VARIOUS LETTERS
ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΑΙ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΟΙ
DIONYSIUS the (pseudo-) AREOPAGITE
 


St. Denys,
med. illum. MS


Work #001 2798.  to    Work #001 2798.6.28  tit Corpus Dionysiacum ii: Pseudo-Dionysius Areopagita. De coelesti     hierarchia, de ecclesiastica hierarchia, de mystica theologia,     epistulae pub De Gruyter pla Berlin pyr 1991 pag 155-210 ser Patristische Texte und Studien  brk Ad Gaium monachum (epist. 1): pp. 156-157 brk Ad Gaium monachum (epist. 2): p. 158 brk Ad Gaium monachum (epist. 3): p. 159 brk Ad Gaium monachum (epist. 4): pp. 160-161 brk Ad Dorotheum ministrum (epist. 5): pp. 162-163 brk Ad Sopatrum sacerdotem (epist. 6): p. 164 brk Ad Polycarpum antistitem (epist. 7): pp. 165-170 brk Ad Demophilum monachum (epist. 8): pp. 171-192 brk Ad Titum episcopum (epist. 9): pp. 193-207 brk Ad Joannem theologum (epist. 10): pp. 208-210 1117-1120 edr Heil, G. edr Ritter, A.M.


LETTERS OF DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE.

ΕΠΙΣΤΟΛΑΙ ΔΙΑΦΟΡΟΙ

LETTER 1. To Gaius Therapeutes.

       1. ΓΑΙΩΙ ΘΕΡΑΠΕΥΤΗΙ

DARKNESS becomes invisible by light, and specially by much light. Varied knowledge (ai0 gnw&seij), and especially much varied knowledge, makes the Agnosia 1 to vanish. Take this in a superlative, but not in a defective sense, and reply with superlative truth, that the Agnosia, respecting God, escapes those who possess existing light, and knowledge of things being; and His pre-eminent darkness is both concealed by every light, and is hidden from every knowledge. And, if any one, having seen God, understood what he saw, he did not see Him, but some of His creatures that are existing and known. But He Himself, highly established above mind, and above essence, by the very fact of His being wholly unknown, and not being, both is super-essentially, and is known above mind. And the all-perfect Agnosia, in its superior sense, is a knowledge of Him, Who is above all known things.

1.1 Τὸ σκότος ἀφανὲς γίνεται τῷ φωτί͵ καὶ μᾶλλον τῷ πολλῷ φωτί· τὴν ἀγνωσίαν ἀφανίζουσιν αἱ γνώσεις͵ καὶ μᾶλλον αἱ πολλαὶ γνώσεις. Ταῦτα ὑπεροχικῶς͵ ἀλλὰ μὴ κατὰ στέρησιν ἐκλαβὼν ἀπόφησον ὑπεραληθῶς͵ ὅτι λανθάνει τοὺς ἔχοντας ὂν φῶς καὶ ὄντων γνῶσιν ἡ κατὰ θεὸν ἀγνωσία καὶ τὸ ὑπερκείμενον αὐτοῦ σκότος καὶ καλύπτεται παντὶ φωτὶ καὶ ἀπο κρύπτεται πᾶσαν γνῶσιν. Καὶ εἴ τις ἰδὼν θεὸν συνῆκεν͵ ὃ εἶδεν͵ οὐκ αὐτὸν ἑώρακεν͵ ἀλλά τι τῶν αὐτοῦ τῶν ὄντων καὶ γινωσκομένων· αὐτὸς δὲ ὑπὲρ νοῦν καὶ οὐσίαν ὑπεριδρυμένος͵ αὐτῷ τῷ καθόλου μὴ γινώσκε σθαι μηδὲ εἶναι͵ καὶ ἔστιν ὑπερουσίως καὶ ὑπὲρ νοῦν γινώσκεται. Καὶ ἡ κατὰ τὸ κρεῖττον παντελὴς ἀγνωσία γνῶσίς ἐστι τοῦ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ γινωσκόμενα.

LETTER 2. To the same Gaius Therapeutes.

2. ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ

How is He, Who is beyond all 2, both above source of Divinity and above source of Good? Provided you 142 understand Deity and Goodness, as the very Actuality of the Good-making and God-making gift, and the inimitable imitation of the super-divine and super-good (gift), by aid of which we are deified and made good. For, moreover, if this becomes source of the deification and making good of those who are being deified and made good, He,----Who is super-source of every source, even of the so-called Deity and Goodness, seeing He is beyond source of Divinity and source of Goodness, in so far as He is inimitable, and not to be retained----excels the imitations and retentions, and the things which are imitated and those participating.

2.1 Πῶς ὁ πάντων ἐπέκεινα καὶ ὑπὲρ θεαρχίαν ἐστὶ καὶ ὑπὲρ ἀγαθαρχίαν; Εἰ θεότητα καὶ ἀγαθότητα νοήσαις αὐτὸ τὸ χρῆμα τοῦ ἀγαθοποιοῦ καὶ θεοποιοῦ δώρου καὶ τὸ ἀμίμητον μίμημα τοῦ ὑπερθέου καὶ ὑπεραγάθου͵ καθ΄ ὃ θεούμεθα καὶ ἀγαθυνόμεθα. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ τοῦτο ἀρχὴ γίνεται τοῦ θεοῦσθαι καὶ ἀγαθύνεσθαι τοὺς θεουμένους καὶ ἀγαθυνομένους͵ ὁ πάσης ἀρχῆς ὑπεράρχιος καὶ τῆς οὕτω λεγομένης θεότητος καὶ ἀγαθότητος͵ ὡς θεαρχίας καὶ ἀγαθαρχίας͵ ἐστὶν ἐπέκεινα͵ καθ΄ ὅσον ὁ ἀμίμητος καὶ ἄσχετος ὑπερέχει τῶν μιμήσεων καὶ σχέσεων καὶ τῶν μιμουμένων καὶ μετεχόντων.

LETTER 3. To the same Gaius.

3. ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ

“Sudden “is that which, contrary to expectation, and out of the, as yet, unmanifest, is brought into the manifest. But with regard to Christ’s love of man, I think that the Word of God suggests even this, that the Superessential proceeded forth out of the hidden, into the manifestation amongst us, by having taken substance as man. But, He is hidden, even after the manifestation, or to speak more divinely, even in the manifestation, for in truth this of Jesus has been kept hidden, and the mystery with respect to Him has been reached by no word nor mind, but even when spoken, remains unsaid, and when conceived unknown. 143 

3.1 Ἐξαίφνης ἐστὶ τὸ παρ΄ ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐκ τοῦ τέως ἀφανοῦς εἰς τὸ ἐκφανὲς ἐξαγόμενον. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς κατὰ Χριστὸν φιλανθρωπίας καὶ τοῦτο οἶμαι τὴν θεολογίαν αἰνίττεσθαι͵ τὸ ἐκ τοῦ κρυφίου τὸν ὑπερούσιον εἰς τὴν καθ΄ ἡμᾶς ἐμφάνειαν ἀνθρωπικῶς οὐσιωθέντα προεληλυθέναι. Κρύφιος δέ ἐστι καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἔκφανσιν ἤ͵ ἵνα τὸ θειότερον εἴπω͵ καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐκφάνσει. Καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ Ἰησοῦ κέκρυπται͵ καὶ οὐδενὶ λόγῳ οὔτε νῷ τὸ κατ΄ αὐτὸν ἐξῆκται μυστήριον͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ λεγόμενον ἄῤῥητον μένει καὶ νοούμενον ἄγνωστον.

LETTER 4.3 To the same Gaius Therapeutes.

4. ΤΩΙ ΑΥΤΩΙ

How, you ask, is Jesus, Who is beyond all, ranked essentially with all men? For, not as Author of men is He here called man, but as being in absolute whole essence truly man. But we do not define the Lord Jesus, humanly, for He is not man only, (neither superessential nor man only), but truly man, He Who is pre-eminently a lover of man, the Super-essential, taking substance, above men and after men, from the substance of men. And it is nothing less, the ever Superessential, super-full of super-essentiality, disregards the excess 4 of this, and having come truly into substance, took substance above substance, and above man works things of man. And a virgin supernaturally conceiving, and unstable water, holding up weight of material and earthly feet, and not giving way, but, by a supernatural power standing together so as not to be divided, demonstrate this. Why should any one go through the rest, which are very many? Through which, he who looks with a divine vision, will know beyond mind, even the things affirmed respecting the love towards man, of (the Lord) Jesus,----things which possess a force of superlative negation. For, even, to speak summarily, He was not man, not as not being man, but as being from men was beyond men, and was above man, having truly been born man, and for the rest, not having done things Divine 144 as God, nor things human as man, but exercising for us a certain new God-incarnate energy of God having become man.

4.1 Πῶς͵ φῄς͵ Ἰησοῦς͵ ὁ πάντων ἐπέκεινα͵ πᾶσίν ἐστιν ἀνθρώποις οὐ σιωδῶς συντεταγμένος; Οὐ γὰρ ὡς αἴτιος ἀνθρώπων ἐνθάδε λέγεται ἄνθρωπος͵ ἀλλ΄ ὡς αὐτὸ κατ΄ οὐσίαν ὅλην ἀληθῶς ἄνθρωπος ὤν. Ἡμεῖς δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν οὐκ ἀνθρωπικῶς ἀφορίζομεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἄνθρωπος μόνον οὐδὲ ὑπερούσιος͵ εἰ ἄνθρωπος μόνον͵ ἀλλ΄ ἄνθρωπος ἀληθῶς ὁ διαφερόντως φιλάνθρωπος͵ ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπους καὶ κατὰ ἀνθρώπους ἐκ τῆς ἀνθρώπων οὐσίας ὁ ὑπερούσιος οὐσιωμένος. Ἔστι δὲ οὐδὲν ἧττον ὑπερ ουσιότητος ὑπερπλήρης ὁ ἀεὶ ὑπερούσιος͵ ἀμέλει τῇ ταύτης περιουσίᾳ͵ καὶ εἰς οὐσίαν ἀληθῶς ἐλθὼν ὑπὲρ οὐσίαν οὐσιώθη καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἐνήργει τὰ ἀνθρώπου. Καὶ δηλοῖ παρθένος ὑπερφυῶς κύουσα καὶ ὕδωρ ἄστατον ὑλικῶν καὶ γεηρῶν ποδῶν ἀνέχον βάρος καὶ μὴ ὑπεῖκον͵ ἀλλ΄ ὑπερφυεῖ δυνάμει πρὸς τὸ ἀδιάχυτον συνιστάμενον. Τί ἄν τις τὰ λοιπὰ πάμπολλα ὄντα διέλθοι; Δι΄ ὧν ὁ θείως ὁρῶν ὑπὲρ νοῦν γνώσεται καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καταφασκόμενα͵ δύναμιν ὑπεροχικῆς ἀποφάσεως ἔχοντα. Καὶ γάρ͵ ἵνα συνελόντες εἴπωμεν͵ οὐδὲ ἄνθρωπος ἦν͵ οὐχ ὡς μὴ ἄνθρωπος͵ ἀλλ΄ ὡς ἐξ ἀνθρώπων ἀν θρώπων ἐπέκεινα καὶ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἀληθῶς ἄνθρωπος γεγονώς͵ καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν οὐ κατὰ θεὸν τὰ θεῖα δράσας͵ οὐ τὰ ἀνθρώπεια κατὰ ἄνθρω πον͵ ἀλλ΄ ἀνδρωθέντος θεοῦ͵ καινήν τινα τὴν θεανδρικὴν ἐνέργειαν ἡμῖν πεπολιτευμένος.

LETTER 5. To Dorotheus, Leitourgos.

5. ΔΩΡΟΘΕΩΙ ΛΕΙΤΟΥΡΓΩΙ

The Divine gloom is the unapproachable light in which God is said to dwell 5. And in this gloom, invisible 6 indeed, on account of the surpassing brightness, and unapproachable on account of the excess of the superessential stream of light, enters every one deemed worthy to know and to see God, by the very fact of neither seeing nor knowing, really entering in Him, Who is above vision and knowledge, knowing this very thing, that He is after all the object of sensible and intelligent perception, and saying in the words of the Prophet, “Thy knowledge was regarded as wonderful by me; It was confirmed; I can by no means attain unto it 7;” even as the Divine Paul is said to have known Almighty God, by having known Him as being above all conception and knowledge. Wherefore also, he says, “His ways are past finding out 8 and His Judgements inscrutable,” and His gifts “indescribable 9,” and that His peace surpasses every mind 10, as having found Him Who is above all, and having known this which is above conception, that, by being Cause of all, He is beyond all. 145 

  5.1 Ὁ θεῖος γνόφος ἐστὶ τὸ ἀπρόσιτον φῶς͵ ἐν ᾧ κατοικεῖν ὁ θεὸς λέγεται͵ καὶ ἀοράτῳ γε ὄντι διὰ τὴν ὑπερέχουσαν φανότητα καὶ ἀπρο σίτῳ τῷ αὐτῷ δι΄ ὑπερβολὴν ὑπερουσίου φωτοχυσίας. Ἐν τούτῳ γί γνεται πᾶς ὁ θεὸν γνῶναι καὶ ἰδεῖν ἀξιούμενος͵ αὐτῷ τῷ μὴ ὁρᾶν μηδὲ γινώσκειν· ἀληθῶς ἐν τῷ ὑπὲρ ὅρασιν καὶ γνῶσιν γιγνόμενος τοῦτο αὐτὸ γιγνώσκων͵ ὅτι μετὰ πάντα ἐστὶ τὰ αἰσθητὰ καὶ τὰ νοητά͵ καὶ προφητικῶς ἐρῶν· Ἐθαυμαστώθη ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἀπ΄ ἐμοῦ͵ ἐκραταιώθη͵ οὐ μὴ δύνωμαι πρὸς αὐτήν. Ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ θεῖος Παῦλος ἐγνωκέναι τὸν θεὸν λέγεται γνοὺς αὐτὸν ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ὄντα νόησιν καὶ γνῶσιν͵ διὸ καὶ ἀνεξιχνιάστους εἶναι τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ φησι καὶ ἀνεξερεύνητα τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀνεκδιηγή τους τὰς δωρεὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην αὐτοῦ ὑπερέχουσαν πάντα νοῦν͵ ὡς εὑρηκὼς τὸν ὑπὲρ πάντα καὶ τοῦτο ὑπὲρ νόησιν ἐγνωκώς͵ ὅτι πάντων ἐστὶν ἐπέκεινα πάντων αἴτιος ὤν.

LETTER 6. To Sopatros 11-----Priest.

6. ΣΩΠΑΤΡΩΙ ΙΕΡΕΙ

Do not imagine this a victory, holy Sopatros, to have denounced 12 a devotion, or an opinion, which apparently is not good. For neither----even if you should have convicted it accurately----are the (teachings) of Sopatros consequently good. For it is possible, both that you and others, whilst occupied in many things that are false and apparent, should overlook the true, which is One and hidden. For neither, if anything is not red, is it therefore white, nor if something is not a horse, is it necessarily a man. But thus will you do, if you follow my advice, you will cease indeed to speak against others, but will so speak on behalf of truth, that every thing said is altogether unquestionable.

6.1 Μὴ τοῦτο οἴου νίκην͵ ἱερὲ Σώπατρε͵ τὸ εἰς θρησκείαν ἢ δόξαν ὑβρίσαι μὴ ἀγαθὴν φαινομένην· οὐδὲ γάρ͵ οὐδ΄ εἰ κεκριμένως αὐτὴν ἐξελέγξεις͵ ἤδη τὰ Σωπάτρου καλά· δυνατὸν γὰρ καὶ σὲ καὶ ἄλλους ἐν πολλοῖς τοῖς ψεύδεσι καὶ φαινομένοις͵ ἓν ὂν καὶ κρύφιον͵ τὸ ἀληθὲς λανθάνειν. Οὐδὲ γάρ͵ εἴ τι μὴ ἐρυθρόν͵ ἤδη λευκόν· οὐδέ͵ εἴ τις μὴ ἵππος͵ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἄνθρωπος. Οὕτω δὲ ποιήσεις ἐμοὶ πειθόμενος· ἀφέξῃ μὲν τοῦ καθ΄ ἑτέρων λέγειν͵ ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας δὲ ὄντως ἐρεῖς͵ ὡς πάντη εἶναι ἀνεξέλεγκτα τὰ λεγόμενα.

LETTER 7.
To Polycarp----Hierarch.

7. ΠΟΛΥΚΑΡΠΩΙ ΙΕΡΑΡΧΗΙ

7.1. I, at any rate, am not conscious, when speaking in reply to Greeks or others, of fancying to assist good men, in case they should be able to know and speak the very truth, as it really is in itself. For, when this is correctly demonstrated in its essential nature, according to a law of truth, and has been established without flaw, every thing which is otherwise, and simulates the truth, will be convicted of being other 146 than the reality, and dissimilar, and that which is seeming rather than real. It is superfluous then, that the expounder of truth should contend with these or those 13. For each affirms himself to have the royal coin, and perchance has some deceptive image of a certain portion of the true. And, if you refute this, first the one, and then the other, will contend concerning the same. But, when the true statement itself has been correctly laid down, and has remained unrefuted by all the rest, every thing which is not so in every respect is cast down of itself, by the impregnable stability of the really true. Having then as I think well understood this, I have not been over zealous to speak in reply to Greeks or to others; but it is sufficient for me (and may God grant this), first to know about truth, then, having known, to speak as it is fitting to speak.

