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and nature and beginning of progress and measure of nature and character of matter and its first substance, which it was necessary to add to the number ten on account of the progression into this sensible and material life and the fruitfulness of the gospel. To this dyad, then, Peter and Paul are numbered, and the others to the number ten in order. Thus I have understood concerning the number twelve. If indeed it is acceptable to those who have attained the oracles, thanks be to God, from whom is every perfect gift; but if not, then these things will be elevated by others to another contemplation, more perfect and more lofty, since not all things have been given to all, but the gifts, to speak according to Paul, have been divided, being given according to the measure of each.

25

But let our discourse be brought back to its proper goal. Let us cleanse ourselves, brothers, for the sake of the apostles of Christ, and if not for the sake of working out our own salvation, at least let us respect their labors and their teachings. Let us wipe clean every sense, let us renounce the smoothnesses of touch, let us use this sense only for those things for which the creator first implanted it. Let us not make the sense effeminate, let us smell only the fragrant odors of the myrrh which is according to Christ. Let us not use the tongue for the things from the sea and the land, but let us learn that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that leads to salvation. Let us not charm our hearing with clear-toned songs, but let us fill it with spiritual odes, by which not only the divine is charmed but evil spirits are also enchanted away. Let us hasten to apprehend divine beauties with our sight and not those things that bewitch and lead to destruction. Let us use our anger only against the opposing powers; for it was sown in us against such things. Let us direct our desire toward God and the things of God; for it is for this reason that it has been rooted in our inward parts. Thus we shall imitate the saints as far as possible and we shall cause their teaching to proceed into action, thus we shall honor them, thus we shall love them, if we cast away every sense and transform it to what is better and raise the mind from base things to the things above us.

26

Before all things and above all things, let us acquire the possession of love, through which we might become imitators not of Peter and Paul, but will also be shown to be conformed to Christ himself; for to speak according to Paul himself: if I speak with prophecies, if with foreign tongues, if with interpretations of tongues, if I am rich in all the gifts, but have not love, I am as a clanging cymbal or a bronze sounding in vain. Let us therefore embrace love, O friends and brothers, than which nothing is better or more beloved by God. This is both useful in life and a most sure guide to God; this new covenant Christ establishes, this He makes a sign of his own teaching, through this he who is taught by Christ is marked. But how might we bring one another together in love? Let the rich share of their riches with the poor, let the poor bring thanksgiving in what they enjoy; those in power, cheerfulness in what they rule, the subjects, good order in what they are subject to; let equals receive from equal measures, let each offer to each a word that will benefit, for no one is without need, even if he is considered among the very rich; let all share in their own powers and possessions. If we were thus armed and thus equipped, we might quickly fly up to heaven and stand beside God and purely touch the most pure and most splendid sacrifice, of which we have now received faint manifestations.

27

But O chief dyad of the disciples of Christ—for I must join them together again—the eyes of the whole body of the twelve disciples, who

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καὶ φύσις καὶ προόδου ἀρχὴ καὶ φύ σεως μέτρον καὶ χαρακτὴρ ὕλης καὶ πρώτη ταύτης ὑπό στασις, ἣν ἐχρῆν προσκεῖσθαι τῇ δεκάδι τῶν ἀριθμῶν διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν αἰσθητὸν τοῦτον καὶ ὑλικὸν βίον προχώρησιν καὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τὸ γόνιμον. ταύτῃ γοῦν τῇ δυάδι Πέ τρος καὶ Παῦλος ἠρίθμην ται, οἱ δ' ἄλλοι τῇ δεκάδι τῶν ἀριθμῶν καθεξῆς. Οὕτως ἐγὼ περὶ τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τῆς δωδεκάδος νενόηκα. εἰ μὲν καὶ τοῖς ἐπηβόλοις τῶν λογίων δεκτά, τῷ θεῷ χάρις, ἐξ οὗπερ ἅπαν δώρημα τέλειον· εἰ δ' οὖν, ἀλλ' ἄλλοις εἰς ἕτερον ἀναχθήσεται ταῦτα θεώρημα τελεώτερόν τε καὶ ὑψη λότερον, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ πᾶσι πάντα κεχάρισται, ἀλλὰ μεμέρισται κατὰ Παῦλον εἰπεῖν τὰ χαρίσματα, κατὰ τὸ ἑκάστου μέτρον διδόμενα.

