Page:Illustrations of the history of medieval thought and learning.djvu/48

30 stamped upon and crushed; I have fought with them and taken them by assault, nor will I ever, so far as in me lies, cease to combat them with the help of God. He turns to his accuser: (Apol. ap. Jon. 175 G: cf. lib. super Levit., Mabillon 90 sq.) ''Why dost thou humble thyself and bow false images? why bend thy body a slave before vain likenesses and things of earthly fashion? God made thee erect. Other animals are prone and look earthward, but thy face is raised towards God. Thither look, raise thine eyes thither; seek God above, so shall thou have no need of things below''. This is the basis of his teaching. Following closely in the track, often quoting the very words, of Augustin, he repeats that (Praef. in Levit., Mabillon 91: cf. Reuter I. 19 & n. 17.) a spiritual religion is independent of the sensuous, is dragged down by any attempt to make it intelligible to the outward eyes: it looks directly towards God. For this reason he refuses to dwell even upon the humanity of Christ. The man Jesus did his work once for all: Claudius would turn men's thoughts to their glorified Lord. (Apol., ap. Jon. 176 C, 177 C.) ''When these worshippers of a false religion and superstition say, For the memory of our Saviour we worship, reverence, adore a cross painted and carved in his honour, they take no pleasure in our Saviour except that which pleasured the ungodly, the shame of his passion and the scorn of his death. They believe of him what the ungodly, Jews or heathen, believed, who believed not in his resurrection; and they know not to think aught of him save as in anguish and dead; they believe and hold him in their hearts to abide continually in passion, nor consider nor understand that which the apostle saith, (2 Cor. v. 16.) Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more''.

Claudius attacks every visible symbol and memorial of the life of Jesus. (Apol., ap. Jon. 177 H sq.) ''You worship all wood fashioned after the manner of a cross, because for six hours Christ hung upon a cross. Worship then all virgins, because a virgin bare him. Worship stables, for he was born in one; old rags, for he''