But evil has prevailed so much as to overturn this reasoning. Therefore, the argument requires two things of us: both to remember one's own sins and to bear no malice toward the one who has stumbled.

93 Mt 19, 4 The Savior spoke this in a human way according to the form of

teaching, not revealing himself to be the creator Word, nor indeed separating the Son who created from the Father who creates, but in the Father's name also including the Word, since 'all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made'. 94 Mt 19, 9 He says adultery is not being with one's own wife; and one who leaves his own wife is not with his own wife. For this reason 'he commits adultery against her,' that is, against the second woman, whom he brings in to the one naturally joined to him, if he leaves his own. How then did the law not allow it, the one saying 'you shall not commit adultery'? We will say that the law forbade manifest adultery, when another man would corrupt the one living with him; but the Savior also that which is not confessed by all, nor known by nature, nor proven to be adultery, however, Christ allows one to put away the one who has committed fornication, because she has dissolved the natural union and it is no longer by the husband

this is done. 95 Mt 19, 10-12 It is possible from the Lord's distinction for those who walk in the <way> below to endure what is painful in the world rather than to despise what is just, but for those able to transcend the world, to be carried as if by a wing toward the righteousness above, being without pain and free from the painful things in the world. Therefore, not casting a snare, he said: 'Not all can accept this saying, but only those to whom it is given'. The phrase 'those to whom it is given' is indicative of natural gifts, which one might also call a natural aptitude and the innate ability from birth for the achievement of self-control; for there are also certain differences by nature with respect to each virtue, some being more naturally suited to it, others less so. Even if natural qualities are especially not complete, nor altogether unchangeable and unattainable, but also what is suitable for good is perfected by practice, and what is unsuitable is healed by great effort. He says, 'Not all can accept this saying, but only those to whom it is given'. The phrase 'those to whom it is given' is indicative of natural gifts and of the innate ability from birth for the achievement of self-control

achievement. 96 Mt 19, 14-15 Only evil and the corruption of creation prevent one from approaching the Creator, but a lack of wisdom is no hindrance to approaching; for it seeks fulfillment, and to this the approach grants grace. Wherefore the phrasing is also precise: 'of such is the kingdom of heaven'; for he did not say 'of these,' but 'of such as these', since there is also present in children a lack of wisdom, which the Apostle was dissuading when he said: 'do not be children in your thinking, but in malice be infants'. And Mark also went on to state the reason, as if interpreting: 'of such is the kingdom' of heaven; 'truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it'. Luke says the same thing, and Matthew also said above: 'Whoever therefore humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven'; for what they have by nature, God wants us to have by choice, simplicity, freedom from malice, loving one's parents, even if beaten by them. And he laid his hands on the children, the laying on of hands teaching the arming with divine power. 97 Mt 19, 17 The preparatory instruction of the law is good, and Christ does not abolish it, but 'if you wish,' he says, 'to enter into life, keep the commandments', showing the beginning of this way, not its completion; and through this testifying that the law is not alien to himself; the

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ἀλλὰ τοσοῦτον ἴσχυσεν ἡ κακία ὡς τοῦτον ἀνα τρέψαι τὸν λόγον. δύο οὖν ἡμᾶς ἀπαιτεῖ ὁ λόγος καὶ μεμνῆσθαί τινα τῶν ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ ἀμνησικακεῖν τῷ πταίοντι.

93 Mt 19, 4 Τοῦτο ἀνθρωπίνῳ τρόπῳ διείλεκται ὁ σωτὴρ κατὰ τὸ σχῆμα τὸ

διδασκαλικόν, οὐκ ἀποκαλύπτων ἑαυτὸν εἶναι τὸν δημιουργὸν λόγον οὐδὲ μὴν χωρίζων ἀπὸ τοῦ κτίζοντος πατρὸς τὸν κτίσαντα υἱόν, ἀλλ' ἐν πατρὸς ὀνόματι καὶ τὸν λόγον ἐμπεριλαμβάνων εἴγε «πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν ». 94 Mt 19, 9 Μοιχείαν δέ φησι τὸ τῇ ἰδίᾳ μὴ συνεῖναι· οὐκ ἰδίᾳ δὲ σύνεστιν ὁ τὴν ἰδίαν ἀπολιπών. διὰ τοῦτο « μοιχᾶται ἐπ' αὐτήν », τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἐπὶ τὴν δευτέραν, ἣν ἐπεισάγει τῇ κατὰ φύσιν αὐτῷ συνημμένῃ, ἐὰν τὸν ἴδιον καταλίπῃ. πῶς οὖν ὁ νόμος οὐ συνεχώρει ὁ τὸ «οὐ μοιχεύσεις » λέγων; ἐροῦμεν, ὅτι ὁ μὲν νόμος τὴν προφανῆ μοιχείαν ἀπεκώλυσεν, ὅτε τὴν συνοικοῦσαν ἕτερός τις διαφθείροι· ὁ δὲ σωτὴρ καὶ τὴν οὐχ ὁμολογου μένην παρὰ πᾶσιν οὐδὲ γινωσκομένην τῇ φύσει οὐδὲ διελεγχομένην, ὅτι μοιχεία ἐστίν, τὴν μέντοι πορνεύσασαν ἀποστῆσαι συγχωρεῖ Χριστός, ὅτι δὴ διέλυσεν αὕτη τὴν φυσικὴν σύζευξιν καὶ οὐκέτι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς

