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Not only this, but so that none of those who worship creation rather than the Creator may have ignorance as a pretext for an excuse (477); hearing creation proclaim its own maker more clearly than any voice.

Therefore, since the nature of visible things naturally has from the Creator spiritual principles of wisdom, and modes of refined conduct sown within it; every intellect, rightly crowned with virtue and knowledge, like the great Hezekiah, having been allotted to reign over Jerusalem—that is, of the disposition that sees peace alone; or rather, of the state deprived of all passions. For Jerusalem is interpreted as "vision of peace"—such an intellect has all creation subject to it, through the forms that comprise it; on the one hand, offering through him to God the spiritual principles of knowledge within it as gifts; and on the other hand, providing to him as allowances the modes for virtue inherent in it according to the natural law; and through both welcoming the one who is able to be most excellently well-pleasing in both respects; I mean the philosophic intellect perfected according to principle and life, of both action and contemplation. The Word has therefore stated specifically that gifts are brought to the Lord, and allowances to the king. Because, as those who have studied these things say, those things are specifically called gifts which are brought to those who are in no need; but allowances, those things given to those who are in need. For this reason also the general custom of men has called the things offered to kings, gifts; perhaps having in view the lack of need of the recipients.

But one of those ambitious in all things might say that for this reason also the things brought by the Magi to the Lord who became as we are through love for mankind, (480) were called gifts, saying this while in no way altering the symbol of the truth.

Therefore, when we bring the spiritual principles from created things to the Lord, we offer gifts, inasmuch as He is by nature in no need of any of these things; for not as to one in need of other things do we also bring the principles of beings to the Lord, but so that we might in some way, according to our ability, praise Him from His own creatures as is owed. But he receives allowances, who eagerly pursues divine philosophy; as being naturally in need both of modes for virtue and principles for knowledge.

Or the gifts should be understood in another way. Since a gift, again, is that which is given to those who have contributed nothing beforehand; the gnostic intellect receives as gifts from the contemplation of beings, brought through him to the Lord, the cohesive principles of faith that are without logical demonstration; for which no one in any way contributes anything beforehand; naturally, and without any technical method of reasoning, contemplating his own maker, as creation reveals. For what could anyone contribute that could be compared to faith, so as to receive faith in God as a debt, and not a gift? But he receives allowances, by imitating in his ways the natural laws of beings; that is, by contributing of their creation the labors of repentance; through which he is naturally disposed first to put off the old man, and so to go forth to gather the fruits of righteousness, collecting the modes for virtue made in beings; which he could never approach, unless first with many toils and sweats, like a snake its slough; I mean, having completely subdued and put off the old man.

Therefore, the gnostic intellect rightly receives as gifts for God the cohesive principles of faith from beings, having contributed and given absolutely nothing of these beforehand. For, "Who," it says, "has first given to Him, that it shall be repaid to him?"

But he receives allowances, by imitating in his ways the natural laws of beings; for example, I say, the discerning intellect imitating the natural of the

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Οὐ μόνον δέ, ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα καί μηδείς τῶν λατρευσάντων τῇ κτίσει παρά τόν Κτίσαντα, πρόφασιν ἀπολογείας (477) ἔχῃ τήν ἄγνοιαν· φωνῆς πάσης τρανότερον τόν οἰκεῖον ποιητήν κηρυττούσης ἀκούων τῆς κτίσεως.

Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδή καί λόγους σοφίας πνευματικούς, καί τρόπους ἀγωγῆς καί ἀστείας ἐγκατασπαρέντας αὐτῇ φυσικῶς ἔχει παρά τοῦ ∆ημιουργοῦ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἡ φύσις· πᾶς νοῦς εἰκότως ἀρετῇ καί γνώσει κατεστεμμένος, οἷα δή κατά τόν μέγαν Ἐζεκίαν βασιλεύειν λαχών τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ, τουτέστι, τῆς εἰρήνην μόνην ὁρώσης ἕξεως· ἤγουν τῆς παντοίων ἐστερημένης παθῶν καταστάσεως. Ὅρασις γάρ εἰρήνης Ἱερουσαλήμ ἑρμηνεύεται· πᾶσαν ἔχει τήν κτίσιν ὑποχείριον, διά τῶν αὐτήν συμπληρούντων εἰδῶν, ὁ τοιοῦτος νοῦς· τῷ μέν Θεῷ, δι᾿ αὐτοῦ τούς ἐν αὐτῇ πνευματικούς τῆς γνώσεως καθάπερ δῶρα προσκομίζουσαν λόγους· αὐτῷ δέ, καθάπερ δόματα τούς ἐνυπάρχοντας αὐτῇ κατά τόν φυσικόν νόμον πρός ἀρετήν τρόπους παρέχουσαν· καί διά τῶν ἀμφοτέρων δεξιουμένην τόν κατ᾿ ἀμφότερα κρατίστως εὐδοκιμεῖν δυνάμενον· λέγω δέ τόν κατά λόγον καί βίον πράξεώς τε καί θεωρίας τελειωθέντα φιλόσοφον νοῦν. ∆ῶρα μέν οὖν τῷ Κυρίῳ, καί δόματα τῷ βασιλεῖ φέρεσθαι προσδιωρισμένως εἴρηκεν ὁ Λόγος. Ἐπειδή, καθώς φασιν οἱ περί ταῦτα τήν σπουδήν ἐσχηκότες, δῶρα σεσημειωμένως ἐκεῖνα λέγεται, τά τοῖς ἀπροσδεέσιν εἰσκομιζόμενα· δόματα δέ, τά τοῖς δεομένοις διδόμενα. ∆ιό καί ἡ καθ᾿ ὅλου συνήθεια τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τά τοῖς βασιλεῦσι προσφερόμενα, προσηγόρευσε δῶρα· τυχόν τό ἀπροσδεές τῶν δεχομένων σκοπήσασα.

