to be Read and Understood, and What is the Reason of the Uncertainty in
it; and of the Impossibility or Irrationality of Certain Things in it,
Taken According to the Letter.
(The translation from the Greek is designedly literal, that the
difference between the original and the paraphrase of Rufinus may be
more clearly seen.)
1. Since, in our investigation of matters of such importance, not
satisfied with the common opinions, and with the clear evidence of
visible things, [2812] we take in addition, for the proof of our
statements, testimonies from what are believed by us to be divine
writings, viz., from that which is called the Old Testament, and that
which is styled the New, and endeavour by reason to confirm our faith;
and as we have not yet spoken of the Scriptures as divine, come and let
us, as if by way of an epitome, treat of a few points respecting them,
laying down those reasons which lead us to regard them as divine
writings. And before making use of the words of the writings
themselves, and of the things which are exhibited in them, we must make
the following statement regarding Moses and Jesus Christ,--the lawgiver
of the Hebrews, and the Introducer of the saving doctrines according to
Christianity. For, although there have been very many legislators
among the Greeks and Barbarians, and teachers who announced opinions
which professed to be the truth, we have heard of no legislator who was
able to imbue other nations with a zeal for the reception of his words;
and although those who professed to philosophize about truth brought
forward a great apparatus of apparent logical demonstration, no one has
been able to impress what was deemed by him the truth upon other
nations, or even on any number of persons worth mentioning in a single
nation. And yet not only would the legislators have liked to enforce
those laws which appeared to be good, if possible, upon the whole human
race, but the teachers also to have spread what they imagined to be
truth everywhere throughout the world. But as they were unable to call
men of other languages and from many nations to observe their laws, and
accept their teaching, they did not at all attempt to do this,
considering not unwisely the impossibility of such a result happening
to them. Whereas all Greece, and the barbarous part of our world,
contains innumerable zealots, who have deserted the laws of their
fathers and the established gods, for the observance of the laws of
Moses and the discipleship of the words of Jesus Christ; although those
who clave to the law of Moses were hated by the worshippers of images,
and those who accepted the words of Jesus Christ were exposed, in
addition, to the danger of death.
2. And if we observe how powerful the word has become in a very few
years, notwithstanding that against those who acknowledged Christianity
conspiracies were formed, and some of them on its account put to death,
and others of them lost their property, and that, notwithstanding the
small number of its teachers, [2813] it was preached everywhere
throughout the world, so that Greeks and Barbarians, wise and foolish,
gave themselves up to the worship that is through Jesus, [2814] we have
no difficulty in saying that the result is beyond any human power,
[2815] Jesus having taught with all authority and persuasiveness that
His word should not be overcome; so that we may rightly regard as
oracular responses [2816] those utterances of His, such as, "Ye shall
be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony
against them and the Gentiles;" [2817] and, "Many shall say unto Me in
that day, Lord, Lord, have we not eaten in Thy name, and drunk in Thy
name, and in Thy name cast out devils? And I shall say unto them,
Depart from Me, ye workers of iniquity, I never knew you." [2818] Now
it was perhaps (once) probable that, in uttering these words, He spoke
them in vain, so that they were not true; but when that which was
delivered with so much authority has come to pass, it shows that God,
having really become man, delivered to men the doctrines of salvation.
[2819]
3. And what need is there to mention also that it was predicted of
Christ [2820] that then would the rulers fail from Judah, and the
leaders from his thighs, [2821] when He came for whom it is reserved
(the kingdom, namely); and that the expectation of the Gentiles should
dwell in the land? [2822] For it is clearly manifest from the
history, and from what is seen at the present day, that from the times
of Jesus there were no longer any who were called kings of the Jews;
[2823] all those Jewish institutions on which they prided themselves--I
mean those arrangements relating to the temple and the altar, and the
offering of the service, and the robes of the high priest having been
destroyed. For the prophecy was fulfilled which said, "The children of
Israel shall sit many days, there being no king, nor ruler, nor
sacrifice, nor altar, nor priesthood, nor responses." [2824] And
these predictions we employ to answer those who, in their perplexity as
to the words spoken in Genesis by Jacob to Judah, assert that the
Ethnarch, [2825] being of the race of Judah, is the ruler of the
people, and that there will not fail some of his seed, until the advent
of that Christ whom they figure to their imagination. But if "the
children of Israel are to sit many days without a king, or ruler, or
altar, or priesthood, or responses;" and if, since the temple was
destroyed, there exists no longer sacrifice, nor altar, nor priesthood,
it is manifest that the ruler has failed out of Judah, and the leader
from between his thighs. And since the prediction declares that "the
ruler shall not fail from Judah, and the leader from between his
thighs, until what is reserved for Him shall come," it is manifest that
He is come to whom (belongs) what is reserved--the expectation of the
Gentiles. And this is clear from the multitude of the heathen who have
believed on God through Jesus Christ.
4. And in the song in Deuteronomy, [2826] also, it is prophetically
made known that, on account of the sins of the former people, there was
to be an election of foolish nations, which has been brought to pass by
no other than by Jesus. "For they," He says, "moved Me to jealousy
with that which is not God, they have provoked Me to anger with their
idols; and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a
people, and will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation." [2827]
Now it is possible to understand with all clearness how the Hebrews,
who are said to have moved God to jealousy by that which is not God,
and to have provoked Him to anger by their idols, were (themselves)
aroused to jealousy by that which was not a people--the foolish nation,
namely, which God chose by the advent of Jesus Christ and His
disciples. We see, indeed, "our calling, that not many wise men after
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble (are called); but God hath
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and base
things, and things that are despised, hath God chosen, and things that
are not, to bring to nought the things which formerly existed;" [2828]
and let not the Israel according to the flesh, which is called by the
apostle "flesh," boast in the presence of God.
5. And what are we to say regarding the prophecies of Christ in the
Psalms, there being a certain ode with the superscription "For the
Beloved," [2829] whose" tongue" is said to be the "pen of a ready
writer, who is fairer than the sons of men," since "grace was poured on
His lips?" For a proof that grace was poured on His lips is this, that
although the period of His teaching was short--for He taught somewhere
about a year and a few months--the world has been filled with his
teaching, and with the worship of God (established) through Him. For
there arose "in His days righteousness and abundance of peace," [2830]
which abides until the consummation, which has been called the taking
away of the moon; and He continues "ruling from sea to sea, and from
the rivers to the ends of the earth." [2831] And to the house of
David has been given a sign: for the Virgin bore, and was pregnant,
[2832] and brought forth a son, and His name is Emmanuel, which is,
"God with us;" and as the same prophet says, the prediction has been
fulfilled, "God (is) with us; know it, O nations, and be overcome; ye
who are strong, be vanquished:" [2833] for we of the heathen have
been overcome and vanquished, we who have been taken by the grace of
His teaching. The place also of His birth has been foretold in (the
prophecies of) Micah: "For thou, Bethlehem," he says, "land of Judah,
art by no means the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of thee
shall come forth a Ruler, who shall rule My people Israel." [2834]
And according to Daniel, seventy weeks were fulfilled until (the coming
of) Christ the Ruler. [2835] And He came, who, according to Job,
[2836] has subdued the great fish, [2837] and has given power to His
true disciples to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and all the power
of the enemy, [2838] without sustaining any injury from them. And let
one notice also the universal advent of the apostles sent by Jesus to
announce the Gospel, and he will see both that the undertaking was
beyond human power, and that the commandment came from God. And if we
examine how men, on hearing new doctrines, and strange words, yielded
themselves up to these teachers, being overcome, amid the very desire
to plot against them, by a divine power that watched over these
(teachers), we shall not be incredulous as to whether they also wrought
miracles, God bearing witness to their words both by signs, and
wonders, and divers miracles.
6. And while we thus briefly [2839] demonstrate the deity of Christ,
and (in so doing) make use of the prophetic declarations regarding Him,
we demonstrate at the same time that the writings which prophesied of
Him were divinely inspired; and that those documents which announced
His coming and His doctrine were given forth with all power and
authority, and that on this account they obtained the election from the
Gentiles. [2840] We must say, also, that the divinity of the
prophetic declarations, and the spiritual nature of the law of Moses,
shone forth after the advent of Christ. For before the advent of
Christ it was not altogether possible to exhibit manifest proofs of the
divine inspiration of the ancient Scripture; whereas His coming led
those who might suspect the law and the prophets not to be divine, to
the clear conviction that they were composed by (the aid of) heavenly
grace. And he who reads the words of the prophets with care and
attention, feeling by the very perusal the traces of the divinity
[2841] that is in them, will be led by his own emotions to believe that
those words which have been deemed to be the words of God are not the
compositions of men. The light, moreover, which was contained in the
law of Moses, but which had been concealed by a veil, shone forth at
the advent of Jesus, the veil being taken away, and those blessings,
the shadow of which was contained in the letter, coming forth gradually
to the knowledge (of men).
7. It would be tedious now to enumerate the most ancient prophecies
respecting each future event, in order that the doubter, being
impressed by their divinity, may lay aside all hesitation and
distraction, and devote himself with his whole soul to the words of
God. But if in every part of the Scriptures the superhuman element of
thought [2842] does not seem to present itself to the uninstructed,
that is not at all wonderful for, with respect to the works of that
providence which embraces the whole world, some show with the utmost
clearness that they are works of providence, while others are so
concealed as to seem to furnish ground for unbelief with respect to
that God who orders all things with unspeakable skill and power. For
the artistic plan [2843] of a providential Ruler is not so evident in
those matters belonging to the earth, as in the case of the sun, and
moon, and stars; and not so clear in what relates to human occurrences,
as it is in the souls and bodies of animals,--the object and reason of
the impulses, and phantasies and natures of animals, and the structure
of their bodies, being carefully ascertained by those who attend to
these things. [2844] But as (the doctrine of) providence is not at
all weakened [2845] (on account of those things which are not
understood) in the eyes of those who have once honestly accepted it, so
neither is the divinity of Scripture, which extends to the whole of it,
(lost) on account of the inability of our weakness to discover in every
expression the hidden splendour of the doctrines veiled in common and
unattractive phraseology. [2846] For we have the treasure in earthen
vessels, that the excellency of the power of God may shine forth, and
that it may not be deemed to proceed from us (who are but) human
beings. For if the hackneyed [2847] methods of demonstration (common)
among men, contained in the books (of the Bible), had been successful
in producing conviction; then our faith would rightly have been
supposed to rest on the wisdom of men, and not on the power of God; but
now it is manifest to everyone who lifts up his eyes, that the word and
preaching have not prevailed among the multitude "by persuasive words
of wisdom, but by demonstration of the Spirit and of power." [2848]
Wherefore, since a celestial or even a super-celestial power compels us
to worship the only Creator, let us leave the doctrine of the beginning
of Christ, i.e., the elements, [2849] and endeavour to go on to
perfection, in order that the wisdom spoken to the perfect may be
spoken to us also. For he who possesses it promises to speak wisdom
among them that are perfect, but another wisdom than that of this
world, and of the rulers of this world, which is brought to nought.
And this wisdom will be distinctly stamped [2850] upon us, and will
produce a revelation of the mystery that was kept silent in the eternal
ages, [2851] but now has been manifested through the prophetic
Scriptures, and the appearance of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, to
whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
8. Having spoken thus briefly [2852] on the subject of the divine
inspiration of the holy Scriptures, it is necessary to proceed to the
(consideration of the) manner in which they are to be read and
understood, seeing numerous errors have been committed in consequence
of the method in which the holy documents [2853] ought to be examined;
[2854] not having been discovered by the multitude. For both the
hardened in heart, and the ignorant persons [2855] belonging to the
circumcision, have not believed on our Saviour, thinking that they are
following the language of the prophecies respecting Him, and not
perceiving in a manner palpable to their senses [2856] that He had
proclaimed liberty to the captives, nor that He had built up what they
truly consider the city of God, nor cut off "the chariots of Ephraim,
and the horse from Jerusalem," [2857] nor eaten butter and honey, and,
before knowing or preferring the evil, had selected the good. [2858]
And thinking, moreover, that it was prophesied that the wolf--the
four-footed animal--was to feed with the lamb, and the leopard to lie
down with the kid, and the calf and bull and lion to feed together,
being led by a little child, and that the ox and bear were to pasture
together, their young ones growing up together, and that the lion was
to eat straw like the ox: [2859] seeing none of these things visibly
accomplished during the advent of Him who is believed by us to be
Christ, they did not accept our Lord Jesus; but, as having called
Himself Christ improperly, [2860] they crucified Him. And those
belonging to heretical sects reading this (statement), "A fire has been
kindled in Mine anger;" [2861] and this, "I am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquities of the fathers upon the children unto the third and
fourth generation;" [2862] and this, "I repent of having anointed Saul
to be king;" [2863] and this, "I am a God that maketh peace, and
createth evil;" [2864] and, among others, this, "There is not
wickedness in the city which the Lord hath not done;" [2865] and again
this, "Evils came down from the Lord upon the gates of Jerusalem;"
[2866] and, "An evil spirit from the Lord plagued Saul;" [2867] and
countless other passages like these--they have not ventured to
disbelieve these as the Scriptures of God; but believing them to be the
(words) of the Demiurge, whom the Jews worship, they thought that as
the Demiurge was an imperfect and unbenevolent God, the Saviour had
come to announce a more perfect Deity, who, they say, is not the
Demiurge, being of different opinions regarding Him; and having once
departed from the Demiurge, who is the only uncreated God, they have
given themselves up to fictions, inventing to themselves hypotheses,
according to which they imagine that there are some things which are
visible, and certain other things which are not visible, all which are
the fancies of their own minds. And yet, indeed, the more simple among
those who profess to belong to the Church have supposed that there is
no deity greater than the Demiurge, being right in so thinking, while
they imagine regarding Him such things as would not be believed of the
most savage and unjust of mankind.
9. Now the cause, in all the points previously enumerated, of the
false opinions, and of the impious statements or ignorant assertions
[2868] about God, appears to be nothing else than the not understanding
the Scripture according to its spiritual meaning, but the
interpretation of it agreeably to the mere letter. And therefore, to
those who believe that the sacred books are not the compositions of
men, but that they were composed by inspiration [2869] of the Holy
Spirit, agreeably to the will of the Father of all things through Jesus
Christ, and that they have come down to us, we must point out the ways
(of interpreting them) which appear (correct) to us, who cling to the
standard [2870] of the heavenly Church of Jesus Christ according to the
succession of the apostles. Now, that there are certain mystical
economies made known by the holy Scriptures, all--even the most simple
of those who adhere to the word--have believed; but what these are,
candid and modest individuals confess that they know not. If, then,
one were to be perplexed about the intercourse of Lot with his
daughters, and about the two wives of Abraham, and the two sisters
married to Jacob, and the two handmaids who bore him children, they can
return no other answer than this, that these are mysteries not
understood by us. Nay, also, when the (description of the) fitting out
of the tabernacle is read, believing that what is written is a type,
[2871] they seek to adapt what they can to each particular related
about the tabernacle,--not being wrong so far as regards their belief
that the tabernacle is a type of something, but erring sometimes in
adapting the description of that of which the tabernacle is a type, to
some special thing in a manner worthy of Scripture. And all the
history that is considered to tell of marriages, or the begetting of
children, or of wars, or any histories whatever that are in circulation
among the multitude, they declare to be types; but of what in each
individual instance, partly owing to their habits not being thoroughly
exercised--partly, too, owing to their precipitation--sometimes, even
when an individual does happen to be well trained and clear-sighted,
owing to the excessive difficulty of discovering things on the part of
men,--the nature of each particular regarding these (types) is not
clearly ascertained.
