Contents
Table of Contents
Commandment First. On Faith in God.
Commandment Second. On Avoiding Evil-Speaking, and on Giving Alms in Simplicity.
Commandment Third. On Avoiding Falsehood, and on the Repentance of Hermas for His Dissimulation.
Commandment Fourth. On Putting One’s Wife Away for Adultery.
Commandment Fifth. Of Sadness of Heart, and of Patience.
Commandment Seventh. On Fearing God, and Not Fearing the Devil.
Commandment Eighth. We Ought to Shun that Which is Evil, and Do that Which is Good.
Commandment Ninth. Prayer Must Be Made to God Without Ceasing, and with Unwavering Confidence.
Commandment Tenth. Of Grief, and Not Grieving the Spirit of God Which is in Us.
Similitude First. As in This World We Have No Abiding City, We Ought to Seek One to Come.
Similitude Fifth. Of True Fasting and Its Reward: Also of Purity of Body.
Similitude Seventh. They Who Repent Must Bring Forth Fruits Worthy of Repentance.
Similitude Ninth. The Great Mysteries in the Building of the Militant and Triumphant Church.
Chapter I. The Greeks Claim, Without Reason, the Invention of the Arts.
Chapter II. The Vices and Errors of the Philosophers.
Chapter III. Ridicule of the Philosophers.
Chapter IV. The Christians Worship God Alone.
Chapter V. The Doctrine of the Christians as to the Creation of the World.
Chapter VI. Christians’ Belief in the Resurrection.
Chapter VII. Concerning the Fall of Man.
Chapter VIII. The Demons Sin Among Mankind.
Chapter IX. They Give Rise to Superstitions.
Chapter X. Ridicule of the Heathen Divinities.
Chapter XI. The Sin of Men Due Not to Fate, But to Free-Will.
Chapter XII. The Two Kinds of Spirits.
Chapter XIII. Theory of the Soul’s Immortality.
Chapter XIV. The Demons Shall Be Punished More Severely Than Men.
Chapter XV. Necessity of a Union with the Holy Spirit.
Chapter XVI. Vain Display of Power by the Demons.
Chapter XVII. They Falsely Promise Health to Their Votaries.
Chapter XVIII. They Deceive, Instead of Healing.
Chapter XIX. Depravity Lies at the Bottom of Demon-Worship.
Chapter XX. Thanks are Ever Due to God.
Chapter XXI. Doctrines of the Christians and Greeks Respecting God Compared.
Chapter XXII. Ridicule of the Solemnities of the Greeks.
Chapter XXIII. Of the Pugilists and Gladiators.
Chapter XXIV. Of the Other Public Amusements.
Chapter XXV. Boastings and Quarrels of the Philosophers.
Chapter XXVI. Ridicule of the Studies of the Greeks.
Chapter XXVII. The Christians are Hated Unjustly.
Chapter XXVIII. Condemnation of the Greek Legislation.
Chapter XXIX. Account of Tatian’s Conversion.
Chapter XXX. How He Resolved to Resist the Devil.
Chapter XXXI. The Philosophy of the Christians More Ancient Than that of the Greeks.
Chapter XXXII. The Doctrine of the Christians, is Opposed to Dissensions, and Fitted for All.
Chapter XXXIII. Vindication of Christian Women.
Chapter XXXIV. Ridicule of the Statues Erected by the Greeks.
Chapter XXXV. Tatian Speaks as an Eye-Witness.
Chapter XXXVI. Testimony of the Chaldeans to the Antiquity of Moses.
Chapter XXXVII. Testimony of the Phœnicians.
Chapter XXXVIII. The Egyptians Place Moses in the Reign of Inachus.
Chapter XXXIX. Catalogue of the Argive Kings.
Chapter XL. Moses More Ancient and Credible Than the Heathen Heroes.
Chapter I.—Autolycus an Idolater and Scorner of Christians.
