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him.” How then did we come to know these things, O Paul? Who is the one who indicated and made plain these things which are unseen, unheard, which have not entered into the heart of man? 3.9 Say and show who it is that brought us such great knowledge. “But to us,” he says, “God has revealed it through his Spirit.” Then, lest anyone might think that He knows only these things which God has revealed to us through him, but does not possess all knowledge, he added: “For the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the things of a man, except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one knows the things of God, except the Spirit of God.” What he is saying is something like this: Just as a man himself knows his own things and what he plans and holds in his mind, he knows all things with accuracy, so also the Holy Spirit knows with accuracy all the ineffable knowledge of God. 3.10 In saying, therefore, “So also no one knows the things of God, except the Spirit of God,” he excluded not only humans, but also all the creation above from this precise knowledge. Wherefore also a certain wise saying advises: “Seek not things that are too difficult for you, and investigate not things that are too mighty for you. Meditate on what has been commanded you; for more things than human understanding have been shown to you.” 3.11 What he says is something like this: Not even these things which you have, have you learned them all from yourself, nor has your nature sufficed for the knowledge of all things, but you have received knowledge of the greater part from above; for they were far greater than to be comprehended by your understanding. Why then do you strive from yourself to search out the deeper things, when many of the very things you know surpass your intelligence and you have these from another source? 3.12 This is what Paul also was indicating when he said: “For what do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not receive it?” Cease, therefore, at long last, from such contentiousness and bear with that wisest counsel which says: “Do not say: What is this? For what purpose is this? for all things were created for their use.”

4.t Ch. 4. That the prophet Moses also the curiosity that is

dangerous in the introductions of the book did away with by a single word 4.1 For this very reason, since all creation came into being and its own order

received, and this all-harmonious and wondrous work, full of much amazement, was set forth in the midst, and many of the foolish and raging were about to find fault with the things that had been made, see how, checking beforehand their untimely judgment and mad verdict, with a single word the lawgiver blocked every shameless tongue, saying: “God saw all that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” 4.2 For since in the things seen there was not only light, but also darkness; not only fruits, but also thorns; not cultivated trees, but also wild ones; not level plains, but also mountains and glens and ravines; not only humans, but also venomous reptiles; not only fish, but also sea monsters; not calm seas, but also the unnavigable sea; 4.3 not only sun and moon and stars, but also thunderbolts and hurricanes; not only gentle winds, but also storms; not only doves and songbirds, but also kites and hawks and vultures and other man-eating animals; not sheep and oxen, but also wolves and leopards and lions; not deer and hares and gazelles, but also scorpions and vipers and serpents; and among plants, not only wholesome herbs, but also poisonous ones, and many were about to be scandalized by these things and to bring forth heresies. 4.4 After the things that were made had been made, and each had received its proper order, for each he shows the creator praising what had been made, or rather, for each one of them and for all in common, so that, having learned his judgment, even if someone should be very impetuous and shameless, he might no longer be meddlesome about the

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αὐτόν.» Πῶς οὖν αὐτὰ ἔγνωμεν ἡμεῖς, ὦ Παῦλε; τίς ὁ μηνύσας καὶ δῆλα καταστήσας αὐτὰ τὰ ἀθέατα, τὰ ἀνήκουστα, τὰ εἰς καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου μὴ ἀναβάντα; 3.9 Εἰπὲ καὶ δεῖξον τίς ὁ τοσαύτην ἡμῖν γνῶσιν κομίσας. «Ἡμῖν δὲ, φησίν, ὁ Θεὸς ἀπεκάλυψε διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ.» Εἶτα ἵνα μή τις νομίσῃ ὅτι ταῦτα μόνον ἐπίσταται, ἅπερ ἀπεκάλυψεν ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς δι' αὐτοῦ, οὐχὶ δὲ καὶ πᾶσαν ἔχει τὴν γνῶσιν, ἐπήγαγε· «Τὸ γὰρ πνεῦμα πάντα ἐρευνᾷ, καὶ τὰ βάθη τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τίς γὰρ οἶδεν ἀνθρώπων τὰ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ; οὕτω καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ὥσπερ ἄνθρωπος αὐτὸς οἶδε τὰ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἃ βουλεύεται καὶ ἐν διανοίᾳ ἔχει, μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐπίσταται πάντα, οὕτω καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον μετὰ ἀκριβείας οἶδε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀπόρρητον γνῶσιν ἅπασαν. 3.10 Εἰπὼν τοίνυν· «Οὕτω καὶ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ» οὐκ ἀνθρώπους μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄνω κτίσιν ἅπασαν τῆς ἀκριβοῦς ταύτης ἐξέβαλε γνώσεως. ∆ιὸ καὶ σοφός τις παραινεῖ λόγος· «Χαλεπώτερά σου μὴ ζήτει καὶ ἰσχυρότερά σου μὴ ἐξέταζε· ἃ προσετάγη σοι, ταῦτα διανοοῦ· πλείονα γὰρ συνέσεως ἀνθρώπων ὑπεδείχθη σοι.» 3.11 Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἅπερ ἔχεις, οἴκοθεν μαθὼν ἔχεις ἅπαντα, οὐδὲ ἤρκεσέ σοι ἡ φύσις πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἁπάντων εἴδησιν, ἀλλ' ἄνωθεν τῶν πλειόνων ἔλαβες τὴν γνῶσιν· πολλῷ γὰρ μείζονα ἦν ἢ ὥστε τῇ συνέσει καταληφθῆναι τῇ σῇ. Τί τοίνυν οἴκοθεν φιλονεικεῖς τὰ βαθύτερα ἐρευνᾶν, ὅταν καὶ αὐτῶν ὧν οἶδας πολλὰ ὑπερβαίνῃ σου τὴν φρόνησιν καὶ ταῦτα ἑτέρωθεν ἔχῃς; 3.12 Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Παῦλος παραδηλῶν ἔλεγε· «Τί γὰρ ἔχεις ὃ οὐκ ἔλαβες; εἰ δὲ καὶ ἔλαβες, τί καυχᾶσαι ὡς μὴ λαβών;» Παῦσαι τοίνυν ὀψὲ γοῦν ποτε τῆς τοσαύτης φιλονεικίας καὶ ἀνέχου τῆς σοφωτάτης συμβουλῆς ἐκείνης τῆς λεγούσης· «Μὴ εἴπῃς· Τί τοῦτο; εἰς τί τοῦτο; πάντα γὰρ εἰς χρείαν αὐτῶν ἔκτισται.»

