Chapter VI.—Some Points in the Beatitudes.

Our holy Saviour applied poverty and riches, and the like, both to spiritual things and objects of sense. For when He said, “Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,”886    Matt. v. 10. He clearly taught us in every circumstance to seek for the martyr who, if poor for righteousness’ sake, witnesses that the righteousness which he loves is a good thing; and if he “hunger and thirst for righteousness’ sake,” testifies that righteousness is the best thing. Likewise he, that weeps and mourns for righteousness’ sake, testifies to the best law that it is beautiful. As, then, “those that are persecuted,” so also “those that hunger and thirst” for righteousness’ sake, are called “blessed” by Him who approves of the true desire, which not even famine can put a stop to. And if “they hunger after righteousness itself,” they are blessed. “And blessed are the poor,” whether “in spirit” or in circumstance”—that is, if for righteousness’ sake. It is not the poor simply, but those that have wished to become poor for righteousness’ sake, that He pronounces blessed—those who have despised the honours of this world in order to attain “the good;” likewise also those who, through chastity, have become comely in person and character, and those who are of noble birth, and honourable, having through righteousness attained to adoption, and therefore “have received power to become the sons of God,”887    John. i. 12. and “to tread on serpents and scorpions,” and to rule over demons and “the host of the adversary.”888    Luke x. 19. And, in fine, the Lord’s discipline889    [Canons Apostolical (so called), li. liii. But see Elucidation I.] draws the soul away gladly from the body, even if it wrench itself away in its removal. “For he that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life shall find it,”890    [Matt. x. 39; John xii. 25. S.] if we only join that which is mortal of us with the immortality of God. It is the will of God [that we should attain] the knowledge of God, which is the communication of immortality. He therefore, who, in accordance with the word of repentance, knows his life to be sinful will lose it—losing it from sin, from which it is wrenched; but losing it, will find it, according to the obedience which lives again to faith, but dies to sin. This, then, is what it is “to find one’s life,” “to know one’s self.”

The conversion, however, which leads to divine things, the Stoics say, is affected by a change, the soul being changed to wisdom. And Plato: “On the soul taking a turn to what is better, and a change from a kind of nocturnal day.” Now the philosophers also allow the good man an exit from life in accordance with reason, in the case of one depriving him of active exertion, so that the hope of action is no longer left him. And the judge who compels us to deny Him whom we love, I regard as showing who is and who is not the friend of God. In that case there is not left ground for even examining what one prefers—the menaces of man or the love of God. And abstinence from vicious acts is found, somehow, [to result in] the diminution and extinction of vicious propensities, their energy being destroyed by inaction. And this is the import of “Sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and come, follow Me”891    Matt. xix. 21.—that is, follow what is said by the Lord. Some say that by what “thou hast” He designated the things in the soul, of a nature not akin to it, though how these are bestowed on the poor they are not able to say. For God dispenses to all according to desert, His distribution being righteous. Despising, therefore, the possessions which God apportions to thee in thy magnificence, comply with what is spoken by me; haste to the ascent of the Spirit, being not only justified by abstinence from what is evil, but in addition also perfected, by Christlike beneficence.892    κυριακῆ εὐποιῖᾳ In this instance He convicted the man, who boasted that he had fulfilled the injunctions of the law, of not loving his neighbour; and it is by beneficence that the love which, according to the gnostic ascending scale, is Lord of the Sabbath, proclaims itself.893    [If love, exerting itself in doing good, overruled the letter of the Sabbatic law, rise to this supremacy of love, which is, of itself, “the fulfilling of the law.”] We must then, according to my view, have recourse to the word of salvation neither from fear of punishment nor promise of a gift, but on account of the good itself. Such, as do