it will become manifest, then after this the hidden and deceitful thing of the adversaries will be revealed and, as it were, refuted *** and those who believe | at least in Jesus Christ or those who receive the faith which Jesus Christ created in them toward the Father *** he justifies those who believe not according to a wage that is owed; for what has been done and accomplished by any of the Jews or Greeks worthy for the one who did it to be justified? *** I consider whether perhaps thus also Solomon was able to say in the Proverbs, "A ransom for a man's soul is his own wealth"; For as the soul's | own wealth is the wisdom of God and righteousness and peace and word and the other virtues, "A ransom for a man's soul is his own wealth" is equivalent to "A ransom for a man's soul is virtue," and to "A ransom for a man's 156 soul is Jesus Christ who is the power of God and the wisdom of God and the rest" *** [Rom. 3, 25-26] Him, therefore, who would make propitiation concerning those who have sinned at the end of the ages for the | setting aside of the nature of sins, God long ago set forth to be a mercy-seat, to be used together for the propitiation concerning those needing propitiation by the faith of those who would be in the propitiation *** previously not yet doing the work of being a mercy-seat; for he awaited the present time lest so great a one, by becoming a mercy-seat too quickly, might become a mercy-seat | for fewer people *** and then the work of the mercy-seat and the demonstration of the righteousness of God came to be, when matters needed the benefit from both, after the trial of countless pre-existing sins through forbearance † of numbers *** And confessedly in many places the thoughts which the apostle brings forth, he brings forth from the treasures of the law | and prophets *** and the mercy-seat 158 <in> Exodus seems at least to refer to none other than the Savior; for him God set forth as a mercy-seat *** having observed that pure gold is in many places spoken of symbolically as the pure mind unmixed with matter; and such is our mercy-seat, God the Word who was in the beginning with God, or perhaps rather the soul of Jesus, since he did | no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth, nor did he know sin *** ‖ For he says: "That you may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and breadth and depth and height"; therefore, there is need of great intellectual, if I may so name it, vigor and strength so that we may have strength to comprehend the length and breadth of the mercy-seat, and the length and breadth | and depth of the solid objects such as the ark and the table, and the length and breadth and depth and height of those things which have assumed to the, as it were, bodily solidity the height of the intelligible nature *** the interpretation of Cherubim is "fullness of knowledge," and these Cherubim are of hammered work for a representation, from the hammered work and exactness, of the | divinity *** What, then, might be the ark that lies under the mercy-seat and the Cherubim, or, as I think, sacred and blessed powers, capable of containing the divinity of both the Only-Begotten and the Holy Spirit, proper 160 to bodies ·[·····]... and of the soul of Jesus, which has contained both Cherubim, being the mercy-seat and lying above what is tropically | called the ark *** And with regard to him who gives oracles being known between the two Cherubim, you will take a saying from Habakkuk which runs thus: "O Lord, I have heard your report, and was afraid; O Lord, I considered your works, and was amazed; in the midst of two living creatures you will be known, when the time has come, you will be revealed" *** and "whom he set forth" | at least fits the soul of Jesus more than the Only-Begotten and firstborn of all creation; for God sets forth things not yet present, but God set in the church first apostles (he did not set them forth; for they already existed), second prophets, third teachers, and so on *** But it is right to set beside the propitiations made with blood according to the law, so that it may be found from the things set beside and of what things the written words are symbols. It is written, therefore, after the sacrifice of the high priest in Leviticus: "And if the whole congregation sins unintentionally and the matter is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do one of all

