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of a light cloud" visiting them. And it is a marvel to hear Egyptians speaking in the Hebrew tongue, which the Egyptians themselves called the language of Canaan; whenever in the church of God they make mention of Hebrew words, such as "hallelujah" and "amen" and "sabaoth" and the others that are found in the divine scripture. And as they also swear by the Lord, making his name their oath and preferring the Lord Sabaoth, known only among the Jews, to their ancestral gods, there is no need to speak of the prophetic voice being sealed by the truth itself. But if the prophesied cities are said to be five, yet one should not be ignorant that the five happen to be one. Therefore also one name is applied to all of them, Asedek, which Symmachus translated as "of the sun"; what then would you say this is other than the holy church of God, called Asedek according to the Seventy, which signifies "of righteousness," but according to Symmachus "of the sun," about which it has been said: "But for you who fear me, the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings," but according to the precision of the Hebrew phrase, it is called Areopolis. which might be interpreted thus: the one city will be called the city of the earth; for this alone is the city established for God throughout the whole earth, as has been said concerning it: "Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God." But the five cities of God in the church would be the different orders, divided into five ranks; for if one were to count the first rank of the bishops, and the second of the presbyters, and the third of the deacons, and the fourth of those enlightened in Christ, and in addition to these that of those who are under instruction, he would know that these five ranks are ordered in the church of God; therefore five cities are spoken of as one, speaking in the language formerly considered Canaanite among the Egyptians, and swearing by the name of the Lord Sabaoth. And one might see the wonder of the word by observing how the Egyptians, formerly most superstitious and in every way haters of the Jews, and accustomed to blaspheme their God, these men, by using the Jewish scriptures, have taken up the fear of the Lord Sabaoth who is proclaimed among the Jews, so as to make his name an oath for themselves. And he fittingly called the church the city of the sun and of light because of Christ, the "light that enlightens" "every man who comes into the world." Therefore, according to Symmachus it is said: The one city will be called the city of the sun. 1.77 The word, having prophesied about a city of God that would be established in Egypt and of the different ranks in the city, consequently makes mention of an altar that will come to be in the city of God, and that this will happen in a marvelous way; for with the gods formerly esteemed among the Egyptians having been destroyed, and "their river having failed," and "the princes of Tanis and Memphis having been made foolish," and with all the things previously mentioned having been brought to fulfillment, it says that an altar will be established for the Lord who is esteemed among the Jews. And this the outcome of events shows to our very eyes, so that we no longer expect the result of the word in a future time. And just as "one faith" and "one baptism" and one church are spoken of, so also the altars spoken of throughout all of Egypt in the churches of God happen to be one altar, and one pillar, the evangelical scripture, was established with the altar in the city that has been revealed, distinguishing the unbelievers among the Egyptians and separating them from the faithful. Therefore it is said: and a pillar at its border; Now, the "land of the Jews," said above "to be a terror to the Egyptians," signified the Jewish scripture and the word of the old covenant, but the pillar joined with the altar of Christ would be the gospel of the new covenant, distinguishing those of the Egyptians who have believed in Christ from
