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they did this for a man who was a sorcerer and a magician, I mean Pythagoras; He himself said it; and upon temples, silence was inscribed from above, and holding its mouth with its finger, and pressing its lips together, it advised all who passed by to be silent. Then are those things so venerable, but ours not so, but ridiculous? and of what madness would this not be an excess? For the things of the Greeks are reasonably investigated; for such they are, battles of reasonings and disputes and conclusions; but our things are separate from all these. For those things human wisdom discovered, but these spiritual grace taught; those are of folly and senselessness, these are doctrines of true wisdom. There, there is no student, nor teacher, but all dispute together; here, whether one is a teacher or a student, one must learn from whom one ought to learn, to obey, not to dispute, to believe, not to reason. For through faith all the ancients were well-pleasing, and without it all things are corrupted. And what do I say about heavenly things? Even if we examine earthly things, you will find them dependent on this; for neither transactions, nor arts, nor anything else of this kind will exist without it. But if here, where we are concerned with false matters, this is needed, how much more in those. Let us therefore hold to this, let us pursue it; thus we cast out all the destructive doctrines from our soul, I mean nativity and fate. If you believe that there is a resurrection and a judgment, you will be able to cast all such things out of the soul; believe that there is a just God, and you will not believe that there will be an unjust nativity; believe that there is a provident God, and you will not believe that there will be a nativity that controls all things; believe that there will be punishment and a kingdom, and you will not believe that nativity exists, which abolishes what is in our power, and subjects us to necessity and force. Do not sow, do not plant, do not go to war, do nothing at all; for in any case, whether you will it or not, the things of nativity will come. What need have we then of prayers? Why then do you want to become a Christian, if nativity exists? For you will not be under accusation. From where do arts come? 62.508 from nativity? Yes, he says, and it is fated for so-and-so to become wise with labors. And show me someone who learned an art without laboring; but you could not; thus it is not of nativity but of labors. Whence then is so-and-so rich, he says, being defiled and wicked, having not received the inheritance from a father; but another, toiling endlessly, is poor? For they continually exercise all these things, moving on to wealth and poverty, nothing on to vice and virtue. But here, do not say this, but show if anyone became