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reviling them in themselves, but by comparison with the intelligible and super-cosmic things. For often someone who has been introduced to instruction and has been occupied with and has worked on the introductory discourses, as is possible, and has made much progress in them, when he comes to the higher wisdom, says "I knew nothing before". And the "nothing" is said in comparison with greater things. If therefore he speaks about the "visible" creations, of the ordering of the world, he calls them "vanity of vanities" in relation to the intelligible substance, in relation to God, in relation to the "angels," the "principalities," the "powers"; and if the "visible" "sun" is spoken of, in relation to the sun "of righteousness" it is "vanity" and nothing; and if the sensible "rock" is spoken of that "gave drink" to the "people" of the Jews "in the desert," in relation to the "spiritual rock"—and "this is Christ"—it is "vanity." Therefore he does not revile creation. A question: about this ordering? Not entirely about this; for these are not "all things," but also the things signified through them. Unless we wish to take "God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good" as being only about the ordering, the things said to be inferior and "vain" by comparison with greater things are not deprived of their lesser status; and I say this: in relation to the intelligible and "invisible" "creations" the "visible" creation of God is of little worth. But in itself it is great; for "from the greatness and beauty of created things their originator is seen by analogy." I say: often there are kinds of knowledge shown through symbols; and the symbols themselves are great in themselves, but when compared to the words of God revealed through sons they appear to be very small. And if every word is smaller than the word of God revealed through a son, yet he did not know that it is small; in relation to that it is altogether small. And so even if the things that appear in the ordering were "very good," they are simply nothing in relation to the super-cosmic things. And that I may take an example from the apostle: he who is "given milk to drink" because he is a "babe" "in Christ" and "carnal," receives something after this "milk." A question: to whom then is the discourse addressed, to those who consider great the things that are nothing or to those who have ascended? To those who are in the church assembly; and in the church assembly there are those who are being instructed in these introductory matters, and others being instructed in them, so that through them they may advance to the greater things. Will you not say that in every place of the problem there are both beginners and perfected ones? And there are beginners, and there are also those so perfected, as to be able to pass on to the second stage; so he teaches the one group to despise "vain things," but he instructs the other to advance through them and to press on to greater things, so that one might say: "while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen." Nevertheless such a person "looks at" both. When different things, greater and lesser, are said to the same person, they seem to be contradictory. For he cannot be in knowledge of both at the same time and in the same moment. But when he speaks to a multitude—Paul, for instance, writes to the Corinthians, to the whole church: "I thank God that in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge," he does not say: "I fed you with milk, not solid food." Those who are "given milk to drink," "not being able" to receive "solid food," because "you are not yet able," are not the same ones to whom he says that "I thank God that in everything you were enriched," since these are contradictions. Then again, agreeing to speak "the wisdom of God" to such people in their perfection, he says: "It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans"; and he straightway accuses them as being "ignorant" of the doctrine of the "resurrection" and the contemplation of "spiritual" meanings.

