Sacred Texts  Christianity  Early Church Fathers  Index  Previous  Next 

Chapter XX.—False Theories of Philosophers.

“And some of those amongst them who even profess to be philosophers, assert that such sins are indifferent, and say that those who are indignant at such practices are senseless. 1042   For they say that such things are not sins by nature, but have been proscribed by laws made by wise men in early times, through their knowing that men, through the instability of their minds, being greatly agitated on these accounts, wage war with one another; for which reason, wise men have made laws to proscribe such things as sins.  But this is a ridiculous supposition.  For how can they be other than sins, which are the cause of tumults, and murders, and every confusion?  For do not shortcomings of life 1043 and many more evils proceed from adultery?


Footnotes

255:1042

[Compare the argument against the philosophers, as put in the mouth of the Apostle, in Recognitions, x. 48–50.—R.]

255:1043

The Vatican ms. inserts here, “upturning of houses, magic practices, deceptions, perplexities.”


Next: Chapter XXI