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misattributing to Beliar, O, the calamity, the energy and grace of the good Spirit and opposing those who have received the Spirit from God, that through Him they might know the things freely given to us by God, but he will also be an inheritor of "woe" because of the harm to those who listen; "Woe," for, says the prophet, "to him who gives his brother a murky ruin to drink."

Therefore, those who are not such ought to submit themselves to those who are able to discern all things, that is, the spiritual ("for the spiritual man judges all things," according to the Apostle), so that by their discernment they will also know (p. 178) their own affairs safely; they themselves attempt to judge and correct those who are judged by no one ("for the spiritual man," according to the same Apostle, "is judged by no one") to the destruction of both themselves and those persuaded by them. For they say that it is not possible for anyone to partake of perfection and holiness who has not found the true opinion concerning things that are, and that it is impossible to have found it without division and syllogism and analysis. Therefore, they think to conclude that it is most necessary for the one desiring to attain perfection and holiness to be taught and to pursue the methods of division, syllogism, and analysis from secular education, and through such arguments they themselves hasten to show that the wisdom that was abolished is again active. But if they had been willing to learn the truth by approaching in humility those who are able to discern all things, they would have heard that this dogma is of a Hellenic mindset. A heresy of Stoics and Pythagoreans, who say that science is the goal of contemplation, which comes about through the undertaking of mathematical studies. But we do not consider the knowledge found through arguments and syllogisms to be true opinion, but that which is demonstrated through works and life, which is not only true, but also safe and unshakeable. "For," he says, "every argument wrestles with an argument," but who wrestles with a life? And indeed, we do not think that anyone can know himself by methods of division, syllogism, and analysis, unless through laborious repentance and intense ascetic practice, he makes his own mind free from pride and wickedness. For he who has not prepared his own mind to be such and in this way, will not even know his own poverty by knowledge, which is the profitable beginning of one's knowing oneself.

But one who thinks well would not place all ignorance under condemnation, nor do we consider all knowledge blessed. How then, looking to it as to an end, shall we do all things? (p. 180) And the great Basil says that the form of truth is twofold, of which it is most necessary to have and to provide one, as it is a help to salvation; but concerning the earth and sea, and heaven and the things in heaven, if we do not know the truth in such things, nothing will hinder us from the blessedness in the promises. And the end set before us is the promises from God of the good things to come, adoption as sons, deification, the revelation and possession and enjoyment of the heavenly treasures; but we know that the knowledge from secular education is completed with this age. For if perceptible arguments present things in the future age, the wise of this age would become inheritors of the kingdom of heaven; "but if purity of soul sees, the wise will be far from the knowledge of God," according to the true philosopher Maximus. What need, then, do we have of knowledge that does not draw near to God? And how is it not possible to partake of perfection and holiness without it?

And so that I may now pass over the other things of those who think they are something and deceive themselves to such an extent, as to even misinterpret and use the scriptures of the spirit against spiritual works and men, I will set forth those things indeed, which are also now the subject for us of the discourse at hand. For they say that God is invisible and

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παραγνωρίζων εἰς τήν τοῦ Βελίαρ, ὤ τῆς συμφορᾶς, τήν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνέργειαν καί χάριν καί ἀντιταττόμενος τοῖς λαβοῦσι τό ἐκ Θεοῦ Πνεῦμα, ἵνα δι᾿ αὐτοῦ εἰδῶσι τά ἐκ Θεοῦ χαρισθέντα ἡμῖν, ἀλλά καί τοῦ «οὐαί» ἔσται κληρονόμος διά τήν τῶν ἀκουόντων βλάβην˙ «οὐαί» γάρ, φησίν ὁ προφήτης, «τῷ ποτίζοντι τόν ἀδελφόν αὐτοῦ ἀνατροπήν θολεράν».

