αʹ Ὅτι ἀκατάληπτον τὸ θεῖον καὶ ὅτι οὐ δεῖ ζητεῖν
[Book III] Περὶ τῆς θείας οἰκονομίας καὶ περὶ τῆς δι' ἡμᾶς κηδεμονίας καὶ τῆς ἡμῶν σωτηρίας
Chapter X.—Concerning Faith.
Moreover, faith is twofold. For faith cometh by hearing.934 Rom. x. 17. For by hearing the divine Scriptures we believe in the teaching of the Holy Spirit. The same is perfected by all the things enjoined by Christ, believing in work, cultivating piety, and doing the commands of Him Who restored us. For he that believeth not according to the tradition of the Catholic Church, or who hath intercourse with the devil through strange works, is an unbeliever.
But again, faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen935 Heb. xi. 1., or undoubting and unambiguous hope alike of what God hath promised us and of the good issue of our prayers. The first, therefore, belongs to our will, while the second is of the gifts of the Spirit.
Further, observe that by baptism we cut936 περιτεμνόμεθα, circumcise. off all the covering which we have worn since birth, that is to say, sin, and become spiritual Israelites and God’s people.
Περὶ πίστεως
Ἡ μέντοι πίστις διπλῆ ἐστιν. «Ἔστι γὰρ πίστις ἐξ ἀκοῆς». Ἀκούοντες γὰρ τῶν θείων γραφῶν πιστεύομεν τῇ διδασκαλίᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος. Αὕτη δὲ τελειοῦται πᾶσι τοῖς νομοθετηθεῖσιν ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ, ἔργῳ πιστεύουσα, εὐσεβοῦσα καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς πράττουσα τοῦ ἀνακαινίσαντος ἡμᾶς. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῆς καθολικῆς ἐκκλησίας πιστεύων ἢ κοινωνῶν διὰ τῶν ἀτόπων ἔργων τῷ διαβόλῳ ἄπιστός ἐστιν.
«Ἔστι δὲ» πάλιν «πίστις ἐλπιζομένων ὑπόστασις, πραγμάτων ἔλεγχος οὐ βλεπομένων» ἢ ἀδίστακτος καὶ ἀδιάκριτος ἐλπὶς τῶν τε ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἡμῖν ἐπηγγελμένων καὶ τῆς τῶν αἰτήσεων ἡμῶν ἐπιτυχίας. Ἡ μὲν οὖν πρώτη τῆς ἡμετέρας γνώμης ἐστίν, ἡ δὲ δευτέρα τῶν χαρισμάτων τοῦ πνεύματος.
Ἰστέον, ὅτι διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος περιτεμνόμεθα ἅπαν τὸ ἀπὸ γενέσεως κάλυμμα ἤτοι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν καὶ Ἰσραηλῖται πνευματικοὶ καὶ θεοῦ λαὸς χρηματίζομεν.