φανερὸν γενήσεται, εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο τὸ κεκαλυμμένον καὶ δόλιον τῶν ἐναντίων ἀποκαλυφθήσεται καὶ οἱονεὶ ἐλεγχθήσεται *** καὶ πιστεύοντάς | γε Ἰησοῦ Χριστῷ ἢ πίστιν χωροῦντας ἣν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς αὐτοῖς ἐνεποίησεν εἰς τὸν Πατέρα *** δικαιοῖ τοὺς πιστεύοντας οὐ κατὰ μισθὸν ὀφειλόμενον· τ̣ί γὰρ πέπρακται καὶ κατώρθωται Ἰουδαίων τινὶ ἢ Ἕλληνι ἄξιον τοῦ τὸν πράξαντα δικαιωθῆναι; *** ἐφίστημι μήποτε οὕτω δύναται καὶ ὁ Σολομῶν ἐν ταῖς Παροιμίαις εἰρη κέναι τὸ «Λύτρον ἀνδρὸς ψυχῆς ὁ ἴδιος πλοῦτος»· ὡς γὰρ ψυχῆς πλοῦτος | ἴδιος ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη καὶ εἰρήνη καὶ λόγος καὶ αἱ λοιπαὶ ἀρεταί, ἴσον δύναται τὸ «Λύτρον ἀνδρὸς ψυχῆς ὁ ἴδιος πλοῦτος» τῷ «Λύτρον ἀνδρὸς ψυχῆς ἡ ἀρετή», καὶ τῷ «Λύτρον ἀνδρὸς 156 ψυχῆς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὅς ἐστιν Θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ Θεοῦ σοφία καὶ τὰ λοιπά» *** [Rom. 3, 25-26] Τοῦτον τοίνυν ἱλασμὸν ποιησόμενον περὶ τῶν ἡμαρ τηκότων ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τῶν αἰώνων ἐπὶ τὸ | ἀθετηθῆναι τὴν τῶν ἁμαρ τημάτων φύσιν πάλαι προέθετο ὁ Θεὸς ἐσόμενον ἱλαστήριον συγχρησομένῳ εἰς τὸν περὶ τῶν δεομένων ἱλασμοῦ ἱλασμὸν τῇ πίστει τῶν ἐν τῷ ἱλασμῷ ἐσομένων *** πρότερον οὐδέπω ποιῶν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ εἶναι ἱλαστήριον· περιέ μενεν γὰρ τὸν νῦν καιρὸν ἵνα μὴ τάχιον γινόμενος ἱλαστήριον ὁ τηλικοῦτος ὑπὲρ ὀλιγωτέρων | γένηται ἱλαστήριον *** καὶ γέγονεν τότε τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου ἔργον καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δικαιοσύνης ἔνδειξις, δεηθέντων τῶν πραγμάτων τῆς ἀπ' ἀμφοτέρων ὠφελείας μετὰ τὸ πειραθῆναι μυρίων ὅσων προγενομένων ἁμαρτημάτων κατὰ πάρεσιν † αριθμων *** Ὁμολογουμένως δὲ πολλαχοῦ ἃ φέρει ὁ ἀπόστολος νοήματα ἀπὸ τῶν θη σαυρῶν φέρει νόμου | καὶ προφητῶν *** καὶ ἔοικέν γε τὸ <ἐν> Ἐξόδῳ ἱλαστήριον 158 ἀναφέρειν οὐκ ἐπ' ἄλλον τινὰ ἢ τὸν Σωτῆρα· τοῦτον γὰρ προέθετο ὁ Θεὸς ἱλαστήριον *** χρυσίον δὲ καθαρὸν πολλαχοῦ τηρήσας συμβολικῶς λέγεσθαι τὸν καθαρὸν καὶ ἀμιγῆ πρὸς ὕλην νοῦν· τοιοῦτον δέ ἐστιν ἡμῶν τὸ ἱλαστήριον τὸ ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν Θεὸς Λόγος ἢ τάχα μᾶλλον ἡ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ψυχή, ἐπεὶ ἁμαρ|τίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὐδὲ ηὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἔγνω ἁμαρτίαν *** ‖ Φησὶν γάρ· «Ἵνα ἐξισχύσητε καταλαβέσθαι σὺν πᾶσι τοῖς ἁγίοις τι´̣ τὸ μῆκος καὶ πλάτος καὶ βάθος καὶ ὕψος»· μεγάλης οὖν νοητικῆς, ἵν' οὕτως ὀνομάσω, εὐτονίας καὶ ἰσχύος χρεία ἵν' ἐξισχύσωμεν καταλαβέσθαι μῆκος μὲν καὶ πλάτος τοῦ ἱλαστηρίου, μῆκος δὲ καὶ πλά|τος καὶ βάθος τῶν στερεῶν οἷον τῆς κιβωτοῦ καὶ τῆς τραπέζης, μῆκος δὲ καὶ πλάτος καὶ βάθος καὶ ὕψος τῶν προσειληφότων τῇ οἷον σωματικῇ στερεότητι τὸ ὕψος τῆς νοητῆς φύσεως *** ἑρμηνεία Χερουβεὶν ἐπίγνωσις πεπληθυσμένη, τορευτὰ δὲ ταῦτά ἐστιν τὰ Χερουβεὶν πρὸς παράστασιν, ἀπὸ τῆς τορεύσεως καὶ ἀκριβείας, τῆς | θειότητος *** Τίς οὖν ἂν εἴη ἡ κιβωτὸς ἡ ὑποκειμένη τῷ ἱλαστηρίῳ καὶ τοῖς Χερουβεὶν ἤ, ὡς οἶμαι, ἱεραὶ καὶ μακάριαι καὶ χωρητικαὶ τῆς τε τοῦ Μονογενοῦς καὶ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος θειότητος δυνάμεις σώμασιν 160 οἰκεῖαι ·[·····]μ̣εναι καὶ τῆς κεχωρηκυίας ἀμφότερα τὰ Χερουβεὶν Ἰησοῦ ψυχῆς οὔση̣ς ἱλαστηρίου καὶ ὑπερκειμένης τὰ τροπικῶς | λεγόμενα κιβωτόν *** Πρὸς δὲ τὸ ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν δύο Χερουβεὶν γινώσκεσθαι τὸν χρηματίζοντα παραλήμψει ῥητὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀμβακοὺν οὕτως ἔχον· «Κύριε, εἰσακήκοα τὴν ἀκοήν σου καὶ ἐφοβήθην· Κύριε, κατενόησα τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ ἐξέστην· ἐν μέσῳ δύο ζῴων γνωσθήσῃ, ἐν τῷ παρεῖναι τὸν καιρὸν ἀναδειχθήσῃ» *** καὶ ἁρμόζει γε τὸ | «Ὃν προέθετο» τῇ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ μᾶλλον ψυχῇ ἢ τῷ Μονογενεῖ καὶ πρωτοτόκῳ πάσης κτίσεως· προτίθεται μὲν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς τὰ μηδέπω ἐνεστηκότα, ἔθετο δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρῶτον ἀποστόλους (οὐ προέθετο· ἤδη γὰρ ἦσαν), δεύτερον προφή τας, τρίτον διδασκάλους καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς *** ∆ίκαιον δὲ παραθέσθαι τοὺς μετὰ αἵματος γενομένους κατὰ τὸν νόμον ἱλασμούς, ἵν' εὑ ρεθῇ ἐκ τῶν παρατιθεμένων καὶ ὧν ἐστι σύμβολα τὰ γεγραμμένα. Γέγραπται τοίνυν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀρχιερέως θυσίαν ἐν τῷ Λευιτικῷ· «Ἐὰν δὲ πᾶσα συναγωγὴ ἀγνοήσῃ καὶ λάθῃ ῥῆμα ἐξ ὀφθαλμῶν τῆς συναγωγῆς, καὶ ποιήσωσι μίαν ἁπασῶν