Front Matter

Paedagogus

ΠΑΙΔΑΓΩΓΟΣ

Clement of Alexandria

Translated by Rick Brannan
with assistance from AI techniques

APPIAN WAY PRESS

PAEDAGOGUS ΠΑΙΔΑΓΩΓΟΣ

Copyright 2025 by Rick Brannan

Published 2025 by Appian Way Press

Web: https://AppianWayPress.com

Email: info@AppianWayPress.com

About This Translation

This translation was created on 2025-07-19 using the model gpt-4.1-mini from OpenAI. To ensure the translation is communicating the same meaning as the original, a sentence-level semantic similarity check was performed between the source text and translation using the model bowphs/SPhilBerta, which is available from HuggingFace. In addition to the sentence-level semantic similarity check, the text-to-translation length ratio was evaluated for each verse to locate and review possible hallucination.

Disclaimer

Please note, as indicated above, that this translation is a machine-generated translation. There are several older works that are either not available in English or only available in old and difficult to read translations. This translation is an attempt to provide a readable and fairly literal modern English translation of the source text. The process that created this translation has done its best to mitigate hallucinations, but there may still be translation issues.

Chapters of the First Book

Clement of Alexandria

The Instructor

1. What the Instructor Promises.

2. That Because of Our Sins the Instructor Watches Over Us.

3. That the Instructor Is Loving Toward Humans.

4. That the Word, the Instructor, Is Also of Men and Women.

5. That All Who Care About the Truth Are Children Before God.

6. To Those Who Take the Name of Children and Infants as a Riddle for the First Lessons.

7. Who Is the Instructor; and About His Instruction

8. To Those Who Think That Righteousness Is Not Good

9. That the Same Power Both Does Good and Punishes Justly; and in What Way the Instruction of the Word Is Carried Out

10. That the Same God Through the Same Word Both Keeps People from Sin by Threatening and Saves Humanity by Encouraging

11. That the Word Instructs Through the Law and the Prophets

12. That According to the Father's Disposition, the Instructor Uses Both Severity and Kindness

13. That Just as the Result Is According to the Right Reason, So Sin Is Contrary to Reason

FIRST DISCOURSE

CHAPTER 1

What the Instructor Promises.

Since there are three things concerning a person—character, actions, and passions—the exhorting speech has taken hold of his character, guiding him in piety, standing like a rudder for the building up of faith; rejoicing greatly in this, and renouncing the old beliefs, we grow toward salvation, singing along with prophecy: "How good is God to Israel", "to those who have a straight heart"! The conditional speech oversees all actions; the comforting speech heals the passions; this one speech is all in one, snatching the person away from the company and customs of the world, and leading him to the one-way salvation of faith in God. The heavenly leader, the Word, when he called to salvation, was called exhorting; this one is especially impulsive, called the whole by a part. For all piety is exhorting, producing in the kindred reason a desire for life now and to come. Now, being both healing and conditional at the same time, he himself follows and encourages the previously set forth principle, promising the healing of the passions within us. Let him be called by one fitting name for us: the Instructor. The Instructor is proactive, not methodical; his goal is to improve the soul, not to teach. He is prudent, not one who leads a life of knowledge. And yet the same Word is also teaching, but not now. For the one is declarative and revealing in the doctrines, the other is teaching; but the Instructor is practical, first urging toward the disposition of good character, and now also encouraging the carrying out of what is necessary, providing pure instructions, and showing those who were previously mistaken the true images later on. Both are very useful: the one is a form of encouragement toward obedience, while the other, taken partly as an image, is twofold and closely related to the first pair. The first aims for us to imitate by choosing the good, and the second shows how we turn away by rejecting the other. Healing of the passions follows from here through the encouragement of the images, with the Instructor strengthening the souls, like gentle medicines, providing kindly instructions for those who struggle toward complete knowledge of the truth. Health and knowledge are not the same; learning comes first, and healing follows afterward. Therefore, no one who is still sick would learn anything of the teachings before becoming completely healthy; for the commands are not always spoken in the same way to those who are learning or to those who are struggling, but to some they are directed toward knowledge, and to others toward healing. Just as the body of the sick needs a doctor, so the soul of the weak needs a guide, so that our passions may be healed; then a teacher is needed, who will lead the soul, preparing it with pure readiness for knowledge, making it able to receive the revelation of the word. Eager then to bring us to perfect salvation by a fitting step toward education, the all-loving Word uses good management, encouraging from above, then guiding, and teaching thoroughly in all things.

Chapter 2

That because of our sins the Guide watches over us.

Our Guide, children, seems to be like his Father God, for whom the Son is over us, sinless, blameless, and impassive in soul; God in the form of a man, pure, a servant by the will of the Father, the Word God, who is in the Father, who is at the right hand of the Father, and also God in form. This one is the spotless image for us; with all strength, the soul must be tested to become like him. But he is free from all human passions completely. For this reason, he alone is the judge, because he alone is without sin; but we. As much strength as we have, we try to sin as little as possible. For nothing is more urgent than first being free from passions and diseases; then also preventing the habit of falling into sins. The best thing, then, is not to sin at all in any way; which we say belongs to God. Second, never to commit any wrongs knowingly; this is proper to the wise. Third, not to fall into many involuntary faults; this is characteristic of those who are well brought up. Let the last rule be not to spend too much time on sins. But this too is helpful for those who are called to repentance, to resist. Salvation lies in this. And it seems to me that the Instructor rightly says through Moses: "If anyone dies suddenly upon him, immediately the head of his prayer will be defiled, and he will shave it." He refers to involuntary sin as a sudden death. He says that it defiles him by staining the soul; therefore, for its healing, he quickly advises to shave the head immediately, urging to cut off the hair that shadows the thought of ignorance, as if the mind, seized naked by the rough material of evil — which is enthroned in the brain — should turn back to repentance. Then, speaking briefly, he adds: "The earlier days are senseless;" from which it is clear that sins are revealed, those that have not happened according to reason. And he called the involuntary a sudden death, and sinning unreasonable; for this reason the Instructor's word took authority to prevent unreasonable sin. Look then here in Scripture: "Therefore the Lord says these things;" the sin that existed before is shown convincingly by the following statement, since the just judgment follows. And this is clearly shown through the prophets, who say, "If you had not sinned," and, "These things would not have been threatened;" and, "Therefore the Lord says this." Because you did not listen to these words, therefore the Lord says these things; and, "Therefore behold, the Lord says." For this reason the prophecy is about obedience and disobedience; through which on one hand we are saved, and on the other hand, we are disciplined. Therefore, our Instructor is the Word, who through exhortations heals the unnatural sufferings of the soul. The help for the diseases of the body is properly called the medical art, taught by human wisdom; but the paternal Word alone is the human healer of illnesses, the divine physician, and the holy remedy for the sick soul. "Save your servant," he says, "my God, the one who hopes in you." "Have mercy on me, Lord, for I will cry out to you all day long." Medicine, according to Democritus, heals the diseases of the body, but wisdom removes the sufferings of the soul; the good Instructor, wisdom, the Word of the Father, who created man, cares for the whole creature; and both body and soul are healed by him, the all-powerful physician of humanity, the Savior. "Get up," he says to the paralyzed man, "take your mat, and go home." Immediately the sick man was healed. And to the dead man, Lazarus, he said, "Come out." And the dead man came out of the tomb, just as he was before he suffered, showing the power of resurrection. Indeed, the soul itself is healed by commandments and gifts; but to the instructions, perhaps it is about to come, and rich in gifts, he says to us sinners, "Your sins are forgiven." But we have become foolish at the same time in understanding, receiving from his good order the best and most certain arrangement, which first revolves around the world and the sky, and is occupied with the solar cycles and the motions of the other stars, because of the human being; then it is about the human being himself, for whom all effort is directed; and considering this task the greatest, it guides his soul with reason and self-control, and it has combined the body with beauty and harmony; and concerning the actions of humanity, it has inspired both what is right within them and their proper order.

Chapter 3

That the Instructor is loving toward humanity.

The Lord benefits all things and helps all, both as a human and as God; he forgives sins as God, and as a human he guides so that one does not sin. It is fitting, then, that a person is a friend to God, since he is also his creation. And while he made all other things by command alone, he fashioned man with his own hands and breathed into him something unique. The one made by him and resembling him, or chosen by God because of this, has been created by God, or has been formed as chosen for the sake of another. If then he is chosen because of this, the good one loved him as good; and this is the filter within man, which is called the breath of God. But if man has been chosen for the sake of others, God has no other reason for making him than that, since it is not possible without him, one becomes a good creator, and the other comes to the knowledge of God. For God would not have made the thing for which man came to be, if man had not come to be; and the hidden power that God had for willing was filled up by the power from outside the made thing, taking from man what made him man; and what he had, he saw, and it came to be what he wished; there is nothing that God cannot do. Man, then, whom God made, is chosen because of himself; and the one chosen because of himself is related to whoever is chosen because of himself; and this is both welcome and lovable. But something that is lovable is not necessarily loved by it; yet man has been shown to be lovable. Therefore, man is loved by God. For how could he not be loved, for whom the Only Begotten is sent down from the bosom of the Father, the Word of faith, faith from the inheritance, the Lord himself clearly confessing and saying: "For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me"; and again the same one says: "And you have loved them, just as you have loved me." What then does the Instructor want, and what does he promise, being disposed in deed and word, commanding what is to be done and forbidding what is against it, is now clearly shown. It is clear then that the teaching kind of words is both brief and spiritual, having exactness of speech, the visionary kind; let this now be laid aside. It is fitting for us to love in return the one who leads us with love toward the best life, and to live according to the commands of his choice; not only by carrying out what is commanded or avoiding what is forbidden, but also by turning away from the images that are improper, and by carrying out in likeness the works of the Instructor those images that, as it were, especially imitate him; so that indeed he may fulfill the according to the image and according to the likeness. For just as in deep darkness, wandering in life, we need a guide who is untouchable and exact; and the best guide is not blind, as Scripture says, leading the blind into pits; but the Word is sharp-sighted and sees into the heart. Just as there is no light that does not shine, nor any mover that does not move, nor any lover that does not love, nor any good that does not benefit, so it also guides toward salvation. Let us then carry out the commands through the works of the Lord; for the Word himself, clearly becoming flesh, showed the same virtue both practical and theoretical; and indeed, taking the Word as the law, let us know his commands and his instructions, the short and direct paths to eternity; for the commands are full of persuasion, not fear.

Chapter 4

That the Word is also an Instructor of men and women.

Having embraced this good discipline even more, let us present ourselves to the Lord, having grasped the most certain proofs of his faith, understanding that the same virtue belongs to both man and woman. For if God is one for both, then the Instructor is also one for both; one Church, one self-control, one modesty, common nourishment, marriage as a union, breath, sight, hearing, knowledge, hope, obedience, love—all alike. Since life is shared, grace is shared, and salvation is shared; their love and conduct are also shared.

"In this age," he says, "they marry and are given in marriage," in which only the female is distinguished from the male; "but in that age no longer," where the rewards of this common and holy life from marriage belong not to male or female, but to the person, divided by desire as separated."

Therefore, the name "human" is common to both men and women. To me, the Attic writers seem to call a "boy" not only the male but also the female; if the comic poet Menander appears trustworthy in the play The Slapped Woman, saying something like this:

"My daughter: for the boy is very naturally loving toward mankind."

The name "lamb" is indeed common to both male and female animals. It is the Lord himself who shepherds us forever. Amen. Without a shepherd, neither sheep nor anything else can live; nor children without an Instructor; nor servants without a Master.

Chapter 5

That all who cling to the truth are children of God.

Since the guidance of children is leading, this is clear from the name itself. Next, it is necessary to look closely at the children whom Scripture hints at; then to set before them the Guide. The children, we. Many times it praises us, and in many ways it speaks allegorically, changing the simple meaning of faith with various names. At least in the Gospel: "Standing", he says, "the Lord on the shore, to the disciples" (who happened to be fishing), "called out: Children, do you have anything to eat?" Addressing those already in the habit of knowing, he spoke to them as children. "They brought to him," he says, "children for the laying on of hands as a blessing." When the followers were hindering them, Jesus said, "Let the children be, and do not stop them from coming to me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." What is meant by what was said, the Lord himself will make clear, saying: "Unless you turn and become like these children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Here he is not allegorizing rebirth, but rather he is encouraging us to imitate the simplicity found in children. Our children are also called the prophetic Spirit; "They took," it says, "branches of olive or palm trees, the children went out to meet the Lord, and they shouted, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; Light and glory and praise with supplication to the Lord." For this shows, interpreted into the Greek voice, the phrase "Hosanna". And it seems to me that Scripture is hinting at this prophecy mentioned before, in the part of rebuke, to accuse the lazy: "Have you never read that from the mouths of infants and nursing babies I have prepared praise?" This is also what the Lord hints at in the Gospel to those familiar with him, urging them to pay attention as he is already hastening toward the Father; preparing the listeners to be more eager, and shortly to depart, indicating that they must bear the fruit of truth more generously, and how much the Word has not yet been taken up into heaven. Again, then, he calls them children; for he says, "Children, I am with you only a little longer." Again, he compares the kingdom of heaven to little children, sitting in the marketplaces and saying, "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned, and you did not weep," and many other things he added that were fitting for them. And not only does the Gospel think this way; prophecy agrees with it as well. David says, "Praise the Lord, children; praise the name of the Lord." And Isaiah also says, "Behold, I and the children whom God has given me." You marvel when you hear that men among the nations are children before the Lord? You do not think that I am skilled in the Attic voice, from which one can learn the beautiful and lovely, and also the free young women, called maidens, and little maidens, the female slaves; and even the young women themselves, toward the fresh bloom of childhood, are called with diminutives. And when he says, "Let the lambs stand on the right," he means innocent children, like lambs, not men, and being sheep by nature; but the lambs deserved special favor, preferring the gentleness and simplicity of mind found in humans, valuing innocence. And again, when he says, "like milk-fed calves", he speaks to us in allegory once more; and also, "like a harmless and gentle dove," he addresses us again. And still two young doves, or a pair of turtledoves, he commands to be offered for sin through Moses; the innocence of the gentle ones. He says that the innocence, harmlessness, and lack of grudge of the young birds are well-pleasing to God; and he explains that like is purified by like. But also the timidity of the turtledoves represents carefulness toward sins. That he calls us the young birds, Scripture is witness: "Just as a bird gathers its young under its wings," so we are the Lord's young birds; wonderfully and mysteriously the Word marks the simplicity of the soul as childlike into maturity. For sometimes he calls us children; sometimes, young birds; sometimes infants, and elsewhere sons; and often children and a new people, and a renewed people. And to my servants, he says, a new name will be given (he means a new name, one that is new and eternal, pure and simple, infantile and true) which will be blessed on the earth. Allegorically, again, he calls us colts, the unyoked ones, because of wickedness; the untamed because of evil; innocent, and only toward the Father, the spirited ones; not like horses neighing at the wives of their neighbors, the yoked horses and effeminate, but the free and newborn; the proud because of faith; those running swiftly toward truth; those quick to salvation; those trampling and crushing worldly things. "Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion; proclaim, daughter of Jerusalem: behold, your king is coming to you, righteous, gentle, and saving; and he himself is gentle and rides upon a donkey and a young colt." It was not enough to say only the colt, but he also added the young one to it, the youth of humanity in Christ, showing agelessness with simplicity and eternity. Such young colts, the infants, our divine colt-tamer raises us. And if the young one in the Scripture is also a donkey, still he is a colt, a donkey as well. And the colt, he says, he tied to the vineyard; simply binding this simple and infant people to the Word, which he allegorizes as the vineyard. For the vineyard bears wine, just as the Word is blood; both are a drink for people leading to salvation: the wine for the body, and the blood for the spirit. And just as he calls us lambs, the Spirit is a sure witness through Isaiah: As a shepherd, he will tend his flock, and with his arm he will gather the lambs; the lamb is an allegory for the gentlest of sheep, symbolizing innocence. We also care for the best and most perfect possessions in life, having honored them with a childlike name; we have been called education and guidance. Guidance, we acknowledge, is a good leading of children toward virtue. More clearly, then, the Lord reveals to us the meaning behind the childlike name, when a question arose among the apostles: Who among them is the greatest? Jesus placed a child in the middle and said, "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." The childlike name, then, is not used for children as if they were irrational in age, as some might think; nor would he say, "Unless you become like these children, you will not enter the kingdom of God," without reason. We no longer, then, as infants, lie prostrate on the ground; nor do we crawl as before on the earth, dragging the whole body like a serpent around senseless desires; but rising upward in mind, set against the world and sins, touching the earth with only a little foot, as much as seems to be in the world, we pursue holy wisdom; but this is foolishness to those who are skilled in cunning. Children, then, rightly so called, are those who have known God alone as father, simple, and infants, and pure, lovers of the single-horned unicorns. To those who have advanced in the Word, he proclaimed this message, ordering them to disregard these things here, and to pay attention only to the Father, encouraging them to imitate children. Therefore, he also says to those who have: "Do not worry about tomorrow; for the trouble of each day is enough." Thus, having set aside the cares of life, he commands to pour out only to the Father. And the one who fulfills this command is truly both a child and a son of God and of the world; to the one, as one who is deceived, to the other, as one who is beloved. If there is one teacher in the heavens, as Scripture says, then all on earth will rightly be called disciples; for the truth is like this: the perfect is with the Lord, who always teaches, and the childish and the infant are with us, those who are always learning. To this, the prophecy has assigned the perfect title of "man." And through David concerning the devil, it says, "The Lord detests a man of blood," a man indeed? as perfect in evil, he calls him. The Lord is also called a man, because he is perfect in righteousness. Immediately then, the Apostle, writing to the Corinthians, says: "For I have betrothed you to one man, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ," whether as infants and holy, but only to the Lord alone. Most clearly, writing to the Ephesians, he revealed what is sought, saying in this way: "Until we all reach the unity of the faith and the knowledge of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; so that we may no longer be infants, tossed back and forth and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we will grow up in all things into him." Saying these things for the building up of the body of Christ, who is the head and a man, the only one perfect in righteousness; but we are infants, guarding against those who puff themselves up into pride by the winds of heresies, and not trusting the fathers who otherwise admonish us. We are perfected then, when we are the Church, having taken Christ as the head. Here it is right to stand by the name of the infant, because the infant is not placed among the foolish. For this one is infantile; but the infant is the newly born; like a gentle, soft-minded person, just as one who has recently become gentle and mild in manner. This, indeed, the blessed Paul clearly indicated by saying: "We are strong in weight as apostles of Christ, but we have become gentle among you, as a nurse cherishes her own children." The infant is therefore gentle, and even more tender, soft and simple, and sincere and without pretense, straightforward in judgment and upright; this is the essence of simplicity and truth. For on whom, he says, shall I look, but on the gentle and quiet one?? For such is the virgin speech, tender and unshaped; therefore it is customary also to call the virgin a tender bride, and the child a tender-minded one. We, however, are tender, gentle toward persuasion, and ready for good works, free from trouble and unmixed with ill will and crookedness. For the old generation is crooked and hard-hearted, a company of infants, but we, the new people, are tender like a child. Regarding the hearts of the innocent, the Apostle expresses joy in the Epistle to the Romans; and indeed he gives a certain mark of infants, so to speak, saying: "But I want you to be wise for what is good, and innocent for what is evil." For the very name of infant is not understood by us as a lack, since the particle νὴ is used by grammarians as a negative in children. For if those who mock us call us foolish because of our infancy, see how they blaspheme against the Lord, considering those who have taken refuge in God as foolish; but if, which must be heard even more, they themselves accept infants in simple matters, we rejoice in the name; for the young minds are infants in old foolishness, newly wise, those who have risen according to the New Testament. At hand, then, God has been known according to the presence of Christ. For no one has known God except the Son, and to whom the Son reveals him.. Therefore, the people who are new are young, in contrast to the older people, having learned the new good things; and this ageless youth is the bloom of our age, in which we always grow in understanding, always young, always gentle, and always new. For it is necessary to be new, having received the new Word. One who has received immortality loves to be like what is imperishable; just as the name of childhood is springtime for all life, because the truth within us is unfading, and our way of life is poured out according to the truth. Wisdom is evergreen, always the same and just as it was, and never changing. "The children," he says, "will be carried on their shoulders, and will be comforted on their knees; just as a mother comforts someone, so I will comfort you." The mother brings the children, and we seek the mother, the Church. What is weak and tender, since it is in need of help because of its weakness, is both favored and sweet and pleasant to the spirit that stands in need of such help. Just as fathers and mothers find the foals of horses, the young calves of oxen, the cub of a lion, the fawn of a deer, and a human child more delightful to see, so the Father of all approaches those who have fled to him. Having reborn them by the Spirit into adoption as sons, he knows them to be gentle; and he loves these alone, helps them, and defends them. For this reason, he calls them "child." I also call Isaac a child; Isaac means laughter. The curious king saw him playing with the woman and helper, Rebecca. The king seems to me to be Abimelech by name; a certain extraordinary wisdom, spying on the mystery of instruction. And Rebecca is interpreted as patience. O the wise instruction; laughter, helped through patience; and the king is a guardian. The Spirit of the children in Christ rejoices, who live with patience; and this is the divine childhood. Heraclitus says that his own Zeus plays such a kind of instruction. For what other proper work is there for the wise and perfect person than to play and rejoice together with the patience of what is good, and with the governance of what is good, celebrating together with God? It is also possible to understand differently what is revealed by the prophecy, that we rejoice and laugh over salvation, like Isaac. He also laughed, freed from death, playing and rejoicing with the bride, the helper of our salvation, the Church, to which the name Patience is firmly given; either because this alone remains forever, always rejoicing; or because it is made up of the patience of the believers, who are members of Christ; and the testimony of those who endure to the end, and the thanksgiving for these things; this is the secret instruction, and the salvation that helps with solemn joy. The king Christ, then, watches from above our laughter, and bending over the window, as the Scripture says, the thanksgiving and the blessing, the rejoicing and the gladness, and also the cooperating patience, and the joining of these, the Church alone, his own, oversees; showing the face of his own, the part remaining for the Church, perfected by the royal head. And where then was the window through which the Lord was shown? The flesh, through which he was revealed. He himself is Isaac (and it can be understood in another way), a type of the Lord, a child indeed, as a son; for Abraham was also a son, just as Christ is the Son of God; but also a priest, like the Lord; yet he did not bear fruit like the Lord; Isaac only carried the wood of the sacrifice, just as the Lord carried the wood. He laughed mysteriously, prophesying to fill us with joy in the Lord, those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord from corruption. Isaac did not suffer only in a natural way, giving the first place of suffering to the Word; but he also hints at the divinity of the Lord, not being slain; for Jesus rose after the burial without suffering, just as Isaac was spared in the sacrifice. But I will add another very great point in defense of what has been said. He calls the Lord himself a child, this being foretold through Isaiah by the Spirit: "Behold, a child is born to us, a son is given to us; the authority rests on his shoulder, and his name is called the Angel of great counsel." What then is the child who is an infant? Of whom the infants are made in the image of us. Through the same prophet his greatness is described: "Wonderful counselor, God the mighty, eternal Father, ruler of peace; to increase education; and of his peace there is no end." O great God; O perfect child; Son in the Father, and Father in the Son. And how is not the education of that child perfect, which extends over all, guiding us children, his infants? He stretched out his hands to us, the ones clearly trusted. John, the greatest of those born of women, also bears witness to this child: "Behold, the Lamb of God". For since the Scripture calls the children, the infants, lambs, it has named God the Word, who became man for us, wanting to be like us in every way, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the infant of the Father.

