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 CLEMENT

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CLEMENT

tains "impieties and fables", sucii as the eternity of matter, the creatureship of the Word, plurahty of Words (A6701), Docetism, metempsychosis, etc. Con- servative scliolars are inclined to believe that Photius has thro WE the mistakes of Clement, whatever they may have been, into undue relief. Clement's style is difficult, liis works are full of borrowed e.xcerpts, and his teaching is with difficulty reduced to a coher- ent body of doctrine. And this early work, being a scattered commentary on Holy Writ, must have been peculiarly liable to misconstruction. It is certain that several of the more serious charges can rest upon nothing but mistakes. At any rate, his extant writ- ings show Clement in a better light.

Other works of his are the "Miscellanies" (STpu- IMTth) and "The Tutor" {Ylaihaywybs:) . The "Mis- cellanies" comprise seven entire books, of which the first four are earlier than "The Tutor". When he had finished this latter work he returned to the "Miscellanies", which he was never able to finish. The first pages of the work are now missing. What has been known as the eighth book since the time of Eusebius is nothing more than a collection of e.x- tracts drawn from pagan philosophers. It is likely, as von Arnim has suggested, that Clement had in- tended to make use of these materials together with the abridgment of Theodotus (Excerpts from Theo- dotus and the Eastern School of Valentinus) and the "Eelogae Prophetical", E.xtracts from the Prophets (not extracts, but notes at random on texts or Scrip- tural topics) for the continuation of the "Miscellan- ies". In the " Miscellanies " Clement disclaims order and plan. He compares the work to a meadow where all kinds of flowers grow at random and, again, to a shady hill or mountain planted with trees of every sort. In fact, it is a loosely related series of remarks, possibly notes of his lectures in the school. It is the fullest of Clement's works. He starts with the importance of philosophy for the pursuit of Christian knowledge. Here he is perhaps defending his own scientific labours from local criticism of con- servative brethren. He shows how faith is related to knowledge, and emphasizes the superiority of revela- tion to philosophy. God's truth is to be found in revelation, another portion of it in philosophy. It is the duty of the Christian to neglect neither. Relig- ious science, drawn from this twofold source, is even an element of perfection; the instructed Christian — "the true Gnostic" — is the perfect Christian. He who has risen to this height is far from the disturbance of passion; he is united to God, and in a mysterious sense is one ^^^th Him. Such is the line of thought indicated in the work, which is full of digressions.

"The Tutor" is a practical treati.se in three books. Its purpose is to fit the ordinary Christian by a dis- ciplined life to become an instructed Christian. In ancient times the pcedagogus was the slave who had constant charge of a boy, his companion at all times. On him depended the formation of the boy's charac- ter. Such is the office of the Word Incarnate towards men. He first summons them to be His, then He trains them in His ways. His ways are temperate, orderly, calm, and simple. Nothing is too common or trivial for the Tutor's care. His influence tells on the minute details of life, on one's manner of eating, drinking, sleeping, dressing, taking recreation, etc. The moral tone of this work is kmdly; very beautiful is the ideal of a transfigured life described at tlie close. In the editions of Clement "The Tutor" is followed by two short poems, the second of which, addressed to the Tutor, is from some pious reader of the work; the first, entitled "A Hymn of the Saviour Christ" ("Tmi-ostoD Sut^^os Xpiir- ToC), is, in the manuscripts which contain it, attributed to Clement. The hymn may be the work of Clement (Bardenliewer), or it may be of as early a date as the Gloria in Excelsis (Westcott).

Some scholars see in the chief writings of Clement, the "Exhortation", "The Tutor", the "Miscel- lanies", a great trilogy representing a graduated initiation into the Christian life — belief, discipline, knowledge — three states corresponding to the three degrees of the neo-Platonic mysteries — purification, initiation, and vision. Some such underlying con- ception was doubtless before the mind of Clement, but it can hardly be said to have been realized. He was too unsystematic. Besides these more impor- tant works, he wTOte the beautiful tract, " Who is the rich man who shall be saved?" (rd 6 irufi/neyos ttXoiJ- <rtos;). It is an exposition of St. Mark, x, 17-31, wherein Clement shows that wealtli is not condemned by the Gospel as intrinsically evil; its morality de- pends on the good or ill use made of it. The work concludes with the narrative of the young man who was baptized, lost, and again rewon by the Apostle St. John. The date of the composition cannot be fixed. We have the work almost in its entirety. Clement wrote homilies on fasting and on evil-speak- ing, and he also used his pen in the controversy on the Paschal question.

Duchesne (Hist . ancienne de I'Eglise, 1, 334 sqq.) thus summarizes the remaining years of Clement's life. He did not end his life at Alexandria. The persecution fell upon Egypt in the year 202, and catechumens were pursued mth special intent of law. The catechetical school suffered accordingly. In the first two books of the "Miscellanies", written at this time, we find more than one allusion to the crisis. .\t length Clement felt obliged to withdraw. We find him shortly after at Ciesarea in Cappadocia beside his friend and former pupil Bishop Alexander. The persecution is active there also, and Clement is fulfilling a ministry of love. Alexander is in prison for Christ's sake, Clement takes charge of the Church in his stead, strengthens the faithful, and is even able to draw in additional converts. We learn this from a letter written in 211 or 212 by Alexander to congratulate the Church of Antioch on the election of Asclepiades to the bishopric. Clement himself undertook to deliver the letter in person, being known to the faithful of Antioch. In another letter written about 215 to Origen Alexander speaks of Clement as of one then dead.

Clement has had no notable influence on the course of theology beyond his personal influence on the young Origen. His WTitings were occasionally copied, as by Hippolytus in his "Chronicon", by Ariiobius, and by "Theodoret of Cyrus. St. Jerome admired his learning. Pope Gelasius in the catalogue attributetl to him mentions Clement's works, but adds, "they are in no ca.se to be received amongst us". Photius in the " Bibliotheca " censures a list of errors drawn from his writings, butshows a kindly feeling to- wards Clement, assuming that the original text had been tampered with. Clement has in fact been dwarfed in history by the towering grandeur of the great Origen, who succeeded him at Alexandria. Down to the seventeenth century he was venerated as a saint. His name was to be found in the martyrol- ogies, and his feast fell on the fourth of December. But when the Roman Martyrologj' was revised by Pope Clement VIII his name was dropped from the calendar on the advice of Cardinal Baronius. Bene- dict XIV maintained this decision of his predecessor on the grounds that Clement's life was little kno\vn, that he had never obtained public cultus in the Church, and that some of his doctrines were, if not erroneous, at least suspect. In more recent times Clement has grown in favour for his charming liter- ary temper, his attractive candour, the brave spirit which made him a jtioneer in theology, and his leaning to the claims of philosophy. He is modern in spirit. He was exceptionally wi'U-read. He had a thorough knowledge of the whole r.mge o{ Biljliial and Chris-