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We find God everywhere and all the saints struggling against wickedness and cursing it. Since therefore it first takes its origin in man according to disposition, and from this proceeds sin in act, it is fitting that Canaan, as characterizing sin in act, has received the curse. But if you wish to consider this according to the movement of the soul alone, that which in the composite being, I mean of body and soul, is a disposition not proceeding to completion, this is an act in the soul.

QUESTION A,82 ................................... RESPONSE Providence, then, is the care coming from God for existing things; providence is

the will of God, through which all existing things receive their fitting governance. (14Α_328> QUESTION A,83 ................................... RESPONSE He was seen by Abraham through an angel, by Moses through fire in a bush, by Isaiah through the

seraphim, by Ezekiel through the cherubim; all these have testified to have seen in different ways.

VERSION B' OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (14Α_332> QUESTION B,6 What is "Behold, what is good, or what is pleasant, but for brothers to dwell

together"? RESPONSE According to the plain sense, when they are of one faith, "behold, what is good"; when

they are harmonious in their works also, "behold, what is pleasant." Understand "brothers dwelling together" as the three powers of the soul, or the soul and the body, when they are in harmony concerning the knowledge of divine things and concerning good actions; for when they act well, "behold, what is good"; but when knowledge is also in harmony, "behold, what is pleasant."

(14Α_334> QUESTION B,7 "Like ointment on the head that runs down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron,

that runs down to the hem of his garment." RESPONSE The ointment is the Holy Spirit, the head is the intellect, and the beard is the word;

for the word contains the heart. The beard of Aaron is the word that slaughters the passions and offers the virtues as a sacrifice to God. The grace of the Spirit descends also upon the hem of the garment, that is, it is spread through practice and upon moral philosophy; for the hem of the garment is the end.

QUESTION B,8 Like "the dew of Hermon, that comes down upon the mountains of Zion." RESPONSE The mountains of Zion are the saints who contemplate lofty things; upon them descends the

dew of Hermon. Hermon is interpreted as 'turning away' of 'wild beasts.' They also say that the river Jordan is born there; and through these it signifies the grace of holy baptism; for this grace always descends upon the saints, and through it comes the turning away of the intelligible wild beasts.

(14Α_336> QUESTION B,9

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Εὑρίσκομεν πανταχοῦ τὸν Θεὸν καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους κατὰ τῆς κακίας ἀγωνιζομένους καὶ ταύτῃ καταρωμένους. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν αὐτὴ πρώτως κατὰ τὴν ἕξιν ἐν τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ λαμβάνει τὴν γένεσιν, ἐκ ταύτης δὲ ἡ κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν προέρχεται ἁμαρτία, εἰκότως ὁ Χαναὰν ὡς τὴν κατ᾽ ἐνέργειαν χαρακτηρίζων ἁμαρτίαν τῆς κατάρας τετύχηκεν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ κατὰ μόνην τὴν κίνησιν τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦτο σκοπῆσαι θέλεις, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἐν τῷ συναμφοτέρῳ, σώματός φημι καὶ ψυχῆς, ἕξις εἰς τέλος μὴ προελθοῦσα, τοῦτο ἐνέργεια ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Α,82 ................................... ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Πρόνοια τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἐκ Θεοῦ εἰς τὰ ὄντα γινομένη ἐπιμέλεια· πρόνοιά ἐστιν

βούλησις Θεοῦ, δι᾽ ἣν πάντα τὰ ὄντα τὴν πρόσφορον διεξαγωγὴν λαμβάνει. (14Α_328> ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Α,83 ................................... ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ὤφθη τῷ Ἀβραὰμ δι᾽ ἀγγέλου, τῷ Μωυσῇ διὰ πυρὸς ἐν βάτῳ, Ἡσαΐᾳ διὰ τῶν

σεραφίμ, Ἰεζεκιὴλ διὰ τῶν χερουβίμ· διαφόροις τρόποις ἑωρακέναι μεμαρτυρήκασιν οὗτοι πάντες.

ΠΑΡΑΛΛΑΓΗ Β' ΕΡΩΤΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΕΩΝ (14Α_332> ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Β,6 Τί ἐστι τὸ «ἰδοὺ δὴ τί καλὸν ἢ τί τερπνὸν ἀλλ᾽ ἢ τὸ κατοικεῖν ἀδελφοὺς ἐπὶ τὸ

αὐτό»; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Κατὰ μὲν τὸν πρόχειρον νοῦν ὅτ᾽ ἂν ὁμόπιστοι ὦσιν, «ἰδοὺ τὸ καλόν»· ὅτ᾽ ἂν

δὲ σύμφωνοι καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις, «ἰδοὺ τὸ τερπνόν». «Ἀδελφοὺς δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατοικοῦντας» νόησον τὰς τρεῖς τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις ἢ τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ τὸ σῶμα, ὅτ᾽ ἂν σύμφωνα ὦσι περὶ τὴν τῶν θείων γνῶσιν καὶ περὶ τὰς ἀγαθὰς πράξεις· ὅτ᾽ ἂν γὰρ εὖ πράττωσιν, «ἰδοὺ τὸ καλόν»· ὅτ᾽ ἂν δὲ καὶ ἡ γνῶσις συμφωνεῖ, «ἰδοὺ τὸ τερπνόν».

(14Α_334> ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Β,7 «Ὡς μύρον ἐπὶ κεφαλῆς τὸ καταβαῖνον ἐπὶ πώγωνα, τὸν πώγωνα τὸν Ἀαρών,

τὸ καταβαῖνον ἐπὶ τὴν ᾤαν τοῦ ἐνδύματος αὐτοῦ». ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Μύρον ἐστὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, κεφαλὴ δὲ ὁ νοῦς, πώγων δὲ ὁ λόγος·

ἐμπεριέχει γὰρ τὴν καρδίαν ὁ λόγος. Πώγων δὲ Ἀαρὼν ὁ κατασφάττων ἐστὶ τὰ πάθη λόγος καὶ ἱερουργῶν τὰς ἀρετὰς τῷ Θεῷ. Καταβαίνει δὲ ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος χάρις καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ᾤαν τοῦ ἐνδύματος, τουτέστι διαδίδοται διὰ τῆς πρακτικῆς καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἠθικὴν φιλοσοφίαν· ἡ γὰρ ᾤα τοῦ ἐνδύματος τὸ πέρας ἐστίν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Β,8 Ὡς «δρόσος Ἀερμὼν ἡ καταβαίνουσα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη Σιών». ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ὄρη Σιών εἰσιν οἱ τὰ ὑψηλὰ σκοπεύοντες ἅγιοι· ἐπὶ τούτους καταβαίνει ἡ

δρόσος τοῦ Ἀερμών. Ἀερμὼν δὲ 'θηρίων' ἑρμηνεύεται 'ἀποστροφή.' Φασὶ δὲ καὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην ἐκεῖ γεννᾶσθαι ποταμόν· σημαίνει δὲ διὰ τούτων τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος χάριν· αὕτη γὰρ ἀεὶ καταβαίνει ἐπὶ τοὺς ἁγίους καὶ δι᾽ αὐτῆς γίνεται ἡ τῶν νοητῶν θηρίων ἀποστροφή.

(14Α_336> ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Β,9