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11

he says, When you have done all things, say, that We are unprofitable servants; for what we were obligated to do, we have done. For a portion of the inheritance of the saints in light; that is, in knowledge. And it seems to me he speaks of both present things and things to come at the same time. Then he shows of what things we have been counted worthy. For this is not the only wonderful thing, that we are counted worthy of a kingdom, but also who we were, one must add; for it is not the same. Which he also does in the Epistle to the Romans, saying: For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; for perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. Who delivered us, he says, from the power of darkness. The whole is His, both to give these things and those; for in no way is it our own right doing. From the power of 62.313 darkness, he says; that is, of error, of the tyranny of the devil. He did not say simply, of darkness, but, Of power; for it had great power over us, and ruled us. For it is a grievous thing to be simply under the devil; but to be so with power, this is more grievous. And has translated, he says, into the kingdom of the Son of his love. Not then in deliverance from darkness only did he show his love for man. A great thing indeed is even deliverance from darkness; but to bring us into a kingdom, is far greater. See then how manifold the gift becomes, that he delivered us who were lying in the depth, that he not only delivered us, but also translated us into a kingdom. Who delivered us. He did not say, cast out, but, Delivered, showing our great misery, and their captivity. Then also the ease of God's power; And has translated, he says; as one might transfer a soldier from place to place. And he did not say, led over, nor placed over; for the whole would have been of the one who moves, not of the one who is moved; but, He established, he said, so that this would be of us, and of him. Into the kingdom of the Son of His love. He did not say simply, the kingdom of heaven, but he made the saying more august, by saying, the Kingdom of the Son; for of this there is no greater praise; which he also says elsewhere: If we endure, we will also reign with him. He has deemed us worthy of the same things, he says, as the Son; and not this only, but also the intensification, with the beloved. His enemies, those who were in darkness, He suddenly established them somewhere, where the Son is, unto the same honor as His. And not with this alone was he content, but that he might show how great is the gift, he was not content with saying, kingdom, but also added, of the Son; and not even with this, but also, of the beloved; and not even with this, but also the honor of His nature. For what does he say? Who is the image of the invisible God. But he did not come to this immediately, but inserted the benefit towards us. For lest upon hearing that the whole was of the Father, you should think the Son is external, he gives the whole both to the Son, and gives it to the Father. For He transferred us, but this one provided the cause. For what does he say? Who delivered us from the power of darkness. And this is the same as, In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. For if we had not been forgiven of our sins, we would not have been translated. Behold, here again is the, In whom. And he did not say redemption, but Full Redemption, so as not to fall anymore, nor to become mortal. Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. We fall into a heretical question; wherefore postponing it today, we must add this tomorrow, addressing your ears when they are fresh. But if I must say something more, the work of the Son is greater. How? For that becomes impossible, to give a kingdom to those remaining in their sins, but this is easier; so he prepared the way for the gift. What do you say? He himself forgave you of your sins, therefore he himself also brought you near. He has already laid down the root of the doctrine. 4. Meanwhile, having said that, it is necessary to end the discourse. What is that? That having enjoyed so great a benefit, we ought always to be mindful of it, and to turn

