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These men say these things, how much more then Mary, upon whom the whole wonderful economy has come to pass? Whence then shall I gather thoughts for the good and turn away the darkness of those who have conceived terrible things, as it is written, “he conceived trouble and brought forth iniquity”? For these men truly conceive the trouble of thoughts, but they bring forth the iniquity of blasphemies. 17. But let no one suppose those things and, trying to sow them otherwise in himself, say: How then did the gospel say: that “Mary was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit, before they came together”? Was their coming together therefore expected, and for this reason did it say “before coming together”? But again in another place the same gospel again says “and she was found to be with child before they came together,” or also “and he begot and he knew her not,” or also “she bore her firstborn son” and “he knew her not,” and “he knew her not until she had borne her firstborn son.” And those who profess to analyze the interpretations of the scriptures and who attempt to scrutinize lofty and profound things do not know that the interpretation has such a character. For if Mary had borne again, it would have been necessary to state the names of the other brothers also. But if he is called firstborn, because the only-begotten “is the firstborn of all creation,” do not be disturbed. For it did not say that she bore her firstborn, but “he knew her not until she had borne her son 3.468,” and it did not say her firstborn, but “the firstborn.” For in the case of her son it signified that he was born of her according to the flesh, but in the case of the designation firstborn it no longer added her, but only firstborn. For this is the one spoken of by the apostle, “firstborn of all creation,” not joined with creation, but born before creation. For it did not say first-created, but firstborn, the reading being divided for the better and safer meaning, by first saying firstborn, then saying creation in a subordinate position. For firstborn is understood of the Son, but creation came to be through the Son. “She bore, then, her son, the firstborn,” but not her firstborn, as if she were going to conceive another. “And he knew her not”; for how did he know that a woman would receive such great grace? Or how did he know that the virgin would be glorified with such glory? He knew her to be a woman by her form and female by her nature, and from her mother Anne and her father Joachim, and a relative of Elizabeth, from the house and family of David, but he did not know that anyone on earth, especially a woman, would be honored with such glory. Therefore he did not know her until he saw the wonder, he did not know her wonder until he saw “what was born of her.” But when she gave birth, he knew also the honor from God, that she was the one who heard, “Hail, favored one; the Lord is with you.” 18. This is she who was signified in Eve, who received through a riddle the name “mother of the living.” For there she is called mother of the living, and this after hearing “you are earth, and to earth you shall return,” after the transgression. And it was a wonder that after the transgression she received this great designation. And according to the perceptible, from that Eve every generation of men on earth has come to be; but here truly from Mary, life itself has been born for the world, so that she might bear the living one and Mary might become the mother of the living. Therefore, through a riddle, Mary is called mother of the living. For concerning the two women it was said, “Who has given to woman wisdom in weaving or skill in embroidery?” For since the first wise Eve was weaving perceptible garments 3.469 for Adam, whom she had stripped bare; for to her this labor was given. For since nakedness was found through her, to her was given the task of clothing the perceptible body on account of the perceptible nakedness. But to Mary it was given by God, that she might bear for us a lamb and a sheep, and from the glory of that lamb and sheep, a garment of incorruptibility might be made for us as from a fleece, in wisdom through his virtue.

