Chap. VII.—Of the Variety of Philosophers, and Their Truth.

And because the philosophers did not comprehend this main point, they were neither able to comprehend truth, although they for the most part both saw and explained those things of which the main point itself consists. But different persons brought forward all these things, and in different ways, not connecting the causes of things, nor the consequences, nor the reasons, so that they might join together and complete that main point which comprises the whole. But it is easy to show that almost the whole truth has been divided by philosophers and sects. For we do not overthrow philosophy, as the Academics are accustomed to do, whose plan was to reply to everything, which is rather to calumniate and mock; but we show that no sect was so much out of the way, and no philosopher so vain, as not to see something of the truth.1319    [See Clement, sparsim, and notably (cap. 5 of Stromata) vol. ii. p. 305, this series.]   But while they are mad with the desire of contradicting, while they defend their own arguments even though false, and overthrow those of others even though true, not only has the truth escaped from them, which they pretended that they were seeking, but they themselves lost it chiefly through their own fault. But if there had been any one to collect together the truth which was dispersed amongst individuals and scattered amongst sects, and to reduce it to a body, he assuredly would not disagree with us. But no one is able to do this, unless he has experience1320    Veri peritus ac sciens.   and knowledge of the truth. But to know the truth belongs to him only who has been taught by God. For he cannot in any other way reject the things which are false, or choose and approve of those which are true; but if even by chance he should effect this, he would most surely act the part of the philosopher; and though he could not defend those things by divine testimonies, yet the truth would explain itself by its own light. Wherefore the error of those is incredible, who, when they have approved of any sect, and have devoted themselves to it, condemn all others as false and vain, and arm themselves for battle, neither knowing what they ought to defend nor what to refute; and make attacks everywhere, without distinction,1321    Sine delectu.   upon all things which are brought forward by those who disagree with them.  

On account of these most obstinate contentions of theirs, no philosophy existed which made a nearer approach to the truth, for the whole truth has been comprised by these in separate portions.1322    Particulatim.  Plato said1323    In the Timæus   that the world was made by God: the prophets1324    Gen. i.; Ps. xxxiii.   speak the same; and the same is apparent from the verses of the Sibyl. They therefore are in error, who have said either that all things were produced of their own accord or from an assemblage of atoms;1325    Minutis seminibus conglobatis.   since so great a world, so adorned and of such magnitude, could neither have been made nor arranged and set in order without some most skilful author, and that very arrangement by which all things are perceived to be kept together and to be governed bespeaks1326    Confitetur.   an artificer with a most skilful mind. The Stoics say that the world, and all things which are in it, were made for the sake of men: the sacred writings1327    Gen. i.; Ps. viii.; Heb. ii.   teach us the same thing. Therefore Democritus was in error, who thought that they were poured forth from the earth like worms, without any author or plan. For the reason of man’s creation belongs to a divine mystery; and because he was unable to know this, he drew1328    Deduxit ad nihilum.   down man’s life to nothing. Aristo asserted that men were born to the exercise of virtue; we are also reminded of and learn the same from the prophets. Therefore Aristippus is deceived, who made man subject to pleasure, that is, to evil, as though he were a beast. Pherecydes and Plato contended that souls were immortal; but this is a peculiar doctrine in our religion. Therefore Dicæarchus was mistaken, together with Democritus, who argued that souls perished with the body and were dissolved, Zeno the Stoic taught that there were infernal regions, and that the abodes of the good were separated from the wicked; and that the former enjoyed peaceful and delightful regions, but that the latter suffered punishment in dark places, and in dreadful abysses of mire: the prophets show the same thing. Therefore Epicurus was mistaken, who thought that that was an invention1329    Figmentum.   of the poets, and explained those punishments of the infernal regions, which are spoken of, as happening in this life. Therefore the philosophers touched upon the whole truth, and every secret of our holy religion; but when others denied it, they were unable to defend that which they had found, because the system did not agree1330    Singulis ratio non quadravit.   with the particulars; nor were they able to reduce to a summary those things which they had perceived to be true, as we have done above.  

CAPUT VII. De philosophorum varietate, eorumque veritate.

