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Serenus: It is dangerous to jump to a conclusion and lay down the law
hastily on the nature of anything before you have properly discussed the
subject and considered its true character. Nor should you, looking only at
your own weakness, hazard a conjecture instead of pronouncing a judgment
based on the character and value of the practice itself, and others'
experience of it. For if anyone, who was ignorant of swimming but knew that
the weight of his body could not be supported by water, wished from the
proof which his inexperience afforded, to lay down that no one composed of
solid flesh could possibly be supported on the liquid element, we ought not
therefore to think his opinion a true one, which he seemed to bring forward
in accordance with his own experience, since this can be shown to be not
merely not impossible but actually extremely easily done by others, by the
clearest proofs and ocular demonstration. And so the nou^s, i.e., the mind,
is defined as aeiki'nhtos kai` poluki'nhtos, i.e., ever shifting and very
shifting: as it is thus described in the so called wisdom of Solomon in
other words: kai gew^des skh^nos bri'thei nou^n poluphro'ntida, i.e.," And
the earthly tabernacle weigheth down the mind that museth on many
things." This then in accordance with its nature can never remain idle,
but unless provision is made where it may exercise its motions and have
what will continually occupy it, it must by its own fickleness wander about
and stray over all kinds of things until, accustomed by long practice and
daily use--in which you say that you have toiled without result--it tries
and learns what food for the memory it ought to prepare, toward which it
may bring back its unwearied flight and acquire strength for remaining, and
thus may succeed in driving away the hostile suggestion of the enemy by
which it is distracted, and in persisting in that state and condition which
it yearns for. We ought not then to ascribe this wandering inclination of
our heart either to human nature or to God its Creator. For it is a true
statement of Scripture, that "God made man upright; but they themselves
found out many thoughts" The character of these then depends on us
ourselves, for it says "a good thought comes near to those that know it,
but a prudent man will find it." For where anything is subject to our
prudence and industry so that it can be found out, there if it is not found
out, we ought certainly to set it down to our own laziness or carelessness
and not to the fault of our nature. And with this meaning the Psalmist also
is in agreement, when he says: "Blessed is the man whose help is from Thee:
in his heart he hath disposed his ascents." You see then that it lies in
our power to dispose in our hearts either ascents, i.e., thoughts that
belong to God, or descents; viz., those that sink down to carnal and
earthly things. And if this was not in our power the Lord would not have
rebuked the Pharisees, saying "Why do ye think evil in your hearts?" nor
would He have given this charge by the prophet, saying: "Take away the evil
of your thoughts from mine eyes;" and "How long shall wicked thoughts
remain in you?" Nor would the character of them as of our works be taken
into consideration in the day of judgment in our case as the Lord threatens
by Isaiah: "Lo, I come to gather together their works and thoughts together
with all nations and tongues;" nor would it be right that we should be
condemned or defended by their evidence in that terrible and dreadful
examination, as the blessed Apostle says: "Their thoughts between
themselves accusing or also defending one another, in the day when God
shall judge the secrets of men according to my gospel."
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