§2. He then once more excellently, appropriately, and clearly examines and expounds the passage, “The Lord Created Me.”

Perhaps that passage in the Proverbs might be brought forward against us which the champions of heresy are wont to cite as a testimony that the Lord was created—the passage, “The Lord created me in the beginning of His ways, for His works480    Prov. viii. 22 (LXX.). On this passage see also Book II. §10.    Reading, with the older editions, τῇ θεωρί& 139·. Oehler substitutes τὴν θεωρίαν (a variation which seems to give no good sense, unless θεωρία be translated as “subject of contemplation”), but alleges no ms. authority for the change..” For because these words are spoken by Wisdom, and the Lord is called Wisdom by the great Paul481    1 Cor. i. 24.    Oehler’s punctuation seems less clear than that of the older editions, which is here followed., they allege this passage as though the Only-begotten God Himself, under the name of Wisdom, acknowledges that He was created by the Maker of all things. I imagine, however, that the godly sense of this utterance is clear to moderately attentive and painstaking persons, so that, in the case of those who are instructed in the dark sayings of the Proverbs, no injury is done to the doctrine of the faith. Yet I think it well briefly to discuss what is to be said on this subject, that when the intention of this passage is more clearly explained, the heretical doctrine may have no room for boldness of speech on the ground that it has evidence in the writing of the inspired author. It is universally admitted that the name of “proverb,” in its scriptural use, is not applied with regard to the evident sense, but is used with a view to some hidden meaning, as the Gospel thus gives the name of “proverbs482    E. g.S. John xvii. 25.    S. John iii. 10” to dark and obscure sayings; so that the “proverb,” if one were to set forth the interpretation of the name by a definition, is a form of speech which, by means of one set of ideas immediately presented, points to something else which is hidden, or a form of speech which does not point out the aim of the thought directly, but gives its instruction by an indirect signification. Now to this book such a name is especially attached as a title, and the force of the appellation is at once interpreted in the preface by the wise Solomon. For he does not call the sayings in this book “maxims,” or “counsels,” or “clear instruction,” but “proverbs,” and proceeds to add an explanation. What is the force of the signification of this word? “To know,” he tells us, “wisdom and instruction483    Prov. i. 2.    i.e.S. Basil.”; not setting before us the course of instruction in wisdom according to the method common in other kinds of learning; he bids a man, on the other hand484    The hiatus in the Paris editions ends here.    The reference is to S. Basil’s treatise against Eunomius (ii. 7–8; p. 242–4 in the Benedictine ed.). Oehler’s punctuation is apparently wrong, for Gregory paraphrases not only the rule, but the reason given for it, from S. Basil, from whom the last words of the sentence are a direct quotation., first to become wise by previous training, and then so to receive the instruction conveyed by proverb. For he tells us that there are “words of wisdom” which reveal their aim “by a turn485    Cf. Prov. i. 3 (LXX.).    1 S. Pet. ii. 8..” For that which is not directly understood needs some turn for the apprehension of the thing concealed; and as Paul, when about to exchange the literal sense of the history for figurative contemplation, says that he will “change his voice486    Gal. iv. 20.    S. John i. 1,” so here the manifestation of the hidden meaning is called by Solomon a “turn of the saying,” as if the beauty of the thoughts could not be perceived, unless one were to obtain a view of the revealed brightness of the thought by turning the apparent meaning of the saying round about, as happens with the plumage with which the peacock is decked behind. For in him, one who sees the back of his plumage quite despises it for its want of beauty and tint, as a mean sight; but if one were to turn it round and show him the other view of it, he then sees the varied painting of nature, the half-circle shining in the midst with its dye of purple, and the golden mist round the circle ringed round and glistening at its edge with its many rainbow hues. Since then there is no beauty in what is obvious in the saying (for “all the glory of the king’s daughter is within487    Ps. xlv. 13 (LXX.).    S. Matt. xvii. 5.,” shining with its hidden ornament in golden thoughts), Solomon of necessity suggests to the readers of this book “the turn of the saying,” that thereby they may “understand a parable and a dark saying, words of the wise and riddles488    Prov. i. 6 (LXX.).    1 Tim. iii. 16. Here, as elsewhere in Gregory’s writings, it appears that he read θεὸς in this passage..” Now as this proverbial teaching embraces these elements, a reasonable man will not receive any passage cited from this book, be it never so clear and intelligible at first sight, without examination and inspection; for assuredly there is some mystical contemplation underlying even those passages which seem manifest. And if the obvious passages of the work necessarily demand a somewhat minute scrutiny, how much more do those passages require it where even immediate apprehension presents to us much that is obscure and difficult?

Let us then begin our examination from the context of the passage in question, and see whether the reading of the neighbouring clauses gives any clear sense. The discourse describes Wisdom as uttering certain sayings in her own person. Every student knows what is said in the passage489    Compare with what follows Prov. viii. 12, sqq. (LXX.).    S. Matt. i. 20 where Wisdom makes counsel her dwelling-place, and calls to her knowledge and understanding, and says that she has as a possession strength and prudence (while she is herself called intelligence), and that she walks in the ways of righteousness and has her conversation in the ways of just judgment, and declares that by her kings reign, and princes write the decree of equity, and monarchs win possession of their own land. Now every one will see that the considerate reader will receive none of the phrases quoted without scrutiny according to the obvious sense. For if by her kings are advanced to their rule, and if from her monarchy derives its strength, it follows of necessity that Wisdom is displayed to us as a king-maker, and transfers to herself the blame of those who bear evil rule in their kingdoms. But we know of kings who in truth advance under the guidance of Wisdom to the rule that has no end—the poor in spirit, whose possession is the kingdom of heaven490    S. Matt. v. 3    S. Luke ii. 6, 7., as the Lord promises, Who is the Wisdom of the Gospel: and such also we recognize as the princes who bear rule over their passions, who are not enslaved by the dominion of sin, who inscribe the decree of equity upon their own life, as it were upon a tablet. Thus, too, that laudable despotism which changes, by the alliance of Wisdom, the democracy of the passions into the monarchy of reason, brings into bondage what were running unrestrained into mischievous liberty, I mean all carnal and earthly thoughts: for “the flesh lusteth against the Spirit491    Gal. v. 17.,” and rebels against the government of the soul. Of this land, then, such a monarch wins possession, whereof he was, according to the first creation, appointed as ruler by the Word.

Seeing then that all reasonable men admit that these expressions are to be read in such a sense as this, rather than in that which appears in the words at first sight, it is consequently probable that the phrase we are discussing, being written in close connection with them, is not received by prudent men absolutely and without examination. “If I declare to you,” she says, “the things that happen day by day, I will remember to recount the things from everlasting: the Lord created me492    Prov. viii. 21–22 (LXX.)..” What, pray, has the slave of the literal text, who sits listening closely to the sound of the syllables, like the Jews, to say to this phrase? Does not the conjunction, “If I declare to you the things that happen day by day, the Lord created me,” ring strangely in the ears of those who listen attentively? as though, if she did not declare the things that happen day by day, she will by consequence deny absolutely that she was created. For he who says, “If I declare, I was created,” leaves you by his silence to understand, “I was not created, if I do not declare.” “The Lord created me,” she says, “in the beginning of His ways, for His works. He set me up from everlasting, in the beginning, before He made the earth, before He made the depths, before the springs of the waters came forth, before the mountains were settled, before all hills, He begetteth me493    Prov. viii. 22 sqq. (LXX.)..” What new order of the formation of a creature is this? First it is created, and after that it is set up, and then it is begotten. “The Lord made,” she says, “lands, even uninhabited, and the inhabited extremes of the earth under heaven494    Prov. viii. 26 (LXX.)..” Of what Lord does she speak as the maker of land both uninhabited and inhabited? Of Him surely, who made wisdom. For both the one saying and the other are uttered by the same person; both that which says, “the Lord created me,” and that which adds, “the Lord made land, even uninhabited.” Thus the Lord will be the maker equally of both, of Wisdom herself, and of the inhabited and uninhabited land. What then are we to make of the saying, “All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made495    S. John i. 3”? For if one and the same Lord creates both Wisdom (which they advise us to understand of the Son), and also the particular things which are included in the Creation, how does the sublime John speak truly, when he says that all things were made by Him? For this Scripture gives a contrary sound to that of the Gospel, in ascribing to the Creator of Wisdom the making of land uninhabited and inhabited. So, too, with all that follows496    Cf. Prov. viii. 27–8 (LXX.).:—she speaks of a Throne of God set apart upon the winds, and says that the clouds above are made strong, and the fountains under the heaven sure; and the context contains many similar expressions, demanding in a marked degree that interpretation by a minute and clear-sighted intelligence, which is to be observed in the passages already quoted. What is the throne that is set apart upon the winds? What is the security of the fountains under the heaven? How are the clouds above made strong? If any one should interpret the passage with reference to visible objects497    Or “according to the apparent sense.”, he will find that the facts are at considerable variance with the words. For who knows not that the extreme parts of the earth under heaven, by excess in one direction or in the other, either by being too close to the sun’s heat, or by being too far removed from it, are uninhabitable; some being excessively dry and parched, other parts superabounding in moisture, and chilled by frost, and that only so much is inhabited as is equally removed from the extreme of each of the two opposite conditions? But if it is the midst of the earth that is occupied by man, how does the proverb say that the extremes of the earth under heaven are inhabited? Again, what strength could one perceive in the clouds, that that passage may have a true sense, according to its apparent intention, which says that the clouds above have been made strong? For the nature of cloud is a sort of rather slight vapour diffused through the air, which, being light, by reason of its great subtilty, is borne on the breath of the air, and, when forced together by compression, falls down through the air that held it up, in the form of a heavy drop of rain. What then is the strength in these, which offer no resistance to the touch? For in the cloud you may discern the slight and easily dissolved character of air. Again, how is the Divine throne set apart on the winds that are by nature unstable? And as for her saying at first that she is “created,” finally, that she is “begotten,” and between these two utterances that she is “set up,” what account of this could any one profess to give that would agree with the common and obvious sense? The point also on which a doubt was previously raised in our argument, the declaring, that is, of the things that happen day by day, and the remembering to recount the things from everlasting, is, as it were, a condition of Wisdom’s assertion that she was created by God.

