The Wisdom of the Age

Et veniat super me misericordia tua, Domine, salutare tuum secundum eloquium tuum, et respondebo exprobrantibus mihi verbum quia speravi in sermonibus tuis et ne auferas de ore meo verbum veritatis usquequaque quia in iudiciis tuis speravi, et custodiam legem tuam semper in aeternum et in saeculum saeculi et ambulabam in latitudine quia mandata tua exquisivi, et loquebar de testimoniis tuis in conspectu regum et non confundebar et meditabor in mandatis tuis quae dilexi nimis et levavi manus meas ad mandata tua quae dilexi vehementer et exercebor in tuis iustificationibus. Plures secundum Apostolum sunt qui sapientiam saeculi sequentes, sapientiam Dei reprobaverunt : ob quod stultam fecit Deus saeculi sapientiam. Quid enim infidelibus stultius est, qui praeter illum communem irreligiosorum errorem etiam hoc adjiciunt piaculi, ut divina Scripturarum eloquia putent perfectae doctrinae carere ratione? Et quia pro impietate ingenii sui divinorum dictorum capaces esse non possunt, ad contumeliam coelestium verborum pro excusatione hebetudinis suae prorumpunt, dicentes, nihil in his rationabile, nihil esse perfectum: volentes ea quae a se dicantur, sola esse erudita, et doctrinis verae prudentiae expolita; stulti Deo negantes, quae assumere ipsi sibi audent. Nec mirum est, si irreligiose de eis opinantur, quorum pecudeae hebetudinis modo, intelligentiam non consequnntur. Verum quamvis in eo sermone, quem superius habuimus, his qui sapientiam Dei sequuntur, cognitam dictorum coelestium perfectionem existimam, nihilque eorum esse, quod non consummatum atque omni ex parte perfectum sit. Sanctus Hilarius Pictaviensis,Tractatus super Psalmos, Tractatus in Psalmum LVIII

And your mercy came upon me, O Lord, your salvation according to your word and I shall reply to those who reproached me because I hoped in your words and you did not take from my mouth the word of truth at all because in your judgements I have hoped, and I shall guard your laws always, into eternity, and I walked in freedom because your commandments I sought out, and I spoke concerning your testimony in the sight of kings and I was not confounded, and I meditated on your commandments which I loved deeply and I rose up my hands to your commandments with I loved zealously and I exerted myself in your justifications. 1 Many, according to the Apostle, are those who following the wisdom of the age have reproved the wisdom of God, 2 on account of which God has made foolish the wisdom of the age. For what is more stupid than the unfaithful who after their common error of impiety, thrust forward another fault, that they think that the speech of Divine Scripture lacks the reason of perfect teaching? And because on account of the impiety of their own minds they are not able to grasp the Divine words, with excuse of its dullness they burst forth in contumacious attack on the heavenly words, saying that nothing in these things is reasonable, nothing perfect, wishing that only the things that they say be learned and that they possess the refined and true and most wise teaching, these fools refusing God, who dare to claim these things as their own. But it is no wonder, if the irreligious think such things, for just like dull cattle, they do not have understanding. Truly, though, in the passage which we have given above, I judge that the perfect knowledge of the celestial speech is given to those who follow the wisdom of God and nothing of it is flawed, and in every part it is perfect. Saint Hilary of Poitiers, from Homilies on the Psalms, Psalm 58 1 Ps 118 41 - 48 2 1 Cor 1. 19-20