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
He says, then, that sinners exercise activities appropriate to demons;
but he does not say that the spirits themselves dwell in the soul of
the unbeliever. Wherefore he also adds, “See that the temple of the
Lord be gloriously built. Learn, having received remission of sins; and
having set our hope on the Name, let us become new, created again from
the beginning.” For what he says is not that demons are driven out of
us, but that the sins which like them we commit before believing are
remitted. Rightly thus he puts in opposition what follows: “Wherefore
God truly dwells in our home. He dwells in us. How? The word of His
faith, the calling of His promise, the wisdom of His statutes, the
commandments of His communication, [dwell in us].”
“I know that I have come upon a heresy; and its chief was wont to say
that he fought with pleasure by pleasure, this worthy Gnostic advancing
on pleasure in feigned combat, for he said he was a Gnostic; since he
said it was no great thing for a man that had not tried pleasure to
abstain from it, but for one who had mixed in it not to be overcome
[was something]; and that therefore by means of it he trained himself
in it. The wretched man knew not that he was deceiving himself by
the artfulness of voluptuousness. To this opinion, then, manifestly
Aristippus the Cyrenian adhered--that of the sophist who boasted of the
truth. Accordingly, when reproached for continually cohabiting with the
Corinthian courtezan, he said, “I possess Lais, and am not possessed by
her.”
Such also are those who say that they follow Nicolaus, quoting an adage
of the man, which they pervert, “that the flesh must be abused.” But
the worthy man showed that it was necessary to check pleasures and
lusts, and by such training to waste away the impulses and propensities
of the flesh. But they, abandoning themselves to pleasure like goats,
as if insulting the body, lead a life of self-indulgence; not knowing
that the body is wasted, being by nature subject to dissolution; while
their soul is buried in the mire of vice; following as they do the
teaching of pleasure itself, not of the apostolic man. For in what do
they differ from Sardanapalus, whose life is shown in the epigram:
“I have what I ate--what I enjoyed wantonly;
And the pleasures I felt in love. But those
Many objects of happiness are left,
For I too am dust, who ruled great Ninus.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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