10. And what need is there to speak of the prophecies, which we all
know to be filled with enigmas and dark sayings? And if we come to the
Gospels, the exact understanding of these also, as being the mind of
Christ, requires the grace that was given to him who said, "But we have
the mind of Christ, that we might know the things freely given to us by
God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom
teacheth, but which the Spirit teacheth." [2872] And who, on reading
the revelations made to John, would not be amazed at the unspeakable
mysteries therein concealed, and which are evident (even) to him who
does not comprehend what is written? And to what person, skilful in
investigating words, would the Epistles of the Apostles seem to be
clear and easy of understanding, since even in them there are countless
numbers of most profound ideas, which, (issuing forth) as by an
aperture, admit of no rapid comprehension? [2873] And therefore,
since these things are so, and since innumerable individuals fall into
mistakes, it is not safe in reading (the Scriptures) to declare that
one easily understands what needs the key of knowledge, which the
Saviour declares is with the lawyers. And let those answer who will
not allow that the truth was with these before the advent of Christ,
how the key of knowledge is said by our Lord Jesus Christ to be with
those who, as they allege, had not the books which contain the secrets
[2874] of knowledge, and perfect mysteries. [2875] For His words run
thus: "Woe unto you, ye lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of
knowledge: ye have not entered in yourselves, and them that were
entering in ye hindered." [2876]
11. The way, then, as it appears to us, in which we ought to deal with
the Scriptures, and extract from them their meaning, is the following,
which has been ascertained from the Scriptures themselves. By Solomon
in the Proverbs we find some such rule as this enjoined respecting the
divine doctrines of Scripture: [2877] "And do thou portray them in a
threefold manner, in counsel and knowledge, to answer words of truth to
them who propose them to thee." [2878] The individual ought, then, to
portray the ideas of holy Scripture in a threefold manner upon his own
soul; in order that the simple man may be edified by the "flesh," as it
were, of the Scripture, for so we name the obvious sense; while he who
has ascended a certain way (may be edified) by the "soul," as it were.
The perfect man, again, and he who resembles those spoken of by the
apostle, when he says, "We speak wisdom among them that are perfect,
but not the wisdom of the world, nor of the rulers of this world, who
come to nought; but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden
wisdom, which God hath ordained before the ages, unto our glory,"
[2879] (may receive edification) from the spiritual law, which has a
shadow of good things to come. For as man consists of body, and soul,
and spirit, so in the same way does Scripture, which has been arranged
to be given by God for the salvation of men. And therefore we deduce
this also from a book which is despised by some--The Shepherd--in
respect of the command given to Hermas to write two books, and after so
doing to announce to the presbyters of the Church what he had learned
from the Spirit. The words are as follows: "You will write two books,
and give one to Clement, and one to Grapte. And Grapte shall admonish
the widows and the orphans, and Clement will send to the cities abroad,
while you will announce to the presbyters of the Church." Now Grapte,
who admonishes the widows and the orphans, is the mere letter (of
Scripture), which admonishes those who are yet children in soul, and
not able to call God their Father, and who are on that account styled
orphans,--admonishing, moreover, those who no longer have an unlawful
bridegroom, [2880] but who remain widows, because they have not yet
become worthy of the (heavenly) Bridegroom; while Clement, who is
already beyond the letter, is said to send what is written to the
cities abroad, as if we were to call these the "souls," who are above
(the influence of) bodily (affections) and degraded [2881] ideas,--the
disciple of the Spirit himself being enjoined to make known, no longer
by letters, but by living words, to the presbyters of the whole Church
of God, who have become grey [2882] through wisdom.
12. But as there are certain passages of Scripture which do not at all
contain the "corporeal" sense, as we shall show in the following
(paragraphs), there are also places where we must seek only for the
"soul," as it were, and "spirit" of Scripture. And perhaps on this
account the water-vessels containing two or three firkins a-piece are
said to lie for the purification of the Jews, as we read in the Gospel
according to John: the expression darkly intimating, with respect to
those who (are called) by the apostle "Jews" secretly, that they are
purified by the word of Scripture, receiving sometimes two firkins,
i.e., so to speak, the "psychical" and "spiritual" sense; and sometimes
three firkins, since some have, in addition to those already mentioned,
also the "corporeal" sense, which is capable of (producing)
edification. And six water-vessels are reasonably (appropriate) to
those who are purified in the world, which was made in six days--the
perfect number. That the first "sense," then, is profitable in this
respect, that it is capable of imparting edification, is testified by
the multitudes of genuine and simple believers; while of that
interpretation which is referred back to the "soul," there is an
illustration in Paul's first Epistle to the Corinthians. The
expression is, "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth
out the corn;" [2883] to which he adds, "Doth God take care of oxen? or
saith He it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this
was written: that he that plougheth should plough in hope, and that he
who thresheth, in hope of partaking." [2884] And there are numerous
interpretations adapted to the multitude which are in circulation, and
which edify those who are unable to understand profounder meanings, and
which have somewhat the same character.
13. But the interpretation is "spiritual," when one is able to show of
what heavenly things the Jews "according to the flesh" served as an
example and a shadow, and of what future blessings the law contains a
shadow. And, generally, we must investigate, according to the
apostolic promise, "the wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which
God ordained before the world for the glory" of the just, which "none
of the princes of this world knew." [2885] And the same apostle says
somewhere, after referring to certain events mentioned as occurring in
Exodus and Numbers, "that these things happened to them figuratively,
but that they were written on our account, on whom the ends of the
world are come." [2886] And he gives an opportunity for ascertaining
of what things these were patterns, when he says: "For they drank of
the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ."
[2887] And in another Epistle, when sketching the various matters
relating to the tabernacle, he used the words: "Thou shalt make
everything according to the pattern showed thee in the mount." [2888]
Moreover, in the Epistle to the Galatians, as if upbraiding those who
think that they read the law, and yet do not understand it, judging
that those do not understand it who do not reflect that allegories are
contained under what is written, he says: "Tell me, ye that desire to
be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, Abraham
had two sons; the one by the bond-maid, the other by the free woman.
But he who was by the bond-maid was born according to the flesh; but he
of the free woman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: [2889]
for these are the two covenants," and so on. Now we must carefully
observe each word employed by him. He says: "Ye who desire to be
under the law," not "Ye that are under the law;" and, "Do ye not
hearthe law?"--"hearing" being understood to mean "comprehending" and
"knowing." And in the Epistle to the Colossians, briefly abridging the
meaning of the whole legislation, he says: "Let no man therefore judge
you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a festival, or of a new
moon, or of Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come." [2890]
Moreover, in the Epistle to the Hebrews, discoursing of those who
belong to the circumcision, he writes: "who serve for an ensample and
shadow of heavenly things." [2891] Now it is probable that, from
these illustrations, those will entertain no doubt with respect to the
five books of Moses, who have once given in their adhesion to the
apostle, as divinely inspired; [2892] but do you wish to know, with
regard to the rest of the history, if it also happened as a pattern?
We must note, then, the expression in the Epistle to the Romans, "I
have left to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to
Baal," [2893] quoted from the third book of Kings, which Paul has
understood as equivalent (in meaning) to those who are Israelites
according to election, because not only were the Gentiles benefited by
the advent of Christ, but also certain of the race of God. [2894]
14. This being the state of the case, we have to sketch what seem to
us to be the marks of the (true) understanding of Scriptures. And, in
the first place, this must be pointed out, that the object of the
Spirit, which by the providence of God, through the Word who was in the
beginning with God, illuminated the ministers of truth, the prophets
and apostles, was especially (the communication) of ineffable mysteries
regarding the affairs of men (now by men I mean those souls that make
use of bodies), in order that he who is capable of instruction may by
investigation, and by devoting himself to the study of the profundities
of meaning contained in the words, become a participator of all the
doctrines of his counsel. And among those matters which relate to
souls (who cannot otherwise obtain perfection apart from the rich and
wise truth of God), the (doctrines) belonging to God and His
only-begotten Son are necessarily laid down as primary, viz., of what
nature He is, and in what manner He is the Son of God, and what are the
causes of His descending even to (the assumption of) human flesh, and
of complete humanity; and what, also, is the operation of this (Son),
and upon whom and when exercised. And it was necessary also that the
subject of kindred beings, and other rational creatures, both those who
are divine and those who have fallen from blessedness, together with
the reasons of their fall, should be contained in the divine teaching;
and also that of the diversities of souls, and of the origin of these
diversities, and of the nature of the world, and the cause of its
existence. We must learn also the origin of the great and terrible
wickedness which overspreads the earth, and whether it is confined to
this earth only, or prevails elsewhere. Now, while these and similar
objects were present to the Spirit, who enlightened the souls of the
holy ministers of the truth, there was a second object, for the sake of
those who were unable to endure the fatigue of investigating matters so
important, viz., to conceal the doctrine relating to the previously
mentioned subjects, in expressions containing a narrative which
conveyed an announcement regarding the things of the visible creation,
[2895] the creation of man, and the successive descendants of the first
men until they became numerous; and other histories relating the acts
of just men, and the sins occasionally committed by these same men as
being human beings, and the wicked deeds, both of unchastity and vice,
committed by sinful and ungodly men. And what is most remarkable, by
the history of wars, and of the victors, and the vanquished, certain
mysteries are indicated to those who are able to test these
statements. And more wonderful still, the laws of truth are predicted
by the written legislation;--all these being described in a connected
series, with a power which is truly in keeping with the wisdom of God.
For it was intended that the covering also of the spiritual truths--I
mean the "bodily" part of Scripture--should not be without profit in
many cases, but should be capable of improving the multitude, according
to their capacity.
15. But since, if the usefulness of the legislation, and the sequence
and beauty [2896] of the history, were universally evident of itself,
[2897] we should not believe that any other thing could be understood
in the Scriptures save what was obvious, the word of God has arranged
that certain stumbling-blocks, as it were, and offences, and
impossibilities, should be introduced into the midst of the law and the
history, in order that we may not, through being drawn away in all
directions by the merely attractive nature of the language, [2898]
either altogether fall away from the (true) doctrines, as learning
nothing worthy of God, or, by not departing from the letter, come to
the knowledge of nothing more divine. And this also we must know, that
the principal aim being to announce the "spiritual" connection in those
things that are done, and that ought to be done, where the Word found
that things done according to the history could be adapted to these
mystical senses, He made use of them, concealing from the multitude the
deeper meaning; but where, in the narrative of the development of
super-sensual things, [2899] there did not follow the performance of
those certain events, which was already indicated by the mystical
meaning, the Scripture interwove in the history (the account of) some
event that did not take place, sometimes what could not have happened;
sometimes what could, but did not. And sometimes a few words are
interpolated which are not true in their literal acceptation, [2900]
and sometimes a larger number. And a similar practice also is to be
noticed with regard to the legislation, in which is often to be found
what is useful in itself, and appropriate to the times of the
legislation; and sometimes also what does not appear to be of utility;
and at other times impossibilities are recorded for the sake of the
more skilful and inquisitive, in order that they may give themselves to
the toil of investigating what is written, and thus attain to a
becoming conviction of the manner in which a meaning worthy of God must
be sought out in such subjects.
16. It was not only, however, with the (Scriptures composed) before
the advent (of Christ) that the Spirit thus dealt; but as being the
same Spirit, and (proceeding) from the one God, He did the same thing
both with the evangelists and the apostles,--as even these do not
contain throughout a pure history of events, which are interwoven
indeed according to the letter, but which did not actually occur.
[2901] Nor even do the law and the commandments wholly convey what is
agreeable to reason. For who that has understanding will suppose that
the first, and second, and third day, and the evening and the morning,
existed without a sun, and moon, and stars? and that the first day was,
as it were, also without a sky? And who is so foolish as to suppose
that God, after the manner of a husbandman, planted a paradise in Eden,
towards the east, and placed in it a tree of life, visible and
palpable, so that one tasting of the fruit by the bodily teeth obtained
life? and again, that one was a partaker of good and evil by
masticating what was taken from the tree? And if God is said to walk
in the paradise in the evening, and Adam to hide himself under a tree,
I do not suppose that anyone doubts that these things figuratively
indicate certain mysteries, the history having taken place in
appearance, and not literally. [2902] Cain also, when going forth
from the presence of God, certainly appears to thoughtful men as likely
to lead the reader to inquire what is the presence of God, and what is
the meaning of going out from Him. And what need is there to say more,
since those who are not altogether blind can collect countless
instances of a similar kind recorded as having occurred, but which did
not literally [2903] take place? Nay, the Gospels themselves are
filled with the same kind of narratives; e.g., the devil leading Jesus
up into a high mountain, in order to show him from thence the kingdoms
of the whole world, and the glory of them. For who is there among
those who do not read such accounts carelessly, that would not condemn
those who think that with the eye of the body--which requires a lofty
height in order that the parts lying (immediately) under and adjacent
may be seen--the kingdoms of the Persians, and Scythians, and Indians,
and Parthians, were beheld, and the manner in which their princes are
glorified among men? And the attentive reader may notice in the
Gospels innumerable other passages like these, so that he will be
convinced that in the histories that are literally recorded,
circumstances that did not occur are inserted.
17. And if we come to the legislation of Moses, many of the laws
manifest the irrationality, and others the impossibility, of their
literal [2904] observance. The irrationality (in this), that the
people are forbidden to eat vultures, although no one even in the
direst famines was (ever) driven by want to have recourse to this bird;
and that children eight days old, which are uncircumcised, are ordered
to be exterminated from among their people, it being necessary, if the
law were to be carried out at all literally with regard to these, that
their fathers, or those with whom they are brought up, should be
commanded to be put to death. Now the Scripture says: "Every male
that is uncircumcised, who shall not be circumcised on the eighth day,
shall be cut off from among his people." [2905] And if you wish to
see impossibilities contained in the legislation, let us observe that
the goat-stag is one of those animals that cannot exist, and yet Moses
commands us to offer it as being a clean beast; whereas a griffin,
which is not recorded ever to have been subdued by man, the lawgiver
forbids to be eaten. Nay, he who carefully considers (the famous
injunction relating to) the Sabbath, "Ye shall sit each one in your
dwellings: let no one go out from his place on the seventh day,"
[2906] will deem it impossible to be literally observed: for no living
being is able to sit throughout a whole day, and remain without moving
from a sitting position. And therefore those who belong to the
circumcision, and all who desire that no meaning should be exhibited,
save the literal one, do not investigate at all such subjects as those
of the goat-stag and griffin and vulture, but indulge in foolish talk
on certain points, multiplying words and adducing tasteless [2907]
traditions; as, for example, with regard to the Sabbath, saying that
two thousand cubits is each one's limit. [2908] Others, again, among
whom is Dositheus the Samaritan, condemning such an interpretation,
think that in the position in which a man is found on the Sabbath-day,
he is to remain until evening. Moreover, the not carrying of a burden
on the Sabbath-day is an impossibility; and therefore the Jewish
teachers have fallen into countless absurdities, [2909] saying that a
shoe of such a kind was a burden, but not one of another kind; and that
a sandal which had nails was a burden, but not one that was without
them; and in like manner what was borne on one shoulder (was a load),
but not that which was carried on both.
18. And if we go to the Gospel and institute a similar examination,
what would be more irrational than (to take literally the injunction),
"Salute no man by the way," [2910] which simple persons think the
Saviour enjoined on the apostles? The command, moreover, that the
right cheek should be smitten, is most incredible, since everyone who
strikes, unless he happen to have some bodily defect, [2911] smites the
left cheek with his right hand. And it is impossible to take
(literally, the statement) in the Gospel about the "offending" of the
right eye. For, to grant the possibility of one being "offended" by
the sense of sight, how, when there are two eyes that see, should the
blame be laid upon the right eye? And who is there that, condemning
himself for having looked upon a woman to lust after her, would
rationally transfer the blame to the right eye alone, and throw it
away? The apostle, moreover, lays down the law, saying, "Is any man
called, being circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised." [2912]
In the first place, anyone will see that he does not utter these words
in connection with the subject before him. For, when laying down
precepts on marriage and purity, how will it not appear that he has
introduced these words at random? [2913] But, in the second place,
who will say that a man does wrong who endeavours to become
uncircumcised, if that be possible, on account of the disgrace that is
considered by the multitude to attach to circumcision.
All these statements have been made by us, in order to show that the
design of that divine power which gave us the sacred Scriptures is,
that we should not receive what is presented by the letter alone (such
things being sometimes not true in their literal acceptation, but
absurd and impossible), but that certain things have been introduced
into the actual history and into the legislation that are useful in
their literal sense. [2914]
19. But that no one may suppose that we assert respecting the whole
that no history is real [2915] because a certain one is not; and that
no law is to be literally observed, because a certain one, (understood)
according to the letter, is absurd or impossible; or that the
statements regarding the Saviour are not true in a manner perceptible
to the senses; [2916] or that no commandment and precept of His ought
to be obeyed;--we have to answer that, with regard to certain things,
it is perfectly clear to us that the historical account is true; as
that Abraham was buried in the double cave at Hebron, as also Isaac and
Jacob, and the wives of each of them; and that Shechem was given as a
portion to Joseph; [2917] and that Jerusalem is the metropolis of
Judea, in which the temple of God was built by Solomon; and innumerable
other statements. For the passages that are true in their historical
meaning are much more numerous than those which are interspersed with a
purely spiritual signification. And again, who would not say that the
command which enjoins to "honour thy father and thy mother, that it may
be well with thee," [2918] is useful, apart from all allegorical
meaning, [2919] and ought to be observed, the Apostle Paul also having
employed these very same words? And what need is there to speak of the
(prohibitions), "Thou shalt not commit adultery," "Thou shalt not
kill," "Thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not bear false witness?"
