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he gave to the first-born and zealous man, in accordance with which, being possessed of knowledge, he is by nature able to reason, just as a teacher moves what is familiar towards its proper demonstration, and looks to the best offspring of his soul. And again, through this, he clearly represents everything that is voluntary and in our power, shaming those who say everything is by necessity, for since men were going to use them, for this reason he commanded man to give them. For a most knowledgeable man and one distinguished in prudence this task is most fitting; the giving of names belongs not only to a wise man, but also to the first noble one. For it was necessary for the leader of mankind and king of all earth-born creatures to receive this special privilege, so that just as he was the first to know the animals, he might also be the first to be deemed worthy of rule over all, and become the first proposer and inventor of names. For it would be absurd for them to be left nameless, to be named by someone younger, to the detriment of the honor and good repute of the elder. And Adam, seeing the creature of the woman, says as a prophet, that she came to be neither from intercourse, nor from a woman, as those who came after, but a certain nature on the border, like a branch taken from a vine for the generation of another vine, wherefore he says: For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife; and the two shall be one flesh. He spoke of that which is most tangible and most perceptible, in which is both pain and pleasure. From the same, that is, from the last of the questions on Exodus. -The divine place is truly inaccessible and unapproachable, with not even the purest mind being able to ascend to such a height as only to touch it with a graze; it is impossible for human nature to behold the face of the One Who Is. The face is not spoken of in a literal sense; but it is a parable, for the manifestation of the most pure and most sincere 96.472 idea of the One Who Is; since a man also is not known by anything more, than by his face, according to its particular quality and form. For God does not say, that 'I am not visible by nature'; but who is more visible than he who made all other things visible? But being by nature such as to be seen, 'I am seen by no man,' he says. And the cause is the weakness of the created being, and so that I do not prolong this by being circuitous, one must first become God; which is not even possible; in order that one might be strong enough to comprehend God. But if one dies to the mortal life, and lives instead, having received the immortal one, perhaps what he has never seen, he will see. All the philosophies that have flourished both in Greece and among the barbarians, seeking the things of nature, were not able to see even the smallest thing clearly. But a clear proof. The disagreements, the disputes and the different opinions, the parts of each sect refuting and being refuted, and the houses of the heresiarchs have become for all men starting-points for wars, blinding the human mind that is able to see, as it contrives with contradictory strifes what it must put forth and what it must reject. He who wishes to envision the best of all things must first stand firm in his soul, established securely in one mind, and no longer wander towards many things; and then stand upon a nature and mind that are dry, and barren of everything that is corruptible. For if he admits anything of the softer things, he will fail in his purpose; even the sharpest sight will be unable to see the uncreated, so as to be blinded before seeing it, because of the sharp brightness and the torrent of flashes flowing in. Do you not see that the power of fire gives light to those standing at a measured distance, but burns up those who approach? See that you do not suffer something of this kind in your mind, lest your great desire for an impossible thing consume you. TITLE 2. -Concerning the disobedient and insubordinate. Ezekiel. -The Lord said to me: Son of man, you dwell in the midst of their iniquities; who have eyes .... because it is a rebellious house. For this reason I turn away the pride of their strength, and their holy things shall be defiled. Scholion. This also has happened to us from our own sins. For the boast and glory of every race of Christians the saving