so, stand on the right hand of the sanctuary; but those who think that by the gift of what is perishable they shall receive in exchange what belongs to immortality are in the parable of the two brothers called “hirelings.” And is there not some light thrown here on the expression “in the likeness and image,” in the fact that some live according to the likeness of Christ, while those who stand on the left hand live according to their image? There are then two things proceeding from the truth, one root lying beneath both,—the choice being, however, not equal, or rather the difference that is in the choice not being equal. To choose by way of imitation differs, as appears to me, from the choice of him who chooses according to knowledge, as that which is set on fire differs from that which is illuminated. Israel, then, is the light of the likeness which is according to the Scripture. But the image is another thing. What means the parable of Lazarus, by showing the image of the rich and poor? And what the saying, “No man can serve two masters, God and Mammon?”—the Lord so terming the love of money. For instance, the covetous, who were invited, responded not to the invitation to the supper, not because of their possessing property, but of their inordinate affection to what they possessed. “The foxes,” then, have holes. He called those evil and earthly men who are occupied about the wealth which is mined and dug from the ground, foxes. Thus also, in reference to Herod: “Go, tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and perform cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.”894    Luke xiii. 32. For He applied the name “fowls of the air” to those who were distinct from the other birds—those really pure, those that have the power of flying to the knowledge of the heavenly Word. For not riches only, but also honour, and marriage, and poverty, have ten thousand cares for him who is unfit for them.895    [He regards the estate of marriage and the estate of poverty, as gifts redounding to the benefit of those who accept them as such, and adapt themselves to the same, as stewards.] And those cares He indicated in the parable of the fourfold seed, when He said that “the seed of the word which fell unto the thorns” and hedges was choked by them, and could not bring forth fruit. It is therefore necessary to learn how to make use of every occurrence, so as by a good life, according to knowledge, to be trained for the state of eternal life. For it said, “I saw the wicked exalted and towering as the cedars of Lebanon; and I passed,” says the Scripture, “and, lo, he was not; and I sought him, and his place was not found. Keep innocence, and look on uprightness: for there is a remnant to the man of peace.”896    Ps. xxxvii. 35–37. Such will he be who believes unfeignedly with his whole heart, and is tranquil in his whole soul. “For the different people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from the Lord.”897    Isa. xxix. 13 (ὁ ἔτερος inserted). “They bless with their mouth, but they curse in their heart.”898    Ps. lxii. 4. “They loved Him with their mouth, and lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not right with Him, and they were not faithful to His covenant.” Wherefore “let the false lips become speechless, and let the Lord destroy the boastful tongue: those who say, We shall magnify our tongue, and our lips are our own; who is Lord over us? For the affliction of the poor and the groaning of the needy now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety; I will speak out in his case.”899    Ps. xii. 3–5. For it is to the humble that Christ belongs, who do not exalt themselves against His flock. “Lay not up for yourselves, therefore, treasures on the earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break through and steal,”900    Matt. vi. 19. says the Lord, in reproach perchance of the covetous, and perchance also of those who are simply anxious and full of cares, and those too who indulge their bodies. For amours, and diseases, and evil thoughts “break through” the mind and the whole man. But our true “treasure” is where what is allied to our mind is, since it bestows the communicative power of righteousness, showing that we must assign to the habit of our old conversation what we have acquired by it, and have recourse to God, beseeching mercy. He is, in truth, “the bag that waxeth not old,” the provisions of eternal life, “the treasure that faileth not in heaven.”901    Luke xii. 33. “For I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,”902    