Alan Russell Fuller

“Let us determine, then, What is reasoning? and what passion? and how many forms of the passions? and whether reasoning bears sway over all of these? Reasoning is, then, intellect accompanied by a life of rectitude, putting foremost the consideration of wisdom. And wisdom is a knowledge of divine and human things, and of their causes. And this is contained in the education of the law; by means of which we learn divine things reverently, and human things profitably. And the forms of wisdom are prudence, and justice, and manliness, and temperance. The leading one of these is prudence; by whose means, indeed, it is that reasoning bears rule over the passions.”
― 4 Maccabees 1:14-19

“The world has been created for this purpose, that we may be born; we are born for this end, that we may acknowledge the Maker of the world and of ourselves—God; we acknowledge Him for this end, that we may worship Him; we worship Him for this end, that we may receive immortality as the reward of our labours, since the worship of God consists of the greatest labours; for this end we are rewarded with immortality, that being made like to the angels, we may serve the Supreme Father and Lord for ever, and may be to all eternity a kingdom to God. This is the sum of all things, this the secret of God, this the mystery of the world, from which they are estranged, who, following present gratification, have devoted themselves to the pursuit of earthly and frail goods, and by means of deadly enjoyments have sunk as it were in mire and mud their souls, which were born for heavenly pursuits. Lactantius, Divine Institutes, Chap. VI”
― Lactantius

“Perhaps some very wicked persons will suspect that the lawgiver is here speaking enigmatically, when he says that the Creator repented of having created man, when he beheld their wickedness; on which account he determined to destroy the whole race. But let those who adopt such opinions as these know, that they are making light of and extenuating the offences of these men of old time, by reason of their own excessive impiety; for what can be a greater act of wickedness than to think that the unchangeable God can be changed?”
― Philo of Alexandria, Volume III. On the Unchangeableness of God. On Husbandry. Concerning Noah's Work as a Planter. On Drunkenness. On the Prayers and Curses uttered by Noah when he became Sober.

“...the test of truth is proof combined with reason.

Philo of Alexandria; Book 30: The Special Laws, IV”
― Philo of Alexandria, De specialibus legibus, III-IV