144. In case our opponents should suspect
that we are taking advantage of some intrusion of a single spurious
verse into the text, let us review the whole passage. “O
depth of the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge!”
exclaims the Apostle, “how unsearchable are His judgments, and
His ways past finding out! For Who hath known the mind of the
Lord, or who hath been His counsellor? Or who hath been first to
give unto Him, and shall be recompensed? For of Him and through
Him and in Him are all things. To Him be glory for
ever!” Rom. xi. 33–36. St. Ambrose’s
quotation of the passage in extenso shows us how texts ought to
be used in argument—namely, not rent from their context,
not as unrelated apophthegms.