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grieving a friend with seeming pleasantry, or scandalizing the unworthy with mystical words, let him diligently gather these back to himself at once, recalling the words that were inconsiderately cast out. 3.6 A time to keep and a time to cast away. {Dionysius.} A time to keep the scripture from the unworthy, but to cast it out to the worthy. Or also the letter of the law, before the coming there was a time for it to be kept, but for it to be cast out when the truth blossomed. 3.7 A time to tear and a time to sew. {Origen.} To make peace among those who fight, which is to sew; but to tear, when we remove the evil one. And each of the evangelists and apostles, having torn from the voice of the law or of the prophets, sewed onto the apostolic and evangelic voice, not sewing new onto old; for all things are spiritual. And being rent from heresy, we are sewed onto the church. A time to be silent and a time to speak. {Dionysius.} A time to speak, when there are listeners who receive the word; but to be silent, when the listeners pervert the word, as Paul says: A man that is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject. 3.8 A time to hate and a time to love. {Of Nyssa.} The good is properly to be loved; for you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and strength and might. But one thing is truly hateful, the inventor of evil. 3.10-11 Then I saw the distraction which God has given to the sons of men to be distracted with it. He has made all things beautiful in their time, and indeed he has put eternity in their hearts, so that man cannot find out the work that God has made from the beginning to the end. {Dionysius.} And this is true. For no one is able to comprehend the works of God completely. And the world is a work of God. Of this, no one is able to find out its "from the beginning and to the end," that is, the time appointed for it and the period defined for it. Since God has placed ignorance for all time in our hearts, as someone says: "Declare to me the fewness of my days." Thus for our benefit the end of this age, that is, of the present life, has been hidden. 3.12-13 I know that there is nothing good in them, except to be glad and to do good in one's life. And indeed every man who eats and drinks and sees good in all his labor, this is a gift of God. {Scholia of an anonymous author} He did not call gluttony and carousing good gladness, but that which is with doing good in one's life. For then enjoyment truly becomes gladness and a gift of God, when the soul, delighting in the consolations of the poor, celebrates the gladness that comes from recompense. 3.14 I know that all that God has made, it shall be forever; to it one cannot add and from it one cannot take away, and God has made it so that they may fear before his face. {Didymus.} The saying is about the visible creations. For some have no successor, while others remain by succession until the end, needing neither addition nor, in concept, any removal as being superfluous. But those who find its reason, as it were through contemplation, are astonished at the wisdom of the creator. For God instilled in us an innate fear through their harmony, as we consider the maker. But see that he did not say: that they may fear "God", but: "his face". For the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, but the face of God is pre-eminently the Son, according to "show thy face, and we shall be saved." 3.15 That which has been is now, and what is to be has already been, and God will seek the one who is persecuted. {Didymus.} If anything has come to be, he says, it is now, and whatever is to come to be has already come to be with God. For the architect of this great and beautiful city has nothing incomplete; for even if he creates things one by one, yet there is nothing new or recent under the sun. And God avenges the persecuted, whether by men or by sin and the demons who work it. 3.1617 And moreover I saw under the sun the place of

