Chapter IX.—The Connection of the Christian Virtues.

Such a fear, accordingly, leads to repentance and hope. Now hope is the expectation of good things, or an expectation sanguine of absent good; and favourable circumstances are assumed in order to good hope, which we have learned leads on to love. Now love turns out to be consent in what pertains to reason, life, and manners, or in brief, fellowship in life, or it is the intensity of friendship and of affection, with right reason, in the enjoyment of associates. And an associate (ἑταῖρος) is another self;437    ἑτερος ἐγώ, alter ego, deriving ἑταῖρος from ἕτερος. just as we call those, brethren, who are regenerated by the same word. And akin to love is hospitality, being a congenial art devoted to the treatment of strangers. And those are strangers, to whom the things of the world are strange. For we regard as worldly those, who hope in the earth and carnal lusts. “Be not conformed,” says the apostle, “to this world: but be ye transformed in the renewal of the mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”438    Rom. xii. 2.

Hospitality, therefore, is occupied in what is useful for strangers; and guests (ἐπίξενοι) are strangers (ξένοι); and friends are guests; and brethren are friends. “Dear brother,”439    φέλε κασἰγνητε, Iliad, v. 359. says Homer.

Philanthropy, in order to which also, is natural affection, being a loving treatment of men, and natural affection, which is a congenial habit exercised in the love of friends or domestics, follow in the train of love. And if the real man within us is the spiritual, philanthropy is brotherly love to those who participate, in the same spirit. Natural affection, on the other hand, is the preservation of good-will, or of affection; and affection is its perfect demonstration;440    ἀπόδεξις has been conjectured in place of ἀπόδειξις. and to be beloved is to please in behaviour, by drawing and attracting. And persons are brought to sameness by consent, which is the knowledge of the good things that are enjoyed in common. For community of sentiment (ὁμογνωμοσύνη) is harmony of opinions (συμφωνία γνωμῶν). “Let your love be without dissimulation,” it is said; “and abhorring what is evil, let us become attached to what is good, to brotherly love,” and so on, down to “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, living peaceably with all men.” Then “be not overcome of evil,” it is said, “but overcome evil with good.”441    Rom. xii. 9, 10, 18, 21. And the same apostle owns that he bears witness to the Jews, “that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God.”442    Rom. x. 2, 3. For they did not know and do the will of the law; but what they supposed, that they thought the law wished. And they did not believe the law as prophesying, but the bare word; and they followed through fear, not through disposition and faith. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness,”443    Rom. x. 4. who was prophesied by the law to every one that believeth. Whence it was said to them by Moses, “I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are not a people; and I will anger you by a foolish nation, that is, by one that has become disposed to obedience.”444    Rom. x. 19; Deut. xxxii. 21. And by Isaiah it is said, “I was found of them that sought Me not; I was made manifest to them that inquired not after Me,”445    Isa. xlv. 2; Rom. x. 20, 21.—manifestly previous to the coming of the Lord; after which to Israel, the things prophesied, are now appropriately spoken: “I have stretched out My hands all the day long to a disobedient and gainsaying people.” Do you see the cause of the calling from among the nations, clearly declared, by the prophet, to be the disobedience and gainsaying of the people? Then the goodness of God is shown also in their case. For the apostle says, “But through their transgression salvation is come to the Gentiles, to provoke them to jealousy”446    Rom. xi. 11. and to willingness to repent. And the Shepherd, speaking plainly of those who had fallen asleep, recognises certain righteous among Gentiles and Jews, not only before the appearance of Christ, but before the law, in virtue of acceptance before God,—as Abel, as Noah, as any other righteous man. He says accordingly, “that the apostles and teachers, who had preached the name of the Son of God, and had fallen asleep, in power and by faith, preached to those that had fallen asleep before.” Then he subjoins: “And they gave them the seal of preaching. They descended, therefore, with them into the water, and again ascended. But these descended alive, and again ascended alive. But those, who had fallen asleep before, descended dead, but ascended alive. By these, therefore, they were made alive, and knew the name of the Son of God. Wherefore also they ascended with them, and fitted into the structure of the tower, and unhewn were built up together; they fell asleep in righteousness and in great purity, but wanted only this seal.”447    Hermas, [Similitudes, p. 49, supra.] “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things of the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves,”448    Rom. ii. 14. according to the apostle.

