113

again; "The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us", similarly again; "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal", saying this, that: If you weigh on a scale the tribulations of this world and the good things of the age to come, they will be found to outweigh by far in glory the lightness and ease of the exceedingly temporary and instantly vanishing tribulations of this world; for these things, he says, which are seen, that is, the things of this world, are temporary, but the things which are not seen, that is, the things of the higher and heavenly place or world, happen to be eternal. 7.61 Now it is necessary to bring forth a testimony concerning this from the Catholic epistles as well; and there it has been said: "things which angels desire to look into", as if to say: Not even they have yet obtained the good things laid up for us in heaven, nor are they themselves now deemed worthy to see them; for this is similar to the Apostle's saying: "For the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now", as if: Even the angels are weighed down by the change, groaning with all of creation, longing for freedom. How is it possible to hope that the heavens will be destroyed and new ones introduced? For all the things previously said are shown to be false, that they are both prepared and indestructible, and where Christ entered, we enter. 7.62 But all the things written in the divine Scripture are some kind of imposture and deceit according to the myth of the fictitious Christians; and besides, if the heavens are destroyed, as they say, and others are introduced in their place, it is necessary that Christ who is in them is also destroyed and another, new Christ is introduced with the other, new heavens, if indeed we are to be with Christ. But away with the absurdity; may the blasphemy turn back upon their own head. "For our citizenship," says the Apostle, "is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus", as if to say: I mean those heavens from which we also expect the Lord to come, transforming us from corruption to incorruption and bringing us up to where he himself has entered before us; for in another place he also says that he entered as a forerunner for us. 7.63 Since, therefore, some, corrupting the meaning of the divine Scriptures, misinterpret what was said by the Lord, I mean: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away," being ignorant that it is spoken hyperbolically, we will interpret the meaning for them; for he says: It is possible for these to be destroyed, but my words never; and again what was said to David: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain", not understanding that here too, in contrast to the uncreated God, he called the created things "perishing," as not existing before, but coming into being later; and if he wished, the Uncreated One, just as he brought them forth from not being, is also able to destroy them when they are; for the Uncreated, having been made by no one, is also destroyed by no one; but the created can also be destroyed, especially if the one who made it wishes. 7.64 Likewise also what is said in the Catholic epistles: "in which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; but new heavens and a new earth according to his promises", understanding this too in ignorance, not comprehending what is said, but they say that these very heavens will be destroyed and other, new ones will be introduced, which is contrary to all of divine Scripture. For if into the heavens where Christ has now ascended, having risen from the dead, having become incorruptible in body and immutable in soul, we also are about to enter, rising from the dead, and the divine Scripture calls this an indestructible hope and life—how is it possible for these heavens to be destroyed

