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that judgment for such great lawlessness, and having been taught that every disobedience of every judgment 31.676 of God is avenged equally; and moreover having learned of that fearful judgment, the one upon those who had not sinned, but nevertheless shared in the wrath, because they did not show good zeal against those who had sinned, although often they had not even consented to the sin; I considered it necessary, even if late in the season, because I was always waiting for those who have undertaken the same contest of godliness, and not trusting in myself alone, but perhaps not inopportunely, now at least for a reminder to those who are fighting the fight of godliness, having selected from the divinely inspired Scriptures to set forth both the things that are displeasing to God, and those in which He is well pleased, as I may be able, according to our common prayers; so that we might be deemed worthy by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, having leapt away from both the habit of our own wills, and from the observance of human traditions; and walking according to the Gospel of the blessed God Jesus Christ, our Lord, and having lived pleasingly to Him in the present time through both a more vigorous withdrawal from the things forbidden and a more diligent care for the things approved, in the coming age of immortality we might be able to flee the wrath that is coming upon the sons of disobedience, and be found worthy of eternal life, and of the heavenly kingdom which was promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all who keep His covenant, and remember His commandments, to do them. But remembering the Apostle who said: In Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any strength, but faith working through love; I considered it at once consistent and necessary, to set forth first the sound faith and pious doctrine concerning the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and then to add the moral precepts.

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ἐκεῖνο κρῖμα τῆς τοσαύτης παρανομίας, διδαχθεὶς δὲ καὶ πᾶσαν παρακοὴν παντὸς κρίματος 31.676 Θεοῦ ἐπίσης ἐκδικεῖσθαι· ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὸ φοβερὸν ἐκεῖνο κρῖμα καταμαθὼν, τὸ ἐπὶ τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντας μὲν, παραπολαύσαντας δὲ ὅμως τῆς ὀργῆς, διὰ τὸ μὴ τὸν ἀγαθὸν ζῆλον κατὰ τῶν ἡμαρτηκότων ἐπιδείξασθαι, καίτοι πολλάκις μηδὲ συνεγνωκότας τὸ ἁμάρτημα· ἀναγκαῖον ἐλογισάμην, εἰ καὶ ὀψὲ τοῦ καιροῦ, διὰ τὸ ἀναμένειν ἀεὶ τοὺς τὸν αὐτὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς θεοσεβείας ἀνειληφότας, καὶ μὴ θαῤῥεῖν ἑαυτῷ μόνῳ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀκαίρως γε τάχα, νῦν γοῦν πρὸς ὑπόμνησιν τοῖς ἀγωνιζομένοις τὸν ἀγῶνα τῆς θεοσεβείας, ἀναλεξάμενος ἐκ τῶν θεοπνεύστων Γραφῶν τά τε ἀπαρέσκοντα τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ οἷς εὐαρεστεῖται παραθέσθαι, ὡς ἂν οἷός τε ὦ, κατ' εὐχὰς κοινάς· ἵνα καταξιωθῶμεν χάριτι τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος, ἀποπηδήσαντες μὲν τῆς τε τῶν ἰδίων θελημάτων συνηθείας, καὶ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων παραδόσεων παρατηρήσεως· στοιχήσαντες δὲ τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ τοῦ μακαρίου Θεοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τὸν παρόντα εὐαρέστως αὐτῷ ζήσαντες διά τε σφοδροτέρας ἀναχωρήσεως τῶν κεκωλυμένων καὶ σπουδαιοτέρας ἐπιμελείας τῶν ἐγκεκριμένων, ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι τῆς ἀθανασίας φυγεῖν μὲν τὴν ὀργὴν τὴν ἐπερχομένην ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας δυναίμεθα, ἄξιοι δὲ εὑρεθῆναι τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, καὶ ἐπουρανίου βασιλείας τῆς ἐπηγγελμένης παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ πᾶσι Τοῖς φυλάσσουσι τὴν διαθήκην αὐτοῦ, καὶ μεμνημένοις τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτάς. Μεμνημένος δὲ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου εἰπόντος· Ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ οὔτε περιτομή τι ἰσχύει, οὔτε ἀκροβυστία, ἀλλὰ πίστις δι' ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη· ἀκόλουθον ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀναγκαῖον ἐλογισάμην, τὴν ὑγιαίνουσαν πίστιν καὶ εὐσεβῆ δόξαν περί τε Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ καὶ ἁγίου Πνεύματος παραθέσθαι πρότερον, καὶ οὕτως ἐπισυνάψαι τὰ ἠθικά.