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the worship according to the law to purify. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. And again concerning those of the circumcision who have believed he says: "But knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law, except through faith in Jesus Christ; we also have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified in him." Therefore sacrifice does not purify you, but I alone am the one who forgives sins by gift and grace. "For we were justified not by works of righteousness that we have done, but according to his great mercy." For this nature is weak for salvation through works. For the mind of man is diligently set on evil things from his youth, as David also declares, saying: "If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? For with you there is forgiveness." Therefore I myself have mercy. But I wish for those who have been well-treated to remember and praise the Savior always. Which indeed the saints do, as the great David again declares, at one time saying: "For I know my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me;" and at another time: "For I will declare my iniquity, and I will be anxious for my sin;" according to that: "Do not be ashamed to confess your sins." The Pharisee, indeed, by not doing this was condemned. But the tax collector, by doing it, went away justified. God, having said this must be done, says, But know, that from your fathers you were born a sinner, and as many as have ruled you from time to time, have committed iniquity against me. But instead of 'rulers', the interpreters Aquila and Symmachus said. And he sets three orders: fathers, and interpreters, and rulers, of whom some ruled, others were interpreters of the Scriptures, and others happened to be advanced in age. On account of whom he says Israel has perished 2400 and has fallen into reproach, or into blasphemy, as the rest. And you might take the three as signifying one thing, meaning those who ought to instruct those under their hand, who, when they transgress, are unforgivable. The phrase, But they have committed iniquity against me, has the greatest emphasis. For not against a man or any created nature. For the idolater, as far as it concerned him, rejected the divine nature, depriving it of its proper preeminence and glory, for which he accused Israel, saying: "The priests did not say, 'Where is the Lord?' and those who handle the law did not know me, and the prophets acted impiously against me." And again: "Why do you speak to me? All of you have transgressed and all of you have acted impiously against me, says the Lord Almighty." Therefore he says, They have defiled my holy things. For not only in Jerusalem, but even in the divine temple itself they set up the pillars of demons. For God says concerning the Synagogue of the Jews: "What has the beloved done in my house as an abomination?" and everything of such a kind, through which God was prefigured. And the holy things are also defiled in another way, when things done for the honor of God are not done as they should be. CHAPTER 44. 45. 9But now hear, O Jacob my servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen. Thus says the Lord God, who created you, and who formed you from the womb; He will still help you. Fear not, my servant Jacob, and beloved Israel, whom I have chosen9, etc. Having said these things to Israel and to Jacob who was accused, he did not call this one elect, nor a servant again, by which names he again calls those about whom he adds, signifying the praiseworthy choir of the apostles. Therefore he says, The Lord God who made you. And having encouraged them again he added, that I will give water in thirst to those who walk in a waterless place. And how he clarified, saying: I will put my spirit upon your seed, and my blessings upon your children, declaring the rational and fruitful and life-giving water, which is supplied through the divine Spirit. Through which he calls those who are born again the seed of the apostles and children, with Paul saying: "For in Christ Jesus through the Gospel I have begotten you." And again: "My children, of whom I am again in travail." And he calls blessings the manifold gifts of the Spirit: "For to one is given the word of wisdom;" and the rest. And again: "Each of you has his own gift from God." And what the blessings are, he declares, that they shall spring up as grass among the water, and as the willow by the flowing water. representing his life-giving willow

