who denied that there is sensation after death acknowledged that there is. Homer, accordingly, though he had said,
"Like fleeting vision passed the soul away,"[1]
says in another place:
"To Hades went the disembodied soul;"[2]
And again:
"That I may quickly pass through Hades' gates,
Me bury."[3]
And as regards the others whom you have read, I think you know with sufficient accuracy how they have expressed themselves. But all these things will every one understand who seeks the wisdom of God, and is well pleasing to Him through faith and righteousness and the doing of good works. For one of the prophets whom we already mentioned, Hosea by name, said, "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein."[4] He, then, who is desirous of learning, should learn much.[5] Endeavour therefore to meet [with me] more frequently, that, by hearing the living voice, you may accurately ascertain the truth.
- ↑ Od. xi. 221.
- ↑ Il. xvi. 856.
- ↑ xxiii. 71.
- ↑ Hos. xiv. 9.
- ↑ We have adopted the reading of Wolf in the text. The reading of the mss. is, "He who desires to learn should desire to learn." Perhaps the most satisfactory emendation is that of Heumann, who reads φιλομυθεῖν instead of φιλομαθεῖν: "He who desires to learn should also desire to discuss subjects, and hold conversations on them." In this case, Theophilus most probably borrows his remark from Aristotle, Metaphysic. i. c. 2.