Chapter II.—That the Eyes of the Soul Must Be Purged Ere God Can Be Seen.
Chapter IV.—Attributes of God.
Chapter V.—The Invisible God Perceived Through His Works.
Chapter VI.—God is Known by His Works.
Chapter VII.—We Shall See God When We Put on Immortality.
Chapter VIII.—Faith Required in All Matters.
Chapter IX.—Immoralities of the Gods.
Chapter X.—Absurdities of Idolatry.
Chapter XI.—The King to Be Honoured, God to Be Worshipped.
Chapter XII.—Meaning of the Name Christian.
Chapter I.—Occasion of Writing This Book.
Chapter II.—The Gods are Despised When They are Made; But Become Valuable When Bought.
Chapter III.—What Has Become of the Gods?
Chapter IV.—Absurd Opinions of the Philosophers Concerning God.
Chapter V.—Opinions of Homer and Hesiod Concerning the Gods.
Chapter VI.—Hesiod on the Origin of the World.
Chapter VII.—Fabulous Heathen Genealogies.
Chapter VIII.— Opinions Concerning Providence.
Chapter IX.—The Prophets Inspired by the Holy Ghost.
Chapter X.—The World Created by God Through the Word.
Chapter XI.—The Six Days’ Work Described.
Chapter XII.—The Glory of the Six Days’ Work.
Chapter XIII.—Remarks on the Creation of the World.
Chapter XIV.—The World Compared to the Sea.
Chapter XV.—Of the Fourth Day.
Chapter XVI.—Of the Fifth Day.
Chapter XVII.—Of the Sixth Day.
Chapter XVIII.—The Creation of Man.
Chapter XIX.—Man is Placed in Paradise.
Chapter XX.—The Scriptural Account of Paradise.
Chapter XXI.—Of the Fall of Man.
Chapter XXII.—Why God is Said to Have Walked.
Chapter XXIII.—The Truth of the Account in Genesis.
Chapter XXIV.—The Beauty of Paradise.
Chapter XXV.—God Was Justified in Forbidding Man to Eat of the Tree of Knowledge.
Chapter XXVI.—God’s Goodness in Expelling Man from Paradise.
Chapter XXVII.—The Nature of Man.
Chapter XXVIII.—Why Eve Was Formed of Adam’s Rib.
Chapter XXX.—Cain’s Family and Their Inventions.
Chapter XXXI.—The History After the Flood.
Chapter XXXII.—How the Human Race Was Dispersed.
Chapter XXXIII.—Profane History Gives No Account of These Matters.
Chapter XXXIV.—The Prophets Enjoined Holiness of Life.
Chapter XXXV.—Precepts from the Prophetic Books.
Chapter XXXVI.—Prophecies of the Sibyl.
Chapter I.—Autolycus Not Yet Convinced.
Chapter II.—Profane Authors Had No Means of Knowing the Truth.
Chapter III.—Their Contradictions.
Chapter IV.—How Autolycus Had Been Misled by False Accusations Against the Christians.
Chapter V.—Philosophers Inculcate Cannibalism.
Chapter VI.—Other Opinions of the Philosophers.
Chapter VII.—Varying Doctrine Concerning the Gods.
Chapter VIII.—Wickedness Attributed to the Gods by Heathen Writers.
Chapter IX.—Christian Doctrine of God and His Law.
Chapter X.—Of Humanity to Strangers.
Chapter XII.—Of Righteousness.
Chapter XIV.—Of Loving Our Enemies.
Chapter XV.—The Innocence of the Christians Defended.
Chapter XVI.—Uncertain Conjectures of the Philosophers.
Chapter XVII.—Accurate Information of the Christians.
Chapter XVIII.—Errors of the Greeks About the Deluge.
Chapter XIX.—Accurate Account of the Deluge.
Chapter XX.—Antiquity of Moses.
Chapter XXI.—Of Manetho’s Inaccuracy.
Chapter XXII.—Antiquity of the Temple.
