Let us see if this pleasure is stable or transitory; if it pass away, it is a river of Babylon.
460
The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, pride, &c.—There are three orders of things: the flesh, the spirit, and the will. The carnal are the rich and kings; they have the body as their object. Inquirers and scientists; they have the mind as their object. The wise; they have righteousness as their object.
God must reign over all, and all men must be brought back to Him. In things of the flesh lust reigns specially; in intellectual matters, inquiry specially; in wisdom, pride specially. Not that a man cannot boast of wealth or knowledge, but it is not the place for pride; for in granting to a man that he is learned, it is easy to convince him that he is wrong to be proud. The proper place for pride is in wisdom, for it cannot be granted to a man that he has made himself wise, and that he is wrong to be proud; for that is right. Now God alone gives wisdom, and that is why Qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur.[1]
461
The three lusts have made three sects; and the philosophers have done no other thing than follow one of the three lusts.
462
Search for the true good.—Ordinary men place the good in fortune and external goods, or at least in amusement. Philosophers have shown the vanity of all this, and have placed it where they could.
463
[Against the philosophers who believe in God without Jesus Christ.]
Philosophers.—They believe that God alone is worthy to be loved and admired; and they have desired to be loved
- ↑ 1 Cor., i. 31.