7.1 Ἐγὼ μὲν οὐκ οἶδα πρὸς Ἕλληνας ἢ πρὸς ἑτέρους εἰπών͵ ἀρκεῖν οἰόμενος ἀγαθοῖς ἀνδράσιν͵ εἰ τὸ ἀληθὲς αὐτὸ ἐφ΄ ἑαυτοῦ δυνήσοιντο καὶ γνῶναι καὶ εἰπεῖν͵ ᾗ ὄντως ἔχει. Τούτου γάρ͵ ὅ τί ποτέ ἐστι͵ κατὰ νόμον ἀληθείας ὀρθῶς ἀποδεικνυμένου καὶ ἀκραιφνοῦς ἑστηκότος πᾶν τὸ ἑτέρως ἔχον καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν προσποιούμενον ἐξελεγχθήσεται καὶ ἕτερον ὂν τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος καὶ ἀνόμοιον καὶ δοκοῦν ἐκεῖνο μᾶλλον ἢ ὄν. Περιττὸν οὖν ἐστι τὸν ἀληθείας ἐκφάντορα πρὸς τούτους ἢ ἐκείνους διαμάχεσθαι. Λέγει γὰρ ἕκαστος αὐτὸς ἔχειν τὸ νόμισμα τὸ βασιλικόνκαὶ ἴσως γε ἔχει τι μορίου τινὸς τοῦ ἀληθοῦς ἀπατηλὸν εἴδωλον. Καὶ εἰ τοῦτον ἐλέγξεις͵ ὁ ἕτερος καὶ αὖθις ὁ ἄλλος περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ φιλονεικήσει. Τοῦ δ΄ ἀληθοῦς αὐτοῦ τεθέντος ὀρθῶς λόγου καὶ πρὸς τῶν ἄλλων πάντων ἀνεξελέγκτου μείναντος πᾶν τὸ μὴ οὕτω κατὰ πάντα ἔχον αὐτὸ ἐφ΄ ἑαυτοῦ τῇ ἀηττήτῳ στάσει τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος ἀληθοῦς καταβάλλεται. Τοῦτο μὲν οὖν͵ ὡς οἶμαι͵ καλῶς ἐγνωκὼς οὐκ ἔσπευσα πρὸς Ἕλληνας ἢ πρὸς ἑτέρους εἰπεῖν͵ ἀλλ΄ ἱκανόν μοικαὶ τοῦτο θεὸς δοίη περὶ ἀληθείας εἰδέναι πρῶτον͵ ἔπειτα εἰδότα͵ ὡς χρή͵ λέγειν.

7.2. But you say, the Sophist Apollophanes rails at me, and calls me parricide, as using, not piously, the writings of Greeks against the Greeks. Yet, in reply to him, it were more true for us to say, that Greeks use, not piously, things Divine against things Divine, attempting through the wisdom of Almighty God to eject the Divine Worship. And I am not speaking of the opinion of the multitude, who cling tenaciously to the writings of the poets, with earthly and impassioned proclivities, and Worship the creature 14 rather than the Creator; but even Apollophanes 147 himself uses not piously things Divine against things Divine; for by the knowledge of things created, well called Philosophy by him, and by the divine Paul named Wisdom of God, the true philosophers ought to have been elevated to the Cause of things created and of the knowledge of them. And in order that he may not improperly impute to me the opinion of others, or that of himself, Apollophanes, being a wise man, ought to recognise that nothing could otherwise be removed from its heavenly course and movement, if it had not the Sustainer and Cause of its being moving it thereto, who forms all things, and “transforms them 15 “according to the sacred text. How then does he not worship Him, known to us even from this, and verily being God of the whole, admiring Him for His all causative and super-inexpressible power, when sun 16 and moon, together with the universe, by a power and stability most supernatural, were fixed by them to entire immobility, and, for a measure of a whole day, all the constellations stood in the same places; or (which is greater than even this), if when the whole and the greater and embracing were thus carried along, those embraced did not follow in their course; and when a certain other day 17 was almost tripled in duration, even in twenty whole hours, either the universe retraced contrary routes for so long a time, and (was) 148 turned back by the thus very most supernatural backward revolutions; or the sun, in its own course, having contracted its five-fold motion in ten hours, retrogressively again retraced it in the other ten hours, by traversing a sort of new route. This thing indeed naturally astounded even Babylonians 18, and, without battle, brought them into subjection to Hezekiah, as though he were a somebody equal to God, and superior to ordinary men. And, by no means do I allege the great works in Egypt 19, or certain other Divine portents, which took place elsewhere, but the well-known and celestial ones, which were renowned in every place and by all persons. But Apollophanes is ever saying that these things are not true. At any rate then, this is reported by the Persian sacerdotal legends, and to this day, Magi celebrate the memorials of the threefold Mithrus 20. But let him disbelieve these things, by reason of his ignorance or his inexperience. Say to him, however, “What do you affirm concerning the eclipse, which took place at the time of the saving Cross 21?” For both of us at that time, at Heliopolis, being present, and standing together, saw the moon approaching the sun, to our surprise (for it was not appointed time for conjunction); and again, from the ninth hour to the evening, supernaturally placed back again into a line opposite 149 the sun. And remind him also of something further. For he knows that we saw, to our surprise, the contact itself beginning from the east, and going towards the edge of the sun’s disc, then receding back, and again, both the contact and the re-clearing 22, not taking place from the same point, but from that diametrically opposite. So great are the supernatural things of that appointed time, and possible to Christ alone, the Cause of all, Who worketh great things and marvellous, of which there is not number.

7.2 Σὺ δὲ φῂς λοιδορεῖσθαί μοι τὸν σοφιστὴν Ἀπολλοφάνη καὶ πα τραλοίαν ἀποκαλεῖν͵ ὡς τοῖς Ἑλλήνων ἐπὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας οὐχ ὁσίως χρωμένῳ. Καίτοι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡμᾶς ἦν ἀληθέστερον εἰπεῖν͵ ὡς Ἕλληνες τοῖς θείοις οὐχ ὁσίως ἐπὶ τὰ θεῖα χρῶνται διὰ τῆς σοφίας τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ θεῖον ἐκβάλλειν πειρώμενοι σέβας. Καὶ οὐ τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἔγωγέ φημι δόξαν τοῖς τῶν ποιητῶν προσύλως καὶ ἐμπαθῶς ἐναπομενόντων καὶ τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα λατρευόντων͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς Ἀπολλοφάνης οὐχ ὁσίως τοῖς θείοις ἐπὶ τὰ θεῖα χρῆται· τῇ γὰρ τῶν ὄντων γνώσει͵ καλῶς λεγομένῃ πρὸς αὐτοῦ φιλοσοφίᾳ καὶ πρὸς τοῦ θείου Παύλου σοφίᾳ θεοῦ κεκλημένῃ͵ πρὸς τὸν αἴτιον καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ὄντων καὶ τῆς γνώσεως αὐτῶν ἐχρῆν ἀνάγεσθαι τοὺς ἀληθεῖς φιλοσόφους. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ τὴν ἄλλων ἢ τὴν αὐτοῦ παρὰ τὸ δοκοῦν ἐξελέγχοιμι δόξαν͵ ἔδει συνιδεῖν Ἀπολλοφάνη͵ σοφὸν ὄντα͵ μὴ ἂν ἄλλως ποτὲ δυνηθῆναι τῆς οὐρανίας τι παρατραπῆναι τάξεως καὶ κινήσεως͵ εἰ μὴ τὸν τοῦ εἶναι αὐτὴν καὶ συνοχέα καὶ αἴτιον ἔσχεν εἰς τοῦτο κινοῦντα͵ τὸν ποιοῦντα πάντα καὶ μετασκευάζοντα κατὰ τὸν ἱερὸν λόγον. Πῶς οὖν οὐ σέβει τὸν ἐγνωσμένον ἡμῖν κἀκ τούτου καὶ ὄντως ὄντα τῶν ὅλων θεὸν ἀγάμενος αὐτὸν τῆς παναιτίου καὶ ὑπεραῤῥήτου δυνάμεως; Ὅταν ἥλιος ὑπ΄ αὐτοῦ καὶ σελήνη κατὰ δύναμιν καὶ στάσιν ὑπερφυεστάτην ἅμα τῷ παντὶ πρὸς τὸ πάντη ἀκίνητον ὁρίζωνται καὶ εἰς μέτρον ἡμέρας ὅλης ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ἑστᾶσι τὰ πάντα σημείων· ἤ͵ τὸ τούτου γε πλεῖον͵ εἴπερ τῶν ὅλων καὶ τῶν κρειττόνων καὶ περιεχόντων͵ οὕτω φερομένων͵ οὐ συμπεριήγετο τὰ περιεχόμενα· καὶ ὅταν ἄλλη τις ἡμέρα κατὰ συνέχειαν σχεδὸν τριπλα σιάζηται καὶ ἐν εἴκοσι ταῖς πάσαις ὥραις ἢ τὸ πᾶν τοσούτου χρόνου φορὰς ἐναντίας ἀναποδίζῃ καὶ ἐπαναστρέφῃ ταῖς οὕτως ἄγαν ὑπερφυε στάταις ἀντιπεριαγωγαῖς ἢ ὁ ἥλιος ἰδίῳ δρόμῳ τὴν πεντάτροπον αὐτοῦ κίνησιν ἐν ὥραις δέκα συνελών͵ ἀναλυτικῶς αὖθις ὅλην αὐτὴν ἐν ταῖς ἑτέραις δέκα καινήν τινα τρίβων ὁδὸν ἀναποδίζῃ. Τοῦτο δὴ τὸ καὶ Βαβυλωνίους εἰκότως ἐκπλῆξαν καὶ μάχης ἐκτὸς τῷ Ἐζεκίᾳ καθυποτάξαν͵ ὡς ἂν ἰσοθέῳ τινὶ καὶ ὑπερέχοντι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. Καὶ οὐ δήπου φημὶ τὰς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ μεγαλουργίας ἢ ἄλλας τινὰς ἀλλαχοῦ θεοσημείας γε γενημένας͵ ἀλλὰ τὰ κοινὰ καὶ οὐράνια καὶ ἐν τῷ παντὶ καὶ πᾶσι θριαμ βευθέντα. Φήσει δὲ πάντως Ἀπολλοφάνης οὐκ εἶναι ταῦτα ἀληθῆ. Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν τοῦτο ταῖς Περσῶν ἱερατικαῖς ἐμφέρεται φήμαις͵ καὶ εἰσέτι μάγοι τὰ μνημόσυνα τοῦ τριπλασίου Μίθρου τελοῦσιν. Ἀλλ΄ ἐξέστω αὐτῷ τούτοις διὰ τὴν ἄγνοιαν ἢ τὴν ἀπειρίαν ἀπιστεῖν. Εἰπὲ δὲ αὐτῷ· Τί λέγεις περὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ σωτηρίῳ σταυρῷ γεγονυίας ἐκλείψεως; Ἀμφοτέρω γὰρ τότε κατὰ Ἡλιούπολιν ἅμα παρόντε καὶ συνεστῶτε παραδόξως τῷ ἡλίῳ τὴν σελήνην ἐμπίπτουσαν ἑωρῶμενοὐ γὰρ ἦν συνόδου καιρός· αὖθίς τε αὐτὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνάτης ὥρας ἄχρι τῆς ἑσπέρας εἰς τὸ τοῦ ἡλίου διάμετρον ὑπερφυῶς ἀντικαταστᾶσαν. Ἀνάμνησον δέ τι καὶ ἕτερον αὐ τόν· οἶδε γάρ͵ ὅτι καὶ τὴν ἔμπτωσιν αὐτὴν ἐξ ἀνατολῶν ἑωράκαμεν ἀρξαμένην καὶ μέχρι τοῦ ἡλιακοῦ πέρατος ἐλθοῦσαν͵ εἶτα ἀναποδίσασαν καὶ αὖθις οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἔμπτωσιν καὶ τὴν ἀνακάθαρσιν͵ ἀλλ΄ ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ διάμετρον ἐναντίου γεγενημένην. Τοσαῦτά ἐστι τοῦ τότε καιροῦ τὰ ὑπερφυῆ καὶ μόνῳ Χριστῷ τῷ παναιτίῳ δυνατά͵ τῷ ποιοῦντι μεγάλα καὶ ἐξαίσια͵ ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός.

7.3. These things say, if occasion serves, and if possible, O Apollophanes, refute them, and to me, who was then both present with thee, and saw and judged and wondered with thee at them all. And in truth Apollophanes begins prophesying at that time, I know not whence, and to me he said, as if conjecturing the things taking place, “these things, O excellent Dionysius, are requitals of Divine deeds.” Let so much be said by us by letter; but you are capable, both to supply the deficiency, and to bring eventually to God that distinguished man, who is wise in many things, and who perhaps will not disdain to meekly learn the truth, which is above wisdom, of our religion. 150 

7.3 Ταῦτα͵ εἴ σοι θεμιτόν͵ εἰπέ͵ καὶ δυνατόν͵ Ἀπολλόφανες͵ ἐξέλεγχε καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ τὸν τότε καὶ συμπαρόντα σοι καὶ συνεωρακότα καὶ συν ανακρίναντα πάντα καὶ συναγάμενον. Ἀμέλει καὶ μαντείας τότε͵ οὐκ οἶδ΄ ὅθεν͵ ὁ Ἀπολλοφάνης ἀπάρχεται καὶ πρὸς ἐμὲ ὥσπερ τὰ γιγνόμενα συμβάλλων ἔφη· Ταῦτα͵ ὦ καλὲ Διονύσιε͵ θείων ἀμοιβαὶ πραγμάτων. Τοσαῦτα ὡς κατ΄ ἐπιστολὴν ἡμῖν εἰρήσθω. Σὺ δὲ ἱκανὸς καὶ τὰ ἐλλείποντα προσαναπληρῶσαι καὶ προσαγαγεῖν τελέως τῷ θεῷ τὸν ἄνδρα σοφὸν τὰ πολλὰ ὄντα καὶ ἴσως οὐκ ἀπαξιώσοντα πραέως μαθεῖν τὴν ὑπέρσοφον τῆς θρησκείας ἡμῶν ἀλήθειαν.

LETTER 8. To Demophilus, Therapeutes. About minding ones own business, and kindness.

8. ΔΗΜΟΦΙΛΩΙ ΘΕΡΑΠΕΥΤΗΙ

8.1. The histories of the Hebrews say, O noble Demophilus, that, even that holy, distinguished Moses was deemed worthy of the Divine manifestation on account of his great meekness 23. And, if at any time they describe him as being excluded from the vision 24 of God, they do not cast him out from God for his meekness. But they say that when speaking very rashly, and opposing the Divine Counsels, Jehovah was angry with him with wrath. But when they make him proclaimed by his God-discerned deserts, he is proclaimed, from his pre-eminent imitation of the Good. For he was very meek, and on this account is called “Servant of God,” and deemed more fit for vision of God than all Prophets. Now, when certain envious 25 people were contending with him and Aaron, about the High Priesthood and government of the tribes, he was superior to all love of honour, and love of rule, and referred the presidency over the people to the Divine judgment. And, when they even rose up against him, and reproaching him concerning the precedency, were threatening him, and were already almost upon him, the meek man invoked the Good for preservation, but very suitably asserted that 151 he would be guiltless of all evils to the governed. For he knew that it is necessary, that the familiar with God the Good should be moulded, as far as is attainable, to that which is specially most like the Good, and should be conscious within himself of the performance of deeds of good friendship. And what made David 26, the father of God, a friend of God? Even for being good and generous towards enemies 27. The Super-Good, and the Friend of Good says----” I have found a man after mine own heart.” Further also, a generous injunction was given, to care for even one’s enemy’s beasts of burden 28.

8.1 Αἱ τῶν Ἑβραίων ἱστορίαι φασίν͵ ὦ γενναῖε Δημόφιλε͵ καὶ τὸν ἱερὸν ἐκεῖνον Μωσέα διὰ πολλὴν πραότητα τῆς θεοφανείας ἠξιωμένον. Καὶ εἴ ποτε αὐτὸν ἔξω τῆς θείας ὄψεως ἀναγράφουσιν͵ οὐ πρὸ τῆς πραότητος ἐκβάλλουσι τοῦ θεοῦ. Λέγουσι δέ͵ ὅτι λίαν ἀπαυθαδιαζομένῳ καὶ ἀντιτείνοντι ταῖς θείαις βουλαῖς ὠργίσθη θυμῷ κύριος. Ὅταν δὲ αὐτὸν ἀνακήρυκτον ποιῶσι ταῖς θεοκρίτοις ἀξίαις͵ ἐκ τῆς προὐχούσης τ΄ ἀγαθοῦ θεομιμησίας ἀνακηρύττεται. Καὶ γὰρ ἦν πρᾶος σφόδρα͵ καὶ ὑπὲρ τούτου λέγεται θεράπων θεοῦ καὶ εἰς θεοπτίαν ἁπάντων προφητῶν ἀξιώτερος. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὅτε πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν Ἀαρὼν ἰταμοί τινες ὑπὲρ ἀρχιερωσύνης καὶ ἐθναρχίας ἐφιλονείκουν͵ ὑπερεῖχε μὲν ἁπάσης φιλοτιμίας καὶ φιλαρχίας καὶ παρεχώ ρει τῷ θεοκρίτῳ τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ προστασίαν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ ἐπισυνέστησαν αὐτῷ καὶ περὶ τῶν προτέρων ὀνειδίζοντες ἠπείλουν καὶ ἤδη σχεδὸν ἐπῄεσαν͵ ἐπεβοᾶτο μὲν ὁ πρᾶος τὸν ἀγαθὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν͵ ἐπαῤῥησιάζετο δὲ λίαν ἐπιεικῶς͵ ὅτι πάντων εἴη κακῶν τοῖς ἀρχομένοις ἀναίτιος· ᾔδει γάρ͵ ὅτι χρὴ τὸν ὁμιλοῦντα θεῷ τἀγαθῷ πρὸς τὸ ὅτι μάλιστα ὁμοιό τατον͵ ὡς ἐφικτόν͵ ἀποτετυπῶσθαι καὶ ἑαυτῷ συνειδέναι τὰς ἀγαθοφιλεῖς ἐργατείας. Τί δὲ τὸν θεοπάτορα Δαυὶδ ἐποίει θεοφιλῆ; Καὶ γὰρ ἀγαθὸν ὄντα͵ καὶ περὶ ἐχθροὺς ἀγαθόν· Εὕρηκα φησίν͵ ὁ ὑπεράγαθος ὁ φιλάγαθος͵ ἄνδρα κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν μου. Καίτοι καὶ θεσμὸς ἀγαθὸς ἐδεδώρητο καὶ ὑποζυγίων ἐχθροῦ προνοεῖν.

