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Three Millennia of Greek Literature

 

Clement of Alexandria : O THE PERFECT CHILD!

from Clement's Instructor (Paedagogus), * 1.5, translated by A. Roberts and J. Donaldson.
Text in <angle brackets> added by Elpenor.
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Page 9

To those, therefore, that have made progress in the word, He has proclaimed this utterance, bidding them dismiss anxious care of the things of this world, and exhorting them to adhere to the Father alone, in imitation of children. Wherefore also in what follows He says: "Take no anxious thought for the morrow; sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." Thus He enjoins them to lay aside the cares of this life, and depend on the Father alone. And he who fulfils this commandment is in reality a child and a son to God and to the world, - to the one as deceived, to the other as beloved. And if we have one Master in heaven, as the Scripture says, then by common consent those on the earth will be rightly called disciples. For so is the truth, that perfection is with the Lord, who is always teaching, and infancy and childishness with us, who are always learning. Thus prophecy hath honoured perfection, by applying to it the appellation man. For instance, by David, He says of the devil: "The Lord abhors the man of blood; " he calls him man, as perfect in wickedness. And the Lord is called man, because He is perfect in righteousness. Τοῖς γοῦν προβεβηκόσιν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ ταύτην ἐπεκήρυξεν τὴν φωνήν͵ ἀφροντιστεῖν κελεύων τῶν τῇδε πραγμάτων καὶ μόνῳ προσέχειν τῷ πατρὶ παραινῶν μιμουμένους τὰ παιδία. Διὸ κἀν τοῖς ἐχομένοις λέγει μὴ μεριμνᾶτε περὶ τῆς αὔριον· ἀρκετὸν γὰρ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἡ κακία αὐτῆς. Οὕτως ἀποθεμένους τὰς τοῦ βίου φροντίδας ἐξέχεσθαι μόνου τοῦ πατρὸς παραγγέλλει. Καὶ ὁ πληρῶν τὴν ἐντολὴν ταύτην τῷ ὄντι νήπιός τέ ἐστι καὶ παῖς θεῷ τε καὶ τῷ κόσμῳ͵ τῷ μὲν ὡς πεπλανημένος͵ τῷ δὲ ὡς ἠγαπημένος. Εἰ δὲ εἷς διδάσκαλος ἐν οὐρανοῖς͵ ὥς φησιν ἡ γραφή͵ ὁμολογουμένως οἱ ἐπὶ γῆς εἰκότως ἂν πάντες κεκλήσονται μαθηταί. Ἔχει γὰρ οὕτως τὸ ἀληθές͵ τὸ μὲν τέλειον εἶναι παρὰ τῷ κυρίῳ τῷ διδάσκοντι ἀεί͵ τὸ δὲ παιδικὸν καὶ νήπιον παρ΄ ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀεὶ μανθάνουσιν. Ταύτῃ τοι ἡ προφητεία τὸ τέλειον τῇ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τετίμηκεν προσηγορίᾳ καὶ διά γε τοῦ Δαβὶδ ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ διαβόλου ἄνδρα αἱμάτων φησὶ βδελύσσεται κύριος͵ ἄνδρα αὐτὸν ὡς τέλειον ἐν κακίᾳ καλεῖ· λέγεται δὲ καὶ ὁ κύριος ἀνὴρ διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν τέλειον ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ.
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Three Millennia of Greek Literature

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