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he has used. For by agriculture trees are cultivated by him, both evergreen and thick, and becoming like a roof for the air, so that he might delight in the open air as if in a house, and the surface of the earth is clothed with all kinds of plants through the art of the gardeners, so that from every side all pleasant things meet the eye, wherever it might turn its gaze, and to be always among pleasing things and to see in each season of the year things beyond the season, grass in winter and early-blooming flowers and the climbing vine that interweaves its own branches with those of others and the elegant twining of the ivy around the trees and also as many kinds of fruits as, being mixed from different kinds, do violence to nature, indicating what is ambiguous in both appearance and taste, so that what comes from the mixture of different species seems to be both. All these things and whatever else art has devised among plants by forcing nature, which the need of life has not sought, but undisciplined desire seeks after. He who confesses his own things says that these have come to be in the skillful cultivation of gardens and parks. 5.333 For he who said, "I planted every tree for fruit," by this comprehensive statement indicated together that nothing of the sort was lacking. Then after the delight both in the open air and under a roof, not even water is left un-contributing to the collection of pleasures, as it is necessary to luxuriate in all the elements, in the earth through the houses, in the air through the trees, in the water through the man-made sea. For in order that the sight of the water might also sweeten the deception of the eyes, the ground becomes a lake, the water being built up all around, so that swimming might also bring pleasure to those cleansing their bodies and the outflow might render the parks more full of flowers, being divided everywhere according to the needs of the irrigated areas. For I made for myself, he says, pools of water, to water from them a forest of sprouting trees. But if I had the spring of paradise, that is, the teaching of the virtues, by which the drought of the soul was watered, I would have overlooked earthly waters, whose enjoyment is temporary, and whose nature is transient. Therefore it would be better, from the divine spring by which the virtues of the soul sprout and are watered, to channel a small stream for ourselves, 5.334 so that the grove of good practices might flourish in our souls, through our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

HOMILY IV

The theme of confession still occupies our discourse. For he who relates his own affairs goes through nearly everything in order, by which the vanity of the things of this life is known. But now he touches upon a kind of greater accusation of his own deeds, from which the passion of pride is slandered. For what is there so great for arrogance in the things that have been enumerated, a costly house and a multitude of vines and the beauty in the gardens and the collection of waters in pools and their distribution in parks, as for a man, being human, to think himself master of his own kind? For I acquired, he says, male and female slaves, and home-born slaves were mine. Do you see the swell of arrogance? Such a statement openly rises up against God. For we have heard from prophecy that all things are servants of the authority that is over all. He, therefore, who makes a possession 5.335 for himself what is God's possession, and dividing up dominion over the race, so as to think himself lord of both men and women, what else is this but to transgress nature with pride, seeing himself as something other than those who are ruled? I acquired male and female slaves. What are you saying? You condemn to slavery man, whose nature is free and self-determining, and you legislate against God, overturning his law upon the

