NOTE: — 16 —

[...-tions], which are the sophistical babblings of their minds, and the vain words of [their] errant thoughts; but there is no need for us in this place to frame ever new arguments against these idle words. For the holy Apostle Pōghos rightly judgeth concerning such persons when he saith: “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned: From which some having swerved have turned aside unto vain jangling; Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm” (I Tim. 1:5–7). Let us not marvel overmuch at the disordered and self-invented words of this very slanderer, but rather let the good confession of our steadfast and orthodox faith be all the more precisely set forth in this place. If any one, whether of the clergy or of the laity, be found alienated from the light of the grace of God’s Holy Spirit, such an one can by no means judge with an upright and clear mind according to the pleasure of God in the arena of examining spiritual matters and mysteries, even though he appear to the world as an orator through human wisdom, and be accounted by men as ingenious by the natural light of the intellect, whereby he would strive to establish his own perverse opinions and the deceptive, ill-affected, and fancied judgments of his own mind. For all such knowledge and wisdom is called earthly, sensual, and devilish, as the holy Apostle Yakobos testifieth: “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work” (Jas. 3:13–16). See what dreadful words the Prophet Esayi uttereth from God's part concerning such evil-seeking counsellors and those who follow their own most base passions: “Thus saith the Lord: Woe to the rebellious children, that take counsel, but not of me; and that make a covenant, but not of my spirit” (Isa. 30:1). Hast thou indeed laid to heart these God-rebuking threats? Compare this, then, with the hortatory words of the blessed Apostle Pōghos unto Timot‘ēos, his beloved disciple, who exceedingly [...]