Questions And Deeds

Quis est autem iste... Tam magnus, de quo ego talia audio? Quaerit philosophari, et esse bonus. Non est enim quaerendum quis erat, sed cum Nathanaele accedendum et experiendum, ut sic sequeretur vestigia ipsius. Psal xxxiii: Accedite ad eum, et illuminamini: et facies vestrae non confundentur. Sed iste in sola ratione inquisitionis stare voluit, et non exercere opera, simile quid faciens istis, de quibus dicit Aristoteles in libro IV Ethicorum: Ad rationem confugientes, quaerunt philosophari et esse boni. Simile aliquid faciens infirmis, qui medicos quidem audiunt studiose, faciunt autem operandorum nihil. Et quemadmodum isti numquam bene habebunt corpus sic curati, ita nec illi bene habebunt animam sic philosophantes. Quid enim valet bona audire, et non facere? Jacob i: Qui auditor est verbi el non factor, comparabitur viro consideranti vultum nativitatis suae in speculo; consideravit enim se, et abiit, et statim oblitus est qualis fuerit. Sanctus Albertus Magnus Commentarium In Evangelium Lucam, Caput IX Source: Here p616

'Who is this...' 1 Is He so great 'concerning whom I hear such things?' he asks for his philosophising and to be good. But it must not be asked who He was, but with Nathanael one must draw near and one must experience 2 if one would follow in His way. In the thirty third Psalm, 'Come to Him and be enlightened and your faces shall not be confounded.' 3 But Herod who wished only to stand in the reason of questioning and not to exert himself in works is like the one of whom Aristotle speaks in the fourth book of his Ethics, 'Flying to reason they seek to philosophise and be good.' 4 He is similar to a sick man who carefully listens to physicians and then does nothing of what is prescribed. And as they will never have a body that is healthy, so they who philosophise in such a way shall never have a healthy soul. What good does it do to listen and not act? In the first chapter of the letter of James, 'He who hears the Word and does not do it shall be like a man who considers his own face in a mirror, and having considered it he goes away and instantly forgets what sort of man he was.' 5 Saint Albert The Great, Commentary On The Gospel of St Luke, Chapter 9 1 Lk 9.9 2 Jn 1.45-51 3 Ps 33.6 4 Aris Nic Eth 1105b 10-18 5 James 1.23-24

Knowing God

Confiteor tibi, Domine, Pater caeli et terrae, quia abscondisti haec a sapientibus et prudentibus, et revelasti ea parvulis... Qui sunt sapientes? Antiqui philosophi, et oratores, qui naturali sapientia literarum exercitatione exacuminati, de Dei natura quaerere contendebant, non Deum invenire desiderantes, sed altissima disserere cupientes, victi sunt ingenio, defecerunt sermone: in ultimo nihil se amplius invenire potuisse confessi sunt, nisi quia Deus incognoscibilis est. Et ut quid ergo tantum laborasti, si ignorans es, postquam requisisti, quemadmodum fueras, antequem quaereres? Sicut enim qui innavigabilem oceanum navigare se usurpat, dum non potest eum transire, necesse est, ut per eadem viam revertatur, unde ingressus est: sic et illi ab ignorantia coeperunt, et in ignorantia finierunt. O homo sapiens, magis autem insipiens! Deus invisibilis est, et quis potest videre,nisi ipse se videat? Serva ergo mandata Dei, sanctifica cor tuum, ita ut inhabitet Deus in te, et videas Deum. Magis autem non vides, sed Deus, qui est in te, videt te. Deus incomprehensibilis est. Quis enim potest comprehendere eum, nisi ipse se comprehendat? Serva ergo mandata Dei, sanctifica cor tuum, ita ut Deus habitet in te, et quotidie magis ac magis invenies Deum. Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum, Homilia XXVIII Source: Migne PG 56.776

I confess to you Lord, Father of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to little ones... 1 Who are the wise? The ancient philosophers and orators who with their natural wisdom exerted themselves in the exercise of letters and disputed in the enquiry of the nature of God, not wishing to find God but desiring to speak cleverly of high things, who were by their own minds overthrown, and cast down in their words, for in the end they confessed they were not able to find out anything more than that God was unknowable. And why, therefore, did you labour so greatly, if being ignorant, after you had ceased, you were as you were before you sought? For like a man who has thrust himself forward to navigate the unnavigable ocean which he is not able to cross, and he must return on the same way he went out, so it is that those who have begun from ignorance shall end in ignorance. O wise man, how much more unwise! God cannot be seen, and who can see Him unless He shall see Himself? Therefore keep the commandments of God, sanctify your heart, so that God may dwell in you, and you will see God, or rather you will not see but God who is in you shall see for you. God is unknowable and who is able to know him unless Him who knows Himself? Therefore keep the commandments of God, sanctify your heart, so that God might dwell in you and with every day that passes you will find God more and more. Opus Imperfectum on Matthew, from Homily 28 1 Mt 11.25

The Trinity And Plato

Πορφύριος γάρ φησι, Πλάτωνος ἐκτιθέμενος δόξαν, ἄχρι τριῶν ὑποστάσεων τὴν τοῦ θείου προελθεῖν οὐσίαν, εἶναι δὲ τὸν μὲν ἀνωτάτω θεὸν τἀγαθόν, μετ' αὐτὸν δὲ καὶ δεύτερον τὸν δημιουργόν, τρίτον δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ κόσμου ψυχήν· ἄχρι γὰρ ψυχῆς τὴν θειότητα προελθεῖν. Ἰδοὺ δὴ σαφῶς ἐν τούτοις ἄχρι τριῶν ὑποστάσεων τὴν τοῦ θείου προελθεῖν οὐσίαν ἰσχυρίζεται· εἷς μὲν γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός, κατευρύνεται δὲ ὥσπερ ἡ περὶ αὐτοῦ γνῶσις εἰς ἁγίαν τε καὶ ὁμοούσιον Τριάδα, εἴς τε Πατέρα φημὶ καὶ Υἱὸν καὶ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ὃ καὶ ψυχὴν τοῦ κόσμου φησὶν ὁ Πλάτων· ζωοποιεῖ δὲ τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ πρόεισιν ἐκ ζῶντος Πατρὸς δι' Υἱοῦ, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ζῶμεν καὶ κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν. Ἀληθεύει γὰρ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· Τὸ Πνεῦμά ἐστι τὸ ζωοποιοῦν. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ αὐτὸς Πορφύριος περὶ Πλάτωνος· ∆ιὸ ἐν ἀπορρήτοις περὶ τούτων αἰνιττόμενός φησι· Περὶ τὸν βασιλέα πάντα ἐστί, καὶ ἐκείνου ἕνεκα πάντα, καὶ ἐκεῖνο αἴτιον πάντων καλῶν, δεύτερον δὲ περὶ τὰ δεύτερα, καὶ τρίτον περὶ τὰ τρίτα. Ὡς γὰρ πάντων μὲν περὶ τοὺς τρεῖς ὄντων θεούς, ἀλλ' ἤδη πρώτως μὲν περὶ τὸν πάντων βασιλέα, δευτέρως δὲ περὶ τὸν ἀπ' ἐκείνου θεόν, καὶ τρίτως περὶ τὸν ἀπὸ τούτου. ∆εδήλωκε δὲ ἐμφαίνων καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἀλλήλων ὑπόστασιν, ἀρχομένην ἀπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ τὴν ὑπόβασιν καὶ ὕφεσιν τῶν μετὰ τὸν πρῶτον, διὰ τοῦ πρώτως καὶ δευτέρως καὶ τρίτως εἰπεῖν, καὶ ὅτι ἐξ ἑνὸς τὰ πάντα καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ σῴζεται. Τεθεώρηκε μὲν οὖν οὐχ ὑγιῶς εἰσάπαν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς τὰ Ἀρείου πεφρονηκόσιν ἐν ἴσῳ, διαιρεῖ καὶ ὑφίστησιν, ὑποκαθημένας τε ἀλλήλαις τὰς ὑποστάσεις εἰσφέρει, καὶ τρεῖς οἴεται θεοὺς εἶναι διῃρημένως τὴν ἁγίαν καὶ ὁμοούσιον Τριάδα. Πλὴν οὐκ ἠγνόηκεν ὁλοτρόπως τὸ ἀληθές, οἶμαι δὲ ὅτι κἂν ὑγιῶς ἔφη τε καὶ πεφρόνηκεν, ἐξήνεγκε δὲ καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἄλλους ἅπαντας τῆς περὶ Θεοῦ δόξης τὸ ἀρτίως ἔχον, εἰ μὴ τάχα που τὴν Ἀνύτου καὶ Μελήτου γραφὴν ἐδεδίει καὶ τὸ Σωκράτους κώνειον. Ἅγιος Κύριλλος Ἀλεξανδρείας, Προς Τα Του Ἐν Ἀθεοις Ιὀυλιανου, Λογος B' Source: Migne PG 76.556a

Expounding an opinion of Plato, Porphyry says, 'The divine substance extends even to three persons, the highest and best God, and after Him there is a second maker, and the third is the soul of the universe, for divinity extends even to soul.' And behold in these things it is manifest that he contends that the three Divine hypostases proceed from the Divine substance, since certainly the God of all things is one, but extended, according to his own understanding, into the holy and consubstantial Trinity, into the Father, I say, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, whom Plato calls the soul of the world, for the Spirit gives life and proceeds from the living Father through the Son, and 'in Him we live and move and have our being.' 1 For our truthful Lord, Jesus Christ, says 'The Spirit is He who gives life,' 2 And again the same Porphyry says of Plato: 'Where secretly intimating these things and speaking obscurely and in a mystery, he says: 'To the king everything is related, and all things are caused by him, and he is the cause of all beautiful things, and related to the second are second things, and third things are related to the third, 3 so that everything exists in relation to three gods, but firstly to the king of all things, and secondly to the god from him, and thirdly to the one who is from that one.' He declares here what the hypostases have from themselves, and that it begins from the king, and there is a declension and descent of things after the first, through the first and the second and the third, he says, for everything is from one, and through him they are preserved. Certainly not everything was seen correctly here, for thinking of these things in the same way of Arius, he divides and imposes inferiority, and he introduces subordination among those subsisting, and he thinks the holy and consubstantial Trinity is three distinct gods. But I think Plato was not ignorant of the whole truth, and would have thought of it and spoken of it rightly, and also published the real and genuine truths about God publicly and openly, but he perhaps feared the accusations of Anytus and Melitus and the hemlock of Socrates. Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Against Julian, Book 2 1 Acts 17.28 2 Jn 6.63 3 Plato Letter 2 312e

