4415. About the gentiles, about Cicero
Present with me for about one day was Cicero, I think, and I spoke with him on various subjects. He was amazed about the printing of our time. Then we spoke of various matters, also about wisdom, about which we conversed, and he said that wisdom is of life, and wisdom cannot be predicated of anything else; then about intelligence, that it is from that source, which was also confirmed; then also about order, that there is order in all and the very least things, and that order is from the supreme God, and thus that to live in that order according to the Divine order - that this is to be wise.
Moreover, he also knows many things about the Lord, and I spoke with him, saying that He was born a human being, but conceived from God, and that He put off the human quality and put on the Divine one. This he grasped very well, and acknowledged that it could not be otherwise. And meanwhile evil Christians round about were pouring in various scandals, but he paid no attention to them, but said that it could not be otherwise, and this with inward confirmation. Those from among the Christians were surprised, but he said to them in a loud voice that it was not surprising, because they had imbued principles in the life of their body on these subjects that were indecent, so that until those principles were dispelled, they were unable to give access to affirmative ones, as those could who lived in ignorance, like those who had known nothing about the Lord.
4415. CONCERNING THE GENTILES [AND] CICERO.
There was one with me, who, as I think, was Cicero, for about a day, and I spoke with him of various things. He wondered at the printing types of our age. We then spoke concerning various things, and also concerning wisdom, on which our conversation turned. He said that wisdom was of life, and could not be predicated of anything else. We also spoke of intelligence, that it was from thence, which was also confirmed; then also of order, that there is order in all and singular things, and that order is from the supreme God, and thus that to live in that order according to the divine order was to be wise. He knew, besides, many things also concerning the Lord, and when I remarked in the conversation, that He was born a man, but was conceived by God, and that he put off the human and put on the divine; this he understood well, and acknowledged that it could not be otherwise. Meantime certain evil disposed Christians, who were round about us, infused various scandals, but he paid no attention to them, saying that it could not be otherwise, and that too with inward confirmation. These Christians then present wondered, but he said to them aloud that this was not strange, because they had imbued principles in the life of their body on these subjects, such as were not becoming, and that therefore, before those principles were dispersed, they could not admit confirmations, as could those who were in ignorance, which is the case with those who have known nothing concerning the Lord.
4415. De gentibus, de Cicerone
Fuit apud me Cicero, ut reor, per unum diem circiter, et cum illo loquutus de variis, miratus typos nostri temporis; tunc loquutum de variis, etiam de sapientia, de qua sermo, dixit, quod sapientia sit vitae, et quod non de alia re praedicari sapientia possit; tum de intelligentia, quod sit inde, quod etiam confirmatum, tum quoque de ordine, quod sit ordo in omnibus et singulis, et quod ordo sit a supremo Deo, et sic quod vivere in illo ordine secundum ordinem Divinum, quod hoc sit sapiens esse; praeterea novit etiam plura de Domino, et loquutus [sum] cum illo, quod natus homo, sed conceptus a Deo, et quod exuerit humanum, et induerit Divinum, hoc ille comprehendit bene, et agnovit quod non posset aliter esse; ac interea Christiani mali circum infundebant varia scandala, sed illa non curabat, sed dixit, quod non possit aliter esse, et hoc cum interiore confirmatione. Mirati illi ex Christianis, sed aperta voce iis dixit, quod non mirum sit, quia imbuerunt principia in vita corporis sui de illis, non talia, sicut decet, quare antequam principia illa discussa fuerint, non admittere possent illa quae confirmant, sicut illi qui ignorarunt, ut sunt illi qui nihil sciverunt de Domino.