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We said that there is something knowable of God, about which if we should make pronouncements, we act impiously. But that which God has revealed to us, if we know it and wish to possess it, we are not harmed. But if we wish to comprehend those things that are unattainable for us, we are driven out of our senses and are very impious. And it is also possible to say this: if ever any of the other things seems difficult and hard to find for us, and you attempt to reason about it, it does no harm; one must attempt both sides. But when the discourse is about God and he who wishes to know about God proceeds to those things which he cannot, he acts very impiously, proceeding beyond what is proper. For example, the stars are a multitude. And every multitude is either odd or even. And the even is divided into two, but the odd has one part exceeding the other by one. If we wish to speculate about the stars and say whether they are odd or even, we do not act very impiously. Indeed, one ought not to speculate about things we do not know. Nevertheless, we do not act very impiously. For we do this because the heaven is circular and is cut into two equal hemispheres when a straight diameter is drawn. And since the heaven is starred on all sides, someone will say that since the semicircles are equal, in each semicircle there are as many as are also in the other. And from this we construct the argument that they are even. And we are not impious, whether it is so or not. The attempt was made for the sake of exercise. Again, since those who have treated of numbers say that the odd is stronger—for it is active—, while the even is more material—for it is related to matter; and matter is divisible; for the first division occurs in the even number; for this reason they also say that the dyad is matter—we would say that the superior of the other visible things ought to be subject to the superior number, and from this we construct the argument that they are odd. In neither case are we impious. If, however, someone were to say that we shall investigate whether God is without beginning or not without beginning, the one side of the argument brings great impiety. At any rate, the principle of dialectic itself says that not all problems are dialectical. For those things which are followed by punishment are not dialectical. For dialectical matters are argued on both sides. No one wishes to argue whether God exists or does not exist, or whether the laws should be kept or not; for these things have punishment following upon one part of the contradiction. For it brings a shameful reputation to the one who champions the other part of the contradiction. And do not become hard. He who chooses wickedness becomes hard. For it makes the one who has it hard. "For according to your hardness and your unrepentant heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath". You see this: having an unrepentant heart, he is found to be hard. And so also the heart of Pharaoh becomes hardened, as has often been written. "Therefore do not be overly wise, do not become hard, lest you die before your time". This can be applied in every way; it speaks concerning every thought: "Do not become very hard; do not become, lest ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... was received. It is good for you to hold fast to this, and from that do not withdraw your hand. In each of the things that have been said you have heard: do not be overly righteous; hold fast in this. He has said, "do not be overly wise". In all the things that have been said, as in one kind, hold fast. Therefore, from this which I have said, that you must also hold fast, do not let go of your practice. Abide in them, as the apostle says: "Meditate on these things, be in these things, that your progress may be manifest," in the virtues. Meditating on these things, one must abide in them, not proceed beyond them. For in other studies that proceed according to knowledge and in an orderly manner, it is not good to remain in them. And that the demonstration may be made from a ready example, let us take the learning of the first letters. It is not good to abide in the learning of the characters, but to pass quickly on to the next stage of progress. But in the case of the virtues, meditation brings progress; meditate on temperance, abide in temperance; meditate on what is just, abide in it; for thus you can be shown to be virtuous.