[2920] And again, there are commandments contained in the Gospel
which admit of no doubt whether they are to be observed according to
the letter or not; e.g., that which says, "But I say unto you, Whoever
is angry with his brother," [2921] and so on. And again, "But I say
unto you, Swear not at all." [2922] "And in the writings of the
apostle the literal sense is to be retained: "Warn them that are
unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient towards
all men;" [2923] although it is possible for those ambitious of a
deeper meaning to retain the profundities of the wisdom of God, without
setting aside the commandment in its literal meaning. [2924] The
careful (reader), however, will be in doubt [2925] as to certain
points, being unable to show without long investigation whether this
history so deemed literally occurred or not, and whether the literal
meaning of this law is to be observed or not. And therefore the exact
reader must, in obedience to the Saviour's injunction to "search the
Scriptures," [2926] carefully ascertain in how far the literal meaning
is true, and in how far impossible; and so far as he can, trace out, by
means of similar statements, the meaning everywhere scattered through
Scripture of that which cannot be understood in a literal
signification.
20. Since, therefore, as will be clear to those who read, the
connection taken literally is impossible, while the sense preferred
[2927] is not impossible, but even the true one, it must be our object
to grasp the whole meaning, which connects the account of what is
literally impossible in an intelligible manner with what is not only
not impossible, but also historically true, and which is allegorically
understood, in respect of its not having literally occurred. [2928]
For, with respect to holy Scripture, our opinion is that the whole of
it has a "spiritual," but not the whole a "bodily" meaning, because the
bodily meaning is in many places proved to be impossible. And
therefore great attention must be bestowed by the cautious reader on
the divine books, as being divine writings; the manner of understanding
which appears to us to be as follows:--The Scriptures relate that God
chose a certain nation upon the earth, which they call by several
names. For the whole of this nation is termed Israel, and also Jacob.
And when it was divided in the times of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the
ten tribes related as being subject to him were called Israel; and the
remaining two, along with the tribe of Levi, being ruled over by the
descendants of David, were named Judah. And the whole of the territory
which the people of this nation inhabited, being given them by God,
receives the name of Judah, the metropolis of which is Jerusalem,--a
metropolis, namely, of numerous cities, the names of which lie
scattered about in many other passages (of Scripture), but are
enumerated together in the book of Joshua the son of Nun. [2929]
21. Such, then, being the state of the case, the apostle, elevating
our power of discernment (above the letter), says somewhere, "Behold
Israel after the flesh," [2930] as if there were an Israel "according
to the Spirit." And in another place he says, "For they who are the
children of the flesh are not the children of God;" nor are "they all
Israel who are of Israel;" [2931] nor is "he a Jew who is one
outwardly, nor is that circumcision' which is outward in the flesh:
but he is a Jew who is one inwardly;' and circumcision is that of the
heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter." [2932] For if the
judgment respecting the "Jew inwardly" be adopted, we must understand
that, as there is a "bodily" race of Jews, so also is there a race of
"Jews inwardly," the soul having acquired this nobility for certain
mysterious reasons. Moreover, there are many prophecies which predict
regarding Israel and Judah what is about to befall them. And do not
such promises as are written concerning them, in respect of their being
mean in expression, and manifesting no elevation (of thought), nor
anything worthy of the promise of God, need a mystical interpretation?
And if the "spiritual" promises are announced by visible signs, then
they to whom the promises are made are not "corporeal." And not to
linger over the point of the Jew who is a Jew "inwardly," nor over that
of the Israelite according to the "inner man"--these statements being
sufficient for those who are not devoid of understanding--we return to
our subject, and say that Jacob is the father of the twelve patriarchs,
and they of the rulers of the people; and these, again, of the other
Israelites. Do not, then, the "corporeal" Israelites refer their
descent to the rulers of the people, and the rulers of the people to
the patriarchs, and the patriarchs to Jacob, and those still higher up;
while are not the "spiritual" Israelites, of whom the "corporeal"
Israelites were the type, sprung from the families, and the families
from the tribes, and the tribes from some one individual whose descent
is not of a "corporeal" but of a better kind,--he, too, being born of
Isaac, and he of Abraham,--all going back to Adam, whom the apostle
declares to be Christ? For every beginning of those families which
have relation to God as to the Father of all, took its commencement
lower down with Christ, who is next to the God and Father of all,
[2933] being thus the Father of every soul, as Adam is the father of
all men. And if Eve also is intended by the apostle to refer to the
Church, it is not surprising that Cain, who was born of Eve, and all
after him, whose descent goes back to Eve, should be types of the
Church, inasmuch as in a pre-eminent sense they are all descended from
the Church.
22. Now, if the statements made to us regarding Israel, and its tribes
and its families, are calculated to impress us, when the Saviour says,
"I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," [2934]
we do not understand the expression as the Ebionites do, who are poor
in understanding (deriving their name from the poverty of their
intellect--"Ebion" signifying "poor" in Hebrew), so as to suppose that
the Saviour came specially to the "carnal" Israelites; for "they who
are the children of the flesh are not the children of God." [2935]
Again, the apostle teaches regarding Jerusalem as follows: "The
Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all."
[2936] And in another Epistle: "But ye are come unto mount Zion, and
to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and to the
Church of the first-born which are written in heaven." [2937] If,
then, Israel is among the race of souls, [2938] and if there is in
heaven a city of Jerusalem, it follows that the cities of Israel have
for their metropolis the heavenly Jerusalem, and it consequently is the
metropolis of all Judea. Whatever, therefore, is predicted of
Jerusalem, and spoken of it, if we listen to the words of Paul as those
of God, and of one who utters wisdom, we must understand the Scriptures
as speaking of the heavenly city, and of the whole territory included
within the cities of the holy land. For perhaps it is to these cities
that the Saviour refers us, when to those who have gained credit by
having managed their "pounds" well, He assigns the presidency over five
or ten cities. If, therefore, the prophecies relating to Judea, and
Jerusalem, and Israel, and Judah, and Jacob, not being understood by us
in a "carnal" sense, indicate some such mysteries (as already
mentioned), it will follow also that the predictions concerning Egypt
and the Egyptians, Babylon and the Babylonians, Tyre and the Tyrians,
Sidon and the Sidonians, or the other nations, are spoken not only of
these "bodily" Egyptians, and Babylonians, and Tyrians, and Sidonians,
but also of their "spiritual" (counterparts). For if there be
"spiritual" Israelites, it follows that there are also "spiritual"
Egyptians and Babylonians. For what is related in Ezekiel concerning
Pharaoh king of Egypt does not at all apply to the case of a certain
man who ruled or was said to rule over Egypt, as will be evident to
those who give it careful consideration. Similarly, what is said about
the ruler of Tyre cannot be understood of a certain man who ruled over
Tyre. And what is said in many places, and especially in Isaiah, of
Nebuchadnezzar, cannot be explained of that individual. For the man
Nebuchadnezzar neither fell from heaven, nor was he the morning star,
nor did he arise upon the earth in the morning. Nor would any man of
understanding interpret what is said in Ezekiel about Egypt--viz., that
in forty years it should be laid desolate, so that the footstep of man
should not be found thereon, and that the ravages of war should be so
great that the blood should run throughout the whole of it, and rise to
the knees--of that Egypt which is situated beside the Ethiopians whose
bodies are blackened by the sun.
23. And perhaps as those here, dying according to the death common to
all, are, in consequence of the deeds done here, so arranged as to
obtain different places according to the proportion of their sins, if
they should be deemed worthy of the place called Hades; [2939] so those
there dying, so to speak, descend into this Hades, being judged
deserving of different abodes--better or worse--throughout all this
space of earth, and (of being descended) from parents of different
kinds, [2940] so that an Israelite may sometimes fall among Scythians,
and an Egyptian descend into Judea. And yet the Saviour came to gather
together the lost sheep of the house of Israel; but many of the
Israelites not having yielded to His teaching, those from the Gentiles
were called....And these points, as we suppose, have been concealed in
the histories. For "the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hid in a
field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof
goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field." [2941]
Let us notice, then, whether the apparent and superficial and obvious
meaning of Scripture does not resemble a field filled with plants of
every kind, while the things lying in it, and not visible to all, but
buried, as it were, under the plants that are seen, are the hidden
treasures of wisdom and knowledge; which the Spirit through Isaiah
[2942] calls dark and invisible and concealed, God alone being able to
break the brazen gates that conceal them, and to burst the iron bars
that are upon the gates, in order that all the statements in the book
of Genesis may be discovered which refer to the various genuine kinds,
and seeds, as it were, of souls, which stand nearly related to Israel,
or at a distance from it; and the descent into Egypt of the seventy
souls, that they may there become as the "stars of heaven in
multitude." But since not all who are of them are the light of the
world--"for not all who are of Israel are Israel" [2943] --they become
from seventy souls as the "sand that is beside the sea-shore
innumerable."
__________________________________________________________________
[2812] te enargeia ton blepomenon.
[2813] oude ton didaskalon pleonazonton.
[2814] te dia 'Iesou theosebeia.
[2815] meizon e kata anthropon to pragma einai.
[2816] chresmous.
[2817] Matt. x. 18.
[2818] Cf. Matt. vii. 22, 23.
[2819] soteria dogmata.
[2820] proepheteuthe ho Christos.
[2821] ek ton meron.
[2822] epidemese.
[2823] ouk eti basileis 'Ioudaian echrematisan.
[2824] Cf. Hos. iii. 4. Quoted from the Septuagint.
[2825] Termed by Rufinus "Patriarch."
[2826] Deut. xxxii.
[2827] Deut. xxxii. 21.
[2828] Cf. 1 Cor. i. 26-28.
[2829] Ps. xlv. 1, 2.
[2830] Cf. Ps. lxxii. 7.
[2831] Ps. lxxii. 8.
[2832] eteke kai en gastri esche, kai eteken huion.
[2833] Cf. Isa. viii. 8, 9.
[2834] Cf. Mic. v. 2 with Matt. ii. 6.
[2835] Cf. Dan. ix. 25.
[2836] Cf. Job xl. and xli.
[2837] to mega ketos.
[2838] Cf. Luke x. 19.
[2839] hos en epitom*.
[2840] dia touto tes apo ton ethnon ekloges kekratekota.
[2841] ichnos enthousiasmou.
[2842] to huper anthropon ton noematon.
[2843] ho technikos logos.
[2844] Sphodra tou pros ti kai heneka tinos heuriskomenou tois touton
epimelomenois, peri tas hormas, kai tas phantasias, kai phuseis ton
zoon, kai tas kataskeuas ton somaton.
[2845] chreokopeitai.
[2846] en eutelei kai eukataphroneto lexei.
[2847] kathemaxeumenai.
[2848] 1 Cor. ii. 4.
[2849] tes stoicheioseos.
[2850] entupothesetai.
[2851] chronois aioniois.
[2852] hos en epidrome.
[2853] ta hagia anagnosmata.
[2854] pos dei ephodeuein.
[2855] hoi idiotai ton ek tes peritomes.
[2856] aisthetos.
[2857] Cf. Zech. ix. 10.
[2858] Cf. Isa. vii. 15.
[2859] Cf. Isa. xi. 6, 7.
[2860] para to deon.
[2861] Cf. Jer. xv. 14.
[2862] Cf. Ex. xx. 5.
[2863] Cf. 1 Sam. xv. 11.
[2864] Cf. Isa. xlv. 7.
[2865] Cf. Amos iii. 6.
[2866] Cf. Mic. i. 12.
[2867] Cf. 1 Sam. xvi. 14; xviii. 10.
[2868] idiotikon.
[2869] epipnoias.
[2870] kanonos.
[2871] tupous einai ta gegrammena.
[2872] 1 Cor. ii. 12, 13, and 16 ad fin.
[2873] Murion hoson kakei, hos di opes, megiston kai pleiston noematon
ou bracheian aphormen parechonton.
[2874] aporrheta.
[2875] pantele musteria.
[2876] Luke xi. 52.
[2877] The Septuagint: Kai su de apograpsai auta seauto trissos, eis
bsulen kai gnosin epi to platos tes kardias sou ; didako oun se alethe
logon, kai gnosin alethe hupakouein, tou apokrinesthai se logous
aletheias tois proballomenois soi. The Vulgate reads: Ecce, descripsi
eam tibi tripliciter, in cogitationibus et scientia, ut ostenderem tibi
firmitatem et eloquia veritatis, respondere ex his illis, qui miserunt
te.
[2878] Cf. note 4, ut supra.
[2879] 1 Cor. ii. 6, 7.
[2880] paranomo numphio.
[2881] ton kato noematon.
[2882] pepoliomenois.
[2883] Cf. 1 Cor. ix. 9 and Deut. xxv. 4.
[2884] Cf. 1 Cor. ix. 9, 10.
[2885] Cf. 1 Cor. ii. 6, 7, 8.
[2886] 1 Cor. x. 11.
[2887] 1 Cor. x. 4.
[2888] Cf. Ex. xxv. 40 and Heb. viii. 5.
[2889] allegoroumena.
[2890] Col. ii. 16.
[2891] Heb. viii. 5.
[2892] hos theion andra.
[2893] Rom. xi. 4; cf. 1 Kings xix. 18. [3 Kings according to the
Septuagint and Vulgate enumeration. S.]
[2894] tinas apo tou theiou genous, i.e., Israelites.
[2895] peri ton aistheton demiourgematon.
[2896] glaphuron.
[2897] autothen.
[2898] hupo tes lexeos helkomenoi to agogon akraton echouses.
[2899] en te diegesei tes peri ton noeton akolouthias.
[2900] kata to soma.
[2901] Oude touton pante akraton ten historian ton prosuphasmenon kata
to somatikon echonton, me gegenemenon ; oude ten nomothesian kai tas
entolas pantos to eulogon emphainonta . One ms. reads gegenemenen,
referring to historian, on which one editor remarks, "Hic et in
sequentibus imploro fidem codicum!"
[2902] dia dokouses istorias kai ou somatikos gegenemenes.
[2903] kata ten lexin.
[2904] hoson epi to kath' heautous tereisthai.
[2905] Gen. xvii. 14.
[2906] Ex. xvi. 29.
[2907] psuchras paradoseis.
[2908] topon hekasto einai dischilious pecheis.
[2909] Eis aperantologian eleluthasi.
[2910] Luke x. 4.
[2911] ei me ara peponthos ti para phusin tunchanoi.
[2912] 1 Cor. vii. 18.
[2913] eike.
[2914] kai te kata to rheton chresimon nomothesia.
[2915] gegonen.
[2916] kata to aistheton.
[2917] Cf. Gen. xlviii. 22 and Josh. xxiv. 32.
[2918] Cf. Ex. xx. 12 and Eph. vi. 2, 3.
[2919] choris pases anagoges.
[2920] Cf. Ex. xx. 13-16.
[2921] [Matt. v. 22.]
[2922] Matt. v. 34.
[2923] 1 Thess. v. 14.
[2924] Ei kai para tois philotimoterois dunatai sozein hekaston auton,
meta tou me atheteisthai ten kata to rheton hentolen, bathe Theou
sophias.
[2925] perielkusthesetai.
[2926] John v. 39.
[2927] hoproegoumenos.
[2928] Olon ton noun philotimeteon katalambanein, suneironta ton peri
ton kata ten lexin adunaton logon noetos tois ou monon ouk adunatois,
alla kai alethesi kata ten historian, sunallegoroumenois tois hoson epi
te lexei, me gegenemenois.
[2929] en 'Iesou to tou Naue.
[2930] 1 Cor. x. 18.
[2931] Rom. ix. 6, 8.
[2932] Rom. ii. 28, 29.
[2933] Pasa gar arche patrion ton hos pros ton ton holon Theon,
katotero apo tou Christou erxato tou meta ton ton holon Theon kai
patera.
[2934] Matt. xv. 24.
[2935] Rom. ix. 8. [See Dr. Burton's Inquiry into the Heresies of the
Apostolic Age (Bampton Lectures), pp. 184, 185, 498, 499. S.]
[2936] Gal. iv. 26.
[2937] Heb. xii. 22, 23.
[2938] en psuchon genei.
