Page:Dictionary of Christian Biography and Literature (1911).djvu/197

mountain (vii. § 111), studded irregularly with various growths, and so fitted to exercise the ingenuity and labour of those likely to profit by it (vi. § 2, p. 736, Pott.). But yet the book is inspired by one thought. It is an endeavour to claim for the gospel the power of fulfilling all the desires of men and of raising to a supreme unity all the objects of knowledge, in the soul of the true gnostic—the perfect Christian philosopher. The first book, which is mutilated at the beginning, treats in the main of the office and the origin of Greek philosophy in relation to Christianity and Judaism. Clement shews that Greek philosophy was part of the Divine education of men, subordinate to the training of the law and the prophets, but yet really from God (§§ 1‒58; 91‒100). In his anxiety to establish this cardinal proposition he is not content with shewing that the books of O.T. are older than those of the philosophers (59‒65; 101‒164; 180‒182); but endeavours to prove also that the philosophers borrowed from the Jews (66‒90; 165 f.). After this he vindicates the character and explains the general scope of the law—"the philosophy of Moses" (167‒179). The main object of the second book lies in the more detailed exposition of the originality and superiority of the moral teaching of revelation as compared with that of Greek philosophy which was in part derived from it (§§ 1 ff.; 20‒24; 78‒96). The argument includes an examination of the nature of faith (4‒19; 25‒31), resting on a godly fear and perfected by love (32‒55); and of repentance (56‒71). He discusses the sense in which human affections are ascribed to God (72‒75); and shews that the conception of the ideal Christian is that of a man made like to God (97‒126), in accordance with the noblest aspirations of philosophy (127‒136). The book closes with a preliminary discussion of marriage. The third book investigates the true doctrine of marriage (§§ 57‒60) as against those who indulged in every license on the ground that bodily actions are indifferent (1‒11; 25‒44); and, on the other hand, those who abstained from marriage from hatred of the Creator (12‒24; 45‒46). Various passages of Scripture wrongly interpreted by heretics are examined (61‒101); and the two main errors are shewn to be inconsistent with Christianity (102‒110). The fourth book opens with a very interesting outline of the whole plan of the comprehensive apology for Christianity on which he had entered (§§ 1‒3). The work evidently grew under his hands, and he implies that he could hardly expect to accomplish the complete design. He then adds fresh traits to his portrait of the true "gnostic." Self-sacrifice, martyrdom, lie at the root of his nature (8‒56; 72‒77), virtues within the reach of all states and of both sexes (57‒71), though even this required to be guarded against fanaticism and misunderstanding (78‒96). Other virtues, as love and endurance, are touched upon (97‒119); and then Clement gives a picture of a godly woman (120‒131), and of the gnostic, who rises above fear and hope to that perfection which rests in the knowledge and love of God (132‒174). In the fifth book Clement, following the outline laid down (iv. 1), discusses faith and hope (§§ 1‒18), and then passes to the principle of enigmatic teaching. This, he argues, was followed by heathen and Jewish masters alike (19‒26); by Pythagoras (27‒31); by Moses, in the ordinances of the tabernacle (32‒41); by the Aegyptians (42‒44); and by many others (45‒56). The principle itself is, he maintains, defensible on intelligible grounds (57‒60), and supported by the authority of the apostles (61‒67). For in fact the knowledge of God can be gained only through serious effort and by divine help (68‒89). This review of the character and sources of the highest knowledge leads Clement back to his characteristic proposition that the Greeks borrowed from the Jews the noblest truths of their own philosophy. The sixth and seventh books are designed, as Clement states (vi. § 1) to shew the character of the Christian philosopher (the gnostic), and so to make it clear that he alone is the true worshipper of God. By way of prelude Clement repeats and enforces (§§ 4‒38) what he had said on Greek plagiarisms, yet admitting that the Greeks had some true knowledge of God (39‒43), and affirming that the gospel was preached in Hades to those of them who had lived according to their light (44‒53), though that was feeble compared with the glory of the gospel (54‒70). He then sketches the lineaments of the Christian philosopher, who attains to a perfectly passionless state (71‒79) and masters for the service of the faith all forms of knowledge, including various mysteries open to him only (80‒114). The reward of this true philosopher is proportioned to his attainments (115‒148). These are practically unlimited in range, for Greek philosophy, though a gift of God for the training of the nations, is only a recreation for the Christian philosopher in comparison with the serious objects of his study (149‒168). In the seventh book Clement regards the Christian philosopher as the one true worshipper of God (§§ 1‒5), striving to become like the Son of God (5‒21), even as the heathen conversely made their gods like themselves (22‒27). The soul is his temple; prayers and thanksgivings, his sacrifice; truth, the law of his life (28‒54). Other traits are added to the portraiture of "the gnostic" (55‒88); and Clement then meets the general objection urged against Christianity from the conflict of rival sects (89‒92). Heresy, he replies, can be detected by two tests. It is opposed to the testimony of Scripture (93‒105); and it is of recent origin (106‒108). At the close of the seventh book Clement remarks that he "shall proceed with his argument from a fresh beginning" (τῶν ἑξῆς ἀπ ἄλλης ἀρχῆς ποιησόμεθα τὸν λόγον). The phrase may mean that he proposes to enter upon a new division of the Miscellanies, or that he will now pass to another portion of the great system of writings sketched out in Strom. iv. 1‒3. In favour of the first opinion it may be urged that Eusebius (H. E. vi. 13) and Photius (Cod. 109) expressly mention eight books of the Miscellanies; while on the other hand the words themselves, taken in connexion with vii. 1, point rather to the commencement of a new book. The fragment which bears the title of the eighth book in the one remaining MS. is in fact a piece of a treatise on logic. It may naturally have served as an introduction to the examina-