Fragments on Matthew

 had lost food, so the new Adam, by abstaining also from what he was not commanded through an excess of virtue, might be restored to the original good.

 to spare not even the most necessary things, if through them some wicked action might risk coming to be. One must not cut off the members, but as it w

 is forced to bear its burden. And old wineskins are also old men but new wine is the new word, which they do not contain for their rottenness is bur

 you, by retreating from those who persecute you, will last for the time of the evange lization not

 the spirit of Elijah. And since what was said was unclear, he left the knowledge to those who were able to understand. 63 Mt 11, 14 The angel Gabriel

 not giving to such a one. But the remission through baptism may have been passed over in silence in such cases, since it was not yet the time to disco

 76 Mt 13, 18-23 In these things it is investigated, how he has not said that the word is sown in the beginning nor said the seed sown by the wayside,

 82 Mt 16, 1-4 But indeed, neither does a physician fulfill the inopportune desires of the sick, seeking what is curative of the disease, not what is f

 no one being permitted to pay a half-shekel, not even if he were rich but the mystery was to the effect that neither was the Son incarnate with a fat

 But evil has prevailed so much as to overturn this reasoning. Therefore, the argument requires two things of us: both to remember one's own sins and t

 perfection is from him. 98 Mt 19:23-26 The apostolic word fits well here, laying aside every weight for the comparison to a camel indicated the wei

 102 Mt 20, 10-12 What the first ones thought, that they would receive more, indicates the nature of the matter, not the thought of the holy men for n

 to him, according to which, having been delivered from the plot of foreigners, he remained in his own land. and the tower, the temple, in which those

 » of God, David, and this does not yet fit the Spirit, but it is spoken with respect to his own spirit. At any rate, he was speaking in spirit also wh

 putting itself outside of God through sinning but the bird is fruitful and warm in its love and caring for its children and giving itself up for them

 to seek obedience from men, to whom you have not given a willing ear through your word. And for this reason, fearing lest I become ineffective, I guar

 of all, he says, through the one righteous one the many will be established. This indeed he also indicates here, that one suffers for many. But Apolli

 of his flesh and on earth a hiding took place. 137 Mt 27, 11-14 Good is the looking away from the slanderers for those hearing were not seeking the t

 that each of those who die is added «to his people» for below was the place and the abode of souls, and this downward journey the Lord transfers to t

not giving to such a one. But the remission through baptism may have been passed over in silence in such cases, since it was not yet the time to discourse with the Jews concerning this; for it is found somehow between the condemnation in this age and the one to come, because he who is baptized goes out from this age; and it is considered somehow between the present life and the life to come and thus has an exemption from the examination of the law according to Paul who says, "God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns?" Therefore, to attribute to a demon the miracles and the destruction of demons, which are the work of the Spirit alone, leaves you no excuse for the blasphemy. He says these things, neither declaring that the blasphemy against himself will be forgiven, nor not allowing room for repentance to those who blaspheme against the Spirit, if they should wish it, but in comparison, stating that the blasphemy against him, as against a man, seeming then only to occur, is lesser, when it is compared with the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit; but after the resurrection from the dead and the ascension into heaven it was also clearly demonstrated that he is truly the son of God and God. Even if he unchangeably became man, not even the blasphemy against him will be forgiven, unless through an offense and a sincere repentance.