The Mustard Seed And Other Seeds

Simile est regnum coelorum grano sinapis etc. Regnum coelorum praesens Ecclesia dicitur, quae diversis figuris, non secundum se totam, sed secundum aliquam partem sui comparatur. Hic autem grano sinapis secundum fidem assimilatur, quod homo, id est Christus seminavit in agro, id est in cordibus credentium, quod minimum est omnibus seminibus. Fides enim nostra vilior omnibus doctrinis philosophicis videtur. Quid enim stultius sapientibus hujus mundi aestimabatur, quam in occisum et sepultum credere, visibilia contemnere, et invisibilibus iuhiare? Caetera autem semina, scilicet libri philosophorum excellere videntur, quia de maximarum rerum agunt subtilitate, et ornati sunt rhetorica compositione. Sed, ut ait Apostolus, quod infirmum est Dei, fortius est hominibus, ideo cum crescit in mente recipientis, et in toto mundo exaltatur, major apparet omnibus oleribus, et fit arbor, ita ut, etc. Scientiae philosophicae enim sunt olera, sed ad nullius utilitatis robur perveniunt. et ideo facile ex vanitate sua arescunt. Rami vero hujus arboris sunt partes fidei multiplices, in quibus habitant volucres coeli, id est animae fidelium delectantur et pascuntur, quae pennis virtutum ad coelestia volant. Unde dictum est: Quis dabit mihi pennas sicut columbae, et volabo, et requiescam? Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput XIII Source: Migne PL 162.1374d-1375b

The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed... 1 He speaks of the present Church by the use of different figures, for not in its totality but according to its different parts it has its comparisons. Here, then, the mustard seed is likened to faith, which a man, that is, Christ, sowed in a field, that is, in the hearts of the believers, and it is the smallest of all the seeds. Indeed our faith seems to be more valueless than all the teachings of the philosophers. What shall be judged more foolish by the wise of this world than to have belief in a man who was killed and buried, and to scorn visible things and to desire things unseen? And there are other seeds, that is, the books of the philosophers which seem to be excellent because they treat subtly of the greatest things and they are composed in an admirable style, but as the Apostle says, the weakness of God is stronger than men 2 therefore when our seed grows in the mind that receives it, it rises up amid the whole world, and it appears greater than all other herbs, and indeed is like a tree. The teachings of the philosophers are the other herbs, but the strength of their usefulness comes to nothing, and therefore on account of their vanity they wither away. But the branches of our tree are the many parts of the faith which with the wings of virtue fly off to heavenly things. Whence it has been said, 'Who shall give to me the wings of a dove, that I might fly away and be at peace?' 3 Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 6 1 Mt 13.31-32 2 1 Cor 1.25 3 Ps 54.7

Love And Knowledge

Ὡς μὲν οὖν ἀντακολουθοῦσιν ἀλλήλαις αἱ ἀρεταί, τί χρὴ λέγειν, ἐπιδεδειγμένου ἤδη ὡς πίστις μὲν ἐπὶ μετανοίᾳ ἐλπίδι τε, εὐλάβεια δὲ ἐπὶ πίστει, καὶ ἡ ἐν τούτοις ἐπιμονή τε καὶ ἄσκησις ἅμα μαθήσει συμπεραιοῦται εἰς ἀγάπην, ἣ δὲ τῇ γνώσει τελειοῦται; ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἐξ ἀνάγκης παρασημειωτέον ὡς μόνον τὸ θεῖον σοφὸν εἶναι φύσει νοεῖσθαι χρή· διὸ καὶ ἡ σοφία δύναμις θεοῦ ἡ διδάξασα τὴν ἀλήθειαν· κἀνταῦθάπου εἴληπται ἡ τελείωσις τῆς γνώσεως. Φιλεῖ δὲ καὶ ἀγαπᾷ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὁ φιλόσοφος, ἐκ τοῦ θεράπων εἶναι γνήσιος δι' ἀγάπην ἤδη φίλος νομισθείς. Tαύτης δὲ ἀρχὴ τὸ θαυμάσαι τὰ πράγματα, ὡς Πλάτων ἐν Θεαιτήτῳ λέγει, καὶ Ματθίας ἐν ταῖς Παραδόσεσι παραινῶν θαύμασον τὰ παρόντα, βαθμὸν τοῦτον πρῶτον τῆς ἐπέκεινα γνώσεως ὑποτιθέμενος· ᾗ κἀν τῷ καθ' Ἑβραίους εὐαγγελίῳ "ὁ θαυμάσας βασιλεύσει" γέγραπται καὶ ὁ βασιλεύσας ἀναπαήσεται. Ἀδύνατον οὖν τὸν ἀμαθῆ, ἔστ' ἂν μένῃ ἀμαθής, φιλοσοφεῖν, τόν γε μὴ ἔννοιαν σοφίας εἰληφότα, φιλοσοφίας οὔσης ὀρέξεως τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος καὶ τῶν εἰς τοῦτο συντεινόντων μαθημάτων. Kἂν τὸ ποιεῖν καλῶς ᾖ τισιν ἐξησκημένον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐπίστασθαι, ὡς χρηστέον καὶ ποιητέον, καὶ συνεκπονητέον, καθὸ καὶ ὁμοιοῦταί τις θεῷ, θεῷ λέγω τῷ σωτῆρι, θεραπεύων τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως λόγου, δι' οὗ καθορᾶται τὰ κατ' ἀλήθειαν καλὰ καὶ δίκαια. Eὐσέβεια ἔστι πρᾶξις ἑπομένη καὶ ἀκόλουθος θεῷ. Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Στρωματεων, Λογος Β’, Κεφ' Θ’ Source: Migne PG 9.979c-981b

As, then, the virtues follow one another, what need to speak of that which has been demonstrated already, that faith hopes through repentance, and fear through faith, and patience and practice in these, along with learning, culminate in love, which is perfected by knowledge? But what one must note is that the Divine alone must be thought as wise by nature. Therefore wisdom also, which has taught the truth, is the power of God, and in it the perfection of knowledge is embraced. The philosopher loves and likes the truth, being now changed from being a true servant to being considered a friend on account of his love. 1 The beginning of knowledge is a wondering at objects, as Plato says is in his Theaetetus, 2 and Matthias exhorting us in the Traditions, says, 'Wonder at what is before you,' laying this down as the first foundation of further knowledge. So also in the Gospel to the Hebrews it is written, 'He that wonders shall reign, and he that has reigned shall rest.' It is impossible, therefore, for an ignorant man, while he remains ignorant, to philosophise, since he has no grasp of the idea of wisdom and philosophy, which is an effort to grasp that which truly is, and the studies that lead to that. Which is not done to make a man cultivated, but so that there might be knowledge of what is beneficial and how to act and labour, insofar as one has a likeness to God, I mean God the Saviour, by the service of the God of all things through the High Priest, the Word, through whom is seen what is in truth good and right, and piety is conduct suitable for following God. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 2, Chapter 9 1 Jn 15.15 2 Plato Theat 155d

Birth And Virtue

Econtratrio monendi sunt ignobiles, ut studeant esse nobiles virtutibus, quamvis non sint nobiles nobilitate sanguinis, quia humili loco nati multi clari fuerunt, prout ait Valerius libro iii capitulo viii. Pones exampla de talibus, sicut de Tullio Hostilio quem in cunabulis accepit agreste tugurium. Eiusdem adolescentia in pecora pascendo fuit occupata, validior etas. Imperium Romanum rexit et duplicavit, senectus in altissimo maiestatis fastigio fulsit. Et ibidem de aliis talibus. Similiter narrat qualiter humiliter nati, fulserunt nobilitate philosophie. Socrates inquit, non solum hominum consensu, verum etiam Appollonis oraculo sapientibus, iudicatus phantaice vel phanaretis matre obsistrice, et sophanisto patre marmorareo vel morario genitus ad clarissimum glorie lumine accessit, et si virtus per seipsum existimatur magister vite optimus. Et ibidem quam matrem eripides, aut quem patern Demostenes habuit, ipsorum quoque seculo ignotum fuit, alterius enim matrem cultellos vendidisse, omnium pene doctorum litere loquuntur. Sed quid aut illius tragita, aut huius oratoria vir clarus, natus ergo de humili genere, clarus tamen philosophia, et virtutibus satis magis est commendabilis nobili nato et alto genere, talibus carente. Johannes Gallensis, Communiloquium sive Summa Collationum, Tercia part: De informatione hominum quantum ad ea que omnibus sunt communia, Tercia distinctio, Captiulum tercium: De ignobilibus Source: here, p138

On the contrary the ignoble should be encouraged so that they become zealous to be noble by virtue, though they are not noble by nobility of blood, because many who were born in lowly position have become celebrated men, as Valerius says in book 3 chapter 8, giving examples of such men like Tullius Hostilius whom a rustic hut received into its cradle. His youth having been spent in pasturing cattle, he became strong in years, and ruling as king of the Romans, he doubled their territory, and in old age he shone with the most high majesty. 1 And in the some place he speaks of others. And likewise he tells of those who were humbly born and shone with the nobility of philosophy. Socrates, he says, not only by the agreement of men, but by the oracle of Apollo, was adjudged to be truly wise, he who was born of a mother, Phaenarete, who was a midwife, and his father, Sophroniscus, was a marble worker, or a stone cutter, but he came to the brightest light of glory, if virtue is judged to be the best teacher of life. And in the same place the mother of Euripides, and the father of Demosthenes, were also unknown to the world, for the mother of the former sold knives, 2 yet they are celebrated in nearly all of the works of those who are educated, for the first in tragedy and the other in oratory were great men, and both were born in a humble state, yet by philosophy they become famous, for indeed virtue is more commendable than a noble birth or a fine lineage which lacks such things. John of Wales, The Communiloquium, Third Part, On The Fashioning of Men In Things All Have In Common, Third Distinction, Third Chapter, On The Ignoble. 1 Valerius Maximus 3.4.2 2 Valerius Maximus 3.4e.1-2

Wisdom's Mixing

Κρατῆρα λόγων, ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφία, ὦ φιλομαθέστατε, τὰς θείας ἐκέρασε Γραφὰς, κρατῆρα, οὐ μέλιτος, οὐ γάλακτος, οὐκ οἴνου, ἀλλὰ παιδείας καὶ φιλοσοφίας πεπληρωμένον, καὶ θείοις χαρίσμασιν ἐστεμμένον, ὅστις τοὺς χρωμένους εἰς ἀρετὴν καὶ εὐσέβειαν προτρέπει, τῶν μὲν ἐπιγείων ἀμελεῖν παρασκευάζων, τῶν δὲ οὐρανίων εἴσω χωρεῖν· κρατῆρα, οὐ μεθόδους περιέχοντα, οὐδὲ σοφίσμτα, οὐδὲ φυσιολογίας ἀτόμους καὶ ἀπείριος, ἀλλ' ἔργα ἀνδρῶν ὀνομαστοτάτων καὶ ἐνδοξοτάτων, οἶς ὅμοια καὶ πράττων καὶ λέγων, ἀρετῆς κόσμον ἔξεις. Ἀλλ' οὐδε τῶν πταισάντων τοὺς βίους καὶ τὰς τιμωρίας ἀπεσιώτησαν· ὅπως μαθὼν, τὰ μὲν καλὰ ἔχιος, εἰ θέλοις, ζηλοῦν· τὰ δὲ φαῦλα, φεύγειν. Ὅσον μὲν οὖν χρήσιμον εἰς τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς φιλοσοφίαν ἐκ τῆς ἐξωθεν παιδεύσεως, ὥσπερ ἡ μέλιττα, δρεψάμενος, πολλὰ γὰρ, εἰ γὰρ τὰληθῆ λέγειν, ἀρετῆς ἔνεκεν πεφιλοσοφήκασι, τὸ λοιπὸν ἄπαν χαίρειν ἔα· μάλιστα ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς κατ' ἀλλήλων διαπρύσιον κεκινηκότας πόλεμον. Ἀριστοτέλης μὲν γὰρ ἐπανέστη Πλάτωνι· οἱ Στωϊκοὶ δὲ πρὸς τοῦτον ἐφράξαντο. Τοῖς δὲ θείοις χρησμοῖς διὰ βίου δίδου σαυτόν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ἐξ ἐκείνων καὶ ἐκ τούτων ὠφελούμενος, μέγὰ καὶ σαυτῷ καὶ πᾶσιν ἔσῇ χρῆμα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ βούλε τί ἐστιν, Ἐκέρασεν ἡ σοφία τὸν ἑαυτῆς οἶνον, καὶ δι' ἤν αἰτίαν, οὐκ ἄκρατον αὐτὸν προϋθηκε, μάνθανε δι' ὀλίγων πολλά· Τὰ θεϊα καὶ ὑπερφυῆ παιδεύματα, λόγοις καὶ παραδείγμασι σωματικοῖς ἐκέρασεν. Οὐ γὰρ οἷον τε ἦν ἡμᾶς ἄλλως νοῆσαι. Τὴν γοῦν ἔνωσιν τῶν θείων νοημάτων καὶ τῶν ἐπιγείων λόγων, κρᾶσιν οὐκ ἀπεικότως ἐκάλεσε. Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλίον Δεύτερον, Ἐπιστολὴ Γ’ Τιμοθεῳ Αναγνωστῃ Source: Migne PG 78.457b-460a