Chapter 6

To those who suppose that the title of children and infants is a hidden teaching about the first lessons.

It is allowed for us, out of generosity, to take off our outer garment before the devout. For we are not called children and infants in a childish and contemptible way of learning, as those born to knowledge have slandered. Having been born again, then, we immediately grasped the perfect, for the sake of which we hasten. For we were enlightened; and that is to know God. Therefore, the one who has known the perfect is not incomplete. And do not take it badly that he confessed to having known God; for somehow it seemed right to say this to the Word. But the free one. Immediately, then, as the Lord was being baptized, a voice came from heaven as a witness of the beloved: "You are my Son, my beloved; I have begotten you today." Let us then learn from the wise: Christ, born again today, is already perfect, or, which is most strange, incomplete? But if this is so, then something must be added to him. Yet it is not reasonable to add even one thing to him, since he is God. For no one would be greater than the Word; nor, indeed, would anyone be the teacher of the only teacher. Will they then unwillingly admit that the Word is perfect, having come from the perfect Father, and according to the divine plan was completely born again? And if he was perfect, why was the perfect one baptized? They say it was necessary to fulfill the human promise. Perfectly so. For I say this: at the same time that he was baptized by John, he became perfect? It is clear that. Therefore, he learned nothing more from him. For no; he is made perfect by the bath alone, and is sanctified by the coming down of the Spirit? It is so. The same thing happens also concerning us, for whom the Lord has become a guarantee. Being baptized, we are enlightened; being enlightened, we become children; becoming children, we are made perfect; being made perfect, we are freed from death. He says, "I said, You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High." This work is called in many ways a gift, and an enlightenment, and a perfection, and a washing. It is called a washing because through it we are cleansed from sins; a gift, because through it the punishments for sins are lifted; an enlightenment, because through it that holy saving light is seen, that is, through it we are made sharp-sighted toward the divine; and a perfection, because we say it is without defect. For what is still lacking to the one who has known God? For it is truly absurd to call a gift from God something that is not complete. Being perfect, it is surely given perfectly; just as everything happens at the command to do it, so it follows that the one who gives the gift only wishes for it to be fully completed. For the future of time is received by the power of the will. And indeed, the freeing from evils is the beginning of salvation. Therefore, only those who first began the limits of life are already perfect; and we who live are already separated from death. Salvation, then, is to follow Christ. For what has come into being is life in him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he says, whoever hears my words and believes in the one who sent me has eternal life, and does not come into judgment; but has passed from death to life.. Thus, to believe alone and to be born again is perfection in life; for God never fails. For just as his will is work, and this is called the world, so also his purpose is the salvation of people; and this is called the Church. He knows, then, those whom he has called, those he has saved; he has called and saved them at the same time. For you yourselves, says the Apostle, are taught by God. It is not right, then, for us to think of what is taught by him as incomplete; the teaching is eternal salvation from the eternal Savior; to whom be the grace forever and ever, amen. And the one who has been born again alone, just as he has the name, and has been enlightened, has immediately been freed from darkness, and the light has shone forth from there. Just as those who shake off sleep immediately wake up from within; and even more so, just as those who try to drain the fluid from their eyes are not given light from outside, which they do not have, but by removing the obstacle from their sight, they leave the pupil free; so also those who are baptized, by wiping away the darkness of sins with the divine Spirit like a mist, have a free, unobstructed, and bright eye of the Spirit; by which alone we behold the divine, with the holy Spirit flowing down to us from heaven. This is a mixture of eternal light, able to see eternal light; since like is dear to like; and the holy is dear to the one from whom the holy comes; which is properly called light. For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.. From here, I think that man was called light by the ancients. But they say that the perfect gift has not yet been taken away; I agree as well. Yet he is in the light, and darkness does not overcome him; light and darkness do not meet in the same place. But at the resurrection of believers, the end is reserved; and it is not to receive anything else, but to obtain the promised pledge previously agreed upon. For we do not say that both arrive at the same time—the arrival at the end and the anticipation of the arrival; for age and time are not the same, nor is impulse and end the same. But both are about one thing; and one is concerned with both. There is, so to speak, impulse—faith born in time; and the end is to receive the promise, which is confirmed for ages. But the Lord himself clearly revealed the equality of salvation, saying: "For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks at the Son and believes in him may have eternal life; and I will raise him up on the last day." Since it is possible in this world, which he hinted at as the last day, to be kept until then, when it will end, we believe that we will become perfect. For faith is the perfection of learning; for this reason he says, "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life." If then those who have believed have life, what further is left to gain beyond having eternal life? Nothing is lacking in faith, when it is perfect and complete in itself. But if anything is lacking in it, it is not complete; faith is not something that fails at any point. Nor, after the departure from here, does it wait for those who have believed, who have been sealed here without distinction. That act of believing, already received beforehand, we will enjoy after the resurrection when it has come to be; so that what was said may be fulfilled: "Let it be done according to your faith." Where there is faith, there is the promise here; and the fulfillment of the promise is rest. So knowledge is in the enlightenment, and the end of knowledge is rest; which last thing is thought to be desirable. Just as in experience, ignorance is destroyed, and in a journey, lack of a way is ended; so it is necessary that darkness be driven away by enlightenment. Ignorance is the darkness into which we fall through sins, making us dim-sighted about the truth. Therefore, knowledge is enlightenment, the thing that drives away ignorance and sets the eye of understanding. But also, the casting off of the worse things is a revealing of the better. For the evils that ignorance has bound together are undone well through knowledge; and these bonds are quickly loosened—by human faith and by divine grace—when faults are forgiven by a single healing medicine, the spiritual baptism. Therefore, we wash away all sins, and no longer are we under the power of evils. This grace of enlightenment is one: not to be the same as before, but to be washed in a new way. That knowledge rises together with the enlightenment, flashing around the mind, and immediately we, the unlearned disciples, hear: whether at some time that learning came to be added? For you could not say the time; for catechesis leads to faith, and faith, together with holy baptism, is trained by the Spirit. Since faith is the one universal salvation of humanity, equality and communion with the just and loving God, the same for all, the Apostle clearly explained this in this way, saying: "Before faith came, we were held under the law, shut up until the faith that was to come would be revealed." So the law became our tutor leading to Christ, that we might be justified by faith; but when faith came, we are no longer under a tutor. Do you not hear that we are no longer under that law, which was with fear; but under the Word, the tutor of free will? Then indeed he brought in the voice of complete impartiality: "For you are all sons through faith in God in Christ Jesus; for all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus." So then, not the spiritual ones and the natural ones in the Word itself, but all, having put aside the fleshly desires, are equal and spiritual before the Lord. And elsewhere again he writes: "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body," whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; "and we all drank of one Spirit." It is not inappropriate to use the words of those men here, who say that the spirit is a refining, a memory of the better things, and that the mind understands the separation from the remembrance of the better things from the worse. Repentance toward the worse things necessarily follows the remembrance of the better things mentioned; indeed, the spirit itself is confessed to return after repenting. In the same way, then, we also, having repented for our sins and having renounced our faults, are refined by baptism and run toward the eternal light, like children toward the father. Rejoicing then in the Spirit, Jesus says, "I confess to you, Father, God of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and have revealed them to infants." The Instructor and Guide calls us infants, who are more suitable for salvation than the wise in the world; for those who consider themselves wise are blinded. And he cries out, rejoicing and greatly glad, as if playing along with the infants: "Yes, Father, for so it pleased you before me." For this reason, the things hidden from the wise and understanding of this present age were revealed to infants. Therefore, it is fitting that the children of God, having put off the old man and having stripped off the garment of wickedness, and having put on the incorruptibility of Christ, so that, becoming a new holy people, having been born again, we may keep the person pure. And an infant, as a child of God, cleansed from fornication and evil. Clearly then, the blessed Paul freed us from doubt, writing in his earlier Letter to the Corinthians in this way: "Brothers, do not be children in your thinking, but be infants in evil, and in your thinking be mature." But the phrase, "When I was a child, I thought as a child, I spoke as a child," refers to the way of life under the law, by which one was not yet simple, but still foolish—thinking as a child, he followed it; speaking as a child, he blasphemed the Word. For the word "infant" has two meanings. Since I have become a man, Paul says again, I have done away with the things of the infant. Not the size of age as incomplete, nor yet a fixed measure of time, but rather it hints at other secret teachings of more mature and perfect lessons, sending away childishness beyond its limit, the Apostle who confesses to proclaim it; but he calls those under the law infants, who are disturbed by fear, just like children by bogeymen; but men, he calls those obedient to the Word and self-controlled; those whom we have trusted, saved by willing choice, wisely, not foolishly, fearing with respect, not terror. The Apostle himself will testify about this, calling the Jews heirs according to the former Covenant, but us according to the promise. I say, he says, as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the time set by the father; so also we, when we were children, were enslaved under the basic principles of the world; but when the full time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, so that we might receive adoption through him. See how he confessed those under fear and sin to be children; but those under faith, he called sons, having grown up, as a contrast to the children under the law. For you are no longer, he says, a slave but a son; and if a son, then also an heir through God.. What then does the son need after the inheritance? It is pleasing then to explain it like this: "When I was a child," that is, when I was a Jew (for a Hebrew was from the beginning), "I thought like a child," because I followed the law; but when I became a man, I no longer thought like a child, that is, like one under the law, but like a man, that is, like one under Christ. The Scripture alone calls him a man, as we said before: "I have done away with the things of a child." But the childhood in Christ is perfection, as we must agree concerning those who here have become children in relation to the law. Also, what the Apostle said must be explained: "I gave you milk to drink, as to infants in Christ, not solid food; for you were not yet able, nor are you even now able." For it does not seem to me that the saying should be understood in a Jewish way. For I will set against it that Scripture as well: "I will bring you into the good land, flowing with milk and honey." A great difficulty then arises according to how these passages of Scripture are understood. For if the beginning of faith in Christ is infancy through milk, and this is despised as childish and incomplete, how can the rest and full knowledge of the mature, after eating, again be given as milk to an infant? Surely then it shows something like a parable, and indeed it must be read somewhat clearly like this: "I gave you milk to drink in Christ." And having paused a little, let us bring in infants.? So that according to the pause in the reading, we may receive such an understanding. I taught you in Christ with simple, true, and natural spiritual food; for such is the life-giving nature of milk, flowing from loving breasts. Understand all this: just as breasts feed newborn children with milk, so I, by the milk of Christ, the Word, drip spiritual nourishment to you. So then, milk is perfect nourishment, and it leads the unceasing to completion. Therefore, even in rest, the same thing—milk and honey—is promised. Rightly, the Lord again promises milk to the righteous, so that clearly the Word may be shown as both alpha and omega, beginning and end; the Word is allegorically milk. Something like this Homer unwillingly foretells, calling the righteous among men milk-drinkers; and it is also possible to interpret Scripture in this way: And I, brothers, was not able to speak to you as spiritual, but as fleshly, as infants in Christ; as those newly taught who are able to think in a fleshly way. and still infants in Christ. For he spoke to those who had already believed in the Holy Spirit as spiritual; but to the newly baptized, and not yet purified, he spoke as fleshly. It is fitting to call them still fleshly, just as he calls those among the Gentiles who still think according to the flesh. "For where there is jealousy and strife among you", "are you not fleshly, and do you walk according to human ways?" Therefore, he says, "I gave you milk to drink"; I have poured knowledge into you, meaning the knowledge that nourishes you from instruction toward eternal life. But the word "I gave you to drink" is also a sign of full participation. For those who are mature are said to drink, but infants are said to nurse. "For my blood," the Lord says, "is the true drink." Did he not, then, by saying "I gave you milk to drink," hint at the perfect joy in the Word's milk, the knowledge of the truth? What follows next, "Not food; for you were not yet able," can be understood as a riddle of the clear revelation in the coming age, like food, face to face. For we see now as through a mirror, the same Apostle says; but then face to face. Therefore, he also added this: "But you are not yet able now; for you are still fleshly," thinking about the things of the flesh, desiring, loving, envying, being angry, being jealous, being spiteful. For we are no longer in the flesh, as some suppose; for with it we have the face of an angel, face to face we will see the promise. But how, if that promise truly is after the departure from here, which no eye has seen, nor has entered into the mind of man, they say they know it—not understood by the spirit, but received from teaching, what no ear has ever heard, or only that which was caught up into the third heaven, but even that was then commanded to be kept secret? But if it is human wisdom that remains to be understood, the boast of knowledge, listen to the law of Scripture: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom; nor let the strong man boast in his strength; but let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." But we are taught by God and boast in the name of Christ. How then should we not understand the Apostle in this, the milk for infants? If indeed we are shepherds who lead the churches, in the image of the good shepherd; and we are the sheep; is it not also the Lord who calls the flock to keep the order, speaking of the milk of the flock? And indeed the saying must again be applied to the mind: "I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able", considering nothing else but milk as food, yet the same in substance; for the Word himself is likewise either loose and gentle like milk, or thickened and curdled, like solid food. Yet some also take this to mean that the preaching, when poured out most abundantly, can be understood as milk; but faith, twisted into a foundation from instruction, is solid food. This faith, being firmer than hearing, is compared to solid food, by which such nourishment is made into a body for the soul. Elsewhere the Lord also expressed this differently through symbols in the Gospel according to John: "Eat my flesh," he said, "and drink my blood." This is a clear allegory of faith and promise as drink, through which the Church, like a person made up of many parts, is both nourished and grows, and is formed and united from both: the body, which is faith, and the soul, which is hope. Just as the Lord is made of flesh and blood; for truly the blood is the hope of faith, on which it depends, just as faith is the soul. And as hope breathes through it, like blood flowing out, the life-giving power of faith is revealed. But if some wish to argue, saying that the first lessons mean milk, as if the first foods, and that solid food means spiritual knowledge, by which they lead others to understanding, let them know that solid food means both the flesh and blood of Jesus. They support this with their proud wisdom against the simple truth. For blood is found to be primitive in a human; and some have even dared to call it the substance of the soul. This very blood, naturally turned by digestion, when the mother is pregnant, sympathizes with tender affection, blossoms, and grows old, toward the fearlessness of the child. And indeed, blood is wetter than flesh, like flesh being somewhat moist; but milk is tastier and more delicate than blood. For whether the blood supplied to the embryo is sent earlier through the mother's umbilical cord, or whether it is the menstrual blood itself, shut off from its natural course, it is naturally expelled toward the breasts already inflamed by the all-married and life-giving God, and changed by the warm spirit, it is prepared as desirable food for the infant. Blood is what changes. For above all parts, the breasts are sympathetic to the mother. So when the vessel through which the blood was carried to the embryo is cut off at birth, the pore is closed, but the blood takes its course toward the breasts. And with much effort, they stretch and change the blood into milk, according to the change of blood into pus in a wound. Or again, from the veins near the breasts, which are blocked by the stretching of pregnancy, the blood is poured into the natural ducts of the breasts. Stirred by this, the spirit sent down from the nearby arteries, while the underlying pure substance of the blood remains, moves about and turns white. And with such a sudden interruption, it changes by foaming, somewhat like the sea, which, according to the movements of the winds, the poets say "spits out salt spray." But it still has the substance of blood. In this way, rivers flowing with a roar, stirred by the air mixed into them, foam with bubbles. And our moist mouth is whitened by the spirit. What then is the explanation, if not that the blood is also turned by the spirit toward the brightest and whitest? It undergoes change in quality, not in substance. Certainly, you will find no other food more nourishing, nor any sweeter, but not even whiter than milk. In every way, this seems to be like spiritual food: sweet because of grace, nourishing as life; white like the day of Christ; and the blood of the Word has appeared like milk. Therefore, concerning the giving of birth, milk is provided to the infant; and the breasts, which before looked around at the husband standing upright, now nod toward the child; teaching to offer the food, made easy to grasp by nature's labor, for the upbringing of salvation. For the breasts are not like full springs, flowing ready milk, but by changing the food, they produce milk within themselves and breathe it out. This suitable and fitting food nourishes and grows the newborn child toward God, the nourisher and father of those born and reborn, who labors; just as manna flowed down from heaven to the ancient Hebrews, the heavenly food of the angels. Even now the breasts care for the first flow of milk, a drink called by the same name as that food, manna. But the women who are pregnant, having become mothers, produce milk; yet the Lord Christ, the fruit of the Virgin, did not bless the female breasts, nor did he appoint them as nourishes; but when the loving and kind Father sent down the Word, he himself became a spiritual food for the sensible. O mystery of wonder! One is the Father of all; one also is the Word of all; and the Holy Spirit is one and the same everywhere; but there is only one single virgin mother; I love to call her the Church. This mother alone had no milk, because she alone did not become a woman; she is both virgin and mother at the same time; pure as a virgin, and loving as a mother. And calling her children, she nurses them with holy milk, to the infant Word. Therefore she had no milk; because the child was milk— beautiful and proper—the body of Christ, nourishing the youth with the Word; whom the Lord himself conceived in a bodily birth; whom the Lord himself wrapped in precious blood. O holy childbirth! O holy swaddling clothes! The Word is everything to the infant—father, mother, teacher, and nourisher. "Eat my flesh," he says, "and drink my blood." The Lord provides us with these familiar foods, offering flesh and pouring out blood; and nothing is lacking for the growth of the children. O the wondrous mystery! It commands us to put off the old and fleshly corruption, just as we do the old food; and by partaking of the new way of life in Christ, if possible, to take him up, to put him on within ourselves, and to embrace the Savior; so that we may heal the passions of our flesh. But you do not want to think in this way, perhaps something more common. Listen also to this: the Holy Spirit symbolizes flesh for us; for the flesh was created by him. Blood symbolizes for us the Word; for the Word is poured out into life like rich blood. The Lord is the mixture of both, the nourishment of infants. The Lord is Spirit and Word; the nourishment, that is, the Lord Jesus, that is, the Word of God, Spirit made flesh; the flesh being sanctified is heavenly. The nourishment is the milk of the Father, by whom alone we infants are nursed. Indeed, the beloved Word and our nourisher poured out his own blood for us, saving humanity; through him, trusting in God, we take refuge in the hidden mass of the Father, the Word. He, it seems, alone provides us infants with the milk of love; and truly blessed are those alone who suckle from this breast. For this reason Peter also says: "Therefore, putting away all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander, as newborn babies, desire the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, if you have tasted that Christ is the Lord." But if someone were to say to them that food is something other than milk, then how would they not be led astray, not understanding the nature of it? For the nourishment, as winter grows harsh and the surrounding air does not pass through the enclosed warmth inside, is boiled and digested, then passes into the veins through the blood; but the veins, not receiving breath, become especially full, tense, and throbbing. Therefore, the breasts become especially full at that time with milk. It has been shown to us a little earlier that blood in pregnant women changes into milk by transformation, not by substance; just as blond hair in old people changes into gray hair by neglect. But in summer, when the body is thinner, it provides nourishment that is less rich; and the milk is least abundant, since neither the blood nor all the nourishment is fully retained. If then the processing of nourishment is drawn out as blood, and the blood is turned into milk—since blood is the preparation of milk, just as human blood is, and the sap of the vine —. Therefore, to milk, the Lord's nourishment, we are nursed immediately after birth; and immediately after being born again, we are honored, proclaiming the hope of rest, the heavenly Jerusalem, in which it is written that honey and milk flow; through the flesh, we are betrothed to the holy nourishment. For the foods are abolished, as the Apostle himself says, but the nourishment through milk leads to the heavens, having raised us as citizens of heaven and companions in the dance of angels. Since the Word is a spring of living water, and is called a river of oil, Paul rightly uses allegory, also calling him milk, saying, "I gave you drink"; for the Word is to be drunk, the nourishment of truth. He does not care, and the drink is also called liquid nourishment. It is possible for the same thing to be both food and drink, depending on how it is understood; just as cheese is a curdled or solidified milk. For I do not care about wordplay now; rather, both kinds of nourishment serve one substance. But even for little children who are still nursing, milk alone is enough; it is both a drink and food. "I," says the Lord, "have food to eat that you do not know about." My food is to do the will of the one who sent me. You see another food, allegorically similar to milk, which is the will of God. But also the cup of the fulfillment of his own passion has been called by way of abuse, because it was only necessary to drink it and to complete it. Thus, for Christ, the food was the fulfillment of the Father's will; but for us, Christ himself is the food for infants, those who do not yet fully drink the Word of heaven. From this comes the calling to seek and to believe, because for those seeking infants, the breasts of the Father's love provide the milk. Moreover, the Word himself acknowledges that he is the bread of heaven: "For Moses did not give you the bread from heaven; but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." And the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Here the mystery of the bread must be noted, because it is called flesh, and as if it were rising through fire, just as fire rises from decay and seed; and yet it is united through fire into the joy of the Church, like bread that has been baked. But again, this will be made clearer to us in the On the Resurrection. Since he said, "And the bread that I will give is my flesh," flesh is nourished by blood; and the blood is symbolized by wine. It must be understood that just as bread, crushed into a mixture, takes in the wine and leaves behind the watery part, so also the flesh of the Lord, the bread of heaven, drinks in the blood, the heavenly blood of humans, nourishing it into incorruption, while leaving behind only those things subject to decay, the fleshly desires. In this way, the Word is allegorized in many ways: as food, flesh, nourishment, bread, blood, and milk; all these things the Lord provides for the enjoyment of those of us who have trusted in him. Let no one be disturbed, then, when we say that the blood of the Lord is allegorized as milk; for is not wine also allegorized? "The one who washes," he says, "his robe in wine, and his garment in the blood of the grape." He says that the body of the Word is adorned by his Spirit, just as he cares for those who are hungry for the Word by nourishing them with his Spirit. That the blood is the Word is shown by the blood of righteous Abel offering itself to God; for blood itself would never make a sound, unless the blood is understood as the Word. For the old righteous man is a type of the new righteous one; and the blood offering the old one is a figure of the blood of the new. The blood speaks to God, the Word; since the blood was announcing the Word to the one who was persuaded. But also the flesh itself, and the blood in it, like milk being fed by a stork, is nourished and grows. And indeed the shaping of the conceived one is worked by the pure residue left after the monthly cleansing, which nourishes the seed; for in this there is power, clotting the nature of the blood, just as the bile forms the milk, and it produces the substance of the shape; the mixture is healthy, but the excess is harmful, leading to barrenness. For the seed of the earth itself is washed away by heavy rains; but through a dry drought, it dries up. The juice, being sticky, holds the seed together and causes it to grow. Some also claim that the seed of the animal is essentially the foam of the blood; this foam is stirred up and separated by the natural heat of the male, breaking apart from the mixtures, and it is called foam, even when it is mixed with the seeds; from this, the Apolloniates Diogenes wants the Aphrodisia to be named. It is therefore clear from all these things that the substance of the human body is blood. And indeed, the substance in the stomach is at first a watery, milky mixture; then, as it loses blood, this mixture becomes flesh; and when it is thickened in the womb by the natural and warm spirit, through which the embryo is formed, it is given life. But even after pregnancy, the child is nourished again with the same blood; for the flow of milk is the nature of blood, and milk is the source of nourishment; therefore, a woman who has truly given birth is also a mother; through this, she receives a bond of affection. For this reason, the holy Spirit in the Apostle, using the voice of the Lord, says mysteriously, "I have fed you with milk." For if we have been born again into Christ, the one who has born us again nourishes us with his own milk, the Word; for everything that gives birth seems immediately to provide food to the one born. Just as rebirth is spiritual, so too has nourishment become spiritual for the person. Therefore, in every way, let us belong entirely to Christ, and into kinship through his blood, by which we are redeemed; and into sharing through the upbringing from the Word; and into incorruptibility through his conduct;

