11

the calculation of the pebble, 1.99 and compare this to the measure of a human foot? But nevertheless there are some who posit these things, and others those; and believing, some consent to say these things, and others those. Why then do you pass over that most irrational faith, but accuse only ours, which is free from such myths and nonsense, and receives divine and intelligible things intelligibly? 1.100 In addition to what has been said, let us also consider this, how each person, wishing to learn some art, goes to the one who knows how to teach, and accepts the lessons offered by him; and the shoemaker shows how one must hold the cutting-knife and cut the hides, and moreover how to stitch them and fit them to the last; and the other believes what is said and does not contradict the teacher; and the one has the knowledge of what is being done, but the other accepts the faith, and little by little through faith 1.101 he acquires the knowledge. So too the shipwright instructs the one aspiring to learn how to stretch the line, how it is proper to move the saw, how to use the adze and the gimlet and the auger; and the student learns each of these things, doing everything that is commanded and making the teacher's words his laws and believing that through him 1.102 he will master the art. So also the physician not only teaches the science, but also heals the sick; and he himself knows the principle of the treatment, but the one struggling with the disease does not know this, but believes that he will be freed from the disease through the medical 1.103 art. And indeed, only those who know the art of piloting know how to steer the ship, but the sailors believe that through them they will moor at the desired harbors. 1.104 Therefore, O friend, faith is a common possession of all, both of those desiring to learn some art and of those who sail and farm and attend upon physicians; but knowledge is not 1.105 of all, but only of those who know the arts. For example, if we wish to distinguish approved and refined gold, we do not ourselves bring it to the touchstone, but we bid the one who knows such things to test it; and he, bringing it either to the stone or to the fire, declares it either counterfeit or genuine; so also when buying precious stones, we do not entrust the appraisal of them to ourselves, but to those in whom time and experience have instilled this knowledge; 1.106 and if someone wishes to buy a silken, embroidered, and gold-spangled garment, he entrusts to those knowledgeable in weaving to set a worthy price upon it; and indeed also he who wishes to learn the weight of some gold or silver vessels or coins brings these things to one who knows the art of weighing and is taught the weight by him and believes and does not contradict 1.107 the one who informs him. Knowledge, therefore, is not for all, but for those who have learned it by instruction and time and experience. But faith is for all who are eager to learn something. Faith, however, is the foundation and groundwork of knowledge; for even your own philosophers defined faith as a voluntary assent of the soul, 1.108 and knowledge as a disposition unshaken by reason. It is absurd and very difficult, that the teachers of every art should have the knowledge, and the students the faith, but that in divine instructions alone the order should be reversed, and that knowledge should be required before faith; for not least in matters 1.109 of the invisible do we need the eyes of faith. For this reason also the divine apostle expressly cries out: "For he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." For this very reason we too, to those who approach and desire to learn divine things, offer before all else the teaching of faith, then to those being initiated and consecrated we reveal, 1.110 of what things the rites are riddles. And among you likewise not all know the hierophantic discourse, but the great crowd