The bowl of words, O lover of learning, which the wisdom of God mixes is the Divine Scriptures, a bowl, I say, not full with honey or milk or wine but with teaching and philosophy, and garnished with Divine grace, which things are used to exhort to virtue and piety, and prepare us to neglect the things of the world, and to seek the things of heaven. It is not a bowl, I say, of sophistry and deceit, nor of the absurd and interminable investigations of natures, but the deeds of most celebrated and most famous men. Which if you imitate with your actions and your words, you shall adorn yourself with virtue. But the lives and punishments of the wicked are not wrapped in silence, that learning of them it might please you to adhere to good things and fly from what is vile. As much as there is anything beneficial to be gathered up in other learning, so much it leads to our philosophy, for often, if we speak truly, they philosophised over virtue, but bid farewell to the rest, certainly seeing that they are the cause of endless combats with one another. Even Aristotle made attacks on Plato, and again the Stoics take up arms against him. Give yourself to the Divine oracles for your whole life. For if from these and from those, you take up what is useful, it will be great to you and beneficial to all. Since this is what is wished with, 'Wisdom has mixed her wine,' 1 and for this reason, that it not be beyond our capability. With few words receive much. So she mixes the teaching of the Divine and high nature with corporeal words and examples. For it was not possible that we could understand in any other way. Whence the joining of Divine thoughts with earthly words is not unreasonably called mixing. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 2, Letter 3, to Timotheus the Lector

Philosophy And Happiness

Quidam autem Epicurei et Stoici philosophi, disserebant cum eo... Epicurei praeceptoris sui tarditatem secuti, felicitatem hominis in sola corporis voluptate, Stoici vero in sola animi virtute posuerunt. Qui inter se quidem dissidentes, Apostolum tamen unanimiter impugnant, eo quod hominem sicut ex anima et corpore subsistere, ita in utroque doceret beatum esse debere; sed hoc nec tempore praesenti, nec virtute humana, sed gratia Dei per Jesum Christum in resurrectionis gloria perficiendum. Sanctus Beda,Super acta Apostolorum Expositio, Caput XVII Source: Migne PL 92.979c

Certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers entered into discussion with him... 1 The Epicureans, following the dullness of their teacher, placed the happiness of man in the pleasures of the body alone, but the Stoics only in the virtue of the soul, and because of this they disagreed among themselves. However the Apostle fought against both, for since man is constituted of soul and body, so he taught he should be blessed in both, and not in the present time, nor by human virtue, but by being perfected by the grace of God through Jesus Christ in the glory of the resurrection. Saint Bede, from the Commentary on the Acts of The Apostles, Chapter 17 1 Acts 17.18

Love Of Wisdom

Super salutem et speciem dilexi illam, et proposui pro luce habere illam, quoniam inextinguibile est lumen illius. Hic ostendit sapientiae aestimatae dilectionem. Et primo ostendit huius dilectionis magnitudinem; secundo, rationem: Venerunt autem mihi omnia bona pariter cum illa...Super salutem; Glossa: Corporis, scilicet interiorem; Psalmus: Quia vana salus hominis; et speciem, Glossa Rerum corporalium, scilicet exteriorem pulcritudinem, quia, Proverbiorum trigesimo primo: fallax gratia, et vana est pulcritudo; dilexi eam, sciliect sapientiam, quia quanto spiritus melior corpore et magis care diligendus, tanto spiritualia meliora sunt corporalibus et magis diligenda. Et eam in tantum dilexo, quod proposui pro luce habere illam, quae, inquam, lux est pulcherrimum et delectabilissimum et optimum inter corporalia, secundum Augustinum; sic sapientia inter spiritualia lux est animae; Ecclesiastici ultimo: In sapientia eius luxit anima mea, et ignorantias meas illuminavit; infra eodem: Speciosior est sole. Sequitur: Quoniam inexstinguibile est lumen illius, scilicet quantum est de se: infra eodem: Luci comparata, invenitur prior, illi enim succedit nox. Sanctus Bonaventura, Commentarius In Librum Sapientiae, Caput VII Source: Here, 383c-d

'I loved her above health and beauty, and chose to have her instead of light, for her light cannot be extinguished.' 1 Here he shows love for the wisdom that he has valued. Firstly he shows the greatness of this love, secondly the cause: 'All goods came to me together with her...' 2 'Above health.' Gloss: 'of the body' that is, the interior. The Psalm: 'For vain is the help of man.' 3 And above beauty, Gloss: 'Of what concerns the body',that is, exterior beauty, because, in the thirty first chapter of Proverbs: 'Favour is deceitful and beauty is vain' 4 'I loved her,' that is, wisdom, because as much as the spirit is better than the body, so she should be loved more dearly, and likewise spiritual things should be loved better and more than bodily things. And I loved her so much that 'I chose to have her instead of light,' she who is, I say, the most beautiful, most delightful and best compared to bodily lights, according to Augustine. 5 In this way wisdom, in spiritual matters, is the light of the soul. In the last chapter of Ecclesiasticus: 'In its wisdom my soul lamented and it enlightened my ignorance,' 6 And in the same chapter of Wisdom below: 'She is more beautiful than the sun.' It follows: 'For her light cannot be extinguished,' that is, as much as it is from herself. In the same chapter below: 'Being compared with the light, she is found before it, for night succeeds the former.' 7 Saint Bonaventura, Commentary On Wisdom, Chapter 7 1 Wisd 7.10 2 Wisd 7.11 3 Ps 59.13 4 Prov 31.30 5 Aug Confes 10.34 6 Sirach 51.26 7 Wisd 7.29-30

