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"Let it not be desirable"; for does anyone pray that that day, which happened so many years ago, would return again? He curses, therefore, the birth of the flesh, the birth of this mortal life. Interlocutor: Does he not sin then? -He who insults Satan does not sin. Does not the impious man, "in cursing" the impious one, "Satan, curse his own soul"? He curses Satan not because he is a creation of God, but because he is evil and impious. But he himself is also impious. Therefore he curses himself, and this curse is not blameworthy. If someone curses him because he is impious, he hates the cause of his being conceived as satanic. And impiety is the cause. And perhaps he will cease, or not ceasing, he will be punished. If now the captives curse the day of their own captivity, they say this not in order that they might no longer be subject to captivity—lest they should ever have their captivity for some cause—and they lay a curse on it. Interlocutor: Does he therefore curse "that day"? And why did he add "that"? For surely one day does not differ from another day. Then he says: "Let him who is to vanquish the great sea monster curse it." Why did he not say: "3he who made the sun, he who fashioned the world"3, but "he who is to vanquish the great sea monster"? For the Savior, having come and "vanquished the great sea monster," set a limit to the birth of men, so as to give them another birth, the one "of water and the Spirit," which is properly called regeneration. And regeneration is a birth upon a birth, just as a "3palinode"3 is a song upon a song. And he called the resurrection of the dead regeneration; for he says to the disciples: "you also will sit on twelve thrones in the regeneration," instead of "3in the resurrection, in the age to come"3. If I say, "3may I not see this day"3, being in affliction or sickness, I do not say "3may I not see"3 the time, since it has passed; for time does not return. Interlocutor: Has he said that that cause of his birth was sin? -I do not say this again, but that he who curses a day or blesses a day does not bless or curse with respect to the time, but with respect to the things that have happened in the time. I say: Does he not say "it is better to depart and be with Christ"? He does not say that to be released from this life is better. Interlocutor: Will he say that to be entwined with it is better or worse? -Neither worse nor better. Interlocutor: But indifferent? -If this is indifferent, its opposite is also indifferent. Interlocutor: Not as evil, but in comparison to something better? -Opposites cannot coexist. If one of these were good, the other is evil, and if one is evil, the other must be considered good, as is the case with virtue and vice, with injustice and justice, with piety and impiety. If one is bad, the other is good. But when neither of the opposites is bad, neither is the other. White and black are opposites; and since white is indifferent, being neither good nor evil, so too is black in relation to white. Interlocutor: Do you not say that to be outside the body is good, according to the one who says "it is better to depart"? -Consider it from the end; he who departs comes to be in Christ. Interlocutor: Is this a comparative statement? -Pay attention to what you are saying. Things said in comparison are said as being of the same kind, not as opposites; as when I say: "Sodom was justified by you," it is not that Sodom has been justified. "by your sins at least, O Jerusalem," because she killed prophets and became the betrayer of the Savior. That Sodom ravaged one man, Lot. "She was justified by you." She was not justified simply—for she has not been justified—but "by you." And if he says again: "he loved wickedness more than goodness, and deceitful lips more than to speak righteousness," these things are said comparatively, not as opposites; for this is said, that when one is denied, the other is immediately affirmed. Therefore, "to depart" "and be in Christ"—if you say that "to remain in the flesh" is indifferent, this too is indifferent; for it has been shown to us that

