322. Among the heathen, as among Christians, there are both wise and
simple. That I might learn about them I have been permitted to speak
with both, sometimes for hours and days. But there are no such wise
men now as in ancient times, especially in the Ancient Church, which
extended over a large part of the Asiatic world, and from which
religion spread to many nations. That I might wholly know about them
I have been permitted to have familiar conversation with some of
these wise men. There was with me one who was among the wiser of his
time, and consequently well known in the learned world, with whom I
talked on various subjects, and had reason to believe that it was
Cicero. Knowing that he was a wise man I talked with him about
wisdom, intelligence, order, and the Word, and lastly about the Lord.
[2] Of wisdom he said that there is no other wisdom than the wisdom
of life, and that wisdom can be predicated of nothing else; of
intelligence that it is from wisdom; of order, that it is from the
Supreme God, and that to live in that order is to be wise and
intelligent. As to the Word, when I read to him something from the
prophets he was greatly delighted, especially with this, that every
name and every word signified interior things; and he wondered
greatly that learned men at this day are not delighted with such
study.
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