Miscellanies 1.19.96
Summary: Proverbs' stolen bread and water are the heretics' Eucharists, some using only water, contrary to the church's rule; their baptism is “strange water” that sweeps people back into the sea of paganism.
Greek text · Stählin 2:61–62
καὶ τοῖς ἐνδεέσι φρενῶν παρακελεύομαι λέγουσα, φησὶν ἡ σοφία, τοῖς ἀμφὶ τὰς αἱρέσεις δηλονότι, ἄρτων κρυφίων ἡδέως ἅψασθε, καὶ ὕδατος κλοπῆς γλυκεροῦ, ἄρτον καὶ ὕδωρ οὐκ ἐπʼ ἄλλων τινῶν, ἀλλʼ ἢ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄρτῳ καὶ ὕδατι κατὰ τὴν προσφορὰν μὴ κατὰ τὸν κανόνα τῆς ἐκκλησίας χρωμένων αἱρέσεων ἐμφανῶς ταττούσης τῆς γραφῆς. εἰσὶ γὰρ οἳ καὶ ὕδωρ ψιλὸν εὐχαριστοῦσιν. ἀλλὰ ἀποπήδησον, μὴ χρονίσῃς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ αὐτῆς. τόπον τὴν συναγωγήν, οὐχὶ δὲ ἐκκλησίαν ὁμωνύμως προσεῖπεν. εἶτα ἐπιφωνεῖ· οὕτω γὰρ διαβήσῃ ὕδωρ ἀλλότριον, τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ αἱρετικὸν οὐκ οἰκεῖον καὶ γνήσιον ὕδωρ λογιζομένη. καὶ ὑπερβήσῃ ποταμὸν ἀλλότριον τὸν παραφέροντα καὶ κατασύροντα εἰς θάλασσαν, εἰς ἣν ἐκδίδοται ὁ παρεκτραπεὶς ἐκ τῆς κατʼ ἀλήθειαν ἑδραιότητος, συνεκρυεὶς αὖθις εἰς τὰ ἐθνικὰ καὶ ἄτακτα τοῦ βίου κύματα.
English · Claude translation
“And I exhort those who lack sense,” says Wisdom, meaning those involved in the heresies, “Touch hidden bread with pleasure, and sweet stolen water,” Scripture plainly applying bread and water to none other than the heresies that use bread and water in the offering not according to the rule of the church. For there are those who even celebrate the Eucharist with plain water. “But leap away, do not linger in her place”; “place” means the synagogue, not calling it “church” by the same name. Then it adds: “For so you will pass through strange water,” reckoning heretical baptism not proper and genuine water, “and you will cross a strange river,” which carries one along and sweeps one down into the sea, into which the one who has turned aside from the firm foundation of truth is poured out, flowing back again into the heathen and disorderly waves of life.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The quotations are Prov 9:16–18 with the LXX additions (9:18a–b). This is evidence for heretical Eucharists with water instead of wine (compare the Encratites).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (stray period in the digital text; stray period, wrong accent on αὖθις, and misspelling of τοῦ): τόπον τὴν συναγωγήν. οὐχὶ δὲ → τόπον τὴν συναγωγήν, οὐχὶ δὲ; ἑδραιότητος. συνεκρυεὶς αὗθις εἰς τὰ ἐθνικὰ καὶ ἄτακτα τοὺ βίου → ἑδραιότητος, συνεκρυεὶς αὖθις εἰς τὰ ἐθνικὰ καὶ ἄτακτα τοῦ βίου.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.19.96 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/19/96/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 1.19.96 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/1/19/96/).
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