5. Irenaeus, Refutation of All Heresies, 4.15.2, 4.38.3, 4.39.3, 5.8.2 (2nd cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE) Tagged with subjects: • growth, in Irenaeus' anthropology • man, growth of
Found in books: Behr (2000) 42, 116, 117, 123, 124, 125; Mcglothlin (2018) 59, 61, 82
| 4.15.2. And not only so, but the Lord also showed that certain precepts were enacted for them by Moses, on account of their hardness of heart, and because of their unwillingness to be obedient, when, on their saying to Him, "Why then did Moses command to give a writing of divorcement, and to send away a wife?" He said to them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts he permitted these things to you; but from the beginning it was not so;" thus exculpating Moses as a faithful servant, but acknowledging one God, who from the beginning made male and female, and reproving them as hard-hearted and disobedient. And therefore it was that they received from Moses this law of divorcement, adapted to their hard nature. But why say I these things concerning the Old Testament? For in the New also are the apostles found doing this very thing, on the ground which has been mentioned, Paul plainly declaring, But these things I say, not the Lord." And again: "But this I speak by permission, not by commandment." And again: "Now, as concerning virgins, I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful." But further, in another place he says: "That Satan tempt you not for your incontinence." If, therefore, even in the New Testament, the apostles are found granting certain precepts in consideration of human infirmity, because of the incontinence of some, lest such persons, having grown obdurate, and despairing altogether of their salvation, should become apostates from God,--it ought not to be wondered at, if also in the Old Testament the same God permitted similar indulgences for the benefit of His people, drawing them on by means of the ordices already mentioned, so that they might obtain the gift of salvation through them, while they obeyed the Decalogue, and being restrained by Him, should not revert to idolatry, nor apostatize from God, but learn to love Him with the whole heart. And if certain persons, because of the disobedient and ruined Israelites, do assert that the giver (doctor) of the law was limited in power, they will find in our dispensation, that "many are called, but few chosen;" and that there are those who inwardly are wolves, yet wear sheep\'s clothing in the eyes of the world (foris); and that God has always preserved freedom, and the power of self-government in man, while at the same time He issued His own exhortations, in order that those who do not obey Him should be righteously judged (condemned) because they have not obeyed Him; and that those who have obeyed and believed on Him should be honoured with immortality.' " 4.38.3. With God there are simultaneously exhibited power, wisdom, and goodness. His power and goodness appear in this, that of His own will He called into being and fashioned things having no previous existence; His wisdom is shown in His having made created things parts of one harmonious and consistent whole; and those things which, through His super-eminent kindness, receive growth and a long period of existence, do reflect the glory of the uncreated One, of that God who bestows what is good ungrudgingly. For from the very fact of these things having been created, it follows that they are not uncreated; but by their continuing in being throughout a long course of ages, they shall receive a faculty of the Uncreated, through the gratuitous bestowal of eternal existence upon them by God. And thus in all things God has the pre-eminence, who alone is uncreated, the first of all things, and the primary cause of the existence of all, while all other things remain under God's subjection. But being in subjection to God is continuance in immortality, and immortality is the glory of the uncreated One. By this arrangement, therefore, and these harmonies, and a sequence of this nature, man, a created and organized being, is rendered after the image and likeness of the uncreated God, -the Father planning everything well and giving His commands, the Son carrying these into execution and performing the work of creating, and the Spirit nourishing and increasing what is made, but man making progress day by day, and ascending towards the perfect, that is, approximating to the uncreated One. For the Uncreated is perfect, that is, God. Now it was necessary that man should in the first instance be created; and having been created, should receive growth; and having received growth, should be strengthened; and having been strengthened, should abound; and having abounded, should recover from the disease of sin; and having recovered, should be glorified; and being glorified, should see his Lord. For God is He who is yet to be seen, and the beholding of God is