25

but also inconsistent and pilfered from others and transformed, some diminished, formless, unintelligible, ambiguous, crooked, obscure, crying out with every kind of bad conscience. But our teacher practiced no such deception, but (as I said before) being a prophet with an innate and ever-flowing spirit, knowing all things at all times, he set them forth with confidence, as he clearly foretold sufferings, places, appointed times, manners, and boundaries. For example, when foretelling about the sanctuary, he said: "Do you see these buildings? Truly I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, which shall not be thrown down." and "This generation shall not pass away, and the destruction shall begin. For they shall come and sit down here and surround it with a rampart and slaughter your children here." Likewise he has also spoken the things that follow with a clear voice, which we can see with our own eyes; so that where the word was spoken, there also the deed might take place. For the prophet of truth makes the word of proof for the faith of those who hear. But there are many heralds of error, having one leader of wickedness; for which reason the one who is himself the leader of piety will, in his own times, have all who are found pure as prophets of the truth. And the great cause of those who have been led astray has been this, that they did not first understand the doctrine of the syzygy, which I will not cease to set forth to you privately each time in summary; for to speak in detail would be a great task. You, therefore, be for me truth-loving judges of what is said. And I shall now begin to speak. If someone should grant that the great and holy Spirit of His foreknowledge, belonging to God who made all things, is possessed not by the man formed by His hands, how does he who bestows it on another born of a foul drop not sin most greatly? And I do not think he obtains forgiveness, even if he should be deceived by a spurious writing to think terrible things against the Father of all. For he who insults an image (and that of an eternal king) has the sin referred to that one in whose likeness the image happened to be. But (he says) the divine spirit left him when he sinned. Therefore it sinned with him. And how is the one who says this not in danger? But after sinning he received the spirit. It is given, then, to the unjust. And where is justice? But it is supplied to just and unjust. This is the most unjust of all. Thus every lie, even if it is aided by ten thousand devices, is destined to be refuted even in a long time. Do not be deceived. Our father was ignorant of nothing. Since also the law publicly established, covering him with a charge of ignorance because of the unworthy, sends back to him those who are eager for the truth, saying: "Ask your father, and he will tell you, your elders, and they will declare to you." It was necessary to seek this father, to seek out these elders. But you did not ask whose is the time of the kingdom, whose the seat of prophecy, although He Himself indicates it by saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees have sat on the seat of Moses; all things whatsoever they say to you, hear them." But he said "them" as those entrusted with the key of the kingdom, which is knowledge, which alone is able to open the gate of life, through which alone into

