Clement of Alexandria: STROMATA (MISCELLANIES) Complete

Translated by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson.

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Page 54

There is then in philosophy, though stolen as the fire by Prometheus, a slender spark, capable of being fanned into flame, a trace of wisdom and an impulse from God. Well, be it so that "the thieves and robbers" are the philosophers among the Greeks, who from the Hebrew prophets before the coming of the Lord received fragments of the truth, not with full knowledge, and claimed these as their own teachings, disguising some points, treating others sophistically by their ingenuity, and discovering other things, for perchance they had "the spirit of perception." [1991] Aristotle, too, assented to Scripture, and declared sophistry to have stolen wisdom, as we intimated before. And the apostle says, "Which things we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth." [1992] For of the prophets it is said, "We have all received of His fulness," [1993] that is, of Christ's. So that the prophets are not thieves. "And my doctrine is not Mine," saith the Lord, "but the Father's which sent me." And of those who steal He says: "But he that speaketh of himself, seeketh his own glory." [1994] Such are the Greeks, "lovers of their own selves, and boasters." [1995] Scripture, when it speaks of these as wise, does not brand those who are really wise, but those who are wise in appearance.

[1991] Ex. xxviii. 3.

[1992] 1 Cor. ii. 13.

[1993] John i. 16.

[1994] John vii. 16, 18.

[1995] 2 Tim. iii. 2.

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