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καθ' αὑτὰ λοιδορῶν αὐτά, ἀλλὰ πα ραθέσει τῶν νοητῶν καὶ ὑπερκοσμίων. πολλάκις γοῦν καὶ εἰσ αχθείς τις εἰς παίδευσιν καὶ ἐν τοῖς εἰσαγωγικοῖς ἀναστραφεὶς λόγοις καὶ ἐνεργήσας, ὡς ἐνδέχεται, καὶ προκόψας πολὺ ἐν αὐτοῖς, οταν εἰς τὴν ἀνωτέρω γένηται σοφίαν, λέγει "οὐδὲν ῃυ̣δειν πρότερον". καὶ τὸ οὐδ̣ὲν ἐν συνκρίσει τῶν μειζόνων λέγεται. ἐὰν̣ ουν περὶ τῶν "ὁρατῶν" δημιουργημάτων λέγῃ, τῆ̣ς διακοσμήσεως τοῦ κόσμου, "ματαιότητα ματαιοτήτων" αὐτὰ λέ γει ὡς πρὸς τὴν νοητὴν οὐσίαν, ὡς πρὸς τὸν θεόν, ὡς πρὸς τοὺς "ἀγγέλους", τὰς "ἀρχάς", τὰς "ἐξουσίας"· καν λέ γηται "ηλιος" "ὁρατός", ὡς πρὸς τὸν "τῆς δικαιοσύνης" "ματαιότης" καὶ οὐδέν ἐστιν· καὶ ἐὰν λέγηται "πέτρα" αἰσθητὸς "ποτίσασα" τὸν τῶν ̓Ι̣ουδαίων "λαὸν" "ἐν τῇ ἐρή μῳ" ὡς πρὸς τὴν "πνευματικὴν πέτραν"-αυτη "δέ ἐστιν ὁ Χ̣ριστός"-"ματαιότης" ἐστίν. οὐ λοιδορεῖ ουν τὴν κτίσιν. ἐπερ· περὶ τῆς διακοσμήσεως ταύτης; οὐ πάντως μὲν περὶ τούτου· οὐδὲ γὰρ ταῦτα "τὰ πάντα" ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ δι' αὐτῶν δηλούμενα. ἐὰν μὴ περὶ τῆς διακοσμήσεως μόνης ἐκλαβεῖν θέλ̣ωμεν τὸ "ειδεν ὁ θεὸς πάντα οσα ἐποίησεν, καὶ ἰδοὺ καλὰ λίαν", οὐκ ἀφῄρηνται τῆς ἐλαττώσεως τὰ συνκρίσει μειζόνων λεγόμενα ὑποδεέστε 9 ρα καὶ "μάταια"· καὶ λέγω γε· ὡς πρὸς τὰ προς τα νοητὰ καὶ "ἀόρατα" "ποιήματα" ἡ κτίσις ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ "ὁρατὴ" εὐτελής ἐστιν. αὐτὴ δὲ καθ' ἑαυτὴν μεγάλη ἐστίν· "ἐκ με γέθους" γοῦν "καλλονῆ̣ς̣ καὶ κτισμάτων ἀναλόγως ὁ γενε σιουργὸς αὐτῶν θεωρεῖται". λέγ̣ω· πολλάκις εἰσὶν ἐπιστῆμαι διὰ συμβόλων δεικνύμεναι· καὶ αὐτά γε τὰ σύμβολα καθ' ἑαυτὰ μεγάλα ἐστίν, παρατιθέμενα δὲ τοῖς θεοῦ ῥήμασιν τοῖς διὰ υἱῶν δηλουμένοις φαίνονται βραχ̣ύτατα ειναι. καὶ εἰ πᾶς λόγος βραχύτερός ἐστιν τοῦ θεοῦ ῥή̣ματος τοῦ διὰ υἱοῦ δηλουμένου, ἀλλ' οὐκ ηυ̣δη οτι βραχύς ἐστιν· ὡς πρὸς ἐκεῖνο καθάπαξ ἐστὶν βραχύς. καν τοίνυν "καλὰ λίαν" ην τὰ φαινόμενα ἐν τῇ διακοσμήσει, ἁπλ̣ῶς πρὸς τὰ ὑπερκόσμια τὸ οὐδέν εἰσιν. καὶ ινα ἐξ ἀποστολικοῦ λάβω· ὁ "ποτιζόμενος γάλα" διὰ τὸ "νήπιος" ειναι "ἐν Χριστῷ" καὶ "σάρκινος", λαμβάνει τι μετὰ τὸ "γάλα" τοῦτο. ἐπερ· ὡς πρὸς τίνας ουν ὁ λόγος, τοὺς μεγάλα τὰ μηδὲν νομίζοντα̣ς η πρὸς τοὺς ἀναβεβηκότας; τοὺς ἐκκλησιαζομένους· ἐν τοῖς ἐκκλησιαζομένοις δέ εἰσιν αὐτὰ̣ ταῦτα τὰ εἰσαγόμενα παιδευόμενοι, καὶ αυ̣λλοι παιδευό μενοι αὐτά, ινα δι' αὐτῶν προβῶσιν ἐπὶ τὰ μείζονα. οὐκ ἐρεῖς ἐν ἑκάστῳ τόπῳ προβλήματος ειναι καὶ ἀρχομέ νους καὶ τελειωθέντας; εἰσὶν δὲ ἀρχόμενοι, εἰσὶν δὲ καὶ ουτω τελειωθέντες, ὡς εἰς τὸ δεύτερον λοιπὸν ευ̣χειν μεταβῆναι· τοὺς μὲν ουν διδάσκει καταφρονεῖν τῶν "ματαίων", τοὺς δὲ παιδεύει δι' αὐτῶν προβαίνειν καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ μείζω σπεύδειν, ωστε αν εἰπεῖν· "σκοπούντων ἡμῶν οὐ τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα". πλὴν ἀμφότερα ὁ τοιοῦτος "σκοπεῖ". οταν διάφορα, μείζονα καὶ ἐλάττονα, τῷ αὐτῷ προσώπῳ λέ γηται, δοκεῖ ἀντικείμενα ειναι. οὐ δύναται γοῦν αμα καὶ κα τὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν̣ ἀμφοτέρων ἐν ἐπιστήμῃ ειναι. οταν δὲ πρὸς πλῆθος λέγῃ-Παῦλος γοῦν γράφει Κορινθίοις, ολῃ τῇ ἐκ κλησίᾳ· "εὐχαριστῶ οτι ἐν παντὶ ἐπλουτίσθητε ἐν αὐτῷ παν τὶ λόγῳ καὶ πάσῃ γνώσει", οὐ λέγει· "γάλα ὑμᾶς ἐπότισα, οὐ βρῶμα." οἱ "γάλα ποτιζόμενοι" "μὴ δυνάμενοι" "βρῶμα" δέ ξασθαι, οτι "ουυ̣πω δύνασθε", οὐχ οἱ αὐτοί εἰσιν, οις λέ γει οτι "εὐχαριστῶ οτι ἐν παντ̣ὶ ἐπλουτίσθητε", ἐπεὶ ἀντι κείμενά ἐστιν. ειτα πάλιν ἀποδεχόμενος ἐπὶ τελειότητι "θ̣εοῦ σοφίαν" λέγειν τοῖς τοιούτοις λέγει· "ολως ἀκούεται ἐν ὑμῖν πορνεία καὶ τοιαύτη πορνεία, ητις οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ευ̣θνεσιν"· καὶ ευ̣τι διαβάλλει ὡς "ἀγνοοῦντας" τὸν περὶ τῆς "ἀναστάσεως" λόγον καὶ τὴν θεωρίαν τῶν "πνευματικῶν" νοημάτων.