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in the body of a way, as if taking it up, he says † for... having fallen into so great a... wickedness as to need fellowship with the body and helpers who came for the sake of the economy, so as to say the things that have been set forth. "For why did I not die in the womb?" For out of reverence the saints decline to be entrusted with the benefit of the weaker. For this very reason he also says the following: "and I came out of the womb and did not immediately perish?" And likewise this: "Why did the knees receive me? and why did I suckle the breasts?" For 70 the saint wished for sickness not to happen to rational beings, so that there might not be a consequence for the pure to come for their sake in the manner of a cure. And well said is this: "Why did the knees receive me?", which indicates a journey. For to others life here followed because of their own failings, but for the saints it was met not as for those who were liable, but as for those carrying out an economy. "Now I would have been quiet in sleep, and having slept I would have been at rest with the kings and counsellors of the earth." For if, he says, such a consequence and chain of events had not happened so that I journeyed up to this state for the sake of those in need of healing, that is, if I had happened to die in the womb, not having come out of the belly and being immediately taken away, and the knees had not received me nor I had I suckled the breasts, that is, if it were not for the painful economy entrusted to us, "Now I would have been quiet in sleep," that is: having had a pause in that very life of the divine and heavenly rational beings, I would have passed my time. The kings and counsellors rule the earth of the meek, about whom it is said: "Blessed are the meek, for 71 they shall inherit the earth," we understanding kings as those in preeminence, counsellors as those who are inferior, whom the kings rule. The parable in the Gospels contains such an analogy: "Be you over ten cities or five." "who exulted in their swords." The saint, not being one fond of war, did not wish to pass his time readily with such kings, who, being ready for war, consider such pastimes good, but knowing "that the struggle for the saints is not against blood and flesh," according to the apostle, "but against principalities, against powers, but against the world-rulers of this darkness, but against the spiritual forces of wickedness," against whom those who live well fight as champions armed with the saving "panoply," with them he wished to have his pastime, not having been tried by human generation. But one of those peaceful ones happened to be also the commander of the army of the Lord seen by Jesus the son of Nun, to whom he also said: "Are you for us, or for our adversaries?". 72 The saint, being discerning and not rash, knows that the adversary also often "transforms himself into an angel of light." And these happen to be exultant, not preferring arrogance, but rejoicing in the victory against their opponents and "rejoicing in God." "or with princes, whose gold is abundant, who have filled their houses with silver." Let us receive the things now set forth, being of the same mind, as appropriate to the person of the saint. For not being a lover of money or a flatterer did he think it desirable to live with the rich, he who indeed bore the loss of all his possessions and wealth nobly and he did not accept wealth from his friends, being no flatterer and having a free purpose and an unshakable word, so that it was with such princes and kings, who happened to be adorned with wealth, that he wished his pastime to be. To some who think they have become rich in a good wealth the wonderful Paul writes: "Already you have become rich; without us you have become kings; and I wish that you had become kings, so that we also might reign with you." For these possess much gold, which indicates a pure understanding, 73 being pure, they purely approach the light of knowledge. And these themselves also, by that which is analogous to nature, not by the uttered word, filled their own houses, their own mind having been adorned by participation

