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Just as, therefore, the one who is circumcised in the flesh removes something from the member that serves generation, so the one who casts out every thought friendly to generation from his mind has circumcised his heart. This circumcision is possessed by those who have genuinely chosen celibacy, being anxious about the things of the Lord, that they may please him. This circumcision is performed on the eighth day; for the one being circumcised must transcend the world which was made in six days, and this is to be in the seventh day which is the true, holy, and delightful Sabbath. And since resting from worldly activities is not sufficient for perfect blessedness, it is necessary to attain the supra-mundane state after the life in the Sabbath, which is the eighth. The one who has a desire to experience this will not love the world nor the things in it. The command for physical circumcision, which is intertwined with something that is not reasonable if we remain with the bare history, also leads us to this spiritual understanding; "Every," it says, "male shall be circumcised on the eighth day." For the transgression of these commands, a threat of destruction is appointed against the child not circumcised on the eighth day, but not against the parents or whoever else is raising the child; for the threat would seem reasonable if it were directed against any of them, but it is no longer consistent when directed at an eight-day-old child who does not yet have the ability to act, and especially with the intention of keeping God's commandment. 32Ps 6,2 He is reproved in wrath, whose sins are made manifest, a bitter and painful discipline having been brought upon him in retribution, so that the one who has fallen under what is brought by God's anger, receiving an awareness of the wickedness that was the cause of his suffering these things, is chastened in anger. With this in mind it is said by one who has been brought to his senses: "I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me; he will bring me out to the light." For whenever, having been brought into such a state, he knows that the anger has been brought upon him by God as a form of therapy, he is not for the time being displeased to be subject to it, until the judgment of the one who judged so for the sake of help is vindicated. For he knows that when the anger has accomplished its purpose according to the intention of the one who brought it, he will be brought out to the light by God, the judgment having been carried away by him. If, therefore, of those who are reproved and chastened, some endure it through wrath and anger, and others through rational instruction, these things which with pain are brought for reproof and chastening must be sought. For repentance for these things is no longer entirely voluntary, whereas the approach of reproof and chastening through reason has much of the voluntary. "But all things," it says, "when they are reproved are made manifest by the light," writes Paul. The reproof through light is a manifestation that happens by way of proof not only for sinners but also for the just, as God illuminates the hidden things of sinners (called darkness on account of ignorance and wickedness) and makes manifest the counsels of the hearts of the just. Yet even if the wrath and anger of God bring painful things, they happen with a good intention, for the purpose of hindering wickedness and impiety. Indeed, the one who has experienced the usefulness of the anger and wrath gives thanks, saying: "I will praise you, O Lord, for you were angry with me for salvation; you turned away your wrath and had mercy on me." And God himself, revealing the hidden goodness in his anger, says, "When the anger of my wrath has come, I will heal again;" for he brings it not to harm people, but to destroy the evils which they have held by choice. For even if "The wrath of God is revealed from heaven," yet it is brought upon all impiety and unrighteousness of men, so that unrighteousness and impiety, which they had before experiencing wrath, might be destroyed from them. That a passion of God is not represented by these words, we learn also from the words of Moses to God, which are recorded thus: "You sent forth your wrath, it consumed them as stubble." And the painful things which befall the wicked are spoken of in these passages as the wrath of God coming by his judgment upon the worthy. For not even the

