to be mute, having cast the word from himself 5.31 and not being able to give an account of any legal or prophetic word? 6.32 <Not> every occasion is given even to those who are married for marital relations, but there is a time when it is necessary to abstain from this, when they are already old and by providence prevented from conceiving <through> the works of marriage. Since, therefore, this one according to a plan "conceived" through the word of the angel, she was ashamed, if [not] being an old woman <she> sleeps with a man, 6.33 and "she hid herself for five months," until Mary also conceived. For when Mary had conceived and came to her, and "when the greeting" of her "came to her ears," "the babe leaped in exultation in the womb" of Elizabeth, and Elizabeth prophesied and spoke the things that are written from the "Holy Spirit." And "all these things were spoken in the hill country." When these things were therefore spoken, as concerning a divine conception and as concerning a prophet who was about to be born among the people, she no longer "hid herself," but, if one must say so, even spoke boldly, that the forerunner of the Lord was her offspring. 6.34 Then after this it is written that "in the sixth month," of Elizabeth's conception that is, "the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph." Why indeed, having decided to beget the Savior from a virgin, did God not choose a virgin who was unbetrothed? Was it not, therefore, a plan also for her to conceive while having a betrothed, so that the conception might not seem to bring shame upon her body? For which reason it is well written in one of the epistles of a certain martyr—I mean Ignatius, the second bishop of Antioch after the blessed Peter, who fought with wild beasts in Rome during the persecution—: 6.35 "and the virginity of Mary escaped the notice of the ruler of this age." As if the supposed marriage had not happened, it would not have escaped his notice, but "the ruler of this age" would have known that Mary, having never slept with a man, had conceived, and that this conception must be divine. But the Savior wished throughout the whole economy to escape the notice of the devil, and indeed he commanded his disciples not to make him known. But also when he was tempted by the devil, he nowhere declared openly that he is the Son of God, but only said: it is not necessary for me to worship you, it is not necessary for me to make stones into bread, it is not necessary for me to cast myself down from above. 