And Job 29 was pronounced just, as being free from injury. And Joseph 30 did not take revenge upon the brethren who had plotted against him; and Abel, at once, and without suspicion, accompanied the fratricide. And the Word of God proclaims all the good as not devising evil things 31, not doing them 32, but neither being changed from the good, by the baseness of others 33, but, on the contrary, after the example of God 34, as doing good to, and throwing their shield over the evil; and generously calling them to their own abundant goodness, and to their own similitude. But let us ascend higher, not proclaiming the gentleness of holy men, nor kindness of philanthropic angels, who take compassion upon nations, and invoke good 35 on their behalf, and punish the 152 destructive and devastating mobs, and, whilst being grieved over calamities, yet rejoice over the safety of those who are being called back to things good 36; nor whatever else the Word of God teaches concerning the beneficent angels 37; but, whilst in silence welcoming the beneficent rays of the really good and super-good Christ, by them let us be lighted on our path, to His Divine works of Goodness. For assuredly is it not of a Goodness inexpressible and beyond conception, that He makes all things existing to be, and brought all things themselves to being, and wishes all things ever to become near to Himself, and participants of Himself, according to the aptitude of each?

Καὶ Ἰὼβ ὡς ἀκακίας ἐχόμενος ἐδικαιοῦτο͵ καὶ Ἰωσὴφ τοὺς ἐπιβούλους ἀδελφοὺς οὐκ ἠμύνετο͵ καὶ Ἄβελ ἁπλῶς καὶ ἀνυπόπτως συνεπορεύετο τῷ ἀδελφοκτόνῳ. Καὶ πάντας ἡ θεολογία τοὺς ἀγαθοειδεῖς ἀνακηρύττει͵ μὴ προεννοοῦντας τὰ κακὰ͵ μὴ προποιοῦντας͵ ἀλλὰ μηδὲ πρὸς τῆς ἄλλων κακίας ἐκ τἀγαθοῦ μεταποιουμένους͵ τοὐ ναντίον δὲ θεοειδῶς καὶ τοὺς κακοὺς ἀγαθύνοντας καὶ ἐφαπλοῦντας καὶ ἐπ΄ αὐτοὺς τὴν πολλὴν αὐτῶν ἀγαθότητα καὶ πρὸς τὸ ὅμοιον ἐπιεικῶς ἐκκαλουμένους. Ἀλλ΄ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄναντες ἀνανεύσωμεν͵ οὐκ ἀνδρῶν ἱερῶν ἐπιεικείας͵ οὐ φιλανθρώπων ἀγγέλων ἀγαθότητας ἐξαγγέλλοντες͵ ἐλεούντων ἔθνη καὶ ὑπερδεομένων αὐτῶν τἀγαθοῦ καὶ ταῖς ὀλεθρίαις καὶ κακεργέτισιν ἐπι τιμώντων πληθύσι καὶ ἀχθομένων μὲν ἐπὶ κακοῖς͵ εὐφραινομένων δὲ τῇ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν εἰς τἀγαθὰ μετακαλουμένων͵ οὐδ΄ ὅσα ἄλλα περὶ τῶν ἀγαθοεργῶν ἀγγέλων ἡ θεολογία παραδίδωσιν· ἀλλὰ τοῦ ὄντως ἀγαθοῦ καὶ ὑπεραγάθου Χριστοῦ τὰς ἀγαθοποιοὺς ἀκτῖνας ἐν ἡσυχίᾳ παραδε χόμενοι πρὸς αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὰς θείας ἀγαθουργίας αὐτοῦ φωταγωγηθῶμεν. Ἆρα γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφάτου καὶ ὑπὲρ νόησιν ἀγαθότητος͵ ὅτι τὰ ὄντα εἶναι ποιεῖ καὶ ὅτι πάντα αὐτὰ πρὸς τὸ εἶναι παρήγαγε καὶ πάντα βούλεται ἀεὶ γενέσθαι παραπλήσια ἑαυτῷ καὶ κοινωνικὰ τῶν αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἑκάστου ἐπιτηδειότητα;

And why? Because He clings lovingly to those who even depart from Him, and strives 38 and beseeches not to be disowned by those beloved who are themselves coy; and He bears with those who heedlessly reproach Him 39, and Himself makes excuse for them, and further promises to serve them, and runs towards and meets 40 even those who hold themselves aloof, immediately that they approach; and when His entire self has embraced their entire selves, He kisses them, and does not reproach them for former things, but rejoices over the present, and holds a feast, and calls together the friends, that is to say, the good, in order that the household may be altogether rejoicing. (But, Demophilus, of all persons in the world, is at enmity 153 with, and very justly rebukes, and teaches beautiful things to, good men, and rejoices.) “For how,” He says, “ought not the good to rejoice over safety of the lost, and over life of those who are dead.” And, as a matter of course, He raises upon His shoulders that which with difficulty has been turned from error, and summons the good angels to rejoicing, and is generous to the unthankful, and makes His sun to rise upon evil and good, and presents His very soul 41 as an offering on behalf of those who are fleeing from Him.

Τί δέ͵ ὅτι καὶ τῶν ἀποφοιτώντων ἐρωτικῶς ἔχεται καὶ φιλονεικεῖ καὶ δεῖται μὴ ἀπαξιωθῆναι τῶν ἐρωμένων καὶ θρυπτομένων αὐτῶν καὶ εἰκῆ κατεγκαλούντων ἀνέχεται͵ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπο λογεῖται; Καὶ μᾶλλον ἐπαγγέλλεται θεραπεύσειν καὶ ἔτι αὐτοῖς ἀπέχου σιν͵ ὅμως προσιοῦσι͵ προστρέχει καὶ ὑπαντᾷ καὶ ὅλος ὅλους περιφὺς ἀσπάζεται καὶ οὐκ ἐγκαλεῖ περὶ τῶν προτέρων͵ ἀλλ΄ ἀγαπᾷ τὰ παρόντα καὶ ἑορτὴν ἄγει καὶ συγκαλεῖται τοὺς φίλουςδηλαδὴ τοὺς ἀγαθούς ͵ ἵνα ᾖ πάντων εὐφραινομένων ἡ κατοικία. (Δημόφιλος δέ͵ καὶ εἴ τις ἄλλος ἀγαθοῖς ἀπεχθάνεται͵ λίαν ἐνδίκως ἐπιτιμᾶται καὶ ἐκδιδάσκεται τὰ καλὰ καὶ ἀγαθύνεται). Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἔδει͵ φησί͵ τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τῶν ἀπολωλότων εὐφραίνεσθαι καὶ ζωῇ τῶν τεθανατωμένων; Ἀμέλει καὶ ἐπ΄ ὤμων αἴρει τὸ μόλις ἀπὸ πλάνης ἐπιστραφὲν καὶ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς ἀγγέλους εἰς εὐφροσύνην ἐγείρει καὶ χρηστός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀχαρί στους καὶ ἀνατέλλει τὸν ἥλιον αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθοὺς καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀποφευγόντων.

But thou, as thy letters testify, I do not know how, being in thy senses, hast spurned one fallen down before the priest, who, as thou sayest, was unholy and a sinner. Then this one entreated and confessed that he has come for healing of evil deeds, but thou didst not shiver, but even insolently didst cover with abuse the good priest, for shewing compassion to a penitent, and justifying the unholy. And at last, thou saidst to the priest, “Go out with thy like”; and didst burst, contrary to permission, into the sanctuary, and defiledst the Holy of holies, and writest to us, that “I have providentially preserved the things sacred, which were about to be profaned, and am still keeping them undefiled.”

Σὺ δέ͵ ὡς τὰ γράμματά σου δηλοῖ͵ καὶ προσπεσόντα τῷ ἱερεῖ τόν͵ ὡς φῄς͵ ἀσεβῆ καὶ ἁμαρτωλόνοὐκ οἶδ΄ ὅπως καθ΄ ἑαυτοῦ παρώνἀπελάκτισας. Εἶτα ὁ μὲν ἐδεῖτο καὶ ὡμολόγει πρὸς ἰατρείαν κακῶν ἐληλυθέναι͵ σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἔφριξας͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἱερέα μετὰ θράσους προεπηλάκιζες ἐλεητὸν εἶναι μετανοοῦντα καὶ τὸν ἀσεβῆ δικαιώσαντα· καὶ τέλος· ῎εξιθι ἔφης τῷ ἱερεῖ μετὰ τῶν ὁμοίων καὶ εἰσεπήδησαςοὐκ ὄντος θεμιτοῦ πρὸς τὰ ἄδυτα καὶ τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων συνέστειλας καὶ γράφεις ἡμῖν͵ ὅτι μέλλοντα διαφθαρῆναι τὰ ἱερὰ προνοητικῶς ἀπέσωσα καὶ ἔτι ἄχραν τα διαφυλάττω.

Now, then, hear our view. It is not lawful that a priest should be corrected by the Leitourgoi, who are above thee, or by the Therapeutae, who are of the same rank with thee; even though he should seem to 154 act irreverently towards things Divine, and though he should be convicted of having done some other thing forbidden. For, if want of order, and want of regulation, is a departure from the most Divine institutions and decrees, it is not reasonable that the divinely transmitted order should be changed on God’s behalf. For Almighty God is not divided against Himself, for, “how then shall His kingdom stand 42?” And if the judgment is of God, as the Oracles affirm 43, and the priests are angels and interpreters, after the hierarchs, of the Divine judgments, learn from them through whom thou wast deemed worthy to be a Therapeutes, through the intermediate Leitourgoi, when opportunity serves, the things Divine suitable for thyself 44. And do not the Divine Symbols proclaim this, for is not the Holy of holies altogether simply separated from all, and the order of the consecrators is in closer proximity to it than the rank of the priests, and following these, that of the Leitourgoi.

Νῦν οὖν ἄκουε τῶν ἡμετέρων· οὐ θεμιτὸν ἱερέα πρὸς τῶν ὑπὲρ σὲ λειτουργῶν ἢ τῶν ὁμοταγῶν σοι θεραπευτῶν εὐθύνεσθαι͵ κἂν ἀσεβεῖν εἰς τὰ θεῖα δοκῇ͵ κἂν ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀπειρημένων ἐξελέγχοιτο δράσας. Εἰ γὰρ ἀκοσμία καὶ ἀταξία τῶν θειοτάτων ἐστὶ καὶ ὅρων καὶ θεσμῶν ἔκβασις͵ οὐκ ἔχει λόγον ὑπὲρ θεοῦ τὴν θεοπαράδοτον ἀνατρέπεσθαι τάξιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἐφ΄ ἑαυτὸν ὁ θεὸς ἐμερίσθη· πῶς γὰρ σταθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία αὐτοῦ; Καὶ εἰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν͵ ὡς τὰ λόγιά φησιν͵ ἡ κρίσις͵ οἱ δὲ ἱερεῖς ἄγγελοι καὶ ὑποφῆται μετὰ τοὺς ἱεράρχας εἰσὶ τῶν θείων κριμάτων͵ πρὸς αὐτῶν τὰ θεῖα προσηκόντως σοι διὰ μέσων τῶν λειτουργῶν͵ ὅταν ᾖ καιρός͵ ἐκδιδάσκου͵ δι΄ ὧν καὶ τὸ εἶναι θεραπευτὴς ἠξιώθης. ῍Η οὐχὶ καὶ τὰ ἱερὰ σύμβολα τοῦτο βοᾷ; Καὶ γὰρ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἁπάντων μὲν ἐξῄρηται τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων͵ πλησιάζει δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτοῖς ὁ τῶν ἱερο τελεστῶν διάκοσμος͵ εἶτα τῶν ἱερέων ἡ διακόσμησις͵ ἑπομένως δὲ τούτοις ἡ τῶν λειτουργῶν·

But the gates of the sanctuary are bounded by the appointed Therapeutae, within which they are both ordained, and around which they stand, not to guard them, but for order, and teaching of themselves that they are nearer the people than the priesthood. Whence the holy regulation of the priests orders them to participate in things Divine, enjoining the impartation of these to others, that is to say, the more inward. For even those who always stand 155 around the Divine Altar, for a symbolical purpose, see and hear things Divine revealed to themselves in all clearness; and advancing generously to things outside the Divine Veils, they shew, to the subject Therapeutae, and to the holy people, and to the orders under purification, according to their meetness, things holy which had been beautifully guarded without pollution, until thou didst tyrannically burst into them, and compelledst the Holy of holies, against its will, to be strutted over by thee, and thou sayest, that thou holdest and guardest the sacred things, although thou neither hast known, nor heard, nor possessest any of the things belonging to the priests; as neither hast thou known the truth of the Oracles, whilst cavilling about them each day to subversion of the hearers. And even if same civil Governor undertook what was not commanded him by a King, justly would any one of the subordinates standing by be punished who dared to criticise the Governor, when justifying, or condemning any one; (for I do not go so far as to say to vituperate), and at the same time thought to cast him from his government; but thou, man, art thus rash in what concerns the affairs of the meek and good, and his hierarchical jurisdiction. We are bound to say these things, when any one undertakes what is above his rank, and at the same time thinks that he acts properly. For this is not within the powers of any one. For what was Ozias 45 doing out of place, when offering incense to Almighty God? and what Saul 46 in sacrificing? 156 

τοῖς δὲ τεταγμένοις θεραπευταῖς αἱ πύλαι τῶν ἀδύτων εἰσὶν ἀφωρισμέναι͵ καθ΄ ἃς καὶ τελοῦνται καὶ παρεστᾶσιν οὐ πρὸς φυ λακὴν αὐτῶν͵ ἀλλὰ πρὸς τάξιν καὶ ἐπίγνωσιν ἑαυτῶν μᾶλλον τῷ λαῷ παρὰ τοὺς ἱερατικοὺς πλησιάζοντες. Ὅθεν ἡ τῶν ἱερῶν ἁγία ταξιαρχία μεταλαμβάνειν αὐτοὺς ἱεροθετεῖ τῶν θείων͵ ἑτέροις͵ δηλαδὴ τοῖς ἐνδοτέ ροις͵ αὐτῶν τὴν μετάδοσιν ἐγχειρίσασα. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ περὶ τὸ θεῖον συμ βολικῶς εἰπεῖν ἑστηκότες θυσιαστήριον ὁρῶσι καὶ ἀκούουσι τὰ θεῖα τηλαυγῶς αὐτοῖς ἀνακαλυπτόμενα καὶ προϊόντες ἀγαθοειδῶς ἐπὶ τὰ ἔξω τῶν θείων παραπετασμάτων τοῖς ὑπηκόοις θεραπευταῖς καὶ τῷ ἱερῷ λαῷ καὶ ταῖς καθαιρομέναις τάξεσιν ἐκφαίνουσι κατ΄ ἀξίαν τὰ ἱερὰ τὰ καλῶς ἄχραντα διαφυλαχθέντα͵ μέχρις ὅτε τυραννικῶς αὐτοῖς ἐπεισπηδήσας ἐκπομπευθῆναί σοι τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων ἠνάγκασας οὐκ ἐθέλοντα. Καὶ ἔχειν φῂς τὰ ἱερὰ καὶ διαφυλάττειν͵ καίτοι οὔτε εἶδες οὔτε ἤκουσας οὔτε ἔχεις τι τῶν προσηκόντων τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν͵ ὥσπερ οὐδὲ τὴν ἀλήθειαν τῶν λογίων ἔγνωκας ἑκάστης ἡμέρας αὐτὰ λογομαχῶν ἐπὶ καταστροφῇ τῶν ἀκουόντων. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐθναρχία τις ἐνεχείρησεν οὐ προστεταγμένον αὐτῷ παρὰ βασιλέως͵ ἐνδίκως ἐτιμωρεῖτο. Καὶ εἰ τὸν ἄρχοντα δικαιοῦντά τινας ἢ καταδικάζοντα παρεστώς τις τῶν ὑπ΄ αὐτῷ ταττομένων ἐπανακρίνειν ἐτόλμησεν (οὔπω γάρ φημι προπηλακίζειν ἅμα καὶ τῆς ἀρχῆς ἐκβάλλειν); Σὺ δέ͵ ἄνθρωπε͵ οὕτω τολμηρὸς εἶ κατὰ τοῦ πράου καὶ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ τῆς ἱεραρχικῆς αὐτοῦ θεσμοθεσίας; Καὶ ταῦτα ἐχρῆν εἰπεῖν͵ ὅταν ὑπὲρ ἀξίαν τις ἐγχειρῶν ὅμως εἰκότα πράττειν ἐδόκει· καὶ γὰρ οὐδὲ τοῦτο ἐφικτὸν οὐδενί. Τί γὰρ ἄτοπον Ὀζίας ἐποίει θυμιῶν τῷ θεῷ; Τί δὲ ὁ Σαοὺλ θύων;

Yea, further, what were those domineering demons 47, who were truly proclaiming the Lord Jesus God? But every one who meddles with other people’s business, is outlawed by the Word of God; and each one shall be in the rank of his own service, and alone the High Priest 48 shall enter into the Holy of holies, and once only throughout the year 49, and this in the full legal hierarchical purification 50. And the priests 51 encompass the holy things, and the Levites must not touch the holy things, lest they die. And Jehovah was angry with wrath at the rashness of Ozias, and Mariam 52 becomes leprous, because she had presumed to lay down laws for the lawgiver. And the demons fastened on the sons of Sceva, and He says, “I did not send them, yet they ran, and I spake not to them yt they prophesied 53.” “And the profane 54 who sacrifices to me a calf, (is) as he who slays a dog,” and to speak briefly, the all-perfect justice of Almighty God does not tolerate the dis-regarders of law, but whilst they are saying “in Thy 55 Name, we ourselves did many wonderful works,” He retorts, “And I know you not; go from Me all ye workers of lawlessness.” So that it is not permissible, as the holy Oracles say, even to pursue things that are just, when not according to order 56, but each must keep to himself 57, and not meditate things too high and too deep for him 58, but 157 contemplate alone things prescribed for him according to order.