As, then, the virtues follow one another, why need I say what has been demonstrated already, that faith hopes through repentance, and fear through faith; and patience and practice in these along with learning terminate in love, which is perfected by knowledge? But that is necessarily to be noticed, that the Divine alone is to be regarded as naturally wise. Therefore also wisdom, which has taught the truth, is the power of God; and in it the perfection of knowledge is embraced. The philosopher loves and likes the truth, being now considered as a friend, on account of his love, from his being a true servant. The beginning of knowledge is wondering at objects, as Plato says is in his Theætetus; and Matthew exhorting in the Traditions, says, “Wonder at what is before you;” laying this down first as the foundation of further knowledge. So also in the Gospel to the Hebrews it is written, “He that wonders shall reign, and he that has reigned shall rest. It is impossible, therefore, for an ignorant man, while he remains ignorant, to philosophize, not having apprehended the idea of wisdom; since philosophy is an effort to grasp that which truly is, and the studies that conduce thereto. And it is not the rendering of one449    This clause is hopelessly corrupt; the text is utterly unintelligible, and the emendation of Sylburgius is adopted in the translation. accomplished in good habits of conduct, but the knowing how we are to use and act and labour, according as one is assimilated to God. I mean God the Saviour, by serving the God of the universe through the High Priest, the Word, by whom what is in truth good and right is beheld. Piety is conduct suitable and corresponding to God.

Ἀνάγει γοῦν ὁ τοιοῦτος φόβος ἐπί τε τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐπί τε τὴν ἐλπίδα. ἐλπὶς δὲ προσδοκία ἀγαθῶν ἡ ἀπόντος ἀγαθοῦ εὔελπις. ἀμέλει καὶ ἡ ** [εὐ]εμπτωσία λαμβάνεται εἰς ἐλπίδα, ἣν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀγάπην χειραγωγεῖν μεμαθήκαμεν. ἀγάπη δὲ ὁμόνοια ἂν εἴη τῶν κατὰ τὸν λόγον καὶ τὸν βίον καὶ τὸν τρόπον ἢ συνελόντι φάναι κοινωνία βίου ἢ ἐκτένεια φιλίας καὶ φιλοστοργίας μετὰ λόγου ὀρθοῦ περὶ χρῆσιν ἑταίρων. ὁ δὲ ἑταῖρος ἕτερος ἐγώ· ᾗ καὶ ἀδελφοὺς τοὺς τῷ αὐτῷ λόγῳ ἀναγεννηθέντας προσαγορεύομεν. παράκειται δὲ τῇ ἀγάπῃ ἥ τε φιλοξενία, φιλοτεχνία τις οὖσα περὶ χρῆσιν ξένων· ξένοι δὲ ὧν ξένα τὰ κοσμικά. κοσμικοὺς γὰρ τοὺς εἰς γῆν ἐλπίζοντας καὶ τὰς σαρκικὰς ἐπιθυμίας ἐξακούομεν· μὴ συσχηματίζεσθε, φησὶν ὁ ἀπόστολος, τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μεταμορφοῦσθε τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοός, εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ εὐάρεστον καὶ τέλειον. ἀναστρέφει τοίνυν ἡ φιλοξενία περὶ τὸ ὠφέλιμον τοῖς ξένοις, ξένοι δὲ οἱ ἐπίξενοι, ἐπίξενοι δὲ οἱ φίλοι, φίλοι δὲ οἱ ἀδελφοί· φίλε κασίγνητε φησὶν Ὅμηρος. ἥ τε φιλανθρωπία, δι' ἣν καὶ ἡ φιλοστοργία, φιλικὴ χρῆσις ἀνθρώπων ὑπάρχουσα, ἥ τε φιλοστοργία, φιλοτεχνία τις οὖσα περὶ στέρξιν φίλων ἢ οἰκείων, συμπαρομαρτοῦσιν ἀγάπῃ. εἰ δ' ὁ τῷ ὄντι ἄνθρωπος ὁ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν ὁ πνευματικός, φιλαδελφία ἡ φιλανθρωπία τοῖς τοῦ αὐτοῦ πνεύματος κεκοινωνηκόσιν· στέρξις δ' αὖ τήρησίς ἐστιν εὐνοίας ἢ ἀγαπήσεως, ἀγάπησις δὲ ἀπόδεξις παντελής, καὶ τὸ ἀγαπᾶν ἀρέσκεσθαι τῷ ἤθει, ἀγόμενόν τε καὶ ἀπαγόμενον· ἄγονται δὲ εἰς ταὐτότητα δι' ὁμόνοιαν, ἐπιστήμην οὖσαν κοινῶν ἀγαθῶν· καὶ γὰρ ἡ ὁμογνωμοσύνη συμφωνία γνωμῶν. καὶ ἡ ἀγάπη φησὶν ἀνυπόκριτος ἔστω ἡμῖν, αὐτοί τε ἀποστυγοῦντες τὸ πονηρὸν γινώμεθα, κολλώμενοι τῷ ἀγαθῷ τῇ φιλαδελφίᾳ τε καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς ἕως εἰ δυνατόν, τὸ ἐξ ὑμῶν, μετὰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων εἰρηνεύοντες. ἔπειτα μὴ νικῶ λέγει ὑπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ, ἀλλὰ νίκα ἐν τῷ ἀγαθῷ τὸ κακόν. Ἰουδαίοις τε ὁ αὐτὸς ἀπόστολος μαρτυρεῖν ὁμολογεῖ ὅτι ζῆλον θεοῦ ἔχουσιν, ἀλλ' οὐ κατ' ἐπίγνωσιν· ἀγνοοῦντες γὰρ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὴν ἰδίαν ζητοῦντες στῆσαι, τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν· οὐ γὰρ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ νόμου ἔγνωσάν τε καὶ ἐποίησαν, ἀλλ' ὃ ὑπέλαβον αὐτοί, τοῦτο καὶ βούλεσθαι τὸν νόμον ᾠήθησαν· οὐδ' ὡς προφητεύοντι τῷ νόμῳ ἐπίστευσαν, λόγῳ δὲ ψιλῷ καὶ φόβῳ, ἀλλ' οὐ διαθέσει καὶ πίστει ἠκολούθησαν· τέλος γὰρ νόμου Χριστὸς εἰς δικαιοσύνην, ὁ ὑπὸ νόμου προφητευθείς, παντὶ τῷ πιστεύοντι. ὅθεν εἴρηται τούτοις παρὰ Μωυσέως· ἐγὼ παραζηλώσω ὑμᾶς ἐπ' οὐκ ἔθνει, ἐπ' ἔθνει ἀσυνέτῳ παροργιῶ ὑμᾶς, τῷ εἰς ὑπακοὴν δηλονότι εὐτρεπεῖ γενομένῳ. καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου εὑρέθην λέγει τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ζητοῦσιν, ἐμφανὴς ἐγενόμην τοῖς ἐμὲ μὴ ἐπερωτῶσι, πρὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου παρουσίας δηλαδή, μεθ' ἣν καὶ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἐκεῖνα τὰ προφητευθέντα οἰκείως λέγεται νῦν· ἐξεπέτασα τὰς χεῖράς μου ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἐπὶ λαὸν ἀπειθοῦντα καὶ ἀντιλέγοντα. ὁρᾷς τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν κλήσεως σαφῶς πρὸς τοῦ προφήτου ἀπείθειαν τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἀντιλογίαν εἰρημένην; εἶθ' ἡ ἀγαθότης καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις δείκνυται τοῦ θεοῦ· φησὶ γὰρ ὁ ἀπόστολος· ἀλλὰ τῷ αὐτῶν παραπτώματι ἡ σωτηρία τοῖς ἔθνεσιν εἰς τὸ παραζηλῶσαι αὐτοὺς καὶ μετανοῆσαι βουληθῆναι. ὁ Ποιμὴν δὲ ἁπλῶς ἐπὶ τῶν κεκοιμημένων θεὶς τὴν λέξιν δικαίους οἶδέ τινας ἐν ἔθνεσι καὶ ἐν