309

them not to be slaves to the belly, but to hold fast to spiritual things continually. Let us therefore also hold fast to these things, and let us seek the heavenly bread, and having received it, let us cast out all worldly care. For if they left houses and cities and relatives and everything, and passed their time in the desert, and did not depart when famine constrained them; much more is it necessary for us, who approach such a table, to show greater wisdom, and to love spiritual things, and to seek perceptible things after these. Since they also were accused, not because they sought him for the bread, but because they sought him for this alone, and for this reason principally. For if someone despises the great gifts, but holds to the small ones, which the giver wishes him to despise, he falls away from those too; so, if we love those things, he adds these things also. For these things are an addition to those; so cheap are these things and small when examined in comparison with those, even if they are great. Let us not then be zealous for these things, but let us consider it a matter of indifference both their possession and their removal; just as Job neither clung to them when they were present, nor sought them when they were absent. For possessions are so called for this reason, not that we should bury them, but that we should use them for what is needed. And just as each of the artisans has his own skill, so also the rich man does not know how to be a smith, nor a shipwright, nor a weaver, nor a builder, nor any other such thing; let him learn then to use his wealth for what is needed, and to have mercy on the needy, and he will know an art better than all of those. 4. For this art is higher than all those arts. Its workshop has been built in the heavens. This art does not have its tools from iron and bronze, but from goodness and from purpose. Of this art, Christ is the teacher, and His Father. For, He says, be merciful, as your Father who is in heaven. And the wonderful thing is, that being so much better than the others, it requires neither labor nor time to be mastered; it is enough to will it, and the whole thing is accomplished. Let us see 58.501 also what its end is like. What then is its end? Heaven, the good things in heaven, that ineffable glory, the spiritual bridal chambers, the bright lamps, the life with the Bridegroom, the other things, which no word, nor mind can represent. So from this too its difference from the others is great. For most of the arts are useful to us for the present life, but this one is also for the life to come. And if it differs so much from the arts necessary for us in the present, such as I mean medicine, and architecture, and other such things, much more from the others, which if someone were to examine closely, he would not even say they are arts. Wherefore I for my part would not even say the other, superfluous ones are arts. For where are the art of cooking and the art of seasoning useful to us? Nowhere; but also exceedingly useless and harmful, corrupting body and soul, by bringing in luxury, the mother of all diseases and passions, with great ostentation. And not only these, but not even painting, nor embroidery would I for my part say is an art; for they only lead to superfluous expense. But arts must be productive and constructive of the necessary things that sustain our life. For for this reason God also gave us wisdom, that we might find methods by which we will be able to organize our life. But for there to be figures, either on walls or on garments, where is it useful? tell me. For this reason indeed, it would be necessary to cut away much of the art of shoemakers and weavers. For indeed they have led most of it to what is vulgar, having corrupted what is necessary in it, mixing bad art with art; which architecture has also suffered. But just as this art, as long as it builds houses and not theaters, and works on what is necessary and not superfluous, I call an art; so also weaving, as long as it makes cloaks and outer garments, but does not imitate spider webs, and pour forth much laughter and unspeakable stupidity, I name an art. And that of shoemakers,

