Against the Heretics

Contra haereticos

Amphilochius of Iconium · c. 340–c. 395 AD · PG 39

The Deceiver as Teacher of Heresies§1

1Against the heretics: they do not think heavenly things, nor do they possess a human mindset; they do not dare to come into the light, to be discussed with a wise man, or to attack a city of Christians, like the leaders of the other heresies, who attempt to lead some astray through philosophy and empty deception. For because of the danger approaching them and the Scriptures, they attempt to draw people toward their own wills and thereby deceive the simpler ones; for the Scriptures are like medical aids, which, when prepared well, heal, but when given poorly or unskillfully, kill; therefore it is reasonable that small foxes are called.

As for the other heresies, it is to be found that they possess both reason and probability, and they surround some of the simpler ones with syllogisms and sophisms; for I think the prophet also prays concerning these things, saying, 'Deliver me from my mighty enemies' (Ps 143:12). But the small foxes, that is, these heresies, what do they possess capable of deceiving? Not wisdom, not strength, not boldness of their doctrine, nor the ability to deceive those divided in faith by the justice of cities; they have only one thing, the harm of these beasts. For when they enter into a vineyard, that is, into the people, they do not enter openly, but secretly like thieves, like these beasts, the foxes. When they see the vine-dresser busy in another part, they enter ungratefully into the labors of others, which they also destroy.

And it is possible to understand the scriptural word thus: not only calling them small foxes, but also small ones destroying vineyards. For no man among them, being strong and firm in faith and established upon the rock, that is, Christ (Matt 7:24), is deceived, but if anyone is led astray by a windless place and is tossed by every wind (Eph 4:14), he is cast away from the church. Concerning such things also the Lord in the Gospels...

He says: Whoever causes one of the little ones believing in me to stumble, it is expedient that a millstone be hung from his neck. And the following, clearly, of a great one, strengthened in faith and holding the head of the church, Christ, being unable to be stumbled. Concerning these things also the apostle Paul clearly touched upon, saying: 'These are they who enter into houses and capture little women piled up with sins, led by various incantations, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth' (1 Tim 5:5). He showed through the word 'those entering' the den of the serpent that deceived the first woman (Gen 3:1); and he also revealed the harmful and cowardly nature of their ways and of their preaching, the weakness and the shallowness of those being deceived; for he does not remember a man, except only little women easy for deception. Because of this also their preaching is that kind of deception, and one might say it is womanish; and it is possible to see in their synagogues more little women being deceived, subsequently following strange men and living with them without distinction; and the things following these are shameful even to speak of.

Who is the teacher of these heresies? The teacher of all heresies is the devil. For just as Christ is the teacher of the catholic church and gave himself for it, so that he might sanctify it and present to himself the church not having a blemish or wrinkle or anything of this kind (Eph 5:27), so also the devil, being ready to deceive and scatter, has become a teacher of all heresies. For only the race of humans was taught to worship God, but the devil made many false gods; and what do I say 'many', he made all creation into gods, so that he might lead the wretched man astray from the truly God. For it was possible to see likenesses of animals and beasts and creeping things and birds being worshiped, and yet...

Greek · §1

Contra haereticos ... οὐδὲ οὐράνιον φρονοῦσιν· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀνθρώπινον φρόνημα ἔχουσιν, οὐδὲ τολμῶσιν εἰς τὸ φῶς προελθεῖν ἢ φρονίμῳ ἀνθρώ πῳ διαλεχθῆναι, ἢ πόλει χριστιανῶν ἐπιβῆναι, καθὼς οἱ προεστῶτες τῶν ἄλλων αἱρέσεων, οἵτινες πειρῶνται διὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης πλανῆσαί τινας. Καὶ γὰρ διὰ τὴν προσοῦσαν αὐτοῖς δεινότητα καὶ τὰς γραφὰς πειρῶνται πρὸς τὰ ἑαυτῶν θελήματα ἕλκειν κἀκεῖθεν ἀπατᾶν τοὺς ἁπλουστέρους· αἱ γὰρ γραφαὶ ἐοίκασι τοῖς βοηθήμασι τοῖς ἰατρικοῖς, ἅτινα καλῶς μὲν σκευαζόμενα θεραπεύει, φαύλως δὲ ἢ ἀτέχνως διδόμενα φονεύει· διόπερ εἰκότως ἀλώπεκες μικροὶ λέγονται. Τὰς μὲν οὖν λοιπὰς αἱρέσεις ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ὅτι καὶ λόγον καὶ πιθανότητα ἔχουσι καὶ συλλογισμοῖς καὶ σοφίσμασί τινων ἁπλουστέρων περιγίνον ται· καὶ νομίζω γὰρ καὶ περὶ τούτων ὁ προφήτης εὔχεται λέγων· Ῥύσεταί με ἐξ ἐχθρῶν μου δυνατῶν. Αἱ μέντοι μικραὶ ἀλώπεκες, τουτέστι αὗται αἱ αἱρέσεις, τί ἔχουσι δυνατὸν εἰς τὸ ἀπατῆσαι; Οὐ φρόνησιν, οὐκ ἰσχύν, οὐ παρρησίαν τοῦ δόγματος αὐτῶν, οὐ τὴν ἐπὶ πόλεων δικαιοσύνην δυναμένην ἀπατῆσαι τοὺς μεριζομένους τῇ πίστει· ἓν μόνον ἔχουσι, τὸ δολερὸν τῶν θηρίων τούτων. Ὅταν γὰρ εἰσέλθωσιν εἰς ἀμπελῶνα, τουτέστιν εἰς λαόν, οὐ παρρησίᾳ εἰσέρχονται, ἀλλὰ λάθρᾳ ὡς κλέπται, ὡς καὶ τὰ θηρία ταῦτα, αἱ ἀλώπεκες. Ἐπὰν ἴδωσι τὸν ἀμπελουργὸν εἰς ἕτερον μέρος ἀσχο λούμενον, εἰσέρχονται ἀφειδῶς εἰς τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους καμάτους, οὓς καὶ ἀφανίζουσιν. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ οὕτως νοῆσαι τὸ γραφικὸν ῥητόν, οὐ μόνον αὐτοὺς μικροὺς ἀλώπεκας ὀνομαζομένους, ἀλλὰ καὶ μικροὺς ἀφανίζοντας ἀμπελῶνας. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ παρ' αὐτῶν ἀνὴρ ἰσχυρὸς καὶ ἑδραῖος τῇ πίστει καὶ τεθεμελιωμένος ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν, τουτέστι τὸν Χριστόν, ἀπατᾶται, ἀλλ' εἴπου τις ἀχύρῳ παραπλή σιος καὶ παντὶ ἀνέμῳ περιφερόμενος ἀπολικμᾶται τῆς ἐκκλησίας. Περὶ τῶν τοιούτων καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐν εὐαγγελίοις λέγει· Ὃς ἂν σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμέ, συμφέρει ἵνα μύλος ὀνικὸς κρεμασθῇ εἰς τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, δηλονό τι μεγάλου καὶ ἡδρασμένου ἐν τῇ πίστει καὶ κρατοῦντος τὴν κεφαλὴν τῆς ἐκκλησίας, τὸν Χριστόν, μὴ δυναμένου σκανδα λισθῆναι. Περὶ τούτων αὐτῶν καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος σαφῶς ᾐνίξατο εἰπών· Ἐκ τούτων εἰσὶν οἱ ἐνδύνοντες εἰς τὰς οἰκίας καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντες γυναικάρια σεσωρευμένα ἁμαρτίαις, ἀγόμενα ἐπι θυμίαις ποικίλαις, πάντοτε μανθάνοντα καὶ μηδέποτε εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν δυνάμενα. Ἔδειξε διὰ τοῦ ῥήματος τοῦ ἐνδύνοντες τὸν φωλεὸν τοῦ ὄφεως τοῦ ἀπατήσαντος τὴν πρώτην γυναῖκα· ἐφανέρωσε δὲ καὶ τὸ δολερὸν καὶ δειλὸν τῶν τρόπων αὐτῶν καὶ τοῦ κηρύγματος αὐτῶν τὴν ἀσθένειαν καὶ τῶν ἀπατωμένων τὸ σαθρόν· ἀνδρὸς γὰρ οὐ μέμνηται, εἰ μὴ μόνων γυναικαρίων εὐκόλων εἰς ἀπάτην. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα αὐτῶν ἐκεῖνο τὸ γένος ἀπατᾷ καὶ εἴπου τις γυναικώδης· καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς αὐτῶν πλείονα γυναικάρια ἀπατώμενα, ἐξακολου θοῦντα ἀλλοτρίοις ἀνδράσι καὶ μετ' αὐτῶν ἀδιαφόρως συζῶντα· τὰ δὲ ἀκόλουθα τούτοις αἰσχρόν ἐστι καὶ εἰπεῖν. Τίς ὁ καθηγητὴς τῶν αἱρέσεων τούτων; Ὁ καθηγητὴς πασῶν τῶν αἱρέσεών ἐστιν ὁ διάβολος. Ὡς γὰρ ὁ Χριστὸς καθηγητής ἐστι τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ παρ έδωκεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ αὐτῆς, ἵνα αὐτὴν ἁγιάσῃ καὶ παραστήσῃ αὐτὸς ἑαυτῷ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν μὴ ἔχουσαν σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα ἤ τι τῶν τοιούτων, οὕτως καὶ ὁ διάβολος εἰς τὸ ἀπατᾶν καὶ σκορπίζειν ὢν ἕτοιμος καθηγητὴς γέγονε πασῶν τῶν αἱρέσεων. Μόνον γὰρ ἐδιδάχθη τὸ γένος τῶν ἀνθρώπων θεὸν προσκυνεῖν, πολλοὺς δὲ ψευδωνύ μους θεοὺς ἐποίησεν ὁ διάβολος· τί δὲ λέγω πολλούς, πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν ἐθεοποίησεν, ἵνα τὸν ἄθλιον ἄνθρωπον ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄντως θεοῦ ἀποπλανήσῃ. Ἦν γὰρ 1 ἰδεῖν ὁμοιώματα ζῴων καὶ θηρίων καὶ ἑρπετῶν καὶ πετεινῶν προσκυνούμενα, ἔτι δὲ

The Deception of Apostasy vs. the Fruitfulness of the Church§2

2And almost all matter was honoring it as a god. And because of this, the Lord accepted the incarnate economy on behalf of the human race, in order to abolish the manifold error and to turn them back toward the worship of the truly God through the bath of regeneration, and to gather together all humanity scattered into the church and to designate it as his own body, and so that his word might be fulfilled: 'There shall be one flock, one shepherd' (John 10:16).

But again the envious devil, by his own wickedness and his ancient craft, does not cease deceiving the unthinking ones; for just as before, having renamed idols as gods, he led men astray from the truly God, so also now, having named many churches—or rather, if it is necessary to speak the truth, having raised up idols of churches—he causes those believing in him to depart through the apostasy of Christ, so that just as then, through the so-called gods, they departed from God, so also now, through the so-called churches, he might tear away them from the truly Church. For it is the habit of the devil to deceive through great promises; for approaching the first human, namely the woman, he said: 'If you eat of the tree of knowledge, you shall be as gods' (Gen 3:5), promising to make them gods, that is, immortal, and he seized their life for himself.

Therefore his deceit has even more; for when the Savior appeared and many believed in him, the evil one incited persecution against the Christians, and those whom he could no longer hold by deception, he forced to become apostates through tyranny. And it was a thing to be seen as terrible: kings raging against the Christians, laws full of lawlessness, judges vengeful for impiety. For piety was a crime for every murder and every sorcery; and only the Christians filled the prisons, they were turned about, they were beaten, they were fried, they were burned, they were thrown to the beasts.

And all these things being brought upon them by the evil one and his ministers, in order that they might deny the church of God, they bravely and willingly bore all things because of the love toward the Savior, and they died sweetly the temporal death, exchanging it for the eternal life. Having learned these things, the devil, and having understood that his violence was being defeated and all his schemes, he turned to another kind of deception and...

Again, there is a useful promise and a humble appearance and a devout religious practice. For who would not easily be deceived by this trick, when self-control and renunciation are being preached? He knows that it is heavy for a Christian to hear: 'Apostate from God, deny the Savior, flee from the church, abandon the blood of Christ through whom you were purchased.' If these things were said, who would have listened to him?

But now, by the old method, promising great things of the true paradise, the church of Christ, he drives the man away. For truly the church of Christ is a paradise, in which is both the tree of life and the tree of knowledge, and a spring rising from the earth and watering the paradise, from which even the four rivers flow; and it also has much variety of fruits. For this reason it is a paradise, since there are many kinds of fruits; for a paradise is not of a single kind, as the apostates say.

And each one, according to his faith and zeal, increases and bears fruit; let him only remain in the paradise of Christ, just as it has been written: 'Being planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God' (Ps 92:13). And if even a time of martyrdom should come, let us deliver up the body, let us leave the temporary life, let us throw away lineage, let us disregard possessions; let all things be lost, let faith, hope, and love remain in us, as the apostle says (1 Cor 13:13).

And in another place: 'I am persuaded,' he says, 'that neither life nor death, nor things present nor things to come, nor any else creation, will be able to separate us from the love of Christ' (Rom 8:35-39). And what is this love? Our Lord Jesus Christ himself said: 'He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him' (John 6:56).

And because of his great love toward us, his indwelling blood paid a price on our behalf; 'for you were purchased with precious blood,' says the apostle Peter (1 Pet 1:18-19). Therefore, he who denies the blood of Christ insults his presence and treats as worthless the value laid down for him. And how will those defending themselves, having denied the blood of God and having fled from the church, answer? For if, as we said, the apostles and martyrs suffered so much for the blood of Christ and were perfected in this confession, what punishment are these worthy of, who are without wounds, who are without the sword?

Greek · §2

καὶ πᾶσαν σχεδὸν τὴν ὕλην ὡς θεὸν τιμωμένην. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὁ κύριος τὴν ἔνσαρκον οἰκονομίαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀνεδέξα το, ἵνα τὴν πολύθεον πλάνην καταργήσῃ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν προσκύνησιν τοῦ ὄντως θεοῦ ἐπιστρέψῃ διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα διεσπαρμένην συναγάγῃ εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν καὶ σῶμα αὐτοῦ προσηγόρευσε, καὶ πληρωθῇ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ· Ἔσται μία ποίμνη, εἷς ποιμήν. Ἀλλὰ πάλιν ὁ φθονερὸς διάβολος τῇ οἰκείᾳ κακίᾳ καὶ τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ αὐτοῦ τέχνῃ οὐ παύεται ἀπατῶν τοὺς ἀστηρίκτους· ὡς γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ εἴδωλα μετονομάσας θεοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄντως θεοῦ ἀπεπλάνησε τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, οὕτως καὶ νῦν πολλὰς ἐκκλησίας ὀνομάσας, μᾶλλον δέ, εἰ δεῖ τὸ ἀληθὲς εἰπεῖν, εἴδωλα ἐκκλησιῶν ἀναστήσας τῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀποταγῇ τοὺς πειθομένους αὐτῷ, ἵν' ὥσπερ τότε διὰ τῶν λεγομένων θεῶν ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπέστησεν, οὕτως καὶ νῦν διὰ τῶν λεγομένων παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐκκλησιῶν τῆς ὄντως ἐκκλησίας ἀποσπάσῃ. Ἔθος γὰρ τῷ διαβόλῳ διὰ μεγάλων ἐπαγγελιῶν ἀπατᾶν· τῷ γὰρ πρώτῳ ἀνθρώπῳ, ἤτοι τῇ γυναικὶ προσελθὼν εἶπεν· Ἐὰν φάγητε τοῦ ξύλου τῆς γνώσεως, ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοί, θεοὺς ποιήσειν ἐπαγγειλά μενος, τουτέστιν ἀθανάτους, καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν προσαφ είλατο. Ἔχει δὲ τοίνυν πλέον ὁ δόλος αὐτοῦ· τοῦ σωτῆρος γὰρ ἐπιφανέντος καὶ πολλῶν πιστευσάντων αὐτῷ ἐπήγειρεν ὁ πονηρὸς διωγμὸν κατὰ τῶν χριστιανῶν καὶ οὓς οὐκέτι ἠδύνατο κατέχειν τῇ ἀπάτῃ διὰ τῆς εἰδωλολατρίας, τούτους διὰ τῆς τυραννίδος ἀποστάτας ἠνάγκασε γενέσθαι. Καὶ ἦν ἰδεῖν πρᾶγμα φρικτόν· βασιλεῖς μαινομένους κατὰ τῶν χριστιανῶν, νόμους ἀνομίας μεστούς, δικαστὰς ἐκδίκους τῆς ἀσεβείας. Ὑπὲρ πάντα γὰρ φόνον καὶ πᾶσαν γοητείαν ἔγκλημα ἦν ἡ εὐσέβεια, καὶ μόνοι οἱ χριστιανοὶ ᾤκουν τὰ δεσμωτήρια, ἐστρεβλοῦντο, ἐτύπτοντο, ἐτηγανίζοντο, ἐξέοντο, θηρίοις ἐνεβάλλοντο. Καὶ τούτων ἁπάντων ἐπαγομένων αὐτοῖς παρὰ τοῦ πονηροῦ καὶ τῶν τούτου διακόνων, ἵνα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀρνήσωνται, γενναίως καὶ προθύμως ἅπαντα ἔφερον διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν σωτῆρα ἀγάπην καὶ ἡδέως ἀπέθνῃσκον τὸν πρόσκαιρον θάνατον τῆς ἀϊδίου ζωῆς ἀνταλλαττόμενοι. Ταῦτα καταμαθὼν ὁ διάβολος καὶ κατανοήσας νικωμένην αὐτοῦ τὴν βίαν καὶ πάσας αὐτοῦ τὰς ἐπινοίας μετεβλήθη εἰς ἕτερον εἶδος ἀπάτης καὶ πάλιν ἐπάγγελμα χρηστὸν καὶ σχῆμα ταπεινὸν καὶ θρησκεία εὐλαβής. Ἐγκρατείας γὰρ καὶ ἀποτάξεως κηρυσσομένης τίς ἂν μὴ εὐκόλως ἀπατηθῇ τῷ δόλῳ τούτῳ; Οἶδεν ὅτι βαρὺ ἀκοῦσαι χριστιανῷ· Ἀπόστα ἀπὸ θεοῦ, ἄρνησαι τὸν σω τῆρα, δραπέτευσον ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἐγκατάλιπε τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ δι' οὗ ἠγοράσθης. Ταῦτα εἰ εἶπε, τίς ἂν ὑπήκουσεν αὐτῷ; Νυνὶ δὲ τῇ ἀρχαίᾳ μεθόδῳ πάλιν μεγάλα ἐπαγγελλόμενος τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ παραδείσου, τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐκβάλλει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ὄντως γὰρ παράδεισος ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἐν ᾗ καὶ τὸ ξύλον τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τὸ ξύλον τῆς γνώσεως, καὶ πηγὴ ἡ ἀνερχομένη ἐκ τῆς γῆς καὶ ποτίζουσα τὸν παράδεισον, ἐξ ἧς καὶ οἱ τέσσαρες ποταμοὶ ἀπορρέουσιν· ἔχει δὲ καὶ πολλὴν διαφορὰν καρπῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ παράδεισος, ἐπειδὴ πολλὰ εἴδη καρπῶν· μονοειδὴς γὰρ παράδεισος οὐκ ἔστιν, ὡς οἱ ἀποστάται λέγουσιν. Ἕκαστος δὲ καθὼς πίστεως καὶ σπουδῆς ἔχει, αὐξάνει καὶ καρποφορεῖ· μόνον μενέτω ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καθὼς γέγραπται· Πεφυτευμένοι ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ κυρίου ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐξανθήσουσιν. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ γένηται καιρὸς μαρτυ ρίου, παραδῶμεν τὸ σῶμα, καταλείψωμεν τὴν πρόσκαιρον ζωήν, ὑπερίδωμεν γένους, καταφρονήσωμεν χρημάτων· πάντα οἰχέσθω, μενέτω ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ πίστις, ἐλπίς, ἀγάπη, ὡς λέγει ὁ ἀπόστολος. Καὶ ἐν ἄλλῳ δὲ τόπῳ· Πέπεισμαι, φησίν, ὅτι οὔτε ζωὴ οὔτε θάνατος οὔτε ἐνεστῶτα οὔτε μέλλοντα οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Τίς δέ ἐστιν αὕτη ἡ ἀγάπη, αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς εἶπεν· Ὁ τρώγων μου τὴν σάρκα καὶ πίνων μου τὸ αἷμα, αὐτὸς ἐν ἐμοὶ μένει, κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ. Καὶ διὰ τὴν πολλὴν αὐτοῦ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀγάπην τὸ οἰκεῖον αὐτοῦ αἷμα τίμημα κατέβαλεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν· τιμίῳ γὰρ αἵματι ἠγοράσθητε, Πέτρος ὁ ἀπόστολός φησιν. Ὁ τοίνυν τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀρνούμενος τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτοῦ ἐνύβρισε καὶ τὴν καταβληθεῖσαν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ τιμὴν ἠθέτη σε. Καὶ τί ἀπολογήσονται οἱ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀρνησάμενοι καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας δραπετεύσαντες; Εἰ γάρ, ὡς προείπομεν, οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ μάρτυρες τοσαῦτα ἔπαθον ὑπὲρ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἐν τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ ταύτῃ ἐτελειώθησαν, ποίας τιμωρίας εἰσὶν ἄξιοι οὗτοι οἱ ἄνευ πληγῶν, οἱ ἄνευ ξίφους,

The Apostasy against the Mysteries§3

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3Should they be thought to possess anything of a Christian, denying this, without any danger of having denied the honor cast upon them? For all the mysteries of the Christians hang upon this; even if you speak of churches, or Scriptures, or catechisms, or baptism, or an altar, or the body itself, without the blood there is nothing; for a body without blood is dead, and no one offers a dead thing for an altar.

For one finds everywhere in the Old Testament blood being offered, and almost everything is cleansed in blood according to the law. How much more does the blood of Christ cleanse our conscience from dead works (Hebrews 9:14), says the apostle; and again: Therefore, having, brothers, confidence for the entrance into the holy places in the blood of Christ (Hebrews 10:19), which He made a new and living way (Hebrews 10:20).

