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to the right, nor to the left,» as evil turns us again in another way concerning the same reasonings and pushes our prudence to walk again on other paths, let us then be on our guard lest somehow praising the virgin excessively become for someone another stumbling block of fantasy. 23. For those who blaspheme against the son, as has been previously shown by me above, have been ambitious to alienate him by nature from the divinity of the father; but others again, thinking differently, as if led on to honor him more excessively, have said that the father is the same, and the son the same, and the holy spirit the same; and for both parties the wound is incurable. Thus concerning this holy and blessed ever-virgin, some have dared to insult her, as having had carnal union 3.473 after that greatest and purest economy of the lord of his incarnate presence. And this is the most impious of all wickedness. And just as we say we have marveled, having been informed that some have so rashly dared to give themselves over to sin, so too we have marveled again, having heard the other thing; for we have heard of others again acting foolishly in the matter concerning the same holy ever-virgin, having been eager and being eager to introduce her in place of God, and being carried away in a certain madness and insanity. For they relate how certain women there in Arabia, from the parts of Thrace, have introduced this empty talk, so as to perform a certain offering of a small cake in the name of the ever-virgin, and to gather together for this purpose and to attempt something beyond measure in the name of the holy virgin, and to attempt an unlawful and blasphemous act and to offer sacrifice in her name through women; which is entirely impious and unlawful, alienated from the preaching of the holy spirit; so that the whole thing is a diabolical operation and a teaching of an unclean spirit. For in their case too is fulfilled the saying, "some will depart from sound doctrine, giving heed to myths and to doctrines of demons." For he says, "they will be worshippers of the dead," as also in Israel they were worshipped. And the glory of the saints, which in due season is for God, has become for others who do not see the truth an error. For in Sichem, that is, in the present-day Neapolis, the inhabitants perform sacrifices in the name of the Maiden, supposedly on the pretext of Jephthah's daughter, who was once offered to God as a sacrifice; and for those who have been deceived, this has resulted in the harm of idolatry and vain worship. But also Pharaoh's daughter, who honored God's servant Moses, taking him up and raising him, the Egyptians honored beyond measure because of the child's fame at that time, in place of a god, and this they handed down to the foolish as a wicked tradition for worship. And they worship Thermuthis the daughter of Amenoph, at that time 3.474 Pharaoh, because, as I said before, she raised Moses. And many such similar things have happened in the world to the deception of the deceived, not with the saints being the cause of a stumbling block to some, but with the mind of men not being at rest, but turning aside to wicked things. For either the holy virgin died and was buried—her falling asleep is in honor, her end in purity, and her crown in virginity; or she was slain, as it is written, "and a sword shall pierce through her soul"—among martyrs is her fame and in blessings her holy body, through whom light dawned on the world; or she remained; for God is not unable to do all things that he wishes; for no one knew her end—it is not right to honor the saints beyond what is due, but to honor their master. Let the error of the erring therefore cease. For Mary is neither a god, nor did she have her body from heaven, but was formed from the conception of a man and a woman, but according to a promise, just as Isaac, divinely ordained. And let no one offer in her name; for he destroys his own soul, nor again

