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from itself and that it is perfect in its own parts and whatever else arithmeticians relate about the number six in their scholastic discourses. Let them also speak about the number seven, that there is a barrenness in the seventh; for the number seven neither begets another from itself nor is it begotten by another. But we, lest being carried away into a very verbose discourse we should go outside of our address to you, will proceed to more reasonable and necessary things. But if anyone has some experience in those things, let him know that with us too the treasure of these things 54ais stored up.

But we do not think highly of these things because they are from the wisdom of the world, which we have been commanded to disdain as small and inconducive to virtue, rather than to display. So that we may show them that the things they are zealous for are easily despised by us, let us pass over such discussions in silence, and let us devote ourselves to the more profitable things at hand. And at the same time, the contemplation of those technical and sophistic arguments is not easily grasped by the common and unlearned people. And the church is present not waiting for a hearing of paradoxical arguments, but seeking the solutions of doctrines for its own edification. The seventh day, the Sabbath, has therefore been honored, and hence the seventh number is honorable among the Jews; in which are the feasts of tabernacles, the trumpets, the day of atonement. And the seventh 55ayear is honorable among them, the one called of release. For it was permitted for them to work the land for six years, but in the seventh year to be content with what grew on its own, when they had the land of promise. A Hebrew served for six years and in the seventh was released from slavery. In the seventieth year their captivity was ended. Likewise it is possible to see our things too. Seven times, he says, the just man will fall and will rise again. Thus we too make the seven our own. The seventh from creation did not see death; this is a mystery of the church. The seventh from Abraham, Moses, received the law. This is a change of life, an abolition of lawlessness, an entrance of righteousness, a visitation of God, good order in the world, a legislation of things to be done. In the seventy-seventh generation from Adam Christ appeared. Peter knows the mystery of the seven; How many times shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times? 56aThe teacher answered and he himself did not depart from the seven, but he spoke as the disciple knew, but the master surpassed him in richness; How many times will he sin and I forgive? He did not say: up to six times or up to eight times. Then he added, Up to seventy times seven. He did not change to another number in the increase. He did not say: a hundred times a hundred, but he multiplied the seven. Neither did Peter ask another number nor did the lord depart from the rule of seven. Peter observed that it is an ancient rule of tradition, that the seven has a significance of some forgiveness of sins, of perfect rest, of which the Sabbath is a sign, the seventh day from creation. Peter seven times, the lord seventy times seven. But also sins in ancient times are avenged according to this number. Not so, says God, whoever kills Cain will suffer sevenfold vengeance. Not eight there either but seven. Why? Wait a little and you will find the mystery. The first sin is avenged sevenfold, the second murder of Lamech seventy times seven. So likewise here also a seventh forgiveness from Peter corresponding to the 57avengeance of Cain and forgiveness from the lord seventy times seven like the condemnation of Lamech. as great as the trespass, so great also the grace; where sin is small, forgiveness is also small; For to whom little is forgiven, he also loves little; Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. What then is the mystery? the age of judgment is called the eighth day, in which the sinner will be avenged sevenfold, the one exceedingly so seventy times seven; and conversely the just man will be honored sevenfold, the exceedingly just man seventy times seven. For the loving-kindness of God now indeed reveals to us through riddles the things to come, then

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ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ὅτι τέλειος τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μέρεσι καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα περὶ τῆς ἑξάδος ἐν ταῖς σχολικαῖς διαλέξεσιν ἀριθμητικοὶ διηγοῦνται. λεγέτωσαν καὶ περὶ τῆς ἑβδομάδος, ὅτι στείρωσίς ἐστιν ἐν τῷ ἑβδόμῳ· οὔτε γὰρ γεννᾷ ἄλλον ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ οὔτε παρ' ἑτέρου γεννᾶται ὁ ἑπτὰ ἀριθμός. ἡμεῖς δέ, ἵνα μὴ εἰς πολύυλον μετενεχθέντες λόγον ἔξω γενώμεθα τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς διαλέξεως, ἐπὶ τὰ εὐγνωμονέστερα χωρήσομεν καὶ ἀναγκαιότερα. εἰ δέ τις καὶ περὶ ἐκεῖνα ἔχει τινὰ ἐμπειρίαν, ἴστω ὅτι καὶ παρ' ἡμῖν ὁ τούτων θησαυρὸς 54aἐναπόκειται.

