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Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.
Clement of Alexandria in Print
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128 Pages
Page 118
Chapter VI.--On Filthy Speaking.
From filthy speaking we ourselves must entirely abstain, and stop the mouths of those who practice it by stern looks and averting the face, and by what we call making a mock of one: often also by a harsher mode of speech. "For what proceedeth out of the mouth," He says, "defileth a man," [1421] --shows him to be unclean, and heathenish, and untrained, and licentious, and not select, and proper, and honourable, and temperate. [1422]
And as a similar rule holds with regard to hearing and seeing in the case of what is obscene, the divine Instructor, following the same course with both, arrays those children who are engaged in the struggle in words of modesty, as ear-guards, so that the pulsation of fornication may not penetrate to the bruising of the soul; and He directs the eyes to the sight of what is honourable, saying that it is better to make a slip with the feet than with the eyes. This filthy speaking the apostle beats off, saying, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but what is good." [1423] And again, "As becometh saints, let not filthiness be named among you, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which things are not seemly, but rather giving of thanks." [1424] And if "he that calls his brother a fool be in danger of the judgment," what shall we pronounce regarding him who speaks what is foolish? Is it not written respecting such: "Whosoever shall speak an idle word, shall give an account to the Lord in the day of judgment?" [1425] And again, "By thy speech thou shalt be justified," He says, "and by thy speech thou shalt be condemned." [1426]
[1421] Matt. xv. 18.
[1422] [May the young Christian who reads this passage learn to abhor all freedom of speech of this kind. This is a very precious chapter.]
[1423] Eph. iv. 29.
[1424] Eph. v. 3, 4.
[1425] Matt. v. 22, xii. 36.
[1426] Matt. xii. 37.
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