Testimonia

{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p class=\"c006\">Immediately after this, as if doing his utmost to reduce the\r\nhuman race to a still lower position, and to bring them to the\r\nlevel of the irrational animals, and desiring to omit not a single\r\ncircumstance related of the latter which manifests their greatness,\r\nhe declares that “in certain individuals among the irrational\r\ncreation there exists the power of sorcery;” so that even\r\nin this particular men cannot specially pride themselves, nor\r\nwish to arrogate a superiority over irrational creatures. And\r\nthe following are his words: “If, however, men entertain lofty\r\nnotions because of their possessing the power of sorcery, yet\r\neven in that respect are serpents and eagles their superiors in\r\nwisdom; for they are acquainted with many prophylactics against\r\npersons and diseases, and also with the virtues of certain stones\r\nwhich help to preserve their young. If men, however, fall in\r\nwith these, they think that they have gained a wonderful possession.”\r\nNow, in the first place, I know not why he should\r\ndesignate as sorcery the knowledge of natural prophylactics\r\ndisplayed by animals,—whether that knowledge be the result\r\nof experience, or of some natural power of apprehension;<a id=\"r801\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f801\"><sup>[801]</sup></a> for\r\nthe term “sorcery” has by usage been assigned to something\r\nelse. Perhaps, indeed, he wishes quietly, as an Epicurean, to\r\ncensure the entire use of such arts, as resting only on the\r\nprofessions of sorcerers. However, let it be granted him that\r\nmen <i>do</i> pride themselves greatly upon the knowledge of such\r\narts, whether they are sorcerers or not: how can serpents\r\nbe in this respect wiser than men, when they make use of the\r\nwell-known fennel<a id=\"r802\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f802\"><sup>[802]</sup></a> to sharpen their power of vision and to\r\nproduce rapidity of movement, having obtained this natural\r\npower not from the exercise of reflection, but from the constitution\r\nof their body,<a id=\"r803\"></a><a class=\"c008 pginternal\" href=\"#f803\"><sup>[803]</sup></a> while men do not, like serpents,\r\narrive at such knowledge merely by nature, but partly by\r\nexperiment, partly by reason, and sometimes by reflection and\r\nknowledge? So, if eagles, too, in order to preserve their young\r\n<span class=\"pageno\" id=\"Page_253\">253</span>in the nest, carry thither the eagle-stone when they have discovered\r\nit, how does it appear that they are wise, and more\r\nintelligent than men, who find out by the exercise of their\r\nreflective powers and of their understanding what has been\r\nbestowed by nature upon eagles as a gift?</p>","headings":["The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 of 2","BOOK IV.","Chapter LXXXVI."],"marker_anchor":null,"paragraph_id":"pg70693-paragraph-309"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"689b12bb29462071898ca1a8281edcdf55dd777e0afbce25c81bc7374c5f963b","edition_title":"The writings of Origen, Vol. 2 (of 2)","edition_translators":["Frederick Crombie","W. H. Cairns"],"edition_year":1872,"explicit_reference_candidates":[],"headings":[],"id":"pg70693-f801","license_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html","public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"original-editor-translator-note","review_required":["work and recension attribution","original-work chronology","Bible reference numbering and citation kind","English edition rights and attribution"],"review_status":"needs_review","rights_evidence":"Project Gutenberg metadata: Public domain in the USA. Existing 1872 English edition; listed translators died 1889 and 1872. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"f801","source_ebook":70693,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\" id=\"f801\">\n<p class=\"c007\"><span class=\"label\"><a class=\"pginternal\" href=\"#r801\">801</a>.  </span><span lang=\"grc\">φυσικήν τινα κατάληψιν.</span></p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"76ed9a9fd752c1d5095189e38fe3dcbbea0fd23d6be719db17360e4da14552fa","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f801","text_sha256":"8eda1c5e2ca54dfd916a80518f785d7598e5a8012624021fbb29bcb17bb2fe26","verified":false,"work_id":null}

references: [] | work_id: | origin: existing-private-derived-record | source: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/70693/pg70693-images.html#f801