Good Works And Knowledge

Renatis hominibus per fidem, et sanctificatis secundum Evangelii formam in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus sancti, et per hanc confessionem regnum coeleste sperantibus, nihil magis utile esse dixit Apostolus, quam ut his bonorum sit operum cura. Sic enim scribit ad Titum: Et de his volo te confirmate, ut curam habeant bonorum qui credunt in Deo. Haec sunt, inquit, bona et utilia hominibus. Stultas autem quaestiones et genealogias et rixas et pugnas legis devita; sunt enim inutiles et vanae. Haec scribens beatus Apostolus, jam tunc praevidebat futuros homines qui per curiositatem et quaestiones inutiles curam bonorum operum praetermissuri erant; et pacem, quam Dominus Ecclesiae sua reliquerat, perdituri. Namque homines, qui dum alta sapera conantur, nec humilia intelligere permittentur, obliti dictum Apostoli; Noli alta sapere sed time, sic dum illicita praesumunt, etiam licita perdiderunt. Isti sunt qui cum nec fabricam coeli et terrae sensu colligere et capere valeant, ipsum conditorem et fabricatorem Deum capare et mensurare contendunt; et quem debent per operum magnitudinem et tantarum rerum immensitatem solummodo et simpliciter adorare, in quaestionem mittunt; et de qualitate mysterii ejus ac de quantitate disputant, dicentes: Quantus Pater? Qualis Filius? cujusmodi Spiritus Sanctus? O homo, nondum te ipsum cognoscens, audens divina metiri? Nicetas Episcopus Aquileiensis, Ratione Fidei Source: Migne PL 52.847d-848d

The Apostle has said that for men reborn through faith, and sanctified according to the form of the Gospel in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and by this confession hoping for the kingdom of heaven, there is nothing more beneficial than that they have care for good works. So he writes to Titus: 'And concerning these things I wish to strengthen you, that they who believe in God have care for good things. Those things good and useful for men. Avoid foolish questions and genealogies and strife and fights over the Law, for they are useless and vain.' 1 In writing these things the Apostle was foreseeing future men who through useless curiosity and questions would neglect to have care for good works and destroy the peace which the Lord left His Church. 2 For men, when they try to know lofty things, allow no space for the understanding of humble things, forgetting the words of the Apostle. 'Do not grasp at lofty things, but fear.' 3 So while they occupy themselves with things prohibited, they lose things permitted. They are men who cannot gather and grasp the fabric of the heavens and earth, yet they will dispute over measuring and seizing on God the creator and maker, and who when they should only and openly adore His great works and things of such immensity, rush into questioning and dispute over the type and greatness of His mysteries, saying 'How great is the Father? What is the Son? What kind of thing is the Holy Spirit?' O man, you who do not yet know yourself, you dare to snatch at the Divine? Nicetas of Aquileia, from The Reason of Faith 1 Titus 3.8 2 Jn 14.27 3 Rom 11.20