Philocalia

 they laid down the toils of faith. For them, indeed, nearly their whole life was spent in showing the most holy and sovereign Trinity to be of equal h

 to attempt to correct the sayings of scripture for consistency, greatly preserving for those who are able to understand the coherence of the thought.

 Free Will. 20. On good and evil things, and that these are in things subject to choice and in things not subject to choice, and according to the teach

 rulers spoken of from Judah and leaders [from] his loins, when he for whom it is reserved, that is, the kingdom, shall come, and the expectation of th

 And he came who according to Job subdued the great sea monster, and who gave authority to his genuine disciples to tread upon snakes and scorpions, an

 that is, of the elementary teaching, to be brought to perfection, so that the wisdom spoken to the perfect may also be spoken to us. For he who posses

 of the wives of Abraham, and of two sisters married to Jacob, and of two handmaids who bore children by him, they will say nothing else than that thes

 orphans but Clement will send to the cities abroad and you will report to the presbyters of the church. For Grapte, who admonishes the widows and th

 of new moons or of sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come. And further, also in the [epistle] to the Hebrews, speaking of those of the circumc

 to things that have happened and things to be done, wherever the Word found things that had happened according to history which could be applied to th

 Moses commands us to offer but a griffin has never been recorded to have been subject to man, which the lawgiver forbids to be eaten. But even the fa

 to his brother, and so on and: But I say to you, do not swear at all. and in the Apostle the saying must be observed: Warn those who are unruly, comf

 Isaac, he too having descended from Abraham, with all being traced back to Adam, whom the apostle says is Christ? For every beginning of families that

 he came to gather the lost sheep of the house of Israel and when many from Israel did not yield to his teaching, those from the Gentiles are also cal

 fleeing the allegory in these things, and thinking that the letter has been written for its own sake, they will stand by the will of the Holy Spirit w

 behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, to open the book and its seven seals. 2.2 But concerning its being sealed on

 holy, for one who perceives the weakness of our race, and that it is impossible for us to grasp the principles of God's art, contemplated with all acc

 It is. from the fifth volume of the commentary on the Gospel of John, on the prologue. Since you are not content for us to have undertaken the present

 of many theorems, of which each theorem is a part of the whole discourse. But those outside this, promising to contain any kind of discussion and decl

 the things before, he has understood the entire scripture as one book, understood as very sweet in the beginning when one chews it, but bitter in the

 to the gospel or to himself or to the apostles. But one who has been educated in the music of God, being wise in deeds and words, and for this reason

 he might change it, leading it to the singular. For having read: “They wept and entreated me ” and: “In the house of On they found me ” he might say t

 of angels in the hand of a mediator and in the passage: So that the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by f

 to others. And if we carefully observe this, we are freed from many errors and misinterpretations. It is necessary, therefore, to know that the word

 in unbelief, confusion, outside. From the 20th book on Ezekiel. Thus says the Lord Lord: behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams a

 For there are certain powers in us, of which the better ones are nourished by these, as it were, incantations, being kindred to them, and though we do

 so that having despoiled the Egyptians, they might find material for the construction of the things received for the worship of God. For from the thin

 His Christ would also know, and he who partakes of the spirit of God and the spirit of Christ. May you partake, and may you always increase your parti

 of a spotted robe and of countless other things, one who takes the pains can find not a few examples. But we have made this digression, in order that

 arising in those who speak effectively. For the prophet says in the sixty-seventh psalm, that the Lord will give a word to those who preach the gospel

 knowing the first good, wrote indeed, as of God manifesting himself to the worthy and suitable, that God appeared, so to speak, to Abraham, or to Isaa

 to the prophets of the Jews or to the oracles of the Christians the argument must be constructed in this way, from a certain example concerning foods

 the concept of forbearance is corrupted by the meanness of the words, but in this too Celsus slanders the Word, saying: “But concerning these and othe

 three apostles. But he will say that these things are fabrications and in no way different from myths, just as are the other wonderful things about Je

