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And that tho changes in the perloci os life tahe place bysevens, the Elegies of Solon teach thus :
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Again, in dise es the seventh day is that of the crisis; and
the fourteenth, in Whicli nature struggles against the causes of the diseases. And a myriad such instances are adduced by
Hermippus of Berytus, in his book On the Number Seven, re-garding it as holy. And the blessed David delivers clearly to
God mado it in time, prophecy adds: Τhis is tho book of
the generation : also of the things in them, When they Were creatod in the day that God mado heaven and sarth. Fortho expression When they Were created V intimates an indefinito and dateless production. But the expression in
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This is follo ed by tho command respecting adultery. No. it is adultery, is one, abandoning the ecclesiastical and true knowledge, and the persuasion respecting God, accedesto falso and incongruous opinion, either is deibing any created object, or by mahing an idol of anything that exisis
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true doctrino os God and of immortali , in order to introduce falsehood, alleging either that tho universe is not under Providence, or that the worid is uncreated, or amming anything against true doctrine, is most pernicious. Tῖὸ Eighth Comman erat. And astor this is tho command respecting thesi. Αs, then, he that finals what is anothees, doing great Wrong, rightly incurs ills fuit lo in his deseris; so also does he, Who are gales to himself divine woas by the art of the statua thepainter, and pronounces himself to be the maher of animias and planis. LikeWise those, ino, Who mimio the true phil sophy are thieves. Whether ons M a husbandman or theiather of a child, ho is an agent in depositing seeds. Butit is God who, ministering the growth and perfection os allthings, brings the things produced to What is in accordance
vitii their nature. But the most, in common also mitti thephilosophers, attributo groWin and changes to the stars as theprimary cause, robbing the Father of the universe, as far asin them lies, of Ηis tireless might. The elementa, hoWever, and the stare-that is, the administrative poWers-are ordained for the accomptishment of whatis essentiat to tho administration, and are influenoed and
moved by What is commandod to them, in the way in Whichtho Word of tho Lord loads, since it is sto nature of the divino power to Work ali things secretiy. He, accordingly, who alleges that he has conceived or made anything Whichpertains to creation, Will suffer the punishment of his implous audaci . The Tenth Comman ent And the tenth is tho command respecting ali lusis. M, then, his Who emertains unbecoming destres is called toaccount; in the fame Way ho is not allowed to destrethings false, or to suppose that, os created objecta, thosethat are animate havs poWer of themselves, and that inanimate things can at ali fave or huri. And should Ono my
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that an antidote cannot heal or hemioch hili, he is unwi, tingly deceived. For nono of these operates excepi onem es use of the plani and tho Mug; just as the axe does not without one in cut With it, or a saW without one saWingmith it. And as they do not work by themselves, but have certain physical qualities Which accomptish their proper mork by the exortion of the artisan ; so also, by the universat providoneo os God, through tho medium os secondam causes, the operative poπer is propagated in succession to individual objectS.
BUT, as appeare, the philosophers of the Greehs, Whilonaming God, do not know Him. But their philosophical speculations, according to Empedocles, as passing over theslongue of the multitude, are poured out os mouilis that knowlitile of the wholo. For as are changes the light of the sun into fire by passing it through a glass vesset fuit ofWater, So also philosophy, catching a spark from ths divine Scripture, is visibio in a foW. Also, as ali animais breathethe fame air, Some in one Way, othera in another, and to adisserent purpose; so also a considerable number os peopte occupy themselves With the truth, or rather With discourse
concerning the truth. For they do not say auot respectingGod, but expound Him by attributing their o n affections to God. For they spend liso in seehing the probabie, not thetrue. But truth is not taught by imitation, but is instru tion. For it is not that wo may seem goody that wo boliove in Christ, as it is not alono for the purpose of being seen, whilo in tho sun, that wo pras into the sun. But in the onecase for the purpωε os Ming Warmed; and in the other, κε are compelled is bo Christians in order in be excellent and
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good. For tho hingdom belongs pr eminently to the violent, Who, from investigation, and study, and discipline, reap this fruit, that they become hings. He, then, Who imitates opinion AhoWs also preconception. When then one, having got an inkling of the subjeci, hindlesit within in his foui by destre and study, he seis everythingin motion astemarti in order to know it. For that whichone does not apprehend, netther does he destre it, nor doeshe embrace the advintage floWing from it. Subsequently, theresore, the Gnostic at last imitates the Lord, as far asallo ed to men, having received a fori os quality Ain to the Lord Himself, in ordor in assimilation to God. But those Who are not proficient in knowledge cannot judgo the truthby rule. It is not theresore possibie to Aharo in the gnostic contemplations, uniess We empty ourselVes os our previous notions. For the truth in regard to every object of intellectand of sense is thus simply universalty declared. Forinstance, me may distinguish the truth of painting hom that which is vulgar, and decorous music from licentious. Τherois, then, also a truth oi philosophy as distinct from tho other philosophers, and a true beauty as distinci hom the spurious. It is not then the partiat trullis, of Which truth is predicated, but the truth itself, that We are in investigate, not seehing tolearn names. For What is to be investigated respecting Godis not one thing, but ten thousand. There is a differeticebetweon declaring God, and declaring things about God. And to speah generatin in everything the accidenta are to bedistinguishod irom the essenee. Suffieo it for me to say, that the Lord os ali is God; and
I say the Lord os ali absolutely, nothing being lest is Wayos exception. Since, then, tho sorma os truth Me two lis names and tho things-some discourse of names, occupying themselves with the beauties of words: such are the philosophera among tho Greelis. But wo who are Barbarians have the things. Now it was not in vain that the Lord chose to malis use ofa mean iam os body; so that no one praising the grace
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Was sald, and attending to What ought in be abandoned, might bo cui off srom What is intellectual. We must there ore occupy ourselves not With the expression, but the meaning. To those, then, Who are not osted With the pomer os apprehension, and are not inclined in knowledge, the word is
not entrusted; since also the ravens imitate human Volces,
the whole creation, feeing Ηe Wishes in save it, Was inducedio mari the rest also; conferring on them at the beginning this fidit boon, that os existenco. For that to be is far botterthan not to be, Will bo admitted by every one. Then, accor ing to the capabilities os their nature, each one Was and is made, advancing to that whicli is bellor.
