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Praeparatio evangelica A

THIS THE FIRST BOOK OF THE EVANGELICAL PREPARATION CONTAINS

1.pin.1 1. What the promise of the evangelical proposition is 2. What those who attempt to slander our affairs are accustomed to say against us 3. That we did not choose to hold the doctrines of the word of salvation without examination 4. That our faith concerning the most beneficial things is not accepted by us without judgement at the time 5. That not without sober reasoning did we withdraw from our ancestral superstitious error 6. What things and of what kind are recorded among the Greeks concerning the first cosmogony, and how we have reasonably withdrawn from them 7. What points have been disputed among the natural philosophers concerning first principles, and how we have departed from these also with judgement 8. That the ancients made gods of nothing more than the stars that appear in the heaven 9. That there was among them no mythology concerning gods, nor indeed any setting up of wooden images 10. That the popular tales concerning the gods, commonly repeated among the many, are later introductions into life 11. An epitome of the ancient theology of the Phoenicians, and concerning its authors, and that we have justly rejected it with contempt

1. WHAT THE PROMISE OF THE EVANGELICAL PROPOSITION IS Believing that I should set forth to those who do not know it what Christianity is, through the present treatise which promises to contain the evangelical demonstration, this I have addressed to you, Theodotus, a divine treasure of bishops, beloved of God and sacred head, with prayers, if I might somehow obtain your help, you who cooperate with me in great things for the proposed proposition of the evangelical 1.1.2 teaching through your God-loving sacred ministries on our behalf. But it is well first of all to articulate clearly what this means which we call gospel. This, then, announces good tidings to all mankind of the presence of the highest and greatest blessings, long since foretold, but lately having shone upon all; procuring not unseen wealth, nor this short life of many sorrows, nor anything that belongs to the body and corruption, but things that are dear and congenial to souls that have an intelligent essence, on which things of the body are also 1.1.3 dependent, following like a shadow. And the sum of these would be piety, not that which is falsely so called and full of error, but that which truly bears the name. And this is the turning towards the one and only God, who is truly confessed and truly is, and the kindling of a life in accordance with Him, by which also friendship with Him is engendered, which is attended by the end that is truly God-beloved and thrice-blessed, suspended from above from the better things, and steered towards them, and again at last ending in them. 1.1.4 What then could be more blessed than this good and all-blissful friendship with God? Has He not Himself been appointed for all men steward and dispenser of life, and of light, and of truth, and of all good things? Has He not Himself comprehended the cause of the being and the life of all things? To him, therefore, who has set his course for friendship with Him, what could still be wanting? Of what would he be in want, who has made the Creator of all that is truly good his own? Or in what would he be deficient, who claims for himself the great protector and 1.1.5 universal king of all in place of a father and a guardian? But it is not possible to say that he who by disposition to the universal king

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Praeparatio evangelica Α

ΤΑ∆Ε ΤΟ ΠΡΩΤΟΝ ΠΕΡΙΕΧΕΙ ΣΥΓΓΡΑΜΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΚΗΣ ΠΡΟΠΑΡΑΣΚΕΥΗΣ

1.pin.1 αʹ. Τίς ἡ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς ὑποθέσεως ἐπαγγελία βʹ. Τίνα πρὸς ἡμᾶς σύνηθες λέγειν τοῖς τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς διαβάλλειν ἐπιχειροῦσιν γʹ. Ὅτι μὴ ἀνεξετάστως τὰ τοῦ σωτηρίου λόγου φρονεῖν εἱλόμεθα δʹ. Ὅτι μὲ ἀκρίτως ἡμῖν ἡ περὶ τῶν ὠφελιμωτάτων πίστις κατὰ καιρὸν παραλαμβάνεται εʹ. Ὅτι μὴ ἄνευ σώφρονος λογισμοῦ τῆς πατρίου δεισιδαίμονος πλάνης ἀνεχωρήσαμεν ʹ. Ὅσα παρ' Ἕλλησι καὶ οἷα περὶ τῆς πρώτης κοσμογονίας ἀναγράφεται, καὶ ὡς εὐλόγως αὐτῶν ἀνεχωρήσαμεν ζʹ. Ὅσα τοῖς φυσικοῖς φιλοσόφοις περὶ ἀρχῶν διαπεφώνηται καὶ ὡς καὶ τούτων μετὰ κρίσεως ἀπέστημεν ηʹ. Ὅτι πλέον οὐδὲν οἱ παλαιοὶ τῶν κατ' οὐρανὸν φαινομένων ἄστρων ἐθεολόγουν θʹ. Ὅτι μηδεμία τις ἦν αὐτοῖς περὶ θεῶν μυθολογία οὐδέ γε ξοάνων ἵδρυσις ιʹ. Ὅτι νεώτερα τῷ βίῳ παρεισῆκται τὰ περὶ τῶν θεῶν παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς τεθρυλημένα ιαʹ. Ἐπιτομὴ τῆς Φοινίκων ἀρχαιολογουμένης θεολογίας καὶ περὶ τῶν ταύτην συγγραψαμένων καὶ ὅτι δικαίως αὐτῆς κατεπτύσαμεν

