De principiis

 To one who has received instruction and has practiced the ticklings and irritations occur, but reason, having been greatly strengthened and nourished

 He speaks to us as having free will and being the cause of our own destruction or salvation for he says, or do you despise the riches of his goodnes

 Since it was possible for him to be persuaded, and he certainly would have been persuaded, not being of an earthly nature, when constrained by the won

 In the underlying matter, from the one heat the wax is melted, but the clay is dried so the one energy working through moses on the one hand exposed

 In proportion to the unspeakable beneficence, to the greatest possible degree of blessedness they have attained. 3.1.13 therefore, he who is abandoned

 Stony hearts” and places in them “fleshy ones,” so that “his ordinances may be kept” and the commandments observed, it is not in our power to put away

 From the old [testament], being accused of such things. but if they seek a defense concerning the gospel, it must be said to them, unless they act rep

 Such things, by which having been seen and heard, the sin of those who after such great and numerous things have not believed is proven to be heavier

 Therefore, that which is from god is manifoldly and exceedingly more for salvation than that which is in our power. therefore, i think the saying mean

 Of the body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad” is it sound, when those who have done evil things have come to this course of a

 To advance to better things, while others fall from better things to worse, and some are preserved in good things or ascend from good things to better

 Nor when the teachers were many, to be preached everywhere in the world, so that greeks and barbarians, wise and foolish were added to the worship

 “grace is poured out on his lips”? for a proof of the “grace poured out on his lips” is that after a short time of his teaching (for he taught for abo

 In the sun and moon and stars and is not so manifest in the events of human life, as in the souls and the bodies of animals, since the “for what purp

 They thought, since the creator was imperfect and not good, that the savior had come announcing a more perfect god, whom they say is not the creator,

 You did not enter, and you hindered those who were entering.” 4.2.4 the way, therefore, that appears to us for how one ought to approach the scripture

 Character. but a spiritual interpretation for the one who is able to show of what “heavenly things the pattern and shadow” the jews “according to the

 Is so great upon the earth, and if not only upon the earth, but also elsewhere, it is necessary for us to learn. 4.2.8 these things, and others like t

 Like a farmer, that god 'planted a paradise in eden toward the east,' and made in it a 'tree of life,' visible and perceptible, so that by tasting of

 But also the saying “to be struck on the right jaw” is most improbable, since everyone who strikes, unless he happens to have some unnatural condition

 Every part has the spiritual, but not every part the corporeal for in many places the corporeal is shown to be impossible. therefore, much attention

 Of us.” and in another epistle: “but you have come to mount zion and to the city of the living god, the heavenly jerusalem, and to myriads of angels,

 Of israel or of those being far off, and the “descent into egypt of the seventy souls”, that there they might become “as the stars of heaven in number

from the old [testament], being accused of such things. But if they seek a defense concerning the gospel, it must be said to them, unless they act reprehensibly by taking dissimilar stances on similar problems, and concerning the new [testament] not taking offense but seeking a defense, but concerning the old [testament] about similar things, when they ought to defend it similarly to those from the new, they accuse it. From which things we shall persuade them through the similarities to consider all things to be the writings of one God. Come then, let us also furnish a defense for the matter before us as far as possible. 3.1.17 We were saying, when also examining the case of Pharaoh, that sometimes to be healed more quickly is not for the good of those being healed, if, having fallen into difficult circumstances through their own fault, they should easily be delivered from those things into which they have fallen; for despising the evil as easily curable, not guarding against falling into it a second time, they will be in it. Therefore, in such cases, the eternal God, the knower of secrets, who "knows all things before their beginning," according to His goodness defers the quicker help to them and, so to speak, helping them He does not help, this being profitable for them. It is likely then that "those outside" also, about whom the discussion is, being seen by the Savior according to the matter at hand not to be firm in their conversion if they were to hear what is said more clearly, it was arranged by the Lord for them not to hear the deeper things more clearly; lest having turned more quickly and being healed in receiving forgiveness, despising the wounds of wickedness as easy and easily curable, they fall into them again and more quickly. And perhaps also paying penalties for former sins, in which they erred against virtue by abandoning it, they had not yet fulfilled the fitting time by being abandoned by the divine visitation, so that, having been sated more fully with the evils they themselves had sown, they might later be called to a more steadfast repentance, not quickly falling again into those things into which they had previously fallen, having insulted the dignity of good things and given themselves over to worse things. Those therefore who are called "outside," evidently in comparison with those "inside," not being entirely far from those inside, while those inside hear clearly, hear unclearly because it is spoken to them "in parables"; nevertheless they do hear. But others of those outside, those called Tyrians, although it was foreknown that "they would have long ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes," when the Savior came near their borders, do not even hear the things of those outside, as is likely, being rather far from the worthiness of those outside, so that at another time, after it has become "more tolerable" for them than for those who did not receive the word (concerning whom he also mentioned the Tyrians), having heard at a more opportune time, they might repent more steadfastly. But see if we do not rather, in addition to the inquisitive, also strive in every way to preserve piety concerning "God and his Christ," trying in every way to make a defense, as in such great and various matters concerning the manifold providence of God, who provides for the immortal soul. If then someone should inquire about the things that are reproached, that seeing wonders and hearing divine words they are not helped, while the Tyrians would have repented if such things had been done and said among them, and should inquire, saying, why then did the Savior preach to such people to their own harm, so that their sin might be counted more heavily against them; it must be said to him that He who understands the dispositions of all who accuse His providence—as if it were contrary to that providence that they did not believe, because it did not grant them to see what it bestowed on others to behold, and did not arrange for them to hear these things, by hearing which others have been helped—wishing to refute their defense as being unreasonable, gives these things which those who blame His administration requested; so that after receiving them, being no less convicted as most impious for not even then having given themselves over to being helped, they might cease from such audacity, and being freed by this very thing, they might learn that sometimes when benefiting certain people, God hesitates and delays, not granting them to see and hear

