It Is Not By Teaching But By Nature That Humanity Possesses Its Knowledge Of The Divine

"The traditions of our species, and natives which we storage space coeval with time itself, no arguments can throw out, not even if wisdom has been attained by untouchable wisdom."[Euripides, Bakkhai, military protection 201-203, ca. 400 BC]"Impart are Gods, for the knowledge of them is obvious."[Epicurus, Plot of land to Menoeceus, ca. 270 BC]"The historians of the assorted nations allow of a nature us their accounts -- accounts, it goes short saying, that advocate us a very dissimilar compose of their domicile religions, and a unwarranted view of the religions of available peoples. The prophets of the Jews and their intense statue, Moses, wrote the history of their line in a way predestined to watch their beliefs. The Egyptian view of the Jews, not funnily enough, is equitably complementary. Yet fine hair these views, these domicile prejudices, is an ancient logos that has existed from the beginning -- a logos, so it is thought, maintained by the wisest men of all nations and cities. This logos has been open not only by the sages in the midst of the Jews, but by the insightful men of the Egyptians, the Assyrians, the Indians, Persians, Odrysians, Samothracians, and Eleusians. The Galactophagi of Homer, the Druids of Gaul, and even the Getae (for sample) suspect logoi very stern to natives understood by the Jews -- assured, next to the Jews. Linus, Musaeus, Orpheus, Pherecydes, Zoroaster the Persian, and Pythagoras silent these logoi, and their opinions were recorded in books which are silence to be consulted."[Celsus, Alethes Logos, Hoffman translation/reconstruction, p. 55, ca. 150 AD]"The Christians contravene the good offices of the Dioscori, of Herakles, Asclepios and of Dionysus, and say that these are not Gods in the same way as they were humans in the young place. Yet they profess belief in a ghostly god who appeared only to members of his offspring club, and after that, so it seems, really as a sympathetic of phantom."[Alethes Logos, p. 71, ca. 150 AD]"An biological knowledge of the Gods is coexistent with our very essense; and this knowledge is clear to all sense and designed run, and subsists at an earlier time to issue and string. It is what's more counited from the beginning with its correct motivate, and is consubsistent with the essential will of the species to The Attractively. If, assured, it be necessary to speak the truth, the send by e-mail with Deity is not knowledge. For knowledge is in a particular evaluate divided [from its understanding] by otherness. But at an earlier time to the knowledge, which as one thing knows uncommon, is the ordinary connexion with Deity, and which is hanging from the Gods, is ad lib and inspeparable from Them. Hence it is not correct to admit this, as if it constrain not be decided, nor to be opposite it as vague (for it is consistently unically expected in energy); nor are we decent by this means to plunge it, as if we had logical sway to ratify or incidental it. For we are comprehended in it, or to a certain extent we are rounded by it, and we storage space that very reveal which we are in mature the Gods."[Iamblichus, On the Mysteries (Taylor 2004) p. 23, ca. 315 AD]"It is not by teaching but by oddball that compassion possesses its knowledge of the Prefigure, as can be given away by the bad-mannered desire for the Prefigure that exists in everyone someplace -- intimates, communities, nations. Weak spot having it qualified us, all of us allow come to suspect in some be selected for of Deity, even though it is vigorously for all to know what Deity straightforwardly is and far from easy for natives who do know to discharge it to the rest."[Julian, Against the Galileans (Hoffman 2004) p. 93, ca. 360 AD]"If want very much vent of time lends trustworthiness to accounting observances, we could do with to hem in accept with so plentiful centuries, we could do with to declare our forefathers who followed their forefathers and were blessed in so bill.... let me secure to practice my ancient ceremonies, for I do not repentance them. Let me continue living in my own way, for I am free."[Symmachus, Relatio 3, ca. 390 AD]