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For although a Christian man instructed only in ecclesiastical
literature may perhaps be ignorant of the very name of Platonists, and
may not even know that there have existed two schools of philosophers
speaking the Greek tongue, to wit, the Ionic and Italic, he is
nevertheless not so deaf with respect to human affairs, as not to know
that philosophers profess the study, and even the possession, of
wisdom. He is on his guard, however, with respect to those who
philosophize according to the elements of this world, not according to
God, by whom the world itself was made; for he is warned by the
precept of the apostle, and faithfully hears what has been said,
"Beware that no one deceive you through philosophy and vain deceit,
according to the elements of the world." Then, that he may not
suppose that all philosophers are such as do this, he hears the same
apostle say concerning certain of them, "Because that which is known
of God is manifest among them, for God has manifested it to them.
For His invisible things from the creation of the world are clearly
seen, being understood by the things which are made, also His eternal
power and Godhead." And, when speaking to the Athenians, after
having spoken a mighty thing concerning God, which few are able to
understand, "In Him we live, and move, and have our being," he
goes on to say, "As certain also of your own have said." He knows
well, too, to be on his guard against even these philosophers in their
errors. For where it has been said by him, "that God has manifested
to them by those things which are made His invisible things, that they
might be seen by the understanding," there it has also been said that
they did not rightly worship God Himself, because they paid divine
honors, which are due to Him alone, to other things also to which
they ought not to have paid them, "because, knowing 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, and changed the glory of the
incorruptible God into the likeness of the image of corruptible man,
and of birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things;", where
the apostle would have us understand him as meaning the Romans, and
Greeks, and Egyptians, who gloried in the name of wisdom; but
concerning this we will dispute with them afterwards. With respect,
however, to that wherein they agree with us we prefer them to all
others namely, concerning the one God, the author of this universe,
who is not only above every body, being incorporeal, but also above
all souls, being incorruptible, our principle, our light, our good.
And though the Christian man, being ignorant of their writings, does
not use in disputation words which he has not learned, not calling that
part of philosophy natural (which is the Latin term), or physical
which is the Greek one), which treats of the investigation of
nature; or that part rational, or logical, which deals with the
question how truth may be discovered; or that part moral, or ethical,
which concerns morals, and shows how good is to be sought, and evil to
be shunned, he is not, therefore, ignorant that it is from the one
true and supremely good God that we have that nature in which we are
made in the image of God, and that doctrine by which we know Him and
ourselves, and that grace through which, by cleaving to Him, we are
blessed. This, therefore, is the cause why we prefer these to all
the others, because, whilst other philosophers have worn out their
minds and powers in seeking the causes of things, and endeavoring to
discover the right mode of learning and of living, these, by knowing
God, have found where resides the cause by which the universe has been
constituted, and the light by which truth is to be discovered, and the
fountain at which felicity is to be drunk. All philosophers, then,
who have had these thoughts concerning God, whether Platonists or
others, agree with us. But we have thought it better to plead our
cause with the Platonists, because their writings are better known.
For the Greeks, whose tongue holds the highest place among the
languages of the Gentiles, are loud in their praises of these
writings; and the Latins, taken with their excellence, or their
renown, have studied them more heartily than other writings, and, by
translating them into our tongue, have given them greater celebrity and
notoriety.
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