74 Mt 12,43-45 From this we learn that a demon will not overcome a man who chooses the better things, but such a one will be inaccessible to him, holding forth virtue as a barrier to entry and leaving him no place, as Ecclesiastes advises. On the contrary, the evil and slothful man regarding the good is ridden by the wicked spirit. And we learn that demons also have a certain consolation in dwelling in those who are suitable for them, if indeed when they are not able to do this they find no rest, just as from the opposite is also said of the divine Spirit's rest, the suitability of men for it; for God is "holy, resting in the holy." But the fact that the one which once went out enters again with more has as its cause the unchangeable wickedness of the man. And the seven spirits must be reckoned as many; for often in the divine scripture seven stands for a multitude. At first, the wicked spirit dwelt among the Jews, when they practiced idolatry in Egypt, but it went out when they were called by God; but after these things when they sinned against the one who had called them, then grace passed over to the Gentiles, and they were given up. And the dwelling of the wicked spirits among the Gentiles, as in certain waterless places, became difficult and impassable when the Gentiles received God. But the return to Israel was easier than before and with a great multitude for the assault. For this reason they now live worse than in Egypt, always arraying themselves for blasphemies against Christ, and not having the covenant with Abraham to rightly expect, even as then, but being cut off from hope, because they have rejected the one who fulfills it. Therefore in his words to them the Lord has made clear both their future rejection and the shame of the coming judgment and their present possession by the evil one. 75 Mt 12,46 And that "his brothers" had not yet believed in him, we learn from John, and from Mark we have heard something more; for they tried to seize him as one who was out of his mind. And with such a thought the Lord did not mention them as his own, but points out instead his subjects, inscribing for these all the names of kinship, who were joined to him by the intimacy of obedience. But if Mary also had a temporary opposition, just as Simeon also foretold, saying: "and your own soul" and the rest, it was fitting that the Lord also returned to these things, having kindly remembered her at the passion and commended her to the beloved disciple.

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τοιούτῳ μὴ διδούς. παρα σεσιωπημένη δὲ ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἡ διὰ βαπτίσματος ἄφεσις εἴη, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ καιρὸς ἦν πω περὶ ταύτης Ἰουδαίοις διαλέγεσθαι· μεταξὺ γάρ πως εὑρίσκεται τῆς ἐν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ καὶ τῆς μελλούσης κατακρίσεως, ὅτι ὁ βαπτιζόμενος ἔξεισιν ἀπὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου· καὶ μεταξύ πως τῆς παρούσης καὶ τῆς μελλούσης ζωῆς ἐξετάζεται καὶ οὕτως παραίτησιν τῆς ἐκ νόμου ἐξετάσεως ἴσχει κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα Παῦλον «θεὸς ὁ δικαιῶν· τίς ὁ κατακρινῶν ». οὐκοῦν τὸ τὰ θαύματα καὶ τὴν τῶν δαιμόνων κατά λυσιν, ἃ μόνου τοῦ πνεύματος ποιεῖν, ταῦτα τῷ δαίμονι περιτιθέναι οὐδεμίαν ὑμῖν συγγνώμην τῆς βλασφημίας καταλιμπάνει. ταῦτα λέγει οὔτε τὴν εἰς ἑαυτὸν βλασφημίαν ἀφεθήσεσθαι ἀποφαινόμενος οὔτε τοῖς βλασφημοῦσι κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος χώραν μετανοίας, εἰ βούλοιντο, μὴ ἀφιείς, ἀλλ' ἐν παραθέσει τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν βλασφημίαν ὡς εἰς ἄνθρωπον τότε γίνεσθαι μόνον δοκοῦσαν ἐλάττονα φάσκων εἶναι, ὅταν τῇ βλασφημίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου συγκρίνηται πνεύματος, μετὰ δὲ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν καὶ τὴν εἰς οὐρανὸν ἄνοδον καὶ σαφῶς ἀποδειχθῆναι, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀληθῶς υἱὸς θεοῦ καὶ θεός. εἰ καὶ ἀτρέπτως γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, οὐδὲ ἡ εἰς αὐτὸν ἀφε θήσεται βλασφημία , εἰ μὴ διὰ πταίσματός τε

