,

not as something tame, but as a wild beast drawing to itself. But it is possible, with respect to the literal sense, for the sake of moral instruction, to take it that according to the story a wicked woman is signified. You know that sins happen to be suitable to certain people. For the most part, to act pompously, to boast sophistically, is a man’s part, but for a woman, to be provocative in licentiousness. He says, therefore, that this woman, whom he calls a harlot, whom he says is "sitting on a chair" and "calling those who pass by," is a prey 228. It is a bait, even if you take these things in a figurative sense, the cunning and unscrupulous mind, both sophistical and heretical; she is a wicked woman. And her heart is a net, her hands are bonds; he that is good before the face of God shall be delivered from her, but the sinner shall be taken in her. She wishes to ensnare those who approach. And her net is the opposite of the one that Jesus cast into the sea. For the texture of divine instruction and of the evangelical teaching "is a net cast into the sea, and gathers from every kind." And since the net is not perceptible, neither are the things ensnared perceptible. If, then, he says, "from every kind," he means this: "from every human character those who have fallen into the life in the water."

And concerning the devil it is said in one of the twelve prophets—and this is Habakkuk—"Will you be silent when the wicked swallows up one more righteous than he? And will you make men like the fish of the sea, and like the creeping things that have no ruler." For he says: "He has drawn up the whole with a fishhook and gathered it in his dragnet. For this reason he will sacrifice to his dragnet and burn incense to his casting-net. Will he continually cast his casting-net and not spare to slay the nations?" Therefore the enemy hunts in different ways, just as does "the Word of salvation." For as Jesus "cast a net into the sea," so also "Peter is commanded to cast." But the teachings are partial, looking toward one, the so-called particular quality of each. For when he gathers various nations with a net, it is: "He will not spare to slay the nations continually." And since the leaders of false doctrines deify them, they offer incense as to some divine art or to some god. This woman, therefore, said to have nets in her heart because she provokes and draws men in many ways, is a net of the devil. Here we wish to understand the passage from Job, so that from that and this we may receive the contemplation. He says that "every approaching vessel shall not bear a single hide of his tail, nor fishing boats his head." Then he says: "Who will uncover the garment of his face? And who would enter into the fold of his breastplate? 229" No one is able to uncover his face. He is many-faced, he imitates the sea-god Proteus; for that one does not have a fixed face at all. This, then, he says in Job: "Who will uncover the garment of his face?" You cannot say that this is his face. If you take away his face by word or by thought, something else worse is found. Then he is also folded up on all sides; into "the fold of his breastplate" no one is able to enter. And if you enter, it is again folded. So also here the evildoer called a woman here—whether you wish in the literal sense or in the figurative sense—does not have one net. When you think you have escaped one, you are subjected to another. A bond is in her hands. She immediately binds the one who approaches. And he calls her hand her action and activity. He who acts according to her is not only hunted and ensnared, but also falls into a bond; she makes him a captive. He that is good before the face of God shall be delivered from her. The one who is good before the face of God is not such by nature, but is the one hastening to have virtue, so that he might become good before God. This one, therefore, does not fall into her, is not hunted, is not ensnared. But while the good man "does not fall into her snares" or into her bonds, the wicked man is handed over to her. But to be handed over

οὐχ ὡς ἥμερόν τι, ἀλλ' ὡς ἄγριον θηρίον ἐπι σπώμενον ἑαυτῷ. δυνατὸν δὲ ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν ἠθικοῦ παιδεύματος ἕνεκα λαβεῖν κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν τὴν φαύλην γυναῖκα σημαίνεσθαι. οἶδας ὅτι τὰ ἁμαρτήματα κατάλληλά τισιν τυγχάνουσιν. ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον τὸ φορεύειν, τὸ περ περεύεσθαι σοφιστικῶς ἀνδρός ἐστιν, γυναικὸς δὲ τὸ ἐν ἀκολασίᾳ προκα λεῖσθαι. λέγει οὖν τὴν γυναῖκα ταύτην, ἣν λέγει πόρνην, ἣν λέγει "ἐπὶ δίφρου καθεζομένην" καὶ "προσκαλουμένην τοὺς παριόντας", θήρευμα εἶ 228 ναι. δέλεάρ ἐστιν, κἂν ἐπὶ γνώμης αὐτὰ λάβῃς, ἡ πανοῦργος καὶ ῥᾳδι ουργὸς γνώμη, καὶ σοφιστικὴ ἢ καὶ αἱρεθική· φαύλη γυνή ἐστιν. καὶ σαγῆναι καρδία αὐτῆς, δεσμο`̣ς εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς· ἀγαθὸς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξαιρεθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῆς, καὶ ἁμαρτάνων συνλημφθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ. σαγηνεύειν βούλεται τοὺς πλησιάζοντας. καὶ ἀπεναντίως ἔχει ἡ σαγήνη αὐ τῆς ᾗ Ἰησοῦς ἔβαλεν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. ἡ γὰρ πλοκὴ τῆς θείας παιδεύσεως καὶ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς διδασκαλίας "σαγήνη ἐστὶν βληθεῖσα εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ ἀπὸ παντὸς γένους συνάγει." καὶ ἐπεὶ μὴ αἰσθητὴ ἡ σαγήνη, οὐδὲ τὰ σα γηνευόμενα αἰσθητά ἐστιν. ἐὰν οὖν λέγῃ, ὅτι "ἀπὸ παντὸς γένους," τοῦτο λέγει· "ἀπὸ παντὸς ἤθους ἀνθρωπίνου εἰς τὸν ἔνυδρον βίον ἐκπεπτωκότας."

