Gaining Faith and Knowledge

Μεγίστη δὲ ἀρετῶν μήτηρ, ἡ πίστις. Εἰκότως οὖν εἴρηται παρὰ τῷ Σολομῶντι· Σοφία ἐν στόματι πιστῶν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ Ξενοκρὰτης ἐν τῷ Περὶ φρονήσεως τὴν σοφὶαν ἐπιστήμην τῶν πρώτων αἰτίων καὶ τῆς νοητῆς οὐσίας εἶναί φησι· τὴν φρόνησιν ἡγούμενος διττήν· τήν μὲν πρακτικὴν, τὴν δὲ θεωρητικήν· ἤν δὴ σοφία ὑπαρχειν ἀνθρωπίνην. Διόπερ ἡ μὲν σοφία φρόνησις, οὐ μὴν πᾶσα φρόνησις σοφία. Δέδεικται δὲ τῆς τῶν ὅλων ἀρχῆς ἐπιστήμη πιστὴ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπόδειξις εἶναι. Καὶ γὰρ ἄτοπον τοὺς μὲν Πυθαγόρου τοῦ Σαμίου ζηλωτὰς, τῶν ζητουμένων τὰς ἀποδείξεις παραιτουμένους, τὸ, Αὐτὸς ἔφα, πίστιν ἡγεῖσθαι, καὶ ταύτῃ ἀρκεῖσθαι μόνη τῇ φωνῇ πρὸς τὴν βεβαίωσιν ὧν ἀκηκόασι τοὺς δὲ τῆς ἀληθείας φιλοθεάμονας ἀπιστεῖν ἐπιχειροῦντας ἀξιοπίστῳ διδασκάλῳ, τῷ μόνῷ Σωτῆρα Θεῷ βασάνους τῶν λεγομένων ἀπαιτεῖν παρ' αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ, ὁ ἔχων ὧτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω, λέγει. Καὶ τίς οὗτος; Ἐπίχαρμος εἰπάτω· Νοῦς ὁρῇ, νοῦς ἀκούει· τὰ δ' ἄλλα, κωφὰ καὶ τυφλά. Ἀπίστους εἴναί τινας ἐπιστύφων Ἡράκλειτος φησιν· Ἀκοῦσουσι οὐκ ἐπιστάμενοι, οὐδ' εἰπεῖν· ὠφεληθεὶς δήπουθιν παρὰ Σολομῶντος· Ἐὰν ἀγαπήσῃς ἀκούειν, ἐκδεξῃ· καὶ ἐὰν κλίνῄς τὸ οὖς σου, σοφὸς ἔσῃ. Κύριε, τίς ἐπίστευσεν τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; Ἠσαϊας φησίν· Ἡ μὲν γὰρ πίστις ἐξ ἀκοῆς· ἡ δὲ ἀκοῃ διὰ ῥήματος Θεοῦ, φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Πῶς οὖν ἐπικαλέσονται, εἰς ὄν οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν; Πῶς δὲ πιστεύσουσιν, οὔ οὐκ ἤκουσιν; Πῶς δὲ κηρύξουσιν, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποσταλῶσι; Καθὼς γέγραπται· Ὡς ὡραῖοι οἱ πόδες τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων τὰ ἀγαθὰ. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἀνάγει τὴν πίστιν δι' ακοῆς καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀποστόλων κηρύξεως; Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Στρωματεων, Λογος Δευτερος, Κεφ Ε'

And faith is the greatest mother of the virtues. Rightly then it is said by Solomon, 'Wisdom is in the mouth of the faithful.' 1 Since also Xenocrates, in his book On Intelligence says that wisdom is the knowledge of first causes and of intellectual essence, and he considers intelligence as twofold, practical and theoretical, which latter is human wisdom. Thus wisdom is intelligence, but all intelligence is not wisdom. And it has been shown, that the knowledge of the first cause of all things is of faith, but is not demonstration. For strange that the followers of Pythagoras of Samos, dismissing demonstrations of the things in question, should regard the bare 'He said' as ground of belief and that this expression alone was enough for the confirmation of what they heard, while those devoted to the contemplation of the truth should disbelieve a trustworthy teacher, God the only Saviour, and demand of Him tests of His words. But He says, 'He that has ears to hear, let him hear.'  2 And who is he? Let Epicharmus say, 'Mind sees, mind hears; all besides is deaf and blind.'  Deploring some as faithless, Heraclitus says, 'Not knowing how to hear or to speak.' Aided doubtless by Solomon, who says, 'If you love to hear, you shall understand; and if you incline your ear, you shall be wise.' 3 And Isaiah says 'Lord, who has believed our report?' 4 The Apostle says, 'For faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.'  5 And: 'How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe not having heard? And how shall they preach if they are not sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful the feet of those who bring good tidings.' 6 So see how faith is brought by hearing and the preaching of the Apostles. Clement of Alexandria, from The Stromata, Book 2, Chap 5 1 Sir 15:10  2 Mt 11.15  3 Sir 6:33 4 Is 53:1 5 Rom 10.17  6 Rom 10 14-15