To nourish among mortals often

Nature provides many more potions for nourishing children.

The same, then, is blood and milk of the Lord, a symbol of suffering and teaching. Therefore, it is fitting for each of us infants to boast in the Lord, having spoken out,

"From a good Father, I pray to be of good blood."

Just as milk comes from blood by transformation, this is already clear; but it is also possible to learn this from the flocks and from the herdsmen. For these animals, at the time of year we call spring, when the surroundings are more moist, and when the pastures and the grazing lands are fresh and fertile, are first filled with blood, as shown by the shape of the veins bending the vessels; then from the blood, milk flows more abundantly. In summer, on the other hand, when the heat burns and dries up, the blood stops this transformation, and less milk is drawn. Indeed, milk has a very natural kinship with water, just as the spiritual bath is not indifferent to spiritual nourishment. Those who drink the milk mentioned above are immediately helped by a little cold water; for the sharing of milk with water does not spoil it, not by some opposition, but rather by a kind of complement. And just as the Word has fellowship with baptism, so milk has exchange with water, for it alone among liquids accepts mixing with water, receiving purification, just like baptism for the forgiveness of sins. It is also mixed freely with honey, again for purification along with the sweetness of nourishment; for the Word, mingled with kindness, heals the passions and cleanses sins; and the,

"… The voice flows sweeter than honey,"

It seems to me that the phrase about the Word is spoken concerning honey. And prophecy often refers to honey and wax. Indeed, milk is also mixed with sweet wine; the mixture is beneficial, like transforming passion into incorruption. For milk is poured out by the wine and curdles; whatever is false in it is drained away. In the same way, spiritual fellowship with the believer drives out fleshly desires and draws the person into eternity with the divine, making them immortal.

But many also use the rich part of milk, which they call butter, for lamps—the many-branched lampstand of the Word, clearly shown by a clear riddle, as the only one that rightly nourishes, grows, and enlightens infants. For this reason, Scripture says about the Lord: "He fed them with the produce of the fields; he nourished them with honey from the rock, and oil from the solid rock, with butter from cows, and milk from sheep, with the fat of lambs." And He gave them these things.

Also, the prophet speaking about the birth of the child says, "Butter and honey he will eat." But I am amazed how some dare to call themselves perfect and knowledgeable beyond the Apostle, puffed up and boasting—while Paul himself confesses about himself: "Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect; but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." And he considers himself perfect because he has left behind his former life and has the better one—not as perfect in knowledge, but as one who strives for perfection. Therefore, he says, "Therefore, as many as are perfect, this is what we think." By perfect, he clearly means being set free from sins and reborn in faith in the only perfect one, forgetting past sins.

Chapter 7

What the Instructor Is; and Concerning His Guidance

Since then we have shown that all of us are called children by Scripture, and not only that, but also that we who have followed Christ are called infants in an allegorical way, and that only the Father of all is perfect; for in him is the Son, and in the Son is the Father; it is now time for us, who follow in order, to speak about our Instructor, who he is. He is called Jesus. So then, when he calls himself a shepherd, and says, "I am the good shepherd," it is metaphorical, taken from the shepherds who lead the sheep, meaning the one who leads the children, understood as the Instructor, the guardian shepherd of the infants; for the infants are simple, allegorically like sheep. "And they will become", he says, "all one flock, and one shepherd." The Word is therefore rightly called the Instructor, the one who leads us children to salvation. Most clearly, then, the Word has spoken about himself through Hosea: "But I am your teacher". Godliness is true guidance, being the learning of God's care, and instruction toward the knowledge of truth, a right leading that brings upward to heaven. Guidance is called by many names; it is both that of the one being led and learning, and that of the one leading and teaching. It is also thirdly the leading itself, and fourthly the things taught, such as the commandments. The guidance according to God is a directing of truth toward the vision of God, and an example of holy actions in eternal dwelling. Just as the general directs the army, planning ahead for the salvation of the soldiers; and as the helmsman steers the ship, choosing to save those on board; so also the Guide leads the children toward the saving way of life, for the sake of our own care. And in general, whatever we reasonably ask from God to be given to us will be granted to those who obey the Guide. Just as the helmsman does not always yield to the winds, but sometimes stands firm against all storms at the bow; so too the Guide never submits to the laws breathing in this world, nor allows the child, like a ship, to rush into a wild and lawless way of life. Rather, having been raised by the spirit of truth alone, he strongly holds the rudders of the child's ears, until the child is safely anchored in the harbor of heaven. For the custom they call ancestral still lasts; but the divine way of life is a possession that remains forever. They say that the tutor of Achilles was Phoenix, and that of Croesus' children was Adrastus. Alexander's tutor was Leonidas, and Philip's was Naucithus; but Phoenix was a womanizer, and Adrastus was a fugitive. Leonidas did not cure the madness of the Macedonian, nor did Naucithus heal the drunkenness of the one from Pella. Zopyrus, the Thracian, was not able to restrain Alcibiades' debauchery; but Zopyrus was a slave for sale. And the tutor of Themistocles' children, Sicinus, was a lazy servant; they say he was found dancing and acting like a fool. We were not forgotten by the royal tutors called "royal" among the Persians; the kings of the Persians chose four of the best from all the Persians to be tutors for their own children. But the children learn only how to shoot arrows from them; when they reach adulthood, they mix in countless numbers with their sisters, mothers, wives, both wives and concubines, just like boars trained for mating. But our Instructor, the holy God Jesus, the Word who guides all humanity; he himself, the loving God, is the tutor. For the Spirit, through the song, says to him: "He satisfied the people in the desert; in thirst and heat, he surrounded them in the waterless place, and he taught them, and guarded them like the apple of the eye, like an eagle covering its young; and he longed for his chicks; he spread his wings, took them, and carried them on his breasts." The Lord alone led them, and there was no foreign god with them. Clearly, I think, the Scripture shows the Instructor, describing his guidance. Again, when he speaks through his own person, he confesses himself to be the Instructor: "I am the Lord, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." Who then has the authority to lead both in and out? Is it not the Instructor? He appeared to Abraham and said to him, "I am your God; be pleased before me." He most fittingly appoints this one as a faithful child: "And be blameless," he said, "and I will establish my covenant between me and you and between your offspring." Here is fellowship of intimate friendship. But Jacob clearly appears to be an Instructor. He says to him, "Behold, I am with you, guarding you in every way you go; and I will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have spoken to you." It is said that he also wrestled with this one: "But Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him, the Instructor, until morning." This man was the one who led and carried, who trained together with him, and anointed the ascetic Jacob against evil. That the Word was the anointer along with Jacob, and the Instructor of humanity: "He asked him," it says, "and said to him, 'Tell me your name.'". And he said, "Why do you ask my name?" For he was watching the new name for the new people, the infant. And the Lord God was still unnamed, not yet become man; but Jacob called the name of that place, God's Vision; for he says, "I have seen God face to face, and my soul was saved." The Word is the face of God, by whom God is enlightened and made known. Then Israel was also named, when he saw the Lord God. This is the God, the Word, the Instructor, who later said to him again: "Do not be afraid to go down into Egypt." See how the Instructor follows the righteous one, so that he may also anoint the ascetic; teaching the opponent to stumble. This same one indeed teaches Moses to be a teacher, for the Lord says: "If anyone has sinned before me, I erase him from my book; but now go, and lead this people to the place I told you." Here he is a teacher of guidance; for truly the Lord was the Instructor through Moses of the people of the old covenant, and through him he leads the new people, face to face. Behold, he says to Moses, my angel goes before you; having established the good news and the leadership power of the Word. Keeping the lordly office; "But on the day I visit, I will bring upon them their sin," he says; that is, on the day when I am set as judge, I will repay their sins with what they deserve. For the same Instructor and judge judges those who disobey him; the loving Word does not overlook their sin, but reproves them so that they may repent; for the Lord desires the repentance of the sinner more than death.. But we, receiving the sins of others like children through hearing, and fearing the threat of suffering the same things, let us avoid committing equal faults ourselves. What then was it that I sinned? Because in their anger they killed men, and in their desire they slaughtered a bull; cursed is their anger. Who then would be more loving toward us in discipline than this? The earlier people, the elder nation, had an older covenant, and the law disciplined the people with fear, and the Word was a messenger; but to the new and young people a new and fresh covenant has been given, and the Word has become, and the fear has been changed into love, and that mysterious messenger, Jesus, is born. For the same Instructor then said, "Fear the Lord God"; but to us, he advised, "You shall love the Lord your God"; for this reason he commands us, "Cease" "from your works," from the old sins; "Learn to do good; turn away from evil, and do good; you have loved righteousness, you have hated lawlessness." This New Covenant of mine is engraved in the Old by the letter. Therefore, the newness of the Word is not to be blamed. But also in Jeremiah the Lord says: "Do not say, 'I am new'; before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; and before you came out of the womb, I set you apart." This prophecy can be understood as referring to us, who were known to God by faith before the foundation of the world; but now we are infants, because of the will of God fulfilled in the present time; for we have become newborns for calling and salvation. Therefore, he also brings forward, "I have made you a prophet to the nations" ; saying that he must prophesy, so that the title of new is not thought to be a disgrace when given to those called infants. But the law is an old grace, given through Moses by the Word. Therefore the Scripture says, "The law was given through Moses"; not by Moses himself, but by the Word through Moses, his servant; and so it became temporary; but the eternal grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. You see the words of Scripture: concerning the law it says only "was given"; but the truth, being the grace of the Father, is the eternal work of the Word; and it is no longer said to be given, but to come through Jesus, without whom not even one thing came to be.. Immediately then Moses, prophetically yielding to the perfect Instructor, the Word, foretells both the name and the teaching, and sets before the people the teacher, handing over commands for obedience; "A prophet will the God raise up for you like me from among your brothers," he says, hinting at Jesus, the son of God, through the son of Nun; for the name Jesus proclaimed in the law was a shadow of the Lord. He then brings forward, advising what is beneficial for the people: "You will listen to him," he says; "And the man who does not listen to this prophet, to him he threatens." He prophesies for us such a name of a savior and teacher. For this reason, prophecy places a rod on him, a rod for teaching, original and authoritative; so that those whom the obedient Word does not heal, the threat will heal; but those whom the threat does not heal, the rod will heal; and those whom the rod does not heal, fire will be poured out.** "He will come forth," he says, "a rod from the root of Jesse." See also the care, and the wisdom, and the power of the Instructor: "He will not judge by appearance," he says, "nor will he rebuke by speech; he will judge with humble judgment, and he will rebuke the sinners of the earth." And through David: "The Lord has disciplined me; I was disciplined, and he did not hand me over to death." For to be disciplined and taught by the Lord is freedom from death. And through the same prophet he says: "You will shepherd them with an iron rod." Moved by this as well, the Apostle says in the letter to the Corinthians, "What do you want?" he says: "Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and with a spirit of gentleness?" But also, "The Lord will send out a rod of power" from Zion, through another prophet he says. But this rod of yours, your staff and your rod, have encouraged me, someone else said. This is the power of the Instructor, majestic, comforting, and saving.

Chapter 8

To the leaders: righteousness is not good.