John And Philosophy

Οὗτος δὴ οὖν ὁ ἁλιεὺς, ὁ περὶ λίμνας στρεφόμενος καὶ δίκτυα καὶ ἰχθῦς, ὁ ἀπὸ Βηθσαϊδὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ὁ πατρὸς ἁλιέως πένητος, καὶ πένητος πενίαν τὴν ἐσχάτην, ὁ ἰδιώτης ἰδιωτείαν καὶ ταύτην τὴν ἐσχάτην, ὁ γράμματα μήτε πρότερον μαθὼν, μήτε ὕστερον μετὰ τὸ συγγενέσθαι τῷ Χριστῷ, ἴδωμεν τί φθέγγεται, καὶ περὶ τίνων ἡμῖν διαλέγεται. Ἆρα περὶ τῶν ἐν ἀγροῖς; περὶ τῶν ἐν ποταμοῖς; περὶ συμβολαίων ἰχθύων; ταῦτα γὰρ ἴσως παρὰ ἁλιέως ἀκούσεσθαι προσδοκᾷ τις. Ἀλλὰ μὴ δείσητε· τούτων μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲν ἀκουσόμεθα· τὰ δὲ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, καὶ ἃ μηδεὶς μηδέπω ἔμαθε πρὸ τούτου. Οὕτω γὰρ ἡμῖν ὑψηλὰ δόγματα, καὶ πολιτείαν ἀρίστην, καὶ φιλοσοφίαν ἥκει κομίζων, ὡς εἰκὸς τὸν ἀπ' αὐτῶν φθεγγόμενον τῶν τοῦ Πνεύματος θησαυρῶν, ὡς ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἄρτι παραγενόμενος τῶν οὐρανῶν· μᾶλλον δὲ οὐδὲ τοὺς ἐκεῖ πάντας εἰκὸς ἦν εἰδέναι, ὅπερ καὶ ἔφθην εἰπών. Ταῦτα οὖν ἁλιέως, εἰπέ μοι; ῥήτορος δὲ ὅλως; σοφιστοῦ δὲ ἢ φιλοσόφου; παντὸς δὲ τοῦ τὴν ἔξωθεν πεπαιδευμένου σοφίαν; Οὐδαμῶς. Οὐ γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνης ἁπλῶς ψυχῆς περὶ τῆς ἀκηράτου καὶ μακαρίας ἐκείνης φύσεως τοιαῦτα φιλοσοφεῖν, περὶ τῶν μετ' ἐκείνην δυνάμεων, περὶ ἀθανασίας καὶ ζωῆς ἀπείρου, περὶ φύσεως σωμάτων θνητῶν τε καὶ ἀθανάτων ὕστερον ἐσομένων, περὶ κολάσεως, περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος δικαστηρίου, περὶ τῶν ἐσομένων εὐθυνῶν, τῶν ἐν ῥήμασι, τῶν ἐν πράξεσι, τῶν ἐν λογισμοῖς καὶ διανοίᾳ· καὶ τί μὲν ἄνθρωπος, εἰδέναι, τί δὲ κόσμος· καὶ τί μὲν ὁ ὄντως ἄνθρωπος, τί δὲ ὁ δοκῶν μὲν εἶναι, οὐκ ὢν δέ· τί κακία, καὶ τί ἀρετή. Τούτων γὰρ ἔνια ἐζήτησαν μὲν οἱ περὶ Πλάτωνα καὶ Πυθαγόραν· τῶν γὰρ ἄλλων οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς μνημονευτέον ἡμῖν φιλοσόφων· οὕτω καταγέλαστοι ἐντεῦθεν μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς γεγόνασιν ἅπαντες. Οἱ δὲ τῶν ἄλλων θαυμασθέντες πλέον παρ' αὐτοῖς, καὶ πιστευθέντες εἶναι κορυφαῖοι τῆς ἐπιστήμης ἐκείνης, οὗτοι μάλιστα τῶν ἄλλων εἰσίν· οἳ καὶ πολιτείας μὲν ἕνεκεν καὶ νόμων συνθέντες τινὰ ἔγραψαν· ὅμως δὲ ἐν ἅπασι παίδων αἰσχρότερον κατεγελάσθησαν. Τάς τε γὰρ γυναῖκας κοινὰς ἅπασι ποιοῦντες, καὶ τὸν βίον αὐτὸν ἀνατρέποντες, καὶ τὸ σεμνὸν διαφθείροντες τοῦ γάμου, καὶ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα καταγέλαστα νομοθετοῦντες, οὕτω πάντα τὸν βίον αὐτῶν ἀνάλωσαν. Δογμάτων δὲ ἕνεκεν τῶν περὶ ψυχῆς, οὐδὲ ὑπερβολήν τινα κατέλιπον αἰσχύνης λοιπὸν, μυίας, καὶ κώνωπας, καὶ θάμνους τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων λέγοντες γίνεσθαι ψυχὰς, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν αὐτὸν ψυχὴν εἶναι φάσκοντες, καὶ ἕτερα ἄττα τινὰ τοιαῦτα ἀσχημονοῦντες. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ κατηγορίας ἄξιον· ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ πολὺς αὐτῶν τῶν λόγων εὔριπος. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν εὐρίπῳ τῇδε κἀκεῖσε περιφερόμενοι, οὕτως οὐδέποτε ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἑστήκεσαν, ἅτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδήλων καὶ ἐπισφαλῶν λογισμῶν πάντα φθεγγόμενοι. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ἁλιεὺς οὗτος οὕτως· ἀλλ' ἅπαντα μετὰ ἀσφαλείας φθέγγεται, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ πέτρας ἑστηκὼς, οὐδαμοῦ περιτρέπεται. Ἐν αὐτοῖς γὰρ τοῖς ἀδύτοις γενέσθαι καταξιωθεὶς, καὶ τὸν πάντων Δεσπότην ἐν ἑαυτῷ λαλοῦντα ἔχων, οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον ἔπασχεν·ἐκεῖνοι δὲ ὥσπερ οἱ τῶν μὲν βασιλείων οὐδὲ ὄναρ ἐπιβῆναι καταξιωθέντες, ἔξω δὲ ἐπ' ἀγορᾶς μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων διατρίβοντες ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἰδίας διανοίας καταστοχαζόμενοι τῶν ἀοράτων, τὴν πολλὴν ἐπλανήθησαν πλάνην, περὶ τῶν ἀῤῥήτων διαλεχθῆναι θελήσαντες, καὶ καθάπερ τυφλοὶ καὶ μεθύοντες, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ πλάνῃ ἀλλήλοις προσέῤῥηξαν·οὐκ ἀλλήλοις δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑαυτοῖς, πολλαχοῦ καὶ περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἀεὶ μετατιθέμενοι.Ὁ δὲ ἀγράμματος οὗτος, ὁ ἰδιώτης, ὁ ἀπὸ Βηθσαϊδὰ, ὁ Ζεβεδαίου παῖς· κἂν μυριάκις καταγελῶσιν Ἕλληνες τῆς τῶν ὀνομάτων ἀγροικίας, οὐδὲν ἧττον μετὰ πλείονος αὐτὰ τῆς παῤῥησίας ἐρῶ· ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν τὸ ἔθνος αὐτοῖς βάρβαρον φαίνηται καὶ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς ἀπέχον παιδεύσεως, τοσούτῳ λαμπρότερα τὰ ἡμέτερα φανεῖται. Ὅταν γὰρ ὁ βάρβαρος καὶ ἀμαθὴς τοιαῦτα φθέγγηται, ἃ μηδεὶς τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ἀνθρώπων συνεῖδέ ποτε, καὶ μὴ φθέγγηται μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πείθῃ·καίτοι εἰ καὶ τοῦτο μόνον ἦν, μέγα τὸ θαῦμα ἦν· νῦν δὲ πρὸς τούτῳ καὶ ἕτερον τούτου μεῖζον παρέχῃ τεκμήριον, τοῦ θεόπνευστα εἶναι τὰ λεγόμενα, τὸ τοὺς ἀκούοντας πείθειν ἅπαντας διὰ τοῦ χρόνου παντὸς, τίς οὐ θαυμάσεται τὴν ἐνοικοῦσαν αὐτῷ δύναμιν; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο μέγιστον, ὅπερ ἔφην, τεκμήριον τοῦ μηδὲν οἴκοθεν αὐτὸν νομοθετεῖν. Οὗτος δὴ οὖν ὁ βάρβαρος, τῇ μὲν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου γραφῇ τὴν οἰκουμένην κατέλαβεν ἅπασαν, τῷ δὲ σώματι μέσην κατέσχε τὴν Ἀσίαν, ἔνθα τὸ παλαιὸν ἐφιλοσόφουν οἱ τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς συμμορίας ἅπαντες, κἀκεῖθεν τοῖς δαίμοσίν ἐστι φοβερὸς, ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἐχθρῶν διαλάμπων, καὶ τὸν ζόφον αὐτῶν σβεννὺς, καὶ τὴν ἀκρόπολιν τῶν δαιμόνων καταλύων· τῇ δὲ ψυχῇ πρὸς τὸν χῶρον ἀνεχώρησεν ἐκεῖνον, τὸν ἁρμόττοντα τῷ τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐργασαμένῳ. Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Χρυσόστομος, Υπόμνημα Εἰς τὸν ἅγιον Ἰωάννην τὸν Ἀπόστολον και Εὑαγγελιστην, Ὁμιλία Β´ Source: Migne PG 59.30-31

This fisherman, then, whose business concerned lakes and nets and fish, this man of Bethsaida of Galilee, this son of a poor fisherman, even poor to the last degree, this uneducated man, even ignorant to the last degree, who never learned letters before or after he accompanied Christ, let us see what he speaks and what he converses with us about. Is it things of the field? Is it things of rivers? It is about the fish-trade? For these things, perhaps, one expects to hear from a fisherman. But do not fret, we shall hear nothing of such things from this man but rather the things of heaven, even what no one had ever learned before. For he has come bringing to us sublime teaching and the best way of life and philosophy, as might be expected from one who speaks from the very treasures of the Spirit, as though just come from those heavens, and indeed things which not even all there would have known, as I have said. Tell me, are these the things of a fisherman? Do they belong to a orator at all? To a sophist or philosopher? To all those educated in the wisdom apart from us? Not at all. The human soul is utterly unable thus to philosophize on that pure and blessed nature, on the powers that it possesses, on immortality and endless life, on the nature of mortal bodies that shall later be immortal, on punishment and future judgment, on the examinations that there shall be of deeds and words, and of thoughts and meditations, on what is man and what the world, on what is man in truth and what seems to be man but is not, what is the nature of virtue and what of vice. For some of these things the disciples of Plato and Pythagoras looked into, and the other philosophers we need not call to mind at all, since they have all on this point been so excessively ridiculous, and those who have been in greater esteem among them than the rest and who have been considered the leading men in this discipline, more than the others, they have composed and written somewhat on the subject of politics and law, and all  have been more shamefully ridiculous than children. For they have spent their time in making women common to all men, in overthrowing the order of life, and in destroying the honor of marriage, and likewise with every activity of life. As for their teaching on the soul, there is nothing excessively shameful that they have not said, saying that the souls of men become flies and gnats and bushes, and that God Himself is a soul, and other similar disgraceful things. And it is not this alone in them which is worthy of reproof, but most of their works are like the Euripos strait; 1 for as those carried here and there by the Euripos, so they stand firm on nothing, but propose everything on obscure and deceitful arguments. But not so this fisherman, for all he says is steadfast, and as if standing on a rock, he never moves. For since he has been deemed worthy of the innermost chambers and has the Lord of all speaking within him, he is not oppressed by that which is human, whereas they, just as those who are not held worthy to enter the royal palace, even in a dream, must spend their time outside in the marketplace with other men, and from their own imagination guess at things unseen, and they are gravely deceived by that, yet wishing to speak of things unspeakable, they crash against one other in their delusions like blind or drunken men, and not only against each other, but even against themselves, because they continually shift their opinion concerning the same things. But not this unlettered man, this ignorant man, this native of Bethsaida, the son of Zebedee. And though the Greeks mock ten thousand times the rusticity of these names, I shall speak them with greater boldness. For the more barbarous his nation seems to them and the more removed from Greek teaching, so much more the brighter does what we have appear. For when a barbarian and an untaught person speaks such things that no man on earth ever knew, and does not only speak them, though if this were the only thing it would be a great marvel, but with this gives another and a greater proof that what he says is divinely inspired, namely, the persuasion of those who hear him through the ages, who will not wonder at the power that dwells in him? For this is the greatest proof, as I said, that he lays down no laws from himself. This barbarian then, with his writing of his Gospel, has taken possession of all the civilised world, and with his body he has taken possession of the centre of Asia, where the Greek party of old philosophised, 2 becoming a bane to those spirits, in the midst of his enemies shining forth, scattering their darkness, and casting down the stronghold of demons, though in soul he has withdrawn to that place that befits one who has done such things. Saint John Chrysostom, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint John, Homily 2 1 A narrow strait subject to strong tidal currents separating the island of Euboea from Boeotia in mainland Greece 2 The Presocratic Ionic Philosophers