ἀπὸ τῆς παλαιᾶς κατηγορουμένων τοιού των. ἐὰν δὲ περὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἀπολογίαν ζητῶσι, λεκτέον πρὸς αὐτούς, εἰ μὴ ἐπιλήπτως ποιοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῶν ὁμοίων προβλημάτων ἀνο μοίως ἱστάμενοι, καὶ κατὰ μὲν τὴν καινὴν οὐ προσκόπτοντες ἀλλ' ἀπολογίαν ζητοῦντες, κατὰ δὲ τὴν παλαιὰν περὶ τῶν παραπλησίων, δέον ἀπολογεῖσθαι ὁμοίως τοῖς ἀπὸ τῆς καινῆς, κατηγοροῦντες. ἐξ ὧν συμβιβάσομεν αὐτοὺς διὰ τὰς ὁμοιότητας ἐπὶ τὸ πάντα ἡγεῖσθαι ἑνὸς εἶναι γράμματα θεοῦ. Φέρε δὴ καὶ πρὸς τὸ προκείμενον ἀπολογίαν κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν πορισώ μεθα. 3.1.17 ἐφάσκομεν καὶ περὶ τοῦ Φαραὼ ἐξετάζοντες ὅτι ἐνίοτε τὸ τάχιον θεραπευθῆναι οὐ πρὸς καλοῦ γίνεται τοῖς θεραπευομένοις, εἰ παρ' ἑαυτοὺς χαλεποῖς περιπεσόντες εὐχερῶς ἀπαλλαγεῖεν τούτων οἷς περιπεπτώκασι· καταφρονοῦντες γὰρ ὡς εὐιάτου τοῦ κακοῦ, δεύ τερον οὐ φυλαττόμενοι τὸ περιπεσεῖν αὐτῷ, ἐν αὐτῷ ἔσονται. διόπερ ἐπὶ τῶν τοιούτων ὁ θεὸς ὁ αἰώνιος, ὁ τῶν κρυπτῶν γνώστης, ὁ «εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν», κατὰ τὴν χρηστότητα αὐτοῦ ὑπερτίθεται τὴν ταχυτέραν πρὸς αὐτοὺς βοήθειαν καί, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, βοηθῶν αὐτοῖς οὐ βοηθεῖ, τούτου αὐτοῖς λυσιτελοῦντος. εἰκὸς οὖν καὶ «τοὺς ἔξω», περὶ ὧν ὁ λόγος, τῷ σωτῆρι κατὰ τὸ προκείμενον ἑωραμένους οὐ βεβαίους ἔσεσθαι ἐν τῇ ἐπιστροφῇ, εἰ τρανότερον ἀκούσαιεν τῶν λεγομένων, ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου ᾠκονομῆσθαι μὴ σαφέ στερον ἀκοῦσαι τῶν βαθυτέρων· μήποτε τάχιον ἐπιστρέψαντες καὶ ἰαθέντες ἐν τῷ ἀφέσεως τυχεῖν, ὡς εὐχερῶν τῶν τῆς κακίας τραυ μάτων καὶ εὐιάτων καταφρονήσαντες, πάλιν καὶ τάχιον αὐτοῖς περι πέσωσι. τάχα δὲ καὶ τίνοντες δίκας τῶν προτέρων ἁμαρτημάτων, ὧν εἰς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐπλημμέλησαν καταλιπόντες αὐτήν, οὐδέπω τὸν πρέποντα χρόνον ἐκπεπληρώκεσαν τῷ καταλειπομένους αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς θείας ἐπισκοπῆς, ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐμφορηθέντας τῶν ἰδίων ἃ ἔσπειραν κακῶν, ὕστερον εἰς βεβαιοτέραν μετάνοιαν καλεῖσθαι, οὐ ταχέως περιπεσουμένους οἷς πρότερον περιπεπτώκεσαν τὸ ἀξίωμα ἐνυβρί σαντες τῶν