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a shameful thing resulting from making a public example of her, yet it did not happen; as the angel teaches, saying, “Do not be afraid to take to you Mary your 3.471 wife,” who is not yet so, and even if in your suspicion there is a mistake, but she is not as you think, and so forth. For it immediately follows by saying, “For that which is conceived in her,” as if it had already been conceived, and again “she will bring forth a son” as of something in the future; for so it was. But the proclamation was made beforehand for the sake of faith, just as “before they came together” * being content that it did not happen at all. “Until she had brought forth her firstborn son” is interpreted by the same things, because of the wondrous knowledge concerning the virgin, who was honored by God. 21. But let no one suppose from the saying “before they came together” that they came together afterwards; for no one can show or indicate it; but in order to show the undefiled conception of the Savior, Scripture has affirmed this. Therefore, “he did not know her” is for the sake of glory; and “firstborn,” because he is firstborn before all creation and “firstborn among many brethren,” according to the apostle, not according to the birth from Mary, as if there were other sons from her, but among those deemed worthy to receive adoption through him, when he truly became her son according to the flesh, so that it might not be thought a mere appearance. But also firstborn and son of the virgin herself, not because she had other sons, as I said. For this is similar to the first state before the incarnation. For he who is truly the firstborn of the Father above before all creation is not called firstborn because others were born of the Father after him. For he has no second brother, because he is only-begotten. Thus also in the incarnate presence he is always the firstborn of Mary, but he is by nature the only-begotten of Mary, having no second brother from her. And let those who have devised harmful things against themselves cease, rather than things for their benefit. No, no, I beseech you. He who honors the Lord also honors the holy vessel, but he who dishonors the holy vessel also dishonors his own master. Let Mary be in herself the holy virgin, the holy vessel. For these things devised for harm do not profit us; but we must think more reverently, so that we may not acquire pride or discord or idle talk. For of every idle word we shall give an account, according to what is written; therefore let us take care for ourselves, let us examine our own things, 3.472 let us not cast our own things upon the saints, let us not consider the things of the saints from our own perspective. 22. For some, being constrained and turning to what is more lascivious and having in themselves a corrupting suspicion, wish to defile the saints also, for a plausible defense of their own evil and weak suspicion; to whom the apostle says, “I would that all men were even as I myself.” But how does he say “myself” if not because of being chaste? “But because of fornications, let every man have his own wife.” But the pronoun was removed. For he spoke reprovingly and more pointedly. For he could have said, because of your fornications. He therefore removed “your,” so that he might not seem to have said this as an insult to some. But it was said for the condemnation of some who are unwilling to be at leisure for God after living according to the law and reasonably recognizing their own vessel for the procreation of children, just as our ancient fathers also used this form; as we have also found Scripture somewhere saying, “And Rebecca having conceived by one.” By saying “by one,” he related it more reverently, but showed the conception to be just; for after having had children, it shows that he was no longer joined to his wife. But since it is easy and effortless for the mind to turn rather to what is base than to what is necessary, our human reasoning being prone to slip, and not quickly directing its impulse to the straight path of the Lord, but inclining sometimes to the right, and sometimes to the left, and with difficulty fulfilling what was said by Solomon, “incline not

