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The passionate man is grieved by these things, either as one deprived, or as one not having obtained them. But one cuts these off by contempt and disdain for these very things, on account of love for God.

21. God knows himself, and he knows the things that have come to be from him. And the holy Powers also know God; and they also know the things that have come to be from God. But not in the way that God knows himself and the things that have come to be from him, do the holy Powers also know God and the things that have come to be from him.

(1024) 22. God knows himself from his blessed essence; and the things that have come to be from him, from his wisdom, through which and in which he made all things. But the holy Powers know God by participation, though he is beyond participation; and the things that have come to be from him, by the apprehension of the principles within them.

23. The things that have come to be are outside the intellect; but it apprehends their principle within. But it is not so with God, who is eternal and infinite and undefined, and who has granted to beings to be, to be well, and to be forever.

24. The rational and intelligent essence partakes of the holy God, both in its very being, and in its aptitude for being well; I mean, of goodness and of wisdom; and in the grace for being forever. By this, therefore, it knows God. And the things that have come to be from him, by the apprehension, as has been said, of the creative wisdom contemplated in the things that have come to be; which is simple and without substance, subsisting in the intellect.

25. Four of the divine properties, which hold together and guard and preserve beings, God, through his extreme goodness, made common, when he brought into being the rational and intelligent essence: being, everlasting being, goodness and wisdom. Two of these he bestowed on the essence; and two, on its volitional aptitude: goodness and wisdom; so that what he is by essence, creation might become by participation. For this reason [Calecas: these things], it is also said to have come to be according to the image and likeness of God. And according to the image, as a being from the Being; and as an ever-being from the Ever-Being; though not without beginning, yet without end; but according to the likeness, as good from the Good; and as wise from the Wise; the one by nature, the other by grace. And according to the image, every rational nature is of God; but according to the likeness, only the good and wise.

Every rational and intelligent essence is divided into two; that is, into the angelic and the human nature. And every angelic nature is again divided into two universal wills and companies, both holy and accursed; that is, into holy Powers and unclean demons. And all of humanity is divided into only two universal wills, pious, I say, and impious.

(1025) 27. God, being self-existence and self-goodness and self-wisdom; or rather, to speak more truly, even beyond all these things, has absolutely nothing opposite to him. But created things, since they all have their existence by participation and grace; and the rational and intelligent ones also have an aptitude for goodness and wisdom, have an opposite: to existence, non-existence; and to the aptitude for goodness and wisdom, evil and ignorance. And whether these things [Fr. the rational and intelligent things] exist forever or not, is in the power of the one who made them; but whether to partake of his goodness and wisdom or not to partake, is in the will of rational beings.

28. The Greeks, saying that the essence of beings co-exists eternally with God, and that only the qualities concerning it have they received from him; say there is nothing opposite to the essence; but that opposition exists only in the qualities. But we say that only the divine essence does not have anything opposite, as it is eternal and infinite, and bestowing eternity upon others; but that to the essence of beings, non-being is indeed an opposite; and it is in the power of him who truly is, whether it is to be forever or not to be, but his gifts are irrevocable. And for this reason, it both is forever, and will be, being held fast by the all-powerful force, even if it has non-being as an opposite, as

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ταῦτα ὁ ἐμπαθής λυπεῖται, ἤ ὡς στερηθείς, ἤ ὡς μή ἐπιτυχών. Περικόπτει δέ ταύτας ἡ τούτων αὐτῶν καταφρόνησις καί ἐξουδένωσις, διά τήν εἰς Θεόν ἀγάπην.

κα΄. Γινώσκει ὁ Θεός ἑαυτόν, γινώσκει καί τά ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ γεγονότα. Γινώσκουσι δέ καί αἱ ἅγιαι ∆υνάμεις τόν Θεόν· γινώσκουσι δέ καί τά ὑπό Θεοῦ γεγονότα. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς ὁ Θεός γινώσκει ἑαυτόν καί τά ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ γεγονότα, οὕτω καί αἱ ἅγιαι ∆υνάμεις τόν Θεόν καί τά ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ γεγονότα.

(1024) κβ΄. Ὁ μέν Θεός ἑαυτόν γινώσκει, ἐκ τῆς μακαρίας οὐσίας αὐτοῦ· τά δέ ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ γεγονότα, ἐκ τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ· δι᾿ ἧς καί ἐν ᾗ τά πάντα ἐποίησεν. Αἱ δέ ἅγιαι ∆υνάμεις τόν μέν Θεόν μετοχῇ γινώσκουσιν, ὑπέρ μετοχήν ὄντα· τά δέ ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ γεγονότα, ἀναλήψει τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς θεωρημάτων.

κγ΄. Ἔξω μέν τοῦ νοῦ εἰσι τά γεγονότα· ἔνδον δέ τήν αὐτῶν θεωρίαν ἀναλαμβάνει. Οὐχ οὕτως δέ ἐπί Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀϊδίου καί ἀπείρου καί ἀορίστου, καί τό εἶναι καί εὖ εἶναι καί ἀεί εἶναι τοῖς οὖσι χαρισαμένου.

κδ΄. Θεοῦ μετέχει τοῦ ἁγίου ἡ λογιστική καί νοερά οὐσία, αὐτῷ τε τῷ εἶναι, καί τῇ πρός τό εὖ εἶναι ἐπιτηδειότητι· ἀγαθότητός τέ φημι, καί σοφίας· καί τῇ πρός τό ἀεί εἶναι χάριτι. Ταύτῃ οῦν τόν Θεόν γινώσκει. Τά δέ ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ γεγονότα, τῇ ἀναλήψει, ὡς εἴρηται, τῆς ἐν τοῖς γεγονόσι θεωρουμένης τεχνικῆς σοφίας· ἥτις ἐστί ψιλή καί ἀνυπόστατος ἐν τῷ νῷ συνισταμένη.

