Книга седьмая

1. A true Gnostic is a true worshiper of God: unbelievers unjustly accuse him of godlessness and impiety. It is time to show the Hellenes that only a Gnostic is a truly pious and religious person. Let their wise men, having learned from here what a true Christian is, on the one hand, realize their own ignorance and be convinced that they are pursuing this name recklessly and without any reason; on the other hand, they will be guilty of wrongfully branding those who are admirers of the true God with the name atheists. Purely human reasons must also be brought against the sages, so that they can understand them from the point of view of their own teachings, although by the forces flowing from faith this still cannot penetrate them, nor make them worthy of this. We will wait a while to use prophetic sayings; Let’s put aside the Holy Scripture for a while. Scripture. We will briefly indicate only their meaning when we depict Christianity; and in order not to disrupt the sequence of speech, we will jointly expound the provisions of the Holy. Scriptures and his own reasoning, bearing in mind those who do not yet comprehend the meaning of the sacred texts. Having revealed the meaning of St. Scriptures, we will bring to the hearts of believers an abundant harvest and testimonies. If to some simple and unenlightened minds our speeches seem to disagree with the Scriptures of the Lord, then let them know that it is on them that the strength and liveliness of our speeches is based and that instead of the letter we extract from the Holy Scriptures. books spirit, enriching your thoughts through this. It often happens that a very precise meaning and not given at the right time is rightly considered useless; in the same way, not to stop at least for a minute with attention to fundamental things would mean revealing no less negligence than mental squalor. But in truth, blessed are those who keep the commandments of the Lord and seek Him with all their hearts (Ps. 119:2). But the law and the prophets testify to the Lord (Acts 10:43). So, we intend to prove that only the Gnostic possesses holiness, that only he renders to God the veneration worthy of His greatness. From the fact that he renders to God the worship befitting His greatness, it undoubtedly follows that he loves God, and therefore that he himself, in turn, is loved by God. He considers everything excellent to be venerable, and precisely in proportion to its superiority and greatness. Of the objects that are subject to feelings, he considers the government, parents, and any elder in general worthy of respect. Of the various teachings, he honors mainly the most ancient philosophy and prophecies, which were spoken earlier than others. Of the objects comprehended only by reason, he honors as the highest Being the one who is the source of being, the eternal principle, the Beginningless One, in Whom, however, lies the beginning of everything that exists; I am talking about the Son, from whom alone we could learn which of the causes preceded all the others. What is this reason and this force? The cause of everything that exists, the most ancient and most beneficent, is the Father, whose name the human tongue cannot pronounce, but whom one should worship in deep silence, deeply humble reverence and amazement. The Lord announced the mystery of His being to the extent that the disciples of faith can comprehend it; it is comprehended by those who were predestined by the Lord to knowledge and whose understanding was prepared to understand (Heb. 5:14), as the Apostle says. So, the veneration rendered by the Gnostic to God consists in his vigilant concern for his own soul and in the fact that in all his activities he pursues the comprehension of God. Moreover, this worship is accompanied and supported by endless generosity. As for the services provided to people, with some of them he means to improve people, with others to help them and comfort them. Medicine heals the body; with wisdom the spirit is reborn. Another type of service is assistance provided by children to parents, by subjects to bosses and the government. We see the same thing in the church. Priests 865 are representatives of the ministry of improving and correcting; providing assistance and support for the duties of deacons. By performing this double service, distributing earthly things, these angels serve God. The Gnostic also serves God; and as soon as he is called to teach people and correct, he communicates to people those sublime contemplations that can improve them. There is no piety or reverence for God in anyone here on earth except in the believer, who in earthly things serves God with glory and impeccability. Just as the highest culture is that which, giving man benefits in the various crafts, arts and knowledge of the farmer, reaps harvests and produces trade turnover: in the same way, the piety of the Gnostic, - in itself alone concentrating the fruits brought by those who were brought to faith by his service - thanks to his abilities, collects the richest of all treasures; this is when he brings many of his brothers to their senses and puts them on the path of salvation. If it is true that debate is a common mood in which the worship of God is rendered in complete harmony with His greatness, then the Christian who renders such veneration to God is the only one who is His friend. The friend of God knows what pleases God; he knows, from a theoretical and practical point of view, what kind of life should lead one who in the future has to become a god, and in the present must become like God. For the same reason the Gnostic loves God more than anything else. To honor your father means to love him; in the same way, honoring God is equivalent to loving Him. The gifts of the Gnostic, it seems to us, are therefore manifested by three forces: firstly, he penetrates with them into the depths of things; secondly, he fulfills the commandments of the Lamb; thirdly, thanks to them, the Gnostic is able to convey the secrets of knowledge in instructions that correspond to the greatness of God. Now I ask: What is the reason for this, that a person who believes in the existence of the Almighty and has received from the mouth of His very Son, the uncreated, the revelation of the Divine mysteries, is turned into an atheist? An atheist is a wicked person who denies the existence of God. Don’t dress him up as a superstition either. A superstitious person is afraid of demons, elevates everything that exists to divine dignity: wood, stone; and the spirit reduces a person who lives by reason to the level of a slave, driven only by fear. 2. In the eternal council of the Father, it is accepted that the Son should be the Creator of everything that exists and the Provider of it. That is why He provides for people and arranges their salvation. The first step of faith is to know God and obey Him. Therefore, one should recognize the teaching of the Savior in its entirety and reason in such a way that not to cause any injustice to anyone is a necessary condition and consequence of this knowledge of God. A person who renders God the purest worship is the most honorable phenomenon on earth. The heavenly angel is already worthy of veneration. Already the location and the greatest purity of the being make the Angels the closest participants in eternal and blissful life. But the most perfect and holiest being, the most unlimited, the most sublime, the most powerful, the most royal and the most beneficent, is the Son of God, who by nature is closest to the one Almighty 866. It represents the highest superiority over other beings - to order everything and command everything in accordance with the will of the Father, to manage everything wisely, to reveal omnipotence in all one’s affairs, knowing neither fatigue nor exhaustion. This is precisely the action of the Son of God, observing the secret laws of existence. He never leaves or leaves the central point of his providential vision. Indivisible, undivided into parts, having no need to be transferred from one place to another and at the same time constantly being everywhere, but at the same time nowhere in particular, He consists entirely of reason, entirely of light, the entire Father's eye, sees everything, hears everything, knows everything, supports all physical forces with His omnipotence: such is the Son. The armies of Angels and gods 867 of heaven reverently obey Him, the Father Logos, who took upon Himself the entire economy, just to be pleasing to Him who subjected everything to Him (1 Cor. 15:27, 28). That is why all people constitute His property, both those who have known Him and those who have not yet known Him; some as friends (John 15:14, 15), others as faithful servants (Heb. 3:5), still others simply as servants. This is our Teacher. Through secrets He educates a true sage (Gnostic); through affirmation in good hope - a simple believer; through corrective education, supported by means that strongly act on the feelings of a hard-hearted person. Thus His providence is revealed in general and in particular, everywhere and in everything. He is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior. Divinely inspired prophecies testify to this with all clarity. Being the Lord of all without exception, both Greeks and barbarians, He convinces everyone who wants to be convinced. He does not forcefully impose His saving economy on everyone, but makes it dependent on free choice; and from the one who accepted salvation from His hand for the fulfillment of everything promised by Him, he demands only the fulfillment of his commandments. He also gave wisdom (philosophy) to the Hellenes through the mediation of the lower Angels 868. For by ancient Divine command the Angels were distributed among the nations (Deut. 32:8, 9). But the Lord's part consists only of the faithful. One of two things: Or the Lord does not care about all people: and this could be explained by His powerlessness. But it is terrible blasphemy to attribute human weakness to God. Or He is able to care for everyone, but does not want this, which is inconsistent with His goodness. It also cannot be said that He does not care about people, restrained from doing so by the infirmities of our flesh that He took upon Himself. So we have to admit that He cares about everything. This is also in accordance with His being, for He is the Lord of the universe. Moreover, He is the Savior of all people without exception, and not just these or those. He distributed the gifts of his mercy according to the acceptability of each. He thus bestowed upon the Hellenes and barbarians, as well as His faithful and chosen ones, whom He had previously predestined both from the Hellenes and from the barbarians, but He called under His banners only at the time appointed by Him (Rom. 8:30; Titus 1:2, etc.). And He could not envy anyone’s merciful adoption, because He calls everyone equally; He commensurates the highest honors with the height of faith and its firmness. No outside force could hinder Him in His intentions or keep Him from fulfilling them: He is the Lord of the universe and fulfills only the will of the all-good Almighty Father. Moreover, envy is completely uncharacteristic of the Lord, who is impassive and born without beginning. And is anything that concerns a person capable of arousing the envy of the Lord? A person has another envious person, overwhelmed by all kinds of passions. It also cannot be argued that the Lord does not want to save the human race out of ignorance of how to apply His goodness to each of the people individually. This is absurd. One cannot speak of ignorance of the One who, even before the creation of the world, was the adviser of the Father. It was the Lord who, under the name of wisdom, was the joy of God Almighty (Proverbs 8:30). The Son of God is the grace, strength and omnipotence of the Father, His Logos, born before all else; this is the wisdom of the Father. About Him, in the proper sense of the word, we can say that He is also the teacher of all creatures created by Him. They will say that He is distracted from industry by some kind of pleasure. But how can we assume this about the One Who, having taken upon Himself our passionate flesh, transforms it into passionless one through His teaching? And then, is it not precisely because of this that He is called Lord and Savior, because He is such for all who, thirsting to know Him, then believed in Him? For those who have not yet believed, He is Lord because the day will come when they too will be able to confess Him and receive from His right hand a special benefit adapted to their situation. Each of the Lord’s blessings is related to the Almighty; The Son is, so to speak, the action of the Father. So, the Savior can never harbor hatred towards a person. Imbued with supreme love for him, He did not neglect the infirmities of our flesh and put on it in order to reveal Himself as the Savior of all people without exception. For faith is the common property of all who wish to choose it. There is nothing to fear, lest the Lord neglect his creation. Is it not only man, the only living being created by God, who is endowed with reason? There can never be anything else about the man of God's providence, in whom there would be more harmony than in the existing one. It is natural for a being by higher nature to control a lower being; Dominion by natural law belongs to the one who uses his power honorably. But who really controls and commands everything? Is it not the Divine Logos and His providence, looking at all parts of the whole at once and not neglecting the care of any creature that constitutes His property? But His wealth and the company of His friends are those who devote themselves to Him through faith in Him. The Son of God, in accordance with the will of the Father, is the primary source of all good, the primary author of all movement - a power incomprehensible to human understanding. Indeed, to those who, due to the weakness of their nature, were incapable of understanding, He did not appear as He really was. But here He takes on visible flesh. By his example, he precedes people in fulfilling the law and shows that they can and are capable of this. Being the power of the Father, He easily fulfills whatever He wants, seeking with His providence everything down to the smallest detail, leaving nothing without it. If it were not so, then the whole would not have been created so harmoniously. Evidence of His omnipotence is, as I understand it, the careful balancing of all parts of government, from the highest to the lowest. It is obvious that this management comes from the highest Leader, from the One to whom, by the will of the Father, the management of the universe was transferred. Guarded by a whole hierarchy of authorities, subordinate to one another, from step to step this ladder leads us to the Great High Priest himself. From this one, who commands everything, the Beginning, the Doer, as we have already said about this, the will of the Father, everything comes, the first and the second and the third. Then, at the highest levels of the visible world, legions of blessed spirits are placed, hierarchically subordinate to each other and descending even to us, while they themselves are protected only by the One and, through the protection of us, serving Him only. The smallest particles of iron are obedient to the attraction of a magnet, which influences numerous atoms of this metal. Likewise, God-fearing people, attracted by the influence of the Holy Spirit, are united, some in the first tabernacle of the covenant, others in others, and so on even to the last 869. People are evil, unwilling to exert any effort on themselves, who have cultivated evil inclinations in themselves through their intemperance, and since then, unable to abstain from them, they, abandoned by the hand that supported them, rush hither and thither, agitated by a storm of passions, and finally fall to the ground. This law was established from the beginning: Virtue can be chosen by a person only freely. That is why the commandments given both to the man under the law and to the man of the new times are not addressed to the righteous - because the law was not given for the righteous (1 Tim. 1:9) - but to those who choose to fulfill them and promise reward with bliss and eternal life for a free decision in this direction. For people who are fond of vice, they leave them to revolve among the objects to which they have a preference. And again: to the souls who work daily to improve and perfect themselves through the instillation of good qualities and through the increase of righteousness, they assign a tabernacle, the most glorious dwelling of all, as a reward for their labors completely worthy of them. And in fact, through a series of successes, don’t they gradually even reach dispassion, the age of a perfect man (Eph. 4:13), that is, that state that represents the completion of knowledge and the most glorious inheritance? These conversions are salutary, differing from one another in the order in which they occur, time, place, importance, the discovery of higher wisdom, the heritage (they bring with them), and the duties imposed by each of them. These conversions are of course and will exist even before the onset of man’s supernatural contemplation of the Lord in eternity. For what is kind by its very nature attracts a person to contemplation with all his strength out of love for knowledge, and attracts his essence to contemplation. From this it happened that the Lord, although he drew the commandments from the same source, gave them either as initial ones or as later ones. He neither wanted those who lived before the law to live without certain rules, nor did he want peoples unfamiliar with the philosophy of the barbarians, not having a rein to restrain them, to be carried away by all excesses. For some - commandments, for others - philosophy. Through this He kept the nations from unbelief until His very coming, from which time anyone who does not believe is already defenseless. Whether the Hellenic or barbarian point of view is taken as the starting point is indifferent, because both lead to perfection through faith. If any Hellene, besides philosophy, without first illuminating himself with its light, suddenly accepted our true teaching, then no matter how uneducated we assume he is, he will nevertheless leave behind him to an immeasurable distance all those who are educated, but who have not come to faith, because his faith has chosen the path to salvation and to perfection shortened. If only the action of human free will is not constrained by anything, and everything else by the Lord God is turned into an aid to virtue, so that weak and short-sighted people, one way or another, can, in the person of the one and all-powerful Being, from generation to generation, see the merciful love of God, saving us through the mediation of the Son. But in no case can this Being be the beginning of evil. All creation by the Lord of the universe, both in general and in parts, was directed for its good. So, the work of Divine justice, which brings about our salvation, is to, as far as possible, bring each of the creatures to the state that is best for it. Beings who are less exalted than others are brought to salvation and the state of the most perfect, according to their properties. This is because whoever is devoted to virtue immediately becomes better, already carrying within himself the germ of this revival in the form of the truth he accepted, which even before that moment the soul was already ready to accept. The punishments imposed on us for our sins or by the ministering Angels or arising from failure to fulfill the commandments as a necessary consequence or predetermining condemnation after death, by the mercy of the Most High Judge watching over us, those who do not feel their apostasy (Eph. 4:19), lead only to repentance. 3. A true sage (gnostic) strains all the strength of his spirit and body in order to become like God and His Son. Much more could be said about the action of the Son in the world, but I will limit myself only to the glorification of God. However, the following must be said. The souls of true Gnostics, by the excellence of their contemplation, rise above the order of every kind of holy life. For this reason, the dwellings of the blessed gods 870 were assigned to them for their residence. For their surpassing holiness, they are numbered among the saints and transferred from places of happiness to places of bliss, they move from one abode of bliss to others, which make them even happier. Instead of contemplating the being of God as if in a mirror, fortune-telling and in the fog (1 Cor. 13:12), being friendly received at the supper of immortality, they contemplate the Divinity especially clearly and purely, as if in the light of the sun, and cannot get enough of this contemplation. Out of their highest love for God, they enjoy endless bliss, are imbued with inexplicable joy that never ends. They find themselves worthy, so to speak, of identification by nature with the being of the One who possesses all perfections. Such is contemplation, which is contained in a pure heart (Matthew 5:8); they contemplate and in some way know the very essence of God. Through the mediation of the Great High Priest, the perfected Gnostic converses with God. Through the fullness of his piety, he becomes, as far as possible, like the Lord, because he pays attention to the good deeds poured out on us by God, seeks the salvation of people by performing holy services, spreading teaching and, finally, doing good work. Consisting of the result of his own labors on himself, the Gnostic edifies and creates himself. And even more than that. He edifies with his virtues and his disciples who listen to him, he embodies the likeness of God. Living in unity with God, from whom no human passions are able to tear him away, he, to the best of his ability, becomes like the One who is impassive in his essence. We say: he is likened, for this dispassion in him is the fruit of labor and struggle. Quietness of spirit, love of mankind, extreme piety towards God—these, in my opinion, are the rules of Gnostic assimilation to God. These virtues are the fragrant sacrifice of which the Apostle speaks (Phil. 4:18), because according to St. According to Scripture, the heart is contrite and humble and true knowledge, this is the burnt offering most pleasing to God (Ps. 50:17, 19), brought to Him by every person who rises to holiness and who is so enlightened by it that he himself drowns in the rays of the Divine. Yes, both the Gospel and the Apostles command us, after putting aside the sinful burden and bringing the soul out of a state of confusion, to impose shackles on our body, to renounce ourselves, to put to death the old man within ourselves, who only infects us with his desires, and to call from death to life a new man (Rom. 6:6, 7; 2 Cor. 10:5; Eph. 4:22–24; Col. 3:8, 9). The same thing was mysteriously suggested by the law when it commanded to expel the sinner from among the people. Through this, the law intended to force the sinner to abandon a pattern of behavior that leads only to death and turn to life, that is, to dispassion resulting from penetration by faith. But the expounders of the law, the scribes, did not comprehend this truth. They interpreted the law in such a way that those interpretations only aroused rivalry and strife, and through this the law itself was only discredited before those who did not have a proper understanding of it. And this is why we act wisely by not making sacrifices to God, because He has everything in abundance and Himself provides everything to everyone. Instead, we glorify the One who sacrificed Himself for us, and by limiting our desires and needs, through this, in His likeness, we also sacrifice ourselves to that Being who needs nothing; and by renouncing passions we offer the same sacrifice to the impassive Being. Indeed, nothing pleases God as much as our salvation. Yes, we consider ourselves to have the right not to honor by making sacrifices that Being who is never overcome by any sensual pleasures. The sacrificial smoke, which always dissipates in the lower layers of the air, barely reaches even the clouds closest to us, if only it reaches them at all. What are all the riches and treasures of earth to God? He needs nothing, does not seek any sensual pleasures; He is not selfish, not money-loving, He himself possesses all the treasures and pours out the fullness of His bounty on His creations. Therefore, there is no need to think about gaining His favor by making sacrifices, various material gifts, or rewarding Him with various honors and glorifications customary among people; Nothing like this can attract God's favor. It reveals itself only to kind and virtuous people, who have never betrayed the truth, neither under the influence of threats nor under the influence of various temptations and promises. Some, not recognizing the human soul’s independence and freedom of choice, and equally not paying attention to the fact that it cannot be reduced to complete slavery, could not patiently endure the gross and senseless injustices inflicted on them and in indignation at this they denied the existence of God 871. Intemperate people, devoted to sensual pleasures, exhausted by severe suffering, subjected to unexpected misfortunes, broken by the vicissitudes of happiness, are also inclined to the same opinion: they also say that there is no God, or if there is, then by His providence He does not embrace everything that exists. Still others, imagining that there are many gods, believe that they can be propitiated with sacrifices and gifts, so that they will help satisfy their passions. Through this, they directly reject the existence of only one true God, who personifies righteousness, truth and goodness. So our Gnostic is pious. First of all, he cares about himself, then about his neighbor, whose improvement in goodness he contributes with all his might. Doesn't a son who works to become good and become like his father bring joy to his father? The same must be said about a subordinate who maintains such a relationship with his boss. Because believing and obeying are two things that completely depend on our power. Let them not say rashly that the cause of evil is the defects of matter, as well as frivolity arising from ignorance; and in general - that evil is a necessity, for there is much we do not know 872. How does the Gnostic triumph over these necessary laws of physical nature, as if over some unreasonable beasts, thanks to the rules of his behavior? His triumph is of such a kind that he even turns out to be an imitator of God, of course to the best of his ability; for he responds kindly to all those who ask him for help. Is he vested with power? Then, for the common good, he becomes the new Moses at the head of the people and considers it his calling to lead them to salvation. He makes wild people tame, softening their morals and bringing those who are not inclined to faith to it. He rewards the best and most virtuous with honors, and rewards the wicked with punishments, observing at the same time the reasonable measure that his truthfulness recognizes as necessary for the correction of the guilty. The soul of the righteous is truly an image and likeness of the Divine. Or better: Observation of the commandments turns it into a sanctuary in which the Leader of mortals and immortals, the King and Creator of all that is beautiful, the true Law and Commandment, the eternal Logos, in a word, the only Savior of each person in particular and everyone in general, actually resides. This is truly the only begotten Son, the image of the glory of the King of the universe and the Almighty Father (Heb. 1:3). He imprints his image in the soul of the Gnostic, so that the Gnostic can rise to the contemplation of its fullness 873. Through this the Gnostic himself becomes the third Divine image; for this husband, to the extent possible, is likened to the second Reason, True Life, with whose assistance alone we live true life. This is how we understand the Gnostic. He is affirmed by the way of his thoughts and life on immutable and unchangeable grounds. Owning himself and knowing that the beginning of which is in himself, correctly understanding the content of even God’s mind, the Gnostic is in a sincere relationship with the truth. Knowledge and comprehension of objects that are only accessible to our mind can truly rightfully be called immutable knowledge. One part of this knowledge, namely that which deals with objects related to the Divine, has as its goal to determine the main cause of everything; - discuss what kind of reason and beginning this is, by which everything was created and without which nothing happened (John 