καὶ περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου λέγεται ἐν ἑνὶ τῶν δώδεκα προφητῶν-Ἀμβακοὺμ δέ ἐστιν οὗτος-"παρασιωπήσῃ ἐν τῷ καταπίνειν ἀσεβῆ τὸν δίκαιον; καὶ ποι ήσεις τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὡς τοὺς ἰχθύας τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ ὡς τὰ ἑρπετὰ τὰ οὐκ ἔχοντα ἡγούμενον." λέγει γάρ· "συντέλειαν ἐν ἀνγίστρῳ ἀνέσπασεν καὶ συνήγαγεν ἐν τῇ σαγήνῃ αὐτοῦ. ἕνεκα τούτου θύσει τῇ σαγήνῃ αὐτοῦ καὶ θυσιά σει τῷ ἀμφιβλήστρῳ αὐτοῦ. διὰ παντὸς ἀμφιβαλεῖ τὸ ἀμφίβληστρον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀποκτένειν ἔθνη οὐ φείσεται;" διαφόρως οὖν ἀγρεύει καὶ ὁ ἐχθρὸς ὥσπερ καὶ "ὁ τῆς σωτηρίας Λόγος." ὡς γὰρ σαγήνην ὁ Ἰησοῦς "ἔβαλεν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν", καὶ "ὁ Πέτρος προσ τάττεται βαλεῖν." μερικαὶ δέ εἰσιν αἱ διδασκαλίαι, πρὸς ἕνα τὸν λεγό μενον ἰδίως ποιὸν ἑκάστου βλέπουσαι. ὅταν γὰρ ποικίλα ἔθνη συνάγῃ σαγήνῃ, ἔστιν· "διὰ παντὸς ἀποκτέννειν ἔθνη οὐ φείσεται." καὶ ἐπεὶ οἱ προίστορες τῶν ψευδοδοξιῶν θεοποιοῦσιν αὐτάς, ὡς θείᾳ τινὶ τέχνῃ ἢ ὡς θεῷ τινι θυμιάζουσιν. αὕτη οὖν ἡ γυνὴ λεχθεῖσα σαγήνας ἔχειν ἐν καρδίᾳ ἑαυτῆς διὰ τὸ πολυτρόπως αἱρεθίζειν καὶ ἐπισπᾶσθαι τοὺς ἀν θρώπους σαγήνη ἐστὶν τοῦ διαβόλου. ὧδε τὸ τοῦ Ἰὼβ θέλομεν νοῆσαι, ἵν' ἐξ ἐκείνου καὶ τούτου τὴν θεω ρίαν λάβωμεν. λέγει, ὅτι "πᾶν πλωτὸν συνερχόμενον οὐ μὴ ἐνέγκῃ μίαν βύρσαν οὐρᾶς αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ πλοῖα ἁλιέων κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ." εἶτα λέγει· "τίς ἀποκαλύψει ἔνδυμα προσώπου αὐτοῦ; εἰς δὲ πτύξιν θώρακος αὐτοῦ 229 τίς ἂν εἰσέλθοι;" οὐδεὶς δύναται ἀποκαλύψαι τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ. πολυ πρόσωπός ἐστιν, μιμεῖται τὸν ἐνάλι̣ον̣ Πρωτέα· ἐκεῖνος γὰρ οὐκ ἔχει ὅλως τεταγμένον πρόσωπον. τοῦτο οὖν λέγει ἐν τῷ Ἰώβ· "τίς ἀποκα λύψει ἔνδυμα προσώπου αὐτοῦ;" οὐκ ἔχεις εἰπεῖν, ὅτι τόδε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. ἐὰν ἄρῃς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ τῷ λόγῳ ἢ νοήσει, ἄλλο τι χεῖρον ε̣ὑρίσκεται. εἶτα καὶ περιεπτυγμένος ἐστὶν πανταχόθεν· "εἰς πτύξιν θώρακος αὐτοῦ" οὐδεὶς δύναται εἰσελθεῖν. καὶ ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃς, πάλιν περιέπτυκται. οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἡ κακοῦργος ἡ ὀνομαζομένη γυνὴ ἐνταῦθα-ἤτοι ἐπὶ ῥητοῦ θέλῃς ἤτοι ἐπὶ γνώμης-οὐ μίαν ἔχει σαγήνην. ὅταν δοκῇς ἐκπεφευγέναι μίαν, ἄλλῃ ὑποβάλλῃ. δεσμὸς εἰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς. τὸν πλησιάζοντα εὐθέως δεσμεῖ. χεῖρα δὲ αὐτῆς τὴν πρᾶξιν λέγει καὶ ἐνέργειαν. ὁ ἐνεργῶν κατ' αὐτὴν οὐ μόνον ἀγρεύετ̣αι καὶ σαγηνεύε ται, ἀλλὰ καὶ δεσμῷ περιπίπτει· δέσμιον αὐτὸν ἀποφαίνει. ἀγαθὸς πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ἐξαιρεθήσεται ἀπ' αὐτῆς. ὁ πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ἀγαθὸς οὐ κατ' οὐσίαν ἐστὶν τοιοῦτ̣ος, ἀλλὰ ὁ σπεύδων ἀρετὴν ἔχειν, ἵνα ἐπίπροσθεν θεοῦ ἀγαθὸς γένηται. οὗτος οὖν οὐκ ἐνπίπτει εἰς αὐτήν, οὐκ ἀγρεύεται, οὐ σαγηνεύεται. τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ δὲ "μὴ ἐμπίπτοντος εἰς τὰς παγὰς αὐτῆς" ἢ εἰς τοὺς δεσμοὺς ὁ φαῦλος πα ραδίδοται αὐτῇ. τὸ παραδίδοσθαι δὲ