31

he stretched out with ease. 9, 8 and walking as on the ground upon the sea. According to the history: He, he says, having the sea under his feet and because of the immateriality of his nature, travels through all things and stands over all things. But it seems to signify prophetically also the incarnation of the Word, when the Lord came to the apostolic vessel, walking on the tips of the waves. 9, 910 who makes Pleiades and Hesperus and Arcturus and the chambers of the south wind; who does great and unsearchable things, glorious and wonderful, of which there is no number. He used these names as something blameless; for what 93 harm do they do to scripture by being named by it in such a way as men who hear are able to understand? From the most conspicuous stars he included the rest and as it were said: who adorned all the heavenly world. And from the south wind he indicated all the winds, as the blessed David said: who brings out winds from his treasures. And scripture called them treasures and chambers of the winds, so that we might know that words about the winds are unattainable. And why, he says, do I speak of each particular thing? For the works of God are great and incomprehensible and innumerable. 9, 11 If he should pass by me, I shall not see; and if he should go past me, not even then have I known it. But he is both invisible and incomprehensible by nature, so that it is unknown to us how he is both in all things and outside all things and above all things. 9, 1213 If he takes away, who will turn him back? Or who will say to him: What have you done? For he himself has turned away wrath, and by him the sea-monsters under heaven were bent. If, he says, he should wish to make a complete end, who will undo what seems good to him? But one thing, he says, we know, that he punishes without passion and chastises without anger, administering all things 94 concerning us for our benefit. But Symmachus, instead of: "and by him the sea-monsters under heaven were bent," rendered it thus: _b_e_n_e_a_t_h_ _h_i_m_ _s_h_a_l_l_ _b_e_ _b_e_n_t_ _t_h_o_s_e_ _p_r_o_p_p_e_d_ _u_p_ _b_y_ _a_r_r_o_g_a_n_c_e_, in order to say that he brings down the brow even of the proud. And as to the meaning: by him were humbled the spiritual powers of wickedness, called sea-monsters, because they swim through the billows of the soul. 9, 1415 And if he hearkens to me, will he really discern my words? For even if I am righteous, he will not hearken to me; I shall entreat his judgment. But if he both hearkens to me and truly discerns and examines my words, and I seem to be righteous by every account, since God does not judge according to our mind, but his judgments are both higher and unattainable for us, he will rightly not listen to me. Therefore I shall rather entreat him, that he might bring forth the judgments upon me with loving-kindness. And he says these things, marveling at the excellence of God's judgment and almost saying the words of the apostle: For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not thereby justified. He asks, therefore, to be justified by God according to grace. 