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

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.

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Page 74

I admire Epicharmus, who clearly says:--

"Endowed with pious mind, you will not, in dying,

Suffer aught evil. The spirit will dwell in heaven above;"

and the minstrel [2926] who sings:--

"The souls of the wicked flit about below the skies on earth,

In murderous pains beneath inevitable yokes of evils;

But those of the pious dwell in the heavens,

Hymning in songs the Great, the Blessed One."

The soul is not then sent down from heaven to what is worse. For God works all things up to what is better. But the soul which has chosen the best life--the life that is from God and righteousness--exchanges earth for heaven. With reason therefore, Job, who had attained to knowledge, said, "Now I know that thou canst do all things; and nothing is impossible to Thee. For who tells me of what I know not, great and wonderful things with which I was unacquainted? And I felt myself vile, considering myself to be earth and ashes." [2927] For he who, being in a state of ignorance, is sinful, "is earth and ashes;" while he who is in a state of knowledge, being assimilated as far as possible to God, is already spiritual, and so elect. And that Scripture calls the senseless and disobedient "earth," will be made clear by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, in reference to Joachim and his brethren "Earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord; Write this man, as man excommunicated." [2928]

[2926] Pindar, according to Theodoret.

[2927] Job xlii. 2, 3, 6.

[2928] Jer. xxii. 29, 30.

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