 who are in no way lacking intelligible thunder. 15.19 And his garments below are different, they are not white, they are not as the light if you go u

 admittedly more numerous but I think also among barbarians, as many as profess to practice medicine. And again, since philosophy, professing truth an

 to think and to speak and to do, when reviled, we bless when persecuted, we endure when defamed, we entreat and we would not say things that may an

 brother of Artemis, and paternal brother of Hermes and as many other things as the wise fathers of Celsus's doctrines and the ancient theologians of

 of the name of Isaac, and something is revealed from the voice of Jacob and if indeed the one who calls or the one who adjures names the God of Abrah

 as they wish, so he says it also happens among Christians. And he says that some, not even wishing to give or receive a reason for what they believe,

 to seek proofs. And how is it not more reasonable, since all human affairs depend on faith, to trust God rather than them? For who sails, or marries,

 I know the Stoic, or all the Peripatetic doctrines? unless perhaps, having heard the phrase for I know all things from some insensitive laymen who w

 a profession was apparent since the word and the preaching were in the persuasive wisdom of phrasing and composition of words and faith would have b

 to remove from such great evils those who were preoccupied in them. And among the Greeks a certain Phaedo, and I know not if a second, and one Polemon

 We will say that the story about Aristotle is also a slander against Jesus and his disciples for when he saw that a court was about to be assembled a

 And indeed one of the prophets, Hosea, says at the end of his words: Who is wise, and will understand these things? Or prudent, and will know them? Bu

 that he might bring to nothing things that are, that no flesh should glory in his presence some have been moved to suppose that no one educated or wi

 inviting them. which certain of the Cynics especially have done, discoursing in public to those who happen to be present. Will they then say that thes

 a gathering of prudent men would never be addressed, but where they see boys and a crowd of household slaves and a throng of foolish men, there to bri

 of the riddles and of the things said with concealment in the law and prophets and gospels, which you have despised as containing nothing of value, no

 of stone as being worthy of worship but the common conception demands we understand that God is in no way corruptible matter, nor is he honored in in

 to say to those who, through hatred for the hated, accuse them of things for which their dearest friends are praised. For just as in their case hatred

 for food, and others for shelter. For it was better for those not intending to seek divine things and to philosophize to be in want, so as to use thei

 to be captured by them? For if indeed the world came to be by providence, and God presides over all things it was necessary that the first sparks of

 among them their succession, because men have need of honey for many things, for the healing of suffering bodies and as a purifying food. But what is

 Indeed, when they meet, they converse with each other, which is why they do not miss their paths therefore, there is among them a fulfillment of disc

 to have granted aids, because neither wisdom nor reason is in them, but a certain natural constitution for such things for the sake of the animals' pr

 divination and after this to set forth the defense more clearly and demonstratively to reject the arguments of those who do away with such kinds of

 mantic birds and the other irrational animals and conceptions of the divine and foreknowledge concerning future things, would have revealed such thing

 taken as an example of the worst things, and never is a wolf or a fox named in connection with a good thing. It seems, then, that there is a certain f

 For none of the irrational animals has a conception of God. And it is a falsehood that irrational animals are nearer to divine communion since even

 to act, he would not have said that storks are more pious than men. Furthermore, as if standing up for the piety of the irrational animals, Celsus int

 has the cause of movement, animals and plants and simply all things that are held together by nature and soul, among which they say are also minerals.

 being driven out of what is solemn and stable so that they change to licentiousness, often beginning their licentiousness in the middle of their life

 someone that in like manner those who are perishing are not of free will nor will they perish by their own fault. And what is said in Ezekiel: I will

 to Pharaoh? For it is necessary for one who believes that the scriptures are true and that God is just, if he is fair-minded, to struggle with how in

 narratives are also considered violent, let us see also from prophetic discourse, what those say who have experienced the great goodness of God, and h

 One might blame the farmer for not casting the seeds sooner upon the rocky ground, seeing some other rocky ground that has received the seeds and is f

