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nations, and waters the greatest and most beautiful paradise of the Churches. Then it says that someone saw a man who measured a thousand cubits, and he went through it up to the ankles; and again he measured the same amount, and went through it up to the knees; and he applied the measure a third time, and went through it up to the loins; but when he completed the fourth number, it became, he says, a very great torrent, which one could not go through, because the water was gushing, like the rushing of a torrent, which no one will cross. And through these things he taught us that in the beginning the evangelical preaching will bring few to salvation; then it will double them, and triple them; and after these things it will fill the inhabited world, according to the prophecy which says: “The whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water covers the seas.” It is fitting to note that he measured four times, and applied the measure equal in number to the divine Gospels. And I think that the fourth measure signifies the Gospel of the divine John, which has a theology that is inaccessible and insurmountable for men. For what mind could be beyond ‘In the beginning’? And who could pass beyond ‘Was’? Therefore he said that the water came out gushing, like the rushing of a torrent, which no one will cross. And immediately, he says, and at once he showed me by the bank of the water trees of every kind abounding with fruit. And on each bank were these trees; for not 81.1244 only faith in God, but also action according to God has this water caused men to sprout forth. And he said, he says, to me: The water of the river, which goes out into Galilee towards the east, and goes down upon the uninhabited land, and comes as far as the sea, to the water of the outlet of the sea. And these things can be found precisely in the history. For first the saving proclamation ran to Galilee; and from there to the uninhabited country of the nations, a desert of piety. And it reached even to the surging sea, the races of the barbarians; and he adds that it will also sanctify the waters; for it will prepare the Greek and mythical teachings to be subservient to the divine proclamation, and those diseased waters, being sanctified by these waters, will be productive of health. 9. And it shall be, every living soul of the swarming creatures, everywhere that the river goes, shall live. For everyone, he says, who partakes of the saving waters will attain salvation. And he says that this water will become full of fish, and will have many fishermen; for many are they who are caught for salvation by means of these waters, and many too are they who are entrusted to hunt this catch. And the phrase, “from Engedi to Eneglaim,” signifies joy from temptations and tribulations. For Engedi means ‘trial of the eyes’; and Eneglaim, ‘eye of a calf’ being offered for sacrifice, and loosing sin, or being drawn under a yoke, and being entrusted with agriculture. The drying of the nets signifies not only the number of the fishermen, but also their diligence. For they will not cease, he says, from fishing, but will rest there; for he called the rest ‘a drying of nets,’ since fishermen, when they stop fishing, are accustomed to spread out their nets and dry them. “It shall be according to its kind,” he says, that is, the soul that is saved, separated from impiety; and he says that the multitude of fish is not like a river, but like the greatest sea. For the new people is not equal in number to the former people, but is likened to the sea of nations, and fills the inhabited world. To these things he adds: 11. And in its outlet, and in its turning back, and in its overflowing, its marshes will not be healed; they will be given for salt. And we see that this has happened in the present time; for having increased in number, we have drifted into indifference. And the Lord also foretold things in harmony with this: “For when, he says, iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.” Therefore, he calls those who are superficial, and who only wear the preaching, such as most of us are, marshes; for the marshes 81.1245 are not deep, but have the water on the surface. Those

