The Stromata Or Miscellanies

By Clement of Rome

Title Page
Chapter I.--Preface--The Author's Object--The Utility of Written Compositions.
Chapter II.--Objection to the Number of Extracts from Philosophical Writings in These Books Anticipated and Answered.
Chapter III.--Against the Sophists.
Chapter IV.--Human Arts as Well as Divine Knowledge Proceed from God.
Chapter V.--Philosophy the Handmaid of Theology.
Chapter VI.--The Benefit of Culture.
Chapter VII.--The Eclectic Philosophy Paves the Way for Divine Virtue.
Chapter VIII.--The Sophistical Arts Useless.
Chapter IX.--Human Knowledge Necessary for the Understanding of the Scriptures.
Chapter X.--To Act Well of Greater Consequence Than to Speak Well.
Chapter XI.--What is the Philosophy Which the Apostle Bids Us Shun?
Chapter XII.--The Mysteries of the Faith Not to Be Divulged to All.
Chapter XIII.--All Sects of Philosophy Contain a Germ of Truth.
Chapter XIV.--Succession of Philosophers in Greece.
Chapter XV.--The Greek Philosophy in Great Part Derived from the Barbarians.
Chapter XVI.--That the Inventors of Other Arts Were Mostly Barbarians.
Chapter XVII.--On the Saying of the Saviour, |All that Came Before Me Were Thieves and Robbers.|
Chapter XVIII.--He Illustrates the Apostle's Saying, |I Will Destroy the Wisdom of the Wise.|
Chapter XIX.--That the Philosophers Have Attained to Some Portion of Truth.
Chapter XX.--In What Respect Philosophy Contributes to the Comprehension of Divine Truth.
Chapter XXI.--The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity Than the Philosophy of the Greeks.
Chapter XXII.--On the Greek Translation of the Old Testament.
Chapter XXIII.--The Age, Birth, and Life of Moses.
Chapter XXIV.--How Moses Discharged the Part of a Military Leader.
Chapter XXV.--Plato an Imitator of Moses in Framing Laws.
Chapter XXVI.--Moses Rightly Called a Divine Legislator, And, Though Inferior to Christ, Far Superior to the Great Legislators of the Greeks, Minos and Lycurgus.
Chapter XXVII.--The Law, Even in Correcting and Punishing, Aims at the Good of Men.
Chapter XXVIII.--The Fourfold Division of the Mosaic Law.
Chapter XXIX.--The Greeks But Children Compared with the Hebrews.
Elucidations.
Chapter I.--Introductory.
Chapter II.--The Knowledge of God Can Be Attained Only Through Faith.
Chapter III.--Faith Not a Product of Nature.
Chapter IV.--Faith the Foundation of All Knowledge.
Chapter V.--He Proves by Several Examples that the Greeks Drew from the Sacred Writers.
Chapter VI.--The Excellence and Utility of Faith.
Chapter VII.--The Utility of Fear. Objections Answered.
Chapter VIII.--The Vagaries of Basilides and Valentinus as to Fear Being the Cause of Things.
Chapter IX.--The Connection of the Christian Virtues.
Chapter X.--To What the Philosopher Applies Himself.
Chapter XI.--The Knowledge Which Comes Through Faith the Surest of All.
Chapter XII.--Twofold Faith.
Chapter XIII.--On First and Second Repentance.
Chapter XIV.--How a Thing May Be Involuntary.
Chapter XV.--On the Different Kinds of Voluntary Actions, and the Sins Thence Proceeding.
Chapter XVI.--How We are to Explain the Passages of Scripture Which Ascribe to God Human Affections.
Chapter XVII.--On the Various Kinds of Knowledge.
Chapter XVIII.--The Mosaic Law the Fountain of All Ethics, and the Source from Which the Greeks Drew Theirs.
Chapter XIX.--The True Gnostic is an Imitator of God, Especially in Beneficence.
Chapter XX.--The True Gnostic Exercises Patience and Self-Restraint.
Chapter XXI.--Opinions of Various Philosophers on the Chief Good.
Chapter XXII.--Plato's Opinion, that the Chief Good Consists in Assimilation to God, and Its Agreement with Scripture.
Chapter XXIII.--On Marriage.
Elucidations.
