Homiliae in Exodum 217 one who disregards the present age and having been “transferred” by the word of God to journey to the age to come has gone out of Egypt, from corporeal and afflicting things, which would be a “house of bondage,” seeking the house of freedom, Jerusalem, wanting to stand in confessing to the Lord 218 and to see his peace; then also God becomes his Lord; for not in Egypt, even if one eats the passover as one should, nor at any of the mentioned stations. For such a one is not yet free from bondage after so great a demonstration, unless he should be “at the mountain of God.” This is a preface to the coming decalogue. 221 Now, likenesses are images of existing things, of both living creatures and bodies, but idols are fabrications of non-existent things. For an idol is not a 222 real being; “for an idol is nothing in the world,” Paul says; for instance, if one were to fashion hippocentaurs or Pans or some monstrous natures. Therefore, every thought that occurs in the mind according to a comprehensive imagination about the divine nature fashions an idol of God, but does not proclaim God. And likenesses of things in heaven might be made by some who draw or even carve the sun or the moon; and perhaps he also speaks concerning the decans according to astrology; for they depict certain strange demons, which perhaps are named “the spiritual forces of wickedness in the 223 heavenly places” according to the word of God who says: “My sword has drunk its fill in heaven.” For they depict these on astrological tables and on amulets for averting or attracting demons, in which one might find both likenesses and idols. “you shall not bow down to them nor shall you serve them.” The one who serves also bows down, but one who bows down does not in every case serve; for the one is of a soul that reveres, while the other is even just a matter of posture; as some at times pretend, serving a power or gratifying passions, like those who committed idolatry in Numbers. For it is written concerning them that they did not serve nor were they enslaved to their idols 224. But God, wishing to be loved “with the whole soul,” does not tolerate even those who are impious just in posture; for it is necessary for one who has denied foreign gods to become a “portion of God,” having loved him “with the whole soul,” and to depart from the former evil lovers of the soul that commits fornication away from God, as was also said concerning Jerusalem, whose lovers had become her enemies, and she says: “I will return to my first husband, for it was better for me then than now.” But if you do not 225 turn in this way, so as to allow him to receive you and wash you and cleanse you from sin, you have come into the greatest danger. Therefore Jesus says to the sons of Israel: “You yourselves choose whether you serve the gods of these places or you serve the God of Israel”; and when they said, “We serve the Lord God,” he says: “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the Lord the God of Israel.” For there is a danger in departing from those things and not approaching God genuinely; for many things fight and wish to tear one away again to their own portion, according to “the spirit that went out and through waterless places found no rest, then finding the house from which it went out empty and alone, it was afraid to enter, but with seven 226.20 others more wicked it makes the last state worse than the first.” For judge the one who returns to the demons, and you will find his life after these things has become worse than before he approached God. For a demon dwells in each of the gentiles, “for all the gods of the nations are demons.” If, having cast this one out, you do not have the one who said: “I will dwell in them and I will be their God,” you have given yourself to that one and to the seven more wicked ones; for when God is present, they will not come; “for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness, or what communion has light with darkness; or what agreement has the temple of God with idols; what part has a believer with an unbeliever?”. For we are “the temple of God”

