Bad Advertisement?
Are you a Christian?
Online Store:Visit Our Store
| Clement's Zeal.
PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP 
Chapter
XI.—Clement’s Zeal.
When he said this, they all, as in concert, set up a
shout of laughter, trying to silence him and put him out, as a
barbarous madman. But I, seeing this, and seized, I know not how,
with enthusiasm, could no longer keep silence with righteous
indignation, but boldly cried out, saying, “Well has God ordained
that His counsel should be incapable of being received by you,
foreseeing you to be unworthy, as appears manifestly to such of those
who are now present as have minds capable of judging. For whereas
now heralds of His counsel have been sent forth, not making a show of
grammatical art, but setting
forth His will in simple and in artificial words, so that whosoever
hear can understand what is spoken, and not with any invidious feeling,
as though unwilling to offer it to all; you come here, and besides your
not understanding what is for your advantage, to your own injury you
laugh at the truth, which, to your condemnation, consorts with the
barbarians, and which you will not entertain when it visits you, by
reason of your wickedness and the plainness of its words, lest you be
convicted of being merely lovers of words, and not lovers of truth and
lovers of wisdom. How long will you be learning to speak, who
have not the power of speech?907
| 907 The Vatican
ms. and Epit. have “the power of speaking
well.” | For many
sayings of yours are not worth one word. What, then, will your
Grecian multitude say, being of one mind, if, as he says, there shall
be a judgment? “Why, O God, didst Thou not proclaim to us
Thy counsel?” Shall you not, if you be thought worthy of an
answer at all, be told this? “I, knowing before the
foundation of the world all characters that were to be, acted towards
each one by anticipation according to his deserts without making it
known;908
| 908 Lit., “I met
each one beforehand secretly.” The Latin has,
“unicuique prævius occurri.” | but wishing to give full assurance to
those who have fled to me that this is so, and to explain why from the
beginning, and in the first ages, I did not suffer my counsel to be
publicly proclaimed; I now, in the end of the world,909
have sent heralds to proclaim my will, and they are insulted and
flouted by those who will not be benefited, and who wilfully reject my
friendship. Oh, great wrong! The preachers are exposed to
danger even to the loss of life,910
| 910 The Paris
ms. reads φθόνου,
“envy,” instead of φόνου,
“murder.” | and that by the
men who are called to salvation.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