productive of immortality, but immortality renders one nigh unto God." ' 4.39.3. If, however, thou wilt not believe in Him, and wilt flee from His hands, the cause of imperfection shall be in thee who didst not obey, but not in Him who called thee. For He commissioned messengers to call people to the marriage, but they who did not obey Him deprived themselves of the royal supper. The skill of God, therefore, is not defective, for He has power of the stones to raise up children to Abraham; but the man who does not obtain it is the cause to himself of his own imperfection. Nor, in like manner, does the light fail because of those who have blinded themselves; but while it remains the same as ever, those who are thus blinded are involved in darkness through. their own fault. The light does never enslave any one by necessity; nor, again, does God exercise compulsion upon any one unwilling to accept the exercise of His skill. Those persons, therefore, who have apostatized from the light given by the Father, and transgressed the law of liberty, have done so through their own fault, since they have been created free agents, and possessed of power over themselves. 5.8.2. Those persons, then, who possess the earnest of the Spirit, and who are not enslaved by the lusts of the flesh, but are subject to the Spirit, and who in all things walk according to the light of reason, does the apostle properly term "spiritual," because the Spirit of God dwells in them. Now, spiritual men shall not be incorporeal spirits; but our substance, that is, the union of flesh and spirit, receiving the Spirit of God, makes up the spiritual man. But those who do indeed reject the Spirit\'s counsel, and are the slaves of fleshly lusts, and lead lives contrary to reason, and who, without restraint, plunge headlong into their own desires, having no longing after the Divine Spirit, do live after the manner of swine and of dogs; these men, I say, does the apostle very properly term "carnal," because they have no thought of anything else except carnal things.''. None |
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7. Vergil, Georgics, 1.316-1.334, 2.340-2.341, 2.459-2.460 Tagged with subjects: • Lucretius, cycle of growth and decay in • cycle of growth and decay, in Lucretius • cycle of growth and decay, in the Georgics • growth, spontaneous (wild)
Found in books: Clay and Vergados (2022) 235, 237, 238, 254; Gale (2000) 40, 72, 269
1.316. Saepe ego, cum flavis messorem induceret arvis 1.317. agricola et fragili iam stringeret hordea culmo, 1.318. omnia ventorum concurrere proelia vidi, 1.319. quae gravidam late segetem ab radicibus imis 1.320. sublimem expulsam eruerent; ita turbine nigro 1.321. ferret hiems culmumque levem stipulasque volantis. 1.322. Saepe etiam inmensum caelo venit agmen aquarum 1.323. et foedam glomerant tempestatem imbribus atris 1.324. collectae ex alto nubes; ruit arduus aether 1.325. et pluvia ingenti sata laeta boumque labores 1.326. diluit; inplentur fossae et cava flumina crescunt 1.327. cum sonitu fervetque fretis spirantibus aequor. 1.328. Ipse pater media nimborum in nocte corusca 1.329. fulmina molitur dextra; quo maxuma motu 1.330. terra tremit; fugere ferae et mortalia corda 1.331. per gentis humilis stravit pavor; ille flagranti 1.332. aut Athon aut Rhodopen aut alta Ceraunia telo 1.333. deicit; ingemit austri et densissimus imber; 1.334. nunc nemora ingenti vento, nunc litora plangunt. 2.340. cum primae lucem pecudes hausere virumque 2.341. terrea progenies duris caput extulit arvis, 2.459. agricolas! quibus ipsa procul discordibus armis 2.460. fundit humo facilem victum iustissima tellus.''. None | 1.316. And when the first breath of his panting steed 1.317. On us the Orient flings, that hour with them' "1.318. Red Vesper 'gins to trim his 'lated fires." '1.319. Hence under doubtful skies forebode we can 1.320. The coming tempests, hence both harvest-day 1.321. And seed-time, when to smite the treacherous main 1.322. With driving oars, when launch the fair-rigged fleet, 1.323. Or in ripe hour to fell the forest-pine. 1.324. Hence, too, not idly do we watch the stars— 1.325. Their rising and their setting-and the year, 1.326. Four varying seasons to one law conformed.' "1.327. If chilly showers e'er shut the farmer's door," '1.328. Much that had soon with sunshine cried for haste, 1.329. He may forestall; the ploughman batters keen' "1.330. His blunted share's hard tooth, scoops from a tree" '1.331. His troughs, or on the cattle stamps a brand, 1.332. Or numbers on the corn-heaps; some make sharp 1.333. The stakes and two-pronged forks, and willow-band 1.334. Amerian for the bending vine prepare. 2.340. Soon to translate them, lest the sudden shock 2.341. From their new mother the young plants estrange. 2.459. Shoots joyfully toward heaven, with loosened rein 2.460. Launched on the void, assail it not as yet''. None |
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