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she conceived. As has been said before, Sarah displays a most precise example of moderation, having brought her own handmaiden to <Abraham> without envy, seeing that after ten years she had not conceived, and of the wise man the dispassion, that he begets children with a purpose, as he yields to his wife. The matters of the allegorical interpretation have already been mentioned, that it is according to the 237 purpose of virtue to first submit to and make use of the introductory lessons, so that from them one might first beget children; and nonetheless the children of preliminary education are also children of virtue, because one has produced them with a view toward it. Therefore, by using these, he more quickly brought about the conception; for progress is most ready for the wise man. ch. 1, 4. And she saw that she was with child, and her mistress was dishonored in her sight. *** the purpose, as has been said before, is for the wise man to be trained beforehand in preliminary education and in the shadow, so that having been trained in these things he may advance to greater things; for as such an order is fitting, so the return to small things after the knowledge of perfect things is not consequent. At any rate, the apostle writes to the Galatians, who wish to live under the shadow of the law after the gospel. For they were not Jews, who had the shadow as their companion, but Galatians, who after believing in the gospel wanted to Judaize, having been deceived by a certain Ebion who wished to Judaize while also Christianizing and persuaded others to do so, so that he received this surname from the apostles because poverty was signified by it; for Ebion is interpreted as "poor," being called Ebion on account of his unsoundness and the poverty of his mind; and that the Galatians were Greeks, Paul writes: "But then, indeed, not knowing God, you served those which by nature are not gods, but now after that you have known God, or rather are known by God". Therefore he accuses them, as I said before; for one must fulfill the promise of the scriptures: "Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?"; for having once laid a divine foundation, they were not properly seeking the types, seeking them at an inopportune time. For one must understand why the perceptible circumcision was given and until 238 what time it ought to be practiced; for if someone understands this, he has begotten a child from the concubine and after this is able to understand the circumcision in the heart that is done in spirit. And this holy man, at the suggestion of virtue, went in to the handmaiden whom she entrusted to him, as we have explained, and she conceived, with whom it is not then fitting to remain, transgressing what is needful. For many, for the sake of perfect instruction, having used preliminary exercises, remain in them and beget slavish things and in a way dishonor virtue. But these things must not be referred to the person of Abraham but to such a manner and to those who use this type. But if because we