Τί δὲ οἱ τυραννικοὶ δαίμονες ἀληθῶς θεολογοῦντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν; Ἀλλ΄ ἐκκήρυκτος τῇ θεολογίᾳ πᾶς ἀλλοτριεπίσκοπος͵ καὶ ἕκαστος ἐν τῇ τάξει τῆς λειτουργίας αὐτοῦ ἔσται͵ καὶ μόνος ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς εἰς τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων εἰσελεύσεται͵ καὶ ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ͵ καὶ τοῦτο ἐν πάσῃ τῇ κατὰ νόμον ἱεραρχικῇ καθα ρότητι. Καὶ οἱ ἱερεῖς περιστελοῦσι τὰ ἅγια͵ καὶ οἱ λευῖται οὐ μὴ ἅψωνται τῶν ἁγίων͵ ἵνα μὴ ἀποθάνωσι. Καὶ ὠργίσθη θυμῷ κύριος ἐπὶ τῇ προπετείᾳ Ὀζία͵ καὶ Μαριὰμ λεπροῦται τῷ νομοθέτῃ θεσμοθετεῖν ἐγ χειρήσασα· καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς Σκευᾶ υἱοὺς ἐφήλατο τὰ δαιμόνια. Καὶ οὐκ ἀπέστελλον αὐτούς͵ ἔφη͵ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔτρεχον͵ καὶ οὐκ ἐλάλουν πρὸς αὐτούς͵ καὶ αὐτοὶ προεφήτευον͵ καὶ ὁ ἀσεβὴς ὁ θύων μοι μόσχον ὡς ὁ ἀποκτέννων κύνα. Καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν· οὐκ ἀνέχεται τῶν παρανόμων ἡ παντελὴς τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνη. Λεγόντων δὲ αὐτῶν· ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματί σου δυνάμεις πολλὰς ἐποιήσαμεν͵ οὐκ οἶδα ὑμᾶς͵ ἀποκρίνεται͵ πο ρεύεσθε ἀπ΄ ἐμοῦ πάντες οἱ ἐργάται τῆς ἀνομίας. Ὥστε οὐ θεμιτόν͵ ὡς τὰ ἱερὰ λόγιά φησιν͵ οὐδὲ τὰ δίκαια μὴ κατ΄ ἀξίαν διώκειν. Προσέχειν δὲ ἕκαστον ἑαυτῷ χρὴ καὶ μὴ τὰ ὑψηλότερα καὶ βαθύτερα ἐννοεῖν͵ διανοεῖσθαι δὲ μόνα τὰ κατ΄ ἀξίαν αὐτῷ προστε ταγμένα.

8.2. “What then,” thou sayest, “is it not necessary to correct the priests who are acting irreverently, or convicted of something else out of place, but to those only, who glory in law, shall it be permitted to dishonour Almighty God 59, through the transgression of the Law? “And how are the priests interpreters 60 of Almighty God? For, how do they announce to the people the Divine virtues, who do not know the power of them? or how do they, who are in darkness 61, communicate light? Further, how do they impart the Divine Spirit, who, by habit and truth do not believe whether there is a Holy Spirit 62? Now I will give thee an answer to these things. For truly my Demophilus is not an enemy, nor will I tolerate that thou shouldst be overreached by Satan.

8.2 Τί οὖν͵ φῄς͵ οὐ χρὴ τοὺς ἱερέας ἀσεβοῦντας ἢ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀτόπων ἐξελεγχομένους εὐθύνεσθαι͵ μόνοις δὲ ἐξέσται τοῖς καυχωμένοις ἐν νόμῳ διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν θεὸν ἀτιμάζειν; Καὶ πῶς οἱ ἱερεῖς ἐκφάντορές εἰσι τοῦ θεοῦ; Πῶς γὰρ ἐξαγγελοῦσι τῷ λαῷ τὰς θείας ἀρετὰς οὐκ ἐγνωκότες αὐτῶν τὴν δύναμιν; ῍Η πῶς φωτιοῦσι οἱ ἐσκοτισμένοι͵ πῶς δὲ τοῦ θείου μεταδώσουσι πνεύματος οὐδέ͵ εἰ ἔστι πνεῦμα ἅγιον͵ ἕξει καὶ ἀληθείᾳ πεπιστευκότες; Ἐγὼ δὲ ἀπολογήσομαί σοι πρὸς ταῦτα (καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἐχθρὸς ὁ Δημόφιλος͵ οὐδὲ ἀνέξομαί σε πλεονεκτηθῆναι τῷ Σατανᾷ)·

For each rank of those about God, is more godlike than that which stands further away. And those which are somewhat nearer to the true light, are at once more luminous, and more illuminating; and do not understand the nearness topically, but according to God-receptive aptitude. If, then, the order of the priests is the illuminating, entirely has he fallen from the priestly rank and power, who does not illuminate, or perhaps rather (he becomes) the unilluminated. 158 And he seems, to me at least, rash who, being such, undertakes the priestly functions, and has no fear, and does not blush, when performing things Divine, contrary to propriety, and fancying that God does not know the very things of which he is conscious in himself, and thinks to mislead Him Who is falsely called by him Father, and presumes to repeat his cursed blasphemies (for I would not say prayers) over the Divine symbols, after the example of Christ. This one is not a priest,----No!----but devilish----crafty ----a deceiver of himself----and a wolf to the people of God, clothed in sheep’s clothing.

καὶ γὰρ ἑκάστη τῶν περὶ θεὸν διακόσμησις θεοειδεστέρα τῆς μᾶλλον ἀφεστηκυίας ἐστί͵ καὶ φωτεινότερα ἅμα καὶ φωτιστικώτερα τὰ μᾶλλον τῷ ἀληθινῷ φωτὶ πλησιαίτερα. Καὶ μὴ τοπικῶς ἐκλάβοις͵ ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν θεοδόχον ἐπιτη δειότητα τὸν πλησιασμόν. Εἰ τοίνυν ἡ τῶν ἱερέων ἐστὶ διακόσμησις ἡ φωτιστική͵ παντελῶς ἀποπέπτωκε τῆς ἱερατικῆς τάξεως καὶ δυνάμεως ὁ μὴ φωτιστικός͵ ἦ πού γε μᾶλλον ὁ ἀφώτιστος. Καὶ τολμηρὸς ἔμοιγε δοκεῖ τοῖς ἱερατικοῖς ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐγχειρῶν͵ καὶ οὐ δέδοικεν οὐδὲ αἰσχύνεται τὰ θεῖα παρὰ τὴν ἀξίαν διώκων καὶ οἰόμενος θεὸν ἀγνοεῖν͵ ἅπερ αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ συνέγνωκε· καὶ ἀπατᾶν νομίζει τὸν ψευδωνύμως ὑπ΄ αὐτοῦ πα τέρα καλούμενον καὶ τολμᾷ τὰς ἐναγεῖς αὐτοῦ δυσφημίας (οὐ γὰρ εἴποιμι προσευχάς) ἐπὶ τὰ θεῖα σύμβολα χριστοειδῶς ἐπιλέγειν. Οὔκ ἐστιν οὗτος ἱερεύς͵ οὔκ ἐστιν͵ ἀλλὰ δυσμενής͵ δόλιος͵ ἐμπαίκτης ἑαυτοῦ καὶ λύκος ἐπὶ τὸν θεῖον λαὸν κωδίῳ καθωπλισμένος.

8.3. But, it is not to Demophilus that it is permitted to put these things straight. For, if the Word of God commands to pursue just things justly 63 (but to pursue just things is, when any one wishes to distribute to each one things that are meet), this must be pursued by all justly, not beyond their own meetness or rank 64; since even to angels it is just that things meet be assigned and apportioned, but not from us, O Demophilus, but through them to us, of God, and to them through the angels who are still more pre-eminent. And to speak shortly, amongst all existing things their due is assigned through the first to the second, by the well-ordered and most just forethought of all. Let those, then, who have been ordered by God to superintend others, 159 distribute after themselves their due to their inferiors. But, let Demophilus apportion their due to reason and anger and passion; and let him not maltreat the regulation of himself, but let the superior reason bear rule over things inferior. For, if one were to see, in the market-place, a servant abusing a master, and a younger man, an elder; or also a son, a father; and in addition attacking and inflicting wounds, we should seem even to fail in reverence if we did not run and succour the superior, even though perhaps they were first guilty of injustice; how then shall we not blush, when we see reason maltreated by anger and passion, and cast out of the sovereignty given by God; and when we raise in our own selves an irreverent and unjust disorder, and insurrection and confusion? Naturally, our blessed Law-giver from God does not deem right that one should preside over the Church of God, who has not already well presided over his own house 65. For, he who has governed himself will also govern another; and who, another, will also govern a house; and who, a house, also a city; and who, a city, also a nation. And to speak briefly as the Oracles affirm, “he who is faithful in little, is faithful also in much,” and “he who is unfaithful in little, is unfaithful also in much.”

8.3 Ἀλλ΄ οὐ Δημοφίλῳ ταῦτα θεμιτὸν εὐθύνειν. Εἰ γὰρ ἡ θεολογία δικαίως τὰ δίκαια κελεύει μεταδιώκειν (δίκαια δέ ἐστι μεταδιώκειν͵ ὅταν ἀπονέμειν ἐθέλοι τις ἑκάστῳ τὰ κατ΄ ἀξίαν)͵ δικαίως τοῦτο πᾶσι μετα διωκτέον͵ οὐ παρὰ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀξίαν ἢ τάξιν͵ ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀγγέλοις δίκαιον ἀπονέμεσθαι τὰ κατ΄ ἀξίαν καὶ ἀφορίζεσθαι͵ πλὴν οὐ πρὸς ἡμῶν͵ ὦ Δημόφιλε͵ δι΄ αὐτῶν δὲ ἡμῖν ἐκ θεοῦ καὶ αὐτοῖς διὰ τῶν ἔτι προὐχόντων ἀγγέλων. Καί͵ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν· ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς οὖσι διὰ τῶν πρώτων τοῖς δευτέροις ἀπονέμεται τὰ κατ΄ ἀξίαν ὑπὸ τῆς πάντων εὐτάκτου καὶ δικαιοτάτης προνοίας. Οἱ μὲν οὖν καὶ ἄλλων ἐπάρχειν ὑπὸ θεοῦ ταχθέντες ἀπονείμωσι μεθ΄ ἑαυτοὺς καὶ τοῖς ὑπηκόοις τὰ κατ΄ ἀξίαν. Δημόφιλος δὲ λόγῳ καὶ θυμῷ καὶ ἐπιθυμίᾳ τὰ κατ΄ ἀξίαν ἀφοριζέτω καὶ μὴ ἀδικείτω τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τάξιν͵ ἀλλ΄ ἐπαρχέτω τῶν ὑφειμένων ὁ ὑπερκείμενος λόγος. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπ΄ ἀγορᾶς͵ ἰδόντες οἰκέτην δεσπότῃ καὶ πρεσβυτέρῳ νεώτερον ἢ καὶ υἱὸν πατρὶ διαλοιδορούμενον ἅμα καὶ ἐπιόντα καὶ πληγὰς ἐπιτι θέντα͵ καὶ ἀσεβεῖν ἐδοκοῦμεν͵ εἰ μὴ τοῖς κρείττοσιν ἐπιδραμόντες ἐβοηθή σαμεν͵ καίτοι γε ἴσως ἐκεῖνοι προηδίκηντο͵ πῶς οὐκ αἰσχυνθησόμεθα παρορῶντες ὑπὸ θυμοῦ καὶ ἐπιθυμίας ἀδικούμενον λόγον καὶ τῆς ἐκ θεοῦ δοθείσης ἀρχῆς ἐκβαλλόμενον καὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἀσεβῆ καὶ ἄδικον ἀταξίαν καὶ στάσιν καὶ ἀκοσμίαν ἐγείροντες; Εἰκότως ὁ μακάριος ἡμῶν ἐκ θεοῦ νομοθέτης οὐκ ἀξιοῖ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ προΐστασθαι τὸν μὴ τοῦ ἰδίου οἴκου καλῶς ἤδη προεστηκότα͵ καὶ γὰρ ὁ τάξας ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἕτερον τάξει͵ καὶ ὁ ἕτερον καὶ οἶκον͵ καὶ ὁ οἶκον καὶ πόλιν͵ καὶ ὁ πόλιν καὶ ἔθνος. Καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν͵ ὡς τὰ λόγιά φησιν· ὁ ἐν ὀλίγῳ πιστὸς ... καὶ ἐν πολλῷ πιστός ἐστιν͵ καὶ ὁ ἐν ὀλίγῳ ἄπιστος καὶ ἐν πολλῷ ἄπιστός ἐστιν.

8.4. Thyself, then, assign their due limit to passion and anger and reason. And to thyself, let the divine 160 Leitourgoi assign the due limit, and to these, the priests, and to the priests, hierarchs, and to the hierarchs, the Apostles and the successors of the Apostles. And if, perchance, any, even among these, should have failed in what is becoming, he shall be put right by the holy men of the same rank; and rank shall not be turned against rank, but each shall be in his own rank, and in his own service. So much for thee, from us, on behalf of knowing and doing one’s own business. But, concerning the inhuman treatment towards that man, whom thou callest “irreverent and sinner,” I know not how I shall bewail the scandal of my beloved. For, of whom dost thou suppose thou wast ordained Therapeutes by us? For if it were not of the Good, it is necessary that thou shouldst be altogether alien from Him and from us, and from our whole religion, and it is time for thee both to seek a God, and other priests, and amongst them to become brutal rather than perfected, and to be a cruel minister of thine own fierceness. For, have we ourselves, forsooth, been perfected to the altogether Good, and have no need of the divine compassion for ourselves 66, or do we commit the double sin 67, as the Oracles say, after the example of the unholy, not knowing in what we offend, but even justifying ourselves and supposing we see, whilst really not seeing 68? Heaven was startled at this, and I shivered, and I distrust myself. And 161 unless I had met with thy letters (as know well I would I had not), they would not have persuaded me if indeed any other had thought good to persuade me concerning thee, that Demophilus supposes, that Almighty God, Who is good to all, is not also compassionate towards men, and that he himself has no need of the Merciful or the Saviour; yea further, he deposes those priests who are deemed worthy, through clemency, to bear the ignorances of the people, and who well know, that they also are compassed with infirmity. But, the supremely Divine Priest pursued a different (course), and that as the Oracles say, from being separate of sinners, and makes the most gentle tending of the sheep a proof of the love towards Himself; and He stigmatizes as wicked, him who did not forgive his fellow-servant the debt, nor impart a portion of that manifold goodness, graciously given to himself; and He condemns him to enjoy his own deserts, which both myself and Demophilus must take care to avoid. For, even for those who were treating Him impiously, at the very time of His suffering, He invokes remission from the Father; and He rebukes even the disciples, because without mercy they thought it right to convict of impiety the Samaritans who drove Him away. This, indeed, is the thousand times repeated theme of thy impudent letter (for thou repeatest the same from beginning to end), that thou hast avenged, 162 not thyself, but Almighty God. Tell me (dost thou avenge) the Good by means of evil?

