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

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.

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Not only then the believer, but even the heathen, is judged most righteously. For since God knew in virtue of His prescience that he would not believe, He nevertheless, in order that he might receive his own perfection gave him philosophy, but gave it him previous to faith. And He gave the sun, and the moon, and the stars to be worshipped; "which God," the Law says, [3398] made for the nations, that they might not become altogether atheistical, and so utterly perish. But they, also in the instance of this commandment, having become devoid of sense, and addicting themselves to graven images, are judged unless they repent; some of them because, though able, they would not believe God; and others because, though willing, they did not take the necessary pains to become believers. There were also, however, those who, from the worship of the heavenly bodies, did not return to the Maker of them. For this was the sway given to the nations to rise up to God, by means of the worship of the heavenly bodies. But those who would not abide by those heavenly bodies assigned to them, but fell away from them to stocks and stones, "were counted," it is said, "as chaff-dust and as a drop from a jar," [3399] beyond salvation, cast away from the body.

As, then, to be simply saved is the result of medium [3400] actions, but to be saved rightly and becomingly [3401] is right action, so also all action of the Gnostic may be called right action; that of the simple believer, intermediate action, not yet perfected according to reason, not yet made right according to knowledge; but that of every heathen again is sinful. For it is not simply doing well, but doing actions with a certain aim, and acting according to reason, that the Scriptures exhibit as requisite. [3402]

[3398] Deut. iv. 19.

[3399] Isa. xl. 15.

[3400] The author reckons three kinds of actions, the first of which is katorthoma, right or perfect action, which is characteristic of the perfect man and Gnostic alone, and raises him (eis ten anotato doxan) to the height of glory. The second is the class of ton meson, medium, or intermediate actions, which are done by less perfect believers, and procure a lower grade of glory. In the third place he reckons sinful actions (amartetikas), which are done by those who fall away from salvation (Potter).

[3401] [2 Pet. i. 11.]

[3402] To produce this sense, katheken of the text is by Potter changed into kathekein.

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