Книга седьмая

I. Preliminary remarks. The Gnostic is a true worshiper of God (1, 1) The time has come to show the Hellenes that only a Gnostic is a truly pious person. Let their wise men, having learned from our words what a true Christian is, on the one hand, see their own ignorance and be convinced that they are recklessly and unfairly persecuting this name, and on the other hand, confess that they falsely call those who honor the true God atheists. (2) Especially for them, I think, clearer arguments can be given, so that, thanks to the sciences that they have already mastered, they can understand what we are about to say, even if the power of faith is not yet available to them. (3) We will postpone for now the use of prophetic sayings; Let us put Scripture aside for a while and only briefly point out its meaning when we touch upon Christian teaching. In order not to disrupt the sequence of speech, we will intersperse the words of Scripture with our own reasoning, designed for those who have not yet comprehended the meaning of the sacred texts. Having revealed this meaning, we will provide all kinds of evidence to those who have already believed. (4) If to some simple and unenlightened minds our words seem inconsistent with the Scriptures of the Lord, let them know that it is on them that the strength and liveliness of our speeches is based, which strive to express the meaning without much concern for the words. (5) After all, it often happens that a detailed but ill-timed presentation turns out to be completely useless. On the contrary, not to linger even for a minute on fundamental things would mean showing not only mental poverty, but also disdain. (6) “But blessed indeed are they who keep the testimonies of the Lord; with all their hearts they will seek Him” (Ps. 119:2). Both the law and the prophets testify to the Lord. (2, 1) So, we intend to prove that only the true Gnostic possesses holiness, only he renders to God the veneration worthy of his greatness. And from the fact that he renders such worship to God, it follows that he loves God and is himself loved by Him. (2) He considers everything morally excellent to be worthy of veneration in proportion to its superiority and greatness. From sensory objects, he pays honor to authorities, parents and the elderly. Of the various teachings, he honors mainly ancient philosophy and the most ancient of prophecies. Among intelligible objects he honors the most ancient in origin, the timeless and uncreated first principle, the source of the rest of being, the Son, (3) through whom we can know the eternal principle, the Father of all things, the most ancient and beneficent, who is inexpressible in words, but whom we honor in silence, holy admiration and with the greatest reverence. The Lord announced it to the extent that those who know it can comprehend it, and those who are predestined by the Lord Himself to knowledge and “whose senses,” in the words of the Apostle, “are trained by skill” (Heb. 5:14), can comprehend it. (3, 1) So, the reverence rendered by a true Gnostic to God consists in his vigilant concern for his own soul and unceasing love addressed to the Lord. (2) As for his benefits to people, with some of them he tries to make them better, with others he helps and comforts them. Medicine heals the body; philosophy - soul. Service is also the care of children for their parents, and of subjects for their rulers. (3) We see the same thing in the Church. Elders serve for improvement and correction; deacons provide assistance. (4) In the same double ministry, angels serve God, helping in the management of earthly affairs. The Gnostic also serves God. Called to teach and correct, he reveals to people the meaning of his sublime insights, striving to improve them. In no mortal is there such piety, nor such fear of God, as in the believer, who in earthly affairs serves God with glory and impeccability. (5) Just as the diligent care of crops, using the various techniques, skills and knowledge of the farmer, brings a bountiful harvest and considerable profit, so the piety of the Gnostic, collecting the fruits brought by those who through his ministry came to faith, reaps the richest harvest. He awakens many brothers from sinful life and leads them to the path of salvation. (6) If conformity with God (θεοπρέπεια) is the preservation of what is inherent in God, then only the one who loves him corresponds to God. Only he knows what pleases God from a theoretical and practical point of view. He knows what kind of life should lead one who is to achieve deification in the future, and in the present - to become like him. (4, 1) Therefore, first of all, the true Gnostic loves God. To honor your father means to love him; in the same way, honoring God is tantamount to loving Him. (2) The power of the Gnostic manifests itself, as it seems to us, in three abilities: first, he is able to penetrate into the essence of things; secondly, he fulfills the commandments of the Logos, thirdly, he can convey the secrets of knowledge in instructions that correspond to the greatness of God. (3) How can we explain the fact that someone who believes in the existence of the Almighty and who received the revelation of Divine mysteries from the mouth of the uncreated Son himself is called an atheist? After all, an atheist is one who denies the existence of God, fearing demons instead, deifying all things in a row, be it a tree, a stone or something similar, reducing the soul and mind of man to the level of a slave, driven only by fear. II. The Son of God as Organizer and Savior (5, 1) The first stage of faith is knowledge of God. Further, through confidence in the teachings of the Savior, one must understand that doing any evil to anyone is something contrary to the essence of this knowledge of God. (2) A reverent person is the best thing on earth; the closest to him and equally pure is an angel, a participant in eternal and blessed life. (3) But the most perfect and holiest being, the most limitless, exalted, superior, royal and beneficent is the Son of God, closest in nature to the one Almighty. (4) He demonstrates His highest superiority over other beings, which consists in ordering everything and commanding everything in accordance with the will of the Father, managing everything wisely, showing tireless omnipotence in all His affairs, knowing the secret laws of existence. (5) Indivisible, indivisible into parts, having no need to be transferred from one place to another and at the same time constantly present everywhere, and at the same time nowhere separately, He is entirely reason, entirely light, entirely the Father’s eye; He sees everything, hears everything, knows everything and contains all the forces of nature with His omnipotence. (6) The armies of angels and gods reverently obey Him, the Father Logos, who took upon Himself the entire economy of salvation through Him Who subjected everything to Him. 1510 Therefore, all people are also His property: but some are by understanding, others are not; and some - as friends, others - as faithful servants, and still others - simply as servants. 1511 (6, 1) Such is the Teacher who instructs the Gnostic through mystical revelation; through affirmation in good hope - a simple believer; through admonishing punishment - a hard-hearted person. Thus His providence is revealed in general and in particular, everywhere and in everything. (2) He is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, and the inspired prophecies testify to this with all clarity. (3) Being the Lord of all, without exception, both Greeks and barbarians, He convinces everyone who wants to listen to conviction. But He does not impose His saving mission on everyone, but makes it dependent on free choice; and from the one who accepted salvation from His hands for the fulfillment of all that was promised, he only requires observance of the commandments. (4) He gave philosophy to the Greeks through the mediation of the lower angels. For by ancient divine command the angels were distributed among the nations (Deut. 32:8–9). (5) But “the Lord’s portion” is glory, which belongs only to the faithful. 1512 Indeed, either the Lord does not care for all people, and then He should be considered powerless (but attributing human weakness to God is ungodly), or, being able to care for everyone, He does not want this (but then this is not consistent with His goodness). He who has taken upon Himself a body capable of suffering can hardly be considered indifferent and idle. Therefore, He cares about everything without exception. (6) This is also consistent with His being, for He is the Lord of the universe and the Savior of all people, and not just some of them. He distributed the gifts of His mercy to everyone according to the measure of his ability and He distributed to everyone from His benefits - Greeks and barbarians - and to those of them faithful and chosen who were predestined and at the appropriate time “called.” 1513 (7, 1) Any kind of envy is alien to Him, therefore everyone is called equally; He commensurates the highest honors with the strength of faith and its firmness. No outside force can hinder His intentions or keep Him from fulfilling his plans: after all, He is the Lord of the universe and does the will of the all-good Almighty Father. Moreover, envy is not at all characteristic of the impassive and born without beginning (άνάρχως) Lord. And is anything inherent in man capable of arousing His envy? For this purpose, a person has another envious person, overwhelmed by all kinds of passions. (3) It is absurd to say 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, since it is meaningless to talk about the ignorance of Him who, even before the creation of the world, was the adviser of the Father. After all, it was He who was the Wisdom in Whom he “rejoiced” ( Proverbs 8:30 ) Almighty God, the power and omnipotence of the Father, His Logos, born before all else, the wisdom of the Father. He is, in the proper sense of the word, the Teacher of everything He has created. (5) Maybe some passions are mixed into His Providence? But how can one say this about the One who, after perceiving our passionate flesh, transforms it into passionless flesh through His teaching? (6) How can He be a Savior if He does not reveal Himself as such to all who believe in Him, desiring to achieve gnosis. But He is also Lord for those who do not believe, for the day will come when they too will confess Him, having received from the hand of the Master the good deeds prepared for all. (7) All the good deeds of the Lord relate to the Almighty; The Son is, so to speak, the energy of the Father. (8, 1) 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, in which He clothed Himself in order to reveal Himself as the Savior of all people without exception. For faith is the property of everyone who wishes to choose it. (2) And the fear that the Lord might neglect his creation is in vain. Isn't man the only one of all God's creations gifted with reason? (3) It is difficult to imagine another, more perfect manifestation of God’s care for man. It is by nature for the superior to control the inferior; dominion by nature belongs to the one who exercises his power worthily. But who truly rules and commands everything? Is it not the Divine Logos, coupled with His Providence, which simultaneously surveys all parts of the whole and does not leave in its care even the slightest share of its property? (5) Those who are devoted to Him and believe in Him should be recognized as His treasure and friends. The Son of God, by the will of the Father, is the primary source of all good and the primary cause of all movement, that is, a power incomprehensible to human understanding. (6) However, to those who are unable to know Him due to the weakness of their nature, He could not appear as He really was. For this reason, the Son of God takes on visible flesh and, by His example, precedes people in fulfilling the law, showing that this is possible for them too. (9, 1) Being the power of the Father, He easily accomplishes whatever He wants, without leaving even the smallest details unattended. Without this, everything created would not be so perfect. (2) The evidence of His omnipotence is, as far as I can judge, the careful coordination of all parts of the government, from the highest to the lowest. It is obvious that this control comes from the Supreme Ruler - the One to Whom, by the will of the Father, the control of the universe was entrusted. Guarded by a whole hierarchy of mutually subordinate authorities, this ladder gradually leads us to the great High Priest himself. (3) From this one Principle, commanding all and, as we have already said, the executor of the will of the Father, everything comes - the first, the second, and the third. 1514 Further, on the highest levels of the visible world are legions of blessed angels, and below them and right up to us are those who from the One and through Him are saved by Him and bring salvation to others. (4) The smallest particles of iron are obedient to the attraction of the Heraclean stone, which extends to numerous rings of this metal. Likewise, pious people, drawn by the Holy Spirit, will move in: some into the first monastery, others into the next, and so on until the very last. 1515 Evil people, who do not want to force themselves to do anything, who have cultivated bad inclinations in themselves and are unable to control them, rush hither and thither, deprived of divine support, agitated by a storm of passions, and are finally thrown to the ground. From the beginning, the law was established according to which good is the subject of free choice. (10, 1) That is why the commandments given to both those under the law and those not under the law are addressed not to the righteous (“for the law was not made for the righteous” 1516), but to those who freely chose to fulfill them. And as a reward for obedience, they are promised blessed eternal life. They provide people who have chosen vice with the opportunity to be among what they preferred. On the contrary, for souls who worked daily on their improvement and perfection through the cultivation of good qualities and the increase of righteousness, they designate the best abode as a worthy reward. And in fact, do they not achieve, as they gradually progress “stretching forward” 1517, dispassion itself, until they acquire, “to the measure of a perfect man” (Eph. 4:13), that state, which is perfect gnosis and the most glorious inheritance? (2) Varying in each individual case in time, place, dignity, inheritance and service, each of these saving changes gradually raises a person to dwell near the Lord in eternal contemplation. (3) And for the one who has completely given himself over to contemplation for the love of gnosis, from here begins the path that leads to self-knowledge. (11:1) Therefore, the Lord, although he drew commandments from the same source, gave them to people as needed, sometimes as initial ones, sometimes as later ones. He did not want those who lived before the law to be left without any guidance and for peoples not familiar with the philosophy of the barbarians and without reins to be carried away by all sorts of excesses. (2) Some were given commandments, others were given philosophy. By this He kept the nations from unbelief until His very coming, after which there is no longer any justification for unbelievers. Therefore, it does not matter what exactly we choose as a starting point. Whether it be the teaching of the Hellenes or the barbarians, both will still lead to perfection through faith. (3) But if a Hellene, although not enlightened by pagan philosophy, accepts the true teaching, then no matter how uncouth he may be considered, he will surpass all his educated fellow tribesmen, for his faith itself has chosen a short path to salvation and perfection. (12, 1) If only free will is not constrained, and the Lord himself will turn everything else into an instrument of virtue, so that weak and short-sighted people, one way or another, from generation to generation can see in the person of the one and all-powerful Being the merciful love of God, saving us through the Son. (2) And in no way can this Being be the beginning of evil, for everything that the Lord created, both in general and in particular, serves salvation. (3) So, the task of salvific justice is to raise everyone, without exception, to the best possible state for him. 1518 The weaker ones are also raised to the best possible good, in accordance with their structure. After all, it is reasonable that everything virtuous should move to better abodes, and the reason for this transition is the free choice that every soul has the power to make. (5) The admonishing punishments, through the serving angels, through the manifold preference for what is good and through the final judgment, which the great Judge administers in his goodness, force those who have reached “insensibility” to repent (Eph. 4:19). III. The Gnostic strives to become like God (13, 1) “I will keep silent about the rest,” glorifying the Lord. I will only say that the souls of true Gnostics, who by the power of their contemplative ability surpass any other holy world order, are predestined to live in the blissful abodes of the gods. Saints and numbered with other saints, perfect among the perfect, they go from the best places to the best, where they indulge in the contemplation of divine things, no longer as in a mirror or through some “mirror” 1519, but as called to the supper of immortality, and they contemplate the Divinity clearly and distinctly, as if in full sunlight, never becoming satiated with this contemplation. Thanks to their love for God, they are rewarded with endless and eternal bliss and inexplicable joy, due to their identity in nature with the one who is the source of all these perfections. This is the contemplation of the “pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8). (2) Through the medium of the Great High Priest, the perfected true Gnostic converses with God. By the fullness of his piety, he resembles, as far as possible, the Lord, for, looking at the good deeds poured out by God and caring for the salvation of people, he goes through holy services, spreads the teaching and does good. (3) We can say that the true Gnostic creates and creates himself. Moreover: with his virtues he elevates those who listen to him, embodying in himself the likeness of God. Living in unity with God, practicing moderation, which through exercise leads to dispassion, he, to the best of his ability, becomes like the One who is essentially dispassionate. And this dispassion is the result of constant unity and communion with the Lord. (4) Peace of mind, love of mankind and the greatest piety - these, in my opinion, are the stages of the path of a true Gnostic to godlikeness. (14, 1) These virtues are the “acceptable sacrifice” that the apostle speaks of (Phil. 4:18), for, according to Scripture, a “broken heart” 1520, coupled with right knowledge, is a “burnt offering to God.” 1521 And every person who has achieved holiness is enlightened by the rays of the Divine and achieves inextricable unity with him. (2) The Gospel and the apostles command us, for the sake of deliverance from the burden of sin and the removal of the soul from a troubled state, to impose fetters on the body, to renounce ourselves, to put to death our old man, corrupted by lust, and to call into life a new man. 1522 (3) The same thing was mysteriously inspired by the law, which commanded that the sinner be punished with exile, in order to force him to turn from sin to the path of dispassion, which is achieved only by those imbued with faith. (4) But the interpreters of the law did not comprehend this truth. Considering the law only as a subject of dispute, they only put into the hands of idle lovers of strife a weapon against the law. (5) Therefore, we act wisely by not making sacrifices to God, for he has everything in abundance and is himself the source of everything necessary. Instead, we glorify the One who sacrificed Himself for us. We sacrifice ourselves to the One who needs nothing. And by renouncing passions, we make a sacrifice to the One who is devoid of any passions. (6) Truly, nothing pleases God more than our salvation. We have the right not to honor by making sacrifices the One Who is never overcome by sensual pleasures. The sacrificial smoke, dissipating below, only slightly touches even the clouds closest to us, if only it reaches them at all. But where do they care about Him? (15:1) God needs nothing, is not bound by carnal pleasures, is not greedy and not a lover of money. He Himself possesses all treasures and pours out the fullness of bounties upon His creatures. Therefore, there is no need to think about gaining His favor by making sacrifices and various material gifts, giving Him human honors and praise; nothing like this can win Divine favor. It reveals itself only to the good and virtuous, who have never betrayed the truth even under the influence of threats or various temptations and promises. (2) Some, not recognizing the human soul’s independence and freedom of choice, and not believing that no one can completely enslave it, cannot bear the unnecessary insults inflicted on them with due patience and indignantly reject the existence of God. (3) Many intemperate people, given over to sensual pleasures, exhausted by severe suffering, subjected to unexpected adversities, broken by the vicissitudes of an unfavorable chance, are also inclined towards this. They come to the conclusion that there is no God, and if He exists, then His providence does not cover all things. (4) Others, imagining that there are many gods, want to appease them with sacrifices and gifts, so that they will indulge their passions. These already openly reject the existence of the one and true God, who exists in the immutability of righteous goodness. (16:1) So, the true Gnostic is pious. Having first worked on his own improvement, he then turns to his neighbors. Doesn’t a son who strives to imitate his parent in good deeds, or a servant of his master, please his father if he imitates him in the same? (2) For faith and obedience are always completely in our power. The one who sees the origin of evil in bodily defects, or in thoughtlessness arising from ignorance, or (through his stupidity) in unreasonable necessity, is mistaken. (3) The true Gnostic, through knowledge, is superior to them all, defeating them as irrational animals. Imitating the divine plan, he bestows goodness on all who resort to him, as far as possible. (4) If he is invested with power, then for the sake of the