98

but he also says with a loud voice: I heard words, which I am not able to speak, for God dwells in unapproachable light. John therefore does not loose a thong, nor is he worthy only to loose a strap, Paul was not able to express the words, (157) which he heard, calling them unspeakable, and who, having thus investigated God, remaining unburned by the unapproachable light and being in the midst of the house, beheld the very nature of the Master, that that wretched one should dare to say something more than John and Paul? For who will not shudder and who will not mourn the blindness and darkness of those now speaking and innovating a truly strange heresy, casting down into one pit all those asking and those being asked? For whether they separate the Word by conception, or in reality, they err malevolently, falling into heresy from both sides: for in reality it makes a division of the Word, but by conception a confusion so that it is not separated at all. Shudder, O man, understand yourself at least, speak about yourself, speak, if you wish anything! Perhaps like David you too will cry out: "Your wisdom has been made wonderful," he says, "and your knowledge beyond me, O my God!" Yes, abandon meddlesomeness and put away the blasphemy of your words! And first say, how we may be saved, then say also, how you yourself were saved, so that you may not appear to be teaching us in word, but also in deed making us more zealous. Unless you are going to accuse and condemn yourself, as not having done what you say, and for this reason you shout out the words, as one who has never made a beginning in such things, (158) first lay the rock of the foundations, for a building is not established in the air! Fulfill the commandments of Christ, the rock, the builder of the divine church,

98

ἀλλά κἀκεῖνος φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγει˙ Λόγους ἤκουσα, οὕς εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἰσχύω, φωτί δέ ὁ Θεός ἔνοικεῖ ἀπροσίτῳ. Ἰωάννης οὖν οὐ λύει σφαιρωτῆρα, οὐδέ ἱκανός ἱμάντα λῦσαι μόνον, Παῦλος ῥήματα οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἐκφράσαι, (157) ἅπερ ἤκουσεν, ἄρρητα λέγων ταῦτα, καί τίς, ὁ οὕτως τόν Θεόν ἐρευνήσας, μείνας ἄφλεκτος φωτί τῷ ἀπροσίτῳ καί γενόμενος τῆς οἰκίας ἐν μέσῳ αὐτήν ἐθεάσατο τήν τοῦ ∆εσπότου φύσιν, ἵνα πλέον τι Ἰωάννου καί Παύλου εἰπεῖν τολμήσει ὁ ἄθλιος ἐκεῖνος; Τίς γάρ οὐ φρίξει καί τίς οὐ μή πενθήσει τύφλωσιν καί σκότωσιν τῶν νῦν λεγόντων καί νεουργούντων αἵρεσιν ὄντως ξένην, ἀμφικρημνοῦσαν εἰς ἕν βάραθρον πάντας τούς ἐρωτῶντας καί τούς ἐρωτωμένους; Εἴτε γάρ ἐπινοίᾳ χωρίσουσι τόν Λόγον, εἴτε πράγματι, σφάλλουσι κακοφρόνως πίπτοντες εἰς αἵρεσιν ἀμφοτέρωθεν˙ τό γάρ πράγματι τομήν ποιεῖ τοῦ Λόγου, τό δ᾿ ἐπινοίᾳ σύγχυσιν ὡς μή χωρίζεσθαι ὅλως. Φρίξον, ἄνθρωπε, κατάμαθε σαυτόν γε, εἰπέ περί σοῦ, εἰπέ, εἴ τι καί βούλει! Ἴσως ὡς ∆αυίδ καί σύ ἀναβοήσεις˙ Ἐθαυμαστώθη, λέγων, ἡ σή σοφία καί ἡ γνῶσίς σου ἐξ ἐμοῦ, ὦ Θεέ μου! Ναί, κατάλιπε τήν φιλοπραγμοσύνην καί τό βλάσφημον τῶν λέξεων ἀπόθου! Καί πρῶτον εἰπέ τό, πῶς ἡμεῖς σωθῶμεν, ἔπειτα λέξον καί, πῶς αὐτός ἐσώθης, ἵνα μή λόγῳ φανῇς ἡμᾶς διδάσκων, ἀλλά καί ἔργῳ ποιῶν προθυμοτέρους. Εἰ μή σεαυτόν μέλλεις καταδικάζειν καί κατακρίνειν, ὡς μή πράξας ἅ λέγεις, καί διά τοῦτο ὑπερβωαίνεις τούς λόγους, ὡς ἀρχήν ποτε μή βαλών ἐν τοιούτοις, (158) θές τήν πέτραν πρότερον τῶν θεμελίων, εἰς ἀέρα γάρ οὐ συνίσταται κτίσις! Τάς ἐντολάς ποίησον Χριστοῦ, τῆς πέτρας, τοῦ δομήτορος τῆς θείας ἐκκλησίας,