113

πάλιν· "Οὐκ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν δόξαν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι εἰς ἡμᾶς", ὁμοίως πάλιν· "Τὸ γὰρ παραυτίκα ἐλαφρὸν τῆς θλίψεως ἡμῶν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν καθ' ὑπερβολὴν αἰώνιον βάρος δόξης κατεργάζεται ἡμῖν, μὴ σκοπούντων ἡμῶν τὰ βλεπόμενα, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα· τὰ γὰρ βλεπόμενα, πρόσκαιρα, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα, αἰώνια", τοῦτο λέγων ὅτι· Ἐὰν ἀντιταλαντεύσῃς ζυγῷ τὰς θλίψεις τοῦ κόσμου τούτου καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, εὑρεθήσονται καθ' ὑπερβολὴν βαροῦντα τῇ δόξῃ τὴν ἐλαφρότητα καὶ κουφότητα τῶν εἰς ὑπερβολὴν προσκαίρων καὶ παρ' αὐτὰ ἐξαφανιζομένων θλίψεων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· ταῦτα γάρ, φησί, τὰ βλεπόμενα, τουτέστι τὰ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, πρόσκαιρά εἰσι, τὰ δὲ μὴ βλεπόμενα, τουτέστι τὰ τοῦ ἀνωτέρου καὶ οὐρανίου χώρου ἤτοι κόσμου, αἰώνια τυγχάνουσιν. 7.61 Ἤδη δεῖ καὶ ἐκ τῶν Καθολικῶν παραγαγεῖν μαρτυρίαν περὶ τούτου· κἀκεῖ λέλεκται· "Εἰς ἃ ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἄγγελοι παρακύψαι", ἵνα εἴπῃ· Οὔπω καὶ αὐτοὶ τετυχήκασι τῶν ἀποκειμένων ἡμῖν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλ' οὔτε ἰδεῖν αὐτὰ καὶ αὐτοὶ νῦν ἀξιοῦνται· ὅμοιον γάρ ἐστι καὶ τοῦτο τῷ τοῦ Ἀποστόλου ῥητῷ τῷ λέγοντι· "Ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ κτίσις συστενάζει καὶ συνωδίνει ἄχρι τοῦ νῦν", ὡσανεί· Βαρύνονται καὶ οἱ ἄγγελοι τῇ τροπῇ στενάζοντες μετὰ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, ἐλευθερίαν ἱμειρόμενοι. Πῶς οἷόν τε ἐλπίζειν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καταλύεσθαι καὶ ἑτέρους καινοὺς εἰσάγεσθαι; Ψευδῆ γὰρ δείκνυνται πάντα τὰ προλεχθέντα, ὅτι καὶ ἡτοιμασμένοι εἰσὶ καὶ ἀκατάλυτοι, καὶ ὅπου εἰσῆλθε Χριστός, εἰσερχόμεθα. 7.62 Ἀλλὰ φενακισμός τις καὶ ἀπάτη εἰσὶ πάντα τὰ γραφόμενα ἐν τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ κατὰ τὸν μῦθον τῶν ἐπιπλάστων χριστιανῶν· ἄλλως τε δὲ καὶ καταλυομένων, ὥς φασι, τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ ἑτέρων ἀντεισαγομένων, ἀνάγκη καταλύεσθαι καὶ τὸν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὄντα Χριστὸν καὶ ἕτερον καινὸν Χριστὸν εἰσάγεσθαι σὺν τοῖς ἑτέροις καινοῖς οὐρανοῖς, εἰ ἄρα σὺν Χριστῷ δεῖ ἡμᾶς εἶναι. Ἀλλ' ἄπαγε τῆς ἀτοπίας· εἰς κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν τράποιτο ἡ δυσφημία. "Ἡμῶν γάρ, φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστολος, τὸ πολίτευμα ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει, ἐξ οὗ καὶ Σωτῆρα ἀπεκδεχόμεθα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν", ἵνα εἴπῃ· Ἐκείνους λέγω τοὺς οὐρανούς, ἐξ ὧν καὶ προσδοκῶμεν τὸν Κύριον ἐλεύσεσθαι μετασχηματίζοντα ἡμᾶς ἀπὸ φθορᾶς εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν καὶ ἀναφέροντα ἡμᾶς ἔνθα καὶ πρὸ ἡμῶν αὐτὸς εἰσελήλυθε· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ λέγει πρόδρομον ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν αὐτὸν εἰσελθόντα. 7.63 Ἐπειδὴ οὖν τινες παραφθείροντες τὴν ἔννοιαν τῶν θείων Γραφῶν παρερμηνεύουσι τὸ εἰρημένον παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, λέγω δή· "Ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ παρελεύσονται, οἱ δὲ λόγοι μου οὐ μὴ παρέλθωσιν", ἀγνοοῦντες ὅτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν εἴρηται, ἡμεῖς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἔννοιαν ἑρμηνεύσομεν· λέγει γάρ· Ἐνδεχόμενόν ἐστι τούτους μὲν καταλύεσθαι, τοὺς δὲ λόγους μου οὐδέποτε· καὶ πάλιν τὸ εἰρημένον τῷ ∆αυΐδ· "Σὺ κατ' ἀρχάς, Κύριε, τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσας, καὶ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν σού εἰσιν οἱ οὐρανοί· αὐτοὶ ἀπολοῦνται, σὺ δὲ διαμενεῖς", μὴ νοοῦντες ὅτι καὶ ἐνταῦθα κατὰ ἀντιδιαστολὴν τοῦ ἀγενήτου Θεοῦ τὰ γενητὰ ἀπολλύμενα ἐκάλεσεν, ὡς μὴ πρότερον ὄντα, ὕστερον δὲ γενόμενα· καὶ εἰ βούλοιτο, τὸ ἀγένητον, ὥσπερ μὴ ὄντα αὐτὰ παρήγαγε, πάλιν καὶ ὄντα δύναται ἀπολέσαι· τὸ γὰρ ἀγένητον ὑπ' οὐδενὸς γενόμενον καὶ ὑπ' οὐδενὸς ἀπόλλυται· τὸ δὲ γενητὸν καὶ ἀπολέσθαι δύναται, τοῦ ποιήσαντος μάλιστα βουλομένου. 7.64 Ὁμοίως καὶ τὸ ἐν ταῖς Καθολικαῖς εἰρημένον· "Ἐν ᾗ οὐρανοὶ πυρούμενοι λυθήσονται, στοιχεῖα δὲ καυσούμενα τήκεται, καινοὺς δὲ οὐρανοὺς καὶ καινὴν γῆν κατὰ τὰ ἐπαγγέλματα αὐτοῦ", ἀμαθῶς καὶ τοῦτο ἐκλαμβάνοντες, μὴ συνιέντες τὸ λεγόμενον, ἀλλ' αὐτόχρημα τούτους μὲν καταλύεσθαι λέγουσιν, ἑτέρους δὲ καινοὺς εἰσάγεσθαι, ὅπερ ἐναντίον ἐστὶ πάσης τῆς θείας Γραφῆς. Εἰ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἔνθα νῦν ὁ Χριστὸς ἀνελήλυθεν ἀναστὰς ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν, ἄφθαρτος τῷ σώματι καὶ ἄτρεπτος κατὰ ψυχὴν γενόμενος, μέλλομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰσιέναι ἀνιστάμενοι ἀπὸ τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ ταύτην ἀκατάλυτον ἐλπίδα καὶ ζωὴν καλεῖ ἡ θεία Γραφήπῶς οἷόν τέ ἐστι τούτους μὲν τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καταλύεσθαι