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9 But let us bring the discourse back to its proper sequence. Common to Peter and Paul was the discipleship of Christ and the teaching about Christ and the casting off of all their own things and the considering as nothing the pleasant things in life that could cause them to abandon their profession; both were apostles and fervent heralds of the mystery according to Christ, both teaching the world, both releasing men from the bonds of Satan and bringing them into the freedom according to Christ, both drawing all up from the brine with the hook of their teaching and bringing them back to life, both were also ecumenical teachers and had encompassed all the earth with their own doctrines, both of one mind and of one manner, and having one purpose and a common will: the salvation of mankind and the return to the ancient dignity of the image; both working wonders, healing the lame, giving sight to the blind, raising the dead, casting out demons, making every disease and every infirmity of the people disappear, having become all things before the law, in the law, after the law. Like Adam, both receive the first creation, the higher and more blessed one, truly honored by the hands of God, and they do not fall from paradise through disobedience, but are brought into it and bring others in with them before the common restoration. Like Abel they become, and they offer a well-pleasing sacrifice. Like Enos they have hoped in the Lord; for they have both followed and committed all their affairs to him. Like Enoch they are seen translated and passing from earthly things to heavenly things, from transient things to immortal things, from what is according to the world to the gospel according to Christ. Like Noah they are entrusted with an ark which raises the whole world above the intelligible flood and saves it from the storm and the deluge. Like Abraham, they do not hear "Go out from your country and from your kindred," but "Come, and I will make you fishers of men"; they obey Christ commanding and receive the hooks and nets of the word and draw up those swimming in the depth of destruction. Like Lot they flee the burning of Sodom and ascend the mountain and do not turn back, so that they might not appear as a pillar of salt, even though they were otherwise called salt. For they were taught that "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of heaven." Like Isaac they are sacrificed, not by a father, but by the adversary who envies the paternal teachings; yet after the slaughter they live, with God the better life, and among men through their teachings and miracles. In word they also become Jacob and hunt for the blessing before others, and they proceed to the increase of the generation of the holy nation, and they go up to Egypt, so that they might destroy the things in Egypt and concerning Egypt, and they return with a multitude to the promised land which the Lord swore to the fathers. Like Isaiah and Jeremiah and the rest, they do not prophesy, but they see the one who is prophesied and teach all and unfold the things of the prophets. Like Samuel, given to God even before birth; from the flocks, like David, they are taken and they rule Israel; for they sit as judges of it in the coming advent, which has become better than ruling. And they dance before the divine ark and sing the psalms with more divine and exalted melodies. They receive wisdom from wisdom itself like Solomon, except they do not corrupt it in later years but they both advance and increase it by their spiritual extensions.

10 But why do I not speak of the better and more honorable things? Both guide the new people, the new Israel, to the Jerusalem above, in a pillar of fire and of cloud in a better contemplation. Both tormenting the intelligible Egypt as