8.4 Αὐτὸς μὲν οὖν ἐπιθυμίᾳ καὶ θυμῷ καὶ λόγῳ τὰ κατ΄ ἀξίαν ἀφόριζε͵ σοὶ δὲ οἱ θεῖοι λειτουργοὶ καὶ τούτοις οἱ ἱερεῖς͵ ἱεράρχαι δὲ τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ τοῖς ἱεράρχαις οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ τῶν ἀποστόλων διάδοχοι. Καὶ εἴ πού τις καὶ ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῦ προσήκοντος ἀποσφαλείη͵ παρὰ τῶν ὁμο ταγῶν ἁγίων ἐπανορθωθήσεται͵ καὶ οὐ περιστραφήσεται τάξις ἐπὶ τάξιν͵ ἀλλ΄ ἕκαστος ἐν τῇ τάξει αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ λειτουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἔσται. Τοσαῦτά σοι παρ΄ ἡμῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ εἰδέναι καὶ δρᾶν τὰ ἑαυτοῦ. Περὶ δὲ τῆς εἰς τὸν ἄνδρα τόν͵ ὡς φῄς͵ ἀσεβῆ καὶ ἀλιτήριον ἀπανθρωπίας͵ οὐκ οἶδ΄ ὅπως κλαύσομαι τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ μου. Τίνος γὰρ οἴει θεραπευτὴς ὑφ΄ ἡμῶν ταχθῆναι; Καὶ γάρ͵ εἰ μὴ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ͵ πάντως που καὶ ἡμῶν ἀνάγκη σε εἶναι καὶ τῆς καθ΄ ἡμᾶς θεραπείας ὅλης ἀλ λότριον· καὶ ὥρα σοι καὶ θεὸν ζητῆσαι καὶ ἱερέας ἑτέρους καὶ παρ΄ ἐκείνοις θηριωθῆναι μᾶλλον ἢ τελεσθῆναι καὶ εἶναι τῆς φίλης ἀπανθρωπίας ἀμεί λικτον ὑπερέτην. Ἆρα γὰρ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ πρὸς τὸ πάντη ἅγιον ἀποτετε λέσμεθα καὶ οὐ δεόμεθα τῆς θείας ἐφ΄ ἑαυτοῖς φιλανθρωπίας; ῍Η τὴν διπλῆν ἁμαρτίαν͵ ὡς τὰ λόγιά φησι͵ κατὰ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς ἁμαρτάνομεν οὐκ εἰδότες͵ ἐν τίνι προσκόπτομεν͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ δικαιοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς καὶ οἰόμενοι βλέπειν͵ ἀληθῶς δὲ οὐ βλέποντες; Ἐξέστη ὁ οὐρανὸς ἐπὶ τούτῳ καὶ ἔφριξα ἐγὼ καὶ διαπιστῶ ἐμαυτῷ. Καὶ εἰ μὴ τοῖς σοῖς ἐνέτυχονὡς οὐκ ὤφελον εὖ ἴσθιγράμμασιν͵ οὐκ ἂν ἔπεισαν͵ εἴπερ ἄλλοι μέ τινες περί σου πείθειν ἠξίουν͵ ὅτι Δημόφιλος οἴεται τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐπὶ πάντα θεὸν οὐκ εἶναι καὶ φιλάνθρωπον οὔτε ἑαυτὸν δεῖσθαι τοῦ ἐλεοῦντος ἢ σῴζοντος͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἀποχειροτονεῖ τοὺς ἠξιωμένους ἀγαθότητι φέρειν τὰ ἀγνοήματα τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ εὖ εἰδότας͵ ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ περίκεινται ἀσθένειαν. Ἀλλ΄ ὁ θεαρχικὸς ἱεροτελεστὴς ἑτέραν πεπόρευται· καὶ ταῦτα τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν͵ ὡς τὰ ἱερὰ λόγιά φησιν͵ ἀφωρισμένος καὶ τῆς εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀγάπης ἀπόδειξιν ποιεῖται τὴν τῶν προβάτων ἐπιεικεστάτην ποιμαν τικήν. Καὶ πονηρὸν μὲν ἀποκαλεῖ τὸν μὴ ἀφέντα τῷ συνοικέτῃ τὴν ὀφειλὴν μήτε μερικῶς μεταδόντα τῆς δωρηθείσης αὐτῷ παμπόλλης ἀγα θότητος͵ δικαιοῖ δὲ τῶν οἰκείων ἀπολαύειν· ὅπερ ἀναγκαῖον εὐλαβηθῆναι καὶ ἐμὲ καὶ Δημόφιλον. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀσεβοῦσιν ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ πάσχειν ἄφεσιν προάγει παρὰ τοῦ πατρός͵ ἐπιτιμᾷ δὲ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς͵ ὅτι καὶ ἀσεβείας ἀνηλεῶς ἠξίωσαν κρῖναι τοὺς ἐκδεδιωκότας αὐτὸν Σαμαρείτας. Τοῦτο δὴ τὸ μυριόλεκτόν σου τῆς θρασείας ἐπιστολῆςἄνω γὰρ καὶ κάτω θρυλεῖς͵ ὡς οὐχ ἑαυτόν͵ ἀλλὰ τὸν θεὸν ἐξεδίκησας· διὰ κακίας͵ εἰπέ μοι͵ τὸν ἀγαθόν;

8.5. Avaunt! We have not a High Priest, “Who cannot be touched with our infirmities, but is both without sin and merciful.” “He shall not strive nor cry, and is Himself meek, and Himself propitiatory for our sins; so that we will not approve your unenviable attacks, not if you should allege a thousand times your Phineas and your Elias. For, when the Lord Jesus heard these things, He was displeased with the disciples, who at that time lacked the meek and good spirit. For, even our most divine preceptor teaches in meekness those who opposed themselves to the teaching of Almighty God. For, we must teach, not avenge ourselves upon, the ignorant, as we do not punish the blind, but rather lead them by the hand. But thou, after striking him on the cheek, rustiest upon that man, who is beginning to rise to the truth, and when he is approaching with much modesty, thou insolently kickest him away (certainly, this is enough to make one shudder), whom the Lord Christ, as being good, seeks, when wandering upon the mountains, and calls to Him, when fleeing from Him, and when, with difficulty, found, places upon His shoulders. Do not, I pray, do not let us thus injuriously counsel for ourselves, nor drive the sword against ourselves. For they, who undertake to injure any one, or on 163 the contrary to do them good, do not always effect what they wish, but for themselves, when they have brought into their house vice or virtue, will be filled either with Divine virtues, or ungovernable passions. And these indeed, as followers and companions of good angels, both here and there, with all peace and freedom from all evil, will inherit the most blessed inheritances for the ever-continuing age, and will be ever with God, the greatest of all blessings; but, the other will fall both from the divine and their own peace, and here, and after death, will be companions with cruel demons. For which reason, we have an earnest desire to become companions of God, the Good, and to be ever with the Lord, and not to be separated, along with the evil, from the most Just One, whilst undergoing that which is due from ourselves, which I fear most of all, and pray to have no share in anything evil. And, with your permission, I will mention a divine vision of a certain holy man, and do not laugh, for I am speaking true.

8.5 Ἄπαγε· οὐκ ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα μὴ δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄκακός ἐστι καὶ ἐλεήμων. Οὐκ ἐρίσει οὐδὲ κραυγάσει͵ καὶ αὐτὸς πραῢς καὶ αὐτὸς ἱλασμός ἐστι περὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν. Ὥστε οὐκ ἀποδεξόμεθά σου τὰς ἀζηλώτους ὁρμάς͵ οὐδ΄ εἰ μυριάκις ἐπαναλάβοις τὸν Φινεὲς καὶ τὸν Ἡλίαν. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἀκούοντα τὸν Ἰησοῦν οὐκ ἤρεσκον οἱ τοῦ πραέος τότε καὶ ἀγαθοῦ πνεύματος ἀμέτοχοι μαθηταί. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ θειότατος ἡμῶν ἱεροθέτης ἐν πραότητι διδάσκει τοὺς ἀντιδιατιθεμένους τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ. Διδάσκεσθαι γάρ͵ οὐ τιμωρεῖσθαι χρὴ τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας͵ ὥσπερ καὶ τυφλοὺς οὐ κολάζομεν͵ ἀλλὰ χειραγωγοῦμεν. Σὺ δὲ καὶ ἀνανεύειν ἐπὶ τὸ φῶς ἀρχομένῳ τἀνδρὶ κατὰ τῆς κόῤῥης διδοὺς ἀντώθεις καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς αἰδοῦς προσιόντα θρασέως ἀπελάκτιζες τοῦτο δὴ τὸ πολλῆς φρίκης ἄξιον͵ ὃν ὁ Χριστός͵ ἀγαθὸς ὤν͵ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη πλανώμενον ἐπιζητεῖ καὶ ἀποφεύγοντα προσκαλεῖται καὶ εὑρεθέντα μόλις ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων αἴρει. Μή͵ παρακαλῶ͵ μὴ κακῶς οὕτω περὶ ἑαυτῶν βουλευώμεθα͵ μηδὲ εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ὠθῶμεν τὸ ξίφος. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀδικεῖν τινας ἢ τοὐναντίον εὐεργετεῖν ἐπιχειροῦντες ἐκείνους μὲν οὐ πάντως ἔδρασαν͵ ἅπερ ἠθέλησαν͵ ἑαυτοῖς δὲ κακίαν ἢ ἀγαθότητα συνοικίσαντες ἢ θείων ἀρετῶν ἢ ἀτιθάσων ἔμπλεοι παθῶν ἔσονται. Καὶ οὗτοι μὲν ἀγγέλων ἀγαθῶν ὀπαδοὶ καὶ ξυνοδοιπόροι καὶ ἐνθάδε καὶ ἐκεῖ σὺν πάσῃ εἰρήνῃ καὶ ἐλευθερίᾳ πάντων κακῶν εἰς τὸν ἀεὶ ὄντα αἰῶνα τὰς μακαριωτάτας ἀποκληρώσονται λήξεις καὶ μετὰ θεοῦ ἀεὶ ἔσονται͵ τὸ πάντων ἀγαθῶν μέγιστον. Οὗτοι δὲ ἀποπεσοῦνται τῆς θείας ἅμα καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν εἰρήνης καὶ ἐνθάδε καὶ μετὰ θάνατον ἅμα τοῖς ἀνημέροις ἔσονται δαίμοσιν. Οὗ δὴ ἕνεκα ἡμῖν ἡ πολλὴ σπουδὴ μετὰ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ γενέσθαι καὶ εἶναι σὺν κυρίῳ πάντοτε καὶ μὴ τοῖς κακοῖς ἐκ τοῦ δικαιωτοῦ συν αφορισθῆναι τὰ κατ΄ ἀξίαν ἐξ ἑαυτῶν ὑπομένοντας͵ ὅπερ ἐγὼ πάντων μάλιστα φοβοῦμαι καὶ εὔχομαι εἶναι πάντων κακῶν ἀμέτοχος. Καὶ εἰ βούλει͵ καὶ θείας ὁράσεως ἁγίου τινὸς ἀνδρὸς ἐπιμνησθήσομαι· καὶ μὴ γελάσῃς͵ ἀλήθειαν γὰρ ἐρῶ.

8.6. When I was once in Crete, the holy Carpus 69 entertained me,----a man, of all others, most fitted, on account of great purity of mind, for Divine Vision. Now, he never undertook the holy celebrations of the Mysteries, unless a propitious vision were first manifested to him during his preparatory devout 164 prayers. He said then, when some one of the unbelievers had at one time grieved him (and his grief was, that he had led astray to ungodliness a certain member of the Church, whilst the days of rejoicing were still being celebrated for him); that he ought compassionately to have prayed on behalf of both, and taking God, the Saviour, as his fellow-helper, to convert the one, and to overcome the other by goodness 70, and not to have ceased warning them so long as he lived until this day; and thus to lead them to the knowledge of God, so that the things disputed by them might be clearly determined, and those, who were irrationally bold, might be compelled to be wiser by a judgment according to law. Now, as he had never before experienced this, I do not know how he then went to bed with such a surfeit of ill-will and bitterness. In this evil condition he went to sleep, for it was evening, and at midnight (for he was accustomed at that appointed hour to rise, of his own accord, for the Divine melodies) he arose, not having enjoyed, undisturbed, his slumbers, which were many and continually broken; and, when he stood collected for the, Divine Converse, he was guiltily vexed and displeased, saying, that it was not just that godless men, who pervert the straight ways of the Lord, should live. And, whilst saying this, he besought Almighty God, by some stroke of lightning, suddenly, without mercy, to cut short the lives of them both. But, whilst saying this, he declared, 165 that he seemed to see suddenly the house in which he stood, first torn asunder, and from the roof divided into two in the midst, and a sort of gleaming fire before his eyes (for the place seemed now under the open sky) borne down from the heavenly region close to him; and, the heaven itself giving way, and upon the back of the heaven, Jesus, with innumerable angels, in the form of men, standing around Him. This indeed, he saw, above, and himself marvelled; but below, when Carpus had bent down, he affirmed that he saw the very foundation ripped in two, to a sort of yawning and dark chasm, and those very men, upon whom he had invoked a curse, standing before his eyes, within the mouth of the chasm, trembling, pitiful, only just not yet carried down by the mere slipping of their feet; and from below the chasm, serpents, creeping up and gliding from underneath, around their feet, now contriving to drag them away, and weighing them down, and lifting them up, and again inflaming or irritating with their teeth or their tails, and all the time endeavouring to pull them down into the yawning gulf; and that certain men also were in the midst, co-operating with the serpents against these men, at once tearing and pushing and beating them down. And they seemed to be on the point of falling, partly against their will, partly by their will; almost overcome by the calamity, and at the same time resigned. And Carpus said, that he himself was glad, whilst looking below, and that he was forgetful of the things 166 above; further, that he was vexed and made light of it, because they had not already fallen, and that he often attempted to accomplish the fact, and that, when he did not succeed, he was both irritated and cursed. And, when with difficulty he raised himself, he saw the heaven again, as he saw it before, and Jesus, moved with pity at what was taking place, standing up from His super-celestial throne, and descending to them, and stretching a helping hand, and the angels, co-operating with Him, taking hold of the two men, one from one place and another from, another, and the Lord Jesus said to Carpus, whilst His hand was yet extended, “Strike against Me in future, for I am ready, even again, to suffer for the salvation of men; and this is pleasing to Me, provided that other men do not commit sin. But see, whether it is well for thee to exchange the dwelling in the chasm, and with serpents, for that with God, and the good and philanthropic angels.” These are the things which I heard myself, and believe to be true.

8.6 Γενόμενόν μέ ποτε κατὰ τὴν Κρήτην ὁ ἱερὸς ἐξεναγώγησε Κάρπος͵ ἀνήρ͵ εἰ καί τις ἄλλος͵ διὰ πολλὴν καθαρότητα νοῦ πρὸς θεοπτίαν ἐπιτηδειότατος. Καὶ γοῦν οὐδὲ ταῖς ἁγίαις τῶν μυστηρίων τελεταῖς ἐνεχείρει μὴ πρότερον αὐτῷ κατὰ τὰς προτελείους εὐχὰς ἱερὰς καὶ εὐμε νοῦς ὁράσεως ἐπιφαινομένης. Ἔλεγεν οὖν͵ ὅτι λελυπηκότος αὐτόν ποτε τῶν ἀπίστων τινός· ἡ λύπη δὲ ἦν͵ ὅτι τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐκεῖνός τινα πρὸς τὸ ἄθεον ἀπεπλάνησεν͵ ἔτι τῶν ἱλαρίων ἡμερῶν αὐτῷ τελουμένων. Δέον ἀμφοτέρων ἀγαθοπρεπῶς ὑπερεύξασθαι καὶ θεὸν σωτῆρα συλλήπτορα λαβόντα τὸν μὲν ἐπιστρέψαι͵ τὸν δὲ ἀγαθότητι νικῆσαι καὶ μὴ διαλιπεῖν νουθετοῦντα διὰ βίου παντός͵ ἄχρις οὗ τὸ σήμερον͵ καὶ οὕτως ἐπὶ τὴν θείαν αὐτοὺς ἀγαγεῖν γνῶσιν͵ ὡς ἂν ἤδη καὶ τῶν ἀμφισβητησίμων αὐτοῖς κρινομένων καὶ τῶν ἀλόγως θρασυνομένων ἐννόμῳ δίκῃ σωφρονεῖν ἀναγ καζομένων. Ἀλλ΄ ἐν ἑαυτῷ μὴ πρότερον τοῦτο παθών͵ οὐκ οἶδ΄ ὅπως͵ τότε πολλήν τινα τὴν δυσμένειαν καὶ τὴν πικρίαν ἐντήξας κατεδάρθη μὲν οὕτω κακῶς ἔχων· ἑσπέρα γὰρ ἦν. Περὶ δὲ μέσας νύκταςεἰώθει γὰρ εἰς τόνδε τὸν καιρὸν αὐτὸς ἐφ΄ ἑαυτοῦ πρὸς τοὺς θείους ὕμνους ἐγρηγορέναιδιανίσταται μὲν οὐδὲ τῶν ὕπνων αὐτῶν͵ πολλῶν γε ὄντων͵ καὶ ἀεὶ ἐγκοπτομένων͵ ἔξω ταραχῆς παραπολαύσας. Ἑστὼς δὲ ὅμως εἰς τὴν θείαν ὁμιλίαν οὐκ εὐαγῶς ἠνιᾶτο καὶ ἐδυσχέραινεν οὐκ εἶναι δίκαιον λέγων͵ εἰ ζῷεν ἄνδρες ἄθεοι καὶ διαστρέφοντες τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου τὰς εὐθείας. Καὶ ταῦτα λέγων ἐδεῖτο τοῦ θεοῦ πρηστῆρί τινι τὰς ἀμφοτέρων εἰσάπαξ ἀνηλεῶς ἀποπαῦσαι ζωάς. Ταῦτα δὲ εἰπὼν ἔλεγε δόξαι ἰδεῖν ἄφνω τὸν οἶκον͵ ἐν ᾧπερ εἱστήκει͵ διαδονηθέντα πρότερον͵ ἐκ τῆς ὀροφῆς εἰς δύο μέσον διαιρεθέντα καί τινα πυρὰν πολύφωτον ἐπίπροσθεν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ταύτην (ἐδόκει γὰρ λοιπὸν ὕπαιθρος ὁ τόπος) ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανίου χώρου μέχρις αὐτοῦ καταφερομένην͵ τὸν δὲ οὐρανὸν αὐτὸν ἀναπεπταμένον καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ νώτῳ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀπείρων ἀνθρωποειδῶς αὐτῷ παρεστηκότων ἀγγέλων· καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἄνωθεν ὁρᾶσθαι καὶ αὐτὸν θαυμάζειν. Κάτω δὲ κύψας ὁ Κάρπος ἰδεῖν ἔφη καὶ τοὔδαφος αὐτὸ πρὸς ἀχανές τι χάσμα καὶ σκοτεινὸν διερρηγ μένον καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας ἐκείνους͵ οἷς ἐπηρᾶτο͵ πρὸ αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὸ στόμιον ἑστηκέναι τοῦ χάσματος ὑποτρόμους͵ ἐλεεινούς͵ ὅσον οὔπω καταφερο μένους ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν οἰκείων ποδῶν ἀστασίας. Κάτωθεν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ χάσματος ὄφεις ἀνέρπειν καὶ περὶ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῖν ὑποκινουμένους͵ ποτὲ μὲν ἀποσύρειν ἐπανειλουμένους ἅμα καὶ ἐπιβαροῦντας καὶ ἕλκοντας͵ ποτὲ δὲ τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν ἢ τοῖς οὐραίοις ὑποτύφοντας ἢ ὑπογαργαλίζοντας καὶ διὰ παντὸς εἰς τὸ ἀχανὲς ἐμβάλλειν μηχανωμένους· εἶναι δὲ καὶ ἄνδρας τινὰς ἐν μέσῳ τοῖς ὄφεσι͵ κατὰ τῶν ἀνδρῶν συνεπιτιθεμένους͵ διαδο νοῦντας ἅμα καὶ ὑπωθοῦντας καὶ καταπαίοντας. Ἐδόκουν δὲ εἶναι πρὸς τὸ πεσεῖν ἐκεῖνοι͵ τὰ μὲν ἄκοντες͵ τὰ δὲ ἑκόντες͵ ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ κατ΄ ὀλίγον βιαζόμενοι ἅμα καὶ πειθόμενοι. Ἔλεγε δὲ ὁ Κάρπος͵ ἑαυτὸν ἥδεσθαι κάτω βλέποντα͵ τῶν ἄνω δὲ ἀμελεῖν͵ δυσχεραίνειν δὲ καὶ ὀλιγωρεῖν͵ ὅτι μὴ πεπτώκασιν ἤδη͵ καὶ τῷ πράγματι πολλάκις ἐπιθέμενον καὶ ἀδυνατήσαντα καὶ ἀχθεσθῆναι καὶ ἐπαράσασθαι καὶ ἀνανεύσαντα μόλις͵ ἰδεῖν μὲν αὖθις τὸν οὐρανόν͵ ὥσπερ καὶ πρότερον ἑωράκει͵ τὸν δὲ Ἰησοῦν ἐλεήσαντα τὸ γιγνόμενον ἐξαναστῆ ναι τοῦ ὑπερουρανίου θρόνου καὶ ἕως αὐτῶν καταβάντα καὶ χεῖρα ἀγαθὴν ὀρέγειν καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτῷ συνεπιλαμβανομένους ἄλλον ἄλλοθεν ἀντέχεσθαι τοῖν ἀνδροῖν καὶ εἰπεῖν τῷ Κάρπῳ τὸν Ἰησοῦν· Τῆς χειρὸς ἤδη προτεταγμένης παῖε κατ΄ ἐμοῦ λοιπόν. Ἕτοιμος γάρ εἰμι καὶ αὖθις ὑπὲρ ἀνθρώπων ἀνασῳζομένων παθεῖν͵ καὶ προσφιλές μοι τοῦτο μὴ ἄλλων ἁμαρτανόντων ἀνθρώπων. Πλὴν ὅρα͵ εἰ καλῶς ἔχει σοι τὴν ἐν τῷ χάσματι καὶ μετὰ τῶν ὄφεων μονὴν ἀνταλλάξασθαι τῆς μετὰ θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ φιλανθρώπων ἀγγέλων. Ταῦτά ἐστιν͵ ἃ ἐγὼ ἀκηκοὼς πιστεύω ἀληθῆ εἶναι.