εἴπομεν, ὅτι ἔστιν τι γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, ᾧπερ ἐὰν ἐπῶμεν, ἀσεβοῦμεν. ἐκεῖνο δέ, ὃ ἐφανέρωσεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεός, ἐὰν γιγνώσκωμεν καὶ θέλωμ̣εν ἔχειν, οὐ βλαπτόμεθα. ἐὰν δὲ κἀκεῖνα τὰ μὴ ἐφικτὰ ἡμῖν θέλωμεν νοεῖν, ἐκπλητ τόμεθα καὶ ἀσεβοῦμεν πολύ. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λέγε̣ιν· εἴ ποτέ τι τῶν ἄλλων δυσχερὲς ἡμῖν καὶ δυςεύρετον φαίνεται̣, περὶ τούτου δὲ ἐπιχειρήσεις, οὐ βλάπτει· ἐπιχει ρητέον εἰς ἑκάτερα. ὅταν δὲ πε̣ρὶ θεοῦ ᾖν ὁ λόγος καὶ εἰς ἐκεῖνα χωρῇ ὁ θέλων εἰδέναι περὶ θεοῦ, ἃ μὴ δύναται, ἀσεβ̣εῖ πολὺ πέρα τοῦ δέοντος χωρῶν. οἷον πλῆθός εἰσιν οἱ ἄστερες. πᾶν δὲ πλῆθος ἢ περιττὸν ἢ ἄρτιόν ἐστιν. καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄρτιον εἰς δύο διαιρεῖται, τὸ δὲ περιττὸν ἔχει πλεο νάζον τὸ ἕτερον μέρος ἑνί. ἐὰν θέλωμεν περὶ τῶν ἀστέρων ἐπιχειρεῖν καὶ λέγειν, πρότερον περιττοὶ ἢ ἄρτιοι, οὐκ ἀσεβοῦμεν πολύ. ἔδει μὲν μὴ ἐπιχειρεῖν, περὶ ὧν οὐκ ἴσμεν. ὅμως οὐκ ἀσεβοῦμεν πολύ. ποιοῦμεν γὰρ τοῦτο, ὅτι ὁ οὐρανὸς κυκλοειδής ἐστιν καὶ εἰς δύο ἴσα τέμνεται ἡμισφαί ρια διαμέτρου ἀχθείσης εὐθείας. καὶ ἐπεὶ πάντοθεν ὁ οὐρανὸς ἠστέρωται, λέξει τις ὅτι ἴσων ὄντων τῶν ἡμικυκλίων ἐν ἑκάστῳ ἡμικυκλίῳ τοσοῦτοί εἰ σιν, ὅσοι καὶ ἐν τῷ λοιπῷ. καὶ κατασκευάζομεν ἐκ τούτου ἀρτίους αὐτοὺς εἶναι. καὶ οὐκ ἀσεβοῦμεν, κἄν τε οὕτως ἔχῃ κἂν μὴ ἔχῃ. γυμνασίας ἕνεκα ἡ ἐπιχείρησις γέγονεν. πάλιν ἐπειδὴ οἱ περὶ ἀριθμῶν πραγματευσάμενοι λέγουσιν τὸν περιττὸν ἰσχυρότερον εἶναι -δραστήριος γάρ ἐστιν- , ὁ δὲ ἄρτιος ὑλικώτερος- ὕλῃ γὰρ ἀνάκειται· ἡ δὲ ὕλη διαιρετή ἐστιν· πρώτη γὰρ διαίρεσις ἐν ἀρ 217 τίῳ γίνεται· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ δυάδα λέγουσιν εἶναι τὴν ὕλην- ἐλέγομεν ὅτι ἔδει τοὺς κρείττονας τω῀̣ν ἀ´̣λλ̣ων ὁρατῶν τῷ κρείττ̣ονι α᾿̣ρ̣ι̣θ̣μ̣ῷ ὑπο βεβλῆσθαι καὶ κατασκευάζομεν ἐκ τούτου π̣ε̣ρισσοὺς αὐτοὺς εἶναι. οὐδὲ ἑκατέρως ἀσεβοῦμεν. εἰ μέντοι λέγοι τις, ὅτι ζητήσομεν πότερον ὁ θεὸς ἄναρχος ἢ οὐκ ἄναρχος, τὸ ἕτερον τοῦ ἐπιχειρήματος πολλὴν ἀσέβεια̣ν φέ ρει. ἀμέλει γοῦν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ τῆς διαλεκτικῆς λόγος λέγει μὴ πάντα προβλ̣ήματα εἶναι διαλεκτικά. οἷς