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| Chapter II.—The Knowledge of God Can Be Attained Only Through Faith.
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Chapter II.—The Knowledge of God Can Be Attained Only Through Faith.
“Be not elated on account of thy wisdom,” say the
Proverbs. “In all thy ways acknowledge her, that she may direct
thy ways, and that thy foot may not stumble.” By these remarks he
means to show that our deeds ought to be conformable to reason, and to
manifest further that we ought to select and possess what is useful out
of all culture. Now the ways of wisdom are various that lead right to
the way of truth. Faith is the way. “Thy foot shall not
stumble” is said with reference to some who seem to oppose the
one divine administration of Providence. Whence it is added, “Be
not wise in thine own eyes,” according to the impious ideas
which revolt against the administration of God. “But fear
God,” who alone is powerful. Whence it follows as a consequence
that we are not to oppose God. The sequel especially teaches clearly,
that “the fear of God is departure from evil;” for it is
said, “and depart from all evil.” Such is the discipline
of wisdom (“for whom the Lord loveth He chastens”2161
| 2161 Prov. iii. 5, 6, 7, 12,
23. | ), causing pain in order to produce understanding, and
restoring to peace and immortality. Accordingly, the Barbarian philosophy,
which we follow, is in reality perfect and true. And so it is said in
the book of Wisdom: “For He hath given me the unerring knowledge
of things that exist, to know the constitution of the word,”
and so forth, down to “and the virtues of roots.” Among
all these he comprehends natural science, which treats of all the
phenomena in the world of sense. And in continuation, he alludes also
to intellectual objects in what he subjoins: “And what is hidden
or manifest I know; for Wisdom, the artificer of all things, taught
me.”2162
| 2162 Wisd. vii. 17,
20, 21, 22. | You have, in brief, the professed aim of our
philosophy; and the learning of these branches, when pursued with right
course of conduct, leads through Wisdom, the artificer of all things,
to the Ruler of all,—a Being difficult to grasp and apprehend,
ever receding and withdrawing from him who pursues. But He who is far
off has—oh ineffable marvel!—come very near. “I am a
God that draws near,” says the Lord. He is in essence remote;
“for how is it that what is begotten can have approached the
Unbegotten?” But He is very near in virtue of that power which
holds all things in its embrace. “Shall one do aught in secret,
and I see him not?”2163
For the power of God is always present,
in contact with us, in the exercise of inspection, of beneficence,
of instruction. Whence Moses, persuaded that God is not to be
known by human wisdom, said, “Show me Thy glory;”2164
and into the thick darkness where God’s voice was, pressed
to enter—that is, into the inaccessible and invisible ideas
respecting Existence. For God is not in darkness or in place, but above
both space and time, and qualities of objects. Wherefore neither is He
at any time in a part, either as containing or as contained, either
by limitation or by section. “For what house will ye build to
Me?” saith the Lord.2165
Nay, He has not even built one for Himself,
since He cannot be contained. And though heaven be called His throne,
not even thus is He contained, but He rests delighted in the creation.
It is clear, then, that the truth has been hidden from
us; and if that has been already shown by one example, we shall
establish it a little after by several more. How entirely worthy of
approbation are they who are both willing to learn, and able, according
to Solomon, “to know wisdom and instruction, and to perceive the
words of wisdom, to receive knotty words, and to perceive true
righteousness,” there being another [righteousness as well], not
according to the truth, taught by the Greek laws, and by the rest of
the philosophers. “And to direct judgments,” it is
said—not those of the bench, but he means that we must preserve
sound and free of error the judicial faculty which is within
us—“That I may give subtlety to the simple, to the young
man sense and understanding.”2166
| 2166 ἔννοιαν,
not εὔνοιαν,
as in the text. | “For the wise
man,” who has been persuaded to obey the commandments,
“having heard these things, will become wiser” by
knowledge; and “the intelligent man will acquire rule, and will
understand a parable and a dark word, the sayings and enigmas of the
wise.”2167
For it is not spurious words which those
inspired by God and those who are gained over by them adduce, nor is it
snares in which the most of the sophists entangle the young, spending
their time on nought true. But those who possess the Holy Spirit
“search the deep things of God,”2168
—that is, grasp
the secret that is in the prophecies. “To impart of holy things
to the dogs” is forbidden, so long as they remain beasts. For
never ought those who are envious and perturbed, and still infidel in
conduct, shameless in barking at investigation,
to dip in the divine and clear
stream of the living water. “Let not the waters of thy fountain
overflow, and let thy waters spread over thine own streets.”2169
For it is not many who understand such things as they fall in with;
or know them even after learning them, though they think they do,
according to the worthy Heraclitus. Does not even he seem to thee
to censure those who believe not? “Now my just one shall
live by faith,”2170
the prophet said. And another prophet also says,
“Except ye believe, neither shall ye understand.”2171
For how ever could the soul admit the transcendental contemplation of
such themes, while unbelief respecting what was to be learned struggled
within? But faith, which the Greeks disparage, deeming it futile and
barbarous, is a voluntary preconception,2172
| 2172 Or anticipation, πρόληψις. |
the assent of piety—“the subject of things hoped for,
the evidence of things not seen,” according to the divine
apostle. “For hereby,” pre-eminently, “the elders
obtained a good report. But without faith it is impossible to please
God.”2173
Others have defined faith to be a uniting assent to an
unseen object, as certainly the proof of an unknown thing is an evident
assent. If then it be choice, being desirous of something, the desire
is in this instance intellectual. And since choice is the beginning of
action, faith is discovered to be the beginning of action, being the
foundation of rational choice in the case of any one who exhibits to
himself the previous demonstration through faith. Voluntarily to follow
what is useful, is the first principle of understanding. Unswerving
choice, then, gives considerable momentum in the direction of
knowledge. The exercise of faith directly becomes knowledge, reposing on
a sure foundation. Knowledge, accordingly, is defined by the sons of the
philosophers as a habit, which cannot be overthrown by reason. Is there
any other true condition such as this, except piety, of which alone
the Word is teacher?2174
| 2174
Adopting Lowth’s conjecture of supplying πλήν
before θεοσεβείας. |
I think not. Theophrastus says that sensation is the root of faith. For
from it the rudimentary principles extend to the reason that is in us,
and the understanding. He who believeth then the divine Scriptures with
sure judgment, receives in the voice of God, who bestowed the Scripture,
a demonstration that cannot be impugned. Faith, then, is not established
by demonstration. “Blessed therefore those who, not having seen,
yet have believed.”2175
| 2175
John xx. 29. [Note this definition of true knowledge, followed by an
appeal to the Scriptures as infallible teaching. No need to say that no
other infallibility is ever hinted, or dreamed of, by Clement.] |
The Siren’s songs, exhibiting a power above human, fascinated
those that came near, conciliating them, almost against their will,
to the reception of what was said.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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