Chapter XXIII.—Prophets More Ancient Than Greek Writers.
Chapter XXIV.—Chronology from Adam.
Chapter XXV.—From Saul to the Captivity.
Chapter XXVI.—Contrast Between Hebrew and Greek Writings.
Chapter XXVII.—Roman Chronology to the Death of M. Aurelius.
Chapter XXVIII.—Leading Chronological Epochs.
Chapter I.—Injustice Shown Towards the Christians.
Chapter II.—Claim to Be Treated as Others are When Accused.
Chapter III.—Charges Brought Against the Christians.
Chapter IV.—The Christians are Not Atheists, But Acknowledge One Only God.
Chapter V.—Testimony of the Poets to the Unity of God.
Chapter VI.—Opinions of the Philosophers as to the One God.
Chapter VII.—Superiority of the Christian Doctrine Respecting God.
Chapter VIII.—Absurdities of Polytheism.
Chapter IX.—The Testimony of the Prophets.
Chapter X.—The Christians Worship the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Chapter XI.—The Moral Teaching of the Christians Repels the Charge Brought Against Them.
Chapter XII.—Consequent Absurdity of the Charge of Atheism.
Chapter XIII.—Why the Christians Do Not Offer Sacrifices.
Chapter XIV.—Inconsistency of Those Who Accuse the Christians.
Chapter XV.—The Christians Distinguish God from Matter.
Chapter XVI.—The Christians Do Not Worship the Universe.
Chapter XVII.—The Names of the Gods and Their Images are But of Recent Date.
Chapter XVIII.—The Gods Themselves Have Been Created, as the Poets Confess.
Chapter XIX.—The Philosophers Agree with the Poets Respecting the Gods.
Chapter XX.—Absurd Representations of the Gods.
Chapter XXI.—Impure Loves Ascribed to the Gods.
Chapter XXII.—Pretended Symbolical Explanations.
Chapter XXIII.—Opinions of Thales and Plato.
Chapter XXIV.—Concerning the Angels and Giants.
Chapter XXV.—The Poets and Philosophers Have Denied a Divine Providence.
Chapter XXVI.—The Demons Allure Men to the Worship of Images.
Chapter XXVII.—Artifices of the Demons.
Chapter XXVIII.—The Heathen Gods Were Simply Men.
Chapter XXIX.—Proof of the Same from the Poets.
Chapter XXX.—Reasons Why Divinity Has Been Ascribed to Men.
Chapter XXXI.—Confutation of the Other Charges Brought Against the Christians.
Chapter XXXII.—Elevated Morality of the Christians.
Chapter XXXIII.—Chastity of the Christians with Respect to Marriage.
Chapter XXXIV.—The Vast Difference in Morals Between the Christians and Their Accusers.
Chapter XXXV.—The Christians Condemn and Detest All Cruelty.
Chapter XXXVI.—Bearing of the Doctrine of the Resurrection on the Practices of the Christians.
Chapter I.—Defence of the Truth Should Precede Discussions Regarding It.
Chapter II.—A Resurrection is Not Impossible.
Chapter III.—He Who Could Create, Can Also Raise Up the Dead.
Chapter IV.—Objection from the Fact that Some Human Bodies Have Become Part of Others.
Chapter V.—Reference to the Processes of Digestion and Nutrition.
Chapter VI.—Everything that is Useless or Hurtful is Rejected.
Chapter VII.—The Resurrection-Body Different from the Present.
Chapter VIII.—Human Flesh Not the Proper or Natural Food of Men.
Chapter IX.—Absurdity of Arguing from Man’s Impotency.
Chapter X.—It Cannot Be Shown that God Does Not Will a Resurrection.
Chapter XII.—Argument for the Resurrection from the Purpose Contemplated in Man’s Creation.
Chapter XIII.—Continuation of the Argument.
Chapter XIV.—The Resurrection Does Not Rest Solely on the Fact of a Future Judgment.