Thus, since it has been clearly shown by what has been said, that no part of this passage is such that its language should be received without examination and reflection, it may be well, perhaps, as with the rest, so not to interpret the text, “The Lord created me,” according to that sense which immediately presents itself to us from the phrase, but to seek with all attention and care what is to be piously understood from the utterance. Now, to apprehend perfectly the sense of the passage before us, would seem to belong only to those who search out the depths by the aid of the Holy Spirit, and know how to speak in the Spirit the divine mysteries: our account, however, will only busy itself with the passage in question so far as not to leave its drift entirely unconsidered. What, then, is our account? It is not, I think, possible that that wisdom which arises in any man from divine illumination should come alone, apart from the other gifts of the Spirit, but there must needs enter in therewith also the grace of prophecy. For if the apprehension of the truth of the things that are is the peculiar power of wisdom, and prophecy includes the clear knowledge of the things that are about to be, one would not be possessed of the gift of wisdom in perfection, if he did not further include in his knowledge, by the aid of prophecy, the future likewise. Now, since it is not mere human wisdom that is claimed for himself by Solomon, who says, “God hath taught me wisdom498    Prov. xxx. 3 (LXX. ch. xxiv.).,” and who, where he says “all my words are spoken from God499    Prov. xxxi. 1 (LXX. ch. xxiv.). The ordinary reading in the LXX. seems to be ὑπὸ θεοῦ, while Oehler retains in his text of Greg. Nyss. the ἀπὸ θεοῦ of the Paris editions.,” refers to God all that is spoken by himself, it might be well in this part of the Proverbs to trace out the prophecy that is mingled with his wisdom. But we say that in the earlier part of the book, where he says that “Wisdom has builded herself a house500    Prov. ix. 1, which seems to be spoken of as “earlier” in contrast, not with the main passage under examination, but with those just cited.,” he refers darkly in these words to the preparation of the flesh of the Lord: for the trite Wisdom did not dwell in another’s building, but built for Itself that dwelling-place from the body of the Virgin. Here, however, he adds to his discourse501    If προστίθησι be the right reading, it would almost seem that Gregory had forgotten the order of the passages, and supposed Prov. viii. 22 to have been written after Prov. ix. 1. To read προτίθησι, (“presents to us”) would get rid of this difficulty, but it may be that Gregory only intends to point out that the idea of the union of the two natures, from which the “communicatio idiomatum” results, is distinct from that of the preparation for the Nativity, not to insist upon the order in which, as he conceives, they are set forth in the book of Proverbs. that which of both is made one—of the house, I mean, and of the Wisdom which built the house, that is to say, of the Humanity and of the Divinity that was commingled with man502    ἀνακραθείσης τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ; and to each of these he applies suitable and fitting terms, as you may see to be the case also in the Gospels, where the discourse, proceeding as befits its subject, employs the more lofty and divine phraseology to indicate the Godhead, and that which is humble and lowly to indicate the Manhood. So we may see in this passage also Solomon prophetically moved, and delivering to us in its fulness the mystery of the Incarnation503    τῆς οἰκονομίας. For we speak first of the eternal power and energy of Wisdom; and here the evangelist, to a certain extent, agrees with him in his very words. For as the latter in his comprehensive504    περιληπτῇ appears to be used as equivalent to περιληπτικῇ phrase proclaimed Him to be the cause and Maker of all things, so Solomon says that by Him were made those individual things which are included in the whole. For he tells us that God by Wisdom established the earth, and in understanding prepared the heavens, and all that follows these in order, keeping to the same sense: and that he might not seem to pass over without mention the gift of excellence in men, he again goes on to say, speaking in the person of Wisdom, the words we mentioned a little earlier; I mean, “I made counsel my dwelling-place, and knowledge, and understanding505    Cf. Prov. viii. 12 (LXX.).,” and all that relates to instruction in intellect and knowledge.

After recounting these and the like matters, he proceeds to introduce also his teaching concerning the dispensation with regard to man, why the Word was made flesh. For seeing that it is clear to all that God Who is over all has in Himself nothing as a thing created or imported, not power nor wisdom, nor light, nor word, nor life, nor truth, nor any at all of those things which are contemplated in the fulness of the Divine bosom (all which things the Only-begotten God is, Who is in the bosom of the Father506    S. John i. 18, the name of “creation” could not properly be applied to any of those things which are contemplated in God, so that the Son Who is in the Father, or the Word Who is in the Beginning, or the Light Who is in the Light, or the Life Who is in the Life, or the Wisdom Who is in the Wisdom, should say, “the Lord created me.” For if the Wisdom of God is created (and Christ is the Power of God and the Wisdom of God507    1 Cor. i. 24.), God, it would follow, has His Wisdom as a thing imported, receiving afterwards, as the result of making, something which He had not at first. But surely He Who is in the bosom of the Father does not permit us to conceive the bosom of the Father as ever void of Himself. He Who is in the beginning is surely not of the things which come to be in that bosom from without, but being the fulness of all good, He is conceived as being always in the Father, not waiting to arise in Him as the result of creation, so that the Father should not be conceived as at any time void of good, but He Who is conceived as being in the eternity of the Father’s Godhead is always in Him, being Power, and Life, and Truth, and Wisdom, and the like. Accordingly the words “created me” do not proceed from the Divine and immortal nature, but from that which was commingled with it in the Incarnation from our created nature. How comes it then that the same, called wisdom, and understanding, and intelligence, establishes the earth, and prepares the heavens, and breaks up the deeps, and yet is here “created for the beginning of His works508    The quotation is an inexact reproduction of Prov. viii. 22 (LXX.).”? Such a dispensation, he tells us, is not set forward without great cause. But since men, after receiving the commandment of the things we should observe, cast away by disobedience the grace of memory, and became forgetful, for this cause, “that I may declare to you the things that happen day by day for your salvation, and may put you in mind by recounting the things from everlasting, which you have forgotten (for it is no new gospel that I now proclaim, but I labour at your restoration to your first estate),—for this cause I was created, Who ever am, and need no creation in order to be; so that I am the beginning of ways for the works of God, that is for men. For the first way being destroyed, there must needs again be consecrated for the wanderers a new and living way509    Cf. Heb. x. 20, even I myself, Who am the way.” And this view, that the sense of “created me” has reference to the Humanity, the divine apostle more clearly sets before us by his own words when he charges us, “Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ510    Rom. xiii. 14.,” and also where (using the same word) he says, “Put on the new man which after God is created.511    Eph. iv. 24.” For if the garment of salvation is one, and that is Christ, one cannot say that “the new man, which after God is created,” is any other than Christ, but it is clear that he who has “put on Christ” has “put on the new man which after God is created.” For actually He alone is properly named “the new man,” Who did not appear in the life of man by the known and ordinary ways of nature, but in His case alone creation, in a strange and special form, was instituted anew. For this reason he names the same Person, when regarding the wonderful manner of His birth512    γεννησέως, “the new man, which after God is created,” and, when looking to the Divine nature, which was blended513    ἐγκραθεῖσαν in the creation of this “new man,” he calls Him “Christ”: so that the two names (I mean the name of “Christ” and the name of “the new man which after God is created”) are applied to one and the same Person.