1:3), what kind of substances are these, penetrating matter, restraining, connecting and dividing, what kind of order, what kind of meaning and what purpose each of them has. In human affairs, she asks herself: What is man? Which end is in accordance with his nature and which is contrary to it? How should a person manage himself? How should he suffer? What are his virtues and vices? What is good, what is evil and what is common? What is courage, prudence, temperance? What is justice, the most excellent virtue of all? Prudence and justice help the Gnostic to achieve wisdom. Relying on courage, he not only resists difficult circumstances, but also the lures of sensual pleasures, desires, grief, anger, and in general anything that can overpower the soul or seduce. We must endure not only evil and misfortune, but also everything that arouses fear and apprehension in us. Therefore grief is also useful. This is a figure who is destined to heal, teach, correct; he transforms a person's morals for his own good. Courage has several shades, such as: patience, sublimity and nobility of thoughts, magnanimity, generosity, noble way of action. Hence it happens that the Gnostic is not at all affected by the judgments of vulgar people about him and he does not succumb to the opinions and flattery of the crowd. Does the matter of enduring grief and labor concern? He fulfills his duty, confronts misfortune with unshakable firmness, and rises above it. Despite all the changes in fate, he remains a true person, not revealing anything childish in himself. Among other things, maintaining prudence, which never leaves him, he lives abstinently and maintains peace of mind, accepting what is intended for him as the thing most becoming for him and rejecting from himself as hostile to his nature everything that is accompanied by shame. He observes purity and innocence beyond this world, behaving with dignity and decency and shunning everything that could stain his soul. He is drowning in luxury, but what kind? With your simple needs, not wanting anything and therefore, in the knowledge of good, possessing the fullness of blessings. The first distinguishing feature of his justice is his love for everyone who is of the same origin as him. Life and coexistence with them in a union of love both on earth and in heaven, this is the life of his soul. And that’s why he willingly gives if he owns something. Humane and compassionate towards man, he only hates vice and sin out of unconditional disgust for them. So, this is what you need to learn: to remain true to yourself and your neighbor, in accordance with the teachings of the Savior. He who voluntarily obeys the law is a servant of God. But if someone cleanses his heart no longer by virtue of obedience to the commandments of the law, but out of love for knowledge, then he becomes a friend of God. We are no longer born by nature with virtues, and when we are born, virtue does not develop in us like our organs, without our personal participation. If this were so, then there would still be nothing commendable about it; our will and dignity would have no value. Virtue is not even like our speech. Our word develops gradually, day after day, under the influence of various events and habits. In this way, sin rather than virtue develops. The same can be said about ignorance. It is not the fruit of any art, whether its object is any benefit or concern for the body. Do not expect support for virtue from the course of science. Many, many, if we recognize their preparatory influence and the refinement of mental abilities, especially understanding. There is no doubt that civil crimes can be suppressed by civil laws. But no admonitions in words, no matter how carefully they are composed, are invalid without faith; Even if their goal is to bring people to conviction in something, they lie only on the surface of the soul and can never establish the truth in the soul in an unshakable and scientific manner. We have already said that Hellenic philosophy only tends to purify the soul and that it only prepares it for the acceptance of faith. Then truth appears and builds knowledge on these foundations. Here is a true fighter, winning a victory in an arena of unusual dimensions, because this entire beautiful world consists of it; and he fights for peace from all kinds of mental turmoil and is crowned for achieving it. The organizer of these competitions is God Almighty himself 874; the dispenser of rewards is the only begotten Son of God. The audience consists of Angels and gods 875. The struggle is varied and consists of competitions of various kinds, for we have to fight not only against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12), but also against spiritual forces, which, through their influence on the flesh, raise strong storms of vices and passions in our soul. A Christian who has victoriously withstood these great competitions and the very tempter who is looking for us, who has cast us at his feet, thereby already wins immortality for himself, because at the most just court of God there can be no verdicts of the unfaithful. All spectators are called to the competition (1 Cor. 4:9), although only wrestlers enter the arena, and the winner of them is only the one who was most obedient to the instructions of the Gymnasiarch 876. At the final point of the arena, God has prepared equal rewards for everyone, and Agonotet will not be to blame for our failure. Mercy seeks the one who is worthy of mercy, and the one who deserves it is the one who achieved it, possessing a more energetic will for it. This is why we are gifted with intelligence, so that we know what we should do; and the admonition “Know thyself” in this case means nothing more than the following: “Know for what end you were all created.” We were created and placed in this world in order to be faithful fulfillers of the commandments if we want to inherit salvation. This arrangement of God for us cannot be bypassed. So, man’s duty is to obey God, who has established rewards of different degrees of bliss for obedience to His commandments. By recognizing Divine benefits to us, we bring down God's favor upon ourselves, for for God's generosity we are never able to properly thank the Benefactor in any other way. Faithful is the one who accepted the teaching after proper reflection and willingly and if he accurately observed the commandments; the one who pays for a good deed with love is already a friend. There is no other and better way for a person to express gratitude to God other than to do what is pleasing to Him. Then our progress in goodness and improvement, undertaken for the purpose of pleasing God and gratitude to Him, is accepted by our Lord and Savior as if it concerned His own glory and honor, or as if it were a tribute needed by Him (Matthew 10:40–42; Matthew 25:40, 45; Luke 10:16; John 13:20). If any external harm or insult were caused to such faithful ones, then in their person God then sees Himself ungratefully insulted; He then takes contempt for His faithful to be contempt for Himself; He counts their disgrace as disgrace for Himself. Personally, how could God be dishonored? That is why people are never able to thank the Lord for His bounty as it deserves, for the great gift of salvation to respond to Him with anything equally great. According to civil laws, damaging someone’s property is tantamount to causing harm to its owner personally; to insult a soldier means to insult his commander. The same can be said about the Lord’s relationship with those who believe in Him. By offending those who have dedicated themselves to Him, you express contempt for God himself. Look at the sun. Its rays illuminate not only the sky; it sheds its light on all creatures of the universe, on land and sea. There is no crack into which that light does not penetrate; There is no hidden place inside the houses that the sun cannot illuminate. The Light of the Logos is no less comprehensive. You cannot find such little things in human life, no matter how insignificant they are, that would not be illuminated by the rays of His light. 4. The pagans invented gods for themselves in their own likeness. These were similar to them in appearance and in internal spiritual movements: here is the beginning and cradle of all kinds of superstitions. It is not enough that the Hellenes invented gods similar in appearance to humans; they represent them as servile to our passions. And since in appearance everyone pictures them as similar to themselves, “The Ethiopians, as Xenophanes says, depict them with black faces and with an upturned nose; The Thracians are blue-eyed and copper-red in complexion.” In the same way they presuppose the existence of a soul in them; and as if this soul is similar to the one that revives their fabricators. So the gods of the barbarians are distinguished by their severity and hardness of heart; The gods of the Hellenes are gentler, but they share all our passions. What follows from all this? And the fact that people are morally bad and have the same concepts about gods; virtuous people imagine them to be more beautiful. That is why a Christian with a royal soul and being a knowledgeable person, a Gnostic, is as faithful a worshiper of God as he does not share any kind of superstition. He is convinced that there is only one God, venerable, revered, working wondrous miracles, seeking everyone with his good deeds, the supreme Originator of all good things, and completely uninvolved in evil. In the creation we called “Admonition”, we sufficiently exposed the Hellenes in idolatry. There we have given many examples to prove this; and here we will no longer return to what was clearly proven there. But since in the present case we again have to illuminate this subject, then from the many that could be referred to in support of this, we will cite one or two evidences that prove that to liken God to the most wicked of people is tantamount to wickedness and atheism. These desecrators of the shrine do one of two things: either they insult the gods, in which case the insulted person, compared with the insulter, obviously turns out to be a lower being; or it must be assumed that the gods do not feel insulted; but in this case, why do the Hellenes make them inflamed with such indignation and resemble some old women, always ready to be irritated, but never able to restrain their anger? This is how they tell (Iliad IX:529, etc.) about the vengeance of Artemis, as if she took out her anger on the Aetolian people because of Aeneas. Like Artemis, you were a goddess and did not think that Aeneas’s failure to make a sacrifice was not at all a neglect on his part for you, for he had already made a sacrifice in honor of you, but simply forgetfulness or a slight oversight? Latona’s actions were no better. To Athena’s reproach for desecrating her church with childbirth, this self-defense reveals a lot of meaning in the answer and says this: When you see things half broken The winner took from the dead on the field This sight should offend you, You are happy. And now you're angry What did I give birth to in your sanctuary? Animals give birth in churches, And this is not considered as desecration of them 877. To tell the truth, after this it is not surprising to me that the pagans are so prone to superstition. When they think that every event is the beginning of misfortune, an omen of some kind of evil, the death of something, it is natural for them to be in fear. If a rat gnaws a hole in an altar built from garbage, then this is already a bad omen. Not finding food for herself, she gnaws through the vessel with provisions; this is also a bad omen. The fattened rooster sang at sunset: tremble, some terrible catastrophe is about to break out over you 878. Menander, in his comedy “The Superstitious,” ridicules one person: Immortal gods! May this be happy an omen for me: Belt holding my right leg Chatterbox! What's so wonderful here? He was already rotting; and this only proves your dirty stinginess, because the belt should have been replaced with a new one long ago. An extremely apt and subtle objection to one case of Antiphon. One day a pig ate her piglets. This circumstance inspired the owner of the pig with a sad expectation that some kind of misfortune would happen to him. Antiphon noticed that “the animal did this because of bad food” and said to the owner: “You should not be sad, but rejoice at this event. This is a warning to you from the gods, lest a pig from hunger devour your own children.” - “What kind of miracle is this,” said Bion, that the rat, not finding anything better, gnawed the basket!” “If the basket ate a rat,” Arcesilaus said laughing, “it would be amazing.” I will simply applaud Diogenes’ answer in a similar circumstance. Someone who saw a snake coiled around the pestle of his mortar was delighted with this miracle. “Will you stop being amazed,” this philosopher told him. Now, if the snake straightened up and remained motionless, and if the pestle were wrapped around it, it would be truly wonderful.” This is how it follows, of course, that irrational animals move, run, fight, are born and die. All these accidents are characteristic of them. There is therefore no point in considering them as some kind of extraordinary phenomena. And many birds appeared under the rays of the sun The comedian Philemon ridicules this kind of religious fear from the stage, saying: If I see my slave watching, Who sneezed, who said what, who came out, Then I rather run to the market and sell it. Everyone sneezes for a reason peculiar to him. Everything in this world is evolving According to the laws that determine the origin of things. So let's continue. Here is a man who is abstinent and he is healthy. But intemperate. He fills his belly with food like a bag. On holidays he is always at a feast somewhere; by doing this he brings upon himself only various diseases. Many people are frightened by the inscriptions they encounter on the outside of buildings. This superstition prompted Diogenes’s next caustic remark. One day he came across the following inscription on the home of a bad man: “In this house Callinicus (victorious) Hercules lives: entry to evil and the wicked is forbidden.” “So how can the owner himself enter here now,” exclaimed Diogenes. The same kind of people, who deify every stump, every stone, strewn with libations on it, 879 tremble at the sight of a piece of reddish wool, grains of salt, at the sight of a piece of resinous wood that can serve as a torch, pieces of sulfur, if all these substances are declared unclean through the spells of the Magi over them. God, who is the true God, values ​​only the holiness of the righteous and hates only the uncleanness that comes from injustice and villainy. It happens, of course, that hatched eggs, after the cleansing sacrifices in which they were used, hatch into chicks. But this could not have happened if they had been damaged in some way during the purification. The comedian Diphil subtly laughs at the spellcasters in the following verses: I purify the daughters of Pret, Pret himself, The son of Abantias, and the toothless old woman, I clean them with just one torch And sea onions: with such meager means, how many can be peeled! To these products I only add a little sulfur and a little mountain resin And a few drops of water drawn from the shore of the noisy sea. But you, O blessed Zeus, sent me through the clouds Just a few hellebores so that I can turn this bug into a bumblebee. Menander also reveals deep wisdom when he says: If you, my friend, were really sick, Then you would need to provide real help. But against the imaginary disease that debilitates you Here is the imaginary healing remedy; Don't doubt it, it will serve you well. Summon the spellcasters; they, spinning around you, will cleanse you, Irrigated water drawn from three different sources And a rain of salt and lentils. But do you know who is really clean? One who is not reproached by his conscience for anything bad. “Orestes, Orestes,” exclaims the tragic poet, what disease do you suffer from?” “My conscience weighs me down,” he replies; “I admit that I have committed a great crime” 880. Indeed, there is no other purity except abstinence from everything bad. Epicharmus rightly says: “If your spirit is pure, then your whole personality is pure.” This is why we affirm that the soul must purify itself by checking false opinions with reason; then, freed from all impure thoughts, she must remember the main points of the creed. It is necessary that those who are to be initiated into the sacraments of faith must first undergo certain purifying steps; and only then, in the place of false traditions, true traditions should be installed in it. 5. A pure soul is a church more pleasing to God than all the magnificent buildings erected in His honor by human hands. Isn’t it beautiful and right not to tie the presence of the One Who cannot be limited by anything to any specific place? Are we not right, therefore, when we do not attribute the greatness of Him who embraces the entire universe to churches? By virtue of what power should this stone building, the material creation of rude workers, be considered a holy creation? They thought somewhat better about this subject, believing that the ether and its contents were worthy of the greatness of God, or better yet, the whole world and this entire collection of beings, that is, the universe (Acts 7:49; Isaiah 66:1). Indeed, isn’t it ridiculous to assert that man, in the language of philosophers, “the play of Providence,” 881 can create God and that the Divine, in turn, becomes a toy in the hands of man? What you make is identical with the material being processed, and therefore similar to it. So a product made of ivory is ivory, a product made of gold is gold. Idols and churches, erected by day laborers and rough workers, are created from dead material; therefore, they remain forever lifeless, material and without anything sacred in themselves, just like this material itself. No matter what perfection art achieves in its creations, matter will always remain true to the soullessness of its nature. Works of art, whatever this art may be, can therefore never be sacred and divine. Moreover, what new creature could you bring to life when, according to the plan implemented in the universe, there is not a single one that no longer occupies its predetermined place? An object erected somewhere and by someone is erected because it was not here before. And so if God is erected somewhere, here or there, by some person just like a statue, then it means there was a moment when He did not have His place, and therefore did not exist at all. A creation that did not exist did not have a place, since to occupy it one must exist; Only what exists takes up space. On the other hand, a Being that really exists cannot be confined to any place by a being that imagines itself as something that supposedly exists, or perhaps actually exists: It itself also exists, and therefore occupies a place. It remains to be assumed that It places itself in a place pleasing to It. But how does this Being give birth to itself, or how does this Being place itself so much and in such a volume as to exist here? Maybe you will say that, having previously had no place, It created such a place for itself? But then you recognize Him as not existing, since only something that was not there before can be installed in a certain place. You consider the Deity to be given a place. But what does it mean that It finally achieves the realization of what, in your opinion, it already possessed? All this is nonsense. A supreme being, to whom everything that exists belongs, cannot need his creation. But you say that the image of God is the same as that of man. But then He will also have the needs of man. He will need food, clothing, shelter, and all the conditions arising from this must be characteristic of him. From the very moment you give two beings the same image and inclinations, you subject them to the same conditions of the same way of life. If it is true that the church is the embodiment of these two ideas, that it visually represents the greatness of God, and then serves as a material receptacle for the being of God, then wouldn’t it be better for us to call the church of the Divine the church, which, having become holy through the knowledge of God, was established for His glory? This is truly a sanctuary, a majestic sanctuary, erected not by the hands of artisans and decorated not by the art of sorcerers, but built into a church by the will of God himself! It is clear that I am not calling a physical building by the name of the church here. I assign this name to the council of the elect. This is the most worthy church for receiving the greatness and glory of God. Here is a sacrifice, in the height of its holiness, most precious and fitting for Him who is worthy of all respect; let’s say better: To Whom, for His surpassing holiness, nothing in nature can be likened. Who exactly is this victim? True sage (gnostic). He is dear to God. We honor them; and God is built up in him, that is, in him the knowledge of God finds its sanctuary and its sanctification. Yes, in the soul of this righteous man we find the holy image and likeness of God, because she is blessed, having been prepared for this by preliminary purifications and the trials she endured; and even more blessed, practicing daily in good deeds. This is what does not yet take place here on earth, but at the same time it already finds it in the souls of those who have achieved Gnostic perfection; This is what we should strive for, what we should care about - to accept this content into ourselves, although of course we are unworthy to carry within ourselves the gifts of Divine knowledge. All who have faith in God in the future are already faithful to Him; They already in advance, in the image of their virtues, erect within themselves, so to speak, the image of God, the image of the Almighty, dedicated to His name. 6. Prayers and thanksgiving, constantly offered to God from a pure heart, are more valuable than all sacrifices. So God is not limited to any place; You cannot form an idea of ​​the image of God from anything living. In the same way, God does not experience any spiritual turmoil that agitates human breasts. He does not desire any sacrifices, because He is not born like all created beings and cannot need any food: He does not experience hunger. What passions touch is subject to death. To offer food to someone whose being has nothing in common with material food and does not eat, is tantamount to exposing oneself to madness. The comedian Ferecrates in his comedy “The Fugitives” brings the gods themselves onto the stage, wittily presenting them as blaming people for the stinginess of their sacrifices. The immortals say: “When you make a sacrifice, O misers, you first of all cut out and put aside the parts that you are ashamed to name. After you have cleaned the thighs even down to the glands, you throw the entire femoral structure and vertebrae, half gnawed off, to us like dogs. But then you feel ashamed, and you try to compensate for the meagerness of the sacrifice with various tricks.” Eubulus, also a comic writer, expresses himself regarding sacrifices in a similar way: You dedicate to the gods like some kind of pederasts Dionysus, depicted in Semele, complains about his readers in the same way: “If anyone brings me a sacrifice, then this is only blood and a bubble; there is no mention of the heart and omentum. I don’t eat fat and juicy thigh parts.” Menander also writes: “Having set aside for the gods the femur and vertebrae, as well as gall and inedible bones, they consume the rest themselves.” Isn’t it entirely reasonable to finally abandon this type of sacrifice? Smoke and slaughtered animals, what kind of victims are these? If the smoke and smell of fried meat really should be considered an honorable gift to the Hellenic deities, then why, first of all, should not cooks be included among the gods? They are the ones who enjoy these fragrances the most. And why not humbly prostrate yourself before the hearths, thereby giving them divine honors? They are closest to these precious incense.” But here's what's even more interesting. If you believe Hesiod (Theog. Art. 536), then Zeus, when dividing the meat, fraudulently received from Prometheus for his share only bones, insidiously only covered with a layer of fat. It turns out that people are worthy sons of Prometheus; On sacred altars they offer to the gods Immortals also have no use for bones. In no way can such worshipers of the gods say that they sacrifice food to God out of fear that He might be tormented by a desire for food resulting from a lack of it. God is not some kind of plant that eats without appetite; and not some kind of beast that lives in the darkness of caves, where some of the animals, as they say, feed on the rough components of the air 882, and perhaps on the fumes emanating from their own bodies and develop without consuming anything. If God has no need for food and does not feel the need for it, then why offer Him something that He does not need at all? If it is true that the Divine, by its very nature not needing anything, graciously accepts the honors given to Him, then we Christians act wisely, honoring Him only with prayers and offering Him the highest and holiest sacrifice of Divine justice. In the person of the most just Logos, we worship the Almighty Himself, because through the Logos we have received knowledge of God; in the person of the Logos, therefore, we glorify God himself for His gifts to us and for enlightening us. We Christians have altars here on earth, but which ones? They are our prayer meetings, where one voice is heard from prayerful souls, one spirit reigns. Feeding oneself with smell, passing inward through the nostrils, although it is compared with feeding through the mouth and is distinguished by greater subtlety and spirituality, nevertheless speaks about the breathing of the being who feeds in this way. What then? God does not breathe through the air like a plant 883; and He does not have gills to breathe like fish. Does He breathe like insects, in which the breathing is noticeable by the narrowing of the incision to which the wings are attached? No reasonable person would reason like that. Higher animals inhale and exhale air due to its influx into the lungs, which expand even to the walls of the chest. What then? Do you assimilate the insides of the Divine: arteries, veins, nerves and various other organs? But then how will the Divinity differ from man? The Church is the breath of God, but also the breath of humanity. Prayers consist of sacrifices, this is the breath of holy souls; the opening of the soul before God in prayer, this is the opening of the sacrificial entrails we believe in. Among the common people there is a rumor that it is about. Delos is an altar founded in ancient times, and it is as if it had never been desecrated by blood or murder. If you believe his historiographer 884, then only Pythagoras could approach him. This is what you believe; and if we preach that only the soul of the righteous is a truly holy altar and that the prayer of a God-fearing soul is the true aroma, then you refuse to believe our words. If I’m not mistaken, then people only introduced bloody sacrifices into the custom so that they could provide an excuse for eating meat. But everyone was free to choose this type of food even without honoring their idols by sacrificing animals to them. The Mosaic Law, of course, introduced sacrifices, but they were only prototypes of Christian worship of God. Bringing a dove as a cleansing sacrifice for sins, for example. and the turtle dove meant that it was pleasing to God to cleanse the unreasonable sides of our soul. If someone, out of the desire to be righteous, does not want to complicate his spiritual life by eating flesh that has already lived, then when abstaining from this type of food, he will be guided by considerations of high wisdom. These considerations are, in any case, more fundamental than the dreams of Pythagoras and his followers, who dreamed of the transmigration of souls from one body to another. Xenocrates, in his interpretation of “On the Meat Food of Man,” and Polemon, in his essay “On Life in Accordance with Nature,” declare in decisive terms that meat food is not very useful for humans, because it is food that has already been processed by animals, and therefore it can introduce into us certain elements that make us like the souls of animals. This is why the Jews so strictly abstain from pork meat: due to perverted instincts, this animal differs from all others in its special tendency to commit crimes; it blows up fields and ruins other people's harvests. But they say that “animals are given to man for his use.” Yes, for use; In this we agree with you, and not at all in order to serve him as food. Only some of the animals were intended for this, but even of these only those that did not work 885. That is why the comedian Plato in his comedy “Holidays” says: From now on we will not stab for sacrifice. Animals other than pigs. During our lifetime we do not receive them from them. No use other than stubble, dirt and grunting. This is what made Aesop say: “You just need to pick up a piglet and make it scream at the top of its lungs; he knows very well that he is fit for nothing else but to be sacrificed.” That is why Cleanthes said that this animal received life instead of salt so that the meat would not spoil before time.” So, some people eat the meat of this animal because it is good for nothing else; others because it spoils the fields; and still others, since it is proclive ad coitum, do not eat it at all. This is the reason why the goat is not listed by law among the animals suitable for sacrifice, with the exception of the so-called scapegoat for the addition of all sins to it (Lev. 16): this animal is distinguished by its cheerful disposition, and cheerfulness is the mother of all vices. They also claim that eating goat meat produces epilepsy, and eating pork meat causes obesity. Eating pork meat, therefore, can only be useful for those who physically work a lot. If you are working on developing your soul, then this is a different kind of work: eating pork can only dull your mind. It is not impossible that another Gnostic, in order to facilitate his struggle against the flesh, will have to abstain from eating food and all kinds of animal food in general. He must do this in order not to bring his feelings into a state of excessive excitement and so as not to feed his flesh unnecessarily ad rem Ueneream. “Wine,” says (the doctor) Androkid, and satiety with meat food, although they strengthen our body, they weaken the soul and make it sluggish.” So, this is food for the wicked and it does not contribute to the perfection of understanding. That is why the Egyptians, demanding purity of life from the priests, do not allow them to eat meat other than the meat of young birds, which they consider the lightest and, so to speak, airy. As for fish, they never touch them, both because of some beliefs that people have about them, and also because eating them causes weakness and lethargy of the body (mourn). Birds and animals living on earth feed like us by inhaling the same air; and this is because, of course, we have a certain resemblance to their soul in the air. The same cannot be said about fish; they inhale less subtle air, namely, from the very beginning of the world mixed with water and other elements; This same circumstance also serves as proof of the greater stability of the water element. So, the Divine needs to make sacrifices that are not very valuable, but acceptable. Let us therefore offer up to His throne aromatic incense, composed in accordance with the precepts of the law (Deut. 30:34); Let us offer up to God the incense of prayers, composed of the communication of many lips and voices; May this holy breath of various peoples and tribes ascend to God from all over the earth. The earth, having received a series of revelations, may finally unite in the unity of faith for the praise of the Most High; Let us glorify God in their harmonious combination: with pure thought, law-conforming and right order of life, holy deeds and immaculate prayers. The poetic muse expresses it this way: Is there a person so extravagant and containing a faith so meaningless, Why would I imagine that the gods are looking from pleasure on the fried liver of the victim And some bones that would be disdained How? This is the very offering that How? Who honors them with such sacrifices, so that whether they are sea or land robbers, whether they are cruel tyrants, they repay favors? Yes, of course, we also claim that it is sanctified by fire (the Holy Spirit), but what? Not the body, but the soul of the sinner (Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16). But by fire we mean not a rough flame that burns and destroys, but that flame of reason that penetrates the soul passing through the fire (Heb. 4:12). 