[2939] tou kaloumenou choriou hadou.
[2940] kai para toisde, e toisde tois patrasi.
[2941] Matt. xiii. 44.
[2942] Cf. Isa. xlv. 3.
[2943] Rom. ix. 6.
__________________________________________________________________
From the Latin.
24. This descent of the holy fathers into Egypt will appear as granted
to this world by the providence of God for the illumination of others,
and for the instruction of the human race, that so by this means the
souls of others might be assisted in the work of enlightenment. For to
them was first granted the privilege of converse with God, because
theirs is the only race which is said to see God; this being the
meaning, by interpretation, of the word "Israel." [2944] And now it
follows that, agreeably to this view, ought the statement to be
accepted and explained that Egypt was scourged with ten plagues, to
allow the people of God to depart, or the account of what was done with
the people in the wilderness, or of the building of the tabernacle by
means of contributions from all the people, or of the wearing of the
priestly robes, or of the vessels of the public service, because, as it
is written, they truly contain within them the "shadow and form of
heavenly things." For Paul openly says of them, that "they serve unto
the example and shadow of heavenly things." [2945] There are,
moreover, contained in this same law the precepts and institutions,
according to which men are to live in the holy land. Threatenings also
are held out as impending over those who shall transgress the law;
different kinds of purifications are moreover prescribed for those who
required purification, as being persons who were liable to frequent
pollution, that by means of these they may arrive at last at that one
purification after which no further pollution is permitted. The very
people are numbered, though not all; for the souls of children are not
yet old enough to be numbered according to the divine command: nor are
those souls who cannot become the head of another, but are themselves
subordinated to others as to a head, who are called "women," who
certainly are not included in that numbering which is enjoined by God;
but they alone are numbered who are called "men," by which it might be
shown that the women could not be counted separately, [2946] but were
included in those called men. Those, however, especially belong to the
sacred number, who are prepared to go forth to the battles of the
Israelites, and are able to fight against those public and private
enemies [2947] whom the Father subjects to the Son, who sits on His
right hand that He may destroy all principality and power, and by means
of these bands of His soldiery, who, being engaged in a warfare for
God, do not entangle themselves in secular business, He may overturn
the Kingdom of His adversary; by whom the shields of faith are borne,
and the weapons of wisdom brandished; among whom also the helmet of
hope and salvation gleams forth, and the breastplate of brightness
fortifies the breast that is filled with God. Such soldiers appear to
me to be indicated, and to be prepared for wars of this kind, in those
persons who in the sacred books are ordered by God's command to be
numbered. But of these, by far the more perfect and distinguished are
shown to be those of whom the very hairs of the head are said to be
numbered. Such, indeed, as were punished for their sins, whose bodies
fell in the wilderness, appear to possess a resemblance to those who
had made indeed no little progress, but who could not at all, for
various reasons, attain to the end of perfection; because they are
reported either to have murmured, or to have worshipped idols, or to
have committed fornication, or to have done some evil work which the
mind ought not even to conceive. I do not consider the following even
to be without some mystical meaning, [2948] viz., that certain (of the
Israelites), possessing many flocks and animals, take possession by
anticipation of a country adapted for pasture and the feeding of
cattle, which was the very first that the right hand of the Hebrews had
secured in war. [2949] For, making a request of Moses to receive this
region, they are divided off by the waters of the Jordan, and set apart
from any possession in the holy land. And this Jordan, according to
the form of heavenly things, may appear to water and irrigate thirsty
souls, and the senses that are adjacent to it. [2950] In connection
with which, even this statement does not appear superfluous, that Moses
indeed hears from God what is described in the book of Leviticus, while
in Deuteronomy it is the people that are the auditors of Moses, and who
learn from him what they could not hear from God. For as Deuteronomy
is called, as it were, the second law, which to some will appear to
convey this signification, that when the first law which was given
through Moses had come to an end, so a second legislation seems to have
been enacted, which was specially transmitted by Moses to his successor
Joshua, who is certainly believed to embody a type [2951] of our
Saviour, by whose second law--that is, the precepts of the Gospel--all
things are brought to perfection.
25. We have to see, however, whether this deeper meaning may not
perhaps be indicated, viz., that as in Deuteronomy the legislation is
made known with greater clearness and distinctness than in those books
which were first written, so also by that advent of the Saviour which
He accomplished in His state of humiliation, when He assumed the form
of a servant, that more celebrated and renowned second advent in the
glory of His Father may not be pointed out, and in it the types of
Deuteronomy may be fulfilled, when in the kingdom of heaven all the
saints shall live according to the laws of the everlasting Gospel; and
as in His coming now He fulfilled that law which has a shadow of good
things to come, so also by that (future) glorious advent will be
fulfilled and brought to perfection the shadows of the present advent.
For thus spake the prophet regarding it: "The breath of our
countenance, Christ the Lord, to whom we said, that under Thy shadow we
shall live among the nations;" [2952] at the time, viz., when He will
more worthily transfer all the saints from a temporal to an everlasting
Gospel, according to the designation, employed by John in the
Apocalypse, of "an everlasting Gospel." [2953]
26. But let it be sufficient for us in all these matters to adapt our
understanding to the rule of religion, and so to think of the words of
the Holy Spirit as not to deem the language the ornate composition of
feeble human eloquence, but to hold, according to the scriptural
statement, that "all the glory of the King is within," [2954] and that
the treasure of divine meaning is enclosed within the frail vessel of
the common letter. And if any curious reader were still to ask an
explanation of individual points, let him come and hear, along with
ourselves, how the Apostle Paul, seeking to penetrate by help of the
Holy Spirit, who searches even the "deep things" of God, into the
depths of divine wisdom and knowledge, and yet, unable to reach the
end, so to speak, and to come to a thorough knowledge, exclaims in
despair and amazement, "Oh the depth of the riches of the knowledge and
wisdom of God!" [2955] Now, that it was from despair of attaining a
perfect understanding that he uttered this exclamation, listen to his
own words: "How unsearchable are God's judgments! and His ways, how
past finding out!" [2956] For he did not say that God's judgments
were difficult to discover, but that they were altogether inscrutable;
nor that it was (simply) difficult to trace out His ways, but that they
were altogether past finding out. For however far a man may advance in
his investigations, and how great soever the progress that he may make
by unremitting study, assisted even by the grace of God, and with his
mind enlightened, he will not be able to attain to the end of those
things which are the object of his inquiries. Nor can any created mind
deem it possible in any way to attain a full comprehension (of things);
but after having discovered certain of the objects of its research, it
sees again others which have still to be sought out. And even if it
should succeed in mastering these, it will see again many others
succeeding them which must form the subject of investigation. And on
this account, therefore, Solomon, the wisest of men, beholding by his
wisdom the nature of things, says, "I said, I will become wise; and
wisdom herself was made far from me, far further than it was; and a
profound depth, who shall find?" [2957] Isaiah also, knowing that the
beginnings of things could not be discovered by a mortal nature, and
not even by those natures which, although more divine than human, were
nevertheless themselves created or formed; knowing then, that by none
of these could either the beginning or the end be discovered, says,
"Tell the former things which have been, and we know that ye are gods;
or announce what are the last things, and then we shall see that ye are
gods." [2958] For my Hebrew teacher also used thus to teach, that as
the beginning or end of all things could be comprehended by no one,
save only our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, so under the form
of a vision Isaiah spake of two seraphim alone, who with two wings
cover the countenance of God, and with two His feet, and with two do
fly, calling to each other alternately, and saying, "Holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God of Sabaoth; the whole earth is full of Thy glory."
[2959] That the seraphim alone have both their wings over the face of
God, and over His feet, we venture to declare as meaning that neither
the hosts of holy angels, nor the "holy seats," nor the "dominions,"
nor the "principalities," nor the "powers," can fully understand the
beginning of all things, and the limits of the universe. But we are to
understand that those "saints" whom the Spirit has enrolled, and the
"virtues," approach very closely to those very beginnings, and attain
to a height which the others cannot reach; and yet whatever it be that
these "virtues" have learned through revelation from the Son of God and
from the Holy Spirit--and they will certainly be able to learn very
much, and those of higher rank much more than those of a
lower--nevertheless it is impossible for them to comprehend all things,
according to the statement, "The most part of the works of God are
hid." [2960] And therefore also it is to be desired that every one,
according to his strength, should ever stretch out to those things that
are before, "forgetting the things that are behind," both to better
works and to a clearer apprehension and understanding, through Jesus
Christ our Saviour, to whom be glory for ever!
27. Let every one, then, who cares for truth, be little concerned
about words and language, seeing that in every nation there prevails a
different usage of speech; but let him rather direct his attention to
the meaning conveyed by the words, than to the nature of the words that
convey the meaning, especially in matters of such importance and
difficulty: as, e.g., when it is an object of investigation whether
there is any "substance" in which neither colour, nor form, nor touch,
nor magnitude is to be understood as existing visible to the mind
alone, which any one names as he pleases; for the Greeks call such
asomaton, i.e., "incorporeal," while holy Scripture declares it to be
"invisible," for Paul calls Christ the "image of the invisible God,"
and says again, that by Christ were created all things "visible and
invisible." And by this it is declared that there are, among created
things, certain "substances" that are, according to their peculiar
nature, invisible. But although these are not themselves "corporeal,"
they nevertheless make use of bodies, while they are themselves better
than any bodily substances. But that "substance" of the Trinity which
is the beginning and cause of all things, "from which are all things,
and through which are all things, and in which are all things," cannot
be believed to be either a body or in a body, but is altogether
incorporeal. And now let it suffice to have spoken briefly on these
points (although in a digression, caused by the nature of the subject),
in order to show that there are certain things, the meaning of which
cannot be unfolded at all by any words of human language, but which are
made known more through simple apprehension than by any properties of
words. And under this rule must be brought also the understanding of
the sacred Scripture, in order that its statements may be judged not
according to the worthlessness of the letter, but according to the
divinity of the Holy Spirit, by whose inspiration they were caused to
be written.
Summary (of Doctrine) Regarding the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, and the Other Topics Discussed in the Preceding Pages.
28. It is now time, after the rapid consideration which to the best of
our ability we have given to the topics discussed, to recapitulate, by
way of summing up what we have said in different places, the individual
points, and first of all to restate our conclusions regarding the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Seeing God the Father is invisible and inseparable from the Son, the
Son is not generated from Him by "prolation," as some suppose. For if
the Son be a "prolation" of the Father (the term "prolation" being used
to signify such a generation as that of animals or men usually is),
then, of necessity, both He who "prolated" and He who was "prolated"
are corporeal. For we do not say, as the heretics suppose, that some
part of the substance of God was converted into the Son, or that the
Son was procreated by the Father out of things non-existent, [2961]
i.e., beyond His own substance, so that there once was a time when He
did not exist; but, putting away all corporeal conceptions, we say that
the Word and Wisdom was begotten out of the invisible and incorporeal
without any corporeal feeling, as if it were an act of the will
proceeding from the understanding. Nor, seeing He is called the Son of
(His) love, will it appear absurd if in this way He be called the Son
of (His) will. Nay, John also indicates that "God is Light," [2962]
and Paul also declares that the Son is the splendour of everlasting
light. [2963] As light, accordingly, could never exist without
splendour, so neither can the Son be understood to exist without the
Father; for He is called the "express image of His person," [2964] and
the Word and Wisdom. How, then, can it be asserted that there once was
a time when He was not the Son? For that is nothing else than to say
that there was once a time when He was not the Truth, nor the Wisdom,
nor the Life, although in all these He is judged to be the perfect
essence of God the Father; for these things cannot be severed from Him,
or even be separated from His essence. And although these qualities
are said to be many in understanding, [2965] yet in their nature and
essence they are one, and in them is the fulness of divinity. Now this
expression which we employ--"that there never was a time when He did
not exist"--is to be understood with an allowance. For these very
words "when" or "never" have a meaning that relates to time, whereas
the statements made regarding Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are to be
understood as transcending all time, all ages, and all eternity. For
it is the Trinity alone which exceeds the comprehension not only of
temporal but even of eternal intelligence; while other things which are
not included in it [2966] are to be measured by times and ages. This
Son of God, then, in respect of the Word being God, which was in the
beginning with God, no one will logically suppose to be contained in
any place; nor yet in respect of His being "Wisdom," or "Truth," or the
"Life," or "Righteousness," or "Sanctification," or "Redemption:" for
all these properties do not require space to be able to act or to
operate, but each one of them is to be understood as meaning those
individuals who participate in His virtue and working.
29. Now, if any one were to say that, through those who are partakers
of the "Word" of God, or of His "Wisdom," or His "Truth," or His
"Life," the Word and Wisdom itself appeared to be contained in a place,
we should have to say to him in answer, that there is no doubt that
Christ, in respect of being the "Word" or "Wisdom," or all other
things, was in Paul, and that he therefore said, "Do you seek a proof
of Christ speaking in me?" [2967] and again, "I live, yet not I, but
Christ liveth in me." [2968] Seeing, then, He was in Paul, who will
doubt that He was in a similar manner in Peter and in John, and in each
one of the saints; and not only in those who are upon the earth, but in
those also who are in heaven? For it is absurd to say that Christ was
in Peter and in Paul, but not in Michael the archangel, nor in
Gabriel. And from this it is distinctly shown that the divinity of the
Son of God was not shut up in some place; otherwise it would have been
in it only, and not in another. But since, in conformity with the
majesty of its incorporeal nature, it is confined to no place; so,
again, it cannot be understood to be wanting in any. But this is
understood to be the sole difference, that although He is in different
individuals as we have said--as Peter, or Paul, or Michael, or
Gabriel--He is not in a similar way in all beings whatever. For He is
more fully and clearly, and, so to speak, more openly in archangels
than in other holy men. [2969] And this is evident from the
statement, that when all who are saints have arrived at the summit of
perfection, they are said to be made like, or equal to, the angels,
agreeably to the declaration in the Gospels. [2970] Whence it is
clear that Christ is in each individual in as great a degree as the
amount of his deserts allows. [2971]
30. Having, then, briefly restated these points regarding the nature
of the Trinity, it follows that we notice shortly this statement also,
that "by the Son" are said to be created "all things that are in
heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be
thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were
created by Him, and for Him; and He is before all, and all things
consist by Him, who is the Head." [2972] In conformity with which
John also in his Gospel says: "All things were created by Him; and
without Him was not anything made." [2973] And David, intimating that
the mystery of the entire Trinity was (concerned) in the creation of
all things, says: "By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made; and
all the host of them by the Spirit of His mouth." [2974]
After these points we shall appropriately remind (the reader) of the
bodily advent and incarnation of the only-begotten Son of God, with
respect to whom we are not to suppose that all the majesty of His
divinity is confined within the limits of His slender body, so that all
the "word" of God, and His "wisdom," and "essential truth," and "life,"
was either rent asunder from the Father, or restrained and confined
within the narrowness of His bodily person, and is not to be considered
to have operated anywhere besides; but the cautious acknowledgment of a
religious man ought to be between the two, so that it ought neither to
be believed that anything of divinity was wanting in Christ, nor that
any separation at all was made from the essence of the Father, which is
everywhere. For some such meaning seems to be indicated by John the
Baptist, when he said to the multitude in the bodily absence of Jesus,
"There standeth one among you whom ye know not: He it is who cometh
after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose."
[2975] For it certainly could not be said of Him, who was absent, so
far as His bodily presence is concerned, that He was standing in the
midst of those among whom the Son of God was not bodily present.
31. Let no one, however, suppose that by this we affirm that some
portion of the divinity of the Son of God was in Christ, and that the
remaining portion was elsewhere or everywhere, which may be the opinion
of those who are ignorant of the nature of an incorporeal and invisible
essence. For it is impossible to speak of the parts of an incorporeal
being, or to make any division of them; but He is in all things, and
through all things, and above all things, in the manner in which we
have spoken above, i.e., in the manner in which He is understood to be
either "wisdom," or the "word," or the "life," or the "truth," by which
method of understanding all confinement of a local kind is undoubtedly
excluded. The Son of God, then, desiring for the salvation of the
human race to appear unto men, and to sojourn among them, assumed not
only a human body, as some suppose, but also a soul resembling our
souls indeed in nature, but in will and power [2976] resembling
Himself, and such as might unfailingly accomplish all the desires and
arrangements of the "word" and "wisdom." Now, that He had a soul,
[2977] is most clearly shown by the Saviour in the Gospels, when He
said, "No man taketh my life from me, but I lay it down of myself. I
have power to lay down my life, and I have power to take it again."
