Epicurus, Faith and Understanding

Ναι μὴν και ὁ ᾽Επικουρος, ὁ μάλιστα τῆς ἀληθειας προτιμήσας τὴν ἡδονὴν, προληψιν ειναι διανοιας τὴν πιστιν ὑπολαμβανει· προληψιν δὲ ἀποδιδωσιν, επιβολὴν ἐπι τι ἐναργες, και ἐπι τὴν ἐναργῆ τοῦ πράγματος ἐπινοιαν· μὴ δύνασθαι δὲ μηδένα μήτε ζητῆσαι μήτε ἀπορῆσαι, μηδὲ μην δοξᾶσαι, ἀλλ οὐδε ἐλεγξαι χωρις προλήψεως. Πῶς ὁ ἀν, μὴ ἐχων τις πρόληψιν οὗ ἐφιεται, μάθοι περι οὗ ζητει; ῾Ο μαθὼν δὲ ἣδη καταληψιν ποιει τὴν πρόληψιν. Ει δὲ ὁ μανθάνων οὐκ ἄνευ προλήψεως μανθανει τῆς των λεγομένων παραδεκτικῆς, αὐτὸς μὲν ὦτα ἔχει τα ἀκουστικα τῆς ἀληθειας· μακάριος δὲ ὁ λέγων εiς ὦτα ἀκουότων· ὤσπερ ἀμέλει μακάριος και αὐτος ὁ τῆς ὑπακοῆς. Τὸ δὲ κατακοῦσαι συνειναι ἐστιν. Ει τοινυν ἡ πιστις οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἢ πρόληψις ἐστι διανοιας περι τὰ λεγόμενα, και τοῦτο ὑπακοή τε εἰρηται, σύνεσις τε πειθὼ, οὐ μὴν μαθήσεται τις ἄνευ πιστεως· ἐπει μηδὲ ἄνευ προλήψεως, ᾽Αληθὲς δ᾽ οὖν ὄν πάντως μᾶλλον ἀποδεικνυται τὸ ὐπὸ τοῦ προφήτου εἰρημενον· ᾽Εαν μὴ πιστευσητε, οὐδὲ μὴ συνῆτε.  Κλημεντος του Αλεξανδρεως, Στρωματεων.

Why even Epicurus, who greatly preferred pleasure to truth, supposes faith to be a preconception of the mind; and defines preconception to be a grasping at something evident, at the clear understanding of the thing; and that no one can either inquire, or doubt, or judge, or even argue in the absence of preconception, for how, without a preconceived idea of what he is aiming at, does he learn about that which he inquiries? He who has learned has already turned his preconception into comprehension. And if he who learns is learning with a preconception which takes in what is expressed, that man has ears for the hearing of truth; and happy the man who is speaking to the ears of those who hear, as happy certainly also is he who listens. Now to hear plainly is to understand. If, then, faith is nothing else than a preconception of the mind in regard to things said, and this is called attention, understanding and persuasion, no one shall learn anything without faith, since it cannot be without preconception. Truly then here is a more ample demonstration of what was spoken by the prophet, 'Unless you believe, nor will you understand.' 1 Clement of Alexandria, Stromata, Book 2, Ch 4.  1 Is 7.9