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to both hold them in check and to be held in check by them, being tempered for courage by the spirited part, and being lifted up toward participation in the good through desire. 2.97 Therefore, as long as the soul happens to be secured by this formation, having its stability as if by bolts through thoughts of virtue, in all things cooperation toward the good comes about through one another, with reason already providing security through itself to what is subordinate, and in turn receiving equal favor from them. 2.98 But if the formation were reversed and what is above should become what is below, so that reason, having fallen to the part that is trodden upon, should place the desiring and spirited disposition above itself, then the destroyer also slips inside, with no resistance from the blood opposing his entrance, that is, for those so disposed, faith in Christ not fighting alongside them. 2.99 For it commands to first smear the upper lintel with the blood, and then to touch the doorposts on either side. How then could one first smear what is above, if it is not found above? 2.100 But if the two things did not happen to the Israelites, both the destruction of the firstborn and the pouring of the blood, do not wonder at all, nor on this account reject the contemplation that has been given concerning the destruction of evil, as if it were devised outside the truth. For now, by the difference of the names, that of the Israelite and that of the Egyptian, we have understood the difference of virtue from vice. If, therefore, the allegorical interpretation suggests that the virtuous is Israelite, one would not reasonably seek for the firstfruits of the offspring of virtue to be slain, but those things whose destruction is more profitable than their upbringing.

2.101 Accordingly, therefore, we have learned from God that the firstfruits of the Egyptian offspring must be destroyed, so that evil might cease, being consumed along with the destruction of its beginning. And the meaning corresponds to the history. For the offspring of the Israelites are guarded by the pouring of the blood, so that the good might come to perfection; but that which, when perfected, would contribute to the Egyptian people, this was destroyed before its perfection in evil. 2.102 What follows, being included in the contemplation of the word, also contributes to our proposed allegorical interpretation of the meaning. For he wills that the body, from which the blood flowed which separates the destroyer from the Egyptian firstborn, being displayed at the entrances, become our food. 2.103 And the posture of those partaking of this food is to be tense and hurried, not such as is seen among those feasting at banquets, whose hands are at ease, and the draping of their garments is light, and their feet are free from traveling gear. But all things are the opposite. Feet bound in sandals, a belt tightening the flowing part of the tunic at the waist, and in the hand the staff for warding off dogs. 2.104 And in this posture the food is set before them, without any savory seasoning, prepared over a fire just as it happens, impromptu, which the feasters consume greedily in all haste, until the whole body of the animal is consumed. And eating around the bones whatever is edible, they do not touch what is within. For to break the bones of this animal is among the forbidden things; and whatever is left over of the food is consumed by fire. 2.105 From all these things it is clear that the letter looks to some higher meaning, the law not dictating to us the manner of eating (for nature, which implants in us the appetite for food, is a sufficient lawgiver for such things), but something else is signified through this. For what contribution to virtue or vice could come from this, to partake of the food in this way or that, with belt loosened or fastened, with feet bare or bound in sandals, holding the staff in hand or having set it aside? 2.106 But it would be clear what the preparation of the traveler's posture shows through

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συνέχειν τε αὐτοὺς καὶ ὑπ' ἐκείνων ἀνέχεσθαι, πρὸς μὲν ἀνδρείαν τῷ θυμῷ στομούμενον, πρὸς δὲ τὴν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ μετουσίαν δι' ἐπιθυμίας ὑψούμενον. 2.97 Ἕως ἂν οὖν ἡ ψυχὴ τῷ σχήματι τούτῳ κατησφαλισμένη τύχῃ, καθάπερ τισὶ γόμφοις τοῖς κατ' ἀρετὴν νοήμασι τὸ βέβαιον ἔχουσα, ἐν πᾶσι δι' ἀλλήλων γίνεται ἡ πρὸς τὸ καλὸν συνεργία, παρέχοντος ἤδη δι' ἑαυτοῦ τοῖς ὑποβεβηκόσι τοῦ λογισμοῦ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν καὶ ἐν τῷ μέρει παρ' ἐκείνων τὴν ἴσην χάριν ἀντιλαμβάνοντος. 2.98 Εἰ δὲ ἀναστραφείη τὸ σχῆμα καὶ τὰ ἄνω γένοιτο κάτω, ὥστε κατὰ τὸ πατούμενον μέρος τὸν λογισμὸν πεσόντα ἄνω ἑαυτοῦ ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐπιθυμητικήν τε καὶ θυμώδη διάθεσιν, τότε καὶ ὁ ὁλοθρευτὴς εἰς τὰ ἐντὸς παραδύεται, μηδεμιᾶς τῆς ἐκ τοῦ αἵματος ἀντιπαθείας ἀντιβαινούσης αὐτῷ πρὸς τὴν εἴσοδον, τουτέστι τοῖς οὕτω διακειμένοις τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως μὴ συμμαχούσης. 2.99 Τῷ γὰρ αἵματι πρῶτον ἐπαλείφειν κελεύει τὴν ἄνω φλιάν, εἶθ' οὕτως ἐπιθιγγάνειν τῶν σταθμῶν ἑκατέρωθεν. Πῶς ἂν οὖν τις ἐπαλείψειε τὸ ἄνω πρῶτον τὸ μὴ εὑρισκόμενον ἄνω; 2.100 Εἰ δὲ καὶ μὴ τὰ δύο τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις γεγένηται, ἤ τε τῶν πρωτοτόκων ἀναίρεσις καὶ ἡ τοῦ αἵματος πρόσχυσις, μὴ θαυμάσῃς μηδέν, μήτε διὰ τοῦτο τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν περὶ τῆς ἀναιρέσεως τοῦ κακοῦ θεωρίαν ἀποβάλῃς, ὡς ἔξω τῆς ἀληθείας παρευρημένην. Νῦν γὰρ τῇ διαφορᾷ τῶν ὀνομάτων, τοῦ Ἰσραηλιτικοῦ τε καὶ τοῦ Αἰγυπτίου, τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς πρὸς τὴν κακίαν διάφορον ἐνοήσαμεν. Εἰ οὖν Ἰσραηλιτικὸν τὸ ἐνάρετον ἡ ἀναγωγὴ νοεῖν ὑποτίθεται, οὐκ ἂν εὐλόγως τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς γεννημάτων τὰς ἀπαρχὰς ἐπιζητοίη τις καταφο νεύεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνα ὧν ὁ ἀφανισμὸς τῆς ἀνατροφῆς ἐστι λυσιτελέστερος.

