Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily XI/Chapter 11

Chapter XI.&#8212;Immortality of the Soul.

&#8220;And though by the dissolution of the body you should escape punishment, how shall you be able by corruption to flee from your soul, which is incorruptible?&#160; For the soul even of the wicked is immortal, for whom it were better not to have it incorruptible.&#160; For, being punished with endless torture under unquenchable fire, and never dying, it can receive no end of its misery.&#160; But perhaps some one of you will say, &#8216;You terrify us, O Peter.&#8217;&#160; Teach us then how we can be silent about these things, and yet tell you things as they are, for not otherwise can we tell you them.&#160; But if we should be silent, you should be ensnared by evils through ignorance.&#160; But if we speak, we are suspected of terrifying you with a false theory.&#160; How then shall we charm that wicked serpent that lurks in your soul, and subtilely insinuates suspicions hostile to God, under the guise of love of God?&#160; Be reconciled with yourselves; for in order to your salvation recourse is to Him with well-doing.&#160; Unreasonable lust in you is hostile to God, for by conceit of wisdom it strengthens ignorance.