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a wonder, if men do not at all comprehend the reason of God's administration, for whom it is fitting even without meddling to submit and be quiet, and least of all to rise up against the ineffable administration. For often we do not, out of respect, pry into a craftsman, whether experienced in building, or shipbuilding, or metalworking, while each is doing his own work; but trusting in his experience, we wait to see the work. And there are times when we do not perceive him making a mistake. What then might I say about the wisdom of God that is beyond all understanding? whom it behooved, both those who understand and those who do not understand, to be astonished and to honor. But if someone, because he does not comprehend the reason of most things done by God, should fall into an absurdity concerning God's glory, most wretched and again foolish is such a person, as one using for a guide the very blindness of his own mind. ELEMENT M. TITLE 7. -Concerning those who practice divination, and take omens, and interpret presages; and concerning the so-called gods, that all these things, and the like, are lawless, and proclaimed, and forbidden by the divine Scripture. Of Eusebius. - There are some who curse the stars, when they are even angry at the heaven, saying: Woe to your star. Others say: He was born of a good star, wherefore also all things conspire with him. Woe to those who say these things. I know many who pray to the sun and moon; and they offer supplication to the sun, saying, Have mercy on me. And woe to these. Why, having left the creator of the sun, do you worship the sun? one must not worship the creation rather than the creator. For it is written: Cursed is everyone who worships the sun and the moon, and the stars, and any other creation rather than the Creator. Many having 96.532 fantasies say the moon comes down. When, he says, it becomes blood-red, a man, having enchanted it, brings it down. And woe to those who say these things. Who has been able to enchant heaven? Simon the magician wished to, but falling, he was dashed to pieces. For no one is able, not small, not great, to move a star of heaven, which God established with his own power. Again they say that sorcerers bring clouds and rains, and in this they speak foolishly. What man can turn away the command of God by sorcery? for the clouds, according to the command of God, pour out the rain upon the earth. TITLE 13. -Concerning repentance and confession. Of saint Methodius, against Porphyry. -Repentance then becomes the effacer of every sin, etc. TITLE 17. -Concerning apostate monks, and those who return to evil. Of Philo, from the Questions on Exodus. - In some a fickle thought arises, who having been borne aloft for a little while, immediately turned back, not so much flying up as being dragged down to the depths, he says, of Tartarus. But happy are those who do not turn back. Of the same. -Already some fickle ones, having tasted virtue, and having given hope of