{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p>Further, Plato the philosopher says that the end is twofold: that which\r\nis communicable, and exists first in the ideal forms themselves, which\r\nhe also calls “the good;” and that which partakes of it, and receives\r\nits likeness from it, as is the case in the men who appropriate virtue\r\nand true philosophy. Wherefore also Cleanthes, in the second book,\r\n<i>On Pleasure</i>, says that Socrates everywhere teaches that the\r\njust man and the happy are one and the same, and execrated the first\r\nman who separated the just from the useful, as having done an impious\r\nthing. For those are in truth impious who separate the useful from\r\nthat which is right according to the law. Plato himself says that\r\nhappiness (εὐδαιμονία) is to possess rightly the dæmon, and that the\r\nruling faculty of<span class=\"pagenum\" id=\"Page_75\">[75]</span> the soul is called the dæmon; and he terms happiness\r\n(εὐδαιμονία) the most perfect and complete good. Sometimes he calls\r\nit a consistent and harmonious life, sometimes the highest perfection\r\nin accordance with virtue; and this he places in the knowledge of the\r\nGood, and in likeness to God, demonstrating likeness to be justice\r\nand holiness with wisdom. For is it not thus that some of our writers\r\nhave understood that man straightway on his creation received what\r\nis “according to the image,” but that what is according “to the\r\nlikeness” he will receive afterwards on his perfection? Now Plato,\r\nteaching that the virtuous man shall have this likeness accompanied\r\nwith humility, explains the following: “He that humbleth himself\r\nshall be exalted.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_242\" id=\"FNanchor_242\">[242]</a> He says, accordingly, in <i>The Laws</i>:\r\n“God indeed, as the ancient saying has it, occupying the beginning,\r\nthe middle, and the end of all things, goes straight through while He\r\ngoes round the circumference. And He is always attended by Justice,\r\nthe avenger of those who revolt from the divine law.” You see how\r\nhe connects fear with the divine law. He adds, therefore: “To which\r\nhe, who would be happy, cleaving, will follow lowly and beautified.”\r\nThen, connecting what follows these words, and admonishing by fear,\r\nhe adds: “What conduct, then, is dear and conformable to God? That\r\nwhich is characterized by one word of old date: <i>Like will be dear\r\nto like</i>, as to what is in proportion; but things out of proportion\r\nare neither dear to one another, nor to those which are in proportion.\r\nAnd that therefore he that would be dear to God, must, to the best of\r\nhis power, become such as He is. And in virtue of the same reason, our\r\nself-controlling man is dear to God. But he that has no self-control\r\nis unlike and diverse.” In saying that it was an ancient dogma, he\r\nindicates the teaching which had come to him from the law. And having\r\nin the <i>Theatætus</i> admitted that evils make the circuit of mortal\r\nnature and of this spot, he adds: “Wherefore we must try to flee hence\r\nas soon as possible. For flight is likeness to God as far as possible.\r\nAnd likeness is to become holy and just with wisdom.” Speusippus, the\r\nnephew<span class=\"pagenum\" id=\"Page_76\">[76]</span> of Plato, says that happiness is a perfect state in those who\r\nconduct themselves in accordance with nature, or the state of the good:\r\nfor which condition all men have a desire, but the good only attain\r\nto quietude; consequently the virtues are the authors of happiness.\r\nAnd Xenocrates the Chalcedonian defines happiness to be the possession\r\nof virtue, strictly so called, and of the power subservient to it.\r\nThen he clearly says, that the seat in which it resides is the soul;\r\nthat by which it is effected, the virtues; and that of these as parts\r\nare formed praiseworthy actions, good habits and dispositions, and\r\nmotions, and relations; and that corporeal and external objects are\r\nnot without these. For Polemo, the disciple of Xenocrates, seems of\r\nthe opinion that happiness is sufficiency of all good things, or of\r\nthe most and greatest. He lays down the doctrine, then, that happiness\r\nnever exists without virtue; and that virtue, apart from corporeal\r\nand external objects, is sufficient for happiness. Let these things\r\nbe so. The contradictions to the opinions specified shall be adduced\r\nin due time. But on us it is incumbent to reach the unaccomplished\r\nend, obeying the commands—that is, God—and living according to them,\r\nirreproachably and intelligently, through knowledge of the divine will;\r\nand assimilation as far as possible in accordance with right reason is\r\nthe end, and restoration to perfect adoption by the Son, which ever\r\nglorifies the Father by the great High Priest who has deigned to call\r\nus brethren and fellow-heirs. And the apostle, succinctly describing\r\nthe end, writes in the Epistle to the Romans: “But now, being made\r\nfree from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto\r\nholiness, and the end everlasting life.