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having fallen away, he clearly became; for God did not say concerning him "Behold, Adam has become as we," but "As one of us," or "As one of us," as many of the copies contain. 839 Ps 81,8 He said another scripture has "Arise, O God, judge the earth, for you will destroy among all the nations." God will judge either all those upon the earth or as many as have become earth on account of thinking earthly things. And God will judge the earth by destroying among all the nations but not all the nations. For as many nations as are superstitious oracles and other curiosities along with the spirits of error that worked them were destroyed by God, so that the nations might become clean of these things in order to receive the word of salvation. And having destroyed that very disposition among the nations, according to which they happened to be different nations, God will show them to be human beings according to his own image, having cast off the contingent things according to which they have also become nations.
840 Ps 82,2a Likeness is understood in two ways. For there is a likeness according to substance which is also properly called identity, and there is also one according to quality which is also simply called likeness. According to the second meaning, those who become perfect would be made like God, "As the heavenly father is perfect;" whence it is said "When he is revealed, we shall be like him," that is, like God. Therefore the cause of all things made man according to the image and his own likeness according to the first meaning, that is, according to substance, with nothing being made like God. For "Who will be made like" is not a question, nor does it indicate rarity but impossibility, since nothing is able to be made like God according to substance. But do not be mistaken, thinking that the Son is also subject to what is being said. For he did not say "Who is like you," but "Who will be made like you?" For the Son does not have "to be made like" God in the future, being from his substance and for this reason the same as him, not in number but in the sameness of substance. 841 Ps 82,14-16 He wishes them to be set by God like an unsteady and unstable wheel. For it will be for their good not to be confirmed and to be held immovably in the evil they have chosen. Therefore he also wishes them to be set like chaff scattered and thrown about before the face of a violently blowing wind by the avenging spirit that pursues them, which he allegorically called wind. And the fire of punishments will consume them who have become a fruitless forest, having been cut down by an axe. And using another punishment against them, he will pursue them with his own tempest which it is not possible to escape; whence they will also be troubled in the wrath of God brought upon them. For since their sins happened to be various, of necessity their punishment was manifold. And it should be noted that though they were a good planting, he loved fruitlessness. For the chaff has its beginning from the good seed, not growing primarily but contingently alongside it. For it was necessary for them, if they had borne fruit primarily, to become wheat, in order to be brought into the storehouses of the word. But not wanting this, they have become chaff and straw, which the tyrant of spiritual Egypt will use for the building of the destructive cities he constructs, and they will also be burned up by the unquenchable fire. For "he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 842 Ps 82,19b Although others have become high and most high from God, being raised and exalted by virtue, yet none of them is such from himself and according to substance. For God alone is most high, making others most high but not becoming so; as he alone is wise and alone is true, providing wisdom and truth but not partaking, so he alone is most high, according to this form of the most high and of the only-begotten being most high. For being the power of the most high, he overshadowed Mary; and the holy spirit, being sent from the most high, is most high. The "alone most high" therefore fits with the trinity. For he who called the Father most high also indicates the Son and the holy Spirit; likewise
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ἐκπεσὼν δηλονότι γέγονεν· οὐ γὰρ ειπε περὶ αὐτοῦ ὁ θεὸς ̓Ιδοὺ γέγονεν ̓Αδὰμ ὡς ἡμεῖς, ἀλλ' ̔Ως εις ἡμῶν, η ̔Ως εις ἐξ ἡμῶνὡς πολλὰ περιέχει τῶν ἀντιγράφων. 839 Ps 81,8 ̔Ετέραν εφησε γραφὴν εχουσαν ̓Ανάστα, ὁ θεός, κρῖνον τὴν γῆν, οτι σὺ ἐξολοθρεύσεις ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς εθνεσι. κρινεῖ ὁ θεὸς ητοι πάντας τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς η οσοι γῆ διὰ τὸ φρονεῖν τὰ ἐπίγεια γεγένηνται. κρινεῖ δὲ τὴν γῆν ὁ θεὸς ἐξολοθρεύων ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς εθνεσιν ἀλλ' οὐ πάντα τὰ εθνη. οσα γὰρ εθνη δεισιδαίμονα χρηστήριά τε καὶ ἡ αλλη περιεργία σὺν τοῖς ἐνεργήσασιν αὐτὰ πνεύμασι πλάνης ἐξωλοθρεύθη ὑπὸ θεοῦ, ινα καθαρὰ τούτων τὰ εθνη γένηται ἐπὶ τῷ καταδέξασθαι τὸν τῆς σωτηρίας λόγον. καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν ἐν τοῖς εθνεσι διάθεσιν, καθ' ην εθνη διάφορα ἐτύγχανεν, ἐξολοθρεύσας θεὸς ἀνθρώπους αὐτοὺς ἀποδείξει κατ' εἰκόνα ἑαυτοῦ ἀποβαλόντα τὰ συμβεβηκότα καθὰ καὶ εθνη γεγένηνται.
