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the church was being signified, which they who speak against and slander and mock will not be pure; for they shall become leprous and shall be cast out from the camp of the just. 12 Christ is the treasure hidden in a field, that is, in the scriptures which are in the world—for the world is the field—, but hidden, because it was signified through types and parables which could not be understood before the fulfillment of the things prophesied came, which is the coming of the Lord. For every prophecy before its fulfillment is an enigma and a contradiction to men; but when the time comes and the thing prophesied comes to pass, then it has obtained the most accurate explanation. And for this reason, the law, when read by the Jews at the present time, is like a fable; for they do not have the explanation of all things, which is the coming in the flesh of the Son of God; but when read by Christians, it is a treasure, hidden indeed in a field, but revealed to them. 13 Thus Paul made his defense to the Corinthians: "For we are not as many, peddling the word of God." "We have wronged no one." The church nurtures such presbyters; concerning whom the prophet also says: "I will give your rulers in peace and your bishops in righteousness." 14 This happened without Lot knowing, nor serving pleasure, but a dispensation was certainly being fulfilled, through which the two synagogues, having borne children from one and the same Father, were signified, without carnal pleasure. For there was no one else able to give them living seed and the fruit of children, as it is written. 15 And he examines the Ebionites. How can they be saved, if it was not God who worked out their salvation upon the earth? Or how shall man pass into God, unless God has passed into man? 16 But the divine word examines those who work divisions, being void of the love of God and considering their own profit, but not the unity of the church, and for slight and random causes cutting and dividing the great and glorious body of Christ, and as much as in them lies, destroying it, speaking peace and working war, truly "straining out the gnat, but swallowing the camel"; for no correction of such magnitude can be effected by them, as is the mischief of the schism. 17 All things hold together; a complete faith in one God Almighty, from whom are all things, a firm persuasion in the Son of God, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom are all things and His dispensations, through which the Son of God became man, a true knowledge in the Spirit of God, who furnishes the dispensations of the Father and the Son in every generation among men, as the Father wills, the teaching of the apostles and the ancient system of the church throughout the whole world. 18 Those who preached Emmanuel from the Virgin declared the union of the Word of God with His creature. 19 Through the parable of the laborers sent into the vineyard at different times, one and the same householder is shown, having called some at the beginning of the world's creation, some after this, and others after the middle period, others as the times were advancing, and again others at the end, so that there are many laborers according to their own generations, but one householder who calls them together. For there is one vineyard, because there is also one righteousness; and one steward, for there is one Spirit of God who directs all things; and likewise also one reward, for all "received a denarius each," the image and superscription of the king, the knowledge of the Son of God, which is incorruption. And for this reason He began "from the last" to give the reward, because in the last times the Lord, having been manifested, has restored Himself to all. 20 There is no violence with God, but a good will is always present with Him. 21 If some have become wicked by nature, and others good, neither are these praiseworthy for being good, for so they were made, nor are those blameworthy,

