Augustine - Works of the Heathen

Augustine of Hippo - Latin: Aurelius Augustinus Hipponensis; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430, also known as Saint Augustine, was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa.

According to his contemporary, Jerome, Augustine "established anew the ancient Faith".In his youth he was drawn to the Manichaean faith, and later to the Hellenistic philosophy of Neoplatonism. After his conversion to Christianity and baptism in 386, Augustine developed his own approach to philosophy and theology, accommodating a variety of methods and perspectives.

Augustine was a Manichean Gnostic for nine years and though he renounced his past, he makes it clear as to how he took the teachings of the Heathens.

CHAPTER 40. WHATEVER HAS BEEN RIGHTLY SAID BY THE HEATHEN, WE MUST APPROPRIATE TO OUR USES.
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf102.v.v.xl.html

 

60. Moreover, if those who are called philosophers, and especially the Platonists, have said aught that is true and in harmony with our faith, we are not only not to shrink from it, but to claim it for our own use from those who have unlawful possession of it. For, as the Egyptians had not only the idols and heavy burdens which the people of Israel hated and fled from, but also vessels and ornaments of gold and silver, and garments, which the same people when going out of Egypt appropriated to themselves, designing them for a better use, not doing this on their own authority, but by the command of God, the Egyptians themselves, in their ignorance, providing them with things which they themselves were not making a good use of; in the same way all branches of heathen learning have not only false and superstitious fancies and heavy burdens of unnecessary toil, which every one of us, when going out under the leadership of Christ from the fellowship of the heathen, ought to abhor and avoid; but they contain also liberal instruction which is better adapted to the use of the truth, and some most excellent precepts of morality; and some truths in regard even to the worship of the One God are found among them. Now these are, so to speak, their gold and silver, which they did not create themselves, but dug out of the mines of God's providence which are everywhere scattered abroad, and are perversely and unlawfully prostituting to the worship of devils. These, therefore, the Christian, when he separates himself in spirit from the miserable fellowship of these men, ought to take away from them, and to devote to their proper use in preaching the gospel. Their garments, also, that is, human institutions such as are adapted to that intercourse with men which is indispensable in this life, we must take and turn to a Christian use.

It is clear that Augustine had no problem using the teachings of the heathens, and even taught that we “are not only not to shrink from it, but to claim it for our own use” and “must take and turn to a Christian use”.

I must also take note that the picture that he uses is very coincidental. What did the Israelites (a Type of the Church) first do with this gold from the Egyptians (a Type of the World) after they escaped their slavery. For they took the gold and made a false god the Golden Calf. Could the use of these heathen teachings as “Gold” be transformed into a false god or false gospel as well?