common good he stands at the head of the people like a new Moses and considers it his calling to lead them to salvation. He tames the wild and brings those who are not inclined to faith to faith. He rewards the best and virtuous, and punishes the wicked, observing reasonable measures for the correction of the guilty. (5) The soul of the righteous is truly like the image and likeness of the Divine, and observance of the commandments makes it a church where the Leader of mortals and immortals, the King and Creator of all that is beautiful, who truly is law and right, the eternal Logos, in a word, the only Savior of each individual and all together, resides. (6) This is the truly only begotten Son, the image of the glory of the King of the universe and the Almighty Father. It is He who imprints His image on the soul of the Gnostic so that he can rise to the contemplation of His divine fullness. Thus the Gnostic becomes the third divine image; for to the best of his ability he becomes like the second Cause, True Life, with the assistance of which we live a true life. This, in our opinion, is a true Gnostic, always affirmed on immutable and unchangeable grounds. (17, 1) Having mastery over himself and what belongs to him, having perfectly comprehended the science of the Divine, he is fully open to the truth. (2) Knowledge and comprehension of objects that are accessible to our understanding can rightfully be called reliable scientific knowledge. One side of this knowledge is in charge of objects related to the Divine, and must determine the main cause of everything, establish the Beginning through which “everything began to be” and without which “nothing began to be” 1523; on the other hand, it concerns the essences that permeate everything, contain everything, connect and divide everything, as well as the order, meaning and purpose of these essences. (3) In the sphere of human affairs, this knowledge concerns the question of what a person is, what he is by nature and what is against nature, how he should govern himself, how he should endure suffering, what are his virtues and vices, what is good in him, what is evil, and what is in between? What is courage, prudence, self-control? What is justice and in what sense is it the highest virtue? (4) Prudence and justice help the knower to achieve wisdom. Relying on courage, he confronts not only adversity, but also sensual pleasures, lust, grief, anger and everything that can defeat us by force or cunning. (5) After all, we must be able to endure not only evil and misfortune, but also everything that arouses fear and apprehension. Therefore, even grief is considered a useful and healing art, both for the purposes of education and punishment, for it is capable of healing, teaching and correcting, changing a person’s disposition for his own good. (18, 1) Courage has several varieties, such as patience, sublime thinking, generosity, generosity, noble behavior. That is why a true Gnostic is not at all affected by the judgments of worthless people, as well as by the opinions and flattery of the crowd. While enduring hardships and labors, he at the same time abstains from all obligations and confronts misfortune with unshakable firmness, courageously rising above it, showing himself in everything to be a mature husband, unlike most people. (2) Always and invariably prudent, he lives temperately and maintains peace of mind, recognizing as due everything that is sent to him and rejecting everything shameful as alien to his nature. Being in the world and, at the same time, outside of it 1524, he does everything in an orderly and consistent manner, never transgressing boundaries in anything. He has everything in abundance, wanting nothing, since he needs very little and dwells among all those benefits that the knowledge of good brings him. (3) The main consequence of his righteousness is the desire to spend his time with those who are close to him by nature, on earth and in heaven. (19, 1) That is why he willingly gives away what he owns. Humane and compassionate, he hates only vice and sin, from which he turns away. (2) This means that he needed to learn fidelity to himself and his 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 for the sake of obedience to the commandments of the law, but out of love for knowledge, then he becomes a friend of God. (3) We are not born virtuous, and virtue does not develop in us like the organs of the body, without any of our participation. Indeed, in this case our choice would not be voluntary and praiseworthy. 1525 Virtue is not like speech, which develops gradually, improving with daily use. In this way sin grows rather than virtue. (4) Like virtue, gnosis is not the fruit of any art that has as its object some benefit or concern for the body. It is not acquired as a result of school education. It is enough for him that it exercises and sharpens his mental abilities. (20, 1) The law of the state is fully capable of curbing evildoers, but even the most convincing admonition with words, only lightly touching the soul, cannot establish the truth in it as something unshakable and scientifically substantiated. (2) Hellenic philosophy is only capable of preliminary purifying the soul and preparing it for the perception of faith, on the basis of which truth creates gnosis. (3) Such is a true athlete, for all his sufferings crowned with true victory on the great lists, which is this whole beautiful world. (4) The organizer of the competition is God Almighty himself; distributes rewards - His only begotten Son; the spectators are angels and gods. This struggle, including all kinds of competitions, “not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual authorities” 1526, by its effect on the flesh raising a strong storm of vices and passions in the soul. (5) He who victoriously withstood these great competitions and defeated the tempter himself, who seeks to ensnare us, wins immortality, for in the fair court of God there can be no wrong verdicts. (6) Spectators are invited to the competition, but only athletes are allowed into the arena, and only the one who was most obedient to the instructions of the coach wins. At the end of the competition, the time comes to distribute the rewards prepared by God, and it is not the judge who is responsible for the defeat. (7) The strong deserve mercy, and the powerful deserve strength. This is why we are given the mind, to know what we are called to, and the admonition: “Know yourself” encourages us to find out why we were created. We were created and brought into this world in order to be faithful fulfillers of the commandments, if only we want to inherit salvation. (8) Such is Adrasteia, the Inevitability, thanks to which it is impossible to escape (διαδράναι) from God. 1527 (21:1) Therefore, the primary duty of man is to obey God, who for obedience to the commandments has established rewards corresponding to different degrees of blessedness. (2) By recognizing divine benefits, we bring down God’s favor upon ourselves, for we cannot properly thank our benefactor in any other way. The one who accepted the teaching after due consideration and voluntarily kept the commandments in all their severity will be found faithful; and he who repays a good deed with love is rightly called a friend. (3) There is no other and better way for a person to give thanks to God than by doing what is pleasing to him. Growth in goodness and perfection for the sake of pleasing and gratitude to God is accepted by the Teacher and Savior as an act for His glory or as an offering to Him. And if the faithful suffer harm or insult from someone, then in their person God considers Himself offended by ingratitude; He accepts contempt for them as contempt for Himself and their dishonor as His dishonor. (Although we understand that no dishonor can be inflicted on Him personally.) (5) That is why a person can never properly thank the Lord for His bounties and respond to the great gift of salvation with something equally great. (6) Anyone who damages someone else's property insults the owner; He who insults a simple warrior also insults his commander. In the same way, the insult inflicted on the consecrated to God is taken personally by Him. (7) Indeed, the sun not only illuminates the sky, but sheds its light on the entire universe, on land and sea. There is no corner where that light cannot penetrate; There is no such secret place in the house that would remain unlit. The Light of the Logos also penetrates everywhere, and there is not a single particle in human life, no matter how insignificant it may seem, that is not illuminated by the rays of this light. IV. About pagan idols and the beginning of all superstitions (22, 1) Not only do the Hellenes represent the gods as anthropomorphic, they represent them as slaves of our passions. And since in appearance everyone thinks of them as similar to themselves, then “the Ethiopians,” as Xenophanes says, “depict them as black-faced and snub-nosed; and the Thracians - blue-eyed and red-skinned." 1528 In the same way, they attribute to them a soul similar to that which is inherent in themselves. As a result, the gods of the barbarians are distinguished by severity and hardness of heart; the gods of the Hellenes are more meek, but they are characterized by all other human passions. (2) People of bad morals and their gods think the same; virtuous people imagine them to be good. That is why he who has a “royal soul” and a true Gnostic honors God as faithfully as he is alien to all kinds of superstitions. 1529 He is convinced that there is only one God, worthy of worship and reverence, who works wondrous miracles, and bestows his blessings on everyone. He is the root cause of all good, and is in no way involved in evil. (3) In our work entitled “Protrepticus, or Exhortation,” we have sufficiently exposed the Hellenes in idolatry, given many arguments and examples, and here we will not return to what is clearly shown there. (23:1) But since we are talking about this, let us present one or two evidences showing that it is ungodly and godless to liken God to the most wicked of people. (2) Either their gods can really be insulted by people, in which case the insulted one in comparison with the insulter undoubtedly turns out to be an inferior being, or the gods are indifferent to insults. But why, then, do they attack those who have not offended them, like grumpy old women, always ready to be irritated and unable to control their rage? (3) They say, for example, that Artemis took out her indignation against Aeneas on the Aetolians. 1530 Or did the goddess not know that he left her without a sacrifice, not out of disdain, but out of forgetfulness, thinking that he had already brought her? (4) Or Latona 1531, who, to the reproach of Athena that she had desecrated her church with childbirth, answered very reasonably: (5) ... Property of the killed and things I'm glad to see the bloody piles, Not at all offended by this appearance. Does childbirth really look worse? 1532 (6) Animals give birth in churches, and this is not considered desecration. (24:1) To tell the truth, after this I am not surprised at the tendency of the pagans to superstition. After all, seriously believing that every event is the beginning of misfortune, an omen of some evil or destruction, it is no wonder to be in fear all the time: (2) Did the mouse dig a passage through the clay of the altar, Ile climbed into the vessel, looking for the remaining oil, Did the sacrificial rooster crow before its time? All this is a terrible sign, a terrible omen! 1533 (3) Menander, in his comedy "The Superstitious," ridiculed one of them in these words: A. O all-good gods! Good sign! Tightening the right sandal, The lace was rotten, but buy another one Your greed didn't let you. 1534 (4) Antiphon once remarked extremely aptly. 1535 When one day a pig ate her piglets, and this circumstance made the pig’s owner despondent due to the expectation of imminent misfortune, he remarked sarcastically that since the animal did this because of meager feeding and because of the owner’s greed, then in this case one should not be sad, but rejoice. For this is truly a warning from the gods: be careful that the pig does not starve to death your own children. (5) “What is surprising,” said Bion, “if a mouse, not finding anything better, gnawed the basket?” “If a mouse ate the basket,” Arcesilaus laughed in response, “it would be amazing.” 1536 (25, 1) Diogenes once remarked well about one man who, seeing a snake entwined around the pestle of a mortar, admired this phenomenon as a miracle. “What's so surprising about this? - he told him, “Now, if the snake straightened up and the pestle wrapped around it, it would be truly wonderful!” 1537 (2) Unreasonable animals are destined by nature to be in motion, to run, to fight, to be born and to die. All this, being natural for them, cannot be unnatural for us. (3) We see those flying in the sky in the bright rays of Helios Birds, but not all fatal. 1538 (4) The comic poet Philemon also ridicules superstitious fears: Noticing that my servant was watching After someone sneezed, he entered or left, I immediately take him to the market. After all, everyone walks, talks, sneezes By itself, not for prying eyes. All things happen as they should. 1539 (5) Thanks to a moderate lifestyle, a person achieves health. He who fills his belly with food like a sack, and spends all the days of the holidays in feasts, thereby only makes himself susceptible to various illnesses. (26, 1) Many They are even afraid of writing on the walls. And this superstition caused the following barb from Diogenes. They say that he once saw an inscription on the wall of a bad man’s home: Lives here. No villains allowed! “Good job! - he exclaimed, “how will the owner himself come here now?” 1540 (2) People like them, who idolize every tree or wet stone, tremble, so to speak, even at the sight of a piece of reddish wool, grains of salt, a fragment of resinous wood prepared for a torch, or pieces of sulfur, if all this is declared unclean after the spells of the Magi are pronounced over them. God, being the true God, values ​​only the holiness of the righteous and hates only the uncleanness that comes from injustice and villainy. (3) We know that hatched eggs and after using them in purification sacrifices hatch into chicks. This would be impossible if, during purification, all the sins of the person being purified were actually transferred to these eggs. (4) The comedian Diphilus 1541 subtly ridicules spellcasters in the following verses: I cleanse all the Pretids easily, together with their father, Pret Abantiadid, and the fifth also an old woman. And I only need a bow and a torch to cleanse them all, Yes, a little sulfur with resin from the depths of the noisy sea, The wide, deep-flowing river Ocean. O Good Air, Antikyra came from the sky through the clouds, So that this bug instantly turns into a bumblebee. (27, 1) And Menander 1542 notes well: If only, my Phidias, you were really sick, I would call a doctor to see you immediately. You're healthy. From your false illness I will quickly find a false cure. Don't doubt it, it will work immediately. Let a bunch of healers surround you, Let them cool you in three waters, adding Add salt and a handful of lentils to this potion. (2) Cool down your ardor! Only those who are not reproached by their conscience for anything bad are truly pure. (3) The tragic poet says this: - Orestes, what ailment is tormenting you? - A load of terrible things. My conscience eats me up. 1543 (4) Indeed, there is no other purity than abstinence from everything bad. (5) Epicharmus also said well: If your spirit is pure, then all of you will be pure. 1544 (6) That is why we affirm that the soul must first of all cleanse itself from false opinions by checking them with reason, and then, freed from all impure thoughts, preserve the fundamental commandments of the faith. Just as those preparing for initiation into the mysteries first undergo certain purifying tests, so we must first leave behind impure prejudices in order to turn to the true tradition. V. A pure soul is the best church to God (28:1) It is beautiful and just not to associate with any place the presence of Him Who cannot be limited by anything. And aren’t we right when we don’t want to measure the greatness of Him who includes everything in the world with man-made (Acts 17:24) churches in His honor? (2) Indeed, on what basis should the works of ordinary builders be called saints? Those who ascribed divine greatness to the Air and everything that exists under it, or more precisely, to the whole world and space, thought little better. (3) Isn’t it ridiculous to assert that a person, whom philosophers call “God’s plaything” 1545, can create God for himself and that the Divine, in turn, becomes a toy created by the hands of an artisan? What is made by hand is akin to the material from which it is created. Thus, a product made of ivory is ivory, a product made of gold is gold. (4) Idols and churches erected by simple artisans are created from inert matter and forever remain lifeless, material and do not contain anything sacred. No matter how the art improves, the substance will always remain true to its nature. Therefore, works of art cannot be considered sacred and divine. (5) And how is it possible to create something new if, according to the divine plan, there is nothing in the universe that does not already occupy its predetermined place here? What was erected by someone, somewhere, was erected because it had not been there before. (6) Therefore, if God was erected by a certain person in the same way as statues are erected, then there was a time when He had no place and therefore did not exist at all. After all, what did not exist before did not occupy any space, since in order to occupy it, one must be. (7) On the other hand, the one who really exists cannot be limited by the non-existent, as well as by anything else. It exists on its own. (29, 1) It remains to be assumed that he is [here] on his own. But how can something give birth to itself? And how can a being place itself as existing? Or how can something that was not previously located anywhere find a place for itself? After all, it did not exist before, since the non-existent is not located anywhere. And if we assume that He was somewhere before He created Himself, then, therefore, He achieved what He had previously possessed, and this is absurdity. (2) How can the supreme being, to whom all things belong, need anything? Those who attribute to Him a human form also endow Him with human needs, as a result of which He needs food, clothing, shelter and all the like. Those who have a similar image and similar inclinations are subject to similar living conditions. (3) If it is true that the church, firstly, is the visible image of the Divine majesty and, secondly, the material receptacle of the Divine being, then is it not better to call the church of the Divinity the Church, which, having become holy through the knowledge of God, was established for His glory? Here is a true sanctuary - majestic, erected not by the hands of artisans and decorated not by the art of sorcerers, but by the will of God himself. (4) However, we do not call the building the Church, but the assembly of the elect. И это будет храм, достойный вмещать божественное величие и славу; a precious sacrifice and in its purity befitting Him Who is worthy of all reverence and Who (we note once again) due to His all-surpassing holiness cannot be compared to anything. (5) And it is the Gnostic who is this victim. Beloved by God, he honors Him and, as it were, builds Him up within himself. In other words, the knowledge of God finds its sanctification in him. (6) In the soul of this Gnostic the image and likeness of God is found, for it is blessed, having first been prepared by preliminary purification, that is, by the trials already endured, and even more blessed by daily exercise in virtue. (7) Здесь мы находим то, что уже воздвигнуто или может быть воздвигнуто. The first concerns those who have already achieved gnosis, the second concerns those who are capable of achieving it, but at the present time are not yet ready to accept the knowledge of God. (8) Everyone who has yet to believe in God is already faithful in His sight and is “erected” in His honor, as a church or statue worthy of His glory and dedicated to Him. VI. Prayer addressed to God from a pure heart is better than sacrifice (30, 1) Since God, as follows from the above, cannot be described as existing in any place, nor can he be likened to any of the living creatures, then the passions or feelings inherent in living beings should not be attributed to Him, as well as the desire for sacrifices, supposedly in order to feed on them like food. (2) Creatures subject to passions are mortal. There is no point in offering food to someone who does not need it to support his existence. (3) The comic poet Pherecrates in The Fugitives of 1546 shows gods who themselves condemn human sacrificial rituals: “When you make a sacrifice to the gods, you first decide what share to give us. This is all, it’s a shame to say, you don’t take: the thighs and groin, the thighs without meat and the spine, cleaned with a scraper. You eat everything that is good and leave us, like dogs, only scraps. It’s as if you’re ashamed of the rest and hiding it.” (4) Eubulus, also a comic poet, writes about the sacrifices of 1547: The gods only get your tail and thighs. Make a sacrifice for us that is only fitting for pederasts. (5) And introducing Dionysus in Semele, he attributes to him the following words: First, by offering the sacrifice to me, Others present blood, a bladder, or a heart or omentum. But I don’t know anything tastier than thighs. (31, 1) Menander 1548 writes about it this way: Bile, inedible bones they offer Sacrifice to the gods, keeping the rest for yourself. (2) Is not the fat of the sacrificial fire avoided even by animals? And if this fat really is the food of the Hellenic gods, then why don’t they deify the cooks, who always get this pleasure, or worship the oven, which is even closer to this precious fat? (3) Hesiod says that Zeus, deceived by Prometheus in the division of meat, received the "white bones" of the bull, "covered with dazzling fat": From now on, human generations for the glory of the immortals Only white bones are burned on incense altars. 