Here some say that the Lord is not good because of the rod, the threat, and the fear; and having disobeyed, it seems, the Scripture which says somewhere like this: "And the one who fears the Lord turns back to his heart." But they forget the greatest part of his kindness, that for us a man became. And indeed the prophet prays more intimately for him through these things: "Remember us," because we are dust; that is, "Have compassion on us," since you have personally experienced the weakness of the flesh. In this, then, the Lord, the Instructor, is excellent and blameless, having naturally sympathized with each person through abundant kindness. For the Lord hates nothing at all; for he certainly does not hate something but wishes it to be, nor does he wish something not to be and yet becomes the cause of its being, which he wishes not to be. Nor indeed does he wish something not to be, yet it exists. If then the Word hates anything, he wishes it not to be; but there is nothing for which God does not provide the cause of its being. Therefore, nothing is hated by God, nor by the Word; for God and the Word are one. As it is said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." But if he does not hate anything that comes from him, it follows that he loves it; and much more than all else, he will naturally love man, the most beautiful of the things created by him, and a god-loving being. God is therefore loving toward humanity; the Word is therefore loving toward humanity. But the one who loves something wishes to help it. Helping someone who does not help in return would certainly be better in some way. Not even one thing is better than the good. Therefore, the good does help. God is acknowledged as good; therefore, God helps. The good, in what it is good, does nothing else but help; therefore, God helps all things. And surely God helps a person, but does not harm him; God neither harms nor neglects him. For it is better to help according to understanding than not to help according to understanding; but nothing is better than God. And helping according to understanding is nothing else but caring for the person. Therefore, God also cares for and looks after the person. This is shown in action, by the Word guiding him, who is the true companion in God's love for humanity. Being good is not said to be good simply because one has virtue; just as justice is called good not because it has virtue—since it is virtue itself—but because it is good in itself and for itself. Good is also said in another way to mean what is useful, not what pleases, but what benefits. All that justice is —both as a virtue and as something chosen for itself—is good, and it is good not because it pleases; for it does not judge for the sake of favor, but it is the fair distributor according to the worth of each. What is useful follows what is advantageous. In all the parts, then, by which the good is examined and justice is defined, both share in equality; and those things that are defined by equality are equal to each other and alike. Justice, then, is good. How then, they say, if the Lord is loving to people and good, does he become angry and punish? It is necessary, then, to explain this as briefly as possible; since such management is somehow useful for the proper upbringing of children, having the order of necessary help. Many of the sufferings are healed by punishment and the command of stricter orders, and indeed also through the teaching of certain visions. The examination is like a kind of surgery on the passions of the soul; and the passions of truth are a separation, which must be examined by dividing in the cutting. Reproach is like a medicine, loosening the hardened passions and cleansing the filthy stains of a life of lust, and also smoothing out the excesses of blindness, restoring the person to health and truth. Admonition, then, is like a regimen for a sick soul, part of which must be accepted as advice, and part forbidden; but all of it aims toward salvation and eternal health. But even the general, after causing financial losses and the abuses suffered by the very bodies of the soldiers, handing them over in chains and the worst disgrace to those who wronged them, sometimes punishing some with death, still has the good purpose of disciplining the soldiers under his command. Likewise, our great general, the Word who leads all, corrects those who rage against his law, in order to free them from slavery and error and from the captivity of the enemy, advising them to restrain the passions of the soul, and guiding them toward harmony and peace in the holy community. Just as the encouraging speech is connected to the advisory and comforting kind, so too the praising speech is linked to the blaming, insulting, and praising forms. This kind is a critical art. To criticize is a sign of goodwill, not of hatred. For both the friend and the enemy are blamed; but the enemy does so mockingly, while the friend does so out of goodwill. The Lord is not insulted by people out of hatred; those whom it would be possible for him to destroy for their own reasons, he has suffered for on our behalf. For as a good tutor, he skillfully puts on blame even through insult, like a whip, stirring up the sluggishness of the mind by means of the abuse. Again, in part, he tries to urge the same ones; for those whom praise did not encourage, blame provoked them; and those whom blame did not call to salvation like the dead, abuse raises up toward the truth. For whips and discipline are at all times the wisdom of wisdom. "Joining a shard, and teaching the foolish; leading the earth to perception, and sharpening the despairing toward understanding." For this reason, he clearly said, "Waking the sleeper from deep sleep," who seems to die more than all others. And indeed he clearly shows about himself, those who the many-sided and very useful service of allegories, when he said, "I am the true vine; and my Father is the gardener." Then he added again, "Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away; and every one that does bear fruit he cleanses, so that it may bear more fruit." For the vine that is not pruned grows wild; and so it is with a person. The Word, the sword, cleanses the branches that grow wildly, forcing desires not to want to bear fruit. The rebuke toward sinners aims at salvation, with the Word being adjusted musically according to each person's nature: sometimes tightening, sometimes easing. It is very clear, then, that through Moses it is said: "Be strong, because God has come to test you; so that his fear may be in you, in order that you do not sin." From this it follows rightly that Plato, having learned, says, "For all who give justice truly suffer good things; for they are helped, by being punished justly, to make their soul better." If those who are corrected suffer good things from the just, then according to Plato it is agreed that justice itself is good; at least fear benefits, and it is found to be toward good for people; because "the spirit that fears the Lord will live; for hope is in the one who saves them." But this same Word, imposing justice, is a judge; about whom Isaiah also says: "The Lord has delivered him to our sins." Clearly a corrector and guide of sins; therefore, he alone is able to forgive faults, having been appointed by the Father of all as our Instructor, the only one able to distinguish obedience from disobedience. The one who threatens clearly does not want to do any evil, nor to carry out what he threatens; but having established fear, he stops the course toward sins. And he shows his love for humanity, intending still to make clear how they will be persuaded if they remain sinners; not, like a natural snake, to bite immediately. Therefore, God is good. And the Lord also often uses the word before the action: "For my arrows," he says, "will accomplish them; being consumed by famine and the eating of birds; and by incurable pain in the back." I will send the teeth of wild beasts against them, dragging them with anger upon the earth. From outside, the sword will destroy them, and from the storehouses, fear. Just as the Divine does not get angry in the way some think, but mostly refrains, yet advised all of humanity and showed how things should be done. This is a good skill, to frighten so that we do not sin; for the fear of the Lord drives away sins; but the one without fear cannot be justified, says Scripture. And God does not bring punishment out of anger, but considers what is just; so that justice is not neglected on our account. Each of us chooses punishments for ourselves, willingly sinning; the one who chooses is to blame; God is without blame. If our wrongdoing establishes God's justice, what shall we say?? God is not unjust, the one who brings the anger. ? By no means! He says, threatening: "I will sharpen my sword, and my hand will hold judgment; and I myself will repay justice to my enemies, and I will repay those who hate me." I will soak my arrows in blood; and my sword will eat flesh from the blood of the wounded. For it is clear here that those who do not destroy themselves by the truth, nor hate the Word, would not hate their own salvation, and they would escape the punishments of enmity. Stephen, then, is the crown of wisdom, which Wisdom calls the fear of the Lord. Most clearly, through the prophet Amos, the Word revealed his plan: "I destroyed you," he says, "just as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and you became like a torch torn from the fire; and yet you did not return to me," says the Lord. You see how God seeks repentance out of love for goodness; and alongside the plan of threat, his own kindness is shown in calmness. "I will turn my face away from them, and I will show what will happen to them," he says. For where the face of the Lord looks, there is peace and joy; but where it turns away, evil breaks in. He does not want to look upon evil, for he is good; but when he looks away willingly because of human unbelief, evil takes hold. Behold, then, Paul says, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but kindness toward you, if you continue in kindness, that is, in faith toward Christ. Evil follows the good, since by nature it is evil. Therefore, I would agree that unbelievers deserve punishment; for punishment is for the good and for the benefit of the one being punished. It is a correction for one who resists; but to be avenged is not to want. Punishment is a repayment of evil, sent back for the benefit of the one who punishes. But the one who teaches to pray for those who harm us would not desire to be avenged. But everyone agrees that God is good; and that the same God is also just, I do not need to say more, since the voice of the Lord's Gospel speaks for itself. He says that he is one, "That they all may be one, as you, Father, are in me, and I in you; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that you sent me". And I have given them the glory which you gave me, so that they may be one, just as we are one; I in them, and you in me, so that they may be made perfect into one. God is one, and beyond the one, and above it, is unity. Therefore, the "You" part, having a demonstrative emphasis, shows the truly only being, who was, and is, and will be, God; in whom the name of three times is one, the one who is. That the same one alone who is God and just is also the same and only one, truly, the Lord will bear witness in the Gospel, saying: "Father, those whom you gave me, I want them to be where I am, so that they may be with me, that they may see the glory that you gave me; because you loved me before the foundation of the world. Righteous Father; and the world did not know you; but I knew you, and they knew that you sent me, and I made your name known to them, and I will make it known. This is the one who pays the sins of the fathers upon the children of those who hate, and shows mercy to those who love.. For the one who sets some on the right and others on the left, as the Father is understood to be good, he alone is called good; but as the Son, being his Word, is in the Father, he is called just, because of the relationship between them; a name of power measured by the equality of love. "A man," it says, "is judged according to his works"; the face of justice is the balance of good for us, Jesus, having known God, through whom we also have known God, as if from a vessel of equal strength. On this point, Wisdom also plainly says: "For mercy and anger go together.. For the Lord alone is the ruler of both, pouring out anger while mostly showing his mercy. So also is his rebuke: for the goal of both mercy and rebuke is the salvation of those being corrected.. Yes, indeed, that God is good and the Father of our Lord Jesus, the same Word will again confess, "For he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked." And further, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful," he says. Indeed, also when he speaks plainly: "No one is good except my Father" who is in heaven. And again on this point: "My Father," he says, "makes his sun shine on all." It should be noted here that he confesses his Father to be good and a creator; and it is not disputed that the creator is just. And again, "My Father," he says, "sends rain on the just and the unjust." And insofar as he sends rain, he is the creator of waters and clouds; but insofar as he sends it on all, he equally balances justice and virtue; and as good, he does the same for the just and the unjust.. It is very clear, then, that we consider God to be one and the same, in this way: that the Holy Spirit sang, "I will look at the heavens, the work of your fingers;" and, "The one who made the heavens dwells in the heavens;" and, "The heaven is your throne." But the Lord says in prayer, "Our Father who is in the heavens." The heavens belong to the one who created the world. It is therefore undeniable that the Lord of the Creator is the Son. If the creator is confessed to be just above all, and the Lord is the Son of the Creator, then the Lord is the Son of the just one. For this reason Paul also says: "But now the righteousness of God has been revealed apart from the law;" and again, so that you might understand God better: "The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ is for all who believe; for there is no distinction." And further, bearing witness to the truth, he adds a little later: "In the forbearance of God, to show that he is righteous and the one who justifies the one who has faith in Jesus." Knowing that what is just is good, he seems to say somewhere: "Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good." And by the same power, he assigns both names. But also, "No one is good except his Father." The same Father of his, the one who is one, is revealed by many powers; and this was the saying, "No one has known the Father," knowing him to be all, before the Son came. That it is clear by the truths that there is only one God of all things, good, just, creator, Son in the Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen. But not even foreign to the saving Word, to be insulted in a guardian-like way. And indeed this too is a remedy of divine love for humanity, from which the blush of shame blooms, and the shame toward sinning creeps in; for if one must blame, one must also be insulted; there the time is to wound the hard-hearted soul, not fatally, but savingly, gaining an eternal death from a little pain. Great is the wisdom concerning his discipline, and the manner of his management is varied for salvation. For the Instructor bears witness to the good; he calls the called to better things, and he turns away those eager to do wrong from their impulse; he urges them to change to a better life. For it is not a different witness, but one that is confirmed by another; and grace is greatest through testimony. But even the passion of anger (if one must call his admonition anger) is loving toward humanity, because God comes down to suffer for the sake of humanity, for whom the Word of God also became man.

Chapter 9

That the same power both benefits and punishes justly; in which, what is the manner of the Instructor's guidance of the Word.

To every strength, then, the Instructor of humanity, our divine Word, using every device of wisdom, is appointed to save the infants, by admonishing, rebuking, reprimanding, reproving, threatening, healing, promising, and granting favor; to many, as if with reins, binding the irrational impulses of humanity. In short, then, the Lord is to us just as we are to our children. Children are yours? Train them, Wisdom advises; and bend them from their youth. Daughters are yours? Take care of their body, and do not show a cheerful face toward them. And indeed, we love our children, both sons and daughters, very much and above all else. Since some, living for pleasure, love only a little what does not cause pain, while others, aiming for benefit, though painful at the moment, do good for the future age; the Lord did not look at immediate pleasure, but at the delight that is to come. Let us now also consider his way of loving-kindness in teaching, along with the testimony of the prophets. Correction, then, is a caring rebuke that implants understanding. Such is the Instructor who corrects, as he says in the Gospel: "How often I wanted to gather your children, just as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling." Again, the Scripture corrects: "And they committed adultery, saying to the wood and the stone, and they lusted after Baal." For the greatest proof of his love for humanity is that, although he clearly knows the shamelessness of the people who have kicked him away and turned away, he still calls them to repentance, and through Ezekiel he says: "Son of man, you live among scorpions; speak to them, if indeed they will listen." But also to Moses: "Go," he says, "and tell Pharaoh to send the people away; but I know that he will not send them away". For he shows both the divine, foreseeing what will happen, and his love for humanity, giving reasons for repentance to the free will of the soul. He also admonishes through Isaiah, caring for the people, when he says: "This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me". This is a reproach that exposes fault. "They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men". Here the care, having revealed the sin, also shows salvation by way of contrast. Rebuke is a blame for shameful things, familiar to what is good; this is shown through Jeremiah: "They have become lustful horses; each one neighs after his neighbor's wife". . "Am I not going to take notice of these things," says the Lord, "or will my soul not take revenge on such a people?" Fear is everywhere intertwined, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. And again through Hosea: "I will not take notice," he says, "of them? "Because they have joined themselves with prostitutes, and have sacrificed with the ritualistically impure, and the people" "who understand have been entwined with a prostitute." Their sin is shown more clearly by their understanding and confessing it, as if they are sinning willingly. And understanding is the sight of the soul, therefore also Israel, "the one who sees God", that is, the one who understands God. Blame is a fault, like that of those who neglect or disregard. He has used this method of discipline through Isaiah, saying: "Listen, heaven, and pay attention, earth, for the Lord has spoken: I have raised and brought up sons; but they have rejected me." The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's manger; but Israel did not know me. How terrible it is, then, if the one who knows God does not recognize the Lord, but the ox and the donkey, the slow and foolish animals, know the one who feeds them; yet Israel will be found more senseless than these? And through Jeremiah, after much rebuke of the people, he brings this up: "And they have forsaken me," says the Lord. Rebuke is a reprimand, a sharp correction, or a striking blame. The Instructor also used this treatment through Isaiah, saying: "Woe to the rebellious children." The Lord says these things: "You have made plans not by me, and agreements not through my spirit." He uses the sharpest correction with fear in each case, both silencing and turning the people through it toward salvation; just as dyed wool loves to be pressed, becoming firmly receptive to the dye. Rebuke is a spoken word that brings sin into the open; it is especially used as a necessary method of discipline because of the weakness of the faith of many. For he says through Isaiah: "You have forsaken the Lord, and you have angered the Holy One of Israel." And he also says through Jeremiah: "The heavens have been amazed at this, and the earth shuddered greatly"; "For this people has done two evil things: they have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and they have dug broken cisterns that cannot hold water". And again through the same one: "Jerusalem has sinned; therefore she has become a cause of shaking." All who honored her have dishonored her, because they saw her disgrace. Encouraged by Solomon's strict and pointed rebuke, he speaks, hinting at what is left unsaid, the one who loves children and discipline: "My son," do not despise the Lord's discipline; do not lose heart when you are corrected by him.. For the Lord loves the one he disciplines, and he punishes every son he accepts; for a sinful person turns away from correction. Therefore, it says, "Let the righteous rebuke me, and let him discipline me; let the oil of the sinner not anoint my head." It is understanding, a reproach that comes from the mind. Nor did he refrain from this method of discipline, but through Jeremiah he says, "How long shall I cry out, and they will not listen?" "Behold, their ears are uncircumcised." O blessed patience! And again through the same one: "All the nations are uncircumcised; but this people is uncircumcised in heart, for they are a people disobedient, the children, he says, in whom there is no faith." But oversight is a severe rebuke. This form has been used in the Gospel: "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her." And the repetition of the name makes the rebuke stronger; for he who knows God, how can he persecute the servants of God? Therefore, he says, your house is left desolate; for I tell you now, you will not see me until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'. For if you do not accept kindness, you will recognize authority. But a reproach is a harsh word. But he has used reproach as a kind of poison through Isaiah, saying: "Woe to a sinful nation, sons lawless," "a people full of sins, a wicked seed." And also in the Gospel according to John, he says, "Serpents, offspring of vipers." A reproach is a blame of those doing wrong. He used this instruction through David: "A people I did not know spoke against me, and they served me; they listened with an ear to hear me. Sons who were strangers lied to me and turned away from their paths." And through Jeremiah: "And I gave her a scroll of rebellion, and unrepentant Judah was not afraid." Again: "And the house of Israel sought me; and the house of Judah deceived the Lord." Complaining is a secret fault aided by craft, and it manages its own salvation under a cover. It was used through Jeremiah: "How lonely sits the city, once full of people? "she has become like a widow, ruler of the lands; she has become a servant paying tribute; crying, she wept through the night." Slander is a fault that drags others down. And the divine Instructor used this help through Jeremiah, saying: "You have become the face of a prostitute, shameless toward all; and you did not call me a house, or a father, or the ruler of your virginity." And, "A beautiful and charming prostitute, skilled in potions." The virgin is skillfully insulted by the name of prostitution, and then, ashamed, she is called back to her dignity. Correction is a lawful rebuke, or a rebuke of the ways that are raised beyond what is proper. Through this, he instructs by Moses: "Children," he says, "a rebellious generation, a crooked and twisted race; these you repay to the Lord." This people is foolish, and not wise. Is it not this Father himself who acquired you? And through Isaiah he says: "Your rulers are rebellious, partners of thieves, loving gifts, chasing after bribes, not judging orphans." The whole practice concerning the fear of him is a source of salvation; and saving is indeed good. "The mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh, reproving, and disciplining, and teaching," "like a shepherd his flock; he has mercy on those who receive discipline, and on those who eagerly seek to cling to him." And by this guidance he preserved six hundred thousand foot soldiers, who were gathered together in the place where they had hardness of heart, by scourging, mercy, and striking, healing, with compassion and discipline. "For as much as his mercy, so" "also is his reproof." For it is good not to sin, and also good for the one who sins to repent; just as it is best to be healthy always, so it is good to heal from disease. This is also commanded through Solomon: "You, strike your son with a rod, but save his soul from death." And again: "Do not hold back discipline from a child; correct him with the rod, for he will not die." Reproof and reprimand, as their name suggests, are wounds of the soul, correcting sins and keeping death away; they lead those who are falling into wrongdoing toward good sense. Plato, knowing that reproof has the greatest power of correction and the most important cleansing, says accordingly, "He who is very impure, uneducated, and shameful wants to remain uncorrected, although the one who is truly to be happy should be the purest and most beautiful." For if rulers are not a fear to good behavior, how will the naturally good God be a fear to the one who does not sin? But if you do wrong, be afraid, as the Apostle says. For this reason the Apostle himself also rebukes each of the Churches in the image of the Lord; and, aware of his own boldness and the weakness of those listening, he says to the Galatians, "I have become your enemy by telling you the truth." Just as those who are healthy do not need a doctor, no matter how strong they are, but the sick need the skill; so we who are sick in life, both concerning shameful desires and blameworthy lack of self-control, and concerning the burning of other passions, need the Savior; and he not only applies gentle medicines, but also the astringent ones. The laws of sins stand firm, the bitter roots of fear. Therefore, fear is also saving, even if bitter. It is fitting, then, that we who are sick need the Savior; those who have gone astray need the one who teaches; and the blind need the one who brings light; and those who thirst for the living spring, from which those who partake will no longer thirst; and the dead in life are in need; and the sheep need the shepherd; and the children need the tutor; but all humanity needs Jesus—so that we may not, being untrained and sinful, fall at last into condemnation, but be separated from the chaff and gathered into the ancestral storehouse. For the spit in the hand of the Lord, to which the chaff owed to the fire responds. It is allowed, if you wish, to learn from the all-holy shepherd and tutor, the almighty and paternal Word, the highest wisdom, where he speaks allegorically, calling himself a shepherd of sheep; and a tutor is one who guides little children. He says indeed through Ezekiel, addressing the elders and offering them some saving advice as a mark of wise care: "And I will bind up the lame, and heal the one who is troubled, and turn back the one who has gone astray; and I will shepherd them myself on my holy mountain." These are the promises of a good shepherd. Shepherd us, the infants, like sheep. Yes, Master, fill your flock with righteousness; yes, Instructor, shepherd us to your holy mountain, to the Church, the exalted, the cloud-surrounded, the one touching the heavens. And I will be, he says, their shepherd, and I will be near them, like the garment of their skin. He wishes to save my flesh, clothing it with the garment of incorruptibility; and my skin has grown old. They will call me, he says, and I will say, Behold, I am here.. You obeyed more quickly than I expected, Master. And if they walk, they will not stumble, says the Lord. For we will not fall into corruption if we walk into incorruption, because he himself will hold fast to you; for he himself said it, and he willed it himself. Such is our Instructor, truly good and just. "I did not come," he says, "to be served, but to serve." For this reason, in the Gospel, the one who is weary on our behalf is introduced as having "groaned," and "promising to give his life as a ransom for many." For this one alone is acknowledged to be a good shepherd. Therefore, he is generous who gives the greatest thing for us, his own life; and he is greatly kind and loving toward humanity, because although he is Lord, he has willed to be a brother; and he is so good that he is willing to die even more than we do. But also his righteousness cried out: "If you come straight to me, I will come straight to you; if you walk crookedly, I will be crooked too," says the Lord of hosts, hinting at the crooked paths of the rebukes of sinners. For the straight way, which he hints at by the iota of Jesus, is his goodness toward those who have trusted in obedience, unshakable and unchanging. "Because you called and did not obey," says the Lord, "but you made my plans void; and you do not pay attention to my rebukes." Thus the Lord's rebuke is most helpful. About these things, and through David, he says: "A crooked and bitter generation; a generation that did not direct its own heart, and its spirit was not faithful to God; they did not keep the covenant of God, and in his law they did not want to walk." These are the causes of bitterness, because of which the judge comes to bring punishment on those who have chosen not to live well; for this reason, a heavier burden has been laid upon them here, so that they might somehow be stopped from rushing toward death. He says, then, through David, the clearest cause of the threat: "They did not believe in his wonders." Whenever he killed them, they sought him out, and turned back, and early in the morning they rose to God, and they remembered that God is their helper, and the Most High God is their redeemer. Thus he knows that they are turning back because of fear, but that they have despised his kindness; for the good, which is always kind, is generally neglected, but it is healed by reminding with the kind fear of justice. There are two kinds of fear: one is accompanied by respect, which citizens use toward good rulers, and we use toward God, just like sensible children toward their fathers. For the horse, he says, comes out wild and untamed; and the son, when left to himself, comes out reckless. The other kind of fear is mixed with hatred, which slaves use toward harsh masters, and the Hebrews, having made God their master, not their father. I think that voluntary and deliberate piety differs greatly from piety done out of necessity. He himself, he says, is merciful; he will heal their sins, and not destroy them, and he is eager to turn away his anger, and he will not burn with all his wrath.. See how the justice of the Instructor is shown in the matter of punishments; and the goodness of God, in the matter of mercies. For this reason David, that is, the Spirit speaking through him, embracing both, sings about the same God: "Righteousness and judgment are the preparation of your throne; mercy and truth go before your face."** The same power is shown to both judge and do good; for the authority is for both at once, the judgment of the righteous separating opposites, and the same one is just and good, the true God; the one who is all things, and all things are the same one; because he is God, the only God. For just as a mirror is not bad for the ugly person, because it shows him as he is; and just as the doctor is not bad for the sick person, who announces his fever; for the doctor is not the cause of the fever, but a test of the fever; so too the one who reproves the troubled soul is not harsh; for he does not add faults, but shows the sins that are present, for the purpose of turning away from similar actions. Therefore, God is good in himself, and just already because of us; and this is because he is good. Righteousness is shown to us through the Word from above, from where the Father came to be; for before becoming a creature, he was God, he was good; and for this reason he wished to be both creator and father; and that relationship of love became the beginning of righteousness, just as the sun shines its own light, and the Son sends down his own. And this one was the first to announce the good righteousness from heaven: "No one has known the Son except the Father," and "No one has known the Father except the Son." This unwavering knowledge is also a symbol of ancient righteousness. Then righteousness came down to humans, both in letter and in body, through the Word and the law, urging humanity toward saving repentance; for it was good. But you do not obey God? I blame yourself, bringing upon yourself the judge.

