in the wrestling school with various writings, struggle in the divinely inspired scriptures themselves, gathering the great wealth of the two testaments, of the old, and of the new always. For the second one written is new and after itself will no longer have a third. To these give all your zeal gladly, from which you will learn to practice a good way of life and to worship the true and only God. For there is an eternal Monad and Triad, Father with Son and all-holy Spirit, a Triad distinct in persons, a Monad in nature. Therefore, neither confuse the hypostases by number, nor, in worshipping God, divide the nature. For the Triad is truly not divided by nature. For the Triad is one, one God almighty. This is a subtle, pious mystery. For the way of truth is truly narrow, a path with cliffs on both sides, constricted, from which having slipped from opposite sides they were dashed down into a deep-cliffed error, Sabellius on the one hand looking towards the Jews, and Arius imitating the idolaters, the one confusing the hypostasis of the persons, the other impiously dividing the substance. But you, keep unwavering to the middle way, dividing as is right, and joining as is lawful. For the Triad is joined without confusion, just as the Monad is separated without division. For the nature is indivisible, but the hypostases always remain utterly unconfused. Remain for me a guardian of these doctrines and a genuine worker of the commandments, but wise in all mystical contemplations, always progressing, never puffed up. For thus a greater grace will blossom. Do you see how the faithful Moses, the man of God, an image of the virtuous life, how, after having first learned all the wisdom of the Egyptians and been raised in deep wealth, he willingly became both a fugitive and a poor man, and in the deserts exchanged the luxury of Egypt for the hired table of shepherds, preferring a hard life to the glory of tyrants, until, judged worthy of perfect visions, he saw the greatest mystery of an angel revealed from the flame of a fiery bush. Then, being deemed worthy then for the first time both to hear the voice of God and having received authority, he looses the yoke of slavery for a groaning people and rules the whole race by the decree of God. Having received such a high station, he is not exalted, but says that he is of a weak voice and slow of tongue, saying he is weak, so that by thinking humbly he might remain strong. Guard the image of this life, forming yourself in the way of Moses.

And the learning of the words among the Greeks, like a judge casting a lawful vote, arrange to be subservient, as is fitting, to the plain speech of true doctrines and to the all-wise contemplation of the scriptures. For it is just that the wisdom of the spirit, being from above and having come from God, should be the mistress of lower education, as of a handmaid not puffed up in vain, but accustomed to serve in an orderly manner. For let the lower serve that of God. But nevertheless it is especially fitting for you to learn this beforehand: not every book is safe which has acquired the august name of scripture. For there are, there are at times falsely named books; some are in-between and neighbors, as one