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an unknown (14∆_202> power and glory, they were led by the hand, learning that the light that appeared to their senses was a symbol of the unseen hiddenness. For just as here the ray of the light that appeared overcomes the activity of the eyes, remaining incomprehensible to them, so too there God transcends all power and activity of the mind, leaving no impression whatsoever in the one who tries to comprehend Him by thinking. Through the white garments, they were taught at once and in a God-pleasing manner both the magnificent work in created things, in accordance with the principles according to which they were made, and the mystagogy in the words of Holy Scripture, according to what is understood, just as with the knowledge of God there appears together both the power of Scripture according to the spirit, and the wisdom and knowledge in creation according to it, through which again He is revealed accordingly. Through Moses and Elijah who were with Him on either side (for this remains for the examination of the contemplation), they received many Gnostic modes of understanding in many concepts, of which types of mysteries were put forth through true contemplation.

41. A CONTEMPLATION ON MOSES AND ELIJAH

1161 A contemplation on Moses and Elijah. 1. And first, concerning the necessity that should by all means be with the Word and God the

both legal and the prophetic word, through Moses and Elijah they received a most pious notion, as being from Him and about Him and announcing, and established around Him.

2. Then, through the same men, they were taught of the wisdom and goodness that were with Him: wisdom, because according to it the word prescribes what must be done and forbids what must not be done, of which Moses was a type (for we believe the grace of lawgiving belongs to wisdom); and goodness, because according to it He is persuasive and brings back to the divine life those who have fallen away from it, (14∆_204> of which Elijah was a type, signifying through himself the entire prophetic gift. For a particular mark of divine goodness is the loving return of those who have gone astray, of which we know the prophets to be heralds.

3. Or knowledge and instruction: knowledge, because it provides men with the awareness of good and evil. For I have set, he says, before your face life and death, so that you may choose the one, and flee the other, and not, out of ignorance, fall into the worse thing as if it were good, which Moses is said to have done, prefiguring in himself the symbols of the truth; and instruction, because He chastises the indifference of those who, like Israel, whose instructor was the great Elijah, make use of contrary things with impunity and mix indiscriminately what cannot be mixed, and brings to mind and perception, as a word, the folly and hardness of heart of those who are completely attached to evil.

4. Or practice and contemplation: practice, as the destroyer of wickedness, and as that which completely severs from the world in disposition those who are led by it through the demonstration of virtues, as Moses severed Israel from Egypt, and which instructs them to be led in obedience to the divine laws of the Spirit; and contemplation, as that which snatches away from matter and form, as the fiery chariot snatched Elijah, and which leads to and unites with God through knowledge those who are not weighed down by the flesh in any way, on account of the transgression of its law, or are inflamed by any pride at all for their achievements, on account of the dew of poverty of spirit which is joined to true virtues.

5. Or again, learning through Moses that the mysteries concerning marriage and celibacy are with the Word, who because of the marriage became a lover of the divine

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ἄγνωστον (14∆_202> ἐχειραγωγοῦντο δύναμίν τε καί δόξαν, τῆς ἀφανοῦς κρυφιότητος τό φανέν αὐτοῖς πρός τήν αἴσθησιν φῶς σύμβολον εἶναι μανθάνοντες. Ὡς γάρ ἐνταῦθα τοῦ γενομένου φωτός τήν τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν νικᾷ ἐνέργειαν ἡ ἀκτίς, ἀχώρητος αὐτοῖς διαμένουσα, οὕτω κἀκεῖ Θεός πᾶσαν νοός δύναμιν ὑπερβαίνει καί ἐνέργειαν, οὐδ᾿ ὅλως ἐν τῷ νοεῖσθαι τῷ νοεῖν πειρωμένῳ τόν οἱονοῦν τύπον ἀφείς. ∆ιά δέ τῶν λευκῶν ἱματίων τήν τε ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασιν ἀναλόγως τοῖς καθ᾿ οὕς γεγένηνται λόγοις μεγαλουργίαν καί τήν ἐν τοῖς ῥήμασι τῆς ἁγίας Γραφῆς κατά τό νοούμενον μυσταγωγίαν ἐν ταὐτῷ καί ἅμα θεοπρεπῶς ἐδιδάσκοντο, οἷα τῇ ἐπιγνώσει τοῦ Θεοῦ συναναφαινομένης τῆς τε γραφικῆς κατά τό πνεῦμα δυνάμεως καί τῆς ἐν τοῖς κτίσμασι κατ᾿ αὐτό σοφίας καί γνώσεως, δι᾿ ὧν πάλιν αὐτός ἀναλόγως ἐκφαίνεται. ∆ιά δέ Μωϋσέως καί Ἠλίου τῶν ἑκατέρωθεν αὐτῷ συνόντων (τοῦτο γάρ εἰς τήν ἐξέτασιν τῆς θεωρίας λείπεται), πολλούς κατά πολλάς ἐπινοίας, ὧν τύποι προεβέβληντο μυστηρίων δι᾿ ἀληθοῦς θεωρίας γνωστικούς ὑπεδέχοντο τρόπους.

ΜΑ (41). ΘΕΩΡΙΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΜΩΫΣΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΤΟΝ ΗΛΙΑΝ

1161 Θεωρία εἰς τόν Μωϋσῆν καί τόν Ἠλίαν. Α´. Καί πρῶτον μέν τήν περί τοῦ δεῖν πάντως συνεῖναι τῷ Λόγῳ καί Θεῷ τόν

τε νομικόν καί τόν προφητικόν λόγον διά Μωϋσέως καί Ἠλίου εὐσεβεστάτην ἐλάμβανον ἔννοιαν, ὡς ἐξ αὐτοῦ καί περί αὐτοῦ καί ὄντας καί ἀπαγγέλοντας, καί περί αὐτόν ἱδρυμένους.

Β´. Εἶτα σοφίαν καί χρηστότητα συνοῦσαν αὐτῷ διά τῶν αὐτῶν ἐπαιδεύοντο, τήν μέν ὅτι κατ᾿ αὐτήν διαγορευτικός ἐστι τῶν ποιητέων ὁ λόγος, καί ἀπαγορευτικός τῶν οὐ ποιητέων, ἧς τύπος ὑπῆρχε Μωϋσῆς (σοφίας γάρ τήν τῆς νομοθεσίας εἶναι πιστεύομεν χάριν), τήν δέ ὅτι κατ᾿ αὐτήν προτρεπτικός ἐστι καί ἐπιστρεπτικός πρός τήν θείαν ζωήν τῶν αὐτῆς ἀπολισθησάντων, (14∆_204> ἧς τύπος ὑπῆρχεν Ἠλίας, δι᾿ ἑαυτοῦ ὅλον τό προφητικόν δηλῶν χάρισμα. Χρηστότητος γάρ θείας ἴδιον γνώρισμα, τῶν πεπλανημένων ἡ μετά φιλανθρωπίας ἐπιστροφή, ἧς κήρυκας τούς προφήτας γινώσκομεν.

Γ´. Ἤ γνῶσιν καί παιδείαν, τήν μέν ὅτι καλοῦ τε καί κακοῦ τῆς εἰδήσεως τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὑπάρχει παρεκτικός. ∆έδωκα γάρ, φησί, πρό προσώπου σου τήν ζωήν καί τόν θάνατον, ἐφ᾿ ᾧ τήν μέν ἑλεῖν αἱρεῖσθαι, τόν δέ φυγεῖν, καί μή ὡς καλῷ περιπεσεῖν ἐξ ἀγνοίας τῷ χείρονι, ὅπερ Μωϋσῆς πεπραχώς ἀνηγόρευται, προτυπῶν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τῆς ἀληθείας τά σύμβολα· τήν δέ ὅτι τῶν τοῖς ἐναντίοις ἀνέδην χρωμένων κατά τόν Ἰσραήλ, οὗ παιδευτήν Ἠλίας ὁ μέγας ἐγένετο, καί μιγνύντων ἀδιακρίτως τά ἄμικτα, τῆς ἀδιαφορίας ἐστί κολαστικός, καί τῶν παντελῶς τῷ κακῷ προστεθειμένων τήν ἄνοιαν καί τήν πώρωσιν εἰς ἔννοιαν ἄγων, ὡς λόγος, καί αἴσθησιν.

∆´. Ἤ πρᾶξιν καί θεωρίαν, τήν μέν ὡς κακίας ἀναιρετικήν, καί κόσμου δι᾿ ἐπιδείξεως ἀρετῶν τούς δι᾿ αὐτῆς ἀγομένους παντελῶς κατά διάθεσιν τέμνουσαν, ὡς Μωϋσῆς τῆς Αἰγύπτου τόν Ἰσραήλ, καί θείοις νόμοις τοῦ Πνεύματος εὐπειθῶς παιδεύουσαν ἄγεσθαι· τήν δέ ὡς ὕλης καί εἴδους ἁρπάζουσαν, ὡς τόν Ἠλίαν τό ἐκ πυρός ἅρμα, καί Θεῷ διά γνώσεως προσάγουσάν τε καί συνάπτουσαν ὑπό σαρκός μηδ᾿ ὁτιοῦν βαρουμένους, διά τήν τοῦ κατ᾿ αὐτήν νόμου ἀθέτησιν, ἤ ἐπάρσει καθ᾿ ὁτιοῦν ἐπί τοῖς κατορθώμασι φλεγομένους, διά τήν συνημμένην ταῖς ὄντως ἀρεταῖς δρόσον τῆς πτωχείας τοῦ πνεύματος.

Ε´. Ἤ πάλιν τά κατά τόν γάμον καί τήν ἀγαμίαν μυστήρια παρά τῷ Λόγῳ εἶναι μανθάνοντες διά Μωϋσέως, τοῦ διά τόν γάμον τῆς θείας ἐραστοῦ γενέσθαι