It has shown you everywhere the power of the Christian mysteries, that it is not possible to escape sin, nor the devil himself, nor to enter the entrance into the holy places, which He made for us a new and living way, to be made known by the king as not bearing the seal. For if soldiers, struggling in wars and contending for its very safety, guard the symbol and through this demonstrate their goodwill toward the king, calculating that if they lose this, they will no longer be able to behold the face of the king, what will they do, having lost not an insensate sign, but having been plundered of the blood of Christ itself?

But if anyone examines accurately, those having been led astray by every man are more to be pitied and are worthy of many wailings, those having been led astray in these heresies. For so much the evil one has prevailed over them and has darkened their foolish heart, so that they do not recognize what they have suffered. For it is necessary for them to wail and weep, having been deprived of so many and such great good things and of life itself.

They suffer the opposite; they call themselves righteous and higher than all men; and what shall I say of them being more holy than all men and of the blood of Christ. For if the devil were to seize any of them and cast them out of the church, one would see from that time such a person speaking injustice to the height thoughtlessly.

No longer knowing either the baptizing priest, or the spiritual mother, the church, the generation that bore and nurtured him, or the altar from which he was fed and watered as a child, or the holy things themselves being offered. But immediately, a first progress and a great error is deemed by them to be the denial and the blasphemy against the mysteries; for such a person begins to speak, but rather it is the devil speaking in him: 'What is a church? What is baptism? And is that the blood of Christ? May it never enter my mouth.'

Woe! If you kept your heart with all vigilance, if you cried out heavily until the last breath, the fortress would remain to you. If you did not give entrance to the devil into your heart, you would not have been snatched away by him according to his will. Self-control and renunciation led you to this progress, and it taught nothing else but to renounce only the holy things.

Is the blood of Christ unclean and you clean? I thought you had a renunciation of another kind, concerning which the Lord said: 'If anyone does not renounce all that he has, he is not my disciple' (Luke 14:33), and 'If you wish to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor' (Matthew 19:21), and he did not add: 'If anyone does not renounce my church or my mysteries, he is not my disciple.' For it is clear that he taught us through his incarnate economy first to renounce the devil and his idols and all his plan, and to be arranged with him alone through his church and his mysteries.

Did I renounce the first renunciation or the second? The first is an avoidance of idols, the second is a disdain for possessions and a contempt for all fleshly pleasure. Let us see then what kind of renunciation you speak of, the one of possessions. And who is so given to the passion of avarice as the heretics? For they not only hold securely the money falling to them, but they also become stewards and treasurers of others' things as if they were their own, and they gather interest and profits, and they provide money to others, but they themselves gain iniquities, only so that they may increase the passion of greed. For no one has ever heard that a heretic, having sold all his...

Greek · §3

ἄνευ παντὸς κινδύνου ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν καταβληθεῖσαν τιμήν; Μηδὲ γὰρ νομιζέτωσαν ἔχειν τι χριστιανοῦ τοῦτο ἀρνούμενοι, πάντα γὰρ τὰ μυστήρια τῶν χριστιανῶν τούτου ἤρτηται· κἂν ἐκκλησίας εἴπῃς, κἂν γραφάς, κἂν κατηχήσεις, κἂν βάπτισμα, κἂν θυσιαστήριον, κἂν αὐτὸ τὸ σῶμα, ἄνευ τοῦ αἵματος οὐδέν ἐστι· σῶμα γὰρ ἄνευ τοῦ αἵματος νεκρόν ἐστι, νεκρὸν δὲ εἰς θυσιαστήριον οὐδεὶς προσφέρει. Ἔστι γὰρ εὑρεῖν κἀν τῇ παλαιᾷ διαθήκῃ πανταχοῦ αἷμα προσφερόμενον καὶ σχεδὸν ἐν αἵματι πάντα καθαρίζονται κατὰ τὸν νόμον. Πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ καθαριεῖ τὴν συνείδησιν ἡμῶν ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων, λέγει ὁ ἀπόστολος· καὶ πάλιν· Ἔχοντες οὖν, ἀδελφοί, παρρησίαν εἰς τὴν εἴσοδον τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τῷ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἣν ἀνεκαίνισεν ὁδὸν πρόσφατον καὶ ζῶσαν. Ἔδειξέ σοι πανταχοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν τοῦ μυστη ρίου τῶν χριστιανῶν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν οὐ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν φυγεῖν, οὐκ αὐτὸν τὸν διάβολον, οὐκ εἰς τὴν εἴσοδον τῶν ἁγίων εἰσελθεῖν, ἣν ἀνεκαίνισεν ἡμῖν ὁδὸν πρόσφατον καὶ ζῶσαν, τοῦ γνωρισθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως μὴ ἐπιφερόμενον τὴν σφραγίδα. Εἰ γὰρ στρατιῶται ἐν πολέμοις ἀγωνιζόμενοι καὶ περὶ αὐτῆς σωτηρίας ἀγωνιῶντες τὸ σύμβολον φυλάσσουσι καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὴν εὔνοιαν τὴν εἰς τὸν βασιλέα ἐνδείκνυνται τοῦτο λογιζόμενοι ὅτι ἐὰν τοῦτο ἀπολέσω σιν, οὐκέτι δυνήσονται τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ βασιλέως θεάσασθαι, τί ποιήσουσιν αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἄψυχον σημεῖον ἀπολέσαντες, ἀλλ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀποσυληθέντες; Ἀλλ' ἐάν τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσῃ, παντὸς ἀνθρώπου πλανηθέν τος ἐλεεινότεροί εἰσι καὶ πολλῶν θρήνων ἄξιοι οἱ ἐν ταῖς αἱρέσεσι ταύταις πλανηθέντες. Τοσοῦτον γὰρ κατίσχυσεν αὐτῶν ὁ πονη ρὸς καὶ ἐσκότισε τὴν ἀσύνετον αὐτῶν καρδίαν, ὡς μὴ ἐπιγινώ σκειν αὐτοὺς ὃ πεπόνθασι. ∆έον γὰρ αὐτοὺς στένειν καὶ δακρύειν τοσούτων καὶ τηλικούτων ἀγαθῶν καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ζωῆς στερηθέν τας. Τὸ ἐναντίον πεπόνθασι· δικαίους ἑαυτοὺς ὀνομάζουσι καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὑψηλοτέρους· τί δὲ λέγω τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἁγιωτέρους. Μόνον γὰρ ἂν δράξηταί τινος αὐτῶν ὁ διάβολος καὶ ἐκβάλῃ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς ὥρας ἐκείνης τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀδικίαν εἰς τὸ ὕψος ἀφειδῶς λαλοῦντα, μηκέτι γνωρίζοντα μήτε τὸν βαπτίσαντα ἱερέα, μήτε τὴν πνευματικὴν μητέρα, τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, τὴν γεννή σασαν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀναθρεψαμένην, μήτε θυσιαστήριον ἐξ οὗ ἀπὸ παιδίου ἐτρέφετο καὶ ἐποτίζετο, μήτε αὐτὰ τὰ προσφερόμενα ἅγια. Ἀλλ' εὐθὺς πρώτη προκοπὴ καὶ μέγα κατόρθωμα αὐτοῖς νομίζεται ἡ ἄρνησις καὶ ἡ βλασφημία ἡ κατὰ τῶν μυστηρίων· ἄρχεται γὰρ λέγειν ὁ τοιοῦτος, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ διάβολος ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ φθεγγόμενος· «Τί δέ ἐστιν ἐκκλησία; Τί δέ ἐστι βάπτισμα; Ἐκεῖνο δὲ αἷμα Χριστοῦ ἐστι; μὴ γένοιτο ἐκεῖνο εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸ στόμα μου «. Ἄθλιε! Εἰ πάσῃ φυλακῇ ἐτήρεις τὴν καρδίαν, εἰ ηὔχου ἐπιπόνως ἕως ἐσχάτης ἀναπνοῆς, παρέμενέ σοι τὸ φυλακτήριον. Εἰ μὴ ἔδωκας εἴσοδον τῷ διαβόλῳ εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου, οὐκ ἂν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐζωγρήθης εἰς τὸ ἐκείνου θέλημα. Εἰς ταύτην τὴν προκοπήν σε ἀνήγαγεν ἡ ἐγκράτεια καὶ ἡ ἀπόταξις, οὐδὲν ἄλλο τι ἐδίδαξεν ἢ τοῖς ἁγίοις μόνοις ἀποτάξασθαι. Τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀκάθαρτον καὶ σὺ καθαρός; Ἐγὼ περὶ ἄλλης ἀποταγῆς ἐνόμιζόν σε ἔχειν, περὶ ἧς εἶπεν ὁ κύριος ὅτι Εἴ τις οὐκ ἀποτάσσεται πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτῷ, οὐκ ἔστι μου μαθητής, καὶ Εἰ θέλεις τέλειος εἶναι, ὕπαγε πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ οὐ προσέθηκεν Εἴ τις οὐκ ἀποτάσσεται τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ μου ἢ τοῖς μυστηρίοις μου, οὐκ ἔστι μου μαθητής. ∆ῆλον γὰρ ὅτι ἐδίδαξεν ἡμᾶς διὰ τῆς ἐνσάρκου αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίας πρῶτον ἀποτάσσεσθαι τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ πάσῃ τῇ πλάνῃ αὐτοῦ, καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ συντάσσεσθαι διὰ τῆς ἐκκλησίας αὐτοῦ καὶ τῶν μυστηρίων. Τὴν πρώτην ἀποταγὴν ἀπετάξω ἢ τὴν δευτέραν; Ἡ πρώτη εἰδώλων ἐστὶν ἀποχή, ἡ δευτέρα χρημάτων ἐστὶ καταφρόνησις καὶ πάσης σαρκικῆς ἡδονῆς ὑπεροψία. Ἴδωμεν οὖν ποίαν λέγεις ἀπόταξιν τὴν τῶν χρημάτων. Καὶ τίς οὕτως δεδούλωται τῷ πάθει τῆς φιλαργυρίας ὡς οἱ αἱρετικοί; Οὐ μόνον γὰρ τὰ αὐτοῖς ἐμπίπτοντα χρήματα μετὰ ἀσφαλείας κατέχουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ὡς οἰκείων φρονισταὶ καὶ ταμεῖα γίνονται καὶ τόκους καὶ πλεονασμοὺς συνάγουσι καὶ ἄλλοις μὲν τὰ χρήματα προσπορίζουσι, αὐτοὶ δὲ τὰς ἀνομίας κερδαίνουσι, μόνον ἵνα τὸ πάθος τῆς πλεονεξίας αὐξήσωσιν. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἤκουσέ ποτε ὅτι αἱρετικὸς πάντα πωλήσας τὰ

The Loss of the Spiritual Garment§4

4He gave what was due to the poor and has become a doer of this commandment. Therefore, I will command only the saints; you have only been taught by your self-control and by your rejection of not knowing your priest who always nourishes you through the mystical and holy food, having made no great progress.

For if you call this progress, those driven mad also reach this point; for they, when they are seized by this passion, do not recognize those who begot them, they do not recognize a brother, they do not remember benefits, but even if someone wishes to help, he is perceived by them as an enemy and a foe, and when asked by their own people to state the cause of their grief, they say nothing coherent or relevant. It is therefore evident that those who depart from the church are also seized by the passion of madness, raging against everyone, withdrawing, calling the father who begot them an adulterer, and considering the mother a prostitute, not keeping the commandment of God which says, 'Let him who curses father or mother die a death' (Exodus 21:17).

But perhaps, making a pretext, he will say, 'I revile carnal parents.' You do not do even this well; for the law says this and our Lord Jesus Christ seals this; for being reproached by the Jews, when they called to him saying, 'Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders and eat with unwashed hands?' (Matthew 15:3), the Lord says to this: 'Why do you also transgress the commandment of God and your own tradition?' (Matthew 15:4). For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother' (Exodus 20:12), and 'let him who curses father or mother die a death' (Exodus 21:17). Do you see how He sealed the commandment, or rather the law of nature through His own word? And many things could be said about the honor and fear of parents, but both the old and new covenant testify sufficiently concerning this.

Let us see, however, if they honor even the spiritual parents. Who then is the spiritual father? Certainly, after God, the priest who baptized you; for it is written: 'In Christ Jesus through the gospel I have begotten you' (1 Corinthians 4:15), and 'Behold, I and the children which you, O God, have given me' (Psalm 127:3), and to those who have fallen, 'My children, for whom I labor again, until Christ is formed in you' (Galatians 4:19). Which also...

We stand and aim to become part of them; and the mother is certainly the church and the one who has nurtured you. So, if the heretic recognizes these, he knows the benefit from them, that through these he escaped the tyranny of the devil, and through these he was named a Christian? What do I say, 'Christian'? He clothed himself with Christ himself; for the scripture says: 'As many as were baptized into Christ, have clothed yourselves with Christ' (Gal 3:27), only if you have not again stripped yourself off by the serpent. What then is against these things? Do you recognize these, or have you denied even these? And what will you do? For if you have dishonored those who begat you according to the flesh, and have denied those who regenerated you through the bath of rebirth, from where will your life come?

But since you have truly departed to a far country and have consumed the part of the father's essence which was laid upon you, and you feed pigs, eating the bran and the chaff of the first mill; for there are not sheep there, for the good shepherd is one and his flock is one. And what is the essence which you have lost? It is manifest and also very clear: the faith and the gift which you received through baptism. For just as having been baptized into Christ you clothed yourself with Christ, so, having departed from the church, you have stripped yourself of Christ.

And so that you may not think the said thing to be a sophism, when that son turned back, the father commanded nothing else than that the first robe and the ring be given to him. Imitate this one, brother; arise from earthly thoughts just as he arose from the earth, having come into himself, just as he also said: 'How do the hired servants of my father abound in bread, but I perish here with hunger?' (Luke 15:17). I do not have bread capable of supporting the heart of a man, but only the food of pigs, the bran. And what are these, but rather the devilish writings, as we will show in another discourse?

Remember from where you fell, how you were led astray being deceived by the serpent promising great things, in order that he might deprive you of the good things present. For in the beginning, the Word taught, that he thus deceived the first human, that is, the woman, saying: 'You shall be as gods' (Gen 3:5). And he led you away with the same deceit through the name of self-control and of renunciation from the father's house to the far country, to which there were not sheep, but only pigs. And if you had guarded the...

Greek · §4

προσόντα αὐτῷ δέδωκε πτωχοῖς καὶ ποιητὴς τῆς ἐντολῆς ταύτης γέγονε. Μόνοις οὖν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀπετάξω, μόνον τοῦτο ἐδιδάχθης παρὰ τῆς σῆς ἐγκρατείας καὶ τῆς ἀποτάξεως τὸ μὴ γινώσκειν τὸν ἱερέα σου τὸν ἀεὶ τρέφοντά σε διὰ τῆς μυστικῆς καὶ ἁγίας τροφῆς, οὐδὲν μέγα προκόψας. Εἰ γὰρ ταύτην προκοπὴν λέγεις, εἰς ταύτην φθάνουσι καὶ οἱ μαινόμενοι· κἀκεῖνοι γάρ, ὅταν ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους τούτου κρατηθῶσιν, ἀγνοοῦσι τοὺς γεννήσαντας, οὐκ ἐπιγινώ σκουσιν ἀδελφόν, οὐ μέμνηνται εὐεργεσιῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐάν τις θέλῃ βοηθῆσαι, ὡς ἐχθρὸς καὶ πολέμιος ὑπολαμβάνεται παρ' αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐρωτώμενοι παρὰ τῶν ἰδίων τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς λύπης εἰπεῖν ἄναρθρα καὶ ἀνακόλουθα φθεγγόμενοι οὐδὲν ἔχουσι. ∆ῆλον οὖν ὅτι τῷ πάθει τῆς μανίας κατέχονται καὶ οἱ ἀποστάται τῆς ἐκκλη σίας ἐνυβρίζοντες πρὸς πάντας, ἀπεχόμενοι, τὸν πατέρα τὸν γεννήσαντα μοιχὸν ἀποκαλοῦντες, τὴν μητέρα πόρνην νομίζον τες, μὴ τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ φυλάττοντες τὴν λέγουσαν Ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα θανάτῳ τελευτάτω. Ἀλλ' ἴσως προφασιζόμενος ἐρεῖ· «Τοὺς σαρκικοὺς γονεῖς λοιδορῶ «. Οὐδὲ τοῦτο καλῶς ποιεῖς· ὁ νόμος γὰρ τοῦτο λέγει καὶ ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς τοῦτο ἐπισφραγίζεται· μεμφόμενος γὰρ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις λέγει, ὅτε ἐνεκάλουν αὐτῷ λέγοντες· ∆ιὰ τί οἱ μαθηταί σου παραβαίνουσι τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ ἀνίπτοις χερσὶν ἐσθίουσι, λέγει ὁ κύριος πρὸς τοῦτο· ∆ιὰ τί καὶ ὑμεῖς παραβαίνετε τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὴν παράδοσιν ὑμῶν; Ὁ γὰρ θεὸς εἶπε· τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα σου, καὶ ὁ κακολογῶν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα θανάτῳ τελευτάτω. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ἐσφράγισε τὴν ἐντολήν, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸν τῆς φύσεως νόμον διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου λόγου; Καὶ ἦν εἰπεῖν πολλὰ περὶ τιμῆς καὶ φόβου γονέων, ἀλλ' ἀρκεῖ περὶ τούτου μαρτυροῦσα ἥ τε παλαιὰ καὶ καινὴ διαθήκη. Ἴδωμεν δὲ εἰ κἂν τοὺς πνευματικοὺς γονέας τιμῶσι. Τίς οὖν ἐστιν ὁ πνευματικὸς πατήρ; Πάντως μετὰ τὸν θεὸν ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ βαπτίσας σε· γέγραπται γάρ· Ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα, καὶ Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἃ ἔδωκάς μοι σὺ ὁ θεός· καὶ πρὸς τοὺς καταπεσόντας Τεκνία μου, φησίν, οὓς πάλιν ὤδινον, ἄχρις οὗ μορφωθῇ Χριστὸς ἐν ὑμῖν. Ὃ καὶ εὐχόμεθα καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι· καὶ ἡ μήτηρ δὲ πάντως ἡ ἐκκλησία καὶ ἡ ἀναθρεψαμένη. Ἆρ' οὖν ὁ αἱρετικὸς γνωρίζει τούτους, γινώσκει τὴν ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὠφέλειαν, ὅτι διὰ τούτων ἔφυγε τὴν τυραννίδα τοῦ διαβόλου, δι' αὐτῶν χριστιανὸς ὠνομάσθη; Τί λέγω χριστιανός; Αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσατο· λέγει γὰρ ἡ γραφή· Ὅσοι εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε· μόνον εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄφεως πάλιν ἐξεδύθης. Τί οὖν πρὸς ταῦτα; Γνωρίζεις τούτους ἢ καὶ τούτους ἠρνήσω; Καὶ τί ποιήσεις; Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα γεννήσαντάς σε ἠτίμησας, τοὺς ἀναγεννήσαντάς σε διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας ἀπηρνήσω, πόθεν ἡ ζωή σου; Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ὄντως ἀπεδήμησας εἰς χώραν μακρὰν καὶ τὸ ἐπιβάλλον σοι τῆς πατρικῆς οὐσίας μέρος ἀνήλωσας, καὶ σιτίζῃ τὰ κεράτια καὶ τοῦ πρωτοπο λίτου βόσκεις τοὺς χοίρους. Πρόβατα γὰρ ἐκείνῳ οὐκ ἔστιν, εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς καὶ μία ἡ ποίμνη αὐτοῦ. Τί δέ ἐστιν καὶ ἡ οὐσία ἣν ἀπώλεσας; Φανερά ἐστι καὶ πάλιν ἔκδηλος· ἡ πίστις καὶ ἡ δωρεὰ ἣν διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἔλαβες. Ὡς γὰρ βαπτισθεὶς εἰς Χριστὸν Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσω, οὕτως ἀποδημήσας ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλη σίας Χριστὸν ἐξεδύσω. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς σόφισμα εἶναι τὸ λεγόμενον, ἐπαναστρέψαντος ἐκείνου τοῦ υἱοῦ ὁ πατὴρ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἐκέλευσεν ἢ τὴν πρώτην στολὴν καὶ τὸ δακτύλιον αὐτῷ δοθῆναι. Μίμησαι τοῦτον, ἀδελφέ· ἀνάστηθι ἀπὸ τῶν γηΐνων φρονημάτων ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἐλθέ, ὡς κἀκεῖνος εἰπὲ καὶ σύ· Πῶς οἱ μίσθιοι τοῦ πατρός μου περισσεύουσι ἄρτου, ἐγὼ δὲ λιμῷ ὧδε ἀπόλλυμαι; Οὐκ ἄρτον ἔχω δυνάμενον στηρίξαι καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἢ μόνον τὴν τῶν χοίρων τροφήν, τὰ κεράτια. Τί δέ ἐστι ταῦτα, ἀλλ' ἢ τὰ διαβολικὰ συγγράμματα, ὡς ἐν ἑτέρῳ λόγῳ δείξομεν; Ἐνθυμήθητι πόθεν ἐξέπεσας, πῶς ἀπεπλανήθης δελεασθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ ὄφεως τοῦ τὰ μεγάλα ἐπαγγελλομένου, ἵνα σε τῶν παρόντων καλῶν ἀποστερήσῃ. Ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἀρχῇ, ἐδίδαξεν ὁ λόγος, ὅτι τὸν πρῶτον ἄνθρωπον ἤτοι τὴν γυναῖκα οὕτως ἠπάτησεν εἰπών· Ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοί. Καὶ σὲ δὲ τῷ αὐτῷ δόλῳ διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τῆς ἐγκρατείας καὶ τῆς ἀποτάξεως ἀπήγαγε τῆς πα τρικῆς οἰκίας πρὸς τὴν χώραν τὴν μακράν, εἰς ἣν οὐκ ἦν πρόβατα, ἀλλ' ἢ μόνον χοῖροι. Καὶ εἰ ἐφύλασσες τὴν

The Foundation of Faith vs. False Asceticism§5

5A lordly commandment tells you: I will place enmity between you and the serpent, so that you would not hear his counsel. But God is a lover of mankind, and He does not know how to hold a grudge; only if you turn back, He is ready, because of His own goodness, to meet you just as He did with that one. He knows that you have died in so much time without tasting bread; having embraced you, He will kiss your neck, which the devil had hardened, and He will feed you again through the well-fed calf, the mysteries of Christ.

