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placed before us, just as Moses of old placed the veil both for himself and for the hardness of Israel, so that a darkened nature might not easily see the hidden beauty, and that which is worthy of few, nor, having easily obtained it, easily cast it away because of the ease of its acquisition; but that light might commune with light, ever drawing it upward through desire, and a purified mind might approach the most pure, and that one part might appear now, and the other later, as a prize for virtue and for the inclination hence toward it, that is, of assimilation. For now we see, he says, through a mirror and in a riddle, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. And how great is our lowliness! and how great is the promise! to know God as much as we are known. These things Paul, the great herald of truth, the teacher of the Gentiles in faith, who fulfilled the great circuit of the Gospel, who lived for no one else than Christ, who reached up to the third heaven, the beholder of paradise, who longed for his departure because of perfection.

XVI. And Moses indeed scarcely saw the back parts of God through the rock (whatever these are, and whatever the rock is), and this after much entreaty, and having received a promise; except that he did not see as much as he longed to, but what escaped him was more than what was revealed; Moses, the God of Pharaoh, who led so great a people, who showed forth so great a power of signs. But you, whom have you fed from heaven? What water have you given from a rock? What sea have you broken with a rod? What people have you led through the wet as through dry land? What enemies have you drowned? Whom have you guided with a pillar of fire and of cloud? Whom have you warred against, Amalek, by prayer, and by the stretching out of hands, and by the cross prefigured mystically from afar, that it should be a misfortune for you not to comprehend God completely, and that because of this all things should be shaken, and be borne up and down? But since I have mentioned Moses, have you not learned from this the sequence of grace and the law of order? If you are a Moses, enter also within the cloud, and speak with God, and hear His voice, and receive the law, and legislate 36.193. But if you are an Aaron, go up with him, but stand near, outside the cloud. But if you are some Ithamar, or Eleazar, and third from Moses, or one of the senate and of the Seventy, stand yet farther off, even if you hold the third station. But if you are one of the people and of the many, the mountain does not receive you, of which if even a beast touches it, it will be stoned. Remain below, and hear only the voice, and this, having purified and cleansed yourself, as you have been commanded.

XVII. And that I may instruct you through more examples, who of the priests consecrated the hands? Moses. Who was the first of those being consecrated? Aaron. And yet before these, who was for the things concerning God? And who was in place of a voice to the people? But who entered into the Holy of Holies, except one? And was this one always? By no means; but once a year, and when the time was. And who carried the tabernacle, except the Levites? And these, as it was commanded, some carrying its more precious things, others the second-rate, according to the worth of those who carried them? And since it was also necessary that it be guarded, who guarded it, and how? Some guarded this side, others that side; and it was not indefinite, nor disordered, not even for the least things. But if we happen upon a little bit of glory, or often not even that, but just by chance, or if we study two or three sayings of Scripture, and these truncated and without understanding (this is that thing, the wisdom of a single day, and the tower in Calneh, which rightly divided the tongues); and it is necessary to go mad against Moses, and to become Dathan and Abiram, the insolent and godless men. Let us flee their presumption, and let us not imitate their madness, nor let us receive their end.

XVIII. And do you wish that I present to you another order, this one also praiseworthy, and this one worthy of present remembrance and admonition? You see among the disciples of Christ, though all were exalted and worthy of their election, one is called the Rock, and is entrusted with the foundations of the Church, another is loved more, and rests upon the breast of Jesus, and the rest bear the preference shown. But to go up onto the mountain

