Chapter IV.—The Praises of Martyrdom.

Whence, as is reasonable, the gnostic, when galled, obeys easily, and gives up his body to him who asks; and, previously divesting himself of the affections of this carcase, not insulting the tempter, but rather, in my opinion, training him and convincing him,—

as says Empedocles, here for the future he walks with mortals. He, in truth, bears witness to himself that he is faithful and loyal towards God; and to the tempter, that he in vain envied him who is faithful through love; and to the Lord, of the inspired persuasion in reference to His doctrine, from which he will not depart through fear of death; further, he confirms also the truth of preaching by his deed, showing that God to whom he hastes is powerful. You will wonder at his love, which he conspicuously shows with thankfulness, in being united to what is allied to him, and besides by his precious blood, shaming the unbelievers. He then avoids denying Christ through fear by reason of the command; nor does he sell his faith in the hope of the gifts prepared, but in love to the Lord he will most gladly depart from this life; perhaps giving thanks both to him who afforded the cause of his departure hence, and to him who laid the plot against him, for receiving an honourable reason which he himself furnished not, for showing what he is, to him by his patience, and to the Lord in love, by which even before his birth he was manifested to the Lord, who knew the martyr’s choice. With good courage, then, he goes to the Lord, his friend, for whom he voluntarily gave his body, and, as his judges hoped, his soul, hearing from our Saviour the words of poetry, “Dear brother,” by reason of the similarity of his life. We call martyrdom perfection, not because the man comes to the end of his life as others, but because he has exhibited the perfect work of love. And the ancients laud the death of those among the Greeks who died in war, not that they advised people to die a violent death, but because he who ends his life in war is released without the dread of dying, severed from the body without experiencing previous suffering or being enfeebled in his soul, as the people that suffer in diseases. For they depart in a state of effeminacy and desiring to live; and therefore they do not yield up the soul pure, but bearing with it their lusts like weights of lead; all but those who have been conspicuous in virtue. Some die in battle with their lusts, these being in no respect different from what they would have been if they had wasted away by disease.

If the confession to God is martyrdom, each soul which has lived purely in the knowledge of God, which has obeyed the commandments, is a witness both by life and word, in whatever way it may be released from the body,—shedding faith as blood along its whole life till its departure. For instance, the Lord says in the Gospel, “Whosoever shall leave father, or mother, or brethren,” and so forth, “for the sake of the Gospel and my name,”880    Matt. xix. 29. he is blessed; not indicating simple martyrdom, but the gnostic martyrdom, as of the man who has conducted himself according to the rule of the Gospel, in love to the Lord (for the knowledge of the Name and the understanding of the Gospel point out the gnosis, but not the bare appellation), so as to leave his worldly kindred, and wealth, and every possession, in order to lead a life free from passion. “Mother” figuratively means country and sustenance; “fathers” are the laws of civil polity: which must be contemned thankfully by the high-souled just man; for the sake of being the friend of God, and of obtaining the right hand in the holy place, as the Apostles have done.

Then Heraclitus says, “Gods and men honour those slain in battle;” and Plato in the fifth book of the Republic writes, “Of those who die in military service, whoever dies after winning renown, shall we not say that he is chief of the golden race? Most assuredly.” But the golden race is with the gods, who are in heaven, in the fixed sphere, who chiefly hold command in the providence exercised towards men. Now some of the heretics who have misunderstood the Lord, have at once an impious and cowardly love of life; saying that the true martyrdom is the knowledge of the only true God (which we also admit), and that the man is a self-murderer and a suicide who makes confession by death; and adducing other similar sophisms of cowardice. To these we shall reply at the proper time; for they differ with us in regard to first principles. Now we, too, say that those who have rushed on death (for there are some, not belonging to us, but sharing the name merely, who are in haste to give themselves up, the poor wretches dying through hatred to the Creator881    Demiurgus.)—these, we say, banish themselves without being martyrs, even though they are punished publicly. For they do not preserve the characteristic mark of believing martyrdom, inasmuch as they have not known the only true God, but give themselves up to a vain death, as the Gymnosophists of the Indians to useless fire.