9, 1617 And if I call and he hearkens, I do not believe that he has heard me; will he not crush me with a dark storm? But if I both call upon God and he is willing to hearken to my justification, again I fear that he has not accepted it and will make me disappear like a tempest or a dark storm. And what he says is this: the dark storm 95 is circular, encompassing from all sides. Even if, he says, I seem to be righteous in one part, he convicts me in another. 9, 17 and he has multiplied my crushings for naught. But one thing I know, he says, that I do not know the cause for which I am so crushed. For this is what "for naught" seems to signify. Or he also says this, that God did not need to test me through torments; for he knew me even before the trials. And this God also said to the devil about him: But you said to destroy his possessions for naught. 9, 1819 For he does not let me take a breath, but has filled me with bitterness. For because he prevails by strength; who then will stand against his judgment? Therefore I, he says, am not even able to breathe without pain; but considering the strength of God, I declare it to be a bold thing to stand against his judgments. And he says all these things addressing his friends, who thought he was being punished for his sins. 9, For even if I am righteous, my mouth will declare me ungodly. For if I should dare

31

εὐκολίας διέτεινεν. 9, 8 καὶ περιπατῶν ὡς ἐπὶ ἐδάφους ἐπὶ θαλάσσης. κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἱστορίαν· ὁ καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, φησίν, ὑπὸ πόδας ἔχων καὶ διὰ τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἄυλον διὰ πάντων ὁδεύων καὶ πᾶσιν ἐφιστάμενος. ἔοικε δὲ προφητικῶς καὶ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν τοῦ λόγου σημαίνειν, ὅτε πρὸς τὴν ἀποστολικὴν ὁ κύριος ὁλκάδα παρεγένετο ἐπ' ἄκρων τῶν κυμάτων βαδίζων. 9, 910 ὁ ποιῶν Πλειάδα καὶ Ἕσπερον καὶ Ἀρκτοῦρον καὶ ταμεῖα νότου· ὁ ποιῶν μεγάλα καὶ ἀνεξιχνίαστα, ἔνδοξά τε καὶ ἐξαίσια, ὧν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀριθμός. ὡς ἀνέγκλητος μὲν τούτοις τοῖς ὀνόμασιν ἐχρήσατο· τί γὰρ ἀδι 93 κοῦσι τὴν γραφὴν ὀνομαζόμενα παρ' αὐτῆς οὕτως ὡς ἀκούοντες ἄνθρωποι δύνανται νοεῖν; ἀπὸ μὲν τῶν περιφανεστέρων ἀστέρων τοὺς λοιποὺς περιέλαβεν καὶ οἱονεὶ εἶπεν ὅτι· ὁ πάντα τὸν οὐράνιον ποικίλας κόσμον. ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ νότου τοὺς πάντας ἀνέμους ἐσήμανεν, ὡς καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἔφη ∆αυίδ· ὁ ἐξάγων ἀνέμους ἐκ θησαυρῶν αὐτῶν. θησαυροὺς δὲ καὶ ταμεῖα ἀνέμων εἶπεν ἡ γραφή, ἵνα γνῶμεν, ὅτι ἀνέφικτοί εἰσιν οἱ περὶ τῶν ἀνέμων λόγοι. καὶ τί, φησίν, τὸ καθέκαστον λέγω; μεγάλα γάρ εἰσι καὶ ἀκατάληπτα καὶ ἀναρίθμητα τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ ἔργα. 9, 11 ἐὰν ὑπερβῇ με, οὐ μὴ ἴδω· καὶ ἐὰν παρέλθῃ με, οὐδ' ὧς ἔγνων. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατάληπτος τὴν φύσιν τυγχάνει, ὥστε ἄγνωστον ἡμῖν εἶναι, πῶς τε ἐν πᾶσι καὶ ἔξω πάντων καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντα τυγχάνει. 