things well, differs from contemplation of necessary proofs respecting any subject,
ON THE TRINITY. 163
CHAP. XIV.]
selves and to the irrational animals, the sense excels by a kind of living power; not the sense of which it is written in the epistle addressed to the Hebrews, where we read, that '' strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil;''* for these '* senses "' belong to the rational nature and pertain to the understanding; but that sense which is divided into five parts in the body, through which corporeal species and motion is perceived not only by ourselves, but also by the beasts.
known;"5 when doubtless he meant his words to be understood of the knowledge of the contemplation of God, which will be the highest reward of the saints; yet where he says, 'For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit,''® certainly he distinguishes without doubt these two things, although he does not there explain the difference, nor in what way one may be discerned from the other. But having examined a great number of passages from the Holy Scriptures, I find it written in the Book of Job, that holy man being the speaker, '' Behold, piety, that is wisdom; but to depart from evil is knowledge,''7 In thus distinguishing, it must be understood that wisdom belongs to contemplation, knowledge to action. place he meant by piety the worship of God, which in Greek is called OeooéBera. For the sentence in the Greek mss. has that word. And what is there in eternal things more excellent than God, of whom alone the nature is unchangeable? And what is the worship of Him except the love of Him, by which we now desire to see Him, and we believe and hope that we shall see Him; and in proportion as we make progress, see now through a glass in an enigma, but then in clearness ? For this is what the Apostle Paul means by *"face to face.''* This is also what John says, '' Beloved, now we are the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.''9 Discourse about these and the like subjects seems to meto be the discourse itself of wisdom. But to depart from evil, which Job says is knowledge, is without doubt of temporal things. Since it is in reference to time [and this world] that we are in evil, from which we ought to abstain that we may come to those good eternal things. And therefore, whatsoever we do prudently, boldly, temperately, and justly, belongs to that knowledge or discipline wherewith our action is conversant in avoiding evil and desiring good; and so also, whatsoever we gather by the knowledge that comes from inquiry, in the way of examples either to be guarded against or to be imitated, and in the way of necessary proofs respecting any subject, accommodated to our use.
21, But whether that the apostle calls the man the image and glory of God, but the /woman the glory of the man,?is to be received in this, or that, or in any other way; yet it is clear, that when we live according / to God, our mind which is intent on the _ invisible things of Him ought to be fashioned
For in this ! ee with proficiency from His eternity, truth, charity; but that something of our own rational purpose, that is, of the same mind, must be directed to the using of changeable and corporeal things, without which this life does not go on; not that we may be conformed to this world, 3 by placing our end in such good things, and by forcing the desire of blessedness towards them, but that whatever we do rationally in the using of temporal things, we may do it with the contemplation of attaining eternal things, passing through the former, but cleaving to the latter.
CHAP. 14.—-WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE, THE WORSHIP OF. GOD IS THE LOVE OF HIM. HOW THE INTELLECTUAL COGNIZANCE OF ETERNAL THINGS COMES TO PASS THROUGH WISDOM.
For knowledge also has its own good measure, if that in it which puffs up, or is wont to puff up, is conquered by love of eternal things, which does not puff up, but, as we know, edifieth.4 Certainly without knowledge the virtues themselves, by which one lives rightly, cannot be possessed, by which this miserable life may be so governed, that we may attain to that eternal life which is truly blessed.
22. Yet action, by which we use temporal things well, differs from contemplation of eternal things; and the latter is reckoned to wisdom, the former to knowledge. For although that which is wisdom can also be called knowledge, as the apostle too speaks, where he says, '' Now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am
23. When a discourse then relates to these things, I hold it to be a discourse belonging to knowledge, and to be distinguished from a discourse belonging to wisdom, to which those things belong, which neither have been,
6 x Cor, xii. 8. xi 7 Job xxviii. 8. 91 John iii. 2, § 1 Cor. xiii. 12. 8 3 Cor, xiii, 12.
2 Heb. ve 14. 3 Rom, xii. 2 2 x Cor, xi. 7. 4 x Cor. viii. 1.