Chapter 4

Chapter IV.—A Request.

“However, I have learned, O Clement, how that in Alexandria Barnabas perfectly expounded to you the word respecting prophecy.  Was it not so?”  I answered, “Yes, and exceeding well.”  Then Peter:  “Therefore it is not necessary now to occupy with the instructions which you know, the time which may serve us for other instructions which you do not know.”  Then said I:  “You have rightly said, O Peter.  But vouchsafe this to me, who purpose always to attend upon you, continuously to expound to me, a delighted hearer, the doctrine of the Prophet.  For, apart from Him, as I learned from Barnabas, it is impossible to learn the truth.”

Chapter IV.—Snares Laid for the Gentiles.

“And with us, indeed, who have had handed down from our forefathers the worship of the God who made all things, and also the mystery of the books which are able to deceive, he will not prevail; but with those from amongst the Gentiles who have the polytheistic fancy bred in them, and who know not the falsehoods of the Scriptures, he will prevail much.  And not only he; but if any other shall recount to those from among the Gentiles any vain, dreamlike, richly set out story against God, he will be believed, because from their childhood their minds are accustomed to take in things spoken against God.  And few there shall be of them, as a few out of a multitude, who through ingenuousness shall not be willing so much as to hear an evil word against the God who made all things.  And to these alone from amongst the Gentiles it shall be vouchsafed to be saved.  Let not any one of you, therefore, altogether complain of Simon, or of any one else; for nothing happens unjustly, since even the falsehoods of Scripture are with good reason presented for a test.”

Chapter IV.—Simon’s Doings.

But Bernice, being asked, said:  “These things are indeed as you have heard; and I will tell you other things respecting this same Simon, which perhaps you do not know.  For he astonishes the whole city every day, by making spectres and ghosts appear in the midst of the market-place; and when he walks abroad, statues move, and many shadows go before him, which, he says, are souls of the dead.  And many who attempted to prove him an impostor he speedily reconciled to him; and afterwards, under pretence of a banquet, having slain an ox, and given them to eat of it, he infected them with various diseases, and subjected them to demons.  And in a word, having injured many, and being supposed to be a god, he is both feared and honoured.”

Chapter IV.—Appion’s Undertaking.

“‘Whence, if you also suffer any such thing after the manner of men, use freedom with me with all security; for within seven days I shall put you fully in possession of her.’  When I heard this, looking at the object I had in view, I said:  ‘Pardon me that I do not altogether believe in the existence of magic; for I have already tried many who have made many promises, and have deceived me.  However, your undertaking influences me, and leads me to hope.  But when I think of the matter, I am afraid that the demons are sometimes not subject to the magicians with respect to the things that are commanded them.’

Chapter IV.—Origin of Chaos.

“This matter, of four kinds, and endowed with life, was an entire infinite abyss, so to speak, in eternal stream, borne about without order, and forming every now and then countless but ineffectual combinations (which therefore it dissolved again from want of order); ripe indeed, but not able to be bound so as to generate a living creature.  And once it chanced that this infinite sea, which was thus by its own nature driven about with a natural motion, flowed in an orderly manner from the same to the same (back on itself), like a whirlpool, mixing the substances in such a way that from each there flowed down the middle of the universe (as in the funnel of a mould) precisely that which was most useful and suitable for the generation of a living creature.  This was carried down by the all-carrying whirlpool, drew to itself the surrounding spirit, and having been so conceived that it was very fertile, formed a separate substance.  For just as a bubble is usually formed in water, so everything round about contributed to the conception of this ball-like globe.  Then there came forth to the light, after it had been conceived in itself, and was borne upwards by the divine spirit which surrounded it, perhaps the greatest thing ever born; a piece of workmanship, so to speak, having life in it which had been conceived from that entire infinite abyss, in shape like an egg, and as swift as a bird.

Chapter IV.—The Golden Rule.

“Wherefore, as then ye were deceived by the forerunner Simon, and so became dead in your souls to God, and were smitten in your bodies; so now, if you repent, as I said, and submit to those things which are well-pleasing to God, you may get new strength to your bodies, and recover your soul’s health.  And the things which are well-pleasing to God are these:  to pray to Him, to ask from Him, recognising that He is the giver of all things, and gives with discriminating law; to abstain from the table of devils, not to taste dead flesh, not to touch blood; to be washed from all pollution; and the rest in one word,—as the God-fearing Jews have heard, do you also hear, and be of one mind in many bodies; let each man be minded to do to his neighbour those good things he wishes for himself.  And you may all find out what is good, by holding some such conversation as the following with yourselves:  You would not like to be murdered; do not murder another man:  you would not like your wife to be seduced by another; do not you commit adultery:  you would not like any of your things to be stolen from you; steal nothing from another.  And so understanding by yourselves what is reasonable, and doing it, you will become dear to God, and will obtain healing; otherwise in the life which now is your bodies will be tormented, and in that which is to come your souls will be punished.”

Chapter IV.—Many Called.

