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thus it will befall him, who is occupied with the solutions of a few words which can be understood by the labor of the soul, not to introduce more words for those who excel in truth. Since he declared what he wished as to a people able to understand, of whom we also are, who, whenever on a rare occasion we did not understand something of the things spoken by him, we would ask privately, so that nothing of the things spoken by him might be unintelligible to us. Knowing, therefore, that we knew all the things spoken by him and were able to provide the proofs, when sending us to the ignorant nations to baptize them for the remission of sins, he commanded us first to teach them; of which commandments this is the first and great one: to fear the Lord God and to serve him alone. And he said to fear that God, whose angels, of the least of the faithful among us, stand in heaven, beholding the face of the Father always. For he has a form—because of its first and unique beauty—and all members, not for use; for he does not have eyes for this reason, that he might see from there (for he sees from everywhere, being incomparably more brilliant in body than the spirit of sight in us and more resplendent than any light, so that in comparison to him the light of the sun would be considered darkness), nor does he have ears for this reason, that he might hear (for from everywhere he hears, perceives, moves, acts, creates). But he has the most beautiful form for the sake of man, so that the pure in heart may be able to see him, so that they may rejoice for the things they endured. For by his form, as with a very great seal, he fashioned man, so that he might rule and be lord over all things and all things might serve him. Wherefore, having judged the universe to be himself and his image to be man (he is invisible, but his image, man, is visible), he who wishes to worship him honors his visible image, which is man. Therefore, whatever someone does to a man (whether good or evil) is referred to him. Wherefore also the judgment from him will come forth, allotting to each of all according to his worth; for it vindicates his form. But someone will say: If he has a form, he also has a shape and is in a place. But being in a place and being contained by it as an inferior, how is he greater than all? And how can he be everywhere, being in a shape? To him who says these things, it is first possible to say: They persuade us to think and believe such things about him ..., but we know to be true the things testified by our Lord Jesus Christ, according to whose command it is necessary to provide to you the proofs that it is so. But first I will speak about place and God. Place is that which is not, but God is that which is. And that which is not is not compared to that which is. For how can it exist, being place? Unless it were a second space, such as heaven, earth, water, air and if there is some other body, which also fills its void, which for this reason is called void, because it is nothing. For this (nothing) is a more proper name for it. For what is the so-called void but like a vessel containing nothing? But the vessel itself, being empty, is not itself place, but that in which the void itself is, if it is a vessel. For it is altogether necessary for that which is to be in that which is nothing. And this I call that which is not (which by some is called place), being nothing. And how is that which is nothing compared to that which is? unless perhaps in opposites, so that that which is might not be, and that which is not might be called place-