7. Prayers of the true sage and the image of their fulfillment by God. We are commanded to honor and worship Him Whom we recognize as the Logos, the Savior, the Ruler of the universe, and through Him the Father; and we do this not only on designated days, as is usual with some others, but constantly, throughout this entire life and on all possible paths of it. Seven times a day I glorify You (Ps. 119:164), so together with the Psalmist the chosen people exclaim, justified through their fulfillment of the commandments. This is why a true sage (Gnostic) glorifies God not only in certain places, not in churches specially built for this purpose, and not only on holidays and on days specially established for this purpose, but throughout his entire life, without distinction in every place. Whether he is alone or in the company of fellow believers, it makes no difference to him. He worships God, thanking Him for imparting to him the knowledge of the right way of life. If, in the ordinary course of life, the presence in the company of a virtuous person, through the caution and reverence he inspires, attunes the thoughts and feelings of those in contact with him more sublimely: is it possible that a Christian, to whom the Lord is constantly presented both through his knowledge of Him and through the implementation of the way of life commanded by Him and through his grateful remembrance of Him, is it possible that a Christian does not become more perfect day by day, showing this improvement through all your actions, words and inclinations? Such is the one who is convinced of the omnipresence of God, and not of His presence in only known places, limited by known limits. Those who bind God to places only by this, being in other places and considering themselves hidden from His all-watching eye, without a twinge of conscience, day and night, indulge in intemperance and wallow in sensual pleasures. For us, all life is a holiday. We recognize God as present everywhere. We also praise God in the village, cultivating the land; we sing hymns to Him and swim across the sea. Whatever the nature of our activities, we always skillfully coordinate them with the glory of God. A true sage, however, maintains the most direct intimacy with God. In each of his actions he reveals importance, but at the same time a cheerful disposition of spirit. He is sedate and serious because he deals with God; cheerful and joyful because he considers the gifts of God to be the inalienable property of man. In his next words, the Prophet seemed to want to show the high dignity of knowledge. He says: Teach me goodness, rightness of life and knowledge (Ps. 119:66). Already by counting these gifts of God in a certain order, the prophet indicates what is most powerful in perfection. This is a truly royal man! Here is a priest serving God holy! This is the meaning of the custom that prevails among the most intelligent of the barbarian peoples, which we can still observe to this day, the custom of elevating members of the priestly caste to the royal throne 886 . Do not expect such a person to sacrifice his personality by spending time with the crowd in theaters where it is noisy, agitated and dominant. He does not open his soul even in dreams to words, actions, spectacles that influence the arousal of low passions. Away, therefore, from him with spectacles that deceive the eye! Further from him with many other pleasures caressing others of his senses! What does he have in common with them? A true sage does not use any precious incense that caresses the sense of smell; He does not use complex seasonings for food; he does not drink fine wines, the aroma of which delights the palate; He does not place wreaths woven from various fragrant flowers on his head: the feelings are stimulated by them, but the soul is weakened. Using everything honestly, he constantly thanks God. He consumes food and drink in their normal form; anoints the body normally; and at the same time he remembers the One by whom all this was given; He also offers incense only to the Logos, sacrificing the first fruits to Him. He constantly turns to God with thanksgiving, sometimes through bringing Him gifts, sometimes through burning incense, sometimes through the word with which he has been gifted. Occasionally, however, he appears at feasts, but he allows himself this only in those cases when he assumes that at the meal to which he is invited there will be his brothers, united with him by the same spirit of love and like-mindedness. He does this in the conviction that the Lord hears everything and knows everything. Our soul is truly open before God, both when we reveal ourselves in words and when we only think. For what is our hearing? This is not any special property of our body; through special openings in the body it perceives words, associating with them a certain meaning, reason and our innate understanding. So, the Lord does not hear as people hear. He has no need for feelings similar to ours, as the Stoics argued, even if these feelings were mainly hearing and sight. Let them say that it is impossible to comprehend things apart from these two senses; they are wrong. There are still ways of knowing; eg impressions can be transmitted to us through the air, which moves so easily. Quick perception is so characteristic of the entire army of disembodied spirits and constitutes their advantage; finally, everything that happens can be comprehended simply by an internal feeling, without any complicity of external senses and their organs, solely due to the inexplicable power inherent in us, which suggests to us the truth simultaneously with the comprehension of it by our thought. They object to me: “But the voice reaches God, dissipating in the lower layers of the air.” To this I will answer that the thoughts of the righteous pass not only through the air, but also through the whole world. Divine grace is a special kind of light; No sooner had it penetrated the soul than it illuminated it all. But what am I saying? But don’t human intentions reach the Lord? Do they not introduce themselves with a special kind of voice (Ps. 19:3)? Do not the voice and reproaches of conscience announce them? And why wait for notifications by voice to Him Who, in His eternal council, long before He created His chosen one, had already contemplated it and already read it in his soul, as if this future were the present? Is it possible that the rays of Divine grace do not bring light into the depths of souls when, in the language of the Holy One? Scripture, the light of grace penetrates into the most hidden places? The Lord is all sight, all hearing, if I can put it this way, using human expressions. The incorrect concept of God not only in hymns, in words, in certain sayings of Scripture and teachings changes their inherent character of holiness, but also descends into vulgar concepts and obscene thoughts. Hence it happens that “the glorification of God by a crowd is no different from blasphemy”: people of this kind do not know the truth. To which objects all spiritual aspirations, desires, in a word, all the impulses of the soul are directed, serve as the content of prayers. Just as it is not the drink in itself that is desirable, but one thirsts for it as a means of quenching thirst; just as it is not inheritance in itself that is desirable, but inheritance: so knowledge is an object of desire not because of itself, but because of the desire to know; What is desirable is not correct management, but that we be governed correctly; therefore, in prayers, the power does not lie in asking for what we want. Prayer... desire... They have a connection with each other and are replaced by each other to achieve the benefits and advantages associated with them. Anyone who is still erecting the edifice of knowledge prays to God to send him true good, namely spiritual good. But at the same time, he himself contributes to the success of his prayers, working to achieve perfection in virtue, to strengthen it for himself for an everlasting time, so that in the future he may have the benefits he asks for, not as extraneous acquisitions, but in order to achieve identity with this very virtue. For one who knows God as He desires to be known, nothing is as befitting as prayer. Knowledge of God must be accompanied by rational virtue and, it goes without saying, the duty to know what the true good consists of, what benefits one should ask for, how and when to pray for them. Doesn’t praying to false gods represent extreme foolishness? To ask something like gods from those who are not gods at all, what could be more stupid than that? Isn’t it the height of unreasonableness to seek evil from them beyond supposedly certain benefits, which can only serve to the death of the petitioner? That is why we, convinced that there is only one God who combines all blessings, ask Him either to grant us blessings or to leave them for us. This has application not only to us people, but also to angels; the difference is only in some respects; for asking God to preserve His gifts for us or to work from the very beginning to become worthy of them is not the same thing. But there is a better kind of prayer. Aversion from evil and the activity by which we remove it from ourselves is also a special kind of prayer. Therefore, one must be careful not to pray for harm to be sent to people; a true sage (gnostic) asks God to turn even evil people, devoid of any sense of goodness, to virtue. Let's put it more boldly. Prayer is a conversation with the Lord. Whether we whisper it in an undertone (1 Samuel 1:13) or simply think and talk with God silently, without opening our mouths, a voice still emanates from the depths of our soul. The Lord always listens to this inner word; it always reaches Him. From this it happens that we raise our heads and hands to the sky, and in the last cry of prayer we bow our feet 887. It seems that with these symbolic revelations of his state of prayer, a Christian only corresponds to his spiritual impulses, trying to penetrate into the world of substance, accessible only to the mind. Through the ascension of words to heaven, in some way separating his body from the earth, he ascends with his soul to the heavenly lands and soaring here, in the heavenly spheres, on the wings of his holy and pious desires, penetrates into the very sanctuary of God, from where with the highest self-consciousness he looks at the shackles of the flesh. Indeed, we know that a true sage leaves captivity in this world with no less joy than the Jews who left slavery in Egypt; the Gnostic clearly proves that he always desires closeness to God. Some people assign certain hours for prayer, such as third, sixth and ninth. A true sage spends his entire life in prayer, through it striving to live in unity with God. Having achieved this, he - to put it briefly - leaves everything that does not bring benefit, so that in this high communion with God he can draw the completion of that person who acts only out of love. This threefold division of the hours, marked by corresponding prayers, is the custom of those who are not unaware that the heavenly mansions also contain three different degrees. Here I am reminded of those of the heterodox (heretics) who, being followers of Prodicus, argued that prayer was useless. As a precaution, so that they do not begin to admire their imaginary wisdom before us as if it were some kind of news, we will tell these sectarians that they borrowed it from the school of Cyrene 888. In due time we will refute the blasphemy of these supposed Gnostics. If we were to engage in this refutation here, then the length of it would interrupt the course of these “Memoirs” of ours, in which we develop the idea that there is no more faithful and more devout admirer of God than a true Gnostic, enlightened by the teachings of the church, and where we affirm that, whether the Gnostic turns to God with a word or only a thought, the Lord will grant only to him everything he asks, if only it is in accordance with his will God's. Yes, the Lord can do whatever He wants. Likewise, the Gnostic receives whatever he asks for. This is because the Lord, penetrating into the depths of souls, knows which people are worthy of His gifts and who are not. From this it happens that He gives to everyone only what is useful. When the unworthy pray to Him, His hand remains closed. On the contrary, He joyfully opens it to all who are worthy of His bounties. God distributes them among people even when they do not ask Him for them. However, let us not allow ourselves to think on this basis that prayer is unnecessary. Thanking God and praying for everything that can contribute to the conversion of one's neighbor also constitute one of the attributes and advantages of the Gnostic. So we see that the Lord Savior gave thanks to the Father for the end of His ministry and asked that as many of the faithful as possible be brought to knowledge. Through the blessing of their chosen ones, who are the fruit of their true knowledge of God, and in their person God himself is glorified; The Gnostic therefore prays that God, the only good one, who is our only Savior, through His only begotten Son, from generation to generation will be more fully and widely known and known by a greater number of people. Faith, by the power of which we hope to receive the object of our prayers, is itself a kind of prayer that spiritually hovers in the depths of our soul. Moreover, if prayer is a conversation with God, then there is no doubt that one should not neglect this method and opportunity for drawing closer to God. The holiness of a true sage, combined with Divine providence for him, with his free confession of God, clearly proves the height of Divine beneficence. For the integrity of the Gnostic and, conversely, God’s favor towards him are two corresponding endpoints of Divine Providence. The Lord is good not independently of his will, like fire, which, even without wanting it, has a warming power. Divine Providence, even anticipating requests, distributes its bounties by the action of its will. On the other hand, we save God’s chosen one not against his will. He has a soul capable of free self-determination. He walks along the path of salvation, having chosen it himself by free decision. This is the reason why the commandments were given to man, a creature freely determined by himself; This reason is so that he can freely decide his choice towards good or towards evil. So the Lord does good not out of necessity that binds Him. In the fullness of the freedom of His will, He showers with His bounty those who voluntarily rush into His arms. Providence, descending to us from the height of its greatness, is not some kind of blind force, fatalistically busy providing services to its creatures, 889 rising in steps from the least perfect creatures to the more perfect 890. No. Compassionate for our insignificance, Providence, while continuously providing us with benefits, is like a shepherd caring for his flock or a king caring for his subjects; we must be as obedient to Him as we obey the authorities who govern us according to the laws handed down to them by God (Rom. 13:1). So, who are the true worshipers of God and His servants? Those who honor Him by serving truly free and royal, no less through the pious direction of the will, as through knowledge. With such service, imbued with the thought of God, all places and all times are sanctified. But when a person with an inclination towards virtue and a grateful feeling asks for something in prayer, then in some way he himself contributes to this, so that what he asks will be granted to him; His very prayer already serves as evidence that he will joyfully accept the object of his desires. As soon as the Supreme Distributor of all blessings hears from us the expression of this desire, He immediately pours out the treasure of His bounties onto the one asking. There is no doubt that prayer is an external manifestation of internal dispositions that testify to our attitude towards fulfilling our duty. If the gift of words and speech is given to us so that we understand each other, then can the Lord not understand our soul and our thoughts? Before our eyes, one soul constantly understands another, and one mind comprehends another... I conclude from this that the Lord, not like human interpreters, does not need to wait for the words to be spoken. To put it briefly, He already knows every thought in its secret origin. What our voice conveys to the ear can be expressed to God directly in thought. For God, even before the creation of the world, knew what thought would arise in the mind of one or another of us. So, you can pray without accompanying your prayer by uttering words; If only the believer carefully tried to add to this prayerful voice of his spirit all the other qualities of his inextricable union and treatment with God. The East for us serves as an image of the emerging day and reminds us of the One who is Day 891 for us. From the east came the light that first dispelled the darkness. In the east, the day of knowledge of the truth dawned, which illuminated the minds of all, who until that time had remained immersed in the darkness of ignorance (Matthew 6:16). That is why during prayers we turn to the east, which reminds us of the morning of spiritual life. For the same reason, those of the temples, which in their construction date back to extreme antiquity, had their entrances facing the west, so that the sacrificers, facing the images of the gods, would get used to facing the east. May my prayer ascend to You like incense; Let the reward of my hands be the evening sacrifice, says the Psalm (Ps. 140:2). The prayer of the wicked is not only disastrous for others, but it has fatal significance for themselves. Because even though those imaginary benefits that they ask for were received by them, it is precisely these very gifts that destroy them; They don’t know how to use them correctly. “Send us a good that we do not have,” they exclaim and ask for what they think is good, but which in fact is not so. The true sage asks to secure for him what he already owns, to grant him the ability to accept the expected benefits, as well as to use them calmly. He prays for the granting of true blessings to him and for them to remain with him forever, and these are spiritual treasures. That is why he does not want anything new, but is content with what he already owns. Can it be said that he lacks personal gifts when he is satisfied with himself due to the help he receives from Divine grace and due to the treasures of knowledge he contains? Being content with what you already have; not envying what others own; knowing in detail the will of the Almighty; seeing your desires fulfilled simultaneously with their occurrence; especially relying on the omnipotent grace of the Almighty God; working to become a spiritual being: in his unlimited mercy he becomes like the Holy Spirit. Full of sublime thoughts, this man, possessing in knowledge a priceless treasure and the most excellent benefit of all, greatly facilitates contemplative activity for himself and maintains in his soul a constant ability for it; I want to say that he remains always able to recognize himself in the field of knowledge quickly and insightfully. All his efforts are mainly aimed at acquiring this ability. Being master over all movements that excite the spirit; having become accustomed to incessant contemplative activity and established in it; accustomed by repeated trials to abstain from pleasant things and generally to be determined in his behavior by the laws of reason; and, how else can we characterize him, enriched with the treasures of experience: he, both in relation to the content of the true teaching and in relation to his life, is always ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about faith and piety. Do not think, however, that at the same time he is ready to hit the stream of words that are disobedient and unbridled to him; No. His speech is simple. He never hides the truth either out of fear or out of courtesy; he says it in all those cases where he finds the right time; and does not pay attention to the persons before whom his duty forces him to speak out. So, our sage, with the knowledge of what concerns God, obliged by the whole set of conditions fulfilled by him, he who adds to this - which is necessarily required by both the greatness of the subject and the truth of God's reverence - and the excellence of virtue, supports the sublimity of his soul through prayer and the union of his soul with objects understood only spiritually; Through this, he seems to become accustomed to knowledge. As a result, he is always supportive, always meek, easily accessible, patient, friendly, grateful; he is content with honorable certificates only from his conscience. The true sage is dressed in armor of stern severity. This is not only for the incorruptible protection of the integrity of his personality and integrity, but also so that no one tries to seduce him from the path of truth. He never opens his soul to any carnal pleasure or sorrow; even less does he give them power over himself. If he is called by the Logos to perform judicial duties, then he remains impartial, not in the least indulging the movements of any passions; He unwaveringly follows the path of justice destined for him in the conviction that the highest wisdom reigns over this world and that souls who have voluntarily given themselves over to virtue constantly gravitate towards good and seek improvement in it, waiting for the time when they will possess the very essence of good, having come, so to speak, to the threshold of God the Father, where they will approach the Great High Priest of the New Testament. So, a true sage is convinced of this truth: “Everything in this world is going for the better.” In this thought, he endures all accidents without complaint and without complaint. He does not even bother about what is necessary to satisfy the material needs of his daily life. And why would he do this? Is he not unshakably convinced that God, from whose providence nothing escapes, without waiting for requests from a virtuous person, supplies him with everything that is useful to him? The craftsman lives from his craft; a pagan lives like a pagan. In the same way, a true sage in knowledge has everything he needs. A pagan who has converted to faith prays to be imbued with it; the faithful, ascending the steps of knowledge, strives for perfection in charity; a true sage, who has reached the heights of knowledge, asks for the granting of growth in contemplation and constancy in it; for him this is as common as it is natural for any ordinary person to want to preserve his health in a flourishing state. “Lord, may my faith never weaken,” he says; by deeds he helps to establish it on an unshakable foundation. He knows well that through their carelessness, even some of the treacherous Angels were overthrown from their heavenly thrones to earth; They were unable to bring the inconstancy of their will and its fluctuations in one direction or another to balance and thereby impart integrity to their natures 892. But from the lower stages of knowledge have you entered its heights? Through exercise, have you reached the heights of a perfect husband? Then, despite the circumstances of time and place, you try to lead your life without stumbling, generously submitting to the unchanging orders of life and, according to the instructions of knowledge, constantly working on penetrating yourself and the single principle of good. If in a building you leave an angle inclined to the ground and threatening to fall, then all the material that you lifted through the lever of faith and from which you erected the building will also collapse with the general fall. So, a believer, having established himself in virtue through conscious exercise, having acquired an inalienable property in it, turns a simple skill in virtue into his second nature. Heaviness is inseparable from stone; in the same way, knowledge becomes an inalienable property of the Gnostic; and this is not against his will, but in full agreement with his choice, with his intelligence, enrichment of knowledge and forethought? Vigilance is indeed capable of bringing the Gnostic to this inseparable state. Protecting himself with strict prudence, the Gnostic does not sin; restrained from sin by good suggestions and caution, he thereby protects the fruits of his labors. Good suggestions, it seems to me, arise in him from knowledge; it teaches him