Then Peter, wondering at the eagerness of the multitudes, answered, “You see, brethren, how the words of our Lord are manifestly fulfilled.  For I remember His saying, ‘Many shall come from the east and from the west, the north and the south, and shall recline on the bosoms of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob.’  ‘But many,’ said He also, ‘are called, but few chosen.’  The coming, therefore, of these called ones is fulfilled.  But inasmuch as it is not of themselves, but of God who has called them and caused them to come, on this account alone they have no reward, since it is not of themselves but of Him who has wrought in them.  But if, after being called, they do things that are excellent, for this is of themselves, then for this they shall have a reward.

Chapter IV.—Zoroaster.

“Of this family there was born in due time a certain one, who took up with magical practices, by name Nebrod, who chose, giant-like, to devise things in opposition to God.  Him the Greeks have called Zoroaster.  He, after the deluge, being ambitious of sovereignty, and being a great magician, by magical arts compelled the world-guiding star of the wicked one who now rules, to the bestowal of the sovereignty as a gift from him.  But he, being a prince, and having authority over him who compelled him, wrathfully poured out the fire of the kingdom, that he might both bring to allegiance, and might punish him who at first constrained him.

Chapter IV.—Faith and Duty.

“While, therefore, he was righteous, he was also superior to all sufferings, as being unable by his immortal body to have any experience of pain; but when he sinned, as I showed you yesterday and the day before, becoming as it were the servant of sin, he became subject to all sufferings, being by a righteous judgment deprived of all excellent things.  For it was not reasonable, the Giver having been forsaken, that the gifts should remain with the ungrateful.  Whence, of His abundant mercy, in order to our receiving, with the first, also future blessings, He sent His Prophet.  And the Prophet has given in charge to us to tell you what you ought to think, and what to do.  Choose, therefore; and this is in your power.  What, therefore, you ought to think is this, to worship the God who made all things; whom if you receive in your minds, you shall receive from Him, along with the first excellent things, also the future eternal blessings.

Chapter IV.—The Golden Rule.

“Ye are the image of the invisible God.  Whence let not those who would be pious say that idols are images of God, and therefore that it is right to worship them.  For the image of God is man.  He who wishes to be pious towards God does good to man, because the body of man bears the image of God.  But all do not as yet bear His likeness, but the pure mind of the good soul does.  However, as we know that man was made after the image and after the likeness of God, we tell you to be pious towards him, that the favour may be accounted as done to God, whose image he is.  Therefore it behoves you to give honour to the image of God, which is man—in this wise:  food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, care to the sick, shelter to the stranger, and visiting him who is in prison, to help him as you can.  And not to speak at length, whatever good things any one wishes for himself, so let him afford to another in need, and then a good reward can be reckoned to him as being pious towards the image of God.  And by like reason, if he will not undertake to do these things, he shall be punished as neglecting the image.

Chapter IV.—Clement’s Joy.

When, therefore, they had gone, I, Clement, rejoiced greatly that he had ordered me to remain with himself.  Then I answered and said, “I thank God that you have not sent me away as you have done the others, as I should have died of grief.”  But he said, “But what?  If there shall ever be any necessity that you be sent away for the sake of teaching, would you, on account of being separated for a little while from me, and that for an advantageous purpose, would you die for that?  Would you not rather impress upon yourself the duty of bearing the things that are arranged for you through necessity, and cheerfully submit?  And do you not know that friends are present with one another in their memories, although they are separated bodily; whereas some, being bodily present, wander from their friends in their souls, by reason of want of memory?”

Chapter IV.—The Mother Must Not Take Food with Her Son.  The Reason Stated.

As soon as my mother had enough of sleep, she awoke, and Peter at once began first to talk to her of true piety, saying:  “I wish you to know, O woman, the course of life involved in our religion.  We worship one God, who made the world which you see; and we keep His law, which has for its chief injunctions to worship Him alone, and to hallow His name, and to honour our parents, and to be chaste, and to live piously.  In addition to this, we do not live with all indiscriminately; nor do we take our food from the same table as Gentiles, inasmuch as we cannot eat along with them, because they live impurely.  But when we have persuaded them to have true thoughts, and to follow a right course of action, and have baptized them with a thrice blessed invocation, then we dwell with them.  For not even if it were our father, or mother, or wife, or child, or brother, or any other one having a claim by nature on our affection, can we venture to take our meals with him; for our religion compels us to make a distinction.  Do not, therefore, regard it as an insult if your son does not take his food along with you, until you come to have the same opinions and adopt the same course of conduct as he follows.”

Chapter IV.—Peter’s Arguments Against Genesis.

“And I said:  ‘If all things are subject to Genesis, and you are fully convinced that this is the case, your thoughts and advice are contrary to your own opinion.  For if it is impossible even to think in opposition to Genesis, why do you toil in vain, advising me to do what cannot be done?  Yea, moreover, even if Genesis subsists, do not make haste to prevail on me not to worship Him who is also Lord of the stars, by whose wish that a thing should not take place, that thing becomes an impossibility.  For always that which is subject must obey that which rules.  As far, however, as the worship of the common gods is concerned, that is superfluous, if Genesis has sway.  For neither does anything happen contrary to what seems good to fate, nor are they themselves able to do anything, since they are subject to their own universal Genesis.  If Genesis exists, there is this objection to it, that that which is not first has the rule; or, in other words, the uncreated cannot be subject, for the uncreated, as being uncreated, has nothing that is older than itself.’

