BOOK II.
CHAP. PAGE
1. Introductory, 1
2. The Knowledge of God can be attained only through Faith, 3
3. Faith not a product of Nature, 6
4. Faith the foundation of all Knowledge, 8
5. He proves by several examples that the Greeks drew from the Sacred Writers, 12
6. The Excellence and Utility of Faith, 16
7. The Utility of Fear. Objections Answered, 20
8. The Vagaries of Basilides and Valentinus as to Fear being the Cause of Things, 22
9. The Connection of the Christian Virtues, 26
10. To what the Philosopher applies himself, 29
11. The Knowledge which comes through Faith the Surest of All, 30
12. Twofold Faith, 33
13. On First and Second Repentance, 35
14. How a Thing may be Involuntary, 37
15. On the different kinds of Voluntary Actions, and the Sins thence proceeding, 38
16. How we are to explain the passages of Scripture which ascribe to God Human Affections, 43
17. On the various kinds of Knowledge, 45
18. The Mosaic Law the fountain of all Ethics, and the source from which the Greeks drew theirs, 47
19. The true Gnostic is an imitator of God, especially in Beneficence, 57
20. The true Gnostic exercises Patience and Self-restraint, 60
21. Opinions of various Philosophers on the Chief Good, 71
22. Plato's Opinion, that the Chief Good consists in assimilation to God, and its agreement with Scripture, 74
23. On Marriage, 78
BOOK III.
1. Basilidis Sententiam de Continentia et Nuptiis refutat, 84
2. Carpocratis et Epiphanis Sententiam de Feminarum Communitate refutat, 86
3. Quatenus Plato aliique e veteribus præiverint Marcionitis aliisque Hæreticis, qui a Nuptiis ideo abstinent quia Creaturam malam existimant et nasci Homines in Pœnam opinantur, 89
4. Quibus prætextibus utantur Hæretici ad omnis generis licentiam et libidinem exercendam, 95
5. Duo genera Hæreticorum notat: prius illorum qui omnia omnibus licere pronuntiant, quos refutat, 102
6. Secundum genus Hæreticorum aggreditur, illorum scilicet qui ex impia de deo omnium conditore Sententia, Continentiam exercent, 105
7. Qua in re Christianorum Continentia eam quam sibi vindicant Philosophi antecellat, 110
8. Loca S. Scripturæ ab Hæreticis in vituperium Matrimonii adducta explicat; et primo verba Apostoli Rom. vi. 14, ab Hæreticorum perversa interpretation e vindicat, 112
9. Dictum Christi ad Salomen exponit, quod tanquam in vituperium Nuptiarum prolatum Hæretici allegabant, 113
10. Verba Christi Matt, xviii. 20, mystice exponit, 116
11. Legis et Christi mandatum de non Concupiscendo exponit, 117
12. Verba Apostoli 1 Cor. vii. 5, 39, 40, aliaque S. Scripturæ loca eodem spectantia explicat, 121
13. Julii Cassiani Hæretici verbis respondet; item loco quem ex Evangelio Apocrypho idem adduxerat, 128
14. 2 Cor. xi. 3, et Eph. iv. 24, exponit, 129
15. 1 Cor. vii. 1; Luc. xiv. 26; Isa. lvi. 2, 3, explicat, 130
16. Jer. xx. 14; Job xiv. 3; Ps. l. 5; 1 Cor. ix. 27, exponit, 132
17. Qui Nuptias et Generationem malas asserunt, ii et dei Creationem et ipsam evangelii Dispensationem vituperant, 133
18. Duas extremas Opiniones esse vitandas: primam illorum qui Creatoris odio a Nuptiis abstinent; alteram illorum qui hinc occasionem arripiunt nefariis libidinibus indulgendi, 135
BOOK IV.
1. Order of Contents, 139
2. The meaning of the name Stromata [Miscellanies], 140
3. The true Excellence of Man, 142
4. The Praises of Martyrdom, 145
5. On Contempt for Pain, Poverty, and other external things, 148
6. Some points in the Beatitudes, 150
7. The Blessedness of the Martyr, 158
8. Women as well as Men, Slaves as well as Freemen, Candidates for the Martyr's Crown, 165
9. Christ's Sayings respecting Martyrdom, 170
10. Those who offered themselves for Martyrdom reproved, 173
11. The objection, Why do you suffer if God cares for you, answered, 174
12. Basilides' idea of Martyrdom refuted, 175
13. Valentinian's Vagaries about the Abolition of Death refuted, 179
14. The Love of All, even of our Enemies, 182
15. On avoiding Offence, 183
16. Passages of Scripture respecting the Constancy, Patience and Love of the Martyrs, 184
17. Passages from Clement's Epistle to the Corinthians on Martyrdom, 187
18. On Love, and the repressing of our Desires, 190
19. Women as well as Men capable of Perfection, 193
20. A Good Wife, 196
21. Description of the Perfect Man, or Gnostic, 199
22. The true Gnostic does Good, not from fear of Punishment or hope of Reward, but only for the sake of Good itself, 202
23. The same subject continued, 207
24. The reason and end of Divine Punishments, 210
25. True Perfection consists in the Knowledge and Love of God, 212
26. How the Perfect Man treats the Body and the Things of the World, 215
BOOK V.
