What is the Philosophy which the Apostle bids us shun? | [384] |
| XII. | The Mysteries of the Faith not to be divulged to All, | [388] |
| XIII. | All Sects of Philosophy contain a Germ of Truth, | [389] |
| XIV. | Succession of Philosophers in Greece, | [391] |
| XV. | The Greek Philosophy in great part derived from the Barbarians, | [395] |
| XVI. | That the Inventors of other Arts were mostly Barbarians, | [401] |
| XVII. | On the saying of the Saviour, “All that came beforeMe were thieves and robbers,” | [406] |
| XVIII. | He illustrates the Apostle’s saying, “I will destroy thewisdom of the wise,” | [410] |
| XIX. | That the Philosophers have attained to some portion of Truth, | [413] |
| XX. | In what respect Philosophy contributes to the comprehensionof Divine Truth, | [418] |
| XXI. | The Jewish Institutions and Laws of far higher Antiquitythan the Philosophy of the Greeks, | [421] |
| XXII. | On the Greek Translation of the Old Testament, | [448] |
| XXIII. | The Age, Birth, and Life of Moses, | [450] |
| XXIV. | How Moses discharged the Part of a Military Leader, | [455] |
| XXV. | Plato an Imitator of Moses in Framing Laws, | [459] |
| XXVI. | Moses rightly called a Divine Legislator, and, thoughinferior to Christ, far superior to the great Legislatorsof the Greeks, Minos and Lycurgus, | [461] |
| XXVII. | The Law, even in Correcting and Punishing, aims atthe Good of Men, | [464] |
| XXVIII. | The Fourfold Division of the Mosaic Law, | [467] |
| XXIX. | The Greeks but Children compared with the Hebrews, | [469] |
INTRODUCTORY NOTICE.
Titus Flavius Clemens, the illustrious head of the Catechetical School at Alexandria at the close of the second century, was originally a pagan philosopher. The date of his birth is unknown. It is also uncertain whether Alexandria or Athens was his birthplace.[1]
On embracing Christianity, he eagerly sought the instructions of its most eminent teachers; for this purpose travelling extensively over Greece, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, and other regions of the East.
Only one of these teachers (who, from a reference in the Stromata, all appear to have been alive when he wrote[2]) can be with certainty identified, viz. Pantænus, of whom he speaks in terms of profound reverence, and whom he describes as the greatest of them all. Returning to Alexandria, he succeeded his master Pantænus in the catechetical school, probably on the latter departing on his missionary tour to the East, somewhere about A.D. 189.[3] He was also made a presbyter of the church, either then or somewhat later.[4] He continued to teach with great distinction till A.D. 202, when the persecution under Severus compelled him to retire from Alexandria. In the beginning of the reign of Caracalla we find him at Jerusalem, even then a great resort of Christian, and especially clerical, pilgrims. We also hear of him travelling to Antioch, furnished with a letter of recommendation by Alexander bishop of Jerusalem. The close of his career is covered with obscurity. He is supposed to have died about A.D. 220.
Among his pupils were his distinguished successor in the Alexandrian school, Origen, Alexander bishop of Jerusalem, and, according to Baronius, Combefisius, and Bull, also Hippolytus.
The above is positively the sum of what we know of Clement’s history.