and beholds the soul naked within, and he has through all eternity the thought (_epinoia_) of each several thing in particular," seeing all things, as men in a theatre look around and take all in at a glance. "There are many things in life that find their beginning in human reason, though the spark that kindles them is from God.[56] Thus health through medicine, good condition through training, wealth through commerce, come into being and are amongst us, at once by Divine Providence and human co-operation. And from God comes understanding too. And the free will (_proairesis_) of good men most of all obeys God's will.... The thoughts (_epinoiai_) of virtuous men come by divine inspiration (_epipnoia_), the soul being disposed so and the divine will conveyed (_diadidonenou_) to human souls, the divine ministers taking part in such services; for over all nations and cities are assigned angelic governances--perhaps even over individuals."[57] Philosophy makes men virtuous, so it cannot be the product of evil--that is, it is the work of God. As it was given to the best among the Greeks, we can divine who was the Giver.[58] This is a favourite thought with Clement, and, as he does with all ideas that please him, he repeats it over and over again, in all sorts of connexions and in all variety of phrase. When a man is avowedly making "patchwork" books (_Stromateis_), there is really no occasion on which we can call it irrelevant for him to repeat himself, and this is a thought worth repeating. "Before the advent of the Lord, Philosophy was necessary to the Greeks for righteousness, and it is still profitable for piety, a sort of primary instruction for those who reap faith by revelation.... God is the cause of all good things, of some directly, as of the Old and New Testament, of others indirectly as of Philosophy. And perhaps even directly it was given in those times to the Greeks, before the Lord called the Greeks also; for Philosophy too was a _paidagogos_ for the Greek world, as the Law was for the Hebrews, to bring them to Christ."[59] {280} "Generally speaking, we should not be wrong in saying that all that is necessary and profitable to life comes to us from God--and that Philosophy was more especially given to the Greeks, as a sort of covenant (_diatheke_) of their own, a step (_hypobathra_) toward the Philosophy according to Christ,--if Greek philosophers will not close their ears to the truths, through contempt of the barbarian speech."[60] "God is the bestower (_choregos_) of both covenants, who also gave Philosophy to the Greeks, whereby among the Greeks the Almighty is glorified."[61] "In those times Philosophy by itself 'justified' the Greeks--though not to the point of perfect righteousness."[62] "As in due season the Preaching now comes, so in due season the law and the prophets were given to the barbarians and Philosophy to the Greeks, to train their ears for the Preaching."[63] [Sidenote: The origin of philosophy]