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But having risen during the night and having awakened us, sitting down as usual, he said: Ask me about what you wish. And Sophonias first began to speak to him: Explain to us, who desire to learn, how the account of the evil one truly stands. And Peter said: Indeed, I already explained it through the discussion with Simon, but because I spoke about him along with other topics, it was not made very clear. For many topics, seeming to be equivalent to the truth, provide a certain knowledge of the truth itself to the majority; so that, if I now tell you what I then said to Simon among many topics, you should not think that you have been honored with an honor equal to his. And Sophonias said: You speak correctly; for if you now separate for us the truth itself from the many topics spoken of then, you will make it clearer. And Peter said: Listen, therefore, to the truth of the system concerning the evil one. God, having established two kingdoms, also constituted two ages, judging that the present world be given to the evil one, because it is both small and passes away quickly, but he promised to give the age to come to the good one, since it is great and eternal. Therefore, he made man with free will, having a fitness to incline toward whatever actions he wishes. And his body is tripartite, having its origin from the female; for it has desire, anger, grief, and the things that follow these—but the spirit (and it is not of a third origin, but tripartite) has its origin from the male and is receptive of reason, knowledge, fear, and the things that follow these. And each of the triads has one root, so that man is from two mixtures, of female and male. Wherefore also two ways were set before him, of law and of lawlessness—and two kingdoms were established, the one of the heavens being the one spoken of, and the other of those now reigning on earth. But also two kings were appointed, of whom the one is ordained to rule the present and temporary world by law, who also was tempered to rejoice in the destruction of the wicked—but the other, being himself also a king (of the age to come), loves the whole nature of men, not being able in the present circumstances to have freedom of speech ..... so that, while trying to remain hidden who he is, he advises what is expedient. And of these two the other forces out the other, God having commanded it. And each of men has the power ........... of them to obey whomever he wishes, in order to do good or evil; but if anyone chooses to do good things, he becomes a possession of the good king who is to come— but if anyone should do evil things, he becomes a servant of the present evil one, who through sin having received authority over him by a just judgment, and wishing even before the age to come, takes pleasure in punishing in the present life, and as if gratifying his own desire, he executes the will of God. But the other, having been created to rejoice in authority over the just, finding a just man, rejoices greatly, saving him with eternal life, and he himself, as if gratifying himself, offers thanks to God for these things. And it is possible for every unjust man who repents to be saved, and for every just man to suffer punishment for a final sin. But these two rulers are the swift hands of God be—

[HOMILY 20.]