Rom. ix. 15. saith the Lord. And they say those things to those who wish to be poor for righteousness’ sake. For they have heard in the commandment that “the broad and wide way leadeth to destruction, and many there are who go in by it.”903    Matt. vii. 13. It is not of anything else that the assertion is made, but of profligacy, and love of women, and love of glory, and ambition, and similar passions. For so He says, “Fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee; and whose shall those things be which thou hast prepared?”904    Luke xii. 20. And the commandment is expressed in these very words, “Take heed, therefore, of covetousness. For a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of those things which he possesses. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”905    Matt. xvi. 26. “Wherefore I say, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for your body, what ye shall put on. For your life is more than meat, and your body than raiment.”906    Matt. vi. 31; Luke xii. 22, 23. And again, “For your Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.” “But seek first the kingdom of heaven, and its righteousness,” for these are the great things, and the things which are small and appertain to this life “shall be added to you.”907    Matt. vi. 32, 33; Luke xii. 30, 31. Does He not plainly then exhort us to follow the gnostic life, and enjoin us to seek the truth in word and deed? Therefore Christ, who trains the soul, reckons one rich, not by his gifts, but by his choice. It is said, therefore, that Zaccheus, or, according to some, Matthew, the chief of the publicans, on hearing that the Lord had deigned to come to him, said, “Lord, and if I have taken anything by false accusation, I restore him fourfold;” on which the Saviour said, “The Son of man, on coming to-day, has found that which was lost.”908    Luke xix. 8, 9, 10. Again, on seeing the rich cast into the treasury according to their wealth, and the widow two mites, He said “that the widow had cast in more than they all,” for “they had contributed of their abundance, but she of her destitution.” And because He brought all things to bear on the discipline of the soul, He said, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”909    Matt. v. 5. And the meek are those who have quelled the battle of unbelief in the soul, the battle of wrath, and lust, and the other forms that are subject to them. And He praises those meek by choice, not by necessity. For there are with the Lord both rewards and “many mansions,” corresponding to men’s lives. “Whosoever shall receive,” says He, “a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet’s reward; and whosoever shall receive a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man’s reward; and whoso shall receive one of the least of these my disciples, shall not lose his reward.”910    Matt. x. 41, 42. And again, the differences of virtue according to merit, and the noble rewards, He indicated by the hours unequal in number; and in addition, by the equal reward given to each of the labourers—that is, salvation, which is meant by the penny—He indicated the equality of justice; and the difference of those called He intimated, by those who worked for unequal portions of time. They shall work, therefore, in accordance with the appropriate mansions of which they have been deemed worthy as rewards, being fellow-workers in the ineffable administration and service.911    Translated as completed, and amended by Heinsius. In the text it is plainly mutilated and corrupt. “Those, then,” says Plato, “who seem called to a holy life, are those who, freed and released from those earthly localities as from prisons, have reached the pure dwelling-place on high.” In clearer terms again he expresses the same thing: “Those who by philosophy have been sufficiently purged from those things, live without bodies entirely for all time. Although they are enveloped in certain shapes; in the case of some, of air, and others, of fire.” He adds further: “And they reach abodes fairer than those, which it is not easy, nor is there sufficient time now to describe.” Whence with reason, “blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted;”912    Matt. v. 4. for they who have repented of their former evil life shall attain to “the calling” (κλῆσιν), for this is the meaning of being comforted (παρακληθῆναι). And there are two styles of penitents.913    [Clement describes the attrition of the schoolmen (which they say suffices) with the