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of his generation had run aground in atheism, so that he was sent by God to aid against such great impiety; seventh, in the generation of the prophets, which surpassed the preceding generations in the measure of wickedness. Since therefore, as has been said, our nature fell seven times, the Lord, overcome by ineffable love for mankind, raised it up, uniting this nature to himself hypostatically.

QUESTION 50.

What does the Gospel mean when it says, "Wash your face, and anoint your head?"

Answer. Our face is our life, characterizing, just as the countenance does, what sort of people

we are according to the inner man. This, therefore, the word commands us to wash, (825) that is, to cleanse our life from every stain of sins; and the head is our mind, which the word commands us to anoint, that is, to brighten with divine knowledge.

QUESTION 51.

What is the meaning of, "It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones?"

Answer. Little ones, I think, it calls those who are simple in mind, and through smallness of intellect, are not

able to discern the judgments of Providence. Whoever should cause such ones to stumble, it were better for him to be of the portion of the Greeks, who like a donkey at a mill are held fast only by the motion of the world; and to be cast into the open sea; that is, into the confusion of life. And the Apostle Peter also confirms this, saying: It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from it.

QUESTION 52.

For what are Cain and Abel taken? Answer. Cain is taken for the mindset of the flesh; but Abel, for mourning,

that is, of repentance.

QUESTION 53.

What is the meaning of, "Call no man blessed before his death?" Answer. And according to the common understanding of many, because of the uncertainty, and the easy slipping of human

choice, one ought not to call anyone blessed, until having passed through every virtue, he concludes his life with an incontestable end. But according to the higher meaning, he who has begun through repentance and ascetic practice, the living earthly mindset within him

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αὐτοῦ γενεᾶς ἀθεΐας ἐξοκειλάσης, ὡς αὐτόν εἰς ἐπικουρίαν τῆς τοσαύτης ἀσεβείας ἀπό Θεοῦ πεμφθῆναι· ἕβδομον, ἐπί τῆς τῶν προφητῶν γενεᾶς, ἥτις τάς προλαβούσας γενεάς εἰς κακίας μέτρον ὑπερηκόντισεν. Ἐπεί οὖν, ὡς εἴρηται, ἑπτάκις ἔπεσεν ἡ φύσις ἡμῶν, ταύτην ἀφάτῳ φιλανθρωπίᾳ νικηθείς ἀνέστησεν ὁ Κύριος αὐτήν τήν φύσιν ἑνώσας ἑαυτῶ καθ᾿ ὑπόστασιν.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ν΄.

Τί σημαίνει τό Εὐαγγέλιον, λέγον, "Νίψαι σου τό πρόσωπον, καί ἄλειψαί σου τήνκεφαλήν;"

Ἀπόκρισις. Τό πρόσωπον ἡμῶν ἐστιν ὁ βίος, χαρακτηρίζων καθάπερ ἡ ὄψις ὁποῖοί τινές

ἐσμέν κατά τόν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον. Τοῦτο οὖν ὁ λόγος παρακελεύεται νίπτειν, (825) τουτέστι καθαίρειν τόν βίον, κηλῖδος πάσης ἁμαρτιῶν· κεφαλή δέ ἐστιν ὁ ἡμέτερος νοῦς, ὅν ὁ λόγος ἀλείφειν κελεύει, τουτέστι τῇ θείᾳ καταφαιδρύνειν γνώσει.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΑ΄.

Τί ἐστι τό, "Συνέφερεν αὐτῷ, ἵνα μύλος ὀνικός περιτεθῇ ἐν τῷ τραχήλῳ αὐτοῦ, καί ῥιφῇ ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, ἤ ἵνα σκανδαλίσῃ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν;"

Ἀπόκρισις. Μικρούς, οἶμαι, λέγει τούς κατά διάνοιαν ἀφελεῖς, καί διά σμικρότητα νοός, μή

δυναμένους διακρίνειν τά τῆς Προνοίας κρίματα. Ὅστις ἄν σκανδαλίσῃ τούς τοιούτους, συνέφερεν αὐτῷ Ἑλληνικῆς εἶναι μοίρας, οἵ δίκην ὄνου ἐν μύλωνι μόνῃ τῇ κινήσει τοῦ κόσμου ἐνίσχηνται· καί ἵνα ῥιφῇ ἐν τῷ πελάγει τῆς θαλάσσης· τουτέστιν ἐν τῇ συγχύσει τοῦ βίου. Τοῦτο δέ καί ὁ Ἀπόστολος Πέτρος βεβαιοῖ λέγων· Κρεῖσσον μή ἐπιγνῶναι τήν ὁδόν τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ἤ ἐπιγνόντας, εἰς τά ὀπίσω ἀνακάμψαι.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΒ΄.

Εἰς τί λαμβάνεται ὁ Κάϊν, καί ὁ Ἄβελ; Ἀπόκρισις. Ὁ Κάϊν λαμβάνεται ἐπί τοῦ φρονήματος τῆς σαρκός· ὁ δέ Ἄβελ, ἐπί τοῦ πένθους,

ἤγουν τῆς μετανοίας.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΓ΄.

Τί ἐστι τό, "Μή μακαρίσῃς ἄνδρα πρό τελευτῆς αὐτοῦ;" Ἀπόκρισις. Καί κατά τό πρόχειρον τῷ πολλῶν νῷ διά τό ἄδηλον, καί τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης

προαιρέσεως εὐόλισθον, οὔ χρή μακαρίζειν τινά, ἄχρι διά πάσης ἀρετῆς διελθών, ἀναντιῤῥήτῳ τέλει τήν ζωήν κατακλείσει. Πρός δέ τόν ὑψηλότερον νοῦν, ὁ ἀρξάμενος διά τῆς μετανοίας καί ἀσκήσεως, τό ζῶν ἐν αὐτῷ γήϊνον φρόνημα