health, returned to the same sickness. ELEMENT O. TITLE 1. -Concerning the house and the domestic situation; and that it is not good to be occupied with others' affairs, and to listen to others' matters. Of Dionysius, bishop of Alexandria. - It is ridiculous for a man who has neglected his own affairs to try to instruct strangers. TITLE 8. -Concerning those who break oaths. Of the same, from the Questions on Genesis. - To perjure oneself is unholy and most unprofitable. TITLE 19. -Concerning the name of God. Of Philo, from the Questions on Exodus. - The name Lord, insofar as he rules and leads, using the lordship of self-sufficient power; but God, insofar as by goodness and kindness. For God is the name of the good cause. What wonder, if Being is unnameable by men, when even the mind in each is unknown to us? For who has seen the substance of the soul? Do you not see that to the prophet who was inquiring, he says that those asking about his name should be answered, I am who I am? being one, I am by nature to be, not to be spoken. And concerning his name Lord not being revealed to anyone; I appeared, he says, to Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, being their God, and my name Lord I did not reveal to them. So also Jacob after the wrestling, wishing to learn, heard: Why

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θαῦμα, εἰ ἄνθρωποι μὴ χωροῦσιν ὅλως τῆς διοικησίας τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν λόγον, οἷς ἁρμόττει καὶ δίχα τοῦ πολυπραγμονεῖν ὑπείκειν τε καὶ ἡσυχάζειν, καὶ ἥκιστα ἀνταίρειν κατὰ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου διοικήσεως. Πολλάκις γὰρ οὐδὲ τεχνίτην, εἴτουν οἰκοδομίας, ἢ ναυπηγίας, ἢ χαλκευτικῆς ἔμπειρον, αἰδούμενοι περιεργαζόμεθα, ποιοῦντά γε τὸ οἰκεῖον ἕκαστον· ἀλλὰ τῇ πείρᾳ καταπιστεύσαντες, ἐκδεχόμεθα τὸ ἔργον ἰδεῖν. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ὅτε σφαλλομένῳ οὐκ ἐπαισθανόμεθα. Τί δ' ἂν εἴποιμι περὶ τῆς ὑπὲρ πάντα νοῦν σοφίας τοῦ Θεοῦ; ὃ προσῆκε, καὶ νοοῦντάς τε καὶ μὴ νοοῦντας ἐκπλήττεσθαί τε καὶ τιμᾷν. Εἰ δέ τις διὰ τὸ μὴ καταλαμβάνειν τὸν λόγον τῶν πλειόνων τῶν πρὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ γινομένων, ἐκπέσοι πρὸς ἀτοπίαν τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξης, ἀθλιώτατος, καὶ πάλιν ἀνόητος ὁ τοιοῦτος, ὡς αὐτῇ γε τῇ τυφλώσει τῆς ἰδίας διανοίας ὁδηγῷ χρώμενος. ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΟΝ Μ. ΤΙΤΛ. Ζʹ. -Περὶ μαντευομένων, καὶ οἰωνιζομένων, καὶ κληδονιζομένων· καὶ περὶ τῶν λεγομένων θεῶν, ὅτι ἄθεσμα, καὶ ἐκκήρυκτα, καὶ ἀπηγορευμένα τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ, τάδε πάντα, καὶ τὰ ὅμοια. Εὐσεβίου. - Εἰσί τινες καταρώμενοι τοὺς ἀστέρας, ὅτε καὶ κατὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὀργίζονται, λέγοντες· Οὐαὶ τῷ ἄστρῳ σου. Ἄλλοι λέγουσι· Καλοῦ ἄστρου ἐγεννήθη, διὸ καὶ συναστρεῖ αὐτῷ τὰ πάντα. Οὐαὶ τοῖς ταῦτα λέγουσι. Πολλοὺς οἶδα εὐχομένους εἰς τὸν ἥλιον καὶ σελήνην· καὶ ἱκεσίαν προσφέρουσι τῷ ἡλίῳ λέγοντες, Ἐλέησόν με. Καὶ οὐαὶ τούτοις. Τί ἀφεὶς τὸν ποιητὴν τοῦ ἡλίου