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WHILE these disputations were being carried on, certain of the
pagan philosophers became desirous of taking part in them; some,
because they wished for information as to the doctrine that was
inculcated; and others, because, feeling incensed against the
Christians on account of the recent suppression of the pagan religion,
they wished to convert the inquiry about doctrine into a strife about
words, so as to introduce dissensions among them, and to make them
appear as holding contradictory opinions. It is related that one of
these philosophers, priding himself on his acknowledged superiority of
eloquence, began to ridicule the priests, and thereby roused the
indignation of a simple old man, highly esteemed as a confessor, who,
although unskilled in logical refinements and wordiness, undertook to
oppose him. The less serious of those who knew the confessor, raised
a laugh at his expense for engaging in such an undertaking; but the
more thoughtful felt anxious lest, in opposing so eloquent a man, he
should only render himself ridiculous; yet his influence was so great,
and his reputation so high among them, that they could not forbid his
engaging in the debate; and he accordingly delivered himself in the
following terms: "In the name of Jesus Christ, O philosopher,
hearken to me. There is one God, the maker of heaven and earth, and
of all things visible and invisible. He made all things by the power
of the Word, and established them by the holiness of His Spirit.
The Word, whom we call the Son of God, seeing that man was sunk in
error and living like unto the beasts pitied him, and vouchsafed to be
born of woman, to hold intercourse with men, and to die for them.
And He will come again to judge each of us as to the deeds of this
present life. We believe these things to be true with all simplicity.
Do not, therefore, expend your labor in vain by striving to disprove
facts which can only be understood by faith or by scrutinizing the
manner in which these things did or did not come tO pass. Answer me,
dost thou believe?" The philosopher, astonished at what had
occurred, replied, "I believe"; and having thanked the old man for
having overcome him in argument, he began to teach the same doctrines
to others. He exhorted those who still held his former sentiments to
adopt the views he had embraced, assuring them on oath, that he had
been impelled to embrace Christianity by a certain inexplicable
impulse.
It is said that a similar miracle was performed by Alexander, who
governed the church of Constantinople. When Constantine returned to
Byzantium, certain philosophers came to him to complain of the
innovations in religion, and particularly of his having introduced a
new form of worship into the state, contrary to that followed by his
forefathers, and by all who were formerly in power, whether among the
Greeks or the Romans. They likewise desired to hold a disputation on
the doctrine with Alexander the bishop; and he, although unskilled in
such argumentative contests, and perhaps persuaded by his life, seeing
that he was an excellent and good man, accepted the struggle at the
command of the emperor. When the philosophers were assembled, since
every one wished to engage in the discussion, he requested that one
whom they esteemed worthy might be chosen as spokesman, while the
others were to remain silent. When one of the philosophers began to
open the debate, Alexander said to him, "I command thee in the name
of Jesus Christ not to speak." The man was instantaneously
silenced. It is then right to consider whether it is a greater miracle
that a man, and he a philosopher, should so easily be silenced by a
word, or that a stone-wall should be cleft by the power of a word,
which miracle I have heard some attribute to Julian, surnamed the
Chaldean. I have understood that these events happened in the way
above narrated.
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