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Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.
Clement of Alexandria in Print
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This Part: 128 Pages
Page 10
Chapter XIV.--Degrees of Glory in Heaven.
Such, according to David, "rest in the holy hill of God," [3389] in the Church far on high, in which are gathered the philosophers of God, "who are Israelites indeed, who are pure in heart, in whom there is no guile;" [3390] who do not remain in the seventh seat, the place of rest, but are promoted, through the active beneficence of the divine likeness, to the heritage of beneficence which is the eighth grade; devoting themselves to the pure vision [3391] of insatiable contemplation.
"And other sheep there are also," saith the Lord, "which are not of this fold" [3392] --deemed worthy of another fold and mansion, in proportion to their faith. "But My sheep hear My voice," [3393] understanding gnostically the commandments. And this is to be taken in a magnanimous and worthy acceptation, along with also the recompense and accompaniment of works. So that when we hear, "Thy faith hath saved thee," [3394] we do not understand Him to say absolutely that those who have believed in any way whatever shall be saved, unless also works follow. But it was to the Jews alone that He spoke this utterance, who kept the law and lived blamelessly, who wanted only faith in the Lord. No one, then, can be a believer and at the same time be licentious; but though he quit the flesh, he must put off the passions, so as to be capable of reaching his own mansion.
[3389] Ps. xv. i.
[3390] John i. 47; Matt v. 8.
[3391] epopteia, the third and highest grade of initiation of the Eleusinian mysteries (Liddell and Scott's Lexicon).
[3392] John x. 16.
[3393] John x. 27.
[3394] Mark v. 34, etc.
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