TiLDEN: Philo Judaeus 



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wealth, he turns away" (I, 195). We recall at once the first chapter 

 of Isaiah where the Lord asks (in verse 11) ^'To what purpose is the 

 multitude of your sacrifice unto me?" and in verse 13, "Bring no 

 more vain oblations", and in verse 14, "Your new moons and your 

 appointed feasts my soul hateth; they are a trouble unto me; I am 

 weary to bear them", and finally Psalms 51, 17: "The sacrifices of 

 God are a broken Spirit: a broken and contrite heart, 0 God, thou 

 wilt not despise." 



Again, Philo says in this connection: "Let those who seek to show 

 honor and gratitude to God cleanse themselves of sin; washing 

 away all that defiles life in word and thought and deed", and "The 

 only true sacrifice is the piety of a God-loving soul" (I, 273, 274; 

 II, 151). 



A curious passage is that in which he tells of the angels' one and 

 only criticism of creation, the need of a creature with voice to chant 

 God's praise. In answer to this criticism God created man gifted 

 with ability to sing. But hymns would, according to Philo, include 

 not only those which find vocal utterance, but also the silent grati- 

 tude of the heart. 



The following is also noteworthy: "Of the works of creation two 

 things are holy — heaven, which immortal and blessed natures 

 pervade, and the mind of man, which is a fragment of the Divine" 

 (I, 625, 626). This suggests at once Kant's famous words: 



"Zwei Dinge erfiillen das Gemiith mit immer neuer und zuneh- 

 mender Bewunderung und Ehrfurcht, je ofter und anhaltender 

 sich das Nachdenken damit beschaftigt: der bestirnte Himmel 

 liber mir, und das moralische Gesetz in mir" (Immanuel Kant, 

 Kritik der praktischen Vernunft, Th. II, Beschluss, Vol. V, p. 167, 

 ed. of G. Hartenstein : Leipsig, Voss, 1867). 



After Love and Fear of God, Philo places Faith, as chiefest of the 

 virtues. But to him Faith is not the beginning of virtue but its goal. 

 Perfect Faith belongs to the perfect man only. Faith is not opposed 

 to knowledge of a thing or a person, for the more knowledge one 

 has of these the more faith he has in them. Faith in God also implies 

 the lack of faith in creation and in oneself. Faith in God, however, 

 implies perfect freedom. The well-known Collect, "In whose service 

 is perfect freedom", might have been worded by Philo. "Nothing so 

 completely liberates the mind", he says, "as to become a servant 

 and suppliant of God" (I, 534). No commands are needed to the 

 perfect man to do God's will, for "The perfect man is impelled by 

 himself to virtuous deeds." Compare Jesus' words in John 4, 34; 

 "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work." 

 Philo illustrates by the example of Abraham, at the close of his 