εἰλικρινοῦς μετανοίας. 74 Mt 12,43-45 Ἐκ τούτου μανθάνομεν, ὅτι μὴ κρατήσει δαίμων ἀνθρώπου τὰ καλλίω προαιρουμένου, ἀλλ' ἀνεπίβατος ὁ τοιοῦτος ἔσται αὐτῷ ἔμφραγμα τῆς εἰσόδου τὴν ἀρετὴν προϊσχόμενος καὶ τόπον αὐτοῦ μηδένα ἀφιείς, ὡς ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς παραινεῖ. τοὐναντίον δὲ ὁ κακὸς καὶ ῥᾴθυμος περὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἱππήλατός ἐστι τῷ πονηρῷ πνεύματι. μανθάνομεν δέ, ὅτι καὶ παραμυθίαν τινὰ τὴν εἰς τοὺς ἑαυτοῖς ἐπιτηδείους ἐνοίκησιν οἱ δαίμονες ἴσχουσιν, εἴ γε ὅτε μὴ δύνανται τοῦτο ποιεῖν οὐκ ἀναπαύονται, ὥσπερ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων λέγεται καὶ τοῦ θείου πνεύματος ἀνάπαυσις ἡ πρὸς αὐτὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιτηδειότης· «ἅγιος » γὰρ «ἐν ἁγίοις ἀναπαυόμενος » ὁ θεός. τὸ δὲ μετὰ πλειόνων ἐπεισιέναι τὸ ἅπαξ ἐξελθὸν αἰτίαν ἔχει τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀμετάβλητον πονηρίαν. ἑπτὰ δὲ πνεύματα λογιστέον τὰ πολλά· ἐπὶ γὰρ πλήθους πολλάκις τὰ ἑπτὰ παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ γραφῇ. κατ' ἀρχὴν μὲν ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐνῴκησε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρόν, ὅτε κατ' Αἴγυπτον εἰδωλολάτρουν, ἐξῆλθε δὲ ὅτε προσεκλήθησαν ὑπὸ θεοῦ· μετὰ ταῦτα δὲ ὅτε ἐξήμαρτον εἰς τὸν προσκαλεσάμενον, τότε μετέβαινεν ἡ χάρις ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη, οἱ δὲ ἐξεδίδοντο. καὶ ἡ μὲν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὥσπερ ἐν ἀνύδροις τισὶ τόποις κατοίκησις ἐγένετο τῶν πονηρῶν χαλεπή τε καὶ δύσβατος θεὸν ὑποδεξαμένων τῶν ἐθνῶν. ἡ δὲ εἰς τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπάνοδος ῥᾷον ἢ πρότερον καὶ μετὰ πολλοῦ πλήθους τῆς ἐφόδου. διὸ κάκιον νῦν διάγουσιν ἢ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ παραταττόμενοι μὲν εἰς τὰς κατὰ Χριστοῦ βλασφη μίας ἀεί, τὴν δὲ πρὸς Ἀβραὰμ διαθήκην οὐκ ἔχοντες κατὰ τὸ δίκαιον προσδοκᾶν κἂν ὥσπερ τότε, ἀλλὰ ἀποκοπτόμενοι τῆς ἐλπίδος, ὅτι τὸν πληρωτὴν ταύτης ἠθετήκασιν. δεδήλωκεν οὖν ἐν τοῖς πρὸς αὐτοὺς λόγοις ὁ κύριος καὶ τὴν ἐσο μένην ἀποβολὴν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν ἐπικρίσεως τῆς μελλούσης αἰσχύνην καὶ τὴν ἤδη κράτησιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ. 75 Mt 12,46 Ὅτι δὲ μήπω ἐπεπιστεύκεσαν εἰς αὐτὸν «οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ » , μανθάνομεν παρὰ Ἰωάννου, παρὰ δὲ τοῦ Μάρκου καί τι πλέον ἀκηκό αμεν· ὡς γὰρ ἐξεστηκότα κατέχειν ἐπεχείρουν. ἐπὶ τῇ τοιαύτῃ διανοίᾳ καὶ ὁ κύριος οὐχ ὡς οἰκείων αὐτῶν ἐμνήσθη, ἀλλ' ἀντεπιδείκνυσι τοὺς ὑπηκόους, τούτοις τὰ τῆς συγγενείας προγράφων ἅπαντα τὰ ὀνόματα, οἳ κατ' οἰκειότητα τῆς ὑπακοῆς αὐτῷ συνήπτοντο. εἰ δὲ καὶ πρόσκαιρον ἔσχε τὴν Μαρίας ἀντιλογίαν, καθὰ καὶ προεῖπεν ὁ Συμεὼν λέγων· «καὶ σοῦ δὲ αὐτῆς τὴν ψυχὴν » καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, εἰκότως ἐπανῆλθεν ἐπὶ ταῦτα καὶ ὁ κύριος αὐτῆς εὐμενῶς ἐπὶ τοῦ πάθους μνησθεὶς καὶ συνέστησεν αὐτὴν τῷ ἀγαπητῷ μαθητῇ.

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