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unwilling to exert his mind, he persists in the same things, since, asserting these things, he says, "before the mountains were settled" and "and before all hills he begets me." He says the mountains and hills are the apostles and the successors of the apostles, in order that he may proverbially signify their righteous way of life in comparison to other men. 3.3.28 Therefore the springs were the same, the mountains the same, and the hills the same. But just as it is not natural to assert that the visible springs and mountains are the same things—for there is nothing in common, in terms of quality, between springs of water and the heights of mountains—in the same way, one must also demonstrate the difference between the springs, mountains, and hills understood in contemplation, when considered allegorically in the mind. But he who knows nothing that has been examined, confounding everything out of ease, has declared that the springs of water and mountains and hills are the same, and says that all these are the apostles, without distinguishing the manner of the difference. 3.3.29 Why then did he not likewise call those perfected in righteousness and piety before the flesh of our savior mountains and hills, unless it was because the flesh of the savior was not able to exist before them? Therefore, the application of the preceding words to the flesh of the savior is violent and forced. And how would "he begets me" apply to the flesh? For he said that he was begotten before the springs and before the mountains and before the hills, saying, "The Lord created me as the beginning of his ways for his works, before the age 3.3.30 he founded me." If, then, the flesh should say these things, as Marcellus thinks, how could the flesh say, "and before all hills he begets me"? For let the flesh be before the apostles; but how does it say that it itself has been begotten by God? For Marcellus thought it meant that the flesh was created, not having existed 3.3.31 before. For he said, our master, God, truly "created," having made what was not; for the flesh, which the Word assumed, he created when it was not, not when it was. So we have understood "was created," but how could "was begotten" by God also be attributed to it, when our savior says, "that which is born of the flesh is flesh," and the apostle says, "born 3.3.32 of a woman, born under the law." How then could the flesh have said concerning the God of all things, "and before all hills he begets me"? I think it is manifest to everyone that these things have a forced interpretation. But one might say without force that the Son of God speaks these things truthfully even apart from any allegorical manner, since he pre-existed the earth, and was and pre-existed before the bodily springs of the waters came forth, and before the perceptibly-named abysses, and before the form of the earth was constituted in the heights of the mountains and the hills; for "all things were made through him, and 3.3.33 without him was not anything made that was made." But if someone should ask why he did not teach that he existed before the heavens, or before the things in the heavens, or before the divine and super-cosmic powers and spirits beyond, it will be said to him that the Word did not mention these for the time being, since through the Proverbs he was delivering a certain instruction to those who are infants in soul. 3.3.34 Which happens to be clear from the fact that it is sometimes said, "Hear, son, the instruction of your father, and do not reject the laws of your mother," and at another time, "Son, attend to my laws, and incline your ear to my words," and again, "Son, do not despise the instruction of the Lord, and do not faint when you are reproved by him," 3.3.35 and, "Son, if you become good for yourself, you will be good also for your 3.3.35 neighbors; but if you turn out bad, you alone will draw up the evils." And you yourself could collect countless things similar to these on your own from the book of Proverbs, through which the Word appears to be discoursing with those who are infants in soul. 3.3.36 Thus also Moses, being an instructor of those imperfect in mind, made mention of heaven and earth and the creation of visible things, but not of the creation of angels nor of divine powers nor of holy spirits, because those who were being taught by him could not yet grasp the teaching of these things. 3.3.37 Fittingly, therefore, also