Caput I.--Basilidis Sententiam de Continentia Et Nuptiis Refutat.
Caput II.--Carpocratis Et Epiphanis Sententiam de Feminarum Communitate Refutat.
Caput III.--Quatenus Plato Aliique E Veteribus Præiverint Marcionitis Aliisque Hæreticis, Qui a Nuptiis Ideo Abstinent Quia Creaturam Malam Existimant Et Nasci Homines in Poenam Opinantur.
Caput IV.--Quibus Prætextibus Utantur Hæretici ad Omnis Genetis Licentiam Et Libidinem Exercendam.
Caput V.--Duo Genera Hæreticorum Notat: Prius Illorum Qui Omnia Omnibus Licere Pronuntiant, Quos Refutat.
Caput VI.--Secundum Genus Hæreticorum Aggreditur, Illorum Scilicet Qui Ex Impia de Deo Omnium Conditore Sententia, Continentiam Exercent.
Caput VII.--Qua in Re Christianorum Continentia Eam Quam Sibi Vindicant Philosophi Antecellat.
Caput VIII.--Loca S. Scripturæ Ab Hæreticis in Vituperium Matrimonii Adducta Explicat; Et Primo Verba Apostoli Romans 6:14, Ab Hæreticorum Perversa Interpretatione Vindicat.
Caput IX.--Dictum Christi ad Salomen Exponit, Quod Tanquam in Vituperium Nuptiarum Prolatum Hæretici Allegabant.
Caput X.--Verba Christi Matt. xviii. 20, Mystice Exponit.
Caput XI.--Legis Et Christi Mandatum de Non Concupiscendo Exponit.
Caput XII.--Verba Apostoli 1 Cor. vii. 5, 39, 40, Aliaque S. Scripturæ Loca Eodem Spectantia Explicat.
Caput XIII.--Julii Cassiani Hæretici Verbis Respondet; Item Loco Quem Ex Evangelio Apocrypho Idem Adduxerat.
Caput XIV.--2 Cor. xi. 3, Et Eph. iv. 24, Exponit.
Caput XV.--1 Cor. vii. 1; Luc. xiv. 26; Isa. lvi. 2, 3, Explicat.
Caput XVI.--Jer. xx. 14; Job xiv. 3; Ps. l. 5; 1 Cor. ix. 27, Exponit.
Caput XVII.--Qui Nuptias Et Generationem Malas Asserunt, II Et Dei Creationem Et Ipsam Evangelii Dispensationem Vituperant.
Caput XVIII.--Duas Extremas Opiniones Esse Vitandas: Primam Illorum Qui Creatoris Odio a Nuptiis Abstinent; Alteram Illorum Qui Hinc Occasionem Arripiunt Nefariis Libidinibus Indulgendi.
Elucidations.
Chapter I.--Order of Contents.
Chapter II.--The Meaning of the Name Stromata or Miscellanies.
Chapter III.--The True Excellence of Man.
Chapter IV.--The Praises of Martyrdom.
Chapter V.--On Contempt for Pain, Poverty, and Other External Things.
Chapter VII.--The Blessedness of the Martyr.
Chapter VIII.--Women as Well as Men, Slaves as Well as Freemen, Candidates for the Martyr's Crown.
Chapter IX.--Christ's Sayings Respecting Martyrdom.
Chapter X.--Those Who Offered Themselves for Martyrdom Reproved.
Chapter XI.--The Objection, Why Do You Suffer If God Cares for You, Answered.
Chapter XII.--Basilides' Idea of Martyrdom Refuted.
Chapter XIII.--Valentinian's Vagaries About the Abolition of Death Refuted.
Chapter XIV.--The Love of All, Even of Our Enemies.
Chapter XV.--On Avoiding Offence.
Chapter XVI.--Passages of Scripture Respecting the Constancy, Patience, and Love of the Martyrs.
Chapter XVII.--Passages from Clement's Epistle to the Corinthians on Martyrdom.
Chapter XVIII.--On Love, and the Repressing of Our Desires.
Chap. XIX.--Women as well as Men Capable of Perfection.
Chapter XX.--A Good Wife.
Chapter XXI.--Description of the Perfect Man, or Gnostic.
Chapter XXIII.--The Same Subject Continued.
Elucidations.
The Stromata, or Miscellanies. Book V. cChap. I.--On Faith.
Chap. II.--On Hope.
Chapter III.--The Objects of Faith and Hope Perceived by the Mind Alone.
Chapter IV.--Divine Things Wrapped Up in Figures Both in the Sacred and in Heathen Writers.
Chapter V.--On the Symbols of Pythagoras.
Chapter VI.--The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
Chapter VII.--The Egyptian Symbols and Enigmas of Sacred Things.
Chapter VIII.--The Use of the Symbolic Style by Poets and Philosophers.
Chapter IX.--Reasons for Veiling the Truth in Symbols.