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φαύλου μὲν γινομένου ἀπὸ τοῦ παραδειγματίσαι αὐτήν, οὐ γενομένου δέ· ὡς ὁ ἄγγελος διδάσκει λέγων «μὴ φοβηθῇς παραλαβεῖν Μαριὰμ τὴν 3.471 γυναῖκά σου», τὴν μηδέπω γενομένην, καὶ εἰ ἐν ὑπονοίᾳ σφάλματος παρὰ σοί ἐστιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως οὖσαν ὡς οἴει, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. εὐθὺς γὰρ ἀκολούθως λέγει «τὸ γὰρ γεννηθὲν ἐν αὐτῇ», ὡς ἤδη γεγεννημένου, πάλιν δὲ τὸ «τέξεται υἱόν» ὡς ἐπὶ μέλλοντος· οὕτως γὰρ ἦν. διὰ δὲ τὸ πεπιστῶσθαι ἡ προαναφώνησις, ὡς καὶ τὸ «πρὶν ἢ συνελθεῖν» * ἀρκούμενοι ὅτι οὐδ' ὅλως γεγένηται. «ἕως ὅτου ἔτεκε τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὸν πρωτότοκον» τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἐστιν ἑρμηνευόμενον, διὰ τὸ θαυμαστὸν τῆς περὶ τὴν παρθένον γνώσεως τὴν πρὸς θεὸν τετιμημένην. 21. Μὴ νομίσῃ δέ τις ἐκ τοῦ λέγειν «πρὸ τοῦ συνελθεῖν αὐτούς» ὅτι μετέπειτα συνῆλθον· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἔχει τις δεῖξαι ἢ σημᾶναι· ἀλλ' ἵνα δείξῃ ἄχραντον τὴν κύησιν τοῦ σωτῆρος, τοῦτο ἡ γραφὴ ἐπεβεβαιώσατο. τὸ οὖν «οὐκ ἔγνω αὐτήν» διὰ τὴν δόξαν· τὸ δὲ πρωτότοκον, ἐπειδὴ πρωτότοκός ἐστι πρὶν ἢ τὰς κτίσεις εἶναι καὶ «πρωτότοκος ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς», κατὰ τὸν ἀπόστολον, οὐ κατὰ τὸν ἀπὸ Μαρίας τοκετόν, ὡς ἄλλων υἱῶν ἀπ' αὐτῆς ὄντων, ἀλλ' ἐν τοῖς καταξιωθεῖσι λαβεῖν δι' αὐτοῦ τὴν υἱοθεσίαν, ὅτε υἱὸς αὐτῆς γέγονεν ἀληθῶς κατὰ σάρκα, ἵνα μὴ δόκησις ὑποληφθείη. ἀλλὰ καὶ πρωτότοκος καὶ υἱὸς αὐτῆς τῆς παρθένου, οὐ διὰ τὸ αὐτὴν ἄλλους υἱούς, ὡς ἔφην, ἔχειν. ὅμοιον γάρ ἐστι τοῦτο τῷ πρώτῳ τῷ πρὸ τῆς ἐνδημίας. ὁ γὰρ πρωτότοκος ὢν ἀληθῶς πατρὸς ἄνω πρὸ πάσης κτίσεως οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἄλλους μετ' αὐτὸν ἐκ πατρὸς γεγεννῆσθαι λέγεται πρωτότοκος. οὐ γάρ ἐστιν αὐτῷ ἀδελφὸς δεύτερος, διότι μονογενής. οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐνσάρκου παρουσίας ἀεὶ καὶ πρωτότοκός ἐστι Μαρίας, ἀλλὰ μονογενὴς τῇ Μαρίᾳ πέφυκε, μὴ ἔχων δεύτερον ἀδελφὸν ἀπ' αὐτῆς. καὶ παύσωνται οἱ καθ' ἑαυτῶν μεμηχανημένοι τὰ βλαβερὰ μᾶλλον ἤπερ τὰ πρὸς ὠφέλειαν. μὴ μή, παρακαλῶ. ὁ τιμῶν κύριον τιμᾷ καὶ ἅγιον σκεῦος, ὁ δὲ ἀτιμάζων ἅγιον σκεῦος ἀτιμάζει καὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ δεσπότην. ἔστω Μαρία παρ' ἑαυτῇ ἡ ἁγία παρθένος, τὸ ἅγιον σκεῦος. ταῦτα γὰρ τὰ πρὸς βλάβην ἐπινοηθέντα ἡμᾶς οὐκ ὠφελεῖ· ἡμᾶς δὲ δεῖ σεμνότερον διανοεῖσθαι, ἵνα μὴ ὑψαυχενίαν κτησώμεθα ἢ διχόνοιαν ἢ περιττολογίαν. περὶ παντὸς γὰρ ἀργοῦ λόγου λόγον δώσομεν, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· διὸ ἑαυτοὺς μεριμνήσωμεν, τὰ ἑαυτῶν ἐπισκε3.472 ψώμεθα, μὴ τὰ ἑαυτῶν εἰς τοὺς ἁγίους ῥίψωμεν, μὴ ἀφ' ἑαυτῶν τὰ τῶν ἁγίων διασκεψώμεθα. 22. Πάντως γὰρ βιαζόμενοί τινες καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ λαγνίστερον τρεπόμενοι καὶ ἐν αὑτοῖς ἔχοντες φθοριμαίαν ὑπόνοιαν βούλονται καὶ τοὺς ἁγίους χραίνειν, εἰς εὔλογον ἀπολογίαν τῆς ἑαυτῶν κακῆς καὶ ἀσθενοῦς ὑπονοίας· πρὸς οὓς ὁ ἀπόστολός φησιν «ἤθελον μὲν πάντας εἶναι ὡς ἐμαυτόν». τὸ δὲ ἐμαυτὸν πῶς ἄρα λέγει ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ τὸ ἁγνεύειν; «διὰ δὲ τὰς πορνείας ἕκαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γυναῖκα ἐχέτω». ὑπεξῃρέθη δὲ ἡ ἀντωνυμία. ἐλεγκτικῶς γὰρ εἶπε καὶ ἐπιστρεφέστερον. εἶχε γὰρ εἰπεῖν, διὰ τὰς πορνείας ὑμῶν. τὸ ὑμῶν τοίνυν περιεῖλεν, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ εἰς ὕβριν τινῶν τοῦτο εἰρηκέναι. ἐρρέθη δὲ εἰς κατάκρισίν τινων τῶν μὴ θελόντων θεῷ σχολάζειν μετὰ τὸ κατὰ τὸν νόμον βιοῦν καὶ εὐλόγως ἐπιγνῶναι τὸ αὐτῶν σκεῦος εἰς παιδοποιίαν, ὡς καὶ οἱ παλαιοὶ πατέρες ἡμῶν τούτῳ τῷ εἴδει κέχρηνται· ὡς καί που εὑρήκαμεν λέγουσαν τὴν γραφήν «Ῥεβέκκα δὲ ἐξ ἑνὸς κοίτην ἔχουσα». τὸ «δὲ ἐξ ἑνός» εἰπὼν σεμνότερον μὲν διηγήσατο, ἔδειξε δὲ τὴν σύλληψιν δικαίαν οὖσαν· μετὰ γὰρ τὸ ἐσχηκέναι τέκνα δείκνυσι μηκέτι τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτὸν συναφθέντα. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδήπερ ῥᾴδιον καὶ εὐχερές ἐστιν ἐπὶ τὰ φαῦλα μᾶλλον τρέπεσθαι τὴν διάνοιαν ἤπερ ἐπὶ τὰ ἀναγκαῖα, ὀλισθηροῦ ὄντος τοῦ ἡμετέρου ἀνθρωπίνου λογισμοῦ, καὶ οὐ τάχιον εὐθύνοντος αὐτοῦ τὴν ὁρμὴν ἐπὶ τὴν εὐθεῖαν ὁδὸν τοῦ κυρίου, ἀλλὰ κλίνοντος πῆ μὲν ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιά, πῆ δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ἀριστερὰ καὶ βαρέως πληροῦντος τὸ παρὰ τῷ Σαλομῶντι εἰρημένον «μὴ κλίνῃς