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ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιά, μηδὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ἀριστερά», πάλιν ἄλλως ἡμῖν στρεφομένης τῆς κακίας περὶ τοὺς αὐτοὺς λογισμοὺς καὶ ὠθούσης ἡμῶν τὸ σῶφρον ἐφ' ἑτέρας πάλιν ὁδοὺς βαδίζειν, ἀσφαλισώμεθα οὖν μή πως τὸ περισσοτέρως ἐγκωμιάσαι τὴν παρθένον γένηταί τινι εἰς ἄλλο πρόσκομμα φαντασίας. 23. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τὸν υἱὸν βλασφημοῦντες, καθάπερ μοι ἄνω προδεδήλωται, φύσει ἀπαλλοτριοῦν αὐτὸν τῆς τοῦ πατρὸς θεότητος ἐφιλοτιμήσαντο· ἄλλοι δὲ πάλιν ἑτέρως φρονήσαντες, ὡς δῆθεν τιμῆσαι περισσοτέρως προαχθέντες, τὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι πατέρα εἶπον καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν υἱὸν καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα· ἔστι δὲ τοῖς μέρεσιν ἀμφοτέροις ἀνίατος ἡ πληγή. οὕτω περὶ τῆς ἁγίας ταύτης καὶ μακαρίτιδος ἀειπαρθένου οἱ μὲν ἐξυβρίσαι τετολμήκασιν, ὡς συναφθεῖσαν αὐτὴν σαρκὶ 3.473 μετὰ τὴν μεγίστην ἐκείνην καὶ ἀκραιφνῆ οἰκονομίαν τοῦ κυρίου τῆς ἐνσάρκου αὐτοῦ παρουσίας. καὶ ἔστι τοῦτο πάσης μοχθηρίας δυσσεβέστατον. ὡς δὲ τοῦτό φαμεν τεθαυμακέναι ἐνηχηθέντες τινὰς οὕτω τετολμηκέναι ῥᾴστως ἐπιδοῦναι ἑαυτοὺς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ ἕτερον τεθαυμάκαμεν πάλιν ἀκηκοότες· ἄλλους γὰρ πάλιν ἀκηκόαμεν ἀφραίνοντας εἰς τὴν ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτῆς ἁγίας ἀειπαρθένου ὑπόθεσιν ἀντὶ θεοῦ ταύτην παρεισάγειν ἐσπουδακότας καὶ σπουδάζοντας, καὶ ἐν ἐμβροντήσει τινὶ καὶ φρενοβλαβείᾳ φερομένους. διηγοῦνται γὰρ ὥς τινες γυναῖκες ἐκεῖσε ἐν τῇ Ἀραβίᾳ ἀπὸ τῶν μερῶν τῆς Θρᾴκης τοῦτό γε τὸ κενοφώνημα ἐνηνόχασιν, ὡς εἰς ὄνομα τῆς ἀειπαρθένου κολλυρίδα τινὰ ἐπιτελεῖν καὶ συνάγεσθαι ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ καὶ εἰς ὄνομα τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου ὑπὲρ τὸ μέτρον τι πειρᾶσθαι, ἀθεμίτῳ τε καὶ βλασφήμῳ ἐπιχειρεῖν πράγματι καὶ εἰς ὄνομα αὐτῆς ἱερουργεῖν διὰ γυναικῶν· ὅπερ τὸ πᾶν ἐστιν ἀσεβὲς καὶ ἀθέμιτον, ἠλλοιωμένον ἀπὸ τοῦ κηρύγματος τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος· ὥστε εἶναι τὸ πᾶν διαβολικὸν ἐνέργημα καὶ πνεύματος ἀκαθάρτου διδασκαλίαν. πληροῦται γὰρ καὶ ἐπὶ τούτους τὸ «ἀποστήσονταί τινες τῆς ὑγιοῦς διδασκαλίας, προσέχοντες μύθοις καὶ διδασκαλίαις δαιμονίων». ἔσονται γάρ φησι «νεκροῖς λατρεύοντες» ὡς καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἐσεβάσθησαν. καὶ ἡ τῶν ἁγίων κατὰ καιρὸν εἰς θεὸν δόξα ἄλλοις γέγονε τοῖς μὴ ὁρῶσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν εἰς πλάνην. Ἐν γὰρ Σικίμοις, τουτέστιν ἐν τῇ νυνὶ Νεαπόλει, θυσίας οἱ ἐπιχώριοι τελοῦσιν εἰς ὄνομα τῆς Κόρης, δῆθεν ἐκ προφάσεως τῆς θυγατρὸς Ἰεφθάε, τῆς ποτὲ προσενεχθείσης τῷ θεῷ εἰς θυσίαν· καὶ τοῖς ἠπατημένοις τοῦτο γέγονεν εἰς βλάβην εἰδωλολατρείας καὶ κενολατρείας. ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ Φαραώ, τιμήσασαν τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ θεοῦ Μωυσέα, ἀνελομένην τε καὶ ἀναθρέψασαν, διὰ τὸ περίφημον τότε τοῦ παιδίου ὑπὲρ τὸ δέον τιμήσαντες Αἰγύπτιοι ἀντὶ θεοῦ, καὶ τοῦτο εἰς κακὴν παράδοσιν τοῖς ἀνοήτοις παρέδωκαν εἰς θρησκείαν. καὶ προσκυνοῦσι τὴν Θέρμουτιν τὴν θυγατέρα τοῦ Ἀμενώφ, ἕως τότε 3.474 Φαραώ, ἐπειδὴ ὡς προεῖπον ἀνέθρεψε τὸν Μωυσέα. καὶ πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ὅμοια γέγονεν ἐν κόσμῳ εἰς πλάνην τῶν ἠπατημένων, οὐ τῶν ἁγίων αἰτίων ὄντων τισὶν εἰς πρόσκομμα, τῆς δὲ διανοίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων μὴ ἠρεμούσης, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὰ πονηρὰ ἐκτρεπομένης. ἤτοι γὰρ ἀπέθανεν ἡ ἁγία παρθένος καὶ τέθαπται-ἐν τιμῇ αὐτῆς ἡ κοίμησις καὶ ἐν ἁγνείᾳ ἡ τελευτὴ καὶ ἐν παρθενίᾳ ὁ στέφανος· ἤτοι ἀνῃρέθη, καθὼς γέγραπται «καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῆς διελεύσεται ῥομφαία»-ἐν μάρτυσιν αὐτῆς τὸ κλέος καὶ ἐν μακαρισμοῖς τὸ ἅγιον αὐτῆς σῶμα, δι' ἧς φῶς ἀνέτειλε τῷ κόσμῳ· ἤτοι δὲ ἔμεινε· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἀδυνατεῖ τῷ θεῷ πάντα ποιεῖν ὅσαπερ βούλεται· τὸ τέλος γὰρ αὐτῆς οὐδεὶς ἔγνω-πέρα τοῦ δέοντος οὐ χρὴ τιμᾶν τοὺς ἁγίους, ἀλλὰ τιμᾶν τὸν αὐτῶν δεσπότην. παυσάσθω τοίνυν ἡ πλάνη τῶν πεπλανημένων. οὔτε γὰρ θεὸς ἡ Μαρία οὔτε ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἔχουσα τὸ σῶμα, ἀλλ' ἐκ συλλήψεως ἀνδρὸς καὶ γυναικός, κατ' ἐπαγγελίαν δέ, ὥσπερ ὁ Ἰσαάκ, οἰκονομηθεῖσα. καὶ μηδεὶς εἰς ὄνομα ταύτης προσφερέτω· ἑαυτοῦ γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν ἀπόλλει, μήτε πάλιν