234

the following. And again: "The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice." And the word, continuing with the promises to the desolate one, says: Not as a woman forsaken and faint-hearted has the Lord called you. Scripture calls a 'forsaken' woman one who for certain reasons has received a bill of divorce according to the law; but 'hated', one who has been slandered for licentiousness, to whom the charge of being faint-hearted would also be fitting, as being unable to persevere and bear the yokes of marriage; such as the Synagogue of the Jews became towards God after the law, through which she was joined to God, having turned back to the things in Egypt. Wherefore, having cast her off, He said through one of the prophets: "Plead with your mother, for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband." And then he speaks about her fornication. And what the manner of the fornication was, he relates in Ezekiel, taking as it were two women, whom he calls Oholah and Oholibah, signifying Jerusalem and Samaria, and recounting their impieties, how they slaughtered their children to idols, and made them pass through the fire, calling these things adultery. Whence also through Jeremiah he says to her: "You have had a harlot's face; you have been shameless towards all." But you, he says, who are from the gentiles, were not called according to these. For a hardening has come upon part of them, as it seems to Paul. And their eyes were darkened so that they could not see. And their backs were bent, as they always gaped at earthly things. But enlightenment has come to the gentiles. And all, but not a remnant, has been saved. But for a short time, he says, I forsook you. "For in former generations, as Peter says, God allowed the nations to go their own ways." But the time is short when judged against the mercy that runs through endless ages. And great mercy is that which through Christ frees from all defilement and punishment, and grants the dignity of adoption, and makes them heirs of the kingdom of heaven. Then he says: From the water of Noah's time this is to me. But Symmachus rendered the whole thus: As the days of Noah, this is to me. As I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn not to be angry with you, nor to rebuke you. For the mountains shall be shaken, and the hills shall be troubled; but my mercy shall not depart from you, nor shall the covenant of my peace be revoked, said the Lord who has mercy on you. For sooner, he says, will the mountains be moved from their own places, and the hills 2540 be troubled, than my mercy will be removed from you. But according to the Septuagint, it is not an example, but rather indicates that from the time of the flood it has been my decision not to contend with human failings, and to set one judgment against all, showing that also during the time he was present, by divine decree all should have undergone that ancient judgment. For they were equally liable; but I turn my wrath to mercy, keeping my own decree. And the covenant of peace is through Christ. For he is our peace, which Isaiah, asking for, said: "Lord, our God, give us peace; for you have given us all things." For through Christ he was joined to God the Father. These things God promises to the godly commonwealth, which was transferred to the gentiles, the Jews having fallen away. And what kind of godly polity there was among the Jews, he represents, calling it lowly and unstable; for it consisted of physical circumcision and sacrifices. But those from the gentiles, having become susceptible to the attacks of demons, were humbly subjected. And the heart of those who are led astray is unstable, shaken by the passions like a drunkard. For they are carried about by every wind, and according to the proverb, they endure a wandering of desires; which God indeed accuses Jerusalem of having suffered, saying: She was carried away by the spirit in the desires of her soul. And a soul carried away by the spirit is entirely unstable. And why is he merciful to you? First, because I am merciful. Then, because you were not turned aside. And if he speaks concerning the godly polity among the Jews, since there was no prophet, or godly man so great, as to take it up and restore it. But if concerning the gentiles, because not

