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was laid up, that is, the knowledge of the secret things. And do not say: He acted impiously toward the wise by hiding these things from them. May it not be supposed so. For He did not act impiously, but because they concealed the knowledge of the kingdom, and neither entered themselves nor allowed those who wanted to enter, for this reason, according to justice, as they concealed the ways from those who were willing, so also the secret things were concealed from them, so that as they did, so it might be done to them, and with the measure they used, it might be measured to them in like manner. For to the worthy is due the knowledge of what he does not know, but from the unworthy (even if he seems to have it) it is taken away (even if he is wise in other matters) and is given to the worthy (even if they are infants in the times of discipleship). But if someone should say: Nothing was hidden from the sons of Israel because it is written: "Nothing has escaped your notice, Israel; for do not say, Jacob: The way has been hidden from me," one ought to understand that the things pertaining to the kingdom were hidden from them, but the way leading into the kingdom, which is the manner of life, was not hidden. For on this account he also says: "For do not say that the way was hidden from me." And the way is the manner of life, because Moses also says: "Behold, I have set before your face the way of life and the way of death." And the Teacher said in agreement: "Enter through the narrow and afflicted way, through which you will enter into life." And elsewhere, when someone asked: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" He pointed to the commandments of the law. But from Isaiah's saying in the person of God: "But Israel did not know Me, and the people did not understand Me," it is not for this reason that Isaiah was hinting at another god besides the known Creator, but he was speaking of the known one as unknown in another riddle, as the people, being ignorant of the just disposition of the known God, were sinning and did not suppose they would be judged by the good God. For this reason, after saying: "But Israel did not know Me, and the people did not understand Me," he adds, saying: "Woe, sinful nation, a people full of sins." For through their ignorance of his justice (as I said), not fearing, they became full of sins, supposing him to be only good (as one who would not punish their sins). And some, indeed, sinned in this way from an indiscriminate supposition on account of His goodness, but others from the opposite. For by supposing the words of the scriptures against God, which were unjust and false, to be true, they did not know His true divinity and power. Therefore, as though He were ignorant and rejoiced in murders and forgave the wicked for gifts of sacrifices, and moreover deceived and lied and did all unjust things, they themselves, as having done things like God, while sinning, claimed to be pious. And for this reason they were unchangeable toward what is better and when admonished they did not turn back. For they were not afraid, as being made like to God through such actions. And to those who suppose Him to be such a one, one might reasonably say it was spoken: "No one knew the Father except the Son, just as no one knows the Son except the Father." And reasonably so. For if they had understood, they would not have sinned by believing the books written truly for a test against God. But he also says elsewhere, wishing more clearly

