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These things are not offered to him, but belong to the giver, returning to him because of not having found a place in God. Thus also those who give alms to be seen by men receive their reward for themselves, having nothing from God; for they did not do this with a divine purpose. The whole narrative of the saying, then, is most beneficial for character even when taken literally, teaching that offerings are to be made genuinely and not neglectfully; but since in what has come before we have elevated the aforementioned things to states of the soul, it is necessary to do this now also. The word of God, which exists according to the common notions and is present in the conscience, caringly convicts those who are in error, which is also what is now presented. For hypocrites, insofar as they show virtue to be honorable, even if they do not choose it, seem to do something right; but since they use division wickedly, leading the impulse from the depth of their mind toward their own pleasures, while pretending to make the gift of their outward appearance for God's sake, they are reasonably not acceptable, cleansing the outside of the cup and on the outside putting on the fleece of a sheep, but being ravenous wolves on the inside; to such ones the Lord, convicting them, said: "Why are you like whitewashed tombs; inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness." But the virtuous, being wholly God's through and through, both in disposition and in action, and wisely performing even human things, which indeed are seen in them on account of bodily necessity, rightly use the offering to God, caring for the purity both of the body and of the soul, of whom Abel is a type, 126 making God the ruler and protector of his own actions. For this is characteristic of the virtuous man, whereas the action of the hypocrite returns to him; for God, seeing the depth of the mind, does not receive the things done by such a one. 18, 8. And Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go into the field; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. The gradual increase of wickedness, when not hindered, reaches an immeasurable degree, and a sin hidden in the mind, if it is not prevented by reason, will accomplish the deeds of its energy, even if it seems to wait for a short time. This very thing is reported in the Acts of the Apostles; for though the governor had heard a great many things from Paul about the divine teaching and had become afraid, the passion of avarice was again present; for the writing Spirit says that he said to Paul: "When I have a convenient season, I will send for you", at the same time also expecting to receive money from him. The avenger Cain also suffers something like this; for after being ashamed a little, gaining strength he nourishes envy in his mind and says to his brother with deceit: "Let us go into the field"; and having gone, he did not let go of his anger, but attacking he kills his brother. Some, wishing to inquire into these things, say: What weapon did he use to kill Abel? But there is nothing perplexing; for even if not with iron, at any rate it was possible for this to happen with either a stone or a piece of wood, which the book of the covenant also hinted at. Nevertheless, Scripture says that a slaughter is a killing that happens in any way whatever, as is shown in the epistle of John: "As 127 Cain slew his brother, because his works were evil, and his brother's righteous". And "Cain rose up against Abel" signifies both the attack and the voluntary impulse. These things, then, the historical account contains; but since, according to the anagogical interpretation, we said that Cain was a type of hypocrite, such would also be the case now. A brother of the outward, visible man is the hidden man who is in the mind; for it is fitting for the virtuous man to care for both, both reasoning rightly and an adornment appropriate to

