Faith and demonstration (Philoc. 16)
Christian proclamation offers reasons suited to hearers; faith is not empty assent, yet it is not held hostage to every sophistic demand.
Greek
1. Εἷτ᾿ ἐπεὶ ὡς κατηγορῶν τοῦ λόγου τὰ περὶ τῶν ἐν χριστιανισμῷ αἱρέσεων ὀνειδίζει ἡμῖν, λέγων· ‘Εὶς πλῆθος δὲ σπαρέντες αὖθις αὖ σχίζονται καὶ τέμνονται, καὶ στάσεις ἰδίας ἔχειν ἕκαστοι θέλουσι.’ φησὶ δʼ ἔςι ‘Καὶ ὑπὸ πλήθους πάλιν διϊστάμενοι σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἐλέγχουσιν· ἑνός, ὡς εἰπεῖν, ἔτι κοινωνοῦντες, εἴγε κοινωνοῦσι, τοῦ ὀνόματος. καὶ τοῦτο μόνον ἐγκαταλιπεῖν ὅμως αἰσχύνονται· τὰ λοιπὰ δʼ ἄλλοι ἀλλαχῆ τετάχαται.’ καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο φήσομεν ὅτι οὐδενὸς πράγματος, οὖ μὴ σπουδαία ἐστὶν ἠ ἀρχὴ καὶ τῷ βιῷ χρήσιμος, γιγόνασιν αἱρέσεις διάφοροι. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἰατρικὴ χρήσιμος καὶ ἀναγκαία τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων, πολλά τε τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ ζητούμενα περὶ τοῦ τρόπου τῆς τῶν σωμάτων θεραπείας· διὰ τοῦτο αἱρέσεις ἐν ἰατρικῇ παρά μὲυ Ἕλλησιν εὑρίσκονται ὁμολογουμένως πλείονες· ἐγώ δʼ οἶμαι ὅτι καὶ παρὰ βαρβάροις, ὅσοι γε ἐπαγγέλλονται χρῆσθαι ἰατρικῇ. πάλιν τε αὖ, ἐπεὶ φιλοσοφία ἀλήθειαν ἐπαγγελλομένη καὶ γνῶσιν τῶ…
About this text
Origen’s Philocalia (Greek anthology). SERIES on this page: §§1–27 (sampled bookends).
English follows Robinson 1893 Greek. George Lewis 1911 was not used as wording. Philocalia SERIES CLOSEOUT §§1–27.
Witnesses
- Copy-text J. A. Robinson, Cambridge 1893 — Greek (Greek · Philocalia §§1–27 SERIES)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.