-
The Letter to Theodore
- Wilfrid Laurier University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
I.1 From the letters of the most holy Clement, the author of the Stromateis . To Theodore. I.2 You did well in silencing the unspeakable teachings of the Carpocratians . I.3 For these are the “wandering stars” referred to in the prophecy, who wander from the I.4 narrow road of the commandments into a boundless abyss of the carnal and bodily sins. I.5 For, priding themselves in knowledge , as they say, “of the deep things of Satan,” they do not know that they are casting themselves away into I.6 “the nether world of the darkness” of falsity, and, boasting I.7 that they are free, they have become slaves of servile desires. Such men I.8 are to be opposed in all ways and altogether. For, even if they should say something true, one who I.9 loves the truth should not, even so, agree with them. For not all true things are the truth, nor xvii The Letter to Theodore I.1 a@I|CaE>HIDA|CIDyWKIU IDJ%A B:CID0IDyHIGKB6I^K0 +:D9°G¥ I.2 @6A|0aED¼=H60aE>HIDB¼H60IV0i Gh G IDJ09>96H@6A¼60I|C%6G ED@G6I>6C|C I.3 D²ID> YDªEqId0 HI:Cd0I|CaCIDA|C I.4 o9Dy :k0 E^G6IDC X7JHHDC EA6C°B:CD>I|CH6G@>@|C@6½ aCHKBUIKCWB6GI>|C I.5 E:;JH>KB^CD>C z0 A^C ZI|C 76F^KC IDy -6I6C~ YA6CFUCDJH>C:k0 I.6 ZIqCNn;DCIDyH@nIDJ0 YIDy M:s9DJ0 }6JIDv0EDi Gh G¼EIDC I:0@6½@6J8°B:CD> I.7 aA:JF^GDJ0:ºC6> 9DyAD>CC9G6ED9°9KCaE>FJB>|C IDsID>0D±C I.8 CI>HI6I^DCEUCI¬I:@6½EUC IK0 :kA=F`0A^:C Dw9[DuIK I.9 HJB;KCD¼=XC6wID¾0oId0A= F:¼60aG6HI 0 Dw9`6 Dw9` brown_00_fm.qxd 2005/04/26 12:22 PM Page xvii I.10 should that truth which merely seems true according to human opinions be preferred to the I.11 true truth, that according to the faith. Now of the things they keep saying about the divinely inspired I.12 Gospel according to Mark, some are altogether falsifications, and others, even if they do contain some true I.13 elements, nevertheless are not reported truly. For the true things being mixed I.14 with inventions, are falsified, so that, as the saying goes, even the I.15 salt loses its savor. As for Mark, then, during Peter’s stay in Rome I.16 he wrote an account of the Lord’s doings, not, however, declaring all of them, nor yet hinting at the I.17 mystic1 ones, but selecting what he thought most useful for increasing the I.18 faith of those who were being instructed. But when Peter died a martyr, Mark came I.19 over to Alexandria, bringing both his own notes and those of Peter, I.20 from which he transferred to his former book the things suitable to those studies which make for2 progress I.21 toward knowledge. Thus he composed a more spiritual xviii THE LETTER TO THEODORE 1 Smith: “secret.” 2 Smith’s translation has “to whatever makes for progress toward knowledge.” I replaced that phrase with the rendition Smith gave in CA, 91. I.10 IC@6IVIV0CFGKE¼C609nL60 ;6>CDB^C=CA F:>6CEGD@G> I^DCId0 I.11 A=FDy0A=F:¼60Id0@6IVIC E¼HI>C I|CID¼CJCFGJADJB^CKC E:G½IDyF:DEC:sHIDJ I.12 @6IV'~G@DC:w6E6CI:A|0 IV9^ :k@6½A=FdI>C6 I.13 E:G>^8:> Dw9] DuIK0 A=F|0 E6G69¼9DI6> HJE6G686GUHH: I6>HI:—IDyID9IqA: Y o 6IG>7C I.16 C^0 IDy %JG¼DJ DwB^CID>EUH60aL6@V0 tEDH=B6¼CKC AA] a@A:BKIUI60 aCnB>H:EGq0 I.18 6xL=H>CId0I|C@6I=8DJB^CKC E¼HI:K0 IDy9`*^IGDJB6G IJG H6CID0 E6GdAF:C I.19 :k0]A:LUC9G:>6Co'~G@D0 @DB¼NKC@6½IV[I] 6tIDy@6½IV IDy*^IGDJ I.20 tEDBC B6I6aL´CB:I6;^GKC :k0IqEG|IDC6wIDy7>7A¼DCIV ID¾0EGD@nEIDJH...