"If there are any now who think that the mind itself and the soul is a body, I wish they would tell me by way of answer
how it receives reasons and assertions on subjects of
such importance- of such difficulty and such subtlety? Whence does it derive the power of memory? and whence comes
the contemplation of invisible things? How does the body possess the faculty of understanding incorporeal existences?
How does a bodily nature investigate the processes of the various arts, and contemplate the reasons of things?
How, also, is it able to perceive and understand divine truths, which are manifestly incorporeal?"Book 1, ch. 1
"For although no one is able to speak with certainty of God the Father, it is
nevertheless possible for some knowledge of Him to be gained by means of the visible creation and the natural feelings
of the human mind; and it is possible, moreover, for such knowledge to be confirmed from the sacred Scriptures.
But with respect to the Son of God, although no one knoweth the Son save the Father, yet it is from sacred
Scripture also that the human mind is taught how to think of the Son; and that not only from the New, but also from
the Old Testament, by means of those things which, although done by the saints, are figuratively referred to Christ,
and from which both His divine nature, and that human nature which was assumed by Him, may be discovered."Book 1, ch. 3
"I am of opinion, then, that the working of the Father and of the Son takes place as well in saints as in sinners,
in rational beings and in dumb animals; nay, even in those things which are without life, and
in all things universally which exist; but that the operation of the Holy Spirit does not take place at all in
those things which are without life, or in those which, although living, are yet dumb; nay, is not found even in those
who are endued indeed with reason, but are engaged in evil courses, and not at all converted to a better life. In those
persons alone do I think that the operation of the Holy Spirit takes place, who are already turning to a better life,
and walking along the way which leads to Jesus Christ, i.e., who are engaged in the performance of good actions,
and who abide in God."Book 1, ch. 3
"There is no rational creature which is not capable both of good and evil. But it does not follow, that because we say
there is no nature which may not admit evil, we therefore maintain that every nature has admitted evil, i.e., has
become wicked. As we may say that the nature of every man admits of his being a sailor, but it
does not follow from that, that every man will become so; or, again, it is possible for every one to learn grammar or
medicine, but it is not therefore proved that every man is either a physician or a grammarian; so, if we say that
there is no nature which may not admit evil, it is not necessarily indicated that it has done so. For, in our view,
not even the devil himself was incapable of good; but although capable of admitting good, he did not therefore also
desire it, or make any effort after virtue."Book 1, ch. 8
"...it seems to me impossible for a world to be restored for the second time, with the same order and with the
same amount of births, and deaths, and actions; but that a diversity of worlds may exist with changes of no unimportant
kind, so that the state of another world may be for some unmistakeable reasons better (than this), and for
others worse, and for others again intermediate. But what may be the number or measure of this I confess myself
ignorant, although, if any one can tell it, I would gladly learn."Book 2, ch. 3
"Since, then, we see in [Christ] some things so human that they appear to differ in no respect from the common
frailty of mortals, and some things so divine that they can
appropriately belong to nothing else than to the primal and ineffable nature of Deity, the narrowness of human
understanding can find no outlet; but, overcome with the
amazement of a mighty admiration, knows not whither to withdraw, or what to take hold of, or whither to turn.
If it think of a God, it goes a mortal; if it think of a man; it
beholds Him returning from the grave, after overthrowing the empire of death, laden with its spoils. And therefore
the spectacle is to be contemplated with all fear and
reverence, that the truth of both natures may be clearly shown to exist in one and the same Being; so that nothing
unworthy or unbecoming may be perceived in that divine
and ineffable substance nor yet those things which were done be supposed to be the illusions of imaginary appearances.
To utter these things in human ears, and to explain
them in words, far surpasses the powers either of our rank, or of our intellect and language."Book 2, ch 6
"...He made this visible world; but as, after its destruction, there will be another world, so also we believe that
others existed before the present came into being. And both of these positions will be confirmed by the authority of
holy Scripture. For that there will be another world after this, is taught by Isaiah, who says,
'There will be new heavens, and a new earth, which I shall make to abide in my sight, saith the Lord;' and that before
this world others also existed is shown by Ecclesiastes, in the words: 'What is that which hath been? Even that which
shall be. And what is that which has been created? Even this which is to be created: and there is nothing altogether
new under the sun. Who shall speak and declare, Lo, this is new? It hath already been in the ages which
have been before us.' By these testimonies it is estabished both that there were ages before our own, and that there
will be others after it. It is not, however, to be supposed that several worlds existed at once, but that, after
the end of this present world, others will take their beginning..."Book 3, ch. 5
"The highest good, then, after the attainment of which the whole of rational nature is seeking, which is also called
the end of all blessings, is defined by
many philosophers as follows: The highest good, they say, is to become as like to God as possible."Book 3, ch 6
"Now the reason of the erroneous apprehension of all these points on the part of those whom we have mentioned above,
is no other than this, that holy Scripture is not understood by them according to its spiritual, but according to
its literal meaning. And therefore we shall endeavour, so far as our moderate capacity will permit, to point out
to those who believe the holy Scriptures to be no human compositions, but to be written by inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, and to be transmitted and entrusted to us by the will of God the Father, through His only-begotten Son
Jesus Christ, what appears to us, who observe things by a right way of understanding, to be the standard and discipline
delivered to the apostles by Jesus Christ, and which they handed down in succession to their posterity, the
teachers of the holy Church. Now, that there are certain mystical economies indicated in holy Scripture, is admitted
by all, I think, even the simplest of believers. But what these are, or of what kind they are, he who is rightly
minded, and not overcome with the vice of boasting, will scrupulously acknowledge himself to be ignorant."Book 4, ch. 1
"Now a 'spiritual' interpretation is of this nature: when one is able to point out what are the heavenly things
of which these serve as the patterns and shadow, ...and of what things future the law contains a shadow, and any
other expressions of this kind that may be found in holy Scripture; or when it is a
subject of inquiry, what is that wisdom hidden in a mystery which 'God ordained before the world for our glory,
which none of the princes of this world knew;' or the meaning of the apostle's language, when, employing certain
illustrations from Exodus or Numbers, he says: 'These things happened to them in a figure, and they are written
on our account, on whom the ends of the ages have come.'"Book 4 ch. 1