wicked by being diligent, if anyone good by being lazy; for if fate has strength, let it show its strength in the greatest things, in virtue and vice, not in wealth and poverty. And whence is so-and-so in sickness, he says, and so-and-so in health? whence is so-and-so well-reputed, but another disgraced? whence do things proceed for that one according to his will, but for another there are countless hindrances upon hindrances? Depart from nativity, and you will know these things; believe precisely that God is provident, and you will know these things clearly. But I cannot, he says; for the confusion of these matters does not permit one to suspect providence. If these are works of God, how can I believe that God who is good gives riches to the fornicator, to the defiled, to the covetous, but not to the good man? from what shall I believe? for one must believe from facts. Well; are those things then of a just nativity, or an unjust one? Of an unjust one, you say. Who then made this? Was it God? No, he says, but it is unbegotten. And how, being unbegotten, does it work such things? For these are contrary. Therefore these things are not of God at all. Let us then examine who made the heaven. Nativity, he says. Who the earth, who the sea, who the seasons? Then in inanimate things did it make such good order, such harmony, but in us, for whom all things exist, such disorder? just as if someone should take care that the house will be wonderful, but no longer for the servants. Who the succession of

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ἀνθρώπου τοῦτο ἐποίουν γόητος καὶ μάγου, τοῦ Πυθαγόρου λέγω· Αὐτὸς ἔφη· καὶ ἐπὶ ναῶν ἡ σιγὴ ἄνωθεν ἐγέγραπτο, καὶ κατεῖχε τῷ δακτύλῳ τὸ στόμα, καὶ ἐπισφίγγουσα τὰ χείλη, πᾶσι τοῖς παριοῦσι σιγᾷν παρῄνει. Εἶτα ἐκεῖνα μὲν οὕτω σεμνὰ, τὰ δὲ ἡμέτερα οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ καταγέλαστα; καὶ ποίας οὐχὶ μανίας ἂν εἴη τοῦτο ὑπερβολή; Τὰ μὲν γὰρ Ἑλλήνων εἰκότως ζητεῖται· τοιαῦτα γάρ ἐστι, μάχαι τῶν λογισμῶν καὶ ἀμφισβητήσεις καὶ συμπεράσματα· τὰ δὲ ἡμέτερα τούτων ἁπάντων κεχώρισται. Ἐκεῖνα μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνη εὗρε σοφία, ταῦτα δὲ χάρις ἐδίδαξε πνευματική· ἐκεῖνα μωρίας καὶ ἀνοίας, ταῦτα τῆς ὄντως σοφίας δόγματα. Ἐκεῖ οὐκ ἔστι μαθητὴς, οὐδὲ διδάσκαλος, ἀλλὰ πάντες συζητοῦσιν· ἐνταῦθα κἂν διδάσκαλος ᾖ, κἂν μαθητὴς, μαθεῖν παρ' οὗ μαθεῖν χρὴ, πείθεσθαι, οὐκ ἀμφισβητεῖν, πιστεύειν, οὐ συλλογίζεσθαι. ∆ιὰ πίστεως γὰρ πάντες εὐδοκίμησαν οἱ παλαιοὶ, καὶ ταύτης ἄνευ πάντα διέφθαρται. Καὶ τί λέγω περὶ τῶν ἐπουρανίων; κἂν τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς ἐξετάσωμεν, ταύτης εὑρήσεις ἐχόμενα· οὔτε γὰρ συναλλάγματα, οὔτε τέχναι, οὔτε ἄλλο οὐδὲν ἔσται τοιοῦτον χωρὶς ταύτης. Εἰ δὲ ἐνταῦθα, ἔνθα περὶ ψευδῶν πραγμάτων, ταύτης δεῖ, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν ἐκείνοις. Ταύτης οὖν