2.101 Οὐκοῦν ἀκολούθως τῆς Αἰγυπτίας γονῆς τὰς ἀπαρχὰς δεῖν ἀναιρεῖσθαι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ μεμαθή καμεν, ὡς ἂν ἐπιλίποι τὸ κακὸν τῷ τῆς ἀρχῆς ὀλέθρῳ συνδαπανώμενον. Καὶ συμβαίνει τῇ ἱστορίᾳ τὸ νόημα. Τῶν μὲν γὰρ Ἰσραηλιτικῶν γεννημάτων διὰ τῆς τοῦ αἵματος προσχύσεως γίνεται ἡ φρουρά, ὅπως ἂν εἰς τελείωσιν τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἔλθοι· ὅπερ δὲ τελειωθὲν εἰς Αἰγύπτιον συντελέσει δῆμον, τοῦτο πρὸ τῆς ἐν τῷ κακῷ τελειώσεως ἠφανίσθη. 2.102 Συνεργεῖ δὲ πρὸς τὴν προκειμένην ἡμῶν ἀναγωγὴν τοῦ νοήματος καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς συμπαραλαμβανόμενα τῇ θεωρίᾳ τοῦ λόγου. Βούλεται γὰρ τροφὴν ἡμῶν γενέσθαι τὸ σῶμα, ὅθεν ἀπερρύη τὸ αἷμα ὃ χωρίζει τῶν Αἰγυπτίων πρωτοτόκων τοῦ ὀλοθρευτοῦ, ἐπὶ τῶν εἰσόδων δεικνύμενον. 2.103 Τό τε σχῆμα τῶν τὴν τροφὴν ταύτην προσφερομένων σύντονόν τε καὶ κατεσπουδασμένον εἶναι οὐχ οἷον ἐπὶ τῶν εὐπαθούντων ἐν συμποσίοις ὁρᾶται, ὧν ἄνετοι μὲν αἱ χεῖρες, ἐλαφραὶ δὲ αἱ τῶν ἱματίων ἐπιβολαί, τῆς τε ὁδοιπορικῆς παρασκευῆς οἱ πόδες ἐλεύθεροι. Ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου τὰ πάντα. Πόδες μὲν διειλημμένοι τοῖς ὑποδήμασι, ζώνη δὲ τὸ περιρρέον τοῦ χιτῶνος τῇ ἰξύϊ συσφίγγουσα, διὰ χειρὸς δὲ ἡ ἀμυντικὴ τῶν κυνῶν βακτηρία. 2.104 Καὶ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ σχήματι προτίθεται αὐτοῖς ἡ βρῶσις ἄνευ τινὸς ὀψαρτυτικῆς καρυκείας, ἐπὶ πυρὸς κατὰ τὸ συμβὰν ἐκ τοῦ παρατυχόντος σχεδιασθεῖσα, ἣν κατὰ πᾶσαν ἔπειξιν ἁρπαλέως οἱ δαιτυμόνες κατανα λίσκουσι, μέχρις ἂν ἅπαν δαπανηθείη τοῦ ζώου τὸ σῶμα. Καὶ τῶν ὀστέων περιεσθίοντες ὅσον ἐδώδιμον, τοῦ ἐντὸς οὐ προσάπτονται. Τὸ γὰρ συντρίβειν τοῦ ζώου τούτου τὰ ὀστᾶ τῶν ἀπειρημένων ἐστίν· ὅ τι δ' ἂν ὑπολειφθείη τῆς βρώσεως τῷ πυρὶ δαπανᾶται. 2.105 Ἐξ ὧν ἁπάντων δῆλόν ἐστιν ὅτι πρός τινα ὑψηλοτέραν διάνοιαν τὸ γράμμα βλέπει, οὐχὶ τὸν τρόπον τῆς βρώσεως ἡμῖν ὑφηγουμένου τοῦ νόμου (ἱκανὸς γὰρ τῶν τοιούτων νομοθέτης ἡ φύσις, ἡ τὴν ὄρεξιν ἡμῖν τῆς τροφῆς ἐντιθεῖσα), ἀλλ' ἕτερόν τι διὰ τούτου σημαίνεται. Τί γὰρ ἂν παρὰ τοῦτο γένοιτο πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἢ κακίαν ἢ οὕτως ἢ οὕτως τὴν τροφὴν προσενέγκασθαι, λελυμένον ἢ περιειλημμένον τὴν ζώνην, γύμνον τοὺς πόδας ἢ ἐνειλημμένον τοῖς ὑποδήμασι, διὰ χειρὸς ἔχοντα τὴν βακτηρίαν ἢ ἀποθέμενον; 2.106 Ἀλλὰ δῆλον ἂν εἴη ὅπερ ἡ τοῦ ὁδοιπορικοῦ σχήματος διασκευὴ δείκνυσι δι'