contrition exacted by the Gospel. He knows nothing but the latter, as having promise of the Comforter.] That which is more common is fear on account of what is done; but the other which is more special, the shame which the spirit feels in itself arising from conscience. Whether then, here or elsewhere (for no place is devoid of the beneficence of God), He again says, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” And mercy is not, as some of the philosophers have imagined, pain on account of others’ calamities, but rather something good, as the prophets say. For it is said, “I will have mercy, and not sacrifice.”914    Hos. vi. 6; Matt. ix. 13, xii. 7. And He915    [Matt. v. 7. S.] means by the merciful, not only those who do acts of mercy, but those who wish to do them, though they be not able; who do as far as purpose is concerned. For sometimes we wish by the gift of money or by personal effort to do mercy, as to assist one in want, or help one who is sick, or stand by one who is in any emergency; and are not able either from poverty, or disease, or old age (for this also is natural disease), to carry out our purpose, in reference to the things to which we are impelled, being unable to conduct them to the end we wished. Those, who have entertained the wish whose purpose is equal, share in the same honour with those who have the ability, although others have the advantage in point of resources.916    [A cheering comment on the widow’s mites, and the apostolic principle of 2 Cor. viii. 12.] And since there are two paths of reaching the perfection of salvation, works and knowledge, He called the “pure in heart blessed, for they shall see God.”917    [Matt. v. 8. S.] And if we really look to the truth of the matter, knowledge is the purification of the leading faculty of the soul, and is a good activity. Some things accordingly are good in themselves, and others by participation in what is good, as we say good actions are good. But without things intermediate which hold the place of material, neither good nor bad actions are constituted, such I mean as life, and health, and other necessary things or circumstantials. Pure then as respects corporeal lusts, and pure in respect of holy thoughts, he means those are, who attain to the knowledge of God, when the chief faculty of the soul has nothing spurious to stand in the way of its power. When, therefore, he who partakes gnostically of this holy quality devotes himself to contemplation, communing in purity with the divine, he enters more nearly into the state of impassible identity, so as no longer to have science and possess knowledge, but to be science and knowledge.

“Blessed, then, are the peacemakers,”918    [Matt. v. 9. S]. who have subdued and tamed the law which wars against the disposition of the mind, the menaces of anger, and the baits of lust, and the other passions which war against the reason; who, having lived in the knowledge both of good works and true reason, shall be reinstated in adoption, which is dearer. It follows that the perfect peacemaking is that which keeps unchanged in all circumstances what is peaceful; calls Providence holy and good; and has its being in the knowledge of divine and human affairs, by which it deems the opposites that are in the world to be the fairest harmony of creation. They also are peacemakers, who teach those who war against the stratagems of sin to have recourse to faith and peace. And it is the sum of all virtue, in my opinion, when the Lord teaches us that for love to God we must gnostically despise death. “Blessed are they,” says He, “who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for they shall be called the sons of God;”919    Matt. v. 10. or, as some of those who transpose the Gospels920    [Note that thus in the second century there were those (scholiasts) who interlined and transposed the Gospels, in mss.] say, “Blessed are they who are persecuted by righteousness, for they shall be perfect.” And, “Blessed are they who are persecuted for my sake; for they shall have a place where they shall not be persecuted.” And, “Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, when they shall separate you, when they shall cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake;”921    Luke vi. 22. if we do not detest our persecutors, and undergo punishments at their hands, not hating them under the idea that we have been put to trial more tardily than we looked for; but knowing this also, that every instance of trial is an occasion for testifying.

Ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ὁ ἅγιος καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν τὴν πενίαν καὶ τὸν πλοῦτον καὶ τὰ τούτοις ὅμοια ἔταξεν· εἰπὼν γὰρ μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης σαφῶς ἡμᾶς διδάσκει ἐν πάσῃ περιστάσει τὸν μάρτυρα ζητεῖν· ὃς ἐὰν πτωχὸς ᾖ διὰ δικαιοσύνην, μαρτυρεῖ δικαιοσύνην ἀγαθὸν εἶναι ἣν ἠγάπησεν, κἂν πεινῇ κἂν διψῇ διὰ δικαιοσύνην, μαρτυρεῖ δικαιοσύνην τὸ ἄριστον τυγχάνειν. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ κλαίων καὶ ὁ πενθῶν διὰ δικαιοσύνην μαρτυρεῖ τῷ βελτίστῳ νόμῳ εἶναι καλῷ. ὡς οὖν τοὺς δεδιωγμένους, οὕτω δὲ καὶ τοὺς πεινῶντας καὶ τοὺς διψῶντας διὰ δικαιοσύνην μακαρίους λέγει ὁ τὸν γνήσιον ἀποδεχόμενος πόθον, ὃν οὐδὲ λιμὸς διακόψαι ἴσχυσεν. κἂν τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτὴν πεινῶσι, μακάριοι· μακάριοι δὲ καὶ οἱ πτωχοὶ εἴτε πνεύματι εἴτε περιουσίᾳ διὰ δικαιοσύνην δηλονότι. μή τι οὖν οὐχ ἁπλῶς τοὺς πένητας, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐθελήσαντας διὰ δικαιοσύνην πτωχοὺς γενέσθαι, τούτους μακαρίζει, τοὺς καταμεγαλοφρονήσαντας τῶν ἐνταῦθα τιμῶν εἰς περιποίησιν τἀγαθοῦ, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τοὺς καλοὺς τὸ ἦθος καὶ τὸ σῶμα δι' ἁγνείαν γενομένους τούς τε εὐγενεῖς καὶ ἐνδόξους, τοὺς διὰ δικαιοσύνην εἰς υἱοθεσίαν ἐληλακότας καὶ διὰ τοῦτο εἰληφότας ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι καὶ ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων περιπατεῖν κυριεύειν τε καὶ δαιμόνων καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀντικειμένου στρατιᾶς. καὶ ὅλως ἡ κυριακὴ ἄσκησις ἀπάγει τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ σώματος εὐχαρίστως, εἴ γε καὶ αὐτὴ αὑτὴν κατὰ μετάθεσιν ἀποσπᾷ. ὁ γὰρ εὑρὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπολέσει αὐτὴν καὶ ὁ ἀπολέσας εὑρήσει αὐτήν, ἢν μόνον τὸ ἐπίκηρον ἡμῶν ἐπιβάλωμεν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀφθαρσίᾳ. θέλημα δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπίγνωσις τοῦ θεοῦ, ἥτις ἐστὶ κοινωνία ἀφθαρσίας. ὁ τοίνυν ἐπιγινώσκων κατὰ τὸν τῆς μετανοίας λόγον ἁμαρτωλὸν τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπολέσει αὐτὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἧς ἀπέσπασται, ἀπολέσας δὲ εὑρήσει κατὰ τὴν ὑπακοὴν τὴν ἀναζήσασαν μὲν τῇ πίστει, ἀποθανοῦσαν δὲ τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ. τοῦτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ εὑρεῖν τὴν ψυχήν, τὸ γνῶναι ἑαυτόν. τὴν δὲ μεταστροφὴν τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ θεῖα οἱ μὲν Στωϊκοὶ ἐκ μεταβολῆς φασι γενέσθαι μεταβαλούσης τῆς ψυχῆς εἰς σοφίαν, Πλάτων δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπὶ τὰ ἀμείνω περιαγωγὴν λαβούσης καὶ μεταστροφὴν ἐκ νυκτερινῆς τινος ἡμέρας. αὐτίκα εὔλογον ἐξαγωγὴν τῷ σπουδαίῳ συγχωροῦσι καὶ οἱ φιλόσοφοι, εἴ τι τοῦ πράσσειν αὐτὸν οὕτω στερήσειεν αὐτόν, ὡς μηκέτι ἀπολελεῖφθαι αὐτῷ μηδὲ ἐλπίδα τῆς πράξεως· ὁ δὲ ἐκβιασάμενος δικαστὴς ἀρνεῖσθαι τὸν ἠγαπημένον διελέγχειν μοι δοκεῖ τὸν φίλον τῷ θεῷ καὶ τὸν μή. ἐνταῦθα οὐδὲ σύγκρισις ἔτι ἀπολείπεται τί ἄν τις καὶ μᾶλλον ἕλοιτο, ἀπειλὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἢ τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ· καί πως ἡ τῶν κακῶν πράξεων ἀποχὴ μείωσίς τε καὶ σβέσις τῶν κακιῶν εὑρίσκεται, καθαιρουμένης τῆς ἐνεργείας αὐτῶν διὰ τῆς ἀπραξίας, καὶ τοῦτ' ἔστι πώλησόν σου τὰ ὑπάρχοντα καὶ δὸς πτωχοῖς, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι, τουτέστιν τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου λεγομένοις ἕπου. ὑπάρχοντα δέ φασί τινες αὐτὸν εἰρηκέναι τὰ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἀλλότρια, καὶ πῶς τοῖς πτωχοῖς ταῦτα διανέμεται, οὐκ ἔχουσιν εἰπεῖν· ἀλλ' ὁ θεὸς γὰρ πάντα πᾶσι μερίζει κατ' ἀξίαν δικαίας οὔσης τῆς οἰκονομίας· καταφρονήσας οὖν, φησί, τῶν ὑπαρχόντων, ἃ ὁ θεὸς μερίζει, διὰ τῆς σῆς μεγαλειότητος, ἕπου τοῖς ὑπ' ἐμοῦ λεγομένοις, σπεύδων πρὸς τὴν τοῦ πνεύματος ἄνοδον, οὐκ ἀποχῇ κακῶν μόνον δικαιωθείς, πρὸς δὲ καὶ τῇ κυριακῇ τελειωθεὶς εὐποιίᾳ. αὐτίκα τὸν καυχώμενον τελείως τὰ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου προστάγματα πεπληρωκέναι διήλεγχε μὴ τὸν πλησίον ἀγαπήσαντα· εὐεργεσίαν δὲ ἀγάπη ἐπαγγέλλεται ἡ κυριεύουσα τοῦ σαββάτου κατ' ἐπανάβασιν γνωστικήν. δεῖν δ' οἶμαι μήτε διὰ φόβον κολάσεως μήτε διά τινας ἐπαγγελίας δόσεως, δι' αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ ἀγαθὸν προσεληλυθέναι τῷ σωτηρίῳ λόγῳ. οἱ τοιοῦτοι ἐκ δεξιῶν ἵστανται τοῦ ἁγιάσματος· οἱ δὲ διὰ τῆς τῶν φθαρτῶν δόσεως οἰόμενοι ἀντικαταλλάσσεσθαι τὰ τῆς ἀφθαρσίας ἐν τῇ τῶν δυεῖν