6.36 But also the apostle says that the economy of the passion happened by being hidden from the opposing power; "which none of the rulers of this age has known. For if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." And if it did not escape the notice of the demon—for it said, "We know you, who you are, the Son of God"—see that the lesser in wickedness knew the Savior, but the worse in it, from the greatness of its wickedness, was hindered from 6.37 seeing him. And our wickedness too, if it is lesser, we are helped because it is lesser to live well; but if more wickedness is found in us, the struggle to cast it off is greater. He spoke a certain strange greeting to her, which I have not found in any scripture; come now, let us examine this. The "hail, full of grace" is said nowhere; but neither is this said to any man, but this greeting was reserved for her. What then the virgin, knowing as a student 6.38 of the law the greeting to be a certain strange one and said to no one before? she was troubled at the word; for which reason he himself says to her: "fear not." "This one will be great," he says. This was said also concerning John; but when the truly "great" one came, that one was small. For "that one was the burning and shining lamp." But his greatness was not then so revealed as it appears now. For see <the> greatness of his power; "for their sound has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." 6.39 and among those in <Britain .......> and among those in Mauretania and among those who believe everywhere and passing through all. For go up in word to heaven and see him filling the things there; for he "was seen"

ἄλαλος εἶναι, ἐκβαλὼν τὸν λόγον ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ 5.31 καὶ μὴ δυνάμενος περὶ μηδενὸς λόγον ἀποδοῦναι νομικοῦ ἢ προφητικοῦ λόγου; 6.32 <Οὐ> πᾶς καιρὸς δέδοται καὶ τοῖς ἐν γάμῳ οὖσι τῆς κοινωνίας τῆς γαμικῆς, ἀλλ' ἔστιν, ὅτε δεῖ ταύτης ἀφιστᾶν ἤδη γεγηρακότας καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς προνοίας ἀποκεκλεισμένους πρὸς τὸ συλλαμβάνειν <διὰ> τὰ ἔργα τοῦ γάμου. Ἐπεὶ οὖν αὕτη κατ' οἰκονομίαν διὰ τὸν τοῦ ἀγγέλου λόγον «συνέλα βεν», ᾐσχύνετο, εἰ [μὴ] πρεσβῦτις <οὖσα> μετ' ἀνδρὸς κοιμᾶται, 6.33 καὶ «ἔκρυπτεν ἑαυτὴν ἐπὶ μῆνας πέντε», ἕως καὶ Μαρία συλλάβῃ. Ὅτε γὰρ Μαρία συνέλαβε καὶ ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτήν, καὶ «ὅτε ἐγένετο ὁ ἀσπασμὸς» αὐτῆς «εἰς τὰ ὦτα» αὐτῆς, «ἐσκίρτησεν ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει τὸ βρέφος ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ» τῆς Ἐλι σάβετ, καὶ προεφήτευσεν ἡ Ἐλι σάβετ καὶ ἐκ «πνεύματος ἁγίου» ἐλάλησε τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα. Καὶ «ἐλαλήθη ἐν τῇ ὀρεινῇ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα». Λαληθέντων οὖν αὐτῶν ὡς περὶ θείας συλλή ψεως καὶ ὡς περὶ προφήτου μέλλον τος γεννᾶσθαι ἐν τῷ λαῷ, οὐκ ἔτι «ἑαυτὴν περιέκρυβεν», ἀλλ', εἰ δεῖ οὕτως εἰπεῖν, καὶ ἐπαρρησιάσατο, ὅτι ἄρα γέννημα εἴη αὐτῆς ὁ πρό δρομος τοῦ κυρίου. 