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13. And Thou, willing first to show me how Thou "resistest the
proud, but givest grace" and by how great art act of mercy Thou hadst
pointed out to men the c path of humility, in that Thy "Word was
made flesh" and dwelt among men, Thou procuredst for me, by the
instrumentality of one inflated with most monstrous pride, certain
books of the Platonists, translated from 'Greek into Latin. And
therein I read, not indeed in the same words, but to the selfsame
effect,s enforced by many and divers reasons, that, "In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were
made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made."
That which was made by Him is "life; and the life was the light of
men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness
comprehendeth it not." And that the soul of man, though it "bears
witness of the light," yet itself" is not that light; but the Word
of God, being God, is that true light that lighteth every man that
cometh into the world." And that "He was in the world, and the
world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not." But that:
"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not. But as many
as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God,
even to then: that believe on His name." This I did not read
there.
14. In like manner, I read there that God the Word was born not
of flesh, nor of blood,: nor of the will of man, nor of the will of
the flesh, but of God. But that "the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us," s I read not there. For I discovered in those
books that it was in many and divers ways said, that the Son was in
the form of the Father, and "thought it not robbery to be equal with
God," for that naturally He was the same substance. But that He
emptied Himself, "and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was
made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He
humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of
the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted Him" from the
dead, "and given Him a name above every name; that at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in
earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should
confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father;', those books have not. For that before all times, and
above all times, Thy only-begotten Son remaineth unchangeably
co-eternal with Thee; and that of "His fulness" souls receive,
that they may be blessed; and that by participation of the wisdom
remaining in them they are renewed, that they may be wise, is there.
But that "in due time Christ died for the ungodly," n and that
Thou sparedst not Thine only Son, but deliveredst Him up for us
all, is not there. "Because Thou hast hid these things from the
wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes;" xs that they
"that labour and are heavy laden" might "come" unto Him and He
might refresh them, because He is "meek and lowly in heart." "The
meek will He guide in judgment; and the meek will He teach His
way;" looking upon our humility and our distress, and forgiving all
our sins. But such as are puffed up with the elation of would-be
sublimer learning, do not hear Him saying, "Learn of Me; for I
am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."
"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified Him not as
God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations,
and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be
wise, they became fools."
15. And therefore also did I read there, that they had changed the
glory of Thy incorruptible nature into idols and divers forms, "
into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and
four-footed beasts, and creeping things," namely, into that
Egyptian food for which Esau lost his birthright; for that Thy
first-born people worshipped the head of a four-footed beast instead
of Thee, turning back in heart towards Egypt, and prostrating Thy
image their own soul before the image "of an ox that eateth
grass." x These things found I there; but I fed not on them. For
it pleased Thee, O Lord, to take away the reproach of diminution
from Jacob, that the elder should serve the younger; and Thou hast
called the Gentiles into Thine inheritance. And I had come unto
Thee from among the Gentiles, and I strained after that gold which
Thou willedst Thy people to take from Egypt, seeing that wheresoever
it was it was Thine? And to the Athenians Thou saidst by Thy
apostle, that in Thee "we live, and move, and have our being;" as
one of their own poets has said. And verily these books came from
thence. But I set not my mind on the idols of Egypt, whom they
ministered to with Thy gold,s "who changed the truth of God into a
lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator."
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