1549 (4) Of course, none of them claims that the deity, weakened by desire, thus strengthens its strength. They represent it, accordingly, as being reinforced without special desire, like a plant or animals, digging holes like worms. (5) Such, as they say, grow without harming anyone, feeding on dense air or the vapors of their own body. (6) And if the deity, not needing anything, nevertheless, as they believe, feeds, what need does it have for food, not wanting anything? (7) But if, although it does not need anything, it takes pleasure in the honors given to it, then it is not without reason that we offer its praise in prayers. Therefore, the best sacrifice to God is our righteousness, which we bring to him, offering it as a sacrifice to the righteous Logos, thanks to whom we receive gnosis, and giving him praise for the knowledge that we have learned from him. (8) Consequently, the altar that remains with us here on earth is the gathering of all who have devoted themselves to prayer and united in it their voices and thoughts into one voice and one mind. (9) If food which comes through the nostrils is considered more divine than that which is absorbed by the mouth, then that which is inhaled will be even better. (32:1) What then will they say about God? Does it feed on air like an oak grove? Or does it breathe like sea animals by inflating its gills? Or does he breathe with all parts of his body, blowing air around himself, like an insect? But no one, if he is in his right mind, will compare God to anything like that. (2) Animals draw in air by inflating their lungs and compressing them with their chest. Assuming that God has entrails, arteries, veins, nerves and other organs, they will turn him into something no different from a person. 1550 (4) The Church is said to breathe with one breath, since the sacrifice offered by the Church is the logos exhaled by holy souls, a sacrifice and holy understanding revealed before God. (5) They honor the most ancient altar at Delphi as holy, because only Pythagoras approached it, untainted by murder and death. Why don’t they believe us when we say that the truly holy altar is the righteous soul and that the sacrifice that is made on it is holy prayer? (6) Sacrifices, it seems to me, were invented by people in order to justify eating meat. But since meat can be eaten without it, isn’t it time to abandon such idolatry? (7) The sacrifices described in the "Law" symbolically signify the piety that we observe. The turtle doves and doves that we sacrifice, we sacrifice for the sake of cleansing the unreasonable part of our soul from sins and for the sake of accepting God. (8) If one of the righteous does not burden his soul with animal food, he gets the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of prudence, although not in the same way as Pythagoras and his followers, who raved about the reincarnation of souls. (9) Xenocrates in his work “On Animal Food” and Polemon in his treatise “On Life in Harmony with Nature” unanimously say that animal food is not good, since it has already absorbed the unreasonableness of animal nature. 1551 (33:1) For the same reason, in particular, Jews do not eat pig meat, considering this animal unclean, since the pig digs into the ground more than other animals and destroys natural fruits. And if they claim that animals are intended by nature for humans (and on this we agree with them), then it does not at all follow that they are only suitable for food. (2) The comic poet Plato said this well in his drama “Symposium” of 1552: You shouldn't kill other four-legged animals, Except for pigs. We know: their meat Everything tastes better. Everything goes away, Only stubble, dirt and squealing go to waste. (3) Aesop noted well that “pigs squeal so loudly when they are dragged because they know that they are not fit for anything else, but only for slaughter.” And Cleanthes says that their spirit is suitable instead of salt, so the pig’s meat does not spoil. 1553 (4) Some use them as food as if they are no longer good for anything, some - as pests that destroy fruits, while some do not eat them at all, because this animal is too sensual. 1554 The law prohibits the sacrifice of goats, except for the ritual of absolution, because pleasure is the abode of all evil. It is also said that goat meat contributes to the development of epilepsy. (5) But still, most of all, this disease is believed to be caused by eating pig meat. Therefore, pork is very useful for those who exercise their body, but for those who strive for spiritual growth, this is not so: after all, eating meat develops lethargy. (6) Therefore, some of the Gnostics quite wisely abstain from meat for the sake of exercising their faculties, and also in order not to indulge excessive bodily lust. (7) “Wine,” says Androcyds, “and a rich diet of meat strengthens the body, but weakens the soul.” 1555 It is obvious, therefore, that in order to achieve clarity of thought one should abstain from such food. (8) Therefore, in their purification rituals, the Egyptians did not allow the priests to eat meat, although they allowed the consumption of birds, since their meat is more easily digestible. It was also forbidden to touch fish, and this prohibition was explained by some myths, but most likely the point here is that fish meat relaxes the flesh. (34, 1) After all, land animals and birds inhale the same air that our souls feed on, while aquatic inhabitants inhale air mixed with water, as it was at the beginning of creation, and also [mixed] with the rest of the primary elements, which is also a sign of the immutability of matter (τή υλική διαμονής). 1556 (2) So, “One should not sacrifice expensive gifts to God, but what he loves most.” 1557 And such is that corporate offering which is mentioned in the "Law" and which consists in the unity of many voices and tongues in prayer and comes, moreover, from various peoples and races, a gift designated in the Testament as "unity of faith", offered by joint thanksgiving, with a pure heart, just and right behavior, holy works and righteous prayer. 1558 (3) Or, as the poet said: Who gullibly believes that they are gods Gnawed bones and tripe, Even the worthless dog is immensely glad, And they take it as a gift Favor in return to those who gave them - even if the “donor” turned out to be a tyrant or a robber? (4) We say that fire cleanses not the body, but the sinful soul, meaning, of course, not the usual all-consuming flame, but the so-called fire of the mind, which “penetrates to the separation of soul and spirit.” 1559 VII. About Gnostic Prayer (35:1) We are commanded to honor and glorify Him who is the Logos, the Savior, the Teacher and, through Him, the Father, and not on a certain day, as is customary with some, but throughout our entire life, and in all possible ways. (2) “The chosen generation” “seven times a day praised You,” as commanded in the Covenant. 1560 (3) Not in a specially designated place and not only during holidays on designated days, but indeed throughout his entire life, in any place, it makes no difference whether he is there alone or in the company of those who share his faith, the Gnostic glorifies God, that is, thanks him for the gift of the knowledge revealed to him and the Gnostic way of life. (4) But if the mere presence of a good man, by virtue of the honor and respect which he inspires in those around him, always ennobles the one with whom he communicates, then does it not follow that he who has unceasing communication with God by virtue of his knowledge, his way of life and unceasing thanksgiving is superior to the first in every respect - in his behavior, in words and in deeds? (5) He is confident that God is always near him, without being deceived or mistakenly believing that he is in any particular place, and therefore not hoping that when he is not nearby, he can indulge in excesses day or night. (6) Taking our whole life as an ever-lasting holiday, convinced that God is always near us, we cultivate our fields with thanksgiving and sail on the sea, singing praises, doing all our affairs in accordance with the rules. (7) The Gnostic is therefore always close to God, solemn and joyful at the same time. Solemn because his soul is always turned to God, and joyful because he knows how great the gift of humanity that he received from God is. (36, 1) The perfection of gnosis is evident from the following words of the prophet: “Teach me good understanding and knowledge” (Ps. 119:66), glorifying the growth of the higher part of the soul through ascension as the most perfect path. (2) The Gnostic is truly a royal man, a high priest of God. This is still observed today among the most intelligent barbarians, who erect churches deifying royal power. (3) He never allows himself to be influenced by those who lead the crowd during public performances, and does not even externally accept anything that is said, done or observed for the sake of achieving pleasure. [He does not accept] beautiful appearances, as well as all those various pleasures that arise as a result of various entertainments, such as expensive anointings and incense that give pleasure to the sense of smell, or meat dishes and various wines that please the taste, or fragrant bouquets composed of various flowers that excite sensuality and give femininity to the soul. (4) Always solemnly addressing God, taking pleasure in any thing, he offers the firstfruits of food and drink and oil to the one who gave it all, giving thanks for the gift and using it in accordance with the word given to him. Generally speaking, he rarely attends banquets or social drinking parties, unless an invitation from a friendly and like-minded person compels him to take part. (5) He is confident that God knows and understands everything, and not only words, but also thoughts. After all, our ability to hear, although it depends on the physical organ, perceives what we hear not due to physical properties, but due to mental receptivity and understanding, which is capable of distinguishing the meaning of individual sounds. (37, 1) God, therefore, does not need human organs of hearing in order to hear, nor does he need other senses, as the Stoics taught, believing that he must first of all have the organs of hearing and sight, since otherwise he would not be able to perceive. 1561 (2) However, the mobility inherent in air, the extreme receptivity of angels and the power that determines mental awareness, thanks to some inexpressible ability, in no way connected with hearing, make it possible to know everything at once in thought. 1562 (3) And if someone says that the sounds of the voice do not reach the Divine ear, but only shake the air, then nevertheless the thoughts of holy people permeate not only the air, but the entire cosmos. And divine power, at the speed of light, penetrates to the depths of the soul. And are not various aspirations addressed to God, although they are expressed by sounds? (5) Is it not understanding that expresses their meaning? Does He need sounds who, according to the original plan, recognizes the chosen one even before his birth and knows what is about to happen even before his emergence? (6) Does not the light of this power penetrate into the very depths of the soul, “the light of knowledge,” as the Scripture says, “seeking out the hidden corners”? 1563 God is a perfect eye and a perfect ear, so to speak. (38, 1) Generally speaking, unworthy ideas about God do not allow respect for him to be maintained in hymns, discourses, texts and opinions, and lead to humiliating and obscene ideas and views. Therefore, praise in many cases is no different from blasphemy, due to ignorance of the truth. (2) Those things towards which passion or desire, or, generally speaking, aspiration, are aimed, are the objects of supplication. Therefore, no one desires a drink [as such], but strives only to drink what can be drunk, and no one desires an inheritance, but strives to become an heir. In the same way, no one craves “knowledge,” but desires to know; and not “correct management”, but participation in management. (3) Our supplication is thus directed to a definite end, and that end is what we desire. Supplication and aspiration, therefore, follow each other and are directed towards the possession of the good and the advantages that may result. 1564 (4) The Gnostic always prays and asks only for what is really for the good of the soul, and he prays, actively promoting the acquisition of good abilities, so that good will no longer be for him some kind of science that has yet to be mastered, but in order to become good himself. (39:1) Therefore he prays in a proper manner, knowing the ways of the Divine and possessing moral perfection sufficient for this. He knows what is truly good, what one should ask for, and when and how one should do it in each individual case. (2) The last ignorance is to appeal to those who are not partakers of divinity as gods, or to ask for things that are unlikely to benefit oneself, thereby bringing upon oneself misfortunes instead of blessings. (3) And since there is only one good God, from whom all good things come, we and the angels turn to Him in our prayers, but not always in the same way, (4) for it is not the same thing to ask for good things to continue and for them to be given for the first time. One type of prayer is a request to turn away from evil. (5) And such prayer can never be used to harm a person, except in the case where the Gnostic, turning to righteousness, can use this prayer in order to cope with those who have “reached the point of insensibility” (Eph. 14:19). (6) Prayer, if I may put it this way, is a conversation with God. Whispering and without moving our lips, we speak silently, exclaiming internally. 1565 And God hears every inner speech without exception. (40, 1) We throw back our heads, extend our arms to the sky and move our legs (τοὑς τε πόδας έπεγείρομεν), finishing the prayer, following the spiritual movement directed towards the intelligible essence, trying to lift our body off the ground following the words, “being inspired by the soul” 1566 for the sake of a better destiny, striving to break out into the abode of holiness, with effort breaking bodily shackles. (2) For we know that the Gnostic goes beyond this world just as the Jews left Egypt, thereby showing, among other things, that one should strive to approach God as close as possible. (3) And if some set aside certain hours for prayer, for example, the third, sixth and ninth, then the Gnostic turns to God in prayer throughout his entire life, striving through this prayer for unity with God. And we can say that having achieved this state, he leaves behind everything that is useless for achieving this goal, gaining the perfection of a person acting by the power of love alone. (4) The division of the hours into triplets, each of which begins with a prayer, was carried out by those who know about the sacred triad. (41, 1) At this point it is appropriate to recall a certain doctrine, according to which prayer is useless, and which is held by certain dissenters, for example, the followers of the heresy of Prodicus. (2) But lest they be too proud of the invention of this wisdom, let us remind them that a similar view was held before them by philosophers called Cyrenaics. (3) This impious gnosis, held by those who falsely call themselves Gnostics, will yet meet with our refutation, but in the proper place, so that the criticism of these views, which cannot be brief, does not tear apart our present reasoning, from which it becomes clear that only a truly holy and pious person is a genuine Gnostic in full accordance with the canon of the Church, and that only to him is granted prayer, questioning and thinking in full accordance with the will of God. (4) Insofar as God can create whatever He wills, the Gnostic receives everything he asks for. (5) For God, as a general rule, knows everyone who is worthy and who is not worthy of good, and gives everyone what he deserves. Therefore, to those who are not worthy, even if they constantly ask, He will not give, leaving it to those who are worthy. (6) However, the request is not useless, although benefits can be given without prayer. Thanksgiving and prayer for others is also a Gnostic concern. (7) Thus the Lord prayed, giving thanks for the accomplishment of his mission and asking that as many people as possible would achieve gnosis. And among the saved, who achieved salvation through gnosis, the name of God would be glorified by prayer, and He who is the only good and saves others would receive thanksgiving through the Son, which could be passed on from generation to generation. (8) Moreover, the faith that a person acquires also finds its embodiment in the form of Gnostic prayer. (42, 1) Since every occasion of turning to God is a prayer, not one of such opportunities should be neglected. (2) It is certain that the holiness of the Gnostic, in unity with good Providence, is manifested in the voluntary recognition of the perfect divine charity. (3) For Providence harmonizes the holiness of the Gnostic and the mutual goodwill of the friend of God. (4) God is not some kind of involuntary good, such as fire, which simply warms. He bestows good voluntarily, even if He is asked for it in advance. In the same way, the one being saved is not saved against his will, for he is by no means soulless and by virtue of his own desire and voluntarily directs him to salvation. (5) For this purpose, man received the commandments, so that he could consciously choose among things what he should strive for and what he should avoid. (6) So, God does not create good out of necessity, but by virtue of free choice he favors those who independently turn to him. (7) The action of Providence, the influence of which extends to us from God, is not something auxiliary, like a service extending from the lower to the higher. On the contrary, filled with pity for our weakness, Providence takes care of us just as a shepherd takes care of his flock or a king takes care of his subjects. In turn, we are obedient to those who stand above us and take care of us as prescribed and in accordance with the position received from God. (8) Therefore, those who serve voluntarily and royally, motivated by pure thoughts and knowledge, are the true servants and helpers of God. (43:1) Every place and every hour becomes holy if we bring there thoughts of God. Therefore, anyone who, having made the right choice and having a responsive heart, asks for something in prayer, thereby contributes to the appearance of what he asks for, joyfully obtaining what he desires in prayer. (2) For when the giver of all good things sees our readiness to accept, all good deeds immediately follow our thoughts about them. Indeed, in prayer our character in its relation to duties is fully revealed. (3) But if the voice and the gift of speech are given to us so that we understand each other, then how can God not hear the voice of the soul and mind, because the soul undoubtedly understands another soul, and another mind is accessible to the mind. (4) God does not have to wait until the speech is delivered to understand it, as translators do. He understands the whole idea at once. And everything that speech tells us is told to God by our thought, which came to our mind now, but was known to him even before the creation of the world. (5) Prayer, thus, is pronounced silently, only by the power of the internal concentration of our spiritual nature to express thoughts steadily directed towards God. (6) Since the east is a symbol of the emerging day, from where the light first shone out of darkness, so those who vegetate in the darkness of ignorance from the east await the radiance of the knowledge of truth. Therefore, the prayer is performed with the face facing the east, towards the rising sun. (7) For the same reason, all the most ancient churches faced the east, so that people would get used to facing the east when contemplating the images. (8) “Let my prayer be like incense before You, the reward of my hands like the evening prayer,” says the psalm (Ps. 141:2). (44:1) In the mouths of evildoers, prayer is especially dangerous, and not only for others, but above all for themselves. And if they ask for and receive what is called a lucky chance, then in the end it turns against themselves, because they do not know how to use what they got; (2) for they ask for what does not belong to them, and desire things that only seem to be good, but are not them. (3) The Gnostic, on the contrary, asks only that everything he has remains with him, that he can cope with what lies ahead, and that what he is destined to receive lasts forever. And he also asks that the true benefits that concern his soul belong to him and remain with him. (4) Therefore, he does not desire anything that is absent, being completely satisfied with what is present. After all, he does not lack the good that already belongs to him and is completely sufficient for him, thanks to divine grace and gnosis. (5) Being completely self-sufficient, he does not need anything else. Knowing the will of the Almighty, having received everything for which he prayed, being in close contact with the almighty power and zealously striving for spirituality through boundless love, he achieves unity with the Spirit. (6) This man of great soul, possessing, thanks to knowledge, everything that is most valuable, the best in everything, focused on contemplation, turns out to be able to retain in his soul the energy of the contemplated image, which manifests itself in extreme insight and ability to know. (7) He strives to achieve this ability most of all, defeating everything that “struggles against reason” 1567. Having achieved uninterrupted contemplation, having cultivated abstinence from all things sensual and correct conduct, and, in addition, (8) having had much experience of life and research, he achieves a freedom of speech, which consists not simply in the power of verbal expression, but in the ability of clear speech, which does not hide, whether out of flattery or out of fear, anything that should be said at the proper time, when there is an urgent need for it. (45, 1) Having received knowledge of God from the most mystical chorus of truth, he uses to describe him such words as are worthy of the greatness of the subject, reveals their meaning through inspired prayer, being in gnostic union with intelligible and spiritual entities as much as possible. (2) And although such a person is always gentle in treatment, flexible, accessible, friendly, patient, always responds with gratitude to goodness and has a clear conscience, he is still very firm, therefore he does not succumb not only to temptations, but also to any other temptations, for he never allows his soul to succumb to temptations or submit to the power of pleasure or pain. (3) Never abandoning justice, following the call of