Chapter XV.—Argument for the Resurrection from the Nature of Man.
Chapter XVI—Analogy of Death and Sleep, and Consequent Argument for the Resurrection.
Chapter XVII.—The Series of Changes We Can Now Trace in Man Renders a Resurrection Probable.
Chapter XIX.—Man Would Be More Unfavourably Situated Than the Beasts If There Were No Resurrection.
Chapter XXI.—Continuation of the Argument.
Chapter XXII.—Continuation of the Argument.
Chapter XXIII.—Continuation of the Argument.
Chapter XXIV.—Argument for the Resurrection from the Chief End of Man.
Chapter III.—The Cruelty of the Sacrifices to the Gods.
Chapter IV.—The Absurdity and Shamefulness of the Images by Which the Gods are Worshipped.
Chapter V.—The Opinions of the Philosophers Respecting God.
Chapter VI.—By Divine Inspiration Philosophers Sometimes Hit on the Truth.
Chapter VII.—The Poets Also Bear Testimony to the Truth.
Chapter VIII.—The True Doctrine is to Be Sought in the Prophets.
Chapter IX.—“That Those Grievously Sin Who Despise or Neglect God’s Gracious Calling.”
Chapter XI.—How Great are the Benefits Conferred on Man Through the Advent of Christ.
Chapter XII.—Exhortation to Abandon Their Old Errors and Listen to the Instructions of Christ.
Chapter I. The Office of the Instructor.
Chapter II.—Our Instructor’s Treatment of Our Sins.
Chapter III.—The Philanthropy of the Instructor.
Chapter IV.—Men and Women Alike Under the Instructor’s Charge.
Chapter V.—All Who Walk According to Truth are Children of God.
Chapter VI.—The Name Children Does Not Imply Instruction in Elementary Principles.
Chapter VII.—Who the Instructor Is, and Respecting His Instruction.
Chapter VIII.—Against Those Who Think that What is Just is Not Good.
Chapter XI.—That the Word Instructed by the Law and the Prophets.
Chapter XII.—The Instructor Characterized by the Severity and Benignity of Paternal Affection.
Chapter III.—On Costly Vessels.
Chapter IV.—How to Conduct Ourselves at Feasts.
Chapter VI.—On Filthy Speaking.
Chapter VII.—Directions for Those Who Live Together.
Chapter VIII.—On the Use of Ointments and Crowns.
Chapter XIII—Against Excessive Fondness for Jewels and Gold Ornaments.
Chapter I.—On the True Beauty.
Chapter II.—Against Embellishing the Body.
Chapter III.—Against Men Who Embellish Themselves.
Chapter IV.—With Whom We are to Associate.
Chapter V.—Behaviour in the Baths.
Chapter VI.—The Christian Alone Rich.
Chapter VII.—Frugality a Good Provision for the Christian.
Chapter VIII.—Similitudes and Examples a Most Important Part of Right Instruction.
Chapter IX.—Why We are to Use the Bath.
Chapter X.—The Exercises Suited to a Good Life.
Chapter I.—Preface—The Author’s Object—The Utility of Written Compositions.
Chapter III.—Against the Sophists.
Chapter IV.—Human Arts as Well as Divine Knowledge Proceed from God.
Chapter V.—Philosophy the Handmaid of Theology.
Chapter VI.—The Benefit of Culture.
Chapter VII.—The Eclectic Philosophy Paves the Way for Divine Virtue.
Chapter VIII.—The Sophistical Arts Useless.
Chapter IX.—Human Knowledge Necessary for the Understanding of the Scriptures.
Chapter X.—To Act Well of Greater Consequence Than to Speak Well.
Chapter XI.—What is the Philosophy Which the Apostle Bids Us Shun?
Chapter XII.—The Mysteries of the Faith Not to Be Divulged to All.
Chapter XIII.—All Sects of Philosophy Contain a Germ of Truth.
Chapter XIV.—Succession of Philosophers in Greece.