Chapter IV.—Providence Seen in the Events of the Life of Faustus and His Family.

“But I maintain, from what has happened to you, that all things are managed by the providence of God, and that your separation from your family for so many years was providential; for since, if they had been with you, they perhaps would not have listened to the doctrines of the true religion, it was arranged that your children should travel with their mother, should be shipwrecked, should be supposed to have perished, and should be sold; moreover, that they should be educated in the learning of the Greeks, especially in the atheistic doctrines, in order that, as being acquainted with them, they might be the better able to refute them; and in addition to this, that they should become attached to the true religion, and be enabled to be united with me, so as to help me in my preaching; furthermore, that their brother Clement should meet in the same place, and that thus his mother should be recognised, and through her cure should be fully convinced of the right worship of God; that after no long interval the twins should recognise and be recognised, and the other day should fall in with you, and that you should receive back your own.  I do not think, then, that such a speedy filling in of circumstances, coming as it were from all quarters, so as to accomplish one design, could have happened without the direction of Providence.”

Chapter IV.—The Prejudices of Faustus Rather on the Side of Simon Than on that of Peter.

Our father answered:  “Do not compel me to agree with you without any exercise of my judgment in order that I may seem to be a truth-loving judge; but if you wish me to tell you the truth, my prepossessions are rather the side of your opinions.”  And Simon said:  “How is this the case, when you do not know what my opinions are?”  And our father said:  “It is easy to know this, and I will tell you how.  You promised that you would convict Peter of error in maintaining the unity of God; but if one undertakes to convict of error him who maintains the unity of God. it is perfectly plain that he, as being in the right, does not hold the same opinion.  For if he holds the same opinion as the man who is thoroughly in error, then he himself is in error; but if he gives his proofs holding opposite opinions, then he is in the right.  Not well then do you assert that he who maintains the unity of God is wrong, unless you believe that there are many gods.  Now I maintain that there are many gods.  Holding, therefore, the same opinion as you before the discussion, I am prepossessed rather in your favour.  For this reason you ought to have no anxiety in regard to me, but Peter ought, for I still hold opinions contrary to his.  And so after your discussion I hope that, as a truth-loving judge, who has stripped himself of his prepossessions, I shall agree to that doctrine which gains the victor.”  When my father said this, a murmur of applause burst insensibly from the multitudes because my father had thus spoken.

Chapter IV.—It is Asserted that Christ’s Teaching is Different from Peter’s.

“‘And that he does not really believe even the doctrines proclaimed by his teacher is evident, for he proclaims doctrines opposite to his.  For he said to some one, as I learn, “Call me not good, for the good is one.”  Now in speaking of the good one, he no longer speaks of that just one, whom the Scriptures proclaim, who kills and makes alive,—kills those who sin, and makes alive those who live according to His will.  But that he did not really call Him who is the framer of the world good, is plain to any one who can reflect.  For the framer of the world was known to Adam whom He had made, and to Enoch who pleased Him, and to Noah who was seen to be just by Him; likewise to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; also to Moses, and the people, and the whole world.  But Jesus, the teacher of Peter himself, came and said, “No one knew the Father except the Son, as no one knoweth even the Son except the Father, and those to whom the Son may wish to reveal Him.”  If, then, it was the Son himself who was present, it was from the time of his appearance that he began to reveal to those to whom he wished, Him who was unknown to all.  And thus the Father was unknown to all who lived before him, and could not thus be He who was known to all.

Chapter IV.—The Unrevealed God.

And Simon said:  “How, then, if the framer of the world, who also fashioned Adam, was known, and known too by those who were just according to the law, and moreover by the just and unjust, and the whole world, does your teacher, coming after all these, say, ‘No one has known the Father but the Son, even as no one knoweth the Son but the Father, and those to whom the Son may wish to reveal Him?’  But he would not have made this statement, had he not proclaimed a Father who was still unrevealed, whom the law speaks of as the highest, and who has not given any utterance either good or bad (as Jeremiah testifies in the Lamentations); who also, limiting the nations to seventy languages, according to the number of the sons of Israel who entered Egypt, and according to the boundaries of these nations, gave to his own Son, who is also called Lord, and who brought into order the heaven and the earth, the Hebrews as his portion, and defined him to be God of gods, that is, of the gods who received the other nations as their portions.  Laws, therefore, proceeded from all the so-called gods to their own divisions, which consist of the other nations.  In like manner also from the Son of the Lord of all came forth the law which is established among the Hebrews.  And this state of matters was determined on, that if any one should seek refuge in the law of any one, he should belong to the division of him whose law he undertook to obey.  No one knew the highest Father, who was unrevealed, just as they did not know that his Son was his Son.  Accordingly at this moment you yourself, in assigning the special attributes of the unrevealed Most High to the Son, do not know that he is the Son, being the Father of Jesus, who with you is called the Christ.”