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ἡμῶν θεὶς, ὥσπερ καὶ Μωϋσῆς πάλαι τὸ κάλυμμα ἑαυτοῦ τε καὶ τῆς πωρώσεως Ἰσραὴλ, ἵνα μὴ ῥᾳδίως ἴδῃ σκοτεινὴ φύσις τὸ ἀπόθετον κάλλος, καὶ ὀλίγων ἄξιον, μηδὲ ῥᾳδίως ἐπιτυχὸν, ῥᾳδίως καὶ ἀπο βάλῃ διὰ τὴν εὐκολίαν τῆς κτήσεως· φῶς δὲ ὁμιλήσῃ φωτὶ, ἀεὶ πρὸς τὸ ὕψος ἕλκοντι διὰ τῆς ἐφέ σεως, καὶ νοῦς πλησιάσῃ τῷ καθαρωτάτῳ κεκαθαρ μένος, καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄρτι φανῇ, τὸ δὲ ὕστερον, ἆθλον ἀρετῆς καὶ τῆς ἐντεῦθεν πρὸς αὐτὸ νεύσεως, εἴ τουν ἐξομοιώσεως. Βλέπομεν γὰρ ἄρτι, φησὶ, δι' ἐσόπτρου καὶ ἐν αἰνίγματι, τότε δὲ πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· ἄρτι γινώσκω ἐκ μέρους, τότε δὲ ἐπιγνώσομαι καθὼς καὶ ἐπεγνώσθην. Καὶ τὸ ταπεινὸν ἡμῶν ὅσον! καὶ ἡ ἐπαγγελία πηλίκη! γνῶ ναι Θεὸν τοσοῦτον, ὅσον ἐγνώσμεθα. Ταῦτα Παῦλος ὁ μέγας κῆρυξ τῆς ἀληθείας, ὁ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐν πίστει διδάσκαλος, ὁ τὸν πολὺν κύκλον τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου πλη ρώσας, ὁ μὴ ἄλλῳ τινὶ ζῶν, ἢ Χριστῷ, ὁ μέχρι οὐ ρανοῦ τρίτου φθάσας, ὁ τοῦ παραδείσου θεατὴς, ὁ ποθῶν διὰ τὴν τελειότητα τὴν ἀνάλυσιν.

Ι ςʹ. Καὶ Μωϋσῆς μὲν μόλις εἶδε Θεοῦ τὰ ὀπίσθια διὰ τῆς πέτρας (ἅτινα ταῦτά ἐστι, καὶ ἥτις ἡ πέτρα), καὶ ταῦτα πολλὰ δεηθεὶς, καὶ τυχὼν ὑποσχέσεως· πλὴν ὅτι μὴ, ὅσον ἐπόθησεν, εἶδεν, ἀλλὰ πλόεν τοῦ φαντασθέντος ἦν ὃ διέφυγεν· Μωϋσῆς, ὁ τοῦ Φαραὼ Θεὸς, ὁ τοσοῦτον ἄγων λαὸν, ὁ τηλικαύτην σημείων ἐπιδειξάμενος δύναμιν. Σὺ δὲ, τίνας ἔθρεψας ἐξ οὐρανοῦ; Ποῖον ὕδωρ ἐκ πέτρας δέδωκας; Ποίαν ἔῤῥηξας θάλασσαν ῥάβδῳ; Τίνα λαὸν διήγαγες ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς τῆς ὑγρᾶς; Τίνας ἐχ θροὺς κατεπόντισας; Τίνας στύλῳ πυρὸς καὶ νεφέ λης ὡδήγησας; Τίνα κατεπολέμησας Ἀμαλὴκ εὐχῇ, καὶ χειρῶν ἐκτάσει, καὶ τῷ σταυρῷ προτυπουμένῳ πόῤῥωθεν μυστικῶς, ἵν' ᾖ σοι συμφορὰ τὸ μὴ τε λείως καταλαβεῖν Θεὸν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πάντα δονῆται, καὶ ἄνω καὶ κάτω φέρηται; Ἐπεὶ δὲ Μωϋσέως ἐμνήσθην, οὐκ ἔμαθες ἐντεῦθεν χαρίσμα τος ἀκολουθίαν καὶ νόμον τάξεως; Εἰ μὲν εἶ Μωϋσῆς, καὶ τῆς νεφέλης εἴσω χώρησον, καὶ λάλει Θεῷ, καὶ φωνῆς ἄκουε, καὶ δέξαι νόμον, καὶ νομοθέ 36.193 τησον. Εἰ δὲ Ἀαρὼν, συνανάβηθι μὲν, ἀλλὰ τῆς νεφέλης ἔξω στῆθι πλησίον. Εἰ δὲ Ἰθάμαρ τις, ἢ Ἐλεάζαρ, καὶ τρίτος ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως, ἢ τῆς γερουσίας τις καὶ τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα, ἔτι πόῤῥωθεν στῆθι, κἂν τῇ στάσει τὸ τρίτον ἔχων. Εἰ δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ τῶν πολλῶν εἷς, οὐ προσίεταί σε τὸ ὄρος, οὗ κἂν θηρίον θίγῃ, λιθοβοληθήσεται. Κάτω μεῖνον, καὶ μόνης ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς, καὶ ταύτης, ἁγνίσας σεαυ τὸν καὶ καθάρας, ὡς διατέταξαι.