Since, then, Christ is Wisdom, let the intelligent reader consider our opponent’s account of the matter, and our own, and judge which is the more pious, which better preserves in the text those conceptions which are befitting the Divine nature; whether that which declares the Creator and Lord of all to have been made, and places Him on a level with the creation that is in bondage, or that rather which looks to the Incarnation, and preserves the due proportion with regard to our conception alike of the Divinity and of the Humanity, bearing in mind that the great Paul testifies in favour of our view, who sees in the “new man” creation, and in the true Wisdom the power of creation. And, further, the order of the passage agrees with this view of the doctrine it conveys. For if the “beginning of the ways” had not been created among us, the foundation of those ages for which we look would not have been laid; nor would the Lord have become for us “the Father of the age to come514    Is. ix. 6 (LXX.). “The Everlasting Father” of the English Version.,” had not a Child been born to us, according to Isaiah, and His name been called, both all the other titles which the prophet gives Him, and withal “The Father of the age to come.” Thus first there came to pass the mystery wrought in virginity, and the dispensation of the Passion, and then the wise master-builders of the Faith laid the foundation of the Faith: and this is Christ, the Father of the age to come, on Whom is built the life of the ages that have no end. And when this has come to pass, to the end that in each individual believer may be wrought the divine decrees of the Gospel law, and the varied gifts of the Holy Spirits—(all which the divine Scripture figuratively names, with a suitable significance, “mountains” and “hills,” calling righteousness the “mountains” of God, and speaking of His judgments as “deeps515    Cf. Ps. xxxvi. 6,” and giving the name of “earth” to that which is sown by the Word and brings forth abundant fruit; or in that sense in which we are taught by David to understand peace by the “mountains,” and righteousness by the “hills516    Ps. lxxii. 3.”),—Wisdom is begotten in the faithful, and the saying is found true. For He Who is in those who have received Him, is not yet begotten in the unbelieving. Thus, that these things may be wrought in us, their Maker must be begotten in us. For if Wisdom is begotten in us, then in each of us is prepared by God both land, and land uninhabited,—the land, that which receives the sowing and the ploughing of the Word, the uninhabited land, the heart cleared of evil inhabitants,—and thus our dwelling will be upon the extreme parts of the earth. For since in the earth some is depth, and some is surface, when a man is not buried in the earth, or, as it were, dwelling in a cave by reason of thinking of things beneath (as is the life of those who live in sin, who “stick fast in the deep mire where no ground is517    Ps. lxix. 2.,” whose life is truly a pit, as the Psalm says, “let not the pit shut her mouth upon me518    Ps. lxix. 16.”)—if, I say, a man, when Wisdom is begotten in him, thinks of the things that are above, and touches the earth only so much as he needs must, such a man inhabits “the extreme parts of the earth under heavens,” not plunging deep in earthly thought; with him Wisdom is present, as he prepares in himself heaven instead of earth: and when, by carrying out the precepts into act, he makes strong for himself the instruction of the clouds above, and, enclosing the great and widespread sea of wickedness, as it were with a beach, by his exact conversation, hinders the troubled water from proceeding forth from his mouth; and if by the grace of instruction he be made to dwell among the fountains, pouring forth the stream of his discourse with sure caution, that he may not give to any man for drink the turbid fluid of destruction in place of pure water, and if he be lifted up above all earthly paths and become aerial in his life, advancing towards that spiritual life which he speaks of as “the winds,” so that he is set apart to be a throne of Him Who is seated in him (as was Paul separated for the Gospel to be a chosen vessel to bear the name of God, who, as it is elsewhere expressed, was made a throne, bearing Him that sat upon him)—when, I say, he is established in these and like ways, so that he who has already fully made up in himself the land inhabited by God, now rejoices in gladness that he is made the father, not of wild and senseless beasts, but of men (and these would be godlike thoughts, which are fashioned according to the Divine image, by faith in Him Who has been created and begotten, and set up in us;—and faith, according to the words of Paul, is conceived as the foundation whereby wisdom is begotten in the faithful, and all the things that I have spoken of are wrought)—then, I say, the life of the man who has been thus established is truly blessed, for Wisdom is at all times in agreement with him, and rejoices with him who daily finds gladness in her alone. For the Lord rejoices in His saints, and there is joy in heaven over those who are being saved, and Christ, as the father, makes a feast for his rescued son. Though we have spoken hurriedly of these matters, let the careful man read the original text of the Holy Scripture, and fit its dark sayings to our reflections, testing whether it is not far better to consider that the meaning of these dark sayings has this reference, and not that which is attributed to it at first sight. For it is not possible that the theology of John should be esteemed true, which recites that all created things are the work of the Word, if in this passage He Who created Wisdom be believed to have made together with her all other things also. For in that case all things will not be by her, but she will herself be counted with the things that were made.

And that this is the reference of the enigmatical sayings is clearly revealed by the passage that follows, which says, “Now therefore hearken unto me, my son: and blessed is he that keepeth my ways519    Prov. viii. 32 (not verbally agreeing with the LXX.).,” meaning of course by “ways” the approaches to virtue, the beginning of which is the possession of Wisdom. Who, then, who looks to the divine Scripture, will not agree that the enemies of the truth are at once impious and slanderous?—impious, because, so far as in them lies, they degrade the unspeakable glory of the Only-begotten God, and unite it with the creation, striving to show that the Lord Whose power over all things is only-begotten, is one of the things that were made by Him: slanderous, because, though Scripture itself gives them no ground for such opinions, they arm themselves against piety as though they drew their evidence from that source. Now since they can by no means show any passage of the Holy Scriptures which leads us to look upon the pre-temporal glory of the Only-begotten God in conjunction with the subject creation, it is well, these points being proved, that the tokens of victory over falsehood should be adduced as testimony to the doctrine of godliness, and that sweeping aside these verbal systems of theirs by which they make the creature answer to the creator, and the thing made to the maker, we should confess, as the Gospel from heaven teaches us, the well-beloved Son—not a bastard, not a counterfeit; but that, accepting with the name of Son all that naturally belongs to that name, we should say that He Who is of Very God is Very God, and that we should believe of Him all that we behold in the Father, because They are One, and in the one is conceived the other, not overpassing Him, not inferior to Him, not altered or subject to change in any Divine or excellent property.

