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§ 2. [d'] "A certain type for the understanding": Just as when the divine Athanasius represents the hypostases of the adorable Trinity from trees, and the other saints from other things. What also is the creation of the world of the invisible things of God set forth, holding in a certain way the rank of symbols.

[e'] "As Paul says": The Apostle indeed says thus: "For His invisible things, both His eternal power, are clearly seen in the things that are made." But Christ (for him, I think, he calls the true Word) when he says: "If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?", and suchlike things.

[f'] "Wherefore also the theologians": "In a civic and lawful manner" the acceptance and well-being of those who do right and the affliction and condemnation of those who sin. "But as purificatory and undefiled" the admonitions and precautionary exhortations. "But in a human (15∆_468> and intermediate way," such as the inquiries, as in: "Where is Abel your brother?" and, "I will go down and see," and, "The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked." Which are intermediate between what is fitting for God and what seems entirely inappropriate, that is, a likeness to beasts and inanimate matter. "But in a supracelestial and perfecting way" he says the working of wonders by word and will alone. "But as apparent laws," as when he deems the virgin violated in the wilderness worthy of a defense, and similar things. "But as unapparent ordinances," such as, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated," and other such things. (g') But the father said "in many ways," because Scripture has handed down some things symbolically, and others in an undefiled and supracelestial way.

"Some things in a civic manner": Of philosophy, one part is practical, the other theoretical. And of the practical, one part is common, which is also called political, such as the legislative, and the other is individual, such as the ethical. And intermediate in the practical is the economic. And of the theoretical, one part is called natural, that which deals with sensible and changeable things, which is also cosmological; the other is contemplative and theological, that which deals with intelligible and eternal things. These things he now set forth in these words. And intermediate in the theoretical is that which deals with eternal and sensible things, which is astronomy and mathematics, which Scripture does not mention, but the Hebrews have in Deuteronomy.

[h'] "For not bare history": That the things spoken symbolically, that is historically, in Scripture do not contain bare history, but a life-giving perfection. And by life-giving perfection he means that the purpose for the saints is that through the Scriptures those who are taught may be perfected for eternal life. And he says these things, showing that the anagogical and allegorical sense must necessarily be adopted.

"To pass over in a sacred manner": It is written "to pass over" and "to throw across," (15∆_470> which is to invade and to enter, and to get inside the matter; so also says Diogenianus.

"The super-essential lights": Super-essential lights, both intelligible and divine, he says is the all-pure and all-holy Trinity, and as intelligible angels those who have ascended above. And the difference between these we have fully set forth in "On the Divine Names."

"According to his intelligible providences": In the case of providences, as in the Gospels, "I came to cast fire upon the earth," but in the case of words, as in Jeremiah: "Are not my words thus like a fire, says the Lord?". Therefore, the image of fire must evidently be understood in one way in reference to God, and in another in reference to intelligible things, that is, angels and the providences of God and words.

"And the one according to cause": The image of fire according to cause, that is, in reference to the oracles of the Lord; and the one according to existence in reference to God, and the one according to participation in reference to the angels. And the "according to existence" differs from the "according to participation" in these things: for the one indicates substance

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§ 2. [δ'] «Τύπον τινά πρός τήν νόησιν»: Ὥσπερ ὅταν ἐκ δένδρων τάς ὑποστάσεις τῆς προσκυνητῆς Τριάδος παρίστησιν ὁ θεῖος Ἀθανάσιος, καί ἐξ ἄλλων οἱ λοιποί ἅγιοι. Τί καί ἡ τοῦ κόσμου δημιουργία τῶν ἀοράτων τοῦ Θεοῦ προβέβληται, τρόπον τινά συμβόλων τάξιν ἐπέχουσα.

[ε']«Καθάπερ φησί Παῦλος»: Ὁ μέν Ἀπόστολος οὕτω φησί· «Τά γάρ ἀόρατα αὐτόν, ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις, ἐν τοῖς ποιήμασι καθορᾶται». Ὁ δέ Χριστός (τοῦτον γάρ, οἶμαι, καλεῖ τόν ἀληθῆ Λόγον) ὅταν λέγῃ· «Εἰ τά ἐπίγεια εἶπον ὑμῖν, καί οὐ πιστεύετε, πῶς, ἐάν εἴπω ὑμῖν τά ἐπουράνια, πιστεύσετε;», καί ὅσα τοιαῦτα.

