Miscellanies 4.12.82
Summary: Basilides argues that even infants and the seemingly perfect suffer because they have the capacity to sin, as one who wills adultery is an adulterer; he would say anything rather than call providence evil.
Textual problem in this passage: the printed text is uncertain or disputed here. See the notes.
Greek text · Stählin 2:284
εἶθʼ ὑποβὰς πάλιν ἐπιφέρει· ὡς οὖν τὸ νήπιον οὐ προημαρτηκὸς ἢ ἐνεργῶς μὲν οὐχ ἡμαρτηκὸς οὐδέν, ἐν ἑαυτῷ τῷ δὲ τὸ ἁμαρτῆσαι ἔχον, ἐπὰν ὑποβληθῇ τῷ παθεῖν, εὐεργετεῖται τε, πολλὰ κερδαῖνον δύσκολα, οὑτωσὶ δὴ κἂν τέλειος μηδὲν ἡμαρτηκὼς ἔργῳ τύχῃ, δέ, ἃν πάθῃ, τοῦτο ἔπαθεν ἐμφερῶς τῷ νηπίῳ· ἔχων μὲν γὰρ ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸ ἁμαρτητικόν, ἀφορμὴν δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἡμαρτηκέναι μὴ λαβὼν οὐχ ἡμάρτανεν. ὥστʼ οὐκ αὐτῷ τὸ μὴ ἁμαρτῆσαι λογιστέον. ὡς γὰρ ὁ μοιχεῦσαι θέλων μοιχός ἐστι, κἂν τοῦ μοιχεῦσαι μὴ ἐπιτύχῃ, καὶ ὁ ποιῆσαι φόνον θέλων ἀνδροφόνος ἐστί, κἂν μὴ δύνηται φονεῦσαι, οὑτωσὶ δὴ καὶ τὸν ἀναμάρτητον ὃν λέγω ἐὰν ἴδω πάσχοντα, κἂν μηδὲν ᾖ κακὸν πεπραχώς, κακὸν ἐρῶ τῷ θέλειν ἁμαρτάνειν. πάντʼ ἐρῶ γὰρ μᾶλλον ἢ κακὸν τὸ προνοοῦν ἐρῶ.
English · Claude translation
Then, going on, he adds again: “As, then, the infant, which has not sinned before, or has not actually sinned in anything, but has in itself the capacity to sin, is benefited when it is subjected to suffering, gaining many hard things; so, even if a perfect man happens to have sinned in nothing by deed, but suffers, he has suffered this like the infant: having in himself the sinful element, but not having received an occasion for sinning, he did not sin. So not sinning is not to be reckoned to him. For as the one who wishes to commit adultery is an adulterer even if he does not succeed in committing adultery, and the one who wishes to commit murder is a murderer even if he cannot murder, so too, if I see the sinless one I speak of suffering, even if he has done nothing evil, I will call him evil because of his wish to sin. For I will say anything rather than call providence evil.”
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotation of Basilides continues. The allusion is Matt 5:28. The Greek is corrupt at one point.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.12.82 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/12/82/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 4.12.82 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/4/12/82/).
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