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or MVernment, or administration, God Wishes to bonefit. But He wishes at ali times. Whereforo He moves those who are adapted to Mesul exertion in the things whicli pertain to Viriue, and peace, and beneficenco. But ali that is characterlaed by virtve proceeds from viriue, and leads bachio virtve. d it is given either in order that men maybecome good, or that thoss Who are so may mahe use of their natural advantages. For it c operates both in Whatis generat and what is particular. HOW absurd, then, is it, in thoso Who attributo disorder and wichedness to the devit,to maho him the bestoWer of philosophy, a virtuous thingi For he is thus ali but made more benignant to the Greeta, tin respect os mining men good, than the divine providenco Iand mind. Again, I rechon it is tho part of law and of right reasonto assign to each one What is appropriate to him, and belongsto him, and salis to him. For as the lyre is onj sor the harper, and the flute sor the flut player; so good things arethe possessions of good men. As the nature of the beneficentis to do good, as it is of the firo is Warm, and the light togivo light, and a good man will not do evit, or light pr
Philosophy is not, then, the produci os vice, since it mines men virtuous; it solio , then, that it is the work of God, hose mork it is solely to do good. And ali inings given is God ars inven and received Meli. Further, is the practice of philosophy does not belong tollis miched, but Was accorded to tho best of tho Greeis, it is
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called by tho namo philosophy that portion os truth alta edthmugii philosophy, although but partiat.
of good things, divine and human. But tho earili is God's, and the suinem thoreo '' saysthe Scripture, teaching that good things como hom God tomen; it being through divino powor and might that the di
tribution of them comes in the help os man. W tho modes of ali help and communication hom oneto another ars three. One is, by attending in another, as themaster of gymnastim, in training the boy. Tho second is, by assimilation, as in the caso os one Who exhorta mother in benevolence by practising it before. The ono comperates With tho learner, and the other benefiis him Who receives. Tho third modo is stat by commanri When the gymnastic master, no longer training the learner, nor sho ing in his oWn person the exercise for the boy to imitate, prescribes themercise is name in him, as Hready proficient in it.
The Gnostic, accordingi' having received from God thoponor to M os service, benefiis some is disciplining them, bybesto ing attention on them ; othera, by exhorting them, is assimilation ; and ostera, by training and teaching tbem, bycommand. And certainly ho himself is equalty benefited by the Loes. Thus, then, the benefit that comes hom God to
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But exposed sor imitation and assimilation are truly admirabie and holy examples of virtus in the actions put onremes. Further, the depariment of action is most conspicuous both in the testaments of the Lord, and in the laws in force among tho Greeta, and also in the precepta os philosophy. And to speah comprehensively, ali benefit appertaining tollia, in iis highest reason, proceeding from the SovereignGod, the Father Who is over ali, is consummated by the Son, Who also on this account is tho Saviour os ali mon, says the apostle, but especialty of thoso who bolisve. But in respect of iis immediate reason, it is hom those nexi toeach, in accordance With the command and injunction os Ηim Who is nearest the First Cause, that is, the Lord.
eis philosophy me recreation of the Gnosiis. NΟW our Gnostic always occupies himsols with the things of highest importance. But it at any timo ho has teisure and timo for relaxation hom What is of prime consequence, heapplies himseli in Hellenic philosophy in preference to other recreation, Dasting on it as a Lind os desseri at supper. t that ho neglecta What is superior; but that ho tinos this in addition, as long as propor, for the reasons I mentioneda ve. But thoso who ove their mind to the unnecessamand superfluous potnis os philosophy, and addici themselves
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But is Wo are not to philosophiete, What then Τ For no
those that are rational, but those also of the other animais. And thoir bodios nevor become paris ot the fouis them-selves, but organs-partly as Seati, partly as vehicles ndin other cases possessions in various Ways. But it is not
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possibio to copy accurately even the likenesses of the organs; since, mere it so, One might modet the sun, as it is seen, and talio tho likeness of tho rainbow in coloura.
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they are to contemplato the will fos GoM by the will, and tho Holy Spirit by the Holy Spirit. For tho Spirit soarches
e possess; on Whicli depend ali the fources of wisdom, which mahe conjectures at the truth. Intimations of the Teaeher 8 adrent.
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THE MISCELLANTES. 405 Universat di sion of the gospei a contrast to philo8ophis.
