The Necessity of Error in Learning

As we are performing the work of providence, we say: some of these things are divine and god-befitting, while others are human.

Since he who says these things is most especially a king, he anoints all things toward piety; he says this because even if there are ten in authority in the city, and many are helping, and they surpass the opponents in number and power, if they do not have wisdom, they are not able to help the city.

Therefore, always seek the power of this general in his wisdom rather than in the multitude of his array.

"So then wisdom will help the wise one among the ten exercising authority in the city."

What is at hand to us has been given regarding history. If a city has many powerful men, but wisdom is lacking, they are not able to help the city.

And for the sake of an analogy, the world, the place around us, is called a city. If divine wisdom is not given, no one is able to pass through safely.

If wisdom does not help, those in authority can do nothing, even if they should be angels or holy men. If wisdom does not help, the city is not saved.

And each person's soul can also be called a city. If indeed someone has a myriad of human thoughts capable of helping this city, but divine wisdom does not help it and lead it and guard it toward the lawful, it is not able to be helped.

And observe "those who are in the city." You know that many times authority is taken from without. And you have in the histories of the Scriptures that many times those who were acting against Israel and its kings hired other kings.

But the ones hired from without do not contribute to helping the city as the natives do. Indeed, when they see that the matter is weak, they withdraw and are favorable toward the opponents.

"Therefore, those who are in the city"; even if they are rich and are well-disposed toward it and are even well-prepared for this very thing, to help the city, in the absence of wisdom they are not able to endure what is urgent.

For man is not righteous in the land (Ecclesiastes 7:20). He did not say at once that a man is not righteous, but in the land. And as is at hand, I am not speaking regarding history, but regarding moral instruction as regarding a way of speaking; I say this, that those...

The man on earth is the one 'walking according to the flesh' (Rom 8:4), according to 'you indeed die as men' (1 Cor 15:3). This one is on earth not only in body, but also in heart. He 'sets his mind on earthly things' (Col 3:2), and 'sinks himself into his seat'. No one of such people is righteous.

I say 'man' not simply, but the one not being on earth who is able to be righteous. 'If one walks on earth, having his portion in heaven', he is wise not on earth. Because of this, the one having righteousness is not prevented from being called a lawbreaker from it. Furthermore, why do you not stand according to history? If you wish to take it according to history, you descend into a dogma, that there is no man born on earth without sin.

I said, that this brings us labor regarding John and regarding this Jeremiah, unless indeed you take that sin, according to which it has been said: 'all have sinned' (Rom 3:23). You know, however, that I once omitted this and said that not every sin brings harm to the one doing it, when I also use an icon such as this, that a painter is learning the art: many icons are drawn not well, and this sin bringing them is not a mockery. Because of this, he draws not well, so that he may learn to draw well. And many things must be done sinfully, so that someone might thus correctly achieve the goal of his work.

They also say concerning the inventors, that the inventors were not such as those who had existed before them when they were practicing. The painters are called indeed 'old', because they drew so much deviated from the original forms, so that the icon might happen to be less than the writing. Thus, therefore, you would say that everyone becoming on earth has this sin, not the one opposing virtue, but the one bringing it upon virtue.

Indeed, regarding the one striving to draw an icon, having begun the art, we sometimes say of the one drawing badly that the one already seasoned in the art draws better, if that one draws carelessly out of laziness; and if you compare the work to the work, the one of the careless is better; but if you look toward the intention, he who wrote by hand wrote more. Thus, therefore, we take it by analogy of quantity. The one able to learn in ten years, having learned, we say he has learned twelve; we have learned much.