Chapter XV.—The Greek Philosophy in Great Part Derived from the Barbarians.
Chapter XVI.—That the Inventors of Other Arts Were Mostly Barbarians.
Chapter XVII.—On the Saying of the Saviour, “All that Came Before Me Were Thieves and Robbers.”
Chapter XVIII.—He Illustrates the Apostle’s Saying, “I Will Destroy the Wisdom of the Wise.”
Chapter XIX.—That the Philosophers Have Attained to Some Portion of Truth.
Chapter XX.—In What Respect Philosophy Contributes to the Comprehension of Divine Truth.
Chapter XXII.—On the Greek Translation of the Old Testament.
Chapter XXIII.—The Age, Birth, and Life of Moses.
Chapter XXIV.—How Moses Discharged the Part of a Military Leader.
Chapter XXV.—Plato an Imitator of Moses in Framing Laws.
Chapter XXVII.—The Law, Even in Correcting and Punishing, Aims at the Good of Men.
Chapter XXVIII.—The Fourfold Division of the Mosaic Law.
Chapter XXIX.—The Greeks But Children Compared with the Hebrews.
Chapter II.—The Knowledge of God Can Be Attained Only Through Faith.
Chapter III.—Faith Not a Product of Nature.
Chapter IV.—Faith the Foundation of All Knowledge.
Chapter V.—He Proves by Several Examples that the Greeks Drew from the Sacred Writers.
Chapter VI.—The Excellence and Utility of Faith.
Chapter VII.—The Utility of Fear. Objections Answered.
Chapter VIII.—The Vagaries of Basilides and Valentinus as to Fear Being the Cause of Things.
Chapter IX.—The Connection of the Christian Virtues.
Chapter X.—To What the Philosopher Applies Himself.
Chapter XI.—The Knowledge Which Comes Through Faith the Surest of All.
Chapter XIII.—On First and Second Repentance.
Chapter XIV.—How a Thing May Be Involuntary.
Chapter XV.—On the Different Kinds of Voluntary Actions, and the Sins Thence Proceeding.
Chapter XVI.—How We are to Explain the Passages of Scripture Which Ascribe to God Human Affections.
Chapter XVII.—On the Various Kinds of Knowledge.
Chapter XIX.—The True Gnostic is an Imitator of God, Especially in Beneficence.
Chapter XX.—The True Gnostic Exercises Patience and Self-Restraint.
Chapter XXI.—Opinions of Various Philosophers on the Chief Good.
Chapter II.—The Meaning of the Name Stromata or Miscellanies.
Chapter III.—The True Excellence of Man.
Chapter IV.—The Praises of Martyrdom.
Chapter V.—On Contempt for Pain, Poverty, and Other External Things.
Chapter VII.—The Blessedness of the Martyr.
Chapter VIII.—Women as Well as Men, Slaves as Well as Freemen, Candidates for the Martyr’s Crown.
Chapter IX.—Christ’s Sayings Respecting Martyrdom.
Chapter X.—Those Who Offered Themselves for Martyrdom Reproved.
Chapter XI.—The Objection, Why Do You Suffer If God Cares for You, Answered.
Chapter XII.—Basilides’ Idea of Martyrdom Refuted.
Chapter XIII.—Valentinian’s Vagaries About the Abolition of Death Refuted.
Chapter XIV.—The Love of All, Even of Our Enemies.
Chapter XV.—On Avoiding Offence.
Chapter XVI.—Passages of Scripture Respecting the Constancy, Patience, and Love of the Martyrs.
Chapter XVII.—Passages from Clement’s Epistle to the Corinthians on Martyrdom.
Chapter XVIII.—On Love, and the Repressing of Our Desires.
Chap. XIX.—Women as well as Men Capable of Perfection.
Chapter XXI.—Description of the Perfect Man, or Gnostic.
Chapter III.—The Objects of Faith and Hope Perceived by the Mind Alone.
