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the Son, but the Father," he who knows the greater, that is, the Father, how can he be ignorant of the lesser? But the sayings are divine, spoken by the Holy Spirit, but unknown to those who have not received the gift and grace of the Holy Spirit. For the aforementioned, being such, have an unstable mindset and a foolish understanding, slipping into harmful and lesser digressions. 44. For what was spoken by the Lord himself will meet them, that "Be ready, let your loins be girded and your lamps in your hands, and you shall be as good servants, expecting your own master. For as a robber in the night, so comes the day." And the holy apostle says, "You are not children of darkness 3.192, but of the day, so that the day might not overtake you as a thief." If, therefore, the sons of the day are not covered by darkness, but are ready, because "on a day they do not know and at an hour they do not expect, their master comes," therefore, will he differ from his own servants and sons of the day, he who, through his own luminous hypostasis and divinity, is himself the cause of these things for them? Or is it that, like those who are ignorant of the day and not prepared, he will be caught, being ignorant and in a state of inferiority? Who, unless he were mad, would reason these things concerning the Lord, that he himself will be like the men who are ruled by him and have been taught or like those who are worse on account of their unpreparedness and ignorance? And the whole thing is foolish. If, therefore, these things cannot be fulfilled, and the saying, being extended, will be found contrary to its use, then we must seek what meaning we may find, so that, with both being preserved without contradiction, we may not stray from the truth. For it is impossible for the Lord to lie and impossible for him to make explanations for our life in vain. Therefore the Father knows, the Son knows, the Holy Spirit knows. For there is nothing in the Father different from the Son, nor in the Son changed from the Spirit, as in each of the aforementioned heresies, when it became necessary, we have demonstrated from true proofs that the Trinity is one Godhead and has nothing in itself that is changed, but the whole is perfection, three perfect ones, one glorification and one lordship. 45. But you will say to me: For what reason, then, did he say this? And indeed, I have already spoken elsewhere about this saying. But nothing will prevent adding to the same things and speaking the same true words: "For me it is not tedious," but for those who read it "it will be safe," and for those in opposition for a refutation. For the matter is in this manner. For he introduced three orders in the same place, the Father and himself and all the angels in heaven. And to the Father he attributed the knowing, showing not only information and knowledge, but also the things always established and brought into being and accomplished by the Father and by the Son without a doubt. And the Father knows the day; at the same time he knows it and has worked it and has done it and has judged it, as he said in the gospel according to John that "the Father will judge no one, but has given all judgment to the Son." For in giving it, he has judged. Having judged, therefore, he knew; knowing, he knows when he is coming. 3.193 "For he who does not believe in the Son has already been judged," not that the judgment has passed, but that the things which are then about to be are already being demonstrated, so that in this also such a thing is fulfilled. For scripture knows knowing and knowing, just as we have often, by coming down to the comprehensive sense from similes and examples of things already treated, not failed to present the clarity and the phrasing of each proposition. 46. Let us therefore take up again from the beginning and speak about these things. What do you say, you people? Did Adam know Eve his wife even before the disobedience and transgression, or did he not know? And you cannot contradict the truth. For if you are not willing to walk uprightly toward such a mind, you will be refuted. "For they were," he says