καλῶν καὶ τοῖς χείροσιν ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδεδωκότες. οἱ μὲν οὖν «ἔξω» λεγόμενοι, δηλονότι συγκρίσει τῶν «ἔσω», οὐ πάντη πόρρω τῶν ἔσω τυγχάνοντες, τῶν ἔσω σαφῶς ἀκουόντων, ἀκούουσιν ἀσαφῶς διὰ τὸ «ἐν παραβολαῖς» αὐτοῖς λέγεσθαι· πλὴν ἀκούουσιν. ἕτεροι δὲ τῶν ἔξω, οἱ λεγόμενοι Τύριοι, καίτοιγε προεγνωσμένοι ὅτι «πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ καθήμενοι μετενόησαν», ἐγγὺς γενομένου τοῦ σωτῆρος τῶν ὁρίων αὐτῶν, οὐδὲ τὰ τῶν ἔξω ἀκούουσιν, ὡς εἰκός, μᾶλλον πόρρω ὄντες τῆς ἀξίας τῶν ἔξω, ἵν' ἐν ἄλλῳ καιρῷ μετὰ τὸ «ἀνεκτότερον» αὐτοῖς γενέσθαι παρὰ τοὺς μὴ παραδεξαμένους τὸν λόγον, ἐφ' ὧν ἐμνημόνευσε καὶ τῶν Τυρίων, εὐκαιρότερον ἀκούσαντες βεβαιότερον μετανοήσωσιν. Ὅρα δὲ εἰ μὴ μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς πρὸς τῷ ἐξεταστικῷ καὶ τὸ εὐ σεβὲς πάντη ἀγωνιζόμεθα τηρεῖν περὶ «θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ χριστοῦ αὐ τοῦ», ἐκ παντὸς ἀπολογεῖσθαι πειρώμενοι ὡς ἐν τηλικούτοις καὶ τοιού τοις περὶ τῆς ποικίλης προνοίας τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀθανάτου ψυχῆς προνοου μένου. εἰ γοῦν τις περὶ τῶν ὀνειδιζομένων ζητοίη ὅτι ὁρῶντες τεράστια καὶ ἀκούοντες θείων λόγων οὐκ ὠφελοῦνται, Τυρίων ἂν μετανοησάντων, εἰ τοιαῦτα παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐγεγόνει καὶ εἴρητο, ζητοίη δὲ φάσκων, τί δήποτε τοῖς τοιούτοις ἐκήρυξεν ὁ σωτὴρ ἐπὶ κακῷ αὐτῶν, ἵνα βαρύτερον αὐτοῖς τὸ ἁμάρτημα λογισθῇ· λεκτέον πρὸς αὐτὸν ὅτι ὁ πάντων τὰς διαθέσεις κατανοῶν τῶν αἰτιωμένων αὐτοῦ τὴν πρόνοιαν, ὡς παρ' ἐκείνην οὐ πεπιστευκότων μὴ δωρησαμένην ἰδεῖν ἃ ἑτέροις θεάσασθαι ἐχαρίσατο, καὶ μὴ οἰκονομήσασαν ἀκοῦσαι τούτων, ἃ ἄλλοι ἀκούσαντες ὠφέληνται, τὴν ἀπολογίαν οὐκ εὔ λογον οὖσαν ἐλέγξαι βουλόμενος δίδωσι ταῦτα, ἃ οἱ μεμφόμενοι τὴν διοίκησιν αὐτοῦ ᾔτησαν· ἵνα μετὰ τὸ λαβεῖν οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐλεγχθέντες ὡς ἀσεβέστατοι τῷ μηδ' οὕτως τῷ ὠφελεῖσθαι ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδεδωκέναι, παύσωνται τοῦ τοιούτου θράσους, καὶ κατ' αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἐλευθερω θέντες μάθωσιν ὅτι ποτὲ εὐεργετῶν τινας ὁ θεὸς μέλλει καὶ βρα δύνει, μὴ χαριζόμενος ὁρᾶν καὶ ἀκούειν