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for surely to the workers of righteousness. For he calls the commandments the ways of the Lord, just as David does: I will live in your way, and again: I have run the way of your commandments, when you enlarged my heart. It must be known that the phrase, We have not heard, neither have our eyes seen, is said regarding the incomparability of divine power. But Paul, without detracting from this at all, has taken it to mean the good things promised to those who love God, which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard. For nothing of the sort is visible, nor indeed audible. And elsewhere he says: Caught up to the third heaven I heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter; not as though he was commanded not to speak, but as being unable to express them worthily. Behold, you were angry, and we have sinned; as if he said more clearly, Because we have sinned, you were angry. And in another way, when God turns away from us because of sins, a greater evil is implanted in us; like some tutor who has threatened and struck many times, but in the end overlooks a youth who is continually sinning. For this one will have a greater license for evils. For if we are good when God works with us, it is clear that when he turns away, we are more greatly evil. For God is the Lord of hosts. For Christ said: Without me you can do nothing. And concerning the saints, David says: "For you are the boast of their strength." And elsewhere he says: "I will not trust in my bow, and my sword will not save me. For you have saved us from those who afflict us." For the power of salvation is not so much in us, as in God. But we have also gone astray, he says, and have become as unclean. And if any righteous deed seems to be found in us, this too is proven to be defiled and dishonorable. For how could there be righteousness among those who have been impious toward Christ, who is true righteousness? Therefore, they are unclean, even if some among them seem to be decent. For even if they observe the commandments, they do not have a disposition toward God. And this has caused us to flow away, like leaves from a tree, having fallen from our own root. And the Apostle, accusing the nation, says that they have been broken off like branches from a tree. But he, intensifying the accusation, compared them to leaves thrown by the wind. For they have had a heart easily carried away, and as it were, tossed about by every wind. For how was it possible for us to do well, he says, having endured your turning away? For no one was found among us who could entreat you with righteousness and prayers. 2684 But nevertheless, even so we know you as Father, and our maker, even if we are broken and shattered like earthen vessels. Therefore, grant forgiveness to such frailty. For since they cannot entreat him by works, they propitiate him as their creator, asking him to save those whom he brought into being in the beginning. And having done things worthy of wrath, they do not have freedom of speech, judging it desirable that this wrath not be intensified. For it is clear that your wrath