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Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.
Clement of Alexandria in Print
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This Part: 128 Pages
Page 51
Rightly therefore Plato "accustoms the best natures to attain to that study which formerly we said was the highest, both to see the good and to accomplish that ascent. And this, as appears, is not the throwing of the potsherds; [3170] but the turning round of the soul from a nocturnal day to that which is a true return to that which really is, which we shall assert to be the true philosophy." Such as are partakers of this he judges [3171] to belong to the golden race, when he says: "Ye are all brethren; and those who are of the golden race are most capable of judging most accurately in every respect." [3172]
The Father, then, and Maker of all things is apprehended by all things, agreeably to all, by innate power and without teaching,--things inanimate, sympathizing with the animate creation; and of living beings some are already immoral, working in the light of day. But of those that are still mortal, some are in fear, and carried still in their mother's womb; and others regulate themselves by their own independent reason. And of men all are Greeks and Barbarians. But no race anywhere of tillers of the soil, or nomads, and not even of dwellers in cities, can live, without being imbued with the faith of a superior being. [3173] Wherefore every eastern nation, and every nation touching the western shore; or the north, and each one towards the south, [3174] --all have one and the same preconception respecting Him who hath appointed government; since the most universal of His operations equally pervade all. Much more did the philosophers among the Greeks, devoted to investigation, starting from the Barbarian philosophy, attribute providence [3175] to the "Invisible, and sole, and most powerful, and most skilful and supreme cause of all things most beautiful;"--not knowing the inferences from these truths, unless instructed by us, and not even how God is to be known naturally; but only, as we have already often said, by a true periphrasis. [3176] Rightly therefore the apostle says, "Is He the God of the Jews only, and not also of the Greeks?"--not only saying prophetically that of the Greeks believing Greeks would know God; but also intimating that in power the Lord is the God of all, and truly Universal King.
[3170] A game in which a potsherd with a black and white side was cast on a line; and as the black or white turned up, one of the players fled and the other pursued.
[3171] Eusebius has krinei, which we have adopted, for krinein of the text.
[3172] Plato, Rep., book vii.
[3173] [Pearson, On the Creed, p. 47.]
[3174] According to the reading in Eusebius, pan ethnos heoon pan de hesperion eonon, boreion te kai to, k.t.l.
[3175] Instead of pronoian, Eusebius has pronomian (privilege).
[3176] Clement seems to mean that they knew God only in a roundabout and inaccurate way. The text has periphasin; but periphrasin, which is in Eusebius, is preferable.
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