Chapter IV.—Divine Things Wrapped Up in Figures Both in the Sacred and in Heathen Writers.
Chapter V.—On the Symbols of Pythagoras.
Chapter VI.—The Mystic Meaning of the Tabernacle and Its Furniture.
Chapter VII.—The Egyptian Symbols and Enigmas of Sacred Things.
Chapter VIII.—The Use of the Symbolic Style by Poets and Philosophers.
Chapter IX.—Reasons for Veiling the Truth in Symbols.
Chapter X.—The Opinion of the Apostles on Veiling the Mysteries of the Faith.
Chapter XII.—God Cannot Be Embraced in Words or by the Mind.
Chapter XIII.—The Knowledge of God a Divine Gift, According to the Philosophers.
Chapter II.—The Subject of Plagiarisms Resumed. The Greeks Plagiarized from One Another.
Chapter III.—Plagiarism by the Greeks of the Miracles Related in the Sacred Books of the Hebrews.
Chapter V.—The Greeks Had Some Knowledge of the True God.
Chapter VI.—The Gospel Was Preached to Jews and Gentiles in Hades.
Chapter VII.—What True Philosophy Is, and Whence So Called.
Chapter VIII.—Philosophy is Knowledge Given by God.
Chapter IX.—The Gnostic Free of All Perturbations of the Soul.
Chapter X.—The Gnostic Avails Himself of the Help of All Human Knowledge.
Chapter XI.—The Mystical Meanings in the Proportions of Numbers, Geometrical Ratios, and Music.
Chapter XII.—Human Nature Possesses an Adaptation for Perfection; The Gnostic Alone Attains It.
Chapter XIII.—Degrees of Glory in Heaven Corresponding with the Dignities of the Church Below.
Chapter XIV.—Degrees of Glory in Heaven.
Chapter XV.—Different Degrees of Knowledge.
Chapter XVI.—Gnostic Exposition of the Decalogue.
Chapter XVII.—Philosophy Conveys Only an Imperfect Knowledge of God.
Chapter II.—The Son the Ruler and Saviour of All.
Chapter III.—The Gnostic Aims at the Nearest Likeness Possible to God and His Son.
Chapter IV.—The Heathens Made Gods Like Themselves, Whence Springs All Superstition.
Chapter V.—The Holy Soul a More Excellent Temple Than Any Edifice Built by Man.
Chapter VI.—Prayers and Praise from a Pure Mind, Ceaselessly Offered, Far Better Than Sacrifices.
Chapter VII.—What Sort of Prayer the Gnostic Employs, and How It is Heard by God.
Chapter VIII.—The Gnostic So Addicted to Truth as Not to Need to Use an Oath.
Chapter IX.—Those Who Teach Others, Ought to Excel in Virtues.
Chapter X.—Steps to Perfection.
Chapter XI.—Description of the Gnostic’s Life.
Chapter XII.—The True Gnostic is Beneficent, Continent, and Despises Worldly Things.
Chapter XIII.—Description of the Gnostic Continued.
Chapter XIV.—Description of the Gnostic Furnished by an Exposition of 1 Cor. vi. 1, Etc.
Chapter XV.—The Objection to Join the Church on Account of the Diversity of Heresies Answered.
Chapter XVI.—Scripture the Criterion by Which Truth and Heresy are Distinguished.
Chapter XVII.—The Tradition of the Church Prior to that of the Heresies.
Chapter I.—The Object of Philosophical and Theological Inquiry—The Discovery of Truth.
Chapter II.—The Necessity of Perspicuous Definition.
Chapter III.—Demonstration Defined.
Chapter IV.—To Prevent Ambiguity, We Must Begin with Clear Definition.
Chapter V.—Application of Demonstration to Sceptical Suspense of Judgment.
Chapter VI.—Definitions, Genera, and Species.
Chapter VII.—On the Causes of Doubt or Assent.
Chapter VIII.—The Method of Classifying Things and Names.