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of those wishing to understand the scriptures. For the things said are surely something like this: "You have tested us, O God, you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the snare, you laid afflictions on our back. You have caused men to ride over our heads. We went through fire and water, and you brought us out into a place of refreshment." And immediately they add: these things are said by the souls brought down from the third heaven, where paradise is, into the body as a snare, as into a contest. For "we went through fire and water," he says, either signifies the passage of the soul through the womb into the world, since it is produced in so much flame and moisture, or its fall from the heavens into this life, passing through the springs of fire and the waters above the back of the firmament. against whom I thought it right to object. For come, Aglaophon, you yourself make the answer on their behalf, what they will say. 47. For first, that paradise, from whence we were also cast out in the first-formed man, is manifestly a special place on this earth, set apart for the saints for a sorrowless rest and life, this is clear from the fact that the Tigris and the Euphrates and the other rivers that flow from there appear here, with the outlets of their streams flooding our continent. For they do not rush down from the heavens above, pouring forth; since the earth would not have been able to receive such a great mass of water falling suddenly from on high. But neither does the apostle suggest that paradise is in the third heaven to those who know how to listen to subtle arguments; for he says, "I know such a one 2.473 was caught up to the third heaven. And I know such a man, whether in the body or apart from the body, God knows, that he was caught up into paradise." He indicates that he has seen two great revelations, having been clearly taken up twice, once to the third heaven, and once into paradise. For "I know such a one was caught up to the third heaven" establishes that a revelation was manifested to him specifically when taken up to the third heaven; but the "and I know" added again, "such a man, whether in the body or out of the body, was caught up into paradise," shows that another revelation was manifested to him again in paradise. Therefore it is twittering and tragic speech to say that souls are cast down from the heavens and pass through the springs of fire and the waters above the back of the firmament, being borne into our world. Since not even Adam was cast out of the heavens, but from the paradise planted eastward in Eden. For the transgression was not before the embodiment, as we have sufficiently shown, nor again is the body this snare, but after the soul's union with the body the transgression occurs, because both together is man, and the fall from paradise is to this place. But he did not pay more careful attention to the argument at all, Aglaophon, but strained his thought on matters not without danger, attempting to expound the psalm according to the opinions of the wicked, about whom we will omit to say more. 48. For I wish, since we have come once for all to correct their wickedness, to lay bare for them the pretext of this prophecy as well; "You have tested us, O God; you have tried us, as silver 2.474 is tried." The martyrs, having been sufficiently tested in the assaults of tortures during the trials—for the prophecies are for the most part fulfilled in our faith—and having contended gloriously and most steadfastly, give thanks, saying to God, "You have tested us," so that they might acquire greater glory with him, he tested them through many labors, setting before them the truly Olympic contest to win. And consider how clearly Solomon also speaks in harmony with these words concerning the martyrs—for the argument is not without witness from other scriptures—that "God tested

