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In pentecosten

ORATION 41.

By the same, on Pentecost. 1. Let us philosophize briefly about the feast, so that we may celebrate spiritually. For one festival is for one person, another for another; 36.429 but for the servant of the Word, an oration, and of orations, the one most suited to the occasion. And nothing so gladdens any lover of beauty, as for the lover of festivals to celebrate spiritually. Let us consider it this way: The Jew also celebrates, but according to the letter; for pursuing the law of the body, he has not attained to the spiritual law. The Greek also celebrates, but according to the body, and his own gods and demons; of whom some are creators of passions according to those very people, while others were honored out of passions. For this reason their celebration is also full of passion; so that sinning may be an honor to God, to whom passion has recourse, as something to be venerated. We also celebrate, but as seems good to the Spirit. And it seems good, either by saying something of what is needful, or by doing it. And this is our celebration: to treasure up for the soul something of the things that are established and held fast, but not of those that are receding and dissolving, and for a little while flatter the sense, but for the most part, corrupt and injure it, at least in my opinion. For its own evil is sufficient for the body. Why does the flame need more fuel, or the beast more abundant food, that it may become more uncontrollable, and more violent than reason?

2. For these reasons, therefore, we must celebrate spiritually. But the beginning of the oration (for it must be said, even if our oration is a little digressive, and the lovers of learning must take pains, that we may mix in, as it were, a kind of seasoning to the festival): The children of the Hebrews honor the week, from the legislation of Moses, just as the Pythagoreans later honored the tetractys, which indeed they have made their oath; and the ogdoad and the triad, those from Simon and Marcion, who indeed also name and honor certain Aeons of equal number to them. I do not know, indeed, by what reasonings of analogy, or according to what power of this number, but they do honor them. What is manifest is this: that in six days God, having given substance to and formed matter, and having adorned it with all sorts of forms and compositions, and having made this present visible world, on the seventh rested from His works, as the name Sabbath also indicates, signifying rest in Hebrew. But if there is any higher reason concerning these things, let others philosophize. But their honor extends not only to days, but also to years. The honor of the 36.432 days, then, the Sabbath, shows this, which is continually honored among them, as also the removal of the leaven for an equal number of days; and that of the years, the seventh year of release. And not only in sevens, but also in sevens of sevens, similarly in both days and years. The weeks of days, therefore, generate Pentecost, a holy day of convocation among them; and those of the years, what is called among them the Jubilee, which likewise has a release of land, and freedom for slaves, and a reversion of purchased property. For they consecrate to God this kind of firstfruits, not only of produce, nor of firstborn, but also of days and years. Thus the honored number seven introduced the honor of Pentecost. For seven multiplied by itself produces fifty, lacking one day, which we have received in advance from the age to come, being itself both the eighth and the first, or rather one and indissoluble. For there the sabbath-rest of souls here must end, as

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In pentecosten

ΛΟΓΟΣ ΜΑʹ.

Τοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν Πεντηκοστήν. Αʹ. Περὶ τῆς ἑορτῆς βραχέα φιλοσοφήσωμεν, ἵνα πνευματικῶς ἑορτάσωμεν. Ἄλλη μὲν γὰρ ἄλλῳ 36.429 πανήγυρις· τῷ δὲ θεραπευτῇ τοῦ Λόγου λόγος, καὶ λόγων ὁ τῷ καιρῷ προσφορώτατος. Καὶ οὐδὲν οὕτως εὐφραίνει καλὸν τῶν φιλοκάλων οὐδένα, ὡς τὸ πανηγυρίζειν πνευματικῶς τὸν φιλέορτον. Σκο πῶμεν δὲ οὕτως· Ἑορτάζει καὶ Ἰουδαῖος, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ γράμμα· τὸν γὰρ σωματικὸν διώκων νό μον, εἰς τὸν πνευματικὸν νόμον οὐκ ἔφθασεν. Ἑορτάζει καὶ Ἕλλην, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα, καὶ τοὺς ἑαυτοῦ θεούς τε καὶ δαίμονας· ὧν οἱ μὲν εἰσὶ παθῶν δημιουργοὶ κατ' αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους, οἱ δὲ ἐκ παθῶν ἐτιμήθησαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐμπαθὲς αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ ἑορτάζειν· ἵν' ᾖ τιμὴ Θεοῦ τὸ ἁμαρ τάνειν, πρὸς ὃν καταφεύγει τὸ πάθος, ὡς σεμνο λόγημα. Ἑορτάζομεν καὶ ἡμεῖς, ἀλλ' ὡς δοκεῖ τῷ Πνεύματι. ∆οκεῖ δὲ, ἢ λέγοντάς τι τῶν δεόν των, ἢ πράττοντας. Καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἑορτάζειν ἡμῶν, ψυχῇ τι θησαυρίσαι τῶν ἑστώτων καὶ κρα τουμένων, ἀλλὰ μὴ τῶν ὑποχωρούντων καὶ λυομέ νων, καὶ μικρὰ σαινόντων τὴν αἴσθησιν, τὰ πλείω δὲ, λυμαινομένων τε καὶ βλαπτόντων, κατά γε τὸν ἐμὸν λόγον. Ἀρκετὸν γὰρ τῷ σώματι ἡ κακία αὐτοῦ. Τί δὲ δεῖ τῇ φλογὶ πλείονος ὕλης, ἢ τῷ θηρίῳ δαψιλεστέρας τροφῆς, ἵνα μᾶλλον δυσκάθεκτον γένηται, καὶ τοῦ λογισμοῦ βιαιότερον;