to distinguish between the currents that determine an unperturbed stay in virtue from what cannot contribute to this. So, remembering God and knowing Him is a great thing. It contributes to the permanence of virtue. But, as we have already proven, only the Gnostic is holy and pious in truth. Without a doubt, the gifts of the present also delight him; but the promised gifts delight him as if they were already real. Don’t tell me: “They are hidden from him because they are not available”: he already knows in advance what they are worth. Having been brought by knowledge to the conviction that the future has to be one way and not another, he already possesses it. Everything that is insufficient and imperfect must be supplemented from the proper source. But if it is true that the Gnostic is characterized by wisdom, and this wisdom in the proper sense of the word is a Divine property, then it turns out that whoever is in union with a Being who does not have any needs means that he himself does not suffer any needs either. For when communicating wisdom, the Being communicating it, and the other being, receiving a part in it, have nothing against each other, do not mutually harbor any dislike for one another, and therefore nothing prevents one Being from complementing the other with Himself 893; and from what is taken from this Being by others, It does not become poorer. As a result of this, it happens that the wealth of the Giver, from the repeated communication of his being to another, is not exhausted. There is no doubt that by supporting the good qualities of its chosen ones and approving the holiness of the way of life they have adopted, Divine wisdom also imparts to those who have decided to live virtuously the forces necessary to complete the work of their salvation, for Providence speaks to us either simply with a voice of exhortation, or by extending a helping hand to those who have earned it through their efforts. The gnostic uses all such benefits in a natural way, for his ultimate goal is knowledge of the will of God and completely self-conscious activity. Look at the doctor. He restores health to the sick, while the sick with their inner energy assist the doctor in restoring their health. The Lord God acts in exactly the same way towards us. He grants eternal salvation to those who, together with Him, erect the building of knowledge and good deeds. Yes, and the Divine promise is realized only through the actions of man, because the fulfillment of the commandments imposed on us by true teaching is left to our power. Therefore, I cannot help but be surprised by the Hellenes. One of the famous athletes of ancient times exercised this pitiful body for a long time, preparing it and strengthening it for valiant competitions. Then he went to these very competitions at the Olympic Games. Here, in front of the statue of Zeus, revered by the Pisans, he poured out his soul like this: “Father of the gods,” he exclaimed, if I have not omitted anything from what I should have used to prepare for the fight, then grant me victory: you will only repay my debt with this.” Something similar happens to the Gnostic. To the best of his ability and having impeccably fulfilled everything that was prescribed by the teaching, namely, having studied the work of salvation, having exercised, been engaged in appropriate affairs and imbued with the desire to please God, having for himself the testimony of a clear conscience, he is convinced that he has completed the work of salvation in all its particulars. God requires of us only what we are able to do; in other words: both with regard to those goods that, having a relationship with the work of our salvation, are not yet in sight, and with regard to available goods, He requires a voluntary decision, desire, hope of possessing them, using them, and constancy. This is why a person conversing with God must have a pure and unsullied soul: an indispensable condition if one works to convert the good in oneself into one’s own property, that is, to achieve perfection in goodness. If this is not the case, then let him at least try to rise to knowledge; let him strive for it; and most importantly, let him, to the extent possible, avoid evil and sinful deeds. Something else. A Gnostic should turn to God with prayers only worthy of God, and, moreover, in the community of only virtuous people. Contact with the sins of others is contagious. With those whose faith is still young, the Gnostic prays only for such things as can be prayed for openly with others. As for his whole life, then, as we have already said, it is a long sacred celebration. His usual sacrifices are his prayers, his repeated praises to God, his reading of the Holy Scriptures 894 before eating, the singing of psalms and hymns both while eating and before going to bed; finally, his nightly prayers also belong here, to the same sacrifices. Thanks to them, he joins the host of disembodied forces, constantly contemplating and glorifying God: the thought of God is constantly presented to him; His thoughts are constantly occupied with activity. But is it really possible that besides these, the Gnostic does not know any other sacrifices? Does he really not share with the ignorant those saving truths and material benefits that he himself possesses? Yes, of course he shares, and very generously at that. But since he knows from the lips of God himself what blessings he should ask for, he never resorts to long and verbose prayers pronounced out loud (Matthew 6:7, etc.). Everywhere, wherever he is, therefore he prays without attracting the attention of the crowd. His walks, conversation, rest, reading, affairs controlled by reason, all of this for him is prayer in its diverse forms. As soon as he mentally descends into the sanctuary of his soul and calls here with unspeakable sighs (Rom. 8:26) the Heavenly Father, before he has time to speak, the Almighty is already listening to him. The dignity of any action among people is usually measured by three main and final goals: honesty, usefulness and pleasantness. The goal of all Gnostic enterprises is only honesty and usefulness; He provides sensual pleasure from his actions, or what is the same thing - earthly happiness with its impermanence, to those souls who, amid insignificance and mortal melancholy, drag out a vulgar life. 8. A true sage, being a strict zealot of truth, does not even need to resort to an oath. With such obvious piety of a true sage, there are not only many, but also no grounds for the simple assumption that he can take lies and oaths lightly. An oath is a final testimony, in which the name of God is called as a witness; Is it possible for a person imbued with faith not to inspire confidence in himself; and why does he need to resort to an oath? Isn't the oath already replaced by his whole life? Does he not suit her so much that the unchanging constancy of his behavior and the definite character of his speeches become a decisive and reliable statement 895? If at the trial itself the judge acting and discussing the case pronounces an unjust sentence, which has no basis in the injustice experienced by the petitioner, then here too the Gnostic (to please the judge) is careful not to lie or remain unfaithful to the oath. The insult inflicted on God in this case would be directed at himself, for he knows well that by his very essence God cannot bear insult. You will also not have to see him lie or break any point of the law out of hatred for his neighbor. The Lord taught the Gnostic to love his neighbor, even if he did not live under the same roof. It is even less possible for a Gnostic to lie or to break an oath because of himself, for it is never possible to notice in him any voluntary wrong in relation to his own personality. Finally, the Gnostic not only does not break his oath, but does not even swear at all; he fulfills the commandment of the Savior, who found it sufficient to affirm something to answer “yes” (Matthew 5:37), and to deny it “no” (James 5:12). For what does it mean to swear, if not to pronounce an oath? And what is an oath if not the same idea, only in embryo, to use the name of God for the purpose of persuasion? For the Gnostic, therefore, it is sufficient to end his affirmation or denial with the following words: “I have shown the truth”; and he finds this sufficient to finally convince those who would still hesitate to recognize the significance of his testimony. Therefore, it seems to me, he should behave in such a way that his behavior would inspire the pagans to trust in his personality simply because of his life; then they will find it unnecessary and force him to worship. In relation to himself and to those who have relations with him, he must observe noble honesty, ready for any test: this is the free justice of the Gnostic. So, the Gnostic is fair and keeps his word, but has no special inclination to swear and does not need it. Far from finding deity necessary, he submits to the method of it that we spoke about as rarely as possible. And as for the sincerity of his oath, it is a consequence of the close connection that connects him with the truth. It can only be achieved through constant and impeccable observation of duty. So, do not demand an oath from someone who is called upon to testify throughout his life that he is at the height of truth. And in general, it must be said that whoever does not swear is undoubtedly further from swearing than others. Anyone who has never violated a single feature of any article of the contract cannot be called upon to take an oath. Whether he fulfilled the obligations he assumed or violated them, as evidence of one or the other, he lets the facts speak for him. There is no doubt that untruth in words and a false oath are a violation of duties to society. But a righteous man who lives honestly and does not violate any of the obligations imposed on him by duty, when the investigation of the truth comes, points to his life as a testimony: his deeds are his oath; he finds the testimony of his lips completely unnecessary. Always confident that the Lord is near him, wherever he is; being ashamed to tell a lie and considering lying a means to achieve something, he is unworthy: he is content with witnessing only before God and his conscience. That is why he never lies, does not violate any obligations; that is why he refuses to take the oath required of him; and once he has sworn, the faithful one does not renounce the oath even if he had to die under torture. 9. Excellence in the above-depicted virtues is on the side of the one who edifies his neighbor. No matter how high the dignity of a Gnostic, through the duty of teaching his brothers he rises even more! Destined to spread both by word and example the good of the greatest that exists on earth, the sage invested with this mission is a kind of mediator and connection between man and the Divine. The pagan, idolizing stone and wood, turns his prayers to meaningless idols, as if they had ears to hear him, and sacredly fulfills the obligations written before them. In the same way, an image that has life and breath, I want to say, a person, obeying his Lord, a worthy Teacher of the faith, can personify the greatness of the Logos. The benefit that a Gnostic provides to other people resembles the work of the Savior himself (Matthew 10:42; 25:4). In His image, being a true man, the Gnostic scatters the seed of the word among people and, reviving the person he instructs for salvation, becomes at the same time both a creator and a transformer. The Hellenes call iron by the name of Ares, and wine by Dionysus; There is, of course, some hidden relationship between them. The same must be said about the Gnostic. Since he sees his own salvation in the good of his neighbor, he can rightly be called a living likeness of the Savior, if not by the qualities of his nature, then at least for communicating to them His grace and conformity with the Savior through preaching. Everything he carries in the depths of his soul, he carries equally on his lips. Harmoniously carrying out his teaching and practice, he preaches both by word and example to those who are worthy to hear him. Indeed, he speaks the truth, presenting it as he thinks about it, except in those cases when, like a doctor 896 hiding a dangerous truth from a patient, he sometimes has to hide the truth as a healing remedy or, in the language of the sophists, not tell it. Look really. Here the Chief Apostle performs circumcision on Timothy (Acts 16:3) at the very moment when he writes in the hearing of everyone and proclaims orally that circumcision performed by a human hand is an empty rite (Rom. 2:25; Eph. 2:11). Why this concession? The Apostle was afraid that the sharp transition from the circumcision of Moses to the circumcision performed by faith on the heart would lead the still wavering Jews to a sudden break with the synagogue. And so he adapts to their weakness and becomes a Jew in order to attract them all (1 Cor. 9:19, etc.). To condescend to someone and come to the level of someone else's concepts in order to save him, while never cowardly thinking about the danger that ill-will threatens the righteous, such a course of action does not constitute a sin or a violation of the commandment. But the Gnostic’s desire to be useful to his fellow men can make him decide to do such an act; Without being guided by this impulse, he does not commit it. He actually gives his life for the church, for his disciples who were reborn by him to the faith (Phil. 1:20), so that in the future for those who will be invested with this highest ministry, the ministry of a teacher who loves mankind and loves God, he can serve as an example of a sacrifice who has doomed himself in the name of the Savior to harmonize deeds with words and to truly discover love. He follows his own path, without fear of prison or slavery, remaining faithful to the teachings he has once accepted, patient in his work, truthful in his words, and using the gift of speech impeccably. Indeed, as soon as a lie has the goal of some kind of deception, it ceases to be an idle word, but becomes an instrument of evil. Through words, deeds, and his entire personality, the Gnostic therefore testifies to the truth, because in his speeches, actions, in his very thoughts, in everything he reveals inviolable honesty. This, to put it briefly, is the piety of a Christian. If each of his actions is consistent with duty and determined by sound reason, then his behavior is pious and righteous. And if so, then only a Gnostic can be a pious, righteous and God-fearing worshiper of God. From this it follows that a Christian is not at all an unbeliever: a position that we intended to prove to the philosophers. It follows from his behavior that he will never allow himself anything bad or shameful; it would be contrary to justice. Finally, here is the last proof that the Gnostic is not at all wicked. He alone throughout the whole earth renders to the true and omnipotent God, the King and the universal Lord, the service corresponding to that required of him by true religion, piously honoring Him with pure life and prayers. 10. The steps by which the Gnostic ascends to true perfection. Knowledge, if I may be allowed to put it this way, is perfection, maturity, completeness of man as a person. Supplemented by the knowledge of Divine things, it both in the way of thoughts and dispositions and in the way of life and in the field of words both corresponds to itself, that is, it is distinguished by perfect naturalness, and it also agrees with the Divine Logos, is pleasing to Him and approved by Him. It can be said with complete certainty that faith itself is perfected through knowledge, for only through knowledge does a believer achieve perfection. From this it follows that faith is a kind of good, internally, spiritually and mysteriously presented to the soul: at the same time, it does not find God through a long path of a special kind of philosophical research, but simply, without any special gatherings and preparations, recognizes His existence, speaks out for it and surrounds God with glorification and honor as a person who really exists. Hence, for a Christian, reborn by faith and grown in the bosom of it, there arises an urgent need, with the help of Divine grace, to the best of his abilities and in accordance with them, to take care of acquiring knowledge of God. We affirm that knowledge is different from that bodily wisdom that is acquired through listening to various teachings and instructions. In some respects this wisdom is of course the same as knowledge; knowledge is not absolutely the same as wisdom; knowledge as knowledge is necessarily already wisdom; wisdom as wisdom does not necessarily have to be knowledge. Under the name of wisdom, for the most part, we mean knowledge transmitted to us by a teacher 897. The basis of knowledge is an unshakable and unquestionable faith in God. The foundation of the building, and together with the building itself, the beginning and the end of everything, is Christ. We speak of Christ as the beginning of everything and the end, for both the beginning of everything, faith in Him, and the end of everything, love for Him, cannot be the subject of teaching and instruction; knowledge, by the grace of God, is communicated to us by tradition; it is a treasure handed over for safekeeping to those who have declared themselves worthy of maintaining a teaching that reveals only the superiority of love; With the light that spills from the knowledge of this teaching, love is surrounded by brilliance. Scripture says: To him who has, more will be given (Luke 19:26). What does this mean? And the fact that knowledge must be added to faith; to knowledge, love for God and neighbors; love receives the right to possess the inheritance. Then all this happens, that is, all these promises to a Christian and his own desires are then fulfilled when, through faith, knowledge and love, united with the Savior, the Christian, in union with Him, soars in the monastery where the Guardian of our faith and love, the Lord, reigns. From here it is revealed that to those who are capable of accepting this mercy and are predestined to do so, knowledge is imparted to the improvement of their personality. The communication of this knowledge is conditioned by the wise structure of life and the desire for a goal that is higher than the truth according to the law. And all this again requires constant diligence; This requires complex and long-term preparatory work and exercises. And this knowledge leads us to an endless and perfect goal. The point begins with the fact that knowledge initiates us into life according to God, which was also led by other virtuous people who were awarded Divine honors in the eternal abodes 898. This life, still known here on earth in communion with the souls of departed saints, frees the Christian beyond the grave from punishments and torments, 899 the fear of which should keep us here on earth from sins and instill in us a saving way of life. Freed from these fears, having reached the perfection possible here on earth, no longer subject to any further purification, having completed all kinds of ministries, even those of saints and those performed among saints, those holy souls accept honors and rewards. A further point is the introduction into the constant contemplation of God of those who are pure in heart and even here on earth were in some kind of relationship with God (Matthew 5:8). They are given a place on the thrones, where other gods sit, placed by the Savior directly after Himself 900. So, the inner purification is quickly completed by knowledge; it introduces into us the desired transformative power, so that we gradually become closer to goodness. Hence it also happens that it quite naturally introduces us to the comprehension of that holy and divine substantiality with which we have a certain means. In some mysterious way, it introduces a person from one light into a new greater light 901, and this is until he is clean from the slightest stains (Matt. 5:8; 1 Cor. 13:12) and he is elevated by knowledge to the highest abodes of peace. Knowledge and comprehension in this way teach the Gnostic to contemplate God face to face. The soul of a Gnostic is brought to such perfection by knowledge. It frees the soul from the need to purify itself in some other way; it frees her from various ministries; together with the Lord she settles in places where she reigns under His protection. Faith, therefore, so to speak, is a shortened knowledge of the most necessary truths. Knowledge is an immutable and invincible discovery, both in word and in deed, of truths accepted on faith, a discovery that, under the influence of the teaching of our Savior, being built on the foundation of faith, leads the mind to knowledge, to perfect comprehension, to sinlessness. The first of these saving changes and revolutions, in my opinion, is the transition from paganism to faith, as I have already noted about this. The second point is the transition from faith to knowledge. This latter, leading a Christian to love, unites the loving being with the beloved, the cognizing with the cognizable. And it seems to me that as soon as a person achieves this, then already here on earth, before departing from this world to another, he puts on the nature of an angel (Luke 20:36). Isn’t this the degree of perfection that can be achieved here and which is allowed by the flesh of a Christian, which still holds him down? And upon achieving this highest perfection, which is only possible for one who is in this flesh, the Christian - as is natural - becomes a participant in even higher blessings. Through the Holy Week 902 he finally reaches the dwelling of the Lord, where he becomes, in some way, a constant light 903, beginning to live a special life in all respects, eternal, unchanging. This is the first revelation of the influence of the Lord on a true Christian; This is the reward and reward for God-worship, which we have already spoken about. And what we have said is confirmed by numerous evidence. For example, one of them is enough. The prophet David says the following: Who will enter the mountain of the Lord or who will stand in His holy place? Innocent in hands and pure in heart, not wasting his life on vanity, not swearing flatteringly to his neighbor; this one will receive blessing from the Lord and mercy from God his Savior. This is a generation of those who seek the Lord, striving to see the face of the God of Jacob (Ps. 24: 3 - 6). The Prophet, it seems to me, is mainly targeting the Gnostic here. In passing, it seems, he also points out to us that our Savior is God; he calls Him the person of the God of Jacob 904, that is, preaching and teaching everything that concerned the Spirit. That is why the Apostle calls the Son the image of the glory of the Father (Heb. 1:3), because He proclaimed to people the truth about God and explained that God and the Father are one, that He is the only Almighty, whom no one knows except the Son and those to whom the Son will reveal Him (Matthew 11:27). The unity of God in the Psalmist is indicated by the words of those who strive to see the face of the God of Jacob. It is this one and good God the Father that our Savior and God proclaims to us. By the race of those who seek Him we should understand the race of the chosen ones, to whom, through study, it is granted to reach knowledge. That is why the Apostle tells us: I will not bring you any benefit if I do not add revelation, knowledge, prophecy or teaching to my preaching (1 Cor. 14:6). I know that it happens to some people who are not able to act properly as Gnostics. But their actions are not controlled by their minds. The same must be said about their course of action as about the courage of some 905. Some people, being passionate by nature, become even more ardent due to the fact that the passion they nurtured has turned into a habit. They, without restraining it with reason, in many cases surrender to it blindly and perform deeds worthy of true courage. Or for example. rough craftsmen. They endure toil and suffering with stern tenacity. But no matter how submissive they are to fate, their patience does not flow from the same source from which the patience of the Gnostic flows. It does not have the same goal as the Gnostic. And this is even if they had to give up their lives in the midst of torment. The Apostle explains to us the reason for this. This happens because they do not have the love generated by knowledge (1 Cor. 13:3). Everything that is done with knowledge is done honestly, rightly and can count on success. Everything that is done without knowledge is done in a bad and pitiful manner. No matter how much energy the culprit of such a thing displays; no matter how constancy he may be distinguished in him, all this will be bad, because his course of action does not follow from reason and by his actions he does not pursue one of those goods that lead to virtue and flow from it. I would have to say the same about any other virtue in particular of people not enlightened by knowledge, and equally about their piety. The Gnostic is guided by reason not only in his holiness; cognition controls the rest of his behavior; He is also guided by it in his service to God. Following the plan we once adopted and postponing until a more convenient time the presentation of the scientific positions of the Gnostic, we will now depict his life. 11. The life of a true sage. His courage in enduring misfortunes and death itself, as quickly as God’s will. To accept and comprehend the revealed teaching of God (Matthew 19:17), this means to receive the truest and most majestic good in it. Therefore, the true sage is first of all surprised at this new miracle of creation 906. And since he brought this ability of inquiry pure from his heavenly homeland, he becomes a joyful and courageous disciple of the Lord. As soon as he heard the word about God and providence, he already believed in them, having all the grounds for this in the amazingness of the re-creation of man. This inner impulse of wonder turns all the forces of the Gnostic to the study of the tenets of faith; it is by virtue of his gnosticism that he submits to everything that can lead to knowledge of the object of his sincere desires and aspirations. Due to the fervor of his desires, he adds investigations and discussions to the commanded way of life. And so our Gnostic moves forward in matters of faith. Faith, lifestyle and sobriety of thought make him capable of broad and sublime contemplative activity. The will of God, this is what has been the subject of research of the Gnostic ever since, because he does not open his bodily ears to comprehend the words of Scripture and the Lord, but the spiritual eyes of the heart. Having perceived in the word of God the scale for understanding the essence of things, orienting himself through it among them, he naturally and with his soul turns to things akin to it. Eg. These two commandments: Thou shalt not commit adultery and Thou shalt not kill (Ex. 20:15, 14) he understands when applied to himself in a meaning greater than what they have in this verbal form for other people. The Gnostic works and acquires skill in this speculative cognition of things with the goal of preparing himself through this contemplative way of thinking for the perception of even more general and majestic truths. He is firmly convinced that he instructs man in knowledge (Ps. 93:10), according to the word of the prophet, the Lord, that He speaks through the mouth of men. For this same purpose, the Lord personally took upon himself human flesh. Naturally, from here it happens that this zealot of knowledge never prefers the sensually pleasant to the useful, no. If some chance had brought him together, for example. and with a woman in all the splendor of her beauty, then even then she would not have been able to seduce him with any charms and coquetry, no matter how much she evoked them from herself. Could the wife of the master whom Joseph served incline him to violate decency and a lawful way of life? He left his outer clothes in her violent hands, remaining clean from sin and putting on the most elegant clothes of beauty and moral innocence. Of course, the eye of the Egyptian master did not see this act of Joseph, but the Almighty was a witness to it. A person hears the word, sees the body; The Almighty sees and sees further; He sees into the very work of that person whose voice is heard and whose gaze we see. Accordingly, the Gnostic maintains unshakable peace of mind when even illness, some unexpected circumstances, and even the most terrible of all disasters, death, befall him; he knows that all such troubles are a necessity in created nature. And he remembers that all these misadventures, by