25 Ἀλλ' ἐπαναγέσθω ἡμῖν εἰς τὴν οἰκείαν νύσσαν ὁ λόγος. καθάρωμεν ἑαυτούς, ἀδελφοί, διὰ τοὺς ἀποστόλους Χριστοῦ, καὶ εἰ μὴ τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν πραγματευόμενοι, ἀλλ' οὖν αἰδεσθῶμεν τοὺς πόνους τούτων καὶ τὰ διδάγματα. ἀπο σμήξωμεν πᾶσαν αἴσθησιν, ἀποταξώμεθα ταῖς λειότησι τῆς ἁφῆς, μόνα ταύτῃ χρησώμεθα πρὸς ἅπερ πρῶτον ὁ δη μιουργὸς ἐμπεφύτευκε. μὴ ἐκθηλυθῶμεν τὴν αἴσθησιν, ταῖς εὐόδμοις ὀσμαῖς τοῦ μύρου μόνου τοῦ κατὰ Χριστὸν ὀσφραινοίμεθα. μὴ χρησώμεθα τῇ γλώττῃ εἰς τὰ ἐκ θαλάττης καὶ γῆς, μάθωμεν δὲ ὡς οὐκ ἐπ' ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ ῥήματι τῷ πρὸς σωτηρίαν ἀπάγοντι. μὴ λιγυροῖς τοῖς ᾄσμασι καταυλῶμεν τὴν ἀκοήν, ἀλλ' ἐν πνευματικαῖς ταῖς ᾠδαῖς περιηχῶμεν αὐτήν, αἷς οὐ μόνον τὸ θεῖον θέλγεται ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ πονηρὰ κατεπᾴδεται πνεύματα. ὄψεσι τὰ θεῖα κάλλη καταλαμβάνειν σπουδάσωμεν καὶ μὴ τὰ καταγοητεύοντα καὶ πρὸς ἀπώλειαν ἄγοντα. τῷ θυμῷ κατὰ μόνων τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων χρώμεθα· κατὰ τῶν τοι ούτων καὶ γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐγκατέσπαρται. τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν εἰς θεὸν καὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀνατείνωμεν· τούτου γὰρ χάριν αὕτη τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ἡμῶν κατερρίζωται. οὕτως τοὺς ἁγίους ὡς δυνατὸν μιμησόμεθα καὶ τὴν αὐτῶν διδασκαλίαν εἰς ἔργον προβῆναι ποιήσομεν, οὕτως αὐτοὺς τιμήσομεν, οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἀγαπήσομεν, ἐὰν πᾶσαν αἴσθησιν ἀπορρίψωμεν καὶ πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον αὐτὴν μεταστοιχειώσωμεν καὶ τὸν νοῦν ἀπὸ τῶν χαμαιζήλων πρὸς τὰ ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς ὑπεράρωμεν.

26 Πρὸ πάντων δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντα τὸ τῆς ἀγάπης χρῆμα κτησώμεθα, δι' ἣν οὐ Πέτρου καὶ Παύλου γενοίμεθα μιμηταί, ἀλλὰ καὶ σύμμορφοι αὐτῷ Χριστῷ φανησόμεθα· εἰπεῖν γὰρ κατὰ Παῦλον αὐτὸν εἰ προφητείας λαλῶ, εἰ ξένας γλώσσας, εἰ ἑρμηνείας γλωσσῶν, εἰ πάντα πλουτῶ τὰ χαρίσματα, ἀγάπην δὲ οὐκ ἔχω, ὡς κύμβαλόν εἰμι ἀλαλάζον ἢ χαλκὸς εἰς μάτην ἠχῶν. ἀγκαλισώμεθα οὖν τὴν ἀγάπην, ὦ φίλοι καὶ ἀδελφοί, ἧς οὐδὲν κρεῖττον ἢ θεῷ προσφιλέστερον. αὕτη καὶ κατὰ τὸν βίον ὀνήσιμος καὶ πρὸς θεὸν χειραγωγὸς ἀσφαλέστατος· ταύτην καινὴν διαθήκην ὁ Χριστὸς διατίθεται, ταύτην σημεῖον τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ποιεῖται διδασκαλίας, διὰ ταύτης συμβολογραφεῖται ὁ τῷ Χριστῷ διδασκόμενος. πῶς δὲ ἀλλήλους εἰς ἀγάπην συνάξαιμεν; οἱ πλούσιοι ὧν πλουτοῦσι τοῖς πένησι μεταδιδότωσαν, οἱ πένητες τὴν εὐχαριστίαν κομιζέτωσαν ἐν οἷς ἀπολαύουσιν· οἱ ἐν δυναστείᾳ τὴν ἱλαρότητα ἐν οἷς ἄρχουσιν, οἱ ὑπήκοοι τὴν εὐταξίαν ἐν οἷς ὑποτάσσονται· οἱ ἶσοι παρὰ τῶν ἴσων μέτρων ἀπολαβέτωσαν, ἕκαστος ἑκάστῳ προσφερέτω λόγον ὀνήσοντα, οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἀνενδεής, καὶ εἰ τῶν πάνυ πλουσίων ὑπείληπται· οἱ πάντες τῶν οἰκείων δυνάμεών τε καὶ ἕξεων κοινωνείτωσαν. εἰ οὕτω δὴ ὁπλισθείημεν καὶ οὕτω συσκευασθείημεν, τάχος πρὸς οὐρανὸν ἀναπταίημεν καὶ τῷ θεῷ παρασταίημεν καὶ καθαρῶς ἐφαψαίμεθα τοῦ καθαρωτάτου καὶ λαμπροτάτου θύματος, οὗ νῦν ἀμυδρὰς τὰς ἐμφάσεις δεδέγμεθα.

27 Ἀλλ' ὦ δυὰς ἡ κορυφαία τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ Χριστοῦ -ἐπισυναπτέον γάρ μοι πάλιν αὐτούς-οἱ τῆς ὁλομελείας τῆς δωδεκάδος τῶν μαθητῶν ὀφθαλμοί, οἱ