Βʹ. ∆ιὰ ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἑορταστέον πνευματικῶς. Ἀρχὴ δὲ τοῦ λόγου (ῥητέον γὰρ, καὶ εἰ μικρόν τι παρεκβατικώτερος ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος, καὶ φιλοπονη τέον τοῖς φιλολόγοις, ἵν' ὥσπερ ἥδυσμά τι τῇ πανηγύρει συγκαταμίξωμεν)· Τὴν ἑβδομάδα τιμῶ σιν Ἑβραίων παῖδες, ἐκ τῆς Μωϋσέως νομοθεσίας, ὥσπερ οἱ Πυθαγορικοὶ τὴν τετρακτὺν ὕστερον, ἣν δὴ καὶ ὅρκον πεποίηνται· καὶ τὴν ὀγδοάδα καὶ τριακάδα, οἱ ἀπὸ Σίμωνος, καὶ Μαρκίωνος, οἷς δὴ καὶ ἰσαρίθμους τινὰς Αἰῶνας ἐπονομάζουσι, καὶ τιμῶσιν. Οὐκ οἶδα μὲν οἷστισι λόγοις ἀναλο γίας, ἢ κατὰ τίνα τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ τούτου δύναμιν, τιμῶσι δ' οὖν. Τὸ μὲν πρόδηλον, ὅτι ἐν ἓξ ἡμέ ραις ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ὕλην ὑποστήσας τε καὶ μορφώ σας, καὶ διακοσμήσας παντοίοις εἴδεσι καὶ συγ κρίμασι, καὶ τὸν νῦν ὁρώμενον τοῦτον κόσμον ποιήσας, τῇ ἑβδόμῃ κατέπαυσεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων, ὡς δηλοῖ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Σαββάτου προσηγορία, κατάπαυσιν Ἑβραϊκῶς σημαίνουσα. Εἰ δέ τις καὶ ὑψηλότερος περὶ ταῦτα λόγος, ἄλλοι φιλοσοφείτω σαν. Ἡ τιμὴ δὲ αὐτοῖς, οὐκ ἐν ἡμέραις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς ἐνιαυτοὺς φθάνουσα. Ἡ μὲν οὖν τῶν 36.432 ἡμερῶν, τὸ Σάββατον, τοῦτο δηλοῖ τὸ συνεχῶς παρ' αὐτοῖς τιμώμενον, καθὸ καὶ ἡ τῆς ζύμης ἄρ σις ἰσάριθμος· ἡ δὲ τῶν ἐτῶν, ὁ ἑβδοματικὸς ἐνιαυ τὸς τῆς ἀφέσεως. Καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἑβδομάσι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἑβδομάσιν ἑβδομάδων, ὁμοίως ἔν τε ἡμέραις καὶ ἔτεσιν. Αἱ μὲν οὖν τῶν ἡμερῶν ἑβδομάδες γεννῶσι τὴν Πεντηκοστὴν, κλητὴν ἁγίαν παρ' αὐτοῖς ἡμέραν· αἱ δὲ τῶν ἐτῶν, τὸν Ἰωβυ λαῖον παρ' αὐτοῖς ὀνομαζόμενον, ὁμοίως γῆς τε ἄφεσιν ἔχοντα, καὶ δούλων ἐλευθερίαν, καὶ κτήσεων ὠνητῶν ἀναχώρησιν. Καθιεροῦσι γὰρ, οὐ γεννημάτων μόνον, οὐδὲ πρωτοτόκων, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ ἡμερῶν καὶ ἐτῶν ἀπαρχὰς τῷ Θεῷ τοῦτο τὸ γένος. Οὕτως ὁ ἑπτὰ τιμώμενος ἀριθμὸς τὴν τιμὴν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς συνεισήγαγεν. Ὁ γὰρ ἑπτὰ ἐπὶ ἑαυτὸν συντιθέμενος, γεννᾷ τὸν πεντήκοντα, μιᾶς δεούσης ἡμέρας, ἣν ἐκ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος προσειλήφαμεν, ὀγδόην τε οὖσαν τὴν αὐτὴν καὶ πρώτην, μᾶλλον δὲ μίαν καὶ ἀκατάλυτον. ∆εῖ γὰρ ἐκεῖσε καταλῆξαι τὸν ἐνταῦθα Σαββατισμὸν τῶν ψυχῶν, ὡς