God’s omnipotence, turn into means of saving us, that in the hands of merciful Providence they are corrective means, intended to force those who resist to self-improvement, and then be rewarded according to their deserts for the work of self-correction. Therefore, the Gnostic uses all created things to the extent and for the purposes indicated by the Logos, always when using those created things, giving thanks and glorification to the Creator and not allowing himself to be enslaved by them, but always remaining master over them. Whether anyone shows him any injustice, insult, or evil, he never remembers them. He never gets angry and does not harbor hostility or dislike towards anyone at all, even towards those who for their deeds would really be worth such hatred. He remembers that the Creator of his neighbor is the same as that of himself; in his neighbor, even if he is erring, therefore he honors his Creator, and he loves his fellow exile, regrets him and prays for him, the ignorant. Chained to this mortal and pitiful body, he regrets the infirmities of his own bodily nature, and yet remains unshaken under the pressure of his passions. Let circumstances independent of his will develop contrary to his wishes: having suppressed his sadness, he completely withdraws into himself, dwelling on what really belongs to him. Indifferent to everything that has no connection with the life of his soul, he only deals with what is needed and what protects the health of his soul. What does he care about people's opinions? What does appearance mean to him? He wants to remain faithful in the essence of the matter, faithful to the true teaching he has received and the knowledge he has acquired in it, i.e. he would like to declare himself through actions that would always be able to justify themselves, as well as through speeches that have force and effectiveness. He is not content with lavishing praise on the good and the beautiful; he himself tries to be kind and clothed in transcendental beauty; from a good and faithful slave, he actually rises in the strength of his love to the degree of a friend; and in this name, which shows perfection, he sees a reward for himself for what he does every day: for the knowledge of the true teaching, for the skills he acquired only through long exercise and fidelity to the right way of life. And so he uses every effort to achieve the heights of knowledge. Shining with moral beauty, concentrated in his appearance and demeanor, possessing all the advantages that distinguish a true Gnostic, he looks only at the glorious examples of his great predecessors, who preceded him in achieving perfection. What a cloud of them is presented to his spirit! I’m talking about the examples left for him by the patriarchs, many prophets, countless angels watching over us, and finally the Savior himself, who taught us in word and in deed showed us what heights of life we ​​can reach. And this is the reason why the Gnostic is careful not to become attached to all the goods of this world that are available to him; he doesn't want to stay on earth. He values ​​only those goods that he hopes to receive or, better said, which he has already recognized as true goods, which he is convinced of receiving, which he speculatively sees in his possession. That is why he patiently endures the work of trials and tribulations. He endures them not like the sages of this world, distinguished for their courage, who supported their courage solely by the thought that there would come an end to all these disasters and that someday they would have to be replaced by pleasures. These are not Gnostic thoughts. Through knowledge he is brought to the unshakable confidence that the blessings that constitute the object of his hopes will one day become his actual property. Hence it happens that he despises not only all torment, but in general all earthly blessings. They say that blessed Peter, seeing his wife led by the executioners to execution, rejoiced that the hour had come for her to be called to the higher villages and spoke of her as an exile being returned to her fatherland. Finally, approving her and comforting her, calling her by name, he addressed her with the following appeal: “Woman, remember the Lord” 907. So strong was the marriage union of this blessed couple; This was also the husband’s way of acting in relation to the one who was dearer to him than all people in this world. In this sense, the Apostle says: But let those who have wives be as if they did not have them (1 Cor. 7:29). The Apostle did not want the marriage connection to be any purely human passion and inclination: such a connection would separate us from love for the Savior. And that is why the most exemplary of the spouses, at the moment when his wife, having to part with her life, had to unite with the Lord, convinced her to preserve this love for the Savior in all its integrity. All these martyrs, who in moments of the most terrible torture turned to God with praise, did they not loudly testify through this very thing to their faith in the posthumous benefits expected of them? I am convinced that this unshakable confidence really lived in them, which was therefore accompanied by deeds corresponding to this faith. So, no matter how unhappy external circumstances may be, the soul of the Gnostic remains firm and courageous among them all. Athletic natures are distinguished by a strong physique; The Gnostic is distinguished by the highest strength and moral strength, making him capable of withstanding all tests. In all human affairs, this moral fortitude is generally a wise advisor; it is she who shows the righteous the way he should go. And there is nothing surprising about that. With her principles, she is established in heaven and, striving to become like God, she both moderates and calms the inclination towards carnal pleasures in herself, and also dominates over bodily sorrows. But, trusting all her strength in God, she looks at all the horrors with her head held high. The soul of a Gnostic here on earth in truth consists, as it were, of a reflection of Divine omnipotence. Adorned with the most perfect virtues, she owes the integrity of her nature at the same time to her fidelity to nature, to her exercises and to reason, which develops at the same time. And it is this spiritual beauty that makes the Gnostic a temple of the Holy Spirit, just as the soul would remain faithful to its disposition in everything in life to agree with the Gospel. With such preliminary dispositions, a Christian is not afraid of any dangers, fears or horrors. What is death for him, what is poverty, illness, insults and all the like? He never gives in to voluptuousness; He rules masterfully over all unreasonable wishes. He knows well what he should do and what he should deny himself, for he knows exactly what is truly scary and what is not. And knowing the cause of all fears, he patiently endures everything that he must endure and endure; Whatever behavior his mind advises him to adhere to is appropriate, this is what he adheres to. With the shining of light, which does not lead into deception, he sees on what he should rest all his hopes, that is, he knows how to distinguish true benefits from imaginary ones, truly terrible troubles from apparent ones; He considers these latter to be death, illness, poverty; These are troubles only in appearance, and not in reality. So this righteous man, by virtue of the constancy that his virtuous soul makes a habit of, avoiding all moods not imbued with reason, rises above the anxieties and passions of this life. By all means at his disposal, he strives towards the intended goal; Changes in happiness, speaking in ordinary language, are not terrible for a morally good person, because this is not real evil. As for truly terrible evils, they are unknown to the Christian-Gnostic; as evil they are diametrically opposed to good; and it is impossible for one and the same person to be the bearer of both opposites at the same time. So, a Christian, who in the theater of this world flawlessly fulfills the role 908 assigned to him by God, knows what he must do and what he must endure. Doesn't cowardice come from ignorance of what is truly scary and what is not? And if so, then I conclude from this that only the Gnostic is characterized by true courage, because only he knows the blessings of the present and the blessings of the future. Enlightened, as I have already said, regarding evils that should not be feared and convinced that only vice for those striving for knowledge is real death and destruction, clothed in the whole armor of God, he fights against vice every minute. If someone, due to his human weakness, is caught by any accident, whether this occurs from a lack of prudence and caution or from the action or - better said - the assistance of the devil, then this imprudence cannot be considered either carelessness or the cunning of the devil, but should be attributed to the imperfection of knowledge. There are no actions that in their very essence would be caution. Caution is only a course of action; the matter itself, whatever it may be, cannot be caution. Therefore, an action committed out of ignorance is not ignorance, but evil generated by ignorance, although not identical with it. Indeed, neither sins nor passions are evil in themselves, although their source is evil, but what kind? From lack of knowledge. Therefore, whoever is courageous not under the influence of reason is not a true Gnostic. Otherwise, it would be necessary to honor in the name of courage and insensitivity of some children in the face of danger, about which they had not yet formed a concept 909. So don't we see them catching fire every day? What then? On this basis, shouldn’t we also learn courage from wild animals that blindly rush at spears and spears? On this basis, why shouldn’t we proclaim courageous and our square buffoons, who with such dexterity jump over swords, practicing such a criminal craft for an insignificant fee? A person imbued with true courage is a completely different matter. Whether the furious people are preparing the inevitable execution for him, he faces it courageously. And this is how he differs from the rest, only the so-called martyrs: some of these latter expose themselves to various accidents recklessly and - so to speak - rush into danger without knowing why 910; others initially stay aloof, as common sense advises them to do: but as soon as they hear the call of the Lord, they hasten to betray themselves, give evidence of their faith before the judges, standing out from the ranks of other people entirely due to some kind of insolence or yielding to the flow; They show the earth the image of a truly amazing person, in the manifestation of courage guided by reason. Is it not because the majority of mortals endure torment relatively easier because they avoid greater ones? Is it not because they remain firm in the confession of their faith that they fear censure from their peers in society and fellow religionists? Those who are guided in this by love willingly follow the voice they hear, carried away by the sole desire to please God and not pursuing any other goal besides this; They are not guided by hope to see themselves rewarded for their feats. It happens, of course, that some of those who go to death voluntarily are guided by the desire to become famous; others, to avoid even more terrible torments 911; still others, finally, to enter into joy and joy after death. These are still children in faith, taking their first steps in it. They are blessed, if that is what you like; and yet they do not follow the path that an older person should take or the path that, for example, follows. a gnostic guided in his actions by the love of God. But the church also has 912 wreaths for children. Like the circus and the gymnasium, it rewards not only husbands. So, one should be imbued with love for its own sake, and not for any outside impulse. So, the perfection of courage in a Gnostic develops simultaneously with knowledge both from positive progress in moral life and from daily efforts to win victories in the fight against passions. Love, imprinting the fighter’s brow, moving his hands during the fight, makes him a fearless and fearless warrior, uninvolved in cowardice, imbues him with firm and complete trust in God, just as justice inspires him to constantly speak only the truth, for the essence of his righteousness lies in his observation of the following commandment of the Savior: Let your word be: yes, yes: no, no (Matt. 5:37; James 5:12). The same must be said about the abstinence characteristic of a Christian. He should not be guided in this by the desire for honor, which motivates athletes who compete for a crown and glory. And it is not the desire to accumulate wealth that should guide him in this, as happens with those who remain virtuous under the influence of the suggestions of this disastrous vice. And in truth, how can we call abstinent a person who, out of pride, for the sake of maintaining health, or simply due to the rudeness of his disposition and habits, abstains from carnal pleasures and observes severity towards himself? Those who spend their lives in hard labor, having received the opportunity to sensually enjoy their fruits, are sure to be dashed against the rock of carnal pleasures, although they have hitherto remained adamantly strict in their abstinence. This is an irrefutable fact. As soon as a favorable opportunity for sensual pleasure presents itself to them, they abandon virtue and break the law. On the contrary, if one strives for abstinence because of itself, then because of knowledge, under the guidance of which it is improved and which serves for him as a strong and durable bridle, then abstinence elevates a person to the degree of master of himself and imbues him with self-control. Look at the Gnostic. This is true abstinence! It consists entirely of this. Passions don't bother him; he does not melt in the crucible of suffering. This is truly a diamond, about which they say that it is not susceptible to the effects of extreme heat 913. The principle from which things of this kind flow is love, art and science, the most holy and most important of all. Remaining true to everything that is good and beautiful, bearing on itself the indelible reflection of the Divine Being, that principle elevates its bearer to the degree of friend of God and son; under the influence of love, the Gnostic reaches the stature of a perfect man and completeness in Christ (Eph. 4:13). Or better: agreement with someone in certain situations gives rise to harmony; identity produces unity. But just as friendship influences friends to the point of bringing them into similarity with each other, because the community of aspirations is directed towards unity in essence: so the Gnostic, flaming with love for the one and true God, because he is a friend of God and His adopted child from Him, becomes in truth a perfect man. This is where the true nobility of human origin lies; this is the true meaning of knowledge; that's perfection. They consist in the constant remembrance of God, His presence before one’s spiritual eyes. The final perfection achieved by the Gnostic consists in cleansing his soul from the slightest stain. Then he is recognized as worthy of eternal contemplation of the Almighty God face to face (1 Cor. 13:12). Once completely imbued with spirituality, he strives to join the church that is related to him, to the hosts of spirits, and inherits peace in God. 13. A true sage is charitable; he lives abstinently and despises all worldly vanity. To characterize the life of a true sage, the details outlined above are sufficient. Let us only add that with such an attitude towards his body, soul and neighbors, in his eyes there is neither a slave, nor a public enemy, nor anything like that. All people are like people, similar and equal to him. Divine law forbids him to despise a brother born of parents similar to his father and mother. But the virtues of the Gnostic do not end there. To all who are depressed by the difficulties of life, he eases their burden with his consolations, encourages them with his conversations and supplies them with everything necessary to maintain their bodily life. His help to them is still not the same; it is fair and corresponds to the moral characteristics of everyone. In his generosity he does even more than this. He gives even to those who hate and persecute him, as soon as this enemy and persecutor of him needs help. Here some may say: “He gives, prompted to do so by fear of them.” Not at all. Cover his course of action as you please: he is indifferent to it and does good, guided solely by the desire to help his neighbor. But whoever does not spare treasures to help even his enemy, without remembering his malice, should he not be all the more generous and loving towards his loved ones? Our sage, in his relationships with them, is animated by precisely these feelings, although the perfection of knowledge here also shows him to what extent, to whom, under what circumstances, and especially what and how he should give. We mentioned enemies, which our sage also has. But who is it and on what reasonable grounds can he wish evil upon someone who himself never gives anyone cause for hostility? We answer. And the Lord does not oppose anyone, does not treat anyone with hostility (Pedagogical I, 8). Can He be someone’s enemy or adversary, He being the Creator of everything that exists and favoring it, because nothing that exists exists against His will? Only those who disobey Him are enemies of God. Instead of obeying Him, they deviate from the paths indicated by His commandments and persecute the holiness of His covenant with hatred. We observe something similar to this attitude of the Divine towards us in our sage. He never hates anyone except those who follow a path opposite to his own: he considers them his enemies. If he helps them, it is only out of his characteristic mercy. But at the same time, again, he is guided by his knowledge. And this ability to recognize people, to distribute gifts to them according to the dignity of each, to give more to this, to another less, this weighing on the scales of wisdom even of the benefit that we only intend to render, is one of the highest manifestations of justice characteristic of our Gnostic. Most people of virtue are betrayed by crowd-like motives. So eg. Pagans abstain from certain things only because they do not have the opportunity to enjoy what they want or out of fear of other people. Others give up the pleasures of the present in order to later enjoy other, more refined ones. Similar calculations can be observed between people of faith. Many Christians abstain either because of the promise of reward for them or out of fear of God. But for such reasons, abstinence, although not rejected by Gnosticism and lies at its basis, is still only a step towards achieving the best state; it is only, as it were, an impulse towards that which is most perfect. The beginning of wisdom, says Scripture, is the fear of God (Prov. 1:7). A perfect man covers everything, endures everything out of love, so as not to please man, but God (1 Cor. 13:1, 7; 1 Thess. 2:4). His behavior causes him to be praised by the people not because of the consequences of it, because everyone sees it as a personal benefit for himself, but because his example is considered admirable by those praising him. But besides this kind of abstinent people, who restrain their disordered spiritual impulses for these reasons, there is also another kind of abstinent people who turn out to be such because they want to retain the benefits they have once acquired; in distinguishing true goods from false ones, they achieve unlosable greatness; from this their deeds and virtues flow. Whether some unforeseen misfortune happens, under the protection of his virtue, the Gnostic still does not abandon his course of action, because in the good scientific property that is characteristic of him, he has a lasting treasure, inseparable from it; This treasure consists of the knowledge of divine and human things. Behind this is the abstinence of this kind of people, who abstain from carnal things out of a desire to retain for themselves the once acquired spiritual blessings, and therefore it is firm that their knowledge can never turn into ignorance; their good can never become evil. This is why our Gnostic eats, drinks, and marries not because of himself and not as a means of realizing through marriage the main goal of his life, but out of necessity. I say: A wise man marries. Yes, if the Logos commands him and if it is consistent with his duties. A perfect man has an example in this for himself in the person of the Apostles. And in general it must be said that human energy does not manifest itself in solitude and not in a lonely life. What kind of heroic courage can be compared with the courage of someone who, in a marriage, having children, caring for a family, being the master of both the pleasures and the grief that befalls him, by the strength of his love for God, nevertheless remains in an inextricable union with Him? How many difficulties does he have to overcome in doing so! How often must he arm himself against the temptations presented to him in the form of children, wife, servants, property! As a result of this, a person without a family is already free from many temptations. Thus, a person busy with his material economy, although inferior in the matter of his salvation to a person free from these worries, surpasses him in that, in his concerns about the implementation of the true teaching in real life, he represents a similarity, albeit a weak one, of Providence. We are obliged to remain virtuous in all possible paths of life, ensuring that, under the guidance of knowledge, virtue enters into morals and that it is easy and free for everyone to surrender to it. Have you watched how wax is heated, how copper, freed from toxins, prepares to take on a new imprint? Knowledge is something similar to this. All the same, just as death is the separation of the soul from the body, so knowledge is the mortification of spiritual passions that excite the soul; freeing itself and renouncing them, it elevates the soul to a virtuous life, 914 which continues until the very time when, with holy straightforwardness, it is finally able to say to God: “I live in accordance with Your will.” Do you make people-pleasing the goal of your life? Consequently, you refuse to please God (Rom. 8:8; Gal. 1:10). Most people really choose not the useful, but the pleasant. On the contrary, a person who pleases God already through this becomes dear to pious people. After this, do not expect that the pleasantness of food and drink at meals and carnal pleasures will have any attraction for a true sage. Every reasoning, every movement of his thoughts, every action capable of generating pleasure already arouses suspicion in him against himself. In truth, no one can serve two masters, God and mammon (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). Here is a very simple saying; but in its simplicity it talks not about money, but about the rich food it provides to various passions. I understand the matter in such a way that it is impossible for a person who has known the full splendor of the glory of God and His truth to slavishly submit to the passions that rebel against the Lord. From time immemorial and completely free from all kinds of disordered movements, of course, only one is the merciful Lord, who out of love for man and himself became a man. Anyone who wants to reproduce on himself at least the imprint he left here on earth, because of freeing himself from desires, wages a continuous struggle with himself. To first wish and then deny oneself means to become like a widow who, through abstinence, regains her virginity 915. Through abstinence from all kinds of evil and the embodiment of various virtues that lead to salvation, this courageous athlete pays his Lord and Savior only the price for the knowledge he asked from God. Just as artisans are nourished by the occupation of the craft to which they are attached, so the Gnostic lives by the knowledge that he has acquired; in this knowledge he seeks salvation. This knowledge consists in eradicating passions in oneself, for the desire to renounce them is tantamount to dooming oneself to death. Ignorance for the soul is tantamount, so to speak, to starving it, just as knowledge, on the other hand, is tantamount to providing it with the means to live. Such are the Gnostic souls, in the Gospel equated with the holy virgins waiting for the Lord (Matthew 25:1, etc.). And they are truly virgins! Do they not abstain from all kinds of evil? Are they not waiting for their Groom with sighs of love? Do they not light their lamps to illuminate their affairs? Wise and intelligent souls, they exclaim: “Oh, Lord! For a long time now, in our sweetest aspirations, we have been calling on You. We lived in accordance with Your law, not failing to fulfill any of Your commands. Therefore we pray to You: fulfill Your promises. We ask You for what is useful, for we should ask You only for the most beautiful. Whatever You send down to us, we will accept all of it from You as a treasure. No matter how bitter the trials with which You will seek us, we will remember them, that in Your goodness You are sending them to us to strengthen our courage.” The true Gnostic, in the height of his holiness, is disposed to wait for the failure of his prayers rather than for the success of unspoken prayers. His whole life is a long prayer and continuous conversation with God. If he is clean from all sin, then he gets what he wants, for God gave a promise to the righteous: “Ask, and I will give you; just wish, and I will fulfill it” 916. When what he asks is useful to him, then his prayer for this is immediately fulfilled. As for useless things, our sage never asks for them; and therefore does not receive them. So it happens that everything our sage desires comes true. Here some may exclaim: “But there are sinners who also receive what they ask for.” We answer this. Is it true; but this rarely happens, and only because of the justice and goodness of God. He gives to those who are able to do good to others; mercy in this case is therefore sent down not at all out of respect for the one who seeks it, but from the foreknowledge of Divine Providence that through the mediation of the one asking, another will be saved; thus mercy is bestowed upon him in all justice. On the contrary, to those who are worthy of Divine mercy, true benefits are granted even without asking for them on his part. When, not out of necessity, someone turns out to be an observer of justice and not out of fear or hope for something external, but out of a free spiritual disposition towards it, then the behavior of such a person is called the royal path, which all people of royal origin follow 917. All other paths deviating from this are slippery and precipitous. So try for example. fear and desire for honors will be erased as motivations for enduring adversity from the souls of illustrious secular sages, whose notorious morality is preached with such aplomb, and from that moment their patience will become doubtful, they will renounce enduring sorrows. And desires and other sins are precisely what are called in Scripture thorns and thistles, causing these pains (Gen. 3:14; Isa. 5:1, etc.; Num. 33:55; Ezek. 28:24; Hos. 2:6; Luke 13:6, etc. and elsewhere). So, a worker in the vineyard of God, a Gnostic, plants, prunes, waters; for all those appointed in the faith, he turns out to be a truly glorious farmer. All those who have not committed evil consider themselves worthy of the reward of eternal holy peace for this purity from sin. He who has done good, who has remained disposed towards good because of the good itself and by free preference thereof, has the right to count on this reward as a doer of good. Undoubtedly, he will receive two rewards: one for the good he has done; another for an evil he did not cause. A Gnostic, distinguished by such spiritual qualities, cannot be influenced by anyone’s temptations, except for those cases when the Lord allows temptation to befall him for the benefit of those living with him. The courageous courage with which he repels temptation serves as an encouragement for his fellow believers to remain firm in it. It is very natural that the blessed Apostles’ courage of this kind, when they built churches and established them, led to them being tested by disasters and sealing their perfection with martyrdom. Since this word: “On whom my hand is heavy, have compassion on him” constantly sounds in the ears of the Gnostic, he wants his persecutors to turn to repentance. The type of executions carried