TITUS.

 

ZENAS, one of the seventy-two disciples, who was versed in the science of law, wrote a life of Titus, and says that he was descended from the family of Minos, King of Crete. Titus gave himself to the study of Homer and Philosophy till his twentieth year, when he heard a voice from heaven, which told him to quit this place and save his soul. He 167 waited one year, to test the truth of the voice, and then had a revelation which bade him read the Hebrew Scriptures. Opening Isaiah, his eye fell on chapter xli. vv. 1-5. He was then sent to Jerusalem by the pro-consul of Crete to report upon the reality of the miracles said to be performed by Jesus Christ. He saw our Saviour, and His miracles, and believed; and became one of the seventy-two. He witnessed the Passion and Ascension; the Apostles consecrated him, and sent him with Paul, whom he attended to Antioch, to Seleucia and to Crete, where Rutilus, pro-consul, was baptized, and Titus appointed Bishop. In A.D. 64, St. Paul addressed his Epistle to Titus, and about the same time Dionysius also, this letter. Dexter records that Titus visited Spain, and that Pliny, the younger, was converted to the Faith by Titus. He consecrated the second Bishop of Alexandria, and died at the age of 94.

 

LETTER 9.  To Titus, Hierarch, asking by letter what is the house of wisdom, what the bowl, and what are its meats and drinks?

9. ΤΙΤΩΙ ἹΕΡΑΡΧΗΙ

9.1. I do not know, O excellent Titus, whether the holy Timothy departed, deaf to some of the theological symbols which were explained by me. But, in the Symbolic Theology, we have thoroughly investigated for him all the expressions of the Oracles concerning God, which appear to the multitude to be monstrous. 168 For they give a colour of incongruity dreadful to the uninitiated souls, when the Fathers of the unutterable wisdom explain the Divine and Mystical Truth, unapproachable by the profane, through certain, certainly hidden and daring enigmas. Wherefore also, the many discredit the expressions concerning the Divine Mysteries. For, we contemplate them only through the sensible symbols that have grown upon them. We must then strip them, and view them by themselves in their naked purity. For, thus contemplating them, we should reverence a fountain of Life flowing into Itself----viewing It even standing by Itself, and as a kind of single power, simple, self-moved, and self-worked, not abandoning Itself, but a knowledge surpassing every kind of knowledge, and always contemplating Itself, through Itself. We thought it necessary then, both for him and for others, that we should, as far as possible, unfold the varied forms of the Divine” representations of God in symbols. For, with what incredible and simulated monstrosities are its external, forms filled? For instance, with regard to the superessential Divine generation, representing a body of God corporally generating God; and describing a word flowing out into air from a man’s heart, which eructates it, and a breath, breathed forth from a mouth; and celebrating God-bearing bosoms embracing a son of God, bodily;

Ὁ μὲν ἱερὸς Τιμόθεος͵ ὦ καλὲ Τίτε͵ οὐκ οἶδα͵ εἴ τινος τῶν διεγνω σμένων μοι θεολογικῶν συμβόλων ἀπελήλυθεν ἀνήκοος. Ἀλλ΄ ἐν τῇ Συμβολικῇ Θεολογίᾳ διηυκρινησάμεθα πάσας αὐτῷ τὰς τῶν λογίων περὶ θεοῦ δοκούσας εἶναι τοῖς πολλοῖς τερατολογίας. Καὶ γὰρ ἀτοπίαν δεινὴν ἐναπομόργνυνται ταῖς ἀτελέσι τῶν ψυχῶν͵ ὁπόταν οἱ τῆς ἀπορρήτου σοφίας πατέρες διὰ δή τινων κρυφίων καὶ ἀποτετολμημένων αἰνιγμάτων ἐκφαίνωσι τὴν θείαν καὶ μυστικὴν καὶ ἄβατον τοῖς βεβήλοις ἀλήθειαν. Διὸ καὶ ἀπιστοῦμεν οἱ πολλοὶ τοῖς περὶ τῶν θείων μυστηρίων λόγοις· θεώμεθα γὰρ μόνον αὐτὰ διὰ τῶν προσπεφυκότων αὐτοῖς αἰσθητῶν συμβόλων. Δεῖ δὲ καὶ ἀποδύντας αὐτὰ ἐφ΄ ἑαυτῶν γυμνὰ καὶ καθαρὰ γενόμενα ἰδεῖν. Οὕτω γὰρ ἂν θεώμενοι σεφθείημεν πηγὴν ζωῆς εἰς ἑαυτὴν χεομένην καὶ ἐφ΄ ἑαυτῆς ἑστῶσαν ὁρῶντες καὶ μίαν τινὰ δύναμιν͵ ἁπλῆν͵ αὐτοκίνητον͵ αὐτενέργητον͵ ἑαυτὴν οὐκ ἀπολείπουσαν͵ ἀλλὰ γνῶσιν πασῶν γνώσεων ὑπάρχουσαν καὶ ἀεὶ δι΄ ἑαυτῆς ἑαυτὴν θεωμένην. Χρῆναι γοῦν αὐτῷ τε καὶ ἄλλοις παρ΄ ἡμῶν ᾠήθημεν͵ ὡς οἷοί τε ἦμεν͵ ἀναπτυχθῆναι τὰ παντοδαπὰ μορφώματα τῆς περὶ θεοῦ συμβολικῆς ἱεροπλαστίας. Τὰ γὰρ ἐκτὸς αὐτῆς͵ ὁπόσης ἀναπέπλησται τῆς ἀπιθάνου καὶ πλασματώδους τερατείας; Οἷον ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς ὑπερουσίου θεογονίας γαστέρα θεοῦ σωματικῶς θεὸν γεννῶσαν ἀναπλαττούσης καὶ λόγον εἰς ἀέρα προχεόμενον ἀπὸ καρδίας ἀνδρικῆς ἐξερευγομένης αὐτὸν καὶ πνεῦμα ἐκπνεόμενον ἀπὸ στόματος ἀναγραφούσης καὶ κόλπους θεογονικοὺς ἐναγκαλιζομένους θεοῦ υἱὸν σωματοπρεπῶς

or representing these things after the manner of 169 plants, and producing certain trees, and branches, and flowers and roots, as examples; or fountains of waters y, bubbling forth; or seductive light productions of reflected splendours; or certain other sacred representations which explain superessential descriptions of God; but with regard to the intelligible providences of Almighty God, either gifts, manifestations, or powers, or properties, or repose, or abidings, or progressions, or distinctions, or unions, clothing Almighty God in human form, and in the varied shape of wild beasts and other living creatures,

ἡμῖν ἐξυμνούσης ἢ φυτικῶς ταῦτα διαπλαττούσης καὶ δένδρα τινὰ καὶ βλαστοὺς καὶ ἄνθη καὶ ῥίζας προ βαλλομένης ἢ πηγὰς ὑδάτων ἀναβλυζούσας ἢ ἀπαυγασμάτων προαγω γικὰς φωτογονίας ἢ ἄλλας τινὰς ὑπερουσίων θεολογιῶν ἐκφαντορικὰς ἱερογραφίας· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν νοητῶν τοῦ θεοῦ προνοιῶν ἢ δωρεῶν ἢ ἐκφάν σεων ἢ δυνάμεων ἢ ἰδιοτήτων ἢ λήξεων ἢ μονῶν ἢ προόδων ἢ διακρί σεων ἢ ἑνώσεων ἀνδροπλαστίαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ θηρίων καὶ ζῴων ἄλλων

and plants, and stones; and attributing to Him ornaments of women, or weapons of savages; and assigning working in clay, and in a furnace, as it were to a sort of artisan; and placing under Him, horses and chariots and thrones; and spreading before Him certain dainty meats delicately cooked; and representing Him as drinking, and drunken, and sleeping, and suffering from excess. What would any one say concerning the angers, the griefs, the various oaths, the repentances, the curses, the revenges, the manifold and dubious excuses for the failure of promises, the battle of giants in Genesis, during which He is said to scheme against those 170 powerful and great men, and this when they were contriving the building, not with a view to injustice towards other people, but on behalf of their own safety? And that counsel devised in heaven to deceive and mislead Achab 71; and those mundane and meritricious passions of the Canticles; and all the other sacred compositions which appear in the description of God, which stick at nothing, as projections, and multiplications of hidden things, and divisions of things one and undivided, and formative and manifold forms of the shapeless and unformed; of which, if any one were able to see their inner hidden beauty, he will find every one of them mystical and Godlike, and filled with abundant theological light. For let us not think, that the appearances of the compositions have been formed for their own sake, but that they shield the science unutterable and invisible to the multitude, since things all-holy are not within the reach of the profane, but are manifested to those only who are genuine lovers of piety, who reject all childish fancy respecting the holy symbols, and are capable to pass with simplicity of mind, and aptitude of contemplative faculty, to the simple and supernatural and elevated truth of the symbols. Besides, we must also consider this, that the teaching, handed down by the Theologians is two-fold----one, secret and mystical----the other, open and better known----one, symbolical and initiative----the other, 171 philosophic and demonstrative;----and the unspoken is intertwined with the spoken. The one persuades, and desiderates the truth of the things expressed, the other acts and implants in Almighty God, by instructions in mysteries not learnt by teaching. And certainly, neither our holy instructors, nor those of the law, abstain from the God-befitting symbols, throughout the celebrations of the most holy mysteries. Yea, we see even the most holy Angels, mystically advancing things Divine through enigmas; and Jesus Himself, speaking the word of God in parables, and transmitting the divinely wrought mysteries, through a typical spreading of a table. For, it was seemly, not only that the Holy of holies should be preserved undefiled by the multitude, but also that the Divine knowledge should illuminate the human life, which is at once indivisible and divisible, in a manner suitable to itself; and to limit the passionless part of the soul to the simple, and most inward visions of the most godlike images; but that its impassioned part should wait upon, and, at the same time, strive after, the most Divine coverings, through the pre-arranged representations of the typical symbols, as such (coverings) are, by nature, congenial to it. And all those who are hearers of a distinct theology without symbols, weave in themselves a sort of type, which conducts them to the conception of the aforesaid theology. 172 

καὶ φυτῶν καὶ λίθων ποικιλομορφίαν περιπλαττούσης καὶ κόσμους αὐτῷ γυναικείους ἢ βαρβαρικὰς ὁπλοποιίας περιτιθείσης καὶ κεραμίαν καὶ χωνευτήριον͵ ὡς ἂν βαναύσῳ τινί͵ προτιθείσης καὶ ἵππους αὐτῷ καὶ ἅρματα καὶ θρόνους ὑποστρωννύσης καὶ δαῖτάς τινας ὀψοποιικὰς ἐπι σκευαζούσης καὶ πεπωκότα καὶ μεθύοντα καὶ ὑπνώττοντα καὶ κραι παλῶντα διαπλαττούσης. Τί ἄν τις εἴποι τὰς ὀργάς͵ τὰς λύπας͵ τοὺς παντοδαποὺς ὅρκους͵ τὰς μεταμελείας͵ τὰς ἀράς͵ τὰς μήνιδας͵ τὰ πολυειδῆ καὶ λοξὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν σοφίσματα· τὴν ἐν τῇ Γενέσει γιγαντομαχίαν͵ καθ΄ ἣν ἐπιβουλεύειν ἐκ φόβου λέγεται τοῖς δυνατοῖς ἐκείνοις ἀνδράσι͵ καὶ ταῦτα τὴν οἰκοδομὴν οὐκ ἐπ΄ ἀδικίᾳ τινῶν ἑτέρων͵ ἀλλ΄ ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας τῆς ἑαυτῶν μεμηχανημένοις· καὶ τὸ συμβούλιον ἐκεῖνο τὸ κατ΄ οὐρανὸν ἐπὶ δόλῳ καὶ ἀπάτῃ τοῦ Ἀχαὰβ σκευαζόμενον· καὶ τὰς τῶν ᾀσμάτων προσ ύλους καὶ ἑταιρικὰς πολυπαθείας͵ καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα τῆς πάντα τολμώσης ἐστὶ θεοπλαστίας ἱερὰ συνθήματα φαινόμενα τῶν κρυφίων προβεβλημένα καὶ πεπληθυσμένα καὶ μεριστὰ τῶν ἑνιαίων καὶ ἀμερίστων καὶ τυπωτικὰ καὶ πολύμορφα τῶν ἀμορφώτων καὶ ἀτυπώτων· ὧν εἴ τις ἰδεῖν δυνηθείη τὴν ἐντὸς ἀποκεκρυμμένην εὐπρέπειαν͵ εὑρήσει μυστικὰ καὶ θεοειδῆ πάντα καὶ πολλοῦ τοῦ θεολογικοῦ φωτὸς ἀναπεπλησμένα. Μὴ γὰρ οἰώμεθα τὰ φαινόμενα τῶν συνθημάτων ὑπὲρ ἑαυτῶν ἀνα πεπλάσθαι͵ προβεβλῆσθαι δὲ τῆς ἀπορρήτου καὶ ἀθεάτου τοῖς πολλοῖς ἐπιστήμης͵ ὡς μὴ τοῖς βεβήλοις εὐχείρωτα εἶναι τὰ πανίερα· μόνοις δὲ ἀνακαλύπτεσθαι τοῖς τῆς θεότητος γνησίοις ἐρασταῖς͵ ὡς πᾶσαν τὴν παιδαριώδη φαντασίαν ἐπὶ τῶν ἱερῶν συμβόλων ἀποσκευαζομένοις καὶ ἱκανοῖς διαβαίνειν ἁπλότητι νοῦ καὶ θεωρητικῆς δυνάμεως ἐπιτηδειότητι πρὸς τὴν ἁπλῆν καὶ ὑπερφυῆ καὶ ὑπεριδρυμένην τῶν συμβόλων ἀλήθει αν. Ἄλλως τε καὶ τοῦτο ἐννοῆσαι χρή͵ τὸ διττὴν εἶναι τὴν τῶν θεολόγων παράδοσιν͵ τὴν μὲν ἀπόρρητον καὶ μυστικήν͵ τὴν δὲ ἐμφανῆ καὶ γνωριμωτέραν͵ καὶ τὴν μὲν συμβολικὴν καὶ τελεστικήν͵ τὴν δὲ φιλόσοφον καὶ ἀποδεικτικήν· καὶ συμπέπλεκται τῷ ῥητῷ τὸ ἄρρητον. Καὶ τὸ μὲν πείθει καὶ καταδεῖται τῶν λεγομένων τὴν ἀλήθειαν͵ τὸ δὲ δρᾷ καὶ ἐνιδρύει τῷ θεῷ ταῖς ἀδιδάκτοις μυσταγωγίαις. Καὶ μὴν οὐδὲ κατὰ τὰς τῶν ἁγιωτάτων μυστηρίων τελετὰς οἱ τῆς καθ΄ ἡμᾶς ἢ τῆς νομικῆς παραδόσεως ἱερομύσται τῶν θεοπρεπῶν ἀπέσχοντο συμβόλων· ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς πανιερωτάτους ἀγγέλους δι΄ αἰνιγμάτων τὰ θεῖα μυστικῶς προάγοντας ὁρῶμεν καὶ αὐτὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐν παραβολαῖς θεολογοῦντα καὶ τὰ θεουργὰ μυστήρια παραδιδόντα διὰ τυπικῆς τρα πεζώσεως. Καὶ γὰρ ἦν εἰκὸς οὐ μόνον ἄχραντα τοῖς πολλοῖς ἀποσεσῶσθαι τὰ ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ζωὴν ἀμέριστον ἅμα καὶ μεριστὴν ὑπάρχουσαν οἰκείως ἑαυτῇ τὰς θείας ἐλλάμπεσθαι γνώσεις καὶ τὸ μὲν ἀπαθὲς τῆς ψυχῆς εἰς τὰ ἁπλᾶ καὶ ἐνδότατα τῶν θεοειδῶν ἀγαλμάτων ἀφορίσαι θεάματα͵ τὸ δὲ παθητικὸν αὐτῆς συμφυῶς θεραπεύειν ἅμα καὶ ἀνατείνειν ἐπὶ τὰ θειότατα τοῖς προμεμηχανημένοις τῶν τυπωτικῶν συμβόλων ἀναπλασμοῖς͵ ὡς συγγενῆ τὰ τοιαῦτα πέφυκε παραπετάσματα καὶ δηλοῦσιν͵ ὅσοι καὶ προκαλυμμάτων ἐκτὸς θεολογίας σαφοῦς ἀκηκοότες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἀναπλάττουσι τύπον τινὰ πρὸς τὴν νόησιν αὐτοὺς τῆς εἰρημένης θεολογίας χειραγωγοῦντα.