234

τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ πάλιν· "Ὁ Κύριος ἐβασίλευσεν, ἀγαλλιάσθω ἡ γῆ." Ἐπιμένων δὲ ὁ λόγος ταῖς πρὸς τὴν ἔρημον ἐπαγγελίαις, φησίν· Οὐχ ὡς γυναῖκα καταλελειμμένην καὶ ὀλιγόψυχον κέκληκέν σε Κύριος. Καταλελειμμένην ἡ Γραφὴ γυναῖκα καλεῖ τὴν ἐπί τισιν αἰτίαις βιβλίον δεξαμένην ἀποστασίου κατὰ τὸν νόμον, μεμισημένην, δὲ, τὴν ἐπ' ἀσελγείᾳ διαβληθεῖσαν, ᾗπερ ἂν πρέποι καὶ τὸ τῆς ὀλιγοψυχίας αἰτίαμα, ὡς οὐ δυναμένῃ καρτερεῖν, καὶ ζυγῶν ἀνέχεσθαι γαμικῶν· οἵα πρὸς Θεὸν γέγονεν ἡ τῶν Ἰουδαίων Συναγωγὴ μετὰ νόμον, δι' οὗ συνήφθη Θεῷ ἐπὶ τὰ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ παλινδρομήσασα. ∆ιόπερ αὐτὴν ἀπωσάμενος δι' ἑνὸς ἔλεγε τῶν προφητῶν· "Κρίθητε πρὸς τὴν μητέρα ὑμῶν, ὅτι αὕτη οὐ γυνή μου, κἀγὼ οὐκ ἀνὴρ αὐτῆς." Καὶ λοιπὸν περὶ τῆς πορνείας αὐτῆς διαλέγεται. Τίς δὲ τῆς πορνείας ὁ τρόπος, ἐν Ἰεζεκιὴλ διηγεῖται, δύο γυναῖκας οἱονεὶ λαβὼν, ἃς καλεῖ Ὀολὰν καὶ Ὀλίβαν, δηλῶν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὴν Σαμάρειαν, καὶ τὰς ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν διηγούμενος, ὡς ἔσφαζον τοῖς εἰδώλοις τὰ τέκνα, καὶ διῆγον αὐτὰ δι' ἐμπύρων, καὶ ταῦτα μοιχείαν καλῶν. Ὅθεν αὐτῇ καὶ δι' Ἱερεμίου φησίν· "Ὄψις πόρνης ἐγένετό σοι· ἀπηναισχύντησας πρὸς πάντας." Ἀλλ' ὑμεῖς, φησὶν, οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν οὐ κατὰ τούτους ἐκλήθητε. Τοῖς μὲν γὰρ πώρωσις ἀπὸ μέρους γέγονεν, καθὰ τῷ Παύλῳ δοκεῖ. Ἐσκοτίσθησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν. Συνεκάμφθη δὲ καὶ τὰ νῶτα κεχηνότων ἀεὶ πρὸς τὰ γήϊνα. Τὸ φωτισθῆναι δὲ τοῖς ἔθνεσι γέγονεν. Καὶ πάντες, ἀλλ' οὐ κατάλειμμα σέσωσται. Ἀλλ' εἰς χρόνον μικρὸν, φησὶ, κατέλιπόν σε. "Ἐν ταῖς γὰρ προλαβούσαις γενεαῖς, ὡς ὁ Πέτρος φησὶ, συνεχώρησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ ἔθνη πορεύεσθαι ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν." Βραχὺς δὲ ὁ καιρὸς πρὸς τὸν τοῦ ἐλέους κρινόμενος εἰς ἀπείρους αἰῶνας διατρέχοντα. Ἔλεος δὲ μέγα, τὸ διὰ Χριστοῦ ῥύπου παντὸς ἐλευθεροῦν καὶ κολάσεως, καὶ παρέχον υἱοθεσίας ἀξίωμα, καὶ βασιλείας οὐρανῶν κληρονόμους ποιοῦν. Εἶτά φησιν· Ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ἐπὶ Νῶε τοῦτό μοί ἐστιν. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ὅλον οὕτως ἐξέδωκεν· Ὡς αἱ ἡμέραι Νῶε τοῦτό μοι. Ὡς ὤμοσα μὴ ἐπελθεῖν ὕδωρ Νῶε ἔτι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, οὕτως ὠμοσάμην μὴ ὀργισθῆναί σοι, μηδὲ ἐπιτιμῆσαί σοι. Τὰ γὰρ ὄρη σαλευθήσονται, καὶ οἱ βουνοὶ ταραχθήσονται· τὸ δὲ ἔλεός μου ἀπὸ σοῦ οὐκ ἀποστραφήσεται, οὐδὲ ἡ διαθήκη τῆς εἰρήνης μου ἀνακληθήσεται, εἶπεν ὁ οἰκτείρων σε Κύριος. Θᾶττον γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ ὄρη μεταστήσονται τῶν οἰκείων τόπων, καὶ οἱ βουνοὶ 2540 ταραχθήσονται, ἢ τὸ ἐμὸν ἕλεος ἀπὸ σοῦ κινηθήσεται. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Οʹ, οὐκ ἔστι παραδειγματικὸν, δηλοῖ δὲ μᾶλλον, ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ κέκριταί μοι μὴ τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις φιλονεικῆσαι πταίσμασι, καὶ μίαν κατὰ πάντων ὁρίσαι δίκην, δηλῶν ὡς καὶ καθ' ὃν ἐπεδήμησε χρόνον, θείᾳ ψήφῳ πάντας ἔδει τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἐκείνην προστῆναι δίκην. Καὶ γὰρ ἦσαν ὁμοίως ὑπεύθυνοι· ἀλλὰ τὴν ὀργὴν μεταφέρω πρὸς ἔλεον, τὸν ὅρον φυλάττων τὸν ἐμαυτοῦ. Ἡ δὲ τῆς εἰρήνης διαθήκη, διὰ Χριστοῦ. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν, ἥνπερ Ἡσαΐας αἰτῶν ἔφη· "Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, εἰρήνην δὸς ἡμῖν· πάντα γὰρ ἀπέδωκας ἡμῖν." ∆ιὰ Χριστοῦ γὰρ συνήφθη μὲν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατέρι. Ταῦτα Θεὸς ἐπαγγέλλεται τῷ θεοσεβεῖ πολιτεύματι, ὃ μετέστη πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη, τῶν Ἰουδαίων μεταπεσόν. Οἵα δὲ παρ' Ἰουδαίοις ἦν ἡ θεοσεβὴς πολιτεία, παρίστησι, ταπεινὴν καὶ ἀκατάστατον ταύτην εἰπών· σωματικὴ γὰρ ἦν περιτομὴ, καὶ θυσίαι. Οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν δὲ καὶ ταῖς τῶν δαιμονίων ἐφόδοις εὐεπίβατοι γεγονότες ὑπέκειντο ταπεινῶς. Τῶν δὲ πλανωμένων ἀκατάστατος ἡ καρδία, μεθύοντος δίκην σειομένη τοῖς πάθεσι. Παντὶ γὰρ πνεύματι περιφέρονται, καὶ κατὰ τὴν παροιμίαν, ῥεμβασμὸν ἐπιθυμιῶν ὑπομένουσιν· ὃ δὴ παθοῦσαν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ αἰτιᾶται Θεὸς λέγων· Ἐν ἐπιθυμίαις ψυχῆς αὐτῆς ἐπνευματοφορεῖτο. Πνευματοφορουμένη δὲ ψυχὴ, πάντως καὶ ἀκατάστατος. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ ἵλεώς σοι; Πρῶτον μὲν, ὅτι οἰκτίρμων ἐγώ. Ἔπειτα δὲ, ὅτι μὴ παρεκλίθης. Καὶ εἰ μὲν περὶ τοῦ παρ' Ἰουδαίοις θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος λέγει, ἐπειδὴ μηδεὶς προφήτης, ἢ θεοσεβὴς τοσοῦτος, ὡς ἀναλαβεῖν αὐτὴν καὶ ἀνακτήσασθαι. Εἰ δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὅτι μὴ