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77

choosing to see these things without dissension, that is, to partake of them, because this, he says, does not fit into their mind, they are greatly disturbed,

And to establish these things: Thus one must compose this saying, that even the contentious and unstable are themselves possessed by dim idols of loving peace; for being troubled by passions, and wishing through ignorance to establish the passions as good things, they seem to long for peace, desiring to enjoy fearlessly for themselves the fleeting and evil passions, being greatly disturbed if they fail to enjoy the things thought to be good, but which are in fact passions. Therefore, the word "themselves" must be taken in common, so that it would be, desiring for themselves, inasmuch as they are disturbed if they fail to attain the passions, they seem to make peace for themselves in order to enjoy the passions. Understand in this way also the phrase 'all men desire peace,' that is, the good.

What might one say about that which is according to Christ? How Jesus Christ is the peace of us and of the angels, having stopped the war, and having broken down the middle wall of the fence, and having awarded peace between us, (14S_354> ..., and having made both one, as the divine Apostle says in the letter to the Ephesians.

By which we shall no longer learn to make war: He is the one who does not make war with himself, who has subordinated anger and desire to reason. And he who has acquired a single mind towards all is at peace with men. And he who has rendered his own mind obedient to the movements through the angels, this one has also acquired peace with the angels.

But also the divine things to them: That is, let us perform the same worship, service, and adoration to them concerning the Divine.

In the theological [works]: Note that there is also a composition of his, of theological outlines; he says this also at the beginning of the first chapter:

§ 6. You asked by letter: How he understands God to be life-itself and the hypostasis of life-itself, and similar things. He says this well also in accordance with what is in the letters, especially the second. Note that God is named both from existing things and from things produced from himself, as being their cause,

From the things that primarily are: I think he said "things that primarily are" to mean the supracelestial natures, as partaking primarily and purely of the divine gifts, of life and of the rest. From existing things, therefore, that is, from things contemplated in what exists, God is called of life-itself, that is, the hypostasis and producer of the thing itself and of its form; for from the one [principle] of life we must also think similarly concerning similar things. But when God himself is called life-itself and the like, he is said to be these things as existing beyond all nature, that is, beyond angels and every intellectual substance.

From the primary things: He says "things that primarily are" means the intelligible creations, which are also incorporeal, that is, the angels. Note "as principle," because he says, the super-essential (14S_356> first subsisted, instead of "God"; for He alone is the maker of intelligible and sensible things; for one must not be persuaded by those who say the creative powers of God are gods, which is not the case; for God alone is creator. Note that God alone is the maker of all intelligible and sensible things.

Crooked: Bent. And gods of existing things: That angels are not gods or creators, nor anything else

besides God. Truly and properly: Note that not even this divine man knows a difference

between "properly" and "truly." The self-substantiation: In these things he has more clearly made the solution of the

problem set forth, how one must understand the fact that sometimes He is said to be life-itself

77

ταύτας ἀστασιάστως ὁρᾷν αἱρούμενοι, ἤγουν τούτων μετέχειν, διά τό μή τοῦτο αὐτοῖς, φησί, κατά νοῦν χωρεῖν, ἐκταράσσονται,

Καί ταῦτα ἱστᾷν: Οὕτω δεῖ τό ρητόν τοῦτο συνθεῖναι, ὅτι καί οἱ φιλέριδες καί ἄστατοι ἀμαυροῖς καί αὐτοί εἰδώλοις τοῦ ἀγαπᾷν εἰρήνην κατέχονται· ὑπό γάρ παθῶν ἐνοχλούμενοι, καί τά πάθη κατά ἄγνοιαν, ὡς καλά θέλοντες ἱστᾷν, δοκοῦσιν εἰρήνης ὀρέγεσθαι, ἐφιέμενοι ἀδεῶς ἑαυτούς ἀπολαύειν τῶν ρευστῶν καί κακῶν παθῶν, ἐκταραττομένους, ἐάν ἀποτύχωσι τοῦ ἀπολαύειν τῶν νομιζομένων καλῶν, ὄντων δέ παθῶν. Κατά κοινοῦ οὖν τό ἑαυτούς τακτέον, ἵνα ἦ, ἐφιέμενοι ἑαυτούς, ἅτε ἐκταραττομένους, ἐάν ἀποτύχωσι τῶν παθῶν, δοκοῦσιν εἰρηνεύειν ἑαυτούς εἰς τό ἀπολαύειν τῶν παθῶν. Οὕτω νόησον καί τό 'πάντας ἐφίεσθαι εἰρήνης', τουτέστι τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ.

Τί ἄν τις εἴποι περί τῆς κατά Χριστόν: Πῶς εἰρήνη Ἰησοῦς Χριστός ἡμῶν καί ἀγγέλων, παύσας τόν πόλεμον, καί τό μεσότοιχον τοῦ φραγμοῦ λύσας, καί εἰρήνην μεταξύ ἡμῶν βραβεύσας, (14S_354> σας, καί ποιήσας τά ἀμφότερα ἕν, ὡς ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος ἐν τῇ πρός Ἐφεσίους φησίν.

Καθ' ἥν οὐ μή μάθωμεν ἔτι πολεμεῖν: Ἐκεῖνός ἐστιν ὁ μή ἑαυτῷ πολεμῶν, ὁ θυμόν καί ἐπιθυμίαν καθυποτάξας τῷ λόγῳ. Εἰρηνεύει δέ καί πρός ἀνθρώπους ὁ τήν γνώμην μίαν πρός πάντας κτησάμενος. Ὁ δέ τόν ἑαυτοῦ νοῦν πρός τά διά τῶν ἀγγέλων κινούμενα παρασχών πειθήνιον, οὗτος καί μετά τῶν ἀγγέλων τήν εἰρήνην ἐκτήσατο.

Ἀλλά καί αὐτοῖς τά θεῖα: Τουτέστι τήν αὐτήν αὐτοῖς περί τό Θεῖον σέβας λατρείαν καί προσκύνησιν ἐπιτελέσωμεν.

Ἐν ταῖς θεολογικαῖς: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι ἐστίν αὐτοῦ καί θεολογικῶν ὑποτυπώσεων σύνταγμα· τοῦτο καί ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ πρώτου κεφαλαίου φησι:

§ 6. ∆ι' ἐπιστολῆς ἐπύθου: Πῶς νοεῖ τόν Θεόν αὐτοζωήν εἶναι καί τῆς αὐτοζωῆς ὑποστάτην, καί τά ὅμοια. Καλῶς δέ αὐτό φησι καί κατά τό ἐν ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς, μάλιστα τῇ δευτέρα. Σημείωσαι, ὅτι καί ἐκ τῶν ὄντων καί ἐξ αὐτοῦ παραχθέντων ὁ Θεός ὀνομάζεται, ὡς αἴτιος αὐτῶν ὑπάρχων,

Ἐκ τῶν πρώτως ὄντων: Πρώτως ὄντα, οἶμαι, αὐτόν εἰρηκέναι τάς ὑπερκοσμίους φύσεις, ὡς πρώτως καί ἀκραιφνῶς τῶν θείων δωρεῶν μετεχούσας, ζωῆς καί τῶν λοιπῶν. Ἐκ τῶν ὄντων τοίνυν, τουτέστι τῶν ἐν τοῖς οὖσι θεωρουμένων, λέγεται ὁ Θεός τῆς αὐτοζωῆς, ἤγουν τοῦ αὐτοῦ πράγματος καί τοῦ εἴδους αὐτῆς ὑποστάτης καί παραγωγεύς· ἐξ ἑνός γάρ τοῦ τῆς ζωῆς καί περί τῶν ὁμοίων ἡμᾶς ὁμοίως νοεῖν δεῖ. Ὅταν δέ ὁ Θεός αὐτός λέγηται αὐτοζωή καί τά παραπλήσια, ὡς ταῦτα ὑπάρχων ὑπέρ φύσιν πᾶσαν λέγεται, ἤγουν καί ὑπέρ ἀγγέλους καί πᾶσαν νοεράν οὐσίαν.

Ἐκ τῶν πρώτως: Πρώτως ὄντα τάς νοητάς φησι δημιουργίας, τάς καί ἀσωμάτους, τουτέστι τούς ἀγγέλους. Σημείωσαι τό ἀρχηγικῶς, ὅτι πρώτως ὑφέστηκε, φησί, τό ὑπερούσιον (14S_356> ἀντί τοῦ, ὁ Θεός· μόνος γάρ ποιητής νοητῶν καί αἰσθητῶν· οὐ γάρ δεῖ πείθεσθαι τοῖς λέγουσι τάς δημιουργικάς δυνάμεις τοῦ Θεοῦ, θεούς εἶναι, ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστι· μόνος γάρ ὁ Θεός δημιουργός. Σημείωσαι, ὅτι μόνος ὁ Θεός ποιητής πάντων νοητῶν καί αἰσθητῶν.

Ἀγκύλον: Ἐπικαμπές. Καί θεούς τῶν ὄντων: Ὅτι οὔκ εἰσι θεοί ἤ δημιουργοί ἄγγελοι, οὐδέ ἄλλο τι

παρά τόν Θεόν. Ἀληθῶς καί κυρίως: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι οὐδέ οὗτος ὁ θεῖος ἀνήρ διαφοράν οἶδε

τοῦ κυρίως καί ἀληθῶς. Τήν αὐτοουσίωσιν: Ἐν τούτοις σαφέστερον τήν λύσιν ἐποιήσατο τοῦ

προτεθέντος προβλήματος, ὅπως χρή λαβεῖν τό, ποτέ λέγεσθαι μέν αὐτόν αὐτοζωήν