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υἱόν, εἰ μὴ ὁ πατήρ», ὁ τὸ μεῖζον γινώσκων τουτέστι τὸν πατέρα, πῶς τὸ ἧσσον ἀγνοεῖ; ἀλλὰ ἔστι θεῖα τὰ ῥήματα, πνεύματι ἁγίῳ λεγόμενα, ἄγνωστα δὲ τοῖς μὴ εἰληφόσι πνεύματος ἁγίου δωρεὰν καὶ χάριν. τοιοῦτοι γὰρ ὄντες οἱ προειρημένοι, ἄστατον ἔχοντες καὶ τὸ φρόνημα ἠλίθιόν τε τὴν διάνοιαν, εἰς ἐπιβλαβεῖς καὶ εἰς ἥσσονας παρεκτροπὰς ὀλισθαίνουσαν. 44. Προϋπαντήσεται γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὸ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ κυρίου εἰρημένον ὅτι «γίνεσθε ἕτοιμοι, ἔστωσαν αἱ ὀσφύες ὑμῶν περιεζωσμέναι καὶ αἱ λαμπάδες ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ὑμῶν, καὶ ἔσεσθε ὡς καλοὶ δοῦλοι, προσδοκῶντες τὸν ἴδιον δεσπότην. ὡς γὰρ λῃστὴς ἐν νυκτί, οὕτως παραγίνεται ἡ ἡμέρα». καὶ ὁ ἅγιος ἀπόστολός φησιν «οὐκ ἐστὲ σκότους 3.192 τέκνα, ἀλλὰ ἡμέρας, ἵνα ἡ ἡμέρα ὑμᾶς μὴ ὡς κλέπτης καταλάβῃ». εἰ τοίνυν οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς ἡμέρας οὐχ ὑπὸ σκότους καλύπτονται, ἀλλὰ ἕτοιμοι γίνονται, ὅτι «ᾗ οὐκ οἴδασιν ἡμέρᾳ καὶ ᾗ οὐ προσδοκῶσιν ὥρᾳ ὁ δεσπότης αὐτῶν παραγίνεται,» ἄρα οὐ διαλλάξει παρὰ τοὺς αὐτοῦ δούλους καὶ υἱοὺς τῆς ἡμέρας ὁ διὰ τὴν αὐτοῦ φωτεινὴν ὑπόστασίν τε καὶ θεότητα αὐτὸς αἴτιος αὐτοῖς τούτων τυγχάνων; ἢ ὅτι ὡς οἱ ἀγνοοῦντες τὴν ἡμέραν καὶ μὴ ἑτοιμασθέντες καταληφθήσεται ἀγνοῶν καὶ ὑπ' ἐλαττώσει τυγχάνων; τίς δὲ μὴ μεμηνὼς ταῦτα περὶ κυρίου λογίσαιτο, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἔσται ὡς οἱ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ δεσποζόμενοι ἄνθρωποι καὶ μεμαθητευμένοι ἢ ὡς οἱ χείρους διὰ τὴν αὐτῶν ἀνετοιμασίαν καὶ ἄγνοιαν; καὶ τὸ ὅλον ἐστὶν ἠλίθιον. εἰ τοίνυν ταῦτα οὐ δύναται πληροῦσθαι, ὁ δὲ λόγος παρεκτεινόμενος ἀντίθετος τῇ χρήσει εὑρεθήσεται, ἄρα ζητητέον ἐστι, τίνα τὸν λόγον εὕρωμεν, ἵνα ἀναντιθέτως τῶν ἀμφοτέρων σῳζομένων μὴ ἐκτραπῶμεν τῆς ἀληθείας. ἀδύνατον γὰρ τὸν κύριον ψεύδεσθαι καὶ ἀδύνατον αὐτὸν μάτην τὰς ἐξηγήσεις εἰς ἡμετέραν ζωὴν ποιεῖσθαι. γινώσκει τοίνυν ὁ πατήρ, γινώσκει ὁ υἱός, γινώσκει τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα. οὐδὲν γὰρ ἐν πατρὶ διηλλαγμένον παρὰ τὸν υἱόν, οὐδὲ ἐν υἱῷ παρηλλαγμένον παρὰ τὸ πνεῦμα, ὡς ἐν ἑκάστῃ τῶν προειρημένων αἱρέσεων ἐν χρείᾳ καταστάντες ἀπεδείξαμεν ἐξ ἀληθινῶν συστάσεων τὴν τριάδα εἶναι μίαν θεότητα καὶ μηδὲν ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτῇ παρηλλαγμένον, ἀλλὰ τὸ πᾶν τελειότης, τρία τέλεια, μία δοξολογία καὶ μία κυριότης. 45. Ἀλλ' ἐρεῖς μοι· τίνι τοίνυν τῷ λόγῳ εἴρηκε τοῦτο; καὶ ἤδη μὲν ἄλλῃ μοι περὶ τοῦ λόγου τούτου πέφρασται. οὐδὲν δὲ κωλύσει τοῖς αὐτοῖς προσθεῖναι καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ ἀληθινὰ ῥήματα λέγειν· «ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐκ ὀκνηρόν,» τοῖς δὲ ἐντυγχάνουσιν «ἀσφαλὲς ἔσται», τοῖς δὲ δι' ἐναντίας εἰς ἔλεγχον. ἡ γὰρ ὑπόθεσις τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον. τρία γὰρ τάγματα ἐν ταὐτῷ ὑπεισήνεγκεν ἐν μέσῳ, πατέρα καὶ ἑαυτὸν καὶ πάντας ἀγγέλους ἐν οὐρανῷ. καὶ τῷ μὲν πατρὶ ἀπέδωκε τὸ εἰδέναι, οὐ μόνον εἴδησιν ὑποδεικνύων καὶ γνῶσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἀεὶ παρὰ πατρὶ καὶ παρὰ υἱῷ ἀναμφιβόλως κεκρατυμμένα τε καὶ γεγενημένα καὶ εἰργασμένα. καὶ ὁ μὲν πατὴρ οἶδε τὴν ἡμέραν, ἅμα οἶδεν αὐτὴν καὶ εἰργάσατο καὶ πέπραχε καὶ ἔκρινεν, ὡς ἔφη ἐν τῷ κατὰ Ἰωάννην εὐαγγελίῳ ὅτι «ὁ πατὴρ οὐδένα κρινεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὴν πᾶσαν κρίσιν δέδωκε τῷ υἱῷ». ἐν γὰρ τῷ δεδωκέναι κέκρικεν· κρίνας τοίνυν ἔγνω· γνοὺς οἶδε πότε ἔρχεται. 3.193 «ὁ γὰρ μὴ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν υἱὸν ἤδη κέκριται», οὐ τῆς κρίσεως παρελθούσης, ἀλλὰ τῶν τότε μελλόντων ἔσεσθαι ἤδη ἀποδεικνυμένων, ὡς καὶ ἐπὶ τούτῳ τὸ τοιοῦτον πληροῦται. οἶδε γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ εἴδησιν καὶ εἴδησιν, ὡς καὶ πολλάκις εἰς τὸ συνεκτικὸν κατερχόμενοι ἀπὸ ὁμοιωμάτων καὶ παραδειγμάτων τῶν ἤδη πεπραγματευμένων τὴν σαφήνειαν καὶ τὴν φράσιν ἑκάστης ὑποθέσεως παριστῶντες οὐ διελείψαμεν. 46. Ἀναλάβωμεν τοίνυν ἐξ ὑπαρχῆς αὖθις καὶ περὶ τούτων εἴπωμεν. τί φατέ, ὦ οὗτοι; ᾔδει Ἀδὰμ Εὔαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ πρὸ τῆς παρακοῆς καὶ παραβάσεως ἢ οὐκ ᾔδει; καὶ οὐ δύνασθε ἀντειπεῖν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ. ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ θελήσητε ὀρθοποδῆσαι πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον νοῦν ἐλεγχθήσεσθε. «ἦσαν γάρ» φησι