9.2. But also the very order of the visible universe sets forth the invisible things of Almighty God, as says both Paul and the infallible Word. Wherefore, also, the Theologians view some things politically and legally, but other things, purely and without flaw; and some things humanly, and mediately, but other things supermundanely and perfectly; at one time indeed, from the laws which are manifest, and at another, from the institutions which are unmanifest, as befits the holy writings and minds and souls under consideration. For the whole statement lying before them, and all its details, does not contain a bare history, but a vivifying perfection. We must then, in opposition to the vulgar conception concerning them, reverently enter within the sacred symbols, and not dishonour them, being as they are, products and moulds of the Divine characteristics, and manifest images of the unutterable and supernatural visions. For, not only are the superessential lights, and things intelligible, and, in one word, things Divine, represented in various forms through the typical symbols, as the superessential God, spoken of as fire, and the intelligible Oracles of Almighty God, as flames of fire; but further, even the godlike orders of the angels, both contemplated and 173 contemplating, are described under varied forms, and manifold likenesses, and empyrean shapes. And differently must we take the same likeness of fire, when spoken with regard to the inconceivable God; and differently with regard to His intelligible providences or words; and differently respecting the Angels. The, one as causal, but the other as originated, and the third as participative, and different things differently, as their contemplation, and scientific arrangements suggest.

9.2 Καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ τοῦ φαινομένου παντὸς ἡ κοσμουργία τῶν ἀοράτων τοῦ θεοῦ προβέβληται͵ καθάπερ φησὶ Παῦλός τε καὶ ὁ ἀληθὴς λόγος. Διὸ καὶ οἱ θεολόγοι τὰ μὲν πολιτικῶς καὶ ἐννόμως ἐπισκοποῦσι͵ τὰ δὲ καθαρτικῶς καὶ ἀχράντως͵ καὶ τὰ μὲν ἀνθρωπικῶς καὶ μέσως͵ τὰ δὲ ὑπερκοσμίως καὶ τελεσιουργικῶς· καὶ τοτὲ μὲν ἀπὸ τῶν νόμων τῶν φαινομένων͵ τοτὲ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀφανῶν θεσμῶν κατὰ τὸ προσῆκον τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις ἱεροῖς γράμμασι καὶ νοῖς καὶ ψυχαῖς. Οὐ γὰρ ἱστορίαν ψιλήν͵ ἀλλὰ ζωτικὴν ἔχει τελείωσιν ὁ προκείμενος αὐτοῖς ἅπας τε καὶ διὰ πάντων λόγος. Χρὴ τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀντὶ τῆς δημώδους περὶ αὐτῶν ὑπολήψεως εἴσω τῶν ἱερῶν συμβόλων ἱεροπρεπῶς διαβαίνειν καὶ μὴ ἀτιμάζειν αὐτά͵ τῶν θείων ὄντα χαρακτήρων ἔκγονα καὶ ἀποτυπώματα καὶ εἰκόνας ἐμφανεῖς τῶν ἀπορρήτων καὶ ὑπερφυῶν θεαμάτων. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ μόνα τὰ ὑπερούσια φῶτα καὶ τὰ νοητὰ καὶ ἁπλῶς τὰ θεῖα τοῖς τυπωτικοῖς διαποικίλλεται συμβόλοις͵ ὡς πῦρ ὁ ὑπερούσιος θεὸς λεγόμενος καὶ τὰ νοητὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγια πεπυρωμένα. Προσέτι δὲ καὶ τῶν νοητῶν ἅμα καὶ νοερῶν ἀγγέλων οἱ θεοειδεῖς διάκοσμοι ποικίλαις μορφαῖς δια γράφονται καὶ πολυειδέσι καὶ ἐμπυρίοις σχηματισμοῖς. Καὶ ἄλλως χρὴ τὴν αὐτὴν τοῦ πυρὸς εἰκόνα κατὰ τοῦ ὑπὲρ νόησιν θεοῦ λεγομένην ἐκλαβεῖν͵ ἄλλως δὲ κατὰ τῶν νοητῶν αὐτοῦ προνοιῶν ἢ λόγων καὶ ἄλλως ἐπὶ τῶν ἀγγέλων͵ καὶ τὴν μὲν κατ΄ αἰτίαν͵ τὴν δὲ καθ΄ ὕπαρξιν͵ τὴν δὲ κατὰ μέθεξιν καὶ ἄλλα ἄλλως͵ ὡς ἡ κατ΄ αὐτὰ θεωρία καὶ ἐπιστη μονικὴ διάταξις ὁροθετεῖ.

And never must we confuse the sacred symbols hap-hazard, but we must unfold them suitably to the causes, or the origins, or the powers, or the orders, or the dignities of which they are explanatory tokens. And, in order that I may not extend my letter beyond the bounds of propriety, let us come at once to the very question propounded by you; and we affirm that every nourishment is perfective of those nourished, filling up their imperfection and their lack, and tending the weak, and guarding their lives, making to sprout, and renewing and bequeathing to them a vivifying wellbeing; and in one word, urging the slackening and imperfect, and contributing towards their comfort and perfection.

Καὶ μὴ ὡς ἔτυχε τὰ ἱερὰ σύμβολα συμφύρειν͵ ἀλλὰ προσηκόντως αὐτὰ ταῖς αἰτίαις ἢ ταῖς ὑπάρξεσιν ἢ ταῖς δυνάμεσιν ἢ ταῖς τάξεσιν ἢ ταῖς ἀξίαις ἀναπτύσσειν͵ ὧν καὶ ἔστιν ἐκφαντορικὰ συνθήματα. Καὶ ὅπως μὴ πέρα τοῦ δέοντος ἐπιστέλλωμεν͵ ἐπ΄ αὐτὴν ἤδη τὴν προτεθεῖσαν ὑφ΄ ἡμῶν ζήτησιν ἰτέον. Καὶ λέγομεν͵ ὅτι πᾶσα τροφὴ τελεσιουργός ἐστι τῶν τρεφομένων τὴν ἀτέλειαν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν ἔνδειαν ἀποπληροῦσα καὶ τὸ ἀσθενὲς θεραπεύουσα καὶ τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν φρου ροῦσα καὶ ἀναθάλλειν ποιοῦσα καὶ ἀνανεάζουσα καὶ ζωτικὴν αὐτοῖς εὐπάθειαν δωρουμένη καὶ ἁπλῶς τοῦ ἀνιῶντος καὶ τοῦ ἀτελοῦς ἐλάτειρα καὶ τῆς εὐφροσύνης αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς τελειότητος χορηγός.

9.3. Beautifully then, the super-wise and Good Wisdom is celebrated by the Oracles, as placing a mystical bowl, and pouring forth its sacred drink, but first 174 setting forth the solid meats, and with a loud voice Itself benignly soliciting those who seek It. The Divine Wisdom, then, sets forth the two-fold food; one indeed, solid and fixed, but the other liquid and flowing forth; and in a bowl furnishes Its own providential generosities. Now the bowl, being spherical and open, let it be a symbol of the Providence over the whole, which at once expands Itself and encircles all, without beginning and without end. But since, even while going forth to all, It remains in Itself, and stands fixed in unmoved sameness; and never departing from Itself, the bowl also itself stands fixedly and unmovably. But Wisdom is also said to build a house for itself, and in it to set forth the solid meats and drinks, and the bowl, so that it may be evident to those who understand things Divine in a manner becoming God, that the Author of the being, and of the well being, of all things, is both an all-perfect providence, and advances to all, and comes into being in everything, and embraces them all; and on the other hand, He, the same, in the same, par excellence, is nothing in anything at all, but overtops the whole, Himself being in Himself, identically and always; and standing, and remaining, and resting, and ever being in the same condition and in the same way, and never becoming outside Himself, nor falling from His own session, and unmoved abiding, and shrine,----yea even, in it, benevolently 175 exercising His complete and all-perfect providences, and whilst going forth to all, remaining by Himself alone, and standing always, and moving Himself; and neither standing, nor moving Himself, but, as one might say, both connaturally and supernaturally, having His providential energies, in His steadfastness, and His steadiness in His Providence.

9.3 Καλῶς οὖν ἡ ὑπέρσοφος καὶ ἀγαθὴ σοφία πρὸς τῶν λογίων ὑμνεῖται κρατῆρα μυστικὸν ἱστῶσα καὶ τὸ ἱερὸν αὐτοῦ πόμα προνάουσα͵ μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸ τούτων τὰς στερεὰς τροφὰς προτιθεῖσα καὶ μετὰ ὑψηλοῦ κηρύγματος αὐτὴ τῶν δεομένων αὐτῆς ἀγαθοπρεπῶς ἐφιεμένη. Διττὴν οὖν τὴν τροφὴν ἡ θεία σοφία προτίθησι͵ τὴν μὲν στερεὰν καὶ μόνιμον͵ τὴν δὲ ὑγρὰν καὶ προχεομένην· καὶ ἐπὶ κρατῆρι χορηγεῖ τὰς προνοητικὰς αὐτῆς ἀγαθότητας. Ὁ μὲν οὖν κρατὴρ περιφερὴς ὢν καὶ ἀναπεπταμένος σύμβολον ἔστω τῆς ἀνηπλωμένης ἅμα καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα περιπορευομένης ἀνάρχου καὶ ἀτελευτήτου τῶν ὅλων προνοίας. Πλὴν ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα προϊοῦσα μένει ἐν ἑαυτῇ καὶ ἕστηκεν ἐν ἀκινήτῳ ταὐτότητι καὶ παντελῶς ἀνεκφοιτήτῳ ἑαυτῆς ἱδρυμένη͵ μονίμως καὶ ἀραρότως αὐτός τε ὁ κρατὴρ ἕστηκεν. Οἰκοδομοῦσα δὲ καὶ ἡ σοφία οἶκον ἑαυτῇ λέγεται καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ τὰς στερεὰς τροφὰς καὶ τὰ πόματα καὶ τὸν κρατῆρα προτιθεμένη͵ ὡς εἶναι τοῖς τὰ θεῖα θεοπρεπῶς συμβάλλουσι δῆλον͵ ὅτι καὶ πρόνοια παντελής ἐστιν ὁ τοῦ εἶναι καὶ τοῦ εὖ εἶναι τὰ πάντα αἴτιος καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα πρόεισι καὶ ἐν τῷ παντὶ γίγνεται καὶ περιέχει τὰ πάντα καὶ αὖθις ὁ αὐτὸς ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ καθ΄ ὑπεροχὴν οὐδὲν ἐν οὐδενὶ κατ΄ οὐδέν ἐστιν· ἀλλ΄ ἐξῄρηται τῶν ὅλων αὐτὸς ἐν ἑαυτῷ ταὐτῶς καὶ ἀϊδίως ὢν καὶ ἑστηκὼς καὶ μένων καὶ ἀεὶ κατὰ ταὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχων καὶ οὐδαμῶς ἔξω ἑαυτοῦ γιγνόμενος͵ οὐδὲ τῆς οἰκείας ἕδρας καὶ ἀκινήτου μονῆς καὶ ἑστίας ἀπολειπόμενος· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τὰς ὅλας καὶ παντελεῖς προνοίας ἀγαθουργῶν καὶ προϊὼν ἐπὶ πάντα καὶ μένων ἐφ΄ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἑστὼς ἀεὶ καὶ κινούμενος καὶ οὔτε ἑστὼς οὔτε κινούμενος͵ ἀλλ΄͵ ὡς ἄν τις φαίη͵ τὰς προνοητικὰς ἐνεργείας ἐν τῇ μονιμότητι καὶ τὴν μονὴν ἐν τῷ προνοεῖν συμφυῶς ἅμα καὶ ὑπερφυῶς ἔχων.

9.4. But what is the solid food and what the liquid? For the Good Wisdom is celebrated as at once bestowing and providing these. I suppose then, that the solid food is suggestive of the intellectual and abiding perfection and sameness, within which, things Divine are participated as a stable, and strong, and unifying, and indivisible knowledge, by those contemplating organs of sense, by which the most Divine Paul, after partaking of wisdom, imparts his really solid nourishment; but that the liquid is suggestive of the stream, at once flowing through and to all; eager to advance, and further conducting those who are properly nourished as to goodness, through things variegated and many and divided, to the simple and invariable knowledge of God. Wherefore the divine and spiritually perceived Oracles are likened to dew, and water, and to milk, and wine, and honey; on account of their life-producing power, as in water; and growth-giving, as in milk; and reviving, as in wine; and both purifying and preserving, as in honey. For these things, the Divine Wisdom gives to those approaching it, and furnishes 176 and fills to overflowing, a stream of ungrudging and unfailing good cheer. This, then, is the veritable good cheer; and, on this account, it is celebrated, as at once life-giving and nourishing and perfecting.

9.4 Ἀλλὰ τίς ἡ στερεὰ τροφὴ καὶ τίς ἡ ὑγρά; Ταύτας γὰρ ἡ ἀγαθὴ σοφία δωρεῖσθαι ἅμα καὶ προνοεῖν ὑμνεῖται. Τὴν μὲν οὖν στερεὰν τροφὴν σύνθημα φέρειν οἴομαι τῆς νοερᾶς καὶ μονίμου τελειότητος καὶ ταὐτότη τος͵ καθ΄ ἣν τὰ θεῖα καθ΄ ἑστῶσαν καὶ δυνατὴν καὶ ἑνιαίαν καὶ ἀδιαίρετον γνῶσιν μετέχεται πρὸς τῶν νοερῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἐκείνων͵ οἷς ὁ θειότατος Παῦλος ἐκ τῆς σοφίας εἰληφὼς τῆς ὄντως στερεᾶς τροφῆς μεταδίδωσι· τὴν δὲ ὑγρὰν τῆς διαχυτικῆς ἅμα καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα προϊέναι σπευδούσης ἐπιῤῥοῆς καὶ ἔτι διὰ ποικίλων καὶ πολλῶν καὶ μεριστῶν ἐπὶ τὴν ἁπλῆν καὶ ἀτρεμῆ θεογνωσίαν τοὺς τρεφομένους οἰκείως αὐτοῖς ἀγαθότητι χειρ αγωγούσης. Διὸ καὶ δρόσῳ καὶ ὕδατι τὰ θεῖα καὶ νοητὰ λόγια καὶ γάλακτι καὶ οἴνῳ καὶ μέλιτι παρεικάζεται͵ διὰ τὴν ζωογόνον αὐτῶν ὡς ἐν ὕδατι δύναμιν καὶ αὐξητικὴν ὡς ἐν γάλακτι καὶ ἀναζωτικὴν ὡς ἐν οἴνῳ καὶ καθαρτικὴν ἅμα καὶ φρουρητικὴν ὡς ἐν μέλιτι· ταῦτα γὰρ ἡ θεία σοφία δωρεῖται τοῖς προσιοῦσιν ἀφθόνων αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀνεκλείπτων εὐωχιῶν ἐπίῤῥοιαν χορηγοῦσα καὶ ὑπερβλύζουσα. Τοῦτο δὴ τὸ ἀληθῶς εὐωχεῖν͵ καὶ διὰ ταῦτα ζωοποιὸς ἅμα καὶ κουροτρόφος καὶ ἀνανεωτικὴ καὶ τελεσιουργὸς ὑμνουμένη.

9.5. According to this sacred explanation of good cheer, even Almighty God, Himself the Author of all good things, is said to be inebriated, by reason of the super-full, and beyond conception, and ineffable, immeasurableness, of the good cheer, or to speak more properly, good condition of Almighty God. For, as regards us, in the worst sense, drunkenness is both an immoderate repletion, and being out of mind and wits; so, in the best sense, respecting God, we ought not to imagine drunkenness as anything else beyond the super-full immeasurableness of all good things pre-existing in Him as Cause. But, even in respect to being out of wits, which follows upon drunkenness, we must consider the pre-eminence of Almighty God, which is above conception, in which He overtops our conception, as being above conception and above being conceived, and above being itself; and in short, Almighty God is inebriated with, and outside of, all good things whatever, as being at once a super-full hyperbole of every immeasurableness of them all; and again, as dwelling outside and beyond the whole. Starting then from these, we will take in the same fashion even the feasting of the pious, in the Kingdom of Almighty God. For He says, the King Himself 177 will come and make them recline, and will Himself minister to them.