Chapter 10

That the same God, through the same Word, both forbids sins by threatening and saves humanity by encouraging.

If then we have shown that the plan concerning the chastisement of humanity is good and saving, necessarily received from the Word, and that it is rightly ordered both toward repentance and toward the prevention of sins; next it would be proper to consider the gentleness of the Word. For it has been shown to be just; and it offers its own reasons, encouraging toward salvation; through these it wishes us to know both what is good and what is beneficial according to the will of the Father. Consider these things: the good belongs to the praising, and the beneficial belongs to the advising. For indeed, the relation of the advising is both encouraging and discouraging, while that of the praising is both praising and blaming. For how does the advising mind become encouraging, and how does it become discouraging? Likewise, how does the praising become blaming, and how does it become praising? These are the very matters the just Instructor attends to carefully, mindful of what is beneficial for us. But the blaming and discouraging kind has already been shown to us before; now we must use the encouraging and praising kind. And just as on a scale we balance the equal weights, so let us raise the scales of justice. For the Instructor uses encouragement for what is beneficial through Solomon in this way: "I urge you, people, and I send forth my voice to the sons of men; listen to me, for I will speak solemn things." And the following. He advises what leads to salvation; for advice is suitable for choosing and fleeing. Just as he does through David, saying: "Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of pestilence; but his delight is in the law of the Lord." There are three parts to advice: one is taking examples from past times; for example, what the Hebrews suffered for worshiping the golden calf, and what they suffered for committing fornication, and similar things. The second is understanding from present times, that is, perceiving by the senses; as it is said to those who love the Lord, "If he himself is the Christ, or are we waiting for another?" "Go and tell John: The blind receive sight; the deaf hear; the lepers are cleansed; the dead are raised; and blessed is the one who does not stumble because of me." This then was what David prophesied, saying: "As we have heard, so we have seen." But the third part of advice comes from what is to come, which commands us to guard against what will happen; for it is also said: "But those who fall into sins will be thrown into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth," and similar things; so that from these it is clear that through every kind of healing, the Lord makes a way for humanity to be called to salvation. By consolation, it comforts sins, both lessening desire and at the same time giving hope for salvation. For he says through Ezekiel: "If you turn back with all your heart, and say, Father, I will listen to you, as to a holy people." And again he says: "Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest."

And the Lord personally confirms these things. Most clearly, he calls to goodness through Solomon, saying: "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom; and the mortal who gains understanding." For the good is found by the one who seeks it, and it loves to be seen by the one who has found it. Indeed, through Jeremiah, prudence is explained: "Blessed are we, Israel," he says, "because the things pleasing to God are known to us." They are known through the Word, through whom we are both blessed and wise. For prudence and knowledge are both revealed by the same prophet, who says: "Listen, Israel, the commands of life; pay attention to learn prudence." And through Moses, a gift is further promised because of the existing love for humanity, to those who hasten toward salvation. For he says: "And I will bring you in" "to the good land, which the Lord swore to your fathers." And also: "And I will bring you to the holy mountain, and I will make you glad," as he speaks through Isaiah. Moreover, another form of his guidance is the blessing; and. "Blessed is the one", he says through David, "who does not sin"; "and he will be like a tree planted by streams of water, which will yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf will not wither." This also hinted at the resurrection; "and whatever he does", it will prosper for him." He wishes for us to become such people, so that we may be blessed. On the other hand, showing the opposite side of the scale of righteousness, he says, "But not so", the wicked, not so; but they are like chaff that the wind drives away from the surface of the ground."** The Instructor showed the punishment of sinners, their indifference, and their destruction, turning us away from sin through warning; and by stretching out the punishment according to what is deserved, he revealed the goodness of kindness, skillfully guiding us to use and possess good things through this kindness. Indeed, he also encourages knowledge, through Jeremiah saying: "If you walk in the way of God, you will dwell in peace forever"; for here he shows the reward of knowledge, calling the wise out to love it; and to the one who is lost, he offers forgiveness: "Return," he says, "return, like a bird to its nest". Do you see the good of righteousness advising repentance? Moreover, through Jeremiah, he enlightens those who are lost with the truth: "Thus says the Lord: Stand on the roads, and look, and ask for the paths of the eternal Lord", "What is the good path? Walk in it, and you will find purification for your souls." He leads us to repentance for the sake of salvation; therefore, he says: "If you repent", "the Lord will thoroughly cleanse your heart, and the heart of your offspring." So then, we had as allies in this search the philosophers, who say that only the perfect is praiseworthy, while the bad is blameworthy. But since some slander the blessedness, as if it were something they do not have, neither for themselves nor for anyone else, misunderstanding its kindness; because of these, and also those who still do not attribute justice to the good, this very discourse has been handed down to us. For it was next claimed that the harsh and blameful kind of discipline is fitting for humans, since they say all humans are bad; but God alone is wise, from whom comes wisdom; and alone perfect; therefore, alone praiseworthy. But I do not agree with this argument. I say, then, that praise or blame, or something like both praise and blame, are the most necessary remedies for all people; for some, like iron to fire and hammer and anvil—that is, threats, rebukes, and corrections—are driven away; but those who pay attention to it with faith, like self-taught and willing ones, grow through praise;

For virtues praised,

grow like a tree.

And, it seems to me, the wise Pythagoras of Samos commands this;

"After burning away cowardice, rebuke it; but enjoy the good things."

To rebuke is also called to admonish; and the etymology is from admonition, meaning an implanting of the mind; as if the rebuking is a kind of caring attention of the mind. But countless commands have been found for gaining good things and avoiding evils; For to the ungodly there is no peace, says the Lord. For this reason, Solomon commands even children to guard themselves: "Son, let not sinners lead you astray; do not walk in their paths; do not go, if they invite you, saying, 'Come with us; share in innocent blood; let us hide a just man unjustly in the earth; let us wipe him out as if he were alive in Hades.'" This, then, is also a prophecy about the Lord's passion. Life is also set forth through Ezekiel's commandments: "The soul who sins shall die; but the man who is just, who does righteousness, shall live. He shall not eat upon the mountains; neither shall he lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; he shall not defile his neighbor's wife, nor come near a woman in her impurity; he shall not oppress a man, shall give back the pledge of the debtor, shall not steal by robbery; he shall give his bread to the hungry, and clothe the naked. He shall give his silver on interest, and shall not take a profit; he shall turn away his hand from iniquity, and shall execute true judgment between man and man. He has walked in my statutes, and kept my ordinances to do them. He is just; he shall surely live, says the Lord." These things outline the conduct of Christians and offer a worthy encouragement toward a blessed life, a prize of good living, eternal life.

Chapter 11

That the Word instructs through the law and the prophets.

Indeed, the manner of his kindness and instruction was, as it were, shown to us. Therefore, explaining himself very well, he compared himself to a grain of wheat; and the spiritual Word that is sown, both the abundant nature and the majestic and holy power of reason, as well as the sharpness of correction and the cleansing, beneficial effect, is hinted at through its bitterness. Through a small grain, then, the allegory grants great salvation to all humanity. Honey, then, being very sweet, is the source of bile; just as good things are the cause of contempt, which in turn causes sin; but the grain is also a reducer of bile, that is, of anger. And it is a breaker of phlegm, that is, of blindness, from which comes the true health of the soul through the Word, and the eternal balance is established. Long ago, then, the Word taught through Moses, and later also through the prophets; and Moses himself was a prophet. For the law is the instruction of children who are hard to manage. Having been filled at least, he says, they got up to play; the irrational fullness of food, a filling, not called nourishment. But since they were filled irrationally, they played irrationally; for this reason the law and fear followed them as a restraint on sins and an encouragement to right actions, preparing obedience to the true Instructor, to obedience. The Word, being one and the same, fitting to what was urgent, was the law. For Paul says that Christ was given as an Instructor; from this it is clear that there is only one true, good, and just Son of God, Jesus, the Word of God, our Instructor, made in the image and likeness of the Father. God gave us to him, as a loving father entrusting his children to a genuine teacher, plainly commanding us: "This is my beloved Son; listen to him." The divine Instructor is trustworthy, adorned with three most excellent qualities: knowledge, goodwill, and boldness. Knowledge, because he is the wisdom of the Father; "All wisdom is from the Lord, and with him it remains forever." Boldness, because he is God and creator; "For all things were made through him, and without him not even one thing was made." Goodwill, because he alone gave himself as a priest for us; "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."** And indeed, he laid down. Goodwill is nothing else but the will for the good of one's neighbor for that reason.

Chapter 12

That the Instructor has used strictness and kindness according to the Father's disposition.

Having already explained these things, it would follow that our Instructor, Jesus, would show us the true life and guide the person in Christ. His discipline is not overly harsh, nor is it a reckless indulgence through kindness. At the same time, he commands and shows that these commands can be carried out. And it seems to me that he himself forms the person from dust, rebirths them with water, increases them with spirit, and guides them with the word, toward adoption and salvation, directing them by holy commands, so that by transforming the earthly person into a holy and heavenly one through approach, they may fill that divine voice most fully: Let us make man in our image and likeness. And indeed, Christ became fully what God had said; but the other man is understood to have only the image. But we, children of a good Father, offspring of a good Instructor, let us fulfill the will of the Father, listen to the Word, and truly follow the saving life of our Savior. From here on, studying the heavenly citizenship, by which, being revealed, we anoint ourselves with the unfading fragrance of everlasting joy, having the clear example of incorruption in the Lord's way of life, and pursuing the footsteps of God; to whom alone it belongs to look closely, and indeed it matters how and in what way the life of humans might become healthier. But also toward self-sufficiency in life, and simplicity, even readiness for travel with a good belt and easy sandals, preparing for eternal well-being, teaching each one of us to be the steward of himself; for he says, "Do not worry about tomorrow", meaning that life belongs to Christ, who is sufficient, self-serving, and also a life that is temporary and to be taken up again; for we are trained not in war, but in peace. In war, then, much preparation is needed; luxury requires extravagance. But peace and love, pure and inactive sisters, do not need weapons, nor the preparation of a prodigal; their nourishment is the Word. But the Word, appointed as the indicative and instructive leader, from whom we learn what is simple and unpretentious, and what is altogether generous, humane, and also beautiful; if we, too, in one word, by familiarity, liken ourselves in virtue to God, we must not give way to neglect and laziness; but we must work hard and not grow weary; for you will be capable beyond what you hope, and you would not even be able to imagine it. Just as there is one kind of training for philosophers, another for orators, and another for wrestlers; so there is a noble disposition suitable for a love of beauty by choice, born from the training of Christ; and the activities trained in are dignified and stand out—walking and lying down, eating and sleeping, the bed and diet, and the rest of the education. For this kind of training of the Word is not excessive, but well-balanced. Therefore, the Savior, the Word, is called this, who, having discovered these rational things, provides medicines to people for sensitivity and salvation, watching for the right moment, exposing the harm, explaining the causes of passions, cutting off the roots of irrational desires, commanding what must be avoided, and offering all the antidotes of salvation to those who are sick; for this is the greatest and most royal work of God, to save humanity. For those who are weary do not grow tired of the doctor who advises them toward health; so how could we not acknowledge the greatest grace in the divine Instructor, who neither remains silent nor ignores the threats leading to destruction, but also exposes them, restrains the impulses driving toward them, and teaches the duties fitting for a right way of life? Therefore, the greatest gratitude must be acknowledged to him. For the rational living being, I mean the human, what else can we say except that it must behold the divine? But to behold also the human nature, I say, is necessary, and to live as truth guides; loving beyond measure both the Instructor himself and his commands, as fitting and harmonious with one another; according to this image, we too must fit ourselves to the Instructor, making our reason agree with our actions, truly living.

Chapter 13

That just as success is according to right reason, so in turn sin is against reason.

Everything that is against right reason is sin. At once, then, the philosophers think that the most general passions can be defined like this: desire is a craving against reason, fear is a fleeing against reason, and pleasure is a lifting up of the soul against reason. If then disobedience to reason is the source of sin, how could not obedience to reason, which we call faith, necessarily be the keeper of what is called duty? For virtue itself is a state of the soul in harmony with reason throughout the whole life. Yes indeed, philosophy, the highest pursuit, is the practice of right reason; it teaches that every fault necessarily comes from an error of reason, and rightly is called a sin. Certainly, the first man sinned and disobeyed God. And it is said, "Man was made like the beasts," because he sinned against reason; being rightly considered irrational, he is likened to beasts. From this comes also Wisdom saying: "The horse is a companion to the pleasure-lover, and the adulterer is likened to an irrational beast." Therefore it adds: "He neighs beneath whoever sits upon him." Man no longer speaks, it says, for he is no longer rational, having sinned against reason; indeed, he is an irrational beast, given over to desires, upon whom all pleasures sit. What is achieved by obedience to reason is called by the Stoics both proper and fitting children. What is fitting is also proper; obedience is founded on commands. These, being the same as the instructions, having truth as their aim, lead toward the ultimate goal, which is understood as the end. The end of piety is eternal rest in God. The beginning of the age is our end. The accomplishment of piety, however, is fulfilled through works of duty; therefore, it is reasonable that the duties consist in actions, not in words. And the action of the Christian soul is the activity of reason, according to proper judgment and desire for truth, carried out through the united and struggling body; duty is the will in life toward God and Christ, accomplished by eternal life. For the life of Christians, which we are now being trained in, is a system of rational actions—that is, the continuous activity of those taught by the Word—which we indeed call faith. The system is the Lord's commandments; these, being divine teachings, are spiritual instructions written down for us, ready both for ourselves and for those near us. And indeed, these again turn back toward us, just like a ball returns to the one who throws it, bouncing back because of its rebound. Therefore, the duties are necessary for divine training, as commanded by God, and are provided for salvation. And since among the necessary things, some are for living only up to this point, while others from here onward are for living well, the latter are set apart; accordingly, among duties, some are arranged for living, and others for living well. Therefore, whatever is commanded for the worldly life is also bound by most people; but what fits for living well, from which eternal life comes about, let it be allowed to consider these, taken in part from the writings cited.

Chapter Headings of the Second Book

1. How one should conduct oneself concerning food.

2. How one should apply oneself to drink.

3. That one should not be eager about the luxury of utensils.

4. How one should be moderate concerning meals.

5. About laughter.

6. About foul language.

7. What one must watch out for in those who live foolishly with us.

8. Whether one should use perfumes and wreaths.

9. How one should approach sleep.

10. What to consider about having children.

11. About hospitality.

12. That one should not be concerned about jewelry made of stones and gold.

SECOND DISCOURSE

Chapter 1

How one should conduct oneself concerning food.

