393
“The rich and the poor have met one another, but the Lord made them both.” And the New Testament agrees on the same thing, declaring blessed the poor who are poor by nature, and at other times those who are poor in spirit, so that both might have force; so that even Peter and his companions, while boasting, might show true poverty, that “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have, I give to you: in the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk”; so that he might indicate that the blessing of the naturally poor is not opposed to the blessing of the poor in spirit, who, while possessing certain things with righteousness, are poor by being humble-minded; concerning whom he said, “I was hungry and you 3.123 gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink,” and so on. Then he says, declaring that “these did so from their possessions”; and you see one and the same Spirit, in the Old Testament showing the poor and the rich, and likewise the same in the New Testament, as the Savior also praises both; for paying attention to the treasury, he saw those casting into the offering box, and he did not forbid the gifts of the rich, but he also praised the widow who had cast in the two small coins, because of the aforementioned poverty, so that what was written might be fulfilled: “The rich and the poor have met one another, but the Lord made them both.” And that these things are so, and that it is the same Spirit of the Old and New Testaments, see the Apostle saying concerning the ancient prophets, “Time will fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David and the other prophets,” “who went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being ill-treated, distressed, afflicted, of whom the world was not worthy.” For we have found Isaiah also clothed in sackcloth, and Elijah likewise. And do you see how in the Old and New Testament the poor are blessed for their piety and the rich are blessed for their righteousness? 82. Then the same Manes says again: the Old Testament, he says, commands to keep the Sabbath, and if anyone did not keep the Sabbath, he was stoned with stones, as also someone who gathered a load of sticks was delivered over to death. But the New Testament, that is, the Lord in the Gospel said that “I am working and my Father is working,” and on the Sabbath the disciples plucked heads of grain and on the Sabbath he healed. And not only this, but he also said, “Take up your pallet, and go to your house.” And 3.124 O what great ignorance. For nothing is worse than inexperience; for ignorance has blinded many. For when was the Sabbath not broken for a good reason? And when was not only the Sabbath, but every day, bound from wickedness? For Joshua the son of Nun, the successor of Moses, numbered among the prophets, chosen by God, who by prayer held back the sun and the moon, as he said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon,” is immediately found breaking the Sabbath for a good work. For Joshua circles the walls of Jericho for seven days; when it was not permitted to walk on the Sabbath beyond the measure of the six stades that were prescribed. But the perimeter of Jericho happens to be over twenty stades. And as they circled for seven days, it is certain that the Sabbath fell on one of the days. And this was a command of God, so that he might show his will for the working of miracles. For there were neither machines nor engines, no rams, no city-takers, but by the sound of a horn trumpet alone and the prayer of a righteous man, the walls of the adversaries were brought down, having fallen. For they had to be punished, since the sins of the Amorites were fulfilled. 83. For the law was a judge against injustice and rendered to each according to his own works; and since the Amorites were in sins, having been in transgression and having denied the oath which they swore, as has already been said by me somewhere else, it will cause no trouble to set forth the same things here also. For these are the ready examples of the cleverness of Manes,
393