γὰρ κόλασις ἕπεται, οὐκ ἔσ̣τιν δια λεκτικόν̣. τὰ γὰρ δι̣αλεκτικὰ εἰς ἑκάτερα ἐπιχειρεῖται. οὐδεὶς ἐπιχειρεῖν θ̣έλ̣ει, πότερον ἔσ̣τιν θεὸς ἠ`̣ οὐκ ἔστιν ἢ πρότερον φυλακτέοι οἱ νόμοι ἢ οὔ· ταῦτ̣α̣ γὰρ κόλασιν ἑπομε´̣νην ἔχει ἐν θατέρῳ μορίῳ τῆς ἀντιφάσεως. αἰσχρὰν γὰρ φήμην φέρει τῷ προισταμένῳ τοῦ ἑτέρου μορίου τῆς ἀν τιφάσεως. καὶ μὴ γίνου σκληρός. σκληρὸς γίνεται ὁ τὴν κακίαν αἱρούμενος. σκληρὸν γὰρ κατασκευάζει τὸν ἔχοντα. "κατὰ γὰρ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμετανόητόν σου καρδίαν θησαυρίζεις ἑαυτῷ ο᾿̣ρ̣γὴν̣ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς". ὁρᾷς τό· ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν ἔχων σκληρὸς εὑρίσκεται. καὶ γίνεται οὕτως καὶ ἡ καρδία τοῦ Φαραώ, ἃ πολλάκις ἀνεγράφη, σκληρυνθεῖσα. "μὴ σοφίζου οὖν περιςσά, μὴ γίνου σκλη̣ρός̣, ἱ´̣να μη`̣ ἀποθάνῃς ἐν οὐ καιρῷ σου". κατὰ πάντα δ̣υνατὸν τοῦτο ἐνεχθῆναι· κατὰ διάνοιαν π̣α῀̣ σαν̣ λε´̣γει· "μὴ γίνου σκληρὸς πολύ· μὴ γίνου, μὴ α᾿̣····· ··········· ····· ····· ····· ········· ····· ····· ἐλήφθη. ἀγαθὸν τὸ ἀντέχεσθαί σε ἐν τούτῳ, καί γε ἀπὸ τούτου μὴ ἀφῇς τὴν χεῖρά σου. ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν εἰρημένων ἤκουσας· μὴ γίνεσθαι δίκαιος πολύ· ἀντέχου ἐν τούτῳ. εἴρηκεν "μὴ σοφίζου περισσά". ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς εἰρημένοις ὡς ἐν ἑνὶ γένει ἀντέχου. ἀπὸ τούτου οὖν, οὗ εἶπον, ὅτι καὶ δεῖ ἀντέχεσθαι, μὴ ἐάσῃς τὴν πρᾶξίν σου. ἐπίμενε αὐτοῖς, ὡς λέγει ὁ ἀπόστολος· "ταῦτα με λέτα, ἐν τούτοις ἴσθι, ἵνα σου ἡ προκοπὴ φανερὰ γένηται", ἐν ταῖς ἀρε ταῖς. μελετῶν ταῦτα δεῖ ἐν αὐταῖς ἐνμένειν, οὐ περαιτέρω αὐτῶν χωρεῖν. ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἄλλοις μαθήμασιν τοῖς κατ' ἐπιστήμην καὶ τεταγμένως ἄγουσιν οὐ καλὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς μένειν. καὶ ἵνα ἀπὸ προχείρου παραδείγματος ἡ δεῖξις 218 γένηται, μάθησιν γραμμάτων τῶν πρώτων λάβωμεν. οὐκ ἀγαθόν ἐστιν ἐνμέ νειν τῇ μαθήσει τῶν χαρακτήρων, ἀλλὰ ταχὺ διαβαίνειν ἐπ̣ὶ τὴν ἑξῆς προ κοπήν. ἐπὶ δὲ τω῀̣ν ἀρετῶν ἡ μελέτη προκοπὴν φέρει· μελέτα σωφροσύνην, μέ νε ἐν σωφροσ̣υ´̣ν̣ῃ· μελέτα τὸ δίκαιον, ἐν αὐτῷ μένε· οὕτω γὰρ δύνασαι σπουδαῖος ἀποδειχθῆναι.