Οὐ φρονοῦμεν δὲ τούτοις μέγα διὰ τὸ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ κόσμου ταῦτα εἶναι σοφίας, ἃ περιφρονεῖν μᾶλλον ἡμεῖς ὡς μικρὰ καὶ ἀσυντελῆ πρὸς ἀρετὴν ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπιδείκνυσθαι ἐντετάλ μεθα. ἵνα γοῦν δείξωμεν αὐτοῖς ὅτι τὰ ἐκείνων περισπούδαστα ἡμῖν ἐστιν εὐκαταφρόνητα, τοὺς μὲν τοιούτους λόγους σιωπῇ παραδρά μωμεν, τοῖς δὲ μετὰ χεῖρα καὶ ὠφελιμωτέροις ἐμφιλοχωρήσωμεν. ἅμα δὲ καὶ οὐδὲ τῷ κοινῷ καὶ ἰδιώτῃ λαῷ εὔληπτος ἡ τῶν τεχνικῶν ἐκείνων καὶ σοφιστικῶν λόγων θεωρία. πάρεστι δὲ ἡ ἐκκλησία οὐ παραδόξων λόγων ἀκρόασιν ἐκδεχομένη, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἐπ' οἰκοδομῇ οἰκείᾳ θεωρημάτων ἐπιζητοῦσα τὰς λύσεις. Τετίμηται τοίνυν ἡ ἑβδόμη ἡμέρα, τὸ σάββατον, κἀντεῦθεν ὁ ἕβδομος παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις ἀριθμὸς τίμιος· ἐν ᾧ αἱ σκηνοπηγίαι, αἱ σάλπιγγες, ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ ἱλασμοῦ. καὶ ἐνιαυτὸς δὲ ὁ ἕβδομος 55aπαρ' ἐκείνοις τίμιος ὁ τῆς ἀφέσεως λεγόμενος. ἐξῆν μὲν γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἓξ ἔτη ἐργᾶσθαι τὴν γῆν, τῷ δὲ ἑβδόμῳ ἐνιαυτῷ τοῖς αὐτομάτοις ἀρκεῖ σθαι, ὅτε εἶχον τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. ἓξ ἔτη ἐδούλευεν ὁ Ἑβραῖος καὶ τῷ ἑβδόμῳ ἀφεῖτο τῆς δουλείας. ἑβδομηκοστῷ ἔτει ἐλύθη παρ' αὐτοῖς ἡ αἰχμαλωσία. ὡσαύτως ἔστιν ἰδεῖν καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα. Ἑπτάκις, φησί, πεσεῖται ὁ δίκαιος καὶ ἀναστήσεται. οὕτως οἰκειούμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς τὴν ἑβδομάδα. ἕβδομος ἀπὸ γενέσεως οὐκ εἶδε θάνατον· μυστήριον τοῦτο ἐκκλησίας. ἕβδομος ἀπὸ Ἀβραὰμ Μωυσῆς νόμον ἔλαβε. τοῦτο μεταβολὴ βίου, ἀνομίας ἀνάλυσις, δικαιοσύνης εἴσοδος, θεοῦ ἐπιδημία, εὐταξία εἰς κόσμον, νομοθέτησις τῶν πρακτέων. ἑβδομηκοστῇ καὶ ἑβδόμῃ γενεᾷ ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐφάνη. οἶδε τὸ μυστήριον τῆς ἑβδομάδος Πέτρος· Ποσάκις ἁμαρτήσει ὁ ἀδελφός μου εἰς ἐμὲ καὶ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ; ἕως ἑπτάκις; 56aἀπεκρίθη ὁ διδάσκαλος καὶ οὐδ' αὐτὸς ἀπέστη τοῦ ἑπτά, ἀλλ' εἶπε μὲν ὡς ᾔδει ὁ μαθητής, ὑπερέβαλε δὲ τῷ πλούτῳ ὁ δεσπότης· Ποσάκις ἁμαρτή σει καὶ ἀφήσω; οὐκ εἶπεν· ἕως ἑξάκις ἢ ἕως ὀκτάκις. εἶτα ἐπήγαγεν Ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. οὐκ εἰς ἄλλον μετέπεσε τῇ αὐξήσει ἀριθμόν. οὐκ εἶπεν· ἑκατοντάκις ἑκατόν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἑπτὰ ἐπολυπλασίασεν. οὔτε ὁ Πέτρος ἄλλον ἠρώτησεν ἀριθμὸν οὔτε ὁ κύριος ἐξέβη τοῦ κανόνος τοῦ ἑβδοματικοῦ. παρετήρησεν ὁ Πέτρος ὅ τι κανὼν παραδόσεως ἀρχαῖός ἐστι, τὴν ἑβδομάδα ἔμφασιν ἔχειν τινὸς ἀφέσεως ἁμαρτη μάτων, ἀναπαύσεως τελείας, οὗ σημεῖον τὸ σάββατόν ἐστιν, ἡ ἑβδόμη ἀπὸ γενέσεως ἡμέρα. ὁ Πέτρος ἑπτάκις, ὁ κύριος ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. Ἀλλὰ καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι τὸ παλαιὸν κατὰ τοῦτον ἐκδικοῦνται τὸν ἀριθμόν. Οὐχ οὕτως, φησὶν ὁ θεός, πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Κάϊν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει. οὐδὲ ἐκεῖ ὀκτὼ ἀλλὰ ἑπτά. διὰ τί; μικρὸν ἀνάμεινον καὶ εὑρήσεις τὸ μυστήριον. ἡ πρώτη ἁμαρτία ἑπτάκις ἐκδικεῖται, ὁ δεύτερος φόνος τοῦ Λάμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. ὁμοίως οὖν κἀνταῦθα ἄφεσις παρὰ Πέτρῳ ἑβδόμη ἀναλογοῦσα τῇ 57aἐκδικήσει τοῦ Κάϊν καὶ συγχώρησις παρὰ κυρίου ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτὰ ὡς ἡ κατάκρισις τοῦ Λάμεχ. ὅσον τὸ παράπτωμα, τοσοῦτον καὶ τὸ χάρισμα· ὅπου ὀλίγη ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὀλίγη καὶ ἡ ἄφεσις· Ὧι γὰρ ἀφῆ κεν ὀλίγον, ὀλίγον καὶ ἀγαπᾷ· Ὅπου ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις. Τί οὖν ἐστι τὸ μυστήριον; ὀγδόη λέγεται ἡμέρα αἰὼν ὁ τῆς κρίσεως, ἐν ᾧ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς ἑπτάκις, ὁ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτὰ ἐκδικηθήσεται· καὶ ἔμπαλιν ὁ δίκαιος τιμηθήσεται ἑπτάκις, ὁ καθ' ὑπερβολὴν δίκαιος ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. ἡ γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία νῦν μὲν δι' αἰνιγμάτων ἡμῖν παραφαίνει τὰ μέλλοντα, τότε