τὸν ἥλιον προσκυνεῖς; οὐ δεῖ λατρεύειν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα. Γέγραπται γάρ· Ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ προσκυνῶν τὸν ἥλιον καὶ τὴν σελήνην, καὶ τοὺς ἀστέρας, καὶ εἴ τι ἕτερον ποίημα παρὰ τὸν Ποιητήν. Πολλοὶ φαντα 96.532 ζόμενοι λέγουσι τὴν σελήνην κατέρχεσθαι. Ὅταν, φησὶν, ἐξαιματοῦται, ἄνθρωπος καταγοητεύσας αὐτὴν καταφέρει. Καὶ οὐαὶ τοῖς ταῦτα λέγουσι. Τίς ἠδυνήθη καταγοητεῦσαι οὐρανόν; ἠβουλήθη Σίμων ὁ μάγος, ἀλλὰ πεσὼν διεῤῥάγη. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ δύναται, οὐ μικρὸν, οὐ μέγα σαλεῦσαι ἄστρον οὐρανοῦ, ἃ ὁ Θεὸς τῇ ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει ἐθεμελίωσε. Πάλιν δὲ λέγουσιν, ὅτι νεφέλας καὶ ὑετοὺς παράγουσι γόητες ἄνθρωποι, καὶ τοῦτο ματαιολογοῦσι. Τίς ἀνθρώπων δύναται πρόσταγμα Θεοῦ ἀποστρέψαι γοητείᾳ; τὰ γὰρ νέφη κατὰ πρόσταξιν Θεοῦ ἐκχέουσι τὸν ὑετὸν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. ΤΙΤΛ. ΙΓʹ. -Περὶ μετανοίας καὶ ἐξομολογήσεως. Τοῦ ἁγίου Μεθοδίου, κατὰ Πορφυρίου. -Μετάνοια τότε ἁμαρτήματος παντὸς γίνεται ἀπαλειπτικὴ, κ. τ. ἑ. ΤΙΤΛ. ΙΖʹ. -Περὶ μοναχῶν παλιμβόλων, καὶ παλινδρομούντων εἰς κακίαν. Φίλωνος, ἐκ τῶν ἐν Ἐξόδῳ Ζητημάτων. - Ἐνίοις ἀψίκορος ἐγγίνεται λογισμὸς, οἱ πρὸς ὀλίγον ἀναπτεροφορηθέντες, αὐτίκα ὑπενόστησαν, οὐκ ἀναπτάντες μᾶλλον, ἢ ὑποσυρέντες εἰς Ταρτάρου, φησὶν, ἐσχατιάς. Εὐδαίμονες δὲ οἱ μὴ παλινδρομοῦντες. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. -Ἤδη τινὲς ἀψίκοροι γευσάμενοι καλοκαγαθίας, καὶ ἐλπίδα παρασχόντες ὑγείας, εἰς τὴν αὐτὴν ἐπανέστρεψαν νόσον. ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΟΝ Ο. ΤΙΤΛ. Αʹ. -Περὶ οἴκου καὶ οἰκειακῆς καταστά σεως· καὶ ὅτι οὐ καλὸν ἀλλοτρίοις σχολάζειν, καὶ ἀκροᾶσθαι ἀλλότρια. ∆ιονυσίου ἐπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας. - Καταγέλαστον ἀνθρώπῳ τῷ τῶν ἰδίων ἀφειδήσαντι, παιδεύειν ἐπιχειρεῖν τοὺς ξένους. ΤΙΤΛ. Ηʹ. -Περὶ τῶν τοὺς ὅρκους ἀθετούντων. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ, ἐκ τῶν ἐν Γενέσει Ζητημάτων. - Τὸ ἐπιορκεῖν, ἀνόσιον καὶ ἀλυσιτελέστατον. ΤΙΤΛ. ΙΘʹ. -Περὶ ὀνόματος Θεοῦ. Φίλωνος, ἐκ τῶν ἐν Ἐξόδῳ Ζητημάτων. - Τὸ Κύριος ὄνομα, καθὸ ἄρχει καὶ ἡγεμονεύει, δυναστείᾳ κράτους αὐτεξουσίου χρώμενος· τὸ δὲ Θεὸς, καθὸ ἀγαθότητι καὶ χρηστότητι. Ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ ἀγαθός ἐστι τοῦ αἰτίου ὄνομα. Τί θαυμαστὸν, εἰ τὸ ὂν ἀνθρώποις ἀκατονόμαστον, ὁπότε καὶ ὁ ἐν ἑκάστῳ νοῦς ἄγνωστος ἡμῖν; Τίς γὰρ ψυχῆς οὐσίαν εἶδεν; Οὐχ ὁρᾷς, ὅ τι φιλοπευστοῦντι τῷ προφήτῃ, τοῖς περὶ τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ ζητοῦσιν ἀποκριτέον φησὶν, Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν; εἷς ὢν, τὸ εἶναι πέφυκα, οὐ λέγεσθαι. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ μηδενὶ δεδηλῶσθαι τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Κύριον· Ὤφθην, φησὶ, πρὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ Ἰακὼβ, Θεὸς ὢν αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸ ὄνομά μου Κύριον οὐκ ἐδήλωσα αὐτοῖς. Οὕτω καὶ Ἰακὼβ μετὰ τὴν πάλην μαθεῖν ἐθέλων, ἤκουσεν· Ἵνα τί