might say, of the words of truth. But others are spurious and very perilous, like counterfeit and illegitimate coins, which have the inscription of the king, but are debased, being adulterated in their material. For this reason I will tell you each of the divinely inspired books; and so that you may learn clearly, I will first tell you those of the old testament. The Pentateuch has Creation, then Exodus, and has Leviticus as the middle book, after which Numbers, then Deuteronomy. To these add Joshua and Judges, then Ruth and the four books of Kings, and the pair of Chronicles. After these, Ezra first, then the second. Next I will tell you the five poetical books: Job, crowned in the struggles of various sufferings, and the book of Psalms, a melodious cure for souls, and then three of wise Solomon, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Songs. To these add the twelve prophets, Hosea first, then Amos the second, Micah, Joel, Obadiah and Jonah, the type of His three-day passion, after them Nahum, Habakkuk, then the ninth Zephaniah,

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παλαίστρᾳ ποικίλοις συγγράμμασιν, αὐταῖς ἐνάθλει ταῖς θεοπνεύστοις γραφαῖς διττῶν διαθηκῶν συλλέγων πλοῦτον μέγαν, τῆς μὲν παλαιᾶς, τῆς δέ γε καινῆς ἀεί. καινὴ γάρ ἐστι δευτέρα γεγραμμένη καὶ μεθ' ἑαυτὴν μηκέθ' ἕξουσα τρίτην. ταύταις ἅπασαν ἀσμένως σπουδὴν νέμε, παρ' ὧν μαθήσῃ χρηστὸν ἐξασκεῖν τρόπον καὶ τὸν ἀληθῆ καὶ μόνον θεὸν σέβειν. Μονὰς γάρ ἐστι καὶ τριὰς ἀίδιος, πατὴρ σὺν υἱῷ καὶ παναγίῳ πνεύματι, τριὰς προσώποις εὐκρινής, μονὰς φύσει. μήτ' οὖν ἀριθμῷ συγχέῃς ὑποστάσεις, μήτ' αὖ θεὸν σὺ προσκυνῶν τέμῃς φύσιν. φύσει γὰρ ὄντως ἡ τριὰς οὐ τέμνεται. μία τριὰς γάρ, εἷς θεὸς παντοκράτωρ. τοῦτ' ἐστι λεπτὸν εὐσεβὲς μυστήριον. στενὴ γὰρ ὄντως τῆς ἀληθείας ὁδός, ἀτραπὸς ἀμφίκρημνος, ἐκτεθλιμμένη, ἧς ἐξολισθήσαντες ἐξ ἐναντίων κατερράγησαν εἰς βαθύκρημνον πλάνην, Σαβέλλιος μὲν πρὸς Ἰουδαίους βλέπων, εἰδωλολάτρας δ' Ἄρειος μιμούμενος, ὁ μὲν προσώπων συγχέων ὑπόστασιν, ὁ δ' αὖ μερίζων δυσσεβῶς τὴν οὐσίαν. σὺ δ' ἀκλινῶς φύλαττε τὴν μέσην ὁδόν, ὡς χρὴ διαιρῶν, καὶ συνάπτων ὡς θέμις. συνάπτεται γὰρ ἡ τριὰς ἀσυγχύτως, ὥσπερ ἀτμήτως ἡ μονὰς χωρίζεται. ἡ γὰρ φύσις ἄτμητος, αἱ δ' ὑποστάσεις ἀεὶ μένουσι παντελῶς ἀσύγχυτοι. Τούτων φύλαξ μοι διαμένοις τῶν δογμάτων καὶ γνήσιος μὲν ἐργάτης τῶν ἐντολῶν, σοφὸς δ' ἁπάσαις μυστικαῖς θεωρίαις, ἀεὶ προκόπτων, μήποτ' ἐκφυσώμενος. μείζων ἐπανθήσει γὰρ οὕτως ἡ χάρις. ὁρᾷς ὁ πιστὸς Μωϋσῆς, ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος, εἰκὼν τοῦ κατ' ἀρετὴν βίου, ὅπως ἅπασαν ἐκμαθὼν Αἰγυπτίων σοφίαν τὰ πρῶτα κἀν βαθεῖ πλούτῳ τραφεὶς ἑκὼν φυγάς τε καὶ πένης ἐγίγνετο, κἀν ταῖς ἐρήμοις τῆς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τρυφῆς θῆσσαν τράπεζαν ποιμένων ἠλλάξατο δόξης τυράννων προκρίνας σκληρὸν βίον, ἕως τελείων ἄξιος θεαμάτων κριθεὶς μέγιστον ἀγγέλου μυστήριον εἶδε φανέντος ἐκ φλογὸς πυρὸς βάτου. εἶτ' ἀξιωθεὶς καὶ θεοῦ πρῶτον τότε φωνῆς ἀκοῦσαι καὶ λαβὼν ἐξουσίαν λαῷ στένοντι δούλειον λύει ζυγὸν ἄρχει τε παντὸς τοῦ γένους ψήφῳ θεοῦ. λαβὼν τοσοῦτον ὕψος οὐκ ἐπαίρεται, ἀλλ' ἰσχνόφωνον καὶ βραδύγλωσσόν τινα φησὶν ἑαυτὸν ἀσθενὴς εἶναι λέγων, ὡς ἂν φρονῶν ταπεινὸν ἰσχυρὸς μένῃ. τούτου φύλαττε τοῦ βίου τὴν εἰκόνα μορφῶν σεαυτὸν τῷ τρόπῳ τῷ Μωσέως.