 21.15 After this was the passage from the gospel, when the savior said that for this reason he speaks to those outside in parables, that seeing they m

 that they would have long ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes, when the savior came near their borders, they do not even hear the things of t

 we might stumble, while it is understood that something has happened in a human way, but the good deed is thankfully referred to God the perfecter th

 thus? Or does not the potter have authority over the clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for honor, and another for dishonor? For someone will

 O man, who are you who answers back to God? 21.22 But to those who introduce natures and use the saying, these things must be said: if they preserve t

 those who were allotted to be overseers of the earth established laws for those who were being legislated for, cooperating with the lawgivers. It seem

 different relations and laws see if temperance will not consequently be one of the relatives, and courage and prudence and knowledge and the other vi

 the voice of his neighbor. And the Lord scattered them from there over the face of all the earth, and they stopped building the city and the tower. Fo

 in proportion to the sins of those who had obtained the other lands, first, having been punished to a lesser degree and paid the penalty, as if discip

 blessings for none of these things will any longer reasonably come to be. And if one were to look at the consequences for himself of what he teaches,

 in a prophetic book which makes clear beforehand the things concerning Judas the traitor, to suppose, having learned what was to be, seeing it being f

 king of the Macedonians, and Ptolemy who ruled Egypt, who was surnamed Lagos, it is thus prophesied: And behold, a he-goat came from the west over the

 that what is in our power can be preserved. 23.8 To these we must say that when God applies himself to the beginning of the creation of the world, sin

 hearing they will turn back or they will persist in their own sins just as it is said in Jeremiah: Perhaps they will hear and repent. For God does no

 in the psalm, whose beginning is: O God, do not be silent about my praise for the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful has been opened

 taking the hour of this man’s birth, they ascertain how each of the wandering stars is perpendicularly aligned, either with this degree of the zodiac

 of the father and that of the mother and that of his wife and of his sons and of the servants and of the dearest friends, and perhaps also of the murd

 the intelligible dodecatemorion being one thing, and the, as it were, formation another and they say the results are found not from the formation, bu

 Pharaoh was for the demonstration of the power of God and the proclamation of his name in all the earth, consider how great a demonstration of God's p

 of men that not at every hour are some of the stars well-positioned and others ill-positioned for it is an even, varied circle, having infinite prete

 a place for withdrawal. But if anyone should say that matter is in God, it is necessary to examine likewise, whether as though he were separating hims

 If you have something to say, begin your speech. For if our inquiry were born of contention, I would not have thought it right to define evils a secon

 God is the creator. Let this argument, therefore, be well addressed to him but to me it seems a falsehood to say that matter is without quality. For

 and to turn that to the better, seems to me to be worthy of incurring blame, having left a part of matter to be evil to the destruction of the part wh

 it was opposed to itself. Thus since opposites exist, it is shown that matter does not exist. These things have been drawn from the 7th book of the Ev

 of their coming into being and as knowing all things before their coming into being he foreknew and predestined some to be conformed to the image of

 he will discipline his body and bring it into subjection, being careful lest, having preached to others, he himself should become disqualified, and th

 events teaching that we must choose justice and temperance and prudence and courage and the actions according to them, but shun their opposites. There

 accomplishing by the very act of working, they were doing good to men and delivering them from evils. And those who say such things will pass on to th

 For the just man did not give his money at interest and did not take bribes against the innocent and: He who does these things will not be shaken for

 of providence, according to the good temper of the airs and the bearing of sufficient rain so the good of the rational being is a mixture of both his

 for God to effect a hardening of anyone's heart, and to effect a hardening for the purpose of the one being hardened disobeying the will of the one ha

 being destroyed. Yet this also must be inquired into, because the apostle, using the words from here, says: Therefore, He has mercy on whom He wills,

 to do something alien to the profession of physicians, leading him who should be healed to inflammations and abscesses so I think God also said: But

 to punish him for the sins against Abner the son of Ner, and to kill him for his offenses then he adds: And you will bring down his gray head in peac