The philosophera, hoWever, chose to steach philosophyJ totho Greeta Mone,' and not even to ali of them; but Socratesto Plato, and Plato in Xenocrates, Aristolle to Theophrastus, and Zeno to Cleanthes, who persuaded their oWn solio era
But the word of our Teacher romainod not in Judeaalone, as philosophy did in Greece; but was diffused overthe whole Worid, over every nation, and village, and toWn, bringing already over to the truth Whole houses, and eachindividual os thoso who heard it by him himself, and not alew of the philosophera themselves. And ii any one ruter Whatever prohibit the Grech philosophy, it vanishes forthWith. But our doctrine on ita very firat proclamation was prohibited by hings and tyranis i
gether, as Weli as particular mlers and governors, with alltheir mercenaries, and in addition by innumerable men, Warring against us, and endeavo ing as far as they couldio exterminato it. But it flourishes tho more. For it dios
not, as human doctrine dies, nor fades as a fragile gist. Forno gist os God is fragile. But it remalas uncheched, though prophesied as destined to be persecuted to the end. Thus Plato writes os pootry : μ Α poet is a light and a sacredihing, and cannot write poeto tili ho bo inspired and loso his senses.' And Democritus similarly : Whatevor thingsa poet writes With divino amatus, and with a sacred spirit, are very beautifui.' And we know What sori of things poets say. And shali no ono bo amazed at the propheis of God Almightybecoming the organs of the divino voice lΗaving then moulded, as it were, a statue of the Gnostic, e have noW ahoWn Who ho is; indicating in oviline, as it Were, both the greatnem and beauty oi his character. What he is as to the stuis of physical phenomena stiali be shomastematas, When We beges in treat of the creation of the
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l is noW time to fhow tho Grooks that tho Gnosticum alone is truly pious; so that the philosophera, I loarning of What description the truo Christian is,may condemn their o n stupidiu in rashly and inconsiderately persecuting the ChristianJ name, and without reason calling those implous who know the true God. And clearer arguments must be employed, I rechon, With the philosophers, so that they may be able, from the exercise they have atready had through their own training, to unde stand, although they have not yet shown themselves Worthyto partake of the poWer of belleving. The prophetic sayings we shali not at present advert is,as me are to avait o selves os the Scriptures subsequently at the proper places. But we shali potnt out summarily the potnis indicated by them, in cur delineation os Christianity, so that by taking the Scriptures at once especialty as theydo not yet comprehend their ulterances , me may not inte rupi the continuity of the discourse. But aster potnting out tho things indicated, procis stiali be shown in abundance tothoso who have belleved. But is the assertions mado by us appear to certain of the multitudo to bo different from tho Scriptures of the Lord, tot it be known that it is from that Murce stat they havΘ
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ali excellence to bo hono ablo according to iis Worth; and judges that among the objecta perceived by our Senses, Weam to esteem rulers, and parenti, and every one adVancedin years ; and among subjects of instruction, the most ancient
philosophy and primevat prophecy; and among intellectualideas, What is oldest in origin, the timetess and unoriginaled First Principio, and Beginning os existences he Son-from Whom We are to learn the remoter Cause, the Father of the universe, the most ancient and tho most beneficent os ait; not capable os expression by the voice, but to be reverencedmitti reverence, and silence, and holy Wonder, and supremely Veneraled; declared by the Lord, as sar as those Who learnedWere capable os comprehending, and underatood by thosechosen by the Lord to knowledge; Whose senses,' says theupostle, were exercised. The service of God, then, in tho case of tho Gnostic, is his foui's continuat stu ' and occupation, bestowed on the Dei in ceaselera love. For of the service besto ed on men, onehinit is that whose aim is improvement, the other ministeriai.
The improvement of tho body is the object of tho medicat ars of the soci os philosophy. Ministerial service is renderedio parents by children, to rulers by subjecta. Similarly, alio, in the church, the elders attond to the
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depariment Whicli has improvoment for iis objeci; and thedeacons to the ministeriai. In both these ministrios inoangeis serve God, in the management os earthly assalas; and tho Gnostic himself ministera in God, and exhibita tomen the scheme os improvement, in the way in Whicli helias been appotnted to discipline men sor their amendment. For he is alone pious that serves God rightly and obtam ably in human assairs. For as that treatinent os planta is
best through which thela fruits are produced and gatherediit, through knowledge and shili in husbandry, assording menthe benefit accruing irom them ; so tho piety of the Gnostic, tising to itioli the fruits of tho men who is his means have