ΙΖʹ. Καὶ ἵνα σε παιδεύσω διὰ πλειόνων, τίς τῶν ἱερέων ἐτελείου τὰς χεῖρας; Μωϋσῆς. Τίς τῶν τε λειουμένων ὁ πρῶτος; Ἀαρών. Καὶ ἔτι πρὸ τούτων, τίς τὰ πρὸς Θεὸν ἦν; Καὶ τίς ἀντὶ φωνῆς τῷ λαῷ; Εἰς δὲ τὰ Ἅγια τῶν ἁγίων εἰσῄει τίς, πλὴν ἑνός; Ἀεὶ δὲ οὗτος; Οὐδαμῶς· ἀλλ' ἅπαξ τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ, καὶ ἦν ὅτε. Ἔφερον δὲ τὴν σκηνὴν τίνες, πλὴν τῶν Λευϊτῶν; Καὶ οὗτοι, καθὼς διετέτακτο, οἱ μὲν τὰ τιμιώτερα ταύτης, οἱ δὲ τὰ δεύτερα, καθὼς ἡ τῶν φερόντων ἀξία; Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ φυλάσσεσθαι ταύτην ἔδει, ἐφύλασσον τίνες, καὶ πῶς, Οἱ μὲν τόδε τὸ κλίτος, οἱ δὲ τόδε· καὶ οὐδὲ ἀόριστον, οὐδὲ ἄτακτον, οὐδὲ τῶν ἐλαχίστων. Ἡμεῖς δὲ ἂν μικροῦ δοξαρίου τύχω μεν, ἢ οὐδὲ τούτου πολλάκις, ἀλλ' ὡς ἔτυχεν, ἢ δύο, ἢ τρία ῥήματα τῆς Γραφῆς ἐκμελετήσω μεν, καὶ ταῦτα περικεκομμένως καὶ ἀνοήτως (τοῦτο ἐκεῖνο, ἡ αὐθημερινὴ σοφία, καὶ ὁ ἐν Χαλάνῃ πύργος, ὃς καλῶς τὰς γλώσσας ἐμέρισεν)· καὶ ἀπο νοηθῆναι δεῖ κατὰ Μωϋσέως, καὶ γενέσθαι ∆αθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρὼν τοὺς ὑβριστὰς καὶ ἀθέους. Ὧν φύγωμεν τὴν αὐθάδειαν, καὶ μηδὲ τὴν ἀπόνοιαν μιμησώ μεθα, μηδὲ τὸ τέλος δεξώμεθα.

ΙΗʹ. Βούλει δὲ καὶ ἄλλην σοι παραστήσω τάξιν, καὶ ταύτην ἐπαινετὴν, καὶ ταύτην ἀξίαν τῆς εἰς τὸ παρὸν μνήμης, καὶ νουθεσίας; Ὁρᾷς τῶν Χριστοῦ μαθητῶν, πάντων ὄντων ὑψηλῶν, καὶ τῆς ἐκλογῆς ἀξίων, ὁ μὲν Πέτρα καλεῖται, καὶ τοὺς θεμελίους τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πιστεύεται, ὁ δὲ ἀγαπᾶται πλέον, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ στῆθος τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἀναπαύεται, καὶ φέ ρουσιν οἱ λοιποὶ τὴν προτίμησιν. Ἀναβῆναι δὲ εἰς τὸ ὄρος