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of the battle-line of wars, "When the sinner," he says, "rose up against me, I became deaf and was humbled, and I kept silent from good things"; and after him, the divine Jeremiah, commanding the people not to go out of the city, because of the surrounding sword of the enemies abiding nearby.

2.83 (πγ΄) And thus the blessed Abel, if he had been on his guard, and had not gone out with Cain into the field—that is, into the breadth of natural contemplation before dispassion—the law of the flesh, which is and is called Cain, would not have risen up and killed him with deceit, stealing by skillful means during the contemplation of beings before the perfect state.

2.84 (πδ΄) Likewise also Dinah, the daughter of the great Jacob, if she had not gone out with the daughters of the inhabitants of the land—that is, with the sensible phantasies—Shechem the son of Hamor would not have risen up and humbled her.

15∆_120 2.85 (πε΄) It is good, before the perfect state, for us not to touch natural contemplation, lest, while seeking spiritual principles from visible creatures, we should unawares collect passions. For among the imperfect, the visible shapes of visible things hold more sway over the senses than the principles of created things hidden in the shapes hold sway over the soul. Those, however, who have bound their mind to the letter alone in a Jewish manner, expect in this age the promises of incorruptible goods, being ignorant of the goods that are natural to the soul.

1253 2.86 (πστ΄) He who has borne the image of the heavenly one, hastens to follow in all things the spirit of Holy Scripture, in which, through virtue and knowledge, is the preservation of the soul; but he who bears the image of the earthly one, attends only to the letter, in which the worship of the body according to sense consists, creating the passions.

2.87 (πζ΄) The power of God is virtue, which destroys the passions and guards pious thoughts, which the practice of the commandments begets, through which we destroy the evil powers opposed to the good, with the cooperation of God, or rather, by the power of God alone. And the height of God is the knowledge of the truth, which the labor of contemplating created things begets, and the sweats over the practice of virtues becoming fathers of labor; through which we completely destroy the power of falsehood opposed to the truth, humbling and casting down every height of evil spirits that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. For just as practice begets virtue, so contemplation begets knowledge.

2.88 (πη΄) Unforgettable knowledge, having an indefinite movement of the mind beyond intellection around the divine infinity, portrays through its indefiniteness the infinitely infinite glory of the truth; while the voluntary imitation of the wise goodness of providence brings as an honor the mind’s very clear assimilation to God according to its disposition, as far as is possible.

2.89 (πθ΄) The tongue is a symbol of the gnostic energy of the soul; while the larynx is a proof of the natural self-love related to the body. He, therefore, who has blameworthily joined these to each other, is not able to be mindful of the peaceful state according to virtue and knowledge, delighting in the confusion through zeal for bodily passions.

2.90 (ƒ΄) The natural desires and pleasures, bringing no accusation to those who possess them, are established as a necessary consequence of natural appetite. For pleasure according to nature is produced even when we do not wish it, by any food, consoling a preceding lack; and by drink, driving off the annoyance of thirst; and by sleep, renewing the power spent from wakefulness; 1256 and whatever other natural things are ours, being necessary for the sustenance of nature, and being useful for the acquisition of virtue to the zealous. Which things

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πολέμων παρατάξεως, Ἐν τῷ συστῆναι, φησί, τόν ἁμαρτωλόν ἐναντίον μου , ἐκωφώθην καί ἐταπεινώθην, καί ἐσίγησα ἐξ ἀγαθῶν· καί μετ᾿ αὐτόν ὁ θεῖος Ἱερεμίας, προστάσσων τῷ λαῷ μή ἐκβῆναι τῆς πόλεως, διά τήν κύκλωσιν παροικοῦσαν τῶν ἐχθρῶν ῥομφαίαν.

2.83 (πγ΄) Καί ὁ μακάριος τοίνυν Ἄβελ, εἴπερ ἐφυλάξατο, καί μή συνεξῆλθε τῷ Κάϊν ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ· τουτέστιν ἐν τῷ πλάτει τῆς φυσικῆς θεωρίας· πρό τῆς ἀπαθείας, οὐκ ἄν ἐπαναστάς ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν μετά δόλου, κλέψας τοῖς δεξιοῖς κατά τήν τῶν ὄντων θεωρίαν πρό τῆς τελαίας ἕξεως, ὁ τῆς σαρκός νόμος, ὁ Κάϊν καί ὤν καί καλούμενος.

2.84 (πδ΄) Ὁμοίως καί ∆ίνα, ἡ τοῦ μεγάλου θυγάτηρ Ἰακώβ, εἰ μή συνεξῆλθε ταῖς θυγατράσι τῶν ἐγχωρίων· τουτέστι, ταῖς αἰσθητικαῖς φαντασίαις· οὐκ ἄν Συχέμ ὁ υἱός Ἐμμόρ ἐπαναστάς αὐτήν ἐταπείνωσε.