out on villains in circuses is a spectacle not befitting even one who is still a baby in the faith. Moreover, for a Gnostic these disgusting scenes cannot be a school of edification or a source of pleasure. He is busy with good and devoted to it due to his voluntary disposition towards it. Unforgiving towards carnal pleasures and remaining faithful to the teaching he once accepted through abstinence from sins, can he be interested in the torment of other people? What is edifying here? How does this happen and what can they influence on the correction? Earthly pleasures, rude and indecent worldly spectacles! What can they be for someone who remains generously indifferent in this life even to the promises from beyond the grave, although God himself is the author of them? Not all those who say “Lord, Lord” will enter the Kingdom of God, but those who do the will of God (Matt. 7:21). This same executor of the will of God, this doer, is the Gnostic, rising above worldly desires, although he remains imprisoned in this prison of the flesh. How the future will turn out, although it is hidden from his bodily eyes, it is still known to him: he is so firmly convinced that it will be this way and not another; for him it is more real than even the present. Such is this doer of good, who finds joy in the blessings he knows. Although he still rotates with his body in this life and satisfies his necessary material needs, with his personality he lives in the depths of his soul, striving with it for those benefits that he has not yet inherited, but which he already possesses speculatively; therefore, he tries to become worthy of actually possessing them. That is why he lives in this life as a stranger and uses it only as much as is required by necessity. He comprehends the mysterious meaning of bodily fasting, observed on the fourth and sixth days of the week 918, which are dedicated by the pagans to Hermes and Aphrodite. Then, throughout his entire life, he fasts from the love of money and carnal pleasures, these principles are fraught with all kinds of indecencies. According to the Apostle, we have already distinguished above (Strom. VI, 16) three types of violations of law-conforming love: inclination to sensuality, greed and idolatry. So, our sage fasts with a more elevated fast than what they fasted, for example. ancient Jews. He abstains not only from sinful deeds, prohibited by the Mosaic Law, but also from unclean thoughts, prohibited by the perfection of the Gospel. If at the same time temptations befall him, then - as we have already said - with them, Providence does not mean his correction by them, but the benefit of those around him, so that in his constancy, when he overcomes sorrows and endures disasters, they have a model. I must say the same about carnal joys. On the part of those who have once tasted of them, great efforts are required to abstain from them (Strom. III, 16). Otherwise, what kind of abstinence would it be? What great glory is it to abstain from what you do not know? Our sage, adhering to the course of action indicated by the Gospel, observes the day of the Lord, honoring it by the cleansing of his feelings from all impure thoughts and the penetration of himself flowing from knowledge; on the Lord's day he glorifies the resurrection of the Lord in himself (Rom. 6:6, etc.). But he embodies something even greater than this. As soon as the ideas he contemplated took a clear form in his soul, the image of the Lord was constantly presented to his spirit, for his gaze was constantly focused on the invisible world. If something appears to him that he would not like to imagine, then he restrains his contemplative activity; even though pleasure was born from zeal for speculative activity, he is distrustful of it. He wants to hear in his mind and see with it only that in which he has a part. Having nothing in mind except the spiritual good of his fellow men, he contemplates beauty not of the body, but of the soul; for good must be presented to the soul pure from all carnal pleasure. His true brethren are those who, through the second creation 919, having been chosen, respond to this election by the purity of their morals, the personal nature of their deeds, the discovery both in speech and in deeds of holiness and honorability, that is, everything with which, according to the will of the Lord, His chosen ones must testify to their rationality. Faith consists in the acceptance of the same teachings, knowledge in the understanding and feeling of the teachings, and hope in the anxious expectation of the same benefits. Although the conditions of material life and caring for the body, e.g. feeding him, in general, takes a little time from our sage, yet he looks at every obstacle that separates him from self-improvement as some kind of failure in repaying his debt to God, of which he himself turns out to be the victim. From here it happens that everything in our sage, even dreams, corresponds to the title of God's chosen one. And indeed, throughout his entire life he feels like a foreigner and wanderer here (Heb. 11:13), a citizen of another city, indifferently looking at everything that arouses the curiosity of others. Living in the state, he lives, as it were, in solitude, proving with himself that his righteousness in comparison with the legal system of the state is righteousness of the highest level, that it is an act of his personal free self-determination, and not the result of forced obedience to state laws. This is the character of our sage. In short, he rewards the world for the absence of the Apostles. He leads a righteous life, has accurate knowledge about things, helps his neighbors, removes whole mountains of worries from the shoulders of his neighbors (Matthew 21:21; Mark 11:23; 1 Cor. 13:2; Luke 13:5; Isa. 40:4) and cleanses the unhealthy valleys of their souls with his influence. But what am I saying? Each of us is both the Lord's vineyard and the husbandman for himself. And yet our sage does not show off his virtue; no matter what good he does, he is content with calling upon Him and his conscience as witnesses of his fidelity to the Lord’s teaching; he agrees in his virtues with the revelations of faith; that's enough for him. Where your treasure is, says Scripture, there your heart will be (Matthew 6:21). Due to the perfection of his love, he humiliates himself, so as not to despise his brother, caught in grief. If it had been possible, then instead of his brother he would have endured his deprivation himself and with great courage. At least he considers his grief his own grief. Despite all his poverty, he denies himself in many ways just to help his brother (Mark 12:44; Luke 21:4); by his generosity he brings himself to the point of need. And yet he does not regret it; on the contrary, he doubles his good deeds. Because his faith, pure and active, is a faith that glorifies the Gospel through deeds and the contemplation of the promised blessings. Therefore, he seeks his glory not among people, but in God (Rom. 2:29), fulfilling what was commanded to him by his Lord. By the strength of his hope, detached from this world, expecting future blessings, he does not seek earthly blessings and joys; in noble pride he remains indifferent to everything visible on earth. However, he will have compassion on those who suffer punishment after death and, through their torment, against their will, testify to the need for repentance. He himself lives with his conscience in the world, always ready to leave this life. Being a wanderer and stranger among the heritage of the earth, he is occupied with protecting only those goods that really belong to him. Do not tell him about earthly treasures: this is a subject incomprehensible to him. He is filled with wonder at the teaching of the Lord; and not only by surprise: through knowledge he has a part even in the will of God; He is, after all, a righteous man, and besides this, he is also a friend of God and the chosen fulfiller of God’s commandments; as a true sage, he is a man of royal origin, governing himself autocratically. Look: here he is indifferent to all the gold scattered on the surface of the earth, to all the gold contained in its depths; he is not occupied with the destinies of the kingdoms of this world, stretching from one ocean to another; He considers all this not worthy of the attention that the concern for being a faithful servant of the Lord deserves. So, does our sage eat, drink, choose a wife for himself at the inspiration of the Logos, do visions appear to him during sleep, do certain words, actions, everything, all of this come to his mind as sacred in itself. And that is why he is always morally pure to offer prayers. But our sage is something even higher than this. Being an earthly Angel, he prays with the Angels; constantly he contemplates himself dwelling among the armies of heaven. Is he praying alone? He is surrounded by a whole host of celestial beings. He thinks about faith that it is of two kinds. One consists in the action of the believer, the other in accordance with the perfection of Him in whom they believe. There are also two kinds of justice: one that works through love, the other through fear. Is it not said: The fear of God is holy; does he endure forever (Ps. 18:10)? And indeed it is. For those who turn from fear to faith and righteousness live forever. A person imbued with fear first of all begins to abstain from evil. Then he is imbued with love for Bose, which encourages him to build on this foundation the building of good deeds and his freedom; then he hears from the Savior’s mouth the words addressed to him: I do not call you slaves, but friends (John 15:14, 15) and begins to pray with a heart imbued with trust. The form of his prayer is thanksgiving for the past, for the present and for the future, which for him, by the power of faith, is already the present, for through the perception of knowledge he actually anticipates it. He also prays to God that He would grant him to live in the flesh as a purely spiritual being, a true sage - that He would honor him with true blessings and that He would give him the strength to avoid real evil. He also prays to God that He would lighten the burden of our sins that weighs on us, that He would turn us to knowledge. He is equally ready to follow the voice of God, calling him to another world through death, and he himself, through maintaining a clean conscience, is ready to rush to offer thanks to God. Having embodied in himself, as a result of the purity of life, the likeness of God revealed to us in the face of Christ, our sage, in this union with God, also possesses the omnipotence of God, for God has put everything under the feet of Christ Jesus (Ps. 8:7). He does not want to appear to be that flame or that light that appears as such from contact with the flame or light; he strives to be the very flame and light. Our sage also comprehends this saying: If you do not hate your father and mother, and therefore your own life, and do not take upon yourself My sign (Luke 14:26, 27)... Our sage despises carnal ties, which hide the strongest temptations to carnal pleasures; generously he neglects all carnal affairs and the nourishment of the flesh. With no less energy he arms himself against the bodily soul 920. He keeps the disobedient and foolish spirit in check, because the flesh wars against the spirit (Gal. 5:17). To wear a sign means to be buried alive, so that, while living in this earthly body, one renounces everything that exists, for love is not the same in the one who sows to the flesh (Gal. 6:8) and in the one who cultivates in himself a soul designed to contain knowledge to the point of being able to do so. This is how our sage turns virtue into a habit. As a result of this, his benefits are more numerous than words. He prays to God to free his brethren from some portion of their sins, taking responsibility for them upon himself, in order to facilitate their profession of faith and their conversion. He is always ready to share with his dearest friends the blessings that belong to him. For this reason they repay him with love for love. Working on developing in himself the Divine way of cultivating the seeds of salvation entrusted to us by the Lord (Mark 4:20), he remains free from all stains, remaining a man in control of himself and self-controlled. Your eyes see him here on earth; but only this flesh holds him on it; in reality, he lives on earth as a spirit, for he abides as such in the host of saints to whom he is similar. Since he does not refuse to fulfill the Lord’s commandments day or night and is devoted to them both in word and in deed, there is therefore an unspeakable joy that he experiences not only in the morning, when he gets up from sleep (Sir. 31:22), not only at noon, when the sun reaches half of its daily path, but also during walks, during sleep, whether he takes off his clothes or puts on them, whether when he instructs his son, if he has one; always inviolably maintaining an alliance with the commandments and promises, constantly with a prayer of gratitude on his lips like those allegorical animals (seraphim) of the prophet glorifying God (Is. 6:2, 3), he always turns out to be victorious in temptations and among them repeats: God gave, God has also taken away (Job 1:21). Such was Job, who, in his ardent love for God, was indifferent to the loss of external blessings, even to his health, for he was a righteous and holy man, abstaining from all evil (Job 1:1). Saints... This word means the totality of duties that unite us with the Lord and the entire design of the rules of moral life. Job, who had knowledge of these laws, was therefore a true sage, a Gnostic. So, even if we possess certain goods, let us beware of excessive attachment to them, because in the end they are still human goods; We will endure evil without complaint. Let us hold ourselves above earthly goods, both when we have them and when we are deprived of them. Let us not give them a different and greater importance: their purpose is to be distributed among those in need. As for self-indulgence, our sage is very careful about this too. He strictly examines the true motives of his behavior, and is equally afraid that the easy disposition of his spirit will not turn into his unchangeable state. 13. A true sage forgives injustices and insults caused to him. A true sage never bears a grudge against those who, by word or deed, have caused him any offense, but forgives them. So his prayer: Leave us as we leave (Matthew 6:12; Luke 11:4) corresponds to reality. Not to desire anything that belongs to others, not to harbor hatred for anyone; this, after all, constitutes one of the provisions of the will of the Lord, because all people are creations of the same will of God. Saying: Come, children; I will teach you the fear of God (Ps. 34:11). Does not the Savior with these words proclaim to our sage that he does not need the help of Angels to achieve perfection, for he will receive it from Him if he deserves it through his efforts and obedience? The Gnostic must be perfect like the Heavenly Father (Matthew 5:48), that is, the Savior wants the sage to be as perfect as He himself, the Son of God, is perfect. A person who is faithful to these conditions not only asks from the Lord, but receives some right to ask Him with boldness. If his brothers need anything, he will not pray to God to grant him treasures to distribute among those in need; he will conjure the Lord, beg Him with all that is dear and holy to Him, to send down what they need. A true sage seeks alms from those in need, but what kind? Prayers; and these prayers are distinguished by their reasonableness, for he gives God himself the choice and quality of gifts 921. Doesn’t it often happen, in fact, that poverty, illness and similar trials are sent down on a person in the form of a warning, to correct him from the sins of his previous life and to protect him from them in the future? Therefore, the believer, whose image we draw, asks God to alleviate the misfortunes of his fellow men, but how? Having received from God the highest of gifts, the gift of knowledge, not in order to vainly boast about it, he applies his charity in practice as an instrument of Divine mercy and remembering that he is a true sage, a Gnostic. “Traditions” 922 says that the Apostle Matthew sometimes used to say: “If one of the neighbors of the chosen one sins, then the chosen one has sinned. If the chosen one acted as prescribed to him by the Logos, then the neighbor would beware of sin, having enough respect for the life of God’s chosen one.” So, what else can we tell us about our sage? Or do you not know, says the Apostle, that you are the church of God (1 Cor. III, 16; VI, 19)? So, the Gnostic, who carries God within himself and is inspired by Him, is a being in some way Divine, surrounded by an aura of Divine holiness. Scripture, convincing us that sin is hateful to God, calls those who fall into it people of an alien nationality. Do not covet a stranger’s wife, it says (Prov. 5:20; 7:5; 23:33; Matt. 5:28), through this expression clearly revealing that sin is something completely alien and contrary to the nature of the church of God. This church exists in two types: one of enormous size, this is the church; the other is more modest and cramped in size, this is a man descended in a direct line from Abraham, consisting of his seed. For someone who carries God in the depths of his soul, why should he desire anything else? See therefore: our sage is exalted above all limitations and obstacles; he is indifferent to the matter that still holds him here on earth; thanks to knowledge he penetrates through the heavenly spheres; knowledge introduces him into the environment of spiritual beings, elevates him above the Principalities and Powers, brings him to the Thrones, the highest beings; love lifts our sage to the throne of Him who was the only purpose of his knowledge. So the snake and the dove (Matthew 10:16) find themselves united in the person of our sage; he leads a completely blameless life; his conscience is clear; in anticipation of the future, he combines faith with hope. He partakes of the gift he has received as a man worthy of this mercy, transformed from the bonds of slavery through knowledge into the state of sonship (Rom. 8:21, etc.; Gal. 4:9); It was not he who knew God, but better to say: he is known by God, recognized in his perfection, for by the perfection of his deeds he corresponds to the dignity of the gift, the abundance of grace, the favor of God towards him, by which he is called to glory. Knowledge carries our sage along with it, just as a shadow follows a body. By right, therefore, he remains indifferent to the events of this earthly world; Not for a single minute does he fear or worry about what is destined for his good by divine wisdom. He faces death without shame, because he lived in peace with his conscience; before the face of the Beginnings he will appear with a clear conscience; recognizing himself as free from all stains that could contaminate the integrity of his soul, he knows well that through death he is changing this life for a better one. Hence it follows that instead of exchanging divine gifts for what seems to him personally either useful or pleasant, he is busy unquestioningly fulfilling the commandments of God, trying to be pleasing to God in everything; he earns praise from the whole world, because everything in the world depends on the will of the one Almighty God. The Son of God came to his own, says the Evangelist, but his own did not receive Him (John 1:11). A true sage remembers this and, when using earthly goods, not only thanks God for them and is amazed at God’s creation, but also deserves praise from people for the way he uses creation (Ps. 33:2), because in the end this use ends in contemplation, which, rooted in knowledge, declares itself to be the coordination of life with the commandments. Then, enriched by the contemplated treasures, which knowledge helped him to collect, he enjoys these contemplated blessings and approaches that complete rebirth with which he is crowned upon the transition from this life to another. The word of the Psalmist refers to him: Go around Zion; look around his fence, number his fortifications and towers (Ps. 49:12), and he heard this word. Because, if I’m not mistaken, the prophet wanted to tell us with his word that people who have accepted the Logos into the depths of their souls will rise like towers and will be unshakable in faith and knowledge. These are the brief outlines in which we wanted to depict, in the face of the pagans, the principles of our sage. Let this be known: a simple believer is able to do the right thing in one case, in two; in the aggregate, his life will never present either good and lawful correctness, nor will it differ in the height of knowledge that characterizes the life of a true sage, or a gnostic. 14. The end of the image of the true and perfect sage, explained through a paraphrase of a passage from 1 Cor. 6:1 etc.. We have taught our sage a certain kind of dispassion. It is through this that the believer, by the strength of his love for God, develops into a perfect man and to the height of his age (Eph. 4:13), restoring in himself the likeness of God, becoming a being truly equal to the angels. In confirmation of this truth in St. In addition to the above, there are many more places in the Scriptures. But due to the vastness of the present discussion, we will give the honor of bringing them to others who would like to supplement the present work. We ask them to formalize the sacred texts and the dogmatic part of it. As for me, I will, as briefly as possible, recall here only one passage from Scripture, so that the present subject does not remain completely without this type of evidence. The Holy Apostle in his 1st Epistle to the Corinthians says: How dare anyone among you, when dealing with another, sue the wicked, and not the saints? Don't you know that the saints will judge the world and so on? (1 Cor. 6:1, 2). Since this text is somewhat lengthy, using from it only those expressions that are most closely related to the question, we will briefly and so to speak briefly outline the meaning of this sacred text, in which the Apostle depicts Gnostic perfection. The Apostle does not want it to consist of violence against others instead of enduring violence from others. He explains to us that we should not remember the evil done to us and not call curses on the injustice done to us. He remembers the clear and definite word of the Lord: Pray for your enemies (Matthew 5:44). So, on the part of the offended person to declare that he wants to complain to the people of lawlessness about the insult, apparently means the same thing as showing a willingness to repay the offender in kind and repay the insult with an insult; but this is equivalent to as if that person himself became the attacker. And when the Apostle says: Submit your case to the judgment of the saints, then by saints he means those who in their prayers can ask that their offenders be repaid in the same coin. The latter are undoubtedly more worthy than the former; and yet they are not yet dispassionate. Because only under the condition of complete forgetting of grievances and under the condition of prayers even for enemies can one consider oneself completely obedient to the commandments of the Lord: such is the teaching of the Lord. True glory consists in bringing to repentance one’s enemies to acquire more kind and peaceful inclinations. The nature of true virtue is such that, despite having haters, it itself is not at enmity with anyone. Does not God command the sun to shine on both the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45)? Didn't God send the Lord himself to earth because of the righteous as well as because of the unrighteous? Therefore, the one who strives to get closer to God forgives offenses up to seventy times seven (Matthew 18:22). What does it mean? And the fact that he who remembers the good deed shown to him by God remains inclined to forgive offenses throughout his entire life. Seven - the seven-decimal number here means precisely life and all the vanity of the world (Strom. VI, 14). Here is a man who is truly complacent and merciful towards the whole world! If he had to endure insults even during his entire stay here on earth, he does not remember them. And this is based on the commandment of the Lord. For the Lord wants virtuous people not only to renounce their earthly property in favor of those who shower them with insults; He wants the righteous man and the judges themselves to ask for forgiveness of the injustice to the one who inflicted it on him. On his part, this is completely natural. If the enemies of our sage even reached such cruelty that they decided to torture and sacrifice him, then they would only cause harm to his body, and not to his soul, and would deprive him only of external benefits, and not spiritual ones. In someone who does not forgive insults, there is nothing that distinguishes a real sage, a true Gnostic. I ask you: With rancor, by what right will you call some angels rebels against God (1 Cor. 6:3), you who, in relation to the meekness and forgetfulness of offenses commanded to you in the Gospel, turn out to be rebels against God? Why not endure the insult to you, says the Apostle. Wouldn't it be better to take on the loss of something? You yourself inflict and cause offense to others (1 Cor. 6:7, 8). You wish evil upon those who sin against you, perhaps out of ignorance. You, as much as it is in your power, deprive those whom you persecute with your curses of divine goodness and gifts. Is it permissible to do this towards one's own fellow men? By the name brethren the Apostle means those who are already children of the faith, as well as those who will one day be so. We do not yet know whether our current enemy will turn out to be a zealous proselyte tomorrow. From everything that has gone before, the following conclusion should be drawn. We must see brothers in all people, even if at that time they were not yet such by faith. The Gnostic, who ascends from the consideration of the works of creation to the worship of the Divine will, knows how to see in all people in general the work of one and the same God, to recognize in them beings by nature identical to each other, although the imprint of the image of God in both people turns out to be more or less weakened. Do you not know that those who do unrighteousness will not be heirs of the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9)? To repay offense for offense, be it an action, a word, or even a thought, even if it was allowed by law, but after we are prohibited from doing so by the Gospel, it means to act unrighteously. This is who some of you were recently, and who those to whom you refuse forgiveness still turn out to be. But you are not washed in the ordinary meaning of this word that others associate with it; but through the power of knowledge you have thrown off animal passions, so that, to the best of your ability, through enduring and forgetting the insults you receive, you can become like the goodness of Divine Providence. On the righteous and unrighteous you shed the light and warmth of the radiant sun of your mind, seeking them with the gracious rays of your words and deeds. Our sage achieves this goal, either thanks to the sublimity of his soul, or through imitation of the best. There is also a third incentive to forgive offenses. Farewell, and you yourself will be forgiven, says the commandment of the Lord, as if forcing us to seek salvation for ourselves in the perfection of goodness. You are sanctified. This is because a believer who has achieved firmness and dispassion in this manner of action no longer experiences confusion of spirit from the influx of passions. He is imbued with holiness, turns out to be a being, as if detached from the body, and as if freed from earthly influences. That is why the Apostle continues: You were justified in the name of our Lord; He has made you as righteous as He is. The Apostle seems to say this: “And you, as far as possible, were softened and imbued with the Holy Spirit.” Isn't everything allowed for me? But I will not tolerate slavery to anything. This means that nothing can force me to think, speak, or act contrary to the Gospel. Food is for the belly, and the belly is for food; God will one day cancel both. Yes, He will destroy those of people who think that they came into this life only to eat; not for this, but to maintain bodily life with food and mainly to use one’s powers for knowledge, one must eat (Ped. II, 12). Don't you think that the Apostle calls precisely these incontinent ones the flesh of the sanctified body? The Church, the holy and spiritual host, is allegorically called the body of the Lord; the one who limits himself to wearing only the name of a Christian, without living the life of the Logos, turns out to be flesh. But this spiritual body, that is, the holy church, should in no way have anything to do with a violation of fidelity to it, much less with a complete apostasy from the Gospel (1 Cor. 6:13), for these are two things that characterize only paganism. To introduce pagan morals into the church in word, deed, or even just in thought, means defaming the church and desecrating one’s own body. A person who enters into communication with this constant violator of faithfulness to God, that is, with this covenant breaker (1 Cor. 6:16, 17), becomes another body, not a holy body in one flesh, but a pagan, only bearing the name of a Christian; his hopes are not our hopes. The one who maintains unity with the Lord in spirit becomes, depending on the various methods of union, a spiritual body. What does this mean? And the fact that he becomes a son in all the truth of this word, a man imbued with holiness, dispassionate, Gnostic, perfect, brought up in the school of the Lord. Maintaining unity with Him in words, in deeds, and mainly in spirit, he is able to enter those abodes that are promised to people who, on their own, have developed the fullness of human powers. For those who have ears, this is enough. Secrets should not be revealed. Let us therefore confine ourselves to only recalling the mystery, which, having revived it in memory, those who have their part in knowledge will understand in what sense the Lord said: Be ye perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). This means: completely forgive insults, forget insults, spend your life in dispassionate virtue. We are talking about the perfection of a doctor, about the perfection of a philosopher: why didn’t we talk about the perfection of a Gnostic? But none of the other kinds of perfection, no matter how sublime it may be, is able to completely liken us to God. We do not repeat the blasphemous wickedness of the Stoics, who assimilated similar virtues to both God and man (Strom. II, 22; VII, 14). “But we cannot be as perfect as our heavenly Father,” some may tell me. “It is unthinkable for man to compare in perfection with God.” But the Heavenly Father only requires of us that we achieve that perfection and impeccability of life that is required by compliance with the commandments of the Gospel. Since this saying was pronounced with the omission of some words that were required by the completeness of speech, then through the addition of what is implied for the completeness of thought we will learn the fullness of the will of God, so that through its fulfillment we will discover in our lives that nobility of feelings and that piety that is required by the height of this commandment. 