[ς'] «∆ιό καί οἱ θεολόγοι»: «Πολιτικῶς μέν καί ἐννόμως» τήν τῶν κατορθούντων ἀποδοχήν καί εὐπάθειαν καί τῶν πλημμελούντων τήν κάκωσιν καί κατάκρισιν. «Καθαρτικούς δέ καί ἀχράντους» τάς νουθεσίας καί προφυλακτικάς παραινέσεις. «Ἀνθρωπικῶς (15∆_468> δέ καί μέσως», οἷον τάς πεύσεις, ὡς τό· «Ποῦ Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου;» καί τό, «Καταβάς ὄψομαι» καί τό, «Κύριος ἐξετάζει τόν δίκαιον καί τόν ἀσεβῆ». Ἃτινα καί μέσως ἔχουσι τῶν τε Θεῷ πρεπόντων καί τῶν πάντῃ ἀπεμφαίνειν δοκούντων, τουτέστι ὁμοιώσεως θηρίων καί ὑλῶν ἀψύχων. «Ὑπερκοσμίως δέ καί τελεσιουργικῶς» φησι τάς λόγῳ καί μόνω βουλήματι παραδοξοποιίας. «Νόμους δέ φαινομένους», ὡς ὅταν ἀπολογίας ἀξιοῖ τήν ἐν ἐρήμῳ βιασθεῖσαν παρθένον, καί τά ὅμοια. «Ἀφανεῖς δέ θεσμούς», οἷον, «Τόν Ἰακώβ ἠγάπησα, τόν δέ Ἡσαῦ ἐμίσησα», καί ἕτερα τοιαῦτα. (ζ') «Πολυτρόπως» δέ ἔφη ὁ πα- τήρ, διότι τά μέν συμβολικῶς, τά δέ ἀχράντως καί ὑπερκοσμίως ἡ Γραφή παρεδέδωκε.

«Τά μέν πολιτικῶς»: Τῆς φιλοσοφίας τό μέν ἔστι πρακτικόν, τό δέ θεωρητικόν. Καί τοῦ μέν πρακτικοῦ τό μέν ἐστι κοινόν, ὅ καί πολιτικόν καλεῖται, οἷον τό νομοθετικόν, τό δέ ἴδιον, οἷον τό ἠθικόν. Μέσον δέ πρακτικοῦ τό οἰκονομητικόν. Τοῦ δέ θεωρητικοῦ τό μέν ὠνόμασται φυσικόν, τό ἐν αἰσθητοῖς καί μεταβλητοῖς, ὅ καί κοσμολογικόν ἐστι, τό δέ ἐποπτικόν καί θεολογικόν, τό ἐν νοητοῖς καί ἀϊδίοις. Ταῦτα νῦν ἐξέθετο ἐν τούτοις. Μέσον δέ τοῦ θεωρητικοῦ τό ἐν ἀϊδίοις καί αἰσθητοῖς, ὅπερ ἐστίν ἀστρονομικόν καί μαθηματικόν, ὅπερ ἡ μέν Γραφή οὐ λέγει, οἱ δέ Ἑβραῖοι ἐν τῷ ∆ευτερονομίῳ ἔχουσιν.

[η'] «Οὐ γάρ ἱστορίαν ψιλήν»: Ὅτι τά συμβολικῶς, ἤτοι ἱστορικῶς, τῇ Γραφῇ εἰρημένα οὐχ ἱστορίαν ἔχει ψιλήν, ἀλλά ζωτικήν τελείωσιν. Ζωτικήν δέ τελείωσιν λέγει τό σκοπόν εἶναι τοῖς ἁγίοις διά τῶν Γραφῶν πρός τήν αἰώνιον ζωήν τελειοῦσθαι τούς διδασκομένους. Ταῦτα δέ φησι, δεικνύς ἀναγκαίως τήν ἀναγωγήν καί ἀλληγορίαν παραλαμβάνεσθαι.

«Ἱεροπρεπῶς διαβαίνειν»: ∆ιαβαίνειν γράφεται καί διαβάλλειν, (15∆_470> ὅ ἐστίν εἰσβαλεῖν καί εἰσελθεῖν, εἴσω τε γενέσθαι τοῦ πράγματος· οὕτω φησί καί ∆ιογενιανός.

«Τά ὑπερούσια φῶτα»: Ὑπερούσια φῶτα καί νοητά καί θεῖα, τήν πανάχραντον καί παναγίαν Τριάδα φησί, νοητούς δέ ἀγγέλους τούς ὑπεραναβεβηκότας. Τήν δέ διαφοράν τούτων περατεθείκαμεν ἐν τῷ «Περί θείων ὀνομάτων» τελείως.

«Κατά τῶν νοητῶν αὐτοῦ προνοιῶν»: Ἐπί μέν προνοιῶν, ὡς τό ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις, «Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπί τήν γῆν», λόγων δέ, ὡς παρά τῷ Ἰερεμίᾳ· «Οὐχ οὕτως οἱ λόγοι μου ὥσπερ πῦρ, λέγει Κύριος;». Τήν τοῦ πυρός οὖν εἰκόνα δηλονότι ἐπί τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄλλως δεῖ ἐκλαβεῖν, καί ἄλλως ἐπί τῶν νοητῶν, ἀγγέλων δηλονότι καί προνοιῶν Θεοῦ καί λόγων.

«Καί τήν μέν κατ' αἰτίαν»: Τήν τοῦ πυρός εἰκόνα κατ' αἰτίαν, δηλαδή ἐπί τῶν λογίων Κυρίου· τήν δέ καθ ὕπαρξιν ἐπί Θεοῦ, τήν δέ κατά μέθεξιν ἐπί τῶν ἀγγέλων. Τό δέ καθ' ὕπαρξιν τοῦ κατά μέθεξιν διαφέρει ἐν τούτοις· τό μέν γάρ δηλοῖ οὐσίαν