Also, wanted Christians to be open to the truth in philosophy. God can only be spoken about through metaphors or negation. God is revealed to us in the Word, incarnate in Jesus. Viewed scripture as allegory or parables. Can be read literally, but to stay there is like a child drinking only milk.
Faith serves as the ground for reason.
He was probably a lawyer, or trained in rhetoric, so his writings are legal arguments and sarcastic, at times. Heretics have no legal right to dispute Scripture because it does not belong to them. It belongs to the Church in unbroken succession. Only Church may interpret scripture. Also, Church demonstrates continuity of doctrine, not just formal succession.