{"author":null,"backreferences":[{"context_html":"<p>Although at one time philosophy justified the Greeks, not conducting\r\nthem to that entire righteousness to which it is ascertained to\r\nco-operate, as the first and second flight of steps<span class=\"pagenum\" id=\"Page_420\">[420]</span> help you in your\r\nascent to the upper room, and the grammarian helps the philosopher.\r\nNot as if by its abstraction, the perfect Word would be rendered\r\nincomplete, or truth perish; since also sight, and hearing, and the\r\nvoice contribute to truth, but it is the mind which is the appropriate\r\nfaculty for knowing it. But of those things which co-operate, some\r\ncontribute a greater amount of power; some, a less. Perspicuity\r\naccordingly aids in the communication of truth, and logic in preventing\r\nus from falling under the heresies by which we are assailed. But the\r\nteaching, which is according to the Saviour, is complete in itself\r\nand without defect, being “the power and wisdom of God;”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_988\" id=\"FNanchor_988\">[988]</a> and the\r\nHellenic philosophy does not, by its approach, make the truth more\r\npowerful; but rendering powerless the assault of sophistry against\r\nit, and frustrating the treacherous plots laid against the truth, is\r\nsaid to be the proper “fence and wall of the vineyard.” And the truth\r\nwhich is according to faith is as necessary for life as bread; while\r\nthe preparatory discipline is like sauce and sweetmeats. “At the end\r\nof the dinner, the dessert is pleasant,” according to the Theban\r\nPindar. And the Scripture has expressly said, “The innocent will become\r\nwiser by understanding, and the wise will receive knowledge.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_989\" id=\"FNanchor_989\">[989]</a>\r\n“And he that speaketh of himself,” saith the Lord, “seeketh his own\r\nglory; but He that seeketh His glory that sent Him is true, and there\r\nis no unrighteousness in Him.”<a class=\"fnanchor pginternal\" href=\"#Footnote_990\" id=\"FNanchor_990\">[990]</a> On the other hand, therefore, he\r\nwho appropriates what belongs to the barbarians, and vaunts it as\r\nhis own, does wrong, increasing his own glory, and falsifying the\r\ntruth. It is such an one that is by Scripture called a “thief.” It is\r\ntherefore said, “Son, be not a liar; for falsehood leads to theft.”\r\nNevertheless the thief possesses really, what he has possessed himself\r\nof dishonestly, whether it be gold, or silver, or speech, or dogma.\r\nThe ideas, then, which they have stolen, and which are partially\r\ntrue, they know by conjecture and necessary logical deduction: on\r\nbecoming disciples, therefore, they will know them with intelligent\r\napprehension.</p>","headings":["THE WRITINGS OF CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA.","THE MISCELLANIES.","BOOK I.","CHAPTER XX. IN WHAT RESPECT PHILOSOPHY CONTRIBUTES TO THE COMPREHENSION OF DIVINE TRUTH."],"marker_anchor":"FNanchor_988","paragraph_id":"pg71937-paragraph-749"}],"canonical_references":[],"date_end":null,"date_start":null,"deduplication_fingerprint":"6f32ec5275e4e757c862da2c0a721bc8b0b50613d0539ae62bbd8e3f8bc5b0a8","edition_title":"The writings of Clement of Alexandria, Vol. 1 (of 2)","edition_translators":["William Wilson"],"edition_year":1867,"explicit_reference_candidates":[{"book":"1CO","chapter":1,"kind":"unreviewed","source_notation":"1 Cor. i. 24","verse":24,"verse_end":24}],"headings":[],"id":"pg71937-Footnote_988","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 1867 English translation; translator died 1875. Electronic transcription subject to Project Gutenberg reuse terms.","source_anchor":"Footnote_988","source_ebook":71937,"source_html":"<div class=\"footnote\">\n<p><a class=\"label pginternal\" href=\"#FNanchor_988\" id=\"Footnote_988\">[988]</a> 1 Cor. i. 24.</p>\n</div>","source_sha256":"8e5c5bc39922dbad2626ac7651c2eb2e3d94cdcbd721f781e9792143ebb1cd03","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/71937/pg71937-images.html#Footnote_988","text_sha256":"f50f89827fab892163daa52289cb234f269b54a36884ce2fc3f1d5394fb23408","verified":false,"work_id":null}