[That There are Two Ways,—The One Natural, of Life, and the Other Introduced Afterwards, of Death; And that the Former is from God, and the Latter of Error, from the Snares of the Adversary. ]
I. The lawgiver Moses said to the Israelites, “Behold, I have set before your face the way of life and the way of death;” 2 Matt. xxvi. 21, 22; John xiii. 21, etc. Matt. xxvi. 21, 22; John xiii. 21, etc. Matt. xxvi. 21, 22; John xiii. 21, etc. and added, “Choose life, that thou mayest live.” 3 Matt. xxvi. 15. Matt. xxvi. 15. Matt. xxvi. 15. Elijah the prophet also said to the people: “How long will you halt with both your legs? If the Lord be God, follow Him.” 4 The words from “And they took” to “house of the potter” are wanting in one V. ms. The other reads “field” of the potter, instead of “house.” The words from “And they took” to “house of the potter” are wanting in one V. ms. The other reads “field” of the potter, instead of “house.” The words from “And they took” to “house of the potter” are wanting in one V. ms. The other reads “field” of the potter, instead of “house.” The Lord Jesus also said justly: “No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.” 5 Matt. xxvii. 9, 10. Matt. xxvii. 9, 10. Matt. xxvii. 9, 10. We also, following our teacher Christ, “who is the Saviour of all men, especially of those that believe,” 6 John xvi. 32; Matt. xxvi. 31. John xvi. 32; Matt. xxvi. 31. John xvi. 32; Matt. xxvi. 31. are obliged to say that there are two ways—the one of life, the other of death; 7 Luke xxii. 34. Luke xxii. 34. Luke xxii. 34. which have no comparison one with another, for they are very different, 8 John xviii. 1. John xviii. 1. John xviii. 1. or rather entirely separate; and the way of life is that of nature, but that of death was afterwards introduced,—it not being according to the mind of God, but from the snares of the adversary. 9 Matt. xxvi. 30. Matt. xxvi. 30. Matt. xxvi. 30.
[1] Τοῦ νομοθέτου Μωϋσέως εἰρηκότος τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις: «Ἰδοὺ δέδωκα πρὸ προσώπου ὑμῶν τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ θανάτου», καὶ ἐπιφέροντος: «Ἔκλεξαι τὴν ζωήν, ἵνα ζήσῃς», καὶ τοῦ προφήτου Ἠλιοῦ λέγοντος τῷ λαῷ: «Ἕως πότε χωλανεῖτε ἐπ' ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς ἰγνύαις ὑμῶν; Εἰ Θεός ἐστι Κύριος, πορεύεσθε ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ», εἰκότως ἔλεγεν καὶ ὁ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς: «Οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυρίοις δουλεύειν: ἢ γὰρ τὸν ἕνα μισήσει καὶ τὸν ἕτερον ἀγαπήσει, ἢ ἑνὸς ἀνθέξεται καὶ τοῦ ἑτέρου καταφρονήσει.» Ἀναγκαίως καὶ ἡμεῖς ἑπόμενοι τῷ διδασκάλῳ Χριστῷ, ὅς ἐστι σωτὴρ πάντων ἀνθρώπων μάλιστα πιστῶν, φαμὲν ὡς δύο ὁδοί εἰσιν, μία τῆς ζωῆς καὶ μία τοῦ θανάτου. Οὐδεμίαν δὲ σύγκρισιν ἔχουσιν πρὸς ἑαυτάς, πολὺ γὰρ τὸ διάφορον, μᾶλλον δὲ πάντη κεχωρισμέναι τυγχάνουσιν, καὶ φυσικὴ μὲν ἔστιν ἡ τῆς ζωῆς ὁδός, ἐπείσακτος δὲ ἡ τοῦ θανάτου, οὐ τοῦ κατὰ γνώμην Θεοῦ ὑπάρξαντος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐξ ἐπιβουλῆς τοῦ ἀλλοτρίου.