αʹ. ΤΙΣ Η ΤΗΣ ΕΥΑΓΓΕΛΙΚΗΣ ΥΠΟΘΕΣΕΩΣ ΕΠΑΓΓΕΛΙΑ Τὸν χριστιανισμόν, ὅ τι ποτέ ἐστιν, ἡγούμενος τοῖς οὐκ εἰδόσι παραστήσασθαι διὰ τῆς προκειμένης πραγματείας τὴν εὐαγγελικὴν ἀπόδειξιν περιέξειν ἐπαγγελλομένης, τήνδε σοι, θεῖον ἐπισκόπων χρῆμα, Θεόδοτε, φίλη θεοῦ καὶ ἱερὰ κεφαλή, σὺν εὐχαῖς ἐπεφώνησα, εἴ πως ἄρα τῆς παρὰ σοῦ τύχοιμι βοηθείας, ταῖς φιλοθέοις ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἱερουργίαις τὰ μεγάλα μοι συμπράττοντος εἰς τὴν προβεβλημένην τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς 1.1.2 διδασκαλίας ὑπόθεσιν. ἀλλὰ γὰρ τί βούλεται τοῦτο δηλοῦν ὅ φαμεν εὐαγγέλιον, πρῶτον ἁπάντων διαρθρῶσαι καλόν. τοῦτο δὴ πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις τὴν παρουσίαν τῶν ἀνωτάτω καὶ μεγίστων ἀγαθῶν, πάλαι μὲν προηγορευμένων, νεωστὶ δὲ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἐπιλαμψάντων, εὐαγγελίζεται, οὐ τὸν οὐ βλέποντα πλοῦτον οὐδὲ τὴν σμικρὰν καὶ πολυπαθῆ ταύτην ζωὴν προξενοῦν οὐδ' ὅσα σώματος καὶ φθορᾶς οἰκεῖα, τὰ δὲ ψυχαῖς νοερὰν οὐσίαν κεκτημέναις φίλα τε καὶ προσήγορα, ὧν καὶ τὰ σωμάτων 1.1.3 ἐξῆπται, σκιᾶς ἐφεπόμενα δίκην. εἴη δ' ἂν τούτων τὸ κεφάλαιον εὐσέβεια, οὐχ ἡ ψευδώνυμος καὶ πολυπλανής, ἀλλ' ἡ σὺν ἀληθείᾳ τὴν προσηγορίαν ἐπιγραφομένη. ἔστιν δὲ αὕτη ἡ πρὸς τὸν ἕνα καὶ μόνον ὡς ἀληθῶς ὁμολογούμενόν τε καὶ ὄντα θεὸν ἀνάνευσις καὶ ἡ κατὰ τοῦτον ζωῆς ἔξαψις, ᾗ καὶ ἡ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐγγίνεται φιλία, ᾗ παρέπεται τὸ θεοφιλὲς ὄντως καὶ τρισμακάριον τέλος, ἄνωθεν ἐκ τῶν κρειττόνων ἀπῃωρημένον καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰ διακυβερνώμενον καὶ αὖ πάλιν εἰς αὐτὰ καταλῆ1.1.4 γον. τί οὖν ἂν γένοιτο τῆς ἀγαθῆς ταύτης καὶ πανολβίου θεοφιλίας μακαριστότερον; οὐχὶ καὶ ζωῆς αὐτὸς καὶ φωτὸς καὶ ἀληθείας καὶ πάντων ἀγαθῶν ταμίας τε καὶ χορηγὸς τοῖς πᾶσι καθέστηκεν; οὐχὶ καὶ τοῦ εἶναι τὰ πάντα καὶ τοῦ ζῆν αὐτὸς τὴν αἰτίαν περιείληφεν; τῷ δὴ οὖν τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν στειλαμένῳ φιλίαν τί ἂν ἔτι λείποιτο; τίνος δ' ἂν ὑστεροῖτο ὁ τῶν ὄντως ἀγαθῶν τὸν δημιουργὸν ἐξῳκειωμένος; ἢ τίνος ἂν ἐλαττοῖτο ὁ καὶ πατρὸς ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ κηδεμόνος τὸν μέγαν προστάτην καὶ 1.1.5 παμβασιλέα τῶν ὅλων ἐπιγραφόμενος; ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν ὅ τι μὴ οὐχὶ ὁ τῇ διαθέσει τῷ παμβασιλεῖ