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συγκέχρηται. δένδρα γὰρ αὐτῷ διὰ γεωργίας ἐπιτηδεύεται ἀειθαλῆ τε καὶ δασέα καὶ ἀντὶ ὀρόφου τῷ ἀέρι γινόμενα, ἵνα καὶ ὕπαιθρος ὡς ἐν οἴκῳ τρυφῴη, καὶ παντοδαπαῖς πόαις διὰ τῆς τῶν κηπευόντων τέχνης ἡ ἐπιφάνεια τῆς γῆς ἀμφιέννυ, ὥστε πανταχόθεν ἡδέα πάντα τῷ ὀφθαλμῷ προσπίπτειν, ἐφ' ὅπερ ἂν περιαγάγῃ τὸ βλέμμα, καὶ διὰ παντὸς ἐν τοῖς κα ταθυμίοις εἶναι καὶ βλέπειν ἐν ἑκάστῃ τοῦ ἔτους ὥρᾳ τὰ ὑπὲρ τὴν ὥραν, πόαν ἐν χειμῶνι καὶ ἄνθη πρόωρα καὶ τὴν ἀναδεν δρουμένην ἄμπελον τὴν τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις κλάδοις τοὺς ἰδίους ἐνδιαπλέκουσαν καὶ τὰς γλαφυρὰς τοῦ κισσοῦ πρὸς τὰ δένδρα περιπλοκὰς ὅσα τε αὖ καρπῶν εἴδη ἐξ ἑτερογενῶν ἀλλήλοις μιγνύμενα τὴν φύσιν βιάζεται, τῷ εἴδει τε καὶ τῇ γεύσει τὸ ἐπαμφοτερίζον ἐπισημαίνοντα, ὡς ἀμφότερα εἶναι δοκεῖν, ἅπερ ἂν ἐκ τῆς τῶν ἑτεροφυῶν συγκράσεως γένηται. πάντα ταῦτα καὶ εἴ τι ἄλλο ἐν τοῖς φυτοῖς ἐξεῦρεν ἡ τέχνη βιασαμένη τὴν φύσιν, ἃ ἡ χρεία μὲν τῆς ζωῆς οὐκ ἐζήτησεν, ἐπιζητεῖ δὲ ἡ ἀπαιδαγώγητος ἐπιθυμία. Ταῦτα ἐν τῇ τῶν κήπων τε καὶ παραδείσων φιλοτεχνίᾳ 5.333 γεγενῆσθαι ὁ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ ἐξαγορεύων λέγει. ὁ γὰρ εἰπών, ὅτι Ἐφύτευσα πᾶν ξύλον καρποῦ τῇ περιληπτικῇ ταύτῃ φωνῇ τὸ μηδὲν ἐλλελοιπέναι τῶν τοιούτων συνενεδείξατο. εἶτα μετὰ τὴν τρυφὴν τὴν ὕπαιθρόν τε καὶ ὑπωρόφιον οὐδὲ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀσυντελὲς πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἡδονῶν συνεισφορὰν κατα λείπεται, ὡς δέον πᾶσιν ἐντρυφᾶν τοῖς στοιχείοις, τῇ γῇ διὰ τῶν οἴκων, τῷ ἀέρι διὰ τῶν δένδρων, τῷ ὕδατι διὰ τῆς χειροποιήτου θαλάσσης. ἵνα γὰρ καὶ ἡ τοῦ ὕδατος ὄψις ἐφηδύνῃ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὴν ἀπάτην, λίμνη τὸ ἔδαφος γίνεται, κυκλόθεν περιοικοδομηθέντος τοῦ ὕδατος, ὡς ἂν καὶ ἡ νῆξις ἡδονὴν φέροι τοῖς φαιδρυνομένοις τὰ σώματα καὶ τὸ ἀπορρέον εὐανθεστέρους τοὺς παραδείσους κατασκευάζοι, πανταχῇ πρὸς τὰς χρείας τῶν ἀρδομένων κατασχιζόμενον. Ἐποίησα γάρ μοι, φησί, κολυμβήθρας ὑδάτων, τοῦ ποτίσαι ἀπ' αὐτῶν δρυμὸν βλαστῶντα ξύλα. εἰ δέ μοι ἦν ἡ τοῦ παραδείσου πηγή, τουτέστιν ἡ τῶν ἀρετῶν διδασκαλία, δι' ἧς ὁ τῆς ψυχῆς αὐχμὸς ἐδροσίζετο, ὑπερεῖδον ἂν τῶν γηίνων ὑδάτων, ὧν πρόσκαιρος μὲν ἡ ἀπόλαυσις, παροδικὴ δὲ ἡ φύσις. οὐκοῦν ἄμεινον ἂν εἴη τῆς θείας πηγῆς, δι' ἧς αἱ ἀρεταὶ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκφύονταί τε καὶ ἄρδονται, βραχεῖαν ἀπόρροιαν ἑαυτοῖς 5.334 ὀχετηγῆσαι, ὡς ἂν τὸ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἄλσος ἐν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν θάλλοι, διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ᾧ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν.

ΟΜΙΛΙΑ ∆ʹ

Ἔτι ἡμῖν ὁ τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως τόπος παρακατέχει τὸν λόγον. πάντα γὰρ σχεδὸν καθεξῆς διεξέρχεται ὁ τὰ ἑαυτοῦ διηγούμενος, δι' ὧν τῶν κατὰ τὸν βίον τοῦτον πραγμάτων ἡ ματαιότης γνωρίζεται. νυνὶ δὲ καθάπερ μείζονός τινος κατηγορίας ἅπτεται τῶν αὐτῷ πεπραγμένων, ἐξ ὧν τὸ κατὰ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν διαβάλλεται πάθος. τί γὰρ τοσοῦτον εἰς τῦφον ἐν τοῖς ἀπηριθμημένοις ἐστίν, οἶκος πολυτελὴς καὶ πλῆθος ἀμπέλων καὶ ἡ ἐν κήποις ὥρα καὶ τῶν ὑδάτων ἥ τε κατὰ τὰς κολυμβήθρας σύστασις καὶ ἡ ἐν παραδείσοις διάχυσις, ὅσον τὸ ἄνθρωπον ὄντα δεσπότην ἑαυτὸν τῶν ὁμοφύλων οἴεσθαι; Ἐκτησάμην γάρ, φησί, δούλους καὶ παιδίσκας, καὶ οἰκογενεῖς ἐγένοντό μοι. ὁρᾷς τὸν ὄγκον τῆς ἀλαζονείας; θεῷ ἄντικρυς ἡ τοιαύτη φωνὴ ἀντεπαίρεται. τὰ σύμπαντα γὰρ δοῦλα εἶναι τῆς πάντων ὑπερκειμένης ἐξουσίας παρὰ τῆς προφητείας ἠκούσαμεν. ὁ οὖν κτῆμα 5.335 ἑαυτοῦ τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ κτῆμα ποιούμενος ἐπιμερίζων τε τῷ γένει τὴν δυναστείαν, ὡς ἀνδρῶν τε ἅμα καὶ γυναικῶν ἑαυτὸν κύριον οἴεσθαι, τί ἄλλο καὶ οὐχὶ διαβαίνει τῇ ὑπερηφανίᾳ τὴν φύσιν, ἄλλο τι ἑαυτὸν παρὰ τοὺς ἀρχομένους βλέπων; Ἐκτησάμην δούλους καὶ παιδίσκας. τί λέγεις; δουλείᾳ καταδικάζεις τὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὗ ἐλευθέρα ἡ φύσις καὶ αὐτεξού σιος, καὶ ἀντινομοθετεῖς τῷ θεῷ, ἀνατρέπων αὐτοῦ τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