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to the unjust; you therefore believe the just one, but do not believe the unjust one; for the just has a straight road, but the unjust a crooked one. But you walk in the straight and smooth road, and leave the crooked one. For the crooked road has no paths, but trackless places and many stumbling blocks, and it is rough and thorny. It is therefore harmful to those who walk in it. But those who walk in the straight road walk smoothly and without stumbling; for it is neither rough nor thorny. You see therefore that it is more expedient to walk in this road. It pleases me, I say, Sir, to walk in this road. You shall walk, he says, and whoever turns to the Lord with his whole heart, will walk in it. Listen now, he says, concerning faith. There are two angels with man, one of righteousness and one of wickedness. How then, I say, Sir, shall I know their workings, since both angels dwell with me? Listen, he says, and you will understand them. The angel of righteousness is delicate and modest and gentle and quiet. When therefore this one comes up into your heart, immediately he speaks with you concerning righteousness, concerning purity, concerning holiness and concerning self-sufficiency and concerning every righteous work and concerning every glorious virtue. When all these things come up into your heart, know that the angel of righteousness is with you. These therefore are the works of the angel of righteousness. Therefore believe him and his works. See now also the works of the angel of wickedness. First of all he is quick-tempered, and bitter and foolish, and his works are evil, overthrowing the servants of God; When therefore this one comes up into your heart, know him by his works. How, I say, Sir, shall I understand him, I do not know. Listen, he says. When any quick-temper or bitterness comes upon you, know that he is in you; then desire for many affairs and expensive foods of many kinds and drunkenness and much carousing and various and improper luxuries, and desires for women and greed and much pride and arrogance, and whatever things are akin and similar to these. When therefore these things come up into your heart, know that the angel of wickedness is in you. You therefore, recognizing his works, depart from him and believe him in nothing, because his works are evil and unprofitable for the servants of God. You have therefore the workings of both angels; understand them and believe the angel of righteousness; but from the angel of wickedness depart, because his teaching is evil for every work; for if there is a most faithful man, and the thought of this angel comes up into his heart, that man or woman must commit some sin. But if on the other hand a most wicked man or woman exists, and the works of the angel of righteousness come up into his heart, of necessity he must do something good. You see therefore, he says, that it is good to follow the angel of righteousness, but to renounce the angel of wickedness. This commandment declares the things concerning faith, that you should believe the works of the angel of righteousness, and by doing them you may live to God. But believe that the works of the angel of wickedness are difficult; therefore by not doing them you may live to God. Commandment 7 Fear, he says, the Lord and keep his commandments; by keeping therefore the commandments of God you will be powerful in every deed, and your deed will be incomparable. for by fearing the Lord you will do all things well; and this is the fear which you must fear, and you will be saved. But the devil not