11

τῆς ψήφου τὸν λογισμὸν 1.99 καὶ τοῦτον τῷ μέτρῳ τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου παραθείη ποδός; Ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰσί τινες, οἱ μὲν τούτοις, οἱ δὲ ἐκείνοις τιθέμενοι· πι στεύοντες δέ, οἱ μὲν ταῦτα, οἱ δὲ ἐκεῖνα καταδέχονται λέγειν. Τί δήποτε τοίνυν τὴν μὲν ἀλογωτάτην ἐκείνην ὑπερβαίνετε πίστιν, μόνης δὲ τῆς ἡμετέρας κατηγορεῖτε, τῶν μὲν τοιούτων μύθων καὶ λήρων ἀπηλλαγμένης, τὰ θεῖα δὲ καὶ νοητὰ νοητῶς δεχο μένης; 1.100 Πρὸς δὲ τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ τόδε σκοπήσωμεν, ὡς ἕκαστος τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τέχνην μαθεῖν ἐθέλων τινά, φοιτᾷ μὲν τῷ διδά σκειν ἐπισταμένῳ, στέργει δὲ τὰ προσφερόμενα παρ' ἐκείνου μαθή ματα· καὶ ὁ μὲν σκυτοτόμος ἐπιδείκνυσιν, ὅπως δεῖ τὸν περιτομέα κατέχειν καὶ τὰ δέρματα διατέμνειν, καὶ μέντοι καὶ ξυρράπτειν καὶ τῷ καλόποδι προσαρμόττειν· ὁ δὲ πιστεύει τοῖς λεγομένοις καὶ οὐκ ἀντιλέγει διδάσκοντι· καὶ ὁ μὲν ἔχει τῶν γινομένων τὴν γνῶσιν, ὁ δὲ στέργει τὴν πίστιν, κατὰ βραχὺ δέ γε διὰ τῆς πί 1.101 στεως προσλαμβάνει τὴν γνῶσιν. Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ ναυπηγὸς ἐκπαι δεύει τὸν μαθεῖν ὀριγνώμενον, πῶς μὲν χρὴ διατείνειν τὴν στάθμην, πῶς δὲ κινεῖν προσήκει τὸν πρίονα, πῶς δὲ τῷ σκε πάρνῳ καὶ τῷ τερέτρῳ καὶ τῷ τρυπάνῳ κεχρῆσθαι· μανθάνει δὲ τούτων ἕκαστον ὁ φοιτῶν, πᾶν γε τὸ κελευόμενον δρῶν καὶ νόμους τοῦ διδασκάλου τοὺς λόγους ποιούμενος καὶ πιστεύων γε δι' ἐκείνου 1.102 κατορθώσειν τὴν τέχνην. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ ἰατρὸς οὐ μόνον ἐκπαιδεύει τὴν ἐπιστήμην, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰατρεύει τοὺς κάμνοντας· καὶ αὐτὸς μὲν οἶδε τῆς ἰατρείας τὸν λόγον, ὁ δέ γε τῇ νόσῳ παλαίων τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἐπίσταται, τῆς νόσου δέ γε πιστεύει διὰ τῆς ἰατρικῆς 1.103 ἀπαλλαγήσεσθαι τέχνης. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὸ σκάφος ἰθύνειν μόνοι γε ἴσασιν οἱ τὴν κυβερνητικὴν ἐπιστάμενοι τέχνην, οἱ δὲ πλω τῆρες δι' ἐκείνων πιστεύουσι τοῖς ποθουμένοις λιμέσι προσορμι 1.104 σθήσεσθαι. Οὐκοῦν, ὦ φιλότης, κοινὸν μέν τι χρῆμα πάντων ἡ πίστις, καὶ τῶν μαθεῖν τινα τέχνην ἐφιεμένων καὶ τῶν πλεόντων καὶ γεωργούντων καὶ ἰατροῖς προσεδρευόντων· ἡ δὲ γνῶσις οὐ 1.105 πάντων, ἀλλὰ μόνων τῶν τὰς τέχνας ἐπισταμένων. Αὐτίκα τοί νυν ἢν ἐθελήσωμεν διαγνῶναι χρυσὸν δόκιμόν τε καὶ ἄπεφθον, οὐχ ἡμεῖς τῇ βασάνῳ τοῦτον προσφέρομεν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐπιστάμενον τὰ τοιαῦτα δοκιμάσαι κελεύομεν· ὁ δέ, ἢ τῇ λίθῳ προσφέρων ἢ τῷ πυρί, ἢ κίβδηλον ἢ δόκιμον ἀποφαίνει· οὕτω καὶ πολυτελεῖς ὠνούμενοι λίθους, οὐχ ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς τὴν τούτων διάγνωσιν ἐπιτρέ πομεν, ἀλλ' οἷς ὁ χρόνος καὶ ἡ πεῖρα τήνδε τὴν ἐπιστήμην ἐνέ 1.106 θηκεν· καὶ τὴν σηρικὴν δὲ καὶ ποικίλην καὶ χρυσόπαστον ἐσθῆτα εἴ τις πρίασθαι βούλεται, τοῖς τῆς ὑφαντικῆς ἐπιστήμοσιν ἐπιτρέ πει τὴν ἀξίαν τούτοις ἐπιθεῖναι τιμήν· καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ ὁ σταθμὸν σκευῶν τινων χρυσῶν ἢ ἀργυρῶν ἢ νομισμάτων ἐθέλων μαθεῖν τῷ τὴν στατικὴν ἐπισταμένῳ τέχνην ταῦτα προσφέρει καὶ παρ' ἐκείνου διδάσκεται τὸν σταθμὸν καὶ πιστεύει καὶ οὐκ ἀντιλέγει 1.107 μηνύοντι. Οὔκουν ἁπάντων ἡ ἐπιστήμη, ἀλλὰ τῶν διδασκαλίᾳ καὶ χρόνῳ καὶ πείρᾳ ταύτην μεμαθηκότων. ἡ δέ γε πίστις ἁπάν των ἐστὶ τῶν μαθεῖν τι προθυμουμένων. Ὑποβάθρα μέντοι καὶ κρηπὶς τῆς ἐπιστήμης ἡ πίστις· τὴν μὲν γὰρ πίστιν καὶ οἱ ὑμέ τεροι φιλόσοφοι ὡρίσαντο εἶναι ἐθελούσιον τῆς ψυχῆς ξυγκατάθε 1.108 σιν, τὴν δὲ ἐπιστήμην ἕξιν ἀμετάπτωτον ὑπὸ λόγου. Ἄτοπον δὲ καὶ λίαν παγχάλεπον, τοὺς μὲν τέχνης ἁπάσης διδασκάλους ἔχειν τὴν ἐπιστήμην, τοὺς δὲ φοιτῶντας τὴν πίστιν, ἐπὶ μόνων δέ γε τῶν θείων παιδευμάτων ἀνατετράφθαι τὴν τάξιν, καὶ πρὸ τῆς πίστεως ἀπαιτεῖσθαι τὴν ἐπιστήμην· οὐχ ἥκιστα γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν 1.109 ἀοράτων τῶν τῆς πίστεως ὀμμάτων δεόμεθα. Τῷ τοι καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος διαρρήδην βοᾷ· "Πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ τὸν προσερχόμε νον τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ἔστι καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν μισθαποδότης γίνεται." ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς τοῖς προσιούσι καὶ τὰ θεῖα ποθοῦσι μαθεῖν πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων τὴν τῆς πίστεως διδα σκαλίαν προσφέρομεν, εἶτα τελουμένοις καὶ μυουμένοις δηλοῦμεν, 1.110 τίνων ἐστὶν αἰνίγματα τὰ γινόμενα. Καὶ παρ' ὑμῖν δέ γε ὡσαύ τως τὸν ἱεροφαντικὸν οὐχ ἅπαντες ἴσασι λόγον, ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν πολὺς ὅμιλος τὰ