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| Chapter V.—Philosophy the Handmaid of Theology.
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Chapter V.—Philosophy the Handmaid of Theology.
Accordingly, before the advent of the Lord,
philosophy was necessary to the Greeks for righteousness.1851
And now it becomes
conducive to piety; being a kind of preparatory training to those who
attain to faith through demonstration. “For thy foot,”
it is said, “will not stumble, if thou refer what is good,
whether belonging to the Greeks or to us, to Providence.”1852
For God is the cause of all good things; but of some primarily,
as of the Old and the New Testament; and of others by consequence,
as philosophy. Perchance, too, philosophy was given to the Greeks
directly and primarily, till the Lord should call the Greeks. For this
was a schoolmaster to bring “the Hellenic mind,” as the
law, the Hebrews, “to Christ.”1853
Philosophy, therefore,
was a preparation, paving the way for him who is perfected in
Christ.1854
“Now,” says Solomon, “defend
wisdom, and it will exalt thee, and it will shield thee with a crown
of pleasure.”1855
For when thou hast strengthened wisdom with
a cope by philosophy, and with right expenditure, thou wilt preserve
it unassailable by sophists. The way of truth is therefore one. But
into it, as into a perennial river, streams flow from all sides. It
has been therefore said by inspiration: “Hear, my son, and
receive my words; that thine may be the many ways of life. For I teach
thee the ways of wisdom; that the fountains fail thee not,”1856
which gush forth from the earth itself. Not only did He enumerate several
ways of salvation for any one righteous man, but He added many other
ways of many righteous, speaking thus: “The paths of the righteous
shine like the light.”1857
The commandments and the modes of preparatory
training are to be regarded as the ways and appliances of life.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would
I have gathered thy children, as a hen her chickens!”1858
And Jerusalem is, when interpreted, “a
vision of peace.” He therefore shows prophetically, that those
who peacefully contemplate sacred things are in manifold ways trained
to their calling. What then? He “would,” and could not. How
often, and where? Twice; by
the prophets, and by the
advent. The expression, then, “How often,” shows wisdom to
be manifold; every mode of quantity and quality, it by all means saves
some, both in time and in eternity. “For the Spirit of the Lord
fills the earth.”1859
And if any should violently say that the
reference is to the Hellenic culture, when it is said, “Give not
heed to an evil woman; for honey drops from the lips of a harlot,”
let him hear what follows: “who lubricates thy throat for the
time.” But philosophy does not flatter. Who, then, does He allude
to as having committed fornication? He adds expressly, “For the
feet of folly lead those who use her, after death, to Hades. But her
steps are not supported.” Therefore remove thy way far from silly
pleasure. “Stand not at the doors of her house, that thou yield
not thy life to others.” And He testifies, “Then shall thou
repent in old age, when the flesh of thy body is consumed.” For
this is the end of foolish pleasure. Such, indeed, is the case. And
when He says, “Be not much with a strange woman,”1860
| 1860 Bible:Prov.5.11 Bible:Prov.5.20">Prov. v. 2, 3, 5, 8, 9,
11, 20. | He admonishes us to use indeed, but not to linger
and spend time with, secular culture. For what was bestowed on each
generation advantageously, and at seasonable times, is a preliminary
training for the word of the Lord. “For already some men, ensnared
by the charms of handmaidens, have despised their consort philosophy,
and have grown old, some of them in music, some in geometry, others
in grammar, the most in rhetoric.”1861
| 1861 Philo Judæus, On seeking Instruction,
435. See Bohn’s translation, ii. 173. | “But as the
encyclical branches of study contribute to philosophy, which is their
mistress; so also philosophy itself co-operates for the acquisition of
wisdom. For philosophy is the study of wisdom, and wisdom is the knowledge
of things divine and human; and their causes.” Wisdom is therefore
queen of philosophy, as philosophy is of preparatory culture. For if
philosophy “professes control of the tongue, and the belly, and
the parts below the belly, it is to be chosen on its own account. But
it appears more worthy of respect and pre-eminence, if cultivated for
the honour and knowledge of God.”1862
| 1862 Quoted from Philo with some alterations. See
Bohn’s translation, vol. ii. p. 173. | And Scripture will
afford a testimony to what has been said in what follows. Sarah was at
one time barren, being Abraham’s wife. Sarah having no child,
assigned her maid, by name Hagar, the Egyptian, to Abraham, in order
to get children. Wisdom, therefore, who dwells with the man of faith
(and Abraham was reckoned faithful and righteous), was still barren and
without child in that generation, not having brought forth to Abraham
aught allied to virtue. And she, as was proper, thought that he, being
now in the time of progress, should have intercourse with secular
culture first (by Egyptian the world is designated figuratively);
and afterwards should approach to her according to divine providence,
and beget Isaac.”1863
| 1863
See Philo, Meeting to seek Instruction, Bohn’s translation,
vol. ii. 160. |
And Philo interprets Hagar to mean
“sojourning.”1864
| 1864
Bohn’s trans., vol. ii. 161. | For it is said in
connection with this, “Be not much with a strange woman.”1865
Sarah
he interprets to mean “my princedom.” He, then, who has
received previous training is at liberty to approach to wisdom, which
is supreme, from which grows up the race of Israel. These things show
that that wisdom can be acquired through instruction, to which Abraham
attained, passing from the contemplation of heavenly things to the
faith and righteousness which are according to God. And Isaac is shown
to mean “self-taught;” wherefore also he is discovered to
be a type of Christ. He was the husband of one wife Rebecca, which they
translate “Patience.” And Jacob is said to have consorted
with several, his name being interpreted “Exerciser.” And
exercises are engaged in by means of many and various dogmas. Whence,
also, he who is really “endowed with the power of seeing”
is called Israel,1866
| 1866 Philo,
in the book above cited, interprets “Israel,” “seeing
God.” From this book all the instances and etymologies occuring
here are taken. | having much experience, and being fit for
exercise.
Something else may also have been shown by the three
patriarchs, namely, that the sure seal of knowledge is composed of nature,
of education, and exercise.
You may have also another image of what has been
said, in Thamar sitting by the way, and presenting the appearance
of a harlot, on whom the studious Judas (whose name is interpreted
“powerful”), who left nothing unexamined and uninvestigated,
looked; and turned aside to her, preserving his profession towards
God. Wherefore also, when Sarah was jealous at Hagar being preferred to
her, Abraham, as choosing only what was profitable in secular philosophy,
said, “Behold, thy maid is in thine hands: deal with her as it
pleases thee;”1867
manifestly meaning, “I embrace secular
culture as youthful, and a handmaid; but thy knowledge I honour and
reverence as true wife.” And Sarah afflicted her; which is
equivalent to corrected and admonished her. It has therefore been
well said, “My son, despise not thou the correction of God;
nor faint when thou art rebuked of Him. For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and
scourgeth every son whom He
receiveth.”1868
And the foresaid Scriptures,
when examined in other places, will be seen to exhibit other mysteries. We
merely therefore assert here, that philosophy is characterized by
investigation into truth and the nature of things (this is the truth
of which the Lord Himself said, “I am the truth”1869
);
and that, again, the preparatory training for rest in Christ exercises
the mind, rouses the intelligence, and begets an inquiring shrewdness,
by means of the true philosophy, which the initiated possess, having
found it, or rather received it, from the truth itself.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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