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ἀπέκειτο, τουτέστιν ἡ γνῶσις τῶν ἀπορρήτων. καὶ μὴ λέγε· Ἠσέβη- σεν εἰς τοὺς σοφοὺς κρύψας αὐτὰ ἀπ' αὐτῶν. μὴ γένοιτο τοῦτο ὑπολα- βεῖν. οὐ γὰρ ἠσέβησεν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀπέκρυπτον τὴν γνῶσιν τῆς βα- σιλείας καὶ οὔτε αὐτοὶ εἰσῆλθαν οὔτε τοῖς βουλομένοις εἰσελθεῖν παρ- έσχον, τούτου ἕνεκεν κατὰ τὸ δίκαιον, ὡς ἀπέκρυψαν αὐτοὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν θελόντων, οὕτω καὶ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀπεκρύβη τὰ ἀπόρρητα, ἵνα ὡς ἐποίησαν, ὁμοίως καὶ αὐτοῖς γένηται καὶ ᾧ μέτρῳ ἐμέτρησαν, με τρηθῇ αὐτοῖς τῷ ἴσῳ. τῷ γὰρ ἀξίῳ τὸ γνῶναι ὃ μὴ οἶδεν ὀφείλεται, τοῦ δὲ μὴ ἀξίου (κἂν δοκῇ ἔχειν) ἀφαιρεῖται (κἂν ἐν τοῖς ἄλλοις ᾖ σοφός) καὶ δίδοται τοῖς ἀξίοις (κἂν ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις τῆς μαθητείας ὦσιν νήπιοι). εἰ δέ τις ἐρεῖ· Oὐδὲν ἦν ἀπόκρυφον τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ διὰ τὸ γεγράφθαι· «Oὐδέν σε ἔλαθεν, Ἰσραήλ· μὴ γὰρ εἴπῃς, Ἰακώβ· Ἀπε- κρύβη ἡ ὁδὸς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ», συνιέναι ὀφείλει τις ὅτι τὰ διαφέροντα τῇ βασιλείᾳ ἀποκέκρυπτο ἀπ' αὐτῶν, ἡ δὲ εἰσφέρουσα εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν ὁδός, ἥτις ἐστὶν πολιτεία, οὐκ ἀποκέκρυπτο. διὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ λέγει· «Μὴ γὰρ εἴπῃς ὅτι ἀπεκρύβη ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ἡ ὁδός». ὁδὸς δὲ ἡ πολιτεία ἐστὶν τῷ καὶ τὸν Μωυσῆν λέγειν· «Ἰδοὺ τέθεικα πρὸ προσώπου σου τὴν ὁδὸν τῆς ζωῆς καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ θανάτου». καὶ ὁ διδάσκαλος συμφώνως εἶπεν· «Eἰσέλθετε διὰ τῆς στενῆς καὶ τεθλιμμένης ὁδοῦ, δι' ἧς εἰσελεύ- σεσθε εἰς τὴν ζωήν». καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ που, ἐρωτήσαντός τινος· «Τί ποιή- σας ζωὴν αἰώνιον κληρονομήσω;» τὰς τοῦ νόμου ἐντολὰς ὑπέδειξεν. ἐκ δὲ τοῦ εἰπεῖν τὸν Ἠσαίαν ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ· «Ἰσραὴλ δέ με οὐκ ἔγνω καὶ ὁ λαός με οὐ συνῆκεν» οὐ παρὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Ἠσαίας ἄλλον παρὰ τὸν ἐγνωσμένον δημιουργὸν ᾐνίσσετο θεόν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἐγνω- σμένον ἄγνωστον ἔλεγεν ἑτέρῳ αἰνίγματι, ὡς τὴν διάθεσιν τὴν δικαίαν τοῦ ἐγνωσμένου θεοῦ ὁ λαὸς ἀγνοῶν ἡμάρτανεν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θεοῦ κριθήσεσθαι οὐχ ὑπελάμβανεν. διὰ τοῦτο μετὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν· «Ἰσραὴλ δέ με οὐκ ἔγνω, καὶ ὁ λαός με οὐ συνῆκεν» ἐπαγαγὼν λέγει· «Oὐαὶ ἔθνος ἁμαρ- τωλόν, λαὸς πλήρης ἁμαρτιῶν». τῇ γὰρ πρὸς τὸ δίκαιον αὐτοῦ ἀγνωσίᾳ (ὡς ἔφην) μὴ φοβούμενοι πλήρεις ἐγένοντο ἁμαρτιῶν, μόνον ἀγαθόν (ὡς μὴ ἐπεξερχόμενον αὐτῶν τὰς ἁμαρτίας) εἶναι ὑπειληφότες. καί τινες μὲν οὕτως ἡμάρτανον ἐκ τῆς διὰ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἀκρίτου ὑπολήψεως, ἕτεροι δὲ ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων. τὰς γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν γραφῶν φωνάς, ἀδίκους οὔσας καὶ ψευδεῖς, ἀληθεῖς ὑπολαμβάνοντες τὴν ὄντως αὐτοῦ θειότητα καὶ δύναμιν οὐκ ᾔδεισαν. διόπερ ὡς ἀγνοοῦντος αὐτοῦ καὶ φόνοις χαίροντος καὶ θυσιῶν δώροις τοὺς πονηροὺς ἀφιέντος, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἀπατῶντος καὶ ψευδο μένου καὶ πάντα ἄδικα ποιοῦντος, αὐτοὶ ὡς ὅμοια θεοῦ ποιήσαντες, ἁμαρτά- νοντες ἰσχυρίζοντο εὐσεβεῖν. διὸ καὶ ἀμετάθετοι εἰς τὸ κρεῖττον ἦσαν καὶ νουθετούμενοι οὐκ ἐπεστρέφοντο. οὐ γὰρ ἐφοβοῦντο, ὡς τῷ θεῷ διὰ τῶν τοιούτων πράξεων ἐξομοιούμενοι. πρὸς δὲ τοὺς τοιοῦτον αὐτὸν νομίζοντας εἶναι εὐλόγως ἄν τις λέγοι εἰρῆσθαι· «Oὐδεὶς ἔγνω τὸν πατέρα εἰ μὴ ὁ υἱός, ὡς οὐδὲ τὸν υἱόν τις οἶδεν εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ». καὶ εἰκότως. εἰ γὰρ ἠπίσταντο, οὐκ ἂν ταῖς ὄντως πρὸς πειρασμὸν κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ γραφείσαις βίβλοις πιστεύοντες ἡμάρτανον. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀλλαχῆ που λέγει, θέλων σαφέστερον