THE "SUMMA THEOLOGICA"

ENCYCLICAL OF LEO XIII. xix
of thesewise men of old,and to compare theiropinionswith
the teaching of Revelation. With prudent choice they
acceptedallthe true words and wise thoughtswith which
they met ;but the restthey eithersetrightor castutterly
away. As God, in His carefulforesightforthe defenceof
His Church against the rage of tyrant_,raised up the
martyrs,very strong and lavishof theirmighty souls;so
againstphilosophers,falselyso called,and againstheretics,
He raisedup men greatin wisdom to defend even by the
help of human reasonthe treasureof revealedtruth. From
the very beginningof the Church, indeed,Catholicdoctrine
has found enemies most hostileto it,who have deridedthe
dogmas and teachingsof Christians.They have laiddown
such doctrinesas these: That thereare many gods; that
the matter ofwhich the world ismade has neitherbeginning
nor cause;that thecourseofeventsisgoverned by a certain
blindforceand inevitablenecessity;and that itisnot ruled
by the counselof the providenceof GOd. Wise men, whom
we call Apologists,have in due course attacked these
teachersof insanedoctrine,and, with Faith fortheirguide,
have drawn arguments from human wisdom itself.They
have in thisway proved thatone God, highestin everykind
of perfection,isto be worshipped ;that allthingshave been
made out of nothing by His almightypower ;that they are
allsustainedby His wisdom ;and that each one isdirected
and moved towards itsown end.
Among these,St. Justin Martyr claims for himselfthe
firstplace. Having frequentedthe most celebratedschools
of learningamong the Greeks that he might try what they
were,he learned,as he himselfacknowledges,that he could
drinkin the truthwith fullmouth only from revealeddoctrines.These
he embraced with allthe eagernessof his
soul; strippedoffthe calumnies that hung round them;
defended them vigorouslyand fullybefore the Roman
Emperors; and reconciledwith them many sayingsof the
Greek philosophers.In that time the same work was also
done exceedinglywell by Quadratus, Aristides,Hermias,
and Athenagoras. In the same cause glory not lessthan