And there will be great joy also upon you, and the father will say: It is necessary to rejoice and be glad, because my son was dead and lived again, and was lost and was found (Luke 15:24). And you will find all of us rejoicing with the father and being glad together at your salvation; for among us not even one is envious. If you listen to our counsel, you will find these things happening from the common father concerning you and from the brother; if because of women, those deceived with you will begin to present pretexts in sins: 'Shall I return to the church after so much time? I will listen to the women living with me, the dividers.'

For this has been spoken much by them, and this is the most bitter craft of the devil, that he not only trips up man at the beginning, but also after the fall does not permit this one to turn back to God and be healed. What is a division? And what is a transgression? Tell me. In any case, division is when someone abandons the faith and the mysteries handed down with it in the church of God and moves into unbelief.

These things you ought to have said in the beginning, when you were in the father's house, when the devil and his workers were persuading you to depart from the paternal wealth of true life; then you ought to have said: 'I do not become a divider, I do not become a transgressor, no one shall separate me from the love of Christ (Romans 8:35); He Himself endured so much through me for nothing...'

He was placed so that he might redeem the one he fashioned with his own blood from sin. And how could I escape from the church, having denied the honor cast upon me? And he continued, persuading you through the kind promise and the venerable names—as is the custom of him and his workers—to depart from the faith, rushing toward a semblance of self-control and the renunciation of something or another venerable name.

It was necessary for you then to say: 'It is permitted for me, being a Christian and remaining in the church and guarding the mysteries, to renounce possessions, to renounce wickedness, to renounce the whole world, that is, worldly cares; and if it is necessary, also to exercise self-control over filth and all fleshly pleasure; and lest I say anything incorrect, and even if it is necessary to guard virginity and purity, it is permitted for me, being a Christian and guarding the faith, to build up all these things. For if I remove the foundation of the faith, which is Jesus (1 Cor 3:11), where shall I build the citizenship? For these things I hear every day being proclaimed in the church of Christ by the fathers who also enlightened me; but to you I will say: Depart from me, all you who work lawlessness (Matt 16:23); if anyone evangelizes to you something other than what you received (Gal 1:8), let him be accursed. Whenever you fell, whenever you awoke, you would not have been led astray by the teacher of heresies, you would not have truly become a destroyer; for no one, even upon your returning to the church, would compel you to eat and drink fleshly food, nor even to marry or to be unmarried, but perhaps not to eat bread or something that torments the body. Only do not deprive yourself of the body and blood of Christ, nor loathe the creatures of God. That these heresies come from Simon the Magician: every man has the power to abstain from the evil and to approach the good, and to receive from the good such power and grace as he himself wills; for example...'

Greek · §5

δεσποτικὴν ἐντολὴν τὴν λέγουσάν σοι· Ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σου καὶ τοῦ ὄφεως, οὐκ ἂν ἤκουσας τῆς συμβουλῆς ἐκείνου. Πλὴν φιλάνθρωπος ὁ θεός, οὐκ οἶδε μνησικακῆσαι· μόνον ἐὰν ὑποστρέψῃς, ἕτοιμός ἐστι διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν αὐτοῦ ἀγαθότητα καὶ σοὶ ὑπαντῆσαι ὡς κἀκείνῳ. Οἶδεν ὅτι νενέκρωσαι ἐν τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ ἄρτου μὴ γευσάμενος· περιπτυξάμενός σε φιλήσει τὸν αὐχένα σου, ὃν ἐσκλήρυνεν ὁ διάβολος, καὶ σιτίσει σε πάλιν διὰ τοῦ μόσχου τοῦ σιτευτοῦ, τῶν μυστηρίων τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἔσται δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ σοὶ χαρὰ μεγάλη καὶ ἐρεῖ ὁ πατήρ· Χαρῆναι δεῖ καὶ εὐφρανθῆναι, ὅτι ὁ υἱός μου νεκρὸς ἦν καὶ ἀνέζησε, καὶ ἀπολωλὼς καὶ εὑρέθη. Εὑρήσεις δὲ καὶ πάντας ἡμᾶς συγχαρέντας τῷ πατρὶ καὶ συνευφραινομένους ἐπὶ τῇ σῇ σωτηρίᾳ· παρ' ἡμῖν γὰρ φθόνος οὐδὲ εἷς. Ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς τῆς συμβουλῆς ἡμῶν, ταῦτα εὑρήσεις παρά τε τοῦ κοινοῦ πατρὸς περὶ σὲ καὶ παρὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ γινόμενα· ἐὰν ἄρξῃ διὰ τὰ γυναικά ρια τὰ σὺν σοὶ ἀπατηθέντα προφασίζεσθαι προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις· «∆ιὰ τοσούτου χρόνου ἐπανέλθω εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν; ἀκούσω παρὰ τῶν γυναικαρίων τῶν συζώντων μοι καταλύτης* «. Μετὰ πολλὰ γὰρ τοῦτο λέλεκται παρ' αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ πικροτέρα τέχνη τοῦ διαβόλου, ὅτι οὐ μόνον εἰς τὴν ἀρχὴν ὑποσκελίζει τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ τὴν πτῶσιν οὐ συγχω ρεῖ τοῦτον ἐπιστρέψαι πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ ἰαθῆναι. Τί ἐστι κατάλυ σις; Καὶ τί παράβασις; Εἰπέ μοι. Πάντως κατάλυσίς ἐστιν, ὅταν τις τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὰ παραδοθέντα αὐτῆς μυστήρια ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ καταλείψῃ καὶ εἰς ἀπιστίαν χωρήσῃ. Ταῦτα ἔδει σε ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ λέγειν, ὅτε ἦς ἐν τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς οἰκίᾳ, ὅτε ἔπειθέ σε ὁ διάβολος καὶ οἱ τούτου ἐργάται ἀποστῆναι τοῦ πατρικοῦ πλούτου τῆς ὄντως ζωῆς, τότε σε ἔδει λέγειν· «Οὐ γίνομαι καταλύτης, οὐ γίνομαι παραβάτης, οὐδείς με χωρίσει τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ· αὐτὸς δι' ἐμὲ τοσαῦτα ὑπέστη μηδενὶ ὑποκείμενος, ἵνα με τὸν πλασθέντα ἐξαγοράσῃ τῷ οἰκείῳ αἵματι ἀπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Καὶ πῶς ἐγὼ δραπετεύσω ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἀρνησάμενος τὴν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ καταβληθεῖσαν τιμήν «. Καὶ ἐπέμενε πείθων σε διὰ τῆς χρηστῆς ἐπαγγελίας καὶ τῶν σεμνῶν ὀνομάτων, ὡς ἔθος ἐκείνῳ καὶ τοῖς ἐργάταις αὐτοῦ, ἀποστῆσαι τῆς πίστεως σπεύδων ἐν προσχήματι ἐγκρατείας καὶ ἀποτάξεως ἤ τινος ἄλλου σεμνοῦ ὀνόματος. Ἔδει σε τότε λέγειν· «Ἔξεστί μοι χριστιανῷ ὄντι καὶ παραμένοντι τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ φυλάττοντι τὰ μυστήρια ἀποτάξα σθαι χρημάτων, ἀποτάξασθαι κακίας, ἀποτάξασθαι ὅλῳ τῷ κόσ μῳ, τουτέστι τῶν κοσμικῶν φροντίδων· εἰ δὲ δέοι, καὶ ἐγκρα τεύεσθαι βρωμάτων καὶ πάσης ἡδονῆς σαρκικῆς· καὶ ἵνα μὴ καθὲν λέγω, καὶ εἰ δεῖ παρθενίαν καὶ ἁγνείαν φυλάξαι, ἔξεστί μοι χριστιανῷ ὄντι καὶ φυλάσσοντί μοι τὴν πίστιν ἐποικοδομεῖν ταῦτα πάντα. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀφέλω τὸν θεμέλιον τῆς πίστεως, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς, ποῦ ἐποικοδομήσω τὸ πολίτευμα; Ταῦτα γὰρ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἀκούω ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρὰ τῶν πατέρων κηρυσσόμενα τῶν καὶ φωτισάντων με· πρὸς ὑμᾶς δὲ ἐρῶ· Ἀπόστητε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ πάντες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν· ἐάν τις ὑμῖν εὐαγγελίζηται παρ' ὃ παρελάβετε, ἀνάθεμα ἔστω «. Εἴποτε ἔνηψας, εἴποτε ἐγρηγόρησας, οὐκ ἂν ὑπεσύρης ὑπὸ τοῦ καθηγητοῦ τῶν αἱρέσεων, οὐκ ἂν ἐγεγόνεις ὄντως καταλύτης· οὐδὲ γάρ σε ἐπανελθόντα εἰς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀναγκάσει τις ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν τὴν σαρκικὴν τροφήν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ γαμεῖν ἢ ἐκγαμίζεσθαι, ἀλλ' εἰ δοκεῖ μήτε ἄρτον ἐσθίειν μήτε τι τῶν πιαινόντων τὸ σῶμα. Μόνον τοῦ σώματος καὶ αἵματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἑαυτὸν μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς μηδὲ τὰ κτίσματα τοῦ θεοῦ βδελύξῃ. Ὅτι ἀπὸ Σίμωνος τοῦ μάγου αὗται αἱ αἱρέσεισ Ἕκαστος τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ἀποσχέσθαι μὲν τοῦ κακοῦ, προσελθεῖν δὲ τῷ ἀγαθῷ, καὶ τοσαύτην δέξασθαι ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ δύναμιν καὶ χάριν ὅσην αὐτὸς βούλεται· οἷον

The Fall of Simon Magus§6

6For when the vessel is found, so is the grace given to the one asking, just as the scripture says concerning spiritual and holy ones that the spiritual one examines all things, himself being examined by no one (1 Cor 2:15). And this is indeed great, that he received such authority from God to examine all things, himself being examined by no one; but having already become higher than all human nature and having received from God the right to judge even before the resurrection. And that thing even more astonishes those who hear, that there is progress and a measure for this; for, so to speak, the scripture says: The one clinging to the Lord is one spirit, and it did not say: he is spiritual or he is holy. But it reveals that he is one spirit, as such a one was examined by divinity; he became one with God, and can no longer be separated.

By the same word, the unbeliever and the fleshly one, according to their own measure, insofar as they give themselves over to fleshly pleasures and to unbelief, finds lawlessness increasing within himself. And it is possible to find even this in the scripture; to the fleshly ones it says: I was not able to speak to you as to spiritual, but as to fleshly (1 Cor 3:1). But those having fallen into the most extreme wickedness, he calls not fleshly, as they no longer have a beginning even if the Holy Spirit should happen to be in them; for he says thus concerning the creation: My Spirit shall by no means remain in these men because they are flesh (Rom 8:9). And it was necessary to set forth more witnesses from the scriptures concerning this, but we deemed it sufficient since the two characters of the believer and the unbeliever are manifest.

For you will find in the first measure of piety the holy prophets and apostles and martyrs and many children of the Christ's church having fallen short; and in the second character, you will find many others in the scriptures working lawlessness and being children of the devil and being named with many various names; and one of them is Simon, the leader of these heresies, whom we will show having received all the devil's wickedness into his own heart. For this one, having approached Philip the apostle, preaching something in Samaria (Acts 8:13), and having been instructed by him in the word of truth and having renounced the devil and having ordered himself to God, is made worthy even of baptism, who also was remaining with the apostle, observing the signs and

He was resisting the powers being accomplished through him; for he did not merely hear the proclamation, but the scripture shows him remaining even for a time, so that he was fully convinced by sight and hearing. And these things the philanthropy of God was working, so that he might be won over; and if he had wished, he would have attained this, but instead he thinks the opposite.

For after the holy Philip had declared to the co-apostles in Jerusalem that Samaria had received the word of God and that a time had come for them to be given a priest, and after the holy Peter and John had come down from Jerusalem and were performing the laying on of hands, those of this grace were receiving the Holy Spirit according to what they were worthy. And Simon, seeing that through the laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Spirit is given, having been diseased by a love of rule, offers gifts to the apostles, saying: 'Give also to me this authority, so that whoever I lay my hands upon may receive the Holy Spirit.'

But Peter said to him: 'May your silver be with you for destruction (Acts 8:20), because you thought to acquire the gift of God through money and the following things.' This is Simon, who before having renounced the devil and his angels and all his works; this is the one who, having been received by the apostle Philip, received baptism (Acts 8:13); but he was praiseworthy until this, and after these things, wretched. For having missed the goal and such grace and the laying on of hands, having been judged unworthy, he begins to fight against the apostles, no longer knowing the workers, no longer knowing the one who begat, forgetting all things together; the one who a little while ago was a disciple and now is an enemy.

What have you suffered, man? Who has thus made you a brute? Who has led you into this destruction? What did you give yourself over entirely to the evil one, so that your whole heart became hardened and you no longer receive the exhortation of the apostles, but think yourself to be more righteous than the apostles? And he does not cease fighting against the apostles until death, and he did not hesitate to travel from Samaria even to Rome to work there with the devil and to fight against Christ. We have shown through these things the leader of the heresies; and these things have been sufficient to convince the deceived as to who are disciples, who are zealots, whom they pursue in their work, and for whose sake they fight. But

Greek · §6

γὰρ ἂν εὑρεθῇ τὸ σκεῦος, τοιαύτη δίδοται καὶ ἡ χάρις τῷ αἰτήσαντι, καθὼς ἡ γραφὴ λέγει περὶ πνευματικῶν καὶ ἁγίων ὅτι Ὁ πνευματικὸς ἀνακρίνει πάντα, αὐτὸς ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἀνακρινόμενος. Καὶ τοῦτο μὲν μέγα, ὅτι τοσαύτην αὐθεντίαν ἔλαβεν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ πάντα ἀνακρίνειν, ὑπ' οὐδενὸς αὐτὸς ἀνακρινόμενος· ἀλλ' ἤδη ὑψηλότερος γενόμενος πάσης τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀναστά σεως τὸ κρίνειν λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ. Ἐκεῖνο δὲ πλέον ξενίζει τοὺς ἀκούοντας, ὅτι ἔστι προκοπὴ καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦτο τὸ μέτρον· τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν Ὁ κολλώμενος τῷ κυρίῳ ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστι καὶ οὐκ εἶπε· πνευματικός ἐστιν ἢ ἅγιός ἐστιν. ἀλλ' ἓν πνεῦμά ἐστι δηλοῖ, ὡς ὁ τοιοῦτος ἀνεκράθη τῇ θεότητι· ἓν ἐγένετο μετὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, χω ρισθῆναι οὐκέτι δύναται. Τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ καὶ ὁ ἄπιστος καὶ ὁ σαρκικὸς εἰς τὸ μέτρον τὸ ἴδιον ὅσον ἐκδίδωσιν ἑαυτὸν ταῖς σαρκικαῖς ἡδοναῖς καὶ τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ, τοσοῦτον εὑρίσκει ἐν ἑαυτῷ πληθυνομένην τὴν ἀνομίαν. Καὶ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν καὶ τοῦτο ἐν τῇ γραφῇ· τοῖς μὲν σαρκικοῖς λέγει· Οὐκ ἠδυνήθην ὑμῖν λαλῆσαι ὡς πνευματικοῖς, ἀλλ' ὡς σαρκικοῖς. Τοὺς δὲ εἰς ἐσχάτην κακίαν καταπεσόντας [οὐ] σαρκικοὺς καλεῖ ὡς μηκέτι ἔχειν ἀρχὴν κἂν τὴν τυχοῦσαν εἰς αὐτοὺς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· λέγει γὰρ οὕτως ἐν τῇ κτίσει· Οὐ μὴ καταμείνῃ τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτοὺς σάρκας. Καὶ ἔδει περὶ τούτου παραθεῖναι πλείονας μαρτυρίας τῶν γραφῶν, ἀλλὰ περισσὸν ἡγησάμεθα φανερῶν ὄντων τῶν δύο προσώπων τοῦ πιστοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀπίστου. Εὑρήσεις γὰρ εἰς τὸ πρῶτον μέτρον τῆς εὐσεβείας φθάσαντας τοὺς ἁγίους προφήτας καὶ ἀποστόλους καὶ μάρτυρας καὶ πολλὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὸ δεύτερον πρόσωπον πολλοὺς μὲν ἄλλους ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς εὑρήσεις ἐργάτας τῆς ἀνομίας καὶ τέκνα διαβόλου καὶ πολλοῖς καὶ διαφόροις ὀνόμασιν ὠνομασμέ νους· εἷς δέ ἐστιν ἐξ αὐτῶν ὁ Σίμων, ὁ ἔξαρχος τούτων τῶν αἱρέσεων, ὃν δείξομεν πᾶσαν τοῦ διαβόλου τὴν κακίαν εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καρδίαν δεξάμενον. Οὗτος γὰρ προσελθὼν φιλίππῳ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ, κηρύσσον τι ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ, καὶ κατηχηθεὶς παρ' αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ἀποταξάμενος τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ ταξάμενος τῷ θεῷ καταξιοῦται καὶ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ὃς καὶ ἦν παραμένων τῷ ἀποστόλῳ θεωρῶν τε τὰ σημεῖα καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις τὰς δι' αὐτοῦ ἐπιτελουμένας ἐξίστατο· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ἐπήκουσε τοῦ κηρύγματος, ἀλλὰ καὶ μέχρι χρόνου δηλοῖ αὐτὸν ἡ γραφὴ παραμείναντα, ὥστε καὶ ὀφθαλμῷ καὶ ἀκοῇ αὐτὸν πληροφορηθῆναι. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἡ φιλανθρωπία τοῦ θεοῦ εἰργάζετο, ἵνα αὐτὸν κερδήσῃ· καὶ εἰ ἠθέλησεν, ἔτυχεν ἂν τούτου, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ τούτου τὰ ἐναντία φρονεῖ. ∆ηλώσαντος γὰρ τοῦ ἁγίου Φιλίππου τοῖς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις συναποστόλοις, ὅτι δέδεκται ἡ Σαμάρεια τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ὅτι καιρός ἐστι δοθῆναι αὐτοῖς καὶ ἱερέας, κατελθόντων δὲ τοῦ ἁγίου Πέτρου καὶ Ἰωάννου ἀπὸ Ἱεροσολύμων καὶ ποιούντων τὰς χειροθεσίας, ἐλάμβανον πνεῦμα ἅγιον οἱ τῆς χάριτος ταύτης κατ αξιούμενοι. Θεασάμενος δὲ ὁ Σίμων ὅτι διὰ τῆς ἐπιθέσεως τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀποστόλων δίδοται τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, φιλαρχίαν νοσήσας προσφέρει δῶρα τοῖς ἀποστόλοις λέγων· ∆ότε κἀμοὶ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταύτην, ἵνα ᾧ ἐπιθῶ τὰς χεῖρας λαμβάνῃ πνεῦμα ἅγιον. Πέτρος δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν εἶπε· Τὸ ἀργύριόν σου σὺν σοὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ὅτι τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνόμισας διὰ χρημάτων κτᾶσθαι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οὗτός ἐστι Σίμων ὁ πρὸ τοῦ ἀποταξάμενος τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου Φιλίππου ὑποδεξάμενος τὸ βάπτισμα· ἀλλ' ἐπαινετὸς μέχρι τούτου, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα ἐλεεινός. Ἀστοχήσας γὰρ τοῦ σκοποῦ καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης χάριτος καὶ τῆς χειροτονίας ἀνάξιος κριθείς, ἄρχεται πολεμεῖν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις μηκέτι γνω ρίζων τοὺς ἐργάτας, μηκέτι γνωρίζων τὸν γεννήσαντα, πάντων ὁμοῦ ἐπιλαθόμενος· ὁ πρὸ μικροῦ μαθητὴς καὶ νῦν πολέμιος. Τί ἔπαθες, ἄνθρωπε; Τίς σε οὕτως ἀπεθηρίωσε; Τίς σε εἰς αὐτὴν τὴν λύσσαν ἀνήνεγκε; Τί ἐξέδωκας σεαυτὸν παντελῶς τῷ πονηρῷ, ὥστε πηρωθῆναι πᾶσαν τὴν καρδίαν σου καὶ μηκέτι δέχεσθαι τὴν τῶν ἀποστόλων παραίνεσιν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν εἶναι δικαιότε ρον τῶν ἀποστόλων νομίζειν; Καὶ οὐ παύεται μέχρι θανάτου πο λεμῶν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις, καὶ οὐκ ὤκνησεν ἀπὸ Σαμαρείας μέχρι Ῥώμης διαβῆναι κἀκεῖ συνεργῆσαι τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ πολεμῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ. Ἐδείξαμεν διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῶν αἱρέσεων· καὶ ἤρκει διὰ τούτων πεῖσαι τοὺς ἀπατωμένους τίνος εἰσὶ μαθηταί, τίνος εἰσὶ ζηλωταί, τίνος τὸ ἔργον μεταδιώκουσι, τίνος ἕνεκεν τῷ Χριστῷ μάχονται. Ἀλλ'

The Deception of False Separation§7

7In order that we may more effectively shame them, we will convince them that they hold the teaching of that man even until today; and having taken this from them, we will refute them by their own proofs. Just as the catholic and apostolic church preserves the genealogy of Christ, so also the heresies preserve the succession of Simon.

It is written in a book kept by them, which they call the Acts of Peter, that a certain Gemellus became a genuine disciple of Simon; he himself remained with him even until the last hour and death. And the name of this man still clings to the heresy of the false apostates, for they are called Gemellians.

This Gemellus, after the fall of Simon and his bitter death—for the death of sinners is evil, not finding a place to overthrow anyone or to deceive in Rome, as the letter testifies, for there is no such heresy in it—seizes these parts and, finding the people simple, easy, and infinite for error, begins to teach and to ordain and to do all evil with the mysteries of Christians, and calls himself an apostate. And he himself was a leader of the sect, having inherited the heresy from Simon, having neither received baptism from anyone nor being called a Christian at all, but having only been a disciple to Simon and having benefited from him. This is how the sect had its beginning.

And as time passed and some were deceived because the leaders of the churches of Christ were being driven away by those then persecuting the church, and being a single sect, they seemed to act in secret, the devil, their teacher, once held them in his grasp and made them subjects to all things, divides them into two thus: having found some among them carrying baskets, he separated them from those carrying linen garments, as if from the impious. But even until this, he was not filled with the pertaining to...