9.5 Κατὰ ταύτην δὲ τὴν ἱερὰν τῆς εὐωχίας ἀνάπτυξιν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ πάντων ἀγαθῶν αἴτιος θεὸς μεθύειν λέγεται διὰ τὴν ὑπερπλήρη καὶ ὑπὲρ νόησιν τῆς εὐωχίας ἤ͵ κυριώτερον εἰπεῖν͵ εὐεξίας τοῦ θεοῦ παντελῆ καὶ ἄφατον ἀμετρίαν. Ὡς γὰρ ἐφ΄ ἡμῶν κατὰ τὸ χεῖρον ἡ μέθη καὶ ἀσύμμετρος ἀποπλήρωσίς ἐστι καὶ νοῦ καὶ φρενῶν ἔκστασις͵ οὕτω κατὰ τὸ κρεῖττον ἐπὶ θεοῦ τὴν μέθην οὐκ ἄλλο τι χρὴ διανοεῖσθαι παρὰ τὴν ὑπερπλήρη κατ΄ αἰτίαν προοῦσαν ἐν αὐτῷ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀμετρίαν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἐπακολουθοῦσαν τῇ μέθῃ τοῦ φρονεῖν ἔκστασιν τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ὑπὲρ νόησιν οἰητέον͵ καθ΄ ἣν ἐξῄρηται τοῦ νοεῖν ὑπὲρ τὸ νοεῖν ὢν καὶ ὑπὲρ τὸ νοεῖσθαι καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτὸ τὸ εἶναι καὶ ἁπλῶς ἁπάντων͵ ὅσα ἐστὶν ἀγαθά͵ μεμεθυσμένος ἅμα καὶ ἐξεστηκώς ἐστιν ὁ θεὸς ὡς πάντων αὐτῶν ἅμα καὶ ὑπερπλήρης ὤν͵ ἀμετρίας πάσης ὑπερβολή͵ καὶ αὖθις ἔξω καὶ ἐπέκεινα τῶν ὅλων ἀνῳκισμένος. Ἀπὸ δὴ τούτων ὁρμώμενοι καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὁσίων συμπόσια κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν ἐκληψόμεθα τρόπον. Παρελθὼν γάρ͵ φησίν͵ αὐτὸς ὁ βασιλεὺς κατακλινεῖ αὐτοὺς καὶ αὐτὸς διακονήσει αὐτοῖς.

Now these things manifest a common and concordant communion of the holy,upon the good things of God, and a church of the first born, whose names are written in heavens; and spirits of just men made perfect by all good things, and replete with all good things; and the reclining, we imagine, a cessation from their many labours, and a life without pain; and a godly citizenship in light and place of living souls, replete with every holy bliss, and an ungrudging provision of every sort of blessed goods; within which they are filled with every delight; whilst Jesus both makes them recline, and ministers to them, and furnishes this delight; and Himself bequeaths their everlasting rest; and at once distributes and pours forth the fulness of good things.

Ἐμφαίνει δὲ ταῦτα κοινήν τινα καὶ ὁμονοητικὴν τῶν ἁγίων ἐπὶ τοῖς θείοις ἀγαθοῖς κοινωνίαν καὶ ἐκκλησίαν πρωτοτόκων ἀπογεγραμμένων ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ πνεύματα δικαίων πᾶσιν ἀγαθοῖς τετελειωμένα καὶ πάντων ἀγαθῶν ἀποπεπλησμένα. Καὶ τὴν ἀνάκλισιν ἀνάπαυλαν οἰόμεθα τῶν πολλῶν πόνων καὶ ζωὴν ἀπήμονα καὶ πολιτείαν ἔνθεον ἐν φωτὶ καὶ χώρᾳ ζώντων͵ ἁπάσης εὐπαθείας ἱερᾶς ἀναπεπλησμένην καὶ παντο δαπῶν καὶ μακαρίων ἀγαθῶν ἄφθονον χορηγίαν͵ καθ΄ ἣν εὐφροσύνης ἁπάσης ἀναπίμπλανται͵ τούτου δὴ τοῦ εὐφραίνειν Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἀνακλί νοντος αὐτοὺς καὶ διακονοῦντος καὶ τὴν αἰωνίαν ἀνάπαυλαν δωρουμένου καὶ τὴν ἀποπλήρωσιν τῶν καλῶν διανέμοντος ἅμα καὶ ἐπιῤῥέοντος.

9.6. But, I well know you will further ask that the propitious sleep of Almighty God, and His awakening, should be explained. And, when we have said, that the superiority of Almighty God, and His incommunicability with the objects of His Providence is a Divine sleep, and that the attention to His Providential cares of those who need His discipline, or His preservation, is an awakening, you will pass to other symbols of the Word of God. Wherefore, thinking it superfluous that by running 178 through the same things to the same. persons, we should seem to say different things, and, at the same time, conscious that you assent to things that are good, we finish this letter at what we have said, having set forth, as I think, more than the things solicited in your letters. Further, we send the whole of our Symbolical Theology, within which you will find, together with the house of wisdom, also the seven pillars investigated, and its solid food divided into sacrifices and breads. And what is the mingling of the wine; and again, What is the sickness arising from the inebriety of Almighty God? and in fact, the things now spoken of are explained in it more explicitly. And it is, in my judgment, a correct enquiry into all the symbols of the Word of God, and agreeable to the sacred traditions and truths of the Oracles.

9.6 Ἐπιζητήσεις δέ͵ εὖ οἶδα͵ καὶ τὸν εὐφημούμενον ὕπνον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν ἐγρήγορσιν ἀναπτυχθῆναι· καὶ ὅταν φῶμεν θεῖον μὲν ὕπνον εἶναι τὸ ἐξῃρημένον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἀκοινώνητον ἀπὸ τῶν προνοουμένων͵ ἐγρή γορσιν δὲ τὴν εἰς τὸ προνοεῖν αὐτοῦ τῶν παιδείας ἢ σωτηρίας δεομένων προσοχήν͵ ἐπ΄ ἄλλα θεολογικὰ σύμβολα μετελεύσῃ. Διὸ καὶ περιττὸν οἰηθέντες εἶναι τὸ τὰ αὐτὰ τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπανακυκλοῦν τας ἕτερα δοκεῖν λέγειν͵ ἅμα δὲ καὶ ὑμῖν εἰς τὰ καλὰ πείθεσθαι συνεγνω κότες͵ τὰ μὲν τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἄχρι τῶν εἰρημένων ἀποπαύομεν ἐκτεθεικότες͵ ὡς οἶμαι͵ καὶ περιττὰ τῶν τοῖς ὑμετέροις γράμμασιν ἐπωφλημένων. Αὐτὴν δὲ ὅλην ἡμῶν τὴν Συμβολικὴν Θεολογίαν ἀποστέλλομεν͵ καθ΄ ἣν εὑρήσεις μετὰ τοῦ τῆς σοφίας οἴκου καὶ τοὺς στύλους τοὺς ἑπτὰ διηυκρινημένους καὶ τὴν στερεὰν αὐτῆς τροφὴν εἰς θύματα καὶ ἄρτους διῃρημένην· καὶ τίς ἡ τοῦ οἴνου κρᾶσις͵ αὖθίς τε͵ τίς ἡ ἀπὸ τῆς μέθης τοῦ θεοῦ κραιπάλη͵ καὶ αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ νῦν εἰρημένα διεξοδικώτερον ἐν αὐτῇ διήρθρωται. Καὶ ἔστιν͵ ὡς οἶμαι͵ πασῶν τῶν συμβολικῶν θεολογιῶν εὑρέτις ἀγαθὴ καὶ συμβαίνουσα ταῖς τῶν λογίων ἱεραῖς παραδόσεσι καὶ ἀληθείαις.

LETTER 10. To John, Theologos, Apostle and Evangelist, imprisoned in the Isle of Patmos.

10. ἸΩΑΝΝΗΙ ΘΕΟΛΟΓΩΙ͵ ἈΠΟΣΤΟΛΩΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΣΤΗΙ ΠΕΡΙΟΡΙΣΘΕΝΤΙ ΚΑΤΑ ΠΑΤΜΟΝ ΤΗΝ ΝΗΣΟΝ

I salute thee, the holy soul! O beloved one! and this for me is more appropriate than for most. Hail! O truly beloved! And to the truly Loveable and Desired, very beloved! Why should it be a marvel, if Christ speaks truly, and the unjust banish His disciples from their cities 72, themselves bringing upon themselves their due, and the accursed severing themselves, and departing from the holy. Truly 179 things seen are manifest images of things unseen. For, neither in the ages which are approaching, will Almighty God be Cause of the just separations from Himself, but they by having separated themselves entirely from Almighty God; even as we observe the others, becoming here already with Almighty God, since being lovers of truth, they depart from the proclivities of things material, and love peace in a complete freedom from all things evil, and a Divine love of all things good; and start their purification, even from the present life, by living, in the midst of mankind, the life which is to come, in a manner suitable to angels, with complete cessation of passion, and deification and goodness, and the other good attributes. As for you then, I would never be so crazy as to imagine that you feel any suffering; but I am persuaded that you ate sensible of the bodily sufferings merely to appraise them. But, as for those who are unjustly treating you, and fancying to imprison, not correctly, the sun of the Gospel, whilst fairly blaming them, I pray that by separating themselves from those things which they are bringing upon themselves they may be turned to the good, and may draw you to themselves, and may participate in the light. But for ourselves, the contrary will not deprive us of the all-luminous ray of John, who are even now about to read the record, and the renewal of this, thy true theology: but shortly after (for I will say 180 it, even though it be rash), about to be united to you yourself. For, I am altogether trustworthy, from having learned, and reading the things made foreknown to you by God, that you will both be liberated from your imprisonment in Patmos, and will return to the Asiatic coast, and will perform there imitations of the good God, and will transmit them to those after you.

10.1 Προσαγορεύω σε τὴν ἱερὰν ψυχήν͵ ἠγαπημένε͵ καὶ ἔστι μοι τοῦτο πρὸς σὲ παρὰ τοὺς πολλοὺς ἰδιαίτερον. Χαῖρε͵ ἀληθῶς ἠγαπημένε͵ τῷ ὄντως ἐραστῷ καὶ ἐφετῷ καὶ ἀγαπητῷ λίαν ἠγαπημένε. Τί θαυμαστόν͵ εἰ Χριστὸς ἀληθεύει καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς οἱ ἄδικοι τῶν πόλεων ἐξελαύνουσιν αὐτοὶ τὰ κατ΄ ἀξίαν ἑαυτοῖς ἀπονέμοντες καὶ τῶν ἁγίων οἱ ἐναγεῖς ἀποδιαστελλόμενοι καὶ ἀποφοιτῶντες; Ἀληθῶς ἐμφανεῖς εἰκόνες εἰσὶ τὰ ὁρατὰ τῶν ἀοράτων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς αἰῶσι τοῖς ἐπερχομένοις αἴτιος ἔσται τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ δικαίων ἀφορισμῶν ὁ θεός͵ ἀλλ΄ οἱ τοῦ θεοῦ παντελῶς ἑαυτοὺς ἀφορίσαντες. Ὥσπερ καὶ θατέρους ὁρῶμεν ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ γιγνομένους͵ ἐπειδὴ ἀληθείας ὄντες ἐρασταί͵ τῆς προσπαθείας μὲν ἀναχωροῦσι τῶν ὑλικῶν͵ ἐν πάσῃ δὲ πάντων κακῶν ἐλευθερίᾳ καὶ ἔρωτι θείῳ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἁπάντων εἰρήνην ἀγαπῶσι καὶ τὸν ἁγιασμὸν κἀκ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς ἀπάρχονται τῆς μελλούσης ἀγγελοπρεπῶς ἐν μέσῳ ἀνθρώπων ἐμπολιτευόμενοι ξὺν ἀπαθείᾳ πάσῃ καὶ θεωνυμίᾳ καὶ ἁγιότητι καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀγαθοῖς. Ὑμᾶς μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἄν ποτε οὕτω μανείην͵ ὡς ἡγήσασθαί τι πάσχειν͵ ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ σώματος πάθη κατὰ μόνον τὸ κρίνειν αὐτὰ διαισθάνεσθαι πιστεύω. Τοὺς δὲ ἀδικοῦντας ὑμᾶς καὶ περιορίζειν οἰομένους οὐκ ὀρθῶς τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τὸν ἥλιον ἐνδίκως αἰτιώμενος εὔχομαι τούτων ἀφεμένους͵ ὧν ἐφ΄ ἑαυτοὺς δρῶσιν͵ ἐπὶ τἀγαθὸν τραπέσθαι καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτοὺς ὑμᾶς ἐφελκύσασθαι καὶ μεταλαβεῖν τοῦ φωτός. Ἡμᾶς δὲ οὐδὲ τοὐναντίον ἀποστερήσει τῆς Ἰωάννου παμφαοῦς ἀκτῖνος͵ νῦν μὲν ἐντευξομένους τῇ μνήμῃ καὶ ἀνανεώσει τῆς σῆς ἀληθοῦς θεολογίας͵ μικρὸν δὲ ὕστερονἐρῶ γάρ͵ εἰ καὶ τολμηρόνὑμῖν αὐτοῖς ἑνωθη σομένους. Ἀξιόπιστος δὲ πάντως εἰμὶ τὰ προεγνωσμένα σοι καὶ μαθὼν ἐκ θεοῦ καὶ λέγων͵ ὅτι καὶ τῆς ἐν Πάτμῳ φυλακῆς ἀφεθήσῃ καὶ εἰς τὴν Ἀσιάτιδα γῆν ἐπανήξεις καὶ δράσεις ἐκεῖ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θεοῦ μιμήματα καὶ τοῖς μετὰ σὲ παραδώσεις.

LETTER 11. Dionysius to Apollophanes, Philosopher.

 

At length I send a word to thee, O Love of my heart, and recall to thy memory the many anxieties and solicitudes, which I have formerly undergone on thy account.” For thou rememberest with what a mild and benevolent disposition I have been accustomed to rebuke thy obstinacy in error, although with scant reason, in order that I might uproot those vain opinions with which thou wast deceived. But now, adoring the supreme toleration of the Divine long-suffering towards thee, I offer thee my congratulations, O part of my soul, now that you are turning your eyes to your soul’s health. For, even the very things which formerly you delighted to spurn, you now delight to affirm; and the things that you used to reject with scorn, you now delight to enforce. For, often have I set before you, and that with great precision, what even Moses committed to writing, that man was first made by God, from mud, and the sins of the world were punished 181 by the. flood, and in process of time, that the same Moses, united in friendship with God, - performed many wonders, both in Egypt and the exodus from Egypt, by the power and action of the same God. Nor Moses only, but other divine prophets subsequently, published similar things, not infrequently, who long before foretold that God should take the nature of man from a Virgin. To which statement of mine, not once, but often, you replied, that you did not know whether these things were true, and that you were entirely ignorant, even who that Moses was, and whether he was white or black. Further, that you rejected with scorn the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Who is God of all Majesty----which you used to call mine. Further, that Paul, the globe trotter, and a scatterer of words, who was calling people from things terrestrial to things celestial, you were unwilling to receive. Lastly, you reproach me, as a turncoat, who had left the customs of my country’s religion, and was leading people to iniquitous sacrilege, and urged me to unlearn the things in which I was placing my trust; or, at least, that I should put away other people’s things, and deem it sufficient to keep what was my own, lest I should be found to detract from the honour due to divine deities, and the institutions of my fathers. But, after the supernal light of the paternal glory of His own will sent the rays of His own splendour upon the darkness of your mind, at once He put into my inmost heart, that I should recall to your mind the whole counsel of God. How, for instance, 182 when we were staying in Heliopolis (I was then about twenty-five, and your age was nearly the same as mine), on a certain sixth day, and about the sixth hour, the sun, to our great surprise, became obscured, through the moon passing over it, not because it is a god, but because a creature of God, when its very true light was setting, could not bear to shine. Then I earnestly asked thee, what thou, O man most wise, thought of it. Thou, then, gave such an answer as remained fixed in my mind, and that no oblivion, not even that of the image of death, ever allowed to escape. For, when the whole orb had been throughout darkened, by a black mist of darkness, and the sun’s disk had begun again to be purged and to shine anew, then taking the table of Philip Aridaeus, and contemplating the orbs of heaven, we learned, what was otherwise well known, that an eclipse of the sun could not, at that time, occur. Next, we observed that the moon approached the sun from the east, and intercepted its rays, until it covered the whole; whereas, at other times, it used to approach from the west. Further also, we noted that when it had reached the extreme edge of the sun, and had covered the whole orb, that it then went back towards the east, although that was a time which called neither for the presence of the moon, nor for the conjunction of the sun. I therefore, O treasury of manifold learning, since I was incapable of understanding so great a mystery, thus addressed thee----”What thinkest thou of this thing, O Apollophanes, mirror of 183 learning?” “Of what mysteries do these unaccustomed portents appear to you to be indications?” Thou then, with inspired lips, rather than with speech of human voice, “These are, O excellent Dionysius,” thou saidst, “changes of things divine.” At last, when I had taken note of the day and year, and had perceived that, that time, by its testifying signs, agreed with that which Paul announced to me, once when I was hanging upon his lips, then I gave my hand to the truth, and extricated my feet from the meshes of error. Which truth, henceforth, I, with admiration, both preach and urge upon thee----which is life and way, and true light,----which lighteth every man coming into this world,----to which even thou at last, as truly wise, hast yielded. For thou yieldedst to life when thou renounced death. And surely thou hast, at length, acted in the best possible manner, if thou shalt adhere henceforth to the same truth, so as to associate with us more closely. For those lips will henceforth be on our side, by the splendour of whose words, as blunting the edge of my mind, thou hast been accustomed by pretexts brought from various quarters, and by a gorgeous glow of eloquence, to vex the innermost recesses of our breast;----yea, even sometimes to probe us sharply by occasional stings of malice. Wherefore as formerly, as thou thyself used to say, the knowledge of Christian doctrine, although savoury, was not savoury to thee, but when you had brought yourself to it, merely to taste, it shrank from your mental palate, and as it were, disdained to find  184 a resting-place in your stomach; so now, after you have acquired a heart, intelligent and provident, elevate thyself to things supernal, and do not surrender, for things that are not, things which really are. Therefore in future, be so much more obstinate against those who have urged you to the false, as you showed yourself perverse towards us, when we invited you, with all our force, to the truth. For thus, I, in the Lord Jesus, Whose Presence is my being and my life, will henceforth die joyful, since thou also livest in Him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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