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It would have been necessary always to be leaping about and moving on, taking no thought for your sake, but only for the applause from you; but since we have not directed our zeal to this, but all our labors are for your benefit, we will not 63.76 cease discoursing with you about the same things, until you set them right. Since it was possible to say much also about Hellenic superstition, and about Manichaeans, and about Marcionites, and to strike them great blows by the grace of God; but the discourse does not have the opportune time. For to those who do not yet know their own affairs accurately, to those who have not yet learned that greed is an evil, who would speak such words, and lead them to other things before the proper time? We, therefore, will not cease saying the same things, whether you are persuaded or not; but we fear lest by continually saying the same things, if you do not listen, we should work a greater condemnation for those who disobey. But these things must not be said by me to everyone; for I know many who are benefited by their entrance here, who might justly cry out against those others as entrapping them through their own ignorance and inattention. Yet even so they will not be entrapped; for to continually hear the same things is useful even for those who know them; for what we know, having heard many times, we are more deeply pricked to the heart. I say something like this: We know that humility is a good thing, and that Christ often discoursed about it; but when we hear again the very words, and the insights into them, we are affected somewhat more, even if we have heard them ten thousand times. It is opportune, therefore, for us also now to say to you: Therefore leaving the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection. And what is the beginning of the doctrine, he himself explains next, saying: Not laying again the foundation, he says, of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. But if this is the beginning, what else is our 63.77 doctrine, than to repent from dead works, and through the Spirit to receive faith in the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment? And what is the beginning? Nothing other than this he calls the beginning, when an exact life is not present. For just as one who is entering upon the learning of letters must first hear the elements; so also a Christian must first know these things accurately, and doubt nothing concerning them. But if he should need teaching again, he does not yet have the foundation; for it is fitting for him who is firm to be fixed and to stand, and not to be moved. But if someone who has been catechized and baptized for ten years is to hear again about faith, and that one must believe in the resurrection of the dead; he does not yet have the foundation, he is again seeking the beginning of Christianity. For that faith is the foundation, and the rest is the building, hear him saying: I have laid a foundation, and another builds upon it. If anyone builds upon this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble. For this reason he said: Not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works. 2. And what is, Let us go on to perfection? Let us proceed then, he says, to the very roof; that is, let us have the best life. For just as among the elements the alpha holds everything together, and the foundation the whole building; so also the purity of life, the full assurance of faith. And without this it is not possible to be a Christian; just as there can be no building without foundations, nor can one be skilled in letters without the elements. But just as if someone is always occupied with the elements, or if someone turns about the foundation, and does not go up to the building, he will never have anything more; so also in our case; for if we always remain at the beginning of faith, we will never ascend to its perfection. But do not think that faith is diminished because it is called an element; for this is the entire power. For when he says: For everyone who partakes of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe, he does not call this milk; but to still be in doubt about these things, this belongs to a weak mind and one needing many words. For these are the sound doctrines; for we call him perfect the one with the