But since these falsely named882    [οἱ ψευδώνυμοι, i.e., the gnostic heretics. Clement does not approve of the surrender of a good name to false pretenders.] calumniate the body, let them learn that the harmonious mechanism of the body contributes to the understanding which leads to goodness of nature. Wherefore in the third book of the Republic, Plato, whom they appeal to loudly as an authority that disparages generation, says, “that for the sake of harmony of soul, care must be taken for the body,” by which, he who announces the proclamation of the truth, finds it possible to live, and to live well. For it is by the path of life and health that we learn gnosis. But is he who cannot advance to the height without being occupied with necessary things, and through them doing what tends to knowledge, not to choose to live well? In living, then, living well is secured. And he who in the body has devoted himself to a good life, is being sent on to the state of immortality.

Ὅθεν εἰκότως καλούμενος ὁ γνωστικὸς ὑπακούει ῥᾳδίως καὶ τῷ τὸ σωμάτιον αἰτοῦντι φέρων προσδίδωσι καὶ τὰ πάθη, προαποδυόμενος τοῦ σαρκίου ταῦτα, οὐχ ὑβρίζων τὸν πειράζοντα, παιδεύων δέ, οἶμαι, καὶ ἐλέγχων, ἐξ οἵης τιμῆς καὶ οἵου μήκεος ὄλβου, ὥς φησιν Ἐμπεδοκλῆς, ὧδε ἐλθὼν μετὰ θνητῶν ἀναστρέφεται. οὗτος ὡς ἀληθῶς μαρτυρεῖ αὑτῷ μὲν τὸ εἶναι πιστῷ γνησίῳ πρὸς τὸν θεόν, τῷ πειράζοντι δὲ μάτην ἐζηλωκέναι τὸν δι' ἀγάπης πιστόν, τῷ δ' αὖ κυρίῳ τὴν ἔνθεον πρὸς τὴν διδασκαλίαν πειθώ, ἧς οὐκ ἀποστήσεται θανάτου φόβῳ, ναὶ μὴν καὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος τὴν ἀλήθειαν συμβεβαιοῖ ἔργῳ, δυνατὸν εἶναι δεικνὺς τὸν πρὸς ὃν σπεύδει θεόν. θαυμάσαις ἂν τὴν ἀγάπην αὐτοῦ, ἣν ἐναργῶς διδάσκει εὐχαρίστως ἑνούμενος πρὸς τὸ συγγενές, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ τιμίῳ αἵματι τοὺς ἀπίστους δυσωπῶν. οὗτος οὖν [οὐ] φόβῳ τὸ ἀρνεῖσθαι Χριστὸν διὰ τὴν ἐντολὴν ἐκκλινεῖ, ἵνα δὴ φόβῳ μάρτυς γένηται· οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐλπίδι δωρεῶν ἡτοιμασμένων πιπράσκων τὴν πίστιν, ἀγάπῃ δὲ πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἀσμενέστατα τοῦδε τοῦ βίου ἀπολυθήσεται, χάριν ἴσως καὶ τῷ τὴν αἰτίαν παρασχομένῳ τῆς ἐνθένδε ἐξόδου καὶ τῷ τὴν ἐπιβουλὴν τεχνασαμένῳ ἐγνωκώς, πρόφασιν εὔλογον λαβών, ἣν οὐκ αὐτὸς παρέσχεν, ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδεῖξαι ὅς ἐστι, τῷ μὲν δι' ὑπομονῆς, δι' ἀγάπης δὲ κυρίῳ, δι' ἧς ἀνεδείκνυτο τῷ κυρίῳ καὶ πρὸ τῆς γενέσεως τὴν προαίρεσιν