el of nature and who is consequently to be traced throughout the
whole history of humanity.

But does the Christianity of Clement correspond to the Gospel? We can
only give a qualified affirmation to this question. For the danger of
secularisation is evident, since apostasy from the Gospel would be
completely accomplished as soon as the ideal of the self-sufficient
Greek sage came to supplant the feeling that man lives by the grace of
God. But the danger of secularisation lies in the cramped conception of
Irenaeus, who sets up authorities which have nothing to do with the
Gospel, and creates facts of salvation which have a no less deadening
effect though in a different way. If the Gospel is meant to give freedom
and peace in God, and to accustom us to an eternal life in union with
Christ Clement understood this meaning. He could justly say to his
opponents: "If the things we say appear to some people diverse from the
Scriptures of the Lord, let them know that they draw inspiration and
life therefrom and, making these their starting-point give their meaning
only, not their letter" ([Greek: kan heteroia tisi ton pollon
kataphainetai ta hyph' hemon legomena ton kyriakon graphon, isteon hoti
ekeithen anapnei te kai ze kai tas aphormas ap' auton echonta ton noun
monon, ou ten lexin, paristan epangelletai]).[675] No doubt Clement
conceives the aim of the whole traditionary material to be that of Greek
philosophy, but we cannot fail to perceive that this aim is blended with
the object which the Gospel puts before us, namely, to be rich in God
and to receive strength and life from him. The goodness of God and the
responsibility of man are the central ideas of Clement and the
Alexandrians; they also occupy the foremost place in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. If this is certain we must avoid that searching of the heart
which undertakes to fix how far he was influenced by the Gospel and how
far by philosophy.

But, while so judging, we cannot deny that the Church tradition was here
completely transformed into a Greek philosophy of religion on a
historical basis, nor do we certify the Christian character of Clement's
"dogmas" in acknowledging the evangelical spirit of his practical
position. What would be left of Christianity, if the practical aim,
given by Clement to this religious philosophy, were lost? A
depotentiated system which could absolutely no longer be called
Christian. On the other hand there were many valuable features i