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60. Moreover, if those who are called philosophers, and especially
the Platonists, have said aught that is true and in harmony with our
faith, we are not only not to shrink from it, but to claim it for our
own use from those who have unlawful possession of it. For, as the
Egyptians had not only the idols and heavy burdens which the people of
Israel hated and fled from, but also vessels and ornaments of gold and
silver, and garments, which the same people when going out of Egypt
appropriated to themselves, designing them for a better use, not doing
this on their own authority, but by the command of God, the
Egyptians themselves, in their ignorance, providing them with things
which they themselves were not making a good use of; in the same way
all branches of heathen learning have not only false and superstitious
fancies and heavy burdens of unnecessary toil, which every one of us,
when going out under the leadership of Christ from the fellowship of
the heathen, ought to abhor and avoid; but they contain also liberal
instruction which is better adapted to the use of the truth, and some
most excellent precepts of morality; and some truths in regard even to
the worship of the One God are found among them. Now these are, so
to speak, their gold and silver, which they did not create
themselves, but dug out of the mines of God's providence which are
everywhere scattered abroad, and are perversely and unlawfully
prostituting to the worship of devils. These, therefore, the
Christian, when he separates himself in spirit from the miserable
fellowship of these men, ought to take away from them, and to devote
to their proper use in preaching the gospel. Their garments, also,
that is, human institutions such as are adapted to that intercourse
with men which is indispensable in this life, we must take and turn to
a Christian use.
61. And what else have many good and faithful men among our brethren
done? Do we not see with what a quantity of gold and silver and
garments Cyprian, that most per suasive teacher and most blessed
martyr, was loaded when he came out of Egypt? How much Lactantius
brought with him? And Victorinus, and Optatus, and Hilary, not
to speak of living men! How much Greeks out of number have borrowed!
And prior to all these, that most faithful servant of God, Moses,
had done the same thing; for of him it is written that he was learned
in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And to none of all these would
heathen superstition (especially in those times when, kicking against
the yoke of Christ, it was persecuting the Christians) have ever
furnished branches of knowledge it held useful, if it had suspected
they were about to turn them to the use of worshipping the One God,
and thereby overturning the vain worship of idols. But they gave their
gold and their silver and their garments to the people of God as they
were going out of Egypt, not knowing how the things they gave would be
turned to the service of Christ. For what was done at the time of the
exodus was no doubt a type prefiguring what happens now. And this I
say without prejudice to any other interpretation that may be as good,
or better.
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