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CHAPTER 20
DEIFICATION IS THE RESULT OF
RIGHT ACTION
According to Jainism Right Conduct, when perfected, crowns the Soul with Divinity. The Christian view as to this is to be gathered from the following passages :
“Knowledge is . . . followed by practical wisdom, and practical wisdom by self-control; for it may be said that practical wisdom is divine knowledge, and exists in those who are deified."—(Clement) A.N.C.L. vol. xii. p. 378.
"On this wise it is possible for the Gnostic* already to have become God. 'I said, Ye are Gods, and sons of the Highest.' And Empedocles says that the souls of the wise become Gods."-Ibid. p. 209.
“And David expressly (or rather the Lord in the person of the saint and the same from the foundation of the world in each one who at different periods is saved, and shall be saved by faith) says . . . "-Ibid. p. 332.
"... and man, when deified purely into a passionless state, becomes a unit."--Ibid. p. 210.
"... the word of God became man, that thou mayest learn from man bow man may become God."-(Clement) A.N.C.L. vol. iv. p. 24.
“... that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."Ephesians iii. 19.
"I have said, Ye are Gods."--Ps. lxxxii. 6.
Iruthibe limout there to the first-28TL 143
* It may be pointed out that there seem to have been two types of Gnostics; the one referred to here were those who knew the Truth scentifically; the other tried to introduce further mysticism on the lines of Kabalistic thought. To the former class belonged Clement; but the latter was condemned as a heresy. This explains why Clement refers to the Gnostics approvingly in some of his writings. The reference is to the first-named type.