Καὶ τὴν μάθησιν τῶν παρ' Ἕλλησιν λόγων ὥσπερ δικαστὴς ἔννομον ψῆφον φέρων ὑπηρετεῖσθαι τάξον, ὥς ἐστι πρέπον, τῇ τῶν ἀληθῶν δογμάτων παρρησία τῇ πανσόφῳ τε τῶν γραφῶν θεωρία. καὶ γὰρ δίκαιον τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ πνεύματος ἄνωθεν οὖσαν ἐκ θεοῦ τ' ἀφιγμένην δέσποιναν εἶναι τῆς κάτω παιδεύσεως ὥσπερ θεραπαίνης μὴ μάτην φυσωμένης, ὑπηρετεῖν δὲ κοσμίως εἰθισμένης. τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ γὰρ ἡ κάτω δουλευέτω. Πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο προμαθεῖν μάλιστά σοι προσῆκον· οὐχ ἅπασα βίβλος ἀσφαλὴς ἡ σεμνὸν ὄνομα τῆς γραφῆς κεκτημένη. εἰσὶν γάρ, εἰσὶν ἔσθ' ὅτε ψευδώνυμοι βίβλοι· τινὲς μὲν ἔμμεσοι καὶ γείτονες, ὡς ἄν τις εἴποι, τῶν ἀληθείας λόγων. αἱ δ' αὖ νόθοι τε καὶ λίαν ἐπισφαλεῖς ὥσπερ παράσημα καὶ νόθα νομίσματα, ἃ βασιλέως μὲν τὴν ἐπιγραφὴν ἔχει, κίβδηλα δ' ἐστί, ταῖς ὕλαις δολούμενα. Τούτων χάριν σοι τῶν θεοπνεύστων ἐρῶ βίβλων ἑκάστην· ὡς δ' ἂν εὐκρινῶς μάθῃς, τὰς τῆς παλαιᾶς πρῶτα διαθήκης ἐρῶ. ἡ πεντάτευχος τὴν κτίσιν, εἶτ' ἔξοδον, λευιτικὸν δὲ τὴν μέσην βίβλον ἔχει, μεθ' ἣν ἀριθμούς, εἶτα δευτερονόμιον. τούτοις Ἰησοῦν προστίθει καὶ τοὺς κριτάς, ἔπειτα τὴν Ῥοὺθ βασιλειῶν τε τέσσαρας βίβλους, παραλειπομένων δέ γε ξυνωρίδα. Ἔσδρας ἐπ' αὐταῖς πρῶτος, εἶθ' ὁ δεύτερος. ἑξῆς στιχηρὰς πέντε σοι βίβλους ἐρῶ· στεφθέντος ἄθλοις ποικίλων παθῶν Ἰὼβ ψαλμῶν τε βίβλον, ἐμμελὲς ψυχῶν ἄκος, τρεῖς δ' αὖ Σολομῶντος τοῦ σοφοῦ, παροιμίας, ἐκκλησιαστὴν ᾆσμά τε τῶν ᾀσμάτων. ταύταις προφήτας προστίθει τοὺς δώδεκα, Ὠσηὲ πρῶτον, εἶτ' Ἀμὼς τὸν δεύτερον, Μιχαίαν, Ἰωήλ, Ἀβδίαν καὶ τὸν τύπον Ἰωνᾶν αὐτοῦ τοῦ τριημέρου πάθους, Ναοὺμ μετ' αὐτούς, Ἀββακούμ, εἶτ' εἴνατον Σοφονίαν,

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