Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily I/Chapter 12

Chapter XII.&#8212;Clement&#8217;s Rebuke of the People.

&#8220;And this wrongful treatment of my heralds would have been against all from the beginning, if from the beginning the unworthy had been called to salvation.&#160; For that which is now done wrongfully by these men serves to the vindication of my righteous foreknowledge, that it was well that I did not choose from the beginning to expose uselessly to public contempt the word which is worthy of honour; but determined to suppress it, as being honourable, not indeed from those who were worthy from the beginning&#8212;for to them also I imparted it&#8212;but from those, and such as those, unworthy, as you see them to be,&#8212;those who hate me, and who will not love themselves.&#160; And now, give over laughing at this man, and hear me with respect to his announcement, or let any one of the hearers who pleases answer.&#160; And do not bark like vicious dogs, deafening with disorderly clamour the ears of those who would be saved, ye unrighteous and God-haters, and perverting the saving method to unbelief.&#160; How shall you be able to obtain pardon, who scorn him who is sent to speak to you of the Godhead of God?&#160; And this you do towards a man whom you ought to have received on account of his good-will towards you, even if he did not speak truth.&#8221;