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"μὴ ἔστω ἐπευκτή"· εὔχεται γάρ τις ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἐν τοσούτοις ἔτεσιν γενομένην πάλιν ἀνακάμψαι; τὴν γένεσιν οὖν καταρᾶται τῆς σαρκός, τὴν γένεσιν τῆς ζωῆς τῆς ἐπικήρου. ἐπερ · οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει οὖν; -οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει ὁ ὑβρίζων τὸν σατανᾶν. μὴ ὁ ἀσεβὴς "ἐν τῷ καταρᾶσθαι" τὸν ἀσεβῆν, "τὸν σατανᾶν, καταρᾶται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν"; καταρᾶται τὸν σατανᾶν οὐχ ὅτι ποίημα θεοῦ ἐστιν, ἀλλ' ὅτι κακὸς καὶ ἀσεβής ἐστιν. ἐστὶν δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ἀσεβής. ἑαυτὸν οὖν καταρᾶται, καὶ ἡ κατάρα αὕτη οὔκ ἐστιν ψεκτή. ἐάν τις καταρήσηται αὐτὸν ὅτι ἀσεβής ἐστιν, μισεῖ τὸ αἴτιον τοῦ ἐπινοητὸν αὐτὸν σατανιᾶν . ἡ ἀσέβεια δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰτία. καὶ ἴσως πεπαύσεται ἢ μὴ παυόμενος κολασθήσεται. ἐὰν ἄρτι καταρῶνται οἱ αἰχμάλωτοι τη`̣ν ἡμέραν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἑαυτῶν, οὐχ, ἵνα μηκέτι ὑποκέοιντο τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ τοῦτο λέγουσιν-μή τί ποτ' ἔχ̣ουσιν̣ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν αἰτίαν τινά-καὶ ἐπαρῶνται αὐτῇ. ἐπερ · καταρᾶται οὖν αὐτὸς "τὴν ἡμέραν ἐκείνην"; διὰ τί δὲ καὶ προσέθηκεν "τὴν ἐκείνην"; μὴ γὰρ διαφέρει ἡμέρα ἡμέρας. ἔπειτα λέγει· "καταράσοιτο αὐτὴν ὁ μέλλων τὸ μέγα κῆτος χειρώσασθαι". διὰ τί οὐκ εἶπεν· "3ὁ ποιήσας τὸν ἥλιον, ὁ κατασκευάσας τὸν κόσμον"3, ἀλλ' "ὁ μέλλων τὸ μέγα κῆτος χειρώσασθαι"; ἐληλυθὼς γὰρ ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ "χειρωσάμενος τὸ μέγα κῆτος" τὴν γένεσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων περιέγραψεν, ὥστε ἄλλην αὐτοῖς δοῦναι γένεσιν τὴν "ἐξ ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος", ἥτις κυρίως παλινγενεσία λέγεται. παλινγενεσία δέ ἐστιν γένεσις ἐπὶ γενέσει, ὡς τὸ "3παλινῳδία"3 ᾠδὴ ἐπ' ᾠδῇ. καὶ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν παλινγενεσίαν εἶπεν· λέγει γὰρ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ὅτι· "καθίσεσθε καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν τῇ παλινγενεσίᾳ ἐπὶ θρόνους δώδεκα", ἀντὶ τοῦ "3ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει, ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι"3. ἐὰν λέγω ὅτι· "3μὴ ἴδοιμι τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην"3 ἐν θλίψει ἢ νόσῳ ὤν, μὴ τὸν χρόνον λέγω "3μὴ ἴδοιμι"3, ἐπεὶ ἀπῆλθεν· μὴ γὰρ χρόνος ἀνακάμπτει. ἐπερ · τὴν αἰτίαν ἐκείνην τῆς γενέσεως αὐτοῦ ἁμαρτίαν εἴρηκεν; -οὐ τοῦτο πάλιν λέγω, ἀλλ' ὅτι ὁ καταρώμενος ἡμέραν ἢ εὐλογῶν ἡμέραν οὐχ εἰς τὸν χρόνον ἀφορῶν εὐλογεῖ ἢ καταρᾶται, ἀλλ' εἰς τὰ ἐν τῷ χρόνῳ γεγενημένα. λέγω· οὐ λέγει "κάλλιον ἀναλῦσαι καὶ σὺν Χριστῷ εἶναι"; τὸ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς ζωῆς ταύτης οὐ λέγει κρεῖττον εἶναι. ἐπερ · τὸ συνπλακῆναι αὐτῇ κρεῖττον ἐρεῖ ἢ χεῖρον; -οὐδὲ χεῖρον οὐδὲ κρεῖττον. ἐπερ · ἀλλὰ ἀδιάφορον; -εἰ ἀδιάφορον τοῦτο, καὶ τὸ ἀντικείμενον αὐτῷ ἀδιάφορόν ἐστιν. ἐπερ · οὐχ ὡς κακὸν ἀλλ' ὡς πρὸς κρεῖττον; -τὰ ἐναντία ἀσυνύπαρκτά ἐστιν. ἐὰν τούτων τὸ ἕτερον ἀγαθὸν ᾖν, τὸ ἕτερον κακόν ἐστιν, καὶ θατέρου κακοῦ ὄντος τὸ ἕτερον ἀγαθὸν θε̣τ̣έον̣, ὡς ἔχει ἐπὶ ἀρετῆς καὶ κακίας, ἐπὶ ἀδικι´̣ας καὶ δικαιοσύνης, ἐπὶ εὐσεβείας καὶ ἀσεβείας. τοῦ ἑτέρου φαύλου ὄντος, καὶ τὸ λοιπὸν ἀγαθόν ἐστιν. ὅταν δὲ μηδέτερον τῶν ἐναντίων φαῦλον ᾖ, οὐδὲ τὸ λοιπόν. τὸ λευκὸν καὶ τὸ μέλαν ἐναντία εἰσίν· καὶ ἐπεὶ τὸ λευκὸν ἀδιάφορόν ἐστιν οὔτε ἀγαθὸν ὂν οὔτε κακόν, οὕτω καὶ τὸ μέλαν τοῦ λευκοῦ. ἐπερ · οὐ λέγεις σὺ τὸ ἔξω γενέσθαι τοῦ σώματος ἀγαθὸν εἶναι κατὰ τὸν λέγοντα "κάλλιον ἀναλῦσαι̣"; -ε᾿̣κ τοῦ τέλους σκόπει· ὁ ἀναλύσας ἐν Χριστῷ γίνεται. ἐπερ · συνκριτικόν ἐστιν τοῦτο; -πρόσεχε τί λέγεις. τὰ συνκρίσει λεγόμενα οὕτω λέγεται ὡς ὁμογενῆ, οὐχ ὡς ἀντικείμενα· ὡς̣ ὅταν λέγω ὅτι· "ἐδικαιώθη Σόδομα ἐκ σοῦ", μὴ Σόδομα δεδικαίωται. "ἔκ γε τῶν σῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, ὦ Ἰερουσαλήμ", ὅτι προφήτας ἀπέκτεινεν καὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος προδότις γέγονεν. ἐκείνη ἡ Σόδομα ἕνα ἄνθρωπον ἐπόρθησεν τὸν Λώθ. "ἐδικαιώθη ἐκείνη ἐκ σοῦ". οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐδικαιώθη-οὐδὲ γὰρ δεδικαίωται-, ἀλλ' "ἐκ σοῦ". καὶ ἐὰν λέγῃ πάλιν· "ἠγάπησεν κακίαν ὑπὲρ ἀγαθωσύνην καὶ χείλη δόλια ὑπὲρ τὸ λαλῆσαι δικαιοσύνην", ταῦτα συνκριτικῶς λέγεται, μὴ ἀντικειμένως· λέγεται γὰρ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἀποφασκομένου ἑνὸς εὐθὺς τὸ ἕτερον τίθεται. τὸ "ἀναλῦσαι" οὖν "καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ εἶναι"-εἰ ἀδιάφορον λέγεις εἶναι τὸ "ἐπιμένειν τῇ σαρκί", καὶ τοῦτο ἀδιάφορον· δέδεικται γὰρ ἡμῖν, ὅτι