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| One Has Succeeded in Finding Definite Truth, When He Believes. Heretical Wits are Always Offering Many Things for Vain Discussion, But We are Not to Be Always Seeking. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter
X.—One Has Succeeded in Finding Definite Truth, When He Believes.
Heretical Wits are Always Offering Many Things for Vain Discussion, But
We are Not to Be Always Seeking.
Now the reason of this saying is comprised in
three points: in the matter, in the time, in the limit.1969 In the matter, so that you must consider
what it is you have to seek; in the time, when you have
to seek; in the limit, how long. What you have “to
seek,” then, is that which Christ has taught,1970
1970 This is,
“the matter.” | (and you must go on seeking) of course for
such time as you fail to find,1971 —until indeed
you find1972 it. But you have
succeeded in finding1973 when you have
believed. For you would not have believed if you had not found; as
neither would you have sought except with a view to find. Your object,
therefore, in seeking was to find; and your object in finding
was to believe. All further delay for seeking and finding you
have prevented1974
1974 Fixisti,
“determined.” | by believing. The
very fruit of your seeking has determined for you this limit.
This boundary1975 has He set for you
Himself, who is unwilling that you should believe anything else than
what He has taught, or, therefore, even seek for it. If, however,
because so many other things have been taught by one and another, we
are on that account bound to go on seeking, so long as we are able to
find anything, we must (at that rate) be ever seeking, and never
believe anything at all. For where shall be the end of seeking? where
the stop1976
1976 Statio,
“resting-place.” | in believing? where
the completion in finding? (Shall it be) with Marcion? But even
Valentinus proposes (to us the) maxim, “Seek, and ye shall
find.” (Then shall it be) with Valentinus? Well, but Apelles,
too, will assail me with the same quotation; Hebion also, and Simon,
and all in turn, have no other argument wherewithal to entice me, and
draw me over to their side. Thus I shall be nowhere, and still be
encountering1977 (that challenge),
“Seek, and ye shall find,” precisely as if I had no
resting-place;1978
1978 This is the rendering
of Oehler’s text, “et velut si nusquam. There are
other readings of this obscure passage, of which as we add the two most
intelligible. The Codex Agobardinus has, “et velim
si nunquam;” that is, “and I would that I were
nowhere,” with no fixed belief—in such wise as never to
have had the truth; not, as must now be, to have forfeited it.
(Dodgson). This seems far-fetched, and inferior to the reading of
Pamelius and his mss.: “et
velint me sic esse nusquam;”—or (as Semler puts it)
“velint sic nusquam;” i.e., “and they (the heretics)
would wish me to be nowhere”—without the fixed faith of the
Catholic. This makes good sense. [Semler is here mentioned, and if
anybody wishes to understand what sort of editor he was, he may be
greatly amused by Kaye’s examination of some of his positions,
pp. 64–84. Elucidation II.] | as if (indeed) I
had never found that which Christ has taught—that which
ought1979 to be sought, that which must needs1980
1980 Necesse est. Observe
these degrees of obligation. | be believed.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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