309

αὐτοὺς μὴ τῇ γαστρὶ δουλεύειν, ἀλλὰ τῶν πνευματικῶν ἔχεσθαι διηνεκῶς. Τούτων οὖν ἐχώμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς, καὶ ζητῶμεν τὸν ἄρτον τὸν ἐπουράνιον, καὶ λαβόντες πᾶσαν ἐκβάλωμεν φροντίδα βιωτικήν. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνοι καὶ οἰκίας καὶ πόλεις καὶ συγγενεῖς καὶ πάντα ἀφῆκαν, καὶ ἐν ἐρήμῳ διέτριβον, καὶ τοῦ λιμοῦ καταναγκάζοντος οὐκ ἀνεχώρουν· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς, τοιαύτῃ προσιόντας τραπέζῃ, πλείονα ἐπιδείκνυσθαι χρὴ φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ τῶν πνευματικῶν ἐρᾷν, καὶ τὰ αἰσθητὰ μετὰ ταῦτα ζητεῖν. Ἐπεὶ κἀκεῖνοι ἐνεκαλοῦντο, οὐχ ὅτι ἐζήτησαν αὐτὸν διὰ τὸν ἄρτον, ἀλλ' ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο μόνον αὐτὸν ἐζήτησαν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο προηγουμένως. Ἂν γάρ τις τῶν μεγάλων μὲν δώρων καταφρονῇ, τῶν δὲ μικρῶν ἔχηται, καὶ ὧν βούλεται καταφρονεῖν αὐτὸν ὁ διδοὺς, καὶ ἐκείνων ἐκπίπτει· ὥσπερ οὖν, ἂν ἐκείνων ἐρῶμεν, καὶ ταῦτα προστίθησι. Καὶ γὰρ προσθήκη ταῦτα ἐκείνων· οὕτως εὐτελῆ ταῦτα καὶ μικρὰ πρὸς ἐκεῖνα ἐξεταζόμενα, κἂν μεγάλα ᾖ. Μὴ τοίνυν περὶ ταῦτα σπουδάζωμεν, ἀλλ' ἀδιάφορον αὐτῶν εἶναι νομίζωμεν καὶ τὴν κτῆσιν καὶ τὴν ἀφαίρεσιν· ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ Ἰὼβ οὔτε παρόντων ἀντείχετο, οὔτε ἀπόντα ἐζήτει. Καὶ γὰρ χρήματα διὰ τοῦτο λέγεται, οὐχ ἵνα κατορύξωμεν, ἀλλ' ἵνα εἰς δέον αὐτοῖς χρησώμεθα. Καὶ καθάπερ τῶν τεχνιτῶν ἕκαστος ἰδίαν ἐπιστήμην ἔχει, οὕτω καὶ ὁ πλουτῶν οὐκ οἶδε χαλκεύειν, οὐδὲ ναυπηγεῖν, οὐδὲ ὑφαίνειν, οὐδὲ οἰκοδομεῖν, οὐδὲ ἄλλο τῶν τοιούτων οὐδέν· μανθανέτω τοίνυν τῷ πλούτῳ κεχρῆσθαι εἰς δέον, καὶ ἐλεεῖν τοὺς δεομένους, καὶ πάντων ἐκείνων βελτίονα εἴσεται τέχνην. δʹ. Καὶ γὰρ αὕτη τῶν τεχνῶν ἐκείνων ἀνωτέρα πασῶν. Ταύτης τὸ ἐργαστήριον ἐν οὐρανοῖς ᾠκοδόμηται. Αὕτη οὐκ ἀπὸ σιδήρου καὶ χαλκοῦ τὰ ὄργανα ἔχει, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀγαθότητος καὶ ἀπὸ γνώμης. Ταύτης τῆς τέχνης ὁ Χριστός ἐστι διδάσκαλος, καὶ ὁ τούτου Πατήρ. Γίνεσθε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἰκτίρμονες, ὡς ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Καὶ τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι οὕτω τῶν ἄλλων οὖσα βελτίων, οὐ πόνου, οὐ χρόνου δεῖται πρὸς τὸ κατορθωθῆναι· ἀρκεῖ θελῆσαι, καὶ τὸ πᾶν ἤνυσται. Ἴδωμεν 58.501 δὲ καὶ τὸ τέλος αὐτῆς οἷόν ἐστι. Τί οὖν ἐστιν αὐτῆς τὸ τέλος; Ὁ οὐρανὸς, τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀγαθὰ, ἡ δόξα ἡ ἀπόῤῥητος ἐκείνη, αἱ πνευματικαὶ παστάδες, αἱ φαιδραὶ λαμπάδες, ἡ μετὰ τοῦ Νυμφίου διαγωγὴ, τὰ ἄλλα, ἃ μηδεὶς λόγος, μηδὲ νοῦς παραστῆσαι δύναται. Ὥστε καὶ ἐντεῦθεν πολλὴ πρὸς τὰς ἄλλας αὐτῇ ἡ διαφορά. Τῶν γὰρ τεχνῶν αἱ πλείους πρὸς τὸν παρόντα βίον εἰσὶ χρήσιμοι ἡμῖν, αὕτη δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὴν μέλλουσαν ζωήν. Εἰ δὲ τῶν εἰς τὸ παρὸν ἡμῖν ἀναγκαίων τεχνῶν τοσοῦτον διενήνοχεν, οἷον ἰατρικῆς λέγω, καὶ οἰκοδομικῆς, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν τοιούτων, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τῶν ἄλλων, ἃς εἴ τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσειεν, οὐδὲ τέχνας ἂν εἶναι φαίη. Ὅθεν ἔγωγε τὰς ἄλλας τὰς περιττὰς οὐδὲ τέχνας εἴποιμι ἂν εἶναι. Ποῦ γὰρ ἡ ὀψαρτυτικὴ καὶ ἡ καρυκευτικὴ χρήσιμοι ἡμῖν; Οὐδαμοῦ· ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα ἄχρηστοι καὶ βλαβεραὶ, σώματι καὶ ψυχῇ λυμαινόμεναι, τῷ τὴν μητέρα τῶν νοσημάτων ἁπάντων καὶ τῶν παθημάτων τὴν τρυφὴν μετὰ πολλῆς ἐπεισάγειν τῆς φιλοτιμίας. Οὐ μόνον δὲ ταύτας, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὴν ζωγραφικὴν, οὐδὲ τὴν ποικιλτικὴν εἴποιμ' ἂν ἔγωγε τέχνην εἶναι· εἰς γὰρ δαπάνην μόνην ἐμβάλλουσι περιττήν. Τὰς δὲ τέχνας τῶν ἀναγκαίων καὶ συνεχόντων ἡμῶν τὴν ζωὴν παρεκτικὰς εἶναι δεῖ καὶ κατασκευαστικάς. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ σοφίαν ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα εὕρωμεν μεθόδους, δι' ὧν δυνησόμεθα τὸν βίον συγκροτεῖν τὸν ἡμέτερον. Τὸ δὲ ζώδια γίνεσθαι, ἢ ἐν τοίχοις, ἢ ἐν ἱματίοις, ποῦ χρήσιμον; εἰπέ μοι. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ τῶν ὑποδηματοῤῥάφων καὶ τῶν ὑφαντῶν πολλὰ περικόπτειν ἔδει τῆς τέχνης. Καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ βάναυσον τὰ πλείονα αὐτῆς ἐξήγαγον, τὸ ἀναγκαῖον αὐτῆς διαφθείραντες, τέχνῃ κακοτεχνίαν μίξαντες· ὃ καὶ ἡ οἰκοδομικὴ ἔπαθεν. Ἀλλ' ὥσπερ ταύτην, ἕως ἂν οἰκίας οἰκοδομῇ καὶ οὐ θέατρα, τά τε ἀναγκαῖα καὶ οὐ περιττὰ ἐργάζηται, τέχνην καλῶ· οὕτω καὶ τὴν ὑφαντικὴν, ἕως ἂν ἱμάτια ποιῇ καὶ ἐπιβλήματα, ἀλλὰ μὴ τὰς ἀράχνας μιμῆται, καὶ πολὺν καταχέῃ τὸν γέλωτα καὶ τὴν βλακείαν ἄφατον, τέχνην ὀνομάζω. Καὶ τὴν τῶν ὑποδηματοποιῶν,