the Logos, unswervingly and without succumbing to the pressure of passion, he always goes where the call of justice takes him. Convinced that everything in this world is under good management, he is confident that the soul that chooses the good path is guaranteed to be directed towards the better, until it finds itself in the presence of the Good itself, in the audience hall of God, so to speak, next to the Great High Priest. (4) Such is our Gnostic, full of faith and convinced that everything in this world is managed in the best possible way, content with whatever happens. (46, 1) As a result of sober reflection, he does not ask for anything that is necessary for life, being quite confident that God, who knows everything, gives benefits to those who need them even if they are not specifically asked for. (2) For, as it seems to me, the artisan receives everything necessary for his craft, the pagan receives everything that is due to a pagan, and the Gnostic has everything he needs. (3) And just as the converted pagan asks for faith, so the one who strives for gnosis asks for the gift of “perfect love.” 1568 (4) The perfected Gnostic asks for growth and continuity of contemplation, while the ordinary person prays for good health. (5) But most of all, he asks not to fall away from the path of virtue, doing his best to achieve impeccability. (6) After all, he knows very well that some angels, due to their inattention, fell to the earth without having time to reach this stage of unity, having fallen from a state of participation into a world of duality. (7) He who, through exercise, has reached the state of exalted gnosis and the excellent state of the perfect man, has learned to turn even place and time to his advantage, choosing an infallible life as his lot and assigning himself as a task the achievement in all respects of a stable state of knowledge. (8) Those who have not yet completely freed themselves from what pulls them down, even having soared thanks to faith, still subsequently fall down. (9) On the contrary, for someone who has achieved unshakable virtue through Gnostic education, habit becomes part of nature. Just as a stone cannot lose its weight, so such a person cannot lose what he knows, however, not weak-willed, but precisely through the exercise of willpower, the power of reason and knowledge, as well as with the help of Providence. (47, 1) He protects and takes care of this ability of his in every possible way. He shows a certain caution in order to avoid sin and prudence in order to prevent the possible loss of virtue. (2) And it is knowledge that allows one to develop forethought, teaching one to discern what contributes to strengthening a virtuous state. (3) The most important thing is the knowledge of God, and it is through such knowledge that virtue is preserved. He who knows God is holy and pious. Thus, we see that only a Gnostic can fully and rightfully be considered a pious person. (4) He gratefully accepts the present and rejoices in the promised as if it had already happened. Future events do not elude him as if they were still absent, since he is well aware of what they are. (5) By virtue of his knowledge, convinced that the future will be exactly like this, he is already involved in it. After all, lack and deficiency are measured by each in its own measure. So, for example, if he possesses wisdom, and wisdom is of a divine nature, then he who participates in Him who lacks nothing will himself lack nothing. (6) After all, the acquisition of wisdom does not occur due to some energy or participation 1569, which move and are affirmed one through the other, nor does it happen due to some withdrawal or deficiency. Therefore, as we see, the energy does not decrease at all as a result of its transfer. (7) Thus, our Gnostic finds himself participating in all the blessings, no matter how many there are and as far as this is generally possible, but not all of them, since otherwise he would not be able to advance in his development, thanks to his own efforts and with assistance from without. (48, 1) God helps him by deigning him to be under his personal guardianship. For was it not for the sake of the best of people that all good things were created, to satisfy their needs, and to benefit them for their salvation? Therefore, he cannot deprive those for whose sake everything was created of all this. (2.) Evidently, by honoring their perfect natural inclinations, and encouraging the free choice they have made, He inspires and empowers those who choose the good life to complete the path of salvation for themselves. To do this, He calls some and provides assistance to others who have independently earned this right. (3) For the Gnostic himself is capable of reproducing all that is best, since his goal is the completeness of knowledge and conscious behavior. (4) And just as a doctor helps those who strive to recover to gain health, so God helps to achieve eternal salvation for those who cooperate with Him in this, themselves striving to achieve knowledge and correct behavior. And since the fulfillment of what is prescribed in the commandments is within our power, after their fulfillment follows what was promised. (5) Everything I am talking about now was perfectly understood by the Hellenes. After all, the athlete, who was not the least important in the opinion of the ancients and who made a lot of effort to develop his masculine strength through training, before going to the Olympic Games, still stopped in front of the statue of Pisian Zeus, addressing him thus: “O Zeus! If I have completed all the necessary preparatory exercises, condescend and let me win the duel as I deserve!” (6) So in the case of the Gnostic, who has perfectly and consciously done his best in education, exercise, conduct and in relation to God, salvation will follow as a reward for the perfection already achieved. (7) Consequently, what is required of us is everything that is in our power, as well as everything that concerns us, both already existing and possible, free choice, desire, possession, the ability to use what is available and constancy. (49, 1) Thus, everyone who intends to come into contact with the deity must keep his soul inviolable and pure, taking care first of all to achieve the perfect good, or, if this is not completely successful, then in his desire for gnosis he should in every possible way avoid evil deeds. (2) He should perform proper prayer only in the community of those who have achieved goodness, since taking on the sins of others is a dangerous activity. (3) The Gnostic should engage in joint prayer with those who have just come to the faith, since it is his duty to assist them. His whole life is a sacred holiday. (4) The sacrifices he makes consist of prayers, words of thanksgiving, reading the Scriptures before meals, singing psalms and hymns during meals and before going to bed, and another prayer at night. In this way he joins the divine choir, calling up the same image again and again in his memory, achieving continuous contemplation through eternal remembrance. (5) But does he not also make another sacrifice, which is that he shares his knowledge and property with those who need it? Of course it is. (6) He pronounces his prayer silently and does not resort to excessive eloquence, having learned from God himself what he should ask for. He prays in any suitable place, but not openly and not in sight of everyone. (7) He is involved in prayer in every possible way: while walking, while talking, in silence, while reading or meditating. And even when his thought is hidden in the most secret corner of his soul and he turns to the Father with a silent word 1570, He invariably turns out to be next to him and immediately answers the request. (8) There are three ends to which every action is directed 1571, but by doing everything possible to achieve perfection and benefit, he leaves pleasure to those who lead an ordinary life. VIII. About promises and oaths (50, 1) A man of this character and so pious is far from lying and does not need oaths. After all, an oath is a statement calling God as a witness. (2) How can such a person, who has chosen the right path once and for all, turn out to be unfaithful in anything to such an extent that he would need to confirm his words with an oath? Is not his whole life one unbreakable and faithful oath? (3) By his manner of life and conduct he demonstrates the inviolability of his assertions, by the strength of his constancy, by deeds and by word. (4) And if the injustice lies in the deeds or words of the one who makes the judgment, and not in the sufferings of the one who suffered the injustice, he will never lie or commit perjury in attributing injustice to God, since he knows that he is blameless by nature. He will never lie or deceive for the sake of his neighbor, whom he has learned to love, even if this is not his closest friend. Moreover, he will not lie and will not break the oath for his own sake, for he will never do anything to harm himself of his own free will. (5) He never utters any oaths, preferring to say “yes” when affirming something, and simply saying “no” when denying something. After all, an oath is when one swears on something or makes up something specifically in order to confirm one’s words. (51, 1) Therefore, it is enough for him to add to an affirmative or negative judgment only: “I speak correctly,” and then only to convince those who have not fully understood that his words are completely reliable. (2) For, as it seems to me, his way of life should in itself inspire confidence even in strangers, so that an oath would not be required. In relation to oneself and in communication with like-minded people, unanimity reigns everywhere, since virtue is chosen voluntarily. (3) So, the Gnostic is always faithful to his oath, although he rarely resorts to it, as we have already said. The fidelity of his oath is conditioned by the fidelity of his words to the truth. (5) Why resort to an oath to one who lives in complete agreement with the highest truth? The one who does not swear cannot commit perjury, and the one who never breaks the agreement reached does not need additional promises. After all, the violation or fulfillment of an agreement is determined primarily by action. Lying and swearing falsely in a contract or promise is certainly a breach of agreement. (6) But those who lead a righteous life never violate the agreement and, remaining faithful to the judgments of truth, confirm the truth of the oath by their actions. Therefore, additional verbal confirmation turns out to be unnecessary for him. (7) Being thus confident that God is everywhere, fearing to sin against the truth and knowing that any lie is unworthy, he finds sufficient support in the divine and his own conscience. (8) Therefore, he does not lie and does not violate agreements made by him. That is why he does not swear even when it is demanded of him. For the same reason, he never renounces his words, not allowing himself to lie even under life-threatening torture. IX. Only those who have achieved perfection have the right to teach others (52, 1) The dignity of the Gnostic increases if he decides to teach others, since he has at his disposal the greatest good possible on earth, expressed in words and deeds, and with which he can act as a mediator helping on the path of communication with the divine. (2) And just as those people who worship various material objects, as if they had heard the command and fulfilled the promise given by them, so in the animate statue that is man, the true greatness of the logos finds its embodiment through a trustworthy teacher. And the benefit shown to them leads them to the Lord, in whose image the true mentor creates and harmonizes everything, renewing and preparing the one who receives instructions for salvation. (3) And just as steel was metaphorically called by the Greeks Ares, and wine by Dionysus, so the Gnostic, who sees his salvation in the good of his neighbors, can be called the living image of the Lord, not in appearance, of course, but as a symbol of power and the image of a preacher. (53, 1) Everything that is on his mind, he tells those who are worthy of hearing it, measuring his words and life with the dictates of reason. (2) For his thoughts and words are true, except in such cases when, for a therapeutic purpose, like a doctor hiding the truth from a patient for his own good, he can deceive or utter a lie, as the sophists teach. 1572 (3) Thus, for example, the noble apostle circumcised Timothy, affirming orally and in writing that circumcision carried out by human hands has no meaning. In order not to turn away those of the Jews who turned out to be unwitting listeners from understanding the commandment of circumcision of the heart through faith, so that they would not fall away from the synagogue, he “was like a Jew to the Jews, in order to win the Jews” (1 Cor. 9:19). (4) He who agrees to do something for the sake of his neighbors (taking on this work for their salvation) abstains from any hypocrisy, knowing the danger of such behavior for righteous people, which threatens from those who envy them, and therefore he does not force anyone. He does this only for the good of his neighbors, and if all this concerned only himself, he would never do this. (5) Such a person is completely devoted to the church, for the sake of the disciples whom he “gave birth to” in the faith of 1573. He is an example for those who are able to accept the sublime instructions of a humane and God-loving mentor, a living confirmation of the truth of the word, an experience of love for the Lord. (6) He is not subject to fear, is true to his word, tireless in his work and never feels the desire to utter a false word, remaining completely sinless. After all, a lying word spoken with malicious intent is not just a word, but is an action that causes harm. (54, 1) Only the Gnostic, therefore, testifies to the truth in all possible ways with his words and deeds. He always does the right thing, in words, deeds and in his thoughts. (2) This, in a nutshell, is Christian piety. If he follows the dictates of duty and prudence, he does everything piously and justly. And if this is so, then only a Gnostic can fully be called pious, just and God-fearing. (3) Christians are not atheists (and this is what we wanted to demonstrate to philosophers) and never allow themselves to do anything evil or shameful, because it is unjust. Therefore, in no case are they devoid of piety, but on the contrary, only they are truly God-fearing, since they sacredly and faithfully worship the true God, the Lord and King of all, showing him true respect. X. The Gnostic's Path to Perfection (55, 1) Gnosis, generally speaking, is the highest perfection that a person can only achieve while still remaining a person. And it is complemented by knowledge of divine things, consistent with the divine Logos and corresponding to it in its character, way of life and form of verbal expression. (2) It can be said with complete certainty that faith itself is perfected through gnosis, for only with its help does the believer achieve perfection. Faith is a kind of internal good that does not seek God, but simply confesses Him and recognizes Him as existing. (3) Therefore, beginning with this faith, and advancing further through it and with the help of divine grace, we should, as far as possible, strive for the knowledge that there is a God. (4) We affirm that this gnosis is completely different from what is called wisdom and which is acquired through the process of study. In some respects, this wisdom, of course, is the same as gnosis, but gnosis is not in all respects the same as wisdom. Wisdom is usually called knowledge that can be expressed in words (τού προφορικού λόγου). (5) However, regarding God, it is not doubt, but faith that is the foundation of the building, that is, gnosis. The foundation of the building, and at the same time the building itself, the beginning and end of everything, is Christ. (6) We speak of Him as the beginning and end of everything, for the beginning of everything - faith in Him and the end of everything - love for Him cannot be the subject of teaching and instruction; Gnosis, by the grace of God, is communicated to us by Tradition and is entrusted to the one who has shown himself worthy of preserving the teaching. And from him the dignity of love radiates from light to light. (7) For it is said: “To him who has it will be added” 1574, that is, to faith is gnosis, to gnosis is love, to love is an inheritance. (56:1) This happens to those who, completely uniting with the Lord in faith, knowledge, and love, ascend with him to where God and the Guardian of our faith and love dwells. (2) From this it follows that gnosis is given and serves to improve those who are chosen and predestined to receive this grace. The communication of this knowledge is conditioned by both the wise structure of life and the desire for a goal that is higher than the justice of the law. (3) And this in turn requires constant diligence; preparatory work and exercises are needed here - complex and long-term. This knowledge leads to an endless and perfect goal, teaching us in advance the future life that we will lead according to God and with other celestials, having first been delivered from torment and punishment for sins. (4) Free from fears, having reached the limit of earthly perfection, not needing further purification, having completed all ministries, including saints and performed among saints, righteous souls receive the honors and rewards they deserve. (5) But only those of them who, by their closeness to God were “pure in heart” 1575, await restoration (ἀποκατἀστασις) in the contemplation of the invisible. (6) They will be both named gods and co-thrones of those whom the Savior numbered among the gods before them. (7) So, gnosis completes the internal purification and leads us to a transformation that brings us closer to the good. (57, 1) He easily leads the soul to that which is akin to the soul, to the divine and holy, and, enlightening with his light, leads man along the steps of mystical perfection until, purified from the slightest defilement 1576, he is elevated to the highest abodes of peace, where he learns to contemplate God “face to face” consciously and with full understanding. (2) And this is the gnostic perfection of the soul, in its union with the Lord, direct submission to Him, which is achieved after purification and service. (3) Therefore, faith, so to speak, is perfect knowledge (gnosis) of the most important (ή πὶστις σύντομος έστιν τών κατεπειγόντων γνώσις). Gnosis is the immutable and reliable discovery of what was taken on faith. This discovery, based on faith and in accordance with the teachings of the Savior, leads the mind to infallibility, knowledge and understanding. (4) And the beginning of these saving changes and renewals, as I said earlier, is the transition from paganism to faith, and the next step will be the transition from faith to gnosis. This latter, leading to love, connects the lover with the Beloved, the knower with the Known. (5) And whoever reaches this state already here, in earthly life, achieves dignity equal to that of the angels 1577. And those who have achieved the utmost possible perfection for those living in the flesh, moving, as befits them, to the better, rush through Holy Week into the Father’s courtyard, truly the Lord’s dwelling, and become there an abiding and eternal light, completely and unchangeable in everything. (58, 1) This is the first image of Divine action, already mentioned by us 1578, a sign of the reward promised to us for piety. And from the many testimonies I will choose one, the saying of the prophet David: (2) “Who will ascend to the mountain of the Lord, or who will stand in His holy place? Immaculate in hands and pure in heart, he who did not receive his soul from God in vain and did not swear falsely to his neighbor; this one will receive blessing from the Lord and mercy from God, his Savior. This is the generation of those who seek the Lord, who seek the face of the God of Jacob” (Ps. 24:3-6). (3) The Prophet, it seems to me, is primarily pointing here to the Gnostic. As if in passing, he also points out to us that our Savior is God; he calls Him “the person of the God of Jacob,” that is, preaching and teaching everything that concerned the Spirit. (4) That is why the Apostle calls the Son the image of “the glory of the Father” 1579, for he announced to people the truth about God and explained that God and the Father are one 1580, that He is the only Almighty, whom no one knows, “except the Son and the one to whom the Son will reveal” 1581. (5) The Psalmist also points to the unity of God through the example of those who seek the face of the God of Jacob - that one God and good 1582 Father, Whom our Savior and Lord sealed in Himself. (6) And the generation of those who seek Him is a chosen generation 1583, and this search for them is a search for gnosis. (59:1) That is why the apostle says: “I will bring you no benefit if I do not proclaim it to you either by revelation, or by gnosis, or by prophecy, or by teaching” (1 Cor. 14:6). (2) I know that some act correctly even without being true Gnostics, but it is not reason that moves them, as, for example, happens to some courageous people. (3) Such people, being naturally passionate, become even more inflamed when passion becomes a habit. Without restraining it with reason, they in many cases give themselves blindly to it and do deeds worthy of praise. Likewise, endurance is easy for a mechanical device. (4) But these qualities come from a different source than that of the Gnostic. Their goal is also different. They do not “give their whole body to this work” because “they do not have the love” (1 Cor. 13:3) that comes through true gnosis. (5) Everything done by a knowledgeable person is a just deed; everything that is done without proper knowledge comes out bad and pathetic, even if the performer acted in accordance with the plan, since he acts bravely not on the basis of reflection and does not direct his actions towards those tasks that, moving from virtue to virtue, ultimately lead to a good goal. (6) The same must be said about any other virtue of those who are not enlightened by knowledge, and likewise about their piety. Our Gnostic is guided by reason not only in matters of piety: gnosis rules his entire life. (7) Our purpose in what follows will be to depict the way of life of the Gnostic, and not the theories that he adheres to, which we will present later in a suitable place, preserving the general plan of our work. XI. Outline of the Gnostic