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τὸν νοῦν μηδὲ πονεῖν ἐθέλων, τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐπιμένει, ἐπεὶ καὶ ταῦτα φάσκων «πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη ἑδρασθῆναι» φησὶν «πρὸ δὲ πάντων βου νῶν γεννᾷ με». ὄρη καὶ βουνοὺς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ τοὺς τῶν ἀποστόλων διαδόχους λέγει, ἵνα παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνθρώπους τὴν κατ' αὐτῶν δικαίαν πολιτείαν παροιμιωδῶς σημήνῃ. 3.3.28 οὐκοῦν οἱ αὐτοὶ ἦσαν καὶ αἱ πηγαί, οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ τὰ ὄρη, οἱ αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ βουνοί. ἀλλ' ὥσπερ οὐκ ἔχει φύσιν ἐπὶ τῶν θεωρουμένων πηγῶν τε καὶ ὀρῶν τὰ αὐτὰ φάσκειν εἶναι οὐδὲν γὰρ κοινὸν ὡς ἐν ποιότητος λόγῳ πηγαῖς ὑδάτων πρὸς τὰ τῶν ὀρῶν ἀναστήματα, τὸν αὐτὸν τρόπον καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἀλληγορικῶς κατὰ διάνοιαν θεωρουμένων παραστῆσαι χρὴ διαφορὰν τῶν κατὰ τὴν θεωρίαν νοουμένων πηγῶν τε καὶ ὀρῶν καὶ βουνῶν. ἀλλ' ὁ μηδὲν βεβασανισμένον ἐπιστάμενος, τὰ πάντα φύρων δι' εὐχέρειαν, τοὺς αὐτοὺς εἶναι ἀποπέφανται καὶ πηγὰς ὑδάτων καὶ ὄρη καὶ βουνούς, φησίν τε πάντα ταῦτα εἶναι τοὺς ἀποστόλους, οὐ διαστειλάμενος τὸν τῆς διαφορᾶς 3.3.29 τρόπον. τί οὖν οὐχὶ καὶ πρὸ τῆς σαρκὸς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ θεοσεβείᾳ τελειωθέντας ὄρη καὶ βουνοὺς ὁμοίως ἐπεκάλει, ἀλλ' ἢ ὅτι μὴ πρὸ ἐκείνων οἷός τε ἦν τὴν σάρκα τοῦ σωτῆ ρος ὑφίστασθαι; οὐκοῦν βίαιος καὶ κατηναγκασμένη τῶν προκειμένων λέξεων ἡ ἐπὶ τὴν σάρκα τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀναφορά. πῶς δὲ καὶ τὸ «γεννᾷ με» ἐφαρμόσειεν ἂν τῇ σαρκί; πρὸ γὰρ τῶν πηγῶν καὶ πρὸ τῶν ὀρῶν καὶ πρὸ τῶν βουνῶν γεγεννῆσθαι ἔφησεν ἑαυτὸν εἰπὼν «κύριος ἔκτισέν με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ, πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος 3.3.30 ἐθεμελίωσέν με». εἰ δὴ οὖν ἡ σὰρξ ταῦτα φάσκοι, ὡς Μαρκέλλῳ δοκεῖ, πῶς τὸ «πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με» εἴποι ἂν ἡ σάρξ; ἔστω γὰρ πρὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἡ σάρξ· ἀλλὰ πῶς αὐτὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ γεγεννῆσθαί φησιν ἑαυτήν; τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐκτίσθαι μὴ οὖσαν πρό3.3.31 τερον τὴν σάρκα ἐδόκει Μαρκέλλῳ λέγειν. ἔφη γὰρ ἔκτισεν ἀληθῶς τὸ μὴ ὂν πεποιηκὼς ὁ δεσπότης ἡμῶν ὁ θεός· οὐκ οὖσαν γὰρ τὴν σάρκα, ἣν ἀνείληφεν ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ μὴ οὖσαν ἔκτισεν. τὸ μὲν οὖν ἐκτίσθαι ἔγνωμεν, τὸ δὲ καὶ γεγεννῆσθαι αὐτὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πῶς ἂν ἀποδοθείη, τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν λέγοντος «τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς σάρξ ἐστιν», καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος δέ φησιν «γενό3.3.32 μενος ἐκ γυναικός, γενόμενος ὑπὸ νόμον». πῶς οὖν ἡ σὰρξ εἶπεν ἂν περὶ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων τὸ «πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με»; ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὡς βεβιασμένην ἔχει τὴν ἑρμηνείαν οἶμαι παντί τῳ καταφανὲς εἶναι. ἀβιάστως δ' ἂν εἴποι τις τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ δίχα παντὸς ἀλληγορικοῦ τρόπου ταῦτα ἐπαληθεύειν, ἐπεὶ καὶ τῆς γῆς προϋπῆρχεν, ἦν τε καὶ προῆν πρὸ τοῦ προελθεῖν τὰς σωματικὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων καὶ πρὸ τῶν αἰσθητῶς λεγομένων ἀβύσσων καὶ πρὸ τοῦ συστῆναι τὸ τῆς γῆς σχῆμα ἐν τοῖς τῶν ὀρῶν καὶ τῶν βουνῶν ἀναστήμασιν· «πάντα» γὰρ «δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ 3.3.33 χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν». εἰ δ' ἐρωτήσειέν τις, διατί μὴ πρὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν μηδὲ πρὸ τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἢ τῶν ἐπέκεινα θείων καὶ ὑπερκοσμίων δυνάμεών τε καὶ πνευμάτων ἑαυτὸν εἶναι ἐδίδασκεν, λελέξεται αὐτῷ ὅτι τούτων τέως οὐκ ἐμνημόνευσεν ὁ λόγος, ἐπειδὴ παιδαγωγίαν τινὰ διὰ τῶν Παροιμιῶν τοῖς τὰς ψυχὰς νηπίοις παρε3.3.34 δίδου. ὃ καὶ δῆλον τυγχάνει ἐκ τοῦ ποτὲ λέγεσθαι «ἄκουε, υἱέ, παιδείαν πατρός σου, καὶ μὴ ἀπώσῃ θεσμοὺς μητρός σου», ποτὲ δὲ «υἱέ, ἐμοῖς νόμοις πρόσεχε, τοῖς δ' ἐμοῖς ῥήμασιν παράβαλε σὸν οὖς» καὶ αὖθις «υἱέ, μὴ ὀλιγώρει παιδείας κυρίου, καὶ μὴ ἐκλύου ὑπ' αὐτοῦ 3.3.35 ἐλεγχόμενος» καὶ «υἱέ, ἐὰν καλῶς γένῃ σεαυτῷ, καλὸς ἔσῃ καὶ τοῖς 3.3.35 πλησίον· ἐὰν δὲ κακὸς ἀποβῇς, μόνος ἀντλήσεις τὰ κακά». μυρία δ' ἂν καὶ αὐτὸς τούτοις ὅμοια καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς βίβλου τῶν Παροιμιῶν ἀναλέξῃ δι' ὧν ὁ λόγος φαίνεται νηπίοις τὰς ψυχὰς 3.3.36 προσδιαλεγόμενος. οὕτω καὶ Μωσῆς παιδαγωγὸς τῶν ἀτελῶν τὰς φρένας ὑπάρχων, οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς καὶ τῆς τῶν ὁρατῶν δημιουργίας ἐμνημόνευσεν, οὐ μὴν καὶ κτίσεως ἀγγέλων οὐδὲ θείων δυνάμεων οὐδὲ πνευμάτων ἁγίων, τῷ μὴ χωρεῖν πω τὴν τούτων διδασκαλίαν 3.3.37 τοὺς αὐτῷ μαθητευομένους. εἰκότως τοιγαροῦν καὶ