Jer 10:14

“If "everyone has become foolish from knowledge," and Paul is a man, Paul has become foolish from knowledge because he knows in part, prophesies in part, has become foolish from knowledge because he sees through a mirror, sees dimly, sees and comprehends matters in small part and—if one can say—an infinitely tiny part. And seen from the opposite, you will understand that everyone has become foolish from knowledge. There are sins of Jerusalem, sins also of Sodom, but in comparison with the worse sins of Jerusalem, the sins of Sodom are righteousness. For Sodom, he said, was justified due to you. Thus, as the sins of Sodom are not righteousness but injustice, and as there arises righteousness when compared with a greater injustice, so this is understood as knowledge seen from the opposite. The knowledge that is in Paul, with respect to that knowledge that is in the heavens, is as foolishness compared with the mature knowledge. Hence, everyone was made foolish by knowledge. In considering I think something such as this, the Preacher said, I have said, "I will become wise." And it was made far from me, beyond what was, and deep, so deep; who will discover it?”

“The psalmist writes, "Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high; I cannot attain unto it." In another: "When I thought how I might know this, it was too painful for me until I went into the sanctuary of God and considered their latter end." And later in the same psalm, "I was as a beast before you; nevertheless I am continually with you." And Jeremiah says, "Every person is become brutish and without knowledge."”

“(Verse 14.) Every man has become foolish because of his knowledge; every artisan is put to shame by his idols. For what he has made is false and there is no spirit in them. All men have become fools because of knowledge. Though that Paul, though Peter, though Moses, and Abraham may be wise, in comparison to God, all their wisdom will be considered as nothing: hence, even the foolishness of God is wiser than men. Every artist who sculpted images without a heart is confused and what he created is false. But if every person is ignorant of knowledge, everything false that he made is foolish. And there is no spirit in them. It should be noted that in this chapter, wind and spirit are called by one name among the Hebrews, Rûaḥ (); but he calls it the Spirit of sanctification, which cannot be found in the minds of heretics.”

“But haply for a time as the false gods. For because they can be called gods, but cannot be so, for a time they are even called so. For what saith the Prophet, or what warneth He to be said to them? This shall ye say to them, "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from those that are under the heavens." He is not such a god: for our God is above all gods. Above all what gods? "For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the Lord made the heavens." The same then is our God. "This is God, even our God."”

“He said, "The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, let them perish from the earth, and from under the heaven." He said not, The gods that have not made the heavens and earth, let them perish from the heaven and from the earth; because they never were in heaven: but what did he say? "Let them perish from the earth, and from under the heaven." As if, while the word earth was repeated, the repetition of the word heaven were wanting (because they never were in heaven): he repeateth the earth twice, since it is under heaven. "Let them perish from the earth, and from under the heaven," from their temples. Consider if this be not now taking place; if in a great measure it hath not already happened: for what, or how much, hath remained? The idols remained rather in the hearts of the pagans, than in the niches of the temples.”

“In the second word: You shall not make a graven image, all false and superstitious inventions of errors are prohibited. Every error is nothing other than a fiction of the mind. For imagination produces error by clouding reason and making what is not appear to be. All false and superstitious inventions of errors arise either from the wicked audacity of philosophical investigation, or from a perverse understanding of Sacred Scripture, or from a disordered affection of human carnality. Concerning such men, however, who devise, or defend, or imitate these or similar errors, Jeremiah says: Every man has become foolish by his own knowledge, that is, by his own investigation and excessive philosophy; every craftsman has been confounded by his graven image: their works are vain and worthy of ridicule, and in the time of their visitation they shall perish. We must therefore stand upon what the lights of faith dictate, and whatever is opposed to this, we ought to abominate entirely as a graven image.”

“The first brightness, namely that of philosophical knowledge, is great according to the opinion of worldly men: but it is easily eclipsed, unless a man guards himself from the head and tail of the dragon. If anything is interposed between him and the sun of justice, he suffers an eclipse of foolishness. "Every man is made foolish by his knowledge," namely occasioned by it, not caused by it. He who trusts in philosophical knowledge and esteems himself on account of this and believes himself to be better, has been made foolish—namely, when through this knowledge without any further light he believes himself to apprehend the Creator: just as if a man should wish to see the heavens or the body of the sun by candlelight.”