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φίλον λυποῦντας δοκοῦντι χαριεντισμῷ, ἢ τῶν μυστικῶν ἀνάξιον λόγων σκανδαλίζοντας, τούτους εὐθὺς πρὸς ἑαυτὸν συναγαγέτω σπουδαίως, τοὺς ἀπερισκέπτως ἀποβληθέντας ἀνακαλούμενος λόγους. 3.6 Καιρὸς τοῦ φυλάξαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ἐκβαλεῖν. {∆ιονυσίου.} Καιρὸς τοῦ φυλάξαι τὴν γραφὴν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀναξίοις, ἐκβαλεῖν δὲ τοῖς ἀξίοις. Ἢ καὶ τὸ νομικὸν γράμμα πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας καιρὸς ὑπῆρχε φυλάττεσθαι, ἐκβληθῆναι δὲ ἡνίκα ἤνθησεν ἡ ἀλήθεια. 3.7 Καιρὸς τοῦ ῥῆξαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ ῥάψαι. {Ὠριγένους.} Εἰρηνεῦσαι τοὺς μαχομένους, ὅ ἐστι ῥάψαι· ῥῆξαι δέ, ὅταν ἐξάρωμεν τὸν πονηρόν. Καὶ ἕκαστος δὲ τῶν εὐαγγελιστῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων, ῥήξας ἀπὸ νομικῆς ἢ προφητικῆς φωνῆς, ἔρραψεν ἐπὶ ἀποστολικὴν καὶ εὐαγγε λικὴν φωνήν, οὐ παλαιῷ προσράψας καινόν· πάντα γὰρ πνευματικά. Καὶ αἱρέσεως δὲ ἀποσχιζόμενοι, τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ προσραπτόμεθα. Καιρὸς τοῦ σιγᾶν καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ λαλεῖν. {∆ιονυσίου.} Καιρὸς τοῦ λαλεῖν, ὅταν ὦσιν οἱ τὸν λόγον δεχόμενοι ἀκροαταί· τοῦ δὲ σιγᾶν, ἡνίκα διαστρέφουσι τὸν λόγον οἱ ἀκροώμενοι, ὥς φησι Παῦλος· αἱρετικὸν ἄνθρωπον μετὰ μίαν καὶ δευτέραν νουθεσίαν παραιτοῦ. 3.8 Καιρὸς τοῦ μισῆσαι καὶ καιρὸς τοῦ φιλῆσαι. {Τοῦ Νύσσης.} Ἀγαπητὸν κυρίως τὸ ἀγαθόν· ἀγαπήσεις γὰρ κύριον τὸν θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου καὶ ἰσχύος καὶ δυνάμεως. Ἓν δὲ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μισητόν, ὁ τῆς κακίας εὑρετής. 3.10-11 Εἶδον οὖν τὸν περισπασμὸν ὃν ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων τοῦ περισπᾶσθαι ἐν αὐτῷ. Τὰ σύμπαντα ἃ ἐποίησε καλὰ ἐν καιρῷ αὐτοῦ, καί γε σὺν τὸν αἰῶνα ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν, ὅπως μὴ εὕρῃ ἄνθρωπος τὸ ποίημα ὃ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ μέχρι τέλουσ. {∆ιονυσίου.} Καὶ τοῦτο ἀληθές ἐστιν. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ ὁλοκλήρως καταλαβεῖν δύναται. Ποίημα δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ὁ κόσμος. Τούτου οὐδεὶς εὑρεῖν τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς καὶ μέχρι τέλους, τουτέστι τὸν τεταγμένον αὐτῷ χρόνον καὶ τὴν ὁρισθεῖσαν ἐπ' αὐτῷ προθεσμίαν, δύναται. Ἐπειδήπερ ἄγνοιαν ὁ θεὸς σύμπαντα τὸν αἰῶνα ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν ἔδωκεν, ὥς φησί τις· τὴν ὀλιγότητα τῶν ἡμερῶν μου ἀνάγγειλόν μοι. Οὕτω πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον ἡμῖν τὸ τέλος τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, δηλαδὴ τῆς παρούσης ζωῆς, ἠγνόηται. 3.12-13 Ἔγνων ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀγαθὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς, εἰ μὴ τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι καὶ ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ. Καί γε πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ὃς φάγεται καὶ πίεται καὶ ἴδῃ ἀγαθὸν ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ, τοῦτο δόμα θεοῦ ἐστι. {σξηολια αυξτορις νομινε ξαρεντ} Οὐ τὴν μονοφαγίαν καὶ κραιπάλην εἶπεν ἀγαθὴν εὐφροσύνην, ἀλλὰ τὴν μετὰ τοῦ ποιεῖν ἀγαθὸν ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ. Τότε γὰρ ὄντως εὐφροσύνη καὶ δόμα θεοῦ ἡ ἀπόλαυσις γίνεται, ὅταν ταῖς τῶν πενήτων παραμυθίαις ἐντρυφῶσα ἡ ψυχὴ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀνταποδόσεως ἑορτάζει εὐφροσύνην. 3.14 Ἔγνων ὅτι πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεός, αὐτὰ ἔσται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· ἐπ' αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστι προσθεῖναι καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀφελεῖν, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ ἵνα φοβηθῶσιν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ. {∆ιδύμου.} Περὶ τῶν ὁρατῶν ὁ λόγος κτισμάτων. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἀδιάδοχα, τὰ δὲ τῇ διαδοχῇ μέχρι τέλους παραμένει, μήτε προσθήκης δεόμενα μήτε τῆς κατ' ἔννοιαν, ὡς περιττά, τινὸς ἀφαιρέσεως. Οἱ δὲ τὸν λόγον αὐτὸν ὡς οἷόν τε διὰ θεωρίας εὑρίσκοντες ἐκπλήττονται τοῦ δημιουργοῦ τὴν σοφίαν. Ἔμφυτον γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ θεὸς τὸν διὰ τῆς τούτων εὐαρμοστίας φόβον ἐνέβαλεν, ἀναλογιζομένοις τὸν ποιητήν. Ὅρα δὲ ὅτι οὐκ εἶπεν· ἵνα φοβηθῶσι "τὸν θεόν", ἀλλά· "τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ". Πρόσωπον γὰρ κυρίου ἐπὶ ποιοῦντας κακά, πρόσωπον δὲ θεοῦ προηγουμένως ὁ υἱός, κατὰ τὸ ἐπίφανον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου καὶ σωθησόμεθα. 3.15 Τὸ γενόμενον ἤδη ἐστί, καὶ ὅσα τοῦ γενέσθαι ἤδη γέγονε, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ζητήσει τὸν διωκόμενον. {∆ιδύμου.} Εἴ τι γέγονε, φησί, νῦν ἔστι, καὶ ὅσα μέλλει γίνεσθαι ἤδη γέγονε παρὰ τῷ θεῷ. Ὁ γὰρ ἀρχιτέκτων τῆς μεγάλης ταύτης καλλιπόλεως οὐδὲν ἔχει ἀτελές· κἂν γὰρ καθ' ἑκάστην ποιῇ, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν καινὸν ἢ πρόσφατον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον. Ἐκδικεῖ δὲ ὁ θεὸς τὸν διωκόμενον, εἴτε ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων εἴτε ὑπὸ ἁμαρτίας καὶ τῶν ταύτην ἐνεργούντων δαιμόνων. 3.1617 Καὶ ἔτι εἶδον ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον τόπον τῆς