Ἰουδαίοις οὐ μόνον πρὸ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου παρουσίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ νόμου κατὰ τὴν πρὸς θεὸν εὐαρέστησιν, ὡς Ἄβελ, ὡς Νῶε, ὡς εἴ τις ἕτερος δίκαιος. φησὶ γοῦν τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ διδασκάλους τοὺς κηρύξαντας τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ κοιμηθέντας τῇ δυνάμει καὶ τῇ πίστει κηρῦξαι τοῖς προκεκοιμημένοις. εἶτα ἐπιφέρει· καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτοῖς τὴν σφραγῖδα τοῦ κηρύγματος. κατέβησαν οὖν μετ' αὐτῶν εἰς τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ πάλιν ἀνέβησαν. ἀλλ' οὗτοι ζῶντες κατέβησαν καὶ πάλιν ζῶντες ἀνέβησαν· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οἱ προκεκοιμημένοι νεκροὶ κατέβησαν, ζῶντες δὲ ἀνέβησαν. διὰ τούτων οὖν ἐζωοποιήθησαν καὶ ἐπέγνωσαν τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ συνανέβησαν μετ' αὐτῶν καὶ συνήρμοσαν εἰς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ πύργου καὶ ἀλατόμητοι συνῳκοδομήθησαν· ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ [γὰρ] ἐκοιμήθησαν καὶ ἐν μεγάλῃ ἁγνείᾳ, μόνην δὲ τὴν σφραγῖδα ταύτην οὐκ ἔσχον. ὅταν γὰρ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιῶσιν, οὗτοι νόμον μὴ ἔχοντες ἑαυτοῖς εἰσι νόμος κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον. Ὡς μὲν οὖν ἀντακολουθοῦσιν ἀλλήλαις αἱ ἀρεταί, τί χρὴ λέγειν, ἐπιδεδειγμένου ἤδη ὡς πίστις μὲν ἐπὶ μετανοίᾳ ἐλπίδι τε, εὐλάβεια δὲ ἐπὶ πίστει, καὶ ἡ ἐν τούτοις ἐπιμονή τε καὶ ἄσκησις ἅμα μαθήσει συμπεραιοῦται εἰς ἀγάπην, ἣ δὲ τῇ γνώσει τελειοῦται; ἐκεῖνο δὲ ἐξ ἀνάγκης παρασημειωτέον ὡς μόνον τὸ θεῖον σοφὸν εἶναι φύσει νοεῖσθαι χρή· διὸ καὶ ἡ σοφία δύναμις θεοῦ ἡ διδάξασα τὴν ἀλήθειαν· κἀνταῦθά που εἴληπται ἡ τελείωσις τῆς γνώσεως. φιλεῖ δὲ καὶ ἀγαπᾷ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὁ φιλόσοφος, ἐκ τοῦ θεράπων εἶναι γνήσιος δι' ἀγάπην ἤδη φίλος νομισθείς. ταύτης δὲ ἀρχὴ τὸ θαυμάσαι τὰ πράγματα, ὡς Πλάτων ἐν Θεαιτήτῳ λέγει, καὶ Ματθίας ἐν ταῖς Παραδόσεσι παραινῶν θαύμασον τὰ παρόντα, βαθμὸν τοῦτον πρῶτον τῆς ἐπέκεινα γνώσεως ὑποτιθέμενος· ᾗ κἀν τῷ καθ' Ἑβραίους εὐαγγελίῳ ὁ θαυμάσας βασιλεύσει γέγραπται καὶ ὁ βασιλεύσας ἀναπαήσεται. ἀδύνατον οὖν τὸν ἀμαθῆ, ἔστ' ἂν μένῃ ἀμαθής, φιλοσοφεῖν δέ, τόν γε μὴ ἔννοιαν σοφίας εἰληφότα, φιλοσοφίας οὔσης ὀρέξεως τοῦ ὄντως ὄντος καὶ τῶν εἰς τοῦτο συντεινόντων μαθημάτων. κἂν τὸ ποιεῖν καλῶς ᾖ τισιν ἐξησκημένον, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἐπίστασθαι, ὡς χρηστέον καὶ ποιητέον, καὶ συνεκπονητέον, καθὸ καὶ ὁμοιοῦταί τις θεῷ, θεῷ λέγω τῷ σωτῆρι, θεραπεύων τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν διὰ τοῦ ἀρχιερέως λόγου, δι' οὗ καθορᾶται τὰ κατ' ἀλήθειαν καλὰ καὶ δίκαια. εὐσέβεια ** ἔστι πρᾶξις ἑπομένη καὶ ἀκόλουθος θεῷ.