50

has hindered them, though warred against by all, from being long ago destroyed. Here he also urges him on to dangers, so that he might not be faint-hearted, having such a God, nor need the alliance of others, but to bear all things willingly and nobly; since even those who are gaping for the things of this life, looking to the hope of gain, put their hands to the work. So then the time is the last. For in the latter times, he says, some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, in the hypocrisy of liars, having their own conscience seared, forbidding to marry. What then? do we not forbid to marry, he says? We do not forbid, God forbid, those who wish it, but we exhort those not wishing to marry to virginity. It is one thing to forbid and another to leave one master of his choice; for he who forbids, does this absolutely; but he who leads on to virginity as to something greater, does this not by forbidding marriage, but by exhorting to be a virgin. Forbidding, 62.561 he says, to marry, to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and have known the truth. He well said, Who have known the truth. So then the former things were a type; for nothing is by nature unclean, but it becomes so by the conscience of the partaker. And for what reason then did he lead them away from many foods? To cut off much luxury. But if he had said, "Do not eat for the sake of luxury," they would not have borne it; but now he has enclosed it in the necessity of law, so that by a greater fear they might rather abstain. Since that the fish is more unclean than the swine is surely clear to everyone; but yet he did not lead them away from those. But how hard luxury was for them, hear also Moses saying: The beloved ate, and grew fat, and was thickened, and kicked. But there is also another reason. For so that, being constrained, they might at last come to oxen, and slaughter sheep, he reasonably kept them from the rest on account of Apis and the calf; for that one was unclean, ungrateful, defiled and profane. 3. Put these things in mind, practice these things; for this is what "being nourished in the words of faith" means. Do not only exhort others, he says, but also have your own practice in them. For "being nourished," he says, "in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have followed." But refuse profane and old wives' fables. Why did he not say, "Bear with such things," but, "Refuse"? Intimating by this a complete avoidance. What he says is something like this: Never even for exercise engage yourself in disputing with them, but he advises these things to his own. For it is not possible to benefit at all by contending with those who are perverse, except if we should ever think some harm is done, as if we decline the discussion with them through weakness. But exercise yourself toward godliness; that is, toward a pure life, toward the best conduct. And he who exercises, even when it is not the time for contests, himself does everything as if competing, abstains from all things, is in a state of contest, has much sweat. Exercise, he says, yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise is profitable for a little; but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. And for what reason, he says, did he mention this bodily exercise? From comparison, showing the superiority of this, that while that one has many labors, it has no profit, nor one worth mentioning, but this is continual and abundant. Just as when he says, To adorn themselves not with braided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but which becomes women professing godliness, with good works. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach. Paul was reproached, and you are distressed? Paul labored, and you wish to live in luxury? But he would not, living in luxury, have achieved so many things