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_243\" id=\"FNanchor_243\">[243]</a> And viewing the hope as\r\ntwofold—that which is expected, and that which has been received—he\r\nnow teaches the end to be the restitution of the hope. “For patience,”\r\nhe says, “worketh experience, and experience hope: and hope maketh\r\nnot ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by\r\nthe Holy Spirit that is given to us.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_244\" id=\"FNanchor_244\">[244]</a> On account of which love\r\nand the restoration to hope, he says, in another place, “<i>which\r\nrest</i> is laid up for<span class=\"pagenum\" id=\"Page_77\">[77]</span> us.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_245\" id=\"FNanchor_245\">[245]</a> You will find in Ezekiel the like,\r\nas follows: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die. And the man who\r\nshall be righteous, and shall do judgment and justice, who has not\r\neaten on the mountains, nor lifted his eyes to the idols of the house\r\nof Israel, and hath not defiled his neighbour’s wife, and hath not\r\napproached to a woman in the time of her uncleanness (for he does not\r\nwish the seed of man to be dishonoured), and will not injure a man;\r\nwill restore the debtor’s pledge, and will not take usury; will turn\r\naway his hand from wrong; will do true judgment between a man and his\r\nneighbour; will walk in my ordinances, and keep my commandments, so as\r\nto do the truth; he is righteous, he shall surely live, saith Adonai\r\nthe Lord.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_246\" id=\"FNanchor_246\">[246]</a> Isaiah too, in exhorting him that hath not believed\r\nto gravity of life, and the Gnostic to attention, proving that man’s\r\nvirtue and God’s are not the same, speaks thus: “Seek the Lord, and\r\non finding Him call on Him. And when He shall draw near to you, let\r\nthe wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his ways; and let\r\nhim return to the Lord, and he shall obtain mercy,” down to “and your\r\nthoughts from my thoughts.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_247\" id=\"FNanchor_247\">[247]</a> “We,” then, according to the noble\r\napostle, “wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. For in Christ\r\nneither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith\r\nwhich worketh by love.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_248\" id=\"FNanchor_248\">[248]</a> “And we desire that every one of you show\r\nthe same diligence to the full assurance of hope,” down to “made an\r\nhigh priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_249\" id=\"FNanchor_249\">[249]</a> Similarly\r\nwith Paul “the All-virtuous Wisdom” says, “He that heareth me shall\r\ndwell trusting in hope.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_250\" id=\"FNanchor_250\">[250]</a> For the restoration of hope is called\r\nby the same term “hope.” To the expression “will dwell” it has most\r\nbeautifully added “trusting,” showing that such an one has obtained\r\nrest, having received the hope for which he hoped. Wherefore also it\r\nis added, “and shall be quiet, without fear of any evil.” And openly\r\nand expressly the apostle, in the first Epistle to the Corinthians,\r\nsays, “Be ye followers of me, as<span class=\"pagenum\" id=\"Page_78\">[78]</span> also I am of Christ,”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_251\" id=\"FNanchor_251\">[251]</a> in order\r\nthat that may take place. If ye are of me, and I am of Christ, then ye\r\nare imitators of Christ, and Christ of God. <i>Assimilation to God,\r\nthen, so that as far as possible a man becomes righteous and holy with\r\nwisdom</i>, he lays down as the aim of faith, and the end to be that\r\nrestitution of the promise which is effected by faith. From these\r\ndoctrines gush the fountains, which we specified above, of those who\r\nhave dogmatized about “the end.” But of these enough.</p>","headings":["THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA.","BOOK II.","CHAPTER XXII. PLATO’S OPINION, THAT THE CHIEF GOOD CONSISTS IN ASSIMILATION TO GOD, AND ITS AGREEMENT WITH SCRIPTURE."],"marker_anchor":"FNanchor_247","paragraph_id":"pg73020-paragraph-122"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"ae6ce5b30a558adcdeaf90484dcdd6aff11f4de7e5f414e525e7dd8efb25b4b9","edition_title":"The writings of Clement of Alexandria, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["William Wilson"],"edition_year":1869,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"ISA","chapter":55,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"Isa. lv. 6","verse":6,"verse_end":6}],"headings":[],"id":"pg73020-Footnote_247","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1869 English translation; translator died 1875. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"Footnote_247","source_ebook":73020,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\">\n<p><a class=\"label pginternal\" href=\"#FNanchor_247\" id=\"Footnote_247\">[247]</a> Isa. lv. 6, 7, 9.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"c35077683d75abe553cc6ef5d3ef5a1a978f07dfbcf4bad5c3d56302ad03dc19","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/73020/pg73020-images.html#Footnote_247","text_sha256":"d12ecfb9fed0fb17f57ffe2ec9d7dae57a540d18e8b3332f697d2d4baf241d34","verified":false,"work_id":null}