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9 Ἀλλ' ἐπανάγωμεν τὸν λόγον εἰς τὸν οἰκεῖον εἱρμόν. Πέτρῳ μὲν καὶ Παύλῳ κοινὸν ἡ μαθητεία Χριστοῦ καὶ ἡ διδασκαλία περὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ τὸ πάντα ἀπορρῖψαι τὰ ἑαυτῶν καὶ τὸ μηδὲν ἡγεῖσθαι τῶν ἐν βίῳ τερπνὸν καὶ δυνάμενον ἀποστῆσαι τοῦ ἐπαγγέλματος· ἀπόστολοι δὲ ἄμφω καὶ τοῦ κατὰ Χριστὸν μυστηρίου κήρυκες διαπρύσιοι, ἀμ φότεροι τὸν κόσμον διδάσκοντες, ἀμφότεροι τῶν τοῦ σατὰν δεσμῶν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐκλύοντες καὶ πρὸς τὴν κατὰ Χρι στὸν ἐλευθερίαν εἰσφέροντες, ἀμφότεροι τῆς ἁλμυρᾶς τῷ ἀγκίστρῳ πάντας τῆς διδασκαλίας ἀνέλκοντες καὶ πρὸς τὴν ζωὴν ἐπανάγοντες, οἰκουμενικοὶ διδάσκαλοι καὶ ἀμφότεροι καὶ πᾶσαν γῆν τοῖς σφετέροις περιειληφότες διδάγμασιν, ὁ μόφρονες ἀμφότεροι καὶ ὁμότροποι καὶ σκοπὸν ἕνα καὶ κοινὸν βούλημα ἔχοντες τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίαν καὶ τὴν εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἀξίωμα τῆς εἰκόνος ἐπά νοδον· ἀμφό τεροι τεράστια ἐργαζόμενοι, χωλοὺς θεραπεύοντες, τυφλοὺς ὀμματοῦντες, νεκροὺς ἀνιστῶντες, δαίμονας ἐκβάλλοντες, πᾶσαν νόσον καὶ πᾶσαν μαλακίαν τοῦ λαοῦ ἀφανίζοντες, πάντα γεγονότες τὰ πρὸ τοῦ νόμου, τὰ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, τὰ μετὰ νόμον. ὡς Ἀδὰμ καὶ ἄμφω τὴν πρώτην πλάσιν εἰσδέχονται τὴν ὑψηλοτέραν τε καὶ μακαριωτέραν καὶ τετιμημένην ὄντως χερσὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ τοῦ παραδείσου μὲν οὐκ ἐκπίπτουσι τῇ παρακοῇ, εἰσάγονται δὲ ἐν αὐτῷ καὶ ἑτέρους συνεισάγουσι πρὸ τῆς κοινῆς ἀποκαταστάσεως. ὡς Ἄβελ γίνονται καὶ θυσίαν εἰσφέρουσιν εὐάρεστον. ὡς Ἐνὼς εἰς τὸν κύριον ἐπηλπίκασι· καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἠκολουθήκασι καὶ πάντα τούτῳ τὰ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀνηρτήκασιν. ὡς Ἐνὼχ μετατιθέμενοι καὶ μεταβαίνοντες φαίνονται ἐκ τῶν γηίνων εἰς τὰ οὐράνια, ἐκ τῶν προσκαίρων εἰς τὰ ἀθάνατα, ἐκ τῶν κατὰ κόσμον εἰς τὸ κατὰ Χριστὸν εὐαγγέλιον. ὡς Νωὲ πιστεύονται κιβωτὸν τὴν πάντα κόσμον τοῦ νοητοῦ ὑπεραίρουσαν κλύδωνος καὶ τῆς καταιγίδος αὐτὸν καὶ τοῦ καταποντισμοῦ διασώζουσαν. ὡς Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ «ἐξέλθετε μὲν ἐκ τῆς γῆς ὑμῶν καὶ ἐκ τῆς συγγενείας» ἀκούουσιν, ἀλλὰ «δεῦτε δὴ καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων» τῷ Χριστῷ προστάσσοντι πείθονται καὶ δέχονται τὰ τοῦ λόγου ἄγκιστρά τε καὶ δίκτυα καὶ τοὺς ἐν τῷ βυθῷ τῆς ἀπωλείας νηχομένους ἀνάγουσιν. ὡς Λὼτ ἐκ φεύγουσι Σοδόμων τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν καὶ εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἀνέρχονται καὶ εἰς τοὐπίσω οὐ στρέφονται, ἵνα μὴ στήλη φανῶσιν ἁλὸς εἰ καὶ ἄλλως ἅλες ἐκλήθησαν. ἐδιδάχθησαν γὰρ ὡς «οὐδεὶς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ βαλὼν εἰς ἄροτρον καὶ εἰς τοὐπίσω στραφεὶς εὔθετός ἐστιν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν». ὡς Ἰσαὰκ σφαγιάζονται μέν, οὐ παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς δέ, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τοῦ ἀντικειμένου καὶ τοῖς πατρικοῖς φθονοῦντος διδάγμασι· πλὴν μετὰ τὴν σφαγὴν ζῶσι παρὰ μὲν θεῷ τὴν κρείττω ζωήν, παρὰ δ' ἀνθρώποις ταῖς διδασκαλίαις τε καὶ τοῖς θαύμασι. γίνονται τῷ λόγῳ καὶ Ἰακὼβ καὶ θηρῶσι πρὸ τῶν ἄλλων τὴν εὐλογίαν, καὶ προχωροῦσιν εἰς αὔξην τῆς τοῦ ἁγίου ἔθνους γενέσεως, καὶ ἀναβαίνουσι μὲν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἵνα τὰ ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ περὶ Αἴγυπτον κατα λύσαιεν, ὑποστρέφουσι δὲ μετὰ πλήθους εἰς τὴν ἐπηγγελ μένην ἣν τοῖς πατράσιν ὤμοσε κύριος. ὡς Ἠσαΐας καὶ Ἱερεμίας καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οὐ προφητεύουσι μέν, θεωροῦσι δὲ τὸν προφητευόμενον καὶ διδάσκουσι πάντας καὶ τὰ προ φητῶν ἀναπτύσσουσιν. ὡς Σαμουὴλ καὶ πρὸ γενέσεως δοτοὶ τῷ θεῷ· ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων ὡς ὁ ∆αυὶδ προσλαμβάνονται καὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ βασιλεύουσι· κριταὶ γὰρ τούτου ἐν τῇ μελ λούσῃ παρουσίᾳ καθίζουσι, ὃ καὶ τοῦ βασιλεύειν κρεῖττον καθέστηκεν. ὀρχοῦνται δὲ καὶ τῆς θείας ἔμπροσθεν κιβωτοῦ καὶ ᾄδουσι τοὺς ψαλμοὺς ἐν θειοτέροις καὶ ὑψηλοτέροις τοῖς μέλεσι. δέχονται σοφίαν παρὰ τῆς αὐτοσοφίας ὡς Σολομών, πλὴν οὐκ ἐν ὑστέροις αὐτὴν διαφθείρουσιν ἀλλὰ καὶ προβαίνουσι καὶ ἐπαύξουσι ταῖς νοεραῖς ἐπεκτάσεσιν.

10 Ἀλλὰ τί μὴ λέγω τὰ κρείττω καὶ τιμιώτερα; ἀμφότεροι πρὸς τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὸν καινὸν ποδηγοῦσι λαόν, τὸν νέον Ἰσραήλ, ἐν στύλῳ πυρὸς καὶ νεφέλης ἐν θεωρίᾳ τῇ κρείττονι. ἀμφότεροι τὴν νοη τὴν Αἴγυπτον βασανίζοντες ὡς