The devil deceives by means of a false separation; for he again divides those who have embraced a false separation. Until now, there was a pretext for the devil, through which he was making a division among them; for the division among them occurred by means of tetrapods or sacks. But now there is no pretext for division, for all are equal; for all bear not the name of Christ, but of Simon and Gemellus, and those are Apostates, and all are successors of Simon and Gemellus.

And what is the division? And what is the cause? Say it, so that we may know; you have separated yourselves from Christ and from all His mystery, and subsequently you no longer find anyone from whom you might separate yourselves. Once having been deprived of all good things by one another, they separate; for loathing one another and separating from one another as if they were separating from enemies, which they also call 'separation'.

Let us also see the other form which these have cast aside as useless. What kind of name will they innovate for themselves, having been cast out by such a separation? Yet nevertheless, they find a good name for themselves; for they call themselves 'Temperate' because they align themselves with those. For having been separated from one another, they possess unceasing war against them, so that we may see their self-control and from whom they exercise self-control.

To promise self-control or separation by word is nothing wonderful and no great labor; but not only word is sought, but also the deed. For the Lord says in the Gospels: 'Why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?' (Luke 6:46), and the prophet Isaiah: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me' (Isaiah 29:13); so they honor me in vain, and the following. For the Lord, having enclosed all the power of the Scripture of the Old and New Covenants into two commandments, says: 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself' (Matthew 22:37-39).

Do these people keep these commandments? But certainly no sensible person will believe the promises, unless he learns from you the fruits of the earth. For you are ready to promise great things and through these to deceive the unprincipled. And above this, we have shown that Simon himself, having apostatized from the apostles, was saying...

Greek · §7

ἵνα πλέον αὐτοὺς ἐντρέψωμεν, πείσομεν αὐτοὺς ὅτι μέχρι καὶ σήμερον τὴν διδαχὴν ἐκείνου κατέχουσι· καὶ τοῦτο ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἐκείνων λαβόντες τὴν ἀπόδειξιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἰδίων ἐλέγχων αὐτοὺς ἐλέγξομεν. Ὡς γὰρ ἐκκλησία ἡ καθολικὴ καὶ ἀποστολικὴ σῴζει τὴν γενεαλογίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὕτως καὶ αἱ αἱρέσεις φυλάσσουσι τὴν διαδοχὴν τοῦ Σίμωνος. Γέγραπται ἐν βιβλίῳ παρ' αὐτοῖς φυλασ σομένῳ ὃ λέγουσι Πέτρου Πράξεις, ὅτι Γέμελλός τις γνήσιος μαθητὴς γέγονε τοῦ Σίμωνος· αὐτὸς ἕως τῆς τελευταίας αἰ σχύνης καὶ τοῦ θανάτου αὐτῷ παραμείνας. Καὶ τούτου τὸ ὄνομα μέχρι τοῦ νῦν ἐπίκειται τῇ αἱρέσει τῶν ψευδοἀποτακτιτῶν, Γεμελλῖται γὰρ ἐπονομάζονται. Οὗτος ὁ Γέμελλος μετὰ τὴν πτῶ σιν τοῦ Σίμωνος καὶ τὸν πικρὸν θάνατον–θάνατος γὰρ ἁμαρτωλῶν πονηρός μὴ εὑρὼν τόπον τοῦ καταβλάψαι τινὰ ἢ ἀπατῆσαι ἐν τῇ Ῥώμῃ, ὡς τὸ γράμμα μαρτυρεῖ, οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστι τοιαύτη αἵρεσις ἐν αὐτῇ–καταλαμβάνει τὰ μέρη ταῦτα καὶ εὑρὼν ἀφελὲς καὶ εὔκολον τὸ ἔθνος καὶ ἄπειρον τῆς πλάνης ἄρχεται τοῦ διδάσκειν καὶ χειροτονεῖν καὶ πάντα κακουργεῖν τὰ μυστήρια τῶν χριστιανῶν καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἀποτακτίτην ὀνομάζει. Καὶ ἦν αἱρεσιάρχης αὐτὸς διαδεξάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ Σίμωνος τὴν αἵρεσιν, μήτε βάπτισμα λαβὼν παρά τινος, μήτε ὅλως χριστιανὸς ὀνομασθείς, ἢ μόνῳ Σίμωνι μαθητευθεὶς καὶ τὰ ἐκείνου ὠφελημένος. Ταύτην τὴν ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν ἡ αἵρεσις. Χρόνου δὲ προϊόντος καί τινων ἀπατηθέντων διὰ τὸ τοὺς προεστῶτας τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν τοῦ Χρισ τοῦ ἐλαύνεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν τότε διωκόντων τὴν ἐκκλησίαν, μία δὲ αἵρεσις ὄντες ἐδόκουν λανθάνει καὶ πάλιν ὁ καθηγητὴς αὐτῶν διάβολος ἔχων αὐτοὺς ἅπαξ ὑποχειρίους καὶ εἰς πάντα ὑπηκόους, μερίζει αὐτοὺς εἰς δύο οὕτως· εὑρεθέντες τινὲς εἰς αὐτοὺς ζῷα ἔχοντες ὑπὸ τῶν μὴ ἐχόντων ἐβδελύχθησαν προώ σαντες γὰρ τούτους οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ὡς ἀκαθάρτους καὶ ἀνοσίους τῆς τοιαύτης ἀποτάξεως, αὐτοὶ μόνοι τὴν προσηγορίαν τοῦ ἀρχηγοῦ αὐτῶν τῆς ἀπωλείας τοῦ Γεμέλλου ἐκληρονόμησαν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὺς πάλιν κατατέμνει ὁ διάβολος· ἅπαξ γὰρ κρατήσας αὐτῶν ἀντὶ παιγνίου αὐτοῖς κέχρηται. Εὑρὼν γάρ τινας εἰς αὐτοὺς σάκκινα φοροῦντας ἐχώρισεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν φο ρούντων τὰ ἔρινα ἱμάτια, ὡς ἀπὸ ἀσεβῶν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ μέχρι τούτου ἐνεπλήσθη τῆς κατ' αὐτῶν ἀπάτης ὁ διάβολος· πάλιν γὰρ κατα σχίζει τοὺς τὴν ψευδώνυμον ἀπόταξιν περιβεβλημένους. Καὶ μέχρι μὲν τούτου ἦν τις καὶ πρόφασις τῷ διαβόλῳ, δι' ἧς τὸν χωρισμὸν αὐτοῖς ἐποίει· προφάσει γὰρ τετραπόδων ἢ σακκίου ὁ χωρισμὸς ἐγίνετο εἰς αὐτούς. Νυνὶ δὲ πρόφασις οὐδεμία τοῦ χωρισμοῦ, πάντες γὰρ ἴσοι· πάντες γὰρ οὐ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀλλὰ Σίμωνος καὶ Γεμέλλου φέροντες, κἀκεῖνοι Ἀποτακτῖται, καὶ Σίμωνος καὶ Γεμέλλου πάντες διάδοχοι. Καὶ τίς ὁ χωρισμός; Καὶ τίς ἡ αἰτία; Εἴπατε, ἵνα γνῶμεν· ἀπετάξασθε τῷ Χριστῷ καὶ παντὶ τῷ μυστηρίῳ αὐτοῦ, ἔπειτα καὶ ἀλλήλοις μηκέτι εὑρίσκοντες τίνι ἀποτάξασθαι. Ἅπαξ πάντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑστερηθέντες ἀλλήλοις ἀποτάσσονται· ἀλλήλους γὰρ βδελυσσόμενοι καὶ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων χωριζόμενοι ὡς ἀπὸ πολεμίων νομίζουσι χωρίζεσθαι, ὅπερ καὶ ἀπόταξιν ὀνομάζουσιν. Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἄλλο σχῆμα ὃ οὗτοι ὡς ἄχρηστον ἀπερ ρίψαντο. Ποῖον ὄνομα αὐτοῖς καινοτομήσουσι τῆς τοιαύτης ἀποτάξεως ἐκβεβλημένοι; Ἀλλ' ὅμως κἀκεῖνοι εὑρίσκουσιν εὐ κόλως ἑαυτοῖς ὄνομα· Ἐγκρατίτας γὰρ ἑαυτοὺς ὀνομάζοντες ὅτι παρατάσσονται ἐκείνοις. Χωρισθέντες γὰρ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων πόλεμον ἀδιάλλακτον κατ' ἐκείνων ἔχουσιν, ὅπως ἴδωμεν τὴν τούτων ἐγκράτειαν καὶ τίνων ἐγκρατεύονται· λόγου δὲ ἐπαγγεί λασθαι ἐγκράτειαν ἢ ἀπόταξιν οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν οὐδὲ καμάτου πρόξενον· ἀλλ' οὐ ζητεῖται λόγος μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἔργον, Λέγει γὰρ ὁ κύριος ἐν εὐαγγελίοις· Τί δέ με καλεῖτε· κύριε, κύριε· καὶ οὐ ποιεῖτε ἃ λέγω· καὶ Ἠσαΐας ὁ προφήτης· Οὗτος ὁ λαὸς τοῖς χείλεσί με τιμᾷ, τῇ δὲ καρδίᾳ πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τοῦ γὰρ κυρίου πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τῆς γραφῆς τῆς παλαιᾶς καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης εἰς δύο ἐντολὰς συγ κλείσαντος ἐν τῷ· Ἀγαπήσεις κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς ἰσχύος σου καὶ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς διανοίας σου, καὶ τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς ἑαυτόν. Ἆρα φυλάσσουσιν οὗτοι τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας; Ἀλλὰ πάντως οὐδεὶς πιστεύσει τῶν συνετῶν ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις, ἐὰν μὴ καταμάθῃ ἐν σοὶ τοὺς καρποὺς τῆς γῆς. Ἕτοιμος γὰρ σὺ δὴ μεγάλα ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι καὶ διὰ τούτων ἀπατᾶν τοὺς ἀστηρίκτους. Καὶ ἄνω δὲ τοῦτο ἐδείξαμεν ὅτι αὐτὸς ὁ Σίμων ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἀποστατήσας ἔλεγεν

The Deception of the Presumptuous§8

8He found for himself a name capable of stunning the simpletons, using the power of God. His disciple Gemellus, having preached a renunciation, caused an apostasy.

Perhaps you, following your teachers, promise these things in word while being sufficient in works; for you say, 'I love God, I love my neighbor, and I am self-controlled.' First, if you had desired to be self-controlled, you would have done as you wished; for by this you would have benefited both yourself and your neighbor; for we find in the Scriptures that the righteous were granted to sinners, and the sinners were simultaneously condemned as righteous. There is much to be said about these things, but let us grasp what is at hand.

Whom do you call neighbor? The one you love? Certainly, according to the word of the Lord, every man is your neighbor; for this the Gospel declares. If then you loved your neighbor, you would not have escaped the church by abandoning everyone at once, imitating the Pharisee and suffering from his blindness, condemning everyone with your own word and regarding only yourself as righteous.

For he, having ascended into the temple, prayed thus: 'I thank you, God, that I am not like the rest of men, robbers, unjust, adulterers, or like this tax collector; I fast twice a week, I tithe all that I possess' (Luke 18:11-12). He did not lie about these things, but even if it seemed to him to speak truths, he is condemned; not because he believed or tithed what was his, but because he condemned all humanity with his own word.

But the tax collector, the sinner, beating his breast, the fountain of thoughts, not counting the entitlements of the belly like the Pharisee, nor even daring to lift his eyes to heaven, said: 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner' (Luke 18:13). To this the Lord said: 'Amen I say to you, that the tax collector descended justified rather than that Pharisee' (Luke 18:14). And so that no one might think these things were said to him regarding the two persons, he added, saying: 'For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted' (Luke 14:11).

Do you see how the confession of sins justified the tax collector, and how the counting of entitlements condemned the Pharisee? Moreover, if anyone examines strictly, even that Pharisee was more impious if...

Thus those who have departed into the supposed self-control. For he indeed, even if he humbled men, yet he came to the temple and with all the people performed the worship to God; but these the devil has enticed to such an extent, that even the church of Christ itself was defiled.

And what will they answer on the day of judgment? For surely the Lord will say to them: 'I ate with tax collectors and sinners (Matt 9:10), and reclining with them I did not become a sinner, but you despised all my people as sinners. Perhaps none of you was in righteousness; you found no one equal to yourselves, you entered into the hearts of all, you read the thoughts of all. You know that God is a tester of hearts, not a weigher of bellies (1 Sam 16:7); and even if you condemned my people as sinners, you did not store up the judgment for me, but you yourselves were condemning all before the time. And of my church, what did you know? What sin will you accuse it of? And the altar, what injustice did it do to you? And this you left behind.'

But what will they do? For impiety has reached the judge; for they rose up not only against all the people, but also against the lordly creation; for they say that even that is a sinner. For as long as they had themselves, as long as they guarded the things given by the grace remaining in the church of Christ, the holy things were holy and he sanctified them through the participation. But when he turned away from them and raised up their heart, the holy things became unclean and their love became unclean; for this was the word: Love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:31). You did not judge your neighbor; this is your self-control, to say to the bitter demon: I call you more ungrateful to the church of Christ and to its holy mysteries, being crowded by certain evil spirits, and to those who are children of the church, having this gift, rebuking the demons. And if they see the unclean spirit hardening toward departure, they name nothing else but the holy and fearful name of Christ, and thus they drive out the bitter demon; demons hearing the name of Christ shiver and not...

Greek · §8

ἑαυτὸν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ θεοῦ. Βλέπε πῶς ἐν συντόμῳ εὗρεν ἑαυτῷ ὄνομα δυνάμενον καταπλῆξαι τοὺς νηπιάζοντας. Καὶ ὁ τούτου δὲ μαθητὴς Γέμελ λος ἀπόταξιν κηρύξας ἀποστασίαν ἐποίησεν. Ἴσως οὖν ἀκο λούθως καὶ αὐτὸς τοῖς διδασκάλοις σου ἑπόμενος ταῦτα ἐπαγγέλλεις λόγῳ τοῖς ἔργοις ἀρκούμενος· λέγεις γὰρ ὅτι· «Ἀγαπῶ τὸν θεόν, ἀγαπῶ καὶ τὸν πλησίον καί εἰμι ἐγκρατίτης «. Πρῶτον εἰ ἤθελες ἐγκρατεύεσθαι, οὗπερ ἂν ἐβούλου· τούτῳ γὰρ καὶ ἑαυτὸν ἦν ὠφελεῖν καὶ τὸν πλησίον· εὑρίσκομεν γὰρ ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς ὅτι δικαίοις ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἐχαρίσθησαν, ἁμαρτωλοῖς δὲ ὁμοῦ συγκατεκρίθησαν δίκαιοι. Καὶ ἦν εἰπεῖν πολλὰ περὶ τούτων, ἀλλὰ τοῦ προκειμένου ἁψώμεθα. Τίνα λέγεις τὸν πλησίον; Ὃν ἀγαπᾷς; Πάντως κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου πᾶς ἄνθρωπος πλησίον σού ἐστι· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον. Εἰ ἠγάπας οὖν τὸν πλησίον, οὐκ ἂν ἀπέφυγες τῆς ἐκκλησίας πάντας ὁμοῦ καταλιπών, μιμησάμενος τὸν φαρισαῖον καὶ τὸν ἐκείνου τῦφον νοσήσας, πάντας τῷ σῷ λόγῳ κατακρίνας καὶ μόνον ἑαυτὸν δίκαιον νομίσας. Καὶ ἐκεῖνος γὰρ ἀνελθὼν εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ταῦτα προσηύχετο· εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ὁ θεός, ὅτι οὐκ εἰμὶ ὡς οἱ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἅρπαγες, ἄδικοι, μοιχοὶ καὶ ὡς οὗτος τελώνης· νηστεύω δὶς τοῦ σαββάτου, ἀποδεκατῶ πάντα ὅσα κτῶμαι. Τούτων οὐδὲν ἐψεύσατο, ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ τὰ ἀληθῆ ἔδοξε λέγειν, καταδικάζεται· οὐχ ὅτι ἐνήστευσεν ἢ ἀπεδεκάτωσε τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτῷ, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα πᾶσαν τῷ ἰδίῳ λόγῳ κατέκρινεν. Ὁ δὲ τελώνης ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τύπτων τὸ στῆθος, τὴν πηγὴν τῶν λογισμῶν, οὐκ ἀπαριθμῶν τὰ δικαιώματα τῆς κοιλίας ὡς ὁ φαρισαῖος, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τολμῶν ἐπᾶραι εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν, ἔλεγεν· Ὁ θεός, ἱλάσθητί μοι τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ. Πρὸς ταῦτα ὁ κύριος· Ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι κατῆλθε δεδικαιωμένος ὁ τελώνης παρ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν φαρισαῖον. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃ τις περὶ τῶν δύο προσώπων ταῦτα αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι, ἐπήγαγεν εἰπών, ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ὑψῶν ἑαυτὸν ταπεινωθήσεται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται. Βλέπεις πῶς ἐδικαίωσε τὸν τελώνην ἡ ἐξομολόγησις τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, καὶ πῶς κατέκρινε τὸν φαρισαῖον ἡ ἀπαρίθμησις τῶν δικαιωμάτων; Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐάν τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσῃ, καὶ τοῦ φαρισαίου ἐκείνου ἀσεβέστεροί εἰσιν οἱ εἰς τὴν νομιζομένην ἐγκράτειαν χωρήσαντες. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ εἰ καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐξηυτέλιζεν, ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰς τὸ ἱερὸν ἤρχετο καὶ μετὰ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ τὰς λατρείας ἀπεδίδου τῷ θεῷ· τούτους δὲ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐφυσίωσεν ὁ διάβολος, ὡς καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατεπαρθῆναι. Καὶ τί ἀπολογήσονται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως; Πάντως γὰρ ἐρεῖ αὐτοῖς ὁ κύριος· «Ἐγὼ μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἤσθιον καὶ συνανακείμενος αὐτοῖς ἁμαρτωλὸς οὐκ ἐγενόμην, καὶ ὑμεῖς ἅπαντα τὸν λαόν μου ὡς ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἐβδελύξασθε. Οὐδεὶς ἴσως ὑμῶν ἦν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ· ἰσότιμον ἑαυτοῖς οὐδένα εὕρετε, πάντων ταῖς καρδίαις ἐνεβατεύσατε, πάντων τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἀνέγνωτε. Οἴδατε ὅτι ὁ θεὸς καρδίας ἐστὶ δοκιμαστής, οὐ κοιλίας ζυγοστάτης· ἔστω δὲ καὶ τὸν λαόν μου ὡς ἁμαρτωλὸν κατεδικάσατε οὔτε ἐμοὶ τὴν κρίσιν ταμιευσά μενοι, ἀλλὰ αὐτοὶ πρὸ καιροῦ πάντας κατακρίνοντες. Τῆς δὲ ἐκκλησίας μου τί κατέγνωτε; Ποίαν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῇ ἐγκαλέσετε; Τὸ δὲ θυσιαστήριον, τί ὑμᾶς ἠδίκησε; Καὶ τοῦτο κατελείψατε «. Ἀλλὰ τί ποιήσουσιν; Εἰς αὐτὸν γὰρ τὸν κριτὴν ἔφθασεν ἡ ἀσέβεια· οὐ μόνον γὰρ κατὰ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ ἐπήρθησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τοῦ δεσποτικοῦ κτίσματος· ἁμαρτωλὸν γὰρ κἀκεῖνο λέγουσιν. Ἕως μὲν γὰρ εἶχον ἑαυτούς, ἕως ἐφύλασσον τὸ ὑπὸ τῆς χάριτος τῆς παραμενούσης τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ δοθέν, τὰ ἅγια ἅγια ἦν καὶ αὐτοὺς δὲ ἡγίαζε διὰ τῆς μεταλήψεως. Ὅτε δὲ ἀπέσχισεν αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἐπήρωσε 1820 ς· αὐτὰ δὲ τὰ ἅγια ἀκάθαρτα 18-20 ἡ ἀγάπη αὐτῶν· τοῦτο γὰρ ἔλεγε 18-20 τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς ἑαυτόν. 18-20 ὁ λόγος· τὸν πλησίον σου οὐ 18–20 κατέκρινας· τοῦτο σού ἐστι τὸ 18-20 ἐστὶν ἡ ἐγκράτεια, κακῶς 18-20 δαιμόνων σε λέγω ἀγνωμονέστερον 12-14 ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις μυστηρίοις αὐτοῦ ὀχλουμένους τινὰς ὑπὸ πνευμάτων πονηρῶν καὶ τοὺς ὄντας τέκνα τῆς ἐκκλησίας, τοὺς ἔχοντας τοῦτο τὸ χάρισμα, τοῖς δαίμοσιν ἐπιτιμῶντας. Καὶ ἐπὰν ἴδωσι σκληρυνόμενον τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἀκάθαρτον πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον, οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἀλλ' ἢ τὸ ἅγιον καὶ φοβερὸν ὄνομα τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὀνομάσαντες οὕτως τὸν πικρὸν δαίμονα ἀπελαύνουσι· δαίμονες ἐπακούοντες τοῦ ὀνόμα τος τοῦ Χριστοῦ φρίττουσι καὶ μὴ

The False Piety of the Samaritan§9

9Bearing the terror of the mystery, they withdraw. And the heretics blaspheme this in various ways; but since no one has been found near them in the churches of the inhabited world even until now—neither a priest of God ministering with the sacrificial rite, nor one living ecclesiastically having renounced wealth and spending time in fasts and vigils, nor a virgin thinking with virginity guarding also the oil, which is the chrism of baptism—but they think those captured by them by the devil are near them.

Learn, even if they guard this, so that from the facts we may inform them, that the devil does not hold restraint, he does not guard nor spare his own disciples, but in many ways and many parts he divides them. For he does this only so that he may turn some away from the church of Christ; just as a wolf, having snatched sheep from the fold, tears them apart with a bleat and does not spare, for he has no bowels; in this way, the devil, when he separates some from the church, divides them without mercy, ensuring they never return to the fold of Christ.

