Clement of Alexandria: STROMATA (MISCELLANIES), Part IV, Complete

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.

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Again, Moses, not allowing altars and temples to be constructed in many places, but raising one temple of God, announced that the world was only-begotten, as Basilides says, and that God is one, as does not as yet appear to Basilides. And since the gnostic Moses does not circumscribe within space Him that cannot be circumscribed, he set up no image in the temple to be worshipped; showing that God was invisible, and incapable of being circumscribed; and somehow leading the Hebrews to the conception of God by the honour for His name in the temple. Further, the Word, prohibiting the constructing of temples and all sacrifices, intimates that the Almighty is not contained in anything, by what He says: "What house will ye build to Me? saith the Lord. Heaven is my throne," [3080] and so on. Similarly respecting sacrifices: "I do not desire the blood of bulls and the fat of lambs," [3081] and what the Holy Spirit by the prophet in the sequel forbids.

Most excellently, therefore, Euripides accords with these, when he writes:--

"What house constructed by the workmen's hands,

With folds of walls, can clothe the shape divine?"

And of sacrifices he thus speaks:--

"For God needs nought, if He is truly God.

These of the minstrels are the wretched myths."

[3080] Isa. lxvi. 1.

[3081] Ps. l. 13.

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