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ταῦτα οὐκ αὐτῷ προσφέρεται, ἀλλὰ τοῦ δεδωκότος ἐστὶν ὑποστρέφοντος πρὸς αὐτὸν διὰ τὸ μὴ εὑρηκέναι χώραν ἐν Θεῷ. Οὕτω καὶ οἱ ἐλεημοσύνην παρέχοντες πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀπέχουσιν ἑαυτῶν τὸν μισθόν, οὐδὲν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ ἔχοντες· οὐ γὰρ θείῳ [σ]κόπῳ τοῦτ' ἐποίησαν. Ὅλη μὲν οὖν ἡ τοῦ ῥητοῦ διή[γη]σις ὠφελιμωτάτη πρὸς ἦθος καὶ οὕτω ψιλῶς λαμβανομ[έ]νη, παιδεύουσα γνησίως τὰς προσφορὰς καὶ μὴ ἠμελημένως π̣οιεῖσθαι· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐν τοῖς φθάσασιν εἰς τρόπους ψυχῆς ἀ[νη]γάγομεν τὰ προειρημένα, ἀναγκαῖον καὶ νῦν τοῦτο ποιῆσ[αι]. Ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ κατὰ τὰς κοινὰς ἐννοίας ἐνυπάρχων, τῇ συνειδήσει τε παρών, κηδεμονικῶς ἐλέγχει τοὺς σφα[λ]λομένους, ὅπερ καὶ νῦν παρίσταται. Οἱ γὰρ ὑποκριταί, ὅσον μὲν εἰ[ς] τὸ τιμίαν δεικνύναι τὴν ἀρετήν, εἰ καὶ μὴ αἱροῦνται αὐ[τήν], ὀρθόν τι δοκοῦσιν ποιεῖν· ἐπειδὴ δ̣ε`̣ τῇ διαιρέσει φαύλω[ς χρ]ω῀̣νται, τὸ μὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ βάθους τῆς διανοίας κίνημα προ`̣ς τὰς ἑ[αυτ]ῶν ἡδονὰς ἄγοντες, τὸ δὲ τῆς ἐξωφανείας δ[ῶρον] διὰ Θεοῦ ποιεῖν σχηματιζόμενοι, εἰκότως οὐκ εἴσι δε[κτοί], τὸ ἔξω[θ]εν τοῦ ποτηρίου καθαρίζοντες καὶ ἔξωθεν μὲν προ[βά]του δορὰ[ν] περιβαλ- λόμενοι, ἔσωθεν δὲ ὄντες λύκοι ἅρπαγες· τοῖς τοιούτ[οι]ς ἐλέγχων ὁ Κύριος ἔλεγεν· "6Τί παρομοιάζετε τάφοις κεκονι[αμ]ένοις· ἔσωθεν γέμουσιν ὀστέων νεκρῶν καὶ πάσης ἀκαθ[αρ]σίας."6 Ἀλλ' οἱ ἐνάρετοι, ὅλοι δι' ὅλων ὄντες Θεοῦ καὶ διαθέσει καὶ π[ρ]α´̣ξει, καὶ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, ἃ δὴ τῆς σωματικῆς ἀνάγκης ἕνεκ[εν] εἰς αὐτοὺς ὅρα, καὶ αὐτὰ σοφῶς ἐπ̣ιτελοῦντες, ὀρθῶς τῇ π[ρο]σαγωγῇ τῇ πρὸς Θεὸν χρῶνται, καὶ τῷ σώματι καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ καθα[ρ]ότητος ἐπιμελόμενοι, ὧν τύπος ὁ Ἄβελ ὑπάρχει 126 ἄρχοντα καὶ προστάτην τὸν Θεὸν τῶν ἑαυτοῦ πράξεων τιθέμενος. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐναρέτου ἴδιον, τῆς πράξεως τοῦ ὑποκριτοῦ ὑποστρεφούσης ἐπ' αὐτόν· Θεὸς γὰρ τὸ βάθος τῆς διανοίας ἐνορῶν οὐχ ὑποδέχεται τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ τοιούτου ἐνεργούμενα. ιῃ, 8. Καὶ εἶπεν Κάιν πρὸς Ἄβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ. ∆ιέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον· καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ καὶ ἀνέστη Κάιν ἐπὶ Ἄβελ τὸν ἀδελ[φ]ὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν. Ἡ κατ' ὀλίγον ἐπίδοσις τῆ[ς κ]ακίας μὴ ἐμποδιζομένη εἰς ἀμετρίαν φθάνει, καὶ κρυπτο´̣[μ]ενον ἁμάρτημα τῇ διανοίᾳ, ἐπὰν μὴ ἀπὸ λογισμοῦ κω[λ]υθῇ, ἀποτελέσει τὰ τῆς ἐνεργείας, κἂν δόξῃ πρὸς βραχὺν [ἀ]ν̣αμένειν χρόνον. Τοῦτ' αὐτὸ ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι τῶν ἀποστ[ό]λων φέρεται· τοῦ γὰρ ἡγέμονος πλεῖστα ὅσα παρὰ τοῦ Παύ[λο]υ ἀκούσαντος περὶ τῆς διδασκαλίας τῆς θείας καὶ ἐμφό[βο]υ γεγενημένον, ἐνέκειτο πάλιν τὸ τῆς φιλαργυρίας [π]ά[θ]ος· φησὶν γὰρ τὸ συγγραφικὸν Πνεῦμα ὡς ἔφη πρὸς Παῦλον· "6[Και]ρὸν ἔχων μεταπέμψομαί σε"6, ἅμα καὶ προσδοκῶν χρ[ήμα]τα παρ' αὐτοῦ λαβεῖν. Τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ὁ ἀλάστωρ Κάιν [πάσχ]ει· μετ[ὰ γ]ὰρ τὸ ἐντραπῆναι ὀλίγον ἐνίσχων τρέφει [τ]ὸν φθόν[ον ἐν] τῇ διανοίᾳ καί φησιν πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν με[τ]ὰ δόλο[υ· "6∆ι]έλθωμεν εἰστὸ πεδίον"6· καὶ διελθὼν οὐκ ἀφῆκ[εν] τὸν θυ[μό]ν, ἀλλ' ἐπιθέμενος ἀναιρεῖ τὸν ἀδελφόν. [Τι]νὲς καὶ ταῦτα ζητεῖν θέλοντές φασιν· Τίνι ἀμυντηρ[ίῳ] χρησάμενος ἀνεῖλεν τὸν Ἄβελ; Οὐδὲν δέ τοι τὸ ἄπ[ορ]ον· καὶ γάρ, εἰ καὶ μὴ σιδήρῳ, ἀλλὰ γοῦν ἢ λίθῳ ἢ ξύλῳ τοῦ[το] οἷόν τε ἦν γενέσθαι, ὃ καὶ ἡ βίβλος τῆς διαθήκης ᾐν[ίξ]ατο. Σφαγὴν δὲ ὁμῶς ἡ γραφὴ τὴν ὁπωσδήποτε γινομ[έ]νην ἀναίρεσιν εἶναί φησιν, ὡς δηλοῦται ἐν τῇ ἐπιστολῇ τῇ Ἰωάννου· "6Καθὼς 127 Κάιν ἔσφαξεν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ὅτ[ι τ]ὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ πονηρὰ ἦν, τὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ δίκαια"6. Τ[ὸ] δὲ "6ἀνέστη Κάιν ἐπὶ Ἄβελ"6 καὶ τὴν ἐπίθεσιν ἅμα καὶ τὴν ἑκ[ού]σιον ὁρμὴν δηλοῖ. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ὁ τῆς ἱστορίας περιέχει λόγο[ς]· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τρόπον ὑποκριτὴν ἐφάσκομεν εἶναι τὸν Κά[ι]ν κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀναγωγῆς λόγον, τοιαῦτα ἂν εἴη καὶ [τὰ] νῦν. Ἀδελφός ἐστι τοῦ φαινομένου ἔξω ἀνθρώπου [ὁ κ]ρυπτ[ὸς] καὶ ἐν διανοίᾳ ἄνθρωπος· ἀμφοτέρων γὰρ τὸν σπουδ[αῖο]ν̣ ἐπι[μ]έλεσθαι προσήκει, καὶ ὀρθά τε λογιζόμενον καὶ σ[τολι]σμὸν [ο]ἰκεῖον τοῖς