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ωσπερ τοίνυν ὁ αἰσθητῶς περιτεμνόμενος περιαιρεῖ τι τοῦ ὑπηρετοῦντος γενέσει μέλους, ουτως ὁ πάντα λογισμὸν φίλον γενέσει τῆς νοήσεως ἐκβαλὼν τὴν καρδίαν περιτέτμηται. ταύτην τὴν περιτομὴν εχουσιν οἱ γνησίως ἀγαμίαν προτεθειμένοι μεριμνῶντες τὰ τοῦ κυρίου, ινα αὐτῷ ἀρέσωσιν. Αυτη ἡ περιτομὴ ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ κατορθοῦται· ὑπερβῆναι γὰρ δεῖ τῷ περιτεμνομένῳ τὸν ἐν εξ ἡμέραις κόσμον γεγενημένον, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἐν ἑβδόμῃ ἡμέρᾳ γενέσθαι ουσῃ ἀληθινῷ σαββάτῳ ἁγίῳ καὶ τρυφερῷ. καὶ ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐπαρκεῖ πρὸς τελείαν μακαριότητα τὸ ἀργῆσαι τῶν κοσμικῶς γινομένων, δεῖ προσλαβεῖν τὴν μετὰ τὴν ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ διαγωγὴν ὑπερκόσμιον κατάστασιν ουσαν ὀγδόην. ὁ πειραθῆναι ταύτης εχων πόθον οὐκ ἀγαπήσει τὸν κόσμον οὐδὲ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ. Εἰς ταύτην τὴν πνευματικὴν νόησιν χειραγωγεῖ ἡμᾶς καὶ τὸ καταμιχθὲν τῇ προστάξει τῆς αἰσθητῆς περιτομῆς οὐ σῷζον τὸ ευλογον ἐπὶ ἱστορίας ψιλῆς μενόντων· Πᾶν, φησίν, αρσεν τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ περιτμηθήσεται. ἐπὶ παραβάσει τῶν ουτω προσταχθέντων ὁρίζεται ἀπειλὴ ἐξολοθρεύσεως κατὰ τοῦ μὴ περιτμηθέντος τῇ ὀγδόῃ ἡμέρᾳ παιδίου ἀλλ' οὐ κατὰ τῶν γονέων η τοῦ ἑτέρως ἀνατρέφοντος τὸ παιδίον· ἐδόκει γὰρ ευλογος ειναι ἡ ἀπειλή, εἰ κατά τινος τούτων ἐφέρετο, οὐκ ετι σῴζουσα τὸ ἀκόλουθον ἐπὶ ὀκταημέρου παιδίου ουπω τέως εχοντος τὸ πράττειν καὶ μάλιστα προθέσει τοῦ τηρεῖν ἐντολὴν θεοῦ. 32Ps 6,2 ̓Ελέγχεται θυμῷ, ου τὰ ἁμαρτήματα φανεροῦται, ἐπαχθείσης αὐτῷ κατὰ ἀνταπόδοσιν πικρᾶς καὶ ἐπιπόνου ἀγωγῆς, ὡς αυ ὁ ὑποπεσὼν τοῖς ὀργῇ θεοῦ ἐπαγομένοις συναίσθησιν λαμβάνων τῆς αἰτίας γενομένης κακίας τοῦ ταῦτα παθεῖν ἐν ὀργῇ παιδεύεται. ταύτῃ τῇ διανοίᾳ ειρηται πρὸς τοῦ εἰς αισθησιν ἀχθέντος ̓Οργὴν κυρίου ὑποίσω οτι ημαρτον αὐτῷ, εως ου δικαιῶσαι τὴν κρίσιν μου καὶ ἀποίσει τὸ κρίμα μου καὶ ἐξάξει με εἰς τὸ φῶς. οτ' αν γὰρ εἰς κατάστασιν ἀχθεὶς τοιαύτην γνῷ θεραπείας τρόπῳ ἐπῆχθαι αὐτῷ θεόθεν τὴν ὀργὴν, οὐκ ἀπαρέσκεται τέως ὑποκεῖσθαι αὐτῇ, εως δικαιωθῇ ἡ κρίσις τοῦ βοηθείας χάριν κρίναντος ουτως. οιδεν γὰρ οτι ἀνυσάσης τῆς ὀργῆς κατὰ τὴν πρόθεσιν τοῦ ἐπαγαγόντος ἐξαχθήσεται εἰς τὸ φῶς ὑπὸ θεοῦ, ἀποισθέντος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ κρίματος. Εἰ τοίνυν τῶν ἐλεγχομένων καὶ παιδευομένων οἱ μὲν διὰ θυμοῦ καὶ ὀργῆς, οἱ δὲ λογικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ ὑφίστανται, ταῦτα περαιτητέα τὰ μετὰ πόνου εἰς ελεγχον καὶ παίδευσιν αγονται. οὐ γὰρ ετι πάντῃ ἑκούσιον ἡ ἐπὶ τούτοις μετάγνωσις, πολὺ τὸ ἑκούσιον ἐχούσης τῆς διὰ λόγου προσαγωγῆς ἐλέγχου καὶ παιδεύσεως. Τὰ πάντα, φησίν, ἐλεγχόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ φωτὸς φανεροῦται, γράφει Παῦλος. ὁ διὰ φωτὸς ελεγχος φανέρωσίς ἐστιν ἀποδείξεως τρόπῳ γινομένη οὐχ ἁμαρτωλῶν μόνων ἀλλὰ καὶ δικαίων, φωτίζοντος τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ κρυπτὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν (δι' αγνοιαν καὶ κακίαν σκότος ὠνομασμένων) καὶ φανεροῦντος τὰς βουλὰς τῶν καρδιῶν τῶν δικαίων. πλὴν εἰ καὶ ἐπίπονα ἐπάγει ὁ θυμὸς καὶ ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ προθέσει ἀγαθῇ ἐπὶ τῷ κωλῦσαι κακίαν καὶ ἀσέβειαν γίνεται. ἀμέλει ὁ τοῦ χρησίμου τῆς ὀργῆς καὶ τοῦ θυμοῦ πειραθεὶς εὐχαριστεῖ λέγων· Εὐλογήσω σε, κύριε, οτι ὠργίσθης μοι εἰς σωτηρίαν· ἀπέστρεψας τὸν θυμόν σου καὶ ἠλέησάς με. καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς φανερῶν τὴν ἐγκεκρυμμένην ἀγαθότητα ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ φησὶν Οτ' αν ὀργὴ τοῦ θυμοῦ μου γένηται, πάλιν ἰάσομαι· ἐπιφέρει γὰρ αὐτὴν οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ βλάψαι ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλ' ἀφανίσαι α προαιρετικῶς εσχον κακά. εἰ γὰρ καὶ ̓Αποκαλύπτεται ὀργὴ θεοῦ ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἀλλά γε ἐπὶ πᾶσαν ἀσέβειαν καὶ ἀδικίαν ἀνθρώπων ἐπάγεται, ινα ἀφανισθῇ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀδικία καὶ ἀσέβεια ας εσχον πρὶν πειραθῆναι ὀργῆς. Οτι δὲ οὐ πάθος θεοῦ ἐκ τούτων τῶν λέξεων παρίσταται, μανθάνομεν καὶ ἐκ τῶν Μωϋσέως πρὸς τὸν θεὸν λόγων φερομένων ουτως· ̓Απέστειλας τὴν ὀργήν σου καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτοὺς ὡσεὶ καλάμην. ειρηται δὲ τὰ ἐπίπονα τὰ καθαπτόμενα τῶν πονηρῶν ἐν τούτοις ὀργῇ θεοῦ κρίσει αὐτοῦ εἰς τοὺς ἀξίους ἐρχόμενα. οὐδὲ γὰρ ἡ