1. On Faith, 220
2. On Hope, 228
3. The objects of Faith and Hope perceived by the Mind alone, 229
4. Divine Things wrapped up in Figures both in the Sacred and in Heathen Writers, 232
5. On the Symbols of Pythagoras, 236
6. The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and its Furniture, 240
7. The Egyptian Symbols and Enigmas of Sacred Things, 245
8. The use of the Symbolic Style by Poets and Philosophers, 247
9. Reasons for veiling the Truth in Symbols, 254
10. The opinion of the Apostles on veiling the Mysteries of the Faith, 257
11. Abstraction from Material Things necessary in order to attain to the true Knowledge of God, 261
12. God cannot be embraced in Words or by the Mind, 267
13. The Knowledge of God a Divine Gift, according to the Philosophers, 270
14. Greek Plagiarisms from the Hebrews, 274
BOOK VI.
1. Plan, 302
2. The subject of Plagiarisms resumed. The Greeks plagiarized from one another, 304
3. Plagiarism by the Greeks of the Miracles related in the Sacred Books of the Hebrews, 319
4. The Greeks drew many of their Philosophical Tenets from the Egyptian and Indian Gymnosophists, 323
5. The Greeks had some Knowledge of the true God, 326
6. The Gospel was preached to Jews and Gentiles in Hades, 328
7. What true Philosophy is, and whence so called, 335
8. Philosophy is Knowledge given by God, 339
9. The Gnostic free of all Perturbations of the Soul, 344
10. The Gnostic avails himself of the help of all Human Knowledge, 349
11. The Mystical Meanings in the proportions of Numbers, Geometrical Ratios, and Music, 352
12. Human Nature possesses an adaptation for Perfection; the Gnostic alone attains it, 359
13. Degrees of Glory in Heaven corresponding with the Dignities of the Church below, 365
14. Degrees of Glory in Heaven, 366
15. Different Degrees of Knowledge, 371
16. Gnostic Exposition of the Decalogue, 383
17. Philosophy conveys only an imperfect Knowledge of God, 393
18. The use of Philosophy to the Gnostic, 401
BOOK VII.
1. The Gnostic a true Worshipper of God, and unjustly calumniated by Unbelievers as an Atheist, 406
2. The Son the Ruler and Saviour of All, 409
3. The Gnostic aims at the nearest Likeness possible to God and His Son, 414
4. The Heathens made Gods like themselves, whence springs all Superstition, 421
5. The Holy Soul a more excellent Temple than any Edifice built by Man, 424
6. Prayers and Praise from a Pure Mind, ceaselessly offered far better than Sacrifices, 426
7. What sort of Prayer the Gnostic employs, and how it is heard by God, 431
8. The Gnostic so addicted to Truth as not to need to use an Oath, 442
9. Those who teach others, ought to excel in Virtues, 444
10. Steps to Perfection, 446
11. Description of the Gnostic's Life, 449
12. The true Gnostic is Beneficent, Continent, and despises Worldly Things, 455
13. Description of the Gnostic continued, 466
14. Description of the Gnostic furnished by an Exposition of 1 Cor. vi. 1, etc., 468
15. The objection to join the Church on account of the diversity of Heresies answered, 472
16. Scripture the Criterion by which Truth and Heresy are distinguished, 476
17. The Tradition of the Church prior to that of the Heresies, 485
18. The Distinction between Clean and Unclean Animals in the Law symbolical of the Distinction between the Church, and Jews, and Heretics, 488
BOOK VIII.
1. The object of Philosophical and Theological Inquiry—the Discovery of Truth, 490
2. The necessity of Perspicuous Definition, 491
3. Demonstration defined, 492
4. To prevent Ambiguity, we must begin with clear Definition, 496
5. Application of Demonstration to Sceptical Suspense of Judgment, 500
6. Definitions, Genera, and Species, 502
7. On the Causes of Doubt or Assent, 505
8. The Method of classifying Things and Names, 506
9. On the different kinds of Causes,
His parents were pagans, and Clement was a convert to Christianity. In the Protrepticus he displays an extensive knowledge of Greek mythology and mystery religions, which could only have arisen from the practise of his family's religion.
Having rejected paganism as a young man due to its perceived moral corruption, he travelled in Greece, Asia Minor, Palestine and Egypt. Clement's journeys were primarily a religious undertaking. In Greece, he encountered an Ionian theologian, who has been identified as Athenagoras of Athens; while in the east, he was taught by an Assyrian, sometimes identified with Tatian, and a Jew, who was possibly Theophilus of Caesarea.
In around 180, Clement reached Alexandria, where he met Pantaenus, who taught at the Catechetical School of Alexandria. Eusebius suggests that Pantaenus was the head of the school, but it is controversial whether the institutions of the school were formalized in this way before the time of Origen. Proponents of a formalized leadership and succession suggest that Clement succeeded Pantaenus as leader of the school, and was succeeded himself by Origen. Clement studied under Pantaenus, and was ordained to the priesthood by Pope Julian before 189. Otherwise, virtually nothing is known of Clement's life in Alexandria. He may have been married, a conjecture supported by his writings. Clement's diet is also unknown, but he said some things that look down upon eating flesh such as, "It is good...neither to eat flesh" and that even the fumes from cooked flesh "darken the soul"; however he said non-vegetarians aren't sinning except in certain circumstances such as those who eat flesh with "gluttony" and he was not opposed to all instances of eating meat.
During the Severian persecutions of 202–203, Clement left Alexandria. In 211, Alexander of Jerusalem wrote a letter commending him to the Church of Antioch, which may imply that Clement was living in in Cappadocia at that time. The date and location of his death are unknown.... Show more