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ἀδίκῳ· σὺ οὖν πίστευε τῷ δικαίῳ, τῷ δὲ ἀδίκῳ μὴ πιστεύσῃς· τὸ γὰρ δίκαιον ὀρθὴν ὁδὸν ἔχει, τὸ δὲ ἄδικον στρεβλήν. ἀλλὰ σὺ τῇ ὀρθῇ ὁδῷ πορεύου καὶ ὁμαλῇ, τὴν δὲ στρεβλὴν ἔασον. ἡ γὰρ στρεβλὴ ὁδὸς τρίβους οὐκ ἔχει, ἀλλ' ἀνοδίας καὶ προσκόμματα πολλά, καὶ τραχεῖά ἐστι καὶ ἀκανθώδης. βλαβερὰ οὖν ἐστι τοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ πορευομένοις. οἱ δὲ τῇ ὀρθῇ ὁδῷ πορευό μενοι ὁμαλῶς περιπατοῦσι καὶ ἀπροσκόπως· οὔτε γὰρ τραχεῖά ἐστιν οὔτε ἀκανθώδης. βλέπεις οὖν ὅτι συμφορώτερόν ἐστι ταύτῃ τῇ ὁδῷ πορεύε σθαι. Ἀρέσκει μοι, φημί, κύριε, ταύτῃ τῇ ὁδῷ πορεύεσθαι. Πορεύσῃ, φησί, καὶ ὃς ἂν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον, πορεύσεται ἐν αὐτῇ. Ἄκουε νῦν, φησί, περὶ τῆς πίστεως. δύο εἰσὶν ἄγγελοι μετὰ τοῦ ἀν θρώπου, εἷς τῆς δικαιοσύνης καὶ εἷς τῆς πονηρίας. Πῶς οὖν, φημί, κύριε, γνώσομαι τὰς αὐτῶν ἐνεργείας, ὅτι ἀμφότεροι ἄγγελοι μετ' ἐμοῦ κατοικοῦσιν; Ἄκουε, φησί, καὶ συνιεῖς αὐτάς. ὁ μὲν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἄγγελος τρυφερός ἐστι καὶ αἰσχυντηρὸς καὶ πραύς καὶ ἡσύχιος. ὅταν οὖν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀναβῇ, εὐθέως λαλεῖ μετὰ σοῦ περὶ δικαιοσύνης, περὶ ἁγνείας, περὶ σεμνότητος καὶ περὶ αὐταρκείας καὶ περὶ παντὸς ἔργου δικαίου καὶ περὶ πάσης ἀρετῆς ἐνδόξου. ταῦτα πάντα ὅταν εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀναβῇ, γίνωσκε ὅτι ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς δικαιοσύνης μετὰ σοῦ ἐστι. ταῦτα οὖν ἐστι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς δικαιοσύνης. τούτῳ οὖν πίστευε καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ. ὅρα νῦν καὶ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς πονηρίας τὰ ἔργα. πρῶτον πάντων ὀξύχολός ἐστι, καὶ πικρὸς καὶ ἄφρων, καὶ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρά, κατα στρέφοντα τοὺς δούλους τοῦ θεοῦ· ὅταν οὖν οὗτος ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀναβῇ, γνῶθι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ. Πῶς, φημί, κύριε, νοήσω αὐτόν, οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι. Ἄκουε, φησίν. ὅταν ὀξυχολία σοί τις προσπέσῃ ἢ πικρία, γίνωσκε ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ἐν σοί· εἶτα ἐπιθυμία πράξεων πολλῶν καὶ πολυ τέλειαι ἐδεσμάτων πολλῶν καὶ μεθυσμάτων καὶ κραιπαλῶν πολλῶν καὶ ποικίλων τρυφῶν καὶ οὐ δεόντων, καὶ ἐπιθυμίαι γυναικῶν καὶ πλεονεξία καὶ ὑπερηφανία πολλή τις καὶ ἀλαζονεία, καὶ ὅσα τούτοις παραπλήσιά ἐστι καὶ ὅμοια. ταῦτα οὖν ὅταν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν σου ἀναβῇ, γίνωσκε ὅτι ὁ ἄγγελος τῆς πονηρίας ἐστὶν ἐν σοί. σὺ οὖν ἐπιγνοὺς τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἀπόστα ἀπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῷ πίστευε, ὅτι τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρά εἰσι καὶ ἀσύμφορα τοῖς δούλοις τοῦ θεοῦ. ἔχεις οὖν ἀμφοτέρων τῶν ἀγγέλων τὰς ἐνεργείας· σύνιε αὐτὰς καὶ πίστευε τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς δικαιοσύνης· ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς πονηρίας ἀπόστηθι, ὅτι ἡ διδαχὴ αὐτοῦ πονηρά ἐστι παντὶ ἔργῳ· ἐὰν γὰρ ᾖ τις πιστότατος ἀνήρ, καὶ ἡ ἐνθύμησις τοῦ ἀγγέλου τούτου ἀναβῇ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, δεῖ τὸν ἄνδρα ἐκεῖνον ἢ τὴν γυναῖκα ἐξαμαρτῆσαί τι. ἐὰν δὲ πάλιν πονηρότατός τις ᾖ ἀνὴρ ἢ γυνή, καὶ ἀναβῇ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἐξ ἀνάγκης δεῖ αὐτὸν ἀγαθόν τι ποιῆσαι. βλέπεις οὖν, φησίν, ὅτι καλόν ἐστι τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀκολουθεῖν, τῷ δὲ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς πονηρίας ἀποτάξασθαι. τὰ μὲν περὶ τῆς πίστεως αὕτη ἡ ἐντολὴ δηλοῖ, ἵνα τοῖς ἔργοις τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς δικαιοσύνης πιστεύσῃς, καὶ ἐργασάμενος αὐτὰ ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ. πίστευε δὲ ὅτι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ ἀγγέλου τῆς πονηρίας χαλεπά ἐστι· μὴ ἐργαζόμενος οὖν αὐτὰ ζήσῃ τῷ θεῷ. Ἐντολὴ ζ Φοβήθητι, φησί, τὸν κύριον καὶ φύλασσε τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ· φυλάσσων οὖν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ θεοῦ ἔσῃ δυνατὸς ἐν πάσῃ πράξει, καὶ ἡ πρᾶξίς σου ἀσύγκριτος ἔσται. φοβούμενος γὰρ τὸν κύριον πάντα καλῶς ἐργάσῃ· οὗτος δέ ἐστιν ὁ φόβος ὃν δεῖ σε φοβηθῆναι, καὶ σωθήσῃ. τὸν δὲ διάβολον μὴ