τάχα δ' ἂν ἡμῖν ἐκεῖνο προενεχθείη παρ' αὐτῶν τῆς παροιμίας τὸ μέρος ὅπερ οἱ πρόμαχοι τῆς αἱρέσεως εἰς μαρτυρίαν τοῦ ἐκτίσθαι τὸν κύριον προφέρειν εἰώθασι, τὸ Κύριος ἔκτισέ με ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ. διὰ γὰρ τὸ παρὰ τῆς σοφίας εἰρῆσθαι τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, σοφίαν δὲ παρὰ τοῦ μεγάλου Παύλου κατωνομάσθαι τὸν κύριον, ὡς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μονογενοῦς θεοῦ διὰ τοῦ τῆς σοφίας ὀνόματος ὁμολογοῦντος τὸ ἐκτίσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ τὰ πάντα ποιήσαντος τὴν φωνὴν ταύτην προτείνονται. ἐγὼ δὲ φανερὰν μὲν ἡγοῦμαι τοῖς προσεχεστέροις τε καὶ φιλοπονωτέροις τὴν εὐσεβῆ τοῦ ῥητοῦ τούτου διάνοιαν, ὡς μηδεμίαν γενέσθαι βλάβην κατὰ τοῦ λόγου τῆς πίστεως τοῖς πεπαιδευμένοις τὰ τῆς παροιμίας αἰνίγματα: πλὴν δι' ὀλίγων οἶμαι δεῖν τὸν περὶ τούτου λόγον διαλαβεῖν, ὡς ἂν φανερώτερον τῆς τοῦ ῥητοῦ τούτου διανοίας ἐκκαλυφθείσης μηδαμόθεν ἔχοι παρρησίαν ὁ τῆς αἱρέσεως λόγος, ὡς ἐκ τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἔχων. ὁμολογεῖται μὲν γὰρ παρὰ πάντων ἐν τῇ γραφικῇ καταχρήσει τὸ τῆς παροιμίας ὄνομα μὴ κατὰ φανεροῦ τετάχθαι νοήματος, ἀλλ' ἐπί τινος κεκρυμμένης λέγεσθαι διανοίας, οὕτω τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τὰς αἰνιγματώδεις τε καὶ ἀσαφεῖς ῥήσεις παροιμίας κατονομάζοντος, ὡς εἶναι τὴν παροιμίαν, εἴ τις ὅρῳ τὴν ἑρμηνείαν τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου διαλαμβάνοι, λόγον δι' ἑτέρων τῶν κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον νοουμένων ἕτερόν τι κατὰ τὸ κρυπτὸν ἐνδεικνύμενον, ἢ λόγον οὐκ ἐπ' εὐθείας τὸν τοῦ νοήματος σκοπὸν προδεικνύοντα, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ λοξὸν τὴν διδασκαλίαν ποιούμενον διὰ πλαγίας ἐμφάσεως. τῷ δὲ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ κατ' ἐξαίρετον τὸ τοιοῦτον ἐπιγέγραπται ὄνομα, καὶ τῆς προσηγορίας ταύτης αἱ ἐμφάσεις εὐθὺς ἐν τοῖς προοιμίοις παρὰ τοῦ σοφοῦ Σολομῶντος διῄρηνται. οὐ γὰρ γνώμας οὐδὲ συμβουλὰς οὐδὲ διδασκαλίαν σαφῆ τοὺς ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ λόγους, ἀλλὰ παροιμίας ὠνόμασεν, ἐπαγαγὼν τὴν ἑρμηνείαν, τί βούλεται τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου τὸ σημαινόμενον: Γνῶναι γάρ, φησί, σοφίαν καὶ παιδείαν, οὐ κατὰ τὴν κοινὴν ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων μαθημάτων συνήθειαν προτάξας τῆς σοφίας τὴν παίδευσιν, ἀλλὰ σοφὸν ἐκ προπαιδεύσεως γενέσθαι πρῶτον διακελεύεται, εἶθ' οὕτως τὴν ἐκ τῆς παροιμίας παιδείαν χωρῆσαι. φρονήσεως γὰρ εἶναι λόγους, φησί, διὰ στροφῆς τὸν σκοπὸν ἐκκαλύπτοντας. τὸ γὰρ μὴ ἐπ' εὐθείας νοούμενον στροφῆς τινος χρῄζει πρὸς τὴν τοῦ κεκρυμμένου κατάληψιν, καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ Παῦλος ἀλλάξειν ἑαυτοῦ τὴν φωνὴν ἐπηγγείλατο, μέλλων μετατιθέναι τὴν ἱστορίαν εἰς τροπικὴν θεωρίαν, οὕτως ἐνταῦθα ἡ τῶν κεκρυμμένων φανέρωσις στροφὴ λόγου παρὰ τοῦ Σολομῶντος κατονομάζεται, ὡς οὐ δυναμένου κατανοηθῆναι τοῦ κάλλους τῶν νοημάτων, εἰ μή τις τοῦ λόγου τὸ προφαινόμενον εἰς τὸ ἔμπαλιν ἀναστρέψας ἴδοι τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην αὐγὴν τοῦ νοήματος: οἷον ἐπὶ τοῦ πτεροῦ συμβαίνει, ᾧ κατὰ τὸ οὐραῖον ὁ ταὼς καλλωπίζεται. ἐπὶ τούτου γὰρ ὁ μὲν τὰ νῶτα τοῦ πτεροῦ θεασάμενος κατὰ τὸ ἀκαλλές τε καὶ ἄμορφον καταφρονεῖ πάντως ὡς εὐτελοῦς τοῦ θεάματος: εἰ δέ τις ἀναστρέψας αὐτοῦ τὴν ἑτέραν ὄψιν προδείξειεν, ὁρᾷ τὴν ποικίλην ζωγραφίαν τῆς φύσεως καὶ τὸν ἡμιτελῆ κύκλον ἐν πορφυρᾷ τῇ βαφῇ κατὰ τὸ μέσον ἐκλάμποντα καὶ τὸν χρυσοειδῆ περὶ τὸν κύκλον ἀέρα ταῖς πολυχρόοις ἴρισι κατὰ τὸ ἄκρον διεζωσμένον τε καὶ λαμπόμενον. ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐδὲν τῷ προχείρῳ τῆς λέξεως ἔπεστι κάλλος (Πᾶσα γάρ, φησίν, ἡ δόξα τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ἔσωθεν, ἐν τοῖς χρυσοῖς νοήμασι τῷ κρυπτῷ διαλάμπουσα κόσμῳ), ἀναγκαίως ὁ Σολομὼν τοῖς ἐντυγχάνουσι τούτῳ τῷ βιβλίῳ τὴν τοῦ λόγου στροφὴν ὑποτίθεται, ἵνα διὰ τούτου νοήσωσι παραβολὴν καὶ σκοτεινὸν λόγον, ῥήσεις τε σοφῶν καὶ αἰνίγματα.
Ταῦτα τοίνυν περιεχούσης τῆς παροιμιακῆς ταύτης διδασκαλίας, οὐδὲν ἄν τις τῶν εὖ φρονούντων ἀνεξετάστως τε καὶ ἀθεωρήτως τῶν ἐκ τῆς βίβλου ταύτης προφερομένων δέξεται, κἂν ὅτι μάλιστα σαφὲς ἐκ τοῦ προχείρου καὶ γνώριμον τυγχάνῃ. πάντως γὰρ ὕπεστί τις καὶ τοῖς προδήλοις εἶναι δοκοῦσιν ἡ κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν θεωρία. εἰ δὲ τὰ πρόχειρα τῆς γραφῆς ταύτης ἀναγκαίως ἐπιζητεῖ τὴν λεπτομερεστέραν ἐξέτασιν, πόσῳ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνα οἷς πολὺ τὸ ἀσαφές τε καὶ δυσθεώρητον ἐκ τῆς αὐτόθεν ἐστὶ κατανοήσεως; ἐξετάσωμεν τοίνυν ἐκ τῆς περὶ τὸν τόπον ἐκεῖνον συμφράσεως τῶν ῥημάτων, εἴ τι σαφὲς ἡ τῶν παρακειμένων ἀνάγνωσις ἔχει. προδιαγράφει τὴν σοφίαν ὁ λόγος ῥήσεις τινὰς ἐξ οἰκείου διεξιοῦσαν προσώπου. ἐπίσταται δὲ πάντως ὁ φιλομαθὴς τὰ ἐν τῷ τόπῳ λεγόμενα, ὅπου κατασκηνοῖ μὲν βουλὴν ἡ σοφία, ἐπικαλεῖται δὲ γνῶσιν καὶ ἔννοιαν, κτῆμα δὲ ἔχειν φησὶν ἰσχύν τε καὶ φρόνησιν, αὐτὴ δὲ ὀνομάζεσθαι σύνεσις, ἐν ὁδοῖς δὲ περιπατεῖν δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον ὁδῶν δικαιώματος ἀναστρέφεσθαι, φησὶ δὲ δι' ἑαυτῆς βασιλεύειν τοὺς βασιλεύοντας καὶ δικαιοσύνην γράφειν τοὺς δυναστεύοντας καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν κατακρατεῖν γῆς τοὺς τυράννους. ὅτι γὰρ οὐδὲν τῶν εἰρημένων ὁ λελογισμένος ἀνεξετάστως ἐκ τῆς ἑτοίμου διανοίας προσδέχεται, παντὶ δῆλόν ἐστιν. εἰ γὰρ οἱ βασιλεῖς δι' ἐκείνης ἐπὶ τὴν δυναστείαν προάγονται καὶ παρ' αὐτῆς ἡ τυραννὶς τὴν ἰσχὺν ἔχει, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα τυραννοποιὸν ἡμῖν τὴν σοφίαν ἀναφανῆναι καὶ τῶν πονηρῶς ἐν βασιλείᾳ δυναστευόντων εἰς ἑαυτὴν μετατιθέναι τὰς μέμψεις. ἀλλ' οἴδαμεν βασιλέας τοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς σοφίας ὄντως εἰς τὴν ἀτελεύτητον προϊόντας ἀρχήν, τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῷ πνεύματι, ὧν κτῆμα ἡ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐστι βασιλεία, καθὼς ὁ κύριος, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ σοφία, διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου κατεπαγγέλλεται: τοιούτους καὶ τοὺς δυνάστας ἐπιγινώσκομεν τοὺς κατὰ τῶν παθῶν δυναστεύοντας, τοὺς μὴ δουλουμένους τῇ δυναστείᾳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, οἳ καθάπερ δέλτῳ τινὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ βίῳ τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἐγγράφουσιν. οὕτως καὶ ἡ ἐπαινετὴ τυραννὶς τῇ συμμαχίᾳ τῆς σοφίας τὴν τῶν παθῶν δημοκρατίαν εἰς τὴν τοῦ νοῦ μοναρχίαν μετασκευάσασα δουλαγωγεῖ τὰ κακῶς εἰς ἐλευθερίαν ἀφηνιάζοντα, πάντα τὰ σωματικά τε καὶ γήϊνα λέγω φρονήματα. Ἡ γὰρ σὰρξ ἐπιθυμεῖ κατὰ τοῦ πνεύματος, καὶ τῇ ἀρχῇ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπανίσταται. ταύτης οὖν κρατεῖ τῆς γῆς ὁ τοιοῦτος τύραννος, ἧς ἄρχων ἐτάχθη κατὰ τὴν πρώτην κτίσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου.
