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allegory of the Assyrians, according to another concept of wickedness it prevails over the Babylonians, and according to another, the Egyptians, who are spiritually Egyptians and Babylonians according to anagogy. 2.206 Into the nations that have thus become, the one who provides casts out those delivered over to them; for remaining within the divine laws, inwardly understanding and keeping them, they were not cast out, suffering this when they chose and performed the causes for being cast out and delivered over; 2.207 which the Apostle interpreted in many ways, at one time writing: "Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for a likeness in the image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and reptiles; for this reason God gave them over to the desires of their hearts for impurity," 2.208 and at another: "Who exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the creator; for this reason he gave them over to dishonorable passions, for their bodies to be dishonored among them, as their males were shamefully and licentiously enraged against one another, males committing shameful acts with males; likewise also their females exchanged the natural use of the female for that which is against nature." 2.209 And they had a third being delivered over, "those delivered over to a debased mind because they did not see fit to have God in their knowledge," so that it followed that "they were filled with all wickedness" and its forms, which the Apostle who wrote the epistle listed in order. 2.210 To these same deliverances fell those cast out into the nations, because of the great wrath that came upon them from the Lord Almighty. And they were delivered over to foreign nations which they had never known by experience. 2.211 Those against whom the great wrath has come, having been cast out into all the nations they did not know, behind them the land vanished, they having been removed from it, so that there was no person passing through or returning. And with no person being on it any longer, it also vanished from all vegetation, no longer bearing green growth, there being no planting of trees, which was followed by the herds of animals no longer being on it. And the misfortune intensifies, because the land that was once choice, on account of "flowing with milk and honey," was consigned to be dry land. 2.212 In addition to the history, according to allegory, the good heart and beautiful land vanished, having changed from bearing good fruits to bearing thorns and thistles and tares, so that there was no longer on it a right reasoning passing through, nor returning upon it, since it was consigned to destruction, although it was formerly choice, having inhabitants and farmers and shepherds. 2.213 And these things might be said according to tropology: our body is a choice land, having self-control and purity, so that self-controlled and orderly ways pass through and return upon it, because it bears the fruits of purity and edible fruits which the trees of virtue bear. 2.214 It sometimes happens from intensified wickedness, that the land, choice because of its purity, is consigned to destruction and desolation; may this be far from everyone who has undertaken perfect celibacy in order to please God, having kept his own land choice, which is the flesh commendably put to death, "carrying about the putting to death of Jesus." 2.215 According to the twofold anagogy, the tropical and the allegorical, the land worthy of choice flows with milk and honey, from which spiritual nourishment and feasting consist, the honey coming from the bee that has preferred the wisdom of God, according to the proverbial saying commanding the diligent thus: "Go to the bee and learn how she is a worker; having honored wisdom she was promoted, whose labors both kings and private citizens use for health; she is both desired and glorious." Along with this sweetness, the holy land also flows with milk, with which the Apostle gives drink to the infants in Christ. 2.216 Both of these the holy bride of the Word of God under her own