Lifestyle (60, 1) Respecting the world order, the Gnostic truly and gratefully accepts the divine teaching. Beginning with wonder at the creation of 1584 and becoming convinced that he is able to obtain true knowledge, he becomes an obedient disciple of the Lord. Having heard the word about God and Providence, he believes them after the initial surprise. (2) Drawing energy from this initial impulse, he devotes himself entirely to science, doing everything possible to acquire the knowledge to which he strives. (The desire aimed at research increases as faith grows.) And only in this case does he achieve contemplation of the kind and type that he deserves. (3) Thus the Gnostic will try the will of God on himself, for it is not his ears, but his soul, that comprehends the meaning of what is said. (4) Having perceived in the Word of God the measure of the essence of things, which allows one to distinguish their dignity, he naturally and soully turns to what is akin to it. Thus, he understands the commandments “thou shalt not commit adultery” and “thou shalt not kill” 1585 gnostically and much more broadly than those who adhere only to their letters. (61, 1) The skill of speculative knowledge of things allows him to prepare for the perception of even purer truths. He knows for sure that, according to the word of the prophet, “he who instructs man in gnosis” is the Lord (Ps. 93:10), who does this through human lips. For this purpose, the Lord took on human flesh. (2) That is why a zealot of knowledge will never prefer what is sensually pleasing to what is useful. Even if some chance brought him together with a woman in all the splendor of her beauty, even then she would not be able to seduce him with any charms and cunning, no matter how much she resorted to them. The wife of the master whom Joseph served could not persuade him to violate decency. Her greedy hands tore off his outer clothing, but he himself remained pure and sinless, clothed in a magnificent robe of chastity. (3) Of course, the eye of the Egyptian master did not see this act of Joseph, but the Almighty was a witness to it. (4) Man hears words and sees the body; The Almighty looks and sees further, penetrating into the very essence of that from which sounds and visible images come. (5) Realizing this, the Gnostic maintains an unshakable calm of soul even when illnesses, misfortunes, and even the most terrible of all disasters - death befall him; for he knows that all such troubles are inevitable companions of created nature. He also remembers that all these misadventures, by divine omnipotence, are turned into instruments of our salvation, that in the hands of merciful Providence they serve as corrective means, the purpose of which is to force those who resist this to correct themselves, in order to then reward them for their labor. (62, 1) Therefore, the Gnostic uses all created things to the extent and for the purposes indicated by the Logos, thanks and glorifies the Creator for everything and does not allow created things to enslave himself, always remaining their master. (2) If injustice, insult or evil is done to him, he does not remember them. (3) He is never angry and does not harbor hostility or dislike towards anyone, even towards those who, by their deeds, fully deserve such treatment. (4) He remembers that God alone created both himself and his neighbor; therefore, in erring man he honors the Creator; loves him as a fellow exile, regrets his ignorance and prays for him. Chained to a mortal body, he regrets the infirmities of his own bodily nature, but still remains unshakable under the pressure of passions. (5) If circumstances beyond his control befall him contrary to his wishes, then he, suppressing sadness, completely withdraws into himself, establishing himself in what truly belongs to him. Remaining indifferent to everything external, he devotes himself entirely to what is most necessary, focusing on what directly concerns his spiritual life. (6) He remains faithful not only in words and not in appearance, but in accordance with gnosis, truth, right deeds and effective words. (7) He is not content with merely praising what is good and beautiful, but he himself tries to be good; being a “good and faithful servant,” he, by the power of his love, truly reaches the degree of “friend” [of God] 1586 through the perfection of a skill which he acquires in purity through true instruction and self-discipline. (63, 1) He uses every effort to achieve the heights of gnosis. Shining with the kindness of his disposition, balanced in appearance, possessing everything that distinguishes a true Gnostic, he looks only at his great predecessors who achieved perfection before him: the patriarchs, various prophets, countless angels watching over us and, finally, the Savior himself, who taught us, and through the example of his life showed us the heights that can be achieved. Therefore, a true Gnostic does not love anything that is on earth. Not wanting to stay on earth and being wary of attachment to all the goods of this world, he values ​​only those goods that he can hope for or, better said, which he already knows as true goods and the possession of which he anticipates. (2) That is why he patiently endures the labors of trials and tribulations, but not like some of the philosophers famous for their courage, who fought in the hope that all these disasters would eventually come to an end and be replaced by something favorable. Gnosis, on the contrary, gives unshakable confidence that the goods that constitute the object of hope will subsequently become our true property. Therefore, he despises not only torment, but also all earthly blessings. (3) They say that blessed Peter, seeing his wife being led to execution, rejoiced at her calling to the higher villages and returning home. Calling her by name, encouraging and consoling, he called out to her: “Remember the Lord!” 1587. (64:1) Such 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. (2) The apostle says about the same thing: “Let the married man be like the unmarried man” 1588; thereby indicating that marriage should be passionless and not distract from the love of the Lord. That is why the most faithful of spouses, when his wife, parting with life, had to unite with God, convinced her to preserve this love for the Savior in all its integrity. (3) All the martyrs, who turned to God with praises amid the most terrible tortures, do not this fact testify to their faith in the posthumous benefits expected by them? I am convinced that they truly had an unshakable confidence, which manifested itself in all their affairs. (4) So, no matter how difficult the external circumstances, the soul of the Gnostic remains firm and courageous, like that of an athlete. (5) He confidently follows her commands in all human affairs, and this strength of spirit turns out to be a wise adviser who shows the righteous the right path. Based on principles acquired from above and striving to become like God, she moderates her inclination to carnal pleasures and dominates bodily sorrows. She calmly looks at all kinds of dangers, trusting in God. (6) Being an earthly image of divine power, full of all sorts of perfections, the soul of a Gnostic is formed as a result of the development of the natural inclinations inherent in it, upbringing and the rational principle. (7) This beauty of the soul makes the Gnostic a “temple of the Holy Spirit” 1589 to the extent that he is inclined to lead his life in full accordance with the Gospel. (65, 1) Such a soul is able to overcome any fear and horror; Not only does she not fear death, but also poverty, illness, dishonor and the like. He who has such a soul does not succumb to voluptuousness and dominates all unreasonable aspirations. (2) He knows well what he should do and what he should deny himself, for he also knows what is truly harmful and what is not. (3) Knowing what he really needs to fear, he patiently endures what must be endured and endured, and adheres to what reason tells him to adhere to as due. Based on rational judgment, he distinguishes what is truly reliable and good from what only seems good. 1590 He distinguishes true goods from imaginary ones, true evils from imaginary ones, such as death, illness or poverty, which are considered such rather by human opinion than in accordance with the truth. (4) This good husband, due to the constancy that his virtuous soul has turned into a habit, avoids all movements alien to reason, rises above the anxieties and passions of this life. He “does everything in his power” 1591 in order to achieve the intended goal, (5) and what others consider the vicissitudes of chance does not frighten him, because it does not seem to him to be real evil. As for true evils, they are not inherent in the Christian Gnostic, since, being evil, they are diametrically opposed to good, and it is impossible for the same person to be the bearer of both opposites at the same time. 1592 (6) “Flawlessly fulfilling the drama of life,” 1593 - the one that God determines for him, knows what he must do and what he must endure. (66:1) And doesn’t timidity come from ignorance of what is truly scary and what is not? And if so, then true courage is characteristic only of a true Gnostic, who knows the blessings of the present and the future. Knowing, as I have already said, what evils should not be feared, and firmly convinced that vice alone is the real death and destruction for those striving for knowledge, clothed in divine armor, he wages a continuous war against it. (2) If some misfortune befalls someone due to a lack of prudence and caution, or as a result of the action, or better yet, the assistance of the devil, then one should not blame one’s own stupidity or the unclean for it. (For prudence is not an activity, but an inclination, and no inclination is an activity. 1594) Thus, activity done out of ignorance is not ignorance, but evil generated by this ignorance. Indeed, neither sins nor passions are evil in themselves, although their source is evil. (3) Therefore, one whose courage is not based on reason cannot be a true Gnostic. Otherwise, children who, due to their ignorance, are not afraid of dangerous things, should also be called brave. So they are not afraid to touch the flame. With the same reason one can attribute courage to wild animals that blindly rush at spears and spears. Shall we declare courageous and commonplace buffoons who deftly jump over swords, engaging in such a dangerous craft for a set fee? (4) A completely different matter is a person imbued with true courage. If an angry crowd leads him to execution, he bravely faces whatever happens to him. This is his difference from those who are martyrs only in words: these latter expose themselves to various accidents recklessly and, to put it mildly, without knowing why. True martyrs at first stay aloof, protecting themselves from dangers, as common sense tells them, but when they hear the call of the Lord, they hasten to betray themselves to the judges, testifying to their faith, standing out from the crowd not at all because of insolence, but showing the whole earth an example of truly reasonable courage. (67, 1) Unlike the majority, who strive for relatively light torments out of fear of greater ones, and not out of fear of the censure of fellow believers and those who sympathize with them, they follow the call. Motivated by love, they readily follow the voice that calls them, carried away only by the desire to please God and not expecting any other reward. (2) Some, on the contrary, voluntarily go to death for the sake of glory, others - in order to avoid even more terrible torments; still others - to join in joy and fun after death. These are still children in the faith. They are, if you like, blessed, but still they do not follow the path that befits adults, and not the path that a true Gnostic, driven by love for God, follows. (But the Church also has wreaths for children: like for winning a competition in a gymnasium, it rewards not only husbands.) Therefore, you need to kindle love in yourself for its own sake, and not for the sake of extraneous rewards. (3) So, perfect courage develops in the sage simultaneously with knowledge, strengthening in moral life, and from daily struggle with passions. (4) Love makes its athlete a fearless warrior, alien to cowardice, fills him with firm and complete trust in God, anointing and training him, just as righteousness instills in him truthfulness in all matters, which is contained in the commandment: “Let it be with you: yes, yes; no no". 1595 (5) The same must be said about prudence. (6) For he does not fight out of desire for glory and honor, like athletes who compete for a crown and fame. And it is not the craving for wealth that should guide him, as happens to those who become stingy under the influence of this disastrous vice. He does not do this out of love for his body and for the sake of maintaining health. All the more different is he from those who abstain simply because they lead a rough lifestyle and have not yet had the opportunity to taste luxury. (7) Such a person, who spends his whole life in hard work, if he gets the opportunity to enjoy the blessings of life, will certainly lose all sense of proportion. As soon as a favorable opportunity presents itself, he will certainly leave the path of virtue and break the law. (8) On the contrary, control over oneself, but not for its own sake, but for the sake of gnosis, which exists eternally, makes a person master and master over oneself. Only a true Gnostic is truly temperate and not subject to passions. It does not melt in their crucible like a diamond. (68, 1) The cause of all these sciences, the most holy and royal, is love. Faithful to all that is good and good, distinguished by the unity characteristic of it, this cause elevates the Gnostic to the rank of friend and son of God, who truly becomes “a perfect man according to age” 1596. (2) Unanimity regarding the same thing is agreement. Identity is the same as unity. Friendship is maintained by similarity, and similarity leads to unity. (3) Thus the Gnostic who loves the one and true God becomes his friend and finds himself among his sons. (4) The true nobility of man, the true meaning of knowledge and perfection lie in the unceasing knowledge of God and spiritual contemplation of him. The final perfection achieved by the truly wise is the purification of the soul from the slightest defilement. That’s when he is rewarded with eternal contemplation of the Almighty God “face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). (5) Once imbued with the spirit, he strives to enter the Church akin to him, into the hosts of spirits, and inherits peace in God. XII. Gnostic way of life (continued) (69, 1) Thus, therefore, things are and such is the attitude of the Gnostic to his soul and body; we also see that he behaves equally and evenly towards his neighbors, compatriots, legal enemies or anyone else. (2) He does not reject his brother, who, according to divine law, has the same father and the same mother. He helps those in need, comforting and supporting them, and giving them a means of subsistence, while offering each exactly what he needs, and not the same thing for everyone, observing justice and taking into account personal merit, not paying attention to the fact that someone may tell him that he gave up out of fear, if in fact he did it not out of fear, but out of a desire to help. (3) For how much rarer are those who do not spare silver for their enemies and do not tolerate lies even from their neighbors and loved ones? This is the ideal from which we start in order to achieve exact knowledge of what we should do, to what extent, when and in what way. (4) Who, in their right mind, would be hostile to someone who gives no cause for hostility? (5) It is in this sense that we say that God is not an enemy or adversary to anyone, since he is the creator of all things and nothing that exists came into being without his will. However, we affirm that every unbeliever who does not walk in accordance with his commandments is an enemy to him, because he hates his covenant. (6) This is exactly the case with the Gnostic, since he is also not an enemy to anyone, but those who follow the opposite path can be considered enemies to him. (7) The way of life that we choose to lead is called righteousness, but the distinction on this basis, depending on the knowledge achieved, into those more and less worthy, is the measure of the highest righteousness. (8) Some practice right things unwisely, abstaining, for example, from pleasure. Thus, some of the pagans, due to the inability to “achieve what they want,” 1597 or out of fear of people, or for the sake of something more, abstain from the benefits that are directly available to them. In the same way, some religious urges limit themselves to fulfill a vow they have made or out of fear of God. (70, 1) Of course, such self-restraints are the basis of knowledge, the beginning of the path to a better life and an attempt to achieve perfection. For “the fear of God” is “the beginning of wisdom,” (2) but the perfect one “accepts and endures everything” in order to “please not man, but God.” 1598 (3) And although he is entitled to a reward for this, it is not for his deeds proper, but for the likeness and benefit of those who deserve the reward. (4) Others say that the mark of a moderate man is not only the ability to control his passions, but also the ability to control good things; such a person has comprehended with all certainty all the wisdom of science, and it is precisely this that, as a result, bears fruit in the form of virtue. (5) Thus, even when faced with a difficult situation, the Gnostic does not give up his habits. For the conscious possession of good is firm and unchangeable, since it is based on the knowledge of divine and human objects. (6) And knowledge can never turn into ignorance, just as something turned to good cannot turn into evil. For this reason, he eats, drinks and marries only because it is necessary for the maintenance of existence, without in any way considering all this as a goal in life. Marriage is also possible [for a Gnostic] if it is reasonable and the necessary prerequisites for it are present. On his path to perfection, he is guided by the model revealed by the apostles. (7) After all, we know examples that show that a person does not necessarily have to choose a single life, but he is superior to the one who, being tamed by marriage, bearing and raising children, caring for the home, but without passion or suffering, despite his care for the household, is not deprived of Divine love and manages to overcome all temptations arising from children, wife, household and property. (8) He who has no family is much more free from temptation. Caring only for himself, he is inferior to someone who cannot compare with him in regard to personal salvation, but superior to him in the way of life, if he cares about the truth, fully following the example. (71, 1) We should subject our soul to as many preliminary exercises as possible in order that it may be better prepared to receive gnosis. (2) Don’t you know that the wax is first softened and the copper is cleaned before a high-quality print is made? (3) Therefore, death is “the separation of the soul from the body” 1599. In the same way, the acquisition of gnosis resembles the death of the mind, when the soul is separated and freed from passions, and ascends upward to a good life, with good reason turning to God with the words: “I live as you bequeathed.” 