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| Chapter III.—The Objects of Faith and Hope Perceived by the Mind Alone.
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Chapter III.—The Objects of Faith and Hope Perceived by the Mind Alone.
For he who hopes, as he who believes, sees
intellectual objects and future things with the mind. If, then, we
affirm that aught is just, and affirm it to be good, and we also
say that truth is something, yet we have never seen any of such
objects with our eyes, but with our mind alone. Now the Word of
God says, “I am the truth.”2976
The Word is then to
be contemplated by the mind. “Do you aver,” it was
said,2977
“that there are any true philosophers?” “Yes,”
said I, “those who love to contemplate the truth.” In the
Phœdrus also, Plato, speaking of the truth, shows it as
an idea. Now an idea is a conception of God; and this the barbarians
have termed the Word of God. The words are as follow: “For
one must then dare to speak the truth, especially in speaking of
the truth. For the essence of the soul, being colourless, formless,
and intangible, is visible only to God,2978
| 2978 In Plato we have νῷ instead of Θεῷ. |
its guide.” Now the Word issuing forth was the cause of
creation; then also he generated himself, “when the Word had
become flesh,”2979
that He might be seen. The righteous man will seek the
discovery that flows from love, to which if he hastes he prospers. For
it is said, “To him that knocketh, it shall be opened: ask,
and it shall be given to you.”2980
“For the violent that
storm the kingdom”2981
are not so in disputatious speeches; but by
continuance in a right life and unceasing prayers, are said “to take
it by force,” wiping away the blots left by their previous sins.
“You may obtain wickedness, even in great abundance.2982
| 2982 Hesiod, first line, Works and Days, 285. The other three are variously ascribed to different authors. |
And him who toils God helps;
For the gifts of the Muses, hard to win,
Lie not before you, for any one to bear away.”
The knowledge of ignorance is, then,
the first lesson in walking according to the Word. An ignorant man has
sought, and having sought, he finds the teacher; and finding has believed,
and believing has hoped; and henceforward having loved, is assimilated to
what was loved—endeavouring to be what he first loved. Such is the
method Socrates shows Alcibiades, who thus questions: “Do you not
think that I shall know about what is right otherwise?” “Yes,
if you have found out.” “But you don’t think I have
found out?” “Certainly, if you have sought.”
“Then you don’t think that I have
sought?” “Yes, if you think you do not know.”2983
| 2983 Plato, Alcibiades, book
i. | So with the lamps of the wise virgins, lighted at night
in the great darkness of ignorance, which the Scripture signified by
“night.” Wise souls, pure as virgins, understanding themselves
to be situated amidst the ignorance of the world, kindle the light,
and rouse the mind, and illumine the darkness, and dispel ignorance,
and seek truth, and await the appearance of the Teacher.
“The mob, then,” said I,
“cannot become philosopher.”2984
| 2984 Plato, Republic, vi. p. 678. |
“Many rod-bearers there are,
but few Bacchi,” according to Plato. “For many are called,
but few chosen.”2985
“Knowledge is not in all,”2986
says the apostle. “And pray that we may be delivered from
unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith.”2987
And the Poetics of Cleanthes, the Stoic, writes to the following
effect:—
“Look not to glory, wishing to
be suddenly wise,
And fear not the undiscerning and
rash opinion of the many;
For the multitude has not an
intelligent, or wise, or right judgment,
And it is in few men that you
will find this.”2988
| 2988
Quoted by Socrates in the Phædo, p. 52. |
And more sententiously the comic
poet briefly says:—
“It is a shame to judge of what is right by much noise.”
For they heard, I think, that
excellent wisdom, which says to us, “Watch your opportunity
in the midst of the foolish, and in the midst of the intelligent
continue.”2989
And again, “The wise will
conceal sense.”2990
For the many demand demonstration as a pledge
of truth, not satisfied with the bare salvation by faith.
“But it is strongly incumbent to disbelieve the dominant wicked,
And as is enjoined by the assurance of our muse,
Know by dissecting the utterance within your breast.”
“For this is habitual to
the wicked,” says Empedocles, “to wish to overbear what
is true by disbelieving it.” And that our tenets are probable
and worthy of belief, the Greeks shall know, the point being more
thoroughly investigated in what follows. For we are taught what is
like by what is like. For says Solomon, “Answer a fool according
to his folly.”2991
Wherefore also, to those that ask the wisdom
that is with us, we are to hold out things suitable, that with the
greatest possible ease they may, through their own ideas, be likely to
arrive at faith in the truth. For “I
became all things to all men, that I
might gain all men.”2992
Since also “the rain” of the
divine grace is sent down “on the just and the unjust.”2993
“Is
He the God of the Jews only, and not also of the Gentiles? Yes, also of
the Gentiles: if indeed He is one God,”2994
exclaims the noble
apostle.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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