[2978] And again, "My soul is sorrowful even unto death." [2979]
And again, "Now is my soul troubled." [2980] For the "Word" of God is
not to be understood to be a "sorrowful and troubled" soul, because
with the authority of divinity He says, "I have power to lay down my
life." Nor yet do we assert that the Son of God was in that soul as he
was in the soul of Paul or Peter and the other saints, in whom Christ
is believed to speak as He does in Paul. But regarding all these we
are to hold, as Scripture declares, "No one is clean from filthiness,
not even if his life lasted but a single day." [2981] But this soul
which was in Jesus, before it knew the evil, selected the good; and
because He loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore God
"anointed Him with the oil of gladness above His fellows." [2982] He
is anointed, then, with the oil of gladness when He is united to the
"word" of God in a stainless union, and by this means alone of all
souls was incapable of sin, because it was capable of (receiving) well
and fully the Son of God; and therefore also it is one with Him, and is
named by His titles, and is called Jesus Christ, by whom all things are
said to be made. Of which soul, seeing it had received into itself the
whole wisdom of God, and the truth, and the life, I think that the
apostle also said this: "Our life is hidden with Christ in God; but
when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear
with him in glory." [2983] For what other Christ can be here
understood, who is said to be hidden in God, and who is afterwards to
appear, except Him who is related to have been anointed with the oil of
gladness, i.e., to have been filled with God essentially, [2984] in
whom he is now said to be hidden? For on this account is Christ
proposed as an example to all believers, because as He always, even
before he knew evil at all, selected the good, and loved righteousness,
and hated iniquity, and therefore God anointed Him with the oil of
gladness; so also ought each one, after a lapse or sin, to cleanse
himself from his stains, making Him his example, and, taking Him as the
guide of his journey, enter upon the steep way of virtue, that so
perchance by this means, as far as possible we may, by imitating Him,
be made partakers of the divine nature, according to the words of
Scripture: "He that saith that he believeth in Christ, ought so to
walk, as He also walked." [2985]
This "word," then, and this "wisdom," by the imitation of which we are
said to be either wise or rational (beings), becomes "all things to all
men, that it may gain all;" and because it is made weak, it is
therefore said of it, "Though He was crucified through weakness, yet He
liveth by the power of God." [2986] Finally, to the Corinthians who
were weak, Paul declares that he "knew nothing, save Jesus Christ, and
Him crucified." [2987]
32. Some, indeed, would have the following language of the apostle
applied to the soul itself, as soon as it had assumed flesh from Mary,
[2988] viz., "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God, but divested Himself (of His glory) [2989] taking
upon Himself the form of a servant;" [2990] since He undoubtedly
restored it to the form of God by means of better examples and
training, and recalled it to that fulness of which He had divested
Himself.
As now by participation in the Son of God one is adopted as a son,
[2991] and by participating in that wisdom which is in God is rendered
wise, so also by participation in the Holy Spirit is a man rendered
holy and spiritual. For it is one and the same thing to have a share
in the Holy Spirit, which is (the Spirit) of the Father and the Son,
since the nature of the Trinity is one and incorporeal. And what we
have said regarding the participation of the soul is to be understood
of angels and heavenly powers in a similar way as of souls, because
every rational creature needs a participation in the Trinity.
Respecting also the plan of this visible world--seeing one of the most
important questions usually raised is as to the manner of its
existence--we have spoken to the best of our ability in the preceding
pages, for the sake of those who are accustomed to seek the grounds of
their belief in our religion, and also for those who stir against us
heretical questions, and who are accustomed to bandy about [2992] the
word "matter," which they have not yet been able to understand; of
which subject I now deem it necessary briefly to remind (the reader).
33. And, in the first place, it is to be noted that we have nowhere
found in the canonical Scriptures, [2993] up to the present time, the
word "matter" used for that substance which is said to underlie
bodies. For in the expression of Isaiah, "And he shall devour hule,"
i.e., matter, "like hay," [2994] when speaking of those who were
appointed to undergo their punishments, the word "matter" was used
instead of "sins." And if this word "matter" should happen to occur in
any other passage, it will never be found, in my opinion, to have the
signification of which we are now in quest, unless perhaps in the book
which is called the Wisdom of Solomon, a work which is certainly not
esteemed authoritative by all. [2995] In that book, however, we find
written as follows: "For thy almighty hand, that made the world out of
shapeless matter, wanted not means to send among them a multitude of
bears and fierce lions." [2996] Very many, indeed, are of opinion
that the matter of which things are made is itself signified in the
language used by Moses in the beginning of Genesis: "In the beginning
God made heaven and earth; and the earth was invisible, and not
arranged:" [2997] for by the words "invisible and not arranged" Moses
would seem to mean nothing else than shapeless matter. But if this be
truly matter, it is clear then that the original elements of bodies
[2998] are not incapable of change. For those who posited
"atoms"--either those particles which are incapable of subdivision, or
those which are subdivided into equal parts--or any one element, as the
principles of bodily things, could not posit the word "matter" in the
proper sense of the term among the first principles of things. For if
they will have it that matter underlies every body--a substance
convertible or changeable, or divisible in all its parts--they will
not, as is proper, assert that it exists without qualities. And with
them we agree, for we altogether deny that matter ought to be spoken of
as "unbegotten" or "uncreated," agreeably to our former statements,
when we pointed out that from water, and earth, and air or heat,
different kinds of fruits were produced by different kinds of trees; or
when we showed that fire, and air, and water, and earth were
alternately converted into each other, and that one element was
resolved into another by a kind of mutual consanguinity; and also when
we proved that from the food either of men or animals the substance of
the flesh was derived, or that the moisture of the natural seed was
converted into solid flesh and bones;--all which go to prove that the
substance of the body is changeable, and may pass from one quality into
all others.
34. Nevertheless we must not forget that a substance never exists
without a quality, and that it is by an act of the understanding alone
that this (substance) which underlies bodies, and which is capable of
quality, is discovered to be matter. Some indeed, in their desire to
investigate these subjects more profoundly, have ventured to assert
that bodily nature [2999] is nothing else than qualities. For if
hardness and softness, heat and cold, moisture and aridity, be
qualities; and if, when these or other (qualities) of this sort be cut
away, nothing else is understood to remain, then all things will appear
to be "qualities." And therefore also those persons who make these
assertions have endeavoured to maintain, that since all who say that
matter was uncreated will admit that qualities were created by God, it
may be in this way shown that even according to them matter was not
uncreated; since qualities constitute everything, and these are
declared by all without contradiction to have been made by God. Those,
again, who would make out that qualities are superimposed from without
upon a certain underlying matter, make use of illustrations of this
kind: e.g., Paul undoubtedly is either silent, or speaks, or watches,
or sleeps, or maintains a certain attitude of body; for he is either in
a sitting, or standing, or recumbent position. For these are
"accidents" belonging to men, without which they are almost never
found. And yet our conception of man does not lay down any of these
things as a definition of him; but we so understand and regard him by
their means, that we do not at all take into account the reason of his
(particular) condition either in watching, or in sleeping, or in
speaking, or in keeping silence, or in any other action that must
necessarily happen to men. [3000] If any one, then, can regard Paul
as being without all these things which are capable of happening, he
will in the same way also be able to understand this underlying
(substance) without qualities. When, then, our mind puts away all
qualities from its conception, and gazes, so to speak, upon the
underlying element alone, and keeps its attention closely upon it,
without any reference to the softness or hardness, or heat or cold, or
humidity or aridity of the substance, then by means of this somewhat
simulated process of thought [3001] it will appear to behold matter
clear from qualities of every kind.
35. But some one will perhaps inquire whether we can obtain out of
Scripture any grounds for such an understanding of the subject. Now I
think some such view is indicated in the Psalms, when the prophet says,
"Mine eyes have seen thine imperfection;" [3002] by which the mind of
the prophet, examining with keener glance the first principles of
things, and separating in thought and imagination only between matter
and its qualities, perceived the imperfection of God, which certainly
is understood to be perfected by the addition of qualities. Enoch
also, in his book, speaks as follows: "I have walked on even to
imperfection;" [3003] which expression I consider may be understood in
a similar manner, viz., that the mind of the prophet proceeded in its
scrutiny and investigation of all visible things, until it arrived at
that first beginning in which it beheld imperfect matter (existing)
without "qualities." For it is written in the same book of Enoch, "I
beheld the whole of matter;" [3004] which is so understood as if he had
said: "I have clearly seen all the divisions of matter which are
broken up from one into each individual species either of men, or
animals, or of the sky, or of the sun, or of all other things in this
world." After these points, now, we proved to the best of our power in
the preceding pages that all things which exist were made by God, and
that there was nothing which was not made, save the nature of the
Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that God, who is by
nature good, desiring to have those upon whom He might confer benefits,
and who might rejoice in receiving His benefits, created creatures
worthy (of this), i.e., who were capable of receiving Him in a worthy
manner, who, He says, are also begotten by Him as his sons. He made
all things, moreover, by number and measure. For there is nothing
before God without either limit or measure. For by His power He
comprehends all things, and He Himself is comprehended by the strength
of no created thing, because that nature is known to itself alone. For
the Father alone knoweth the Son, and the Son alone knoweth the Father,
and the Holy Spirit alone searcheth even the deep things of God. All
created things, therefore, i.e., either the number of rational beings
or the measure of bodily matter, are distinguished by Him as being
within a certain number or measurement; since, as it was necessary for
an intellectual nature to employ bodies, and this nature is shown to be
changeable and convertible by the very condition of its being created
(for what did not exist, but began to exist, is said by this very
circumstance to be of mutable nature), it can have neither goodness nor
wickedness as an essential, but only as an accidental attribute of its
being. Seeing, then, as we have said, that rational nature was mutable
and changeable, so that it made use of a different bodily covering of
this or that sort of quality, according to its merits, it was
necessary, as God foreknew there would be diversities in souls or
spiritual powers, that He should create also a bodily nature the
qualities of which might be changed at the will of the Creator into all
that was required. And this bodily nature must last as long as those
things which require it as a covering: for there will be always
rational natures which need a bodily covering; and there will therefore
always be a bodily nature whose coverings must necessarily be used by
rational creatures, unless some one be able to demonstrate by arguments
that a rational nature can live without a body. But how
difficult--nay, how almost impossible--this is for our understanding,
we have shown in the preceding pages, in our discussion of the
individual topics.
36. It will not, I consider, be opposed to the nature of our
undertaking, if we restate with all possible brevity our opinions on
the immortality of rational natures. Every one who participates in
anything, is unquestionably of one essence and nature with him who is
partaker of the same thing. For example, as all eyes participate in
the light, so accordingly all eyes which partake of the light are of
one nature; but although every eye partakes of the light, yet, inasmuch
as one sees more clearly, and another more obscurely, every eye does
not equally share in the light. And again, all hearing receives voice
or sound, and therefore all hearing is of one nature; but each one
hears more rapidly or more slowly, according as the quality of his
hearing is clear and sound. Let us pass now from these sensuous
illustrations to the consideration of intellectual things. Every mind
which partakes of intellectual light ought undoubtedly to be of one
nature with every mind which partakes in a similar manner of
intellectual light. If the heavenly virtues, then, partake of
intellectual light, i.e., of divine nature, because they participate in
wisdom and holiness, and if human souls, have partaken of the same
light and wisdom, and thus are mutually of one nature and of one
essence,--then, since the heavenly virtues are incorruptible and
immortal, the essence of the human soul will also be immortal and
incorruptible. And not only so, but because the nature of Father, and
Son, and Holy Spirit, whose intellectual light alone all created things
have a share, is incorruptible and eternal, it is altogether consistent
and necessary that every substance which partakes of that eternal
nature should last for ever, and be incorruptible and eternal, so that
the eternity of divine goodness may be understood also in this respect,
that they who obtain its benefits are also eternal. But as, in the
instances referred to, a diversity in the participation of the light
was observed, when the glance of the beholder was described as being
duller or more acute, so also a diversity is to be noted in the
participation of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, varying with the degree
of zeal or capacity of mind. If such were not the case, [3005] we have
to consider whether it would not seem to be an act of impiety to say
that the mind which is capable of (receiving) God should admit of a
destruction of its essence; [3006] as if the very fact that it is able
to feel and understand God could not suffice for its perpetual
existence, especially since, if even through neglect the mind fall away
from a pure and complete reception of God, it nevertheless contains
within it certain seeds of restoration and renewal to a better
understanding, seeing the "inner," which is also called the "rational"
man, is renewed after "the image and likeness of God, who created
him." And therefore the prophet says, "All the ends of the earth shall
remember, and turn unto the Lord; and all the kindreds of the nations
shall worship before Thee." [3007]
37. If any one, indeed, venture to ascribe essential corruption to Him
who was made after the image and likeness of God, then, in my opinion,
this impious charge extends even to the Son of God Himself, for He is
called in Scripture the image of God. [3008] Or he who holds this
opinion would certainly impugn the authority of Scripture, which says
that man was made in the image of God; and in him are manifestly to be
discovered traces of the divine image, not by any appearance of the
bodily frame, which is corruptible, but by mental wisdom, by justice,
moderation, virtue, wisdom, discipline; in fine, by the whole band of
virtues, which are innate in the essence of God, and which may enter
into man by diligence and imitation of God; as the Lord also intimates
in the Gospel, when He says, "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father
also is merciful;" [3009] and, "Be ye perfect, even as your Father also
is perfect." [3010] From which it is clearly shown that all these
virtues are perpetually in God, and that they can never approach to or
depart from Him, whereas by men they are acquired only slowly, and one
by one. And hence also by these means they seem to have a kind of
relationship with God; and since God knows all things, and none of
things intellectual in themselves can elude His notice [3011] (for God
the Father alone, and His only-begotten Son, and the Holy Spirit, not
only possess a knowledge of those things which they have created, but
also of themselves), a rational understanding also, advancing from
small things to great, and from things visible to things invisible, may
attain to a more perfect knowledge. For it is placed in the body, and
advances from sensible things themselves, which are corporeal, to
things that are intellectual. But lest our statement that things
intellectual are not cognisable by the senses should appear unbecoming,
we shall employ the instance of Solomon, who says, "You will find also
a divine sense;" [3012] by which he shows that those things which are
intellectual are to be sought out not by means of a bodily sense, but
by a certain other which he calls "divine." And with this sense must
we look on each of those rational beings which we have enumerated
above; and with this sense are to be understood those words which we
speak, and those statements to be weighed which we commit to writing.
For the divine nature knows even those thoughts which we revolve within
us in silence. And on those matters of which we have spoken, or on the
others which follow from them, according to the rule above laid down,
are our opinions to be formed.
__________________________________________________________________
[2944] Cf. Gen. xxxii. 28-30.
[2945] Heb. viii. 5.
[2946] Extrinsecus.
[2947] Hostes inimicosque.
[2948] Ne illud quidem sacramento aliquo vacuum puto.
[2949] Quem primum omnium Israelitici belli dextra defenderat.
[2950] Rigare et inundare animas sitientes, et sensus adjacentes sibi.
[2951] Formam.
[2952] Lam. iv. 20.
[2953] Cf. Rev. xiv. 6.
[2954] Omnis gloria regis intrinsecus est. Heb., Sept., and Vulgate
all read, "daughter of the king." Probably the omission of "filiæ" in
the text may be due to an error of the copyists. [Cf. Ps. xlv. 13.]
[2955] Rom. xi. 33.
[2956] Rom. xi. 33.
[2957] [Eccles. vii. 23, 24.] The Septuagint reads: Eipa,
Sophisthesomai ; kai haute emakrunthe ap' emou, makran huper ho en, kai
bathu bathos, tis heuresei auto; the Vulgate translates this literally.
[2958] Cf. Isa. xli. 22, 23.
[2959] Isa. vi. 3.
[2960] Cf. Ecclus. xvi. 21.
[2961] Ex nullis substantibus.
[2962] 1 John i. 5.
[2963] Cf. Heb. i. 3.
[2964] Cf. Heb. i. 3.
[2965] Quæ quidem quamvis intellectu multa esse dicantur.
[2966] Quæ sunt extra Trinitatem.
[2967] Cf. 2 Cor. xiii. 3.
[2968] Gal. ii. 20.
[2969] Quam in aliis sanctis viris. "Aliis" is found in the mss., but
is wanting in many editions.
[2970] Cf. Matt. xxii. 30 and Luke xx. 36.
[2971] Unde constat in singulis quibusque tantum effici Christum,
quantum ratio indulserit meritorum.