840 Ps 82,2a ̔Η ὁμοίωσις διττῶς νοεῖται. εστιν γὰρ κατ' οὐσίαν ὁμοιότης η
καὶ κυρίως ταυτότης λέγεται, εστι δὲ καὶ κατὰ ποιότητα η καὶ ἁπλῶς ὁμοιότης καλεῖται. κατὰ τὸ δεύτερον σημαινόμενον ὁμοιωθεῖεν αν θεῷ οἱ γινόμενοι τέλειοι, ̔Ως τέλειός ἐστιν ὁ οὐράνιος πατήρ· οθεν ειρηται Οταν φανερωθῇ, ομοιοι αὐτῷ ἐσόμεθα, τῷ θεῷ δηλαδή. Καὶ τὸν ανθρωπον ουν κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ὁμοιότητα κατεσκεύασεν ὁ πάντων αιτιος κατὰ τὸ πρῶτον σημαινόμενον, τὸ κατ' οὐσίαν λέγω, οὐδενὸς ὁμοιουμένου θεῷ. τὸ γὰρ Τίς ὁμοιωθήσεται οὐ πεῦσιν οὐ τὸ σπάνιον ἀλλὰ τὸ ἀδύνατον δηλοῖ, οὐδενὸς δυναμένου κατ' οὐσίαν θεῷ ὁμοιοῦσθαι. ἀλλὰ μὴ λάθῃς σαυτὸν νομίσας καὶ τὸν υἱὸν ὑποκεῖσθαι τοῖς λεγομένοις. οὐ γὰρ ειπε Τίς ομοιός σοι, ἀλλὰ Τίς ὁμοιωθήσεταί σοι; οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ μέλλουσιν εχει ὁ υἱὸς τὸ ὁμοιωθήσεσθαι τῷ θεῷ, ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ τυγχάνων καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὁ αὐτὸς αὐτῷ ων οὐκ ἀριθμῷ ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ ταυτῷ τῆς οὐσίας. 841 Ps 82,14-16 Βούλεται αὐτοὺς τεθῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς τροχὸν ἀβέβαιον καὶ ἀνίδρυτον. πρὸς καλοῦ γὰρ αὐτοῖς εσται τὸ μὴ βεβαιωθῆναι καὶ ἀκινήτως εχειν ης ειλαντο κακίας. διὸ καὶ βούλεται τεθῆναι αὐτοὺς ὡς καλάμην σκορπιζομένην καὶ διαρριπτουμένην κατὰ πρόσωπον σφοδρὸν πνέοντος ἀνέμου ὑπὸ τοῦ διώκοντος αὐτοὺς τιμωροῦ πνεύματος ο ἀλληγορικῶς ανεμον ειπεν. Καταφάγεται δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ δρυμὸν ακαρπον γεγενημένους τὸ τῶν κολάσεων πῦρ ἐκκοπέντας ἀξίνῃ. χρώμενος δὲ κατ' αὐτῶν καὶ ἑτέρᾳ τιμωρίᾳ καταδιώξει αὐτοὺς τῇ ἰδίᾳ αὐτοῦ καταιγίδι ην οὐκ εστι διαδράναι· οθεν καὶ ταραχθήσονται ἐν τῇ φερομένῃ ἐπ' αὐτοὺς θεοῦ ὀργῇ. ἐπεὶ γὰρ ποικίλα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῶν ἐτύγχανεν, ἀναγκαίως πολύτροπος αὐτοῖς ὑπῆρκται κόλασις. Σημειωτέον δὲ οτι καλὴ φυτεία τυγχάνοντες ἀκαρπίαν ἠγάπησεν. ἡ γὰρ καλάμη ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦ σπέρματος τὴν ἀρχὴν εχει, οὐ προηγουμένως ἀλλὰ κατὰ συμβεβηκὸς παραφυομένη. εδει μὲν γὰρ αὐτούς, ειπερ προηγουμένως ἐκαρποφόρουν, σῖτον γενέσθαι, ιν' εἰσαχθῶσιν εἰς τὰς τοῦ λόγου ἀποθήκας. τοῦτο δὲ μὴ θελήσαντες καλάμη καὶ αχυρα γεγένηνται, οις χρήσεται μὲν καὶ ὁ τῆς πνευματικῆς Αἰγύπτου τύραννος πρὸς οἰκοδομὴν ων κατασκευάζει ὀλεθρίων πόλεων, κατακαήσονται δὲ καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀσβέστου πυρός. τὸ γὰρ αχυρον κατακαύσει πυρὶ ἀσβέστῳ. 842 Ps 82,19b Εἰ καὶ αλλοι ὑψηλοὶ καὶ υψιστοι ἐκ θεοῦ γεγένηνται ἀρετῇ μετεωριζόμενοι καὶ ὑψούμενοι, ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς ἐκείνων ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ καὶ κατ' οὐσίαν ἐστὶ τοιοῦτος. μόνος γὰρ θεὸς υψιστος ὑψίστους ποιῶν ἀλλ' οὐ γινόμενος· ὡς μόνος σοφός ἐστι καὶ μόνος ἀληθινὸς παρέχων σοφίαν καὶ ἀλήθειαν ἀλλ' οὐ μετέχων, ουτω μόνος υψιστος, κατὰ τοῦτο τοῦ ὑψίστου τὸ ειδος καὶ τοῦ μονογενοῦς ὑψίστου τυγχάνοντος. ὑψίστου γὰρ ων δύναμις ἐπεσκίασε τὴν Μαρίαν· καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα δὲ τὸ αγιον ἀπὸ ὑψίστου πεμπόμενον υψιστόν ἐστιν. ὁ μόνος ουν υψιστος αμα τῇ τριάδι ἁρμόζει. ὁ γὰρ τὸν πατέρα υψιστον εἰπὼν καὶ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ αγιον δηλοῖ· ὡσαύτως