Beyond Words

Τὸν γὰρ πατέρα καὶ ποιητὴν τοῦδε τοῦ παντὸς εὑρεῖν τε ἔργον καὶ εὑρόντα εἰς πάντας ἐξειπεῖν ἀδύνατον. Ῥητὸν γὰρ οὐδαμῶς ἐστιν ὡς τἄλλα μαθήματα, ὁ φιλαλήθης λέγει Πλάτων. Ἀκήκοεν γὰρ εὖ μάλα ὡς ὁ πάνσοφος Μωυσῆς εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἀνιὼν, διὰ τὴν ἁγίαν θεωρίαν ἐπὶ τὴν κορυφὴν τῶν νοητῶν, ἀναγκαίως διαστέλλεται μὴ τὸν πάντα λαὸν συναναβαίνειν ἑαυτῷ· καὶ ὅταν λέγῃ ἡ γραφὴ εἰσῆλθεν δὲ Μωυσῆς εἰς τὸν γνόφον οὗ ἦν ὁ θεός, τοῦτο δηλοῖ τοῖς συνιέναι δυναμένοις, ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἀόρατός ἐστι καὶ ἄρρητος, γνόφος δὲ ὡς ἀληθῶς ἡ τῶν πολλῶν ἀπιστία τε καὶ ἄγνοια τῇ αὐγῇ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπίπροσθε φέρεται. Ὀρφεύς τε αὖ ὁ θεολόγος ἐντεῦθεν ὠφελημένος εἰπών· εἷς ἔστ', αὐτοτελής, ἑνὸς ἔκγονα πάντα τέτυκται ἢ πέφυκεν, γράφεται γὰρ καὶ οὕτως, ἐπιφέρει· οὐδέ τις αὐτὸν εἰσοράᾳ θνητῶν, αὐτὸς δέ γε πάντας ὁρᾶται. σαφέστερον δὲ ἐπιλέγει· αὐτὸν δ' οὐχ ὁρόω· περὶ γὰρ νέφος ἐστήρικται. Πᾶσιν γὰρ θνητοῖς θνηταὶ κόραι εἰσὶν ἐν ὄσσοις μικραί, ἐπεὶ σάρκες τε καὶ ὀστέα ἐμπεφυῖα ἐμπεφύασιν. Mαρτυρήσει τοῖς εἰρημένοις ὁ ἀπόστολος, οἶδα λέγων ἄνθρωπον ἐν Χριστῷ ἁρπαγέντα ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ, κἀκεῖθεν εἰς τὸν παράδεισον, ὃς ἤκουσεν ἄρρητα ῥήματα, ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι, τὸ ἄρρητον τοῦ θεοῦ οὕτως αἰνισσόμενος, οὐ νόμῳ καὶ φόβῳ παραγγελίας τινὸς τὸ οὐκ ἐξὸν προστιθείς, δυνάμει δὲ ἀνθρωπείᾳ ἄφθεγκτον εἶναι τὸ θεῖον μηνύων, εἴ γε ὑπὲρ οὐρανὸν τὸν τρίτον ἄρχεται λαλεῖσθαι, ὡς θέμις, τοῖς ἐκεῖ μυσταγωγοῦσιν τὰς ἐξειλεγμένας ψυχάς. Oἶδα γὰρ ἐγὼ καὶ παρὰ Πλάτωνι, τὰ γὰρ ἐκ τῆς βαρβάρου φιλοσοφίας παραδείγματα πολλὰ ὄντα ὑπερτίθεταί μοι νῦν ἡ γραφή, κατὰ τὰς πρώτας ὑποσχέσεις τὸν καιρὸν ἀναμένουσα, πολλοὺς οὐρανοὺς νοουμένους. Ἀπορήσας γοῦν ἐν τῷ Τιμαίῳ, εἰ χρὴ πλείονας κόσμους ἢ τοῦτον ἕνα νομίζειν, ἀδιαφορεῖ περὶ τὰ ὀνόματα, συνωνύμως κόσμον τε καὶ οὐρανὸν ἀποκαλῶν· τὰ δὲ τῆς λέξεως ὧδε ἔχει· πότερον οὖν ὀρθῶς ἕνα οὐρανὸν εἰρήκαμεν ἢ πολλοὺς καὶ ἀπείρους ἦν λέγειν ὀρθότερον; ἕνα, εἴπερ κατὰ τὸ παράδειγμα ἔσται δεδημιουργημένος. Ἀλλὰ κἀν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους Ῥωμαίων ἐπιστολῇ ὠκεανὸς ἀπέραντος ἀνθρώποις γέγραπται καὶ οἱ μετ' αὐτὸν κόσμοι. Ἀκολούθως τοίνυν πάλιν ἐπιφθέγγεται ὢ βάθος πλούτου καὶ σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως θεοῦ ὁ γενναῖος ἀπόστολος. Kαὶ μή τι τοῦτ' ἦν ὃ ᾐνίσσετο ὁ προφήτης, ἐγκρυφίας κελεύων ποιεῖν ἀζύμους, μηνύων ὅτι τὸν ἱερὸν ὡς ἀληθῶς περὶ τοῦ ἀγενήτου καὶ τῶν δυνάμεων αὐτοῦ μύστην λόγον ἐπικεκρύφθαι δεῖ. Βεβαιῶν ταῦτα ἐν τῇ πρὸς Κορινθίους ἐπιστολῇ ὁ ἀπόστολος ἀναφανδὸν εἴρηκεν· σοφίαν δὲ λαλοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις, σοφίαν δὲ οὐ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου οὐδὲ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου τῶν καταργουμένων· ἀλλὰ λαλοῦμεν θεοῦ σοφίαν ἐν μυστηρίῳ, τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην. Kαὶ πάλιν ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει· εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν Χριστῷ, ἐν ᾧ εἰσι πάντες οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι. Ἐπισφραγίζεται ταῦτα ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ὧδέ πως λέγων· ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὸ μυστήριον τῆς βασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν. Kαὶ πάλιν φησὶ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ὡς ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἔλεγεν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις τὸν λόγον ἐν μυστηρίῳ· Kαὶ γὰρ ἡ προφητεία περὶ αὐτοῦ φησιν· ἀνοίξει ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξερεύξεται τὰ ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου κεκρυμμένα. Ἤδη δὲ καὶ διὰ τῆς περὶ τὴν ζύμην παραβολῆς τὴν ἐπίκρυψιν ὁ Kύριος δηλοῖ· φησὶ γάρ· ὁμοία ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ζύμῃ, ἣν λαβοῦσα γυνὴ ἐνέκρυψεν εἰς ἀλεύρου σάτα τρία, ἕως οὗ ἐζυμώθη ὅλον. Ἤτοι γὰρ ἡ τριμερὴς καθ' ὑπακοὴν σῴζεται ψυχὴ διὰ τὴν ἐγκρυβεῖσαν αὐτῇ κατὰ τὴν πίστιν πνευματικὴν δύναμιν, ἢ ὅτι ἡ ἰσχὺς τοῦ λόγου ἡ δοθεῖσα ἡμῖν, σύντονος οὖσα καὶ δυνατή, πάντα τὸν καταδεξάμενον καὶ ἐντὸς ἑαυτοῦ κτησάμενον αὐτὴν ἐπικεκρυμμένως τε καὶ ἀφανῶς πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἕλκει καὶ τὸ πᾶν αὐτοῦ σύστημα εἰς ἑνότητα συνάγει. Σοφώτατα τοίνυν γέγραπται τῷ Σόλωνι ταῦτα περὶ θεοῦ· γνωμοσύνης δ' ἀφανὲς χαλεπώτατόν ἐστι νοῆσαι μέτρον, ὃ δὴ πάντων πείρατα μοῦνον ἔχει. Tὸ γάρ τοι θεῖον, ὁ Ἀκραγωντῖνός φησι ποιητής, οὐκ ἔστιν πελάσασθαι ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖσιν ἐφικτὸν ἡμετέροις ἢ χερσὶ λαβεῖν, ᾗπέρ τε μεγίστη πειθοῦς ἀνθρώποισιν ἁμαξιτὸς εἰς φρένα πίπτει. Kαὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ ἀπόστολος· θεὸν οὐδεὶς ἑώρακεν πώποτε· ὁ μονογενὴς θεός, ὁ ὢν εἰς τὸν κόλπον τοῦ πατρός, ἐκεῖνος ἐξηγήσατο, τὸ ἀόρατον καὶ ἄρρητον κόλπον ὀνομάσας θεοῦ· βυθὸν δ' αὐτὸν κεκλήκασιν ἐντεῦθεν τινὲς ὡς ἂν περιειληφότα καὶ ἐγκολπισάμενον τὰ πάντα ἀνέφικτόν τε καὶ ἀπέραντον. Κλήμης ὁ Ἀλεξανδρεύς, Στρωματεων, Λογος Ε' Κεφ ΙΒ' Source: Migne PG 9.116b-121a

'For to discover the Father and Maker of all things and having found Him to declare it to all it is impossible. For this is not capable of expression at all, like the other things of instruction,' says the truth-loving Plato. 1 For he had heard well that the all-wise Moses, ascending the mount for holy contemplation on the summit of intellectual objects, necessarily commanded that the whole people must not accompany him. And when Scripture says, 'Moses entered into the darkness where God was,' 2 this clearly shows to those who are able to understand that God is invisible and beyond words. And the darkness, which, in truth, is the unbelief and ignorance of the multitude, obstructs the ray of truth. And Orpheus the theologian, aided by this, says: 'One is perfect in himself, and all things are made the progeny of one,' or, 'are born.' Thus it is written, he continues: 'No mortal has seen Him, but He sees all.' And he adds more clearly: 'I see Him not; around a cloud has been set. In mortal eyes mortal pupils are small, Since only flesh and bones grow there.' To these statements the Apostle will testify: 'I know a man in Christ, caught up into the third heaven, and thence into Paradise, who heard unutterable words which it is not permitted a man to speak,' 3 thus intimating the inexpressibility of God, and indicating that neither by law or fear is the declaration prohibited but that what is Divine is unutterable by human ability; for if indeed he begins to speak above the third heaven, so it is right for the elect souls of the mysteries there. For I know what is in Plato, and the examples of the barbarian philosophy, which are many, are suggested to me now by the composition which in according to the promises given has waited for the suitable time, and doubting in the Timaeus whether we should think numerous worlds to be understood by many heavens, or this one, he makes no distinction concerning the names, calling the world and heaven by the same. The words of his statement are: 'Have we, then, spoken correctly of one heaven, or was it more correct to speak of many and infinite? One, if indeed it was created according to the model.' 4 Further, in the Letter of the Romans to the Corinthians it is written, 'An ocean without bounds to men and the worlds after it.' 5 Consequently, therefore, the noble Apostle exclaims, 'Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God!' 6 And was it not this which the prophet hinted at, when he ordered unleavened cakes to be made, intimating that the truly sacred mystic word, concerning the Unbegotten and His powers, should be concealed? Confirming which things, in the letter to the Corinthians the Apostle openly said: 'But we speak wisdom among those who are perfect, but not the wisdom of this world, or of the princes of this world, which perishes, but we speak the wisdom of God hidden in mystery.' 7 And again in another place he says: 'To the acknowledgment of the mystery of God in Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.' 8 These things our Saviour Himself gives the seal to when He says: 'To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.' 9 And again the Gospel says that our Saviour spoke to the Apostles the word in a mystery. For indeed the prophecy says of Him: 'He will open His mouth in parables, and will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.' 10 And now in the parable of the leaven, the Lord reveals concealment, for He says, 'The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, until the whole was leavened.' 11 For the tripartite soul is saved according to obedience, through the spiritual power hidden in it according to faith, or because the power of the word which is given to us, being firm and strong, draws to itself secretly and invisibly every one who receives it, and keeps it within himself, and brings the whole system into unity. Wisely, then, Solon has written respecting God: 'The mind's invisible measure it is most difficult to know Which alone the limits of all things holds.' For the Divine, says the poet of Agrigento, 12 'One cannot approach it with the eyes, We cannot grasp it with our hands; but persuasion Is the great highway that leads to men's minds.' And John the Apostle says: 'No man has ever seen God. The only-begotten God, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him,' 13 calling invisibility and ineffableness the bosom of God. Hence some have called it the Depth, as containing and embracing all things, inaccessible and boundless. Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata, Book 5 Chap 12 1 Plato Timeaus 28c 2 Exod 22.21 3 2 Cor 12.2-4 4 Plato Timeaus 31a 5 1 Clem 20 6 Rom 11.33 7 1 Cor 2.6-7 8 Colos 2.2-3 9 Mt 13.11 10 Ps 77.2 11 Mt 13.33 12 Empedocles 13 Jn 1.18

