Pseudo-Clementine Homilies: Homily 14

Homily Fourteen Early in the morning, as was his daily custom, Peter arose and, coming to me, roused me and said to me, “Faustus with Faustinianus, and Clement with the members of his household, are to come with me to the sea, as to a hidden place, and go to a region that cannot be seen, where I may baptize them.” Now when we had gone to the sea, between the hours, a place of Christ was found with waves and pure, and he baptized them. But we, brothers, as it were for the sake of the women, the virgins and the matrons, then came and to the women of the shore and after that, when in a hidden place they were found, they prayed. Peter, however, as it were for the sake of the women, sent them ahead by another road to the encampment, and they went. And he commanded that only the men should be with me. And with the other women. Now when they came to the encampment, they were waiting for him. And one with another they were confessing after many hours, when Peter came, he blessed and broke bread and put salt on it and extended it to me first and after that to the women. And then first I partook of the bread. And he blessed God, and then Peter, when he saw the people who were sitting, and those who were sitting with him, he commanded me. And he was relating how he was persuading me before, that for what reason he had sent me before him from baptism. And he, after me, delayed; the reason, he said, was this: from his place, an old workman, not of your acquaintance, came and humbly presented himself, that before he had been a deacon over you, where at the end he confessed to me, as he saw what they were doing when they went to that hidden place. Now when I went out, he was waiting for me.

and in the place of the sea I stood and asked about my peace and said to you, "Know that with great labor I have come to you and I wished to speak with you. I was afraid lest, as with a man who does not go on his way, it might be evil for you. Come now, then, what seems to me and is true, if you wish, say it. I, then, answered and said, 'Whatever you think is good and pleasing to you, truly it is not not good that which is said, because you are the first of the good of the good things that seemed good to you to say.' And the old man began to speak thus when I saw that you swam in the sea and to the place of the shore you cast yourselves and brought your selves near in secret and narrowly, and that you might show what with madness you entered to perform. Because I saw that you prayed earnestly, you were silent; I thought, then, again concerning you and I waited that when you went out with you I would speak and persuade that you not err. For there is no God, nor is anything of the world vain for him, but everything is under nature, as I from those things that happen to me begin and with great labor in this old age I persuade. Do not err, then, my son, for if you pray and there is nothing that gives itself to you to take, it happens to you. For if prayers something helped or good works, already I would have begun in good things. And now that which does not reach you, this lowly garment that is in him, you are not able to oppose those who say to you. I was in the abundance of the many possessions of the world, and to many gods I sacrificed and to the needy I gave. And when I was thus praying, and thus I was living, from fate to flee I was not able, and I said those things that happen to me.

He who said that life does not suffice, now says to the end, "You will hear what I was and what I became, and to what depth of the world I came." Now then, that everything is subject to fate, and this is so, you admit. Concerning what then are you in opposition to your disputant, when you wish to deliberate this? For if the heart thinks that fate cannot be, you labor in vain for the sake of a thought, when you think that something can happen which cannot happen. Again, if the body is not to be hastened to be persuaded, that I may not fear him who is even the lord of the stars, who by his will even what was impossible became possible. For nothing that is subject to something is compelled to obey that thing. Therefore, man is more wretched than those who are called gods, and fear as much as the body is more wretched than the soul. For it is not outside the word that fate is good, nor are they able to act, since even they are subject to the fate of the interior. The fate of the interior, which is subject to the fate that is said, you say, "Still, he is hindered in something from beginning, and that which is subject cannot be like the unborn which has no elder with it." While these are said to one another, many of the people were standing around sad. And then I, in my sadness, looked and said, "I and my family, from my fathers, received the worship of God. And because I held the opinion that in the body I did not hold the teaching of Chaldean astrology, and because of this I did not even think, and from there in Chaldean astrology, from those I do not admit, I admit these women.

Because he says that nature is that which is, from the beginning of the world, the things that are said cannot be changed. I, however, wish to show in another manner that it is in vain that the one who is not God is divided. The world and each person, whatever he does, receives honor or profit. But now, whether now or then, I am not idle about this. For every person is pleased and satisfied with the things he does. But if the demonstration of nature is not this, this is what stands here: Is there a person who is lacking in eyes, or whose hand is crippled, or whose foot is lame, or something else in his body, such that he cannot be healed or changed? And from all physicians he is healed. Not even the Chaldeans confess to his healing, because even the misfortune of the world that happened like this did not occur. I, however, when I sought healing from God, gave it to that one who could never be healed or corrected by nature. Since this is so, those who blaspheme against the Creator of all do not sin. But the old man answered and said, "It is blasphemy, for one to say that everything is governed by fate. And I said, 'It is blasphemy,' and rightly so. For if all sins, evils, and pollutions are accomplished by the star, and the stars are appointed by God to do this, then the causes of all evils would be with him who wills by fate." And the old man truly and rightly said, "But all your wonderful demonstrations are a cause of confusion for me. For I am a Chaldean and formerly lived in Rome. And I loved a man who was a Jew from the tribe of Caesar. And I saw his and his wife's fate.