1600 (4) After all, he who wants to please people cannot please God, for the crowd always prefers not what it should, but only what it likes. However, he who pleases God ultimately earns the respect of the best among men. (5) How can such a person be prone to excess in food, drink and sex? After all, he is suspicious of words that encourage passions, obscene gestures and even unworthy thoughts. (6) “No one,” as it is said, “can serve two masters at the same time, God and mammon” (Matt. 6:24); and this applies not only to money itself, but also to all the goods and pleasures that money can buy. Indeed, a prudent and truly knowing God cannot serve passions that are contrary to him. (72:1) Only the Lord, who out of love for mankind became man, is from the beginning not subject to any passions. Therefore, everyone who strives to become like the image that He revealed makes every possible effort to also get rid of the influence of passions. (2) Anyone who was subject to passions, but then managed to curb them, is like a widow who, thanks to her prudence, became a maiden again. (3) Elimination from all evil and active virtue, thanks to which salvation is achieved - such is the payment for knowledge that the Savior and Teacher demands and which is due to Him. (4) Just as a craftsman earns his living by the craft for which he is trained, so the Gnostic is saved by the fact that he builds his life in accordance with revealed knowledge, gnosis. Whoever has not formed the desire to eradicate passions in his soul kills himself. Ignorance is spiritual hunger, but gnosis satisfies the soul. (5) Such is the soul of the Gnostic, which the Gospel presents in the image of a holy virgin awaiting the coming of the Savior (Matthew 25:1-13). Souls are virgins because they maintain their purity and shun all evil. They wait for the Lord, keeping their love for him. Wise souls light lamps while contemplating [sublime] objects, saying: (6) “Lord! How long have we been waiting for you! We lead the life that you bequeathed to us, without violating any of your commandments. We hope to receive what was promised and we pray to you for the granting of good, for there is nothing shameful in asking you for something that surpasses everything. We will accept everything with gratitude, even if the labors that await us may seem evil, we will accept them as a test of the strength that you have prepared for us.” (73, 1) In his infinite holiness, the Gnostic would rather not receive what he asks for than accidentally take advantage of what he did not ask for. His whole life is a continuous prayer and conversation with God. And since he is free from all sins, he will certainly receive everything he asks for. The Lord says to the righteous: “Ask and I will give you, think and I will do.” (2) If the desire is for good, he will immediately receive what he wants, but if it is harmful, the Gnostic will never ask for it. Consequently, everything happens exactly as he wishes. (3) If they object to us that it also happens that sinners get what they want, then we will answer them that this rarely happens, thanks to the just divine goodness. This chance is given to those who are able to act for the benefit of others. (4) Therefore, the gift is not necessarily intended for the one who asks for it. Divine Providence, foreseeing that anyone can thus gain salvation, provides its gifts to the righteous. Those who are truly worthy are given good gifts even without their request. (5) A righteous person who has become so not out of necessity, out of fear or in hope [of reward], but who has consciously chosen such a way of life, takes the path that is called “royal” and along which the royal race walks. All other paths are slippery and thorny. Overcoming fear and pride [they take this path], and I don’t know whether any of the noble philosophers who so advocate for freedom of speech can withstand such labors. (74, 1) Lust and other sins are called “thorns and tares” (Matthew 13:7, 22). The Gnostic works in the divine vineyard, planting, pruning and watering, being the divine gardener tending to all that is planted by faith. (2) Those who have done nothing evil think that they have the right to receive a reward for it. However, only those who voluntarily put in their efforts for the good can rightfully demand payment for their work. And he undoubtedly receives doubly - both for what he did not do and for all his good deeds. (3) The Gnostic does not give in to any temptations, except when directed by God, and when it is for the good of his neighbors. He strengthens their faith and sets them an example of courageous behavior. (4) It was for this reason, for the sake of founding and strengthening churches, that the good apostles were subjected to judgment and torment. (5) The voice ringing in the ears of the Gnostic, saying, “Whomever I have struck, thou shalt have pity,” convinces them that those who hate him have a chance to repent. The punishment of a villain carried out in a public place is a spectacle [not] for children. Moreover, it is not suitable for a Gnostic, who has consciously chosen the perfect and good path, to learn or enjoy anything by observing such spectacles. Resisting the softening influence of pleasure and avoiding sin, the Gnostic cannot learn anything good from observing the suffering of other people. (7) Having withdrawn from all earthly pleasures and spectacles, he consciously turns to everything that bears the stamp of the Divine, although it resides in this world. (8) “Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of God” (Matthew 7:21). (9) Such is a worker in the field of gnosis, having conquered bodily passions while still in the earthly body, knowing the future and the still invisible and confident in its reality more than in things that can be touched. (75, 1) This tireless worker, finding consolation in his knowledge, is forced to lead earthly life, reducing it to the most necessary, since the time has not come for him to actively participate in everything that he already knows about. This is how he spends his life as if it belonged to someone else, reducing all needs to a minimum. (2) He understands the reason for fasting on these days, I mean the fourth day and the day of preparation (παρασκευής). 1601 The fact is that the first of them received his name from Hermes, and the second from Aphrodite. (3) Therefore, he fasts, avoiding the love of money and lust, two sins from which all other troubles arise. After all, we have already repeatedly pointed out the three sources of sin, in accordance with the teaching of the apostles, which are the passion for pleasure, the thirst for profit and idolatry. (76, 1) He observes fasting, abstaining, according to the requirements of the law, from evil deeds, and, following the new covenant, from unworthy thoughts. (2) Consequently, all the temptations that befall him are aimed not at his purification, but at the benefit of his neighbors, who, if he can go through all the labors and sufferings, will come to their senses and be directed to the right path. (3) The same can be said about pleasure. A person who has gone through this test and managed to hold on has achieved a lot. For how great is the merit of a man who abstains from what he does not know? (4) Following the Gospel commandments, he observes the Day of the Lord 1602, cutting off evil thoughts and turning to Gnostic ones, glorifying the Sunday of the Lord in himself. (5) Moreover, turning to scientific speculation, he believes that in this way he contemplates the Lord, since his gaze is drawn to invisible objects, although it may seem that he is not looking at what he wants. As for vision itself, he is by no means happy about this ability if it is aimed at images that cause pleasure. After all, he wants to see and hear only what is important to him. (7) Contemplating the souls of his brothers, he, along with spiritual qualities, notices bodily beauty, learning to see good in its pure form, without the admixture of bodily pleasure. (77, 1) And they are truly his brothers, since, thanks to their chosenness by origin, due to their like-mindedness, similarity of characters and mission that unites them, they act, think and speak in full accordance with those holy and good deeds to which the Lord inspired them as the chosen ones. (2) Common faith is manifested in the unity of their choice, gnosis - in common education and like-mindedness, and hope - in the similarity of their aspirations. If, due to vital necessity, he is forced to devote some time to everyday problems, he considers himself deprived and needlessly cut off from his work. (3) Even in sleep, he is not distracted by what is not appropriate for the chosen one. To the fullest extent, such a person is a stranger and a wanderer who, living in the city, is alien to everything that delights others, feeling among people as if in the desert. Thus, his place of residence does not have any influence on him, and he continues to lead such a way of life, which is the only righteous one. (4) Such a man, in short, makes up for the absence of the apostles; thanks to the righteousness of his life and because of the fidelity of his knowledge, he provides benefits to his neighbors, “moving mountains” 1603 and correcting their souls. (5) Of course, each of us, first of all, remains a farmer himself, tending the vineyard of his soul. While performing wonderful deeds, he strives to remain invisible to people, convincing the Lord and himself that he lives in accordance with the commandments, preferring what he believes in the existence. (6) “Where a man’s intelligence is, there is his wealth.” 1604 Therefore, he prefers poverty, so as not to deprive his brothers of anything, finding perfection in love, especially if he knows that he himself is able to endure need more easily than others. (78, 1) He perceives someone else’s pain as personal grief. And if, giving his last for the sake of a good deed, he finds himself in a difficult situation, then he is not upset about this, but simply limits himself even more. (2) For he has sincere faith, glorifying the Gospel by his actions and the power of his contemplation. And he deserves not “human praise, but divine” 1605 reward, fulfilling everything that the Lord teaches. (3) Focusing on his hope, he does not touch the beauties of this world, looking at everything that is in this world, as if from above. He pities those who have to endure disciplinary punishments after death, because during life they, afraid of torture, did not renounce of their own free will. In view of his impending departure from this world, his conscience is completely clear, and he is always ready for this, like a true “foreigner and wanderer,” always remembering the inheritance prepared for him and considering everything that is here as a stranger. (4) He not only marvels at the Divine commandments, but, thanks to the knowledge available to him, he himself is admitted, so to speak, to God’s advice. He is close to the Lord and his commandments, chosen as a righteous man and, due to his highest and royal dignity, is a Gnostic. Renouncing all the riches of earth and underground and power over the country stretching from ocean to ocean, he is fully a servant of the Lord. (5) Therefore, at a feast, and during a feast, and in marriage (if the mind allows one to get married), and even in a dream, he acts and thinks holy. Pure, he begins to pray and prays in the community of angels, being of equal dignity with them. He is never left without angelic support, and even when alone, he seems to stand in the middle of the holy choir. (7) He knows that [faith] manifests itself in two ways: through the works of the believer and through the perfection of what is proper to believe. Therefore, righteousness comes from two sources: from love and from fear. (79, 1) Therefore it is said that “the fear of the Lord is pure and endures forever and ever” (Ps. 18:10). This fear, having turned into faith and righteousness, remains forever. Fear forces one to abstain from all evil, but love, based on free choice, motivates one to do good deeds. Therefore, having heard the words of the Lord: “I no longer consider you servants, but friends,” the Gnostic turns to prayer in calm confidence. (2) And this prayer consists of thanksgiving for the past, present and future, which is already present here thanks to faith. All this precedes the acquisition of gnosis. (3) Therefore, he further asks to be granted the opportunity to live this bodily life as a Gnostic, as if free from corporeality, already participating in the best and managing to avoid evil. (4) He also asks to be delivered from our sins and given the opportunity to realize them. He readily goes after the one who calls, following his call with pure consciousness and gratitude. By following with Christ and thanks to his purity, he is awarded, by virtue of a certain fusion, that Divine power that Christ carries with Him. (5) He does not have enough heat, which can be obtained by contacting something warm, and there is not enough light that fire gives, but he himself wants to become this light. He understands the exact meaning of the following words: “Whoever does not hate his father and mother, and also his own life (...) and does not bear his cross...” (Luke 14:26-27). (6) He hates disordered bodily passions, which entice him into the fetters of pleasure, and respectfully distances himself from everything (καταμεγαλοφρονεΐ) that concerns creation and the growth of the body. He bridles the bodily part of the soul 1606, putting fetters on the foolish spirit, for “the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit” (Gal. 5:17). (7) To bear the sign [of the cross] means to care about death and to put an end to all earthly affairs while still alive. For different kinds of love “sow the bodily” 1607 and educate the soul to accept knowledge. (80, 1) He becomes beneficent by nature, so that his good deeds precede his word, so he prays that he may be allowed to share the burden of the sins of his neighbors, so that they will quickly repent and convert. On the other hand, he strives to share with them the benefits given to him. This is how he treats his friends. (2) Contributing with all his might to the growth of the seed implanted in him by the cares of the Lord, he leads a sinless and moderate life, uniting in spirit with those like him, dwelling among the holy choir even during earthly life. (3) Day and night he fulfills the divine commandments, in word and deed, with joy, not only getting up in the morning, but also in broad daylight, doing ordinary things, in his sleep, going to sleep and waking up. (4) Thus he instructs his son also, if he has a son. Steadily following the commandments and filled with hope, he is filled with eternal gratitude to God, like that living being of whom Isaiah 1608 speaks allegorically, and, (5) finding himself before judgment, he says: “God gave, God has taken away,” (6) like Job, who, having lost all his property, as well as his bodily health, subsequently found everything again through the love of God. For “he was just, holy and shunned evil.” 1609 (7) The word “holy” indicates a righteous attitude towards God throughout life. Knowing this, he was fully a Gnostic. (8) One should not become too attached to all such things, even if they are good, remembering that all this is only human; one should not avoid them excessively, even if they are evil. One must remain above them, subverting the latter and giving the former to those in need. The Gnostic must carefully handle everything that surrounds him, so that this environment does not become familiar. XIII. Portrait of a True Gnostic (continued) (81:1) He never holds a grudge against those who sinned against him, but forgives them. That is why he has every right to turn to God with the following prayer: “Forgive us, for we also forgive.” 1610 (2) After all, this is precisely what God desires, among other things: not to be angry with anyone and not to feel hatred towards anyone. For all people arose as a result of the action of one will. (3) And does not the Savior himself desire first of all that the Gnostic should become as “perfect as the Heavenly Father,” the same one who says: “Come, children, and listen to Me. I will teach you the fear of God"? 1611 He desires that the Gnostic no longer need the help of angels, but receive it directly from Himself and, to the extent of his merits, be under His protection, as a reward for obedience. (4) Such a person receives (ἁπαιτεί) from the Lord, and not just asks. And while his brother is in need, the Gnostic will not ask for abundant wealth for himself, but rather will pray that he may be given what he needs. (5) The Gnostic prays for those who are in need, and is given to them through his prayer, although, due to due modesty, the source remains unknown to them. (6) Poverty and illness are often sent as warnings, punishments for the past or as concerns for the future. (7) The Gnostic prays for deliverance from all this because he has knowledge, and not out of love for false glory. Being a Gnostic, he does good, being a good instrument in the hands of God. (82, 1) Tradition says that the Apostle Matthew never tired of repeating that “if the neighbor of the chosen one sins, then the chosen one himself should be blamed. After all, if he behaved as prescribed by the Logos, then his neighbor would be filled with respect for his way of life to such an extent that he would stop sinning.” (2) What else shall we say about the Gnostic? “Do you not know,” says the apostle, “that you are the church of God?” (1 Cor. 3:16). The Gnostic is already deified and holy, carries God within himself and is himself led by God. (3.) Showing that sin is foreign to it, Scripture says that those who fall away are sold to strangers; and the statement, “Look not lustfully at a foreign woman,” 1612 clearly indicates that sin is foreign and unnatural to the church of God. (4) And this church is great, like the Church itself, and small, like a man who retained the seed of Abraham within himself. And such a person, in whom God has settled, needs nothing more. (5) Having bypassed all the obstacles and overcome all the obstacles that matter placed in his path, he rushes, thanks to knowledge, directly to heaven. And having passed through all spiritual essences, through all principles and powers, he reaches the highest seat, rushing towards that which alone consists of the meaning of knowledge. (6) Having united the serpent and the dove 1613 together, he leads a perfect and conscious life, combining faith with hope and expectation of a better future. (7) He is fully aware of the significance of what has been given to him, realizing that he is worthy of it. From a slave state he passes into the position of an adopted son, thanks to the knowledge he has acquired; (knowing God, or rather, realizing Him) fully, he makes all the necessary efforts befitting the gift he has received. 1614 For actions follow knowledge as a shadow follows a body. (83, 1) No external events can confuse him, nor do happy coincidences surprise him, which, thanks to Divine Providence, happen for good. He is not afraid of death either, because his conscience is clear, and he is ready to meet the heavenly forces. Having cleansed his soul of all rust, so to speak, he is confident that a better fate awaits him after leaving. (2) He will never prefer pleasure or profit to the Divine dispensation, since he is accustomed to fulfilling the commandments, pleasing God in everything and earning the respect of others, since everything in this world depends on one almighty God. “The Son of God,” as it is said, “came to his own, but his own did not receive Him.” (3) Therefore, by using the goods of this world, he not only gives them their due and glorifies the creation, but he himself, if he uses them for good, deserves praise. However, the purpose for which he does all this is to achieve perfect Gnostic contemplation in accordance with the commandments. (4) With the help of scientific knowledge (ἐπιστήμη), preparing food for contemplation, and by the power of sublime reason embracing the greatness of gnosis, he achieves holy transfiguration. (5) For he remembers the words of the psalm: “Go round about Zion, and compass it; number his towers” ​​(Ps. 47:13). These words, I believe, point to those who have sublimely embraced the Logos, like a high tower standing firmly on the foundation of faith and gnosis. (84, 1) Our story about the Gnostic, briefly touching on the most important thing, is addressed primarily to the Hellenes. It should be noted, however, that if a [simple] believer does one or another of the above, then, unlike a Gnostic, he does not do it all fully and without proper understanding. (2) As for the insensibility (άπόθεια) of the Gnostic, thanks to which the perfection of the believer, through love, is transformed into the perfection of “a perfect man, to the measure of stature” (Eph. 4:13), one with God and truly angelic, then many other testimonies of Scripture confirming this come to my mind. However, considering the length of our work, I would rather leave all this to those who will take the trouble to examine in detail all the relevant passages of Scripture for themselves. (3) I will limit myself here to a brief explanation of one suitable passage, so as not to leave this subject completely untouched. In the first letter to the Corinthians, the divine apostle says the following: “How dare any of you, when dealing with another, go to law with the wicked, and not with the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?” – and so on (1 Cor. 6:1–2). (4) Omitting the lengthy quotation, let us explain the words of the apostle using those expressions that are most convincing and aphoristic, paraphrasing the part in which the apostle describes Gnostic perfection. (5) He describes the Gnostic not only as a person who is willing to endure an insult rather than do anything evil. He also teaches that he does not remember evil and does not allow himself to complain about someone who has treated him unjustly. He knows that the Lord taught to “pray for your enemies.” (6) The statement that the offended person merely demands retribution according to the law means an admission that he thirsts for retribution and wants to inflict a reciprocal offense on his offender, that is, in turn, commit evil in revenge for what has already been committed. (7) The words of the apostle that he wants some to go to the saints for judgment are directed precisely against those who ask in their prayers that those who have offended them receive appropriate retribution for the evil committed. The first is undoubtedly better than the second, but no person can be fully considered obedient to God unless he, completely devoid of any passions, begins to pray for his enemies. (85, 1) It is good when the right state of mind is formed through their conversion and leads to faith. After all, as you can see, truth easily makes enemies for itself who are ill-disposed towards it, but it itself does not harbor enmity towards anyone. (2) “God commands his Sun to shine alike on the righteous and the unjust,” just as He sent His Lord alike to the good and the evil. 1615 The one who strives to unite with God, by virtue of his inherent all-forgiveness, releases “seventy times seventy times” (Matthew 18:22), throughout his entire life and in all the affairs of this world (after all, this is what the number seven indicates), mercifully treating everyone and everyone who has ever acted unrighteously with the Gnostic throughout his entire life. (3) He not only thinks it right for the Gnostic to give his property to those who have done him wrong, but also wants him to personally ask the judges to forgive all those who have done him wrong. If the matter concerns only the external or bodily, even if it can lead to death, he can allow it to be done to him and benefit at his expense, since all this does not belong to the Gnostic. (4) How can one judge fallen angels who has himself fallen away from [the commandment] to forgive evil, which is contained in the Gospel? (5) “Wouldn’t it be better for you to endure hardships yourself? But you yourself offend and take away...” 1616, complaining in your prayers about those who have transgressed because of their ignorance, seeking to deprive those against whom you pray of the share of humanity and goodness of God that you yourself experience; “...and among their brothers,” - here it is said not only about brothers in faith, but also about other converts. (86:1) After all, we cannot know for sure whether the one towards whom we now feel enmity will not believe later. It follows that even if these people are not our brothers now, they should still be considered as brothers. (2) Only a knowledgeable person fully realizes the fact that all people are the creation of one God and by nature bear within themselves one image, although some may be worse than others. In creation he recognizes the Creator, admiring once again the fruits of the Divine will. (3) “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?” He who demands retribution acts unrighteously, regardless of whether he manifests it in deed, in word, or only by intention, as the Gospel teaches those who are brought up by the law. (4) “And such were some of you,” that is, like those whom you had not yet forgiven, “but were washed,” not like the rest, but by the power of knowledge. (5) You leave the passions of your soul in order to unite, as far as possible, with the good Divine Providence, thanks to your long-suffering and forgiveness of “just and unjust,” warming them with your words and deeds, like the sun. (6) The Gnostic achieves all this through his generosity and imitation