The Greek Nation and Wisdom From Divine Providence

The History of the Greek Nation begins by examining it as a nation. From it we learn that the sciences, the arts, and philosophy were the portion allotted to the Greek. A lover of beauty, of goodness, of truth, he eagerly hastened toward the perfection of what had been handed down to him and toward the discovery of new works of the intellect. A nation naturally good, he distinguished himself by his civilizing spirit. His most ardent desire was to impart his knowledge and make others sharers in his goods. The nobility of his character imposed upon him as a duty the refinement of his equals; and in this work he found the fulfillment of his desire. This desire was boundless. He wished to make known to this known world his wisdom and all his spiritual virtues, but the fulfillment of this required also a powerful and mighty force. Weakness is helpless for great works. The completion of the work was necessary, and God takes part as a co-worker. He raises up Alexander of Macedon, another Joshua son of Nun, to subdue the nations spiritually and to prepare them through wisdom and knowledge, imparting to them the Greek spirit. Again the word is fulfilled, that in weakness the power of God is perfected. The Greek nation became the teacher of the world receptive to wisdom. If anyone philosophizes upon the history of the Greek nation, he will be compelled to acknowledge that the Greek nation appeared so that through philosophy it might aid and contribute to the purpose of the divine will for the reformation and reshaping of the human race. For all his life ran about this purpose. Christianity clothed in the Greek garment, which through the Greek language and wisdom drew the world in its net, which stored up the teachings and sublime doctrines in its writings, and which through Greek sacred and Ecumenical Councils regulated the matters of faith and worship, is itself sufficient proof of the truth. But what astonishes the searching investigator is the long and enduring one-sided work of these two peoples, who, although far distant from each other, the divine power that directs all things intertwined their activities so tightly that both worked toward the same purpose and appeared simultaneously upon the universal stage and acted in harmony, the one as divinely inspired, the other as philosopher, and were united in such a way that the one was the soul and the other the body. How could two separated nations, differing so greatly from each other in religion, customs, morals, development, spirit, government, and in all things; separated more by the discord of their characters and principles than by the great distances that separated their lands; how could they have co-labored for one and the same purpose? This is incomprehensible except if it be attributed to divine providence. Divine providence called the children of Shem and Japheth to cooperate for humanity. Divine providence led the Greeks to Jerusalem, so that the two peoples might communicate. The prophets of the Jews foretold this coming communication. Daniel recorded it, and the new Joshua son of Nun, the great Alexander, saw Aaron receiving him as a conqueror. History further testifies to the providence of God. But let us examine as well the history of the Roman state and see how it cooperated with those that came before toward the same purpose.