50

ἐκώλυσεν ὑπὸ πάντων πολεμουμένους πάλαι διεφθάρθαι. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ παρορμᾷ αὐτὸν πρὸς τοὺς κινδύνους, ὥστε μὴ ἐκλυθῆναι Θεὸν ἔχοντα τοιοῦτον, μήτε τῆς παρ' ἑτέρων συμμαχίας δεῖσθαι, ἀλλ' ἑκοντὶ πάντα φέρειν γενναίως· ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ πρὸς τὰ βιωτικὰ κεχηνότες, πρὸς τὴν ἐλπίδα τοῦ κέρδους ὁρῶντες ἐγχειροῦσι τοῖς πράγμασιν. Ἄρα ἔσχατός ἐστι λοιπὸν ὁ καιρός. Ἐν ὑστέροις γὰρ καιροῖς, φησὶν, ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς πίστεως, προσέχοντες πνεύμασι πλάνοις καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμόνων, ἐν ὑποκρίσει ψευδολόγων, κεκαυτηριασμένων τὴν ἰδίαν συνείδησιν, κωλυόντων γαμεῖν. Τί οὖν; ἡμεῖς οὐ κωλύομεν, φησὶ, γαμεῖν; Οὐ κωλύομεν, μὴ γένοιτο, βουλομένους, ἀλλὰ τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους γαμεῖν προτρέπομεν ἐπὶ τὴν παρθενίαν. Ἕτερόν ἐστι κωλῦσαι καὶ ἕτερον κύριον ἀφεῖναι τῆς προαιρέσεως· ὁ μὲν γὰρ κωλύων, καθάπαξ τοῦτο ποιεῖ· ὁ δὲ ὡς ἐπὶ μείζονα τὴν παρθενίαν ἐνάγων, οὐ κωλύων γαμεῖν τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ προτρέπων παρθενεύειν. Κωλυόντων, 62.561 φησὶν, γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων, ἃ ὁ Θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάληψιν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τοῖς πιστοῖς, καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Καλῶς εἶπεν, Ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ἄρα τὰ πρότερα τύπος ἦν· οὐδὲν γὰρ φύσει ἀκάθαρτον, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν συνείδησιν τοῦ μεταλαμβάνοντος γίνεται. Καὶ τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν τῶν πολλῶν αὐτοὺς βρωμάτων ἀπήγαγε· Τὴν πολλὴν ἐκκόπτων τρυφήν. Ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν εἶπεν, ὅτι ∆ιὰ τρυφὴν μὴ ἐσθίετε, οὐκ ἂν ἠνέσχοντο· νῦν δὲ εἰς νόμου αὐτὸ κατέκλεισεν ἀνάγκην, ἵνα τῷ μείζονι φόβῳ μᾶλλον ἀπόσχωνται. Ἐπεὶ ὅτι τοῦ υἱὸς ἀκαθαρτότερόν ἐστιν ὁ ἰχθὺς, παντί που δῆλον· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐκείνων οὐκ ἀπήγαγεν. Ὅσον δὲ αὐτοῖς χαλεπὸν ἦν ἡ τρυφὴ, ἄκουε καὶ τοῦ Μωϋσέως λέγοντος· Ἔφαγε, καὶ ἐλιπάνθη, καὶ ἐπαχύνθη, καὶ ἀπελάκτισεν ὁ ἠγαπημένος. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ ἄλλη αἰτία. Ἵνα γὰρ στενοχωρηθέντες λοιπὸν ἐπὶ βόας ἔλθωσι, καὶ σφάττωσι πρόβατα, εἰκότως διὰ τὸν Ἆπιν καὶ τὸν μόσχον τῶν λοιπῶν ἀπεῖρξεν· ἀκάθαρτος γὰρ ἐκεῖνος, ἀχάριστος, μιαρὸς καὶ βέβηλος. γʹ. Ταῦτα ὑποτίθεσο, ταῦτα μελέτα· τὸ γὰρ, Ἐντρεφόμενος τοῖς λόγοις τῆς πίστεως, τοῦτό ἐστι. Μὴ τοῖς ἄλλοις μόνον παραίνει, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἔχε τὴν μελέτην. Ἐντρεφόμενος γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῖς λόγοις τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς καλῆς διδασκαλίας ᾗ παρηκολούθηκας. Τοὺς δὲ βεβήλους καὶ γραώδεις μύθους παραιτοῦ. ∆ιὰ τί μὴ εἶπεν, Ἀνέχου τῶν τοιούτων, ἀλλὰ, Παραιτοῦ; Τὴν τελείαν ἀποφυγὴν αἰνιττόμενος διὰ τούτου. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Μηδὲ εἰς γυμνασίαν ποτὲ καθῇς σεαυτὸν διαλεγόμενος πρὸς ἐκείνους, ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τοῖς αὐτοῦ παραίνει. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστι πρὸς τοὺς διεστραμμένους μαχόμενον ὀνῆσαί τί ποτε, πλὴν εἴ ποτε οἰόμεθά τινα βλάβην γίνεσθαι, ὡς δι' ἀσθένειαν παραιτουμένων ἡμῶν τὴν πρὸς ἐκείνους διάλεξιν. Γύμναζε δὲ σεαυτὸν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν· τουτέστι, πρὸς βίον καθαρὸν, πρὸς πολιτείαν ἀρίστην. Ὁ δὲ γυμναζόμενος, καὶ καιροῦ μὴ ὄντος ἀγώνων, αὐτὸς ὡς ἀγωνιζόμενος ἅπαντα ποιεῖ, πάντων ἀπέχεται, ἐναγώνιός ἐστιν, ἱδρῶτας ἔχει πολλούς. Γύμναζε, φησὶ, σεαυτὸν πρὸς εὐσέβειαν. Ἡ γὰρ σωματικὴ γυμνασία πρὸς ὀλίγον ἐστὶν ὠφέλιμος· ἡ δὲ εὐσέβεια πρὸς πάντα ὠφέλιμός ἐστιν, ἐπαγγελίαν ἔχουσα ζωῆς τῆς νῦν καὶ τῆς μελλούσης. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν, φησὶν, ἐμνήσθη ταύτης τῆς σωματικῆς γυμνασίας; Ἀπὸ συγκρίσεως τὴν ὑπερχὴν ταύτης δηλῶν, ὅτι ἐκείνη μὲν καὶ πόνους ἔχουσα πολλοὺς, οὐδὲν ἔχει τὸ κέρδος, οὐδὲ ἄξιον λόγου, αὕτη δὲ διηνεκὲς καὶ ἄφθονον. Ὥσπερ ὅταν λέγῃ, Κοσμεῖν ἑαυτὰς μὴ ἐν πλέγμασιν, ἢ χρυσῷ, ἢ μαργαρίταις, ἢ ἱματισμῷ πολυτελεῖ, ἀλλ' ὃ πρέπει γυναιξὶν ἐπαγγελλομέναις θεοσέβειαν, δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν. Πιστὸς ὁ λόγος, καὶ πάσης ἀποδοχῆς ἄξιος. Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ κοπιῶμεν καὶ ὀνειδιζόμεθα. Παῦλος ὠνειδίζετο, καὶ σὺ ἀσχάλλεις; Παῦλος ἐκοπία, καὶ σὺ τρυφᾷν βούλει; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἐκεῖνος τρυφῶν τοσούτων ἐπέτυχεν