of what is best. In addition, there is one more, third commandment: “Forgive, and you too will be forgiven,” which directs us to salvation through the fullness of grace. (7) “You will become like the saints,” since everyone who reaches such a state will undoubtedly become a saint, free from all kinds of passions and as if incorporeal, having already become [a saint] on earth. (87:1) Therefore, it is further said, “you are justified in the name of the Lord.” Because of Him, you have become as righteous as He and are united as much as possible with the Holy Spirit. (2) “Everything is lawful for me, but nothing should possess me,” for nothing should be done, conceived, or spoken contrary to the Gospel. “Food is for the belly, and the belly is for food,” but “God will destroy,” that is, it is unreasonable to consider and live as if we were created to eat, and do not take food in order to support our existence, striving for knowledge as our main goal. (3) But does he not call all this merely the carnal parts of the holy body? The body symbolizes the Church of the Lord, the spiritual and holy choir, and those who are merely called, but do not yet live according to the commandments, are the carnal parts of this body. (4) And this spiritual “body,” that is, the Church, “is not meant to be corrupted.” Nothing that remains of the pagan way of life and is a deviation from the Gospel can be accepted. (88, 1) After all, everyone who allows himself pagan antics in the Church, in deed, in words or even in thoughts, allows depravity in relation to the Church and to his own body. (2) Everyone who “has intercourse with a harlot,” that is, who contradicts the Covenant, becomes a different “body” that is not holy, and a “different flesh,” leading a pagan life and living in a different hope. (3) "He who is united to the Lord in spirit" becomes a spiritual body united to him in another way. He becomes truly a son, a holy man, dispassionate, gnostic, perfect, created by the teaching of the Lord, in order to receive in deed, in word and in spirit what is due to his human lot. (4) This example is sufficient for those who have ears to hear. There is no need to reveal all the secrets, it is enough to point them out to those who have sufficient knowledge to understand them. Such people understand what the Lord said: “You are perfect, just as your Father is perfect,” forgiving sins and not remembering evil, and living without passions. (5) In the same sense in which we call a doctor or a philosopher perfect, I also think we can consider a Gnostic perfect. But neither of the first two, no matter how great he may be, achieves true likeness to God. For we do not agree with what the Stoics impiously assert, believing that the righteousness of God and man is of the same nature. (6) Must we, therefore, be as perfect as our Father desires? After all, it is impossible to become as perfect as God. However, God wants us to live infallibly, following the gospel in everything. (7) But since from these mysterious sayings we can understand what is required of us, we close this section and leave the rest to those who are able to understand, adding in conclusion that we should know the will of God and behave decently and honorably, as the commandments deserve. XV. Answer to those who do not want to join the Church because of the heresies that divide it (89, 1) It now remains for us to refute some of the objections of the Hellenes and Jews. And since the representatives of some sects differ with us on approximately the same controversial issues that we spoke about above, we find it appropriate to first clear the ground, and then proceed to further exposition, to which the remainder of the Stromata is devoted. (2) First of all, they accuse us, saying: “How can you accept your faith when you yourself are torn by many differences? After all, the truth is torn into pieces if some teachers instruct in one thing, and others teach in another.” (3) Our answer to these accusers will be as follows. Among the Jews and those sages who were held in high esteem by the Hellenes, there were also many schools, but the disagreements, as a result of which your philosophical schools are divided among themselves, do not force you to deny the need for philosophy, nor the Jews to reject their teachings. (4) The Lord predicted that heresies would arise in the field of truth, like tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:25), and this prophecy is being fulfilled. The reason here is that everything good is always accompanied by blasphemy. (90, 1) But just because someone turned out to be a liar who broke his vows and the public promises he made, it does not at all follow that we should abandon the truth. (2) An honest person never lies and remains faithful to what he promised, even if everyone around him violates their obligations. In the same way, it is not appropriate for us to transgress the church canon. Most of all, we are concerned about observing the most important and significant things, while the wicked break the vow. Therefore, only those who firmly adhere to the truth should be trusted. (3) This is what we will answer to our opponents. Doctors belonging to different schools have different ideas about the nature of diseases, but this does not prevent them from healing, (4) with the exception of the absurd case when the patient himself, in need of medical help, refuses their services only on the grounds that medicine is supposedly torn apart by all sorts of strife. In the same way, those who are mentally sick and full of idols should not accuse heresy, but turn to God for healing. (5) “And truly for the sake of those who are skilled,” says the apostle, “[there are] differences of opinion” (1 Cor. 11:19). By “skilled” he means either those who, on their path to faith, intelligently accept the teachings of the Lord, like money changers, whose experienced eye unmistakably distinguishes a counterfeit coin from a genuine one by its imprint; or those who have already become skilled in the faith through their good works and knowledge. (91:1) Therefore, a considerable amount of prudence and diligence is needed to determine what the right life is and what true piety consists of. (2) It is obvious that the search for truth is not easy and difficult, but if pride and the pursuit of vain glory are mixed into this search, then such researchers become the perpetrators of heresies, since their conviction that they possess the truth is an erroneous conviction. (3) The study of truth must be carried out with great care and understanding that the source of all truth is the true God alone. And this work is always rewarded with the joy of discovery and memory. Therefore, in heresies it is appropriate to see rather an incentive for further research, rather than a step towards apostasy. (4) If we have two fruits in front of us: one is ripe and juicy, and the other is waxy, but similar to the first, then should we refuse the first just because the other is false? Of course not. In the same way, truth should be distinguished from its appearance with the help of rational comprehension and unprejudiced judgment. (5) And although there is only one royal path, countless small paths branch off from it, some of which lead to abysses, others to swift streams or deep sea abyss. But will the traveler doubt whether he should follow the path that is well-trodden and completely safe just because there are many small paths departing from him, deviating from the main one? Let some talk about the truth this way, and others differently, we should not give up trying, but only redouble our zeal in the search for the most reliable knowledge. (6) Weeds also grow in vegetable beds, but the gardener does not refuse to care for his garden on this basis. (7) Nature itself has endowed us with the ability to think and analyze, therefore, we must use it to search for truth. (8) Therefore, we fully deserve punishment if we do not do what we must do and do not make efforts to distinguish between the worthless, shameful, alien to our nature and false from the true, immutable, worthy of glory and inherent in our nature. All the means at our disposal must be aimed at knowing the truly existing truth! (92:1) So, the arguments of the pagans are unfounded, for the means of discovering the truth are always in the hands of the seeker, and everyone who refuses to use them under various pretexts has no forgiveness and is subject to condemnation. (2) It is necessary to either admit or completely deny the possibility of proof. Undoubtedly, everyone will agree that such a possibility exists, with the exception of those who deny the reality of sensory perception. (3) And if demonstrative knowledge is possible, then it is necessary to delve into it and establish, by demonstrative means and the means of Scripture, in what exactly the heretics are mistaken and that the truth and the ancient Church have the privilege of possessing reliable knowledge and truly perfect teaching (αὶρέσεις). (4) Of those who reject the truth, some deceive only themselves, while others deceive their neighbors. (5) The first are arrogant people, considering themselves wise and imagining that they possess the truth. Meanwhile, their knowledge is unproven and they in vain flatter themselves with the hope that their research has reached its final limit. Among them there are many who are afraid of research for fear of being refuted and reject instructions for fear of condemnation. (6) Those who deliberately mislead others are very crafty. They are well aware of their ignorance, but they obscure the truth with plausible evidence. And these plausible proofs, I believe, are in their nature very different from the genuine ones. (7) We know that the word “heresy” itself means the opposite of the truth. By such means, various sophists, inventing various tricks for the destruction of people and putting them into forms specially invented for this purpose, only achieve the right to stand at the head of any school, but not to lead the church. XVI. Scripture as a criterion of truth (93, 1) People who are inclined to search for the most perfect never recognize anything as true until they find confirmation of it in Scripture. (2) Some criteria [of truth] are common to all people. This is, for example, sensory perception. However, those who apply their efforts and energy to the search for truth, in addition, with the help of mind and reason and using special methods, learn to distinguish true judgments from false ones. (3) But the most important thing in this matter is the rejection of hasty judgments, which often stand in the way between accurate knowledge and hasty philosophizing. He who expects eternal peace knows that the path to it is difficult and narrow. 1617 (4) But once enlightened by the Gospel and, as Scripture says, “having seen salvation” 1618 at the hour when he knew, “let him not look back, like Lot’s wife” 1619, does not cling with all his feelings to his former life and does not deviate into heresy. They argue forever, but true knowledge about God is alien to them. (5) “Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me" (Matt. 10:37), that is, he cannot become a son of God, become His disciple, friend and become related to Him. (6) “No one who looks back and puts his hand to the plow is fit for the kingdom of God.” 1620 (7) Many will still agree that Mary became a mother through the birth of her Son, and yet did not experience the consequences of motherhood. (For, as they say, at birth she was examined by the midwife and found to be a virgin.) (94, 1) Such are the divine Scriptures for us: being the mother of truth, they give birth to us and yet remain forever virgin, concealing within themselves the mystery that envelops the truth. (2) “She gave birth and did not give birth” 1621, says Scripture, showing that Mary conceived on her own, without carnal intercourse. (3) Scripture gave birth to the Gnostics, but heresy, not having comprehended this truth, rejects Scripture as sterile. (4) The ability to judge is equally characteristic of all people, but some, following the instructions of the Logos, become believers, while others, giving themselves over to passions, rape the Scriptures to please them. (5) This is why a zealot for the truth must have great strength of spirit, for he who undertakes great things is also subject to great temptations. He has to conform to the canon of true teaching, which he once recognized as such. (6) Those who leave this straight path are unhappy: they stumble all the time, and it is not surprising: after all, they do not have a criterion for distinguishing lies from truth, which allows them to isolate the main thing. If they had it, they would follow the Scriptures in everything. (95, 1) Like those who drank the witchcraft drink of Kirk 1622 and immediately turned into an animal, these people, opposing church tradition and following heretical views instead, cease to be people of God and are deprived of the title of faithful servant of the Lord. (2) However, he who has managed to leave his errors and listen to the Scriptures, opening his soul again to the suggestions of truth, approaches the divine from the human condition. (3) The beginning of our teaching is the Lord himself, “many times and in various ways” (Heb. 1:1) through the prophets, the Gospel and the blessed apostles, guiding our knowledge from beginning to end. (4) But if anyone imagines that some other beginning is necessary, then he thereby loses this, the true beginning. He who is true to himself also believes in the Scriptures, 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 for testing truth. (5) Anything doubtful is not trustworthy as long as there is reason to doubt it. Therefore, what is doubtful cannot serve as a starting point. (6) Therefore, it would be fair to believe that this first principle is grasped through faith and therefore does not need any proof. Thus, from the very beginning we receive abundant evidence concerning this beginning. The very word of the Savior prepares us to comprehend the truth. (7) Let us not trust the unfounded assurances of some, because they can easily later claim the opposite. (8) And if in some cases a simple statement is not enough, but justification is necessary, then we will refer rather not to human testimony, but to the word of the Lord, the most certain of all evidence. Moreover, it is the only true evidence. (9) And with regard to this knowledge, those who have barely tasted the Scriptures are simple believers, but those who have advanced further and become instructors in the faith deserve to be called Gnostics. Just as in life masters are distinguished from those ignorant in their craft, and their products are rightfully considered the best, (96:1) so we, who are convinced of its truth on the basis of Scripture itself, must be able to clearly convince others of the same. (2) It will be objected to me that heretics also refer to the same apostolic traditions. We will respond by noting that not all sacred books are accepted by them and they do not always quote the relevant passages in full, as required by the meaning and composition of the corresponding passage from the prophetic scripture. Deliberately choosing some ambiguous passages, they interpret them in their own way, taking individual words out of context instead of delving into the true meaning and significance of the sacred texts. (3) You will find that everywhere they pay attention only to certain phrases, often distorting their meaning, not understanding what is said, although they assert it, and not using the corresponding passages in their proper sense. (4) However, the truth is not comprehended through verbal balancing act (in this way one can only distort the true teaching), but is revealed only by intensified, persistent searches, when one examines whether this or that is worthy of the name of the Lord and Almighty God and whether what has just been understood on the basis of Scripture corresponds to other passages from the same Scripture. (5) That is why they do not want to turn to the truth, ashamed to reveal their vanity. On the other hand, by misinterpreting Scripture, they find no support for their opinions in it. Having initially spread their false views everywhere and denying almost all of Scripture, they invariably ran into our objections, but even now, many among them do not accept some of the prophetic writings and constantly accuse us of being “of a different nature” and therefore unable to understand what is available to them. If you catch them in a lie, they renounce their teachings, ashamed to admit publicly what they are proud of in secret. (97, 1) This happens with all heresies if you try to carefully consider their basic dogmas. As soon as we show them that their teaching is contrary to Scripture, they immediately rush to one of the extremes: (2) either they reject the conclusions of their own teachings, or they trample on the prophecies, that is, their own hope. They constantly prefer imaginary evidence 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, confirming these latter. (3) Seeing that they are in danger (not in the sense of unity of doctrine, but regarding the possibility of further developing their heretical teaching) and that the truth can elude them, they nevertheless reject as useless those books that we accept, and in their desire to surpass “simple faith”, they completely deviate from the truth. (4) Having not comprehended the mysteries of church gnosis and having failed to contain the greatness of truth, in their desire to get to the very depths, but understanding everything surprisingly superficially, they finally and inevitably diverge from Scripture. (98, 1) Proud of their empty philosophies, busy with endless disputes, they find themselves among those who only seem to be, but are in no way, philosophers. (2) Having no first principles to lay as a foundation, they find support for their teachings in human opinions, disdaining nothing to achieve their goals. And the more clearly they realize that victory is slipping out of their hands, the stronger their rage against those who defeat them with true wisdom. They rush to extremes, use, as the proverb, all the gears, in their wickedness they prefer to renounce the Scriptures rather than the fame among their sect or the notorious honor of leadership in it, thanks to which they occupy the first place in its secret meetings, falsely called “love suppers.” (3) It is customary among us that knowledge of the truth gradually develops from what we have already believed in to what remains to be believed. Thus, faith turns out to be the basis of demonstrative knowledge. (4) The ears of heresy, closed to everything that is useful, are open, as it seems to me, to speeches that flatter only sensuality. Without this, they would have listened to the truth and been healed. (5) Self-love, like any other passion, is cured by three means: first, through awareness of the cause, then the means to eliminate it, and finally, education of the soul and training to develop the right attitude and ability of judgment. (99, 1) The sick eye sees only dregs; similarly, the soul, darkened by dogmas that do not agree with its nature, loses the ability to see not only the clear light of truth, but even nearby objects. That is why the eel catcher first stirs up the water, so that by blinding the fish, it is easier to catch it. (2) Just as lazy disciples run away from teachers, so those who separate from the Church refuse to recognize prophecies, fearing that they will encounter warnings and exposure there. (3) This explains the many extensive studies with which they justify their false doctrines, making them believe that they act wisely, although they differ from Scripture. (4) However, their actions are wicked, for they oppose the divine commandments, that is, the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Empty are called not only those tonsils that are empty inside, but also those whose fruit is good for nothing. We call heretical teachings just as meaningless and empty, since they do not contain the will of God, do not speak about the traditions coming from Christ, and are no less bitter than wild almonds. Everything in their teachings is an arbitrary fabrication, except that because the truth was obvious, it could not be hidden or rejected. (100, 1) A warrior cannot leave the battlefield and the place where he is placed by the military leader, for this is considered a crime; likewise, we must equally faithfully guard the post to which we are appointed by the Logos, the basis of our knowledge and life. (2) But the majority moves forward at random, without even thinking about which principle to follow, and who should be its bearer, and how to follow it. (3) For a simple believer, it will be enough if he conforms his life to the Logos and follows the path pleasing to God, who “from the beginning of the world has ordered all things wisely.” 1623 (4) If someone, to his misfortune, breaks the oath given to the Logos, and through him to God, especially if he turns out to be powerless in the face of certain unexpected circumstances, then he can only console himself and strengthen himself with the arguments of reason and truth. If evil inclinations prevail, and this person, previously faithful, is defeated by them and becomes, as Scripture says, a “commoner” 1624, then he should take care to suppress this disastrous principle in himself and train his soul in such a way as to resist the attraction of an evil habit. (5) If some conflicting doctrines prove seductive to some, they must be removed, but the "peacemakers" 1625 should be encouraged, especially if they, by the spell of Scripture, charm the less learned, and show the truth by the joint explanation of both testaments. (6) Such is the nature of man: he is more willing to believe human opinion, even if it is contradictory, than the truth, which is often harsh and strict. (7) There are three states of mind: ignorance, opinion and knowledge. 