Chapter
VIII.—Monoïmus Explains His Opinions in a Letter to
Theophrastus; Where to Find God; His System Derived from
Pythagoras.
Monoïmus himself, accordingly, in his letter
to Theophrastus, expressly makes the following statement:
“Omitting to seek after God, and creation, and things similar to
these, seek for Him from (out of) thyself, and learn who it is that
absolutely appropriates (unto Himself) all things in thee, and says,
‘My God (is) my mind, my understanding, my soul, my
body.’ And learn from whence are sorrow, and joy, and love,
and hatred, and involuntary wakefulness, and involuntary drowsiness,
and involuntary anger, and involuntary affection; and if,” he
says, “you accurately investigate these (points), you will
discover (God) Himself, unity and plurality, in thyself, according to
that tittle, and that He finds the outlet (for Deity) to be from
thyself.” Those (heretics), then, (have made) these
(statements). But we are under no necessity of comparing such
(doctrines) with what have previously been subjects of meditation on
the part of the Greeks, inasmuch as the assertions advanced by these
(heretics) evidently derive their origin from geometrical and
arithmetical art. The disciples, however, of Pythagoras,
expounded this (art) after a more excellent method,
939
as our readers may ascertain by
consulting those passages (of our work) in which we have previously
furnished expositions of the entire wisdom of the Greeks. But
since the heresy of Monoïmus has been sufficiently refuted, let us
see what are the fictitious doctrines which the rest also (of these
heretics) devise, in their desire to set up for themselves an empty
name.
939
Literally, “nobly born.”