Against Heresies: Book II
Chapter 25: God Should Not Be Pursued Through Letters, Syllables, and Numbers; The Importance of Humility in These Inquiries
1. If anyone says in response to these things, "What then? Is it meaningless and accidental that the positions of names, the election of the apostles, the works of the Lord, and the arrangement of created things are what they are?"—we answer them: Certainly not. With great wisdom and diligence, all things have clearly been made by God, fitted and prepared for their special purposes. His word formed both ancient things and those belonging to the latest times. People should not connect those things with the number thirty, but harmonize them with what actually exists or with right reason. Nor should they seek to investigate God by means of numbers, syllables, and letters. This is uncertain because of their varied and diverse systems, and because every sort of hypothesis can be devised by anyone today; thus, they can argue against the truth using these theories, as they can be interpreted in many different ways. On the contrary, they should adapt the numbers themselves and those things which have been formed to the true theory before them. For system does not come from numbers, but numbers from a system; nor does God derive His being from things made, but things made from God. All things originate from one and the same God.
Since created things are various and numerous, they are well suited and adapted to the whole creation. However, when viewed individually, they may seem opposite and inharmonious, much like the sound of a lyre, which uses many contrasting notes to create a single, continuous melody through the intervals that separate each note. Therefore, the lover of truth should not be misled by the gaps between each note, nor should he think that one note was made by one artist and another by someone else, or that different people tuned the treble, bass, and tenor strings. Instead, he should believe that the entire piece was crafted by the same person, showcasing the judgment, goodness, and skill demonstrated in the whole work and the wisdom it represents. Those who listen to the melody should praise and admire the artist, appreciate the tension of some notes, notice the softness of others, hear the sounds that lie between both extremes, and understand the unique qualities of each note. They should consider what each note aims to achieve and the reason for their variety, consistently applying our rule: never abandoning belief in the one artist, nor losing faith in the one God who created all things, nor speaking against our Creator.
If, however, anyone does not understand the cause of all those things which are investigated, let them reflect that humans are infinitely inferior to God; that they have received grace only in part, and are not yet equal to or like their Maker; and, moreover, that they cannot have experience or form a conception of all things like God can. Just as someone who was created today and has just begun their existence is inferior to Him who is uncreated and always the same, in that same way, they are, in terms of knowledge and the ability to investigate the causes of all things, inferior to Him who made them. For you, O human, are not an uncreated being, nor have you always existed with God, as His own Word did; but now, through His supreme goodness, receiving the beginning of your creation, you gradually learn from the Word about the ways of God who made you.
4. Therefore, maintain the proper order of your knowledge, and do not, in ignorance of what is truly good, attempt to rise above God Himself, for He cannot be surpassed; nor should you seek anyone above the Creator, for you will not find such a one. Your Creator cannot be contained within limits; even if you were to measure the entire universe, explore all His creation, and consider its full depth, height, and length, you would not be able to conceive of anyone above the Father Himself. You will not be able to fully understand Him, and by following thoughts that are against your nature, you will prove yourself foolish; if you persist in this way, you will fall into complete madness, thinking yourself higher and greater than your Creator and imagining that you can surpass His realms.