The writings of Clement of Alexandria, Vol. 2 (of 2)Clement, of Alexandria, Saint
Religion
The writings of Clement of Alexandria, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Clement, of Alexandria, Saint
Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
As is right, then, knowledge itself loves and teaches the ignorant, and
instructs the whole creation to honour God Almighty. And if such an one
teaches to love God, he will not hold virtue as a thing to be lost in
any case, either awake or in a dream, or in any vision; since the habit
never goes out of itself by falling from being a habit. Whether, then,
knowledge be said to be habit or disposition; on account of diverse
sentiments never obtaining access, the guiding faculty, remaining
unaltered, admits no alteration of appearances by framing in dreams
visionary conceptions out of its movements by day. Wherefore also the
Lord enjoins “to watch,” so that our soul may never be perturbed with
passion, even in dreams; but also to keep the life of the night pure
and stainless, as if spent in the day. For assimilation to God, as far
as we can, is preserving the mind in its relation to the same things.
And this is the relation of mind as mind.
But the variety of disposition arises from inordinate affection
to material things. And for this reason, as they appear to me, to
have called night Euphrone; since then the soul, released from the
perceptions of sense, turns in on itself, and has a truer hold of
intelligence (φρόνησις).[647] Wherefore the mysteries are for the most
part celebrated by night, indicating the withdrawal of the soul from
the body, which takes place by night. “Let us not then sleep, as do
others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in
the night; and they that are drunken, are drunken in the night. But let
us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and
love, and as an helmet the hope of salvation.”[648] And as to what,
again, they say of sleep, the very same things are to be understood
of death. For each exhibits the departure of the soul, the one more,
the other less; as we may also get this in Heraclitus: “Man touches
night in himself, when dead and his light quenched; and alive, when
he sleeps he touches the dead; and awake, when he shuts his eyes, he
touches the sleeper.”[649] “For blessed are those that have seen the
Lord,”[650] according to the apostle; “for it is high time to awake out
of sleep. For now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The
night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the
works of darkness, and put on the armour of light.”[651] By day and
light he designates figuratively the Son, and by the armour of light
metaphorically the promises.
So it is said that we ought to go washed to sacrifices and prayers,
clean and bright; and that this external adornment and purification are
practised for a sign. Now purity is to think holy thoughts. Further,
there is the image of baptism, which also was handed down to the poets
from Moses as follows:
“And she having drawn water, and wearing on her body clean
clothes.”[652]
It is Penelope that is going to prayer:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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