The Interior Heaven

Ἰδοὺ λοιπὸν καὶ ἡμεῖς οἱ τεθέντες ἐν λάκκῳ ἀγνωσίας βαθυτάτῳ καὶ σκοτεινοῖς πάθεσι, καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου τούτου τοῦ σώματος, περὶ τοῦ ἐπιγείου οὐρανοῦ ἐκ θρασύτητος φιλοσοφεῖν ἀρχόμεθα. Ἔχει μὲν γὰρ τὸ στερέωμα τοὺς ἀστέρας κάλλος, ἡ δὲ ἀπάθεια τὰς ἀρετὰς κόσμον· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἕτερόν τι ἔγωγε ἀπάθειαν ὑπείληφα εἶναι· ἀλλ᾿ ἢ ἐγκάρδιον νοὸς οὐρανόν, τὰς τῶν δαιμόνων πανουργίας, ἀθύρματα λοιπὸν λογιζόμενον. Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης τῆς Κλίμακος, ἡ Κλίμαξ, Λογος ΚΘ' Source: Migne PG 88.1148b

Behold, here are we who are laying in the deepest pit of ignorance, in the dark passions and in the shadow of death of this body, having the temerity to begin to philosophize about heaven on earth. For the firmament has the stars for its beauty, and dispassion has the virtues for its adornment; and by dispassion I mean nothing else but the interior heaven of the mind, which considers the snares of demons to be mere toys. Saint John Climacus, The Ladder, from Step 29

Babylon And Philosophy

Et tradidit Dominus in manu eius Ioacim regem Iuda. Quodque traditus scribitur Ioacim, monstrat non adversariorum fortitudinis fuisse victoriam, sed Domini voluntatis. Et partem vasorum domus Dei, et asportavit ea in terram Sennaar, in domum Dei sui, et vasa intulit in domum thesauri Dei sui. Terra Sennaar locus est Babylonis in quo fuit campus Dura, et turris quam usque coelum hi qui ab Oriente moverant pedes suos, aedificare conati sunt. Unde et a confusione linguarum locus nomen accepit Babylon, quae in linguam nostram tranfertur confusio. Simul et animadvertendum secundum anagogen, quod rex Babylonis non potuerit universa Dei vasa transferre, et in idolio quod sibi finxerat collocare, sed partem vasorum domus Dei, quae intelligenda sunt dogmata veritatis. Si enim cunctos philosophorum revolvas libros, necesse est ut in eis reperias aliquam partem vasorum Dei. Ut apud Platonem, fabricatorem mundi Deum, ut apud Zenonem Stoicorum principem, inferos et immortales animas, et unum bonum, honestatem; sed quia iungunt mendacium veritati, et naturae bonum multis perdunt malis, ideo partem vasorum domus Dei, et non omnia vasa integra atque perfecta cepisse memorantur. Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentariorum in Daniel, Caput I Source:  Migne PL 25.498d-449a

And the Lord gave Jehoiakim, king of Judah, into his hand. 1 Since it is written that Jehoiakim was given, it shows that victory was not on account of the adversary's strength, but by the will of the Lord. And a part of the vessels of the Lord he brought to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he placed the vessels in the house of the treasury of his god. 1 The land of Shinar is a place of Babylon in which was plain of Dura and the tower which they tried to build to heaven, those ones who marched from the east. 2 Whence from the confusion of tongues the place received the name of Babylon, which translated into our tongue is 'confusion'. 3 At the same time one must attend to the anagogical meaning, that the king of Babylon was not able to bear off all the vessels of God, and having gathered them fashion them into idols for himself, but only a part of the vessels of the house of God, by which should be understood the teachings of truth. For if you should unroll all the works of the philosophers, it is inevitable that in them you shall find some part of the vessels of God. So in Plato there is a god who is the creator of the world, and in Zeno, the head of the Stoics, there are inferior and immortal souls, and one good, righteousness. But because they join a lie to truth and ruin the good of nature with many evils, therefore they are recorded as having seized only a part of the vessels of the house of God, and not every perfect and clean one. Saint Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 1 1 Dan 1.2 2 Gen 11.1-9 3 Understood presently to be from the native 'Bābilim', meaning 'gate of the god(s)'

Thinking Of Divinity

Τί τοῦτο ἔπαθον, ὦ φίλοι καὶ μύσται καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας συνερασταί; ἔτρεχον μὲν ὡς θεὸν καταληψόμενος, καὶ οὕτως ἀνῆλθον ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος, καὶ τὴν νεφέλην διέσχον, εἴσω γενόμενος ἀπὸ τῆς ὕλης καὶ τῶν ὑλικῶν, καὶ εἰς ἐμαυτὸν ὡς οἷόν τε συστραφείς. ἐπεὶ δὲ προσέβλεψα, μόλις εἶδον θεοῦ τὰ ὀπίσθια· καὶ τοῦτο τῇ πέτρᾳ σκεπασθείς, τῷ σαρκωθέντι δι' ἡμᾶς θεῷ Λόγῳ· καὶ μικρὸν διακύψας, οὐ τὴν πρώτην τε καὶ ἀκήρατον φύσιν, καὶ ἑαυτῇ, λέγω δὴ τῇ τριάδι, γινωσκομένην, καὶ ὅση τοῦ πρώτου καταπετάσματος εἴσω μένει καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν χερουβὶμ συγκαλύπτεται, ἀλλ' ὅση τελευταία καὶ εἰς ἡμᾶς φθάνουσα. Ἡ δέ ἐστιν, ὅσα ἐμὲ γινώσκειν, ἡ ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασι καὶ τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ προβεβλημένοις καὶ διοικουμένοις μεγαλειότης, ἤ, ὡς ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ ὀνομάζει, μεγαλοπρέπεια. Tαῦτα γὰρ θεοῦ τὰ ὀπίσθια, ὅσα μετ' ἐκεῖνον ἐκείνου γνωρίσματα, ὥσπερ αἱ καθ' ὑδάτων ἡλίου σκιαὶ καὶ εἰκόνες ταῖς σαθραῖς ὄψεσι παρα δεικνῦσαι τὸν ἥλιον, ἐπεὶ μὴ αὐτὸν προσβλέπειν οἶόν τε, τῷ ἀκραιφνεῖ τοῦ φωτὸς νικῶντα τὴν αἴσθησιν. οὕτως οὖν θεολογήσεις, κἂν ᾖς Μωυσῆς καὶ Φαραὼ θεός, κἂν μέχρι τρίτου κατὰ τὸν Παῦλον οὐρανοῦ φθάσῃς, καὶ ἀκούσῃς ἄρρητα ῥήματα· κἂν ὑπὲρ ἐκεῖνον γένῃ, ἀγγελικῆς τινὸς ἢ ἀρχαγγελικῆς στάσεώς τε καὶ τάξεως ἠξιωμένος. Kἂν γὰρ οὐράνιον ἅπαν, κἂν ὑπερουράνιόν τι, καὶ πολὺ τὴν φύσιν ὑψηλότερον ἡμῶν ᾖ, καὶ ἐγγυτέρω θεοῦ, πλέον ἀπέχει θεοῦ καὶ τῆς τελείας καταλήψεως, ἢ ὅσον ἡμῶν ὑπεραίρει τοῦ συνθέτου καὶ ταπεινοῦ καὶ κάτω βρίθοντος κράματος. Ἀρκτέον οὖν οὕτω πάλιν. θεὸν νοῆσαι μὲν χαλεπόν· φράσαι δὲ ἀδύνατον, ὥς τις τῶν παρ' Ἕλλησι θεολόγων ἐφιλοσόφησεν, οὐκ ἀτέχνως ἐμοὶ δοκεῖν, ἵνα καὶ κατειληφέναι δόξῃ τῷ χαλεπὸν εἰπεῖν, καὶ διαφύγῃ τῷ ἀνεκφράστῳ τὸν ἔλεγχον. Ἀλλὰ φράσαι μὲν ἀδύνατον, ὡς ὁ ἐμὸς λόγος, νοῆσαι δὲ ἀδυνατώτερον. Tὸ μὲν γὰρ νοηθὲν τάχα ἂν λόγος δηλώσειεν, εἰ καὶ μὴ μετρίως, ἀλλ' ἀμυδρῶς γε, τῷ μὴ πάντῃ τὰ ὦτα διεφθαρμένῳ καὶ νωθρῷ τὴν διάνοιαν. τὸ δὲ τοσοῦτον πρᾶγμα τῇ διανοίᾳ περιλαβεῖν πάντως ἀδύνατον καὶ ἀμήχανον, μὴ ὅτι τοῖς καταβεβλακευμένοις καὶ κάτω νεύουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς λίαν ὑψηλοῖς τε καὶ φιλοθέοις, καὶ ὁμοίως πάσῃ γεννητῇ φύσει, καὶ οἷς ὁ ζόφος οὗτος ἐπιπροσθεῖ καὶ τὸ παχὺ τοῦτο σαρκίον πρὸς τὴν τοῦ ἀληθοῦς κατανόησιν. Oὐκ οἶδα δέ, εἰ μὴ καὶ ταῖς ἀνωτέρω καὶ νοεραῖς φύσεσιν, αἳ διὰ τὸ πλησίον εἶναι θεοῦ, kαὶ ὅλῳ τῷ φωτὶ καταλάμπεσθαι, τυχὸν ἂν καὶ τρανοῖντο, εἰ καὶ μὴ πάντῃ, ἀλλ' ἡμῶν γε τελεώτερόν τε καὶ ἐκτυπώτερον, καὶ ἄλλων ἄλλαι πλεῖον ἢ ἔλαττον, κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς τάξεως. Ἅγιος Γρηγόριος ὁ Ναζιανζηνός, Λογός ΚΗ', Περὶ θεολογίας, Source: Migne PG 35.29a-32a

What is this that has happened, O friends and initiates and fellow lovers of the truth? I was running so that I might take hold of God, and thus I went up into the Mount, and I drew back the cloud, and I went in away from matter and material things, and as much as I could I withdrew into myself. And then, when I looked, I hardly saw even the back parts of God, 1 and this when sheltered by the Rock, the Divine Word made flesh for us. And peering a little more, I saw not the First and unmixed Nature, known to Itself, to the Trinity, I say, not that which dwells within the first veil and is concealed by the Cherubim, but only that nature which at last reaches even to us. Which is, as far as I can learn, that which is found among the created things He has produced and governed, the Majesty, or as the holy David names it, the Glory. 2 For these are the back parts of God, which He leaves behind Him as declarations of Himself, like the shadows and reflection of the sun in the water which show the sun to our weak eyes, since we cannot look at it, because by His pure light our sense is overwhelmed. Thus theologise, even if you be a Moses and a god to Pharaoh, even if you be caught up like Paul to the third heaven, and have heard unspeakable words, 3 even if you be raised above them both and exalted to angelic or archangelic place and rank. For though a thing be all heavenly, or above heaven, and far higher in nature than us and nearer to God, yet it is more distant from God and His perfect comprehension than it is lifted above our compound and humble and downward dragging mixture. Let us then begin again. It is difficult to think of God, but to speak of Him an impossibility, as one of the Greek theologians philosophised, and not ineptly, as it seems to me, who says that having lain hold it is difficult to tell, 4 yet we may fly censure for being unable to speak. For, so I say, it is impossible to tell, and to conceive Him even more impossible. For that which is conceived can perhaps be made manifest in speech, if within limits, only obscurely, to those all who have not lost their ears, and are not dull in understanding. But to perfectly comprehend such greatness is impossible and impracticable, not only to those who are negligent and of inferior capability, but even to those exceedingly exalted and who love God, and likewise with every created nature, since the gloom here and the heaviness of the flesh obscures the understanding of the truth. I do not know if it is so with higher and more intellectual natures, which by being nearer to God, and being lit with all His light, may perhaps see clearly, and if not the whole, yet more perfectly and distinctly than us, some more, and some less, in accordance with their rank. Saint Gregory Nazianzus, from Oration 28, On Theology 1 Exod 33.23 2 Ps 8.2 3 Exod 7.2, 2 Cor 12.2 4 Plato Timeaus 28c