For indeed it is possible to see those called Encratites dividing and separating from one another, understanding the Gospel to mean that every house divided against itself will not stand (Mark 3:25). Those dividing the church so much leave a remnant of love in us, where it was saying: Known is God in Judah, great is his name in Israel, and his habitation is in Zion (Ps 68:35). And Zion is that very mountain in which the city was built; for the Lord will bless you from Zion, and you shall see the good of Jerusalem (Ps 122:6). However, even if Moses many times wrote the same things elsewhere not to offer a sacrifice, but Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the illegitimate, the one not fearing God, the one seizing upon the law and the prophets, separates the people from Jerusalem and, having taught apostasy, established law in it.

He does not ascend to Jerusalem, nor does he offer there the worships which the law commanded, nor does he listen to the scriptures, nor does he look at all to the house of God, reasoning this: that if the people comes to Jerusalem and obeys the commandments of God, there will be an addition to the house of God and he will honor the lawful king and leave him. What then does he do for the sake of leadership and empty deception? In order that it might seem glorious to rule the people, he sets up two golden calves on the mountains, saying: 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt' (Exodus 32:4); to these worship, do not ascend to Jerusalem. And having legislated these things to the people, he turned them away from God and from Jerusalem.

Do you see what emptiness does, what arrogance and pride work? He rose up against the lawful king, and was consequently compelled by the passion of self-love and to sin against God impiously. And what is added to this? He calls himself and the people Samaritan; but a Samaritan is a guardian of the law in the Hebrew voice. Did he therefore subsequently lay the name Samaritan upon himself, or did he lie? If you were a guardian of the law, you would have guarded the law, you would have ascended to the temple of God, there you would have offered the firstfruits and the tithes and all the prayers, as God commanded through Moses, and you would be truly a guardian of the law.

But on the contrary, you turned the people away from God, you set up idols, and you call yourself a guardian of the law. Certainly, those remaining at Jerusalem and guarding the commandments of the law and of the prophets are guardians of the law. But it was not enough for him only to put a false name upon himself, but he also calls the people of God remaining at Jerusalem unclean, and he abhors this one, being himself abhorred and unclean. For he does not touch anything of what the people of God touches, nor does he use any vessel with which the people of God used before. And what do I say, if he abhorred the Jews? But also...

Greek · §9

φέροντες τὸ φοβερὸν τοῦ μυστηρίου ὑποχωροῦσι. Καὶ αἱρετικοὶ τοῦτο διαφόρως βλασφημοῦσιν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐδεὶς εὑρέθη αὐτοῖς πλησίον ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τῆς οἰκουμένης ἄχρι καὶ σήμερον, οὐχ ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ λειτουργῶν τῷ θυσιαστη ρίῳ, οὐ μονάζων ἐκκλησιαστικῶς χρημάτων ἀποταξάμενος καὶ ἐν νηστείαις καὶ ἀγρυπνίαις διάγων, οὐ παρθένος φρονίμη μετὰ τῆς παρθενίας φυλάττουσα καὶ τὸ ἔλαιον, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τὸ χρῖσμα τοῦ βαπτίσματος· ἀλλὰ νομίζουσι τοὺς συναιχμαλωτισθέντας αὐτοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου πλησίον τυγχάνειν. Κατάμαθε, εἰ κἂν τοῦτο φυλάττωσιν, ἵνα ἐκ τῶν πραγμάτων πληροφορήσωμεν αὐτούς, ὅτι ὁ διάβολος συνείδησιν οὐ φυλάσσει οὐδὲ φείδεται τῶν μαθητῶν τῶν ἰδίων, ἀλλὰ πολυτρόπως καὶ πολυμερῶς αὐτοὺς καταμερίζει. Μόνον γὰρ ἵνα ἀποστήσῃ τινὰς τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὥσπερ λύκος πρόβατα ἀπὸ μάνδρας ἀποσπά σας μεληδὸν κατατέμνει καὶ οὐ φείδεται, οὐ γὰρ ἔχει σπλάγ χνον, οὕτως καὶ ὁ διάβολος, ὅταν χωρίσῃ τινὰς ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ποικίλως καὶ ἀφειδῶς τούτους καταμερίζει, ἵνα μή ποτε ἀνανήψωσι καὶ ἀνακάμψωσιν εἰς τὴν μάνδραν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τοὺς λεγομένους Ἐγκρατίτας μεριζομένους καὶ χωριζομένους ἀπ' ἀλλήλων 11 νοοῦντας τὸ εὐαγγελι κὸν τοὺς 6-7 ὅτι πᾶσα οἰκία ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν μερισθεῖσα οὐ στήσεται. 11 οἱ τοσαῦτα διασπώμενοι τῆς ἐκκλησίας 11 ἐγκατάλειμμα ἀγάπης ἐν ἡμῖν, ὅπου ἔλεγε· Γνωστὸς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ ὁ θεός, ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ μέγα τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ κατοικητήριον αὐτοῦ ἐν Σιών. Σιὼν δὲ αὐτὸ τὸ ὄρος ἐστίν, ἐν ᾧ ἡ πόλις ᾠκοδόμητο· εὐλογήσει γάρ σε κύριος ἐκ Σιών, καὶ ἴδοις τὰ ἀγαθὰ Ἱερουσαλήμ. Πλὴν ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ Μωϋσῆς πολλάκις τὰ αὐτὰ ἔγραψεν ἀλλαχοῦ μὴ ἀνενεγκεῖν θυσίαν, ἀλλ' Ἱεροβοὰμ ὁ υἱὸς Ναβάτ, ὁ ἀγενής, ὁ μὴ φοβούμενος τὸν θεόν, ὁ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν ἐπιλα θόμενος, ἀποσχίζει τὸν λαὸν ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἀποστασίαν διδάξας ἐνομοθέτησεν ἐν αὐτοῖς μὴ ἀναβαίνειν εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ μηδὲ ἐκεῖ ἀναφέρειν τὰς λατρείας ἃς προσέταξεν ὁ νόμος, μηδὲ ἐπακούειν τῶν γραφῶν, μηδὲ ὅλως βλέπειν τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ, λογιζόμενος τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐὰν ὁ λαὸς ἔρχηται εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἐπακούῃ τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ θεοῦ, προστεθήσεται τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τιμήσει τὸν ἔννομον βασιλέα καὶ αὐτὸν καταλείψει. Τί οὖν ποιεῖ διὰ τὴν φιλαρχίαν καὶ κενὴν ἀπάτην; Ἵνα δόξῃ ἄρχειν τοῦ λαοῦ, δύο δαμάλεις ἵστησι χρυσᾶς τοῖς ὄρεσι λέγων· Οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου, Ἰσραήλ, οἱ ἐξαγαγόντες σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου· τούτοις προσκύνει, μὴ ἀνέρχου εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ νομοθετήσας ταῦτα τῷ λαῷ ἀπέστησεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Βλέπεις τί ποιεῖ κενοδοξία, τί ἐργάζεται ἀλαζονεία καὶ ὑπερηφανία; Ἐπήρθη κατὰ τοῦ ἐννόμου βασιλέως, ἠναγκάσθη λοιπὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ πάθους τῆς φιλαυτίας καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν θεὸν ἀσεβῆσαι. Καὶ τί πρὸς ταῦτα; Σαμαρείτην ἑαυτὸν καὶ τὸν λαὸν ὀνομάζει· Σαμαρείτης δὲ τῇ Ἑβραίων φωνῇ ἐστι φύλαξ τοῦ νόμου. Ἆρα ἀκολούθως Σαμαρείτου ὄνομα ἑαυτῷ ἐπέθηκεν ἢ ἐψεύσατο; Εἰ ἦς φύλαξ τοῦ νόμου, ἐφύλασσες ἂν τὸν νόμον, ἀνήρχου εἰς τὸν ναὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐκεῖ τὰς ἀπαρχὰς καὶ τὰς δεκάτας καὶ πάσας τὰς εὐχὰς ἀνέφερες, ὡς ὁ θεὸς διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐνετείλατο, καὶ ἦς ἀληθῶς φύλαξ τοῦ νόμου. Ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπέστησας τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, εἴδωλα ἀνέστησας, καὶ φύλακα σεαυτὸν λέγεις τοῦ νόμου. Πάντως φύλακές εἰσι τοῦ νόμου οἱ τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ παραμένοντες καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν φυλάσσοντες. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἠρκέσθη μόνον τὸ ψευδὲς ὄνομα ἑαυτῷ περιθεῖναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀκάθαρτον λέγει τὸν λαὸν τοῦ θεοῦ τὸν παραμένοντα τῇ [τε] Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τοῦτον βδελύσσεται κατὰ κράτος ἐβδελυγμένος ὢν καὶ ἀκάθαρτος. Οὐδὲ γάρ τινος ἅπτεται ὧν ὁ λαὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, οὔτε σκεύει τινὶ κέχρηται ᾧ τὸ πρὶν ἐχρήσατο ὁ λαὸς τοῦ θεοῦ. Τί δὲ λέγω, εἰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐβδελύξατο; Ἀλλὰ καὶ

The Apostasy of the Unbaptized§10

10Even until today, Christians are turned away from all things, not even using their own cup or plate, but saying that their vessels are defiled by men. And so that each of us may know to what extent they have fallen away, the Samaritan woman first said to Christ regarding Jerusalem, who was contending: 'Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and how do you say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship?' (John 4:20). And concerning the water, as he said to her: 'Give me to drink from the spring,' she says to him: 'And how do you ask to drink from me, being a Samaritan woman?' (John 4:9). You see that he did not wish to give to her, so that he might not defile her spring, as she had suggested; and the things are manifest.

Who does not recognize the Samaritans among us? Those departing from Jerusalem, that is, from the Church of Christ, those having legislated no longer to offer prayer or firstfruits to God in Jerusalem, nor to obey the Scriptures or the teachings being given in the churches by the shepherds through the Holy Spirit, but to be separated and entirely strangers from the people of God, having falsely named themselves venerable names. For just as he, after all impiety, called himself a guardian of the law, so these, having denied the faith which they received in the church, called themselves Encratic and Apostatic. It is necessary to call them transgressors, because they have broken the covenants toward God.

Where then shall we place each? They were baptized in the church by the priests of God; after baptism they were nourished by the holy body and the precious blood of Christ. Do they then guard these traditions? If anyone denies one of these, he has denied all. Do they therefore guard the three, the baptism, the body, the blood? One priest handed down to you the triad of the mysteries; you are not able to hold one and let go of the other; if another had been the one baptizing you and another giving the body and another the blood, you would say: 'The two truly handed them to me, but the third played with me.' But now, from one priest, I have received all the mysteries; if you call him a priest of Christ, guard the mysteries, so that you may not become a transgressor; but if you do not call him a priest, you say that he is being catechized...

The name of Christ is foreign to you, for elsewhere you were baptized nowhere. And just as those blaspheming the Son of God impiously blaspheme the Father and the Holy Spirit, so also those being unfaithful to the Holy Spirit are unfaithful to the all-holy Father and to His all-holy Son Jesus Christ; thus it is found even regarding the Trinity of mysteries. If anyone rejects one of them, he has rejected the Trinity; having therefore rejected the mysteries of Christ and having apostatized from the Church, you justly ought to be named a transgressor.

And in order that I may persuade you that you are also among the impious transgressors who, not bearing many trials, often endured wounds through weakness of body, yet often refused to deny, being merciful and worthy of many lamentations; but nevertheless, having recognized all their life, they often repented, so that God, having been reconciled to them, might at last once again qualify them for the entrance of the saints. But you, the devil has darkened to such an extent that you do not seek the fellowship of the saints but speak the opposite, so that the blasphemous, the terrible, and the holy blood of Christ might no longer enter into your mouth.

Behold, therefore, from every side you have been shown not only to have innovated like a Samaritan, but also to have committed a transgression. And just as the Samaritan made his apostasy through outward form and is convicted by circumcision that he was once an Israelite, so also you, even if you have withdrawn from the Church or innovated a transgression, are nevertheless convicted by the seal, because you received the baptism in the Church of Christ. For where does such similarity to the Samaritan come to you? Let it be that you withdrew, let it be that you made lawless those who were cast down by you, so that they no longer suffer the house of God, no longer hear the priests who were baptizing and making you a Christian; but where does such observation of vessels come to you? From what tradition? Did the apostles, preaching the word of God and going through the inhabited world, carry pots and platters while all were Greeks and all were mad for idolatry? Or, having Christ with them, did they know that there is no idol in the world, but all things are pure to the pure (Rom 14:20), and that things are sanctified through the word of God and through prayer, and entering many times into a house...

Greek · §10

πάντα χριστιανὸν μέχρι καὶ τήμερον ἀποστρέφονται καὶ οὔτε ποτήριον οὔτε πινάκιον ἴδιον αὐτῶν κιχρῶσιν, ἀλλὰ λέγουσι καὶ τὰ σκεύη αὐτῶν μιαίνεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ ἵνα γνῷ ἕκαστος ἡμῶν εἰς πόσον ἐξέπεσαν, αὐτῷ τῷ Χριστῷ ἡ Σαμαρεῖτις γυνὴ εἶπε πρῶτον περὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀπομαχομένη· Οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ προσεκύνησαν· καὶ πῶς ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι ἐν Ἱεροσολύ μοις ἐστὶν ὁ τόπος ὅπου δεῖ προσκυνεῖν; Περὶ δὲ τοῦ ὕδατος, ὡς εἶπεν αὐτῇ· ∆ός μοι πιεῖν ἐκ τῆς ὑδρείας, λέγει αὐτῷ· Καὶ πῶς σὺ πιεῖν αἰτεῖς παρ' ἐμοῦ οὔσης γυναικὸς Σαμαρείτιδος; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐκ ἠθέλησεν αὐτῷ δοῦναι, ἵνα μὴ μιάνῃ αὐτῆς τὴν ὑδρείαν, ὡς ἐκείνη ἐνόμισε· φανερά τε τὰ πράγματα. Τίς οὐκ ἐπιγινώσκει τοὺς παρ' ἡμῖν Σαμαρείτας; Τοὺς ἀποστάντας ἀπὸ τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ, τουτέστιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοὺς νομοθετήσαντας μηκέτι εὐχὴν ἢ ἀπαρχὰς προσφέρειν τῷ θεῷ ἐν τῇ Ἱερουσαλήμ, μηδὲ ἐπακούειν τῶν γραφῶν ἢ τῶν διδασκαλιῶν τῶν διδομένων ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τοῖς ποιμέσι παρὰ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου, ἀλλ' εἶναι κεχωρισ μένους καὶ ἀλλοτρίους παντελῶς τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὀνόματα σεμνὰ ψευδῶς ἑαυτοῖς ἐπονομάσαντας. Ὡς γὰρ ἐκεῖνος μετὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ἀσέβειαν φύλακα τοῦ νόμου ἑαυτὸν προσηγόρευσεν, οὕτως οὗτοι ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν πίστιν ἣν ἔλαβον ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ Ἐγκρατίτας καὶ Ἀποτακτίτας ἑαυτοὺς προσηγόρευσαν. ∆έον παραβάτας αὐτοὺς λέγεσθαι, ὅτι τὰς πρὸς θεὸν συνθήκας παρέβησαν. Ἐπεὶ ποῦ θήσομεν ἕκαστον; Ἐβαπτίσθησαν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ παρὰ τῶν ἱερέων τοῦ θεοῦ, μετὰ τὸ βάπτισμα ἐτράφησαν τῷ ἁγίῳ σώματι καὶ τῷ τιμίῳ αἵματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἆρα φυλάσσουσι ταύτας τὰς παραδόσεις; Ἓν τούτων ἐάν τις ἀρνήσηται, ὅλα ἠρνήσατο. Ἆρα οὖν τὰ τρία φυλάττουσι, τὸ βάπτισμα, τὸ σῶμα, τὸ αἷμα; Εἷς ἱερεὺς τὴν τριάδα σοι τῶν μυστηρίων παρέδωκεν· οὐ δύνασαι τὸ μὲν κρατεῖν, τὸ δὲ ἀφιέναι· εἰ μὲν ἄλλος ἦν ὁ βαπτίσας σε καὶ ἄλλος ὁ σῶμα ἐπιδοὺς καὶ ἕτερος ὁ τὸ αἷμα, ἔλεγες ἄν· «Οἱ δύο ἀληθῶς μοι παρέδωκαν, ὁ δὲ τρίτος ἐνέπαιξέ μοι «. Νυνὶ δὲ παρ' ἑνὸς ἱερέως πάντα τὰ μυστήρια ὑπεδέξω· ἐὰν αὐτὸν λέγῃς ἱερέα Χριστοῦ, φύλασσε τὰ μυστήρια, ἵνα μὴ γένῃ παραβάτης· εἰ δὲ οὐ λέγεις αὐτὸν ἱερέα, κατηχούμε νον αὐτὸν λέγεις καὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀλλότριον, ἀλλαχοῦ γὰρ οὐδαμοῦ ἐβαπτίσθης. Καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ εἰς τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ βλασφημοῦντες εἰς αὐτὸν τὸν πατέρα καὶ εἰς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἀσεβοῦσιν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ οἱ τῷ πνεύματι ἁγίῳ ἀπιστοῦντες τῷ παναγίῳ πατρὶ καὶ τῷ παναγίῳ αὐτοῦ υἱῷ Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ ἀπιστοῦσιν, οὕτως ἔστιν εὑρεῖν καὶ εἰς τὴν τριάδα τῶν μυστη ρίων. Ἐάν τις ἓν ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀθετήσῃ, τὴν τριάδα ἠθέτησεν· ἀθετήσας οὖν τὰ μυστήρια τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἀποστατήσας τῆς ἐκκλησίας δικαίως παραβάτης ὀφείλεις ὀνομάζεσθαι· καὶ ἵνα σε πείσω, ὅτι καὶ τῶν παραβατῶν τῶν ἐν τοῖς διωγμοῖς ἀσεβέστε ρος τυγχάνεις, ἐκεῖνοι μὴ φέροντες πολλάκις τὰς πληγὰς ἠναγ κάσθησαν δι' ἀσθένειαν σώματος πολλάκις ἀρνήσασθαι, ἐλεεινοὶ καὶ πολλῶν θρήνων ἄξιοι· ἀλλ' ὅμως μεταγνόντες τὴν ζωὴν αὐτῶν πᾶσαν πολλάκις ἀπωδύροντο, ἵνα ποτὲ αὐτοῖς ὁ θεὸς διαλλαγεὶς καταξιώσῃ πάλιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν εἴσοδον τῶν ἁγίων. Σὲ δὲ εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐσκότισεν ὁ διάβολος ὡς μὴ ἐπιζητεῖν τὴν κοινωνίαν τῶν ἁγίων ἀλλὰ τἀναντία λέγειν, ἵνα μηκέτι εἰσέλθῃ εἰς τὸ στόμα σου τὸ βλάσφημον, τὸ φοβερὸν καὶ ἅγιον αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἴδε οὖν, πανταχόθεν ἀπεδείχθης οὐ μόνον Σαμάρειαν καινοτομήσας, ἀλλὰ καὶ παράβασιν. Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ Σαμαρείτης διὰ τοῦ σχήματος τὴν ἀποστασίαν ἐποίησε καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς περιτομῆς ἐλέγχεται ὅτι ποτὲ Ἰσραηλίτης ἦν, οὕτως καὶ σύ, εἰ καὶ ἀπέσχισας ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἢ ἐκαινοτόμησας παράβασιν, ἀλλ' ὅμως ὑπὸ τῆς σφραγίδος ἐλέγχῃ· τὸ γὰρ βάπτισμα ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπεδέξω. Πόθεν δέ σοι καὶ ἡ τοσαύτη ὁμοιότης πρὸς τὴν Σαμάρειαν; Ἔστω ἀπέσχισας, ἔστω ἐνομοθέτησας τοῖς ὑποσκελισθεῖσιν ὑπὸ σοῦ μηκέτι πατεῖν τὸν οἶκον τοῦ θεοῦ, μηκέτι ἀκούειν τῶν ἱερέων τῶν βαπτισάντων καὶ χριστιανόν σε ποιη σάντων· πόθεν δέ σοι καὶ ἡ τῶν σκευῶν παρατήρησις; Ἐκ ποίας παραδόσεως; Ἆρα οἱ ἀπόστολοι κηρύσσοντες τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην περιερχόμενοι, χύτρας καὶ πινάκια περιφέροντες πάντων Ἑλλήνων ὄντων καὶ πάντων μαινομένων εἰς εἰδωλολατρίαν; Ἢ ἔχοντες μεθ' ἑαυτῶν τὸν Χριστὸν ᾔδεσαν ὅτι οὐδὲν εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ, ἀλλὰ πάντα καθαρὰ τοῖς καθαροῖς καὶ ὅτι ἁγιάζεται διὰ λόγου θεοῦ καὶ ἐντεύξεως, καὶ εἰσερχόμενοι πολλάκις εἰς οἶκον

The rejection of material goods as heresy§11

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11If the Greeks, when they were able to persuade the master of the house to believe in God, immediately made the house a church, this is what happened also when the holy apostle Paul was in the house of Onesiphorus in our city; the apostle did not ask which vessels were clean and which were unclean, but he made the house itself, as we have said, a church.

But so that we may convince them that they abstain because of the vainglory and arrogance of the vessels, and that their foolish heart has been so darkened—and while claiming to be wise they have become foolish—they see even the bees that work the wax, how they carry themselves upon everything, and not only upon grasses and flowers, but also upon the fresh meats and upon the blood. And especially it is possible to see even in the time of the vintage how they settle upon the grapes and draw out the must that is upon the grapes, and after all these things, hastening to the domestic work and wisely performing this according to the wisdom given to them by the Creator. But they do not see the beekeepers pouring out good wine for both the wax and the bees; rather, because this is sweet, the gluttons eat this pleasantly, being gourmands, and they prepare wine from it to console their own drunkenness.

If they abstain because of the purity of the vessels, it would have been more fitting to abstain from the honey rather than from the plate or the cup which is unable to provide you with any pleasure. For indeed, having heard the Scripture, that honey becomes unclean; and into an altar, the law says, it shall not be brought (Leviticus 7:18). And by what logic do you eat oil? Do you not see or hear that those trading in this business pour this into the cells of new-builders, and thus, having emptied the cells for many days and pressing these, they sell the oil? And do you not hear those pressing the oil leaving the so-called pig's lard and thus extracting the oil, as if the lard itself were being pressed by the instruments of those crushing the oil, to be poured upon the oil? But nonetheless you, the clean one, loathing the shards and the rest of the vessels, eat this pleasantly without distinction, and where pleasure is not present, that is, in the plate or the cup, these...

