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| On Threefold Wisdom.
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Chapter
III.—On Threefold Wisdom.
1. The holy apostle, wishing to teach us
some great and hidden truth respecting science and wisdom, says, in the
first Epistle to the Corinthians: “We speak wisdom among
them that are perfect; yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the
princes of the world, that come to nought: but we speak the
wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained
before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of the
world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified
the Lord of glory.”2588
In this
passage, wishing to describe the different kinds of wisdom, he points
out that there is a wisdom of this world, and a wisdom of the princes
of this world, and another wisdom of God. But when he uses the
expression “wisdom of the princes of this world,” I do not
think that he means a wisdom common to all the princes of this world,
but one rather that is peculiar to certain individuals among
them. And again, when he says, “We speak the wisdom of God
in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the
world unto our glory,”2589
we must inquire
whether his meaning be, that this is the same wisdom of God which was
hidden from other times and generations, and was not made known to the
sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and
prophets, and which was also that wisdom of God before the advent of
the Saviour, by means of which Solomon obtained his wisdom, and in
reference to which the language of the Saviour Himself declared, that
what He taught was greater than Solomon, in these words, “Behold,
a greater than Solomon is here,”2590
—words which show, that those who were
instructed by the Saviour were instructed in something higher than the
knowledge of Solomon. For if one were to assert that the Saviour
did indeed Himself possess greater knowledge, but did not communicate
more to others than Solomon did, how will that agree with the statement
which follows: “The queen of the south shall rise up in the
judgment, and condemn the men of this generation, because she came from
the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a
greater than Solomon is here?” There is therefore a wisdom
of this world, and also probably a wisdom belonging to each individual
prince of this world. But with respect to the wisdom of God alone, we perceive that this
is indicated, that it operated to a less degree in ancient and former
times, and was (afterwards) more fully revealed and manifested through
Christ. We shall inquire, however, regarding the wisdom of God in
the proper place.
2. But now, since we are treating of the
manner in which the opposing powers stir up those contests, by means of
which false knowledge is introduced into the minds of men, and human
souls led astray, while they imagine that they have discovered wisdom,
I think it necessary to name and distinguish the wisdom of this world,
and of the princes of this world, that by so doing we may discover who
are the fathers of this wisdom, nay, even of these kinds of
wisdom.2591
I am of
opinion, therefore, as I have stated above, that there is another
wisdom of this world besides those (different kinds of) wisdom2592
which belong to the princes of this world,
by which wisdom those things seem to be understood and comprehended
which belong to this world. This wisdom, however, possesses in
itself no fitness for forming any opinion either respecting divine
things,2593
or the plan of the
world’s government, or any other subjects of importance, or
regarding the training for a good or happy life; but is such as deals
wholly with the art of poetry, e.g., or that of grammar, or rhetoric,
or geometry, or music, with which also, perhaps, medicine should be
classed. In all these subjects we are to suppose that the wisdom
of this world is included. The wisdom of the princes of this
world, on the other hand, we understand to be such as the secret and
occult philosophy, as they call it, of the Egyptians, and the astrology
of the Chaldeans and Indians, who make profession of the knowledge of
high things,2594
| 2594 De scientiâ
excelsi pollicentium. | and also that
manifold variety of opinion which prevails among the Greeks regarding
divine things. Accordingly, in the holy Scriptures we find that
there are princes over individual nations; as in Daniel2595
we read that there was a prince of the
kingdom of Persia, and another prince of the kingdom of Græcia,
who are clearly shown, by the nature of the passage, to be not human
beings, but certain powers. In the prophecies of
Ezekiel,2596
also, the prince of
Tyre is unmistakeably shown to be a kind of spiritual power. When
these, then, and others of the same kind, possessing each his own
wisdom, and building up his own opinions and sentiments, beheld our
Lord and Saviour professing and declaring that He had for this purpose
come into the world, that all the opinions of science, falsely so
called, might be destroyed, not knowing what was concealed within Him,
they forthwith laid a snare for Him: for “the kings of the
earth set themselves, and the rulers assembled together, against the
Lord and His Christ.”2597
But their
snares being discovered, and the plans which they had attempted to
carry out being made manifest when they crucified the Lord of glory,
therefore the apostle says, “We speak wisdom among them that are
perfect, but not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this
world, who are brought to nought, which none of the princes of this
world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified
the Lord of glory.”2598
3. We must, indeed, endeavour to ascertain
whether that wisdom2599
of the princes of
this world, with which they endeavour to imbue men, is introduced into
their minds by the opposing powers, with the purpose of ensnaring and
injuring them, or only for the purpose of deceiving them, i.e., not
with the object of doing any hurt to man; but, as these princes of this