156

Νύκτωρ δὲ διαναστὰς καὶ διυπνίσας ἡμᾶς, καθεσθεὶς συνήθως ἔφη· Πυνθάνεσθέ μου περὶ ὧν βούλεσθε. καὶ ὁ Σοφονίας αὐτῷ πρῶτος ἤρξατο· Πῶς ὄντως ὁ περὶ πονηροῦ λόγος ἔχει, ἐπιθυμοῦσιν ἡμῖν μαθεῖν ὑφήγησαι. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος· Ἤδη μέν, ἔφη, καὶ διὰ τῆς πρὸς Σίμωνα δια- λέξεως ἐξέφηνα, τῷ δὲ σὺν ἑτέροις κεφαλαίοις τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ εἰρηκέναι οὐ πάνυ σαφῶς ἐφωτίσθη. πολλὰ γὰρ κεφάλαια ἰσοδυναμεῖν δοκοῦντα τῷ ἀληθεῖ αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀληθοῦς τοῖς πλείοσι παρέχει τινὰ γνῶσιν· ὥστε, ἐὰν νῦν ὑμῖν εἴπω ἃ τότε μετὰ πολλῶν εἰρήκειν κεφαλαίων τῷ Σίμωνι, μὴ οἰηθῆτε ἴσῃ αὐτῷ τιμῇ τετιμῆσθαι. καὶ ὁ Σοφονίας· Ὀρθῶς, ἔφη, λέγεις· εἰ νῦν γὰρ ἡμῖν ἐκ πολλῶν τῶν τότε εἰρημένων κεφαλαίων ἀφορί- ζεις αὐτὸ τὸ ἀληθές, ποιήσεις φανερώτερον. καὶ ὁ Πέτρος· Ἀκούσατε, ἔφη, τοιγαροῦν τῆς περὶ τοῦ πονηροῦ ἁρμονίας τὴν ἀλήθειαν. ὁ θεὸς δύο βασιλείας ὁρίσας καὶ δύο αἰῶνας συνεστήσατο, κρίνας τῷ πονηρῷ δεδόσθαι τὸν παρόντα κόσμον διὰ τὸ μικρόν τε αὐτὸν εἶναι καὶ παρέρχε- σθαι ὀξέως, τῷ δὲ ἀγαθῷ δώσειν ὑπέσχετο τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα, ἅτε δὴ μέγαν ὄντα καὶ ἀίδιον. τὸν οὖν ἄνθρωπον αὐτεξούσιον ἐποίησεν, ἐπιτηδειό- τητα ἔχοντα νεύειν πρὸς ἃς βούλεται πράξεις. καὶ τὸ μὲν σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐστι τριμερές, ἐκ θηλείας ἔχον τὴν γένεσιν· ἔχει γὰρ ἐπιθυμίαν, ὀργήν, λύπην καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἑπόμενα-τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα (καὶ αὐτὸ οὐ τριτογενὲς ὄν, ἀλλὰ τριμερές) ἐκ τοῦ ἄρρενος ἔχει τὴν γένεσιν καὶ δεκτικόν ἐστι λογισμοῦ, γνώσεως, φόβου καὶ τῶν τούτοις ἑπομένων. ἑκατέρα δὲ τῶν τριάδων μίαν ἔχει τὴν ·ίζαν, ὡς εἶναι τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκ φυραμάτων δύο, θηλείας τε καὶ ἄρρενος. διὸ δὴ καὶ δύο αὐτῷ ὁδοὶ προετέθησαν, νόμου τε καὶ ἀνομίας-δύο τε βασιλεῖαι ὡρίσθησαν, <ἡ μὲν τῶν> οὐρανῶν λεγομένη, ἡ δὲ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς νῦν βασιλευόντων. ἀλλὰ καὶ δύο βασιλεῖς ἐτάχθησαν, ὧν ὁ μὲν τοῦ παρόντος καὶ προσκαίρου κόσμου νόμῳ βασι- λεύειν χειροτονεῖται, ὃς καὶ ἐπ' ὀλέθρῳ πονηρῶν χαίρειν ἐκράθη-ὁ δὲ ἕτερος, καὶ αὐτὸς βασιλεὺς ὑπάρχων (τοῦ ἐσομένου αἰῶνος), στέργει πᾶσαν ἀνθρώπων φύσιν, ἐν τοῖς παροῦσι τὴν παρρησίαν ἔχειν οὐ δυνά- μενος ..... ὥς, τίς ποτ' ἔστι λανθάνειν πειρώμενος τὰ συμφέροντα συμ- βουλεύει. τῶν δὲ δύο τούτων <ὁ ἕτερος> τὸν ἕτερον ἐκβιάζεται, θεοῦ κελεύσαντος. ἕκαστος δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐξουσίαν ἔχει ...........ω αὐ- τῶν ᾧ βούλεται πείθεσθαι πρὸς τὸ πράσσειν ἀγαθὰ ἢ κακά· πλὴν ἐὰν τὰ ἀγαθά τις πράσσειν ἕληται, τοῦ ἐσομένου ἀγαθοῦ βασιλέως γίνεται κτῆμα- εἰ δὲ φαῦλα πράξειέ τις, τοῦ παρόντος γίνεται πονηροῦ ὑπηρέτημα, ὃς δι' ἁμαρτίας κρίσει δικαίᾳ τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ λαβὼν ἐξουσίαν καὶ πρὸ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος θελήσας ἐν τῷ νῦν βίῳ κολάζων ἥδεται καὶ ὡς ἰδίᾳ χαριζόμενος ἐπιθυμίᾳ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ βούλησιν ἐκτελεῖ. ὁ δὲ ἕτερος ἐπὶ δικαίων ἐξουσίᾳ χαίρειν δημιουργηθείς, δίκαιον εὑρὼν μεγάλως εὐφραί- νεται, σσζων αὐτὸν ἀιδίῳ ζωῇ, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὡς ἑαυτῷ χαριζόμενος, τὴν ὑπὲρ τούτων εἰς θεὸν ἀναφέρει χάριν. ἔξεστι δὲ παντὶ ἀδίκῳ μετα- μεληθέντι σσζεσθαι καὶ παντὶ δικαίῳ ἀνδρὶ ἐπὶ τελευταίας ἁμαρτίας δίκην ὑπέχειν. πλὴν οἱ δύο ἡγεμόνες οὗτοι ταχεῖαι χεῖρές εἰσι θεοῦ προ-

[OΜIΛIA Κ.]