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is purified, from this he called the whole thing soul; and when he calls the whole thing soul, he speaks of it with its parts, "Let every soul be subject to the higher powers." And here therefore, from the rational part, 93.557 that is, from the eyes, he called the spiritual man, or the psychic man, good. "Whatever has been, its name has already been called, and it is known what man is; and he will not be able to be judged with one stronger than himself; because there are many words that multiply vanity." There are many words that multiply vanity: those that oppose the providence of the Creator. For instance, there are those who say unlearnedly, Why did God make one person poor, and another rich? And one uncomely, and another very comely? and such things; checking these idle questions, Ecclesiastes says that the Maker himself knows the reasons of all things that have come to be, according to which he produced them; for not only did he understand all things before their creation, but also their names were laid up in the accounts of divine foreknowledge. For if God brought anything into existence, he already had its reason and its name summarily with himself. Knowing, therefore, also what is profitable for each person, he thus brought him into life, and it was foreknown to him the things concerning man, that he is changeable, and mortal, and weak. Let no one, therefore, speak against him who knows all things before their creation, and who produces each thing in the fitting order, according to the reasons he himself knows. For no one will be able to be judged with the truly strong one; for the strong one will surely conquer, according to what was said by David, "That you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when you are judged." CHAP. 7. "What advantage is there for man, for who knows what is good for man? What will it be for him? And he has made them in shadow; for who will tell man what will be after him under the sun?" Not denouncing the virtuous life, but the vain life of men, he says, What more does he have who is occupied with vanities? A comely wife? Is it clear to him if he will be grieved because of her, committing fornication perhaps, or otherwise causing him sorrow? Riches? But these hanged Judas. A vineyard? Naboth was plotted against for this. For who will tell man what will happen to him, while he is in this life? But the present saying also refutes divination and astrology. For none of these can say anything clear. And even if all things should happen to someone in this life according to his desire, life, being numbered, more quickly runs by like a shadow. It is fitting, therefore, to live according to virtue, looking to the future and endless and shadowless age; about which 93.560 we have learned through the prophets, and through the apostles, and through our Lord. For the things that will happen to us in this life are completely uncertain; but the things in the future are very clear: that punishments await the sinners, and eternal life awaits the just. "A good name is better than good oil, and the day of death than the day of one's birth." Symmachus, instead of, "better than good oil," has rendered it, "better than fragrant ointment." And by ointment, he signified all the pleasure among men. It is good, therefore, he says, to reap a good reputation from virtues, and to have a name registered in heaven through a life according to God, rather than all human pleasure. And he declares the day of departure to be better than that of birth. For birth leads into the sea of life, where the dragon lurks; but death leads out of the racecourse. And if one is a sinner, he ceases from sinning more; but if righteous, he will delight in eternal life. And as to the meaning, It is good to acquire a good name, that is, to have Christ as one's portion through faith, and to be called by his name, that is, to be called a Christian, rather than to simply give alms. For many even of the Gentiles give, but they have profited nothing, if they do not have the good name; but if they do this from a merciful disposition, they will surely also acquire the good name, like the centurion Cornelius. And the day of is also good