Ὡς τοίνυν ταῦτα παρὰ πάντων ὁμολογεῖται τῶν εὖ φρονούντων μετὰ τοιαύτης διανοίας ἀναγινώσκεσθαι μᾶλλον ἢ μετὰ τῆς τοῖς ῥητοῖς ἐπιφαινομένης κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον, οὕτως εἰκός ἐστι ἐκ τοῦ ἀκολούθου προσεχῶς τούτοις τὴν φωνὴν ἐκείνην συγγεγραμμένην μὴ ἁπλῶς τε καὶ ἀνεξετάστως παρὰ τῶν εὖ φρονούντων παραδεχθῆναι. Ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν, φησί, τὰ καθ' ἡμέραν γινόμενα, μνημονεύσω τὰ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀπαριθμήσασθαι: κύριος ἔκτισέ με. τί μοι πρὸς ταύτην ἐρεῖ τὴν φωνὴν ὁ τῆς λέξεως δοῦλος, ὁ τῷ ἤχῳ τῶν συλλαβῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶς προσκαθήμενος; ἆρ' οὐ δοκεῖ ξενισμὸν ἐμποιεῖν τῇ ἀκοῇ τῶν ἐπιστατικωτέρων ἡ σύνταξις: Ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω ὑμῖν τὰ καθ' ἡμέραν γινόμενα, κύριος ἔκτισέ με; ὡς ἐὰν μὴ ἀναγγείλῃ τὰ καθ' ἡμέραν γινόμενα, κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον καὶ τὸ ἐκτίσθαι πάντως ἀρνήσεται. ὁ γὰρ εἰπὼν ὅτι ἐὰν ἀναγγείλω, ἐκτίσθην, δέδωκε νοεῖν κατὰ τὸ σιωπώμενον ὅτι οὐκ ἐκτίσθην, ἐὰν μὴ ἀναγγείλω. Κύριος ἔκτισέ με, φησίν, ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ εἰς ἔργα αὐτοῦ, πρὸ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἐθεμελίωσέ με ἐν ἀρχῇ, πρὸ τοῦ τὴν γῆν ποιῆσαι, πρὸ τοῦ τὰς ἀβύσσους ποιῆσαι, πρὸ τοῦ προελθεῖν τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων, πρὸ τοῦ ὄρη ἑδρασθῆναι, πρὸ δὲ πάντων βουνῶν γεννᾷ με. τίς ἡ καινὴ τῆς κατασκευῆς τοῦ κτίσματος τούτου τάξις; πρῶτον κτίζεται, καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο θεμελιοῦται, καὶ τότε γεννᾶται. Κύριος ἐποίησε, φησί, χώρας καὶ ἀοικήτους καὶ ἄκρα οἰκούμενα τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανόν. ποῖον κύριον λέγει ποιητὴν χώρας ἀοικήτου καὶ οἰκουμένης; πάντως ὅτι τὸν καὶ τὴν σοφίαν ποιήσαντα: ἐκ γὰρ τοῦ αὐτοῦ προσώπου καὶ οὗτος κἀκεῖνος ὁ λόγος, ὅ τε τὸ ἔκτισέ με κύριος λέγων καὶ ὁ προστιθεὶς τὸ ἐποίησε κύριος χώρας καὶ ἀοικήτους. οὐκοῦν ἐπίσης τῶν δύο δημιουργὸς ἔσται ὁ κύριος, αὐτῆς τε τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης τε καὶ ἀοικήτου χώρας. ποῦ τοίνυν τὸ Πάντα διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ ἐγένετο καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν; εἰ γὰρ ὁ αὐτὸς κύριος καὶ τὴν σοφίαν κτίζει, ἣν ἀντὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ νοεῖν συμβουλεύουσι, καὶ τὰ καθ' ἕκαστον ὅσα ἡ κτίσις ἔχει, πῶς ἀληθεύει ὁ ὑψηλὸς Ἰωάννης πάντα λέγων δι' αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι; ἀντιφθέγγεται γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ αὕτη πρὸς τὴν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου φωνὴν, τῷ τὴν σοφίαν κτίσαντι τῆς ἀοικήτου τε καὶ οἰκουμένης χώρας ἀνατιθεῖσα τὴν ποίησιν.
Οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς πάντα: θρόνον θεοῦ τινα διεξέρχεται ἐπ' ἀνέμων ἀφοριζόμενον καὶ ἰσχυρὰ γίνεσθαι τὰ ἄνω νέφη λέγει καὶ ἀσφαλεῖς τὰς ὑπουρανίους πηγὰς καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα περιέχει ἡ σύμφρασις, πολλὴν ἐπιζητοῦντα τὴν διὰ λεπτῆς τινος καὶ διορατικῆς φρενὸς εὑρισκομένην ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις διάνοιαν. τίς ὁ ἐπ' ἀνέμων ἀφοριζόμενος θρόνος; τίς ἡ ἀσφάλεια τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν πηγῶν; πῶς ἰσχυρὰ γίνεται τὰ ἄνω νέφη; εἰ γάρ τις πρὸς τὰ φαινόμενα κρίνοι τὸν λόγον, πολλὴν εὑρήσει μάχην τῶν πραγμάτων πρὸς τὰ λεγόμενα. τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι τὰ ἄκρα τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανὸν ἢ τῷ λίαν καθομιλεῖν τῇ τοῦ ἡλίου θερμότητι ἢ τῷ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἀφεστάναι διὰ τὴν καθ' ἑκάτερον ἀμετρίαν ἐστὶν ἀοίκητα, τὰ μὲν ξηρά τε καὶ διακαῆ πέρα τοῦ μετρίου γινόμενα, τὰ δὲ τῷ ὑγρῷ πλεονάζοντα καὶ κατεψυγμένα διὰ τῆς πήξεως, οἰκεῖται δὲ μόνα ὅσα τῆς καθ' ἑκάτερον τῶν ἐναντίων ἀκρότητος ἐπίσης ἀπῴκισται; εἰ δὲ τὸ μέσον τῆς γῆς ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διείληπται, πῶς τὰ ἄκρα τῆς ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν οἰκεῖσθαι ἡ παροιμία λέγει; τίς γὰρ ἰσχὺς ἐνθεωρηθείη τοῖς νέφεσιν, ὡς ἀληθεύειν τὸν λόγον κατὰ τὴν πρόχειρον ἔννοιαν, ὅς φησιν ἰσχυρὰ γεγενῆσθαι τὰ ἄνω νέφη; μανότερος γάρ τίς ἐστιν ἀτμὸς ἡ τοῦ νέφους φύσις κατὰ τὸν ἀέρα διαχεόμενος, ὃς ἐποχεῖται μὲν τῷ ἐναερίῳ πνεύματι διὰ πολλὴν λεπτότητα κοῦφος γινόμενος, συρρυεὶς δὲ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐκ τῆς συμπιλήσεως διεκπίπτει τοῦ ἀνέχοντος πνεύματος, σταγὼν βαρεῖα γινόμενος. τίς οὖν ἐστιν ἐν τούτοις ἡ ἰσχύς, ἐν οἷς οὐδεμία τοῖς ἁπτομένοις ἀντίληψις γίνεται; τὸ γὰρ μανὸν τοῦ ἀέρος καὶ εὐδιάχυτον καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ νέφους ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. πῶς δὲ πάλιν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀστάτῳ τῶν ἀνέμων φύσει ὁ θεῖος ἀφορίζεται θρόνος; τὸ δὲ πρῶτον κτίζεσθαι καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει λέγειν γεννᾶσθαι καὶ διὰ μέσου τούτων θεμελιοῦσθαι, τίνα λόγον εἴποι τις ἂν ἔχειν ταῖς κοιναῖς τε καὶ προχείροις ἐννοίαις συμβαίνοντα, τό τε πρὸ τούτων ἐπαπορηθὲν ἐν τῷ λόγῳ, πῶς ἡ ἀναγγελία τῶν καθ' ἡμέραν γινομένων καὶ ἡ μνήμη τῆς ἐξαριθμήσεως τῶν ἐξ αἰῶνος ὥσπερ αἰτία τις γίνεται τοῦ ἐκτίσθαι παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τὴν σοφίαν λέγειν;
Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὴ δέδεικται φανερῶς διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων μηδὲν ἐν τούτοις τοιοῦτον εἶναι, ὡς ἀνεξετάστως τε καὶ ἀθεωρήτως παραδεχθῆναι τὸν λόγον, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι καθ' ὁμοιότητα τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ τὸ Κύριος ἔκτισέ με μὴ κατὰ τὴν αὐτόθεν ἡμῖν ἐκ τοῦ ῥήματος ἐγγινομένην διάνοιαν ἑρμηνεύειν, ἀλλὰ ζητεῖν κατὰ πᾶσαν προσοχήν τε καὶ ἐπι μέλειαν τὸ εὐσεβῶς διὰ τοῦ λεγομένου νοούμενον. ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ἀκριβῶς κατειληφέναι τὴν τῶν προκειμένων διάνοιαν μόνων ἂν εἴη τῶν τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι τὰ βάθη διερευνώντων καὶ λαλεῖν ἐπισταμένων ἐν πνεύματι τὰ θεῖα μυστήρια: παρ' ἡμῶν δὲ τοσοῦτον ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις ὁ λόγος ἀσχοληθήσεται, ὅσον μὴ πάντη περιϊδεῖν τὸν ἐν τούτοις σκοπὸν ἀθεώρητον. τίς οὖν ὁ ἡμέτερος λόγος; οὐκ ἔστιν, οἶμαι, δυνατὸν τὴν ἐκ θείας ἐλλάμψεως γινομένην ἔν τινι σοφίαν μόνην ταύτην δίχα τῶν λοιπῶν χαρισμάτων τοῦ πνεύματος παραγενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ χρὴ πάντως συνεισελθεῖν ταύτῃ καὶ τῆς προφητείας τὴν χάριν. εἰ γὰρ ἴδιον σοφίας ἐστὶν ἡ τῆς τῶν ὄντων ἀληθείας κατάληψις, προφητεία δὲ τὴν τῶν μελλόντων περιέχει σαφήνειαν, οὐκ ἂν ἐν τῷ τελείῳ τις τῆς σοφίας εἴη χαρίσματι μὴ διὰ τῆς προφητικῆς συνεργίας συμπεριλαβὼν τῇ γνώσει καὶ τὸ ἐσόμενον. ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνην τινὰ σοφίαν ἑαυτῷ προσμαρτυρεῖ Σολομὼν ὁ εἰπὼν ὅτι Ὁ θεὸς δεδίδαχέ με σοφίαν, καὶ πάντα τὸν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ λόγον ἀνατιθεὶς τῷ θεῷ ἐν οἷς φησιν ὅτι Οἱ ἐμοὶ λόγοι εἴρηνται ἀπὸ θεοῦ, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι τὴν ἀναμεμιγμένην τῇ σοφίᾳ προφητείαν ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ τῆς παροιμίας διερευνήσασθαι. φαμὲν τοίνυν ὅτι ἐν μὲν τοῖς πρὸ τούτου λόγοις εἰπὼν τὴν σοφίαν ἑαυτῇ ᾠκοδομηκέναι τὸν οἶκον τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς τοῦ κυρίου κατασκευὴν διὰ τοῦ λόγου αἰνίσσεται: οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἀλλοτρίῳ οἰκοδομήματι ἡ ἀληθινὴ σοφία κατῴκησεν, ἀλλ' ἑαυτῇ τὸ οἰκητήριον ἐκ τοῦ παρθενικοῦ σώματος ἐδομήσατο. ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸ ἑνωθὲν ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῷ λόγῳ προτίθησι, τοῦ τε οἴκου λέγω καὶ τῆς σοφίας τῆς οἰκοδομησάσης τὸν οἶκον, τουτέστιν ἔκ τε τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀνακραθείσης τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ θεότητος, ἑκατέρῳ δὲ τούτων ἐφαρμόζει τὰς καταλλήλους τε καὶ πρεπούσας φωνάς, καθὼς ἔστιν ἰδεῖν καὶ ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις γινόμενον, ἐν οἷς ὁ λόγος κατὰ τὸ πρόσφορον τῷ ὑποκειμένῳ διεξαγόμενος διὰ μὲν τῆς ὑψηλοτέρας τε καὶ θεοπρεποῦς σημασίας τὸ θεῖον ἐνδείκνυται, διὰ δὲ τῆς χαμαιζήλου τε καὶ ταπεινῆς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον. οὕτως ἔστιν ἰδεῖν καὶ ἐν τῷ μέρει τούτῳ προφητικῶς τὸν Σολομῶντα κινούμενον καὶ ὅλον παραδεδωκότα τὸ τῆς οἰκονομίας μυστήριον. λέγει γὰρ πρότερον μὲν τὴν προαιώνιον τῆς σοφίας δύναμίν τε καὶ ἐνέργειαν, ἐν οἷς τῷ εὐαγγελιστῇ τρόπον τινὰ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ῥημάτων συμφέρεται. ὡς γὰρ ἐκεῖνος τῇ περιληπτικῇ φωνῇ πάντων αὐτὸν αἴτιον καὶ δημιουργὸν ἀνεκήρυξεν, οὕτως ὁ Σολομὼν παρ' αὐτοῦ γεγενῆσθαι τὰ καθέκαστον λέγει τὰ ἐν τῷ παντὶ ἀριθμούμενα. φησὶ γὰρ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν γῆν, ἡτοίμασε δὲ οὐρανοὺς ἐν φρονήσει καὶ ὅσα τούτοις κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον ἕπεται τῆς αὐτῆς ἐχόμενα διανοίας. καὶ ὡς ἂν μὴ δοκοίη τὴν δωρεὰν τῆς ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀρετῆς περιορᾶν ἀμνημόνευτον, πάλιν ἐκ προσώπου τῆς σοφίας ἐκεῖνα διέξεισι λέγων, ὧν μικρῷ πρόσθεν ἐμνημονεύσαμεν, τὸ Κατεσκήνωσα βουλὴν καὶ γνῶσιν καὶ ἔννοιαν, καὶ ὅσα τῆς νοερᾶς τε καὶ ἐπιστημονικῆς διδασκαλίας ἐστί. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα διεξελθὼν ἐπάγει καὶ περὶ τῆς κατὰ τὸν ἄνθρωπον οἰκονομίας διδασκαλίαν, διὰ τί σὰρξ ὁ λόγος ἐγένετο. φανεροῦ γὰρ ἅπασιν ὄντος ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐν ἑαυτῷ κτιστὸν ἢ ἐπείσακτον ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων ἔχει θεός, οὐ δύναμιν, οὐ σοφίαν, οὐ φῶς, οὐ λόγον, οὐ ζωήν, οὐκ ἀλήθειαν οὐδὲ ὅλως τι τῶν ἐν τῷ πληρώματι τοῦ θείου κόλπου θεωρουμένων, ἅπερ πάντα ἐστὶν ὁ μονογενὴς θεός, ὁ ὢν ἐν τοῖς κόλποις τοῦ πατρός, οὐκ ἄν τινι τῶν ἐν τῷ θεῷ θεωρουμένων εὐλόγως ἐφαρμοσθείη τὸ τῆς κτίσεως ὄνομα, ὥστε εἰπεῖν τὸν ἐν τῷ πατρὶ υἱὸν ἢ τὸν ἐν τῇ ἀρχῇ λόγον ἢ τὸ ἐν τῷ φωτὶ φῶς ἢ τὴν ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ζωὴν ἢ τὴν ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ σοφίαν ὅτι Κύριος ἔκτισέ με. εἰ γὰρ κτιστὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ σοφία, Χριστὸς δὲ θεοῦ δύναμις καὶ θεοῦ σοφία, ἐπείσακτον ἔσχε πάντως ὁ θεὸς τὴν σοφίαν, ὕστερον ἐκ κατασκευῆς προσλαβὼν ὃ μὴ παρὰ τὴν πρώτην εἶχεν. ἀλλὰ μὴν ὁ ἐν τοῖς κόλποις ὢν τοῦ πατρὸς οὐδέποτε κενὸν ἑαυτοῦ δίδωσι νοεῖν τὸν πατρῷον κόλπον. ἄρα οὐ τῶν ἔξωθεν ἐγγενομένων ἐστὶ τῷ κόλπῳ, ἀλλὰ παντὸς ἀγαθοῦ πλήρωμα ὢν πάντοτε ἐν τῷ πατρὶ νοεῖται ὁ ἐν ἀρχῇ ὤν, οὐκ ἀναμένων τὸ διὰ κτίσεως ἐν αὐτῷ γενέσθαι, ὡς ἂν μήποτε κενὸς ἀγαθῶν ὁ πατὴρ νοηθείη, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐν τῇ ἀϊδιότητι τῆς πατρικῆς θεότητος εἶναι νοούμενος ἀεὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐστι, δύναμις ὢν καὶ ζωὴ καὶ ἀλήθεια καὶ φῶς καὶ σοφία καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα. οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ θείου τε καὶ ἀκηράτου ἐστὶν ἡ τοῦ ἔκτισέ με φωνή, ἀλλά, καθὼς εἴρηται, ἐκ τοῦ ἀνακραθέντος κατ' οἰκονομίαν ἀπὸ τῆς κτιστῆς ἡμῶν φύσεως. πῶς οὖν ἡ αὐτὴ καὶ τὴν γῆν θεμελιοῖ καὶ τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἑτοιμάζει καὶ τὰς ἀβύσσους ἀναρρήγνυσι, σοφία καὶ φρόνησις καὶ θεία αἴσθησις καλουμένη, καὶ ἐνταῦθα κτίζεται εἰς ἔργων ἀρχήν; οὐκ ἄνευ, φησίν, αἰτίας μεγάλης ἡ τοιαύτη συνεργεῖται οἰκονομία. ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τῶν παραφυλακτέων ἡμῖν τὴν ἐντολὴν λαβόντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐξέβαλον τῆς μνήμης τὴν χάριν, διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀγαθῶν λήθῃ γενόμενοι, διὰ τοῦτο, ἵνα ἀναγγείλω πάλιν ὑμῖν τὰ καθ' ἡμέραν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ γινόμενα καὶ ἀναμνήσω τὰ ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀπαριθμησάμενος ὧν ἐπελάθεσθε: οὐ γὰρ καινόν τι καταγγέλλω νῦν εὐαγγέλιον, ἀλλὰ τὴν εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἀποκατάστασιν ὑμῶν πραγματεύομαι: τούτου χάριν ἐκτίσθην ὁ ἀεὶ ὢν καὶ μηδὲν τοῦ κτισθῆναι πρὸς τὸ εἶναι δεόμενος, ὥστε με γενέσθαι ἀρχὴν ὁδῶν εἰς τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ, τοὺς ἀνθρώπους λέγω. τῆς γὰρ ὁδοῦ τῆς πρώτης καταφθαρείσης, ἔδει πάλιν ἐγκαινισθῆναι τοῖς πλανωμένοις ὁδὸν πρόσφατόν τε καὶ ζῶσαν, αὐτὸν ἐμὲ ὅς εἰμι ἡ ὁδός.