1626 Ignorance is the lot of the common people, knowledge is the property of the Church, but heresy lives by temporary opinions. (101, 1) Nothing can be seen more clearly than the difference between the statements of those who really know and express solid judgments and those who are guided only by opinion and allow themselves unsubstantiated assertions. (2) That is why such people despise and ridicule each other. After all, the same doctrine is often highly revered by some and considered as madness by others. (3) We also know that sensual pleasures, widespread among the pagans, are one thing, and the spirit of rivalry, which torn the heresies, is another thing; another thing is the joy that fills those who belong to the Church, and another thing is joy, which is the exclusive property of a true Gnostic. (4) Everything depends on the mentor: Ischomach will make you a farmer; Lampides - a sailor, Charidemus - a commander, Simon - a horseman, Perdix - a merchant, Crobilus - a cook, Archelaus - a dancer, Homer - a poet, Pyrrho - a sophist, Demosthenes - a rhetorician, Chrysippus - a dialectician, Aristotle - a natural scientist, Plato - a philosopher. And a person who obeys the Lord, follows Him and recognizes the prophecies emanating from Him, becomes His likeness and god, clothed in a mortal body. 1627 (5) Those who do not want to follow the Lord wherever He leads, cast themselves down from these heights. The Lord guides us through the inspired Scriptures. 1628 Human affairs are numerous, but all failures stem from two sources - ignorance and inability (ἁσθένεια). We ourselves choose both, because both knowledge and the limitation of desire depend on our will. Because of ignorance, we are unable to judge sensibly, and because of our laziness, we often cannot complete even good plans properly. (7) In fact, is it possible, holding erroneous opinions, to do something correctly, even if one has at one’s disposal all the means to do what is right? On the other hand, even if we manage to decide correctly, will we remain clear in our conscience if, due to frivolity, we fail to fulfill our plans? (102, 1) This double disease of the soul is healed, accordingly, by a medicine of two kinds. Ignorance is corrected by knowledge and self-evident proofs based on the testimony of the Scriptures. Inability is healed by labor, in accordance with the Logos, by education in faith and the fear of God. Both lead ultimately to love. (2) For the Gnostic, as can be seen, a twofold outcome is possible here: his knowledge is partly realized in contemplation, and partly through application in practice. How good it would be if the above-mentioned heretics, when reading these notes, abandoned their errors and turned to God Almighty! (3) But if, like deaf snakes (Ps. 57:7), they do not want to listen to the new, but at the same time the most ancient song, then they will not escape God's punishment, and this paternal punishment, which precedes the final condemnation, will weigh on them until they are ashamed and repentant. But may God save them from final condemnation for their insane unbelief! (4) There are some special types of admonition that we call corrective. Such are the punishments that fall upon some of our brethren for dereliction of duty and for falling away from the people loved by God. (5) However, Providence punishes us as a teacher of disciples or as a father of his children. God does not punish in the proper sense of the word, for punishment is revenge for damage caused, but is it possible to harm God? Consequently, his punishments, sent individually or collectively, are aimed at the benefit of the punished themselves. (6) All these discussions are addressed to those who strive for knowledge, but are inclined to accept heresies. I would also like to prevent some from unreasonable ignorance, stupidity, bad calculation and all the like, no matter what it is called. I strive through these words to lead from error to truth those whose condition leaves at least some hope for recovery. (103, 1) However, some cannot stand it when they are approached with a word of conviction, calling them to turn to the truth. Moreover, they arm themselves with idle talk, slandering the truth and boasting that they allegedly have knowledge of the greatest things, although in fact they have not learned anything, and their knowledge is unproven, not supported by experience and inconsistent. Such arrogance deserves pity rather than hatred. (2) But if there is at least one sick person who can be treated and is able to endure the openly expressed truth, which, like flame or steel, cauterizes and cuts off false opinions, then let him find the strength to open the ears of his soul! (3) And he will certainly do this if he decides no longer to indulge his laziness, which pushes the truth away from himself, or if he renounces violence against the truth for the sake of the appearance of novelty and out of vain vanity. (4) For those who are truly lazy and negligent are those who, having every opportunity to find out everything that concerns the Scriptures by examining them themselves, prefer to choose only what they like best. (5) Others are driven by the vain love of glory: under its influence they willfully deviate from the teachings that are consistent with the books handed down to us from the holy apostles and our teachers, and oppose them with sophisms of a different kind. They contrast human thoughts with divine traditions and thus create another heresy. (6) What other truth (I’m talking about church gnosis) can such figures as Marcion, Prodicus and the like, who left the straight paths, be able to additionally reveal? They are far from superior in wisdom to their predecessors, and are unable to discover any new truths in addition to those already expressed. They would have enough honor, which is deservedly deserved by learned men who have mastered everything that was taught before them. (104:1) So, only one can be called a true Gnostic who has grown old in the study of Scripture, preserves inviolably the purity of the apostolic and church teachings, leads a virtuous life in accordance with the Gospel, and finds evidence in what is revealed by the Lord, as well as in the law and the prophets. (2) Truly his life is the unity of deed and word, consistent with the traditions that come from the Lord. (3) However, “gnosis is not for everyone” (1 Cor. 8:7). “I do not want to leave you, brethren, in ignorance,” says the apostle, “that all were under the cloud” (1 Cor. 10:1) and “all partook of both divine food and drink.” 1629 By this he clearly states that the people he mentioned, who listened to the teaching about the Logos, which was contained partly in words, partly in actions, did not comprehend the greatness of the knowledge revealed to them. (4) Therefore he adds: “But God was not pleased with all of them.” 1630 Who did not favor them? He who once said: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord!” God!" He who does the will of My Father in heaven will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven” 1631, that is, you do not comply with the teachings of the Savior, for this is precisely what is meant here by spiritual food and spiritual drink, quenching thirst forever, the source from which flows the “water of life” 1632, which the Gnostic drinks. (5) Knowledge, as some say, “is inflated (φυσιοΰν).” Yes, this is so, if by this we mean only external knowledge: it really feeds the spirit of pride. (6) If the apostle's word implies knowledge in all its truth and greatness, then the dispute is resolved by itself; and we find this understanding to be the most correct. Step by step examining the Scriptures, we will confirm this by reference to it. (105, 1) “Wisdom,” says Solomon, “filled the pride of her children” 1633, not, of course, in the sense that God, through instructions, instilled arrogance in his children. Filling with pride implies obedience to the truth and high spirit in the knowledge transmitted through the Scriptures and teaching to despise everything that inclines to sin. (2) Further, the apostle says: “...and I will test not the words of those who are proud, but the power” (1 Cor. 4:16), that is, whether they understand the Scriptures in all their greatness (which means, is it completely true, for there is nothing more sublime than the truth). Virtue is the true strength of sons full of wisdom. (3) By the above words the apostle seems to say: “I will find out whether you have fully accepted the sublime thoughts regarding the meaning of gnosis.” “God is known in Judea,” (Ps. 75:2) – David exclaims. In other words, God is known to the one who is an Israelite by the power of his knowledge, for the name “Judea” is interpreted as “confession.” 1634 (4) And therefore it is rightly said by the Apostle: “Thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not steal, thou shalt not covet the things of another, and all the other commandments are contained in this word: Love thy neighbor as thyself” (Rom. 13:9). (5) Indeed, one should never, following the example of heretics, betray the truth, or steal in parts the unchangeable church canon in order to satisfy one’s own desires at the expense of one’s neighbor or for the sake of the vain pursuit of glory; One should not deceive one's neighbor; one should rather instill in him a love of truth and teach it. (6) That is why it is said quite clearly: “Proclaim His works among the nations” (Ps. 9:12), so that those who hear about them may be converted and avoid condemnation. The punishments of God for those who are deceitful in their speeches 1635 have already been sealed! XVII. On the antiquity of church tradition (106, 1) “Indeed, those who hold wicked teachings and incline others to them, turn the divine word not for good, but for evil” 1636; they close the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven to themselves, and do not allow those who are deceived to comprehend the truth. (2) Not having a key to the entrance, they use a counterfeit key, or, as they say, a master key (άντικλέις), with which they penetrate not into the outer door, where we find ourselves with the help of Divine tradition, but, breaking into a side gate, stealthily make their way behind the church walls, distorting the truth in every possible way and acting as mentors initiated into the mysteries (μυσταγωγοι) and educating the souls of the wicked. (3) However, it is not difficult to show that their lay communities arose later than the Catholic Church. (4) The preaching of the Savior upon his coming to earth began under Augustus and ended approximately in the middle of the reign of Tiberius. 1637 The preaching of the apostles, including the ministry of Paul, ended under Nero. The first heresiarchs appeared later, around the time of Emperor Hadrian. The emergence of new heresies continued until the reign of Antoninus the Elder in 1638. At the same time, for example, Basilides lived, although he himself and his followers arrogantly claim that he was a student of Glaucius, Peter’s translator. They also say that Valentin's mentor was a certain Theudas (Θευδα) 1639, a student of Paul. (107, 1) Marcion, who lived almost at the same time, was already old in comparison with the others, who were younger. And only Simon could listen to Peter for some time. (2) All this clearly proves that the sects were formed through separation from the ancient and true Church only later, and some, in turn, separated from them, branding themselves with the shame of apostasy. (3) From what has been said, I believe it clearly follows that there is only one true Church - the one to which seniority belongs by right. It is to it that, by God’s will, all the righteous belong. (4) There is only one God, one Lord, and therefore everything that manifests itself as unity, thereby imitating the unity of this first principle, is supremely glorious and deserves all respect. In accordance with the nature of this One, the Church by its very essence must be one, and dividing it into many churches, which heretics strive for, is violence against it. (5) We affirm that in essence, in design, in origin and in excellence, the primitive and catholic church is one, which, by the will of one God, through one Lord, unites all who are ready to accept the “unity of faith” 1640, one faith established on special covenants, or rather, on one covenant for all times. God predestined to this those whom He knew from the beginning of the world that they would be righteous. (6) This superiority of the church, based on a single principle, which, by virtue of its uniqueness, surpasses everything else and cannot be compared with anything else, is a special subject, which will be discussed separately. 1641 (108, 1) Of the heresies, some bear the names of their founders. Such are, for example, the Valentinians, Marcionites, Basilidians (although these latter boast that they are followers of Matthew, this is not so, for we know that the teaching of all the apostles, as well as the tradition going back to them, is one). 1642 Other heresies are named after their place of origin, for example, Peratics 1643. Others are named after the people among whom they were common (such as the Phrygians); others received their names due to the differences in their way of life, such as the Encratites (“abstainers”), or the peculiarities of their teaching, such as the Docetists of 1644 or the Hematites of 1645. Some received their names due to hypotheses or persons whom they venerate, such as the Cainites and Ophites 1646. Finally, some are named according to the iniquities and excesses they commit, such as, for example, the disciples of Simon, later called “entichites” 1647. XVIII. Analogy between the distinction between clean and unclean animals in the Law and the distinction between the faithful and heretics in the Church (109, 1) Having slightly opened before “those who love to contemplate the truth” 1648 that place from the Law where it speaks of clean and unclean sacrificial animals, and mystically separating, as unclean, ignorant Jews and heretics from the teaching of the Church of God, we will end our work there. 1649 (2) Scripture allows for the sacrifice of animals that regurgitate the cud, clean and acceptable to God, as if implying the path of the righteous to the Father and the Son through faith. Artiodactyls are especially resilient, like those righteous people who study the word of God 1650 “day and night” 1651 and store it in some kind of container in their soul. The law allegorically calls this preserved instruction in true knowledge the chewing gum of clean animals. (3) Animals that do not possess these two, or at least one of these characteristics, are rejected by the law as unclean. Ruminant animals, but not artiodactyls, symbolize the majority of Jews who, when pronouncing the word of the Lord, do not have faith, and do not rely on the foundation that is based on truth and leads from the Son to the Father. (4) That is why, not having the double support that faith gives, they easily stumble, like animals without a cloven hoof. “For no one knows the Father,” says Scripture, “except the Son and the one to whom the Son reveals it.” 1652 (5) On the other hand, those animals that, having cloven hooves, do not chew the cud, are also unclean. Such animals symbolize heretics, who, although based on the name of the Father and the Son, nevertheless turn out to be unable to assimilate and chew the clear words of Scripture, and who, in addition, fulfill the precepts of a righteous life crookedly and without zeal, if they undertake to fulfill them at all. (110:1) The word of the Savior is addressed to them: “Why do you call Me, Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?” 1653 As for those who do not have a cloven hoof and do not regurgitate the cud, the law declares them completely unclean. (2) The poet Theognis says this: You Megarians are nothing, neither in number nor in importance, you will not be third, nor fourth, nor twelfth, 1654 - (3) you are “like dust that the wind sweeps away from the face of the earth” (Ps. 1:4) and “like a drop from a pitcher” (Is. 40:15). (4) So, we have laid out everything that is necessary in detail, touching, as promised, the beginnings of moral teaching and scattering here and there the seeds of dogmas, which are the components of true knowledge, so that the discovery of a sacred tradition will not be an easy matter for the uninitiated. 1655 Now let's move on. (111, 1) The books of our “Stromat” are far from reminiscent of well-groomed parks, where trees and plants are placed in a certain order to amuse the eye. Rather, they resemble hills densely covered with trees, where cypresses, plane trees, laurels, ivy, apple trees, olives, and fig trees grow intermixed. Here, a fruitful one is deliberately placed next to a barren plant, since the essay was compiled in such a way as to protect the fruits of our garden from thieves who want to steal the best of them. (2) However, if a worthy gardener can be found, he will be able to dig up and replant the trees so that the result is a beautiful garden. That is why in “Stromata” we did not strive to maintain any order and did not pursue the beauty of the style. 1656 But even the Hellenes often remove all verbal embellishment from their writings and present their teachings in very concise and mysterious expressions, deliberately concealing the truth so that readers wade through their texts with difficulty and discover their meaning on their own. After all, various baits are specially invented for each type of fish. (4) Having completed the seventh book of our Stromata with this, and starting from another beginning, let us continue our speech. 1657 In. 15:14–15; Heb. 3:5. Further discussion cf: Plato, Leg. X 901 e; Sext. Emp., Pyrrh. Hyp. III 10. Wed. Rome. 8:30; Titus 1:3. Wed. [Plato], Epistula II, 312 e. Wed. Philo, De opif. mundi, 141. An obvious analogy with the well-known position of Platonism. Wed. Plato, Rep. X 617 e; Timaeus, 42 d; Leg. X 903 b. Wed. Lion. 16:24 ; Prem. 3:6. Rome. 6:6–7; 2 Cor. 10:5; Eph. 4:22–24; Col. 3:8–9. Or “being ordered and unearthly” (κόσμιος καί υπερκόσμιος). Clement allows for a play on the meaning of the word cosmos (order). Wed. Chrysippus, fr. mor. 224SVF; Plato, Protagoras 328 a. Wed. Plato, Phaedrus 348 c; Arius Didymus, fr. 29 (Diels, Doxogr. gr., p. 465) in Eusebius, Prep. Euang. XV 15, 6. Wed. Xenophanes, fr. 15 (Strom. V 110). Wed. Plato, Rep. II 379 b. Homer., Ilias X, 533–537. The reading of the manuscript η αυτή is replaced by η Λητω. Euripides, Auge fr. 266; For a similar story, see: Iphigenia in Tauris, 380–393. An excerpt from some unknown comedy: Adesp. 341 Kock CAF III. Menander, Deisidaimon, fr. 97 Koerte. Wed. Theophrastus, Characteres XVI; Cicero, De divinatione II 27, 59. Diogenes, fr. 282 Mullach (Anthology of Cynicism. Edition prepared by I.M. Nakhov. M., 1996. P. 140). Wed. Plutarch., Moralia 224 e; Cicero, De divinatione II 28, 62. Homer., Odyssea, II 181–182. Philemon, fr. 100 CAF; Theodoret., Gr. aff. cur. VI 16. Diogenes, fr. 21; 118 Mullach. Menander, Phasma, 50 Koerte. Euripides, Orestes, 395–6. Plato, Leg. VII, 803 c; cf. X 889 c-e. Pherecrates, Automoloi, fr. 23 CAF. The text is corrupted, so it is given in prose translation. Eubulos, fr. 130 CAF; Semele, fr. 95 CAF. Menander, Dyskolos 451–453. Hesiod., Opera et dies, 540–542; 556–557. Wed. Psellos, cap. IX PG 122, 841; Galen., De causis respirationis, v. IV p. 466 Kuhn. Xenocrates, fr. 100 Heinze. Plato, Εορταί fr. 28 CAF. Cleanthes, fr. 516SVF; Cicero, De nat. deor. II 160; Porphyr., De abstinentia III 20. Plutarch., Quest. conviv. IV 5. Androcydes in: Holk, De acusm. sive symb. Pyth., p. 43; Plutarch., Moralia, 472 b. Wed. Chrysippus, fr. phys. 721SVF. Wed. Theophrast. in Porphyr., De abstinentia, II 19. Wed. Ref. 30:34–36; Eph. 4:13. Wed. Heb. 4:12 ; Wed Is. 43:2. Wed. I Pet. 2:9; Ps. 118:164. Wed. Chrysippus, fr. phys. 1058SVF; Wed. Chrysippus, fr. mor. 176 SVF. Wed. Plato, Phaedrus, 246 b-c. Μετέχοντος St. μετίσχοντος L. Wed. Chrysippus, fr. mor. 20 SVF. Wed. Sextus Emp., Adv. math. VII 43. Wed. Strom V 106, 2–4; Excerpta ex Theodoto 63, 1; Strom. I 163, 6. Wed. Plato, Theaetetus, 155 d. Wed. Matt. 25:23 ; In. 15:15. Wed. Eusebius, Hist. Eccl. III, 30, 2. Wed. Plato, Rep. IV 436 b. Wed. CAF III 453 Adesp. 245; Diog. Laert. VII 160; Plato, Philebus, 50 b. Wed. Jacob 5:12; Matt. 5:37. Theognis, 256; Aristoteles, Ethica Nicom. I 9, 1099 a 28. Prov. 1:7; I Cor. 13:7; I Thess. 2:4. Plato, Phaedo, 67d8–10. Wed. Strom. V, 67, 1–3; IV 12, 5. That is, Wednesday and Friday. Wed. Matt. 6:21 ; OK. 12:34 . The sentence was corrupted in the text and corrected by the author of the critical edition. 1 Cor. 6:7.8 et seq. Later in the chapter, Clement comments and fragmentarily quotes this passage from the Epistle to the Corinthians. The source is unknown, but is mentioned by Tertullian and Gregory of Nyssa (Tert., De carne Christi 23; Greg. Nyss., Adv. Jud. 303). Wed. Strom. II 132, 2; Plato, Leg. IV 716 a. Matt. 5:9; Strom. IV 40, 2. Wed. Plato, Rep. V 477 sq. Wed. Strom. VI 30; Empedocles, fr. 112, 4 DK. The text of this sentence has been corrected by the publisher. The reading of the manuscript is doubtful and sounds something like this: “The preaching of the Savior upon his coming to earth began under Augustus and Tiberius Caesar (approximately in the middle of the reign of Augustus) and ended [at this time].” The reading of the manuscript has been modified in accordance with that accepted by many researchers (Stahlin, Grabe, Betntley, etc.). Here, as in several other places in the Stromatus, Clement again promises to say something special about the origin, perhaps to devote a separate treatise to this subject. This promise, as far as we know, remains unfulfilled. Clement speaks earlier about a certain “Tradition of Matthew”: Strom. VII 82, 1. The founder of this sect was a certain Euphrates from the city of Pera in Cilicia. Which taught that the body of Christ is a phantom (“apparent”). This sect is not mentioned by anyone besides Clement. Well-known Gnostic sects, which are also mentioned by Irenaeus, Hippolytus, Origen, Epiphanius, Theodoret, Tertullian, etc. Both of these sects revered those who fought against the evil God of the Old Testament, the creator of this world, which were Cain and the Serpent, who first revealed to people the truth about good and evil and taught them to resist the evil Demiurge. The followers of Simon are said to have taught that the soul is needed by the body only so that it can “feel,” that is, indulge in sensual pleasures. Wed. Plato, Rep. V, 475 e. What follows is a passage which, as comparison shows, is very similar to a similar passage from Irenaeus (Irenaeus, Adv. Haer. V 8, 2). Wed. Barnaba, Epist. 10, 11 (Strom. V 51, 4). It is likely that Clement is using here some kind of heresiological summation similar to that used by Irenaeus. Wed. Rome. 3:2; Number 24:6. Wed. PLG II p. 234. Theognis does not have such a passage, but Photius repeats it (Phot. Bibl. 618); cf. Callim., Epigr. 25, 6. Wed. Strom. I 18, 1; VI 2, 1. This is where the Stromats end. We will never know what other “beginning” Clement is going to talk about next. The so-called eighth book of Stromatus, as well as the Eclogues and Extracts from Theodotus, are some kind of notes or notebooks, rather unstructured.