2833
[The use of this title is noticeable here, on many accounts,
as historic.]
Clement also, drawing a picture of the
Gnostic, says:2834
2834 [See
vol. i. p. 5–11, et seqq. S.]
“For who that
has sojourned among you has not proved your perfect and firm faith? and
has not admired your sound and gentlepiety? and has not celebrated
the munificent style of your hospitality? and has not felicitated your
complete and sure knowledge? For ye did all things impartially, and
walked in the ordinances of God;” and so forth.
He it
was who overcame the tempter by patience, and at once testified and was
testified to by God; who keeps hold of humility, and says, “No
one is pure from defilement, not even if his life were but for one
day.”2837
But he also says to God, ‘Pity me, O God, according to Thy mercy;
and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my
transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me
from my sin. For I know my transgression, and my sin is ever before
me.’”2840
Then, alluding to sin which is not subject
to the law, in the exercise of the moderation of true knowledge,
he adds, “Against Thee only have I sinned, and done evil in
Thy sight.”2841
And the more of a Gnostic a man becomes by doing right, the nearer is
the illuminating Spirit to him. “Thus the Lord draws near to the
righteous, and none of the thoughts and reasonings of which we are the
authorsescape Him—I mean the LordJesus,” the scrutinizer by
His omnipotent will of our heart, “whose blood was consecrated2843
2843ἡγιάσθη.
Clemens Romanus has ἐδόθη.
[Vol. i. p. 11, this series.]
for us. Let us therefore respect
those who are over us, and reverence the elders; let us honour the young,
and let us teach the discipline of God.” For blessed is he who
shall do and teach the Lord’s commands worthily; and he is of
a magnanimous mind, and of a mind contemplative of truth. “Let
us direct our wives to what is good; let them exhibit,” says he,
“the lovable disposition of chastity; let them show the guileless
will of their meekness; let them manifest the gentleness of their tongue
by silence; let them give their love not according to their inclinations,
but equal love in sanctity to all that fearGod. Let our children share
in the discipline that is in Christ; let them learn what humility avails
before God; what is the power of holy love before God, how lovely and
great is the fear of the Lord, saving all that walk in it holily; with
a pure heart: for He is the Searcher of the thoughts and sentiments,
whose breath is in us, and when He wills He will take it away.”
Then He subjoins the gnostic mystery of
the numbers seven and eight.‘Stop thy tongue from evil, and thy
lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good. Seekpeace,
and pursue it.’2845
For in these words He alludes to knowledge
(gnosis), with abstinence from evil and the doing of what is good,
teaching that it is to be perfected by word and deed. ‘The eyes
of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are to their prayer. But
the face of God is against those that do evil, to root out their memory
from the earth. The righteouscried, and the Lord heard, and delivered
him out of all his distresses.’2846
“A multitude of mercy,” he nobly
says, “surrounds him that trusts in the Lord.”
For it is written in the Epistle to the Corinthians,
“Through JesusChrist our foolish and darkened mind springs up to
the light. By Him the Sovereign Lord wished us to taste the knowledge
that is immortal.” And, showing more expressly the peculiarnature
of knowledge, he added: “These things, then, being clear to us,
looking into the depths of divineknowledge, we ought to do all things in
order which the Sovereign Lord commanded us to perform at the appointedseasons. Let the wise man, then, show his wisdom not in words only, but in
good deeds. Let the humble not testify to himself, but allow testimony to
be borne to him by another. Let not him who is pure in the fleshboast,
knowing that it is another who furnishes him with continence. Ye see,
brethren, that the more we are subjected to peril, the more knowledge
are we counted worthy of.”