Therefore, holding fast to the goal and choosing the Scriptures for the benefit of instruction, it is necessary to briefly outline what kind of life the one called Christian should live throughout their whole life. It is enough, then, for us to begin with ourselves, and yet it is fitting indeed to conform. Therefore, considering the harmony of the whole arrangement, what each of us should offer to our own body, and especially how one must guide it, must be said: For whenever someone, having been lifted up by the Word from the external things and even from the very conduct of the body to the mind, has carefully learned the vision of the things that happen according to human nature, they will understand not to be eager about external things, but to cleanse the eye of the soul, which is the person's own, and to purify even the flesh itself. For the one who has been purely freed from those things, through which there is still dust, what else could be more helpful to oneself in order to come on the way to the attainment of God? Other people indeed "live in order to eat," just like the irrational animals, "for whom life is nothing else but the stomach;" But for us, the Guide commands us to eat so that we may live; for food is neither a task for us, nor is pleasure the goal; rather, it is for the sake of the stay here, which the Word leads toward incorruption. Therefore, food is also separated. This truth is simple and without curiosity, fitting properly for simple and uncurious children; so that they may be suited for living, not for luxury. This living by breathing consists of both health and strength; to these, the easy food is most suitable, serving both nourishment and lightness of the body. From these come growth and health, and proper strength—not unjust or weak and miserable, like that which comes from forced eating by athletes. The many kinds of qualities must be spit out, bringing various harms: wasting of the body, upset stomachs, the corrupting of taste by some evil art, that of seasoning, and the vain craft around sauces. For they dare to call food that which is used in luxury, slipping into pleasures harmful to health. Antiphanes, the Delian physician, said that this variety of foods is one of the causes of disease: those that offend the truth, swearing by the wise moderation of diet with vain pride, and the troublesome dishes of busybodies. And I have pity on the disease; but they are not ashamed to praise their own pleasures, the busybodies of Smyrna in the Sicilian strait, and the Maeandrian eels, and the goats of Melos, and the kestrels of Skiathos, and the Peloridan shells, and the oysters of Abydos; not neglecting the madmen of Lipara, nor the Mantinean gurnard; nor even the beets from the Askraians; they seek out Methymnian crabs, Attic grilled fish, and the Daphnian thrushes, and the swallow-like fish of Chelidon, through which the ill-fated Persian sent five hundred thousand at once into Greece. Birds join in with these, the Attagans from Phasis, Egyptian, and the Median Taona. Changing these for sweet dishes, the gluttons heap on the cooked foods: "All that the earth, and the depths of the sea, and the boundless expanse of the air nourish well," obtaining for themselves through their own greediness. These greedy and meddlesome people seem to charm the world with pleasure, buzzing like wasps, wasting their whole life around the fish and the millstone, like fire consuming matter. But even the easy food, bread, they make soft and weak, spoiling the nourishment of wheat, which is necessary for food, turning it into a disgrace of pleasure. Greed has no limit among people. For it has even spread to sweets and honeycombs, and also to snacks, finding a great number of desserts, seeking out all kinds of flavors. And it seems to me that such a person is nothing but a jaw; "Do not desire," Scripture says, "Do not desire the rich foods; " For these belong to a life that is false and shameful; some come from dishes that soon bring forth dung; but for us who are hunted, it is necessary that the heavenly food rule over the stomach under the sky, and even more so over those things dear to it; "which God will abolish," the Apostle says, rightly cursing greedy desires: "For food is for the stomach," from which the truly fleshly and destructive life depends, which some dare to call love, using a foul tongue, like some feasts, giving off smoke and broth; they insult the good and saving work of the Word, the holy love, by the smell of broth and soup; by drink, luxury, and smoke, they blaspheme the name, and they fail in their hope of the promise of God, thinking that feasts will satisfy them, expecting. For those gatherings of joy, we ourselves also count as feasts and banquets, and rightly we would call this coming together, following the Word; but such meals the Lord calls "loves" has not called. He says then, "When you are invited to a wedding, do not sit in the place of honor; but when you are invited, take the lowest place." He says, "When you give a banquet or a dinner." And again, "But when you give a reception, invite the poor." for this reason especially a dinner must be made. Moreover, "A certain man made a great dinner, and invited many." But I understand from where the flattering name of dinners flows: "From the throats, and the madness of those who attend dinners," according to the comic writer. For it is truly said, "many things are for the many for the sake of the dinner;" For surely they have not learned to prepare food and drink for the salvation of the creature, that is, man, but for pleasure; since bodies are not naturally made strong by the luxury of foods. For quite the opposite is true: those who use the simplest foods are the strongest, healthiest, and noblest—like servants of masters and farmers of landowners; and not only stronger but also wiser, like philosophers among the rich. For they have not held their mind captive to food, nor have they deceived it with pleasures. But love is truly a heavenly nourishment, a rational hearth; "It bears all things, endures all things, hopes all things; love never fails." Blessed is the one who eats the best meal in the kingdom of God." The hardest of all falls is to cast the untouchable love from above, from the heavens, down upon the passions. And you think that what is being done away with should be considered a feast? "For if," he says, "If I give away what I have, but do not have love, I am nothing." The whole law and the Word depend on this love; and if you love the Lord your God and your neighbor, this heavenly feast is in the heavens. The earthly one is called a dinner, as is shown from Scripture; the dinner happens because of love, but the dinner itself is not love, rather it is a sign of social goodwill and generous sharing. "Let not our good be blasphemed; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking," the Apostle says: so that the temporary is not thought the best, "but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit." Whoever eats of this best of the best of things will gain the kingdom of God; having focused on this, they will join a holy gathering of love, a heavenly Church. Love, then, is a pure thing and worthy of God; its work is sharing; "Love is the concern of education," which Wisdom says: "Love is the keeping of its laws." These pleasures have some kind of beginning from love as common food, becoming a habit for eternal delight; love, then, is not a feast; let the dwelling be set on love. "For your sons, whom you have loved, may they learn," he says, "Lord, that it is not the births of fruits that nourish a person, but your word that preserves those who trust in you;" For the righteous will not live by bread alone. But let the meal be simple and wholesome for us, suitable for alertness, with various pure qualities mixed in; this too is not without discipline. For good self-sufficiency is a nourishing nurse of love in fellowship, having a rich supply—self-sufficiency. When this is present with the food, measured in just amount, it healthfully governs the body and shares something of itself with neighbors. But a lifestyle overflowing beyond self-sufficiency harms the person; it dulls the soul and works harmfully toward sickness in the body. Indeed, they wear themselves out with blasphemies, complaining about the pleasures of seasoning: greed, gluttony, eating delicacies, insatiability, and overeating. Flies are natural to these names, as well as gnats, flatterers, and fighters, and the wild tribes of parasites; some give their speech to the pleasure of the stomach, others their friendship, others their whole life, crawling toward the stomachs—beastly puppets, made in the image of their father, the gluttonous beast. Those who first called them prodigals seem to me to be hinting well at their end, having understood them as prodigals by the wasting away of the element s. Are not these the very ones busy with dishes and the divided delicacies of pleasures, the humble, low-born, chasing after a short-lived life as if not intending to live? These are troubled through Isaiah by the holy Spirit, gently passing over the name of love, since their feasting was not according to the Word: "But they made merry, slaughtering calves and sacrificing sheep, saying, 'Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.'"." And that such luxury is considered sin, it adds: "And this sin of yours will not be forgiven until you die." Not a death that is an unconscious forgiveness of sin, but a death that is a repayment of sin, answering with salvation. "Do not rejoice in corrupt luxury," Wisdom says. Here it must also be reminded about the so-called sacrifices to idols; so that it may be commanded to abstain from them at some point. Those things to which they attach themselves with blood seem to me foul and detestable.

Souls of the dead who have died under the darkness of Hades.

"For I do not want you to become partners with demons," The Apostle says: since there are foods that do not save but destroy. Therefore, these must be left aside, not out of fear (for there is no power in them); but because of our conscience, which is holy, and because of the demons, who are defiled by the abomination they are called; and also because of the weakness of those who wrongly think many things lightly, whose conscience is weak and is defiled. For food will not bring us before God. Nor do the things that enter make a person unclean, but those that come out of the mouth, he says." So the natural use of food is indifferent; "For neither, if we eat, do we have too much, he says, nor, if we do not eat, do we lack." But it is not reasonable to "share in the table of demons." to partake of divine and spiritual food unworthily. "For do we not have the right to eat and drink," the Apostle says, "and to lead about wives?" but clearly, by mastering pleasures, we restrain our desires. See then, lest perhaps this authority of ours become a stumbling block to the weak." Therefore, it is not right for us to live as if we were reckless, like the rich boy in the Gospel." To use the gifts of the father as an image; and to use them as rulers, without turning aside. For we have been appointed to reign and to have dominion, not to serve food. Therefore, it is wonderful that, looking up to the truth, we pour out the divine food from above, and are filled with the vision of the truly existing, unending, sure, permanent, and pure pleasure. For the feeding of Christ shows that we must receive this love; but to carry about an irrational and useless and unhuman burden, like grazing animals, to be nourished by death, looking down toward the earth, always bringing those from the earth to the tables; chasing away the spark of life, having perhaps buried the good here around the life that will not be; flattering only the swallowing, through which the cooks of farmers have become more precious. For we do not take away the behavior, but we suspect the slip of habit as a misfortune. Therefore, we must give up greed, sharing only a little of what is necessary; "and if anyone calls us among the unbelievers, we judge to go along;" (for it is good not to associate with the disorderly), "everything that is set before us commands us to eat, questioning nothing because of conscience." Likewise, "the things from the market place" are to be bought without curiosity." he commanded. Therefore, one must not completely give up various foods, but one should not be eager about them. One must partake of what is offered, as is fitting for a Christian: honoring the one who invited you, sharing in fellowship according to harmless and unoffensive communion, considering the luxury of the foods brought in as indifferent, despising the dishes as if they were only for a short time and not lasting; "Let the one who eats not despise the one who does not eat; and let the one who does not eat not judge the one who eats". ." Going a little further, he will also explain the reason for the invitation: "The one who eats, he says, eats to the Lord, and gives thanks to God." And the one who does not eat, does not eat to the Lord, and gives thanks to God; for thanksgiving is the right kind of nourishment. And the one who is always giving thanks does not concern himself with pleasures. And if we also encourage some of those dining together toward virtue, we must be more patient than with these coarse foods, clearly showing them as examples of virtue, since they themselves have Christ within them. "For if any of these kinds of food cause my brother to stumble, I will never eat that, he says, forever, so that I do not cause my brother to stumble." With a little self-control, I win over a person. "For do we not have the right to eat and drink?" And the truth "we have come to know," he says, "that there is no idol in the world, but truly there is only one God for us, from whom all things come, and one Lord Jesus. But, he says, the brother who is weak is destroyed by your knowledge, for whom Christ died. But those who wound the conscience of the weak brothers sin against Christ." In this, the Apostle, being careful for us, distinguishes the meals, so as not to "mix together." Saying, "If anyone who is called a brother is found to be a fornicator, or an adulterer, or an idolater, let him not even eat with that one," or the word, or the cooked food, suspecting the pollution from it, just as also the tables of demons. "It is indeed good not to eat meat, nor to drink wine," He himself agrees, as do those from Pythagoras; for this is more like a wild beast. And the smoke from them, being more cloudy, darkens the soul. If someone also partakes of these, he does not sin; only let him do so with self-control, not going beyond, nor being dependent on them, nor craving the cooked food; for a voice will echo to him, "Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food," saying". It is very foolish indeed to admire and be amazed at the things set before common tables, after the luxury of the Word; but much more foolish is to have the eyes enslaved to appearances, sharing in them, so to speak, as a kind of lack of self-control toward the servants. How is it not useless to rise up at the couches, especially when the face is thrown toward the dishes, just like from a young girl, coming out from the couch, this very thing being whispered, "so that they may receive the vapor led astray through the breath"?" How is it not unreasonable to soak the hands in the sweet dishes, or to keep stretching them continuously toward the food, not tasting it, but rather snatching it like thieves, being carried away immoderately and shamefully? For one sees such people more like pigs or dogs because of their greed rather than like humans, eager to be filled, so that both jaws swell at the same time, with the vessels around the face being raised; and also sweat pours out from their insatiable desire, and they breathe heavily from lack of self-control, driven by urgent pressure, making the food share nothing with the stomach, as if it were a supply for a journey, not nourishment, with the dishes being set aside. Excess in all things is evil, but it is especially condemned regarding food. Gluttony is nothing other than excess in the use of cooked food; and greed is madness about the throat; and overeating is lack of self-control about food; as even the name shows, madness upon the stomach; since the mad one is lean. Therefore, the Apostle, refuting those who practice injustice at the table, says: "Each one should eat his own meal; some are hungry, others get drunk." For do you not have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?" But among those who have, the ones who eat greedily shame themselves; both do wrong: the first, by burdening those who have nothing, and the second, by exposing their own lack of self-control before those who have. Therefore, necessarily, toward those who are overindulgent and more wasteful at meals, the insatiable ones, to whom nothing is enough, the Apostle, having turned away, again raised a voice of anger: "So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, welcome one another. But if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you do not come together for judgment." Therefore, all slavishness and lack of self-control must be set aside, for those who take what is offered in an orderly way keep both their hand and their bed and their beard undefiled, preserving the proper appearance of the face without distortion, and they do not behave badly even regarding eating; but the hand must be extended in order, at intervals. One must also watch out for making any noise while eating; for the voice becomes unpleasant and meaningless, the jaws being cramped full; and the tongue, pressed by the food and hindered in its natural function, gives forth a strained speech. But it is not proper to eat and drink at the same time; for it is a great lack of self-control to mix the times, whose uses are incompatible. And, "Whether you eat," he says, "or drink, do everything for the glory of God," considering true simplicity; which the Lord also seems to me to hint at, "having blessed the breads and the baked fish," with which he fed the disciples, presenting a good example of unpretentious food. That fish, which Peter caught at the Lord's command, is a simple, God-given, and sensible food; it is meant to remove through those coming up from the water the lure of unrighteousness and greed, like the coin of the fish; so that it separates vanity, and gives the coin to the tax collectors, "rendering to Caesar the things that are Caesar's," and preserves "the things of God to God." The coin also has other explanations that are not unknown; but the present time is not suitable for working them out. A brief reminder, as we come together on the matter at hand, not neglecting the flowers of the Word; which we have already done many times, drawing the very useful points toward the urgent issue, turning them into a watering source for those being planted by the Word. "For even if I am allowed to partake of all things, not all things are beneficial;" For those who do everything possible quickly fall into doing what is not allowed. Just as righteousness is not achieved through greed, nor self-control through lack of restraint, so the Christian way of life is not surrounded by pleasure-seeking; for the table of truth is far from the foods of those who indulge. For even if all things were made especially for the sake of humans, it is not good to use all things, nor always; for the right time, the right season, the manner, and the purpose give no small inclination to the one being taught toward what is profitable. And indeed, it is suitable and has the power to put an end to a life of gluttony; its wealth is the church's, not sharp-sighted, but a blindness around the love of food. No one is poor when it comes to necessities, nor does a person ever overlook them; for the one God feeds the birds, the fish, and, to sum up, the irrational animals. They lack nothing at all because they do not worry about food. But we are better than these, and even their masters; and closer to God, as we are more self-controlled. We have come into being not to eat and drink, but to live, having come into the knowledge of God. "For the righteous," he says, "eating fills the soul; but the bellies of the ungodly are empty," " "longing for unceasing gluttony". Luxury is not for empty pleasure, but is suitable for sharing in fellowship. Therefore, we must watch over the foods that persuade us to eat when we are not hungry, enchanting the desires. For is it not possible even in simplicity for a sensible person to have a healthy variety of foods? Bulbs, olives, some vegetables, milk, cheese, both fresh and various cooked dishes, broths without; and if cooked meat is needed, or fish, it must be shared. "Have something edible here." The Lord said to the disciples after the resurrection; and they, having been taught by him to practice simplicity, "gave him a piece of cooked fish." And after eating in front of them, he said to them, Luke says, all that he had spoken." Along with these, the guests dining according to the Word must not be overlooked, even if they lack wax cakes. For among foods, those most suitable to use without fire are available immediately, since they are also more ready; second are the simpler ones, as we said before. As for those around the burning tables, the passions placed there are guided by a very clear spirit, whom I myself would not be ashamed to call a gluttonous demon, and the worst and most destructive of demons. Therefore, this one is closely similar to what is called the "inner whisperer." It is much better to have a fortunate spirit as a companion than a demon. Happiness is examined in the practice of virtue. Matthew, then, the apostle, partook of seeds, nuts, and vegetables, without meat; but John, surpassing in self-control, "ate wild locusts and honey." Peter also kept away from pigs; but "a trance fell upon him," as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles: "and he saw the heaven opened, and a vessel like a great sheet tied at the four corners, being let down to the earth; and in it were all the four-footed animals and the reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky. And a voice came to him: 'Rise, kill, and eat.'". But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything common or unclean." And the voice spoke to him again a second time: "What God has cleansed, do not call common." And for us then, the practice is indifferent; "For it is not what enters into the mouth that makes a person common," but the lack of self-control about excess is what defiles. For God, having formed man, said, "All things will be for you to eat," "Vegetables with love, or a calf with deceit." This well reminds us of the previously mentioned saying, that it is not the vegetables, but the love, and that meals should be taken with love; in these things the middle condition is good; in all things, and not least in the preparation around the hearth; since the extremes are harmful, but the middle ways are good. The middle is everything that is sufficient among the necessary things; for natural desires are limited by self-sufficiency. To the Jews, simplicity is very wisely proclaimed through the law; for the Instructor, through Moses, removed the use of countless things, blaming causes—spiritual ones hidden, but bodily ones clear, in which they also believed: for some, that there are no twofold things; for others, that food is not chewed again; and for others, that it therefore does not have the blades of water animals; so that only a few things suitable for food remain for them. But what he allowed them to touch, the mortal things prevented again—both the things sacrificed to idols and the strangled animals; for it was not lawful even to touch these. Since it was impossible for those used to pleasures to stop accepting them, he set against them an opposite discipline until he could break the attack from habit on their love of pleasure. For pleasure caused much harm and sorrow to people; but overindulgence brought pain, forgetfulness, and foolishness to the soul. They say that children's bodies also grow in length when they lack food; for the spirit that drives growth is not stopped by the many foods blocking the easy flow of breath. Therefore, Plato, who zealously sought the truth and criticized the life of luxury, kindled by the spark of Hebrew philosophy, says, "But when the so-called happy life came to me, full of Italian and Syracusan feasts, it pleased me nowhere at all; living twice a day filled, and never sleeping alone at night. And all the pursuits that follow this life; for from these, no wise person could ever become among the people under heaven, practicing such things again, nor would such a wonderful nature be sustained." For Plato was not unaware of David, who "in his city, establishing the holy ark in the midst of the tent," bringing joy to every subject people, "before the Lord, he divided" into every force of Israel "from man to woman, to each a small cake of bread, and a wafer, and a flatbread from the pan." This food is sufficient and Israelite; but the Gentile [food] is unnecessary. No sensible person would ever intend to become one who uses it, having dug out the mind with the stomach, most fittingly like the fish called the eel. Aristotle says that only among other animals does this one have its heart in its stomach; this one is called a "twisted-stomach". " The comic poet Epicharmus calls it. Such are the people who trust in their stomachs, "whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think only of earthly things." To these, the Apostle did not promise good things, saying, "Their end is destruction."

Chapter 2

How to add to the drink.

