Chap. LVII.—Of Wisdom and Foolishness.

These things indeed are said with acuteness; but we are able very readily to reply to them. For the imitation of names causes it thus to appear. For justice bears a resemblance to foolishness, and yet it is not foolishness; and at the same time malice bears a resemblance to wisdom, and yet it is not wisdom. But as that malice is intelligent and shrewd in preserving its own interests, it is not wisdom, but cunning and craftiness; so likewise justice ought not to be called foolishness, but innocence, because the just man must be wise, and the foolish man unjust. For neither reason nor nature itself permits that he who is just should not be wise, since it is plain that the just man does nothing except that which is right and good, and always avoids that which is perverted1556    Pravum.   and evil. But who will be able to distinguish between good and evil, depravity and rectitude, but he who shall be wise? But the fool acts badly, because he is ignorant of what is good and evil. Therefore he does wrong, because he is unable to distinguish between things which are perverted and those which are right. Therefore justice cannot be befitting to the foolish man, nor wisdom to the unjust. He is not then a foolish person who has not thrust off a shipwrecked man from a plank, nor a wounded man from his horse, because he has abstained from injury, which is a sin; and it is the part of the wise man to avoid sin.  

But that he should appear foolish at first sight is caused by this, that they suppose the soul to be extinguished together with the body; and for this reason they refer all advantage to this life. For if there is no existence after death, it is plain that he acts foolishly who spares the life of another to his own loss, or who consults the gain of another more than his own. If death destroys the soul, we must use our endeavours to live for a longer time, and more to our own advantage; but if there remains after death a life of immortality and blessedness, the just and wise man will certainly despise this corporeal existence, with all earthly goods, because he will know what kind of a reward he is about to receive from God. Therefore let us maintain innocency, let us maintain justice, let us undergo the appearance of foolishness, that we may be able to maintain true wisdom. And if it appears to men senseless and foolish to prefer torture and death rather than to sacrifice to gods, and to escape without harm, let us however strive to exhibit faithfulness towards God by all virtue and by all patience. Let not death terrify us, nor pain subdue us, so as to prevent the vigour of our mind and constancy from being preserved unshaken. Let them call us foolish, whilst they themselves are most foolish, and blind and dull, and like sheep; who do not understand that it is a deadly thing to leave the living God, and prostrate themselves in the adoration of earthly objects; who do not know that eternal punishment awaits those who have worshipped senseless images; and that those who have neither refused tortures nor death for the worship and honour of the true God will obtain eternal life. This is the highest faith; this is true wisdom; this is perfect justice. It matters nothing to us what fools may judge, what trifling men may think. We ought to await the judgment of God, that we may hereafter judge those who have passed judgment on us.  

CAPUT LVII. (Div. Inst. lib. III, c. 17 et 18; V, 15 17 18 et 19.) De sapientia et stultitia.

Acuta ista sane: sed respondere ad ea facillime possumus. Imitatio enim nominum facit, ut sic esse videatur. Nam et justitia imaginem habet stultitiae, non tamen est stultitia; et malitia imaginem sapientiae, non tamen sapientia est. Sed sicut malitia ista in 1065A conservandis utilitatibus suis intelligens et arguta, 1065A non sapientia, sed calliditas et astutia est; ita et justitia non debet stultitia, sed innocentia nominari: quia necesse est, et justum esse sapientem, et eum qui sit stultus, injustum. Nam neque ratio, neque natura ipsa permittit, ut is qui justus est, sapiens non sit; quoniam justus nihil utique facit, nisi quod rectum et bonum est, pravum et malum semper fugit. Quis autem discernere bonum et malum, pravum et rectum potest, nisi qui sapiens fuerit? Stultus autem male facit, quia bonum et malum quid sit, ignorat. Ideo peccat, quia non potest prava et recta discernere. Non potest ergo, neque stulto justitia, neque injusto sapientia convenire. Stultus igitur non est, qui nec tabula naufragum, nec equo saucium dejecerit, quia 1065B se abstinuit a nocendo, quod est peccatum; peccatum autem vitare sapientis est.

Sed ut stultus prima facie videatur, illa res efficit, quod extingui animam cum corpore existimant: idcirco omne commodum ad hanc vitam referunt. Si enim post mortem nihil est, utique stulte facit, qui alterius animae parcit cum dispendio suae, aut qui alterius lucro magis quam suo consulit. Si mors animam delet, danda est opera, quo diutius commodiusque vivamus: si autem vita post mortem superest aeterna et beata, hanc utique corporalem cum omnibus terrae bonis justus et sapiens contemnet, quia sciet, quale 1065C a Deo sit praemium recepturus. Teneamus igitur innocentiam, 1066A teneamus justitiam; subeamus imaginem stultitiae, ut veram sapientiam tenere possimus. Etsi hominibus ineptum videtur ac stultum, torqueri et mori malle, quam libare diis, et abire sine noxa, nos tamen omni virtute omnique patientia fidem Deo exhibere nitamur. Non mors terreat, non dolor frangat, quominus vigor animi, et constantia inconcussa servetur. Stultos vocent, dummodo ipsi sint stultissimi, et coeci, et hebetes, et pecudibus aequales; qui non intelligunt esse mortiferum, relicto Deo vivo, prosternere se atque adorare terrena; qui nesciunt, et illos aeternam poenam manere, qui figmenta insensibilia fuerint venerati, et eos, qui nec tormenta, nec mortem pro cultu et honore veri Dei recusaverint, vitam perpetuam consecuturos. Haec est fides summa, haec 1066B vera sapientia, haec perfecta justitia. Nihil ad nos attinet, quid judicent stulti, quid homunculi sentiant. Nos judicium Dei expectare debemus, ut eos postmodum, qui de nobis judicaverint, judicemus.