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Therefore, one might simply and briefly state the truth in this way concerning the philosophy from the external disciplines, that the philosophy of each person might be called the treatise in the writings or discourses of each philosopher, and that which is observed in all (p. 304) philosophers is common, but the wisdom that has fallen away from its proper end, the knowledge of God, is made foolish. But the one that has not suffered this is not made foolish; for how could it be, when it attains the end that comes by nature and returns to God, the giver of nature? Such is the philosophy of the pious and learned men of our time, which has truly and manfully cast off what is harmful and selected what is profitable and commended it to the Church of God and harmoniously fitted it to the wisdom of the Spirit. I, therefore, think that the truth lies in this. But this champion of external and foolish philosophy, having heard Paul say, "God made foolish the wisdom of this world," says that it is made foolish when compared to the wisdom of God, just like every human virtue and thought. And when I do not accept this, but clearly show the truth through many arguments, he, having nothing to say in opposition, condemns me for sophistry. Let those things, then, in my former discourse concerning profitable philosophy stand; for they still stand unassailed and remain irrefutable.

And now I would ask the one who makes foolish by comparison the wisdom he champions how is it nowhere written that God defiled every human virtue and made foolish every thought, in the same way that he made foolish the wisdom of this world? For where does a form of comparison appear here in the apostolic sayings? But just as God hardened the hearts of the Jews and hardened the heart of Pharaoh and gave over the wise men of the Greeks to a debased mind, this is not of comparison, but of abandonment, in the same way, then, is the phrase "he made foolish". For, what does it mean that God shamed those wise men, and that he brought them to nothing, and that he rejected them, and this very thing, that he gave them over to a debased mind? Did the apostle say these things by way of comparison? And who in his right mind would accept this? (p. 306) Rather, who, knowing how to follow the apostolic sayings, leaving those things to be understood without comparison, as he taught, would be persuaded by you who compares? "For God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise." What then, is the wisdom of men, when compared to that of God, shamed and made foolish, while foolishness speaks boldly and becomes wise? Or, do you take the things you wish comparatively, but the things that you cannot, not being profitable for the preparation of your arguments, you leave without comparison? And who would be persuaded by you, unless, deceived by your words, he considers external education to be salvific?

Therefore, what he says next after this, as it contains the refutation of its falsehood in itself, I think I should pass over. But as if judging it not enough for himself to lie, but also making it of the greatest importance to lie against others, he has again descended to slander, and when I say that of the gifts of God some are natural, given in common to all before the law and in the law and after the law, and others are supernatural and spiritual and especially ineffable, and I place these above the former, and those deemed worthy of the wisdom of the Spirit above every Greek company, and that philosophy is one of the things naturally given by God and the disciplines are discoveries of the human mind, he himself claims, as if from me, that it is fitting to think that only those things have been given by God which human reasoning cannot reach, and to deem none of the others worthy of such honor. But neither of these things was said by me there. For I know that human reasoning cannot reach many things that also happen by nature, and I deem each worthy of its proper honor: the spiritual graces as supernatural and only for

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Τοιγαροῦν ταύτῃ τἀληθές περί τῆς ἐκ μαθημάτων τῶν ἔξω φιλοσοφίας ἁπλῶς καί συντόμως φαίη τις ἄν, ὡς φιλοσοφία μέν ἑκάστου καλοῖτ᾿ ἄν ἡ ἐν συγγράμμασιν ἤ λόγοις ἑκάστου φιλοσόφοις πραγματεία, κοινή δέ ἡ πᾶσι (σελ. 304) φιλοσόφοις ἐνθεωρουμένη, μεμωραμένη δέ ἡ τοῦ προσήκοντος σοφία τέλους τῆς θεογνωσίας ἐκπεσοῦσα. Ἡ δέ μή τοῦτο πεπονθυῖα, οὐδέ μεμωραμένη˙ πῶς γάρ, τοῦ φύσει γιγνομένου τέλους ἐπιτυγχάνουσα καί πρός τόν δοτῆρα τῆς φύσεως ἐπιστρεφομένη Θεόν; Τοιαύτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ τῶν ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν εὐσεβῶν καί ἐλλογίμων ἀνδρῶν, ἀνδρικῶς ὄντως ἀποτιναξαμένη τό βλάπτον καί τό λυσιτελές ἀπολεξαμένη καί τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ συστήσασα καί ἐμμελῶς ἁρμοσαμένη τῇ σοφίᾳ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Ἐγώ μέν οὖν ταύτῃ τἀληθές ἔχειν οἴομαι. Ὁ δέ τῆς ἔξω καί μεμωραμένης φιλοσοφίας οὗτος ὑπέρμαχος, καί τό «ἐμώρανεν ὁ Θεός τήν σοφίαν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου» Παύλου λέγοντος ἀκούσας, ὡς συγκρινομένην πρός τήν τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίαν φησί μωραίνεσθαι, ὥσπερ καί πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀρετήν καί διάνοιαν. Κἀμοῦ μή τοῦτο παραδεχομένου, δεικνύντος δέ διά πολλῶν σαφῶς τἀληθές, αὐτός ἀντιλέγειν οὐκ ἔχων σοφιστείας καταψηφίζεται. Κείσθω μέν οὖν ἐν τῷ προτέρῳ μοι περί λυσιτελοῦς φιλοσοφίας ἐκεῖνα λόγῳ˙ καί γάρ ἀνεπηρεάστως ἔτ᾿ ἔχει καί ἀναντίρρητα μένει.