You loathe the places where there is sweetness and softness, yet you eat these things with pleasure. Let all Samaria, having become zealous, guard the vessels; for by what word do you abstain from and loathe the meats and the other things which God created for the participation of the faithful and those who know the truth, and do you blaspheme the Creator? For this is not merely a Samaritan doctrine, but also the loathsome and unclean heresy of the Manichaeans; for their teaching is to abstain from that which is animated. And from what scripture did you learn this? Who taught you this? Did you not hear the scripture saying: The first man Adam begat two sons, Cain and Abel; and Abel shepherded the sheep; and it came upon their hearts to bring offerings to God, and Cain, having brought seeds, was not received because of the wickedness of his manner, but Abel, having taken from the firstborn sheep and the fats, brought them to God; and behold, He says, He looked upon Abel and upon his gifts, but upon Cain and his sacrifices He did not pay attention (Gen 4:4-5). See how God named the firstborn and the fats as gifts because He accepted them sincerely, but He named the seeds of Cain because they were not from the original sacrifice, so that He might persuade you, the unbelieving heretic, that even seeds have some life-giving power, which we have shown more clearly to you elsewhere, that God, having accepted the meats, surpassed the seeds.

Moreover, you will reject or set aside Noah from your self-control and your rejection, because after saving the seed of every kind through his own righteousness from the flood, having come out of the ark, he did no other work than first to build an altar to God; and the Lord smelled a pleasing aroma and promised to the righteous not to make a flood upon the earth again (Gen 9:13). You saw an acceptable sacrifice, you saw how he pleased God so that He would not bring such wrath upon the world until this age stands; and God to him: I have given you all like herbs of the field, except meat, in the blood of the soul you shall not eat; for I will seek your blood from all the animals and from the hand of man, and from a brother I will seek the soul of man (Gen 9:4). Meat He permitted, but blood is life.

Greek · §11

Ἕλληνος εἰ ἠδυνήθησαν πεῖσαι τὸν οἰκοδεσ πότην πιστεῦσαι τῷ θεῷ, εὐθὺς τὸν οἶκον ἐκκλησίαν ἐποίουν. Ὃ γέγονε καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἡμετέρας πόλεως γενομένου τοῦ ἁγίου ἀποστόλου Παύλου ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ὀνησιφόρου· οὐκ ἠρώτησεν ὁ ἀπόστολος ποῖα καθαρὰ σκεύη καὶ ποῖα ἀκάθαρτα, ἀλλ' αὐτὸν τὸν οἶκον, ὡς προείπομεν, ἐκκλησίαν ἐποίησεν. Ἵνα δὲ πείσωμεν αὐτοὺς ὅτι διὰ κενοδοξίαν καὶ ἀλαζονείαν τῶν σκευῶν ἀπέχον ται, καὶ ὅτι εἰς τοσοῦτον ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία καὶ φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν, τὰς μελίσσας τὰς τὸ κηρίον ἐργαζομένας πάντως ὁρῶσι πῶς ἐπὶ πάντα φέρονται καὶ οὐ μόνον ἐπὶ βοτάνας καὶ ἄνθη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ νεοσφαγῆ τῶν κρεῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ αἵματα. Καὶ μάλιστα ἔστιν ἰδεῖν καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς τρύγης πῶς ἐπὶ τὰς σταφυλὰς ἐπικαθέζονται καὶ ἕλκουσι τὸ ἐπὶ τῶν σταφυλῶν γλεῦκος, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἐπὶ τὸ οἰκεῖον ἔργον ἐπειγομένας καὶ σοφῶς τοῦτο ἐπιτελούσας κατὰ τὴν δοθεῖσαν αὐταῖς σοφίαν παρὰ τοῦ κτίσαντος. Αὐτοὺς δὲ τοὺς μελισσουργοὺς οὐ βλέπουσιν οἶνον χρηστὸν τῷ τε κηρίῳ καὶ ταῖς μελίσσαις περιχέοντας· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο γλυκύ ἐστιν, ἡδέως τοῦτο ἐσθίουσι γαστρίμαργοι ὄντες καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ οἶνον σκευάζοντες τὴν μέθην ἑαυτῶν παραμυθοῦνται. Εἰ διὰ τὴν καθαρότητα τῶν σκευῶν ἀπείχου, ἔδει μᾶλλον τοῦ μέλιτος ἀπέχεσθαι καὶ μὴ τοῦ πινακίου ἢ τοῦ ποτηρίου τοῦ μηδεμίαν ἡδονὴν δυναμένου σοι παρέχειν. Πάντως γὰρ καὶ τῆς γραφῆς ἐπήκουσας, ὅτι τὸ μέλι ἀκάθαρτον γίνεται· καὶ εἰς θυσιαστήριον, φησὶν ὁ νόμος, οὐκ ἀνενεχθήσεται. Τὸ δὲ ἔλαιον ποίῳ λόγῳ ἐσθίεις; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἢ οὐκ ἤκουσας ὅτι εἰς νεοδόρους ἀσκοὺς τοῦτο ἐμβάλλουσιν οἱ ταύτην τὴν πραγματείαν ἐμπορευόμενοι καὶ οὕτως διὰ πολλῶν ἡμερῶν κενώσαντες τοὺς ἀσκοὺς καὶ ἐκθλίψαντες τούτους τὸ ἔλαιον πιπράσκουσιν; Αὐτοὺς δὲ τοὺς τρίβοντας τὴν ἐλαίαν οὐκ ἀκούεις ὑπαλείφοντας τὸν λεγόμενον ἄξονα στέατι χοίρου καὶ οὕτως τὸ ἔλαιον ἐκβάλλοντας, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ στέαρ ἐκθλιβόμενον ὑπὸ τῶν ὀργάνων τῶν τὴν ἐλαίαν θλιβόντων καταστάζειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλαιον; Ἀλλ' ὅμως σὺ ὁ καθαρός, ὁ τὰ ὄστρακα καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ σκεύη βδελυσσόμενος, ταύτην ἡδέως ἐσθίεις μὴ διακρινόμενος, καὶ ὅπου μὲν ἡδονὴ οὐ πρόσεστι, τουτέστι τῷ πινακίῳ ἢ τῷ ποτηρίῳ, ταῦτα βδελύσσῃ, ὅπου δὲ γλυκύτης καὶ πιότης, ταῦτα ἡδέως ἐσθίεις. Καὶ ἔστω τὰ σκεύη παραφυλάσσῃ ἅπας τὴν Σαμάρειαν ζηλώσας, τῶν μέντοι κρεῶν καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν πραγμάτων ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάληψιν τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ποίῳ λόγῳ ἀπέχῃ καὶ ταῦτα βδελύσσῃ καὶ βλασφημεῖς τὸν δημιουργόν; Τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ ἔστι Σαμαρειτικὸν δόγμα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς βδελυρᾶς καὶ ἀκαθάρτου αἱρέσεως τῶν Μανιχαίων· ἐκείνων γὰρ ἡ διδασκαλία ἐμψύχων ἀπέχεσθαι. Σὺ δὲ παρὰ ποίας γραφῆς ἔμαθες; Τίς σε τοῦτο ἐδίδαξεν; Οὐκ ἤκουσας τῆς γρα φῆς λεγούσης· Ὁ μὲν πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδὰμ ἐγέννησε δύο υἱούς, τόν τε Κάϊν καὶ τὸν Ἄβελ· ὁ δὲ Ἄβελ ἐποίμαινε τὰ πρόβατα· ἐγένετο δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἀνελθεῖν προσενέγκαι δῶρα τῷ θεῷ, καὶ ὁ μὲν Κάϊν σπέρματα προσενέγκας οὐ προσεδέχθη διὰ τὴν κακίαν τοῦ τρόπου, ὁ δὲ Ἄβελ λαβὼν ἐκ τῶν πρωτοτόκων προβάτων καὶ τῶν στεάτων προσεκόμισε τῷ θεῷ· καὶ ἐπεῖδε, φησίν, ἐπὶ Ἄβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ, ἐπὶ δὲ Κάϊν καὶ ταῖς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχεν. Ὅρα πῶς τὰ πρωτότοκα καὶ τὰ στέατα δῶρα ὁ θεὸς ὠνόμασεν διὰ τὸ γνησίως αὐτὰ προσδέξα σθαι, τὰ δὲ σπέρματα τοῦ Κάϊν διὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι αὐτὰ ἐκ τῶν ἀπαρ χῶν θυσίας ὠνόμασεν, ἵνα σε πείσῃ, τὸν ἄπιστον αἱρετικόν, ὅτι καὶ τὰ σπέρματα ἔχει τινὰ ζωτικὴν δύναμιν, ὅπερ ἐν ἑτέρῳ σαφέστερον ἐδείξαμεν σοι, ὅτι ὁ θεὸς τὰ κρέα προσδεξάμενος τῶν σπερμάτων ὑπερεῖδε. Πάντως δὲ καὶ τὸν Νῶε ἀποδοκιμάσεις ἢ καὶ ἀφορίσεις τῆς σῆς ἐγκρατείας καὶ τῆς σῆς ἀποτάξεως, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ διασῶσαι ἑκάστου γένους σπέρμα διὰ τῆς οἰκείας δικαιοσύνης ἀπὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ, ἐξελθὼν ἀπὸ τῆς κιβωτοῦ οὐδὲν ἄλλο ἔργον ἐποίησεν ἢ πρῶτον ᾠκοδόμησε θυσιαστήριον τῷ θεῷ· καὶ ὠσφράν θη κύριος ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας καὶ ἐπηγγείλατο τῷ δικαίῳ μηκέτι κατα κλυσμὸν ποιῆσαι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Εἶδες θυσίαν δεκτήν, εἶδες πῶς ἐνέτρεψε τῷ θεῷ ὡς μηκέτι αὐτόν, ἕως οὗ ἔστηκεν ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος, ὀργὴν τοιαύτην ἐπενεγκεῖν τῷ κόσμῳ· καὶ ὁ θεὸς πρὸς αὐτόν· ∆έδωκα ὑμῖν πάντα ὡς λάχανα χόρτου, πλὴν κρέα ἐν αἵματι ψυχῆς οὐ φάγεσθε· καὶ γὰρ τὸ ὑμέτερον αἷμα ἐκζητήσω ἐκ πάντων τῶν θηρίων καὶ ἐκ χειρὸς ἀνθρώπου καὶ ἀδελφοῦ ἐκζητήσω τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Κρέας ἐπέτρεψεν, αἷμα πνικτὸν

The Honor of Creation and Abraham's Hospitality§12

12It has been forbidden. And the new covenant seals this, so that you might not think there is one lawgiver for the old covenant and another for the new.

For the apostles can be seen gathered in Jerusalem; and after the holy Paul and Barnabas had descended to Antioch of the Syrians and were strengthening the brothers to guard the doctrines and the instructions of the apostles, certain men, having come from circumcision, were teaching the converts, saying that unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you are not able to be saved.

After a dissension and a question not a little concerning them had arisen, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and certain others from among them to ascend to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this question. Having ascended therefore and having recounted both the conversion of the Gentiles and the progress of the churches, they set this matter also before them.

And the apostles, having been gathered together to the same place, sent to them thus: The apostles and the elders and the brothers to the brothers in Antioch and Cilicia and Syria, the brothers from among the Gentiles, greetings. Because we heard that certain ones among us have troubled you, reshaping your souls, whom we had not sent, it seemed to us, having become of one mind, to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men to whom the souls have been entrusted for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, and them through a word announcing these things. For it seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us not to lay any greater burden upon you except these things which are necessary: to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality; from which things, if they observe themselves, they do well. Be strong.

This is the letter of the apostles written by the Holy Spirit through the evangelist Luke. Because the Holy Spirit knew that certain ones, having come into such a folly, would not hesitate to slander the apostles—which indeed happened—being at the same place, they write this letter, not interrupting marriage, not forbidding eating meat or drinking wine, but, as previously written, to abstain every Christian from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from...

And against the sins of fornication. You were taught from above by this God that one might eat all meat like vegetables of the field; there you learned from the apostles certain things from which one must abstain. Why do you dare to blaspheme the creatures of God and through them to dishonor the Creator? For if God made all things in wisdom and praised them, saying 'very good' (Gen 1:31), and having gifts and fruits presented to him, he accepted them and blessed those who brought them and permitted them to eat, why are you so foolish and audacious? For just as you judge men who partake of meats to be condemned, so you blaspheme the Creator himself. Why did he make these things?

Perhaps you also find him loathsome and judge him to be a stranger to righteousness, because he himself accepted sacrifices. But perhaps you will also look down upon holy Abraham, seeing that he presented sacrifices to God and, having received the angels, did not feast them on these vegetables, but having taken a calf from the herd, he commanded that this be made with butter and milk. And thus he honored the angels, and not only the angels, but even Christ himself; which is worthy of wonder, that even before the incarnation economy he sanctified his own creatures and partook of them, so that no one might think to suppose one thing concerning the Father and another concerning the Son, just as the heresies of the Manichaeans and Marcionites were revealed, and so that it might become manifest what is said, that the Son of God came to Abraham.

While he was sitting under the tent at midday and watching for those passing through, lest any stranger should pass him by, he saw three men coming and met them, and he did not say: 'Lords, if I have found favor in your sight' (Luke 10:4), but also: 'If I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant' (Gen 18:3). Do you see how the one eating meats and hosting strangers through meats observed them? You saw a pure heart, how he knew who the master was and who the servants were. Truly blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (Matt 5:8). Because of this, also shortly after, the Lord himself, sending the angels to Sodom and Gomorrah, says: 'I will not hide from Abraham my friend what I am about to do' (Gen 18:17). What kind of friend reveals mysteries to a friend in such a way as God revealed to Abraham? And I think that even until today none such exists.

Greek · §12

ἐκώλυσεν. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐπισφραγίζει ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ἄλλον μὲν εἶναι νομοθέτην τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης, ἄλλον δὲ τῆς καινῆς. Τῶν γὰρ ἀποστόλων ἔστιν ἰδεῖν συνηγμένων ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις, τοῦ τε ἁγίου Παύλου καὶ Βαρναβᾶ κατελθόντων εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν τῆς Συρίας καὶ ἐπιστηριζόντων τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς φυλάσσειν τὰ δόγματα καὶ τὰς παραγγελίας τῶν ἀποστόλων, τινὲς πιστοὶ παραγενόμενοι ἐκ περιτομῆς ἐδίδασκον τοὺς προσηλύτους λέγοντες ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ περιτέμνησθε τῷ ἔθει τοῦ Μωϋσέως, οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι. Γενομένης δὲ στάσεως καὶ ζητή σεως οὐκ ὀλίγης πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔταξαν ἀναβαίνειν Παῦλον καὶ βαρνα βᾶν καί τινας ἄλλους ἐξ αὐτῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ πρεσβυτέ ρους εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ περὶ τοῦ ζητήματος τούτου. Ἀνελθόντες οὖν καὶ διηγησάμενοι τήν τε ἐπιστροφὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ τὴν προκοπὴν τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν, ἀνέθεντο αὐτοῖς καὶ περὶ τοῦ ζητήματος τούτου. Οἱ δὲ ἀπόστολοι συναχθέντες ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀπέστειλαν αὐτοῖς οὕτως· Οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν καὶ Κιλικίαν καὶ Συρίαν ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν χαίρειν. Ἐπειδὴ ἠκούσαμεν ὅτι τινὲς ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐτάραξαν ὑμᾶς ἀνασκευάζοντες τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν, οἷς οὐ διεστειλάμεθα, ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν γενομένοις ὁμοθυ μαδόν· καὶ ἐκλεξαμένους ἄνδρας πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς σὺν τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς ἡμῶν βαρναβᾶ καὶ Παύλῳ ἀνθρώποις παραδεδωκόσι τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. Ἀπεστάλκαμεν οὖν Ἰούδαν καὶ Σιλᾶν καὶ αὐτοὺς διὰ λόγου ἀπαγγέλλοντας ταῦτα. Ἔδοξε γὰρ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιτίθεσθαι βάρος ὑμῖν πλὴν τούτων τῶν ἐπάναγκες, ἀπέχεσ θαι εἰδωλοθύτου, αἵματος καὶ πνικτοῦ καὶ πορνείας· ἐξ ὧν διατηροῦν τες ἑαυτοὺς εὖ πράσσετε. Ἔρρωσθε. Αὕτη ἡ ἐπιστολὴ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἡ γραφεῖσα ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ Λουκᾶ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ᾔδει τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ὅτι τινὲς εἰς τοσαύτην ἀπόνοιαν ἐλθόντες οὐκ ὀκνήσουσι συκο φαντῆσαι τοὺς ἀποστόλους, ὅπερ καὶ γέγονεν, ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ὄντες γράφουσι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ταύτην μὴ διακόψαντες γάμον, μὴ κωλύσαντες κρέας ἐσθίειν ἢ πίνειν οἶνον, ἀλλά, καθὼς προγέ γραπται, ἀπέχεσθαι πάντα χριστιανὸν ἀπὸ εἰδωλοθύτων καὶ αἵμα τος καὶ πνικτοῦ καὶ πορνείας. Ἄνω ἐδιδάχθης ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ὅτι φάγῃ πᾶν κρέας ὡς λάχανα χόρτου, ἐνταῦθα ἔμαθες παρὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων τίνων δεῖ ἀπέχεσθαι. ∆ιὰ τί τολμᾷς βλασφημεῖν τὰ κτίσματα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ δι' αὐτῶν τὸν δημιουργὸν ἀτιμάζειν; Εἰ γὰρ ὁ θεὸς πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησε καὶ ἐπῄνεσεν εἰπὼν καλὰ λίαν καὶ προσενεχθέντων αὐτῷ δώρων καὶ καρπωμάτων ἐδέξατο καὶ τοὺς προσκομίσαντας εὐλόγησε καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπέτρεψεν ἐσθίειν, σὺ διὰ τί ἄνους καὶ τολμηρός; Πάντως γὰρ ὡς τοὺς μεταλαμβάνοντας κρεῶν ἀνθρώπους κατα κρίνεις, οὕτως καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν δημιουργὸν βλασφημεῖς. ∆ιὰ τί ἐποίησε ταῦτα; Τάχα δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν βδελύξῃ καὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀλλότριον κρίνεις, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ἐδέξατο θυσίας· ἴσως δὲ καὶ τῷ ἁγίῳ Ἀβραὰμ ἐπισκήψεις, ὅτι τῷ θεῷ θυσίας προσήνεγκε καὶ τοὺς ἀγγέλους ὑποδεξάμενος οὐ διὰ λαχάνων τούτους ἐξένισεν, ἀλλὰ λαβὼν μόσχον ἐκ τῆς ἀγέλης ἐκέλευσε τοῦτον γενέσθαι μετὰ βουτύρου καὶ γάλακτος. Καὶ οὕτως ἐδεξιώσατο τοὺς ἀγγέλους, καὶ οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἀγγέλους, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστόν· ὃ καὶ θαυμάσαι ἄξιον, ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἐνσάρκου οἰκονομίας τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κτίσματα ἡγίασε καὶ τούτων μετέσχεν, ἵνα μή τις φρονήσῃ ἄλλο μὲν φρονεῖν τὸν πατέρα, ἄλλο δὲ τὸν υἱόν, καθὼς αἱ αἱρέσεις τῶν Μανιχαίων καὶ Μαρκιωνιστῶν ἐφαντάσθησαν, καὶ ἵνα φανερὸν γένηται τὸ λεγόμενον, ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ παρεγένε το πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραάμ. Τότε καθεζομένου αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὴν σκηνὴν ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ καὶ ἐπιτηροῦντος τοὺς διοδεύοντας, μή τις αὐτὸν διαλάθῃ ξένος, εἶδε τρεῖς ἄνδρας ἐρχομένους καὶ ὑπήντησεν αὐτοῖς καὶ οὐκ εἶπε· «Κύριοι, εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν «, ἀλλὰ καί· Εἰ εὗρον χάριν ἐνώπιόν σου, μὴ παρέλθῃς τὸν παῖδά σου. Βλέπεις πῶς ἐσκόπησεν ὁ τὰ κρέα ἐσθίων καὶ διὰ κρεῶν ξενίζων τοὺς ἐπιδημοῦντας; Εἶδες καρδίαν καθαρὰν πῶς ἔγνω τίς ὁ δεσπότης καὶ τίνες οἱ δοῦλοι; Ὄντως μακάριοι οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἀποστέλλων τοὺς ἀγγέλους εἰς Σόδομα καὶ Γόμορρα λέγει· Οὐ μὴ κρύψω ἐγὼ ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ τοῦ παιδός μου ἃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ. Ποῖος φίλος οὕτως ἀποκαλύπτει μυστήρια φίλῳ, ὡς ὁ θεὸς ἀπεκάλυψε τῷ Ἀβραάμ; Καὶ νομίζω μέχρι καὶ τῆς σήμερον μὴ ὑπάρξαι τοιοῦτον

The eating of meat by the holy§13

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13It is from God to those called Ascetics or Monastics, since it was permitted to Abraham, who ate meat and lived with a wife. And what about Isaac, regarding the eating of the kids prepared by Rebecca his wife and brought in by Jacob his son? How, after eating the dishes and drinking the wine, he blessed Jacob, saying: 'May God give to you from the dew of heaven and from the richness of the earth, and let nations serve you and let rulers worship you, and may you become lord of your brother' (Genesis 27:28). And not one word of the blessing was divided, but the whole patriarchal blessing came upon Jacob.

And what about Jacob himself and all the saints? I say indeed Moses and Aaron, and following them all the saints who were righteous and pleasing to God: how all ate meat and gave thanks to the Creator. And the holy Samuel himself, having been dedicated at three years to the house of God and being brought up among the holy of the holies, partakes of the creatures of God and, having anointed Saul for king, permitted him to eat and all the people.

And a certain prophet regarding them: Moses and Aaron among his priests and Samuel among those calling upon his name, they called upon the Lord, and he himself heard them; in a pillar of cloud he spoke to them (Exodus 13:21). And it was possible to say following about all the saints, how all with thanksgiving partook of the creatures of God and glorified the Creator.