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ἀλληγορίαν Ἀσσυρίων, κατ' ἄλλην ἐπίνοιαν πονηρίας κρατεῖ Βαβυλωνίων, καὶ καθ' ἑτέραν Αἰγυπτίων, τῶν κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν πνευματικῶς Αἰγυπτίων καὶ Βαβυλωνίων ὄντων. 2.206 Εἰς τὰ οὕτω ἔθνη γενάμενα ἐκβάλλει ὁ προνοήτης τοὺς παραδιδομένους αὐτοῖς· ἔσω γὰρ μένοντες τῶν θείων νόμων, ἐσωτερικῶς νοοῦντες καὶ τηροῦντες αὐτούς, οὐκ ἐξεβάλλοντο, τοῦτο παθόντες ὅθ' εἵλαντο καὶ ἔπραξαν τὰ αἴτια τοῦ ἐκβληθῆναι καὶ παραδοθῆναι· 2.207 ἃ ἡρμήνευσεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος πολυτρόπως, ὁτὲ μὲν γράφων· «Φάσκοντες εἶναι σοφοὶ ἐμωράνθησαν, καὶ ἤλλαξαν τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου Θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου καὶ πετεινῶν καὶ τετραπόδων καὶ ἑρπετῶν· διὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν», 2.208 ὁτὲ δέ· «Οἵτινες μετήλλαξαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ψεύδει, καὶ ἐσεβάσθησαν καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα· διὰ τοῦτο παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς πάθεσιν ἀτιμίας, τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι τὸ σῶμα αὐτῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς, ὡς τοὺς ἄρρενας αὐτῶν κατ' ἀλλήλων αἰσχρῶς καὶ ἀκολάστως ἐμμαίνεσθαι, ἄρσενες ἐν ἄρσεσιν τὴν αἰσχύνην κατεργαζομένους· ὡσαύτως καὶ αἱ θήλειαι αὐτῶν μετήλλαξαν τὴν φυσικὴν χρῆσιν τῆς θηλείας εἰς τὴν παρὰ φύσιν.» 2.209 Τρίτην δὲ παράδοσιν ἔσχον «οἱ παραδοθέντες εἰς ἀδόκιμον νοῦν διὰ τὸ μὴ δεδοκιμακέναι ἔχειν τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ἐπιγνώσει», ὡς ἀκολουθῆσαι τὸ «πεπληρῶσθαι αὐτοὺς πάσης κακίας» καὶ τῶν εἰδῶν αὐτῆς, ὧν κατέλεξεν ἑξῆς ὁ γράψας τὴν ἐπιστολὴν Ἀπόστολος. 2.210 Ταῖς αὐταῖς ταύταις παραδόσεσιν ὑπέπεσαν οἱ ἐκβεβλημένοι εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, διὰ τὴν γεναμένην ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ὀργὴν μεγάλην παρὰ Κυρίου παντοκράτορος. Εἰς ἔθνη δὲ ἀλλότρια ἃ οὐκ ἔγνωσάν ποτε διὰ πείρας παρεδόθησαν. 2.211 Ἐκβληθέντες οἱ καθ' ὧν ἡ μεγάλη ὀργὴ γέγονεν εἰς πάντα ἃ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν ἔθνη, ἐξόπισθεν αὐτῶν ἡ γῆ ἠφανίσθη, μετοικισθέντων ἐξ αὐτῆς, ὡς μὴ εἶναι διοδεύοντα ἢ ἀναστρέφοντα ἄνθρωπον. Ἀνθρώπου δὲ μηκέτ' ὄντος ἐπ' αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀπὸ πάσης φυτείας ἠφανίσθη, οὐ χλοηφορούσης ἔτι, οὐ δενδρικῆς φυτείας οὔσης, ᾧ ἠκολούθησεν καὶ τὸ ζῴων ἀγέλας μηκέτ' εἶναι ἐπ' αὐτῆς. Ἐπιτείνει δὲ ἡ κακοπραγία, ὅτι εἰς χέρσον ἐτάχθη ἥ ποτε ἐκλεκτὴ γῆ τυγχάνουσα διὰ τὸ «ῥεῖν γάλα καὶ μέλι». 2.212 Πρὸς τῇ ἱστορίᾳ, κατ' ἀλληγορίαν ἡ ἀγαθὴ καρδία καὶ καλὴ γῆ ἠφανίσθη μεταπεσοῦσα ἐκ τοῦ ἀγαθὰ φέρειν γενήματα εἰς τὸ ἀκανθοφορεῖν καὶ τριβόλους φέρειν καὶ ζιζάνια, ὥστε μηκέτι εἶναι ἐπ' αὐτῆς διοδεύοντα λογισμὸν ὀρθόν, μηδ' ἀναστρέφοντα ἐπ' αὐτήν, ἐπείπερ ἐτάχθη εἰς ἀφανισμόν, καίπερ ἐκλεκτὴ πρότερον οὖσα, οἰκήτορας ἔχουσα καὶ γεωργοὺς καὶ ποιμένας. 2.213 Ῥηθείη καὶ πρὸς τροπολογίαν τάδε· τὸ σῶμα ἡμῶν γῆ ἐκλεκτὴ τυγχάνει, ἔχον σωφροσύνην καὶ ἁγνείαν, ὡς διοδεύειν καὶ ἀναστρέφειν ἐπ' αὐτὴν σώφρονας καὶ κοσμίους τρόπους, διὰ τὸ καρποφορεῖν τὰ ἁγνείας γενήματα καὶ καρποὺς ἐδωδίμους οὓς φέρουσιν τὰ τῆς ἀρετῆς δένδρα. 2.214 Συμβαίνει ποτὲ ἐξ ἐπιτεταμένης κακίας, ταχθῆναι εἰς ἀφανισμὸν καὶ ἐρήμωσιν τὴν δι' ἁγνείαν ἐκλεκτὴν γῆν· ὃ ἀπέστω παντὸς τοῦ τελείαν ἀγαμίαν ἐπανελομένου ἵν' ἀρέσῃ τῷ Θεῷ, ἐκλεκτὴν φυλάξας τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γῆν, ἥπερ ἐστὶν ἡ νεκρωθεῖσα ἐπαινετῶς σάρξ, «τὴν νέκρωσιν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ περιφέρουσα». 2.215 Κατὰ τὴν διττὴν ἀναγωγήν, τὴν τροπικὴν καὶ ἀλληγορικήν, ἡ ἐκλογῆς ἀξία γῆ ῥεῖ γάλα καὶ μέλι, ἐξ ὧν τροφὴ καὶ εὐωχία νοητὴ συνίσταται, γινομένου τοῦ μέλιτος ἐκ τῆς προτιμησάσης τὴν σοφίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ μελίττης, κατὰ τὸ παροιμιῶδες λόγιον προστάττον ὧδε τῷ φιλεργῷ· «Πορεύθητι πρὸς τὴν μέλιτταν καὶ μάθε ὡς ἐργάτις ἐστίν· τὴν σοφίαν τιμήσασα προήχθη, ἧς τοὺς πόνους βασιλεῖς τε καὶ ἰδιῶται πρὸς ὑγίειαν προσφέρονται· ποθεινὴ δέ ἐστιν καὶ ἐπίδοξος.» Σὺν τούτῳ τῷ γλυκασμῷ καὶ γάλα ῥεῖ ἡ ἁγία γῆ, ὅπερ τοὺς ἐν Χριστῷ νηπίους ποτίζει ὁ Ἀπόστολος. 2.216 Ἀμφότερα ταῦτα ἡ ἁγία τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου νύμφη ὑπὸ τὸν ἑαυτῆς