Chapter XI.—That the Word Instructed by the Law and the Prophets.

The mode of His love and His instruction we have shown as we could. Wherefore He Himself, declaring Himself very beautifully, likened Himself to a grain of mustard-seed;257    Matt. xiii. 31; Luke xiii. 19. and pointed out the spirituality of the word that is sown, and the productiveness of its nature, and the magnificence and conspicuousness of the power of the word; and besides, intimated that the pungency and the purifying virtue of punishment are profitable on account of its sharpness. By the little grain, as it is figuratively called, He bestows salvation on all humanity abundantly. Honey, being very sweet, generates bile, as goodness begets contempt, which is the cause of sinning. But mustard lessens bile, that is, anger, and stops inflammation, that is, pride. From which Word springs the true health of the soul, and its eternal happy temperament (εὐκρασία).

Accordingly, of old He instructed by Moses, and then by the prophets. Moses, too, was a prophet. For the law is the training of refractory children. “Having feasted to the full,” accordingly, it is said, “they rose up to play;”258    Ex. xxxii. 6; 1 Cor. x. 7. senseless repletion with victuals being called χόρτασμα (fodder), not βρῶμα (food). And when, having senselessly filled themselves, they senselessly played; on that account the law was given them, and terror ensued for the prevention of transgressions and for the promotion of right actions, securing attention, and so winning to obedience to the true Instructor, being one and the same Word, and reducing to conformity with the urgent demands of the law. For Paul says that it was given to be a “schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.”259    Gal. iii. 24. So that from this it is clear, that one alone, true, good, just, in the image and likeness of the Father, His Son Jesus, the Word of God, is our Instructor; to whom God hath entrusted us, as an affectionate father commits his children to a worthy tutor, expressly charging us, “This is my beloved Son: hear Him.”260    Matt. xvii. 5. The divine Instructor is trustworthy, adorned as He is with three of the fairest ornament”—knowledge, benevolence, and authority of utterance;—with knowledge, for He is the paternal wisdom: “All Wisdom is from the Lord, and with Him for evermore;”—with authority of utterance, for He is God and Creator: “For all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made;”261    John i. 3.—and with benevolence, for He alone gave Himself a sacrifice for us: “For the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep;”262    John x. 11. and He has so given it. Now, benevolence is nothing but wishing to do good to one’s neighbour for his sake.

Ὅτι διὰ νόμου καὶ προφητῶν ὁ λόγος ἐπαιδαγώγει. Ὁ μὲν δὴ τρόπος τῆς φιλανθρωπίας αὐτοῦ καὶ παιδαγωγίας ὡς ἐνῆν ἡμῖν ὑποδέδεικται. ∆ιόπερ παγκάλως αὐτὸς αὑτὸν ἐξηγούμενος κόκκῳ νάπυος εἴκασεν, καὶ τοῦ σπειρομένου λόγου τὸ πνευματικὸν καὶ τὸ πολύχουν τῆς φύσεως καὶ τὸ μεγαλοπρεπὲς ἅμα καὶ εὐαυξὲς τῆς δυνάμεως τῆς λογικῆς, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐπιτιμήσεως τὸ δηκτικὸν καὶ τὸ ἀνακαθαρτι κὸν ὀνησιφόρον εἶναι ὑπὸ δριμύτητος αἰνιττόμενος. ∆ι' ὀλίγου γοῦν τοῦ κόκκου τοῦ ἀλληγορουμένου πάμπολυ, τὴν σωτηρίαν, ἁπάσῃ χαρίζεται τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι. Τὸ μὲν οὖν μέλι γλυκύτατον ὂν χολῆς ἐστι γεννητικόν, ὡς τὸ ἀγαθὸν καταφρονήσεως, ὃ δὴ αἴτιον τοῦ ἐξαμαρτάνειν, τὸ δὲ νᾶπυ καὶ τῆς χολῆς μειωτικόν, τουτέστι τοῦ θυμοῦ, καὶ τοῦ φλέγματος διακοπτικόν, τουτέστι τοῦ τύφου· ἐξ οὗ λόγου ἡ ἀληθὴς τῆς ψυχῆς ὑγεία καὶ ἡ ἀίδιος εὐκρασία περιγίνεται. Πάλαι μὲν οὖν διὰ Μωσέως ὁ λόγος ἐπαιδαγώγει, ἔπειτα καὶ διὰ προφητῶν· προφήτης δὲ καὶ ὁ Μωσῆς· ὁ γὰρ νόμος παιδαγωγία παίδων ἐστὶ δυσηνίων. Χορτασθέντες γοῦν, φησίν, ἀνέστησαν παίζειν, τὸ ἄλογον τῆς τροφῆς πλήρωμα χόρτασμα, οὐ βρῶμα εἰπών. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀλόγως κορεσθέντες ἀλόγως ἔπαιζον, διὰ τοῦτο αὐτοῖς καὶ ὁ νόμος καὶ ὁ φόβος εἵπετο εἰς ἀνακοπὴν ἁμαρτημάτων καὶ προτροπὴν κατορθωμάτων, καταρτίζων εἰς εὐηκοΐαν αὐτοὺς τοῦ ἀληθοῦς παιδαγωγοῦ, τὴν εὐπείθειαν, εἷς καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς ὢν λόγος πρὸς τὸ κατεπεῖγον ἁρμοττόμενος· τὸν νόμον δοθῆναι γάρ φησιν ὁ Παῦλος παιδαγωγὸν εἰς Χριστόν, ὡς ἐκ τούτου συμφανὲς εἶναι ἕνα μόνον ἀληθινόν, ἀγαθόν, δίκαιον, κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν τοῦ πατρὸς υἱὸν Ἰησοῦν, τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, παιδαγωγὸν ἡμῶν εἶναι, ᾧ παρέδωκεν ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ὡς πατὴρ φιλόστοργος γνησίῳ παιδαγωγῷ παρακατατιθέμενος τὰ παιδία, διαρρήδην παραγγείλας ἡμῖν· οὗτός ἐστί μου ὁ υἱὸς ὁ ἀγαπητός, αὐτοῦ ἀκούετε. Ἀξιόπιστος ὁ θεῖος παιδαγωγὸς τρισὶ τοῖς καλλίστοις κεκοσμημένος, ἐπιστήμῃ, εὐνοίᾳ, παρρησίᾳ· ἐπιστήμῃ μὲν ὅτι σοφία ἐστὶ πατρική, πᾶσα σοφία παρὰ κυρίου καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐστιν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· παρρησίᾳ δὲ ὅτι θεὸς καὶ δημιουργός, πάντα γὰρ δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν· εὐνοίᾳ δὲ ὅτι μόνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἱερεῖον ἑαυτὸν ἐπιδέδωκεν, ὁ γὰρ ἀγαθὸς ποιμὴν τὴν ψυχὴν ἑαυτοῦ τίθησιν ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων καὶ δὴ ἔθηκεν. Εὔνοια δὲ οὐδὲν ἀλλ' ἢ βούλησίς ἐστιν ἀγαθοῦ τῷ πλησίον, αὐτοῦ χάριν ἐκείνου.