κε΄. Τέσσαρα τῶν θείων ἰδιωμάτων, συνεκτικά καί φρουρητικά καί διασωστικά τῶν ὄντων, δι᾿ ἄκραν ἀγαθότητα ἐκοινοποίησεν ὁ Θεός, παραγαγών εἰς τό εἶναι τήν λογικήν καί νοεράν οὐσίαν· τό ὄν, τό ἀεί ὄν, τήν ἀγαθότητα καί σοφίαν. Τούτων τά μέν δύο τῇ οὐσίᾳ παρέσχε· τά δέ δύο, τῇ γνωμικῇ ἐπιτηδειότητι· τήν ἀγαθότητα καί τήν σοφίαν· ἵνα ἅπερ ἐστίν αὐτός κατ᾿ οὐσίαν, γίνηται ἡ κτίσις κατά μετουσίαν. ∆ιά ταύτην [Calecas ταῦτα], καί κατ᾿ εἰκόνα καί ὁμοίωσιν Θεοῦ λέγεται γεγενῆσθαι. Καί κατ᾿ εἰκόνα μέν, ὡς ὄν, ὄντος· καί ὡς ἀεί ὄν, ἀεί ὄντος· εἰ καί μή ἀνάρχως, ἀλλ᾿ ἀτελευτήτως· καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν δέ, ὡς ἀγαθός, ἀγαθοῦ· καί ὡς σοφός, σοφοῦ· τοῦ κατά φύσιν, ὁ κατά χάριν. Καί κατ᾿ εἰκόνα μέν, πᾶσα φύσις λογική ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ· καθ᾿ ὁμοίωσιν δέ, μόνοι οἱ ἀγαθοί καί σοφοί.

Πᾶσα ἡ λογική καί νοερά οὐσία διῄρηται εἰς δύο· τουτέστιν, εἰς τήν ἀγγελικήν καί τήν ἀνθρωπίνην φύσιν. Καί πᾶσα ἡ ἀγγελική φύσις διῄρηται πάλιν εἰς δύο καθολικάς γνώμας τε καί ἀγέλας, ἁγίας τε καί ἐναγεῖς· τουτέστιν, εἰς ἁγίας ∆υνάμεις καί ἀκαθάρτους δαίμονας. Καί πᾶσα ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη διῄρηται εἰς γνώμας μόνον καθολικάς δύο, εὐσεβεῖς λέγω καί ἀσεβεῖς.

(1025) κζ΄. Ὁ μέν Θεός ὡς αὐτοΰπαρξις ὤν καί αὐτοαγαθότης καί αὐτοσοφία· μᾶλλον δέ ἀληθέστερον εἰπεῖν, καί ὑπέρ ταῦτα πάντα, οὐδέν ἔχει τό σύνολον ἐναντίον. Τά δέ κτίσματα, ὡς πάντα μέν μεθέξει καί χάριτι τήν ὕπαρξιν ἔχοντα· τά δέ λογικά καί νοερά, καί τήν ἀγαθότητος καί σοφίας ἐπιτηδειότητα, ἔχει ἐναντίον· τῇ μέν ὑπάρξει, τό μή ὑπάρχειν· τῇ δέ τῆς ἀγαθότητος καί σοφίας ἐπιτηδειότητι, κακίαν καί ἀγνωσίαν. Καί τό μέν ὑπάρχειν ἀεί ἤ μή ὑπάρχειν ταῦτα [Fr. τά λογικά καί νοερά], ἐν τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τοῦ πεποιηκότος ἐστί· τό δέ μετέχειν τῆς ἀγαθότητος αὐτοῦ καί τῆς σοφίας ἤ μή μετέχειν, ἐν τῇ βουλήσει τῶν λογικῶν ὑπάρχει.

κη΄. Οἱ μέν Ἕλληνες ἐξ ἀϊδίου λέγοντες συνυπάρχειν τῷ Θεῷ τήν τῶν ὄντων οὐσίαν, τάς δέ περί αὐτήν ποιότητας μόνον ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐσχηκέναι· τῇ μέν οὐσίᾳ, οὐδέν λέγουσιν ἐναντίον· ἐν δέ ταῖς ποιότησι μόναις, τήν ἐναντίωσιν εἶναι. Ἡμεῖς δέ μόνην λέγομεν τήν θείαν οὐσίαν μέ ἔχειν τι ἐναντίον, ὡς ἀΐδιόν τε οὖσαν καί ἄπειρον, καί ἀϊδιότητος ἀλλήλαις χαριστικήν· τῇ δέ τῶν ὄντων οὐσίᾳ, εἶναι μέν τό μή ὄν ἐναντίον· καί ἐν τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τοῦ κυρίως ὄντος ὑπάρχειν, τό ἀεί εἶναι αὐτήν ἤ μή εἶναι, ἀμεταμέλητα δέ εἶναι τά χαρίσματα αὐτοῦ. Καί διά τοῦτο, καί ἔστιν ἀεί, καί ἔσται τῇ παντοκρατορικῇ δυνάμει διακρατουμένη, εἰ καί ἔχει τό μή ὄν ἐναντίον, ὡς