15. Reply to the objection of those who refuse to join the church on account of the various heresies that divide it. It now remains for us to refute some of the objections of the Hellenes and Jews who are tempted by heresies. These heretics disagree with us on approximately those controversial points that are stated above. Therefore, we find it appropriate to first clear the ground on which we are walking, so that we can easily tackle the next book of Stromat. “How can you accept your faith when you yourself are torn by disagreements on so many points. The truth, with a multitude of teachers, some of whom introduce such teachings, and others others, wavers and collapses.” This is the first accusation leveled against us. Our answer to these accusers is this. Among the Jews and those sages who were held in high esteem among the Hellenes, there were also numerous sects: however, the differences, as a result of which your philosophical schools are divided among themselves, do not serve as a basis for you to doubt the necessity of philosophy or for the Jews to reject Jewish teachings. That is why the Lord foretold that in the field of truth heresies would arise, these tares of the field (Matthew 13:25, etc.); This prophecy is being fulfilled. The reason for this confusion of the pure with the unclean is envy, which ridicules everything that is beautiful. What then? On the basis that one turned out to be a liar, who broke his vows and did not remain faithful to the confession with which he entered the church, we cannot brand the entire faith with shame, as if it contradicts itself, and we cannot reject the whole truth. An honest person never lies and remains unwaveringly faithful to everything he promised, even if those around him and everyone were violating their obligations. The same can be said about us; It is indecent for us to change the provisions of faith. Raising us to the heights of life, in us they therefore find faithful executors, and only the wicked violate them; Therefore, only those who firmly adhere to the truth should be trusted. We will use these provisions widely as a means of defense. We respond to our adversaries. Doctors, depending on the school to which they belong, have conflicting views on diseases; however, this does not prevent them from healing from them. Does it ever happen that a patient, in need of support for his health through the art of medicine, sends the doctor away on the sole grounds that medicine is divided by numerous quarrels? In the same way, those who are mentally ill and whose hearts are full of idols should not refer to the existence of heresies, but should turn to God in order to be healed. There must also be differences of opinion, says the Apostle, so that those who are skilled may be revealed among you (1 Cor. 11:19). By skilled, the Apostle means those who, having come to faith, treat the teachings of the Lord intelligently, like those money changers, whose experienced eye unmistakably distinguishes a false motet from a true one by its imprint (Strom. I, 28); or by this name he calls those who have already testified to their faith both by good deeds and by knowledge. It requires, therefore, no small amount of judgment and diligence to see the seriousness in our way of life and determine what true godliness consists of. Finding the truth is a difficult and complex matter; it gives rise to reasoning; but if pride and the pursuit of vain glory are added to these investigations, then such investigators become the perpetrators of heresies; and their belief that they allegedly possess the truth is a false belief; they should study the true doctrine more thoroughly; then they would stop there. The source of all truth is only the true God; hence comes our duty to strive all the more to discover the truth. The discovery of truth, so sweet for the soul, and the possession of this treasure stored in memory, follow only the labor of investigation. Hence, heresies should be seen as a motivation for research rather than for apostasy or keeping oneself away from the church. You are offered two fruits: one true and ripe; the other is fake, made of wax, but quite similar to the real thing. What then? Will you refuse to accept one of these fruits simply because the other is false? Certainly not. In the same way, in the discussion of truth, one should use rational understanding and incorruptible judgment to distinguish between real truth and its deceptive appearance. I believe that the path is wide and narrow for everyone. But countless paths diverge from it, some of which lead to abysses, others to fleeting streams, others to the deepest abysses of the sea. What then? Will a traveler really doubt following a rough and completely safe path just because there are many paths branching off from it that deviate from the main path? Let some say this about the truth, and others say something else, we must redouble our zeal and efforts to find it, and not at all abandon it. Alien-eating plants also grow on the beds with vegetables, but the gardener does not refuse to care for his garden on this basis. We carry within ourselves a living need for investigation and consideration; and this testifies that by nature itself we are destined to perceive the truth. That is why we, in all justice, will be condemned for disobedience to what should have been obeyed - for the fact that we did not distinguish the disgusting, shameful, contrary to our nature, everything false from the true, immutable, honorable and corresponding to our high origin, rooted in the depths of our soul. The more unresponsible we will find ourselves before this judgment, since there are many means for discerning the truth. So, the pretexts of the pagans for denying the church and the truth it contains are empty pretexts and mere pretense. The means to discover the truth are always in the hands of the seeker; and whoever, under unfounded pretexts, refuses to apply these means to the matter, this will not be forgiven, condemnation awaits him. Let them answer me: Are there means to discover the truth or not? Without a doubt, everyone will agree with me that there are such. Perhaps only those who reject the authenticity of what is presented, even with their feelings, do not recognize this 923. And if there is evidence for the existence of truth, then it is necessary to enter into their investigation and through delving into the Holy Scriptures. Scripture to clarify, on the one hand, what gave rise to heresies; on the other hand, that there is only one truth and that the church, to which the eldership belongs, is the custodian of the most perfect knowledge and that its teaching deserves preference over all others. Of those who reject the truth, some only deceive themselves, while others deceive their neighbors. The first ones consist of self-important people. Considering themselves to be wise men, they only imagine that they possess the truth, while they cannot prove this; after all, they are only deluding themselves and their self-satisfaction is vain. There are a large number of this type of unfortunates who evade investigation and testing where the truth is. They are afraid that they will actually be convinced of the truth of our teaching and shy away from listening to it only because they are afraid of hearing condemnation for themselves. Those who lay snares for their innocent brothers have already become accustomed to deceit from time immemorial. They are very well aware that they know nothing, yet they obscure the bright face of truth with plausible evidence. But plausible evidence, I believe, is not the same thing as the essence of truth. There is no doubt that if the very word “heresy” was invented to denote the opposite of the truth, then it consequently presents to us a lie, which is the opposite of the truth. When false sages manage, to the destruction of people, to snatch some pieces of truth, then they arrogantly surround these fragments with some self-invented artificiality, and then boast as if they have the whole truth; in fact, they are flattered by presiding over the meetings of a school, not by belonging to a church. 16. There is a two-fold way to distinguish true faith from heresy: firstly, reference to Scripture as a criterion for the truth or falsity of a known teaching. People who are disposed to devote their labors to things only that are most beautiful do not recognize anything as true until they have found proof of it in Scripture. And although the ability to judge is common to everyone, as well as the sense of truth; nevertheless, those are distinguished by a more subtle recognition of it, who are more diligent in searching for the truth and isolating it from the mass of lies; their mind, refined by the habit of such activities, more easily distinguishes truth from lies. But the most important point in this matter is to renounce your own opinion; then we find ourselves able to dwell on solid knowledge and not get carried away by a passionate striving forward and forward, which would be reckless. He who expects eternal rest knows that the path to it is narrow and difficult (Matthew 7:14). Therefore, once you have already accepted the Gospel, do not think of turning away from its saving light and, like Lot’s wife, turning (Luke 17:31, 32) to the errors of your former life, when you were busy with carnal affairs. Beware all the more carefully of falling into any heresy; Heresy does not contain true knowledge of God, and yet it does not omit anything in order to gain a larger number of followers. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me (Matthew 10:37), Who is the true Father, the Lord of truth, Who with the milk of His teaching I renew My chosen souls, regenerate and nourish, is not worthy of Me, he cannot become in a filial relationship with God, become His disciple, friend and brother. No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62). The Virgin Mary became a mother through the birth of her Son, and yet did not experience the consequences of motherhood. This is what the majority of the Orthodox people still believe. For, as some say, at birth She was inspecta ab obstetrice and turned out to be a virgin. The Divine Scriptures are the same for us. Being the mother of truth, they give birth to us; and yet they remain eternally virgins, because they are characterized by a certain mystery that generally envelops the truth. “Having given birth, it was as if She had not given birth,” says Scripture, showing that Mary conceived by herself without communicating with anyone. This is why our Scriptures are meaningful and fruitful for true sages. Heresy, not comprehending this truth, rejects these supposedly fruitless truths. The ability to judge is equally characteristic of all people; but some of them, following the instructions of the Logos, become believers; others, being given over to passions, violate Scripture, finding in it justification for them. Therefore, we do not hide the fact that a zealot of truth must be characterized by great strength of spirit, because he who undertakes great deeds is also subject to great temptations; He should adhere to that example of true teaching, which was once recognized by him as such. Unhappy are those who abandon this straight path: they constantly stumble on one issue or another. And should we be surprised by this? They have no criterion for distinguishing lies from truth. If they had one, they would also know what to give preference to; if they had the scale in their hands, they would have obeyed the Scriptures. Like those who drank the poisoned drink of Circe (Odis. IV, 235) and immediately turned into animals, these people, opposing the traditions of the church and instead following the heretical views of some, are deprived of the properties of God's creation and the title of the faithful servant of the Lord. They should give up their errors and obey the Scriptures; By re-opening their souls to the inspirations of truth, they will restore the divine likeness in themselves. The principle of our teaching is the Lord, who in many ways and in many ways (Heb. 1:1), through the prophets, through the Gospel and through the blessed Apostles, guides our knowledge from beginning to end. But from the very moment a person imagines that the principle, the starting point of his thinking should be something else, the true principle ceases to exist for him. A man who is true to himself believes in Scripture, in the word of the Lord; by the grace of the Lord, his influence is reflected on him beneficially and savingly. This is our criterion; and we declare it to be so in relation to everything in general. Everything that has not yet been discussed does not deserve faith; therefore, everything that needs to be discussed cannot be a principle. Therefore, it is fair to have a principle in faith that does not need any proof. From the very moment we assimilate it, in it, as essential, we have a starting point for judgment about other secondary things; and so it happens that by the word of the Savior we are educated to comprehend the truth and be completely penetrated by it. Let us not trust the unfounded assurance of some that we can speak both for and against something. If a simple proposition is not enough and confirmation is required, then we will not refer to any human evidence, but we will refer to the word of the Lord and let it be for us the strongest evidence of all others. Ah, I was mistaken: it is a unique proof of its kind; by his power those who have just tasted the Scriptures are also faithful. Those who go further in their knowledge are leaders in the faith; I call them true sages and I mean them here. Look around you in your daily life. An experienced artist is superior to an uneducated person; he He knows more means and can use them better to express ideas of beauty through these ideas than a craftsman with cognitive abilities not developed by education. The same must be said about a Christian. In the most Holy Finding evidence for them in the Scriptures, he turns the very power of his faith into evidence of their truth and convinces others with it. They will object to me: “But heretics also refer to the same apostolic traditions.” We will also respond to this with the objection: “Why are not all the sacred books accepted by them, not each one in its entirety? Why do they not connect the meaning with these and other passages from them, which is required by the essence of the matter and the connection of thoughts? What are they doing? They deliberately dwell on some obscure passages, interpret them in a peculiar way and according to their personal preconceived opinions, limit themselves to individual words and stick to the letter instead of delving into the true meaning and significance of the sacred texts. By paying attention only to some words, they distort their meaning; They either do not know their real meaning at all, or they associate an arbitrary meaning with them, through which the original intentions of the Holy Spirit, expressed in those sayings, collapse, lose their strength, authority, and influence. But can truth be comprehended through changing the meaning of words? Such an order is a sure means not of discovering the truth, but of extinguishing it. The truth is revealed only after intense and serious efforts to seek it, only after investigating whether this or that is worthy of the name of the Lord and Almighty God; interpretation must always correspond to truth and honor; The passages of Scripture being explained must also be similar in meaning to others of the same kind. Those who separate from the church do not want to turn to the truth because they cannot come to terms with the idea of ​​​​the need to give up the pleasure of satisfying only their pride. On the other hand, interpreting the Scriptures incorrectly, they do not find support for their opinions in it. That is why, going to the people to pour out the poison of their innovations here and realizing very well that they are in contradiction with all Scripture, and likewise being refuted by us on all points, they personally reject both of them from the sacred. books or entire parts of them. At the same time, they shamelessly slander us, regretting our lack of talent, our inability to understand their teachings, which are supposedly distinguished by such majestic sublimity. If anyone catches them in a lie, then they renounce their teachings, ashamed to admit and publicly declare what they teach in secret and boast about teaching in the dark. And this can be observed with heretics whenever someone opposes the vicissitudes of their fabrications. And as soon as we begin to shame these heretical innovators, proving to them that they contradict Scripture, they immediately rush to one of the extremes: either they reject the conclusions from their teachings or they trample underfoot the prophecies, that is, their own hope. They constantly prefer imaginary evidence, indulging their arbitrary understanding, to the sayings of the Savior speaking through the mouth of the prophets, to the truths of the Gospel and the testimony of the Apostles who affirm these latter. And as soon as they see that not only their teachings are in such danger, but also the peculiarities of their existence, then in this case, do you think that they begin to seek the truth? Nothing happened. They consider the teaching openly and clearly proclaimed by the entire church not worthy of attention, and therefore treat it with disdain; they strive into the realm of religion towards concepts that are different from the generally accepted and ordinary ones, and they go astray from the true path. Without studying the mysteries of which the church is the custodian, without understanding the greatness of the truth, through their frivolity without descending to the depths of things and being satisfied with superficial knowledge, they will therefore completely say goodbye to Scripture. Proud of their self-invented wisdom, busy with endless disputes, they present a spectacle of people for whom the most important thing is not to declare themselves wise in life, but only to appear so. They have neither the desire to seek necessary principles nor the desire to rely on them; the only foundation of their teachings is human opinions; They neglect nothing to achieve their goals. The more clearly they realize that victory is slipping out of their hands, the stronger becomes their enthusiasm and rage against those who defeat them with true wisdom. They rush to all extremes, use - as the proverb says - all the equipment to the task, in their wickedness they consider it better to reject all the Scriptures than to renounce the fame they enjoy among their sect or to renounce the notorious honor of leading it, by the power of which they occupy the first place in its secret meetings, falsely adorned with the name of the supper of love. With us, knowledge of the truth is a consequence of our recognition of a well-known principle, as a result of which the one who accepted it on faith is brought by us to what he does not yet believe; and this is, so to speak, the essence of our evidence. The ears of heresy, closed from the very first moments of its emergence to everything that is useful, are open, it seems to me, to speeches that flatter only sensuality. Without this, those who separate from the church will both want to obey the truth and abandon their error. But pride, like any other passion, is healed by three means: firstly, by the knowledge of the evil principle; then by knowing the means to fight it; and thirdly, the sophistication of the spirit and its vigorous activity, mastering it by following only common sense. The gaze of the patient's eye is foggy: similarly, the soul, darkened by all these teachings that are not in harmony with its nature, turns out to be unable to accept and reflect the rays of truth. She does not see objects even nearby. That is why the fisherman begins fishing by stirring up the water, so that, by depriving the fish of the ability to see, it is easier to fish, for example. eels 924. Just as unruly disciples run away from their teachers, so those who separate from the church tear out prophecies from it, fearing to find in them a warning and exposure. This explains the many extensive commentaries they compose, with which they justify a lot of false teachings; one to the other is attached here: false opinions find support in self-lying comments; these same ones expired from the first. And all this just to avoid having to deal with the Scriptures! They are wicked because they oppose the divine commandments, that is, the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Empty tonsils are called not only those tonsils that are truly empty, but also those that contain pulp that is useless for anything. We also call heretical teachings by the same name as meaningless and not worth attention: they do not contain the will of God, they do not speak about traditions coming from Christ; they are no less bitter than wild almonds; everything in them is self-invented, except perhaps that, due to the obviousness of the truth, it could not be hidden or rejected. A soldier cannot leave the battlefield and the post on it where he is appointed commander without committing a crime: in the same way, we, as soldiers of Christ, must no less faithfully guard the post that is assigned to us by the Logos, the principle of our knowledge and life. It is true, of course, that most people move forward at random, without realizing what principle should be followed, who should be its bearer and how to follow its banner. This is what a simple believer should do. If only he conforms his life to the Logos: he will be trustworthy in that he follows the path pleasing to God; From the beginning of the world He has ordered all things wisely. If someone is so unhappy that he breaks his oath to the Logos, and through Him to God, and becomes confused in his soul, tempted by some kind of nonsense, then he must try to support himself with the arguments of reason and truth. If the evil habit prevails, and that person, hitherto faithful, is defeated by it and he becomes, as Scripture puts it, a man of the crowd, then he should try to suppress that disastrous principle in himself and maintain spiritual vigor and energy, so that he will be strong to resist the hobbies of that evil habit. If some teachings seem enticing to him, while they contradict the true teaching and themselves, then his job is to dispel their seductiveness, turning for this to those who, through the coordination of two covenants, both in extinguishing disordered teachings and in bringing wild and rude natures to obedience to the Divine Scriptures, also make the truth palpably clear. Such is the nature of man that he is more willing to give his attention to everyday things, no matter how meaningless they may be, than to the truth itself, because its face is sedate and stern. Three different states compete with each other for power over our soul: ignorance, common opinion and science. Ignorance is the lot of the people; science, knowledge is the property of the church; heresy is guided by the opinions of the time. This last category of people cannot prove any of their inventions with the same obviousness as people of knowledge do; on the contrary, they are content with a simple and unproven statement. That is why they despise each other. With what caustic ridicule they pursue each other! An opinion that one admires, another considers the most unworthy of extravagances! We also know that sensual pleasures, passion for which should be attributed to non-believing nations, are a different matter; the spirit of rivalry by which heresies are torn apart is another matter; joy, which is the main characteristic feature of the church, is another matter; and another thing is fun, which is the exclusive property of the Gnostic. Just trust the teacher: Ischomach will make a farmer out of you; Lampid - sailor; Charidem - commander; Simon - rider; Perdix - tavern; Krobuhl - cooks; Archelaus - dancer; Homer - poet; Purron - sophist; Chrysippus – dialectic; Aristotle the natural scientist; Plato is finally a philosopher. A person who is obedient and follows the Lord, recognizing the prophecies emanating from Him, becomes an image of Him. This is a god clothed only with a mortal body (“Admonition” ch. 11). Those who refuse to follow the Lord wherever He leads them are themselves the reason that they fall from these heights. The Lord guides us through the divinely inspired Scriptures. Countless are the sins into which we fall; but they all stem from two sources: from ignorance and treachery; both are left to our choice, because both knowing and restraining ourselves depends on our will. Because of ignorance, we are not able to judge sensibly; and because of our inconstancy we cannot follow through with wise decisions. Really think, are you able, holding erroneous opinions, to do things correctly, even if you have so much energy in you that once you make the decision you will carry out? On the other hand, let, thanks to the insight of your mind, you guess the right thing in the mass of incorrect things: will you remain impeccable in your conscience if, due to your frivolity, you are unable to put your hands to work? This double illness of the soul can therefore be cured by a twofold rule. Ignorance is overcome by science, knowledge, Gnosticism and the evidence of evidence based on the evidence of the Scriptures. Inconstancy can only be overcome by a generous struggle, following the example of the Logos; we learn it in the school of faith and fear of God. As far as I understand, here a twofold outcome awaits our sage: on some points his knowledge is contemplation, on others it is deed, activity. It would be desirable for us that the above-mentioned heretics, when reading these “Memoirs” of ours, would leave their delusions and turn to God Almighty! But if, like snakes that have no ears - an expression that, although seemingly new, is of very ancient