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θελόντων νοεῖν τὰς γραφάς. εἰσὶ γὰρ οὕτω πως δήπου τὰ λεχθέντα· «ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός, ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς, ὡς πυροῦται τὸ ἀργύριον. εἰσήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν παγίδα, ἔθου θλίψεις ἐπὶ τὸν νῶτον ἡμῶν. ἐπεβίβασας ἀνθρώπους ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς ἡμῶν. διήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος, καὶ ἐξήγαγες ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀναψυχήν». καὶ εὐθέως ἐπιφέρουσι· ταῦτα δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν ψυχῶν εἴρηται τῶν εἰς τὴν παγίδα τὸ σῶμα ὡς εἰς ἀγώνισμα κατενεχθεισῶν ἐκ τοῦ τρίτου οὐρανοῦ, ἔνθα ὁ παράδεισος. τὸ γάρ «διήλθομεν διὰ πυρὸς καὶ ὕδατος» ἤτοι, φησί, τὴν διὰ μήτρας εἰς τὸν κόσμον τῆς ψυχῆς πάροδον δηλοῖ, ἐπειδήπερ ἐν φλογὶ τοσαύτῃ καὶ ὑγρασίᾳ καταγίγνεται, ἢ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν κατάπτωσιν εἰς τὸν βίον διερχομένης αὐτῆς τὰς πηγὰς τοῦ πυρὸς καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ τὰ νῶτα τοῦ στερεώματος ὕδατα. πρὸς οὓς ἠξίουν ἐνίστασθαι. φέρε γὰρ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, ὦ Ἀγλαοφῶν, αὐτὸς ποίησαι τὴν ἀπόκρισιν, τί λέξουσι. 47. Πρῶτον γὰρ ὅτι ὁ παράδεισος, ὅθεν καὶ ἐξεβλήθημεν ἐν τῷ πρωτοπλάστῳ, ἐπὶ ταύτης ἐστὶ τῆς γῆς προδήλως τόπος ἐξαίρετος, πρὸς ἄλυπον ἀνάπαυσιν καὶ διαγωγὴν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀφωρισμένος, τοῦτο δῆλον ἀπὸ τοῦ καὶ τὸν Τίγριν καὶ τὸν Εὐφράτην καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ποταμοὺς τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν προχεομένους ἐνταῦθα φαίνεσθαι τῶν ῥευμάτων τὰς διεκβολὰς εἰς τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς ἤπειρον ἐπικλύζοντας. οὐ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἄνωθεν καταράσσονται χεόμενοι· ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ὑπέστη ἂν ἡ γῆ ὄγκον τοσοῦτον ἀθρόως ἐξ ὕψους καταφερόμενον ὑποδέξασθαι ὕδατος. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ὁ ἀπόστολος ὑποτίθεται τὸν παράδεισον εἶναι ἐν τρίτῳ οὐρανῷ τοῖς λεπτῶν ἀκροᾶσθαι λόγων ἐπισταμένοις· «οἶδα» γάρ «ἁρπαγέντα τὸν 2.473 τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου» λέγων «οὐρανοῦ. καὶ οἶδα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄνθρωπον, εἴτε ἐν σώματι εἴτε χωρὶς σώματος, ὁ θεὸς οἶδεν, ὅτι ἡρπάγη εἰς τὸν παράδεισον». δύο ἀποκαλύψεις μεγάλας ἑωρακέναι μηνύει, δὶς ἀναληφθεὶς ἐναργῶς, ἅπαξ μὲν ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ, ἅπαξ δὲ εἰς τὸν παράδεισον. τὸ γάρ «οἶδα ἁρπαγέντα τὸν τοιοῦτον ἕως τρίτου οὐρανοῦ» ἰδίως ἀποκάλυψιν αὐτῷ κατὰ τὸν τρίτον ἀναληφθέντι οὐρανὸν πεφηνέναι συνίστησι· τὸ δὲ «καὶ οἶδα» πάλιν ἐπιφερόμενον «τὸν τοιοῦτον ἄνθρωπον, εἴτε ἐν σώματι εἴτε ἐκτὸς τοῦ σώματος, ἁρπαγέντα εἰς τὸν παράδεισον» ἑτέραν αὖθις αὐτῷ πεφανερῶσθαι κατὰ τὸν παράδεισον ἀποκάλυψιν δείκνυσι. τερετισμὸς οὖν ἐστι καὶ τραγικολογία τὸ καταβάλλεσθαι λέγειν τὰς ψυχὰς ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ διαβαίνειν τοῦ πυρὸς τὰς πηγὰς καὶ τὰ ὕδατα τὰ ὑπὲρ τὰ νῶτα τοῦ στερεώματος, εἰς τὸν καθ' ἡμᾶς φερομένας κόσμον. ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ὁ Ἀδὰμ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν ἐξεβλήθη, ἀλλὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ κατὰ ἀνατολὰς ἐν Ἐδὲμ πεφυτευμένου παραδείσου. οὐ γὰρ πρὸ τῆς ἐνσωματώσεως τὸ παράπτωμα, καθάπερ ἐδείξαμεν ἱκανῶς, οὐδ' αὖ τὸ σῶμα παγὶς τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τὴν εἰς τὸ σῶμα σύμφυσιν τῆς ψυχῆς γίγνεται τὸ παράπτωμα, ὅτι τὸ συναμφότερον ὁ ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἡ ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου κατάπτωσις ἐνθάδε. ὁ δὲ ὅλως οὐ προσέσχεν ἐπιμελέστερον, Ἀγλαοφῶν, τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ διετείνατο περὶ πραγμάτων διανόησιν οὐκ ἐχόντων ἀκίνδυνον, ἐπιχειρήσας κατὰ τὰς δόξας ἐξηγήσασθαι τῶν φαύλων τὸν ψαλμόν, περὶ ὧν λέγειν πλείω παρήσομεν. 48. Βούλομαι γάρ, ἐπειδὴ ἅπαξ εἰς τὸ διευθῦναι τὴν μοχθηρίαν αὐτῶν ἥκαμεν, ἀπογυμνῶσαι καὶ ταύτης αὐτοῖς τῆς προφητείας τὴν πρόφασιν· «ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς ὁ θεός· ἐπύρωσας ἡμᾶς, ὡς πυροῦται τὸ ἀργύ2.474 ριον». δοκιμασθέντες διαρκῶς οἱ μάρτυρες ἐν ταῖς κατὰ τοὺς πειρασμοὺς τῶν βασάνων προσβολαῖς τὰ πολλὰ γὰρ εἰς τὴν καθ' ἡμᾶς αἱ προφητεῖαι πίστιν πληροῦνται καὶ εὐκλεῶς καὶ ἐρρωμενέστατα διαθλήσαντες εὐχαριστοῦσι, τό «ἐδοκίμασας ἡμᾶς» λέγοντες τῷ θεῷ, ὡς ἵνα τὴν δόξαν παρ' αὐτῷ κτήσωνται μείζονα, διὰ πολλῶν αὐτοὺς ἤλεγξε πόνων, τὸν ἀληθῶς Ὀλυμπιακὸν ἀγῶνα νικῆσαι προθείς. καὶ ἐπισκέψασθε ὡς τούτοις συνῳδὰ σαφῶς τοῖς λόγοις περὶ μαρτύρων καὶ ὁ Σολομῶν ἀναφθέγγεται οὐ γὰρ ἀμάρτυρος ὁ λόγος καὶ ἄλλων γραφῶν ὅτι «ὁ θεὸς ἐπείρασεν