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ἔδωκε τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ πρωτογενεῖ καὶ σπουδαίῳ, καθ' ὃ ἐπιστημονικὸς ὢν, πέφυκε λογίζεσθαι, καθάπερ ὑφηγητὴς γνώριμον κινεῖ πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν οἰκείαν, καὶ ἀφορᾷ τὰ ἄριστα αὐτοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς ἔγγονα. Φανερῶς δὲ πάλιν καὶ διὰ τούτου πᾶν τὸ ἑκούσιον καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῖν διατυποῖ, τοὺς πάντα κατ' ἀνάγκην εἶναι λέγοντας δυσωπῶν, ᾗ ἐπεὶ ἔμελλον οἱ ἄνθρωποι χρῆσθαι, διὰ τοῦτο ἄνθρωπον αὐτὰ θέσθαι προσέταττεν. Ἀνδρὸς δὲ ἐπιστημονικωτάτου καὶ φρονήσει διαφέροντος οἰκειότατον τοῦτο τὸ ἔργον· οὐ σοφῷ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ πρώτῳ εὐγενεῖ τῶν ὀνομάτων ἡ θέσις. Ἔδει γὰρ ἡγεμόνα μὲν τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου, βασιλέα δὲ τῶν γηγενῶν πάντων, καὶ τοῦτο λαχεῖν γήρας ἐξαίρετον, ἷνα ὥσπερ πρῶτος ᾔδει τὰ ζῶα, καὶ πρῶτος ἀξιωθῇ τῆς ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ἀρχῆς, καὶ πρῶτος εἰσηγητὴς καὶ εὑρέτης γένηται τῶν ἐπωνυμιῶν. Ἄτοπον γὰρ ἦν, ἀνώνυμα αὐτὰ καταλειφθέντα, ὑπό τινος νεωτέρου προσονομασθῆναι, ἐπὶ καταλύσει τῆς τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου τιμῆς τε καὶ εὐκλείας. Καὶ θεασάμενος ὁ Ἀδὰμ τὸ πλάσμα τῆς γυναικὸς, ὡς προφήτης φησὶν, οὔτε γεγονέναι ἐκ συνομιλίας, οὔτε ἐκ γυναικὸς, ὡς οἱ μετέπειτα, ἀλλά τινα φύσιν ἐν μεθορίῳ, καθάπερ ἀπὸ ἀμπέλου κληματίδος ἀφαιρεθείσης εἰς ἑτέρας ἀμπέλου γέννησιν, διό φησιν· Ἕνεκεν τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὐτοῦ, καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν. Ἔφη τὸ εὐαφέστατον καὶ αἰσθητικώτατον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὸ ἀλγεῖν καὶ τὸ ἥδεσθαι. Ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἤτοι τοῦ τελευταίου τῶν ἐν Ἐξόδῳ ζητουμένων. -Ἄβατος καὶ ἀπροσπέλαστος ὄντως ἐστὶν ὁ θεῖος χῶρος, οὐδὲ τῆς καθαρωτάτης διανοίας τοσοῦτον ὕψος προσαναβῆναι δυναμένης· ὡς θίξει μόνον ἐπιψαῦσαι ἀμήχανον ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει τὸ τοῦ ὄντος πρόσωπον θεάσασθαι. Τὸ δὲ πρόσωπον οὐ κυριολογεῖται· παραβολὴ δέ ἐστιν, εἰς δήλωσιν τῆς καθαρωτάτης καὶ εἰλικρινεστάτης 96.472 τοῦ ὄντος ἰδέας· ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἄνθρωπος οὐδενὶ γνωρίζεται μᾶλλον, ἢ προσώπῳ κατὰ τὴν ἰδίαν ποιότητα καὶ μορφήν. Οὐ γάρ φησιν ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι Οὐκ εἰμὶ ὁρατὸς τὴν φύσιν· τίς δὲ μᾶλλον ὁρατὸς ἢ ὁ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα γεννήσας ὁρατά; πεφυκὼς δὲ τοιοῦτος εἰς τὸ ὁρᾶσθαι, ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἀνθρώπων ὁρῶμαι, φησί. Τὸ δὲ αἴτιον ἡ ἀδυναμία τοῦ γενητοῦ, καὶ ἵνα μὴ περιπλέκων μηκύνω, Θεὸν γενέσθαι δεῖ πρότερον· ὅπερ οὐδὲ οἷόν τε· ἵνα Θεὸν ἰσχύσῃ τις καταλαβεῖν. Ἐὰν δὲ ἀποθάνῃ μέν τις τὸν θνητὸν βίον, ζήσῃ δὲ ἀντιλαβὼν τὸν ἀθάνατον, ἴσως ὃ μηδέποτε εἶδεν, ὄψεται. Αἱ φιλοσοφίαι πᾶσαι κατά τε τὴν Ἑλλάδα καὶ βάρβαρον ἀκμάσασαι, ζητοῦσαι τὰ φύσεως, οὐδὲ τὸ βραχύτατον ἠδυνήθησαν τηλαυγῶς ἰδεῖν. Σαφὴς δὲ πίστις. Αἱ διαφωνίαι, αἱ διαμάχαι καὶ ἑτεροδοξίαι, τῶν ἑκάστης αἱρέσεως ἀνασκευαζόντων καὶ ἀνασκευαζομένων μέρη, καὶ πᾶσιν ὁρμητήρια πολέμων γεγόνασιν αἱ τῶν αἱρεσιομάχων οἰκίαι, τυφλοῦσαι τὸν δυνάμενον βλέπειν ἀνθρώπινον νοῦν ταῖς ἀντιλογικαῖς ἔρισιν μηχανοῦντα τίνα δεῖ προέσθαι, καὶ τίνα διώσασθαι. ∆εῖ τὸν βουλόμενον φαντασιωθῆναι τὸν τῶν ὅλων ἄριστον, στῆναι τὸ πρῶτον κατὰ ψυχὴν, ἱδρυνθέντα παγίως γνώμῃ μιᾷ, καὶ μηκέτι πρὸς πολλὰ πλάζεσθαι· ἔπειτα δὲ στῆναι ἐπὶ φύσεως καὶ γνώμης ξηρᾶς, καὶ ἀγόνου πάντος, ὅσα φθαρτά. Ἐὰν γὰρ προσήσεταί τι τῶν μαλακωτέρων, σφαλήσεται τῆς προθέσεως· ἀδυνατήσει καὶ τὸ ὀξυωπέστατον βλέπον, ἰδεῖν τὸ ἀγένητον· ὡς τυφλωθῆναι πρότερον, ἢ θεάσασθαι διὰ τὴν ὀξυαύγειαν, καὶ τὸν ἀπεισρέοντα χείμαρρον τῶν μαρμαρυγῶν. Οὐχ ὁρᾷς ὅτι τοῦ πυρὸς ἡ δύναμις τοῖς μὲν ἀφεστηκόσι μεμετρημένον διάστημα παρέχει φῶς, κατακαίει δὲ τοὺς ἐγγίζοντας; Ὅρα μὴ τοιοῦτόν τι πάθῃς τῇ διανοίᾳ, μή σε ὁ πολὺς πόθος ἀδυνάτου πράγματος ἀναλώσῃ. ΤΙΤΛ. ʹ. -Περὶ ἀνηκόων καὶ ἀνυποτάκτων. Ἰεζεκιήλ. -Εἶπε Κύριος πρός με· Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἀδικιῶν αὐτῶν σὺ κατοικεῖς· οἳ ἔχουσιν ὀφθαλμούς .... διότι οἶκος παραπικραίνων ἐστί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀποστρέφω τὸ φρύαγμα τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτῶν, καὶ μιανθήσεται τὰ ἅγια αὐτῶν. Σχόλιον. Τοῦτο καὶ ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν ἡμετέρων συμβέβηκεν ἁμαρτημάτων. Καύχημα γὰρ καὶ δόξασμα παντὸς γένους Χριστιανῶν ὁ σωτήριος