11

φησιν, Ὅταν πάντα ποιήσητε, λέγετε, ὅτι Ἀχρεῖοι δοῦλοί ἐσμεν· ἃ γὰρ ὠφείλομεν ποιῆσαι, πεποιήκαμεν. Εἰς τὴν μερίδα τοῦ κλήρου τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τῷ φωτί· τουτέστι, τῇ γνώσει. ∆οκεῖ δέ μοι καὶ περὶ τῶν παρόντων, καὶ περὶ τῶν μελλόντων ὁμοῦ λέγειν. Εἶτα δείκνυσιν ὧν ἠξιώθημεν. Οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι βασιλείας ἀξιούμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τίνες ὄντες, δεῖ προσθεῖναι· οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἴσον. Ὅπερ καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους ποιεῖ, λέγων· Μόλις γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ δικαίου τις ἀποθανεῖται· ὑπὲρ γὰρ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ τάχα τις καὶ τολμᾷ ἀποθανεῖν. Ὃς ἐῤῥύσατο ἡμᾶς, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους. Αὐτοῦ τὸ πᾶν ἐστι, καὶ ταῦτα δοῦναι κἀκεῖνα· οὐδαμοῦ γὰρ ἡμῶν κατόρθωμα. Ἀπὸ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ 62.313 σκότους, φησί· τουτέστι, τῆς πλάνης, τοῦ διαβόλου τῆς τυραννίδος. Οὐκ εἶπεν ἁπλῶς, σκότους, ἀλλ', Ἐξουσίας· πολλὴν γὰρ ἡμῶν εἶχε τὴν ἐξουσίαν, καὶ ἐκράτει ἡμῶν. Χαλεπὸν μὲν γὰρ καὶ τὸ ἁπλῶς εἶναι ὑπὸ τῷ διαβόλῳ· τὸ δὲ καὶ μετ' ἐξουσίας, τοῦτο χαλεπώτερον. Καὶ μετέστησε, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ ἄρα εἰς τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τοῦ σκότους μόνον ἔδειξεν αὐτοῦ τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν. Μέγα μὲν οὖν καὶ τὸ τοῦ σκότους ἀπαλλάξαι· τὸ δὲ καὶ εἰς βασιλείαν εἰσαγαγεῖν, πολλῷ μεῖζον. Ὅρα οὖν πῶς πολύπλοκον γίνεται τὸ δῶρον, ὅτι ἐν τῷ πυθμένι κειμένους ἀπήλλαξεν ἡμᾶς, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπήλλαξε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετέθηκεν εἰς βασιλείαν. Ὃς ἐῤῥύσατο ἡμᾶς. Οὐκ εἶπεν, ἐξέβαλεν, ἀλλ', Ἐῤῤύσατο, τὴν πολλὴν ταλαιπωρίαν δεικνὺς ἡμῶν, καὶ ἐκείνων τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν. Εἶτα καὶ τὸ εὔκολον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως· Καὶ μετέστησε, φησίν· ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις στρατιώτην ἀπὸ τόπου εἰς τόπον μεταγάγοι. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, μετήγαγεν, οὐδὲ μετέθηκε· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὅλον τοῦ μεταθέντος ἦν, οὐ τοῦ μετελθόντος· ἀλλὰ, Μετέστησεν, εἶπεν, ὥστε καὶ ἡμῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦτο γενέσθαι. Εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Υἱοῦ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἶπε, βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, ἀλλὰ σεμνότερον εἰργάσατο τὸν λόγον, Βασιλείαν Υἱοῦ εἰπών· τούτου γὰρ οὐδὲν μεῖζον ἐγκώμιον· ὃ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν· Εἰ ὑπομένομεν, καὶ συμβασιλεύσομεν. Τῶν αὐτῶν ἠξίωσεν ἡμᾶς, φησὶ, τῷ Υἱῷ· καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ ἐπίτασις, τῷ ἀγαπητῷ. Τοὺς ἐχθροὺς, τοὺς ἐσκοτισμένους, ἀθρόον που αὐτοὺς μετέστησεν, ἔνθα ὁ Υἱὸς, εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνῳ τιμήν. Καὶ οὐδὲ τούτῳ ἠρκέσθη μόνῳ, ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξῃ μέγα τὸ δῶρον, οὐκ ἠρκέσθη τῷ εἰπεῖν, βασιλείαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ προσέθηκε· καὶ οὐδὲ τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ ἀγαπητοῦ· καὶ οὐδὲ τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἔντιμον. Τί γάρ φησιν; Ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου. Ἀλλ' οὐκ εὐθέως ἐπὶ τοῦτο ἦλθεν, ἀλλὰ παρενέβαλε τὴν εὐεργεσίαν τὴν εἰς ἡμᾶς. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ ἀκούων, ὅτι τὸ πᾶν τοῦ Πατρὸς ἦν, νομίσῃς τὸν Υἱὸν ἐκτὸς εἶναι, δίδωσι τὸ πᾶν καὶ τῷ Υἱῷ, δίδωσι καὶ τῷ Πατρί. Ἐκεῖνος μὲν γὰρ μετέθηκεν, ἀλλ' οὗτος τὴν αἰτίαν παρέσχε. Τί γάρ φησιν; Ὃς ἐῤῥύσατο ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς ἐξουσίας τοῦ σκότους. Ταὐτὸν δὲ ἐστὶ τῷ, Ἐν ᾧ ἔχομεν τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν, τὴν ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἀφείθημεν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, οὐκ ἂν μετέστημεν. Ἰδοὺ πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τὸ, Ἐν ᾧ. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε λύτρωσιν, ἀλλ' Ἀπολύτρωσιν, ὥστε μηδὲ πεσεῖν λοιπὸν, μηδὲ γενέσθαι θνητούς. Ὅς ἐστιν εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως. Εἰς ζήτημα ἐμπίπτομεν αἱρετικόν· διὸ σήμερον ἀναβαλλομένους αὔριον τοῦτο προσθεῖναι δεῖ, ἀκμαζούσαις ὑμῶν ταῖς ἀκοαῖς προσβάλλοντας. Εἰ δὲ δεῖ τι πλέον εἰπεῖν, μεῖζον τοῦ Υἱοῦ ἔργον. Πῶς; Ἐκεῖνο μὲν γὰρ ἀδύνατον γίνεται, τὸ ἐν τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασι μένουσι δοῦναι βασιλείαν, τοῦτο δὲ εὐκολώτερον· ὥστε τῇ δωρεᾷ ὡδοποίησε. Τί λέγεις; Τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων σε αὐτὸς ἀφῆκεν, οὐκοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς προσήγαγεν. Ἤδη προκατεβάλετο τοῦ δόγματος τὴν ῥίζαν. δʹ. Τέως δὲ ἐκεῖνο εἰπόντας καταπαῦσαι τὸν λόγον ἀνάγκη. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὅτι τοσαύτης ἀπολαύσαντες εὐεργεσίας ἀεὶ ταύτης μεμνῆσθαι ὀφείλομεν, καὶ στρέφειν