Use a little wine, because of your stomach, says the Apostle to Timothy, who was a drinker of water; offering a suitable help to a body that was weak and sickly. A little of this should be taken, so that the help is not lost because it needs a greater amount of another treatment. Water is a natural and sober drink necessary for thirst. This, flowing down from the rocky cliff, was given by the Lord to the ancient Hebrews as a simple drink of temperance; and those who were wandering especially needed to be sober. Then the holy vine produced the prophetic cluster. This is a sign for those who have been led to rest from error, the great cluster, the Word who was troubled for us, willing that the water be mixed with the blood of the grape, just as his own blood is mixed for salvation. The blood of the Lord is twofold; for one is his bodily blood, by which we are freed from corruption; the other is spiritual, that is, by which we are anointed. And this is to drink the blood of Jesus, to partake of the Lord's incorruption; the power of the Word is the Spirit, like the blood of the flesh. Accordingly, the wine is mixed with the water, and the Spirit with the human; and the one refreshes faith, the mixture, while the other leads to incorruption, the Spirit. And the mixture of both again, of drink and Word, is called thanksgiving, grace praised and good; by which those who partake according to faith are sanctified in both body and soul. The divine mixture is the human, mystically mixed by the Spirit and the Word of the Father's will; for just as truly the spirit dwells in the soul that comes from it, so the flesh in the Word, through which "the Word became flesh." Therefore, I admire those who have taken up a strict life and long for the water, the remedy of temperance; but who flee from the wine as something most harmful, like a threat of fire. Therefore, it pleases boys and girls to keep as far away as possible from this remedy; for it is not fitting to pour the hottest of liquids, wine, like fire flowing into fire, on a boiling age. From this come wild impulses, inflamed desires, and a fiery character burns up; young people become reckless, warmed from within, and give in to their cravings. It is as if their harm is shown beforehand through the body, which is praised more quickly than is proper, by the parts of desire. They grow angry, boiling more shamelessly because of wine, and their breasts and genitals swell, already showing the image of fornication; and the wound of the soul forces the body to burn with inflammation. Shameless pulses chase after curiosity, calling the proper order into lawlessness. From this point on, the sweetness of youth goes beyond the bounds of modesty. It is necessary, especially in some cases, to try to put out the impulses of young people, by removing the underlying burning, the Bacchic threat, and applying the antidote to the burning up, which will also calm the soul already inflamed, reduce the swelling of the genitals, and put to rest the irritation of the desire already stirred. Those in their prime, after partaking of the best food during the day, which suits the best, tasting only bread afterward, should completely avoid drink, drying up their excess moisture by eating dry food. For constantly spitting and wiping the mouth, and hastening to clear the secretions, are signs of weakness caused by the excessive intake of liquids overwhelming the body. But if thirst arises, the craving should be satisfied with a little water. For it is not right to take in so much water that the food is washed away and broken down for digestion, being arranged in bulk among the meals but only a small amount fitting into the secretions. It is also necessary in other ways with divine concerns not to be weighed down by wine. "For the unmixed," according to the Comic poet, "the unmixed wine forces one to think little," or rather not even to be sober." In the evening, around the time of dinner, wine should be used; when we no longer attend to readings, we should turn to those who are more sober. At this time, it becomes cooler than in the afternoon; as it is necessary to support the fading natural warmth with added heat. With a little wine I have said enough; for one should not go as far as the cups of excess. For those who have already passed middle age, it is more permissible to partake more cheerfully of the drink, as the natural coolness of age, like one withered by time, is safely rekindled by the vine's medicine. For the desires of the elders do not still float to the fullest extent around the wrecks of drunkenness; being anchored like by anchors in reason and time, they bear more easily the dizziness of desires stormed by drunkenness. To these, perhaps, it is even allowed to joke a little at feasts. But even for these, let there be a limit to the drink, until they keep their clear mind, their active memory, and their body steady and unshaken by wine. Those skilled in these matters call this a "breastplate". It is therefore good to warn beforehand, because of the danger of slipping. A certain Artorius, in the On Long Life (for I remember ), thinks that it is only necessary to moisten the food, so that we may gain a longer life. It is therefore fitting to offer wine in measured amounts to those under treatment for health alone, and to others in relaxation and social gatherings. For wine first makes the drinker more pleasing to himself than before, more gentle to his companions, kinder to his servants, and more friendly to his friends; but when drunk to excess, it punishes arrogance. Being warm and having sweet juices, mixed properly, it melts away the shameful waste by its heat, and blends the sharp and bad juices with fragrances. Well indeed that has been said: "Wine was created as a joy for the soul and heart from the very beginning, when drunk in moderation." It is best to mix wine with water in the greatest amount, and not to seek it as pure water, and to be restrained against drunkenness; nor to pour it over like water, out of love for wine. Both are creations of God; and in this mixture of both, water and wine, there is cooperation for health. For life is made up of what is necessary and useful. Therefore, the necessary water must be mixed in the greatest amount, along with the useful; but with too much wine, the tongue is hindered, and the lips are lost; the eyes are turned away, as if swimming in a flood of moisture; and people are forced to lie, thinking everything goes around in a circle; but they cannot count what is far away, as if only those things exist. "And indeed I seem to see two suns," The old man from Thebes was saying, drunk. For the sight is moved by the warmth of the wine, and it imagines the substance to be many times denser than one; yet it makes no less difference to move the sight than the thing seen. For the sight suffers the same from both, unable to grasp the underlying reality exactly because of the shaking; and the feet are carried away as if by a current; groans and vomiting, and madness have come upon him. "For every man who is drunk on wine," according to the tragedy;

He is weaker in anger, but empty of mind;

He loves, pouring out much speech in vain,

Unwilling to hear what he willingly said badly.

And before the tragedy, Wisdom has cried out: "Much wine drunk, in irritation and every kind of corpse increases." Therefore, most say that it is necessary to stop drinking, and to put aside serious matters for nothing; but I especially then consider it right to introduce the speech that joins the feast, to guide the drunkenness, so that the good cheer does not slip into drunkenness unnoticed. Just as no one, thinking well, would consider it right to close their eyes before going to sleep, so no one would want the speech of the banquet to be absent or to fall asleep before properly attending to its duties. But the Word will never depart from its own, nor would we sleep; for it must be called upon even at sleep. For wisdom is perfect, being knowledge of both divine and human matters, embracing all things according to that by which it observes the flock of humans; it becomes an art concerning life. And it is always present with this, as long as we live, always performing its own work, the good life. But the ill-spirited, who drive away temperance from the feast, consider a life of lack of self-control around drinking to be blessed; for their life is nothing else but revelry, drunkenness, bathhouses, unbridled behavior, wild parties, idleness, and drinking. One can see some of them half-drunk, staggering, wearing wreaths around their necks like jars, pouring out to each other what they call unbridled friendship; others are full of drunkenness, with faces pale and wan, sallow; and even on the day after yesterday's drinking, they draw again from another source of drunkenness until dawn. Good, friends, good; having learned that this ridiculous and pitiful image is farthest from them, it shapes them toward the better, fearing that we too might become a similar spectacle to others and a cause of laughter. It has been said foolishly: as if "a furnace tests the mouth in dyeing, but wine tests the proud heart." Drunkenness, then, is the excessive use of strong drink; intoxication is the disorder that comes from drinking; and hangover is the discomfort and nausea after drunkenness, named from the shaking of the head. This life (if it should be called life, being lazy, moved by pleasures, and troubled by drunkenness) divine Wisdom, observing it, commands to her own children: "Do not be a drinker of wine; do not stretch out with contracts for buying meat; for every drunkard and fornicator will go bankrupt; and every sleepy person will wear torn and tattered clothes." For every sleepy person is one who is not awake to wisdom, but is baptized by drunkenness into sleep. "And he will wear torn clothes," it says, "the drunkard, and he will be ashamed because of his drunkenness before those who look on." For the servants of a sinner, the torn parts of the fleshly body, worn through by pleasures; through these the shame is seen deep within the soul, the sin by which the body, torn away on all sides, will not easily be saved, being wasted away by many corrupt desires, torn away from salvation. To this one, most instructively, it brings this: "To whom is woe, to whom is noise, to whom are judgments, to whom are foul gatherings, to whom are shattered fragments of emptiness?" You see the whole fleshly body torn apart, which indeed overlooks the Word itself, but has given itself over to drunkenness; all that the Scripture threatened to him. And again it brings to the threat: "Whose are the pale eyes? not of those who indulge in wines? not of those who track where the drinking takes place?" Here already the lover of drinking is shown to be dead to the Word through the "pale eyes," which appears as a sign to the dead, announcing to him the death in the Lord; for the forgetfulness of those who strive for true life tends toward destruction. Rightly, then, the Instructor strictly forbids, caring for our salvation, "Do not drink wine to the point of drunkenness." Why, will you thirst? "Because, he says, your mouth will then speak crookedly; and you lie down as if in the heart of the sea, and like a helmsman in a great storm." From here even the useful poet says:

Wine also, which has a force equal to fire, when it comes upon men

Comes; and it stirs up waves like the Libyan sea, whether the North or the South wind.

But also;

It reveals all things hidden

… sinful wine; a slippery slope that makes one drunk

Wine that deceives the soul;

and the following. See the danger of shipwreck: the heart is overwhelmed by excessive drinking; the crowd of drunkards resembles a sea threat, in which the body, sunk like a ship, has gone down into the depths of disorder, overwhelmed by the storms of wine. But the helmsman, the human mind, is tossed by the wave of overwhelming drunkenness, sailing and spinning in the darkness of the storm, having missed the harbor of truth; until, falling upon the rocky shoals, he wrecks himself and destroys himself in pleasures. Therefore, it is fitting that the Apostle also commands: "Do not get drunk with wine, which leads to much debauchery;" He hinted at the reckless nature of drunkenness through debauchery. For although water was made into wine at the wedding, it did not allow drunkenness; but the watery spirit of the mind was given life by the law, the worker from Adam, who filled the whole world with blood, a true drink of the vine, the mixture of the old law and the new Word, given to complete the time already reconciled by godliness. Therefore, the Scripture called blood a sacred wine as a mystical symbol; and, exposing the lawlessness that comes from wine, it said, "Wine is a corrupter," it says, "and a drunkenness full of arrogance." So it is fitting for the right reason to drink in winter because of the cold, up to the point of not shivering, since for some it is easy to shiver; but at another time, because of the healing of the internal organs. Just as food is used to avoid hunger, so too drink must be used to avoid thirst, carefully watching the slip into excess; for the entrance of wine is dangerous at the edge." In this way, our soul would be pure, dry, and radiant. A dry soul is the wisest and best; it is also contemplative. It is not dampened by the fumes from wine, which form like a cloud around the body. Therefore, one should not be overly busy about Chian wine when it is absent, nor about Ariusian wine when it is not present. Thirst is a kind of lack, a condition that seeks the proper help to be filled, not a stupefying drink. Because of excessive desire through lack of self-control, the drunken bouts of those at sea are madness, and come before drunkenness, concerning the desires of the soul. For there is Thasian, and the fragrant, and the well-breathing Lesbian, and a certain sweet Cretan, and the pleasant Syracusan, and a certain Egyptian from Mendes, and the islander Naxian, and another fragrant one from the land of the Italians; many are these names. For the wise drinker, there is one wine, the vineyard of one God. For what is not enough for the local to satisfy desire? Unless they also make water, like the foolish kings. The river Choaspes, so called in India, whose water is the most beautiful for drinking—the Choaspian water; just as with friends, so too with the water that is brought. The Holy Spirit also torments the rich with luxury; through Amos, it cried out: "Those who drink the refined wine, and lie on ivory beds," he says, "reclining;" and all the things that followed them he brought upon them as a reproach in part. One must especially take care about modesty, (by which the myth says Athena herself, being wise beforehand, once rejected the pleasing flute because of its unbecoming appearance;) to keep the face from being twisted, not breaking into a loud laugh, nor forcing the eyes to look ugly before drinking, drawing them back suddenly through lack of self-control, nor to spill on the beard or soak the clothing with the drink poured in large amounts, only washing and rinsing their own face with the cups. For the gurgling sound, caused by the rapid flow of drink, driven along with much breath, like pouring into a clay jar, echoing in the throat because of the rushing swallowing, is a shameful and unbecoming sight of lack of self-control. Moreover, the love of drinking is harmful to the one who takes part in it. Do not rush into harm, O you; your drink is not snatched away from you; it is given to you and waits for you. Do not try to gulp it down quickly, dragging it in at once. Your thirst will be filled, even if you drink slowly, taking the drink in a proper way, dividing it properly. For what lack of self-control snatches away is not taken away by time. "In wine, however," he says, "Do not act like a man; for wine has ruined many men. "They say that the Scythians, Celts, Iberians, and Thracians get drunk the most, all being warlike peoples; and they have established that it is a fine and happy practice to pursue." We, however, being a peaceful people, drink soberly for enjoyment, not for excess, so that truly friendships may be shown properly by the name. How do you think the Lord has been satisfied, when he became a man for us? Just as shamelessly as we do? Not foolishly, not properly? Not deliberately? For you know well, he also took some wine; for he was a man too; and he blessed the wine, saying, "Take, drink; this is my blood," the blood of the vine; the Word, which is "poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins," a holy stream symbolizing joy. And that the one who drinks must be sober, he clearly showed through what he taught beside the feasts; for he was not teaching while drunk. But that the blessed thing was wine, he showed again, saying to the disciples: "I will not drink from the fruit of this vine until I drink it with you in the kingdom of my Father." But that the drink offered to the Lord was indeed wine, he again speaks about himself, rebuking the hard-heartedness of the Jews: "For he came," he says, "the Son of Man," and they say, "Look, a man who eats and drinks, a friend of tax collectors." Let this be enough for us, and let it be a cause of hatred also toward those called the Self-Controlled. The women, pretending to correct what is proper, as if not to spill from wide cups and become torn at the lips by the widening of the mouth, with narrow vessels at the opening, drinking improperly, they recline their heads and bare their necks in an unseemly way, it seems to me, and stretching the throat around the swallowing, they gulp down as if stripping themselves before their drinking companions as much as they can. They utter manly belches, or rather slave-like ones, trying to waste away; for no blame is fitting for a rational man, much less for a woman, who even has awareness of herself, which alone brings shame. "But anger," he says, "Great is the anger of a woman drunk;" like the bile of God, a wine-fighting woman. Why? because "her disgrace will not be covered;" for quickly a woman is drawn into disorder, even if she only gives her will to pleasures. And we have not forbidden drinking from alabaster jars, but only the practice of drinking from them; for we cut off what is arrogant, advising those who use them carelessly, stopping their desires as they slip far and high away. But the calm that must be sent to the soul, which is tossed toward a hiccup of the air, is a threat. In no way should women be allowed to appear with any part of their body uncovered, so that neither may stumble: the men, being provoked, to look; and the women, drawing the eyes of men upon themselves. But always, as the Lord is present, we must behave with modesty, so that it may not happen to us as well. As the Apostle says harshly to the Corinthians: "When you come together, it is not to eat the Lord's supper." It seems to me that the Acéphalos, called among the mathematicians and counted before the wandering star, is a metaphor for those who eat delicacies and live for pleasure and are ready for drunkenness, with the head bent down to the chest. For indeed, even in this case, the reasoning faculty is not established in the head, but in the inward passions, enslaved to desire and anger. So, just as Elpenor let a dice fall down through drunkenness, in the same way the brain of these people, reeling from drunkenness above, falls down onto the liver and the heart, that is, onto pleasure and anger, falling as a greater corpse. As the poets' children say, Hephaestus was thrown down from heaven to earth by Zeus. "Pain and sleeplessness," he says, "and bile, and a whirl of insatiable man." Because of this, even the drunkenness of Noah has become unwritten, so that we might guard against drunkenness especially, having a clear and written image of the fault; for this reason, those who cover the shame of drunkenness are blessed by the Lord. Very briefly then, the Scripture, including everything in one statement, has said: "Enough for a trained person is wine, and he will rest on his bed."

Chapter 3

That one should not be concerned about the luxury of vessels.

The use of drinking vessels made of silver and gold, and other stone-inlaid ones, is improper, being only a deception for the eye. For if someone pours into them a hot mixture, the vessels become painfully heated to hold; but if cold is poured in again, the material gives off its own quality, spoiling the mixture. And rich drinking is harmful. Certain Thēriclean cups were made for pouring, and Antigonian ones, as well as kantharoi and labrōnioi, and lepastai, and countless kinds of drinking vessels; also chillers on these, and wine pitchers. For gold and silver, both privately and publicly, are objects of envy, exceeding their use; rare to acquire, hard to keep, and not suitable for use. Indeed, the elaborate vanity of silversmiths on glass, more ready for breaking by skill, teaches both fear and drinking, and must be restricted by our good order; silver recliners, basins, sharp-edged bowls, small plates, and trays; on top of these, vessels of silver and gold, some for serving food, others for various uses, I am ashamed even to mention—items of cedar from the fragrant tree, and frankincense, and ebony, and tripods made of ivory, silver-footed couches, and ivory-inlaid ones; gold-embroidered and decorated with tortoise-shell beds and couches; sea-silk mattresses and others of rare colors, proofs of endless luxury, envious and foolish plots of excess, all to be sent away; none of them having any worthy purpose. "The time is limited," as the Apostle says. This remains: not to be formed in a ridiculous way; just as in processions some are seen, outwardly dressed in a strikingly dignified manner, but inside they are miserable. To make this clearer and more exact, he added: "So then, those who have wives should live as if they do not have them; and those who buy, as if they do not possess." But if these things are about marriage, concerning which God says, "Be fruitful;" how do you think that the excessive desire for novelty should not be banished by the authority of the Lord? For this reason also, "Sell what you have," the Lord says, "and give to the poor, and come, follow me." Follow God, stripped of arrogance, stripped of worthless show; only your own good, your inalienable possession—faith in God, confession of suffering, kindness to people—these you have gained, a most honorable treasure. I also accept Plato, who legislates directly, that one should neither seek wealth in silver nor in gold, but only what is necessary and moderate; that is, no useless possession beyond what is needed, and that in many cases the same rule would be appropriate, and that excessive accumulation of property should be removed. Certainly, the divine Scripture speaks fully against the self-loving and arrogant: "Where are the rulers of the nations, and those who dominate the beasts on the earth, those who mock the birds of the sky, those who hoard silver and gold, in whom people trusted, and there is no end to their possessions? Those who forge silver and gold, and who are anxious about it." There is no discovery of their works; they have vanished and gone down to Hades." This is the reward of boundless greed. For if they farm for us, a mattock and a plow are needed; no one would silver a butcher's knife, nor would a coppersmith make a golden anvil. But for the one who benefits from the material, we do not use it richly in gardening. What prevents those who study the same kind from having the same mindset about the household tools? Let the measure be need, not luxury. For tell me, what does the table knife do, if its handle is not silver or made from ivory? It does not cut? Or must Indian iron be forged for the portion of meat, just as if calling for some kind of ally? But what about? But if the basin were made of pottery, it would not hold the residue of the hand? Nor would the foot-washer hold the residue of the foot? Then the table made of ivory, carrying a small piece of bread, would also suffer hardship? Nor indeed would the lamp serve the light, because it is made of pottery, not the work of a goldsmith? But I say that even the footstool does not offer a worse place to lie down than the ivory couch. Since the mat is quite sufficient to be spread out, so that there is no need for purple or crimson cloths, yet the cheapness is recognized because of foolish, badly ordered luxury. What great error is this, what vanity? See, the Lord looked down on a low basin and laid the disciples down on the ground at his feet; and he washed their feet, girded with a towel, the unpretentious God and Lord of all. He did not carry around a silver basin from heaven; and he asked the Samaritan woman to drink from a simple clay vessel at the well, not seeking royal gold. He taught how to easily quench thirst; for he set the need as the goal, not excessive luxury. He ate and drank at feasts, not metals dug from the earth, nor silver, nor gold, that is, poison, using vessels; just as poison breathes from decayed matter. In general, I say that all food, clothing, utensils, and everything else related to the household must follow the concerns of the Christian, adapted appropriately to the person, age, occupation, and occasion. Since we are servants of one God, both the possessions and the furniture on them must show signs of a good life, and each person's undivided faith, in this single concern, should appear to do the following things consistently and according to one disposition. What we acquire without difficulty, and use easily, we praise, keep without trouble, and share readily; but the useful things are better; certainly, the simpler things of the rich are better. But wealth as a whole, if not properly managed, is a stronghold of evil; many people, coveting it, would never enter the kingdom of heaven. They are sick over worldly things and live proudly because of luxury. Those who strive for salvation must first understand that all our possessions exist for use; but possessions are for the sake of self-sufficiency, which one could maintain even with little. For those who rejoice in these treasures out of greed are foolish; "But the one who gathers wages," he says, "has gathered them into a pierced vessel." This one is the one who gathers and locks away the seed, and is diminished, giving nothing to anyone. Mockery and loud laughter are brought upon men like silver chamber pots and rainless sponges, just as they bring upon their own advisors; and these wealthy women foolishly make these outlets of their secretions into gold, so that it is not even possible to wipe away their wealth without being blinded. I would have wished that gold be judged worthy of being dung throughout their whole life. Now the citadel of evil has been found, love of money, which the Apostle calls "the root of all evils"." He says: "Some, eager for it, have wandered away from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains"." Wealth is the best poverty of desires; and true greatness of spirit is not to be proud because of wealth, but to despise it. To be proud about possessions is a shameful boast; for it is no longer right to care much about these things, which anyone willing can buy from the market. Wisdom is not bought with earthly money, nor in a market, but is sold in heaven; and it is sold for a just currency, the Word that does not perish, the royal gold.

Chapter 4

How one must act concerning the hearths.