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νεφέλης κούφης» ἐπιδημήσας αὐτοῖς. θαυμάσαι δέ ἐστιν ἐπακούοντα Αἰγυπτίων καλούντων τῇ Ἑβραϊκῇ φωνῇ, ἣν αὐτοὶ Αἰγύπτιοι Χανανῖτιν γλῶτταν ὠνόμαζον· ἐπειδὰν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ Ἑβραϊκῶν φωνῶν μνημονεύωσιν, οἷον τοῦ «ἁληλουϊὰ» καὶ τοῦ «ἀμὴν» καὶ τοῦ «σαβαὼθ» καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν ἐν τῇ θείᾳ φερομένων γραφῇ. ὡς δὲ καὶ τὸν κύριον ἐπόμνυνται ὅρκιον αὐτοῦ ποιούμενοι τοὔνομα καὶ τῶν πατρῴων θεῶν τὸν παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις μόνοις γνωριζόμενον κύριον σαβαὼθ προτιμῶντες, οὐδὲν δεῖ λέγειν τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτῆς τὴν προφητικὴν ἐπισφραγιζομένης φωνήν. εἰ δὲ πέντε λέγονται πόλεις αἱ θεσπιζόμεναι, ἀλλ' οὐ χρὴ ἀγνοεῖν, ὡς αἱ πέντε μία τυγχάνουσι. διὸ καὶ ἓν ὄνομα κατὰ πασῶν ἐπιλέγεται τὸ Ἀσεδέκ, ὅπερ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν ἡλίου· τίνα οὖν εἴποις ἂν ταύτην εἶναι ἢ τὴν ἁγίαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίαν, κατὰ μὲν τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα καλουμένην Ἀσεδέκ, ὃ δὴ σημαίνει δικαιοσύνης, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον ἡλίου, περὶ οὗ λέλεκται· «τοῖς δὲ φοβουμένοις με ἀνατελεῖ ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἴασις ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν αὐτοῦ», κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἀκριβὲς τῆς Ἑβραϊκῆς λέξεως ἡ Ἀρεόπολις λέλεκται. ὅπερ οὕτως ἂν ἑρμηνευθείη· πόλις τῆς γῆς κληθήσεται ἡ μία πόλις· αὕτη γὰρ μόνη καθ' ὅλης τῆς γῆς ἵδρυται τῷ θεῷ πόλις, ὡς εἰρῆσθαι περὶ αὐτῆς· «δεδοξασμένα ἐλαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ θεοῦ». πέντε δὲ πόλεις τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ εἶεν ἂν αἱ διάφοροι πολιτεῖαι εἰς πέντε τάγματα διῃρημέναι· εἰ γοῦν τις ἀριθμήσειε τὸ πρῶτον τῶν προέδρων τάγμα καὶ τὸ δεύτερον τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τό τε τῶν διακόνων τρίτον καὶ τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ πεφωτισμένων τέταρτον καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις τὸ τῶν ἐν εἰσαγωγῇ τυγχανόντων, εἴσεται ὡς πέντε τάγματα ταῦτα πολιτεύεται ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ· διὸ πέντε πόλεις ὑπὸ μίαν εἴρηνται λαλοῦσαι τῇ γλώσσῃ τῇ πάλαι νομιζομένῃ παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις Χανανίτιδι καὶ ὀμνύουσαι τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου σαβαώθ. τὸ δὲ θαῦμα τοῦ λόγου ἴδοι ἄν τις ἐπιστήσας, ὅπως Αἰγύπτιοι οἱ πάλαι δεισιδαιμονέστατοι καὶ Ἰουδαίων μὲν ὄντες ἐκ τοῦ παντὸς μισηταί, τὸν δὲ θεὸν τὸν παρ' αὐτοῖς βλασφημεῖν εἰωθότες, οὗτοι ταῖς Ἰουδαϊκαῖς χρώμενοι γραφαῖς τοῦ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις χρηματίζοντος κυρίου σαβαὼθ τὸν φόβον ἀνειλήφασιν, ὡς τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ὅρκον ἑαυτοῖς τίθεσθαι. ἡλίου δὲ καὶ φωτὸς πόλιν εἰκότως τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ὠνόμασε διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ «φῶς ὄντα τὸ φωτίζον» «πάντα ἄνθρωπον, ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον». διὸ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον εἴρηται· πόλις ἡλίου κληθήσεται ἡ μία πόλις. 1.77 Προφητεύσας ὁ λόγος περὶ πόλεως θεοῦ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ συστησομένης καὶ τῶν ἐν τῇ πόλει διαφόρων ταγμάτων, ἀκολούθως θυσιαστηρίου ἐν τῇ πόλει τοῦ θεοῦ γενησομένου μνημονεύει καὶ τοῦτο ἔσεσθαι παραδόξως· τῶν γὰρ πάλαι παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις νομιζομένων θεῶν ἀπολωλότων καὶ «τοῦ ποταμοῦ αὐτῶν ἐκλελοιπότος» καὶ «τῶν ἀρχόντων Τάνεως καὶ Μέμφεως ἀπομωρανθέντων», τῶν τε προκαταλεχθέντων ἁπάντων ἐπὶ πέρας ἀχθέντων τῷ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις νομιζομένῳ κυρίῳ θυσιαστήριόν φησι συστήσεσθαι. ὃ δὴ καὶ ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων ἔκβασις ὀφθαλμοῖς ἡμῖν αὐτοῖς δείκνυσιν, ὡς μηκέτ' εἰς μέλλοντα καιρὸν προσδοκᾶν τοῦ λόγου τὸ ἀποτέλεσμα. ὡς δὲ «μία πίστις» καὶ «ἓν βάπτισμα» καὶ μία ἐκκλησία εἴρηται, οὕτω καὶ θυσιαστήριον ἓν τὰ καθ' ὅλης τῆς Αἰγύπτου εἰρημένα ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις τοῦ θεοῦ θυσιαστήρια τυγχάνει, καὶ μία δὲ στήλη εὐαγγελικὴ γραφὴ σὺν τῷ θυσιαστηρίῳ ἐν τῇ δηλωθείσῃ πόλει συνέστη, διορίζουσα τοὺς ἀπίστους τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ ἀφορίζουσα αὐτοὺς τῶν πιστῶν. διὸ εἴρηται· καὶ στήλη πρὸς τὸ ὅριον αὐτῆς· ἡ μὲν οὖν ἀνωτέρω «φόβητρον τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἔσεσθαι» λεγομένη «χώρα τῶν Ἰουδαίων» τὴν Ἰουδαϊκὴν ᾐνίττετο γραφὴν καὶ τὸν τῆς παλαιᾶς διαθήκης λόγον, ἡ δὲ τῷ Χριστοῦ θυσιαστηρίῳ συνεζευγμένη στήλη τὸ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης εἴη ἂν εὐαγγέλιον, διορίζον τοὺς εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν πιστεύσαντας τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἀπὸ