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his soul, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor. He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, and mercy from God his Savior.” 2.368 For when it was asked questioningly, “Who shall ascend the mountain of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place?” an answer is given describing who and what sort of person the question is about: that with his hands, that is, in his actions, he is innocent through purity of heart, having in no way taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbor, who will receive for these virtuous deeds both a blessing and mercy from God his Savior. In agreement, it is also stated in Proverbs: “The blessing of the Lord is on the head of the righteous.” 2.369 He who has received these salvific things will not fall away from the promise, being brought into the divine promises by the one who says: “I have set myself to bless Judah and Israel, and I have not repented,” remaining in my own grace so as to do good and to lead to eternal salvation those for whom I have not repented, having confirmed what I promised; even if a curse took hold because your fathers provoked me through sin and impiety, with me not repenting of the threat, and you not providing, through a change of mind from the evil you had, my reconciliation toward you, yet even now let your heart be encouraged to expect the gifts from me. 2.370 For they will certainly be, as I have willed and set myself to bless you; for thus it will be well with you, being of Judah, the one who confesses, and of Israel and Jerusalem. “For desiring to save all men and for them to come to the knowledge of the truth,” I threaten, I scourge those who oppose the knowledge of the truth of super-eternal salvation, for a little while subjecting to pains those whom I wish to improve and do well by. For thus, having been benefited most easily, they will be saved, as I have set myself without regret to save and do well by the elect, that they might be my portion and inheritance. 2.371 If we too wish to have God be merciful so that he may treat us well, let our faculty of thought, called the heart, be encouraged, having taken care for the best works, so that the things of well-being and endless salvation might certainly and indisputably be brought about, with the curse that held for a little while being circumscribed and completely vanished. Therefore be encouraged without doubting, expecting what the unerring God has promised; for since he has said, “Be encouraged,” the hoped-for good things must undoubtedly be received. 2.372 The second volume on the prophet Zechariah having been sufficiently circumscribed, let us cease somewhere here, beginning a third discourse, from the God “who gives utterance in the opening of the mouth,” who also enlightened the prophet with the everlasting light.

3.t 1Volume 3

1 .3.1 The unerring God, being the source and father of truth, never ceases to discipline and teach those who have readily presented themselves to receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit; indeed, he provides a word of wisdom and a word of knowledge without delay to those who desire to receive them. Indeed, it is said in the epistle of James: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask from the giving God and who does not reproach; but let him ask in faith, with no doubting.” 3.2 The proverbial saying agrees, having it thus: “The Lord gives wisdom, and from his face comes knowledge and understanding.” The one who is shown to be wise according to the God-sent wisdom is thrice-blessed, having the God of all as his teacher. “For blessed,” he says, “is the man whom you, O Lord, discipline, and teach him from your law.” This one