Καί νῦν δ᾿ ἄν ἐροίμην τόν ἐκ συγκρίσεως μωραίνοντα τήν ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ προεσβευομένην σοφίαν καί πῶς οὐδαμοῦ γέγραπται ὅτι ἐμίανεν ὁ Θεός πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀρετήν καί ἐμώρανε πᾶσαν διάνοιαν, ὡς καί τήν τοῦ κόσμου τούτου σοφίαν ἐμώρανε; Ποῦ γάρ συγκρίσεως εἶδος ἐνταῦθα τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ἀναφαίνεται ρημάτων; Ἀλλ᾿ ὥσπερ ἐπώρωσεν ὁ Θεός τάς καρδίας τῶν Ἰουδαίων καί ἐσκλήρυνε τήν καρδίαν Φαραώ καί παρέδωκε τούς σοφούς τῶν Ἑλλήνων εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν, οὐ συγκρίσεώς ἐστιν, ἀλλ᾿ ἐγκαταλείψεως, τόν αὐτόν ἄρα τρόπον καί τό ἐμώρανεν˙ ἐπεί, τί καί τό ὅτι κατήσχυνεν ὁ Θεός τούς σοφούς ἐκείνους βούλεται, καί ὅτι κατήργησε, καί ὅτι ἀπεδοκίμασε, καί αὐτό τοῦτο ὅτι παρέδωκεν αὐτούς εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν; Μή καί ταῦτα συγκρίνων ὁ ἀπόστολος εἶπε; Καί τίς ἄν νοῦν ἔχων παρεδέξαιτο τοῦτο; (σελ. 306) Μᾶλλον δέ τίς ἀποστολικαῖς ρήσεσιν εἰδώς ἕπεσθαι, ἀφείς ἐκεῖνα νοεῖν ἄνευ συγκρίσεως, ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἐδίδαξε, σοί πεισθείη συγκρίνοντι; «Τά γοῦν μωρά τοῦ κόσμου ἐξελέξατο ὁ Θεός, ἵνα τούς σοφούς καταισχύνῃ». Τί οὖν, ἡ μέν σοφία τῶν ἀνθρώπων συγκρινομένη πρός τήν τοῦ Θεοῦ καταισχύνεται καί μωραίνεται, ἡ δέ μωρία παρρησιάζεται καί σοφίζεται; Ἤ, ἅ μέν βούλει, συγκριτικῶς ἐκλαμβάνεις, ἅ δ᾿ οὐκ ἔνι σοι βουλομένῳ, μή λυσιτελοῦντα τῇ παρασκευῇ τῶν σῶν λόγων, ἀφίεις ἀσύγκριτα; Καί τίς ἄν σοι πείθοιτο, εἰ μή τοῖς σοῖς λόγοις ἠπατημένος, τήν ἐξω παιδείαν σωτήριον ἥγηται;

Ἅ μέν οὖν ἐφεξῆς μετά ταῦτα λέγει, ὡς αὐτόθεν ἔχοντα τόν τοῦ ψεύδους ἔλεγχον, παρεῖναί μοι δοκῶ. Ψεύδεσθαι δ᾿ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἀποχρῶν εἶναι κρίνας ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλά καί καταψεύδεσθαι τῶν ἄλλων περί πλείστου ποιούμενος, εἰς τό συκοφαντεῖν αὖθις καθῆκεν ἑαυτόν, κἀμοῦ λέγοντος τῶν δώρων τοῦ Θεοῦ τά μέν εἶναι φυσικά, κοινῇ πᾶσι δεδομένα πρό νόμου καί ἐν νόμῳ καί μετά νόμον, τά δ᾿ ὑπερφυᾶ καί πνευματικά καί διαφερόντως ἀπόρρητα, καί ὑπερτιθέντος ταῦτα ἐκείνων καί τούς κατηξιωμένους τῆς σοφίας τοῦ Πνεύματος πάσης ἑλληνικῆς συμμορίας, ἕν δέ τῶν φυσικῶς δεδομένων ὑπό Θεοῦ τήν φιλοσοφίαν καί ἀνθρωπίνης διανοίας εὑρήματα τά μαθήματα, αὐτός ὡς ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ φησιν ἐκ Θεοῦ δεδόσθαι, ἐκεῖνα μόνα προσῆκεν οἴεσθαι, ὅσων ἀνθρώπινος οὐκ ἐξικνεῖται λογισμός, τῶν δ᾿ ἄλλων οὐδέν τῆς τοιαύτης ἀξιοῦν τιμῆς. Ἐμοί δέ οὐδέτερον τούτων εἴρηται ἐκεῖ. Οἶδα γάρ ὅτι πολλῶν καί τῶν φύσει γινομένων ἀνθρώπινος οὐκ ἐξικνεῖται λογισμός, τιμῆς δέ ἀξιῶ ἕκαστον τῆς προσηκούσης˙ τάς μέν πνευματικάς χάριτας ὡς ὑπερφυεῖς καί μόνοις