is exceedingly beneficial; but because of weakness we do not bear its intensification. Therefore David also asks to be rebuked, but not in wrath, and to be chastened, but not in anger. And he says: Do not in due time remember our sins. The prophet says this, knowing that they persist in their wicked character, on account of which their past deeds are also brought to judgment. And if they should also become heirs of their fathers' injustice, they draw their punishments upon themselves as well. Therefore, in the one hundred and eighth psalm, speaking of Judas, he says, May the sin of his mother be remembered. And if not all the things said in the form of a curse have come upon him, do not be surprised; for God foretells things to inspire fear, not wishing to bring them about. Besides, he speaks of the things that are owed to wickedness. And what of these things is not brought about, reckon to his love for mankind. Again the prophet, drawing God to pity, recalls the covenants that existed for the people from the beginning, saying, Do not overlook your people and your city, in which are the holy things, and the tabernacle, and the ark, and the temple established for you, which were also admired by all; this the fathers had foretold concerning the temple, that it also became burnt by fire, as part of a curse

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γὰρ πάντως τοῖς τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐργάταις. Ὁδοὺς γὰρ Κυρίου λέγει τὰς ἐντολὰς, ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ ∆αβίδ· Ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ σου ζήσομαι, καὶ πάλιν· Ὁδὸν ἐντολῶν σου ἔδραμον, ὅτ' ἂν ἐπλάτυνας τὴν καρδίαν μου. Ἰστέον δὲ ὡς τὸ, Οὐκ ἠκούσαμεν, οὐδὲ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν εἶδον, εἴρηται μὲν εἰς τὸ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως ἀπαράβλητον. Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος μηδὲν τούτῳ λυμαινόμενος, εἰς τὰ ἐπαγγελθέντα τοῖς ἀγαπῶσι τὸν Θεὸν ἐξείληφεν ἀγαθὰ, ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδεν, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσεν. Οὐδὲν γὰρ τοιοῦτον οὐ θεατὸν, οὔτε μὴν ἀκουστόν. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ δέ φησιν· Ἀρθεὶς ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ ἤκουσα ἄῤῥητα ῥήματα, ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι· οὐχ ὡς ἐνταλθεὶς μὴ εἰπεῖν, ἀλλ' ὡς μὴ φρᾶσαι ταῦτα πρὸς ἀξίαν δυνάμενος. Ἰδοὺ σὺ ὠργίσθης, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἡμάρτομεν· ὡς εἰ σαφέστερον ἔλεγεν, Ἐπειδὴ ἡμεῖς ἡμάρτομεν, σὺ ὠργίσθης. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, Θεοῦ ἡμᾶς ἀποστραφέντος δι' ἁμαρτίας, μεῖζον ἐν ἡμῖν τὸ κακὸν ἐμφύεται· ὡς παιδαγωγοῦ τινος ἀπειλήσαντος μὲν πολλάκις, καὶ τύψαντος, τέλος δὲ παριδόντος νέον συνεχῶς ἁμαρτάνοντα. Μείζω γὰρ οὗτος τῶν κακῶν ἕξει τὴν ἄδειαν. Εἰ γὰρ Θεοῦ συνεργοῦντός ἐσμεν ἀγαθοί· δῆλον, ὡς ἀποστραφέντος, μειζόνως κακοί. Θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τῶν δυνάμεων Κύριος. Καὶ γὰρ ἔφη Χριστός· Χωρὶς ἐμοῦ οὐ δύνασθε ποιεῖν οὐδέν. Καὶ περὶ τῶν ἁγίων φησὶν ὁ ∆αβίδ· "Ὅτι τὸ καύχημα τῶν δυνάμεων αὐτῶν εἶ σύ." Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ δέ φησιν· "Οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ τόξῳ μου ἐλπιῶ, καὶ ἡ ῥομφαία μου οὐ σώσει με. Ἔσωσας γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῶν θλιβόντων ἡμᾶς." Οὐ γὰρ ἐφ' ἡμῖν τοσοῦτον, ὅσον ἐν Θεῷ, τῆς σωτηρίας ἡ δύναμις. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπλανήθημεν, φησὶ, καὶ ἐγενήθημεν ὡς ἀκάθαρτοι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ δόξει τις ἐν ἡμῖν δικαία πρᾶξις εὑρίσκεσθαι, ἐῤῥυπωμένη καὶ αὕτη καὶ ἄτιμος ἐξελέγχεται. Καὶ πῶς γὰρ ἂν εἴη δικαιοσύνη παρ' αὐτοῖς εἰς Χριστὸν ἠσεβηκόσι, τὴν ὄντως δικαιοσύνην; Ἀκάθαρτοι τοίνυν, κἂν δοκοῖέν τινες ἐπιεικεῖς ἐν αὐτοῖς. Κἂν γὰρ παρατηροῖεν τὰς ἐντολὰς, ἀλλὰ διάθεσιν οὐκ ἔχουσι πρὸς Θεόν. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἔκρευσιν ἡμῖν, ὡς φύλλοις ἐκ δένδρου πεποίηκεν, τῆς ἑαυτῶν ῥίζης ἐκπεπτωκόσι. Καὶ ὁ μὲν Ἀπόστολος τοῦ ἔθνους κατηγορῶν, ὡς κλάδους ἀπὸ δένδρου κεκλᾶσθαί φησιν. Ὁ δὲ τὴν κατηγορίαν ἐπιτείνων, φύλλοις παρέβαλεν ἐξ ἀνέμου ῥιφεῖσιν. Εὐπαρακόμιστον γὰρ ἐσχήκασι τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ οἷον παντὶ περιφερομένην πνεύματι. Καὶ πῶς γὰρ ἦν ἡμᾶς εὖ πρᾶξαι τὴν ἀποστροφὴν τὴν παρὰ σοῦ, φησὶν, ὑπομείναντας; Οὐδὲ γὰρ εὑρέθη τις ἐν ἡμῖν ὁ δυσωπῆσαι δυνάμενός σε δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ προσευχαῖς. 2684 Πλὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ οὕτως Πατέρα γινώσκομεν, καὶ πλάστην ἡμέτερον, εἰ καὶ σκευῶν ὀστρακίνων δίκην ῥηγνύμεθα συντριβόμενοι. ∆ιὸ δίδου συγγνώμην τῇ τοιαύτῃ σαθρότητι. Ὃν γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων οὐκ ἔχουσι δυσωπεῖν, ὡς δημιουργὸν εὐμενίζονται, σώζειν αἰτοῦντες, οὓς τὴν ἀρχὴν εἰς τὸ εἶναι παρήγαγεν. Ὡς δὲ τῆς ὀργῆς ἄξια πράξαντες, ἐλευθέραν οὐκ ἔχουσι παῤῥησίαν, ἀγαπητὸν κρίνοντες τὸ μὴ ταύτην ἐπιταθῆναι. Ὅτι μὲν γάρ σου λίαν ἐπωφελὴς ἡ ὀργὴ, δῆλον· πλὴν δι' ἀσθένειαν οὐ φέρομεν αὐτῆς τὴν ἐπίτασιν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ∆αβὶδ αἰτεῖ μὲν ἐλεγχθῆναι, ἀλλ' οὐ θυμῷ, καὶ παιδευθῆναι, ἀλλ' οὐκ ὀργῇ. Φησὶ δέ· Μὴ ἐν καιρῷ μνησθῇς ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν. Τοῦτο δέ φησιν ὁ προφήτης, εἰδὼς αὐτοὺς τῇ τοῦ ἤθους ἐπιμένοντας πονηρίᾳ, ἐφ' ὧν εἰς δίκην καὶ τὰ προλαβόντα συνάγεται. Εἰ δὲ καὶ πατρικῆς ἀδικίας γένοιντο κληρονόμοι, καὶ τὰς ἐκείνων ἐφ' ἑαυτοὺς ἕλκουσι δίκας. Τοιγαροῦν ἐν ἑκατοστῷ ὀγδόῳ ψαλμῷ διὰ τὸν Ἰούδαν λέγων, Ἀναμνησθείη, φησὶν, ἡ ἁμαρτία τῆς μητρὸς αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ μὴ πάντα γέγονεν ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τὰ ἐν κατάρας λεγόμενα σχήματι, μὴ θαυμάσῃς· προλέγει γὰρ Θεὸς, φοβεῖν, οὐκ ἐπάγειν βουλόμενος. Ἄλλως τε λέγει τὰ κεχρεωστημένα τῇ πονηρίᾳ. Ὃ δὲ μὴ τούτων ἐπάγεται, τῇ φιλανθρωπίᾳ λογίζου. Πάλιν δὲ εἰς οἶκτον ὁ προφήτης τὸν Θεὸν ἐπισπώμενος, τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ὑπάρξαντα τῷ λαῷ μνημονεύει συνθήματα, Λαόν σου, λέγων, καὶ πόλιν μὴ παρίδῃς, ἐν ᾗ τὰ ἅγια, καὶ ἡ σκηνὴ, καὶ ἡ κιβωτὸς, ὅ τε σταθείς σοι νεὼς, ἃ καὶ περίβλεπτα πᾶσιν ἐτύγχανεν· τοῦτο τῶν πατέρων προειρηκότων περὶ τοῦ ναοῦ, ὡς καὶ πυρίκαυστος γέγονεν, ὡς ἐν κατάρας μέρει