6.34 Εἶτα μετὰ ταῦτα γέγραπται, ὅτι «τῷ μηνὶ τῷ ἕκτῳ», τῆς συλλήψεως Ἐλισάβετ δηλαδή, «ἀπεστάλη ἄγγε λος Γαβριὴλ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πρὸς παρθένον μεμνηστευμένην ἀνδρί, ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰωσήφ». Τί δήποτε κρίνας ὁ θεὸς ἐκ παρθένου γεννῆσαι τὸν σωτῆρα οὐκ ἐπελέξατο παρθένον ἀμνήστευτον; Μήποτε οὖν οἰκονομία ἦν καὶ τὸ μνηστῆρα αὐτὴν ἔχουσαν συλλαβεῖν, ὡς μὴ δοκεῖν αἰσχύνην φέρειν ἐπὶ τοῦ σώματος αὐτῆς τὸ σύλλημμα; ∆ι' ὃ καλῶς ἐν μιᾷ τῶν μάρτυρός τινος ἐπιστολῶν γέγραπται-τὸν Ἰγνάτιον λέγω, τὸν μετὰ τὸν μα κάριον Πέτρον τῆς Ἀντιοχείας δεύ τερον ἐπίσκοπον, τὸν ἐν τῷ διωγμῷ ἐν Ῥώμῃ θηρίοις μαχησάμενον-· 6.35 «καὶ ἔλαθε τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἡ παρθενία Μαρίας». Ὡς, εἰ μὴ ἐγεγόνει ὁ δοκῶν γάμος, οὐκ ἂν αὐτὸν ἔλαθεν, ἀλλ' ἔγνω «ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου», ὅτι μηδέποτε μετὰ ἀνδρὸς κοιμηθεῖσα ἡ Μαρία συνέλαβεν καὶ ὀφείλει τὸ σύλλημμα τοῦτο θεῖον εἶναι. Ἐβούλετο δὲ ὁ σωτὴρ καθ' ὅλην τὴν οἰκονομίαν λανθάνειν τὸν διά βολον, καὶ γοῦν ἐνετέλλετο τοῖς μαθηταῖς μὴ φανερὸν ποιεῖν αὐτόν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡνίκα ἐπειράζετο ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου, οὐδαμοῦ ἀπεφήνατο γυμ νῶς, ὅτι υἱός ἐστιν τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ μόνον ἔλεγεν· οὐ δεῖ μέ σοι προσ κυνεῖν, οὐ δεῖ με τοὺς λίθους ποιεῖν ἄρτους, οὐ δεῖ με ῥίπτειν ἐμαυτὸν ἄνωθεν κάτω. 6.36 Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος τὴν τοῦ πάθους οἰκονομίαν κατὰ λήθην φησὶ γεγονέναι τῆς ἀντικειμένης ἐνερ γείας· «ἣν οὐδεὶς τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἔγνωκεν. Εἰ γὰρ ἔγνωσαν, οὐκ ἂν τὸν κύριον τῆς δόξης ἐσταύ ρωσαν». Εἰ δὲ τὸ δαιμόνιον οὐκ ἔλαθεν -εἶπεν γάρ· «Οἴδαμέν σε, τίς εἶ, ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ»- ὅρα, ὅτι ὁ ἐλάττων ἐν τῇ κακίᾳ ᾔδει τὸν σωτῆρα, ὁ δὲ χείρων ἐν αὐτῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγέθους τῆς κακίας ἐνεποδίζετο αὐτὸν 6.37 θεωρεῖν. Καὶ ἡμῶν δὲ ἡ κακία, ἐὰν μὲν ἐλάττων ᾖ, βοηθούμεθα διὰ τὸ ἔλαττον πρὸς τὸ βιῶσαι καλῶς· ἐὰν δὲ κακία ἡμῖν πλείων εὑρεθῇ, πλείων ἀγὼν αὐτὴν ἀποβαλεῖν. Ξένον αὐτῇ τινα ἀσπασμὸν εἶπεν, ὃν οὐχ εὗρον ἐν οὐδεμίᾳ γραφῇ· φέρε δὴ περὶ τούτου ἐξετάσωμεν. Τὸ «χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη» εἴρηται οὐδαμοῦ· ἀλλ' οὐδ' ἀνδρί που εἴρηται τοῦτο, ταύτῃ δὲ ἐτηρεῖτο ὁ ἀσπασ μὸς οὗτος. Τί οὖν ἡ παρθένος, ξένον τινὰ καὶ οὐδενὶ πρότερον λεχθέντα ὡς νομο 6.38 μαθὴς εἰδυῖα τὸν ἀσπασμόν; ἐτα ράχθη ἐπὶ τῷ λόγῳ· διὸ καὶ αὐτός φησι πρὸς αὐτὴν τό· «μὴ φοβοῦ». «Οὗτος ἔσται μέγας», φησίν. Τοῦτο εἴρηται καὶ περὶ Ἰωάννου· ἀλλ' ὅτε ἦλθεν ὁ ἀληθῶς «μέγας», ἐκεῖνος ἦν μικρός. «Ἐκεῖνος» γὰρ «ἦν ὁ λύχνος ὁ καιόμενος καὶ φαίνων». Τὸ δὲ μέγεθος αὐτοῦ οὐ τότε οὕτως ἐδηλοῦτο, ὅσον νῦν φαίνεται. Ὅρα γὰρ <τὸ> μέγεθος δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ· «ὅτι εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐξῆλ θεν ὁ φθόγγος τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐ τοῦ, καὶ εἰς τὰ πέρατα τῆς οἰκου μένης τὰ ῥήματα αὐτοῦ». 6.39 καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἐν <Βρεττανίᾳ .......> καὶ μετὰ τῶν ἐν Μαυριττανίᾳ καὶ μετὰ τῶν πανταχοῦ πιστευόντων καὶ καθόλου διῆκον. Ἀνάβα γὰρ τῷ λόγῳ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἴδε αὐτὸν τὰ ἐκεῖ πληροῦντα· «ὤφθη» γὰρ