ἐχώμεθα, ταύτην μετίωμεν· οὕτω πάντα τὰ ὀλέθρια δόγματα τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκβάλλομεν τῆς ἡμετέρας, οἷον γένεσιν λέγω καὶ εἱμαρμένην. Ἂν πιστεύσῃς ὅτι ἔστιν ἀνάστασις καὶ κρίσις, πάντα τὰ τοιαῦτα δυνήσῃ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκβαλεῖν· πίστευσον ὅτι ἔστι Θεὸς δίκαιος, καὶ οὐ πιστεύσεις ὅτι ἔσται γένεσις ἄδικος· πίστευσον ὅτι ἔστι Θεὸς προνοῶν, καὶ οὐ πιστεύσεις ὅτι ἔσται γένεσις πάντα συνέχουσα· πίστευσον ὅτι ἔσται κόλασις καὶ βασιλεία, καὶ οὐ πιστεύσεις ὅτι ἔστι γένεσις, τὸ μὲν ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἀναιροῦσα, ὑποβάλλουσα δὲ ἡμᾶς ἀνάγκῃ καὶ βίᾳ. Μὴ σπείρῃς, μὴ φυτεύσῃς, μὴ στρατεύσῃ, μηδὲν ὅλως ἐργάσῃ· πάντως γὰρ καὶ ἑκόντος σου καὶ ἄκοντος ἥξει τὰ τῆς γενέσεως. Τί ἡμῖν δεῖ λοιπὸν εὐχῶν; διὰ τί οὖν θέλεις γενέσθαι Χριστιανὸς, εἰ γένεσις ἔστιν; οὐ γὰρ ὑπὸ ἔγκλημα ἔσῃ. Πόθεν τέχναι; 62.508 ἀπὸ γενέσεως; Ναὶ, φησὶ, καὶ εἵμαρται τῷ δεῖνι γενέσθαι σοφῷ μετὰ πόνων. Καὶ δεῖξόν μοί τινα χωρὶς τοῦ πονεῖν, μαθόντα τέχνην· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοις· οὕτως οὐ τῆς γενέσεώς ἐστιν ἀλλὰ τῶν πόνων. Πόθεν οὖν ὁ δεῖνα πλούσιός ἐστι μιαρὸς ὢν, φησὶ, καὶ πονηρὸς, παρὰ πατρὸς μὴ δεξάμενος τὴν κληρονομίαν· ἕτερος δὲ μυρία μοχθῶν, πένης ὑπάρχει; ταῦτα γὰρ συνεχῶς γυμνάζουσι πάντα ἐπὶ πλούτου καὶ πενίας κινοῦντες, οὐδὲν ἐπὶ κακίας καὶ ἀρετῆς. Ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα μὴ τοῦτο εἴπῃς, ἀλλὰ δεῖξον εἴ τις κακὸς ἐγένετο σπουδάζων, εἴ τις ἀγαθὸς ῥᾳθυμῶν· εἰ γὰρ ἰσχὺν ἔχει ἡ εἱμαρμένη, ἐπὶ τῶν μεγίστων ἐνδεικνύσθω τὴν ἰσχὺν, ἐπὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας, μὴ ἐπὶ πλούτου καὶ πενίας. Καὶ πόθεν ὁ δεῖνα ἐν νόσοις, φησὶν, ὁ δεῖνα ἐν ὑγείᾳ; πόθεν ὁ δεῖνα εὐδοκιμεῖ, ἕτερος δὲ ἀσχημονεῖ; πόθεν ἐκείνῳ κατὰ γνώμην τὰ πράγματα προχωρεῖ, ἑτέρῳ δὲ μυρία ἐπὶ μυρίοις ἐμποδίσματα; Ἀπόστηθι τῆς γενέσεως, καὶ εἴσῃ ταῦτα· ἀκριβῶς πίστευσον ὅτι Θεός ἐστιν ὁ προνοῶν, καὶ εἴσῃ σαφῶς ταῦτα. Ἀλλ' οὐ δύναμαι, φησίν· οὐ γὰρ ἀφίησιν ἡ σύγχυσις τῶν πραγμάτων τούτων ὑποπτεῦσαι πρόνοιαν. Εἰ Θεοῦ ταῦτα ἔργα, πῶς δύναμαι πιστεῦσαι ὅτι Θεὸς ὁ ἀγαθὸς τῷ πόρνῳ, τῷ μιαρῷ, τῷ πλεονέκτῃ χρήματα δίδωσι, τῷ δὲ ἀγαθῷ οὐκέτι; πόθεν πιστεύσω; ἀπὸ γὰρ πραγμάτων δεῖ πιστεύειν. Καλῶς· οὐκοῦν γενέσεως ἐκεῖνα δικαίας, ἢ ἀδίκου; Ἀδίκου, φής. Τίς οὖν ταύτην ἐποίησεν; ἆρα ὁ Θεός; Οὒ, φησὶν, ἀλλ' ἀγέννητός ἐστι. Καὶ πῶς ἀγέννητος οὖσα τοιαῦτα ἐργάζεται; ἐναντία γὰρ ταῦτα. Οὐκ ἔστιν οὖν ὅλως Θεοῦ ταῦτα. Οὐκοῦν ἐξετάσωμεν, τίς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐποίησεν. Ἡ γένεσις, φησί. Τίς τὴν γῆν, τίς τὴν θάλασσαν, τίς τὰς ὥρας; Εἶτα ἐν μὲν τοῖς ἀψύχοις τοσαύτην εὐταξίαν ἐποίησε, τοσαύτην ἁρμονίαν, ἐν δὲ ἡμῖν, δι' οὓς τὰ πάντα, τοσαύτην ἀταξίαν; ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τῆς μὲν οἰκίας, ὅπως ἔσται θαυμαστὴ, προνοήσειε, τῶν δὲ οἰκετῶν μηκέτι. Τίς τὴν διαδοχὴν τῶν