And I was instructed and understood everything that is possible in their creation. Now, concerning his creation, he who says that nature will be and will love its work, and in a foreign land will die in the waters. And thus also it happened; for desire was for its work. And because it was not able to bear shame, it fled with him. And it went to a foreign land and was destroyed with him, and there it perished in the sea. And this is its story. And how do you explain that she who fled to a foreign land participated in his work? And then, after she was with him, she died. And the old man says, I truly know that, in truth, there was nothing that happened to him that I did not even mention. But after she was foolish, her husband's brother told me everything about his desire, and how he was like a stone. And again, how, because her husband's brother was, he did not want to defile her marriage bed. And how she, because she was afraid even of shame, was a widow. For no one can anger her, because she is from creation. These things. And from the words of the old man, that which he said about the dead, that he was your father. But I did not wish to make him known to you until first these things were revealed to you, that where he began to teach. And also in my own dwelling place, I will make known his knowledge as true. This only I asked, what is the name of the old man? He said, Postus. And then also the names of his two sons, he said.

He again said, "Postus and Postiatus, what of your third son?" And he said, "Clemens. And what of your mother?" He said, "Matrodora. And by the mercy of God, I set out for the sake of the passion and came to you, so that after the fellowship of this bread I might reveal to you. But I was not able, before you received the account of these things, to tell you, lest you might be troubled by the grief. And on the day of baptism you would be in mourning, when even the angels rejoice." And while Peter said these things, he was weeping, and all with the mother. But when he saw that she was weeping, he said, "Now, each one of you, in the fear of God, strongly those things that were said, bear them; for it was not that your father died for you, but with labor, just as you also were bearing, so also you said." When Peter said these things, the mother said, "I did not bear them, and I said, 'Woe is me, my husband, because I was not loving that he died without trial.' She was weeping, and she was seeing life, and she was seeing light, and she was receiving bearing. But when even this one lamentation had not yet ceased, behold, the old man came in. And when he wished to know what was the cause of the lamentation, he looked at the woman and said, 'Woe is me, what is this that has happened? Why do I see this?' And he approached and vainly threw himself upon her. And she also looked at him, and she was embracing him. Both of them, with joy, after they were silent, were silent, and they wished to speak with one another. And their hour was seized with great joy. But after a little, the mother said, 'I received you, Posta, who was altogether pleasant to me. How then are you alive?'

He who had been thought dead for a short time, as if he had heard, but now these, Postus, Postiatus, and Clemens, were weeping. And when I was weeping, I said, "I have lost three sons, and a calamity has befallen me." And when I embraced him deeply, I saw him and remembered. But Peter, when he saw this, said to him, "Are you Portus, the husband of this woman and the father of her sons?" And he said, "I am he." And Peter said to him, "How then did you relate to me things that were yours as if they were another's? About his sorrows, his afflictions, and his burial? And his father was of the lineage of Caesar, and because I did not wish that this sight should occur, I placed the narrative upon another man. For I was afraid that if it were known that I am from that lineage, the wicked in various places, when they heard, would, as for Caesar, be persuaded to me. And they would bring me the good things of the world. For this I was concerned. For I was not able, when I mourned greatly for my beloved ones as for men who had died an evil death, that I myself should be given over to the enjoyment of the world." And Peter said to him, "Did you do this as you thought? But concerning fate, were you speaking deceitfully or truly?" And the father said, "I do not lie to you; I speak the truth as it is. For I was confirming fate thus. For I was not ignorant of that teaching. But there was with me a certain Chaldean, an honored Egyptian, whose name was Abiath. This man, when I was being persecuted in exile, had compassion on me and on the death of my wife and my children." And Peter said, "So then, were you still caught in the error that fate is nothing? And the father said to him, "It is necessary for me to reveal to you everything that comes into my mind.

Thus, on the contrary, I hear and am able to teach that which is often passed over, all the while I also know that which is often begun. I suppose, therefore, that perhaps those who are vainly regarded are begun in something, but that which is passed over, with my teaching, happens as it seemed to me that he who stands with teaching, but that which is with ignorance is deceptive, because not every man is able to see vainly. And Peter said, "See whether those which are begun are from something." For in the world they are received, but they are not as if they were vainly regarded and spoken. For the matter is constrained, which with many of those who speak, happens from them. And the old man said, "How, then, are we able to grasp this, whether there is a lot or not?" And when both were silent, I spoke because with this teaching I vainly persuade, my lord, and I did not wish my father thus; for if that Jobius had been near, and my father had discoursed on the subject of the lot of the head, it would have happened. For thus the matter was able to be revealed, when with the mother and her fellow citizen the request would be. And my father answered and said, "How, then, is a man able to stand with Jobius?" And Peter said, "In Antioch. For there I hear that Simon the sorcerer is, to whom Jobius clings, and not to the Messiah. When, therefore, you go there, that which you seek, this will be for you." And when many had discoursed, and with the joy that occurred, they rejoiced and gave thanks to God, because evening now was before us, at the sixth hour. End of the book of the discourse of Clemens.