said that virtue ... that which lays down the introductory matters, someone might say that in a way its offspring belong to it and such a person cohabits first with virtue, - for he who is subject to it acts according to its own instructions, - it must be said, therefore, that of things which come to be in time, some are before something, others are after, and sometimes they are simultaneous, but of things that exist at the same time, we grasp by thought that the <one> pre-exists and the other follows, as in the case of natural causes; for virtue is the cause of all things that happen because of it; wherefore, even if these things precede in time, it is by nature prior, just as marriage exists before the begetting of children; for on account of these things marriage ... of virtue. And in the case of the other sciences the ... ... Therefore, he who prefers other things to it dishonors virtue; for if someone should choose it not for its own sake but for the sake of something else, such as praise or glory, he in a way dishonors the good, which in itself does not admit of dishonor. But pay attention that it is not said that 239 Abraham dishonored her, - for this would not be fitting for him -; but since this can happen on the part of some, the sacred oracle, being on its guard, made a sign, hinting that it is not proper to remain in the things that come before virtue while dishonoring it *** 240 ch. 1, 5. And she said

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συνέλαβεν. Καθὰ προείρηται, σωφροσύνης δεῖγμα ἀκριβέστατον ἐκφέρει ἡ Σάρα ἀφθόνως προσενεχθεῖσα πρὸς <Ἀβρὰμ> τὴν ἑαυτῆς παιδίσκην συνεωρακυῖα ὅτι μετὰ δέκα ἔτη οὐ συνείληφεν, καὶ τοῦ σοφοῦ δὲ τὸ ἀπαθὲς ὅτι σκοπῷ παιδοποιεῖ ὡς εἴκει τῇ γαμετῇ. Τὰ δὲ τῆς ἀναγωγῆς ἤδη προείρηται, ὅτι κατὰ τὸν 237 σκοπὸν τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐστιν [τὸ] ὑποβάλλειν πρότερον τοῖς εἰσαγωγικοῖς κεχρῆσθαι, ἵν' [ἐξ] αὐτῶν πρότερον τεκνο- ποιήσῃ· οὐδὲν δ' ἧττον καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῆς προπαιδεύσεως τέκνα τῆς ἀρετῆς εἰσιν διὰ τὸ σκοπῷ τῷ πρὸς αὐτὴν αὐτὰ πεποιηκέναι. Χρησάμενος οὖν τούτοις θᾶττον τὴν σύλλημψιν εἰργάσατο· ἑτοιμοτάτη γὰρ τῷ σοφῷ ἡ προκοπή. χῃι, 4. Καὶ εἶδεν ὅτι ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχει, καὶ ἠτιμάσθη ἡ κυρία ἐναντίον αὐτῆς. *** ὁ σκοπός, ὡς προείρηται, προγυμνασθῆναι τὸν σοφὸν ἐν τῇ προπαιδεύσει καὶ τῇ σκιᾷ, ἵνα ἐν τούτοις γυμνασθεὶς χωρήσῃ ἐπὶ τὰ μείζονα· ὡς γὰρ πρέπουσα τάξις ἡ τ̣ο̣ι̣α̣υ´̣τ̣η̣, οὕτως οὐκ ἀκολούθως ἡ μετὰ τὴν τῶν τελείων γνῶσι̣ν̣ ε̣ι᾿̣ς̣ τ̣α`̣ μικρὰ ὑποστροφή. Ἀμέλει γοῦν ὁ ἀπόστολος Γαλάταις, γ̣ρ̣άφ̣ε̣ι̣ θέλουσιν μετὰ τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τῇ σκιᾷ τοῦ νόμου συζῆν. Ου᾿̣ γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι, οἱ σύντροφον ἔχοντες τὴν σκιάν, Γαλᾶται δέ, μετὰ τὸ πιστεῦσαι τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ἤθελον ἰουδαΐζειν ἀπατηθέντες ὑπὸ Ἐβίωνός τινος ἰουδαΐζειν μετὰ τοῦ χριστιανίζειν θέλοντος καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους οὕτω πείθοντος, ὡς τὴν τοῦ ὀνόματος τούτου ἐπωνυμίαν πρὸς τῶν ἀποστόλων