 man shall live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. But observe in these things that God afflicts and tests, so that the things in each

 from the text that the heart of Pharaoh was hardened how is he just who hardened the heart of the king so that he would not send away his people, and

in unbelief, confusion, outside. From the 20th book on Ezekiel. "Thus says the Lord Lord: behold, I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and goats. And is it not enough for you that you fed on the good pasture, and the rest of your pasture you trampled with your feet? And you drank the settled water, and the rest you disturbed with your feet? And my sheep fed on what was trampled by your feet, and drank the water disturbed by your feet." After noting concerning the sheep of rams, and concerning the sheep of goats, and that it is customary in scripture for the sheep to also be of the goat-kind at times, he adds: What then is it that he intimates in these things? Come, let us examine it according to our ability. All good pasture, I think, and all settled water are the whole oracles of the sacred scriptures. Then, since some approve certain of the written things as beneficial, but reject others as not salvific, these would be the ones who, after having fed on the good pasture of what they selected, and having drunk the settled water of what they judged to be better, trample the rest of the pasture, and disturb the rest of the water with their own feet. Such are those who approve the new, but reject the old testament; and those who say that some of the old writings are from a more divine and higher power, but others from an inferior one. But the shepherd proclaims as his own sheep those who do not disdain the things trampled by their feet, and who do not despise the water disturbed by the feet of the blameworthy sheep, and perhaps the sheep of goats and kids; for they did not wish to be the sheep of rams worthy of the right hand. 11.2 We, therefore, who pray to be the sheep of the shepherd, let us never flee from feeding also on those things of the scriptures which, in their literal sense, are immediately repulsive, and because of the repulsiveness of the language are trampled upon by those who are neither able nor willing to use all the pasture. But even if there is some water disturbed by their feet, since they have mixed blasphemous objections with the pure word of scripture, let us not turn away, because of the disturbance they have made to the word, from drinking also that which was disturbed by their feet. And observe carefully, that to those who have disturbed the water and trampled the pasture it is said as concerning superiors: "And my sheep fed on what was trampled by your feet, and drank the water disturbed by your feet." But also let us never trample the prophetic pasture, nor disturb the legal water; and when some sin also concerning the evangelical pasture and the apostolic water, so as to trample some of the evangelical things while feeding on others as good pasture, and of the apostolic things either to reject all, or to approve some and reject others; let us feed on all the gospels and trample none of them, and drinking all the apostolic things, as much as is in our power, let us keep them as settled water, and let us disturb nothing in them with an unbelief that confuses those who do not know how to understand what is said. 12.1n So as not to lose heart in the reading of the divine scripture for the one who does not understand the obscurity of the riddles and parables in it. From the 20th homily on Joshua, son of Nun. The greatest benefit from such readings comes to the one who is able to understand the true inheritance divided by Jesus among the sons of Israel, and to the one who is able to ascend to the holy land, the true, the truly good, and to apply what is said according to the places from the naming of the things spoken of to the difference of those inheriting. But since it is difficult to find one so benefited, we wish to encourage the hearers not to lose heart at the readings. What, then, is the encouragement for the hearer of such readings not to lose heart, must be said. For just as incantations have a certain natural power, and the one being enchanted, without understanding, receives something from the incantation, according to the nature of the sounds of the incantation, whether for harm or for healing of his body or soul; so understand with me that the naming of the names in the divine scriptures is more powerful than any incantation.