But so that we do not make those seeking intercession more sluggish by a multitude of words, it was sufficient to show that even God accepted from the saints the sacrifices and permitted them to eat with thanksgiving and reverence. And if even some of the saints abstained from foods for a short time, it was not as if they abstained from unclean things. For what reward is there from abstaining from the unclean? But each of the devout abstains from the pleasant and forbidden things, just as someone abstains from a woman although...

abstain from women by practicing chastity

Greek · §13

παρὰ θεοῦ τοῖς λεγομένοις Ἐγκρατέσιν ἢ Ἀποτακτίταις, ὃ ὑπῆρξε τῷ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ ἐσθίοντι κρέα καὶ συνοικοῦντι γυναικί. Τί δὲ καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ ἐροῦσι τοῦ φαγόντος τοὺς ἐρίφους ἐσκευασμένους ὑπὸ Ῥεβέκκας τῆς γυναικὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰσενεχθέντας ὑπὸ Ἰακὼβ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, πῶς φαγὼν τῶν ἐδεσμάτων καὶ πιὼν τοῦ οἴνου εὐλόγησε τὸν Ἰακὼβ λέγων· ∆ῴη σοι ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῆς δρόσου τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς πιότητος τῆς γῆς καὶ δουλευσάτωσάν σοι ἔθνη καὶ προσκυνησάτωσάν σε ἄρχοντες καὶ γίνῃ κύριος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου. Καὶ οὐ διέπεσεν εἷς λόγος τῆς εὐλογίας, ἀλλ' ἐπῆλθε πᾶσα ἡ πατρικὴ εὐλογία ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰακώβ. Τί δὲ καὶ περὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ καὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων, λέγω δὴ Μωϋσέως καὶ Ἀαρὼν καὶ ἀκολούθως πάντων τῶν ἁγίων τῶν ἐννόμων εὐαρεστησάντων τῷ θεῷ, πῶς πάντες ἤσθιον κρέας καὶ ηὐχαρίστουν τῷ δημιουργῷ; Αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ ἅγιος Σαμουὴλ ὁ τριετὴς ἀποδοθεὶς τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις τῶν ἁγίων ἀνατραφείς, μεταλαμβάνει τῶν κτισμάτων τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὸν Σαοὺλ χρίσας εἰς βασιλέα ἐπέτρεψε τούτῳ ἐσθίειν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ. Καί τις προφήτης περὶ αὐτῶν· Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἀαρὼν ἐν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ Σαμουὴλ ἐν τοῖς ἐπικαλουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπεκαλοῦντο τὸν κύριον, καὶ αὐτὸς εἰσήκουσεν αὐτῶν· ἐν στύλῳ νεφέλης ἐλάλει πρὸς αὐτούς. Καὶ ἦν ἀκολούθως εἰπεῖν περὶ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων, πῶς πάντες μετ' εὐχαριστίας τῶν κτισμάτων τοῦ θεοῦ μετελάμβανον καὶ τὸν δημιουργὸν ἐδόξαζον. Ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ τῷ πλήθει τῶν λόγων ὀκνηροτέρους ποιήσωμεν τοὺς ἐντυγ χάνοντας, ἠρκέσθημεν δεῖξαι ὅτι καὶ ὁ θεὸς προσεδέξατο παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων τὰς θυσίας καὶ αὐτοῖς ἐπέτρεψε μετ' εὐχαριστίας καὶ εὐλαβείας ἐσθίειν. Εἰ δὲ καί τις τῶν ἁγίων ἀπέσχετο βρωμάτων πρὸς βραχύ, οὐχ ὡς ἀπὸ ἀκαθάρτων ἀπέσχετο. Ποῖος γὰρ μισθὸς ἀπὸ ἀκαθάρτου ἀπέχεσθαι; Ἀλλ' ἕκαστος τῶν εὐλαβῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ἡδέων καὶ ἐπιτετραμμένων οἷον ἀπέχεταί τις γυναικὸς καίπερ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιτρέψαντος μεταλαμβάνειν γυναικός· ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς στεφάνους τῆς ἁγνείας τοὺς κρείττονας ἀπέχεται τῆς γυναικὸς ἁγνεύων, οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀπεχόμενος μοιχείας ἢ πορνείας ἐστεφανώθη. Ταῦτα γὰρ εἰ ἔπραξε, καὶ ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ νόμος καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων κατέκρινεν αὐτόν. Πάλιν ἀπέχεταί τις βρωμάτων ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάληψιν τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀπεχόμενος τούτων, οὐχ ὡς ἀπὸ ἀκαθάρτων ἀπέχεται, εἰ δὲ μή γε, μισθὸν οὐκ ἔχει. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ εἰδωλοθύτων ἀνάγκης αὐτῷ μὴ ἐπικειμένης ἐπῃνέθη ἢ μισθὸν περὶ τούτου προσεδόκησεν, ἐν ταύταις δὲ ταῖς ἁγίαις νηστείαις καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἄρτου καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος ἀπεχόμενος. Τῷ αὐτῷ οὖν λόγῳ καὶ εἴ τις τῶν ἁγίων ἀνδρῶν ἀπέσχετό τινος γάμου ἢ βρωμάτων ἢ οἴνου· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς τοῦ θεοῦ τινα τῶν ἁγίων πάντων ἀπεχόμενον, ἵνα μὴ δῶσιν αἱρετικοῖς λαβήν. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἐπαινοῦσι τόνδε τὸν ἅγιον δι' ἁγνείαν, διὰ τὰ βρώμα τα αὐτὸν κατακρίνουσι. Πάλιν ἐὰν εὕρωσί τινα οἴνου ἀπεχόμενον, διὰ τὸν γάμον τοῦτον βδελύσσονται· καὶ ὅλως οὐχ εὑρήσεις τινὰ τῶν ἁγίων δι' ὅλου τῷ δόγματι αὐτῶν συν τρέχοντα. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔχουσί τι καυχήσασθαι περὶ ἐγκρατείας βρωμάτων· ὡς γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἐδείξαμεν τοὺς ἁγίους πατριάρχας καὶ θεῷ προσκομίσαντας τῶν κτισμάτων αὐτοῦ, οὕτως καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔχουσι τὸν Ἠσαῦ μήτε θεῷ θυσίας προσκομί σαντα μήτε κρεῶν ἀπογευσάμενον ἢ οἶνον πιόντα, ἀλλ' ἕψεμα φακοῦ φαγόντα καὶ οὕτως ἀποδόμενον τὰ πρωτοτόκια. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγων· Μήτε πόρνος ἢ βέβηλος ὡς Ἠσαῦ, ὃς ἀντὶ μιᾶς βρώσεως ἀπέδω τὰ πρωτοτόκια αὐτοῦ. Ἴστε γὰρ ὅτι καὶ μετέπειτα θέλων κληρονομῆσαι τὴν εὐλογίαν ἀπεδοκιμάσθη, μετανοίας γὰρ τόπον οὐχ εὗρε. Πορνείαν δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὴν γαστρι μαργίαν ὠνόμασεν. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἀπὸ τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης· δείξομεν δὲ αὐτοῖς καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν τῶν εὐαγγελίων, ὅτι ὁ

The Abundance of the Fishes and the Hypocrisy of the Heretic§14

14those that come out of the heart

He granted them fishes. For he commanded the crowds to sit down, and having blessed the loaves and the fishes, he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds. The ones wanted to ask the heretic: 'If you were present, were you receiving the blessing of Christ, or were you turning away the blessing because of the fishes?' But indeed, he would even loathe Christ himself, because he provided living things to the people for eating and enjoyment. Yet still, those who always fall against Christ dare to say that there was no abundance from the fishes.

First, who are you to answer God? Does the creature say to the one who fashioned it: 'Why did you make me thus?' Do you not violate the mystery? Are you not astonished at the paradox, that from five loaves and two fishes such multitudes were satisfied, and similarly also from seven loaves and two fishes the same thing happened? Except that every shameless mouth might be shut, Mark the evangelist said that there was abundance even from the fishes. Will you not then cease now discussing with the Lord? Or do you persist in shamelessness?

And the worm, from where did you learn to avoid it as a poison? But whom did you ever know that, having eaten a worm, he was judged or perished? Or where in the Scriptures did God forbid eating a worm? But you, above all fornication and adultery, fear the worm, and with foreign women you live pleasantly, bedding with them without calculating the harm, yet you guard against the worm as an abomination. Perhaps also from much indifference you do not perceive the Lord saying: 'Everyone who looks at a woman to desire, commits adultery' (Matt 5:28).

And how will you escape the judgment of God, always cohabiting with foreign women? Flee from a woman as from the face of a serpent, as the Scripture says (Prov 7:4); and 'Who will kindle fire in his bosom and his garments will not be burned?' (Prov 6:27) Or 'Who will walk on coals and not burn his feet?' (Prov 6:28) And he brought it forward, saying thus: 'The one entering into a foreign woman will not be without punishment for evils,' and so on. Whether she is a virgin or unchaste, she is a stranger to you; and you were taught to avoid these, but not the worm. Let us hold that it harms you yourself, which is impossible, but nevertheless through these words you ensnare the wretched little women, saying: 'I am not harmed.' For if you were incorporeal and did not wear a body, you truly would not have suffered; but nevertheless, because of the stumbling block, you would have clearly fallen in the judgment of God by living this way.

Greek · §14

Χριστὸς καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ μετελάμβανον τῶν βρωμάτων καὶ τοὺς ἐσθίοντας οὐκ ἐκώλυον. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ τεχθεὶς ὁ κύριος ὑπὸ τῆς ἀειπαρ θένου Μαρίας καὶ περιτμηθεὶς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὀγδόῃ κατὰ τὸν νόμον Μωσέως καὶ ἀνατραφεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου Μαρίας, καὶ ἐν τῷ ναῷ τοῦ θεοῦ ὅσα τε ὁ νόμος διηγόρευσε καὶ τούτῳ ἐγένετο, ἕως οὗ ἐπληρώθη τὸ τριακοστὸν ἔτος· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν δυνατὸν μὴ ἀναβαίνειν αὐτὸν καθ' ἕκαστον ἔτος εἰς τὴν ἑορτὴν τοῦ φαγεῖν τὸ πάσχα, ὅπερ ἦν ὁ ἀμνὸς καὶ τὰ ἀκόλουθα. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος λέγων· Οὐκ ἦλθον καταλῦ σαι τὸν νόμον, ἀλλὰ πληρῶσαι. Πληρωθέντος δὲ τοῦ Χρόνου ἐλθὼν ἐπὶ τὸ βάπτισμα καὶ νηστεύσας τεσσαράκοντα ἡμέρας καὶ τεσσαρά κοντα νύκτας ὕστερον ἐπείνασεν, ἵνα πληροφορήσῃ ἕκαστον ὅτι ἀκριβῶς τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐφόρεσε καὶ οὐ δοκήσει οὐδὲ φαντασίᾳ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἀπέχεται μὲν πάντων διὰ τὴν νηστείαν, ἵνα διδάξῃ νηστεύειν· ἀπέχεται δὲ οὐχ ὡς ἀπὸ ἀκαθάρτων, καθὼς προείπομεν· μετὰ μικρὸν γὰρ εὑρίσκεται μεταλαμβάνων. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τῆς πείνης ἔδειξεν ὅτι τὸ σῶμα ὃ ἐφόρεσε τροφῆς χρείαν εἶχε· πολλάκις γὰρ κληθεὶς ὑπὸ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ ὑπὸ Σίμωνος τοῦ φαρισαίου ἤσθιε τὰ παρατιθέμενα αὐτῷ καὶ ἐθερά πευε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἵνα πείσῃ πάντας ὅτι οὐδὲν παρεφυλάττετο τῶν ἐπιτετραμμένων ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, αὐτὸς μαρτυρεῖ καὶ οὐκ ἂν διεψεύσατο ἡ ἀλήθεια· λέγει γὰρ οὕτως ὀνειδίζων τὸ σκληρὸν τοῦ λαοῦ· Ἦλθεν ὁ Ἰωάννης μήτε ἐσθίων μήτε πίνων, καὶ λέγετε· δαιμόνιον ἔχει· εἶτα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ· Ἦλθεν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐσθίων καὶ πίνων, καὶ λέγετε· ἰδοὺ ἄνθρωπος φάγος καὶ οἰνοπότης, φίλος τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν. Τίς τολμήσει ἔτι θεομαχῆσαι καὶ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ ἀντιστῆναι; Καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος· Οὐ τὰ εἰσπορευόμενα κοινοῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἐκ τῆς καρδίας ἐκπο ρευόμενα, ταῦτα μιαίνει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. Καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς δὲ ἀποστέλλων ἐπὶ τὸ κήρυγμα παρήγγειλεν αὐτοῖς· Ἐσθίετε τὰ παρατιθέμενα ὑμῖν καὶ θεραπεύετε τοὺς ἀρρώστους αὐτῶν. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς πολυπραγμονεῖν εἰ χύτρα καὶ πινάκιον καθαρόν, ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς τὰ παρατιθέμενα ἐσθίετε. Τὰ δὲ πλήθη τὰ παρακολου θοῦντα αὐτῷ πῶς ἐκόρεσε; Τοὺς πεντακισχιλίους λέγω καὶ τοὺς τετρακισχιλίους. Πῶς; σὺν τοῖς ἄρτοις καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας αὐτοῖς ἐπέδωκεν. Ἐκέλευσε γὰρ τοὺς ὄχλους ἀναπεσεῖν καὶ εὐλογήσας τοὺς ἄρτους καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας ἔδωκε τοῖς μαθηταῖς, οἱ δὲ μαθηταὶ τοῖς ὄχλοις. Ἤθελον ἐρωτῆσαι τὸν αἱρετικόν· «Εἰ παρῆς, ἐλάμβανες τὴν εὐλογίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἢ διὰ τοὺς ἰχθύας τὴν εὐλογίαν ἀπεστρέφου «; Πάντως δὲ καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Χριστὸν ἂν ἐβδελύσσου, ὅτι τὰ ἔμψυχα τῷ λαῷ παρέθηκεν εἰς βρῶσιν καὶ ἀπόλαυσιν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τολμῶσι λέγειν οἱ ἀεὶ τῷ Χριστῷ ἀντι πίπτοντες, ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν ἰχθύων οὐκ ἐπερίττευσεν. Πρῶτον μέν, σὺ τίς εἶ ὁ ἀποκρινόμενος τῷ θεῷ; μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι· σὺ τί με ἐποίησας οὕτως; Οὐ φρίττεις τὸ μυστήριον; Οὐκ ἐκπλήττῃ ἐπὶ τῷ παραδόξῳ, ὅτι ἀπὸ πέντε ἄρτων καὶ δύο ἰχθύων τοσαῦτα πλήθη ἐκορέσθη, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἄρτων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν δύο ἰχθύων τὸ αὐτὸ γέγονε; Πλὴν ἵνα φραγῇ πᾶν στόμα ἀναίσχυντον, Μάρκος ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἶπε πεπερισσευκέναι καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἰχθύων. Ἆρα οὐκ ἂν ἄρτι παύσῃ συζητῶν τῷ κυρίῳ; Ἢ ἐπιμενεῖς ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναισχυντίᾳ; Τὸ δὲ ὠὸν ποῦ ἔμαθες ἀποφεύγειν ὡς δηλητήριον; Τίνα δὲ ἔγνως ποτὲ ὅτι φαγὼν ὠὸν κατεκρίθη ἢ ἀπώλετο; Ἢ ποῦ θεὸς ἐν ταῖς γραφαῖς ἐκώλυσεν ὠὸν ἐσθίειν; Σὺ δὲ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν πορνείαν καὶ μοιχείαν τὸ ὠὸν φοβῇ καὶ ταῖς μὲν ἀλλοτρίαις γυναιξὶ καταμόνας ἡδέως συζῇς μὴ λογιζόμενος τὴν βλάβην, ὠὸν δὲ ὡς βδέλυγμα φυλάττῃ. Τάχα δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς πολλῆς ἀδιαφορίας οὐδὲ αἰσθάνῃ αὐτοῦ τοῦ κυρίου λέγοντος· Πᾶς ὁ ἐμβλέψας πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι, συντυχία*. Σὺ δὲ πῶς ἐκφεύξῃ τὸ κρίμα τοῦ θεοῦ ἀεὶ συνοικῶν ἀλλοτρίαις; Φύγε ἀπὸ γυναικὸς ὡς ἀπὸ προσώπου ὄφεως, ὥς φησιν ἡ γραφή· καὶ Τίς ἀποδήσει πῦρ ἐν τῷ κόλπῳ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια οὐ κατακαύσει; Ἢ τίς περιπατήσει ἐπ' ἀνθράκων, τοὺς δὲ πόδας οὐ κατακαύσει; Καὶ ἐπήγαγεν εἰπὼν οὕτως· Ὁ εἰσερχόμενος εἰς γυναῖκα ἀλλοτρίαν οὐκ ἀτιμώρητος ἔσται κακῶν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εἴτε γὰρ παρθένος ἐστὶν εἴτε ὕπανδρος, ἀλλοτρία σου ἐστί· καὶ ἐδιδάχθης ταύτας ἀποφεύγειν, οὐχὶ δὲ τὸ ὠόν. Θῶμεν δὲ ὅτι αὐτό σε βλάπτει, ὅπερ ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τούτων τῶν λόγων παγιδεύεις τὰ ἄθλια γυναικάρια λέγων· «Οὐ βλάπτομαι «. Εἰ γὰρ ἦς ἄσαρκος καὶ σῶμα μὴ ἐφόρεις, καὶ ὄντως οὐκ ἂν ἔπασχες, ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τὸ σκανδαλί ζειν πολλοὺς ὑπέπεσας ἂν τῇ τιμωρίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ σαφῶς

The Lord's interaction with creation and his post-resurrection appearances§15

15After it was said that it is appropriate for an animal millstone to be hung by its neck and cast into the sea, or that one of these little ones should be scandalized, we will show that the Lord accepts even the worm and calls it good; for this is his own creature. For teaching his disciples, he says: 'If a son asks his father for bread, will he not give him a stone? And if he asks for a fish, will he not give him a serpent? And if he asks for a worm, will he not give him a scorpion?' (Matt 7:9-10). And he immediately proceeds: 'If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, and so on.' Do you see how he called bread, worm, and small fish good, because they are the creatures of a good God? But you, through your contentious spirit, seek to show the offspring of the Creator to be a maker of evils, but no one is good according to the Gospel except God alone; and being good, He abundantly created all good things.

And it was sufficient indeed to convince all men of this, that the Creator of all things made all things for the use and enjoyment of men, and that He sanctified His own creatures, just as the Word demonstrated. But we shall teach the children of the church more things, and we shall rebuke those who are always opposing and acting lawlessly toward God; we shall convince each person that our Lord Jesus Christ, even until His passion, ate meat and nowhere throughout the whole of His incarnate economy did He loathe or forbid eating such things. For what does the Gospel say? At the first of the Unleavened, His disciples approached Him, saying, when they were sacrificing the Passover: 'Rabbi, where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?' (Luke 22:8). But which of men most faithful is ignorant of this Passover? For He showed, both through the season and through the Unleavened, the lamb being sacrificed, which the law showed; for it was necessary that the law be fulfilled through this Passover and that the new covenant take its beginning through the true Lamb. And the apostles, having been sent, prepared the lawful Passover, which the Lord says with His own disciples: 'With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer, because in the past times of the incarnate economy, in each year, they ate the Passover' (Luke 22:15). For it was not possible to neglect this; for it is written in Luke: 'As He was ascending into Jerusalem...'

The custom of the feast. However, they did not eat this with such desire because their own Passover was still far off; but when the grace of the human race drew near and he was about to deliver himself for the life of the world, he ate the Passover with great desire among his disciples. It is thus shown also in this that our Lord Jesus Christ and his disciples, even until his passion, partook of his creatures; rather, the Lord himself, through his own goodness and economy, sanctified his own creatures.

And these things indeed were so until the passion. But what of after the resurrection? So that no one might disbelieve the economy, nor think anyone that the Lord had arrived among the human race without flesh; after his rising from the dead, he appears to his disciples and shows them the marks of the nails and the wound of the side, which he received from the soldier with the spear. And again after these things he makes himself manifest to his disciples upon the sea of Tiberias.

For the holy John the Evangelist says thus: Peter, Thomas who is called Didymus, and Nathanael from Cana of Galilee, about whom the Lord testified, 'Behold, truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit' (John 1:47), were there also, and the sons of Zebedee, John and James, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter says to them, 'I am going fishing.' They say to him, 'We will come also with you.' So they went out and went up into the boat immediately, and in that night they caught nothing. But when it became morning, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus says to them, 'Children, do you have any food?' They answered him, 'No.' Jesus says to them, 'Cast the net on the right side of the boat and you will find.' So they cast, and they were no longer able to haul it in because of the multitude of fish. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved, that is, John himself, says, 'It is the Lord' (John 21:7). Simon Peter, having heard that it is the Lord, took the garment and girded himself, for he was naked, and threw himself into the sea; but the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but as from two hundred fathoms, hauling the...