4.t Κεφ. δʹ. Ὅτι καὶ ὁ προφήτης Μωυσῆς τὴν περιεργίαν τὴν

ἐπισφαλῆ ἐν προοιμίοις τοῦ βιβλίου δι' ἑνὸς ἀνεῖλε ῥήματος 4.1 ∆ιὰ γάρ τοι τοῦτο, ἐπειδὴ πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις ἐγένετο καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον κόσμον

ἀπέλαβε καὶ τὸ παναρμόνιον τοῦτο καὶ παράδοξον καὶ πολλῆς γέμον ἐκπλήξεως ἔργον εἰς μέσον προὔκειτο, ἔμελλον δὲ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνοήτων καὶ μαινομένων ἐπιλαμβάνεσθαι τῶν γενομένων, ὅρα πῶς προαναστέλλων αὐτῶν τὴν ἄκαιρον κρίσιν καὶ μανιώδη ψῆφον, ἑνὶ ῥήματι πᾶσαν ἀναίσχυντον ἐνέφραξε γλῶσσαν ὁ νομοθέτης εἰπών· «Εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησε, καὶ ἰδοὺ καλὰ λίαν.» 4.2 Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ὁρωμένοις ἦν οὐχὶ φῶς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκότος· οὐ καρποὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄκανθαι· οὐ δένδρα ἥμερα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄγρια· οὐχ ὕπτια πεδία, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄρη καὶ νάπαι καὶ φάραγγες· οὐκ ἄνθρωποι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑρπετὰ ἰοβόλα· οὐκ ἰχθύες μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κήτη· οὐχ ἥμερα πελάγη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄπλωτος θάλασσα· 4.3 οὐχ ἥλιος μόνον καὶ σελήνη καὶ ἄστρα, ἀλλὰ καὶ κεραυνοὶ καὶ πρηστῆρες· οὐκ ἄνεμοι μόνον προσηνεῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ καταιγίδες· οὐ περιστεραὶ μόνον καὶ ὄρνιθες ᾠδικοὶ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰκτῖνες καὶ ἱέρακες καὶ γῦπες καὶ ἕτερα ἀνθρωποφάγα ζῷα· οὐ πρόβατα καὶ βόες, ἀλλὰ καὶ λύκοι καὶ παρδάλεις καὶ λέοντες· οὐκ ἔλαφοι καὶ λαγῳοὶ καὶ δορκάδες, ἀλλὰ καὶ σκορπίοι καὶ ἔχεις καὶ δράκοντες· καὶ ἐν βοτάναις δὲ οὐχὶ σωτήρια μόνον φυτά, ἀλλὰ καὶ δηλητήρια, καὶ πολλοὶ ἐκ τούτων σκανδαλίζεσθαι ἔμελλον καὶ αἱρέσεις τίκτειν. 4.4 Μετὰ τὸ γενέσθαι τὰ γενόμενα καὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον ἕκαστον ἀπολαβεῖν κόσμον, καθ' ἕκαστον δείκνυσι τὸν δημιουργὸν ἐπαινοῦντα τὸ γεγενημένον, μᾶλλον δὲ καθ' ἕνα αὐτῶν καὶ κοινῇ πάντα, ἵνα τὴν ἐκείνου κρίσιν μαθών, κἂν σφόδρα τις ἰταμὸς καὶ ἀναίσχυντος ᾖ, μηδὲν περιεργάζηται λοιπὸν τῶν