τοῦ μαρτυρήσοντος εἰδότι. εὐθαρσήσας τοίνυν πρὸς φίλον τὸν κύριον, ὑπὲρ οὗ καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἑκὼν ἐπιδέδωκεν, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὴν ψυχήν, ὡς οἱ δικασταὶ προσεδόκησαν, ἔρχεται, φίλε κασίγνητε ποιητικῶς τε ἀκούσας πρὸς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν διὰ τὴν τοῦ βίου ὁμοιότητα. αὐτίκα τελείωσιν τὸ μαρτύριον καλοῦμεν οὐχ ὅτι τέλος τοῦ βίου ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἔλαβεν ὡς οἱ λοιποί, ἀλλ' ὅτι τέλειον ἔργον ἀγάπης ἐνεδείξατο. καὶ οἱ παλαιοὶ δὲ τῶν παρ' Ἕλλησι τῶν ἐν πολέμῳ ἀποθανόντων τὴν τελευτὴν ἐπαινοῦσιν, οὐ τὸ βιαίως ἀποθνῄσκειν συμβουλεύοντες, ἀλλ' ὅτι ὁ κατὰ πόλεμον τελευτῶν ἀδεὴς τοῦ θανεῖν ἀπήλλακται, ἀποτμηθεὶς τοῦ σώματος, καὶ οὐ προκαμὼν τῇ ψυχῇ οὐδὲ καταμαλακισθείς, οἷα περὶ τὰς νόσους πάσχουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι· ἀπαλλάττονται γὰρ θηλυκευόμενοι καὶ ἱμειρόμενοι τοῦ ζῆν. διὰ ταῦτα οὐδὲ καθαρὰν ἀπολύουσιν τὴν ψυχήν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ μολυβδίδας τὰς ἐπιθυμίας μεθ' ἑαυτῆς φερομένην, εἰ μή τινες τούτων ἐλλόγιμοι κατ' ἀρετὴν γεγόνασιν. εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ οἳ ἐν πολέμῳ μετ' ἐπιθυμιῶν ἀποθνῄσκουσιν, οὐδὲν οὗτοι διαφέροντες, [ἢ] εἰ καὶ νόσῳ κατεμαραίνοντο. εἰ τοίνυν ἡ πρὸς θεὸν ὁμολογία μαρτυρία ἐστί, πᾶσα ἡ καθαρῶς πολιτευσαμένη ψυχὴ μετ' ἐπιγνώσεως τοῦ θεοῦ, ἡ ταῖς ἐντολαῖς ὑπακηκουῖα, μάρτυς ἐστὶ καὶ βίῳ καὶ λόγῳ, ὅπως ποτὲ τοῦ σώματος ἀπαλλάττεται, οἷον αἷμα τὴν πίστιν ἀνὰ τὸν βίον ἅπαντα, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τὴν ἔξοδον, προχέουσα. αὐτίκα ὁ κύριος ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ φησίν· ὃς ἂν καταλείψῃ πατέρα ἢ μητέρα ἢ ἀδελφοὺς καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕνεκεν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ τοῦ ὀνόματός μου, μακάριος οὑτοσί, οὐ τὴν ἁπλῆν ἐμφαίνων μαρτυρίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν γνωστικήν, ὡς κατὰ τὸν κανόνα τοῦ εὐαγγελίου πολιτευσάμενος διὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν κύριον ἀγάπης· γνῶσιν γὰρ σημαίνει ἡ τοῦ ὀνόματος εἴδησις καὶ ἡ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου νόησις, ἀλλ' οὐ ψιλὴν τὴν προσηγορίαν, ** ἀπολιπεῖν μὲν γένος τὸ κοσμικόν, ἀπολιπεῖν δὲ οὐσίαν καὶ κτῆσιν πᾶσαν διὰ τὸ ἀπροσπαθῶς βιοῦν. μήτηρ γοῦν ἡ πατρὶς καὶ τροφὸς ἀλληγορεῖται, πατέρες δὲ οἱ νόμοι οἱ πολιτικοί. ἃ δὴ ὑπεροπτέον εὐχαρίστως