So there is no absurdity in philosophy having been given
by Divine Providenco as a preparatory discipline for the pe section whicli is by Christ; unlem philosophy is ashmed atteaming from Barbarian knowledgo hom to advance in truth. But is tho very haira ars numbered, and the most insignificant motions,' ho. shali not philosophy bo talion into account For to Samson poWer Was given in his hiar, inorder that ho might perceive that the worthless aris ibat reser to the things in this lise, Whicli lie and remain on
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to tho fhirt os his garment that is, of the great High
not even one thing Was made' '; not to the ornament of thobody; for Philosophy is ouiside of the People, lihe miment. The philosophera, therefore, Who, trained to their oWn peculiar pomer of perception by the spirit os perception, Whenthey investigate, not a part oi philosophy, but philosophyabsolutetri testisy to the truth in a truth-loving and humbis spirit; is in tho case of good things said by those even Whoaro os different sentimenta they advance to underetanding, through tho divino administration, and tho ineffabio Good-ness, Which HWays, as sar as possibie, leads the naturo os existences to that which is beller. Then, by cultivating the acquaintance not of Greeks alone, but also of Barbarians, from the exercise common to their proper intelligence, invaro conducted to Faith. And when they have embraced thofonndation os truth, they receive in addition the power of advancing further to investigation. And thence they lovo tobe learners, and aspiring aster knowledge, haste to salvation.
Τhus Scripturo sus, that the spirit os perception V Wasgiven to tho artificors from God. And this is nothing elso than Underatanding, a faculty of the foui, cap te os stud'ing existences, i distinguishing and comparing What succeeds as lita and unlike,-of enjoining and forbidding, and of conjecturing the future. And it extends not to tho arisalone, but even to philosophy iraeli. Why, then, is ibo serpent called mim Because even in iis wiles there may be found a connection, and distinction, and combination, and conjecturing of the future. And so
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Very many crimes are concealed; because the wiched arrange sor themselves so as by ali means in esc pe punishment.
and ali human affaira, varies iis appellation in each case. When it applies iiseis to fidit causes, it is called Underatand-ing νόησις). When, hoWever, it confirma this is demonstrative reasoning, it is termed Knowledge, and Wisdom, and Science. When it is occupied in What pertians is pie , and receives Without speculation the primat Wordy in consequonceos the maintenance of the operation in it, it is called Faith. In the sphere of things of sense, establishing that whichappears as being truest, it is Right opinion. In operations,
observation os similarities and by transposition, it maes any attempi or combination, it is called Experiment. But betonying to it, and supremo and essenties, is the Holy Spirit, Which ove ali ho Who, in consequence of divineJ guidance, has
belloved, receives aster strong faith. Philosophy, then, pa tising of a more exquisito perception, as has been alio nhom the above statementa, participatos in Wisdom. Logical discussion, then, os intellectuat subjecta, With selection and assent, is called Dialectica; Which est lishes, is demonstration, allegations respecting truth, and demesistes tho do is brought for ard.
Ose, then, Who assere that philosophy did not come hither from God, ali but say that God does not know each particularthing, and that He is not tho causo os ali good things; is, indeed, each of theso belongs to the class of individual things. But nothing that exista could havo subsisted at all, had God
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soul naed Within; and possessos from eternity the idea os eachthing individually. And what applies to theatres, and to the paris of each objeci, in i hing at, looking round, and tahingin the whole in one view, applies also in God. For in ono glance He views ali things together, and each thing byllaeis; but not Hl things, is Way os primary intent. No , then, many things in lite take their rise in some exercise of human reason, having received the hindling sparkfrom God. For instance, health by medicine, and wuiadnessos body through gymnastim, and wealth by trade, have their
origin and existence in consequence of Divine Providenceindeed, but in consequence, i , of human comperation. Understanding also is from God.
os goodness and probity, for Whose sae God created them. For it was for the use of good men that the influenco whichis in God's gista was originaled. Besides, the thoughts of VirtuOus men are produced through the inspiration of God; the foui being disposed in the way it is, and tho divino willbeing conveyed to human fouis, particular divine ministere contributing to such services. For regiments of angela arodistributed over tho nations and cities. And, perchanc'SOme are assigned to individuals. The Shepherd, then, cares for each os his ineop; and his closest inspection is given to thoso who are excellent in their natures, and are capable of being most usosui. Such arothose fit to lead and teach, in Whom the action os Providenco is conspicuousty seen; Whenever either by instruction,