15∆_120 2.85 (πε΄) Καλόν ἐστι πρό τῆς τελείας ἕξεως, μή ἅπτεσθαι ἡμᾶς τῆς φυσικῆς θεωρίας, ἵνα μή λόγους ἐπιζητοῦντες πνευματικούς ἐκ τῶν ὁρωμένων κτισμάτων, λάθωμεν πάθη συλλέγοντες. Πλέον γάρ ἐν τοῖς ἀτελέσι δυναστεύει πρός τήν αἴσθησιν τά φαινόμενα σχήματα τῶν ὁρωμένων, ἤ πρός τήν ψυχήν οἱ κεκρυμμένοι τοῖς σχήμασι λόγοι τῶν γεγονότων. Οἱ μέντοι μόνῳ τῷ γράμματι προσδήσαντες Ἰουδαϊκῶς τήν διάνοιαν, κατά τόν αἰῶνα τοῦτον ἐκδέχονται τάς ἐπαγγελίας τῶν ἀκηράτων ἀγαθῶν, ἀγνοοῦντες τά κατά φύσιν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀγαθά.

1253 2.86 (πστ΄) Ὁ τήν εἰκόνα φορέσας τοῦ ἐπουρανίου, τῷ πνεύματι διά πάντων ἕπεσθαι σπεύδει τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς, ἐν ᾧ δι᾿ ἀρετῆς καί γνώσεως, ἡ τῆς ψυχῆς ὑπάρχει συντήρησις· ὁ δέ τήν εἰκόνα φορῶν τοῦ χοϊκοῦ, τό γράμμα μόνον περιέπει· ἐν ᾧ ἡ κατ᾿ αἴσθησιν πρός σῶμα λατρεία συνέστηκε τά πάθη δημιουργοῦσα.

2.87 (πζ΄) Κράτος Θεοῦ καθέστηκεν, ἡ ἀναιρετική τῶν παθῶν ἀρετή, καί τῶν εὐσεβῶν φρουρητική λογισμῶν, ἥν γεννᾷ πρᾶξις ἐντολῶν, δι᾿ ἧς τάς ἀντικειμένας τῷ ἀγαθῷ πονηράς δυνάμεις, συνεργείᾳ Θεοῦ· μᾶλλον δέ μόνῃ δυνάμει Θεοῦ διαφθείρομεν. Ὕψος δέ Θεοῦ ἐστιν ἡ γνῶσις τῆς ἀληθείας, ἥν γεννᾷ τῆς τῶν γεγονότων θεωρίας ὁ πόνος, καί οἱ ἐπί τῇ πράξει τῶν ἀρετῶν ἱδρῶτες πόνου πατέρες γινόμενοι· δι᾿ ἧς τήν ἀντικειμένην τῇ ἀληθείᾳ τοῦ ψεύδους δύναμιν, παντελῶς ἐξαφανίζομεν, πᾶν ὕψωμα τῶν ἐπαιρομένων κατά τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ πονηρῶν πνευμάτων ταπεινοῦντες καί καταβάλλοντες. Καί γάρ ὥσπερ ἡ πρᾶξις γεννᾷ τήν ἀρετήν, οὕτως ἡ θεωρία τήν γνῶσιν.

2.88 (πη΄) Ἡ ἄληστος γνῶσις, ἀόριστον ἔχουσα περί τήν θείαν 15∆_122 ἀπειρίαν τήν κατά νοῦν ὑπέρ νόησιν κίνησιν, εἰκονίζει διά τῆς ἀοριστίας τήν ὑπεράπειρον δόξαν τῆς ἀληθείας· ἡ δέ τῆς κατά τήν πρόνοιαν σοφῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐθαίρετος μίμησις, τιμήν φέρει τήν πρός τόν Θεόν τοῦ νοῦ κατά τήν διάθεσιν ἀρίδηλον, ὡς ἔστι δυνατόν, ἐξομοίωσιν.

2.89 (πθ΄) Ἡ γλῶσσα τῆς κατά ψυχήν γνωστικῆς ἐνεργείας ἐστί σύμβολον· ὁ δέ λάρυγξ, τῆς πρός τό σῶμα φυσικῆς φιλαυτίας τεκμήριον. Ὁ γοῦν ταῦτα ψεκτῶς κολλήσας ἀλλήλοις, μνησθῆναι τῆς κατ᾿ ἀρετήν καί γνῶσιν εἰρηνικῆς ἕξεως οὐ δύναται, τῇ συγχύσει διά σπουδῆς τῶν σωματικῶν ἡδόμενος παθῶν.

2.90 (ƒ΄) Αἱ κατά φύσιν ὀρέξεις καί ἡδοναί, μή φέρουσαι τοῖς κεκτημένοις διαβολήν, ὡς ἀναγκαῖον παρακολούθημα τῆς φυσικῆς ὀρέξεως καθεστήκασιν. Ἡδονήν γάρ κατά φύσιν ποιεῖ καί μή βουλομένων ἡμῶν, καί ἡ τυχοῦσα τροφή, προλαβοῦσαν ἔνδειαν παραμυθουμένη· καί πόσις, ἀποκρουομένη τοῦ δίψους τήν ὄχλησιν· καί ὕπνος, τήν ἐκ τῆς ἐγρηγόρσεως δαπανηθεῖσαν ἀνανεούμενος δύναμιν· 1256 καί ὅσα τῶν καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς φυσικῶν ἕτερα τυγχάνει, πρός μέν σύστασιν φύσεως, ἀναγκαῖα· πρός δέ κτῆσιν ἀρετῆς, ὑπάρχοντα χρήσιμα τοῖς σπουδαίοις. Ἅπερ