[2972] Cf. Col. i. 16-18.
[2973] John i. 3.
[2974] Ps. xxxiii. 6.
[2975] Cf. John i. 26, 27.
[2976] Proposito vero et virtute similem sibi.
[2977] Animam.
[2978] John x. 18.
[2979] Matt. xxvi. 38.
[2980] John xii. 27.
[2981] Cf. Job xv. 14.
[2982] Ps. xlv. 7.
[2983] Cf. Col. iii. 3, 4.
[2984] Substantialiter.
[2985] Cf. 1 John ii. 6.
[2986] 2 Cor. xiii. 4.
[2987] 1 Cor. ii. 2.
[2988] De Maria corpus assumsit.
[2989] Semet ipsum exinanivit.
[2990] Phil. ii. 6, 7.
[2991] In filium adoptatur.
[2992] Ventilare.
[2993] In Scripturis canonicis.
[2994] Isa. x. 17, kai phagetai osei chorton ten hulen, Sept. The
Vulgate follows the Masoretic text.
[2995] [Elucidation VI].
[2996] Wisd. xi. 17.
[2997] Gen. i. 2, "invisibilis et incomposita;" "inanis et vacua,"
Vulg.
[2998] Initia corporum.
[2999] Naturam corpoream.
[3000] Nec tamen sensus noster manifeste de eo aliquid horum definit,
sed ita eum per hæc intelligimus, vel consideramus, ut non omnino
rationem status ejus comprehendamus, vel in eo, quod vigilat, vel in
eo, quod dormit, aut in quo loquitur, vel tacet, et si qua alia sunt,
quæ accidere necesse est hominibus.
[3001] Tunc simulatâ quodammodo cogitatione.
[3002] Ps. cxxxix. 16, to akatergaston mou eidosan hoi ophthalmoi sou,
Sept.; "Imperfectum meum viderunt oculi tui," Vulg. (same as in the
text.) kkyny" v'r ymlg--"Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being
imperfect," Auth. Vers. Cf. Gesenius and Fürst, s.v., sln.
[3003] Ambulavi usque ad imperfectum; cf. Book of Enoch, chap. xvii.
[3004] Universas materias perspexi; cf. Book of Enoch, chap. xvii. [On
this apocryphal book, see the learned remarks of Dr. Pusey in his reply
to Canon Farrar, What is of Faith as to Everlasting Punishment; pp.
52-59. London, 1881.]
[3005] Alioquin.
[3006] Substantialem interitum.
[3007] Ps. xxii. 27.
[3008] Cf. Col. i. 15 and 2 Cor. iv. 4.
[3009] Luke vi. 36.
[3010] Matt. v. 48.
[3011] Nihil eum rerum intellectualium ex se lateat.
[3012] Cf. Prov. ii. 5, epignosin Theou heureseis (Sept.), Scientiam
Dei invenies (Vulg.). 'tsmt syhl' tr.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Elucidations.
-----------------------I.
(Teaching of the Church, p. 240.)
It is noteworthy how frequently our author employs this expression in
this immediate connection. Concerning the punishment of the wicked he
asserts a "clearly defined teaching." He shows what the Church's
teaching "has laid down" touching demons and angels. Touching the
origin of the world, he again asserts the Church's teaching, and then
concedes, that, over and above what he maintains, there is "no clear
statement regarding it,"--i.e., the creation and its antecedents.
Elsewhere he speaks of "the faith of the Church," and all this as
something accepted by all Christians recognised as orthodox or
Catholics.
Not to recur to the subject of the creeds [3013] known at this period
in the East and West, this frequent recognition of a system of
theology, or something like it, starts some interesting inquiries. We
have space to state only some of them:-1. Was Origen here speaking of the catechetical school of Alexandria,
and assuming its teaching to be that of the whole Church?
2. If so, was not this recognition of the Alexandrian leadership the
precursor of that terrible shock which was given to Christendom by the
rise of Arianism out of such a stronghold of orthodoxy?
3. Does not the power of Athanasius to stand "against the world"
assure us that he was strong in the position that "the teaching of the
Church," in Alexandria and elsewhere, was against Arias, whom he was
able to defeat by prescription as well as by Scripture?
4. Is it not clear that all this was asserted, held, and defined
without help from the West, and that the West merely responded Amen to
what Alexandria had taught from the beginning?
5. Is not the evidence overwhelming, that nothing but passive
testimony was thus far heard of in connection with the see of Rome?
6. If the "teaching of the Church," then, was so far independent of
that see that Christendom neither waited for its voice, nor recognised
it as of any exceptional importance in the definition of the faith and
the elimination of heresy, is it not evident that the entire fabric of
the Middle-Age polity in the West has its origin in times and manners
widely differing from the Apostolic Age and that of the Ante-Nicene
Fathers?
II.
(Subjection, p. 343.)
The subordination of the Son, as held by all Nicene Christians, is
defended by Bull [3014] at great length and with profound learning. It
is my purpose elsewhere to quote his splendid tribute to the
substantial orthodoxy of Origen. Professor Shedd, in his work on
Christian Doctrine, [3015] pronounces the Nicene Creed "the received
creed-statement among all Trinitarian Churches." I assume that this
note will be of interest to all theological minds. For an
unsatisfactory and meagre account of primitive creeds, see Bunsen,
Hippol., iii. pp. 125-132.
III.
(Proceedeth from the Father, p. 344.)
The double procession is no part of the Creed of Christendom; nor did
it become fixed in the West, till, by the influence of Charlemagne, the
important but not immaculate Council of Frankfort (a.d. 794) completed
the work of Toledo, and committed the whole West to its support. The
Anglican Church recites the Filioque liturgically, but explains its
adhesion to this formula in a manner satisfactory to the Easterns. It
has no rightful place in the Creed, however; and its retention in the
Nicene Symbol is a just offence, not only to the Greeks, but against
the great canon, Quod semper, etc.
Compare Pearson on the Creed, [3016] and these candid words: "Although
the addition of words to the formal Creed be not justifiable," etc.
Consult the valuable work of Theophanes Procopowicz, Bishop of
Novgorod, which contains a history of the literature of the subject
down to his times. [3017] It is a matter debated anew in our own age,
in view of advances to the Greeks made by Dr. Döllinger and the Old
Catholics. Let me refer to a volume almost equally learned and
ill-digested, [3018] written by a clever author who was perverted to
Romanism, and returned, after many years, to the Church of England. It
bears the marks of many unreal impressions received during his
"Babylonish captivity." I refer to a work of E. S. Foulkes.
IV.
(The faith of the Church, p. 347.)
Before the Nicene Council local creeds were in use, all agreeing
substantially; all scriptural, but some more full than others. Of
these the ancient Symbol of Jerusalem was chief, and this forms the
base of the Nicene Creed. It is here noteworthy that Origen speaks of
"the faith" as something settled and known: clearly, he did not
intentionally transgress it. Bull says, [3019] "Græci Scriptores
Ante-Nicæni ton kanona tes pisteos passim in scriptis suis
commemorant." See the Jerusalem Creed, on the same page; and note, the
Church of Jerusalem is called by the Second OEcumenical Council (a.d.
381), "the mother of all the Churches." So ignorant were the Fathers
of that date of any other "mother Church," that they address this very
statement to the clergy of Rome. [3020] Compare Eusebius, book iv.
cap. viii.
V.
(Endowed with freedom of will, p. 347.)
Elsewhere in this treatise our author defines the will as "able to
resist external causes." The profound work of Edwards needs no words
of mine. [3021] As an example of logic the most acute, it is the
glory of early American literature. I read it eagerly during my
college course, while under the guidance of my instructor in
philosophy, the amiable and profound Dr. Tappan (afterwards president
of the University of Michigan), who taught us to admire it, but not to
regard it as infallible. See his vigorous review of Edwards, [3022] in
which he argues as a disciple of Coleridge and of Plato.
On allied subjects, let me refer to Wiggers's Augustinismus, etc.,
translated by Professor Emerson of Andover; [3023] also to Bledsoe's
Theodicy, [3024] heretofore cited. I venture to say, that, among the
thinkers of America, and as Christian philosophers, both Bledsoe and
Tappan are less known and honoured than they deserve to be.
VI.
(Not esteemed authoritative by all, p. 379.)
Not by Jerome, nor Rufinus, nor Chrysostom. Gregory the Great, Bishop
of Rome, is also shown by Lardner (Credib., v. 127) to have quoted "the
wisdom of Solomon" only as the sayings of a wise man; not at all as
Scripture. The Easterns are equally represented by John Damascene
(a.d. 730), who says of this book that it is one of those "excellent
and useful" books which are not reckoned with the hagiographa. But
Methodius is an exception; for he quotes this book twice (says Lardner)
as if it were Scripture, and certainly cites it not infrequently. Yet
his testimony does not amount, perhaps, to more than an acceptance of
the same as only deutero-canonical; i.e., as one of the books read in
the Church for instruction, but not appealed to as establishing any
doctrine otherwise unknown to the Church. We may examine this subject
when we come to Methodius, in vol. vi. of this series.
-----------------------Note.
This is a convenient place for the following tables, compiled from
Eusebius as far as his history goes; i.e. a.d. 305. See also Dr.
Robinson's Researches.
I. The See of Jerusalem.
1. James, the Lord's brother.
2. Simeon.
3. Justus.
4. Zacchæus.
5. Tobias.
6. Benjamin.
7. John.
8. Matthew.
9. Philip.
10. Seneca.
11. Justus.
12. Levi.
13. Ephres.
14. Joseph.
15. Judah.
16. Marcus.
17. Cassian.
18. Publius.
19. Maximus.
20. Julian.
21. Caius.
22. Symmachus.
23. Caius II.
24. Julian II.
25. Capito.
26. Maximus II.
27. Antoninus.
28. Valens.
29. Dolichianus.
30. Narcissus.
31. Dius.
32. Germanio.
33. Gordius.
34. Narcissus II.
35. Alexander.
36. Mazabanes.
37. Hymenæus.
38. Zabdas.
39. Hermon, a.d. 300.
II. The See of Alexandria.
1. Annianus.
2. Avilius.
3. Cerdon.
4. Primus.
5. Justus.
6. Eumenes.
7. Marcus.
8. Celadion.
9. Aggripinus.
10. Julianus.
11. Demetrius.
12. Heraclas.
13. Dionysius.
14. Maximus.
15. Theonas.
16. Peter.
17. Achillas.
18. Alexander, [3025] a.d. 326.
__________________________________________________________________
[3013] On which consult Dupin, and, for another view, Bunsen's
Hippolytus. See also p. 383, infra.
[3014] Vol. v. p. 134, and passim to 745; also vi. 368.
[3015] Vol. ii. p. 438.
[3016] pp. 521-526.
[3017] Tractatus de Processione Spiritus Sancti, Gothæ, a.d. 1772.
[3018] Christendom's Divisions, London, 1865.
[3019] Vol. vi. p. 132, 133.
[3020] Theodoret, book v. cap. ix.
[3021] Ed. Converse, New York, 1829.
[3022] A Review of Edward's Inquiry, by Henry Philip Tappan, New York,
1839.
[3023] New York, 1840.
[3024] New York, 1854. See vol. ii. p. 522, this series.
[3025] Alexander, dying just after the Nicene Council, was succeeded by
the great Athanasius.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
A Letter to Origen from Africanus
About the History of Susanna.
-----------------------Greeting, my lord and son, most worthy Origen, from Africanus. [3026]
In your sacred discussion with Agnomon you referred to that prophecy of
Daniel which is related of his youth. This at that time, as was meet,
I accepted as genuine. Now, however, I cannot understand how it
escaped you that this part of the book is spurious. For, in sooth,
this section, although apart from this it is elegantly written, is
plainly a more modern forgery. There are many proofs of this. When
Susanna is condemned to die, the prophet is seized by the Spirit, and
cries out that the sentence is unjust. Now, in the first place, it is
always in some other way that Daniel prophesies--by visions, and
dreams, and an angel appearing to him, never by prophetic inspiration.
Then, after crying out in this extraordinary fashion, he detects them
in a way no less incredible, which not even Philistion the play-writer
would have resorted to. For, not satisfied with rebuking them through
the Spirit, he placed them apart, and asked them severally where they
saw her committing adultery. And when the one said, "Under a
holm-tree" (prinos), he answered that the angel would saw him asunder
(prisein); and in a similar fashion menaced the other who said, "Under
a mastich-tree" (schinos), with being rent asunder (schisthenai). Now,
in Greek, it happens that "holm-tree" and "saw asunder," and "rend" and
"mastich-tree" sound alike; but in Hebrew they are quite distinct. But
all the books of the Old Testament have been translated from Hebrew
into Greek.
2. Moreover, how is it that they who were captives among the
Chaldæans, lost and won at play, [3027] thrown out unburied on the
streets, as was prophesied of the former captivity, their sons torn
from them to be eunuchs, and their daughters to be concubines, as had
been prophesied; how is it that such could pass sentence of death, and
that on the wife of their king Joakim, whom the king of the Babylonians
had made partner of his throne? Then if it was not this Joakim, but
some other from the common people, whence had a captive such a mansion
and spacious garden? But a more fatal objection is, that this section,
along with the other two at the end of it, is not contained in the
Daniel received among the Jews. And add that, among all the many
prophets who had been before, there is no one who has quoted from
another word for word. For they had no need to go a-begging for words,
since their own were true; but this one, in rebuking one of those men,
quotes the words of the Lord: "The innocent and righteous shalt thou
not slay." From all this I infer that this section is a later
addition. Moreover, the style is different. I have struck the blow;
do you give the echo; answer, and instruct me. Salute all my masters.
The learned all salute thee. With all my heart I pray for your and
your circle's health.
__________________________________________________________________
[3026] [See Routh's Reliquiæ, vol. ii. p. 115; also Euseb., i. 7, and
Socrates, ii. 35. He ranks with the great pupils of the Alexandrian
school, with which, however, he seems to have had only a slight
personal relation. Concerning this Epistle to Origen, and the answer
of the latter, consult Routh's very full annotations (ut supra, pp.
312-328). Concerning Gregory Thaumaturgus, the greatest of Origen's
pupils, we shall know more when we come to vol. vi. of this series. He
died circa 270.]
[3027] Nolte would change estragalomenoi (or astragalomenoi, as
Wetsten. has it), which is a hapax eiremenon, into strangalomenoi or
estrangalomenoi, "strangled." He compares Tob. ii. 3.
__________________________________________________________________
A Letter from Origen to Africanus.
-----------------------Origen to Africanus, a beloved brother in God the Father, through Jesus
Christ, His holy Child, greeting. Your letter, from which I learn what
you think of the Susanna in the Book of Daniel, which is used in the
Churches, although apparently somewhat short, presents in its few words
many problems, each of which demands no common treatment, but such as
oversteps the character of a letter, and reaches the limits of a
discourse. [3028] And I, when I consider, as best I can, the measure
of my intellect, that I may know myself, am aware that I am wanting in
the accuracy necessary to reply to your letter; and that the more, that
the few days I have spent in Nicomedia have been far from sufficient to
send you an answer to all your demands and queries even after the
fashion of the present epistle. Wherefore pardon my little ability,
and the little time I had, and read this letter with all indulgence,
supplying anything I may omit.
2. You begin by saying, that when, in my discussion with our friend
Bassus, I used the Scripture which contains the prophecy of Daniel when
yet a young man in the affair of Susanna, I did this as if it had
escaped me that this part of the book was spurious. You say that you
praise this passage as elegantly written, but find fault with it as a
more modern composition, and a forgery; and you add that the forger has
had recourse to something which not even Philistion the play-writer
would have used in his puns between prinos and prisein, schinos and
schisis, which words as they sound in Greek can be used in this way,
but not in Hebrew. In answer to this, I have to tell you what it
behoves us to do in the cases not only of the History of Susanna, which
is found in every Church of Christ in that Greek copy which the Greeks
use, but is not in the Hebrew, or of the two other passages you mention
at the end of the book containing the history of Bel and the Dragon,
which likewise are not in the Hebrew copy of Daniel; but of thousands
of other passages also which I found in many places when with my little
strength I was collating the Hebrew copies with ours. For in Daniel
itself I found the word "bound" followed in our versions by very many
verses which are not in the Hebrew at all, beginning (according to one
of the copies which circulate in the Churches) thus: "Ananias, and
Azarias, and Misael prayed and sang unto God," down to "O, all ye that
worship the Lord, bless ye the God of gods. Praise Him, and say that
His mercy endureth for ever and ever. And it came to pass, when the
king heard them singing, and saw them that they were alive." Or, as in
another copy, from "And they walked in the midst of the fire, praising
God and blessing the Lord," down to "O, all ye that worship the Lord,
bless ye the God of gods. Praise Him, and say that His mercy endureth
to all generations." [3029] But in the Hebrew copies the words, "And
these three men, Sedrach, Misach, and Abednego fell down bound into the
midst of the fire," are immediately followed by the verse,
"Nabouchodonosor the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and
spake, and said unto his counsellors." For so Aquila, following the
Hebrew reading, gives it, who has obtained the credit among the Jews of
having interpreted the Scriptures with no ordinary care, and whose
version is most commonly used by those who do not know Hebrew, as the
one which has been most successful. Of the copies in my possession
whose readings I gave, one follows the Seventy, and the other
Theodotion; and just as the History of Susanna which you call a forgery
is found in both, together with the passages at the end of Daniel, so
they give also these passages, amounting, to make a rough guess, to
more than two hundred verses.
