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downcast. And you shall nurse, it says, the milk of nations. It speaks of the common mystery, and the elementary teaching of those who are born again in Christ through faith. Some say that both this and what follows declare the fruitfulness of the nations, and the votive offerings and royal allowances given by rulers even until now. Others say that "kings" means those worthy of the beatitudes, to whom the Savior promises the kingdom of heaven. Some say that even historically the wealth is signified, which kings and rulers brought in her to God, who delivered her from enemies, and established her to rule again. For I am the Lord who saves you, it says. For by grace and love for mankind the remnant of Israel has been saved, so that the nation from the holy Fathers should not be utterly destroyed. But know, it says, in addition to what has been said, that there will no longer be need of unworked wood. (For these are material for fire) nor of stones, that is, of foolish souls. But you will have things more precious than these. For the men who were formerly of bronze and resistant, and in their ways harder than any iron, being changed into gold and silver will be fitted to your building according to God; and those more senseless than wood, instead of bronze and iron for you will become helpers for the building. 2636 But some say that it means that all things will be changed for the better, with the instruction in the law giving way to that which is through Christ, being as much better as gold is than bronze. For bronze appears golden, but it is not gold. And iron, because it is polished, appears like silver, but it is not silver. Therefore, the knowledge in the law compared to that through Christ, Paul calls refuse, but the teaching of the Scribes and Pharisees, being mythical, might be compared to wood and stones. of which that in Christ is so much better, as bronze is than wood, and iron than stone. For the former are fragile, but the latter, in addition to being brilliant and precious, are also unbreakable. For an upright life with true doctrines is handed down, for this reason also Paul calls the substance of the initiation by some, wood, hay, and stones. And some have rendered it literally, that to the devout city all precious material will be given in equal measure to the worthless. For this is not impossible for God. But when these things happen, your rulers will then live in peace, calling them bishops according to foreknowledge. And the phrase, "They will live in peace and in righteousness," was partially fulfilled, according to, "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part," that is, in this present life. "But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." Which is the end of the kingdom of Christ, with all injustice abolished, and all affliction and misery. For no enemy will be left then, nor memory of evil, according to, "Pain, and sorrow, and sighing shall flee away." But as the first are cast out, he raises up other bishops, and rulers making peace with God, and honoring righteousness, as was already said; "And I will bring my hand upon you, and I will purge you to purity. And I will destroy the disobedient, and I will take away all the lawless from you, and I will humble all the proud, and I will establish your judges as at the first," and what follows this. And the Savior says to the teachers of the Jews: "The kingdom shall be taken from you and given to another nation that produces its fruits." Some say literally that the rulers will honor justice with their subjects, and they will obtain peace from wars, so that one who fears enemies, or wild beasts, may take refuge in her. And your walls, he says, will be called salvation. Again, for salvation, the Hebrew has Jesus. For it is he who also puts a wall around the Church. And your gates a carving, which Aquila, he says, translates as hymn, but Symmachus as praise. For through these is the entrance of the godly polity, with those who approach being taught to hymn God. Some say that walls and gates are the teachers who wall 2637 the Church with life and doctrines, and bring in those who approach. And "carving," because their word is exceedingly beautiful, and turned to truth. But it might be understood