τοῦτο γίνεται. 95 Mt 19, 10-12 Πάρεστιν ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου διαιρέσεως τοῖς μὲν ἐν <τῷ> κάτω βαδίζουσιν ὑπομένειν τὸ ἐν κόσμῳ λυπηρὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ δικαίου κατα φρονεῖν, τοῖς δὲ δυναμένοις ὑπερ βαίνειν τὸν κόσμον οἷον ὑπὸ πτέ ρυγος φέρεσθαι πρὸς τὴν ἄνω δι καιοσύνην, ἀλύπους δὲ ὄντας καὶ ἐλευθέρους ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ λυ πηρῶν. οὐκ ἐπιβάλλων οὖν βρόχον εἶπεν· οὐ πάντες χωροῦσι τὸν λόγον, ἀλλ' οἷς δέδοται . τὸ δὲ οἷς δέδοται χαρισμάτων φυσικῶν ἐστι δηλωτικόν, ὅπερ ἄν τις καὶ φύσεως ἐπιτηδειότητα λέγοι καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ γεννήσεως εὐφυίαν εἰς τὸ τῆς σωφροσύνης κατόρθωμα· εἰσὶ γάρ τινες καὶ ἐκ φύσεως διαφοραὶ πρὸς ἑκάστην ἀρετήν, τῶν μὲν μᾶλλον, τῶν δὲ ἧττον πρὸς αὐτὴν πεφυκό των. εἰ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα μὴ ἐντελῆ τὰ φυσικά, μηδ' ἂν ἀμετακίνητα καὶ ἀκατόρθωτα παντελῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐπιτήδειον εἰς ἀγαθὸν ἀσκήσει τελειοῦται καὶ τὸ μὴ ἐπιτήδειον ἀγῶνι πολλῷ θεραπεύεται. Οὐ πάντες φησὶν χωροῦσι τὸν λόγον, ἀλλ' οἷς δέδοται . τὸ δὲ οἷς δέδοται χαρισμάτων φυσι κῶν ἐστι δηλωτικὸν καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ γεννήσεως εὐφυίας εἰς τὸ τῆς σω φροσύνης

κατόρθωμα. 96 Mt 19, 14-15 Μόνη κακία καὶ διαφθορὰ τῆς δημιουργίας ἀποκωλύει προσελθεῖν τῷ δημιουργῷ, τὸ δὲ τῆς φρονήσεως ἐνδεὲς οὐ κωλυτικὸν τῆς προσόδου· πλήρωσιν γὰρ ἐπιζητεῖ, ταύτῃ δὲ ἡ πρόσοδος χαρίζεται. διὸ καὶ ἀκριβὴς ἡ λέξις τῶν τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν · οὐ γὰρ τούτων εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν τοιούτων , ἐπειδὴ πρόσεστιν καὶ τὸ τῆς φρο νήσεως ἐνδεὲς τοῖς παισὶν οὗπερ ἀποτρέπων ὁ ἀπόστολος ἔλεγεν· «μὴ παιδία γίνεσθε ταῖς φρεσίν, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζετε ». ὁ δὲ Μᾶρκος καὶ ἐπεξῆλθε τὴν αἰτίαν λέγων καὶ οἷον ἑρμηνεύων· «τῶν τοιούτων ἐστὶν ἡ βασιλεία » τῶν οὐρανῶν· «ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὃς ἂν μὴ δέξηται τὴν βασι λείαν τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς παιδίον, οὐ μὴ εἰσέλθῃ εἰς αὐτήν ». τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς καὶ ἀνωτέρω δὲ ἔλεγεν ὁ Ματθαῖος· «ὅστις οὖν ταπεινώσει ἑαυτὸν ὡς τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν »· ἅπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖνα ἔχει τῇ φύσει, ταῦτα ἡμᾶς ὁ θεὸς θέλει ἔχειν τῇ προαιρέσει, τὴν ἁπλότητα, τὴν ἀμνησικακίαν, τὸ ἀγαπᾶν τοὺς γονέας, κἂν τύπτηται ὑπ' αὐτῶν. ἐπετίθη δὲ τὰς χεῖρας τοῖς παιδίοις τῆς ἐπι θέσεως τῶν χειρῶν διδασκούσης τὴν τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ὅπλισιν. 97 Mt 19, 17 Καλὴ ἡ τοῦ νόμου προπαίδεια καὶ οὐκ ἀναιρεῖ ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτήν, ἀλλ' εἰ θέλεις, φησίν, εἰς τὴν ζωὴν εἰσελθεῖν , τήρει τὰς ἐντολὰς ἀρχὴν τῆς ὁδοῦ ταύτης ἐπιδεικνύων, οὐ συμπλήρωσιν· καὶ τὸ μὴ ἀλλό τριον εἶναι ἑαυτοῦ τὸν νόμον διὰ τούτου μαρτυρῶν· ἡ

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