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The Clementine Homilies

Anonymous Pseudo-Clementine compiler

Chapter 37

About this work

Author: Anonymous Pseudo-Clementine compiler

Chapter XXXVII.—Spies in the Enemy’s Camp.

“Some of our people attend feignedly upon Simon as companions,

‹ Chapter 36 Chapter 38 ›

as

if

they

were

persuaded

by

his

most

atheistic

error

,

in

order

that

they

may

learn

his

purpose

and

disclose

it

to

us

,

so

that

we

may

be

able

to

encounter

this

terrible

man

on

favourable

terms

.

And

now

I

have

learned

from

them

what

arguments

he

is

going

to

employ

in

the

discussion

.

And

knowing

this

,

I

give

thanks

to

God

on

the

one

hand

,

and

I

congratulate

you

on

the

other

,

on

the

postponement

of

the

discussion

;

for

you

,

being

instructed

by

me

before

the

discussion

,

of

the

arguments

that

are

to

be

used

by

him

for

the

destruction

of

the

ignorant

,

will

be

able

to

listen

without

danger

of

falling

.

Chapter XXXVII.—“Whom to Know is Life Eternal.”

But if thou art thankful, O man, understanding that God is thy benefactor in all things, thou mayest even be immortal, the things that are made for thee having continuance through thy gratitude. And now thou art able to become incorruptible, if thou acknowledge Him whom thou didst not know, if thou love Him whom thou didst forsake, if thou pray to Him alone who is able to punish or to save thy body and soul. Wherefore, before all things, consider that no one shares His rule, no one has a name in common with Him—that is, is called God. For He alone is both called and is God. Nor is it lawful to think that there is any other, or to call any other by that name. And if any one should dare do so, eternal punishment of soul is his.”

Notes

1
[From chap. 27 to iii. 28 the matter is peculiar to the Homilies. The views stated are obviously coloured by the Gnostic Ebionism of the author.—R.]