ἀδελφῶν παραβολῇ μίσθιοι κέκληνται, καὶ μή τί γε ἐνταῦθα τὸ καθ' ὁμοίωσιν καὶ εἰκόνα ἀνακύπτει, ἵν' οἳ μὲν κατὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν σωτῆρα ὁμοίωσιν συμπολιτεύωνται, οἱ δὲ ἐξ εὐωνύμων ἱστάμενοι κατὰ τὴν τούτων εἰκόνα. τρίτα τοίνυν ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας, μιᾶς ῥίζης ἀμφοῖν ὑποκειμένης, αἱρέσεως δὲ οὐκ ἴσης, μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς κατὰ τὴν αἵρεσιν διαφορᾶς οὐκ ἴσης. διαφέρει δ', οἶμαι, τὸ κατὰ μίμησιν ἑλέσθαι τοῦ κατὰ γνῶσιν ἑλομένου, ὡς τὸ πεπυρωμένον καὶ τὸ πεφωτισμένον [τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ τοῦ φωτός]. φῶς οὖν τῆς κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν ὁμοιότητος ὁ Ἰσραήλ, ὁ δὲ ἄλλος εἰκών. τί δὲ βούλεται ἡ τοῦ Λαζάρου παραβολὴ τῷ κυρίῳ πλουσίου καὶ πένητος εἰκόνα δεικνύουσα; τί δὲ οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ δουλεύειν κυρίοις, θεῷ καὶ μαμωνᾷ, τὴν φιλαργυρίαν οὕτως ὀνομάσαντος τοῦ κυρίου; αὐτίκα εἰς τὴν κλῆσιν τοῦ δείπνου οἱ φιλοκτήμονες κληθέντες οὐκ ἀπαντῶσιν, οὐ διὰ τὸ κεκτῆσθαι, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸ προσπαθῶς κεκτῆσθαι. αἱ ἀλώπεκες ἄρα φωλεοὺς ἔχουσι. τοὺς ἀμφὶ τὸν μεταλλευόμενον καὶ γεωρυχούμενον διατρίβοντας πλοῦτον κακοήθεις ἀνθρώπους καὶ γηγενεῖς ἀλώπεκας προσ εῖπεν. ὡσαύτως καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἡρώδου ὑπάγετε, εἴπατε τῇ ἀλώπεκι ταύτῃ, ἰδού, ἐκβάλλω δαιμόνια καὶ ἰάσεις ἀποτελῶ σήμερον καὶ αὔριον, καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ τελειοῦμαι· πετεινὰ γὰρ οὐρανοῦ τοὺς οὐρανῷ τῶν ἄλλων ὀρνέων διακεκριμένους, καθαροὺς τῷ ὄντι, τοὺς εἰς τὴν τοῦ οὐρανίου λόγου γνῶσιν πτητικοὺς προσεῖπεν. οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον πλούτου καὶ δόξης καὶ γάμου, ἀλλὰ καὶ πενίας τῷ μὴ φέροντι μυρίαι φροντίδες, καὶ μή τι ταύτας ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ τοῦ τετραμεροῦς σπόρου ᾐνίξατο τὰς μερίμνας, τὸ σπέρμα τοῦ λόγου φήσας τὸ εἰς ἀκάνθας καὶ φραγμοὺς πεσὸν συμπνιγῆναι ὑπ' αὐτῶν καὶ μὴ καρποφορῆσαι δυνηθῆναι. μαθεῖν οὖν ἀνάγκη ὅπως ἑκάστῳ τῶν προσπιπτόντων χρηστέον ὡς δι' εὐζωίας γνωστικῆς εἰς ἕξιν ἀιδίου συνασκηθῆναι ζωῆς. εἶδον, γάρ φησι, τὸν ἀσεβῆ ὑπερυψούμενον καὶ ἐπαιρόμενον ὡς τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου, καὶ παρῆλθον, λέγει ἡ γραφή, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἦν· καὶ ἐζήτησα αὐτὸν καὶ οὐχ εὑρέθη ὁ τόπος αὐτοῦ. φύλασσε ἀκακίαν καὶ ἴδε εὐθύτητα, ὅτι ἔστιν ἐγκατάλειμμα ἀνθρώπῳ εἰρηνικῷ. οὗτος δ' ἂν εἴη ὁ ἀνυποκρίτως ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας πιστεύων καὶ πάσῃ τῇ ψυχῇ γαληνιῶν· ὁ γὰρ λαὸς ὁ ἕτερος τοῖς χείλεσι τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτοῦ πόρρω ἄπεστιν ἀπὸ κυρίου. τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν εὐλογοῦσι, τῇ δὲ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν καταρῶνται· ἠγάπησαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῶν ἐψεύσαντο αὐτόν. ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῖα μετ' αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐπιστώθησαν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ αὐτοῦ. διὰ τοῦτο ἄλαλα γενηθήτω [τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια· τὰ λαλοῦντα κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου ἀνομίαν. καὶ πάλιν· ἐξολεθρεύσαι κύριος] πάντα τὰ χείλη τὰ δόλια καὶ γλῶσσαν μεγαλορήμονα, τοὺς εἰπόντας· τὴν γλῶσσαν ἡμῶν μεγαλυνοῦμεν, τὰ χείλη ἡμῶν παρ' ἡμῖν ἐστι· τίς ἡμῶν κύριός ἐστιν; ἀπὸ ταλαιπωρίας τῶν πτωχῶν καὶ τοῦ στεναγμοῦ τῶν πενήτων νῦν ἀναστήσομαι, λέγει κύριος· θήσομαι ἐν σωτηρίῳ, παρρησιάσομαι ἐν αὐτῷ. ταπεινοφρονούντων γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, οὐκ ἐπαιρομένων ἐπὶ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ. μὴ θησαυρίζετε τοίνυν ὑμῖν θησαυροὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅπου σὴς καὶ βρῶσις ἀφανίζει καὶ κλέπται διορύσσουσι καὶ κλέπτουσι, τάχα μὲν τοὺς φιλοκτή μονας ὀνειδίζων λέγει ὁ κύριος, τάχα δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἁπλῶς μεριμνητάς τε καὶ φροντιστάς, ἤδη δὲ καὶ τοὺς φιλοσωμάτους· ἔρωτες γὰρ καὶ νόσοι καὶ οἱ φαῦλοι διαλογισμοὶ διορύσσουσι τὸν λογισμὸν καὶ τὸν ὅλον ἄνθρωπον, ὁ δὲ τῷ ὄντι θησαυρὸς ἡμῶν ἔνθα ἡ συγγένεια τοῦ νοῦ. ἔτι τὸ κοινωνικὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης παραδίδωσιν, ἐμφαίνων δεῖν ἀποδιδόναι τῇ συνηθείᾳ τῆς παλαιᾶς ἀναστροφῆς τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῆς ἡμῖν περικτηθέντα καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ἀνατρέχειν ἔλεον αἰτουμένους. οὗτός ἐστι τῷ ὄντι βαλλάντιον μὴ παλαιούμενον, ἐφόδιον ζωῆς ἀιδίου, θησαυρὸς ἀνέκλειπτος ἐν οὐρανῷ, ὅτι ἐλεῶν ἐλεήσω ὃν ἂν ἐλεῶ φησὶ κύριος. λέγει δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τοῖς θέλουσι διὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην πτωχεῦσαι· ἀκηκόασι γὰρ διὰ τῆς ἐντολῆς, ὅτι πλατεῖα καὶ εὐρύχωρος ὁδὸς ἀπάγει εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν καὶ πολλοὶ οἱ διερχόμενοι δι' αὐτῆς· οὐ περὶ ἄλλου τινός, ἀλλὰ περὶ ἀσωτίας καὶ φιλογυνίας, φιλοδοξίας, φιλαρχίας καὶ τῶν ὁμοίων διαλέγεται παθῶν· ἄφρον, γὰρ οὕτως ἔφη, ὅτι τῇ νυκτὶ ταύτῃ ἀπαιτοῦσί σου τὴν ψυχήν· ἃ δὲ ἡτοίμασας αὐτῇ, τίνι γένηται; καὶ τὰ μὲν τῆς ἐντολῆς ὧδε ἔχει κατὰ λέξιν· φυλάσσεσθε τοίνυν ἀπὸ πάσης πλεονεξίας, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ περισσεύειν τινὶ τὰ ὑπάρχοντά ἐστιν ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ. τί γὰρ ὠφελεῖται ἄνθρωπος, ἐὰν τὸν κόσμον ὅλον κερδήσῃ, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ζημιωθῇ; ἢ τί δώσει ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ; διὰ τοῦτο λέγω· μὴ μεριμνᾶτε τῇ ψυχῇ ὑμῶν τί φάγητε, μηδὲ τῷ σώματι τί περιβάλητε· ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ πλείων ἐστὶ τῆς τροφῆς καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦ ἐνδύματος. καὶ πάλιν· οἶδεν γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὅτι χρῄζετε τούτων ἁπάντων· ζητεῖτε δὲ πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ταῦτα γὰρ μεγάλα, τὰ δὲ μικρὰ καὶ περὶ τὸν βίον, ταῦτα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. ἆρ' οὐκ ἄντικρυς τὸν γνωστικὸν μεθέπειν ἡμᾶς παρακελεύεται βίον ἔργῳ τε καὶ λόγῳ ζητεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν προτρέπει; πλούσιον τοίνυν οὐ τὴν δόσιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν προαίρεσιν λογίζεται ὁ παιδεύων τὴν ψυχὴν Χριστός. Ζακχαῖον τοίνυν, οἳ δὲ Ματθίαν φασίν, ἀρχιτελώνην, ἀκηκοότα τοῦ κυρίου καταξιώσαντος πρὸς αὐτὸν γενέσθαι, ἰδοὺ τὰ ἡμίση τῶν ὑπαρχόντων μου δίδωμι ἐλεημοσύνην φάναι, κύριε, καὶ εἴ τινός τι ἐσυκοφάντησα, τετραπλοῦν ἀποδίδωμι. ἐφ' οὗ καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ εἶπεν· ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐλθὼν σήμερον τὸ ἀπολωλὸς εὗρεν. πάλιν τε αὖ θεασάμενος εἰς τὸ γαζοφυλάκιον τὸν μὲν πλούσιον ἀναλόγως τῇ κτήσει βεβληκότα, τὴν δὲ χήραν χαλκοῦς δύο, πλεῖον ἔφη τὴν χήραν βεβληκέναι πάντων· ὃ μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ τοῦ περισσεύματος, ἣ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ὑστερήσεως συνεισήνεγκεν. ὅτι δὲ πάντα ἐπὶ τὴν παίδευσιν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀνήγαγεν, μακάριοι φησὶν οἱ πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν. πραεῖς δέ εἰσιν οἱ τὴν ἄσπειστον μάχην τὴν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ καταπεπαυκότες θυμοῦ καὶ ἐπιθυμίας καὶ τῶν τούτοις ὑποβεβλημένων εἰδῶν. πραεῖς δὲ τοὺς κατὰ προαίρεσιν, οὐ κατ' ἀνάγκην ἐπαινεῖ. εἰσὶ γὰρ παρὰ κυρίῳ καὶ μισθοὶ καὶ μοναὶ πλείονες κατὰ ἀναλογίαν βίων· ὃς γὰρ ἂν δέξηται, φησί, προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου, μισθὸν προφήτου λήψεται, καὶ ὃς ἂν δέξηται δίκαιον εἰς ὄνομα δικαίου, μισθὸν δικαίου λήψεται, καὶ ὃς ἂν δέξηται ἕνα τῶν μαθητῶν τούτων τῶν μικρῶν, τὸν μισθὸν οὐκ ἀπολέσει. πάλιν τε αὖ τὰς κατ' ἀξίαν διαφοράς, τῆς ἀρετῆς εὐγενεῖς ἀμοιβάς, διὰ τῶν ὡρῶν τῶν οὐχ ὁμοίων τὸν ἀριθμόν, πρὸς δὲ καὶ [διὰ] τοῦ ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἐργατῶν ἀποδοθέντος ἴσου μισθοῦ (τουτέστι τῆς σωτηρίας, ἣν τὸ δηνάριον αἰνίσσεται) τὸ ἐπ' ἴσης δίκαιον μεμήνυκεν διὰ τῶν κατὰ τὰς ἀκαταλλήλους ὥρας ἐργασαμένων. ἐργάσονται μὲν οὖν κατὰ τὰς μονὰς τὰς ἀναλόγους ὧν κατηξιώθησαν γερῶν, συνεργοὶ τῆς ἀρρήτου οἰκονομίας καὶ λειτουργίας. οἳ δὲ δὴ ἂν δόξωσι διαφερόντως πρὸς τὸ ὁσίως βιῶναι προσκεκλῆσθαι, φησὶν ὁ Πλάτων, οὗτοί εἰσιν οἱ τῶνδε μὲν τῶν ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐλευθερούμενοί τε καὶ ἀπαλλαττόμενοι ὥσπερ δεσμωτηρίων, ἄνω δὲ εἰς καθαρὰν οἴκησιν ἀφικνούμενοι· διὰ σαφεστέρων τε αὖ τὸ αὐτὸ ὧδέ πως λέγει· τούτων δὲ αὐτῶν οἱ ἐν φιλοσοφίᾳ ἱκανῶς καθηράμενοι ἄνευ τε σωμάτων ζῶσι τὸ παράπαν εἰς τὸν ἅπαντα χρόνον, καίτοι σχήματά τινα περιτίθησι ταῖς μὲν ἀέρινα αὐτῶν, ταῖς δὲ καὶ πύρινα. ἔτι ἐπιφέρει· καὶ εἰς οἰκήσεις ἔτι τούτων καλλίους ἀφικνοῦνται, ἃς οὔτε ῥᾴδιον δηλῶσαι οὔτε ὁ χρόνος ἱκανὸς ἐν τῷ παρόντι. ὅθεν εἰκότως μακάριοι οἱ πενθοῦντες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ παρακληθήσονται. οἱ γὰρ μετανοήσαντες ἐφ' οἷς κακῶς προβεβιώκασιν, εἰς τὴν κλῆσιν παρέσονται· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ παρακληθῆναι. τοῦ μετανοοῦντος δὲ τρόποι δύο, ὁ μὲν κοινότερος φόβος ἐπὶ τοῖς πραχθεῖσιν, ὁ δὲ ἰδιαίτερος ἡ δυσωπία ἡ πρὸς ἑαυτὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἐκ συνειδήσεως, εἴτ' οὖν ἐνταῦθα εἴτε καὶ ἀλλαχῇ, ἐπεὶ μηδεὶς τόπος ἀργὸς εὐποιίας θεοῦ. πάλιν φησίν· μακάριοι οἱ ἐλεήμονες, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἐλεηθήσονται. ὁ δὲ ἔλεος οὐχ ᾗ τινες τῶν φιλοσόφων ὑπειλήφασι, λύπη ἐπ' ἀλλοτρίαις συμφοραῖς, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀστεῖόν τί ἐστιν, ὡς οἱ προφῆται λέγουσιν· ἔλεον, γάρ φησι, θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν. ἐλεήμονας δ' εἶναι βούλεται οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἔλεον ποιοῦντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐθέλοντας ἐλεεῖν, κἂν μὴ δύνωνται, οἷς κατὰ προαίρεσιν τὸ ἐνεργεῖν πάρεστιν· ἐνίοτε γὰρ βουλόμεθα δι' ἀργυρίου δόσεως ἢ διὰ σωματικῆς σπουδῆς ἔλεον ποιῆσαι, ὡς δεομένῳ ἐπαρκέσαι ἢ νοσοῦντι ὑπουργῆσαι ἢ ἐν περιστάσει γενομένῳ παραστῆναι, καὶ οὐχ οἷοί τέ ἐσμεν ἤτοι διὰ πενίαν ἢ νόσον ἢ γῆρας (φυσικὴ γὰρ νόσος καὶ τοῦτο) ἐξυπηρετῆσαι τῇ προαιρέσει ἐφ' ἣν ὁρμώμεθα, μὴ δυνηθέντες ἐπὶ τέλος ἀγαγεῖν ὃ βεβουλήμεθα. τῆς αὐτῆς [οὖν] τιμῆς μεθέξουσι τοῖς δυνηθεῖσιν οἱ βεβουλημένοι, ὧν ἡ προαίρεσις ἴση, κἂν πλεονεκτῶσιν ἕτεροι τῇ περιουσίᾳ. Ἐπεὶ δὲ τῶν ἀπαγόντων εἰς τὴν τελείωσιν τῆς σωτηρίας ὁδοὶ εὑρίσκονται δύο, ἔργα καὶ γνῶσις, μακαρίους εἶπεν τοὺς καθαροὺς τὴν καρδίαν, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται. κἂν τῷ ὄντι τὸ ἀληθὲς σκοπῶμεν, ἡ γνῶσις, [ᾗ] τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς κάθαρσίς ἐστι, καὶ ἐνέργειά ἐστιν ἀγαθή. ἀγαθὰ γοῦν τὰ μὲν αὐτὰ καθ' ἑαυτά, τὰ δὲ μετέχοντα τῶν ἀγαθῶν, ὡς τὰς καλὰς πράξεις φαμέν· ἄνευ δὲ τῶν μεταξύ, ἃ δὴ ὕλης ἐπέχει τάξιν, οὔθ' αἱ ἀγαθαὶ οὔθ' αἱ κακαὶ συνί στανται πράξεις, οἷον ζωῆς λέγω καὶ ὑγιείας τῶν τε ἄλλων τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἢ περιστατικῶν. καθαροὺς οὖν κατὰ τὰς σωματικὰς ἐπιθυμίας καὶ ἁγίους τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τοὺς εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ θεοῦ ἀφικνουμένους εἶναι βούλεται, ἵνα μηδὲν ἔχῃ νόθον ἐπιπροσθοῦν τῇ δυνάμει ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ἡγεμονικόν. ὅταν τοίνυν ἐνδιατρίψῃ τῇ θεωρίᾳ, τῷ θείῳ καθαρῶς ὁμιλῶν, ὁ γνωστικῶς μετέχων τῆς ἁγίας ποιότητος, προσεχέστερον ἐν ἕξει γίνεται ταὐτότητος ἀπαθοῦς, ὡς μηκέτι ἐπιστήμην ἔχειν καὶ γνῶσιν κεκτῆσθαι, ἐπιστήμην δὲ εἶναι καὶ γνῶσιν. Μακάριοι τοίνυν οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί. τὸν ἀντιστρατηγοῦντα νόμον τῷ φρονήματι τοῦ νοῦ ἡμῶν, τοῦ θυμοῦ τὰς ἀπειλὰς καὶ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τὰ δελέατα τά τε ἄλλα πάθη, ὅσα πολεμεῖ τὸν λογισμόν, τιθασεύσαντες καὶ ἐξημερώσαντες, οἱ μετ' ἐπιστήμης ἔργων τε ἀγαθῶν καὶ λόγου ἀληθοῦς καταβιώσαντες εἰς υἱοθεσίαν ἀποκατασταθήσονται τὴν προσφιλεστάτην. εἴη δ' ἂν ἡ τελεία εἰρηνοποίησις ἡ ἐπὶ παντὶ τῷ συμβαίνοντι ἄτρεπτον φυλάσσουσα τὸ εἰρηνικόν, ἁγίαν τε καὶ καλὴν τὴν διοίκησιν λέγουσα, ἐν ἐπιστήμῃ θείων καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων καθεστῶσα, δι' ἧς τὰς ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐναντιότητας ἁρμονίαν κτίσεως καλλίστην λογίζεται. εἰρηνοποιοῦσι δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐνταῦθα πολεμουμένους τοῖς τῆς ἁμαρτίας στρατηγήμασι μεταδιδάσκοντες ἐπὶ τὴν πίστιν καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην μετιέναι. Κεφάλαιον δ', οἶμαι, πάσης ἀρετῆς κύριος παιδεύων ἡμᾶς τὸ δεῖν γνωστικώτερον δι' ἀγάπην τὴν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν θανάτου καταφρονεῖν· μακάριοι, φησίν, οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκεν δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτοὶ υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται, ἢ ὥς τινες τῶν μετατιθέντων τὰ εὐαγγέλια· μακάριοι, φησίν, οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ὑπὲρ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἔσονται τέλειοι. καὶ μακάριοι οἱ δεδιωγμένοι ἕνεκα ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἕξουσι τόπον ὅπου οὐ διωχθήσονται. καὶ μακάριοί ἐστε, ὅταν οἱ ἄνθρωποι μισήσωσιν ὑμᾶς, ὅταν ἀφορίσωσιν, ὅταν ἐκβάλωσι τὸ ὄνομα ὑμῶν ὡς πονηρὸν ἕνεκα τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· ἐὰν μὴ βδελυσσώμεθα δηλονότι τοὺς διώκοντας καὶ ὑπομένωμεν τὰς παρ' αὐτῶν τιμωρίας, μὴ μισοῦντες αὐτούς, βράδιον ἢ προσεδοκήσαμεν πεπειρᾶσθαι διανοούμενοι, ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνο γινώσκοντες πρόφασιν εἶναι μαρτυρίου τὸν ὁντινοῦν πειρασμόν.