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ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ὤμοσεν ἐπὶ δόλῳ τῷ πλησίον. Οὗτος λήμψεται εὐλογίαν παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην παρὰ Θεοῦ σωτῆρος αὐτοῦ.» 2.368 Λεχθέντος γὰρ πυσματικῶς· «Τίς ἀναβήσεται εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ τίς στήσεται ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ;» ἀπόκρισις δίδοται διαγράφουσα τίς ἐστιν καὶ οἷος ὁ περὶ οὗ ἡ ἐρώτησις, ὅτι χερσίν, τοῦτ' ἔστιν πράξεσιν, ἀθῷός ἐστιν διὰ καθαρότητα καρδίας, οὐδαμῶς ἐπὶ ματαίῳ λαβὼν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, ἢ δολερῶς ὀμόσας τῷ πλησίον, λημψόμενος ἐπὶ τούτοις τοῖς ἀνδραγαθήμασιν εὐλογίαν τε καὶ ἐλεημοσύνην παρὰ Θεοῦ σωτῆρος αὐτοῦ. Συμφώνως καὶ ἐν Παροιμίαις φέρεται· «Εὐλογία Κυρίου ἐπὶ κεφαλὴν δικαίου.» 2.369 Ὁ ταῦτα τὰ σωτηριώδη εἰληφὼς οὐ μεταπεσεῖται τῆς ὑποσχέ̣σ̣εως, εἰσαγόμενος εἰς τὰς θείας ἐπαγγελίας πρὸς τοῦ λέγοντος· «Παρατέταγμαι εὐλογῆσαι τὸν Ἰούδα καὶ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ οὐ μετενόησα», ἐμμείνας χάριτι τῇ ἐμαυτοῦ ὥστε καλῶς ποιῆσαι καὶ εἰς αἰώνιον σωτήριον ἀγαγεῖν τοὺς ἐφ' οἷς οὐ μετενόησα, βεβαιώσας ἃ ἐπηγγειλάμην· εἰ καὶ παροργισάντων δι' ἁμαρτίας καὶ ἀσεβείας τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν, κατάρα διέλαβεν, οὐ μετανοήσαντός μου ἐκ τῆς ἀπειλῆς, οὐ παρασχόντων ὑμῶν διὰ μεταγνώσεως ἀφ' ἧς ἔσχετε κακίας καταλλαγάς μου γενέσθαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ἀλλ' οὖν καὶ νῦν θαρσησάτω ἡ καρδία ὑμῶν προσδοκῆσαι τὰς παρ' ἐμοῦ δωρεάς. 2.370 Ἔσονται γὰρ πάντως θελήσαντός μου καὶ παραταξαμένου εὐλογῆσαι ὑμᾶς· οὕτω γὰρ καλῶς ἔσται ὑμῖν, τυγχάνουσιν ἐκ τοῦ Ἰούδα, τοῦ ἐξομολογουμένου, καὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰερουσαλήμ. «Σῶσαι γὰρ πάντας ἀνθρώπους θέλων καὶ ἐλθεῖν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας», ἀπειλῶ, μαστίζω τοὺς ἀντιπράττοντας τῷ ἐπιγνῶναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ὑπεραιωνίου σωτηρίας, πρὸς ὀλίγον πόνοις ὑποβάλλων οὓς βελτιοῦν καὶ εὖ ποιεῖν βούλομαι. Οὕτω γὰρ ῥᾷστα ὠφεληθέντες σωθήσονται, παρατεταγμένου μου ἀμεταμελήτως σῶσαι καὶ καλῶς ποιῆσαι τοὺς ἐκλεγέντας, ἵνα μερὶς καὶ κληρονομία μου ὦσιν. 2.371 Εἰ βουλόμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς ἵλεω τὸν Θεὸν σχεῖν ἵν' εὖ ἡμᾶς διαθῇ, θαρσησάτω τὸ διανοητικὸν ἡμῶν, καρδία καλούμενον, ἔργων ἀρίστων ἐπιμέλειαν ποιησάμενοι, ἵνα βεβαίως καὶ ἀναντιρρήτως τὰ τῆς εὐπαθείας καὶ ἀπεράντου σωτηρίας ὑπαρχθῇ, περιγραφείσης καὶ ἐξ ὅλων ἠφανισμένης τῆς πρὸς ὀλίγον κρατησάσης κατάρας. ∆ιὸ θαρσεῖτε ἀνενδοιάστως, προσδοκῶντες ἃ ἐπηγγείλατο ὁ ἀψευδὴς Θεός· αὐτοῦ γὰρ εἰρηκότος· «Θαρσεῖτε», ἀναμφιβόλως ἐκδεκτέον τὰ ἐλπιζόμενα ἀγαθά. 2.372 Αὐταρκῶς περιγεγραμμένου τοῦ δευτέρου τόμου εἰς τὸν προφήτην Ζαχαρίαν, αὐτοῦ που καταπαύσωμεν, ἀρξόμενοι τρίτου λόγου, «παρέχοντος λόγον ἐν ἀνοίξει τοῦ στόματος» τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ καὶ τὸν προφήτην φωτίσαντος τῷ ἀειδίῳ φωτί.

3.t 1Τόμος Γʹ

1 .3.1 Ὁ ἀψευδὴς Θεός, πηγὴ καὶ πατὴρ τῆς ἀληθείας ὑπάρχων, οὐ διαλείπει ποτὲ παιδεύων καὶ διδάσκων τοὺς ἑτοίμως παραστήσαντας ἑαυτοὺς πρὸς τὸ χωρεῖν τὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος χαρίσματα· λόγον γοῦν σοφίας καὶ λόγον γνώσεως ἀμελλητὶ παρέχει τοῖς ποθοῦσιν δέξασθαι· εἴρηται γοῦν ἐν ἐπιστολῇ τοῦ Ἰακώβου· «Λείπεταί τις οὖν ὑμῶν σοφίας, αἰτείτω παρὰ τοῦ διδόντος Θεοῦ καὶ μὴ ὀνειδίζοντος· αἰτείτω δὲ ἐν πίστει, μηδὲν διακρινόμενος.» 3.2 Συνᾴδει τὸ παροιμιῶδες λόγιον ἔχον οὕτως· «Ὁ Κύριος δίδωσιν σοφίαν καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου γνῶσις καὶ σύνεσις.» Ὁ κατὰ τὴν θεόπεμπτον σοφίαν ἀποδεικνύμενος σοφὸς τρισμακάριός ἐστιν, διδάσκαλον ἔχων τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεόν· «Μακάριος γάρ, φησίν, ἄνθρωπος ὃν ἂν σὺ παιδεύσῃς, Κύριε, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου διδάξῃς αὐτόν.» Τοῦτον