9, 1213 ἐὰν ἀπαλλάξῃ, τίς ἀποστρέψει; ἢ τίς ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ· τί ἐποίησας; αὐτὸς γὰρ ἀπέστραπται ὀργήν, ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δὲ ἐκάμφθησαν κήτη τὰ ὑπ' οὐρανόν. ἐάν, φησίν, τελείαν συντέλειαν ποιήσασθαι θελήσῃ, τίς ἀνασκευάσει τὰ αὐτῷ δοκοῦντα; ἓν δέ, φησίν, οἴδαμεν, ὅτι ἀπαθῶς κολάζει καὶ ἀοργήτως τιμωρεῖται, πάντα συμφερόντως οἰκονομῶν τὰ καθ' 94 ἡμᾶς. ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ἀντὶ τοῦ· ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δὲ ἐκάμφθησαν κήτη τὰ ὑπ' οὐρανὸν οὕτως ἐκδέδωκεν· _ὑ_π_ο_κ_ά_τ_ω_ _α_ὐ_τ_ο_ῦ_ _κ_α_μ_φ_θ_ή_σονται οἱ ἐπερειδόμενοι ἀλαζονείᾳ, ἵνα εἴπῃ, ὅτι καὶ τῶν ὑπερηφάνων κατασπᾷ τὴν ὀφρῦν. πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐταπεινώθησαν τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας, κήτη καλούμενα, ὅτι περὶ τοὺς κλύδωνας τῆς ψυχῆς διανήχονται. 9, 1415 ἐὰν δέ μου ὑπακούσηται, ἦ διακρινεῖ τὰ ῥήματά μου; ἐάν τε γὰρ δίκαιος ὦ, οὐχ ὑπακούσεταί μου, τοῦ κρίματος αὐτοῦ δεηθήσομαι. εἰ δὲ καὶ ὑπακούσεταί μου καὶ ὄντως διακρινεῖ καὶ κατεξετάσει τὰ ἐμὰ ῥήματα καὶ δόξω κατὰ πάντα λόγον δίκαιος εἶναι, ἐπειδὴ μὴ κατὰ τὸν ἡμέτερον νοῦν ὁ θεὸς κρίνει, ἀλλ' ὑψηλότερά τε καὶ ἀνέφικτα ἡμῖν τὰ αὐτοῦ κρίματα, δικαίως οὐκ εἰσακούσεταί μου. διὸ μᾶλλον αὐτοῦ δεηθήσομαι, ἵνα φιλανθρώπως ἐξοίσῃ τὰ ἐπ' ἐμοὶ κρίματα. ταῦτα δὲ λέγει τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τοῦ κρίματος τοῦ θεοῦ θαυμάζων καὶ μονονουχὶ τὸ τοῦ ἀποστόλου λέγων· οὐδὲν μὲν ἐμαυτῷ σύνοιδα, πλὴν οὐκ ἐν τούτῳ δεδικαίωμαι. αἰτεῖ οὖν κατὰ χάριν ὑπὸ θεοῦ δικαιωθῆναι. 9, 1617 ἐάν τε καλέσω καὶ ὑπακούσῃ, οὐ πιστεύω, ὅτι εἰσακήκοέν μου· μὴ γνόφῳ με ἐκτρίψει; ἐὰν δὲ καὶ ἐπικαλέσωμαι τὸν θεὸν καὶ θελήσῃ ὑπακοῦσαί μου τῆς δικαιολογίας, πάλιν δέδοικα, μὴ οὐ παρεδέξατο ταύτην καὶ ὡς καταιγὶς ἤτοι γνόφος ἀφανίσει με. ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ὁ γνόφος 95 κυκλοτερὴς πανταχόθεν περιλαμβάνων ἐστίν. κἂν δι' ἑνὸς οὖν, φησίν, μέρους δόξω δίκαιος εἶναι, δι' ἑτέρου ἐλέγχει με. 9, 17 πολλὰ δέ μου τὰ συντρίμματα ἐποίησεν διὰ κενῆς. ἓν δὲ οἶδα, φησίν, ὅτι αἰτίαν οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι, δι' ἣν οὕτω συντρίβομαι. τοῦτο γὰρ ἔοικε σημαίνειν τὸ διὰ κενῆς. ἢ καὶ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι οὐκ ἐδεῖτο θεὸς δοκιμάσαι με διὰ βασάνων· ᾔδει γάρ με καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἐτασμῶν. τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ θεὸς πρὸς τὸν διάβολον ἔλεγε περὶ αὐτοῦ· σὺ δὲ εἶπας ἀπολέσαι τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ διὰ κενῆς. 9, 1819 οὐκ ἐᾷ γάρ με ἀναπνεῦσαι, ἐνέπλησεν δέ με πικρίας. ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἰσχύι κρατεῖ· τίς οὖν κρίματι αὐτοῦ ἀντιστήσεται; ἐγὼ μὲν οὖν, φησίν, οὐδὲ ἀναπνεῦσαι ἀνωδύνως δύναμαι· λογιζόμενος δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν τολμηρὸν εἶναι ἀποφαίνομαι τὸ τοῖς αὐτοῦ κρίμασιν ἀνθίστασθαι. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα πρὸς τοὺς φίλους ἀποτεινόμενος λέγει τοὺς οἰομένους δι' ἁμαρτίας αὐτὸν κολάζεσθαι. 9, ἐάν τε γὰρ ὦ δίκαιος, τὸ στόμα μου ἀσεβήσει. ἐὰν γὰρ τολμήσω