Quam summam quia philosophi non comprehenderunt, 0759A nec veritatem comprehendere potuerunt, quamvis ea fere, quibus summa ipsa constat, et viderint, et explicaverint. Sed diversi, ac diverse illa omnia protulerunt, non annectentes nec causas rerum, nec consequentias, 0759A nec rationes; ut summam illam, quae continet universa, et compingerent, et implerent. Facile est autem docere, pene universam veritatem per philosophos sectas esse divisam. Non enim sic philosophiam nos evertimus, ut Academici solent, quibus ad omnia respondere propositum est, quod est potius calumniari et illudere: sed docemus, nullam sectam fuisse tam deviam, nec philosophorum quemquam tam inanem, qui non viderit aliquid ex vero. Sed dum contradicendi studio insaniunt, dum sua etiam falsa defendunt, aliorum etiam vera 0759B subvertunt, non tantum elapsa illis veritas est, quam se quaerere simulabant: sed ipsi eam potissimum suo vitio perdiderunt. Quod si extitisset aliquis, qui veritatem sparsam per singulos, per sectasque diffusam colligeret in unum, ac redigeret in corpus, is profecto non dissentiret a nobis. Sed hoc nemo facere, nisi veri peritus ac sciens potest. Verum autem scire, non nisi ejus est, qui sit doctus a Deo. Neque enim potest aliter repudiare quae falsa sunt, eligere ac probare quae vera: sed si vel casu id efficeret, certissime philosopharetur; et quamvis non posset divinis testimoniis illa defendere, tamen se ipsa veritas illustraret suo lumine. Quare incredibilis est error illorum, qui cum 0759C aliquam sectam probaverint, eique se addixerint, caeteras 0760A damnant tanquam falsas et inanes, armantque se ad praeliandum, nec quid defendere debeant scientes, nec quid refutare; incursantque passim sine delectu omnia, quae afferunt quicumque dissentiunt.

Ob has eorum pertinacissimas contentiones nulla extitit philosophia, quae ad verum propius accederet; nam particulatim veritas ab his tota comprehensa est. Factum esse mundum a Deo, dixit Plato (in Timaeo). Idem prophetae loquuntur; idemque ex Sibyllae carminibus apparet (sermone 1). Errant igitur qui vel omnia sua sponte nata esse dixerunt, vel minutis seminibus conglobatis; quoniam tanta res, tam ornata, tam magna, neque fieri, neque disponi et ordinari sine aliquo prudentissimo auctore potuit; et ea ipsa ratio, qua constare ac regi omnia sentiuntur, 0760B solertissimae mentis artificem confitetur. Hominum causa mundum, et omnia quae in eo sunt esse facta, Stoici loquuntur: idem nos divinae Litterae docent. Erravit ergo Democritus, qui vermiculorum modo putavit effusos esse de terra nullo auctore, nullaque ratione. Cur enim formatus sit homo, divini sacramenti est: quod quia ille scire non poterat, humanam vitam deduxit ad nihilum. Ad virtutem capessendam nasci homines Ariston disseruit: idem nos monemur ac discimus a prophetis. Falsus igitur Aristippus, qui hominem voluptati, hoc est malo tanquam pecudem subjugavit. Immortales esse animas Pherecydes et Plato disputaverunt: haec vero 0760C propria est in nostra religione doctrina. Ergo Dicaearchus 0761A cum Democrito 0761A erravit, qui perire cum corpore ac dissolvi argumentatus est. Esse inferos Zenon Stoicus docuit, et sedes piorum ab impiis esse discretas; et illos quidem quietas ac delectabiles incolere regiones, hos vero luere poenas in tenebrosis locis, atque in coeni voraginibus horrendis: idem nobis prophetae palam faciunt. Ergo Epicurus erravit, qui poetarum id esse figmentum putavit, et illas inferorum poenas, quae ferantur, in hac esse vita interpretatus est. Totam igitur veritatem, et omne divinae Religionis arcanum philosophi attigerunt. Sed aliis refellentibus, defendere id quod invenerant, nequiverunt; quia singulis ratio non quadravit, nec ea, quae vera senserant in summam redigere potuerunt, sicut nos superius fecimus.