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καθαίρειν ἡ κατὰ νόμον λατρεία. Ἀδύνατον γὰρ αἷμα ταύρων καὶ τράγων ἀφαιρεῖν ἁμαρτίας. Καὶ πάλιν περὶ τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς πεπιστευκότων φησίν· "Εἰδότες δὲ ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· καὶ ἡμεῖς εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐπιστεύσαμεν ἵνα δικαιωθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῷ." Θυσία τοίνυν ὑμᾶς οὐ καθαίρει, ἐγὼ δὲ μόνος ὁ ἀφιεὶς ἁμαρτίας δωρεᾷ τε καὶ χάριτι. "∆εδικαιώμεθα γὰρ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοσύνης ὧν ἐποιήσαμεν ἡμεῖς, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ πολὺ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ." Αὕτη γὰρ ἀσθενὴς πρὸς τὴν δι' ἔργων σωτηρίαν ἡ φύσις. Ἐπιμελῶς γὰρ ἔγκειται ἡ διάνοια τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τὰ πονηρὰ ἐκ νεότητος, καθὰ δηλοῖ καὶ ∆αβὶδ λέγων· "Ἐὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, Κύριε, Κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; Ὄτι παρὰ σοὶ ὁ ἱλασμός ἐστιν." Ἐλεῶ μὲν οὖν αὐτός. Εὖ δὲ πεπονθότας ἐθέλω μεμνῆσθαι καὶ τὸν Σωτῆρα διὰ παντὸς ἀνυμνεῖν. Ὃ δὴ καὶ δρῶσιν οἱ ἅγιοι, ὡς δηλοῖ πάλιν ὁ μέγας ∆αβὶδ, ποτὲ μὲν εἰπών· "Ὅτι τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἐγὼ γινώσκω, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία μου ἐνώπιόν μού ἐστι διαπαντός·" ποτὲ δέ· "Ὅτι τὴν ἀνομίαν μου ἀναγγελῶ, καὶ μεριμνήσω ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας μου·" κατὰ τό· "Μὴ αἰσχυνθῇς ὁμολογῆσαι ἐφ' ἁμαρτίαις." Ὃ δὴ μὴ ποιήσας μὲν ὁ Φαρισαῖος κατεκρίθη. ∆ράσας γε μὴν ὁ τελώνης ἀπῆλθε δικαιωθείς. Τοῦτο δεῖν εἰπὼν ὁ Θεὸς ποιῆσαι, Πλὴν ἴσθι, φησὶν, ὡς ἐκ πατέρων ἔφυς ἁμαρτωλὸς, καὶ ὅσοι κατὰ καιροὺς ὑμῶν ἦρξαν, ἠνόμησαν εἰς ἐμέ Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ἄρχοντες, ἑρμηνεῖς Ἀκύλας ἔφη καὶ Σύμμαχος. Τρία δὲ τίθησι τάγματα· πατέρας, καὶ ἑρμηνεῖς, καὶ ἄρχοντας, Ὧν οἱ μὲν ἦρχον, οἱ δὲ τῶν Γραφῶν ἦσαν ἐξηγηταὶ, οἱ δὲ τῷ χρόνῳ προβεβηκότες ἐτύγχανον. ∆ι' οὓς ἀπολωλέναι λέγει 2400 τὸν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐμπεσεῖν εἰς ὀνειδισμὸν, ἢ εἰς βλασφημίαν, ὡς οἱ λοιποί. Καὶ καθ' ἑνὸς δὲ λάβοις ἂν σημαινομένου τὰ τρία, τοὺς ὀφείλοντας λέγων τοὺς ὑπὸ χεῖρα παιδαγωγεῖν, οἱ καὶ πλημμελοῦντες ἀσύγγνωστοι. Τὸ, Εἰς ἐμὲ δὲ ἠνόμησαν, πλείστην ἔχει τὴν ἔμφασιν. Οὐ γὰρ εἰς ἄνθρωπον ἢ φύσιν τινὰ γεννητήν. Ὁ γὰρ εἰδωλολατρῶν, τόγε ἧκον εἰς αὐτὸν, τὴν θείαν ἀπώσατο φύσιν, ἀποστερῶν τῆς προσηκούσης ὑπεροχῆς τε καὶ δόξης, ἐφ' ᾧ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ αἰτιώμενος ἔλεγεν· "Οἱ ἱερεῖς οὐκ εἶπαν, Ποῦ ἐστι Κύριος, καὶ οἱ ἀντεχόμενοι τοῦ νόμου οὐκ ἠπίσταντό με, καὶ οἱ προφῆται ἠσέβουν εἰς ἐμέ." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἵνα τί λαλεῖτε πρός με; πάντες ὑμεῖς ἠνομήσατε καὶ πάντες ὑμεῖς ἠσεβήσατε εἰς ἐμὲ, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ." ∆ιό φησιν, Ἐμίαναν τὰ ἅγιά μου. Οὐκ ἐν μόνῃ γὰρ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ δὲ τῷ θείῳ νεῷ τὰς τῶν δαιμονίων ἀνέθηκαν στήλας. Λέγει γὰρ περὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίων Συναγωγῆς ὁ Θεός· "Τί ἡ ἠγαπημένη ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου ἐποίησεν βδέλυγμα;" τοιοῦτον δὲ πᾶν, δι' οὗ ἐτυποῦτο Θεός. Μιαίνεται δὲ καὶ ἄλλως τὰ ἅγια, τῶν εἰς Θεοῦ τιμὴν μὴ γιγνομένων ὡς δεῖ. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Μ∆ʹ. αεʹ. 9Νῦν δὲ ἄκουσον, Ἰακὼβ ὁ παῖς μου, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ, ὃν ἐξελεξάμην. Οὕτω λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ κτίσας σε, καὶ ὁ πλάσας σε ἐκ κοιλίας· Ἔτι βοηθήσῃ. Μὴ φοβοῦ, παῖς μου Ἰακὼβ, καὶ ὁ ἠγαπημένος Ἰσραὴλ, ὃν ἐξελεξάμην9, κ.τ.λ. Ταῦτα πρὸς Ἰσραὴλ εἰπὼν καὶ τὸν Ἰακὼβ τὸν διαβεβλημένον, οὐκ ἐκλεκτὸν τοῦτον, οὐ παῖδα πάλιν ἐκάλεσεν, δι' ὧν πάλιν ὀνομάτων τοὺς περὶ ὧν ἐπιφέρει, καλεῖ τὸν ἐπαινετὸν τῶν ἀποστόλων ὑποσημαίνων χορόν. ∆ιό φησι, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας σε. Καὶ παραθαῤῥύνας αὐτοὺς πάλιν ἐπήνεγκεν, ὅτι Ἐγὼ δώσω ὕδωρ ἐν δίψει τοῖς πορευομένοις ἐν ἀνύδρῳ. Καὶ πῶς διεσάφησε λέγων· Ἐπιθήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου, καὶ τὰς εὐλογίας μου ἐπὶ τὰ τέκνα σου, τὸ λογικόν τε καὶ γόνιμον ζωτικόν τε δηλῶν ὕδωρ, τὸ διὰ τοῦ θείου χορηγούμενον Πνεύματος. ∆ι' οὗ τοὺς ἀναγεννηθέντας σπέρμα τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τέκνα καλεῖ, Παύλου λέγοντος· "Ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διὰ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐγέννησα." Καὶ πάλιν· "Τέκνα οὓς πάλιν ὠδίνω." Εὐλογίας δὲ καλεῖ τὸ πολυειδὲς τῶν τοῦ Πνεύματος δωρεῶν· "Ὧ μὲν γὰρ δίδοται λόγος σοφίας·" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἴδιον ἔχει χάρισμα ἐκ Θεοῦ." Τίνες δὲ αἱ εὐλογίαι, δηλοῖ, ὅτι ἀνατελοῦσιν ὡσεὶ χόρτος ἀνὰ μέσον ὕδατος, καὶ ὡς ἰτέα ἐπὶ παραῤῥέον ὕδωρ. Τὸ ζωτικὸν αὐτοῦ παριστῶν ἰτέαν