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| Chapter VIII.—Antiquity, inspiration, and harmony of Christian teachers.
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Moses’ writings" title="276" id="viii.vi.viii-p1.1"/>inspiration, and harmony" title="276" id="viii.vi.viii-p1.2"/>Since
therefore it is impossible to learn anything true concerning religion
from your teachers, who by their mutual disagreement have furnished you
with sufficient proof of their own ignorance, I consider it reasonable to
recur to our progenitors, who both in point of time have by a great way
the precedence of your teachers, and who have taught us nothing from
their own private fancy, nor differed with one another, nor attempted to
overturn one another’s positions, but without wrangling and
contention received from God the knowledge which also they taught to us.
For neither by nature nor by human conception is it possible for men to
know things so great and divine, but by the gift which then descended
from above upon the holy men, who had no need of rhetorical art,2531
| 2531 Literally, “the art of
words.” | nor of uttering anything in a contentious or
quarrelsome manner, but to present themselves pure2532
| 2532 Literally, “clean,” free from
other influences. | to the energy of the Divine Spirit, in
order that the divine plectrum itself, descending from heaven, and using
righteous men as an instrument like a harp or lyre, might reveal to us
the knowledge of things divine and heavenly. Wherefore, as if with one
mouth and one tongue, they have in succession, and in harmony with one
another, taught us both concerning God, and the creation of the world,
and the formation of man, and concerning the immortality of the human
soul, and the judgment which is to be after this life, and concerning all
things which it is needful for us to know, and thus in divers times and
places have afforded us the divine instruction.2533
| 2533 [The diversities of Christian theology are
to be regretted; but Justin here shows the harmony and order of truths,
such as are everywhere received by Christians, to be an inestimable
advantage.] | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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