origin - they do not heed (Ps. 59:5, 6) this song calling them to salvation, then they will certainly be punished by God, and His fatherly punishments, preceding the final condemnation, will weigh on them until the time when, ashamed of their treachery, they mourn it with tears of repentance. But God save them from the final application of justice to them for their monstrous disobedience! There are some special admonitions, which we call corrective. These are precisely the punishments that weigh upon some of our brothers after they have violated their duty; these are fallen members of a people once so beloved by God. Still, let this be known: Providence punishes us, as the Teacher punishes us, or as the Father punishes his children. God does not punish in the proper sense of the word. Punishment is revenge for an insult, but how can one insult God? He punishes everyone in general and in particular only some people only for the benefit of those on whom the punishment is sent. Nevertheless, these reflections were partly inspired in me by the desire to prevent anyone who has an inclination to do so from falling into heresy, because others are proud of knowledge; partly by the desire to indicate means for healing ignorance, whether it will have its root in frivolity or extravagance or a habit of evil or in another similar inclination; partly with the desire to lead from error to the truth those who, after recovery, may not yet be completely deprived of hope. There are stubborn patients whom there is no point in trying to force to heed the exhortations of the truth. Something even more needs to be said about them: they are armed with idle talk and recklessness; These are impudent detractors of the truth, boasting that they supposedly contain certain higher teachings, although they have not studied anything, although their knowledge has not been tested by anyone, although they have not spent any preliminary efforts on acquiring it, although it is impossible to discover the slightest consistency in those teachings. Pathetic dissipation, a thousand times more worthy of regret than hatred! But if there is at least one such patient who is still curable and is able to endure the holy straightforwardness of freedom, which, like flame or steel, cauterizes and cuts off false opinions, then I conjure him: let him open the ears of his soul. And this will certainly follow on his part if he decides not to follow the advice of weakness and coldness, which pushes the truth away from himself, or if, out of vain vanity, he stops allowing himself violence and innovation. I am talking about the coldness and lethargy of those people who, having every opportunity to draw evidence consistent with them from the Scriptures themselves, neglect this opportunity and this duty of theirs and accept only those opinions that flatter their wishes. Others are governed by a vain love of glory: under its influence they willfully deviate from teachings consistent with the divinely inspired Scriptures, which consist, for example. those who are devoted to us from the holy Apostles and our teachers fall into very strange reasoning; They contrast human thoughts with Divine traditions and thus form a heresy. In the face of these great people, the authority of whose knowledge is recognized by the entire church, which consists of and is the custodian of it, what does any Marcion mean? What new discoveries could he make in this area? What is Prodicus in her and other similar people who left the straight path? With their wisdom they could not surpass the wisdom of their predecessors; They could not invent any new truths that needed to be added to the old ones. That glory alone would be enough for them if they studied everything that was taught before them. So, only he should be recognized as a true Gnostic who has grown old over the study of the Scriptures - who inviolably preserves the purity of the teachings that came to him from the Apostles and the Church - who lives a well-ordered life, in accordance with the Gospel and in it finds justification for the teachings it contains. Is this amazing to you? But is it not the Lord who inspires our Gnostic, not the law and not the prophets? His life, in truth, is a collection of deeds and words corresponding to the traditions coming from the Lord. But knowledge is not everyone's destiny. For, says the Apostle, you, my brethren, should not be unaware of this, that our fathers were all under the shadow of the cloud, all ate from the same spiritual food and drank from the same spiritual drink, by which the Apostle clearly states that these people, who listened to the teaching of the Logos, contained partly in words and partly in actions, did not comprehend the greatness of the knowledge imparted to them. Therefore, the Apostle adds: But God was not pleased with many of them (1 Cor. 10:5). Who has not been kind to them? The one who once said: Why do you turn to me with an appeal, Lord, and do not do the will of My Father, that is, why do you not observe the teachings of the Savior, for it is meant here by spiritual food and spiritual drinks, satisfying thirst forever. This is the source from which flows the water of true Gnostic life. “But the heart is puffed up with knowledge,” they will object to me. Yes, it is arrogant, if by knowledge we mean only external knowledge: it really feeds the spirit of pride. If the expression of the Apostle, knowledge is not everyone’s destiny to understand knowledge in all its truth and greatness, then the controversial issue is resolved by itself; and we find this understanding most appropriate to the matter. Step by step, following the Scriptures, we will confirm this understanding with reference to the Scriptures. Wisdom, says Solomon, inspires the hearts of his children (Sir. 4:12). This does not mean that in some teachings the Lord invested the property of making their confessors arrogant or proud, no; the prophet only wanted to say by this that to entrust oneself to the truth and through the knowledge conveyed by Scripture to nurture beautiful thoughts, these are two things, devotion to which is accompanied by the suppression of the attraction to sin. It is this, and not another meaning, that the expression inspires. It tells us that wisdom imbues those who through teaching become children of God with greatness. Further, the Apostle tells us: Then I will pay attention not to the words of those who pride themselves on their wisdom, but to deeds (1 Cor. 6:19), that is, to whether they understand the Scriptures in all their greatness or completely truly, for what could be greater than the truth? Virtue is the true strength of sons filled with wisdom. With the above words, the Apostle still seemed to say the following: “I will find out whether you are right in thinking highly of your knowledge.” God is known in Judah, exclaims David (Ps. 75:2). What does this mean? And the fact that the Lord is known to all who are Israelis through knowledge, for Judah, according to the interpretation of this word, means “confession” 925. Therefore, the Apostle wisely said: Do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not covet; and all the other commandments are already contained in this one word: Love your neighbor as yourself (Rom. 13:9). Indeed, one should never, following the example of heretics, either betray the truth or snatch anything from the exemplary confession of the church in order to satisfy only one’s personal desires for one’s neighbor or the vain pursuit of personal glory; one should not deceive one’s neighbor, but instill in him a love for the truth and familiarize him with it. That is why it is clearly told to us: Proclaim His works among the nations (Ps. 9:12), so that those who hear about them through conversion may avoid condemnation. All those whose speech conceals deceit (Ps. 14:3) will be punished with executions; The verdict against them has already been pronounced. 17. Another way to discover the truth is to investigate whose side the elders are on, whether on the side of the tradition of the church or on the side of the heretical tradition. What are they doing, busy inventing the teachings of the wicked and shamelessly presenting them in front of their like-minded people? They even use the Divine Scriptures without reverence; and by perverting them, they thereby block access to the Kingdom of God for themselves and lead those who become victims of their deception onto paths far from the true. Without the key in their hands to the front door, which we have (Matthew 16:19; Luke 11:52), they replace the true key with a counterfeit one, or, as the proverb goes, a hand-picked one; and for them they do not open the courtyard of tradition coming from the Lord, by which we enter the church, but by breaking open the back door and by digging in the darkness under the wall of the church they get into it; Although they are sacrilegious distorters of the true teaching, they nevertheless declare themselves to be initiates of souls into mysteries, but into what? To the wicked. For that their societies, formed in the name of no other authority other than human, were formed later than the Catholic Church, to confirm this there is no need to go into particularly lengthy proofs. The preaching of the Savior himself, after His coming to earth, begins under Augustus and ends approximately halfway through the reign of Tiberius. The preaching of the Apostles, including the ministry of Paul, ceases under Nero. The first heresiarchs appeared later, around the time of Emperor Hadrian. The formation of new heresies continued even until the reign of Antoninus the Elder. It was then (under Adrian) that for example lived. Basilides, although he himself boastfully presents himself as a student of Glavkiev, who, according to these boasters, was Peter’s interpreter. They also say that Valentin’s mentor was a certain Theudas, who was in close relations with Paul. As for Marcion, who lived almost at the same time as these latter (under Hadrian), although he had already become old by the time these (Basilides and Valentinus) were still young, and thus, although he was the eldest among these heretics, before him only Simon could listen to Peter for some time. And if this is so, then it becomes palpably clear that these sects were formed through separation from their most ancient and true church; These are the latest children of time, close to our era, who have branded themselves with the shameful seal of apostasy from the church. From what has been said, I believe, it clearly follows that there is only one true church, the one to which the eldership rightfully belongs; Her children include all the righteous who have made a firm intention to remain so. There is only one God, one Lord; That is why everything that declares itself to be unity is extremely glorious and acceptable; then it turns out to be only a copy of this single principle. So, confessing the One, the church by its very essence must be one; and dividing it into an infinite number of churches, which the heretics do, is violence against it; it is indivisible already by the strength of the individuality of its nature. It is united in its substance, in its idea, in its principle, in its concept of its incomparable superiority. Yes, she - the ancient Catholic Church - is one; all its members strive for mutual unity through the same faith, based on the special, individual nature of each, corresponding to God's covenants with us; - oh, I was wrong - based on the same covenant with everyone, although it survived different times, but retained its indestructible unity. Because by the will of the one God and the one Lord, that covenant constantly gathers under its banners, invites to obedience to its laws all those chosen and predestined by God, foreknown by God even before the beginning of the world as executors of His righteousness. But the sublimity of the church, its incomparable superiority, as well as the principle that gives it existence and by virtue of which it was formed, are unique in their kind; surpassing in its dignity and greatness all existing societies, it does not know anything on earth similar to itself or equal. However, we postpone discussion of this subject until another time. Of the heresies, some bear the names of their founders, such as: Valentinians, Marcionites, Basilidians, although they boast that they follow Matthias in their opinions. A blatant lie! The teaching of all the Apostles is also the same as the tradition 926 coming from them. Other heresies are named after their place of origin, for example. Peratiki 927. Some of them are named after the people from which they came; such are the Phrygians 928 . Others - by the nature of life in which they differed; these are the Encratites, or Abstinents 929. Some of them characterize themselves by the doctrines or dogmas they profess; eg Dockets 930 and Aimatites, or Hematites 931. Some others mark themselves with their delusions and veneration of objects that actually belong to the cult of idols; such are the Cainites 932 and the Ophites 933. Others finally owe their name to their dissolute life and impudence, such as. disciples of Simon, whose name changed to Entyhites 934. 18. The distinction in the Law of Moses between unclean and clean animals, having a mysterious meaning, can also be adapted to Jews and heretics who separate from the church. For those who wish to penetrate deeper into the essence of the church, we will be content here with pointing out the decree of the Mosaic Law, distinguishing between clean and unclean animals. This decree, having a mysterious meaning, let it be something like a window; Looking from the point of view of this decree at the heretics and the Jews who roughly understand the Scriptures, let people devoted to the church not consider them to belong to it. At this point we will finish this book of our “Stromat”. Animals that regurgitate cud 935 and have cloven hooves for sacrifice to God are pure. Following Scripture, you need to see in them the image of the righteous, pleasing to God. By faith these come to the Father and the Son. They are distinguished by steadfastness, immobility (Heb. 12:28), constancy; and day and night they adhere to holy teachings (Ps. 1:2). Just as animals with cloven hooves chew day and night the food they have received in a special container, so they turn the teachings they have received into their flesh and blood. When the Mosaic Law tells us that the ruminant animal is clean for sacrifice, then allegorically he wants to point us through this precisely to the processing by some of the faithful of the holy teachings through knowledge, through Gnosticism. Animals that do not have these two or at least one of these two characteristics required by law are rejected by God as unclean. Animals that are ruminant, but do not have a cloven hoof, symbolically represent the Jews with their rough views on the law; This people, carrying the word of the Lord in their mouths, however, does not have faith, nor does they rely on the mediation of the Son, who embodied the truth of life; whereas only the Son could bring them to the Father. Hence it happens that this people, who do not have this double support stemming from faith, stumble so easily that they even notice animals that do not have a cloven hoof. For no one knows the Father, says Scripture, except the Son and the one to whom the Son reveals Him (Luke 10:22). On the other hand, those animals that, although they have cloven hooves, do not have the ability to chew food, are also unclean. This category of animals represents heretics, who, although they act in the name of the Father and the Son, are incapable of the subtle work of the church on man; the edges of his nature are turned into smooth paths (Lk. 3:4) are powerless; Moreover, they understand and perform the works of righteousness rudely and inattentively, so that they only imagine that they are busy with the works that justify them. They are unable to understand the subtle meaning of the holy teachings and make them applicable to the more subtle cases and conditions of life. The word of the Savior is addressed to them and others like them: Why do you turn to Me with appeals: Lord, Lord, and do not do what I command you (Luke 6:46)? As for those who have neither a cloven hoof nor chewing gum, the law declares them completely unclean. As for you, inhabitants of Megara, says Theognis, Then you are neither in your mind nor in number, You don't take third place or fourth place, What are you? Dust swept away by the wind from the face of the earth (Ps. 1:4); - a drop of water in a ringing copper vessel (Isa. 40:15). Nevertheless, these considerations served for us, so to speak, only as an introduction to the substantiation of our faith by rational evidence. Faithful to the commitment we had once made, we briefly and in only general outlines surveyed the objects of our moral teaching, and in order to hide sacred traditions from the uninitiated in the secrets of our faith, we scattered them in writing here and there with sparks capable of igniting the light of true knowledge, but not in everyone who came across it. Now let us turn to the discussion we promised. These books of our “Stromat” are far from resembling those landscaped gardens in which trees and plants are placed in lines and in a certain order to amuse the eye. I would rather compare them to densely overgrown trees and therefore a shady hill, where cypresses and plane trees and laurels and ivy and apple trees and olives and fig trees grow together, where thus a fruitful tree stands next to the barren plant. Why is there such obvious disorder in this work? This was done to protect it from the hands of predators who carry away the most beautiful of fruits. But let only the farmer enter this nursery of trees; let him uproot any of them and replant them in other soil: then he will form from them a flowering garden and a delightful grove. That is why in these “Stromata” we did not follow any order, did not observe the elegance of verbal expressions, and did not go into eloquence. Do not the Hellenic scholars themselves sometimes find it necessary to remove all verbal embellishments from their writings and do they not present their teachings in compressed and mysterious expressions, which seem to speak not at all about what they want to say? They do this in order to constantly keep the readers’ mind and attention in a state of excitement. Similarly, for fish there are numerous and varied baits corresponding to the variety of their species. At the end of this seventh book of our Stromata, in our subsequent discussions we will choose a different beginning as our starting point. By the name of priests, our writer means bishops, because in other places he makes a distinction between episcopacy, priesthood and deaconry. The issue here is not about the difference between the nature of the Son and the nature of the Father, but about the difference in the hypostasis of Christ Jesus. What follows dispels all doubts on this score. Compare "Admonition." in ch. 11th. Compare Strom. V, 6; VI, 13; VII, 7, 11, 14. This refers to the souls of the departed righteous and the various degrees of their bliss. Compare Strom. V, 13; VII, 10. Plato writes something similar in his book. X of their “Laws”. After Plato and some other ancient philosophers, the Valentinians also considered matter to be the cause of evil, assigning to matter a co-eternity equal to that of God. For Plato's opinion on this subject, see Timaeus. Compare "Admonition." Ch. 10 before the median. The writer expresses himself in the same way in “Admonition.” Ch. 10th. Souls of the righteous and the highest ranks of Angels: Thrones, Dominions, Powers, etc. An allusion to Christ Jesus, commanding how one should fight and win. Compare Educator I. 7. Euripides “Iphigenia in Tauris” art. 380, etc. Cicero in his work "De divinat". lib. II, p. 27 gives many other superstitions. Of course, there are stones and tree stumps at the intersections of streets and roads, where superstitious people came to make aromatic libations. This is what Plato calls a person in more than one place; eg in the book VII “On Laws”. Of course, these are animals that hide in hidden places during the winter season, hibernate here and therefore remain without food. These are: bears, porcupines, snakes and some species of birds and almost all insects. Arist. East. animal VIII, 14–17. According to another reading: “like demons.” This is exactly the breathing device that the writer adopted for demons. According to his idea, everything in creation ascends from lower to higher gradually: from aquatic animals to insects, from insects to more advanced animals. Diogenes Laertius. See his biography. In ancient times, the Romans considered it the greatest crime to kill a working ox. Pliny mentions that one Roman was executed for this, and another was expelled from his fatherland (Natural History VIII, 45). An allusion to one passage from Plato's Politics. “In Egypt,” says this philosopher, the king relies on the priestly caste. Even if some usurper from another family were to seize power, as soon as he takes the reins of government, he is already initiated into the secrets of religion, so that at the same time he will be both the high priest and the monarch.” Following this, Plato names many Greek cities where the same custom prevails. Tertullian strictly condemns those who sat down immediately after finishing the prayer. Of course, the disciples of the Cyrene philosopher Aristippus, of whom those grouped around Theodore denied the entire doctrine of the gods. Our writer has already mentioned seven in the Exhortation. Some of the Stoics, and mainly Boeth, who called the universe God, did not recognize the soul and mind as their Divinity. It, in their opinion, was a kind of subtle body, stretched across the whole world and giving life and movement to everything created. Seneca in “Questions about Nature” says: “The world is either an animal or a body, governing nature like trees, so that they have something to eat.” These same philosophers argued that Providence works in a slavish manner, that is, it does not serve creatures freely. That is, from inanimate objects to creatures endowed with intelligence. Priest Scripture often likens Christ to the rising sun; eg (Zech. 3:8; 6:12); (Jer. 23:5); (Luke 1:78) and so on. Compare "Strom." IV, 23 towards the end. Compare beginning of the first book "Stromat". The writer undoubtedly has in mind what Diogenes Laertius and subsequently Cicero and Valerius Maximus told about Xenocrates. When this philosopher, known for the severity of his morals and love of truth, was preparing to take an oath before the Athenian judges and before the altar of the gods, a unanimous cry dismissed him from this unnecessary formality. They found that his simple word meant more than an oath. An allusion to one passage from Philone's work De Cherubim. This scientist allows the doctor to deceive the patient if he may be overcome by despondency or fear of the life-saving operation that must be performed on him. Plato in the 3rd book. his creation “On the State” also says something similar to this. He forbids lying to all citizens; Only rulers in rare cases can resort to it, namely when it comes to saving the fatherland, or simply about some public interest. Our writer defines knowledge in other places in such a way that it is solid and undoubted proof of what was taken on faith and transmitted to us by it. Wisdom is acquired by attentiveness to what we hear, for example. when we listen to the teacher; This is the only concept it contains. This is said with some relation to similar ideas of Plato in the Phaedo. An allusion to the Eleusinian Mysteries. Compare Strom. VI, 14. For our writer, the number of seven means the places of lower bliss, and the number of eight means the highest. So it is in Strom. V, 6. Comp. Strom. IV, 17; VI, 14. Compare Strom. I, 24; II, 11. Compare Strom. V, 6; Educator I, 7. What follows is obviously written under the influence of Plato’s conversation “Laches”. Compare Aristotle in “Ithica to Nikom.” book III. Apparently an allusion to Plato’s words that “the beginning of knowledge is wonder.” This story is also quoted by Eusebius in his church. ist. III, 24, as well as Nikephoros ΙΧ, 14; II, 44. Similar in the Enchiridion of Epictetus, ch. 23. in Lucian in “Nigrin”, in Seneca in letter 77, in Euvetonius in “Augustus” and friend. Plato writes something similar in Laches. For those who foolishly gave themselves up to torment, see Strom. IV, 9. Pausanias says that the Eleans decided to award wreaths to children at the 37th Olympiad. Hypnosthenes of Lacedaemon and Polyunicus of Elea were the first children to receive them, one for speed in running, the other for fighting. Since the 47th Olympics, children began to strive for wreaths for victories in fist fights. Philetus of Sybaris was the first of these winners. Pliny in Book XXXVII. Ch. The 4th of his history writes: “Under the blows of a hammer on an anvil, some diamonds remain so hard that not they, but the hammer and the anvil fly apart. Such is their inexplicable strength. Their fireproof nature triumphs over the action of even flame and they never become hot.” Plato defined philosophy in a similar way. The Jews thought that the Law of Moses only prohibited external actions. This was precisely the opinion of the Pharisees on this matter, as is revealed from the Gospel. Therefore, Josephus does not agree with Polybius that Antiochus should have been punished for desecration of a shrine, committed only in his thoughts: “an intention not fulfilled, he says, did not deserve punishment.” St. Justin in his “Conversation with Tryphon” explains that with such an attitude towards the commandments of God’s law, none of them were fulfilled. – In this case, the point of view of the Jews on the Mosaic Law was legal-state, and not religious. that is, through election, which we are awarded by the grace of God; This second creation is opposed to the creation of the material world. Of course, the sentient soul, which in another place our writer calls the irrational principle, as opposed to the spiritual principle: an expression corresponding to the “lower parts of the soul” of Plato. The same with Plato in Alcibiades II. Compare about the “Traditions” of the Apostle Matthew. Strom. II, 9; III, 4. The writer also speaks about this apocrypha at the end of this VII book. Stromat. An allusion to the followers of the Academy, who denied all certainty and argued that we cannot gain any knowledge through the senses. Aristot. Eats. ist. VIII, 2. Allusion to the apocryphal “Tradition of Matthias”; compare Strom. VII, 13. The founder of this sect was a certain Euphrates from the city of Pera in Cilicia. He recognized three gods, three Logoi and three Holy Spirits. That is, from Phrygia; better known as Catafrigians. They abstained from marriage, meat, etc. According to them, Christ Jesus had a ghostly body. Known only from this place of Clement. What their heresy consisted of is unknown. From the name one can guess that they ate strangled meat or meat sacred to demons; perhaps human blood. They showed up ok. 159 AD Distinguishing God from the Creator of the world and considering him the author of evil, they honored all those who were at enmity with the Demiurge, or the Creator of the world. And these were Cain, Esau, Korah, Sodomites, Judah. They honored wisdom under the guise of a snake. The snake was the first to impart to our ancestors the knowledge of good and evil. Honoring her, it was as if Moses cast a golden image of her and hung it on a pillar, looking at which the Israelites were healed. Christ himself, they said, supposedly recognized the significance of the snake, saying that it was fitting for the Son of Man to be lifted up on a tree, just as Moses lifted up a snake on it in the desert. In memory of the services rendered by the snake to humanity, they kept one specimen in a cage; when performing their prayers, they opened its door; the animal crawled out, crawled onto the table with the bread and wrapped itself in a ring around them; this was their sacrifice and Eucharist. About seven in Origen, Epiphanius, Theodoret, Tertullian, Irenaeus and others. They thought that the soul animates the body only to collect various sensual pleasures from this world. From the most ancient root of this sect subsequently came the Cleobanes, Dositheans, Gorthenes, Masbothei, Adrianists, Entychites, and Canists. The following is borrowed from St. Irenaeus V. 8.– Comp. Educator III, 11. According to the scholiast of Theocritus, this is an epigram on the Megarians, composed of a terrestial verse received by them in the church of Apollo and on his behalf in response to their question. Between the verses of Theognis there are no such things.