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

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.

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Page 23

And again, those also are likewise unclean that part the hoof, but do not ruminate. [3695] For these point out the heretics, who indeed go upon the name of the Father and the Son, but are incapable of triturating and grinding down the clear declaration of the oracles, and who, besides, perform the works of righteousness coarsely and not with precision, if they perform them at all. To such the Lord says, "Why will ye call me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" [3696]

And those that neither part the hoof nor chew the cud are entirely unclean.

"But ye Megareans," says Theognis, "are neither third, nor fourth,

Nor twelfth, neither in reckoning nor in number,"

"but as chaff which the wind drives away from the face of the earth," [3697] and as a drop from a vessel." [3698]

These points, then, having been formerly thoroughly treated, and the department of ethics having been sketched summarily in a fragmentary way, as we promised; and having here and there interspersed the dogmas which are the germs of true knowledge, so that the discovery of the sacred traditions may not be easy to any one of the uninitiated, let us proceed to what we promised.

[3695] [The swine, e.g., has the parted hoof, but does not ruminate; hence he is the hypocrite,--an outward sign with no inward quality to correspond, the foulest of the unclean.]

[3696] Luke vi. 46.

[3697] Ps. i. 4.

[3698] Isa. xl. 15.

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