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QUESTION 33.

What does this mean: "For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not turn away"? Response. I think the prophetic word alludes to four impieties; these [R.ταύτας]

the assault, the desire, the habit of evil, and the act. Now, for the first and the second, that is, for the assault and the desire, God shows forbearance, as the evil has not proceeded to its completion. But for the third and fourth impiety, that is, of habit and of act, or rather, of consent and of deed, the Word reasonably points out the threat.

QUESTION 34.

Why can it not be said "Father of the Spirit" or "Christ of the Spirit," just as concerning the Father and the Son it is said variously [indifferently] "Spirit of God" and "Spirit of Christ"?

Response. Just as the Mind is the cause of the Word, so also of the Spirit, but through the medium of the

Word. And just as we cannot say that the word is of the voice, so neither can we say the Son is of the Spirit.

QUESTION 35.

What is signified by that which was said by the Lord: "If your eye or your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut them off and cast them from you"?

Response. It is possible to understand the parable concerning friends, as eyes, and relatives, as our hands

being necessary; and companions [R. ἑτέρων], serving us in the manner of feet, understanding the parable according to its obvious meaning; whom, if they cause scandal and harm the soul, the word has commanded to cut off. But it is also possible to understand the commandment otherwise, according to the anagogical method. If you have contemplative knowledge like an eye; but it lifts you up (816) to conceit and pride, cut it off. And if you have a noble practice, and it becomes for you a cause of arrogance, cut it off. Likewise, if you have an ability for service, which is the foot, and as a result you are puffed up, withdraw from it. For it is better for you to be without these seeming virtues, than through arrogance and pride to go into complete perdition.

QUESTION 36.

What does this signify: "The sun was exalted, and the moon stood still in her order." Response. When the sun of righteousness is lifted up in us through good works and through

true knowledge, then the moon stands in her order; that is, our nature, which is subject to change and alteration, receives a firm order.

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ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΛΓ΄.

Τί σημαίνει τό, "Ἐπί ταῖς τρισίν ἤ τέσσαρσιν ἀσεβείαις Τύρου οὐκ ἀποστραφήσομαι;" Ἀπόκρισις. Ἀσεβείας οἶμαι τέσσαρας τόν προφητικόν αἰνίττεσθαι λόγον· ταύτης [R.ταύτας]

τήν προσβολήν, τήν ἐπιθυμίαν, τήν ἕξιν τοῦ κακοῦ καί τήν ἐνέργειαν. Ἐπί μέν οὖν τῆς πρώτης καί τῆς δευτέρας, τουτέστι τῆς προσβολῆς καί τῆς ἐπιθυμίας, ἀνοχήν ποιεῖται ὁ Θεός, ὡς μή τοῦ κακοῦ προβάντος εἰς τελείωσιν. Ἐπί δέ τῆς τρίτης καί τῆς τετάρτης ἀσεβείας, τουτέστιν ἕξεως καί ἐνεργείας, ἤγουν συγκαταθέσεως καί πράξεως, τήν ἀπειλήν ὁ Λόγος εἰκότος ἐνδείκνυται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Λ∆΄.

∆ιά τί οὐ δύναται λέγεσθαι Πατήρ Πνεύματος, ἤ Χριστός Πνεύματος καθάπερ ἐπί τοῦ Πατρός καί τοῦ Υἱοῦ λέγεται διαφόρως [ἀδιαφόρως] Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ, καί Πνεῦμα Χριστοῦ;

Ἀπόκρισις. Ὥσπερ ἐστί αἴτιος τοῦ Λόγου ὁ Νοῦς, οὕτως καί τοῦ Πνεύματος, διά μέσου δέ τοῦ

Λόγου. Καί ὥσπερ οὐ δυνάμεθα εἰπεῖν τόν λόγον εἶναι τῆς φωνῆς, οὕτως οὐδέ τόν Υἱόν λέγειν τοῦ Πνεύματος.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΛΕ΄.

Τί δηλοῖ τό ὑπό τοῦ Κυρίου λεγόμενον, τό, "Ἐάν ὁ ὀφθαλμός ἤ ἡ χείρ ἤ ὁ ποῦς σκανδαλίζῃ σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτούς, καί βάλε ἀπό σοῦ;"

Ἀπόκρισις. Ἔστι μέν καί περί φίλων, ὡς ὀφθαλμῶν, καί οἰκείων, ὡς περί χειρῶν ἡμῶν

ὄντων ἀναγκαίων· καί ἑταίρων [R. ἑτέρων], ποδῶν δίκην διακονούντων ἡμῖν, ὑπονοεῖν τήν παραβολήν, κατά τό πρόχειρον αἰνίττεσθαι· οὕσπερ ἐάν σκανδαλίζωσι καί τήν ψυχήν καταβλάπτωσιν, ἐκκόπτειν ὁ λόγος παρεκελεύσατο. Ἔστι δέ καί ἄλλως ἐκλαβεῖν τό παράγγελμα, κατά τόν τῆς ἀναγωγῆς τρόπον. Ἐάν ἔχῃς θεωρητικήν γνῶσιν ὥσπερ ὀφθαλμόν· πρός τύφον δέ αὕτη ἐπαίρει σε (816) καί ὑπερηφανίαν, ἔκκοψον αὐτήν. Ἐάν δέ καί πρᾶξιν ἀστείαν, καί αἰτία σοι γίνεται ἐπάρσεως, ἔκκοψον αὐτήν. Ὡσαύτως δέ καί ἐάν ἱκανότητα ἔχῃς διακονίας, ὅπερ ἐστίν ὁ ποῦς, καί ὡς ἐκ τούτου φυσᾶς, ἀπόστηθι ἀπ᾿ αὐτῆς. Συμφέρει γάρ σε παρά ταύτας δοκούσας εἶναι ἀρετάς γενέσθαι, καί μή διά τῆς ἐπάρσεως καί ὑπερηφανίας εἰς παντελῆ χωρῆσαι ἀπώλειαν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΛΣτ΄.

Τί δηλοῖ τό, "Ἐπήρθη ὁ ἥλιος, καί ἡ σελήνη ἔστη ἐν τῆ τάξει αὐτῆς." Ἀπόκρισις. Ὅταν ἐν ἡμῖν ὕψωθῇ ὁ ἥλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης διά τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔργων, καί τῆς

ἀληθοῦς γνώσεως, τότε ἡ σελήνη ἵσταται ἐν τῆ τάξει αὐτῆς· τουτέστιν ἡ ἡμετέρα φύσις ἡ ὑπό τροπήν οὖσα καί ἀλλοίωσιν, τάξιν λαμβάνει βάσιμον.