ἐν ἀπιτίᾳ ταραχῆ ἐκτό. ἐκ τοῦ κʹ τόμου τῶν εἰ τὸν Ἰεζεχιήλ. "Τάδε λέγει κύριο κύριο· ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀνακρινῶ ἀνὰ μέον προβάτου καὶ προβάτου, κριῶν καὶ τράγων. καὶ οὐχ ἱκανὸν ὑμῖν ὅτι τὴν καλὴν νομὴν ἐνέμεθε, καὶ τὰ κατάλοιπα τῆ νομῆ ὑμῶν κατεπατεῖτε τοῖ ποὶν ὑμῶν; καὶ τὸ καθετηκὸ ὕδωρ ἐπίνετε, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν τοῖ ποὶν ὑμῶν ἐταράετε; καὶ τὰ πρόβατά μου τὰ πατήματα τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν ἐνέμοντο, καὶ τὸ τεταραγ μένον ὕδωρ ὑπὸ τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν ἔπινον." Μετὰ τὸ παρατῆαι περὶ προβάτων κριῶν, καὶ περὶ προβάτων αἰγῶν, καὶ ὅτι ύνηθε τῇ γραφῇ τὸ πρόβατον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ γένου τῶν αἰγῶν ἔθ' ὅτε τά ειν, ἐπιφέρει· Τί οὖν ἐστὶν ὃ καὶ ἐν τούτοις αἰνίσσεται, φέρε κατὰ δύναμιν ἐξετάσωμεν. πᾶσα μὲν, οἶμαι, καλὴ νομὴ καὶ πᾶν τὸ καθεστηκὸς ὕδωρ τὰ ὅλα λόγιά ἐστι τῶν ἱερῶν γραμ μάτων. εἶτ' ἐπείτινές τινα μὲν τῶν γεγραμμένων ἐγκρίνουσιν ὡς ὠφέλιμα, τινὰ δὲ ἀποδοκιμάζουσιν ὡς οὐ σωτήρια, οὗτοι ἂν εἶεν οἱ μετὰ τὸ νενεμῆσθαι τὴν καλὴν ὧν ἐξελέξαντο νο μὴν, καὶ πεπωκέναι τὸ καθεστηκὸς οὗ ἔκριναν εἶναι βελτίονος ὕδατος, τὸ λοιπὸν τῆς νομῆς καταπατοῦντες, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ὕδωρ τοῖς ποσὶν ἑαυτῶν ταράσσοντες. τοιοῦτοι δή εἰσιν οἵ τε τὴν μὲν καινὴν ἐγκρίνοντες, τὴν δὲ παλαιὰν ἀποδοκιμά ζοντες διαθήκην· καὶ οἱ τῶν παλαιῶν γραμμάτων τὰ μὲν ἀπὸ θειοτέρας λέγοντες εἶναι δυνάμεως καὶ τῆς ἀνωτάτω, τὰ δὲ ἀπὸ ὑποδεεστέρας. πρόβατα δὲ ἴδια ἀναγορεύει ὁ ποιμὴν τοὺς μὴ ὑπερηφανοῦντας τὰ πατήματα τῶν ποδῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ μὴ ἐξουθενοῦντας τὸ τεταραγμένον ὕδωρ ὑπὸ τῶν ποδῶν τῶν ψεκτῶν προβάτων, καὶ τάχα προβάτων τράγων καὶ ἐρίφων· οὐ γὰρ ἠθέλησαν εἶναι πρόβατα κριῶν ἄξια τῶν δεξιῶν. 11.2 Ἡμεῖς οὖν, οἱ εὐχόμενοι εἶναι πρόβατα τοῦ ποι μένος, μηδέποτε φεύγωμεν νεμηθῆναι καὶ τὰ αὐτόθεν ὅσον ἐπὶ τῷ ῥητῷ ἀπεμφαίνοντα τῶν γραφῶν, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀπέμ φασιν τῆς λέξεως πατούμενα ὑπὸ τῶν μὴ δυναμένων μηδὲ θελόντων χρῆσθαι πάσῃ τῇ νομῇ. ἀλλὰ κἂν ᾖ τι ὕδωρ ὑπὸ τῶν ποδῶν ἐκείνων τεταραγμένον, ἀναμιξάντων τῷ καθαρῷ λόγῳ τῆς γραφῆς δυσφήμους ἐπαπορήσεις, μὴ ἀποτρεπώ μεθα, δι' ἣν πεποιήκασι τῷ λόγῳ ταραχὴν, πίνειν καὶ τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῶν τεταραγμένον. καὶ τήρει γε ἐπιμελῶς, ὅτι πρὸς τοὺς ταράξαντας τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ πατήσαντας τὴν νομὴν λέγεται ὡς περὶ κρειττόνων· Καὶ τὰ πρόβατά μου τὰ πατήματα τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν ἐνέμοντο, καὶ τὸ τεταρα γμένον ὕδωρ ὑπὸ τῶν ποδῶν ὑμῶν ἔπινον. ἀλλὰ καὶ μηδεπώποτε νομὴν προφητικὴν ἡμεῖς πατήσωμεν, μηδὲ ὕδωρ νομικὸν ταράξωμεν· ἁμαρτανόντων δέ τινων καὶ περὶ τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν νομὴν καὶ τὸ ἀποστολικὸν ὕδωρ, ὥστε τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν τινὰ μὲν πατεῖν τινὰ δὲ ὡς καλὴν νέμεσθαι νομὴν, καὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ἢ πάντα ἀποκρίνειν, ἤ τινα μὲν ἐγκρίνειν τινὰ δὲ ἀποκρίνειν· ἡμεῖς καὶ τὰ ὅλα εὐαγ γέλια νεμηθῶμεν καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῶν πατήσωμεν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἀποστολικὰ πίνοντες, τὸ ὅσον ἐφ' ἡμῖν καθεστηκὸς ὕδωρ, αὐτὰ τηρήσωμεν, καὶ μηδὲν τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀπιστίᾳ ταρασσούσῃ τοὺς οὐκ εἰδότας συνιέναι τῶν λεγομένων ταράξωμεν. 12.1n Πρὸ τὸ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν ἐν τῇ ἀναγνώει τῆ θεία γραφῆ τὸν μὴ υνιέντα τὸ κοτεινὸν τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ αἰνιγμάτων καὶ παραβολῶν. ἀπὸ τῆ κʹ ὁμιλία τῆ εἰ τὸν Ἰηοῦν τὸν Ναυῆ. Ἡ μὲν ἄκρα ὠφέλεια ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων ἀναγνωσμά των τῷ δυναμένῳ νοῆσαι τὴν ἀληθῆ κληροδοσίαν ἀπὸ Ἰησοῦ μεριζομένην τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ γίνεται, καὶ τῷ οἵῳ τε γενο μένῳ ἀναβῆναι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν τὴν ἁγίαν, τὴν ἀληθινὴν, τὴν ὄντως ἀγαθὴν, καὶ ἐφαρμόσαι ἐκ τῆς ὀνομασίας τῶν εἰρη μένων τῇ διαφορᾷ τῶν κληρονομούντων τὰ κατὰ τοὺς τόπους λεγόμενα. ἐπεὶ δὲ δύσκολόν ἐστιν εὑρεῖν τὸν οὕτως ὠφελού μενον, βουλόμεθα παραμυθήσασθαι τοὺς ἀκούοντας μὴ ἐκ κακεῖν ἐπὶ ταῖς ἀναγνώσεσι. τίς οὖν ἡ παραμυθία ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἐκκακεῖν τὸν ἀκούοντα τῶν τοιούτων ἀναγνωσμά των, λεκτέον. ὥσπερ τοίνυν αἱ ἐπῳδαὶ δύναμίν τινα ἔχουσι φυσικὴν, καὶ μὴ νοῶν ὁ κατεπᾳδόμενος λαμβάνει τι ἐκ τῆς ἐπῳδῆς, κατὰ τὴν φύσιν τῶν φθόγγων τῆς ἐπῳδῆς, εἴτε εἰς βλάβην εἴτε εἰς ἴασιν σώματος ἢ ψυχῆς ἑαυτοῦ· οὕτω μοι νόει πάσης ἐπῳδῆς δυνατωτέραν εἶναι τὴν ὀνομασίαν τῶν ἐν ταῖς θείαις γραφαῖς ὀνομάτων.