«πλούσιος καὶ πένης συνήντησαν ἀλλήλοις, ὁ δὲ κύριος τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐποίησε». καὶ ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ συμφωνεῖ, μακαρίζουσα μὲν τοὺς πτωχοὺς φύσει πτωχούς, ἄλλοτε δὲ τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῷ πνεύματι, ἵνα τὰ ἀμφότερα ἐξισχύσῃ· ἵνα καὶ καυχώμενοι οἱ περὶ Πέτρον δείξωσι τὴν ἀληθινὴν πτωχείαν, ὅτι «ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον οὐχ ὑπάρχει μοι, ὃ δὲ ἔχω, τοῦτό σοι δίδωμι, ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀνάστα καὶ περιπάτει»· ἵνα φύσει τὸν μακαρισμὸν τῶν πτωχῶν σημάνῃ μὴ ἀντίθετον ὑπάρχοντα πρὸς τὸν μακαρισμὸν τῶν πτωχῶν κατὰ πνεῦμα, οἵτινες μέν εἰσι κεκτημένοι τινὰ μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, πτωχοὶ δέ εἰσι ταπεινοφρονοῦντες· περὶ ὧν ἔλεγεν «ἐπείνασα καὶ ἐδώ3.123 κατέ μοι φαγεῖν, ἐδίψησα καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. εἶτα φράζει λέγων ὅτι «οὗτοι ἐποίησαν ἐκ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτοῖς»· καὶ θεωρεῖς ἓν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα, ἐν παλαιᾷ πτωχὸν δεικνύον καὶ πλούσιον, ἅμα καὶ ἐν καινῇ διαθήκῃ τὸ αὐτό, ὡς καὶ ὁ σωτὴρ ἐπαινεῖ τὰ ἀμφότερα προσέχων γὰρ τῷ γαζοφυλακίῳ εἶδε τοὺς βάλλοντας εἰς τὸν κορβωνᾶν, καὶ οὐκ ἀπηγόρευσε πλουσίων τὰ δόματα, ἐπῄνεσε δὲ καὶ τὴν τὰ δύο λεπτὰ βεβληκυῖαν χήραν, διὰ τὴν προειρημένην πτωχείαν, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ γεγραμμένον «πλούσιος καὶ πένης συνήντησαν ἀλλήλοις, ὁ δὲ κύριος τοὺς ἀμφοτέρους ἐποίησε». καὶ ὅτι μὲν ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, καὶ ὅτι τὸ αὐτό ἐστι πνεῦμα παλαιᾶς τε καὶ καινῆς διαθήκης, ὅρα τὸν ἀπόστολον λέγοντα περὶ ἀρχαίων προφητῶν «ἐπιλείψει μοι ὁ χρόνος διηγουμένῳ περὶ Γεδεών, Βαράκ, Σαμψών, Ἰεφθάε, ∆αυὶδ καὶ λοιπῶν προφητῶν», «οἵτινες περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασι, κακουχούμενοι στενοχωρούμενοι θλιβόμενοι, ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος». εὑρήκαμεν γὰρ καὶ Ἠσαΐαν ἐνδεδυμένον σάκκον καὶ Ἠλίαν ὡσαύτως. καὶ ὁρᾷς πῶς μακαρίζονται ἐν παλαιᾷ καὶ καινῇ διαθήκῃ οἱ πτωχοὶ δι' εὐσέβειαν καὶ μακαρίζονται πλούσιοι διὰ δικαιοσύνην; 82. Εἶτα πάλιν λέγει ὁ αὐτὸς Μάνης· ἡ παλαιὰ διαθήκη, φησί, κελεύει σαββατίζειν, καὶ εἴ τις οὐκ ἐσαββάτισε, λίθοις κατελιθοβολεῖτο, ὡς καὶ φορτίον ξύλων τις συλλέξας θανάτῳ παρεδόθη. ἡ δὲ καινὴ διαθήκη, τουτέστιν ὁ κύριος ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ἔφη ὅτι «ἐγὼ ἐργάζομαι καὶ ὁ πατήρ μου ἐργάζεται», καὶ ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ ἔτιλλον στάχυας οἱ μαθηταὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ ἐθεράπευσε. καὶ οὐ μόνον τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ καὶ «ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου, καὶ ὕπαγε εἰς τὸν οἶκόν σου, ἔλεγε». καὶ 3.124 ὦ πολλῆς ἀγνωσίας. οὐδὲν γὰρ χειρότερον τῆς ἀπειρίας· πολλοὺς γὰρ ἐτύφλωσεν ἡ ἀγνωσία. πότε γὰρ τὸ σάββατον ἐπὶ ἀγαθῇ προφάσει οὐ λέλυται; πότε δὲ οὐκ ἐδεσμεύθη ἀπὸ πονηρίας οὐ μόνον τὸ σάββατον, ἀλλὰ πᾶσα ἡμέρα; Ἰησοῦς γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ, ὁ διάδοχος Μωυσέως, ὁ ἐν προφήταις κατηριθμημένος, ὁ ἐκλεκτὸς παρὰ θεῷ, ὁ δι' εὐχῆς κατασχὼν τὸν ἥλιον καὶ τὴν σελήνην, ὡς ἔφη «στήτω ὁ ἥλιος κατὰ Γαβαών, καὶ ἡ σελήνη κατὰ φάραγγα Αἰαλών», εὐθὺς εὑρίσκεται τὸ σάββατον λύων ἐπὶ ἀγαθοεργίᾳ. ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ ἡμέραις γὰρ κυκλοῖ τὰ τείχη Ἱεριχῶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ὁπότε οὐκ ἐξῆν βαδίζειν ἐν σάββασιν ὑπὲρ τὸ μέτρον τῶν ἓξ σταδίων τῶν ὡρισμένων. τὸ δὲ περίμετρον τῆς Ἱεριχῶ ὑπὲρ σταδίους εἴκοσι τυγχάνει. ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ δὲ ἡμέραις κυκλωσάντων αὐτῶν πάντως ὅτι ὑπέπιπτε τὸ σάββατον ἐν μιᾷ τῶν ἡμερῶν. ἦν δὲ τοῦτο πρόσταγμα θεοῦ, ἵνα δείξῃ αὐτοῦ τὸ θέλημα τῆς θαυματουργίας. οὔτε γὰρ μηχαναὶ οὔτε μάγγανα ἦν, οὐ κριοί, οὐχ ἑλεπόλεις, ἀλλὰ μόνῃ φωνῇ σάλπιγγος κερατίνης καὶ εὐχῇ δικαίου ἐκλίθησαν καταπεσόντα τὰ τείχη τῶν ὑπεναντίων. ἔδει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τιμωρηθῆναι, ἐπειδὴ ἐπληρώθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι τῶν Ἀμορραίων. 83. ∆ικαστὴς γὰρ ἦν ὁ νόμος κατὰ τῆς ἀδικίας καὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀπεδίδου κατὰ τὰ ἴδια ἔργα· καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἐτύγχανον οἱ Ἀμορραῖοι, ἐν παραβάσει γεγονότες καὶ ἀρνησάμενοι τὸν ὅρκον ὃν ὤμοσαν, ὡς καὶ ἤδη ἄλλῃ πού μοι εἴρηται, οὐδὲν δὲ λυπήσει καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὰ αὐτὰ παραθέσθαι. ταῦτα γάρ ἐστι τὰ πρόχειρα τῆς τοῦ Μάνη δεινότητος,