The Astrologers

Porro in Chaldeis γενεθλιαλόγους significari puto quos vulgus mathematicos vocat. Consuetudo autem et sermo communis magos pro maleficis accipit: qui aliter habentur apud gentem suam, eo quod sint philosophi Chaldaeorum, et ad artis hujus scientiam reges quoque et principes ejusdem gentis omnia faciunt. Unde et in nativitate Domini Salvatoris ipsi primum ortum ejus intellexerunt et venientes in sanctam Bethleem, adoraverunt puerum, stella desuper ostendente. Sanctus Hieronymus, Commentaria in Daniel, Caput II Source:  Migne PL 25.498d-449a

However among the Chaldeans 'genethialogoi' I think signifies those whom the many name astrologers. 1 For it is a custom in common speech to refer to magi as magicians, but they are considered differently among their own people, because they are the philosophers of the Chaldeans, and the knowledge of this art even the kings and princes of that people take to entirely. Whence in the nativity of our Lord and Saviour they first understood his coming and came to holy Bethlehem, and adored the child, the star guiding them from above. Saint Jerome, Commentary on Daniel, Chapter 2 1 Dan 2.2

An Epicurean Warned

Ἐπίκουρος μὲν ό ποιμὴν τῆς ἀγέλης σου, αύτοσχεδίως πάντα γεγενῆσθαι, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ὡς οὐχ ὑπάρξαντα ἔσεσθαι ἀσεβῶς ἀπεφήνατο. Χριστὸς δὲ ὁ πάνατων ποιητὴς καὶ Πατὴρ καὶ Θεὸς καὶ Σωτὴρ, ἤξειν ἐν δόξῃ ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ ἀποδοῦναι ἐκάστῳ ὡς ἔπραξεν. Εἰ τοίνυν ἀξιόπιστος οὕτος μᾶλλον ἐκείνου, τῆς σῆς ἐστι συνιδεῖν δυσκατανύκτου καρδίας, μήποτε φθασθῆς καταφρονῶν, καὶ τότε μεταμέλεσθαι ζητῇς, ὅτε τόπος μεταμέλῳ οὐκ ἔστι. Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολή ΥΞ', Μαρτινιανῳ Source:  Migne PG 78.436b

Epicurus, the pastor of your flock, he who ventured to produce all things by chance and after that reduces them to nothing, has spoken impiously. Christ is the Creator of all things and Father and God and Saviour, who will come in glory, and has promised to return to each according to his works. If then He is more worthy of faith than the other, admit knowledge into your benighted heart, lest you be found contemptuous, for after that you will seek penitence in a place where there is no penitence. Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 460, To Martianus

Reasons Of Heaven And The World

Ac primum oportuerat homines religiosam divinarum rerum scientiam praeferentes, ubi evangelicae atque apostolicae praedicationis veritas praeferebat, callidae philosophiae tortuosas quaestiones abjicere, et sectari potius fidem quae in Deo est: quia sensum infirmum facile fidei suae praesidio sophisma syllogisticae interrogationis exueret, cum captiosa propositio responsionem simplicem, sibique secundum interrogationem rerum obsecundantem, ad ultimum jam sensus sui interrogatione spoliaret; ut quod professione amisisset, id jam conscientia non teneret. Quid enim tam necessario interrogationi obsecundabit, quam ut cum a nobis quaeratur, Esne aliquid antequam nascitur? In professione nostra sit, non fuisse ante quod nascitur? Neque enim aut in natura aut in necessitate est, ut quod est nascatur: cum nasci quid ob id tantum ut sit, non quia erat, necesse sit. Quod cum concessum fuerit a nobis, quia recte conceditur; exuti fidei conscientia capti jam impiis atque alienis studiis acquiescimus. Quod providens ante beatus Apostolus Paulus, sicuti frequenter ostendimus, ut caveremus admonuit, dicens: 'Videte ne quis vos spoliet per philosophiam et inanem deceptionem, secundnum traditionem hominum, secundum elementa mundi, et non secundum Christum, in quo inhabitat omnis plenitudo divinitatis corporaliter.' Cavendum igitur adversum philosophiam est, et humanarum traditionem non tam evitanda sunt studia, quam refutanda. Neque enim his ita concedendum est, quasi vincant potius quam fallant: quia nos Christum Dei virtutem et Dei sapientiam praedicantes, aequum est humanas doctrinas non tam diffugerem, quam refellere; et simpliciores, ne ab his spolientur, et obstruere et instruere. Nam cum possit omnia, in ea ipsa omnia sapienter Deus possit, nec virtuti ejus ratio, nec rationi virtus absistat; oportet eos, qui Christum praedicant mundo, irreligiosis mundi imperfectisque doctrinis per scientiam sapientis omnipotentiae contraire, secundum illud beati Apostoli dictum: Nostra enim arma non sunt carnalia, sed potentia Deo, ad destructionem munitionum, rationes destruentia; et omnem altitudinem elevatam adversus cognitionem Dei. Fidem non nudam Apostolus atque inopem rationis reliquit: quae quamvis potissima ad salutem sit, tamen nisi per doctrinam instruatur, habebit quidem inter adversa tutum refugiendi recessum, non etiam retinebit constantem obnitendi securitatem; eritque ut infirmibus sunt post fugam casta, non etiam ut castra habentibus adest interrita fortitudo. Contundendae sunt ergo insolentes adversum Deum disputationes, et destruenda rationum fallacium munimenta, et elevata ad impietatem ingenia conterenda nec carnalibus armis, sed spiritalibus; nec terrena doctrina, sed coelesti sapientia: ut quanta rerum divinarum humanarumque discretio est, tanta ultra terrena studia ratio coelestis excedat. Sanctus Hilarius Pictaviensis, De Trinitate, Liber XII Source: Migne PL 10.444b-445c

And first, men choosing a religious knowledge of Divine things, preferring the truth of the preaching of the Evangelists and Apostles, should have thrown aside the intricate questions of crafty philosophy and rather followed the faith which is in God, because the sophistry of a syllogistical question easily tears down from a weak mind the guard of faith, when with captious assertion the simple defender, inquiring into obscure things, is finally stripped by his own questioning of his meaning, so that he is obliged to profess what his mind no long holds. For what necessarily suits so well, when it is asked of us, 'Does anything exist before it is comes to be,' than the response by us that a thing was not before it came to be? For it is contrary both to nature and the necessities of reason that what is should then come to be, when a thing must come to be that it then exist, and not come to be because it was. But when we have admitted this, because it is rightly done, seized in the conscience of our faith we acquiesce in impious and strange pursuits. But the blessed Apostle Paul, foreseeing this, as we have often shown, warned us to be on our guard, saying: 'Take care lest any man despoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ, in whom dwells bodily all the fullness of the Godhead.' 1 Therefore we must be on our guard against philosophy and the traditions of men, not that we avoid such learning, but that we refute it. For it must not be conceded to these that we are conquered rather than deceived, for we who preach the power of Christ and the wisdom of God should not flee from the teachings of men, but rather refute them. And the more simple among us, lest they be despoiled by adversaries, we must hold back and teach. For when God is able to do all things, in His wisdom able to do all things wisely, since neither does His reason lack power nor his power reason, it befits those who preach Christ to the world that they face the irreligious and false teachings of the world with the knowledge of omnipotent wisdom, according to the saying of the blessed Apostle: 'For our weapons are not carnal but the power of God, for the destruction of strongholds, the pulling down of arguments and every high thing lifted up against the knowledge of God.' 2 The Apostle did not leave us a faith naked and poor of reason, yet although it may be most powerful for the attainment of salvation, even so, unless it is instilled by teaching, though it will have indeed a secure retreat to withdraw to among adversaries, it will not be a constantly secure resistance, it will be like a camp for the weak after flight, not like the undaunted courage of those who have a camp to hold. Thus we must crush the insolent arguments opposed to God, and cast down the strongholds of fallacious reasoning, and grind down the minds lifted up to impiety, with arms not carnal but spiritual, not with earthly teaching but with heavenly wisdom, for as much as Divine things differ from human, so much the reason of heaven exceeds earthly learning. Saint Hilary of Poitiers, On the Trinity, Book 12 1 Colos 2.8-9 2 2 Cor 10.4-5

The Mindless Philosopher

Ἀνάλγητός ἐστιν ἄφρων φιλόσοφος αὐτοκατάκριτος ἐξηγητής· αὐτεναντίος φιλολόγος, τυφλὸς διδάσκαλος τοῦ βλέπειν· περὶ τῆς τοῦ τραύματος ὑγιείας διαλέγεται, καὶ τοῦτο ἐπικνήθων οὐ παύεται, κατὰ τοῦ πάθους φθέγγεται· καὶ τὰ βλάπτοντα ἐσθίων οὐ παύεται· κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ προσεύχεται, καὶ εὐθέως ἐπὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἐργασίαν πορεύεται· ἐπὶ τῇ τούτου ἐργασίᾳ κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ ὀργίζεται· καὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ λόγους οὐκ αἰσχύνεται ὁ τάλας. Κακῶς πράττω, βοᾷ, καὶ προθύμως ἐπίκειται· τὸ στόμα κατ᾿ αὐτοῦ προσεύχεται, καὶ τὸ σῶμα ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ ἀγωνίζεται. Περὶ θανάτου φιλοσοφεῖ, καὶ ὡς ἀθάνατος διάκειται. Περὶ χωρισμοῦ στενάζει, καὶ ὡς αἰώνιος νυστάζει. Περὶ ἐγκρατείας διαλέγεται, καὶ περὶ γαστριμαργίας ἀγωνίζεται. Περὶ κρίσεως ἀναγινώσκει, καὶ μειδιᾷν ἄρχεται περὶ κενοδοξίας, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἀναγνώσει κενοδοξεῖ· περὶ ἀγρυπνίας ἐκστηθίζει, καὶ τῷ ὕπνῳ εὐθέως ἑαυτὸν καταβαπτίζει· τὴν προσευχὴν ἐγκωμιάζει, καὶ ὡς ἀπὸ μάστιγος ταύτης φεύγει· τὴν ὑπακοὴν μακαρίζει, καὶ πρῶτος αὐτὸς παρακούει. Τοὺς ἀπροσπαθεῖς ἐπαινεῖ, καὶ διὰ ῥάκος μνησικακῶν, καὶ πολεμῶν οὐκ αἰσχύνεται. Ὀργιζόμενος πικραίνεται, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ πικρίᾳ πάλιν ὀργίζεται, καὶ τῇ ἥττῃ ἧτταν προστιθεὶς οὐκ αἰσθάνεται· κορεσθεὶς μεταμελεῖται, καὶ μικρὸν προβὰς, πάλιν τῷ κόρῳ προσέθηκε. Τὴν σιωπὴν μακαρίζει, καὶ διὰ πολυλογίας αὐτὴν ἐγκωμιάζει. Περὶ πραότητος διδάσκει, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ πολλάκις ὀργίζεται, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ πικρίᾳ πάλιν ὀργίζεται· ἀνανήψας ἐστέναξε, καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν κινήσας πάλιν τοῦ πάθους ἔχεται. Τὸν γέλωτα ψέγει, καὶ μειδιῶν περὶ πένθους διδάσκει. Ἑαυτὸν ὡς κενόδοξον ἐπί τινων καταμέμφεται, καὶ διὰ τοῦ ψόγου δόξαν ἑαυτῷ πραγματεύεται. Ἐμπαθῶς εἰς πρόσωπον βλέπει, καὶ περὶ σωφροσύνης διαλέγεται. Τοὺς ἡσυχάζοντας ἐν κόσμῳ διατρίβων ἐπαινεῖ, καὶ ἑαυτὸν αἰσχύνων οὐ κατανοεῖ. Τοὺς ἐλεήμονας δοξάζει, καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς ὀνειδίζει. Πάντοτε ἑαυτοῦ κατήγορος γίνεται, καὶ εἰς συναίσθησιν ἐλθεῖν οὐ βούλεται, ἵνα μὴ εἴπω οὐ δύναται. Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης τῆς Κλίμακος, Λόγος ΙΗ', ἡ Κλίμαξ Source: Migne PG 88.932b-933a