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κατηφές. Καὶ θηλάσεις, φησὶ, γάλα ἐθνῶν. Τὸ κοινὸν λέγει μυστήριον, καὶ τὴν στοιχειώδη διδασκαλίαν τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ διὰ πίστεως ἀναγεννωμένων. Τινὲς δὲ τοῦτό τε καὶ τὰ ἐφεξῆς τὰς ἐξ ἐθνῶν φασι καρποφορίας δηλοῦν, ἀναθήματά τε καὶ βασιλικὰ σιτηρέσια μέχρι νῦν ἐκ τῶν κρατούντων διδόμενα. Ἄλλοι δὲ βασιλέας φασὶ τοὺς τῶν μακαρισμῶν ἀξίους, οἷς ὁ Σωτὴρ οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν ἐπαγγέλλεται. Τινὲς δὲ καὶ καθ' ἱστορίαν τὸν πλοῦτον σημαίνεσθαί φασιν, ὃν βασιλεῖς προσῆγον, καὶ ἄρχοντες ἐν αὐτῇ τῷ Θεῷ, τῷ ταύτην ἐξελομένῳ τῶν πολεμίων, καὶ εἰς τὸ ἄρχειν αὖθις αὐτὴν καταστήσαντι. Ὅτι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ σώζων σε, φησί. Χάριτι γὰρ καὶ φιλανθρωπίᾳ σέσωσται τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τὸ κατάλειμμα, ὡς μὴ παντελῶς τὸ ἐκ Πατέρων ἁγίων ἔθνος ἀπόληται. Γνῶθι δὲ, φησὶ, πρὸς τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ὡς οὐκ ἔτι ξύλων ἀργῶν δεήσει. (Ταῦτα γὰρ ὕλη πυρὸς) ἀλλ' οὐδὲ λίθων, τοῦτ' ἔστι ψυχῶν ἠλιθίων. Τὰ δὲ τούτων ἕξεις τιμιώτερα. Οἱ γὰρ πάλαι χαλκοῖ καὶ ἀντίτυποι ἄνδρες, καὶ τοὺς τρόπους παντὸς σιδήρου σκληρότεροι, μεταβληθέντες εἰς χρυσόν τε καὶ ἄργυρον ἐφαρμόσουσι τῇ σῇ κατὰ Θεὸν οἰκοδομίᾳ· οἵ τε ξύλων ἀναισθητότεροι, ἀντὶ χαλκοῦ σοι καὶ σιδήρου γενήσονται πρὸς τὴν οἰκοδομὴν συναιρόμενοι. 2636 Τινὲς δέ φασι βούλεσθαι λέγειν, ὅτι πάντα πρὸς τὸ ἄμεινον μεταστήσεται, παραχωρούσης τῆς ἐν νόμῳ παιδεύσεως τῇ διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοσοῦτον οὔσῃ κρείττονι, ὅσον χαλκοῦ χρυσός. Χρυσοφανὴς μὲν γὰρ ὁ χαλκὸς, πλὴν οὐ χρυσός. Ἀργυροφανὴς δὲ, διὰ τὸ στιλπνὸν, καὶ ὁ σίδηρος, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἄργυρος. Τοιγαροῦν τὴν ἐν νόμῳ γνῶσιν πρὸς τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ, σκύβαλα Παῦλος καλεῖ, ἡ δὲ τῶν Γραμματέων καὶ Φαρισαίων διδασκαλία μυθώδης οὖσα, παρεικάζοιτο ξύλοις καὶ λίθοις. ἧς ἡ ἐν Χριστῷ τοσοῦτον ἀμείνων, ὅσον ξύλου χαλκὸς, σίδηρός τε λίθου. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ εὔθλαστα, τὰ δὲ, πρὸς τῷ λαμπρῷ καὶ τιμίῳ, καὶ ἀῤῥαγῆ. Βίος γὰρ ὀρθὸς μετὰ δογμάτων ἀληθῶν παραδίδοται, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ Παῦλος τῆς παρά τινων μυσταγωγίας τὴν δύναμιν, ξύλα, χόρτον, καὶ λίθους καλεῖ. Τινὲς δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὴν λέξιν ἀπέδωκαν, ὡς εὐσεβούσῃ τῇ πόλει πᾶσα ὕλη τιμία ἐν ἴσῳ ταῖς ἀτίμοις δοθήσεται. Μὴ δὲ γὰρ ἀδύνατον εἶναι τοῦτο Θεῷ. Πλὴν τούτων οὕτω γινομένων οἱ ἄρχοντές σου λοιπὸν ἐν εἰρήνῃ διάξουσι, κατὰ πρόγνωσιν αὐτοὺς ἐπισκόπους καλέσας. Τὸ δὲ, Ἐν εἰρήνῃ διάξουσιν καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἐκ μέρους ἐπληροῦτο, κατὰ τὸ, "Ἐκ μέρους γινώσκομεν, καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν," κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον δηλονότι. "Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται." Ὅπερ ἐστὶ τῆς Χριστοῦ βασιλείας τὸ τέλος, πάσης ἀδικίας ἀνῃρημένης, παντός τε συντρίμματος καὶ ταλαιπωρίας. Ἐχθρὸς γὰρ ὑπολειφθήσεται λοιπὸν οὐδεὶς, οὐδὲ μνήμη κακίας, κατὰ τὸ, "Ἀπέδρα ὀδύνη, καὶ λύπη, καὶ στεναγμός." Πλὴν ὡς τῶν πρώτων ἐκβεβλημένων, ἑτέρους ἀνίστησιν ἐπισκόπους, καὶ ἄρχοντας εἰρηνεύοντας πρὸς Θεὸν, καὶ τιμῶντας τὸ δίκαιον ὁποῖον ἂν εἴη τὸ ἤδη ῥηθέν· "Καὶ ἐπάξω τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ σὲ, καὶ πυρώσω σε εἰς καθαρόν. Τοὺς δὲ ἀπειθοῦντας ἀπολέσω, καὶ ἀφελῶ πάντας ἀνόμους ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ πάντας ὑπερηφάνους ταπεινώσω, καὶ ἐπιστήσω τοὺς κριτάς σου ὡς τὸ πρότερον," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ δὲ τοῖς Ἰουδαίων λέγει καθηγηταῖς· "Ἀρθήσεται ἀφ' ὑμῶν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ δοθήσεται ἔθνει ἑτέρῳ ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῆς." Τινὲς δὲ κατὰ λέξιν φασὶν, ὡς τιμήσουσι τὸ δίκαιον μετὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων οἱ ἄρχοντες, εἰρήνης τε τεύξονται τῆς ἐκ πολέμων, ὡς τὸν δεδιότα πολεμίους, ἢ θῆρας, καταφεύγειν ἐπ' αὐτήν. Κληθήσεται δὲ, λέγει, σωτήριον τὰ τείχη σου. Πάλιν τὸ σωτήριον, Ἰησοῦν ἔχει τὸ Ἑβραϊκόν. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ καὶ περιτειχίζων τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Καὶ αἱ πύλαι σου γλύμμα, ὅπερ Ἀκύλας μὲν, ὕμνησις, φησὶν, ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, αἴνεσις. ∆ιὰ τούτων γὰρ ἡ εἴσοδος τοῦ θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος, τῶν προσιόντων διδασκομένων ὑμνεῖν τὸν Θεόν. Τινὲς δὲ τείχη καὶ πύλας, τοὺς διδασκάλους φασὶ τειχίζον 2637 τας τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν βίῳ καὶ δόγμασι, καὶ τοὺς προσιόντας εἰσάγοντας. Γλύμμα δὲ, ὅτι περικαλλὴς ἄγαν ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς, καὶ πρὸς ἀλήθειαν ἐκτετορνευμένος. Νοοῖτο δ' ἂν