Chapter X.--The Opinion of the Apostles on Veiling the Mysteries of the Faith.
Chapter XI.--Abstraction from Material Things Necessary in Order to Attain to the True Knowledge of God.
Chapter XII.--God Cannot Be Embraced in Words or by the Mind.
Chapter XIII.--The Knowledge of God a Divine Gift, According to the Philosophers.
Chapter XIV.--Greek Plagiarism from the Hebrews.
Elucidations.
Chapter I.--Plan.
Chapter II.--The Subject of Plagiarisms Resumed. The Greeks Plagiarized from One Another.
Chapter III.--Plagiarism by the Greeks of the Miracles Related in the Sacred Books of the Hebrews.
Chapter IV.--The Greeks Drew Many of Their Philosophical Tenets from the Egyptian and Indian Gymnosophists.
Chapter V.--The Greeks Had Some Knowledge of the True God.
Chapter VI.--The Gospel Was Preached to Jews and Gentiles in Hades.
Chapter VII.--What True Philosophy Is, and Whence So Called.
Chapter VIII.--Philosophy is Knowledge Given by God.
Chapter IX.--The Gnostic Free of All Perturbations of the Soul.
Chapter X.--The Gnostic Avails Himself of the Help of All Human Knowledge.
Chapter XI.--The Mystical Meanings in the Proportions of Numbers, Geometrical Ratios, and Music.
Chapter XII.--Human Nature Possesses an Adaptation for Perfection; The Gnostic Alone Attains It.
Chapter XIII.--Degrees of Glory in Heaven Corresponding with the Dignities of the Church Below.
Chapter XIV.--Degrees of Glory in Heaven.
Chapter XV.--Different Degrees of Knowledge.
Chapter XVI.--Gnostic Exposition of the Decalogue.
Chapter XVII.--Philosophy Conveys Only an Imperfect Knowledge of God.
Chapter XVIII.--The Use of Philosophy to the Gnostic.
Elucidations.
Chapter I.--The Gnostic a True Worshipper of God, and Unjustly Calumniated by Unbelievers as an Atheist.
Chapter II.--The Son the Ruler and Saviour of All.
Chapter III.--The Gnostic Aims at the Nearest Likeness Possible to God and His Son.
Chapter IV.--The Heathens Made Gods Like Themselves, Whence Springs All Superstition.
Chapter V.--The Holy Soul a More Excellent Temple Than Any Edifice Built by Man.
Chapter VI.--Prayers and Praise from a Pure Mind, Ceaselessly Offered, Far Better Than Sacrifices.
Chapter VII.--What Sort of Prayer the Gnostic Employs, and How It is Heard by God.
Chapter VIII.--The Gnostic So Addicted to Truth as Not to Need to Use an Oath.
Chapter IX.--Those Who Teach Others, Ought to Excel in Virtues.
Chapter X.--Steps to Perfection.
Chapter XI.--Description of the Gnostic's Life.
Chapter XII.--The True Gnostic is Beneficent, Continent, and Despises Worldly Things.
Chapter XIII.--Description of the Gnostic Continued.
Chapter XIV.--Description of the Gnostic Furnished by an Exposition of 1 Cor. vi. 1, Etc.
Chapter XV.--The Objection to Join the Church on Account of the Diversity of Heresies Answered.
Chapter XVI.--Scripture the Criterion by Which Truth and Heresy are Distinguished.
Chapter XVII.--The Tradition of the Church Prior to that of the Heresies.
Chapter XVIII--The Distinction Between Clean and Unclean Animals in the Law Symbolical of the Distinction Between the Church, and Jews, and Heretics.
Elucidations
Book VIII.
Chapter I.--The Object of Philosophical and Theological Inquiry--The Discovery of Truth.
Chapter II.--The Necessity of Perspicuous Definition.
Chapter III.--Demonstration Defined.
Chapter IV.--To Prevent Ambiguity, We Must Begin with Clear Definition.
Chapter V.--Application of Demonstration to Sceptical Suspense of Judgment.
Chapter VI.--Definitions, Genera, and Species.
Chapter VII.--On the Causes of Doubt or Assent.
Chapter VIII.--The Method of Classifying Things and Names.
Chapter IX.--On the Different Kinds of Cause.
Elucidations.

The Stromata Or Miscellanies

By Clement of Rome

Table of Contents