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ἔθνη, καὶ τὸν μέγιστον καὶ κάλλιστον τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ἀρδεύει παράδεισον. Εἶτα λέγει τεθεω ρηκέναι τινὰ μετρήσαντα χιλίους ἐν τῷ μέτρῳ, καὶ διελθεῖν μέχρις ἀστραγάλων· πάλιν δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν με τρῆσαι ποσότητα, καὶ διελθεῖν ἕως γονάτων· τρὶς δὲ τὸ μέτρον ἐπενεγκεῖν, καὶ διελθεῖν ἕως ὀσφύος· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν τέταρτον ἐπλήρωσεν ἀριθμὸν, Χειμάῤ ῥους, φησὶν, ἐγένετο μέγιστος, ὃν οὐχ οἷον διελθεῖν, ὅτι ἐκβράζον τὸ ὕδωρ, ὡς ῥοῖζος χειμάῤῥου, ὃν οὐ διαβήσεταί τις. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ ἡμᾶς διὰ τούτων, ὅτι ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν κήρυγμα ὀλίγους τῇ σωτη ρίᾳ προσάξει· εἶτα τούτους διπλασιάσει, καὶ τρι πλασιάσει· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα πληρώσει τὴν οἰκουμένην, κατὰ τὴν προφητείαν τὴν λέγουσαν· "Πληρωθήσε ται ἡ σύμπασα γῆ τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν Κύριον, ὡς ὕδωρ πολὺ κατακαλύψαι θαλάσσας." Ἐπιστῆσαι δὲ προσήκει, ὡς τετράκις ἐμέτρησε, καὶ τοῖς θείοις Εὐ αγγελίοις ἰσάριθμον τὸ μέτρον προσήνεγκεν. Ἡγοῦ μαι δὲ τὸ τέταρτον μέτρον τοῦ θεσπεσίου Ἰωάννου παραδηλοῦν τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον, θεολογίαν ἔχον ἄβατον ἀνθρώποις καὶ ἀνυπέρβατον. Τίς γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο νοῦς ἐπέκεινα τοῦ Ἐν ἀρχῇ; τίς δ' ἂν ὑπερβαίη τὸ Ἦν; ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐκβράζον τὸ ὕδωρ, ὡς ῥοῖζον χειμάῤ ῥου, ὃν οὐ διαβήσεταί τις, ἔφη ἐξιέναι. Εὐθὺς δὲ, φησὶ, καὶ παραχρῆμα ὑπέδειξέ μοι παρὰ τὴν ὄχθην τοῦ ὕδατος δένδρα παντοδαποὺς βρύοντα καρπούς. Ἐν ἑκατέρᾳ δὲ ὄχθῃ ταῦτα ἦν τὰ δένδρα· οὐ γὰρ 81.1244 μόνον τὴν εἰς Θεὸν πίστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν κατὰ Θεὸν πρᾶξιν τοῦτο τὸ ὕδωρ βλαστῆσαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πεποίηκε. Καὶ εἶπε, φησὶ, πρός με· Τὸ ὕδωρ τοῦ ποταμοῦ, τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν τὴν πρὸς ἀνατολὰς, καὶ καταβαῖνον ἐπὶ τὴν ἀοίκητον, καὶ ἐρχόμενον ἕως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν, ἐπὶ τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς διεκβολῆς τῆς θαλάσσης. Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἔστιν ἀκριβῶς ἐπὶ τῆς ἱστορίας εὑρεῖν. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν τὸ σωτήριον ἔδραμε κήρυγμα· ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἀοίκητον καὶ εὐσεβείας ἔρημον τῶν ἐθνῶν χώραν. Ἔφθασε δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν κυμαίνουσαν, τῶν βαρβάρων τὰ γένη· ἐπάγει δὲ ὅτι καὶ ἁγιάσει τὰ ὕδατα· τὰς γὰρ Ἑλληνικὰς καὶ μυθικὰς διδασκαλίας ὑπηρετεῖσθαι παρασκευάσει τῷ θείῳ κηρύγματι, καὶ τὰ νοσώδη ἐκεῖνα ὕδατα διὰ τούτων τῶν ὑδάτων ἁγιαζόμενα ὑγιείας ἔσται παρεκτικά. θʹ. Καὶ ἔσται, πᾶσα ψυχὴ τῶν ζώων τῶν ἐκ ζεόντων ἐπὶ πάντα ἐφ' ἃ ἐπέλθῃ ἐκεῖ ὁ πο ταμὸς, ζήσεται. Πᾶς γὰρ, φησὶ, τῶν σωτηρίων ὑδάτων ἀπολαύων τῆς σωτηρίας τεύξεται. Λέγει δὲ καὶ ἰχθύων πλῆρες τοῦτο γενήσεσθαι τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ ἁλιέας ἕξειν πολλούς· πολλοὶ γὰρ οἱ διὰ τῶν ὑδάτων τούτων εἰς σωτηρίαν θηρώμενοι, πολλοὶ δὲ καὶ οἱ τὴν ἄγραν ταύτην θηρεύειν πεπιστευμένοι. Τὸ δὲ, "ἀπὸ Ἠγγαδδὶ ἕως Ἠναγλὶμ," σημαίνει τὴν ἀπὸ πειρασμῶν καὶ θλίψεων εὐφροσύνην. Τὸ γὰρ Ἠγ γαδδὶ ὀφθαλμῶν πειρατήριον σημαίνει· τὸ δὲ Ἠναγλὶμ ὀφθαλμὸν μόσχου εἰς θυσίαν προσφερο μένου, καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν λύοντος, ἢ ὑπὸ ζυγὸν ἑλ κομένου, καὶ γεωργίαν πιστευομένου. Τὸ ψυγμὸς σαγηνῶν δὲ σημαίνει τῶν ἁλιέων οὐ μόνον τὸ πλῆ θος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἐπιμελές. Οὐ γὰρ ἀποστήσονται, φησὶ, τοῦ ἁλιεύειν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ διαναπαύσονται· τὴν γὰρ ἀνάπαυλαν ψυγμὸν σαγηνῶν ἐκάλεσεν, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ ἁλιεύειν παυόμενοι ἁλιεῖς ἁπλοῦν τὰς σαγήνας καὶ ξηραίνειν εἰώθασι. "Καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἔσται," φησὶ, τουτέστι, τῆς ἀσεβείας κεχωρισμένη ἡ σωζομένη ψυχή· λέγει δὲ καὶ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἰχθύων οὐ πο ταμῷ ἐοικέναι, ἀλλὰ τῇ μεγίστῃ θαλάσσῃ. Οὔτε γὰρ τῷ προτέρῳ λαῷ ἰσάριθμος ὁ νέος λαὸς, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῶν ἐθνῶν θαλάττῃ ἀπεικασμένος, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην πληρῶν. Τούτοις ἐπάγει· ιαʹ. Καὶ ἐν τῇ διεκβολῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπιστροφῇ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῇ ὑπεράρσει αὐτοῦ, τὰ τενάγη αὐτοῦ οὐ μὴ ἰαθῇ, εἰς ἅλας δοθήσε ται. Καὶ τοῦτο ὁρῶμεν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος γεγενημέ νον· αὐξηθέντες γὰρ εἰς πλῆθος εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν ἐξ ωκείλαμεν. Συνῳδὰ δὲ καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης προηγόρευσεν· "Ὅταν γὰρ, φησὶ, πληθυνθῇ ἡ ἀνομία, ψυγήσεται ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν πολλῶν." Τοὺς τοίνυν ἐπιπολαίους, καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα μόνον περικειμένους, ὁποῖοι ἡμῶν οἱ πλεῖστοι, τενάγη ἀποκαλεῖ· καὶ γὰρ τὰ τενάγη 81.1245 οὐ βαθέα, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς ἔχει τὸ ὕδωρ. Τοὺς