ectly contrary way of thinking, for they hold that
true opinions and a true plan of life are of no service in attaining
blessedness, if their possessors have arrived at them by the light of
reason only, and not like the documents prophetically revealed to Moses.
Maimonides ventures openly to make this assertion: "Every man who takes
to heart the seven precepts and diligently follows them, is counted with
the pious among the nations, and an heir of the world to come; that is
to say, if he takes to heart and follows them because God ordained them
in the law, and revealed them to us by Moses, because they were of
aforetime precepts to the sons of Noah: but he who follows them as lead
thereto by reason, is not counted as a dweller among the pious, nor
among the wise of the nations." Such are the words of Maimonides, to
which R. Joseph, the son of Shem Job, adds in his book, which he calls
_Kebod Elohim, or God's Glory_, that although Aristotle (whom he
considers to have written the best ethics and to be above every one
else) has not omitted anything that concerns true ethics, and which he
has adopted in his own book, carefully following the lines laid down,
yet this was not able to suffice for his salvation, inasmuch as he
embraced his doctrines in accordance with the dictates of reason and not
as Divine documents prophetically revealed.[9]

However, that these are mere figments and are not supported by
Scriptural authority will, I think, be sufficiently evident to the
attentive reader, so that an examination of the theory will be
sufficient for its refutation. It is not my purpose here to refute the
assertions of those who assert that the natural light of reason can
teach nothing of any value concerning the true way of salvation. People
who lay no claims to reason for themselves are not able to prove by
reason this their assertion; and if they hawk about something superior
to reason, it is a mere figment, and far below reason, as their general
method of life sufficiently shows. But there is no need to dwell upon
such persons. I will merely add that we can only judge of a man by his
works. If a man abounds in the fruits of the Spirit, charity, joy,
peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, chastity,
against which, as Paul says (Gal. v. 22), there is no law, such an one,
whether he be taught by reason only or by the Scripture only, has been
in very truth taught by God, and is altogether blessed. Thus have