The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of PhilosophyBoethius
Religion
The Theological Tractates and The Consolation of Philosophy
Boethius
Happiness; Philosophy and religion; Theology -- Early works to 1800; Theology -- History -- Early Church, ca. 30-600
You no doubt remember how, when the letter[53] was read in the assembly,
it was asserted that the Eutychians confess that Christ is formed from
two natures but does not consist of them--whereas Catholics admit both
propositions, for among followers of the true Faith He is equally
believed to be of two natures and in two natures. Struck by the novelty
of this assertion I began to inquire what difference there can be
between unions formed from two natures and unions which consist in two
natures, for the point which the bishop who wrote the letter refused to
pass over because of its gravity, seemed to me of importance and not one
to be idly and carelessly slurred over. On that occasion all loudly
protested that the difference was evident, that there was no obscurity,
confusion or perplexity, and in the general storm and tumult there was
no one who really touched the edge of the problem, much less anyone who
solved it.
I was sitting a long way from the man whom I especially wished to
watch,[54] and if you recall the arrangement of the seats, I was turned
away from him, with so many between us, that however much I desired it I
could not see his face and expression and glean therefrom any sign of
his opinion. Personally, indeed, I had nothing more to contribute than
the rest, in fact rather less than more. I, no more than the others, had
any view about the question at issue, while my possible contribution was
less by one thing, namely, the false assumption of a knowledge that I
had not got. I was, I admit, much put out, and being overwhelmed by the
mob of ignorant speakers, I held my peace, fearing lest I should be
rightly set down as insane if I held out for being sane among those
madmen.[55] So I continued to ponder all the questions in my mind, not
swallowing what I had heard, but rather chewing the cud of constant
meditation. At last the door opened to my insistent knocking, and the
truth which I found cleared out of my way all the clouds of the
Eutychian error. And with this discovery a great wonder came upon me at
the vast temerity of unlearned men who use the cloak of impudent
presumption to cover up the vice of ignorance, for not only do they
often fail to grasp the point at issue, but in a debate of this kind
they do not even understand their own statements, forgetting that the
case of ignorance is all the worse if it is not honestly admitted.[56]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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