ἔσχεν διὰ τὸ δηλοῦσθαι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τὴν πτωχείαν· πτωχὸς γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται Ἐβίων, διὰ τὸ σαθρὸν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ πτωχὸν τῆς διανοίας Ἐβίων καλούμενος· ὅτι δὲ Ἕλληνες ἦσαν Γαλᾶται, γράφει Παῦλος· "6Ἀλλὰ τότε μὲν οὐκ εἰδότες Θεὸν ἐδουλεύετε τοῖς φύσει μὴ οὖσι̣ν̣ θ̣ε̣οῖς, νῦν δὲ γνόντες Θεόν, μᾶλλον δὲ γνωσθέντες υ῾̣πὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ"6. Αἰτιᾶται οὖν αὐτούς, ὡς προεῖπον· δεῖ γὰρ ἀποδοῦναι τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν γραφῶν· "6Ἐναρξάμενοι πνεύματος νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε"6· ἅπαξ γὰρ ἀρχὴν θείαν καταβεβλημένοι οὐ προσηκόντως τοὺς τύπους ἐζήτουν, ἀκαίρως γοῦν ἐπιζητοῦντες. ∆εῖ γὰρ νοῆσαι τὴν αἰσθητὴν περιτομὴν διὰ τί δέδοται καὶ μέχρι 238 ποίου καιροῦ ὀφείλει πολιτεύεσθαι· ἐα`̣ν γα`̣ρ τοῦτο νοήσῃ τις, ἐτέκνωσεν ἐκ τῆς παλλακίδος καὶ μ̣ε̣τὰ τοῦτο δύναται νοῆσαι τὴν ἐν καρδίᾳ περιτομὴν π̣ν̣ε̣υ´̣μ̣α̣τ̣ι̣ γινομένην. Καὶ οὗτος ὁ ἅγιος καθ' ὑφήγησιν τῆς ἀρετῆς ει᾿̣σ̣η῀̣λθεν πρὸς ἣν ἐνεχείρισεν αὐτῷ θεραπαινίδα, ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν, ἣ καὶ συνέλαβεν, πρὸς ἣν οὐκ εἶτα μένε̣ι̣ν προσ̣η´̣κει ὑπερβαί- νοντα τὸ χρειῶδες. Πολλοὶ γὰρ ἕνεκα τῆς τελείας πα̣ι̣δ̣εύσεως χρησάμενοι προγυμνάσμασιν αὐτοῖς ἐναπομ̣ε̣ι´̣ναντες δου- λοπρεπῆ γεννῶσιν καὶ τρόπον τινὰ ἀτιμάζουσιν τὴν ἀρετήν. Ταῦτα δὲ οὐ δεῖ εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Ἀβρα`̣μ ἀναφέρειν ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν τρόπον τὸν τοιοῦτον και`̣ τ̣οὺς̣ τ̣ούτῳ̣ τῷ εἰ´̣δει χρωμένους. Εἰ δ' ὅτι ἔφαμεν τὴν ἀρετὴν ··· ··ειν τὴν ὑποτιθεμένην τὰ τῆς εἰσαγωγῆς, λέγοι τις ὅτι τρόπον τινὰ αὐτῆς ἐστι τὰ γεννήματα καὶ πρώτῃ τῇ ἀρετῇ σ̣υ̣νοικεῖ ὁ τοιοῦτος, - κατὰ γὰρ τὰς αὐτῆς ὑποθήκας ἐνεργεῖτ̣α̣ι̣ ὁ ὑποκείμενος αὐτῇ, -λεκτέον οὖν ὅτι τῶν ἐν χρόνῳ γινο̣με´̣ν̣ω̣ν τὰ μὲν πρότερά τινός ἐστιν, τὰ δ' ὕστερα, ἐσθότε δὲ σ̣υ´̣γ̣χ̣ρ̣ο̣ν̣α̣, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἅμα ὑπαρχόντων τὸ <μὲν> προυπάρχειν, τὸ δ' ἕπ̣ε̣σ̣θ̣α̣ι̣ ε᾿̣π̣ινοίᾳ λαμβάνομεν ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν φύσει αἰτιῶν· ἡ ἀρετὴ γ̣ο̣υ῀̣ν̣ α̣ι᾿̣τ̣ι´̣α̣ ἐστὶν πάντων τῶν δι' αὐτὴν γινομένων· διόπερ, κἂν χ̣ρ̣ο´̣ν̣ῳ̣ τ̣α̣υ῀̣τ̣α προήγηται, ἀλλ' αὐτή γε τῇ φύσει προτέρα ἐστὶν ὡς̣ γ̣α´̣μ̣ο̣ς̣ υ῾̣π̣α´̣ρ̣χ̣ει πρότερον ἢ παιδοποιΐα· διὰ γὰρ ταῦτα ὁ γάμος̣ ··· ··· ··· · τ̣ῆς ἀρετῆς. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ ἐπιστημῶν τὸ αυ̣···· τι̣ ··· ··· · Ἀτιμάζει οὖν τὴν ἀρετὴν ὁ ἕτερα προκ̣ρ̣ίν̣ων αὐτῆς̣· εἰ γάρ τις αὐτὴν αἱροῖτο μὴ δι' αὐτὴν ἀλλ' ἄλλου χάριν ο̣ἱ῀̣ο̣ν̣ ἐπαίνου ἢ δόξης, τρόπον τινὰ ἀτιμάζει τὸ ἀγαθόν, αὐτὸ καθ̣' ε῾̣α̣υ̣τ̣ὸ ἀτιμίαν οὐ δεχόμενον. Πρόσ<σ>χες δὲ ὅτι οὐδὲ εἴρηται ἠτίμασ̣ε̣ν̣ αὐτὴν 239 Ἀβράμ, -οὐδὲ γὰρ ἁρμόνιον ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦτο-· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τ̣ο̣υ῀̣το ἐνδέχεται παρά τινων γενέσθαι ἀσφαλι- ζόμενον τὸ λόγιον̣ ἐπεσημήνατο αἰνιττόμενον ὅτι οὐ πρέπει τὴν ἀρετὴν ἀτιμάζοντα καταμένε̣ι̣ν̣ ἐν τοῖς πρὸ αὐτῆς *** 240 χῃι, 5. Εἶπεν δὲ