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or rather, the grief; for it has the two at once, the ridiculous and grief, grief, on the one hand, because of how the devil has conceived in the mind of men to mock the creation fashioned by God, and ridiculous, on the other hand, concerning those who neither see nor have understood anything intelligent. 2. For first, they say that such people build their churches—or rather dens and caves, for so I would call the assemblies of the heresies—in heated chambers and heat them from below, so that there might be warmth for the comfort of those gathered inside in the little house. At 2.313 upon entering, there are certain cloak-keepers at the doors, appointed by them like clothes-chests, and each one entering, whether man or woman, undressing outside, enters naked, as from the womb, in their whole body, and those who seem to be their leaders and teachers all sit as from the womb, some above, some below, mixed up and scattered. They are all among them supposedly called and boasting to be continent, and virgins, as they deceive themselves; and being naked, they perform their readings and all their other rites. But if anyone seems, as they also say this, to have fallen into transgression, they no longer assemble him with them; for they declare him to be the Adam who ate from the tree and they judge him to be cast out, as from paradise, from their church. For they consider their own church to be paradise and themselves to be Adam and Eve. For what reason, then, do they heat the little house, so that the cold may not touch them? For Adam and Eve did not have their abode in a heated house, nor were they oppressed by any flame, nor did the cold burden them. But the air for them was most pure and measured out in an orderly way by God with all good temperament, neither tense with the harshness of coldness nor attended by the most unpleasant burning heat of a scorcher, but the place was arranged by God with a very well-made ambrosial way of life, filled with delight and good living, and they yielded neither to shivering nor to scorching heat, as I said. And since they need such things, the mockery among them becomes clear. 3. Then let us also examine the other point, how the whole error is refuted, that they were not naked for one hour, but continuously "and were not ashamed." But for these people, the nakedness is not because of not being ashamed, even if they themselves think so, but for the sake of insatiable pleasure, creating enchantment in the pupils of their eyes. For the shame that is praised in all the holy scriptures has been taken away from them and truly has been fulfilled what was said by the prophet, that "you have a harlot's face, you have been shameless toward all." 2.314 And after that hour, they clothe themselves with garments outside and are no longer Adam. For neither did he and his wife immediately have an abundance of garments, but first they sewed fig leaves for themselves, and then tunics of skin were given to them and thus after a long time of their life "the manifold wisdom of God" instilled in them the knowledge of clothing. And in every way these people will be mocked, saying that they are Adam's company, lying about themselves and at the same time telling the truth. For that these are not Adam is clear from many proofs, as we have also shown; but that they are mocked by the intelligible serpent, this is clear through their counterfeited posturing and nakedness and shame and mockery. But it is not worthwhile for us to make much of their refutation. For their similar animal does not require instruments of war or great weapons for its destruction. For by a small rod such a thing is made to disappear. And often after being brought up from the den it is left alone and destroys itself, being laughed at and mocked and not finding its refuge, just as these too, being caught, are shamed by their utterly ridiculous mockery and indecent conduct and the proposition of their nonsense. But as we are about to examine the next ones, let us pray again that the Lord will help us in the discovery and

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μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ πένθος· ἅμα γὰρ τὰ δύο ἔχει, γελοῖον καὶ πένθος, πένθος μὲν ὅτι πῶς ὁ διάβολος ἐνεκύησεν ἐν τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων διανοίᾳ χλευάσαι τὸ πλάσμα τὸ ἐκ θεοῦ πεπλασμένον, γελοῖον δὲ περὶ τῶν μήτε ὁρώντων μήτε τι συνετὸν διανενοημένων. 2. Πρῶτον γάρ φασι τοὺς τοιούτους τὰς αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίας ἤτοι φωλεοὺς καὶ σπήλυγγας οὕτω γὰρ εἴποιμι τὰς τῶν αἱρέσεων συνελεύσεις ἐν ὑποκαύστοις οἰκοδομεῖσθαι ὑποκαίειν τε κάτωθεν, διὰ τὸ εἶναι αἴθμην εἰς θάλψιν τῶν ἔνδον ἐν τῷ οἰκίσκῳ συναγομένων. ἐν 2.313 δὲ τῷ εἰσιέναι ἱματιοφύλακές εἰσί τινες πρὸς ταῖς θύραις δίκην καμψαρίων ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἐπιτεταγμένοι καὶ ἕκαστος εἰσιών, ἤτοι ἀνὴρ ἤτοι γυνή, ἐκδυόμενος ἔξω εἴσεισι γυμνὸς ὡς ἀπὸ μητρὸς ὅλῳ τῷ σώματι, οἵ τε δοκοῦντες αὐτῶν ἀρχηγοὶ καὶ διδάσκαλοι πάντες ὡς ἐκ μητρὸς καθέζονται, οἱ μὲν ἄνω οἱ δὲ κάτω ἀναμὶξ καὶ σποράδην. εἰσὶ δὲ πάντες παρ' αὐτοῖς ἐγκρατεῖς δῆθεν λεγόμενοί τε καὶ κομπάζοντες, καὶ παρθένοι, ὡς ἑαυτοὺς ἀπατῶσι· τάς τε ἀναγνώσεις καὶ τὰ ἄλλα αὐτῶν πάντα γυμνοὶ ὄντες τελοῦσιν. εἰ δὲ δόξειέ τινα, ὡς καὶ τοῦτο λέγουσιν, ἐν παραπτώματι γενέσθαι, οὐκέτι τοῦτον συνάγουσι· φάσκουσι γὰρ αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν Ἀδὰμ τὸν βεβρωκότα ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καὶ κρίνουσιν ἐξεοῦσθαι ὡς ἀπὸ τοῦ παραδείσου τοῦτον ἐκ τῆς αὐτῶν ἐκκλησίας. ἡγοῦνται γὰρ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐκκλησίαν εἶναι τὸν παράδεισον καὶ αὐτοὺς εἶναι τοὺς περὶ Ἀδὰμ καὶ Εὔαν. τίνι οὖν τῷ λόγῳ ὑποκαίουσι τὸν οἰκίσκον, ἵνα μὴ τὸ κρύος αὐτῶν ἐφάψηται; Ἀδὰμ γὰρ καὶ Εὔα οὐκ ἐν ὑποκαύστῳ οἴκῳ τὴν δίαιταν εἶχον οὔτε ἐν φλογμῷ τινι ὑπεπιέζοντο οὔτε κρύος αὐτοὺς ἐφόρτου. ἦν δὲ αὐτοῖς ἀὴρ καθαρώτατος καὶ μετὰ πάσης εὐκρασίας εὐτάκτως ἐκ θεοῦ μεμετρημένος, οὔτε ἀπηνότητι ψυχρίας τετονωμένος οὔτε ἀηδεστάτῃ ἐκπυρώσει καύσωνος ἐπηρτημένος, διαίτῃ δὲ ἀμβροσίᾳ εὖ μάλα ἐκ θεοῦ πεποιημένῃ ὁ χῶρος ἐτέτακτο, θυμηδίας καὶ εὐζωΐας ἐμπεπλησμένος, καὶ οὔτε ῥίγει ὑπέπιπτον οὔτε καύσωνι, ὡς ἔφην. τούτων δὲ τοιούτων ἐπιδεομένων δήλη παρ' αὐτοῖς ἡ χλεύη γίνεται. 3. Εἶτα δὲ καὶ τὸ ἕτερον σκοπήσωμεν, πῶς ἡ πᾶσα πλάνη διελέγχεται, ὅτι οὐ μίαν ὥραν ἐκεῖνοι γυμνοὶ ἦσαν, ἀλλὰ διηνεκῶς «καὶ οὐκ ᾐσχύνοντο». τούτοις δὲ οὐ διὰ τὸ μὴ αἰσχύνεσθαι ἡ γύμνωσις, κἄν τε οὕτως αὐτοὶ νομίσωσιν, ἀλλ' ἕνεκεν ἀκορέστου ἡδονῆς, κόραις ὀφθαλμῶν ἐμποιούσης τὴν θέλξιν. ἀφῄρηται γὰρ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἡ αἰδὼς ἡ ἐν πάσαις ἁγίαις γραφαῖς ἐπαινουμένη καὶ ἀληθῶς πεπλήρωται τὸ παρὰ τῷ προφήτῃ εἰρημένον, τό «ὄψις πόρνης ἐγένετό 2.314 σοι, ἀπηναισχύντησας πρὸς πάντας». μετὰ δὲ τὴν ὥραν ἐκείνην ἔξω ἱματίοις ἀμφιέννυνται καὶ οὐκέτι εἰσὶν ὁ Ἀδάμ. οὔτε γὰρ εὐθὺς ἐκεῖνος καὶ ἡ αὐτοῦ γυνὴ ἱματίων ηὐπόρησαν, ἀλλὰ πρῶτον μὲν φύλλα συκῆς ἑαυτοῖς ἔρραψαν, ἔπειτα δὲ χιτῶνες δερμάτινοι αὐτοῖς ἐδόθησαν καὶ οὕτως μετὰ πολὺν χρόνον τῆς αὐτῶν ζωῆς «ἡ παμποίκιλος τοῦ θεοῦ» σοφία τὴν εἴδησιν αὐτοῖς ἐνέβαλε τῶν ἀμφίων. καὶ κατὰ πάντα τρόπον οὗτοι χλευασθήσονται, λέγοντες ἑαυτοὺς εἶναι τοὺς περὶ Ἀδάμ, καταψευδόμενοι ἑαυτῶν καὶ ἅμα ἀληθεύοντες. ὅτι μὲν γὰρ οὗτοι Ἀδὰμ οὐχ ὑπάρχουσι, τοῦτο δῆλον ἐκ πολλῶν τεκμηρίων, ὡς καὶ ὑπεδείξαμεν· ὅτι δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ νοητοῦ ὄφεως ἐμπαίζονται, τοῦτο δῆλον διὰ τῆς παραπεποιημένης αὐτῶν σχηματουργίας καὶ γυμνώσεως καὶ αἰσχύνης καὶ χλεύης. Οὐκ ἄξιον δὲ ἡμᾶς περὶ πολλοῦ ποιεῖσθαι τούτων τὴν ἀνατροπήν. οὔτε γὰρ τὸ ὅμοιον αὐτῶν ζῷον σκευῶν πολεμικῶν ἢ μεγάλων ὅπλων ἐπιδέεται πρὸς ἀναίρεσιν. διὰ γὰρ μικρᾶς ῥάβδου τὸ τοιοῦτον ἀφανίζεται. πολλάκις δὲ μετὰ τὸ ἀνενεχθῆναι ἐκ τοῦ φωλεοῦ καταλιμπάνεται μόνον καὶ ἑαυτῷ διαφθείρεται, γελώμενον καὶ ἐμπαιζόμενον καὶ μὴ εὑρίσκον τὴν καταφυγήν, ὡς καὶ οὗτοι ἁλόντες αἰσχύνονται διὰ τῆς παγγελάστου χλεύης καὶ ἀσέμνου διαγωγῆς καὶ ὑποθέσεως τῆς ληρῳδίας. τὰς δὲ ἑξῆς διασκοπήσοντες πάλιν εὐξώμεθα κύριον ἀρήγειν ἡμῖν εἰς τὴν τῶν ἄλλων εὕρεσίν τε καὶ