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οὕτως αὐτῷ συμβήσεται εἰς ὀλίγων λόγων ἐπιλύσεις ἀσχολουμένῳ τῶν ὑπὸ πόνου ψυχῆς νοεῖσθαι δυναμένων τοὺς ἀληθείᾳ διαφέροντας μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον εἰσφέρειν λόγους. ἐπειδὴ περὶ ὧν ἤθελεν ἀπεφαίνετο ὡς λαῷ νοεῖν δυναμένῳ, ἀφ' ὧν ἐσμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, οἳ ὁπότε κατὰ τὸ σπάνιον οὐκ ἐνοήσαμέν τι τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ·ηθέντων, ἰδίᾳ ἐπυνθανόμεθα, ἵνα ἡμῖν τι τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ·ηθέντων μὴ ἀνόητον ᾖ. εἰδὼς οὖν ἡμᾶς εἰδότας πάντα τὰ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ·ηθέντα καὶ τὰς ἀποδείξεις παρασχεῖν δυναμένους, εἰς τὰ ἀμαθῆ ἔθνη ἀποστέλλων ἡμᾶς βαπτίζειν αὐτοὺς εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, ἐνετείλατο ἡμῖν πρότερον διδάξαι αὐτούς· ἀφ' ὧν ἐντολῶν αὕτη πρώτη καὶ μεγάλη τυγχάνει, τὸ φοβηθῆναι κύριον τὸν θεὸν καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύειν. θεὸν δὲ φοβεῖσθαι ἐκεῖνον εἶπεν, οὗ οἱ ἄγγελοι οἱ τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν ἐλαχίστων πιστῶν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἑστήκασιν θεωροῦντες τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ πατρὸς διαπαντός· μορφὴν γὰρ ἔχει-διὰ πρῶτον καὶ μόνον κάλλος-καὶ πάντα μέλη, οὐ διὰ χρῆσιν· οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχει, ἵνα ἐκεῖθεν βλέπῃ (παν- ταχόθεν γὰρ ὁρᾷ, τοῦ ἐν ἡμῖν βλεπτικοῦ πνεύματος ἀπαραβλήτως λαμ- πρότερος ὢν τὸ σῶμα καὶ παντὸς φωτὸς στιλπνότερος, ὡς πρὸς σύγκρι- σιν αὐτοῦ τὸ ἡλίου φῶς λογισθῆναι σκότος), ἀλλ' οὐδὲ διὰ τοῦτο ὦτα ἔχει, ἵνα ἀκούῃ (πανταχόθεν γὰρ ἀκούει, νοεῖ, κινεῖ, ἐνεργεῖ, ποιεῖ). τὴν δὲ καλλίστην μορφὴν ἔχει δι' ἄνθρωπον, ἵνα οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτὸν ἰδεῖν δυνηθῶσιν, ἵνα χαρῶσιν δι' ἅτινα ταῦτα ὑπέμειναν. τῇ γὰρ αὐτοῦ μορφῇ ὡς ἐν μεγίστῃ σφραγῖδι τὸν ἄνθρωπον διετυπώσατο, ὅπως ἁπάντων ἄρχῃ καὶ κυριεύῃ καὶ πάντα αὐτῷ δουλεύῃ. διὸ κρίνας εἶναι τὸ πᾶν αὐτὸν καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ εἰκόνα τὸν ἄνθρωπον (αὐτὸς ἀόρατος, ἡ δὲ αὐτοῦ εἰκὼν ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁρατός) ὁ αὐτὸν σέβειν θέλων τὴν ὁρατὴν αὐτοῦ τιμᾷ εἰκόνα, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἄνθρωπος. ὅτι ἂν οὖν τις ποιήσῃ ἀν- θρώπῳ (εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε κακόν) εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἀναφέρεται. διὸ καὶ ἡ ἐξ αὐτοῦ κρίσις πᾶσι κατ' ἀξίαν ἀπονέμουσα ἑκάστῳ προελεύσεται· τὴν γὰρ αὐτοῦ μορφὴν ἐκδικεῖ. ἀλλ' ἐρεῖ τις· Eἰ μορφὴν ἔχει, καὶ σχῆμα ἔχει καὶ ἐν τόπῳ ἐστίν· ἐν τόπῳ δὲ ὢν καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ περιεχόμενος ὡς ἥττων, πῶς ὑπὲρ πάντας ἐστὶν μέγας; πῶς δὲ καὶ πανταχῆ εἶναι δύνα- ται ἐν σχήματι ὤν; πρὸς τὸν ταῦτα λέγοντα πρῶτον ἔστιν εἰπεῖν· Τοι- αῦτα περὶ αὐτοῦ φρονεῖν πείθουσιν καὶ πιστεύειν ..., ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀληθεῖς γινώσκομεν τὰς μαρτυρουμένας ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὗ κατὰ κέλευσιν τὰς ἀποδείξεις ὑμῖν τοῦ οὕτως ἔχειν ἀνάγκη παρέχειν. πρῶτον δὲ περὶ τόπου ἐρῶ καὶ θεοῦ. τόπος ἐστὶν τὸ μὴ ὄν, θεὸς δὲ τὸ ὄν· τὸ δὲ μὴ Χν τῷ ὄντι οὐ συγκρίνεται. πῶς γὰρ τόπος ὢν εἶναι δύναται; ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ δευτέρα χώρα εἴη, οἷον οὐρανός, γῆ, ὕδωρ, ἀὴρ καὶ εἰ ἄλλο τί ἐστιν σῶμα, ὃ ἂν καὶ αὐτοῦ πληροῖ τὸ κενόν, ὃ διὰ τοῦτο κενὸν λέγεται, ὅτι οὐδέν ἐστιν. τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῷ (τὸ οὐδέν) οἰκειότερον ὄνομα· τὸ γὰρ λεγόμενον κενὸν τί ποτε ὡς σκεῦός ἐστιν οὐδὲν ἔχον; πλὴν αὐτὸ τὸ σκεῦος κενὸν Χν οὐκ αὐτό ἐστι τόπος, ἀλλ' ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν αὐτὸ τὸ κενόν, εἴπερ σκεῦός ἐστιν. ἀνάγκη γὰρ πᾶσα τὸ Χν ἐν τῷ μηδὲν ὄντι εἶναι. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ μὴ Χν λέγω (ὃ ὑπό τινων τόπος λέγεται) οὐδὲν ὄν. οὐδὲν δὲ Χν τῷ ὄντι πῶς συγκρίνεται; ἐκτὸς εἰ μὴ ἐν τοῖς ἐναντίοις, ἵνα τὸ μὲν Χν μὴ ᾖ, τὸ δὲ μὴ Χν τόπος λέγη-