world esteem such opinions to be true, they desire to impart to others
what they themselves believe to be the truth: and this is the
view which I am inclined to adopt. For as, to take an
illustration, certain Greek authors, or the leaders of some heretical
sect, after having imbibed an error in doctrine instead of the truth,
and having come to the conclusion in their own minds that such is the
truth, proceed, in the next place, to endeavour to persuade others of
the correctness of their opinions; so, in like manner, are we to
suppose is the procedure of the princes of this world, in which to
certain spiritual powers has been assigned the rule over certain
nations, and who are termed on that account the princes of this
world. There are besides, in addition to these princes, certain
special energies2600
of this world,
i.e., spiritual powers, which bring about certain effects, which they
have themselves, in virtue of their freedom of will, chosen to produce,
and to these belong those princes who practise the wisdom of this
world: there being, for example, a peculiar energy and power,
which is the inspirer of poetry; another, of geometry; and so a
separate power, to remind us of each of the arts and professions of
this kind. Lastly, many Greek writers have been of opinion that
the art of poetry cannot exist without madness;2601
whence also it is several times related in their histories, that those
whom they call poets2602
were suddenly
filled with a kind of spirit of madness. And what are we to say
also of those whom they call diviners,2603
from whom, by the working of those demons who have the mastery over
them, answers are given in carefully constructed verses? Those
persons, too, whom they term Magi or Malevolent,2604
frequently, by invoking demons over boys of
tender years, have made them repeat poetical compositions which were
the admiration and amazement of all. Now these effects we are to
suppose are brought about in the following manner: As holy and
immaculate souls, after devoting themselves to God with all affection
and purity, and after preserving themselves free from all contagion of
evil spirits,2605
and after being
purified by lengthened abstinence, and imbued with holy and religious
training, assume by this means a portion of divinity, and earn the
grace of prophecy, and other divine gifts; so also are we to suppose
that those who place themselves in the way of the opposing powers,
i.e., who purposely admire and adopt their manner of life and
habits,2606
| 2606 Id est, industria
vita, vel studio amico illis et accepto. | receive their
inspiration, and become partakers of their wisdom and doctrine.
And the result of this is, that they are filled with the working of
those spirits to whose service they have subjected
themselves.
4. With respect to those, indeed, who teach
differently regarding Christ from what the rule of Scripture allows, it
is no idle task to ascertain whether it is from a treacherous purpose
that these opposing powers, in their struggles to prevent a belief in
Christ, have devised certain fabulous and impious doctrines; or
whether, on hearing the word of Christ, and not being able to cast it
forth from the secrecy of their conscience, nor yet to retain it pure
and holy, they have, by means of vessels that were convenient to their
use,2607
| 2607 Per vasa opportuna
sibi. | and, so to speak, through their prophets,
introduced various errors contrary to the rule of Christian
truth. Now we are to suppose rather that apostate and refugee
powers,2608
| 2608 Apostatæ et
refugæ virtutes. | which have departed
from God out of the very wickedness of their mind and will,2609
or from envy of those for whom there is
prepared (on their becoming acquainted with the truth) an ascent to the
same rank, whence they themselves had fallen, did, in order to prevent
any progress of that kind, invent these errors and delusions of false
doctrine. It is then clearly established, by many proofs, that
while the soul of man exists in this body, it may admit different
energies, i.e., operations, from a diversity of good and evil
spirits. Now, of wicked spirits there is a twofold mode of
operation: i.e., when they either take complete and entire
possession of the mind,2610
so as to allow
their captives2611
| 2611 Eos quos
obsederint. | the power neither
of understanding nor feeling; as, for instance, is the case with those
commonly called possessed,2612
whom we see to be
deprived of reason, and insane (such as those were who are related in
the Gospel to have been cured by the Saviour); or when by their wicked
suggestions they deprave a sentient and intelligent soul with thoughts
of various kinds, persuading it to evil, of which Judas is an
illustration, who was induced at the suggestion of the devil to commit
the crime of treason, according to the declaration of Scripture, that
“the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot to
betray him.”2613
But a man receives the energy, i.e., the working,
of a good spirit, when he is stirred and incited to good, and is
inspired to heavenly or divine things; as the holy angels and God
Himself wrought in the prophets, arousing and exhorting them by their
holy suggestions to a better course of life, yet so, indeed, that it
remained within the will and judgment of the individual, either to be
willing or unwilling to follow the call to divine and heavenly
things. And from this manifest distinction, it is seen how the
soul is moved by the presence of a better spirit, i.e., if it encounter
no perturbation or alienation of mind whatever from the impending
inspiration, nor lose the free control of its will; as, for instance,
is the case with all, whether prophets or apostles, who ministered to
the divine responses without any perturbation of mind.2614
| 2614 [See
Oehler’s Old Testament Theology, § 207,
“Psychological Definition of the Prophetic State in Ancient
Times,” pp. 468, 469. S.] | Now, that by the suggestions of a good
spirit the memory of man is aroused to the recollection of better
things, we have already shown by previous instances, when we mentioned
the cases of Mordecai and Artaxerxes.
5. This too, I think, should next be
inquired into, viz., what are the reasons why a human soul is acted on
at one time by good (spirits), and at another by bad: the grounds
of which I suspect to be older than the bodily birth of the individual,
as John (the Baptist) showed by his leaping and exulting in his
mother’s womb, when the voice of the salutation of Mary reached
the ears of his mother Elisabeth; and as Jeremiah the prophet declares,
who was known to God before he was formed in his mother’s womb,
and before he was born was sanctified by Him, and while yet a boy
received the grace of prophecy.2615
And
again, on the other hand it is shown beyond a doubt, that some have
been possessed by hostile spirits from the very beginning of their
lives: i.e., some were born with an evil spirit; and others,
according to credible
histories, have practised divination2616
from
childhood. Others have been under the influence of the demon
called Python, i.e., the ventriloquial spirit, from the commencement of
their existence. To all which instances, those who maintain that
everything in the world is under the administration of Divine
Providence (as is also our own belief), can, as it appears to me, give
no other answer, so as to show that no shadow of injustice rests upon
the divine government, than by holding that there were certain causes
of prior existence, in consequence of which the souls, before their
birth in the body, contracted a certain amount of guilt in their
sensitive nature, or in their movements, on account of which they have
been judged worthy by Divine Providence of being placed in this
condition. For a soul is always in possession of free-will, as
well when it is in the body as when it is without it; and freedom of
will is always directed either to good or evil. Nor can any
rational and sentient being, i.e., a mind or soul, exist without some
movement either good or bad. And it is probable that these
movements furnish grounds for merit even before they do anything in
this world; so that on account of these merits or grounds they are,
immediately on their birth, and even before it, so to speak, assorted
by Divine Providence for the endurance either of good or
evil.
Let such, then, be our views respecting those
events which appear to befall men, either immediately after birth, or
even before they enter upon the light. But as regards the
suggestions which are made to the soul, i.e., to the faculty of human
thought, by different spirits, and which arouse men to good actions or
the contrary, even in such a case we must suppose that there sometimes
existed certain causes anterior to bodily birth. For occasionally
the mind, when watchful, and casting away from it what is evil, calls
to itself the aid of the good; or if it be, on the contrary, negligent
and slothful, it makes room through insufficient caution for these
spirits, which, lying in wait secretly like robbers, contrive to rush
into the minds of men when they see a lodgment made for them by sloth;
as the Apostle Peter says, “that our adversary the devil goes
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”2617
On which account our heart must be
kept with all carefulness both by day and night, and no place be given
to the devil; but every effort must be used that the ministers of
God—those spirits, viz., who were sent to minister to them who
are called to be heirs of salvation2618
—may find
a place within us, and be delighted to enter into the
guest-chamber2619
of our soul, and
dwelling within us may guide us by their counsels; if, indeed, they
shall find the habitation of our heart adorned by the practice of
virtue and holiness. But let that be sufficient which we have
said, as we best could, regarding those powers which are hostile to the
human race.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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