Ante-Nicene Fathers/Volume VIII/Pseudo-Clementine Literature/The Clementine Homilies/Homily XX/Chapter 2

by Anonymous

Chapter II.—The Two Ages.

And Peter said:  “Listen, therefore, to the truth of the harmony in regard to the evil one.  God appointed two kingdoms, and established two ages, determining that the present world should be given to the evil one, because it is small, and passes quickly away; but He promised to preserve for the good one the age to come, as it will be great and eternal.  Man, therefore, He created with free-will, and possessing the capability of inclining to whatever actions he wishes.  And his body consists of three parts, deriving its origin from the female; for it has lust, anger, and grief, and what is consequent on these.  But the spirit not being uniform,^[1] but consisting of three parts, derives its origin from the male; and it is capable of reasoning, knowledge, and fear, and what is consequent on these.  And each of these triads has one root, so that man is a compound of two mixtures, the female and the male.  Wherefore also two ways have been laid before him—those of obedience and disobedience to law; and two kingdoms, have been established,—the one called^[2] the kingdom of heaven, and the other the kingdom of those who are now kings upon earth.  Also two kings have been appointed, of whom the one is selected to rule by law over the present and transitory world, and his composition is such that he rejoices in the destruction of the wicked.  But the other and good^[3] one, who is the King of the age to come, loves the whole nature of man; but not being able to have boldness in the present world, he counsels what is advantageous, like one who tries to conceal who he really is.^[4]

Footnotes

1. A doubtful emendation of Wieseler’s for the senseless τριτογενές.  Possibly it may be for πρωτογενές, original, and is underived.
2. An obvious correction of the ms. is adopted.
3. We have changed αὐτός into ἀγαθός.
4. [With these views compare the doctrine of pairs, as repeatedly set forth; Homily II. 33, 34; Recognitions, iii. 59, 60, etc.—R.]