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ἁγνίζεται, ἀπὸ τούτου τὸ ὅλον ψυχὴν ἐκάλεσε· ὅταν δὲ τὸ ὅλον ψυχὴν καλῇ, μετὰ τῶν μερῶν λέγει, Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν ἀπὸ τοῦ λογικοῦ, 93.557 τουτέστι τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀγαθὸν εἶπε τὸν πνευματικὸν ἅνθρωπον, ἢ τὸν ψυχικόν. "Εἴ τι ἐγένετο, ἥδη κέκληται ὅνομα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγνώσθη ὅ ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος· καὶ οὐ δυνήσεται τοῦ κριθῆναι μετὰ τοῦ ἰσχυροτέρου ὑπὲρ αὐτόν· ὅτι εἰσὶ λόγοι πολλοὶ πληθύνοντες ματαιότητα." Εἰσὶ λόγοι πολλοὶ πληθύνοντες ματαιότητα· οἱ ἀντιφερόμενοι τῇ τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ προνοίᾳ. Οἷον εἰσὶν οἱ ἀπαιδεύτως λέγοντες, ∆ιὰ τί ὁ Θεὸς τὸν μὲν ἐποίησε πένητα, τὸν δὲ πλούσιον; καὶ τὸν μὲν ἀπρεπῆ, τὸν δὲ καὶ λίαν εὐπρεπῆ; καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα· ταύτας τὰς φλυάρους ζητήσεις ἀναστέλλων ὁ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, φησὶν ὅτι πάντων τῶν γεγονότων αὐτὸς οἶδε ὁ ποιητὴς τοὺς λόγους, καθ' οὓς αὐτὰ παρήγαγε· οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἠπίστατο πάντα πρὸ γενέσεως αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τούτων ὀνόματα ἐν τοῖς τῆς θεϊκῆς προγνώσεως ἐναπέκειτο λόγοις. Εἴ τι γὰρ εἰς γένεσιν ἤγαγεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἤδη τούτου καὶ τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν προσηγορίαν κεφαλαιωδῶς εἶχε παρ' ἑαυτῷ. Εἰδὼς οὖν καὶ τὰ ἑκάστῳ ἀνθρώπῳ συμφέροντα, οὕτως αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν βίον παρήγαγε, καὶ προέγνωστο αὐτῷ τὰ κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὅτι καὶ τρεπτὸς, καὶ θνητὸς, καὶ ἀσθενής. Μηδεὶς οὖν ἀντιφθεγγέσθω τῷ πάντα εἰδότι πρὸς γενέσεως αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν κόσμῳ τῷ προσήκοντι, καθ' οὓς οἶδε αὐτὸς λόγους, ἕκαστα παράγοντι. Οὐ γὰρ δυνήσεταί τις μετὰ τοῦ ὄντως ἰσχυροῦ κρίνεσθαι· νικήσει γὰρ πάντως ὁ ἰσχυρὸς, κατὰ τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ εἰρημένον, Ὄπως ἂν δικαιωθῇς ἐν τοῖς λόγοις σου, καὶ νικήσῃς ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαί σε. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ζʹ. "Τί περισσὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, ὅτι τίς οἶδε τί ἀγαθὸν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ; τί ἔσται αὐτῷ; Καὶ ἐποίησε αὐτὰ ἐν σκιᾷ· ὅτι τίς ἀπαγγελεῖ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, τί ἔσται ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον;" Οὐ τὴν ἐνάρετον, ἀλλὰ τὴν ματαίαν τῶν ἀνθρώπων διαβάλλων ζωὴν, φησὶν, ὅτι Τί πλέον ἔχει ὁ περὶ τὰ μάταια ἀσχολούμενος; Γυναῖκα εὐπρεπῆ; Τῷ δῆλον εἰ δι' αὐτὴν ἀνιάσεται, πορνευομένην τυχὸν, ἢ καὶ ἄλλως αὐτὸν λυποῦσαν; Χρήματα; ταῦτα δὲ τὸν Ἰούδαν ἐκρέμασαν. Ἀμπελῶνα; Ναβὼθ διὰ τοῦτον ἐπεβουλεύθη. Τίς γὰρ ἀπαγγελεῖ τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τί συμβήσεται αὐτῷ, ἐν ὅσῳ ἐστὶ ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ; Ἡ δὲ παροῦσα λέξις καὶ μαντικὴν καὶ γενεθλιαλογίαν ἀναιρεῖ. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ τούτων σαφὲς οὐδὲν εἰπεῖν δύναται. Εἰ δὲ καὶ πάντα καταθυμίως ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ζωῇ τινι προσγένοιτο, ἀριθμητὸς ὢν ὁ βίος θᾶττον ὡς σκιὰ παρατρέχει. Ζῇν τοίνυν προσήκει κατὰ ἀρετὴν, εἰς τὸν μέλλοντα καὶ ἀπέραντον καὶ ἄσκιον ἀφορῶντα αἰῶνα· περὶ οὗ καὶ 93.560 διὰ προφητῶν, καὶ διὰ ἀποστόλων, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν μεμαθήκαμεν. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ ἡμῖν συμβησόμενα παντελῶς ἄδηλα· τὰ δὲ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι καὶ λίαν πρόδηλα· ὅτι τοὺς μὲν ἁμαρτωλοὺς αἱ κολάσεις, τοὺς δὲ δικαίους ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ ἀπεκδέχεται. "Ἀγαθὸν ὄνομα ὑπὲρ ἔλαιον ἀγαθὸν, καὶ ἡμέρα τοῦ θανάτου ὑπὲρ ἡμέραν γεννήσεως αὐτοῦ." Σύμμαχος, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ὑπὲρ ἔλαιον ἀγαθὸν, ὑπὲρ μύρον εὐῶδες, ἐκδέδωκε. Ἐκ δὲ τοῦ μύρου, ὄλην τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἡδονὴν ἐσήμανε. Ἀγαθὸν οὖν, φησὶν, ἐστὶ, ἐκ τῶν ἀρετῶν φήμην καλὴν καρπώσασθαι, καὶ ἔχειν ὄνομα ἀπογεγραμμένον ἐν οὐρανοῖς διὰ τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν πολιτείας, ἢ πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην ἡδονήν. Ἀγαθὸν δὲ ἀποφαίνεται καὶ τὴν τῆς ἐξόδου ἡμέραν ὑπὲρ τὴν τῆς γεννήσεως. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ τῆς γεννήσεως εἰς τὴν τοῦ βίου θάλατταν εἰσάγει, ἔνθα ὁ δράκων ἐμφωλεύει· ἡ δὲ ἐξάγει τοῦ σταδίου. Καὶ εἰ μέν τις ἁμαρτωλὸς ᾖ, παύεται τοῦ πλείονα ἁμαρτάνειν· εἰ δὲ δίκαιος, τῆς αἰωνίου κατατρυφήσει ζωῆς. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, Ἀγαθόν ἐστι τὸ κτήσασθαι ὄνομα καλὸν, τουτέστι τὸ μερίδα σχεῖν τὸν Χριστὸν διὰ τῆς πίστεως, καὶ ἐπικληθῆναι τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ, τουτέστι καλεῖσθαι Χριστιανὸν, ἢ τὸ διδόναι ἁπλῶς ἐλεημοσύνην. Πολλοὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐθνικῶν παρέχουσιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ὤνησαν, ἐὰν μὴ σχῶσι τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἀγαθόν· εἰ δὲ ἐκ διαθέσεως ἐλεημονικῆς τοῦτο ποιήσουσι, κτήσονταί που πάντως καὶ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ὄνομα, κατὰ τὸν ἑκατοντάρχην Κορνήλιον. Ἀγαθὴ δὲ καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