Homiliae in Exodum 217 ὁ τοῦ παρόντος αἰῶνος ὑπερορῶν καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ «μετατεθεὶς» ὁδεύειν ἐπὶ τὸν αἰῶνα τὸν μέλλοντα ἐξῆλθεν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, τῶν σωματικῶν καὶ θλιβόντων πραγ μάτων, ἅπερ «οἶκος» ἂν εἴη «δουλείας», ζητῶν τὸν οἶκον τῆς ἐλευ θερίας τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ, στῆναι θέλων ἐν τῷ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι τῷ κυ 218 ρίῳ καὶ ὁρᾶν αὐτοῦ τὴν εἰρήνην· ὅτε καὶ γίνεται κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῦ· οὐ γὰρ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, κἂν ὡς δεῖ τις ἐσθίῃ τὸ πάσχα, οὐδὲ κατά τινα τῶν εἰρημένων σταθμῶν. οὔπω γὰρ δουλείας ὁ τοιοῦτος ἐλεύθερος μετὰ τοσαύτην ἀπόδειξιν, εἰ μὴ «πρὸς ὄρει» γένοιτο «τοῦ Θεοῦ». τοῦτο τῆς ἐπιούσης δεκαλόγου προοίμιον. 221 τὰ μὲν οὖν ὁμοιώματα τῶν ὄντων εἰσὶν εἰκόνες ζῴων τε καὶ σωμάτων, τὰ δὲ εἴδωλα ἀνυπάρκτων ἐστὶν ἀναπλάσματα. Οὐ 222 γὰρ ὕπαρξις τὸ εἴδωλον· «οὐδὲν γὰρ εἴδωλον ἐν κόσμῳ» Παῦλος φησίν· οἷον εἴ τις ἱπποκενταύρους ἢ Πᾶνας ἢ τερατώδεις τινὰς ἀνα πλάσαιτο φύσεις. Πᾶν ἄρα νόημα κατὰ περιληπτικὴν φαντασίαν ἐν περινοίᾳ τῆς θείας γινόμενον φύσεως εἴδωλον πλάττει Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' οὐ Θεὸν καταγγέλλει. Γένοιτο δ' ἂν καὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανῷ ὁμοιώματα γραφόντων ἢ καὶ γλυφόντων τινῶν ἥλιον ἢ σελήνην· ἴσως δὲ καὶ περὶ τῶν κατ' ἀστρολογίαν φησὶ δεκανῶν· ἀλλοκότους γάρ τινας δια γράφουσι δαίμονας, ἅπερ ἴσως «πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς 223 ἐπουρανίοις» ὠνόμασται κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ λέγοντος Θεοῦ· «ἐμε θύσθη ἡ μάχαιρά μου ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ». Τούτους γὰρ ἐν πίναξιν ἀστρο λογικοῖς καταγράφουσιν ἔν τε φυλακτηρίοις ἀποτρεπτικοῖς δαιμόνων ἢ προτρεπτικοῖς, ἐν οἷς ἄν τις εὕροι τὰ μὲν ὁμοιώματα, τὰ δὲ εἴδωλα. «οὐ προσκυνήσεις αὐτοῖς οὐδ' οὐ μὴ λατρεύσῃς αὐτοῖς». ὁ μὲν λα τρεύων καὶ προσκυνεῖ, προσκυνῶν δέ τις οὐ πάντως λατρεύει· τὸ μὲν γὰρ ψυχῆς σεβομένης, τὸ δὲ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ σχήματος· οἷά τινες ἔσθ' ὅτε καθυποκρίνονται δυναστείαν θεραπεύοντες ἢ πάθεσι χαρι ζόμενοι κατὰ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς Ἀριθμοῖς εἰδωλολατρήσαντας. Γέγραπται γὰρ περὶ αὐτῶν ὅτι οὐκ ἐλάτρευσαν οὐδὲ ἐδούλευσαν τοῖς εἰδώλοις 224 αὐτῶν. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς ἀγαπᾶσθαι θέλων «ἐξ ὅλης ψυχῆς» οὐδὲ τῶν ἄχρι σχήματος ἀσεβούντων ἀνέχεται· χρὴ γὰρ τοὺς ἀλλοτρίους θεοὺς ἀρ νησάμενον «μερίδα» γενέσθαι «Θεοῦ» «ἐξ ὅλης» αὐτὸν ἠγαπηκότα «ψυχῆς» καὶ τῶν πρὶν κακῶν ἐραστῶν τῆς πορνευούσης ἐκ θεοῦ ψυχῆς ἀφι στάμενον, ὡς καὶ περὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἴρηται δυσμενῶν αὐτῇ γεγο νότων τῶν ἐραστῶν, ἣ καί φησιν· «ἀποστρέψω πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα μου τὸν πρότερον, ὅτι καλῶς μοι ἦν τότε ἢ νῦν». Εἰ δὲ μὴ οὕτως ἐπι 225 στρέψῃς, ὡς αὐτόν σε παραδέξασθαι καὶ λοῦσαι καὶ καθαρίσαι συγ χωροῦντα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, γέγονας ἐν μεγίστῳ κινδύνῳ. Τοιγαροῦν Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τοὺς υἱούς φησιν Ἰσραήλ· «ὑμεῖς αὐτοὶ ἐκλέξασθε πότερον λατρεύετε τοῖς θεοῖς τῶν τόπων τούτων ἢ λατρεύετε τῷ Θεῷ Ἰσραήλ»· ἐκείνων δὲ λεγόντων· «λατρεύομεν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ», φησίν· «ὑμεῖς μάρτυρες καθ' ὑμῶν ὅτι ὑμεῖς ἐξελέξασθε λατρεύειν Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ Ἰσραήλ». Κίνδυνος γὰρ ἐκείνων ἀποστάντα μὴ γνησίως προσελθεῖν τῷ Θεῷ· πολλὰ γὰρ τὰ πολεμοῦντα καὶ πάλιν ἀποσπάσαι βουλόμενα πρὸς μερίδα τὴν ἑαυτῶν κατὰ «τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐξελθὸν καὶ διὰ τῶν ἀνύδρων οὐχ εὑρίσκον ἀνάπαυσιν, εἶτα τὸν οἶκον εὑρόν, ὅθεν ἐξῆλθε, σχολάζοντα καὶ μόνον μὲν φοβηθὲν εἰσελθεῖν, μεθ' ἑπτὰ δὲ 226.20 πονηροτέρων ποιοῦν τὰ ἔσχατα τῶν πρώτων βαρύτερα». Κρῖνον γὰρ τὸν ὑποστρέφοντα πρὸς τοὺς δαίμονας, καὶ τὸν μετὰ ταῦτα βίον εὑρήσεις χείρω γεγονότα τοῦ πρὶν αὐτὸν προσελθεῖν τῷ Θεῷ. Οἰκεῖ γὰρ δαιμόνιον ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἐθνικῶν, «ὅτι πάντες οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν δαιμόνια». Τοῦτον ἐκβαλὼν ἐὰν μὴ σχῇς τὸν εἰρηκότα· «ἐνοι κήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν Θεός», δέδωκας σαυτὸν ἐκείνῳ τε καὶ τοῖς πονηροτέροις ἑπτά· Θεοῦ γὰρ ὄντος οὐχ ἥξουσι· «τίς γὰρ μετοχὴ δικαιοσύνης καὶ ἀδικίας ἢ τίς κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος· ἢ τίς συγκατάθεσις ναῷ Θεοῦ μετὰ εἰδώλων· τίς μερὶς πιστοῦ μετὰ ἀπίστου;». Ἡμεῖς γὰρ «ναὸς Θεοῦ» ἐσμὲν