Quaestio 136 e quaestionibus ad Antiochum ducem 47

How ought we to persuade Greeks who do not believe the Gospel and who disparage all the divine scriptures that there is an uncreated God, maker of heaven and earth, one and only, and not many gods, as they in their error suppose? Since they do not accept the divine scriptures, we must persuade them concerning theology from the very nature of things themselves. For we see certain substances in creation existing not according to nature but beyond nature in relation to one another. I mean something like this: by nature the substance of water is fluid and downward-flowing. How then do we see the so-called siphons drawing water from the sea up into the clouds? And what is more astonishing, that it rises salty but then comes down upon the earth as fresh water through the rains. How again, while the nature of bodies is by nature heavy and downward-tending, is it seen to be unsinkable and not heavy in the waters of the Marmaric Pentapolis? And not only that, but the natures of water and fire are opposite, yet they were together at the same time when in Lycia on the mountain called Olympus, as myriads of men have seen. And there are countless other things similar to these and paradoxical seen and wondered at in creation; all of which would not happen thus beyond nature unless there were some substance of God ruling over them and permitting them not to oppose one another. How again do the children of the Greeks say to us, when a violent thunderclap occurs, the whole nature of men trembles, shudders, and is amazed, indicating by this demeanor that they are under a master who produces the thunders.

And these are examples that lead the simpler among the Greeks to knowledge of God. For among their own wise men, from the ancient capable philosophers, some wise Greeks expressed many testimonies concerning piety. But they also dimly foretold the economy of Christ. Indeed, one of their wise men, many years before Christ's advent, says: "The maiden will come, bearing for us a heavenly offspring." And another again expressed thus: "Late in time the god descends to this much-divided earth, and without fault will become flesh, will be hung on a tree as a condemned man, and will heal incurable sufferings.