Φήσειε δ᾿ ἄν τις τῶν πάντα φιλοτίμων, ταύτης ἕνεκεν τῆς αἰτίας καί τά πρός τῶν Μάγων προσενεχθέναι τῷ Κυρίῳ καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς γενομένῳ διά φιλανθρωπίαν, ( 480) δῶρα προσηγορεῦθαι, μηδέν τῆς ἀληθείας τοῦτο λέγων παραμείβων τό σύμβολον.

Προσκομίζοντες οὖν τούς ἐκ τῶν γεγονότων πνευματικούς τῷ Κυρίῳ λόγους, δῶρα προσφέρομεν, καθ᾿ ὅτι πάντων τούτων ἐστίν κατά φύσιν ἀπροσδεής· οὐ γάρ ὡς δεομένῳ πρός ἄλλοις, καί τούς τῶν ὄντων τῷ Κυρίῳ προσκομίζομεν λόγους, ἀλλ᾿ ἵνα ποσῶς ἡμεῖς κατά δύναμιν ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῦ κτισμάτων χρεωστούμενον αὐτόν ἀνυμνήσωμεν. ∆όματα δέ λαμβάνει, ὁ τήν θείαν προσθύμως μετερχόμενος φιλοσοφίαν· ὡς καί τρόπων πρός ἀρετήν, καί λόγων πρός γνῶσιν κατά φύσιν δεόμενος.

Ἤ καί ἄλλως ἐκληπτέον τά δῶρα. Ἐπειδή δῶρον πάλιν ἐστί, τό τοῖς μηδέν προεισενεγκοῦσι διδόμενον· δῶρα μέν λαμβάνει ὁ γνωστικός νοῦς ἐκ τῆς τῶν ὄντων θεωρίας, δι᾿ αὐτοῦ προσαγομένους τῷ Κυρίῳ, τούς ἄνευ λογικῆς ἀποδείξεως συνεκτικούς λόγους τῆς πίστεως· ὑπέρ ἧς οὐδείς οὐδαμῶς οὐδέν προεισφέρει· φυσικῶς, καί δίχα πάσης τῆς ἐν λόγοις τεχνικῆς μεθοδείας, τόν ἴδιον ποιητήν θεώμενος, μηνυούσης τῆς κτίσεως. Τί γάρ καί προσενέγκαι δυνήσεταί τις πίστει παρισωθῆναι δυνάμενον, ὥστε χρέος, ἀλλά μή δῶρον τήν εἰς τόν Θεόν πίστιν κομίσασθαι; ∆όματα δέ λαμβάνει, τούς τῶν ὄντων φυσικούς νόμους τοῖς τρόποις μιμούμενος· δηλαδή τῆς τούτων προεισφέρων κτίσεως, τούς κατά τήν μετάνοιαν πόνους· δι᾿ ὧν ἐκδύεσθαι πρότερον τόν παλαιόν πέφυκεν ἄνθρωπον, καί οὕτω πρός συλλογήν καρπῶν δικαιοσύνης ἐξιέναι, τούς ἐν τοῖς οὖσι πεποιημένους πρός ἀρετήν ἀναλεγόμενος τρόπους· οἷς οὐκ ἄν ποτε προσεγγίσειεν, μή πρότερον πόνοις καί ἱδρῶσι πολλοῖς καθάπερ ὄφις τήν λεβηρίδα· φημί δή τόν παλαιόν εἰσάγαν καταπιέσας ἄνθρωπον καί ἀποδυσάμενος.

∆ιό τῷ μέν Θεῷ δῶρα τούς ἐκ τῶν ὄντων εἰκότως συνεκτικούς τῆς πίστεως λόγους ὁ γνωστικός δέχεται νοῦς, μηδέ τό σύνολον τούτων προεισφέρων καί προδιδούς. Τίς γάρ, φησί, προέδωκεν αὐτῷ, καί ἀνταποδοθήσεται αὐτῷ;

Λαμβάνει δέ δόματα, τούς κατά φύσιν τῶν ὄντων τοῖς τρόποις ἐκμιμούμενος νόμους· οἷον ἔτι λέγω, μιμούμενος μέν ὁ διαγνωστικός νοῦς τόν κατά φύσιν τοῦ