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

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.

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Page 43

Now love is conceived in many ways, in the form of meekness, of mildness, of patience, of liberality, of freedom from envy, of absence of hatred, of forgetfulness of injuries. In all it is incapable of being divided or distinguished: its nature is to communicate. Again, it is said, "If you see the beast of your relatives, or friends, or, in general, of anybody you know, wandering in the wilderness, take it back and restore it; [2355] and if the owner be far away, keep it among your own till he return, and restore it." It teaches a natural communication, that what is found is to be regarded as a deposit, and that we are not to bear malice to an enemy. "The command of the Lord being a fountain of life" truly, "causeth to turn away from the snare of death." [2356] And what? Does it not command us "to love strangers not only as friends and relatives, but as ourselves, both in body and soul?" [2357] Nay more, it honoured the nations, and bears no grudge [2358] against those who have done ill. Accordingly it is expressly said, "Thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, for thou wast a sojourner in Egypt;" [2359] designating by the term Egyptian either one of that race, or any one in the world. And enemies, although drawn up before the walls attempting to take the city, are not to be regarded as enemies till they are by the voice of the herald summoned to peace. [2360]

[2355] Quoted from Philo, with slight alterations, giving the sense of Ex. xxiii. 4, Deut. xxii. 12, 3.

[2356] Prov. xiv. 27.

[2357] Lev. xix. 33, 34; Deut. x. 19, xxiii. 7.

[2358] mnesiponerei (equivalent to mnesikakei in the passage of Philo from which Clement is quoting) has been substituted by Sylb. for misoponerei.

[2359] Deut. xxiii. 7.

[2360] Deut. xx. 10.

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