He who lacks self awareness is a mindless philosopher, a self-condemned counsellor, a self-contradictory lover of words, a blind man who teaches how to see. He talks about healing a wound, and does not stop irritating it. He complains of sickness and does not stop eating what is harmful. He prays against doing something and immediately he goes and does it, and having done it, he is enraged because of it, and the wretch is not ashamed of his own words. 'I am doing wrong,' he cries out, and eagerly he applies himself; his mouth prays against it, and his body strives for it. He philosophises about death but he acts as if he were immortal. He groans over the separation of soul and body, but drowses along as if eternal. He talks of temperance and self-control, but is a champion in gluttony. He reads about judgment and begins to smile, about vainglory and he glories in vanities while reading. He repeats to himself what he has learnt about vigils and immediately he falls asleep. He praises prayer but flees it as from a scourge. He blesses obedience and is the first to disobey. He praises detachment and will bear malice over a rag and is not ashamed to go to blows over it. When angered he is bitter and because of his bitterness he is angry again, and he does not feel that he is heaping up defeat on defeat. Having eaten until he is full he repents, and a little later goes back to it. He blesses silence and praises it with a flood of words. He teaches meekness and during the teaching often becomes angry and because of bitterness becomes angry again. Having withdrawn, he sighs, and shaking his head, he again yields to passion. He reproves laughter and speaks of  mourning with a smile on his face. Before others he blames himself for being vainglorious, and by his blame is hoping for glory. He looks people in the face with passion and talks about temperance. Lingering in the world he praises the solitary life, and does not realise that he shames himself. He lauds almsgivers, and reviles beggars. All the time he is his own accuser, and he does not want to come to his senses, I will not say it is not possible. Saint John Climacus, from Step 18, The Ladder

A Warning About Inferior Studies

Οὐ καλῶς τὰς Ἀθήνας θαυμάζεις, καὶ Στοὰν, καὶ Περίπατον, καὶ Ἀττικὴν φαντασίαν, οἶς διὰ μάθησιν φλυαρίας πάλαι προσεκαρτέρεις, ὁ τὰ γήῖνα περιφρονήσας, καὶ μηδὲν ἀγαπᾷν τῶν ἐνταῦθα κεκελευσμένος. Εἰ συνηγέρθης οὖν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ ἄνω φρόνει, οὐ ἐστιν αὐτός. Οἰ γὰρ τὴν εὐτελῆ ἐσθῆτὰ σου ὁρῶντες, καὶ φιλοσοφίαν ἐν μόνῳ σχήματὶ προσοῦσαν, περπερείαν δὲ γνώμης, καὶ γλώσσης ἀλαζονείαν, κατὰ τῆς θειοτάτης θρησκείας βλασφημοῦσι.  Ἅγιος Ἰσίδωρος Του Πηλουσιώτου, Βιβλίον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολή ΣΚΖ', Φλωρεντιῳ Source: Migne PG 78. 324d

You do not do well to admire Athens, and the Stoa and the Peripatetics and Attic pomp, worthless studies in which you were once so attentive, contemplating things of the earth, nothing of which here you have been commanded to love. 1 If, then, you have risen with Christ, think on things above, where He is. 2 For they seeing your tawdry garb and pursuit of philosophy in solitary state, with vainglorious mind and boastful tongue will blaspheme against the most Divine religion.  Saint Isidore of Pelusium, Book 1, Letter 227, to Florentius 1 1 Jn 2.15 2 Colos 3.2

The Good Of Misfortune

Nam cum tanta, quantam semper admiror, indole tua, ab ineunte adolescentia adhuc infirmo rationis atque lapsante vestigio humanam vitam errorum omnium plenissimam ingredereris; excepit te circumfluentia divitiarum, quae illam aetatem atque animum, quae pulchra et honesta videbantur avide sequentem, illecebrosis coeperat absorbere gurgitibus, nisi inde te fortunae illi flatus, qui putantur adversi, eripuissent pene mergentem. Si res secundae studio sapientiae obsint. An vero si edentem te munera ursorum et nunquam ibi antea visa spectacula civibus nostris, theatricus plausus semper prosperrimus accepisset; si stultorum hominum, quorum immensa turba est, conflatis et consentientibus vocibus ferreris ad coelum; si nemo tibi auderet esse inimicus; si municipales tabulae te non solum civium, sed etiam vicinorum patronum aere signarent; collocarentur statuae, influerent honores, adderentur etiam potestates, quae municipalem habitum supercrescerent; conviviis quotidianis mensae opimae struerentur; quod cuique esset necesse, quod cuiusque etiam deliciae sitirent, indubitanter peteret, indubitanter hauriret, multa etiam non petentibus funderentur; resque ipsa familiaris diligenter a tuis fideliterque administrata, idoneam se tantis sumptibus paratamque praeberet: tu interea viveres in aedificiorum exquisitissimis molibus, in nitore balnearum, in tesseris quas honestas non respuit, in venatibus, in conviviis, in ore clientium, in ore civium, in ore denique populorum humanissimus, liberalissimus, mundissimus, fortunatissimus, ut fuisti, iactareris: quisquam tibi, Romaniane, beatae alterius vitae, quae sola beata est, quisquam, quaeso, mentionem facere auderet? Quisquam tibi persuadere posset, non solum te felicem non esse; sed eo maxime miserum, quo tibi minime videreris? Nunc vero quam te breviter admonendum tot et tanta, quae pertulisti adversa fecerunt? Non enim tibi alienis exemplis persuadendum est quam fluxa et fragilia, et plena calamitatum sint omnia, quae bona mortales putant; cum ita ex aliqua parte bene expertus sis, ut ex te caeteris persuadere possimus.  Illud ergo, illud tuum, quo semper decora et honesta desiderasti; quo te liberalem magis quam divitem esse maluisti; quo nunquam concupisti esse potentior quam iustior, nunquam adversitatibus improbitatibusque cessisti: illud ipsum, inquam, quod in te divinum nescio quo vitae huius somno veternoque sopitum est, variis illis durisque iactationibus secreta providentia excitare decrevit. Evigila, evigila, oro te; multum, mihi crede, gratulaberis quod pene nullis prosperitatibus quibus tenentur incauti, mundi huius tibi dona blandita sunt: quae meipsum capere moliebantur quotidie ista cantantem, nisi me pectoris dolor ventosam professionem abicere et in philosophiae gremium confugere coegisset. Ipsa me nunc in otio, quod vehementer optavimus, nutrit ac fovet: ipsa me penitus ab illa superstitione, in quam te mecum praecipitem dederam, liberavit. Ipsa enim docet, et vere docet nihil omnino colendum esse, totumque contemni oportere, quidquid mortalibus oculis cernitur, quidquid ullus sensus attingit. Ipsa verissimum et secretissimum Deum perspicue se demonstraturam promittit, et iam iamque quasi per lucidas nubes ostentare dignatur. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensis, Contra Academicos, Liber I Source: Migne PL 32.906-097

With such great innate talent, as ever makes me wonder, from your earliest youth, when reason's progress is but weak and faltering, you entered into this human life abundant with every error.  An excess of riches flowed around you, which at that age of the soul which avidly follows what seems beautiful and good would have begun to overwhelm it by the floods of pleasure, unless it was then that the winds of fortune, which are thought adverse, snatched you away, just when you were on the point of sinking. But truly if in giving bear fights and spectacles never seen before by our cities, you were always received with the most abundant applause of the spectators, if you were borne off to the skies by the unanimous and united voices of foolish men, the crowd of which is very great, if no one ever dared to be your foe, if municipal tablets were to proclaim in bronze that you are a benefactor not only of your fellow citizens but also of the neighbouring peoples, if they raised up statues of you, poured out honours on you, and even added to the powers greater than is customary in municipal appointments, if every day your tables were sumptuously strewn with feasts, if any man might without worry ask of you whatever he needed, or his delicacy desired, and be assured of receiving it, and if many things were lavished even on those who did not seek them, if your estate itself, carefully and faithfully administered by your own people, were sufficiently capable and organized to meet such great expenses, and if meanwhile you yourself were to live in exquisite buildings in luxury, in shinning baths, amid dice-games honour does not forbid, and with hunting, and with feasting, if in the mouths of your dependents and your fellow citizens and all the people you were proclaimed as a most kind man, most generous, most elegant, and most fortunate, would anyone, Romanianus, I ask you, dare to make mention to you of another happiness which alone is happiness? Who would be able to persuade you, since it did not appear to you that it was so, that not only were you not happy but that you were especially wretched? Now, however, have you not been swiftly admonished concerning all such things by the many reverses that you have suffered? Indeed one need not persuade you with examples of others concerning how fleeting, unreliable, and full of calamities are all things which mortals think good, when by you we will able to persuade others. That part of you, then, by which you have ever desired the honourable and the good, by which you have preferred to be generous rather than wealthy, by which you have never desired to be more powerful but more just, by which you have never given yourself up to adversity or dishonesty, that which in you, I say, is Divine, which has somehow been lulled to sleep by the long dream of this life, Providence, by various hard blows, working in secret, has decided to rouse up in you. Wake up, wake up, I beg you. Believe me, you will be most joyful that this world had scarcely charmed you with its gifts, by which it lays hold of the unwary, which things strove to seize me, I who sang of them every  day, had not chest pains compelled me to give up my profession of windy rhetoric and flee to the lap of philosophy. She now nourishes and cherishes me in that leisure which we have so much desired. She has freed me entirely from that heresy into which I had cast you along with myself. For she teaches, and teaches truly, that nothing should be worshipped and that all such things should be spurned which are discerned by mortal eyes, or are the object of any sense-perception. She promises to make known clearly the true and hidden God and is indeed now on the very point of condescending to present Him as through shining clouds. Saint Augustine of Hippo, Against the Academics, from Book 1