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ἐκκλησία ἐδηλοῦτο, ἣν οἱ καταλαλοῦντες καὶ ἐνδιαβάλλοντες καὶ διαμωκώμενοι οὐκ ἔσονται καθαροί· λεπρήσουσι γὰρ καὶ ἐξαφορισθήσονται τῆς τῶν δικαίων παρεμβολῆς. 12 Χριστός ἐστιν ὁ θησαυρὸς ὁ κεκρυμμένος ἐν ἀγρῷ, τουτέστι ταῖς γραφαῖς ταῖς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ οὔσαις- ἀγρὸς γὰρ ὁ κόσμος-, κεκρυμμένος δέ, ὅτι διὰ τύπων καὶ παραβολῶν ἐσημαίνετο μὴ δυναμένων νοηθῆναι πρὸ τοῦ τὴν ἔκβασιν τῶν προφητευομένων ἐλθεῖν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ παρουσία τοῦ Κυρίου. Πᾶσα γὰρ προφητεία πρὸ τῆς ἐκβάσεως αἴνιγμά ἐστι καὶ ἀντιλογία τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ καιρὸς καὶ ἀποβῇ τὸ προφητευθέν, τότε τῆς ἀκριβεστάτης ἐπέτυχεν ἐξηγήσεως. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων μὲν ἀναγινωσκόμενος ὁ νόμος ἐν τῷ νῦν καιρῷ μύθῳ ἔοικεν· οὐ γὰρ ἔχουσι τὴν ἐξήγησιν τῶν πάντων, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἡ κατ' ἄνθρωπον παρουσία τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὑπὸ δὲ χριστιανῶν ἀναγινωσκόμενος, θησαυρός ἐστι, κεκρυμμένος μὲν ἐν ἀγρῷ, αὐτοῖς δὲ ἀποκαλυπτόμενος 13 Οὕτω Παῦλος ἀπελογεῖτο Κορινθίοις· «Οὐ γάρ ἐσμεν ὡς οἱ πολλοί, καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ.» «Οὐδένα ἠδικήσαμεν» Τοιούτους πρεσβυτέρους ἀνατρέφει ἡ ἐκκλησία· περὶ ὧν καὶ ὁ προφήτης φησίν· «∆ώσω τοὺς ἄρχοντάς σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ τοὺς ἐπισκόπους σου ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ.» 14 Μὴ εἰδότος τοῦ Λώτ, μηδὲ ἡδονῇ δουλεύσαντος, τοῦτο γεγένηται, ἀλλὰ πάντως οἰκονομία ἐπετελεῖτο, δι' ἧς αἱ δύο συναγωγαὶ ἀπὸ ἑνὸς καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πατρὸς τεκνοποιησάμεναι ἐμηνύοντο ἄνευ σαρκὸς ἡδονῆς. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἄλλος οὐδεὶς σπέρμα ζωτικὸν καὶ τέκνων ἐπικαρπίαν δυνάμενος δοῦναι αὐταῖς, καθὼς γέγραπται. 15 Ἀνακρίνει δὲ καὶ τοὺς Ἐβιωναίους. Πῶς δύνανται σωθῆναι, εἰ μὴ ὁ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ τὴν σωτηρίαν αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐργασόμενος; Ἢ πῶς ἄνθρωπος χωρήσει εἰς Θεόν, εἰ μὴ ὁ Θεὸς ἐχώρησεν εἰς ἄνθρωπον; 16 Ἀνακρίνει δὲ τὸ θεῖον τοὺς τὰ σχίσματα ἐργαζομένους, κενοὺς ὄντας τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγάπης καὶ τὸ ἴδιον λυσιτελὲς σκοποῦντας, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὴν ἕνωσιν τῆς ἐκκλησίας, καὶ διὰ μικρὰς καὶ τὰς τυχούσας αἰτίας τὸ μέγα καὶ ἔνδοξον σῶμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ τέμνοντας καὶ διαιροῦντας καὶ ὅσον τὸ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἀναιροῦντας, εἰρήνην λαλοῦντας καὶ πόλεμον ἐργαζομένους, ἀληθῶς «διϋλίζοντας τὸν κώνωπα, τὴν δὲ κάμηλον καταπίνοντας»· οὐδεμία γὰρ τηλικαύτη δύναται πρὸς αὐτῶν κατόρθωσις γενέσθαι, ἡλίκη τοῦ σχίσματός ἐστιν ἡ βλάβη. 17 Πάντα συνέστηκεν· εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν παντοκράτορα ἐξ οὗ τὰ πάντα πίστις ὁλόκληρος, ἡ εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα καὶ τὰς οἰκονομίας αὐτοῦ δι' ὧν ἄνθρωπος ἐγένετο ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ πεισμονὴ βεβαία, ἡ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ τὰς οἰκονομίας Πατρός τε καὶ Υἱοῦ σκηνοβατοῦν καθ' ἑκάστην γενεὰν εἰς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καθὼς βούλεται ὁ Πατὴρ γνῶσις ἀληθής, ἡ τῶν ἀποστόλων διδαχὴ καὶ τὸ ἀρχαῖον τῆς ἐκκλησίας σύστημα κατὰ παντὸς τοῦ κόσμου. 18 Οἱ τὸν ἐκ τῆς Παρθένου Ἐμμανουὴλ κηρύττοντες τὴν ἕνωσιν τοῦ Λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὸ πλάσμα αὐτοῦ ἐδήλουν. 19 ∆ιὰ τῆς παραβολῆς τῶν ἐργατῶν τῶν ἐν διαφόροις καιροῖς εἰς τὸν ἀμπελῶνα πεμπομένων εἷς καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς οἰκοδεσπότης δείκνυται, κεκληκὼς οὓς μὲν ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου κατασκευῆς, ἐνίους δὲ μετὰ τοῦτο, καὶ ἑτέρους μετὰ τὴν μεσοχρονίαν, ἄλλους δὲ προκοπτόντων τῶν καιρῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ τέλει πάλιν ἄλλους, ὥστε εἶναι πολλοὺς μὲν τοὺς ἐργάτας κατὰ τὰς ἑαυτῶν γενεάς, ἕνα δὲ τὸν συγκαλούμενον αὐτοὺς οἰκοδεσπότην. Καὶ γὰρ ἀμπελὼν εἷς, ὅτι καὶ μία δικαιοσύνη· καὶ εἷς οἰκονόμος, ἓν γὰρ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ διέπον τὰ πάντα· ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ μισθὸς εἷς, πάντες γὰρ «ἔλαβον ἀνὰ δηνάριον», εἰκόνα καὶ ἐπιγραφὴν τοῦ βασιλέως, τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἀφθαρσία. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο «ἀπὸ τῶν ἐσχάτων» ἤρξατο διδόναι τὸν μισθόν, ὅτι ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν καιρῶν φανερωθεὶς ὁ Κύριος τοῖς πᾶσι ἑαυτὸν ἀποκατέστησεν. 20 Βία Θεῷ οὐ πρόσεστιν, ἀγαθὴ δὲ γνώμη πάντοτε συμπάρεστιν αὐτῷ. 21 Εἰ φύσει οἱ μὲν φαῦλοι, οἱ δὲ ἀγαθοὶ γεγόνασιν, οὐθ' οὗτοι ἐπαινετοὶ ὄντες ἀγαθοί, τοιοῦτοι γὰρ κατεσκευάσθησαν, οὔτ' ἐκεῖνοι μεμπτοί,