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σώματι ὁδοῦ ὡσανεὶ ἀναδεχόμενός φησιν † ὅτι γὰρ ·····πεσόντες εἰς τοσαύτην ·····ν κακίαν ὡς δεηθῆναι πρὸς τὸ σῶμα κοινωνίας καὶ βοηθοὺς τοὺς οἰκονομίας χάριν ἐλθόντας, ὥστε λέγειν τὰ ἐκτεθέντα. "διὰ τί γὰρ ἐν κοιλίαι οὐκ ἐτελεύτησα;" εὐλαβείᾳ γὰρ οἱ ἅγιοι παραιτοῦνται τὸ ἐγχειρίζεσθαι τὴν τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων ὠφελίαν. διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δέ φησιν· "ἐκ γαστρὸς δὲ ἐξῆλθον καὶ οὐκ εὐθὺς ἀπωλόμην;" ὡσαύτως καὶ τό· "ἱνατί συνήντησάν μοι τὰ γόνατα; ἱνατί δὲ μαστοὺς ἐθήλασα;" ἐβούλετο γὰρ 70 ὁ ἅγιος μὴ συμβῆναι νόσον τοῖς λογικοῖς, ἵνα μὴ ἀκολουθία γένηται τοῖς καθαροῖς δι' αὐτοὺς ἐλθεῖν ἰατρείας τρόπῳ. εὖ δὲ καὶ τό· "ἱνατί συνήντησάν μοι τὰ γόνατα;", ὅπερ δηλοῖ πορείαν. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοις διὰ τὰ ἴδια πταίσματα ἐνταῦθα ἠκολούθει ὁ βίος, τοῖς δὲ ἁγίοις συνήντησεν οὐχ ὡς ὑπευθύνοις, ἀλλ' ὡς οἰκονομίαν ἐκτελοῦσιν. "νῦν ἂν κοιμηθεὶς ἡσύχασα, ὑπνώσας δὲ ἀνεπαυσάμην μετὰ βασιλέων βουλευτῶν γῆς." εἰ γάρ, φησίν, μὴ τοιαύτη ἀκολουθία καὶ εἱρμὸς ἐγεγόνει ὡς ὁδεῦσαί με ἄχρι ταύτης τῆς καταστάσεως διὰ τοὺς χρῄζοντας θεραπείας, ὅ ἐστιν εἰ ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐτύγχανον τελευτήσας ἐκ γαστρὸς μὴ ἐξελθὼν καὶ εὐθὺς περιαιρούμενος καὶ μὴ συναντήσαντά μοι ὑπῆρξεν τὰ γόνατα μηδὲ μαστοὺς ἐθήλασα, ὅ ἐστιν εἰ μὴ διὰ τὴν ἡμῖν ἐγχειρισθεῖσαν ἐπίπονον οἰκονομίαν, "νῦν ἂν κοιμηθεὶς ἡσύχασα", ὅ ἐστιν· παῦλαν ἐσχηκὼς ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ βιοτῇ τῶν θείων καὶ οὐρανίων λογικῶν διῆγον διατριβήν. οἱ βασιλεῖς καὶ βουλευταὶ τυραννοῦσι γῆς τῶν πραέων, περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· "μακάριοι οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι 71 αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν", ἐκλαμβανόντων ἡμῶν βασιλεῖς μὲν τοὺς ἐν ὑπεροχῇ, βουλευτὰς τοὺς ὑποδεεστέρους, ὧν οἱ βασιλεῖς ἄρχουσιν. τοιαύτην ἀναλογίαν περιέχει ἡ παραβολὴ ἡ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις· "γίνου ἐπάνω δέκα πόλεων ἢ πέντε." "οἳ ἠγαυριῶντο ἐπὶ ξίφεσιν." οὐ φιλοπόλεμός τις ὢν ὁ ἅγιος μετὰ τοιούτων βασιλέων κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον διαγαγεῖν ἐβούλετο, οἵτινες ἕτοιμοι πρὸς τὸ πολεμεῖν ὄντες τὰς ἐν τοιούτοις διαγωγὰς καλὰς νομίζουσιν, ἀλλ' ἐπιστάμενος "ὅτι ἡ πάλη τοῖς ἁγίοις οὐ πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα" κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολόν ἐστιν, "ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἀρχάς, πρὸς ἐξουσίας, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας", πρὸς οὓς οἱ καλῶς πολιτευόμενοι τὴν σωτήριον "πανοπλίαν" ὡπλισμένοι προμάχονται, μετ' ἐκείνων ἐβούλετο ἔχειν τὴν διαγωγὴν μὴ πειραθεὶς ἀνθρωπίνης γενέσεως. ἀλλ' εἷς ἐκείνων εἰρηναίων ἐτύγχανεν καὶ ὁ ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ τοῦ Ναυὴ ὀφθεὶς ἀρχιστράτηγος τοῦ κυρίου, ᾧ καὶ εἶπεν· "ἡμέτερος εἶ ἢ τῶν ὑπεναντίων;". 72 διακριτικὸς ὢν ὁ ἅγιος καὶ οὐ πρόχειρος γιγνώσκει, ὅτι καὶ ὁ ἀντίδικος πολλάκις "μετασχηματίζεται εἰς ἄγγελον φωτός". οὗτοι δὲ καὶ γαῦροι τυγχάνουσιν οὐκ ἀλαζονείαν προτιμῶντες, ἀλλὰ τῇ νίκῃ τῇ κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων χαίροντες καὶ "ἀγαλλιώμενοι ἐν θεῷ". "ἢ μετὰ ἀρχόντων, ὧν πολὺς ὁ χρυσός, οἳ ἔπλησαν τοὺς οἴκους αὐτῶν ἀργυρίου." τῆς αὐτῆς ὄντα διανοίας καὶ τὰ νῦν προεκτεθέντα οἰκείως τῶι προσώπῳ τοῦ ἁγίου ἐκδεξώμεθα. οὐ γὰρ φιλάργυρος ὢν ἢ κόλαξ μετὰ πλουσίων διάγειν εὐκτέον ἡγεῖτ̣ο̣, ὅς γε τὴν πάντων τῶν κ̣τημάτων καὶ χρημάτων ἀπώλειαν γενναίως ἤνεγκεν πλοῦτόν τε οὐκ ἐδέξατο τῶν φίλων ἀκολάκευτος ὢν καὶ ἐλευθέραν ἔχων πρόθεσιν καὶ λόγον ἀσάλευτον, ὡς μετὰ τοιούτων ἀρχόντων ἐβούλετο αὐτῷ εἶναι τὴν διατριβὴν καὶ βασιλέων, οἳ τῷ πλούτῳ κεκοσμημένοι ἐτύγχανον. ἀγαθὸν πλοῦτόν τισιν οἰομένοις πεπλουτηκέναι γράφει ὁ θαυμάσιος Παῦλος· "ἤδη ἐπλουτήσατε· χωρὶς ἡμῶν ἐβασιλεύσατε· καὶ ὄφελόν γε ἐβασιλεύσατε, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑμῖν συνβασιλεύσωμεν." πολὺν γὰρ χρυσόν, ὃς δηλοῖ καθαρὰν νόησιν, οὗτοι κέκτηνται, 73 καθαροὶ καθαρῶς τῶι φωτὶ τῆς γνώσεως προσπελάζοντες. οὗτοι δ' αὐτοὶ καὶ τῷ ἀναλόγῳ τῆς φύσεως, οὐ τῷ προφορικῶι λόγῳ, τοὺς ἰδίους οἴκους ἐνέπλησαν, τὸν ἑαυτῶν̣ νοῦν κοσμηθέντες τῇ μετουσίᾳ