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similar to the old one, which we have learned beforehand was given through Moses in the desert. What then would those of the circumcision say to these things, who try to look plainly at the prophecies, and who choose rather to show them as unfulfilled than to be persuaded by the truth, by accepting the new covenant of the gospels of our Savior, by whose coming the first has become old, beginning to have an end from the time when Christ came and fulfilled the law, and the prophecies concerning him. For the Lord says that days will come in which he will establish the new covenant; that is, the one written in the contents of the gospel books. Next the same Lord adds, saying, that after those days, he will write his own laws in the very minds of those who accept the new covenant, so that they might be a people for God, and He a God for them, in no way coming to the knowledge of the Lord by human teaching, but being, as it were, self-taught, or rather, taught by God, which one might also observe being fulfilled in the present time; and one might see how the new covenant and the laws of the Lord are written on the minds and hearts of those who have believed in God through Christ, if one should observe among us a multitude of men who are completely unlearned exhibiting such a virtuous and philosophical 142 way of life, which is not quickly found among those who have practiced literary studies, and are very proud of their study of the scriptures. Ps. From Lamentations. 38. The breath of our face, Christ the Lord, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, In his shadow we shall live among the nations. And here the divine Spirit, having expressly named Christ, foretold the plot by the Jews through the words, "was taken in their pits"; and the prophets foresaw in the spirit that they themselves would live under his covering and shadow, and that they would live among the nations who are to believe in Christ, and through him to accept the writings of the prophets. Ps. From Baruch. 39. Who has gone up into heaven, and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds? Who has crossed over the sea, and found her, and will bring her for choice gold? There is no one who knows her way, nor anyone who considers her path. But he who knows all things knows her, he found her by his understanding; he who prepared the earth for all time, filled it with four-footed animals. He who sends the light, and it goes, called it, and it obeyed him with trembling. The stars shone in their watches, and were glad; he called them, and they said, Here we are; they shone with gladness for him who made them. This is our God, no other shall be accounted of in comparison with him. He found 143 all the way of knowledge, and gave it to Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved; after this he was seen on earth, and conversed with men. "Who has gone up into heaven," he says, "and taken her, and brought her down," and what follows; but we are taught by the holy apostle that indeed Jesus Christ who descended, is he also who ascended far above all the heavens; who also, having received the gift of the Holy Spirit, both brought it down and poured it out upon the souls of those who received it; whence it is also said in the psalms, "having ascended on high, you led captivity captive, you received gifts among men." Next, in the aforementioned scripture, the word says, "This is our God, no other shall be accounted of in comparison with him"; And who is this, if not the one who ascended into heaven and descended? For to the question, "Who has gone up into heaven," the answer is given, "This is our God, no other shall be accounted of in comparison with him"; what is said next makes this clearer, namely, "after this he was seen on earth, and conversed with men." It is clear then that in comparison with this Word of God no other will be accounted of those who acquire the of the