Greek · §15

εἰπόντος ὅτι Συμφέρει ἵνα μύλος ὀνικὸς κρεμασθῇ εἰς τὸν τράχηλον αὐτοῦ καὶ καταποντισθῇ εἰς τὸ πέλαγος ἢ ἵνα σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων. Ἡμεῖς δὲ δείξομεν ὅτι τὸ ὠὸν ὁ κύριος ἀποδέχεται καὶ ἀγαθὸν ὀνομάζει· καὶ τοῦτο γὰρ ἴδιον κτίσμα. ∆ιδάσκων γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς λέγει· Ἐὰν αἰτήσῃ ὁ υἱὸς τὸν πατέρα αὐτοῦ ἄρτον, μὴ λίθον ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ; Καὶ ἐὰν αἰτήσῃ ἰχθύν, μὴ ὄφιν ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ; Καὶ ἐὰν αἰτήσῃ ὠόν, μὴ σκορπίον ἐπιδώσει αὐτῷ; Καὶ εὐθὺς ἐπάγει· Ἐὰν οὖν ὑμεῖς πονηροὶ ὄντες οἴδατε δόματα ἀγαθὰ παρέχειν τοῖς τέκνοις ὑμῶν καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ὁρᾷς πῶς τὸν ἄρτον καὶ τὸ ὠὸν καὶ τὸ ὀψάριον ἀγαθὰ ἐκάλεσεν, ἐπειδὴ ἀγαθοῦ θεοῦ εἰσι κτίσμα; Σὺ δὲ φιλονεικεῖς διὰ τοῦ σοῦ τύφου δεῖξαι τὸν δημιουρ γὸν κακῶν ποιητήν, ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ἀγαθὸς κατὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον εἰ μὴ εἷς ὁ θεός· ἀγαθὸς δὲ ὢν πάντα τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἀφθόνως ἐδημιούργησε. Καὶ ἱκανὰ μὲν ἦν καὶ ταῦτα πεῖσαι πάντας ἀνθρώπους, ὅτι ὁ δημιουργὸς τῶν ὅλων πάντα ἐποίησεν εἰς χρῆσιν καὶ ἀπόλαυσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις καὶ ὅτι ἡγίασε τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κτίσματα, καθὼς ἀπέδειξεν ὁ λόγος. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ πλείονα διδάξομεν τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ ἐλέγξομεν τοὺς ἀντικειμένους ἀεὶ καὶ ἀντινομοθετοῦντας τῷ θεῷ· πείσομεν ἕκαστον ὅτι ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς μέχρι τοῦ πάθους κρέα ἤσθιε καὶ οὐδαμοῦ δι' ὅλης τῆς ἐνσάρκου αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίας ταῦτα ἐβδελύξατο ἢ ἐκώλυσεν ἐσθίειν. Τί γὰρ λέγει τὸ εὐαγγέλιον; Τῇ δὲ πρώτῃ τῶν ἀζύμων προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ λέγοντες, ὅτε τὸ πάσχα ἔθυον· Ῥαββί, ποῦ θέλεις ἑτοιμάσωμέν σοι φαγεῖν τὸ πάσχα; Τίς δὲ ἀνθρώπων μάλιστα πιστῶν τὸ πάσχα τοῦτο ἀγνοεῖ; Ἔδειξε γὰρ καὶ διὰ τοῦ καιροῦ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀζύμων τὸν θυόμενον ἀμνόν, ὃν ἔδειξεν ὁ νόμος· ἔδει γὰρ πληρωθῆναι τὸν νόμον διὰ τοῦ πάσχα τούτου καὶ ἀρχὴν λαβεῖν τὴν καινὴν διαθήκην διὰ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ ἀμνοῦ. Καὶ πεμφθέντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἡτοίμασαν τὸ πάσχα τὸ ἔννομον, ὃ ὁ κύριος μετὰ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ μαθητῶν λέγει· Ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἐπεθύμησα τοῦτο τὸ πάσχα φαγεῖν μεθ' ὑμῶν πρὸ τοῦ με παθεῖν, ἐπειδὴ ἐν τοῖς παρελθοῦσι χρόνοις τῆς ἐνσάρκου οἰκονομίας καθ' ἕκαστον ἔτος ἤσθιε τὸ πάσχα. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἦν δυνατὸν τούτου ἀμελῆσαι· γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν τῷ Λουκᾷ· Ἀναβαίνοντος τούτου εἰς Ἱεροσόλυμα κατὰ τὸ ἔθος τῆςἑορτῆς. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐ μετὰ τοσαύτης ἐπιθυμίας τοῦτο ἤσθιε διὰ τὸ ἔτι μακρὰν ἀπέχειν τὸ ἴδιον πάσχα· ὅτε δὲ ἐπλησίασεν ἡ χάρις τοῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἔμελλεν ἑαυτὸν παραδοῦναι ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ζωῆς, μετὰ πολλῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἤσθιε τὸ πάσχα μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ. ∆έδεικται οὖν καὶ ἐν τούτῳ ὅτι ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ μέχρι τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῦ μετελάμβανον τῶν κτισμάτων αὐτοῦ· μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος διὰ τῆς οἰκείας αὐτοῦ ἀγαθότητος καὶ οἰκονομίας ἡγίαζε τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κτίσματα. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν μέχρι τοῦ πάθους. Τί δὲ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν; Ἵνα μή τις ἀπιστῇ τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ μηδὲ νομίσῃ τις ὅτι χωρὶς σαρκὸς ἐπεδήμησεν ὁ κύριος τῷ γένει τῶν ἀνθρώπων, μετὰ τὸ ἀναστῆναι αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐμφανίζεται τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ δείκνυσιν αὐτοῖς τοὺς τύπους τῶν ἥλων καὶ τὴν πληγὴν τῆς πλευρᾶς, ἣν ἔλαβεν ὑπὸ τοῦ στρατιώτου τῇ λόγχῃ. Καὶ πάλιν μετὰ ταῦτα φανεροῖ ἑαυτὸν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς θαλάσσης τῆς Τιβεριάδος. Λέγει γὰρ ὁ ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς οὕτως· Ἦσαν ὁμοῦ Πέτρος καὶ Θωμᾶς ὁ λεγόμενος ∆ίδυμος καὶ Ναθαναὴλ ὁ ἀπὸ Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, περὶ οὗ ὁ κύριος ἐμαρτύρησεν· Ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστιν· ἦσαν δὲ καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Ζεβεδαίου, Ἰωάννης καὶ Ἰάκωβος, καὶ ἄλλοι ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν αὐτοῦ δύο. Λέγει αὐτοῖς Σίμων Πέτρος· ὑπάγω ἁλιεύειν. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· ἐρχόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς σὺν σοί. Ἐξῆλθον οὖν καὶ ἀνέβησαν εἰς τὸ πλοῖον εὐθύς, καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ νυκτὶ ἐπίασαν οὐδέν. Πρωΐας δὲ γενομένης ἔστη ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐπὶ τοῦ αἰγιαλοῦ· οὐ μέντοι ᾔδεισαν οἱ μαθηταὶ ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἐστιν. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· παιδία, μή τι προσφάγιον ἔχετε; Ἀπεκρίθησαν αὐτῷ· οὔ. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· βάλετε εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ μέρη τοῦ πλοίου τὸ δίκτυον καὶ εὑρήσετε. Ἔβαλον οὖν καὶ οὐκέτι αὐτὸ ἑλκύσαι ἴσχυσαν ἀπὸ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν ἰχθύων. Λέγει οὖν ὁ μαθητὴς ἐκεῖνος ὃν ἠγάπα ὁ Ἰησοῦς, τουτέστιν αὐτὸς ὁ Ἰωάννης· ὁ κύριός ἐστιν. Σίμων οὖν Πέτρος ἀκούσας ὅτι ὁ κύριός ἐστιν, ἔλαβε τὸν ἐπενδύτην καὶ ἐζώσατο, ἦν γὰρ γυμνός, καὶ ἔβαλεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν· οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι μαθηταὶ τῷ πλοιαρίῳ ἦλθον, οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν μακρὰν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀλλ' ὡς ἀπὸ πηχῶν διακοσίων, σύροντες τὸ

The Physicality of Christ and the Error of Manichaeism§16

16The net of fish. As they went out onto the land, they saw charcoal lying there and a fish lying with bread. Jesus says to them: 'Bring from the fish which you have now cast.' Simon Peter went up and drew the net onto the land full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and when these were present, the net was not torn. Jesus says to them: 'Come, breakfast.' But none of the disciples dared to examine him: 'Who are you?' knowing that it is the Lord. Jesus comes and takes the bread and gives to them, and the fish likewise. And when they had eaten, then immediately he commands Peter and the rest of the apostles how they shall shepherd the humanity.

Do you see the goodness of God? Do you see the philanthropy of the Master? Not one of the apostles did he recognize, nor did he blame these, nor did he strike them, saying: 'Why did you leave the preaching and turned toward the fishing of the fish?' But he also visits these and exhorts them and works with them toward the hunt and breakfasts them, making ready bread and the fish, so that in this also he might show that he is the creator of land and sea.

And what also does the blessed Luke the evangelist say after the resurrection? For first he says that he saw the holy women having seen the tomb opened and having heard from the angels: 'Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but as he said, he was raised from the dead.' Having learned these things from the angels, they reported to the eleven disciples that the Lord was raised from the dead. And the holy Peter, having heard, ran to the tomb and stooping, saw the cloths lying and went away to himself marveling.

And two of them were going toward a certain village, to whom, having seen the Lord, he exposed their unbelief and was teaching them that it is necessary for the Christ Lord to suffer and to rise. And after their return to Jerusalem and their telling to the eleven disciples how the Lord appeared to them on the way, and while the disciples were still troubled and debating about this, the Lord himself stood in the midst of them, saying to them, 'Peace to you, I am, do not fear.' But having been terrified and having become fearful, it seemed to them to be a spirit. And he said to them...

To those: Why are you disturbed, and for what reason do arguments arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself; touch me and see, that I do not have flesh and bones as you see me having. And having said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. But while they were still disbelieving out of amazement, he said to them: Do you have something edible here? And they gave him a piece of roasted fish and some of honeyed wax; and having taken it, he ate in their presence, so that he might convince them also through the food, that he is the one who was with them and dining with them even before the passion. Who will still dare to fight against God? Who will be carried away into such unbelief as to disbelieve these things?

If everywhere it has been demonstrated through both the old and the new covenant that the creatures of God are sanctified—for whether it is offered to God, or whether Christ who became man partakes of it, through all his creatures he is sanctified—then let the heretics stop correcting God. For to say: 'He did this well, he did this poorly,' is not the property of a human mind, but of one being mad and fighting against God.

Let us see, then, if they themselves abstain from all living things according to the teaching of the unclean Manichaeans. For their leaders, having once legislated to abstain from living things because of the impiety dwelling in them, said that things growing from the earth are living; but they have torn away the testimonies from the Scriptures; for as it says in Daniel: 'Bless the beasts and cattle and all the flying things of the heaven, the Lord'—thus he says—'Bless all things growing from the earth, the Lord.' And following their own impiety, they fell into the abyss of error; for it is no longer possible for those saying these things to live in the flesh. And those imitating those teachers were also falling away; for they say that seeds have a life-giving power and bodies, and we say this too; but to abstain from living things, this you have legislated for yourself; and since you have rebelled against the commandment of the Lord, even if you have kept his confession, you are abstaining from living things and from foreign bodies. For the Lord says in the gospels concerning the...

Greek · §16

δίκτυον τῶν ἰχθύων. Ὡς οὖν ἀπέβησαν εἰς τὴν γῆν, βλέπουσιν ἀνθρακιὰν κειμένην καὶ ὀψάριον ἐπικείμενον καὶ ἄρτον. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ἐνέγκατε ἀπὸ τῶν ὀψαρίων ὧν ἐπιάσατε νῦν. Ἀνέβη Σίμων Πέτρος καὶ εἵλκυσε τὸ δίκτυον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς μεστὸν ἰχθύων μεγάλων ἑκατὸν πεντήκοντα τριῶν· καὶ τοσούτων ὄντων οὐκ ἐσχίσθη τὸ δίκτυον. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· δεῦτε ἀριστήσατε. Οὐδεὶς δὲ ἐτόλμα τῶν μαθητῶν ἐξετάσαι αὐτόν· σὺ τίς εἶ; εἰδότες ὅτι ὁ κύριός ἐστιν. Ἔρχεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ λαμβάνει τὸν ἄρτον καὶ δίδωσιν αὐτοῖς καὶ τὸ ὀψάριον ὁμοίως. Καὶ ὅτε ἠρίστησαν, τότε ἀκολούθως ἐντέλλεται τῷ Πέτρῳ καὶ τοῖς λοι ποῖς ἀποστόλοις, πῶς ποιμανοῦσι τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. Ὁρᾷς ἀγαθότητα θεοῦ; Ὁρᾷς φιλανθρωπίαν δεσπότου; Οὐ κατέγνω τῶν ἀποστόλων οὐδὲ ᾐτιάσατο τούτους οὐδὲ ἔπληξεν αὐτοὺς λέγων· «∆ιὰ τί κατελίπετε τὸ κήρυγμα καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἄγραν τῶν ἰχθύων ἐτράπητε «; Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπισκέπτεται τούτους καὶ παρακα λεῖ αὐτοῖς καὶ συνεργεῖ αὐτοῖς πρὸς τὴν θήραν καὶ ἄριστον αὐτοῖς εὐτρεπίζει ἑτοιμάσας ἄρτον καὶ τὸ ὀψάριον, ἵνα καὶ ἐν τούτῳ δείξῃ ὅτι γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης αὐτός ἐστι δημιουργός. Τί δὲ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Λουκᾶς ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν λέγει; Πρῶτον γὰρ τὰς ἁγίας γυναῖκάς φησιν ἑωρακέ ναι τὸ μνημεῖον ἀνεῳγμένον καὶ ἀκοῦσαι παρὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων· Τί ζητεῖτε τὸν ζῶντα μετὰ τῶν νεκρῶν; Οὐκ ἔστιν ὧδε, ἀλλὰ καθὼς εἶπεν ἠγέρθη ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν. Ταῦτα μαθοῦσαι παρὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων ἀπήγγειλαν τοῖς ἕνδεκα μαθηταῖς, ὅτι ἠγέρθη ὁ κύριος ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν. Ὁ δὲ ἅγιος Πέτρος ἀκούσας ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον καὶ παρακύψας βλέπει τὰ ὀθόνια κείμενα καὶ ἀπῆλθε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν θαυμάζων. ∆ύο δέ τινες ἐξ αὐτῶν ἦσαν πορευόμενοι εἰς κώμην τινά, οἷς καὶ ὀφθεὶς ὁ κύριος ἐξελέγξας τὴν ἀπιστίαν αὐτῶν ἐδίδασκεν αὐτούς, ὅτι δεῖ παθεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν κύριον καὶ ἀναστῆναι. Καὶ ὑποστρεψάντων αὐτῶν εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ διηγουμένων τοῖς ἕνδεκα μαθηταῖς πῶς ὤφθη αὐτοῖς ὁ κύριος ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, καὶ τῶν μαθητῶν ἔτι ταρασσομένων καὶ διαλογιζομένων περὶ τούτου, αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἔστη ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν, εἰρήνη ὑμῖν λέγων, ἐγώ εἰμι, μὴ φοβεῖσθε. Πτοηθέντες δὲ καὶ ἔντρομοι γενόμενοι ἐδόκουν πνεῦμα θεωρεῖν. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Τί τεταραγμένοι ἐστέ, καὶ διὰ τί διαλογισμοὶ ἀναβαίνουσιν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν; Ἴδετε τὰς χεῖράς μου καὶ τοὺς πόδας μου, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐγώ εἰμι· ψηλαφήσατέ με καὶ ἴδετε, ὅτι πνεῦμα σάρκα καὶ ὀστέα οὐκ ἔχει καθὼς ἐμὲ θεωρεῖτε ἔχοντα. Καὶ τοῦτο εἰπὼν ἔδειξεν αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ τοὺς πόδας. Ἔτι δὲ ἀπιστούντων αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῆς χαρᾶς καὶ θαυμαζόντων εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἔχετέ τι βρώσιμον ἐνθάδε; Οἱ δὲ ἐπέδωκαν αὐτῷ ἰχθύος ὀπτοῦ μέρος καὶ ἀπὸ μελισσίου κηρίου· καὶ λαβὼν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν ἔφαγεν, ἵνα πείσῃ αὐτοὺς καὶ διὰ τοῦ βρώματος, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ καὶ πρὸ τοῦ πάθους συνὼν αὐτοῖς καὶ συνδιαιτώμενος. Τίς ἔτι τολμήσει θεομαχῆσαι; Τίς εἰς τοσαύτην ἀπιστίαν κατενεχθήσεται ὥστε τούτοις ἀπιστῆσαι; Εἴπερ πανταχοῦ ἀποδέδεικται διά τε τῆς παλαιᾶς καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης ἁγιαζόμενα τὰ κτίσματα τοῦ θεοῦ, εἴτε γὰρ προσφέρεται θεῷ, εἴτε καὶ μεταλαμβάνει ὁ Χριστὸς ὁ ἐνανθρωπήσας, διὰ πάντων τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κτίσματα ἁγιάζεται. Παυσάτωσαν οὖν οἱ αἱρετικοὶ διορθούμενοι τὸν θεόν. Τὸ γὰρ λέγειν· «Τοῦτο καλῶς ἐποίησε, τοῦτο ἐσφάλη ποιήσας «, οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνθρώπου νοῦν ἔχοντος, ἀλλὰ μαινομένου καὶ θεομαχοῦντος. Ἴδωμεν δέ, εἰ αὐτοὶ πάντων τῶν ἐμψύχων ἀπέχονται κατὰ τὴν διδασκαλίαν τῶν ἀκαθάρτων Μανιχαίων. Ἐκείνων γὰρ οἱ ἔξαρχοι ἅπαξ νομοθετήσαντες ἐμψύχων ἀπέχεσθαι διὰ τὴν ἐνοικοῦσαν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀσέβειαν, καὶ τὰ φυόμενα ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἔμψυχα εἶπον· ἀπεσπάσαντο δὲ ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν τὰς μαρτυρίας· ὡς γὰρ λέγει ἐν τῷ ∆ανιήλ· Εὐλογεῖτε τὰ θηρία καὶ κτήνη καὶ πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸν κύριον, οὕτως φησίν· Εὐλογεῖτε πάντα τὰ φυόμενα ἐκ τῆς γῆς τὸν κύριον. Καὶ ἀκολούθως τῇ οἰκείᾳ ἀσεβείᾳ ἀκολουθήσαντες εἰς τὸν κρημνὸν τῆς πλάνης κατερράγησαν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔτι δυνατὸν ζῆσαι ἐν σαρκὶ ἐκείνους αὐτοὺς τοὺς ταῦτα λέγοντας. Ἀκόλουθον δὲ ἕπεσθαι καὶ τοὺς μιμητὰς ἐκείνων τοῖς διδασκάλοις· ὅτι γὰρ ζωτικὴν δύναμιν καὶ σώματα ἔχει τὰ σπέρματα, τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς λέγομεν· τὸ δὲ ἀπέχεσθαι ἐμψύχων, τοῦτο σαυτῷ ἐνομοθέτησας· καὶ ἐπειδὴ τῇ τοῦ κυρίου διαταγῇ ἀνθέστηκας, κἂν τὴν αὐτοῦ ὁμολογίαν φύλαξον ἀπεχόμενος τῶν ἐμψύχων καὶ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων σωμάτων. Λέγει γὰρ ὁ κύριος ἐν εὐαγγελίοις περὶ τῶν

The Analogy of the Seed and the Body§17

17Of seeds: But if it dies, it bears much fruit. It is evident that the living one dies; and you once refrained from eating the things that have life-giving power. And the apostle Paul says: That which you sow is not made alive unless it dies (1 Cor 15:36); and that which you sow, you do not sow the body that is to be born, but a naked grain if it should be wheat or something of the rest; but God gives to it a body, as He willed (1 Cor 15:37-38). It has been demonstrated also concerning the seeds, how it dies and is made alive, and that God gives to it a body, as He willed.

You have in the Old Testament that God sincerely accepted sacrifices from the righteous, and that all the saints ate meat and the rest of the creatures with thanksgiving; you were persuaded through the holy gospels that text ends in gap.

Greek · §17

σπερμάτων· Ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ, καρπὸν πολὺν φέρει. ∆ῆλον ὅτι ὁ ζῶν ἀποθνῄσκει· σὺ δὲ ἅπαξ παρεφυλάξω ἐσθίειν τὰ κεκτημένα τὴν ζωτικὴν δύναμιν. Καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος· Σὺ ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ ζωοποιεῖται, ἐὰν μὴ ἀποθάνῃ· καὶ ὃ σπείρεις, οὐ τὸ σῶμα τὸ γενησόμενον σπείρεις, ἀλλὰ γυμνὸν κόκκον εἰ τύχοι σίτου ἤ τινος τῶν λοιπῶν· ὁ δὲ θεὸς δίδωσιν αὐτῷ σῶμα, καθὼς ἠθέλησεν. Ἀποδέδεικται καὶ περὶ τῶν σπερμάτων, πῶς ἀποθνῄσκει καὶ ζωοποιεῖται καὶ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς δίδωσιν αὐτῷ σῶμα, καθὼς ἠθέλησεν. Ἔχεις ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ διαθήκῃ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς γνησίως θυσίας παρὰ τῶν δικαίων προσεδέξατο καὶ ὅτι οἱ ἅγιοι πάντες μετὰ εὐχαριστίας ἤσθιον κρέα καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ κτίσματα· ἐπείσθης διὰ τῶν ἁγίων εὐαγγελίων ὅτι ...........

The Death of the Seed§18

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18Of seeds: But if it dies, it bears much fruit. It is evident that the living one dies; and you once set aside eating the things possessed which have the life-giving power.

And the apostle Paul says: That which you sow is not made alive unless it dies (1 Corinthians 15:36); and that which you sow, not the body.

Greek · §18

The Seed and the Body§19

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19You sow what is about to become, but if you should happen to find a naked grain of wheat or of something else; but God gives it a body, just as He willed. It has also been demonstrated concerning the seeds, how it dies and is made alive (1 Cor 15:36), and that God gives it a body.

Greek · §19

τὸ γενησόμενον σπείρεις, ἀλλὰ γυμνὸν κόκκον εἰ τύχοι σίτου ἤ τινος τῶν λοιπῶν· ὁ δὲ θεὸς δίδωσιν αὐτῷ σῶμα, καθὼς ἠθέλησεν. Ἀποδέδεικται καὶ περὶ τῶν σπερμάτων, πῶς ἀποθνῄσκει καὶ ζωοποιεῖται καὶ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς δίδωσιν αὐτῷ σῶμα,

Sacrifice and Holy Meals in the Old Testament§20

20Just as he willed. You have in the old covenant that God sincerely accepted sacrifices from the righteous, and that all the saints ate meat and the other creatures with thanksgiving. You were persuaded through the holy gospels that...........

Greek · §20

καθὼς ἠθέλησεν. Ἔχεις ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ διαθήκῃ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς γνησίως θυσίας παρὰ τῶν δικαίων προσεδέξατο καὶ ὅτι οἱ ἅγιοι πάντες μετὰ εὐχαριστίας ἤσθιον κρέα καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ κτίσματα· ἐπείσθης διὰ τῶν ἁγίων εὐαγγελίων ὅτι ...........

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