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ἐχρῆν ἀεὶ μεταπηδᾷν καὶ μεταβαίνειν, οὐδὲν φροντίζοντας ὑμῶν ἕνεκεν, ἀλλὰ τῶν κρότων μόνον τῶν παρ' ὑμῶν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐ πρὸς τοῦτο τὴν σπουδὴν ἐθέμεθα, ἀλλὰ πάντα ὑπὲρ τῆς ὠφελείας ἡμῖν πονεῖται τῆς ὑμετέρας, οὐ παυ 63.76 σόμεθα περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν ὑμῖν διαλεγόμενοι, ἕως ἂν αὐτὰ κατορθώσητε. Ἐπεὶ ἐνῆν πολλὰ καὶ περὶ Ἑλληνικῆς λέγειν δεισιδαιμονίας, καὶ περὶ Μανιχαίων, καὶ περὶ Μαρκιωνιστῶν, καὶ μεγάλα πλήττειν αὐτοὺς τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔχει καιρὸν ὁ λόγος. Τοῖς γὰρ οὐδέπω τὰ ἑαυτῶν εἰδόσιν ἀκριβῶς, τοῖς οὐδέπω μεμαθηκόσιν ὅτι τὸ πλεονεκτεῖν κακὸν, τίς ἂν τοὺς τοιούτους εἴποι λόγους, καὶ ἐφ' ἕτερα ἀγάγοι πρὸ καιροῦ; Ἡμεῖς μὲν οὖν οὐ παυσόμεθα τὰ αὐτὰ λέγοντες, ἄν τε πεισθῆτε, ἄν τε μή· δεδοίκαμεν δὲ μὴ τῷ συνεχῶς τὰ αὐτὰ λέγειν, ἐὰν μὴ ἀκούητε, μείζονα τοῖς παρακούουσι τὴν καταδίκην ἐργασώμεθα. Οὐ πρὸς πάντας δέ μοι ταῦτα ῥητέον· οἶδα γὰρ πολλοὺς ὠφελουμένους ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνταῦθα εἰσόδου, οἳ δικαίως ἂν ἐκείνων καταβοήσαιεν ὡς ἐνεδρευόντων αὐτοὺς διὰ τῆς οἰκείας ἀμαθείας καὶ ἀπροσεξίας. Πλὴν ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐνεδρευθήσονται· τὸ γὰρ συνεχῶς τὰ αὐτὰ ἀκούειν, καὶ τοῖς εἰδόσι χρήσιμον· ὃ γὰρ ἴσμεν πολλάκις ἀκούσαντες, μᾶλλον κατενύγημεν. Οἷόν τι λέγω· Ἴσμεν ὅτι καλὸν ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη, καὶ ὅτι πολλάκις διελέχθη περὶ αὐτῆς ὁ Χριστός· ἀλλ' ὅταν καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν ῥημάτων ἐπακούσωμεν, καὶ τῶν εἰς αὐτὰ θεωρημάτων, πλέον τι πάσχομεν, κἂν μυριάκις ἀκούσωμεν. Εὔκαιρον οὖν καὶ ἡμᾶς νῦν εἰπεῖν ὑμῖν· ∆ιόπερ ἀφέντες τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγον, ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα φερώμεθα. Τί δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἀρχὴ τοῦ λόγου, αὐτὸς ἐφεξῆς ἑρμηνεύει, λέγων· Μὴ πάλιν θεμέλιον, φησὶ, καταβαλλόμενοι μετανοίας ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων, καὶ πίστεως ἐπὶ Θεὸν, βαπτισμῶν διδαχῆς, ἐπιθέσεώς τε χειρῶν, ἀναστάσεώς τε νεκρῶν, καὶ κρίματος αἰωνίου. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο ἀρχὴ, τί ἄλλο ἐστὶ τὸ δόγμα τὸ 63.77 ἡμέτερον, ἢ τὸ μετανοῆσαι ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος λαβεῖν τὴν πίστιν εἰς ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν, καὶ κρίματος αἰωνίου; Τί δέ ἐστιν ἀρχή; Οὐδὲν ἄλλο, ἢ τοῦτο ἀρχήν φησιν, ὅταν μὴ βίος ἀκριβὴς παρῇ. Καθάπερ γὰρ τὸν εἰς τὴν μάθησιν τῶν γραμμάτων εἰσερχόμενον, τὰ στοιχεῖα δεῖ πρῶτον ἀκοῦσαι· οὕτω καὶ τὸν Χριστιανὸν ταῦτα εἰδέναι ἀκριβῶς πρῶτον χρὴ, καὶ μηδὲν ἀμφιβάλλειν περὶ αὐτῶν. Εἰ δὲ δέοιτο πάλιν διδασκαλίας, οὔπω τὸν θεμέλιον ἔχει· τὸν γὰρ ἑδραῖον πεπηγέναι προσῆκε καὶ ἑστάναι, καὶ μὴ μετακινεῖσθαι. Εἰ δὲ μέλλοι τις κατηχηθεὶς, καὶ βαπτισθεὶς μετὰ ἔτη δέκα περὶ πίστεως πάλιν ἀκούειν, καὶ ὅτι πιστεῦσαι χρὴ εἰς ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν· οὔπω τὸν θεμέλιον ἔχει, πάλιν τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ Χριστιανισμοῦ ζητεῖ. Ὅτι γὰρ ἡ πίστις θεμέλιον, τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν οἰκοδομὴ, ἄκουε αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· Ἐγὼ θεμέλιον τέθεικα, ἄλλος δὲ ἐποικοδομεῖ. Εἴ τις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον τοῦτον, χρυσὸν, ἄργυρον, λίθους τιμίους, ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγε· Μὴ πάλιν θεμέλιον καταβαλλόμενοι μετανοίας ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων. βʹ. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἐπὶ τὴν τελειότητα φερώμεθα; Πρὸς αὐτὴν χωρῶμεν λοιπὸν, φησὶ, τὴν ὀροφήν· τουτέστι, βίον ἄριστον ἔχωμεν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν στοιχείων τὸ πᾶν ἄλφα συνέχει, καὶ ὁ θεμέλιος τὴν πᾶσαν οἰκοδομήν· οὕτω καὶ τοῦ βίου τὴν καθαρότητα, ἡ περὶ τὴν πίστιν πληροφορία. Ταύτης δὲ ἄνευ οὐκ ἔστιν εἶναι Χριστιανόν· ὥσπερ οὐδὲ θεμελίων ἄνευ οἰκοδομὴν, οὐδὲ στοιχείων χωρὶς ἔμπειρον γραμμάτων εἶναι. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ἐάν τις ἀεὶ περὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα καταγίνηται, ἢ εἴ τις περὶ τὸν θεμέλιον στρέφηται, καὶ οὐκ ἀνέρχηται ἐπὶ τὴν οἰκοδομὴν, οὐδέποτε ἔσται αὐτῷ τι πλέον· οὕτω καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν· ἂν γὰρ ἀεὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τῆς πίστεως μένωμεν, οὐδέποτε πρὸς τὸ τέλειον ταύτης ἀναβησόμεθα. Σὺ δὲ μὴ νομίσῃς ἠλαττῶσθαι τὴν πίστιν διὰ τὸ στοιχεῖον κληθῆναι· ἡ γὰρ πᾶσα δύναμις αὕτη ἐστίν. Ὅταν γὰρ λέγῃ· Πᾶς γὰρ ὁ μετέχων γάλακτος, ἄπειρος λόγου δικαιοσύνης· νήπιος γάρ ἐστιν, οὐ γάλα ταύτην καλεῖ· ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀμφιβάλλειν ἔτι περὶ τούτων, τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀσθενοῦς διανοίας καὶ λόγων δεομένης πολλῶν. Τὰ γὰρ δόγματα ταῦτά ἐστι τὰ ὑγιῆ· τέλειον γὰρ ἐκεῖνον καλοῦμεν τὸν μετὰ τῆς