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of the undefiled divinity, which they abandoned when they became tyrants. And eternal chains are their complete and perpetual immobility regarding the good according to their own judgment, by which they in no way ever enjoy divine rest, or again, the power of God's providence that, for the sake of our salvation, 14Β_092 restrains their madness against us, not allowing the devices of their wickedness to advance against us. And gloom is the complete and total ignorance of divine grace; by which, having been completely qualified by their own will, they are deprived of the blessed and all-radiant transmission of the pure light, having spent all the intellectual power given to them by nature on that which is not. But what they will suffer on the fearful day of judgment only the just Judge knows, who assigns to each a just reward according to their worth, and who suitably distributes the form of judgment equal to the measure of wickedness, and who appropriately brings forth the sentence for unending ages with justice according to His good decrees.

XII (12). CONCERNING WHAT IS THE GARMENT SPOTTED BY THE FLESH. 12. QUESTION XII What is the garment spotted by the flesh? Response. A life stained by many transgressions of the passions of the flesh

is a spotted garment. For just as from some garment, each person is naturally revealed by their conduct in life, whether just or unjust, one having a clean garment, which is a virtuous life, the other possessing a life spotted by evil deeds.

Or rather, a garment spotted by the flesh is the habit and disposition that shapes the soul according to conscience through the memory of the evil movements and activities of the flesh; which, seeing it constantly around itself like a garment, is filled with the foul odor of the passions. For just as from the spirit, through virtues woven together with one another according to reason, a garment of incorruptibility is made for the soul, which, having put it on, becomes beautiful and glorious, so also from the flesh, with the passions woven together with one another according to 14Β_094 irrationality, a certain unclean and spotted garment is made, revealing the soul from itself, imposing on it another form and image besides the divine one.

XIII (13). CONCERNING "FOR HIS INVISIBLE ATTRIBUTES SINCE THE CREATION OF THE WORLD ARE CLEARLY SEEN IN HIS

WORKS". 13. QUESTION XIII What is meant by "For His invisible attributes since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood through the things that are made,

even His eternal power and divinity"? What are the invisible attributes of God, and what is His eternal power and divinity?

Response. The principles of created beings, pre-established from the ages in God, as He knows,

Himself, being invisible, which it is the custom of holy men to call good wills, are clearly seen, being understood from His works. For all the works of God, when contemplated by us gnostically according to nature with the requisite knowledge, secretly declare to us the principles according to which they came into being and reveal together with themselves the divine purpose in each work, according to which also the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of His hands. And eternal power

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ἀχράντου θεότητος, ἣν ἀπέλιπον τυραννήσαντες. Ἀΐδιοι δὲ δεσμοί εἰσιν ἡ κατὰ γνώμην αὐτῶν παντελής τε καὶ διηνεκὴς περὶ τὸ καλὸν ἀκινησία, καθ᾽ ἣν οὐδαμῶς οὐδέποτε θείας ἀνέσεως ἀπολαύουσιν, ἢ πάλιν ἡ διὰ τὴν ἡμῶν σωτηρίαν 14Β_092 τῆς καθ᾽ ἡμῶν μανίας αὐτοὺς ἐπέχουσα κατὰ πρόνοιαν τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμις, μὴ συγχωροῦσα προβῆναι τῆς αὐτῶν πονηρίας τὰ καθ᾽ ἡμῶν μηχανήματα. Ζόφος δέ ἐστιν ἡ παντελὴς καὶ ὁλόκληρος τῆς θείας ἄγνοια χάριτος· καθ᾽ ἣν διόλου γνωμικῶς ποιωθέντες, τῆς μακαρίας καὶ παμφαοῦς τοῦ ἀκηράτου φωτὸς ἐστέρηνται διαδόσεως, περὶ τὸ μὴ ὂν πᾶσαν τὴν δοθεῖσαν αὐτοῖς κατὰ φύσιν νοερὰν δύναμιν ἀναλώσαντες. Τί δὲ πείσονται κατὰ τὴν φοβερὰν ἡμέραν τῆς κρίσεως μόνος οἶδεν ὁ δίκαιος κριτής, ὁ κατ᾽ ἀξίαν ἑκάστῳ δικαίαν ἀφορίζων τὴν ἀμοιβὴν καὶ τῷ μέτρῳ τῆς κακίας ἴσον πρεπόντως τὸ εἶδος διανέμων τῆς κρίσεως καὶ πρόσφορον τὴν ἐπ᾽ αἰῶσιν ἀτελευτήτοις ψῆφον συνεκφέρων μετὰ δικαιοσύνης τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς αὐτοῦ δόγμασιν.