∆έον οὖν τοῖς πάντα ἀνακρίνειν δυναμένοις, δηλονότι τοῖς πνευματικοῖς («ὁ γάρ πνευματικός πάντα ἀνακρίνει» κατά τόν ἀπόστολον), δέον οὖν τούτοις τούς μή τοιούτους φέροντας ὑποτάσσειν ἑαυτούς, ὡς τῇ τούτων ἀνακρίσει καί τά (σελ. 178) καθ᾿ ἑαυτούς εἰσομένους ἀσφαλῶς, αὐτοί τούς ὑπ᾿ οὐδενός τούτους ἀνακρινομένους («ὁ γάρ πνευματικός» κατά τόν αὐτόν ἀπόστολον «ὑπ᾿ οὐδενός ἀνακρίνεται») κρίνειν καί διορθοῦν ἐπιχειροῦσι πρός καταστροφήν ἑαυτῶν τε καί τῶν τούτοις πειθομένων. Φασί γάρ μηδένα δυνατόν εἶναι τελειότητός τε καί ἁγιότητος μετέχειν τήν ἀληθῆ περί τῶν ὄντων οὐχ εὑρηκότα δόξαν, εὑρηκέναι δέ αὐτήν ἄνευ διαρέσεως καί συλλογισμοῦ καί ἀναλύσεως ἀδύνατον ὑπάρχειν. Οὐκοῦν τόν ἐπειλῆφθαι τελειότητος καί ἁγιότητος ἐπιθυμοῦντα τάς διαιρετικάς καί συλλογιστικάς καί ἀναλυτικάς μεθόδους ἀναγκαιότατον παρά τῆς ἔξω παιδείας διδαχθῆναί τε καί μετιέναι συμπεραίνειν οἴονται καί διά τοιούτων λόγων τήν καταργηθεῖσαν πάλιν ἐνεργόν αὐτοί δεῖξαι σπεύδουσι σοφίαν. Εἰ δέ παρά τῶν πάντα ἀνακρίνειν δυναμένων ἐν ταπεινώσει προσελθόντες ἠθέλησαν τήν ἀλήθειαν μαθεῖν, ἤκουσαν ἄν ὡς τοῦτο τό δόγμα φρονήματός ἐστιν ἑλληνικοῦ. Στωικῶν τε καί Πυθαγορείων αἵρεσις, οἵ τήν ἐπιστήμην τέλος λέγουσι τῆς θεωρίας προσγινομένην διά τῆς τῶν μαθημάτων ἀναλήψεως. Ἡμεῖς δέ οὐ τήν διά λόγων καί συλλογισμῶν εὑρισκομένην γνῶσιν δόξαν ἀληθῆ νομίζομεν, ἀλλά τήν δι᾿ ἔργων τε καί βίου ἀποδεικνυμένη ἤ καί μή μόνον ἀληθής, ἀλλά καί ἀσφαλής ἐστι καί ἀπερίτρεπτος. «Λόγῳ» γάρ, φησί, «παλαίει πᾶς λόγος», βίῳ δέ τίς; Καί μήν οὐδέ ἑαυτόν γνῶναι δυνηθῆναί τινα οἰόμεθα διαιρετικαῖς καί συλλογιστικαῖς καί ἀναλυτικαῖς μεθόδοις, ἄν μή δι᾿ ἐπιπόνου μετανοίας καί ἀσκήσεως συντόνου, ἄτυφον καί ἀπόνηρον ποιήσῃ τόν οἰκεῖον νοῦν. Ὁ γάρ μή τοιοῦτον καί οὕτω τόν ἑαυτοῦ κατασκεύσας νοῦν, οὐδέ τήν οἰκείαν κατά γνῶσιν εἴσεται πενίαν, ὅ τοῦ γνῶναί τινα ἑαυτόν ἐστιν ἀρχή λυσιτελής.

Ἀλλ᾿ οὐδέ πᾶσαν ἀγνωσίαν ὑπ᾿ ἔγκλημα θοῖτ᾿ ἄν τις εὖ φρονῶν, οὐδέ πᾶσαν γνῶσιν οἰόμεθα μακαριστόν. Πῶς οὖν πρός αὐτήν ὡς πρός τέλος ἀφορῶντες πάντα πράξομεν; (σελ. 180) ∆ιπλοῦν δέ φησι καί ὁ μέγας Βασίλειος τό εἶδος τῆς ἀληθείας, ὧν τό μέν ἔχειν τε καί παρέχειν ἀναγκαιότατον, ὡς συνεργόν τῆς σωτηρίας ὑπάρχον˙ περί δέ γῆς καί θαλάσσης, οὐρανοῦ τε καί τῶν κατ᾿ οὐρανόν, ἐάν μή εἰδῶμεν τήν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἀλήθειαν, οὐδέν ἡμῖν ἐμποδίσει πρός τήν ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις μακαριότητα. Καί τέλος δέ τό προκείμενον ἡμῖν, αἱ παρά τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπαγγελίαι τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ἡ υἱοθεσία, ἡ ἐκθέωσις, ἡ τῶν οὐρανίων θησαυρῶν ἀποκάλυψις καί κτῆσις καί ἀπόλαυσις˙ τήν δ᾿ ἐκ τῆς ἔξω παιδείας γνῶσιν τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ συναπαρτιζομένην ἴσμεν. Εἰ γάρ αἰσθητοί λόγοι ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι παριστῶσι τά πράγματα, οἱ σοφοί τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου γένοιτ᾿ ἄν κληρονόμοι τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας˙ «εἰ δέ καθαρότης ψυχῆς ὁρᾷ, μακράν οἱ σοφοί γενήσονται τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ», κατά τόν ἀληθῆ φιλόσοφον Μάξιμον. Τίς οὖν ἡμῖν χρεία γνώσεως τῆς μή ἐγγιζούσης Θεῷ; Πῶς δέ χωρίς αὐτῆς τελειότητος καί ἁγιότητος μεταλαχεῖν οὐκ ἔνι;

Καί ἵνα τἄλλα νῦν παρῶ τῶν οἰομένων εἶναί τε καί φρεναπατώντων ἑαυτούς ἐπί τοσοῦτον, ὡς καί τάς γραφάς τοῦ πνεύματος κατά τῶν πνευματικῶν παρεξηγουμένους ἔργων χρῆσθαι καί ἀνδρῶν, ἐκεῖνα δή προθήσω, ἅ καί νῦν ὑπόθεσις ἡμῖν ἐστι τοῦ ἀνά χεῖρας λόγου. Φασί γάρ ἀόρατον εἶναι τόν Θεόν καί