Opening the library…

Home Bible Corpus Discover You

Search the Bible

The Stromata, or Miscellanies

Clement of Alexandria

Book 2 · Chapter 14

About this work

A wide-ranging collection on faith, knowledge, philosophy, Scripture, ethics, and Christian maturity that intentionally mixes subjects while portraying the ideal Christian knower formed through disciplined inquiry.

Author: Clement of Alexandria
Date: c. AD 195–215
Origin: Alexandria
Genre: Theological Treatise

Chapter XIV.—How a Thing May Be Involuntary.

What is involuntary is not matter for judgment

‹ Book 2 · Chapter 13 Book 2 · Chapter 15 ›

.

But

this

is

twofold

,

—

what

is

done

in

ignorance

,

and

what

is

done

through

necessity

.

For

how

will

you

judge

concerning

those

who

are

said

to

sin

in

involuntary

modes

?

For

either

one

knew

not

himself

,

as

Cleomenes

and

Athamas

,

who

were

mad

;

or

the

thing

which

he

does

,

as

Æschylus

,

who

divulged

the

mysteries

on

the

stage

,

who

,

being

tried

in

the

Areopagus

,

was

absolved

on

his

showing

that

he

had

not

been

initiated

.

Or

one

knows

not

what

is

done

,

as

he

who

has

let

off

his

antagonist

,

and

slain

his

domestic

instead

of

his

enemy

;

or

that

by

which

it

is

done

,

as

he

who

,

in

exercising

with

spears

having

buttons

on

them

,

has

killed

some

one

in

consequence

of

the

spear

throwing

off

the

button

;

or

knows

not

the

manner

how

,

as

he

who

has

killed

his

antagonist

in

the

stadium

,

for

it

was

not

for

his

death

but

for

victory

that

he

contended

;

or

knows

not

the

reason

why

it

is

done

,

as

the

physician

gave

a

salutary

antidote

and

killed

,

for

it

was

not

for

this

purpose

that

he

gave

it

,

but

to

save

.

The

law

at

that

time

punished

him

who

had

killed

involuntarily

,

as

e

.

g

.

,

him

who

was

subject

involuntarily

to

gonorrhœa

,

but

not

equally

with

him

who

did

so

voluntarily

.

Although

he

also

shall

be

punished

as

for

a

voluntary

action

,

if

one

transfer

the

affection

to

the

truth

.

For

,

in

reality

,

he

that

cannot

contain

the

generative

word

is

to

be

punished

;

for

this

is

an

irrational

passion

of

the

soul

approaching

garrulity

.

“

The

faithful

man

chooses

to

conceal

things

in

his

spirit

.

”

Things

,

then

,

that

depend

on

choice

are

subjects

for

judgment

.

“

For

the

Lord

searcheth

the

hearts

and

reins

.

”

“

And

he

that

looketh

so

as

to

lust

”

is

judged

.

Wherefore

it

is

said

,

“

Thou

shalt

not

lust

.

”

And

“

this

people

honoureth

Me

with

their

lips

,

”

it

is

said

,

“

but

their

heart

is

far

from

Me

.

”

For

God

has

respect

to

the

very

thought

,

since

Lot’s

wife

,

who

had

merely

voluntarily

turned

towards

worldly

wickedness

,

He

left

a

senseless

mass

,

rendering

her

a

pillar

of

salt

,

and

fixed

her

so

that

she

advanced

no

further

,

not

as

a

stupid

and

useless

image

,

but

to

season

and

salt

him

who

has

the

power

of

spiritual

perception

.

Notes

137
Prov. xi. 13.
138
Ps. vii. 9.
139
Matt. v. 28.
140
Ex. xx. 17.
141
Isa. xxix. 13; Matt. xv. 8; Mark vii. 6.