3. And in many other of the sacred books I found sometimes more in our
copies than in the Hebrew, sometimes less. I shall adduce a few
examples, since it is impossible to give them all. Of the Book of
Esther neither the prayer of Mardochaios nor that of Esther, both
fitted to edify the reader, is found in the Hebrew. Neither are the
letters; [3030] nor the one written to Amman about the rooting up of
the Jewish nation, nor that of Mardochaios in the name of Artaxerxes
delivering the nation from death. Then in Job, the words from "It is
written, that he shall rise again with those whom the Lord raises," to
the end, are not in the Hebrew, and so not in Aquila's edition; while
they are found in the Septuagint and in Theodotion's version, agreeing
with each other at least in sense. And many other places I found in
Job where our copies have more than the Hebrew ones, sometimes a little
more, and sometimes a great deal more: a little more, as when to the
words, "Rising up in the morning, he offered burnt-offerings for them
according to their number," they add, "one heifer for the sin of their
soul;" and to the words, "The angels of God came to present themselves
before God, and the devil came with them," "from going to and fro in
the earth, and from walking up and down in it." Again, after "The Lord
gave, the Lord has taken away," the Hebrew has not, "It was so, as
seemed good to the Lord." Then our copies are very much fuller than
the Hebrew, when Job's wife speaks to him, from "How long wilt thou
hold out? And he said, Lo, I wait yet a little while, looking for the
hope of my salvation," down to "that I may cease from my troubles, and
my sorrows which compass me." For they have only these words of the
woman, "But say a word against God, and die."
4. Again, through the whole of Job there are many passages in the
Hebrew which are wanting in our copies, generally four or five verses,
but sometimes, however, even fourteen, and nineteen, and sixteen. But
why should I enumerate all the instances I collected with so much
labour, to prove that the difference between our copies and those of
the Jews did not escape me? In Jeremiah I noticed many instances, and
indeed in that book I found much transposition and variation in the
readings of the prophecies. Again, in Genesis, the words, "God saw
that it was good," when the firmament was made, are not found in the
Hebrew, and there is no small dispute among them about this; and other
instances are to be found in Genesis, which I marked, for the sake of
distinction, with the sign the Greeks call an obelisk, as on the other
hand I marked with an asterisk those passages in our copies which are
not found in the Hebrew. What needs there to speak of Exodus, where
there is such diversity in what is said about the tabernacle and its
court, and the ark, and the garments of the high priest and the
priests, that sometimes the meaning even does not seem to be akin?
And, forsooth, when we notice such things, we are forthwith to reject
as spurious the copies in use in our Churches, and enjoin the
brotherhood to put away the sacred books current among them, and to
coax the Jews, and persuade them to give us copies which shall be
untampered with, and free from forgery! Are we to suppose that that
Providence which in the sacred Scriptures has ministered to the
edification of all the Churches of Christ, had no thought for those
bought with a price, for whom Christ died; [3031] whom, although His
Son, God who is love spared not, but gave Him up for us all, that with
Him He might freely give us all things? [3032]
5. In all these cases consider whether it would not be well to
remember the words, "Thou shalt not remove the ancient landmarks which
thy fathers have set." [3033] Nor do I say this because I shun the
labour of investigating the Jewish Scriptures, and comparing them with
ours, and noticing their various readings. This, if it be not arrogant
to say it, I have already to a great extent done to the best of my
ability, labouring hard to get at the meaning in all the editions and
various readings; [3034] while I paid particular attention to the
interpretation of the Seventy, lest I might to be found to accredit any
forgery to the Churches which are under heaven, and give an occasion to
those who seek such a starting-point for gratifying their desire to
slander the common brethren, and to bring some accusation against those
who shine forth in our community. And I make it my endeavour not to be
ignorant of their various readings, lest in my controversies with the
Jews I should quote to them what is not found in their copies, and that
I may make some use of what is found there, even although it should not
be in our Scriptures. For if we are so prepared for them in our
discussions, they will not, as is their manner, scornfully laugh at
Gentile believers for their ignorance of the true reading as they have
them. So far as to the History of Susanna not being found in the
Hebrew.
6. Let us now look at the things you find fault with in the story
itself. And here let us begin with what would probably make any one
averse to receiving the history: I mean the play of words between
prinos and prisis, schinos and schisis. You say that you can see how
this can be in Greek, but that in Hebrew the words are altogether
distinct. On this point, however, I am still in doubt; because, when I
was considering this passage (for I myself saw this difficulty), I
consulted not a few Jews about it, asking them the Hebrew words for
prinos and prisein, and how they would translate schinos the tree, and
how schisis. And they said that they did not know these Greek words
prinos and schinos, and asked me to show them the trees, that they
might see what they called them. And I at once (for the truth's dear
sake) put before them pieces of the different trees. One of them then
said, that he could not with any certainty give the Hebrew name of
anything not mentioned in Scripture, since, if one was at a loss, he
was prone to use the Syriac word instead of the Hebrew one; and he went
on to say, that some words the very wisest could not translate. "If,
then," said he, "you can adduce a passage in any Scripture where the
schinos is mentioned, or the prinos, you will find there the words you
seek, together with the words which have the same sound; but if it is
nowhere mentioned, we also do not know it." This, then, being what the
Hebrews said to whom I had recourse, and who were acquainted with the
history, I am cautious of affirming whether or not there is any
correspondence to this play of words in the Hebrew. Your reason for
affirming that there is not, you yourself probably know.
7. Moreover, I remember hearing from a learned Hebrew, said among
themselves to be the son of a wise man, and to have been specially
trained to succeed his father, with whom I had intercourse on many
subjects, the names of these elders, just as if he did not reject the
History of Susanna, as they occur in Jeremias as follows: "The Lord
make thee like Zedekias and Achiab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in
the fire, for the iniquity they did in Israel." [3035] How, then,
could the one be sawn asunder by an angel, and the other rent in
pieces? The answer is, that these things were prophesied not of this
world, but of the judgment of God, after the departure from this
world. For as the lord of that wicked servant who says, "My lord
delayeth his coming," and so gives himself up to drunkenness, eating
and drinking with drunkards, and smiting his fellow-servants, shall at
his coming "cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the
unbelievers," [3036] even so the angels appointed to punish will
accomplish these things (just as they will cut asunder the wicked
steward of that passage) on these men, who were called indeed elders,
but who administered their stewardship wickedly. One will saw asunder
him who was waxen old in wicked days, who had pronounced false
judgment, condemning the innocent, and letting the guilty go free;
[3037] and another will rend in pieces him of the seed of Chanaan, and
not of Judah, whom beauty had deceived, and whose heart lust had
perverted. [3038]
8. And I knew another Hebrew, who told about these elders such
traditions as the following: that they pretended to the Jews in
captivity, who were hoping by the coming of Christ to be freed from the
yoke of their enemies, that they could explain clearly the things
concerning Christ,...and that they so deceived the wives of their
countrymen. [3039] Wherefore it is that the prophet Daniel calls the
one "waxen old in wicked days," and says to the other, "Thus have ye
dealt with the children of Israel; but the daughters of Juda would not
abide your wickedness."
9. But probably to this you will say, Why then is the "History" not in
their Daniel, if, as you say, their wise men hand down by tradition
such stories? The answer is, that they hid from the knowledge of the
people as many of the passages which contained any scandal against the
elders, rulers, and judges, as they could, some of which have been
preserved in uncanonical writings (Apocrypha). As an example, take the
story told about Esaias; and guaranteed by the Epistle to the Hebrews,
which is found in none of their public books. For the author of the
Epistle to the Hebrews, in speaking of the prophets, and what they
suffered, says, "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were
slain with the sword." [3040] To whom, I ask, does the "sawn asunder"
refer (for by an old idiom, not peculiar to Hebrew, but found also in
Greek, this is said in the plural, although it refers to but one
person)? Now we know very well that tradition says that Esaias the
prophet was sawn asunder; and this is found in some apocryphal work,
which probably the Jews have purposely tampered with, introducing some
phrases manifestly incorrect, that discredit might be thrown on the
whole.
However, some one hard pressed by this argument may have recourse to
the opinion of those who reject this Epistle as not being Paul's;
against whom I must at some other time use other arguments to prove
that it is Paul's. [3041] At present I shall adduce from the Gospel
what Jesus Christ testifies concerning the prophets, together with a
story which He refers to, but which is not found in the Old Testament,
since in it also there is a scandal against unjust judges in Israel.
The words of our Saviour run thus: "Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and
garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the
days of our fathers, we would not have been partaken with them in the
blood of the prophets. Wherefore be ye witnesses unto yourselves, that
ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then
the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how
can ye escape the damnation of Gehenna? Wherefore, behold, I send unto
you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill
and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and
persecute them from city to city: that upon you may come all the
righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel
unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the
temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, All these things shall
come upon this generation." And what follows is of the same tenor: "O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them
which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children
together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye
would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." [3042]
Let us see now if in these cases we are not forced to the conclusion,
that while the Saviour gives a true account of them, none of the
Scriptures which could prove what He tells are to be found. For they
who build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchres of the
righteous, condemning the crimes their fathers committed against the
righteous and the prophets, say, "If we had been in the days of our
fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the
prophets." [3043] In the blood of what prophets, can any one tell
me? For where do we find anything like this written of Esaias, or
Jeremias, or any of the twelve, or Daniel? Then about Zacharias the
son of Barachias, who was slain between the temple and the altar, we
learn from Jesus only, not knowing it otherwise from any Scripture.
Wherefore I think no other supposition is possible, than that they who
had the reputation of wisdom, and the rulers and elders, took away from
the people every passage which might bring them into discredit among
the people. We need not wonder, then, if this history of the evil
device of the licentious elders against Susanna is true, but was
concealed and removed from the Scriptures by men themselves not very
far removed from the counsel of these elders.
In the Acts of the Apostles also, Stephen, in his other testimony,
says, "Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And
they have slain them which showed before of the coming of the Just One;
of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers." [3044] That
Stephen speaks the truth, every one will admit who receives the Acts of
the Apostles; but it is impossible to show from the extant books of the
Old Testament how with any justice he throws the blame of having
persecuted and slain the prophets on the fathers of those who believed
not in Christ. And Paul, in the first Epistle to the Thessalonians,
testifies this concerning the Jews: "For ye, brethren, became
followers of the Churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus:
for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as
they have of the Jews; who both killed the Lord Jesus and their own
prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are
contrary to all men." [3045] What I have said is, I think, sufficient
to prove that it would be nothing wonderful if this history were true,
and the licentious and cruel attack was actually made on Susanna by
those who were at that time elders, and written down by the wisdom of
the Spirit, but removed by these rulers of Sodom, [3046] as the Spirit
would call them.
10. Your next objection is, that in this writing Daniel is said to
have been seized by the Spirit, and to have cried out that the sentence
was unjust; while in that writing of his which is universally received
he is represented as prophesying in quite another manner, by visions
and dreams, and an angel appearing to him, but never by prophetic
inspiration. You seem to me to pay too little heed to the words, "At
sundry times, and in divers manners, God spake in time past unto the
fathers by the prophets." [3047] This is true not only in the
general, but also of individuals. For if you notice, you will find
that the same saints have been favoured with divine dreams and angelic
appearances and (direct) inspirations. For the present it will suffice
to instance what is testified concerning Jacob. Of dreams from God he
speaks thus: "And it came to pass, at the time that the cattle
conceived, that I saw them before my eyes in a dream, and, behold, the
rams and he-goats which leaped upon the sheep and the goats,
white-spotted, and speckled, and grisled. And the angel of God spake
unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob. And I said, What is it? And he
said, Lift up thine eyes and see, the goats and rams leaping on the
goats and sheep, white-spotted, and speckled, and grisled: for I have
seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am God, who appeared unto thee
in the place of God, where thou anointedst to Me there a pillar, and
vowedst a vow there to Me: now arise, get thee out from this land, and
return unto the land of thy kindred." [3048]
And as to an appearance (which is better than a dream), he speaks as
follows about himself: "And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a
man with him until the breaking of the day. And he saw that he
prevailed not against him, and he touched the breadth of his thigh; and
the breadth of Jacob's thigh grew stiff while he was wrestling with
him. And he said to him, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he
said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto
him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said to him, Thy
name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: for
thou hast prevailed with God, and art powerful with men. And Jacob
asked him, and said, Tell me thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it
that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob
called the name of the place Vision of God: for I have seen God face
to face, and my life is preserved. And the sun rose, when the vision
of God passed by." [3049] And that he also prophesied by inspiration,
is evident from this passage: "And Jacob called unto his sons, and
said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall befall
you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of
Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. Reuben, my first-born, my
might, and the beginning of my children, hard to be born, hard and
stubborn. Thou wert wanton, boil not over like water; because thou
wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou the couch to which
thou wentest up." [3050] And so with the rest: it was by inspiration
that the prophetic blessings were pronounced. We need not wonder,
then, that Daniel sometimes prophesied by inspiration, as when he
rebuked the elders sometimes, as you say, by dreams and visions, and at
other times by an angel appearing unto him.
11. Your other objections are stated, as it appears to me, somewhat
irreverently, and without the becoming spirit of piety. I cannot do
better than quote your very words: "Then, after crying out in this
extraordinary fashion, he detects them in a way no less incredible,
which not even Philistion the play-writer would have resorted to. For,
not satisfied with rebuking them through the Spirit, he placed them
apart, and asked them severally where they saw her committing adultery;
and when the one said, Under a holm-tree' (prinos) he answered that the
angel would saw him asunder (prisein); and in a similar fashion
threatened the other, who said, Under a mastich-tree' (schinos), with
being rent asunder."
You might as reasonably compare to Philistion the play-writer, a story
somewhat like this one, which is found in the third book of Kings,
which you yourself will admit to be well written. Here is what we read
in Kings:-"Then there appeared two women that were harlots before the king, and
stood before him. And the one woman said, To me, my lord, I and this
woman dwell in one house; and we were delivered in the house. And it
came to pass, the third day after that I was delivered, that this woman
was delivered also: and we were together; there is no one in our house
except us two. And this woman's child died in the night; because she
overlaid it. And she arose at midnight, and took my son from my arms.
And thine handmaid slept. And she laid it in her bosom, and laid her
dead child in my bosom. And I arose in the morning to give my child
suck, and he was dead; but when I had considered it in the morning,
behold, it was not my son which I did bear. And the other woman said,
Nay; the dead is thy son, but the living is my son. And the other
said, No; the living is my son, but the dead is thy son. Thus they
spake before the king. Then said the king, Thou sayest, This is my son
that liveth, and thy son is the dead: and thou sayest, Nay; but thy
son is the dead, and my son is the living. And the king said, Bring me
a sword. And they brought a sword before the king. And the king said,
Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to
the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the
king (for her bowels yearned after her son), and she said, To me, my
lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. But the other
said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it. Then the king
answered and said, Give the child to her which said, Give her the
living child, and in no wise slay it: for she is the mother of it.
And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and
they feared the face of the king: for they saw that the wisdom of God
was in him to do judgment." [3051]
For if we were at liberty to speak in this scoffing way of the
Scriptures in use in the Churches, we should rather compare this story
of the two harlots to the play of Philistion than that of the chaste
Susanna. And just as the people would not have been persuaded if
Solomon had merely said, "Give this one the living child, for she is
the mother of it;" so Daniel's attack on the elders would not have been
sufficient had there not been added the condemnation from their own
mouth, when both said that they had seen her lying with the young man
under a tree, but did not agree as to what kind of tree it was. And
since you have asserted, as if you knew for certain, that Daniel in
this matter judged by inspiration (which may or may not have been the
case), I would have you notice that there seem to me to be some
analogies in the story of Daniel to the judgment of Solomon, concerning
whom the Scripture testifies that the people saw that the wisdom of God
was in him to do judgment. [3052] This might be said also of Daniel,
for it was because wisdom was in him to do judgment that the elders
were judged in the manner described.