ΙΒ (12). ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ ΤΙΣ Ο ΑΠΟ ΤΗΣ ΣΑΡΚΟΣ ΕΣΠΙΛΩΜΕΝΟΣ ΧΙΤΩΝ. 12. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΙΒ' Τίς ὁ ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκὸς ἐσπιλωμένος χιτών; Ἀπόκρισις. Ὁ πολλοῖς πλημμελήμασι τῶν ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς παθημάτων κεκηλιδωμένος

βίος χιτών ἐστιν ἐσπιλωμένος. Ὡς ἔκ τινος γὰρ ἐνδύματος τῆς κατὰ τὸν βίον ἀναστροφῆς ἕκαστος τῶν ἀνθρώπων διαφαίνεσθαι πέφυκεν, εἴτε δίκαιος εἴτε ἄδικος, ὁ μὲν χιτῶνα καθαρὸν ἔχων τὸν ἐνάρετον βίον, ὁ δὲ πονηροῖς ἐσπιλωμένην ἔργοις τὴν ζωὴν κεκτημένος.

Ἢ μᾶλλον, ἐσπιλωμένος ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκός ἐστι χιτὼν ἡ κατὰ συνείδησιν μορφοῦσα διὰ τῆς μνήμης τῶν ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς πονηρῶν κινημάτων τε καὶ ἐνεργημάτων τὴν ψυχὴν ἕξις τε καὶ διάθεσις· ἣν ὁρῶσα διαπαντὸς καθάπερ χιτῶνά τινα περὶ ἑαυτήν, δυσωδίας πληροῦται παθῶν. Ὡς γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν ἀλλήλαις κατὰ λόγον συνυφαινομένων ἀφθαρσίας γίνεται τῇ ψυχῇ χιτών, ὃν ἐνδυσαμένη γίνεται καλὴ καὶ ἐπίδοξος, οὕτως καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς σαρκός, τῶν παθῶν ἀλλήλοις κατὰ 14Β_094 τὴν ἀλογίαν συνυφαινομένων, γίνεταί τις χιτὼν ἀκάθαρτος καὶ ἐσπιλωμένος, ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ δεικνὺς γνώριμον τὴν ψυχήν, μορφὴν ἄλλην αὐτῇ καὶ εἰκόνα παρὰ τὴν θείαν ἐνθέμενος.

ΙΓ (13). ΠΕΡΙ ΤΟΥ "ΤΑ ΓΑΡ ΑΟΡΑΤΑ ΑΥΤΟΥ ΑΠΟ ΚΤΙΣΕΩΣ ΚΟΣΜΟΥ ΤΟΙΣ

ΠΟΙΗΜΑΣΙ ΝΟΟΥΜΕΝΑ ΚΑΘΟΡΑΤΑΙ". 13. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΙΓ' Τί ἐστι τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα

καθορᾶται, ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης; Τίνα τὰ ἀόρατα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τίς ἡ ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης;

Ἀπόκρισις. Οἱ τῶν ὄντων λόγοι προκαταρτισθέντες τῶν αἰώνων ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, καθὼς οἶδεν

αὐτός, ἀόρατοι ὄντες, οὓς καὶ ἀγαθὰ θελήματα καλεῖν τοῖς θείοις ἐστὶν ἔθος ἀνδράσιν, ἀπὸ τῶν ποιημάτων νοούμενοι καθορῶνται. Πάντα γὰρ τὰ ποιήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ κατὰ φύσιν μετὰ τῆς δεούσης ἐπιστήμης γνωστικῶς ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν θεωρούμενα τοὺς καθ᾽ οὓς γεγένηνται λόγους κρυφίως ἡμῖν ἀπαγγέλλουσι καὶ τὸ ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστῳ ποιήματι θεῖον σκοπὸν ἑαυτοῖς συνεκφαίνουσιν, καθ᾽ ὃ καὶ οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸ στερέωμα τὴν τῶν χειρῶν ἀναγγέλλει ποίησιν. Ἀΐδιος δὲ δύναμίς