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ὅμοιον τῇ παλαιᾷ, ἣν διὰ Μωσέως ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ δοθεῖσαν προμεμαθήκαμεν. Τί δ' ἂν πρὸς ταῦτα φαῖεν οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς, ἐναργῶς ἀποβλέπειν ἐπιχειροῦντες ταῖς προφητείαις, καὶ μᾶλλον αἱρούμενοι ἀτελεῖς αὐτὰς ἐπιδεικνύναι ἢ πείθεσθαι τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, διὰ τοῦ παραδέχεσθαι τὴν καινὴν τῶν εὐαγγελιῶν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν διαθήκην, ἧς παραγενομένης πεπαλαίωται ἡ πρώτη, πέρας ἴσχειν ἀρξαμένη ἐξ ὅτου παραγενόμενος ὁ Χριστὸς ἐπλήρωσε τὸν νόμον, καὶ τὰς περὶ αὐτοῦ προφητείας. Ἥξειν μὲν οὖν ἡμέρας ἐν αἷς διαθήσεσθαι φησὶν ὁ Κύριος τὴν καινὴν διαθήκην· τοῦτ' ἔστι τὴν ἔγγραφον ἐν τοῖς ἐντὸς τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν βιβλίων. Ἑξῆς δ' ἐπιφέρει λέγων ὁ αὐτὸς Κύριος, ὡς μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας, ἐν αὐταῖς ταῖς διανοίαις τῶν παραδεξομένων τὴν καινὴν διαθήκην ἐγγράψων τοὺς ἰδίους νόμους, ὥστε αὐτοὺς εἶναι εἰς λαὸν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ αὐτὸν αὐτοῖς εἰς Θεὸν, οὐδαμῶς ὑπ' ἀνθρωπίνης διδασκαλίας ἐπὶ τὸ γινώσκειν τὸν Κύριον παραγινομένους, αὐτομαθεῖς δ' ὥσπερ, μᾶλλον δὲ θεοδιδάκτους ἐσομένους, ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ καταμάθοι ἄν τις κατὰ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν πληρούμενον· ἴδοι δ' ἄν τις ὅπως ἐπὶ τὰς διανοίας καὶ τὰς καρδίας τῶν διὰ Χριστοῦ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν πεπιστευκότων ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη καὶ οἱ τοῦ Κυρίου νόμοι γεγραμμένοι εἰσιν, εἰ καταμάθοι ἐν ἡμῖν πλῆθος ἀνδρῶν παντελῶς ἰδιωτῶν τοιαύτην ἐνεπιδεικνυμένων ἐνάρετον καὶ ἐμφιλόσοφον 142 πολιτείαν, ἣν οὐ ταχέως ἔστιν εὑρεῖν παρὰ τοῖς φιλολογίαν ἠσκηκόσιν, καὶ μέγα φρονοῦσιν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν γραφῶν μελέτῃ. Ψ. Ἀπὸ τῶν θρήνων. ΛΗʹ. Πνεῦμα προσώπου ἡμῶν χριστὸς Κύριος συνελήφθη ἐν ταῖς διαφθοραῖς αὐτῶν, οὗ εἴπομεν, Ἐν τῇ σκιᾷ αὐτοῦ ζησόμεθα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸν Χριστὸν διαρρήδην ὀνομάσαν τὸ θεῖον Πνεῦμα, τὴν ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων ἐπιβουλὴν προυθέσπισεν διὰ τοῦ, συνελήφθη ἐν ταῖς διαφθοραῖς αὐτῶν· τούτου δὲ ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην καὶ τὴν σκιὰν ζησομένους ἑαυτοὺς τῷ πνεύματι προεώρων οἱ προφῆται, καὶ ζησομένους ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τοῖς μέλλουσιν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πιστεύειν, καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τὰς τῶν προφητῶν παραδέχεσθαι γραφάς. Ψ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Βαρούχ. ΛΘʹ. Τίς ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν, καὶ κατεβίβασεν αὐτὴν ἐκ τῶν νεφελῶν; Τίς διέβη πέραν θαλάσσης, καὶ εὗρεν αὐτὴν, καὶ οἴσει αὐτὴν χρυσίου ἐκλεκτοῦ; Οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ γινώσκων τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῆς, οὐδὲ ὁ ἐνθυμούμενος τὴν τρίβον αὐτῆς. Ἀλλ' ὁ εἰδὼς τὰ πάντα γινώσκει αὐτὴν, ἐξεῦρεν αὐτὴν τῇ συνέσει αὐτοῦ· ὁ καὶ κατασκευάσας τὴν γῆν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον, ἐνέπλησεν αὐτὴν κτηνῶν τετραπόδων. Ὁ ἀποστέλλων τὸ φῶς καὶ πορεύεται, ἐκάλεσεν αὐτὸ, καὶ ὑπήκουσεν αὐτῷ τρόμῳ. Οἱ δὲ ἀστέρες ἔλαμψαν ἐν ταῖς φυλακαῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ εὐφράνθησαν· ἐκάλεσεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ εἶπον, Πάρεσμεν· ἔλαμψαν μετ' εὐφροσύνης τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτούς. Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἐξεῦρεν 143 πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν Ἰακὼβ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ· μετὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη. Τίς ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, φησὶ, καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν, καὶ κατεβίβασεν αὐτὴν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· διδασκόμεθα δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἱεροῦ ἀποστόλου ὡς ἄρα ὁ καταβὰς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, αὐτός ἐστι καὶ ὁ ἀναβὰς ὑπεράνω πάντων τῶν οὐρανῶν· ὃς καὶ λαβὼν τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος δωρεὰν κατεβίβασέ τε καὶ ἐξέχεεν ἐπὶ τὰς τῶν παραδεξαμένων αὐτῶν ὴν ψυχάς· ὅθεν καὶ ἐν ψαλμοῖς εἴρηται τὸ, ἀναβὰς εἰς ὕψος ᾐχμαλώτευσας αἰχμαλωσίαν, ἔλαβες δόματα ἐν ἀνθρώποις. Ἑξῆς δὲ ἐν τῇ προκειμένῃ γραφῇ ὁ λόγος φησὶν, οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν· Τίς δὲ οὗτος, ἢ ὁ ἀναβὰς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ καταβάς; Τῷ γὰρ τίς ἀνέβη εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐρωτηματικῶς εἰρημένῳ ἀποδέδοται τὸ, οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν· σαφέστερον τοῦτο δηλοῖ τὸ ἑξῆς εἰρημένον, τὸ, μετὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὤφθη, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις συνανεστράφη. Πρὸς τοῦτον οὖν δῆλον ὅτι τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος τῶν ἐπικτητὴν τὴν τοῦ