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οὗτοι ταῦτα, πόσῳ γε μᾶλλον ἡ Μαρία, ἐφ' ἣν ἡ θαυμασία πᾶσα οἰκονομία γεγένηται; πόθεν τοίνυν συνάξω διανοίας εἰς τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ ἐκτρέψω τὸν ζόφον τῶν τὰ δεινὰ ἐγκισσησάντων, καθάπερ γέγραπται «συνέλαβε πόνον καὶ ἔτεκεν ἀνομίαν»; οὗτοι γὰρ ἀληθῶς συλλαμβάνουσι πόνον διανοημάτων, τίκτουσι δὲ ἀνομίαν βλασφημιῶν. 17. Ἀλλὰ μή τις ἐκεῖνα ὑπονοείτω καὶ ἑτέρως αὐτὰ ὑποσπείρειν ἑαυτῷ πειρώμενος λεγέτω· πῶς οὖν εἶπε τὸ εὐαγγέλιον· ὅτι «εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα ἐκ πνεύματος ἁγίου ἡ Μαρία, πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν αὐτούς»; ἆρα οὖν προσεδοκᾶτο ἡ συνέλευσις καὶ τούτου χάριν εἶπε «πρὸ τοῦ συνελθεῖν»; ἀλλὰ καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ τὸ αὐτὸ πάλιν εὐαγγέλιόν φησι «καὶ εὑρέθη ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσα πρὶν εἰσελθεῖν αὐτούς», ἢ καὶ «ἐγέννησε καὶ οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτήν», ἢ καὶ «ἐγέννησε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον» καὶ «οὐκ ᾔδει αὐτήν», καὶ «οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτὴν, ἕως ὅτου ἐγέννησε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον». καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν οἱ τὰς θεωρίας τῶν γραφῶν διαιρεῖν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι καὶ τὰ μετέωρα καὶ βαθύτατα περιεργάζεσθαι ἐπιχειροῦντες ὅτι ἡ θεωρία τοιοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον. εἰ γὰρ πάλιν ἐγέννησεν ἡ Μαρία, ἔδει καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἀδελφῶν εἰπεῖν τὰ ὀνόματα. εἰ δὲ πρωτότοκος καλεῖται, ἐπειδὴ «πρωτότοκός ἐστι πάσης κτίσεως» ὁ μονογενής, μὴ θορυβοῦ. οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν ὅτι ἐγέννησε τὸν πρωτότοκον αὐτῆς, ἀλλ' «οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτὴν ἕως ὅτου ἐγέννησε τὸν υἱὸν 3.468 αὐτῆς», καὶ οὐκ εἶπε τὸν πρωτότοκον αὐτῆς, ἀλλὰ «τὸν πρωτότοκον». ἐπὶ μὲν γὰρ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτῆς ἐσήμανεν τὸ ἐξ αὐτῆς κατὰ σάρκα γεγεννῆσθαι, ἐπὶ δὲ τῇ τοῦ πρωτοτόκου ἐπωνυμίᾳ οὐκέτι τὸ αὐτῆς ἔθετο, ἀλλὰ πρωτότοκον μόνον. οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ παρὰ τῷ ἀποστόλῳ εἰρημένος «πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως», μὴ συνημμένος τῇ κτίσει, ἀλλὰ πρὸ κτίσεως γεγεννημένος. οὐ γὰρ εἶπε πρωτόκτιστος, ἀλλὰ πρωτότοκος διαιρουμένης τῆς ἀναγνώσεως ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον καὶ ἀσφαλέστερον, τῷ πρῶτον μὲν λέγειν πρωτότοκος, ἔπειτα ὑποβεβηκυῖαν λέγειν τὴν κτίσιν. τὸ μὲν γὰρ πρωτότοκος ἐπὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ λαμβάνεται, ἡ δὲ κτίσις διὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ γεγένηται. «ἐγέννησε τοίνυν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς, τὸν πρωτότοκον», οὐκ αὐτῆς δὲ τὸν πρωτότοκον, ὡς αὐτῆς μελλούσης ἄλλον κυΐσκειν. «καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει αὐτήν»· πόθεν γὰρ ᾔδει ὅτι τοσαύτην χάριν λήψεται γυνή; ἢ πόθεν ᾔδει ὅτι τοιαύτην δόξαν δοξασθήσεται ἡ παρθένος; γυναῖκα μὲν ᾔδει αὐτὴν τῇ πλάσει καὶ θήλειαν τῇ φύσει καὶ ἐκ μητρὸς Ἄννης καὶ ἐκ πατρὸς Ἰωακείμ, συγγένισσαν δὲ τῆς Ἐλισάβετ, ἐξ οἴκου καὶ πατριᾶς τοῦ ∆αυίδ, οὐκ ᾔδει δὲ ὅτι τοιαύτην δόξαν τιμηθήσεταί τις ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, μάλιστα γυνή. οὐκ ᾔδει οὖν αὐτὴν ἕως οὗ εἶδε τὸ θαῦμα, οὐκ ᾔδει αὐτῆς τὸ θαῦμα ἕως ὅτου εἶδε «τὸ γεγεννημένον ἐξ αὐτῆς». ὅτε δὲ ἔτεκεν, ἔγνω καὶ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ τιμήν, ὅτι αὐτὴ ἦν ἡ ἀκούσασα «χαῖρε κεχαριτωμένη· ὁ κύριος μετὰ σοῦ». 18. Αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ παρὰ μὲν τῇ Εὔᾳ σημαινομένη, δι' αἰνίγματος λαβοῦσα τὸ καλεῖσθαι «μήτηρ ζώντων». ἐκεῖ μὲν γὰρ μήτηρ ζώντων κέκληται, καὶ τοῦτο μετὰ τὸ ἀκοῦσαι «γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ», μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν. καὶ ἦν θαῦμα ὅτι μετὰ τὴν παράβασιν ταύτην τὴν μεγάλην ἔσχεν ἐπωνυμίαν. καὶ κατὰ μὲν τὸ αἰσθητὸν ἀπ' ἐκείνης τῆς Εὔας πᾶσα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ γέννησις ἐπὶ γῆς γεγένηται· ὧδε δὲ ἀληθῶς ἀπὸ Μαρίας αὐτὴ ἡ ζωὴ τῷ κόσμῳ γεγέννηται, ἵνα ζῶντα γεννήσῃ καὶ γένηται ἡ Μαρία μήτηρ ζώντων. δι' αἰνίγματος οὖν ἡ Μαρία μήτηρ ζώντων κέκληται. περὶ γὰρ τῶν δύο γυναικῶν ἐλέχθη «τίς δέδωκε γυναικὶ ὑφάσματος σοφίαν ἢ ποικιλτικὴν ἐπιστήμην;» ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ πρώτη σοφὴ Εὔα ὑφαίνουσα ἦν ἱμάτια τὰ αἰσθητὰ 3.469 διὰ τὸν Ἀδάμ, ὅνπερ ἐγύμνωσεν· αὐτῇ γὰρ ἐδόθη οὗτος ὁ κάματος. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δι' αὐτῆς ἡ γύμνωσις εὕρηται, αὐτῇ δέδοται τὸ ἀμφιεννύειν τὸ σῶμα τὸ αἰσθητὸν διὰ τὴν γύμνωσιν τὴν αἰσθητήν. τῇ δὲ Μαρίᾳ δέδοται ὑπὸ θεοῦ, ὅπως τέκῃ ἡμῖν ἀρνίον καὶ πρόβατον, καὶ ἐκ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀρνίου καὶ προβάτου γένηται ἡμῖν ὡς ἀπὸ πόκου ἐν σοφίᾳ δι' ἀρετῆς αὐτοῦ ἔνδυμα ἀφθαρσίας.