The Stromata, or Miscellanies, Book V

Book V

• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.1 — Chap. I.—On Faith. Of the Gnostic so much has been cursorily, as it were, written. We proceed now to the sequel, and must again contemplate faith; for there are some that draw the distinction, that faith has…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.2 — Chap. II.—On Hope. Respecting faith we have adduced sufficient testimonies of writings among the Greeks. But in order not to exceed bounds, through eagerness to collect a very great many also respecting hope and…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.3 — The Objects of Faith and Hope Perceived by the Mind Alone. For he who hopes, as he who believes, sees intellectual objects and future things with the mind. If, then, we affirm that aught is just, and affirm it to be…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.4 — Divine Things Wrapped Up in Figures Both in the Sacred and in Heathen Writers. But since they will believe neither in what is good justly nor in knowledge unto salvation, we ourselves reckoning what they claim as…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.5 — On the Symbols of Pythagoras. Now the Pythagorean symbols were connected with the Barbarian philosophy in the most recondite way. For instance, the Samian counsels “not to have a swallow in the house;” that is, not…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.6 — The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture. It were tedious to go over all the Prophets and the Law, specifying what is spoken in enigmas; for almost the whole Scripture gives its utterances in this way.…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.7 — The Egyptian Symbols and Enigmas of Sacred Things. Whence also the Egyptians did not entrust the mysteries they possessed to all and sundry, and did not divulge the knowledge of divine things to the profane; but only…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.8 — The Use of the Symbolic Style by Poets and Philosophers. But it was not only the most highly intellectual of the Egyptians, but also such of other barbarians as prosecuted philosophy, that affected the symbolical…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.9 — Reasons for Veiling the Truth in Symbols. But, as appears, I have, in my eagerness to establish my point, insensibly gone beyond what is requisite. For life would fail me to adduce the multitude of those who…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.10 — The Opinion of the Apostles on Veiling the Mysteries of the Faith. Rightly, therefore, the divine apostle says, “By revelation the mystery was made known to me (as I wrote before in brief, in accordance with which,…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.11 — Abstraction from Material Things Necessary in Order to Attain to the True Knowledge of God. Now the sacrifice which is acceptable to God is unswerving abstraction from the body and its passions. This is the really…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.12 — God Cannot Be Embraced in Words or by the Mind. “For both is it a difficult task to discover the Father and Maker of this universe; and having found Him, it is impossible to declare Him to all. For this is by no…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.13 — The Knowledge of God a Divine Gift, According to the Philosophers. Everything, then, which falls under a name, is originated, whether they will or not. Whether, then, the Father Himself draws to Himself everyone who…vatican.va
• The Stromata, or Miscellanies V.14 — Greek Plagiarism from the Hebrews. Let us add in completion what follows, and exhibit now with greater clearness the plagiarism of the Greeks from the Barbarian philosophy. Now the Stoics say that God, like the soul,…vatican.va