THE "SUMMA THEOLOGICA"

XX THE " SUMMA THEOLOGICA "
theirs was gained by the Bishop of Lyons, Irenmus, the
invincible martyr. He refuted with power the wicked
teaching of the Easterns, scattered as it was by the help
of the Gnostics throughout the bounds of the Roman
Empire. St. Jerome says of him: 'He explained...
the beginnings of heresies one by one, and pointed out from
what fountains of the philosophers they flowed.'
Again, there is no one who does not know the disputations
of Clement of Alexandria, which the same St. Jerome
thus mentions with honour: 'Is there anything that is
not learned in them ? Is there anything not drawn from
the depth of philosophy ?' He himself also wrote books
of an incredible variety, which are of the greatest use in
building up a history of philosophy, in rightly exercising
the art of dialectics, and in establishing the harmony that
exists between reason and faith. Origen followed him,
renowned among the teachers of the Alexandrine school,
and deeply learned in the doctrine of the Greeks and the
Easterns. He wrote a very great number of books, and
spent much labour upon them. Wondrously, just at the
right time, they explained the Holy Scriptures, and threw
light on our sacred dogmas. It is true that these books,
at least in their present state, are not altogether free from
errors ; yet they embrace great force of teaching, by which
natural truths are increased in number and in strength.
Tertullian, too, fights against the heretics by the authority
of Scripture. Then changing his weapons, he fights against
the philosophers with arguments of philosophy. With so
much acuteness and learning does he refute them, that he
answers them openly and confidently: 'Neither about
science nor about learning are we, as you think, on an
equal footing.' Arnobius also in his books against the
Gentiles, and Lactantius in his Institutions especially, strive
earnestly with like eloquence and strength to persuade men
to accept the dogmas and commands of Catholic wisdom.
They do not overthrow philosophy, according to the way
of the Academy; but partly by their own weapons, and
partly by weapons taken from the agreement of philosophers