12. I had nearly forgotten an additional remark I have to make about
the prino-prisein and schino-schisein difficulty; that is, that in our
Scriptures there are many etymological fancies, so to call them, which
in the Hebrew are perfectly suitable, but not in the Greek. It need
not surprise us, then, if the translators of the History of Susanna
contrived it so that they found out some Greek words, derived from the
same root, which either corresponded exactly to the Hebrew form (though
this I hardly think possible), or presented some analogy to it. Here
is an instance of this in our Scripture. When the woman was made by
God from the rib of the man, Adam says, "She shall be called woman,
because she was taken out of her husband." Now the Jews say that the
woman was called "Essa," and that "taken" is a translation of this word
as is evident from "chos isouoth essa," which means, "I have taken the
cup of salvation;" [3053] and that "is" means "man," as we see from
"Hesre aïs," which is, "Blessed is the man." [3054] According to the
Jews, then, "is" is "man," and "essa," "woman," because she was taken
out of her husband (is). It need not then surprise us if some
interpreters of the Hebrew "Susanna," which had been concealed among
them at a very remote date, and had been preserved only by the more
learned and honest, should have either given the Hebrew word for word,
or hit upon some analogy to the Hebrew forms, that the Greeks might be
able to follow them. For in many other passages we can find traces of
this kind of contrivance on the part of the translators, which I
noticed when I was collating the various editions.
13. You raise another objection, which I give in your own words:
"Moreover, how is it that they, who were captives among the Chaldeans,
lost and won at play, thrown out unburied on the streets, as was
prophesied of the former captivity, their sons torn from them to be
eunuchs, and their daughters to be concubines, as had been prophesied;
how is it that such could pass sentence of death, and that on the wife
of their king Joakim, whom the king of the Babylonians had made partner
of his throne? Then, if it was not this Joakim, but some other from
the common people, whence had a captive such a mansion and spacious
garden?"
Where you get your "lost and won at play, and thrown out unburied on
the streets," I know not, unless it is from Tobias; and Tobias (as also
Judith), we ought to notice, the Jews do not use. They are not even
found in the Hebrew Apocrypha, as I learned from the Jews themselves.
However, since the Churches use Tobias, you must know that even in the
captivity some of the captives were rich and well to do. Tobias
himself says, "Because I remembered God with all my heart; and the Most
High gave me grace and beauty in the eyes of Nemessarus, and I was his
purveyor; and I went into Media, and left in trust with Gabael, the
brother of Gabrias, at Ragi, a city of Media, ten talents of silver."
[3055] And he adds, as if he were a rich man, "In the days of
Nemessarus I gave many alms to my brethren. I gave my bread to the
hungry, and my clothes to the naked: and if I saw any of my nation
dead, and cast outside the walls of Nineve, I buried him; and if king
Senachereim had slain any when he came fleeing from Judea, I buried
them privily (for in his wrath he killed many)." Think whether this
great catalogue of Tobias's good deeds does not betoken great wealth
and much property, especially when he adds, "Understanding that I was
sought for to be put to death, I withdrew myself for fear, and all my
goods were forcibly taken away." [3056]
And another captive, Dachiacharus, the son of Ananiel, the brother of
Tobias, was set over all the exchequer of the kingdom of king Acherdon;
and we read, "Now Achiacharus was cup-bearer and keeper of the signet,
and steward and overseer of the accounts." [3057]
Mardochaios, too, frequented the court of the king, and had such
boldness before him, that he was inscribed among the benefactors of
Artaxerxes.
Again we read in Esdras, that Neemias, a cup-bearer and eunuch of the
king, of Hebrew race, made a request about the rebuilding of the
temple, and obtained it; so that it was granted to him, with many more,
to return and build the temple again. Why then should we wonder that
one Joakim had garden, and house, and property, whether these were very
expensive or only moderate, for this is not clearly told us in the
writing?
14. But you say, "How could they who were in captivity pass sentence
of death?" asserting, I know not on what grounds, that Susanna was the
wife of a king, because of the name Joakim. The answer is, that it is
no uncommon thing, when great nations become subject, that the king
should allow the captives to use their own laws and courts of justice.
Now, for instance, that the Romans rule, and the Jews pay the
half-shekel to them, how great power by the concession of Cæsar the
ethnarch has; so that we, who have had experience of it, know that he
differs in little from a true king! Private trials are held according
to the law, and some are condemned to death. And though there is not
full licence for this, still it is not done without the knowledge of
the ruler, as we learned and were convinced of when we spent much time
in the country of that people. And yet the Romans only take account of
two tribes, while at that time besides Judah there were the ten tribes
of Israel. Probably the Assyrians contented themselves with holding
them in subjection, and conceded to them their own judicial processes.
15. I find in your letter yet another objection in these words: "And
add, that among all the many prophets who had been before, there is no
one who has quoted from another word for word. For they had no need to
go a-begging for words, since their own were true. But this one, in
rebuking one of these men, quotes the words of the Lord, The innocent
and righteous shalt thou not slay.'" I cannot understand how, with all
your exercise in investigating and meditating on the Scriptures, you
have not noticed that the prophets continually quote each other almost
word for word. For who of all believers does not know the words in
Esaias? "And in the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be
manifest, and the house of the Lord on the top of the mountains, and it
shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall come unto it.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the
mountain of the Lord, unto the house of the God of Jacob; and He will
teach us His way, and we will walk in it: for out of Zion shall go
forth a law, and a word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge
among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat
their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks:
nation shall not lift up sword against nation; neither shall they learn
war any more." [3058]
But in Micah we find a parallel passage, which is almost word for
word: "And in the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be
manifest, established on the top of the mountains, and it shall be
exalted above the hills; and people shall hasten unto it. And many
nations shall come, and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of the
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and they will teach us His way,
and we will walk in His paths: for a law shall go forth from Zion, and
a word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among many
people, and rebuke strong nations; and they shall beat their swords
into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall
not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more." [3059]
Again, in First Chronicles, the psalm which is put in the hands of
Asaph and his brethren to praise the Lord, beginning, "Give thanks unto
the Lord, call upon His name," [3060] is in the beginning almost
identical with Psalm cv., down to "and do my prophets no harm;" and
after that it is the same as Psalm xcvi., from the beginning of that
psalm, which is something like this, "Praise the Lord all the earth,"
down to "For He cometh to judge the earth." (It would have taken up
too much time to quote more fully; so I have given these short
references, which are sufficient for the matter before us.) And you
will find the law about not bearing a burden on the Sabbath-day in
Jeremias, as well as in Moses. [3061] And the rules about the
passover, and the rules for the priests, are not only in Moses, but
also at the end of Ezekiel. [3062] I would have quoted these, and
many more, had I not found that from the shortness of my stay in
Nicomedia my time for writing you was already too much restricted.
Your last objection is, that the style is different. This I cannot
see.
This, then, is my defence. I might, especially after all these
accusations, speak in praise of this history of Susanna, dwelling on it
word by word, and expounding the exquisite nature of the thoughts.
Such an encomium, perhaps, some of the learned and able students of
divine things may at some other time compose. This, however, is my
answer to your strokes, as you call them. Would that I could instruct
you! But I do not now arrogate that to myself. My lord and dear
brother Ambrosius, who has written this at my dictation, and has, in
looking over it, corrected as he pleased, salutes you. His faithful
spouse, Marcella, and her children, also salute you. Also Anicetus.
Do you salute our dear father Apollinarius, and all our friends.
__________________________________________________________________
[3028] [See Dr. Pusey's Lectures on Daniel the Prophet, lect. vi. p.
326, 327; also The Uncanonical and Apocryphal Scriptures, by Rev. R. W.
Churton, B.D. (1884), pp. 389-404. S.]
[3029] "The Song of the Three Holy Children" (in the Apocrypha).
[3030] This should probably be corrected, with Pat. Jun., into, "Nor
are the letters, neither," etc.
[3031] 1 Cor. vi. 20; Rom. xiv. 15.
[3032] Rom. viii. 32.
[3033] Prov. xxii. 28.
[3034] Origen's most important contribution to biblical literature was
his elaborate attempt to rectify the text of the Septuagint by
collating it with the Hebrew original and other Greek versions. On
this he spent twenty-eight years, during which he travelled through the
East collecting materials. The form in which he first issued the
result of his labours was that of the Tetrapla, which presented in four
columns the texts of the LXX., Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion. He
next issued the Hexapla, in which the Hebrew text was given, first in
Hebrew and then in Greek letters. Of some books he gave two additional
Greek versions, whence the title Octapla; and there was even a seventh
Greek version added for some books. Unhappily this great work, which
extended to nearly fifty volumes, was never transcribed, and so
perished (Kitto, Cycl.).
[3035] Jer. xxix. 22, 23.
[3036] Luke xii. 45, 46.
[3037] Susanna 52, 53.
[3038] Susanna 56.
[3039] Et utrumque sigillatim in quamcunque mulierem incidebat, et cui
vitium afferre cupiebat, ei secreto affirmasse sibi a Deo datum e suo
semine progignere Christum. Hinc spe gignendi Christum decepta mulier,
sui copiam decipienti faciebat, et sic civium uxores stuprabant
seniores Achiab et Sedekias.
[3040] Heb. xi. 37.
[3041] [See note supra, p. 239. S.]
[3042] Matt. xxiii. 29-38.
[3043] Matt. xxiii. 30.
[3044] Acts vii. 52.
[3045] 1 Thess. ii. 14, 15.
[3046] Isa. i. 10.
[3047] Heb. i. 1.
[3048] Gen. xxxi. 10-13.
[3049] Gen. xxxii. 24-31.
[3050] Gen. xlix. 1-4.
[3051] 1 Kings iii. 16-28.
[3052] 1 Kings iii. 28.
[3053] Ps. cxvi. 13.
[3054] Ps. i. 1.
[3055] Tob. i. 12-14.
[3056] Tob. i. 19.
[3057] Tob. i. 22.
[3058] Isa. ii. 2-4.
[3059] Mic. iv. 1-3.
[3060] 1 Chron. xvi. 8.
[3061] Ex. xxxv. 2; Num. xv. 32; Jer. xvii. 21-24.
[3062] In Levit. passim; Ezek. xliii.; xliv.; xlv.; xlvi.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
A Letter from Origen to Gregory. [3063]
-----------------------1. Greeting in God, my most excellent sir, and venerable son Gregory,
from Origen. A natural readiness of comprehension, as you well know,
may, if practice be added, contribute somewhat to the contingent end,
if I may so call it, of that which any one wishes to practise. Thus,
your natural good parts might make of you a finished Roman lawyer or a
Greek philosopher, so to speak, of one of the schools in high
reputation. But I am anxious that you should devote all the strength
of your natural good parts to Christianity for your end; and in order
to this, I wish to ask you to extract from the philosophy of the Greeks
what may serve as a course of study or a preparation for Christianity,
and from geometry and astronomy what will serve to explain the sacred
Scriptures, in order that all that the sons of the philosophers are
wont to say about geometry and music, grammar, rhetoric, and astronomy,
as fellow-helpers to philosophy, we may say about philosophy itself, in
relation to Christianity.
2. Perhaps something of this kind is shadowed forth in what is written
in Exodus from the mouth of God, that the children of Israel were
commanded to ask from their neighbours, and those who dwelt with them,
vessels of silver and gold, and raiment, in order that, by spoiling the
Egyptians, they might have material for the preparation of the things
which pertained to the service of God. For from the things which the
children of Israel took from the Egyptians the vessels in the holy of
holies were made,--the ark with its lid, and the Cherubim, and the
mercy-seat, and the golden coffer, where was the manna, the angels'
bread. These things were probably made from the best of the Egyptian
gold. An inferior kind would be used for the solid golden candlestick
near the inner veil, and its branches, and the golden table on which
were the pieces of shewbread, and the golden censer between them. And
if there was a third and fourth quality of gold, from it would be made
the holy vessels; and the other things would be made of Egyptian
silver. For when the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt, they gained
this from their dwelling there, that they had no lack of such precious
material for the utensils of the service of God. And of the Egyptian
raiment were probably made all those things which, as the Scripture
mentions, needed sewed and embroidered work, sewed with the wisdom of
God, the one to the other, that the veils might be made, and the inner
and the outer courts. And why should I go on, in this untimely
digression, to set forth how useful to the children of Israel were the
things brought from Egypt, which the Egyptians had not put to a proper
use, but which the Hebrews, guided by the wisdom of God, used for God's
service? Now the sacred Scripture is wont to represent as an evil the
going down from the land of the children of Israel into Egypt,
indicating that certain persons get harm from sojourning among the
Egyptians, that is to say, from meddling with the knowledge of this
world, after they have subscribed to the law of God, and the
Israelitish service of Him. Ader [3064] at least, the Idumæan; so long
as he was in the land of Israel, and had not tasted the bread of the
Egyptians, made no idols. It was when he fled from the wise Solomon,
and went down into Egypt, as it were flying from the wisdom of God, and
was made a kinsman of Pharaoh by marrying his wife's sister, and
begetting a child, who was brought up with the children of Pharaoh,
that he did this. Wherefore, although he did return to the land of
Israel, he returned only to divide the people of God, and to make them
say to the golden calf, "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought
thee up from the land of Egypt." [3065] And I may tell you from my
experience, that not many take from Egypt only the useful, and go away
and use it for the service of God; while Ader the Idumæan has many
brethren. These are they who, from their Greek studies, produce
heretical notions, and set them up, like the golden calf, in Bethel,
which signifies "God's house." In these words also there seems to me
an indication that they have set up their own imaginations in the
Scriptures, where the word of God dwells, which is called in a figure
Bethel. The other figure, the word says, was set up in Dan. Now the
borders of Dan are the most extreme, and nearest the borders of the
Gentiles, as is clear from what is written in Joshua, the son of Nun.
Now some of the devices of these brethren of Ader, as we call them, are
also very near the borders of the Gentiles.
3. Do you then, my son, diligently apply yourself to the reading of
the sacred Scriptures. Apply yourself, I say. For we who read the
things of God need much application, lest we should say or think
anything too rashly about them. And applying yourself thus to the
study of the things of God, with faithful prejudgments such as are well
pleasing to God, knock at its locked door, and it will be opened to you
by the porter, of whom Jesus says, "To him the porter opens." [3066]
And applying yourself thus to the divine study, seek aright, and with
unwavering trust in God, the meaning of the holy Scriptures, which so
many have missed. Be not satisfied with knocking and seeking; for
prayer is of all things indispensable to the knowledge of the things of
God. For to this the Saviour exhorted, and said not only, "Knock, and
it shall be opened to you; and seek, and ye shall find," [3067] but
also, "Ask, and it shall be given unto you." [3068] My fatherly love
to you has made me thus bold; but whether my boldness be good, God will
know, and His Christ, and all partakers of the Spirit of God and the
Spirit of Christ. May you also be a partaker, and be ever increasing
your inheritance, that you may say not only, "We are become partakers
of Christ," [3069] but also partakers of God.
__________________________________________________________________
[3063] This Gregory, styled the Wonder-worker, (Thaumaturgus) was
afterwards bishop of Neo-Cæsarea.
[3064] Origen evidently confounds Hadad the Edomite, of 1 Kings xi. 14,
with Jeroboam.
[3065] [1 Kings xii. 28. S.]
[3066] John x. 3.
[3067] Matt. vii. 7.
[3068] Luke xi. 9.
[3069] Heb. iii. 14.
__________________________________________________________________
Elucidation.
-----------------------This golden letter, doubtless genuine, was attended with very great
consequences, of which we shall gather more hereafter. It is worthy of
the solemn consideration of young students to whom this page may come.
Gregory was unbaptized when Origen (circa a.d. 230) thus addressed his
conscience.
On the letters here inserted, let me refer the student to Routh,
Reliqu., ii. pp. 312-327; also same vol., pp. 222-228; also iii.
254-256.
For the facts concerning this letter to Gregory, see Cave, i. p. 400.
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origen against_celsus anf04 origen-against_celsus Origen