Καὶ ὅτι πρὸς τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἡ τοῦ ἔκτισέ με διάνοια βλέπει, σαφέστερον ἡμῖν τοῦτο παρίστησι διὰ τῶν ἰδίων λόγων ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος, ἐν οἷς διακελεύεται ὅτι Ἐνδύσασθε τὸν κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις ὅπου τὸν αὐτὸν ἐπαναλαβὼν λόγον φησὶν Ἐνδύσασθε τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα. εἰ γὰρ ἓν μέν ἐστι τὸ σωτήριον ἔνδυμα, τοῦτο δέ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, οὐκ ἂν ἄλλον τις εἴποι παρὰ τὸν Χριστὸν εἶναι τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον τὸν κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα, ἀλλὰ δῆλον ὅτι ὁ τὸν Χριστὸν ἐνδυσάμενος τὸν καινὸν ἐνδέδυται ἄνθρωπον τὸν κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα. μόνος γὰρ οὗτος ὡς ἀληθῶς καινὸς κυρίως ὀνομάζεται ἄνθρωπος, ὃς οὐχὶ διὰ τῶν γνωρίμων τε καὶ συνήθων τῆς φύσεως ὁδῶν ἐν τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐφάνη βίῳ, ἀλλ' ἐξηλλαγμένη τις καὶ ἰδιάζουσα ἐπὶ μόνου τούτου ἐκαινοτομήθη ἡ κτίσις. διὰ τοῦτο τὸν αὐτὸν πρός τε τὸ παράδοξον τῆς γεννήσεως βλέπων καινὸν ἄνθρωπον κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντα κατονομάζει, καὶ πρὸς τὴν θείαν φύσιν ὁρῶν τὴν ἐγκραθεῖσαν τῇ κτίσει τοῦ καινοῦ τούτου ἀνθρώπου Χριστὸν προσαγορεύει, ὡς καθ' ἑνὸς καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τὰς δύο κεῖσθαι φωνάς, τήν τε τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγω καὶ τὴν τοῦ καινοῦ ἀνθρώπου τοῦ κατὰ θεὸν κτισθέντος.
Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ Χριστὸς ἡ σοφία ἐστίν, ὁ συνετὸς ἀκροατὴς ἐπισκεψάσθω τὸν λόγον τῶν τε προσμαχομένων ἡμῖν καὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον καὶ κρινάτω τὸν εὐσεβέστερον, τίς μᾶλλον τὰς θεοπρεπεῖς ἐννοίας ἐν τῷ ῥητῷ διασῴζει, ὁ τὸν τοῦ παντὸς κτίστην καὶ κύριον πεποιῆσθαι διοριζόμενος καὶ τῇ δουλευούσῃ κτίσει κατασκευάζων ὁμότιμον, ἢ μᾶλλον ὁ πρὸς τὴν οἰκονομίαν ὁρῶν καὶ φυλάσσων τῇ τε περὶ τὸ θεῖον καὶ τῇ περὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ὑπολήψει τὸ πρόσφορον, συμμαρτυροῦντος τοῦ μεγάλου Παύλου τῷ δόγματι, ὃς ἐν μὲν τῷ καινῷ ἀνθρώπῳ τὴν κτίσιν βλέπει, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀληθινῇ σοφίᾳ τὴν ἐξουσίαν τῆς κτίσεως. συμβαίνει δὲ καὶ ἡ τάξις τοῦ λόγου τῇ θεωρίᾳ τοῦ δόγματος. εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐκτίσθη ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ τῶν ὁδῶν ἀρχή, οὐκ ἂν ὁ τῶν προσδοκωμένων αἰώνων θεμέλιος κατεβλήθη, οὐδ' ἂν ἐγένετο ἡμῖν ὁ κύριος πατὴρ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, εἰ μὴ κατὰ τὸν Ἠσαΐαν παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν καὶ ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ τά τε ἄλλα πάντα ὅσα ὁ προφήτης ὠνόμασε καὶ μετὰ πάντων πατὴρ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. πρότερον οὖν γέγονε τὸ κατὰ τὴν παρθενίαν μυστήριον καὶ ἡ περὶ τὸ πάθος οἰκονομία, καὶ τότε οἱ σοφοὶ τῆς πίστεως ἀρχιτέκτονες τὸν θεμέλιον τῆς πίστεως κατεβάλοντο. οὗτος δέ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, ᾧ ἐποικοδομεῖται ἡ τῶν ἀτελευτήτων αἰώνων ζωή. τούτου δὲ γενομένου, ἵνα ἑκάστῳ τῶν πεπιστευκότων τὰ θεῖα θελήματα τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ νόμου καὶ τὰ ποικίλα τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος χαρίσματα γένηται, ἅπερ πάντα τροπικῶς κατά τινα προσφυῆ σημασίαν ὄρη καὶ βουνοὺς ὀνομάζει ἡ θεία γραφή, τὴν δικαιοσύνην μὲν ὄρη θεοῦ ὀνομάζουσα, τὰ δὲ κρίματα ἀβύσσους προσαγορεύουσα, γῆν δὲ τὴν ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου σπειρομένην καὶ καρποφοροῦσαν τὸν πολύχουν καρπόν, ἢ ὡς ἑτέρωθι παρὰ τῷ Δαβὶδ εἰρήνην μὲν διὰ τῶν ὀρῶν, δικαιοσύνην δὲ διὰ τῶν βουνῶν διδασκόμεθα, ἀναγκαίως ἐν τοῖς πιστοῖς ἡ σοφία γεννᾶται καὶ ἀληθὴς ὁ λόγος. ὁ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς δεξαμένοις αὐτὸν ὢν ἐν τοῖς ἀπίστοις οὔπω ἐγεννήθη. ἵνα οὖν ταῦτα καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν γένηται, χρὴ τὸν τούτων δημιουργὸν ἐν ἡμῖν γεννηθῆναι.
Οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς τούτοις κατὰ τὸν εἱρμὸν τοῦτον κατανοήσωμεν. ἐὰν γὰρ γεννηθῇ ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ σοφία, τότε παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ κατασκευάζεται ἐν ἑκάστῳ ἥ τε χώρα καὶ ἡ ἀοίκητος, χώρα μὲν ἡ δεχομένη τοῦ λόγου τὴν σπορὰν καὶ τὴν ἄροσιν, ἀοίκητος δὲ ἡ τῶν πονηρῶν οἰκητόρων χωριζομένη καρδία, καὶ οὕτως ἔσται ἡμῶν ἡ οἴκησις ἐπὶ τῶν ἄκρων τῆς γῆς. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῆς γῆς τὸ μέν τι βάθος ἐστὶν τὸ δὲ ἐπιπόλαιον, ὅταν τις μὴ ὑπόγειος γένηται μηδὲ σπηλαιώδης ἐν τῷ τὰ κάτω φρονεῖν (οἷός ἐστιν τῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ζώντων ὁ βίος τῶν ἐμπεπηγότων τῇ ἀνυποστάτῳ τοῦ βυθοῦ ἰλύϊ, οἷς ἀληθῶς φρέαρ ἐστὶν ἡ ζωὴ κατὰ τὴν ψαλμῳδίαν τὴν λέγουσαν Μηδὲ συσχέτω ἐπ' ἐμὲ φρέαρ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ), ἐὰν οὖν τις ἐγγεννηθείσης αὐτῷ τῆς σοφίας τὰ ἄνω φρονῇ, τοσοῦτον τῆς γῆς ἐφαπτόμενος ὅσον ἐπάναγκες, οὗτος τὰ ἄκρα τῆς ὑπ' οὐρανὸν οἰκεῖ, οὐκ ἐμβαθύνων τῷ γηΐνῳ φρονήματι, τούτῳ τὸν οὐρανὸν ἑαυτῷ ἀντὶ τῆς γῆς ἑτοιμάζοντι ἡ σοφία πάρεστι. καὶ ὅταν τὴν τῶν ἄνωθεν νεφῶν διδασκαλίαν ἰσχυρὰν ἑαυτῷ ποιῇ, εἰς ἔργον ἄγων τὰ παραγγέλματα, τήν τε μεγάλην καὶ εὐρύχωρον τῆς κακίας θάλασσαν τῇ ἀκριβεῖ πολιτείᾳ καθάπερ ἠϊόνι τινὶ διαλαβὼν κωλύῃ τὸ ἐμπαθὲς ὕδωρ προϊέναι τοῦ στόματος, κἂν ἐν πηγαῖς κατάσχῃ, τῷ τῆς διδασκαλίας χαρίσματι μετ' ἀσφαλείας προχέων τοῦ λόγου τὸ νᾶμα, ὡς μή τινι παρασχεῖν τὸ ποτὸν ἀντὶ καθαροῦ ὕδατος ἀνατροπὴν θολεράν, κἂν ὑπεραρθεὶς πάσης γηΐνης βάσεως διαέριος τῷ βίῳ γένηται, ἐπὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς βεβηκὼς πολιτείας, ἣν ἀνέμους ὁ λόγος ὠνόμασεν, ἕστε εἰς θρόνον τοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ καθιδρυμένου ἀφορισθῆναι (οἷος ἦν ὁ Παῦλος ἀφωρισμένος εἰς εὐαγγέλιον, πρὸς τὸ γενέσθαι σκεῦος ἐκλογῆς, πρὸς τὸ βαστάσαι τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὃς ἄλλῳ λόγῳ θρόνος ἐγένετο ὁ τὸν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ καθιδρυμένον βαστάζων), ὅταν ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα κατορθωθῇ, ὥστε εὐφραίνεσθαι ἤδη τὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὴν οἰκουμένην τοῦ θεοῦ συντελέσαντα, εὐφραινόμενον ὅτι οὐχὶ θηρίων τινῶν καὶ ἀλόγων, ἀλλ' ἀνθρώπων πατὴρ ἐγένετο (οὗτοι δ' ἂν εἶεν οἱ θεοειδεῖς λογισμοὶ οἱ κατὰ τὴν θείαν εἰκόνα μορφούμενοι διὰ τῆς εἰς τὸν κτισθέντα ἐν ἡμῖν καὶ γεννηθέντα καὶ θεμελιωθέντα πίστεως, ἡ δὲ πίστις κατὰ τὴν Παύλου φωνὴν ὁ θεμέλιος νοεῖται, δι' ἧς γεννᾶται « ἐν » τοῖς πιστοῖς ἡ σοφία καὶ πάντα τὰ εἰρημένα ἐργάζεται), τότε μακάριος ὡς ἀληθῶς ὁ τοῦ κατωρθωκότος γίνεται βίος, ᾧ ἁρμόζει καὶ ἐπευφραίνεται ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἡ σοφία, τῷ καθ' ἡμέραν αὐτῇ μόνῃ προσχαιρομένῳ. εὐφραίνεται γὰρ ὁ κύριος ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁσίοις αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν οὐρανῷ χαρὰ γίνεται ἐπὶ τοῖς σῳζομένοις, καὶ ὁ χρηστὸς πατὴρ ἐπὶ τῷ ἀνασωθέντι υἱῷ ἑορτάζει. τούτων δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν ἐν ἐπιδρομῇ ῥηθέντων ὁ φιλόπονος ἀναγνοὺς τῆς θείας γραφῆς τὰ ἐδάφη προσαρμοσάτω τοῖς θεωρήμασι τὰ αἰνίγματα, δοκιμάσας εἰ μὴ παρὰ πολὺ κρεῖττόν ἐστι πρὸς τοῦτο βλέπειν οἴεσθαι τὴν τῶν αἰνιγμάτων διάνοιαν, καὶ μὴ κατὰ τὸ προχείρως ὑπονοούμενον. οὐ γὰρ ἔστι δυνατὸν τὴν τοῦ Ἰωάννου θεολογίαν ἀληθῆ νομισθῆναι τὴν πάντα τὰ κτισθέντα ἔργον εἶναι τοῦ λόγου ὑμνήσασαν, εἴπερ ἐνταῦθα ὁ τὴν σοφίαν κτίσας μετ' αὐτῆς καὶ τὰ ἄλλα πάντα πεποιηκέναι πιστεύοιτο. οὐκέτι γὰρ δι' ἐκείνης ἔσται τὰ πάντα, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πάντων ἐκείνη τῶν γεγονότων ἀριθμηθήσεται.
Ὅτι δὲ πρὸς τοῦτο βλέπουσιν αἱ αἰνιγματώδεις φωναί, διὰ τοῦ ἐφεξῆς λόγου σαφῶς ἐκκαλύπτεται ὅς φησι Νῦν οὖν υἱὲ ἄκουσόν μου, καὶ Μακάριος ὃς τὰς ἐμὰς ὁδοὺς φυλάσσει, ὁδοὺς δηλαδὴ λέγων τὰς πρὸς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐφόδους, ὧν ἀρχὴ γίνεται τῆς σοφίας ἡ κτίσις. τίς τοίνυν πρὸς τὴν θείαν βλέπων γραφὴν οὐκ ἀσεβεῖς τε ὁμοῦ καὶ συκοφάντας εἶναι τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τῆς ἀληθείας συνθήσεται; ἀσεβεῖς μέν, ὅτι τὴν ἄρρητον τοῦ μονογενοῦς θεοῦ δόξαν, ὅσον ἐπ' αὐτοῖς, καθελόντες τῇ κτίσει συνάπτουσιν, ἓν τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ γεγονότων ἀποδεικνύειν φιλονεικοῦντες τὸν κύριον, οὗ μονογενές ἐστι κατὰ πάντων τὸ κράτος: συκοφάντας δέ, ὅτι μηδεμίαν αὐτοῖς τῆς γραφῆς πρὸς τὰς τοιαύτας ὑπολήψεις ἀφορμὴν παρασχομένης, ὡς ἐκεῖθεν ἐπαγόμενοι τὴν μαρτυρίαν κατὰ τῆς εὐσεβείας ὁπλίζονται. ἐπεὶ οὖν παρ' οὐδενὸς ἔχουσι τῶν ἁγίων ἐπιδεῖξαί τινα φωνὴν ἥτις τὴν προαιώνιον τοῦ μονογενοῦς θεοῦ δόξαν μετὰ τῆς ὑποχειρίου κτίσεως ὁρᾶν συμβουλεύει, καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι τούτων ἡμῖν ἀποδειχθέντων ἤδη προσμαρτυρηθῆναι τῷ τῆς εὐσεβείας λόγῳ κατὰ τοῦ ψεύδους τὰ νικητήρια, καὶ πάσας αὐτῶν τὰς ὀνοματικὰς ταύτας τεχνολογίας παρωσαμένους, δι' ὧν συναρμόζουσι « τὸ κτίσμα τῷ κτίσαντι καὶ τὸ ποίημα τῷ ποιήσαντι », ὁμολογεῖν, καθὼς διδάσκει τὸ ἐξ οὐρανῶν εὐαγγέλιον, υἱὸν ἀγαπητόν, οὐ νόθον οὐδὲ ὑπόβλητον, τῇ δὲ τοῦ υἱοῦ φωνῇ πᾶσαν τὴν φυσικὴν οἰκειότητα συμπαραδεξαμένους θεὸν ἀληθινὸν τὸν ἐκ τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ θεοῦ λέγειν καὶ τὰ πάντα ὡσαύτως ἐπ' αὐτοῦ πιστεύειν, ὅσα ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καθορᾶται, διότι ἕν εἰσι καὶ ἐν τῷ ἑτέρῳ νοεῖται τὸ ἕτερον, οὐχ ὑπερπῖπτον, οὐκ ἐλαττούμενον, οὐ κατά τινα θεοπρεπῆ τε καὶ ἀγαθὸν χαρακτῆρα παρηλλαγμένον ἢ ἀλλοιούμενον.