25

ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀνακόλουθα καὶ ἐξ ἄλλων ὑφῃρημένα καὶ μεταμεμορφωμένα, ἃ δὲ μεμειωμένα, ἀνίδεα, ἀνόητα, ἀμφίβολα, λοξά, ἄδηλα, πάσης κεκρα- γότα δυσσυνειδησίας. ὁ δὲ ἡμέτερος διδάσκαλος οὐδέν τι τοιοῦτο ἐγοητεύσατο, ἀλλ' (ὡς φθάσας εἶπον) προφήτης ὢν ἐνφύτῳ καὶ ἀεννάῳ πνεύματι πάντα πάντοτε ἐπιστάμενος τεθαρρηκὼς ἐξετίθετο, ὡς προέλεγεν σαφῶς πάθη, τόπους, ἐνπροθέσμους χρόνους, τρόπους, ὅρους. αὐτίκα γοῦν περὶ τοῦ ἁγιάσματος προλέγων ἔφη· «Ὁρᾶτε τὰς οἰκοδομὰς ταύτας; ἀμὴν ὑμῖν λέγω, λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον οὐ μὴ ἀφεθῇ ὧδε, ὃς οὐ μὴ καθ- αιρεθῇ» καὶ «Oὐ μὴ παρέλθῃ ἡ γενεὰ αὕτη, καὶ ἡ καθαίρεσις ἀρ- χὴν λήψεται. ἐλεύσονται γὰρ καὶ καθιοῦσιν ἐνταῦθα καὶ περιχαρα- κώσουσιν καὶ τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν ἐνταῦθα κατασφάξουσιν». ὁμῶς καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς εἴρηκεν σαφεῖ φωνῇ ἅτινα αὐτοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἰδεῖν ἔχομεν· ἵνα ἐφ' ὧν ὁ λόγος ἐρρέθη, καὶ τὸ ἔργον γένηται. πρὸς γὰρ πίστιν ἀκουόντων τὸν λόγον τῆς ἀποδείξεως ὁ τῆς ἀληθείας ποιεῖται προφήτης. πλὴν πολλοί εἰσιν τῆς πλάνης κήρυκες, ἕνα τὸν τῆς κακίας ἡγεμόνα ἔχοντες· ᾧ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας εἷς ὢν καὶ αὐτὸς τῆς εὐσεβείας ἡγεμὼν ἐν ἰδίοις καιροῖς τοὺς πάντας καθαροὺς εὑρεθέντας ἕξει προφήτας. ἡ δὲ πολλὴ τῶν πεπλανημένων αἰτία γέγονεν αὕτη, τὸ μὴ πρότερον νοῆσαι τὸν τῆς συζυγίας λόγον, ὃν ἰδίᾳ ὑμῖν ἑκάστοτε οὐ παύσομαι ἐκτιθέμενος κεφα- λαιωδῶς· πολὺ γὰρ τὸ κατ' εἶδος λέγειν. ὑμεῖς οὖν τῶν λεγομένων γένεσθέ μοι φιλαλήθεις κριταί. τοῦ δὲ λέγειν ἄρξομαι ἤδη. Θεοῦ τοῦ τὰ πάντα πεποιηκότος τὸ μέγα καὶ ἅγιον τῆς προγνώσεως αὐτοῦ πνεῦμα εἰ μὴ τῷ ὑπὸ χειρῶν αὐτοῦ κυοφορηθέντι ἀνθρώπῳ δση τις ἐσχηκέναι, πῶς ἔτι ἑτέρῳ τῳ ἐκ μυσαρᾶς σταγόνος γεννηθέντι ὁ ἀπονέ- μων οὐ τὰ μέγιστα ἁμαρτάνει; καὶ οὐκ οἶμαι αὐτὸν συγγνώμης τυγχάνειν, κἂν ὑπὸ νόθου γραφῆς κατὰ τοῦ πάντων πατρὸς δεινὰ νοεῖν ἀπατηθείη· ὁ γὰρ εἰκόνα (καὶ ταῦτα αἰωνίου βασιλέως) ὑβρίσας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἀναφερομένην ἔχει, οὗπερ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν ἡ εἰκὼν ἐτύγχανεν οὖσα. ἀλλά (φησίν) ἁμαρτήσαντα κατέλιπεν τὸ θεῖον πνεῦμα. οὐκοῦν συνήμαρτεν. καὶ πῶς ὁ τοῦτο λέγων οὐ κινδυνεύει; ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὸ ἁμαρτῆσαι εἰλήφει τὸ πνεῦμα. ἀδίκοις ἄρα δέδοται. καὶ ποῦ τὸ δίκαιον; ἀλλὰ δικαίοις καὶ ἀδίκοις ἐπιχορηγεῖται. τοῦτο πάντων ἀδικώτατον. οὕτως πᾶν ψεῦσμα, κἂν μυρίαις ἐπινοίαις βοηθῆται, τὸν ἔλεγχον κἂν ἐν μακρῷ χρόνῳ λαβεῖν ἔχει. μὴ ἀπατᾶσθε. ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν οὐδὲν ἠγνόει. ὁπότε καὶ ὁ δη μοσίᾳ κείμενος νόμος, ἀγνοίας ἐνκλήματι διὰ τοὺς ἀναξίους σκέ- πων αὐτόν, τοὺς ἀληθείας γλιχομένους ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἀναπέμπει λέγων· «Ἐξέτασον τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ ἐρεῖ σοι, τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους σου, καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσίν σοι». τοῦτον ἐχρῆν τὸν πατέρα ζητῆσαι, τούτους τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους ἐπιζητῆσαι. ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐζήτησας τίνος ἐστὶν ὁ τῆς βασι- λείας χρόνος, τίνος ἡ τῆς προφητείας καθέδρα, καίτοι αὐτοῦ ἑαυτὸν μηνύοντος τῷ λέγειν· «Ἐπὶ τῆς καθέδρας Μωυσέως ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμ- ματεῖς καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· πάντα ὅσα λέγουσιν ὑμῖν, ἀκούετε αὐτῶν». αὐτῶν δὲ εἶπεν ὡς τὴν κλεῖδα τῆς βασιλείας πεπιστευμένων, ἥτις ἐστὶν γνῶσις, ἣ μόνη τὴν πύλην τῆς ζωῆς ἀνοῖξαι δύναται, δι' ἧς μόνης εἰς