τῷ μεγαλόφρονι δικαίῳ ἕνεκεν τοῦ φίλον γενέσθαι τῷ θεῷ καὶ τυχεῖν τῶν δεξιῶν μερῶν τοῦ ἁγιάσματος, καθάπερ καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι πεποιήκασιν. Εἶτα Ἡράκλειτος μέν φησιν ἀρηιφάτους θεοὶ τιμῶσι καὶ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ Πλάτων ἐν τῷ πέμπτῳ τῆς Πολιτείας γράφει· τῶν δὲ δὴ ἀποθανόντων ἐπὶ στρατείας ὃς ἂν εὐδοκιμήσας τελευτήσῃ, ἆρ' οὐ πρῶτον μὲν φήσομεν τοῦ χρυσοῦ γένους εἶναι; πάντων γε μάλιστα. τὸ δὲ χρυσοῦν γένος πρὸς θεῶν ἐστι τῶν κατ' οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν ἀπλανῆ σφαῖραν, οἳ μάλιστα τὴν ἡγεμονίαν ἔχουσι τῆς κατ' ἀνθρώπους προνοίας. τινὲς δὲ τῶν αἱρετικῶν τοῦ κυρίου παρακηκοότες ἀσεβῶς ἅμα καὶ δειλῶς φιλοζωοῦσι, μαρτυρίαν λέγοντες ἀληθῆ εἶναι τὴν τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος γνῶσιν θεοῦ, ὅπερ καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμολογοῦμεν, φονέα δὲ εἶναι αὐτὸν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ αὐθέντην τὸν διὰ θανάτου ὁμολογήσαντα, καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα δειλίας σοφίσματα εἰς μέσον κομίζοντες. πρὸς οὓς εἰρήσεται ὁπόταν καιρὸς ἀπαιτῇ· διαφέρονται γὰρ ἡμῖν περὶ ἀρχάς. ψέγομεν δὲ καὶ ἡμεῖς τοὺς ἐπιπηδήσαντας τῷ θανάτῳ· εἰσὶ γάρ τινες οὐχ ἡμέτεροι, μόνου τοῦ ὀνόματος κοινωνοί, οἳ δὴ αὑτοὺς παραδιδόναι σπεύδουσι τῇ πρὸς τὸν δημιουργὸν ἀπεχθείᾳ, οἱ ἄθλιοι θανατῶντες. τούτους ἐξάγειν ἑαυτοὺς ἀμαρτύρως λέγομεν, κἂν δημοσίᾳ κολάζωνται. οὐ γὰρ τὸν χαρακτῆρα σῴζουσι τοῦ μαρτυρίου τοῦ πιστοῦ, τὸν ὄντως θεὸν μὴ γνωρίσαντες, θανάτῳ δὲ ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδιδόασι κενῷ, καθάπερ καὶ οἱ τῶν Ἰνδῶν γυμνοσοφισταὶ ματαίῳ πυρί. ἐπεὶ δ' οἱ ψευδώνυμοι οὗτοι τὸ σῶμα διαβάλλουσι, μαθέτωσαν ὅτι καὶ ἡ τοῦ σώματος εὐαρμοστία συμβάλλεται τῇ διανοίᾳ πρὸς τὴν εὐφυΐαν. δι' ὃ ἐν τῷ τρίτῳ τῆς Πολιτείας ὁ Πλάτων εἶπεν, ὃν μάλιστα ἐπιβοῶνται μάρτυρα τὴν γένεσιν κακίζοντες, ἐπιμελεῖσθαι σώματος δεῖν ψυχῆς ἕνεκα ἁρμονίας, δι' οὗ βιοῦν τε ἔστι καὶ ὀρθῶς βιοῦν καταγγέλλοντα τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ κήρυγμα· διὰ γὰρ τοῦ ζῆν καὶ τῆς ὑγείας ὁδεύοντες ἐκμανθάνομεν τὴν γνῶσιν. ᾧ δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ τυχὸν προσελθεῖν ἔστιν εἰς ὕψος ἄνευ τοῦ ἐν τοῖς ἀναγκαίοις εἶναι καὶ δι' αὐτῶν πάντα ποιεῖν τὰ πρὸς τὴν γνῶσιν συντείνοντα, τὸ εὖ ζῆν τούτῳ πῶς οὐχ αἱρετέον; ἐν γοῦν τῷ ζῆν τὸ εὖ ζῆν κατορθοῦται, καὶ εἰς ἕξιν ἀιδιότητος παραπέμπεται ὁ διὰ σώματος μελετήσας εὐζωίαν.