We must be far from the feast of reasonless revelry; and also from the vain all-night parties, which are held in drunkenness. For the revel is a drunken pipe, a raft of love, of restlessness; the revel is such. Love, and drunkenness, and the irrational passions have gone far away from our dance. A fellow reveler is a kind of drunken parody; the all-night party is a church gathering for drinking, drunkenness, and stirring up company; a boldness that leads to shameful acts. If in flutes and psalteries, and dances, and Egyptian clapping, and such disorderly, improper, and uneducated revelries were to arise, sounding with cymbals and drums, and noisy with the instruments of deceit; for, as it seems to me, such a feast easily becomes a theater of drunkenness. "For having put aside the works of darkness, let us put on the armor of light." The Apostle considers it fitting "to walk properly as in the day, not in revelries and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery." being devoted to. Let the pipe be assigned to the shepherds; but the flute to superstitious people who rush into idolatry. For truly these instruments must be sent away from a sober feast, being more suitable for wild beasts than for humans, and for humans the more irrational ones. For we have learned that deer are charmed by the pipes, and that they are led by the melody toward the hunters who chase them; but for horses, when mixed in, like in a wedding song, the law of flute music is played. Musicians have called this a horse-running tune. Every completely simple kind of unrestrained sight and sound, and altogether, one might say, a shameful loss of self-control in the senses, truly numbness, must be cut out well, for those who are careful about the pleasure that tickles and softens both the eyes and the ears. For the varied spells of melodies, having been brought down, and the mournful rhythms of the muse Karikē, corrupt manners, leading into passion through unrestrained and badly made music in this revelry. Separating the divine service, the Spirit sings: "Praise him with the sound of the trumpet;" For indeed, with the sound of the trumpet, he will raise the dead. "Praise him with the harp;" For the tongue is the harp of the Lord; "And praise him with the lyre;" Let the mouth be like a lyre, as if struck by a plectrum of the Spirit. "With tambourine and dance praise him;" He calls the Church the one who has practiced the resurrection of the flesh in the sounding skin. "With strings and organ praise him;" The body is called the organ of ours, and its nerves are the strings, through which it has taken the harmony of tension; and struck by the Spirit, it gives back the human sounds. "Praise him with cymbals of shouting;" The tongue is called the cymbal of the mouth, which resounds with the lips when struck; for this reason it shouted to humanity: "Let every breath praise the Lord;" because he has looked upon every breath that he made. For truly, man is a peaceful instrument. But the other things, if someone is meddlesome, he will find warlike instruments, setting fire to desires, or burning up loves, or stirring up angry passions. They use indeed, in their wars, the Tyrrhenians the trumpet, the Arcadians the pipe, the Sicilians the pektis, the Cretans the lyre, the Lacedaemonians the flute, the Thracians the horn, the Egyptians the drum, and the Arabs the cymbal. But we have used only one instrument, the Word, which is peaceful, with which we honor God. No longer with the old psaltery, and the trumpet, and the drum, and the flute, with which it was the custom for those engaged in war to practice, and to despise divine fear, and also to use festive gatherings for dance, as if their reckless spirit were stirred up again by such rhythms. Let our goodwill at a feast be twofold, according to the law. For if "You shall love the Lord your God," then "your neighbor;" First, the love toward God should be through thanksgiving and singing of psalms; second, the love toward the neighbor should be through respectful conversation. "Let the word of the Lord dwell richly in you," the Apostle says. But this Word is joined and shaped according to times, persons, and places. But now it is also for feasting; for the Apostle again brings this up: "Teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom through psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with grace in your hearts." And again: "Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him." This is our joyful feast. And if you wish to sing and chant with a lyre or a harp, it is no fault; it is right to imitate the Hebrew king, thankful to God: "Rejoice, you righteous, in the Lord; praise is fitting for the upright," the prophecy says. "Give thanks to the Lord with the harp; play to him on the ten-stringed psaltery," Sing to him a new song." And does not the ten-stringed psaltery signify the Word, Jesus, revealed by the principle of the ten? Just as it is fitting to bless the creator of all things before we partake of food, so also at a feast it is proper to sing to him, sharing in his creatures; for the psalm is a measured blessing and a sober praise. "A spiritual song" The Apostle said the psalm. It is right at all times, before falling asleep, to give thanks to God, having enjoyed his grace and kindness, just as we go straight to sleep; "And give thanks to him with songs of the lips," he says: "For in his command all good pleasure is fulfilled; and there is no lessening in his salvation." But even among the ancient Greeks, besides their banquet feasts and the cups they sprinkled, there was a song called the skolion, modeled after Hebrew psalms, commonly sung by all at once with a paean voice, sometimes also taking turns to sing the toasts of the song; and the more skilled among them sang along with the lyre. But let the love songs be far away; let the songs be hymns to God: "Let them praise," he says, "Let his name be praised in a choir; with tambourine and harp let them sing to him." And who is the singing choir? The Spirit will tell you this: "His praise is in the Church of the holy ones; let them rejoice over their king." And again it says: "For the Lord delights in his people." And indeed, one must accept harmony with the sensible; it is most harmful when, driving away our strong reason, the truly moist harmonies, which are around the bends of the sounds, are badly made and broken up into fragments and vulgarity; but the strict and temperate melodies are rejected by the proud airs of drunkenness. Therefore, the chromatic harmonies must be left to the colorless drunken songs, and to the blossoming and companionable music.

Chapter 5

On Laughter.

Imitators of ridiculous people, and even more so of contemptible passions, must be driven out from our society. For of all words flowing from thought and character, it is not possible for some to be laughable unless they come from a laughable character. For the saying, "There is no good tree that produces bad fruit; nor indeed a bad tree that produces good fruit," must also be applied here; for the word is the fruit of the mind. If then the jesters must be removed from our community, it is certainly important and necessary for us to allow them to make jokes; for it is strange to find imitators of those whose audiences are prevented from being. Even more absurd is to try to become serious in a ridiculous way, that is, to be both shameless and laughable. For if one were to appear ridiculous, as some are seen to do in processions, we could not endure it; how could we reasonably tolerate a person inside, who takes on the most ridiculous appearance, even in their face? Therefore, we would never willingly turn toward the most ridiculous. And how could we, by our words, practice both being and appearing ridiculous, having lost the most valuable of all human possessions, reason? Mockery indeed practices these things; since even the speech of ridiculous people is not worthy of listening, becoming accustomed through their names to the shameful acts. One must be witty, not clownish. But even laughter itself must be restrained; for when it is expressed in the right way, it shows decorum; if it does not follow this, it reveals licentiousness. Simply put, all the natural things in humans should not be taken away from them; rather, it is fitting to set proper measure and time for them. For since man is a laughing animal, not everything should be laughed at; since even the horse, being a neighing animal, neighs at everything. But as rational animals, they themselves must be properly controlled, tempering strictly the severity of our seriousness and the excessive tension, not loosening them carelessly but fittingly. For the orderly relaxation of the face, like an instrument, is called a proper spreading of a smile; thus, laughter is called the face of the sensible. But a careless loosening of the face, if it happens among women, is called giggling, which is a lustful laughter; if among men, it is called chuckling; this laughter is foolish and insulting. "A fool in laughter raises his voice," Scripture says: "But a crafty man hardly smiles quietly." He now calls crafty the one who is opposed to the fool. But it is not necessary to be sullen in return, but thoughtful; for I very much accept the one who smiles with his face, who seemed to smile with a stern face, the one with the stern faces; for his laughter would be less laughable. One must also be guided by the smile; and if it is at shameful things, we think it is better to appear blushing rather than smiling, so as not to seem to agree through sympathy; but if it is at sorrowful things, it is fitting to appear more downcast or to seem saddened; for the former is human, not a sign of reason; the latter shows a suspicion of cruelty. For one must not always be laughing; it is excessive; nor in the presence of elders or others worthy of respect; unless they themselves have somehow joked with us in a friendly way. Nor indeed should one laugh at just anyone; not in every place, nor at everyone, nor about everything. For laughter is especially a slip into slanders for young men and women. And to seem frightening from afar to those passing by is a way of avoiding them. For dignity alone is able to repel the attacks of shamelessness just by its appearance; but wine, so to speak, overcomes all fools.

And it also urges to smile gently, and to dance,

turning the nature of husband and wife toward softness; and one must consider how from this boldness disorder grows into foul speech;

And a certain saying went before, which is better left unsaid.

It especially happens that the character of the shameless is revealed in wine, stripped of pretense, because of the unrestrained boldness of drunken speech; for while the word falls asleep, the soul is weighed down by drunkenness; but the twisted passions are stirred up, overpowering the weakness of reason.

Chapter 6

On foul language.

Foul language must be completely avoided by both them and us, and those who use it must be silenced, with a harsher look, turning the face away, and with what is called a wiping away, often even with a sharper word. "For what comes out," it says, "from the mouth makes a person common;" common, and pagan, and uneducated, and shows him to be shameless; not his own, nor decent, nor sensible.

Regarding the hearing of foul words and the sight of things similarly shameful, the divine Instructor, concerning the same things with the children of old, so that their ears would not be broken by them, places wise words around them, like guards, so that the blow of lust might not reach to break the soul; and he directs the eyes to the sight of good things, saying it is better to slip with the feet than with the eyes.

Rejecting this foul language, the Apostle says, "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but if any is good." Again he says, "As is proper for saints, let no foul speech, foolish talk, or jesting be named among you; these are not fitting, but rather thanksgiving."

And if "he who says a fool to his brother is guilty of judgment," what do we say about the one who speaks foolishly? Indeed about this also it is written: "Whoever speaks idle words will give account to the Lord on the day of judgment." Again: "By your words you will be justified," it says, "and by your words you will be condemned."

What then are the saving guards, and what are the teachings for the wandering eyes? They are the associations with the righteous, which go before and block the ears, against those who want to lead away from the truth.

Evil company corrupts good morals,

The poet says. The Apostle says more nobly, "Become, he says, hating what is evil, holding fast to what is good." For the one who lives among the saints will be sanctified. In every way, then, one must avoid shameful sounds, words, and sights; but much more must one cleanse oneself from shameful deeds. This is done by disciplining and training certain parts of the body that are not needed; that is done by guarding the more private parts. For the righteous son would not tolerate exposing what is shameful in his nakedness; temperance covers what drunkenness has uncovered, the obvious fault of ignorance. No less must one also cleanse the utterances of the voice; the ears of those who have trusted in Christ must be kept as sacred places. To me, the Instructor seems to have not even spoken anything that aims at shamefulness for us, far off as he is slandering toward unrestrained behavior. For it is always terrible to cut off the roots of sins: the commandment, "You shall not commit adultery," through the commandment, "You shall not covet;" for the fruit of desire is adultery, the root of evil. Similarly then here too the Instructor has slandered the freedom of names, as a use, cutting off the shameless mixing of licentiousness; for disorder in names trains one to be disorderly also in actions; but to be temperate about speech is to practice, and to endure, lust. We have explained in deeper detail that neither in the names themselves, nor in the parts involved in intercourse, nor in the marital union, on which the names depend, which are not common terms about the habit, is the name of what is truly shameful assigned; for neither the knee, nor the shin, nor such limbs, nor even the names for them and the actions done through them, are shameful; the limbs and the private parts of a person are objects of modesty, not of shame; but their unlawful use is shameful, and for this reason worthy of disgrace and punishment. For only what is truly shameful is the evil and the actions done according to it. Accordingly, the speech about the works of evil would rightly be called shameful speech; for example, talking about adultery, or pederasty, and similar things. Yes, even foolish and idle chatter must be silenced; "For from much talking you will not escape," he says, "sin." Then, reckless talk will bring punishment; "There is" for "he who is found silent is wise, and he is hated because of much talking." Moreover, the careless talker is also a burden to himself; "For one who speaks too much, his soul is disgusted."

Chapter 7

Whom should one watch out for among those living foolishly with you?

Let us be far away, let us be far away also from mocking, which is the beginning of insult, from which come quarrels, fights, and bitter enmities. We said that insult is the servant of drunkenness. A person is judged not only by their actions but also by their words. "At a drinking party," he says, "Do not rebuke your neighbor; and do not say a word of insult to him." For even if the greatest things are commanded to the saints to be mindful of, to mock a saint is a sin; "For from the mouth of fools," Scripture says, "a staff of insult;" an instrument of insult, calling it a staff, on which insult leans and rests. Therefore, I admire the Apostle here as well, who advises, "neither the jokes nor the inappropriate things" should go before us in speech. For if the gatherings at meals are for love, and the end of a banquet is goodwill toward those present, with eating and drinking following love, how can it not be reasonable to behave properly, nor be confused even because of love? ? For if we have come together to strengthen goodwill toward one another, how do we stir up hatred by mocking? It is better to be silent than to contradict, bringing sin through ignorance. "Blessed truly is the man who has not slipped with his mouth, and has not been overcome by the pain of sin; " either having repented for the things he spoke in error; or having spoken without causing pain to anyone. In general, then, young men and young women should completely avoid such feasts, so that they do not stumble over things that are not proper. For both improper words and unbecoming sights, while faith is still wavering in them, throw their minds into confusion. The instability of youth works together with these things, making their desires hard to bear. There are times when others also become responsible for faults, showing the danger of the hour. Wisdom indeed seems to give good advice: "Do not sit with a married woman in a group, and do not lean your elbow beside her." That is, do not dine together too often; do not eat with her. Therefore it also adds: "Do not make agreements with her over wine, lest your heart turn toward her, and your blood slip into ruin." For the freedom of the evening meal is dangerous, able to lead one astray. "Widow" She called her "widow" because the danger is greater for the one trying to break the bond of living together. But if someone must by necessity encounter her, she orders to pass by; those who are veiled wear a garment too loose on the outside, but inside they have modesty. But all those who are not widows, the worst slander against them is to be present at a men's drinking party, especially when they are drunk. Those who fixed their gaze on the couch, resting unshakably on their elbows, stood close only to those near them; and if they did sit down, they did not cross their legs. Nor did they place one thigh on another, or rest their hand on their chin. For it is unseemly not to carry oneself properly, and this is also a charge against the young man. Constantly changing one's posture is a sign of restlessness, not of self-control. A sensible person chooses the smaller amount right away in eating and drinking, and prefers leisure rather than rushing, both at the start and during breaks. Also, to begin early and without effort: "Eat," he says, "like a person who takes what is nearby; stop first for the sake of discipline; and even if you have sat among many, do not stretch out your hand before them." Then one must not jump forward driven by gluttony when persuaded; nor should one reach out too far when nibbling, as this shows weakness and admits to lack of self-control. But also not in between, appearing like wild beasts, eager to devour. Nor should more food be offered; for a person is not naturally a lover of delicacies, but a eater of bread. To rise before most others and to leave the banquet reasonably is proper for a sensible man; "For at the right time " he says, "do not lag behind in rising, and run off to your home." The twelve said, having called together the crowd of disciples: "It is not fitting for us, having left the word of God, to serve tables." If they had kept this, they would have avoided gluttony all the more. These same apostles to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia" sending this message: "It seemed good," They said, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to lay on you any greater burden than these necessary things: to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well." But you must also avoid drinking parties, just as you would poison; for both drag down to death. It is also necessary to avoid excessive laughter and too many tears; for often those who are drunk laugh loudly, but then they are overcome, I do not know how, by some kind of drunkenness, falling into tears. For the word causes loss of reason, as well as becoming effeminate and behaving outrageously. Elders, looking at the young like children, very rarely, and perhaps only sometimes, might even play with them; they tease them for this, which will teach them proper behavior. It is no trouble to be witty with the shy and silent one in this way: "My son" (I mean the one who is silent) "does not stop talking." For this kind of teasing sharpens the young man's sense of shame, gently showing the good qualities he has through the faults he does not have; for it is a teaching kind of thought that strengthens what a person has by pointing out what they lack. He judges so little when he says to the drunkard, who is sober, to be cautious and to get drunk. But even if some are fond of joking, we must keep silent and set aside unnecessary words, just like cups that are already full; for such playfulness is risky: "The mouth of the reckless reaches destruction." Do not accept a worthless report; nor allow yourself to become an unjust witness along with the unjust," neither into slanders, nor into blasphemies; but not even into malice. But I think I should also put a limit on my voice toward the sensible, to whom the one speaking against him relies on talking. "Silence is indeed a virtue of women, and a safe honor for young people; but good speech is a mark of tested maturity. Speak, elder, at the banquet; for it is fitting for you; but speak without reserve, and with exact knowledge. Young man," Wisdom also allows you, "speak, if you need to, only when asked twice; make your point in few words." Both of those speaking miss the measure in their speech; for the noise of the voice is most wild; and to speak unheard by those nearby is thoughtless; for they will not listen; and this is a sign of both rudeness and stubbornness. Quarrelsomeness also departs, for the sake of an empty victory in words; since peace is our goal; and this is what it means to say, "Peace to you." Before hearing you, do not answer a word. But the shrillness of the voice is weak; the voice of a sensible person is measured, both in size and length, speed and volume, keeping its sound in check. For one must never speak at length, nor speak too much; nor speak thoughtlessly; nor speak hastily and in a chasing manner. For even the voice itself, so to speak, must share in justice; one must silence both those who speak out of turn and those who shout. For it was with this voice that sensible Odysseus struck Thersites with blows, because

… alone was he excessively talkative,

He who knew many words in his mind that were both disorderly and excessive

In vain, and not in order.

"For terrible indeed in his ruin is a man who is talkative." Of the talkative, just like old shoes, most are worn out by badness; only the tongue remains for harm. To this the Wisdom most usefully advises: "Do not trust in the number of elders." From above, cutting off our talkativeness, ruling from God, it sets a law to moderate it somewhat like this: "Do not let your speech be long in your prayer." Yawns, and whistles, and the noises made by fingers, which are the servants' provoking signs, being senseless signals, must be avoided by rational people. One must also avoid constant spitting, and more violent sneezing, and not wiping the nose at a feast; for it must be considered a disgrace to those dining together, lest they be disgusted by such bad manners, which is a sign of lack of self-control. For the manger and the dung heap are not together at the same time for oxen and donkeys; and many people also wipe their noses and spit at the same time while dining. If a sneeze comes upon someone, like a hiccup, it should not loudly disturb those nearby, revealing their lack of manners; but the quiet hiccup, sent out with the breath, shaped neatly by the mouth, should be allowed, not drawn out like tragic masks and spat out. The disturbing part of the sneeze must be removed, gently taking in the breaths; for by this means the sudden threat of the spirit's rush is most decently put out, managing its exit; so that one might even try to hide it, if the air forced out brings anything unwanted along with it. Adding to sounds is a sign of arrogance and disorder, not of removing them. Those who lick their teeth, causing their gums to bleed, are disgusting to themselves and hateful to those nearby. Indeed, the tickling of the ears and the irritation that causes sneezing are itchy sensations, the practiced signs of unrestrained lust. And the uglinesses seen by the eye must be rejected, along with their obscene words. Let the gaze also be steady; and the turning and movement of the neck be stable; and the movement of the hands during conversation be proper. In general, the Christian belongs to calmness, quiet, tranquility, and peace.

Chapter 8

If one must use perfumes and wreaths.

The use of wreaths and perfumes is not necessary for us; for it leads to pleasures and laziness, especially when it comes close to night. I know that "a jar of perfume" brought by the woman to the holy supper, anointed the feet of the Lord, and sat by him; and I also know that the ancient Hebrews honored their kings with gold and precious stones. But the woman, not yet having shared in the word (for she was still a sinner), honored the Master with what she thought was most beautiful for her, the perfume; she cared little for the adornment of the body, and with her own hair wiped away the excess of the perfume, pouring tears of repentance on the Lord; because of this, "they are forgiven" "her sins are forgiven." This can be a symbol of the Lord's teaching and of his passion; for the feet anointed with perfume give off a fragrance, hinting at the divine teaching traveling with glory to the ends of the earth: "For their voice has gone out to the ends of the earth." And if I do not seem to be burdensome, "the feet" The feet of the Lord, those anointed, are apostles, a prophecy of the fragrance of the anointing, having received the holy Spirit. The apostles, having traveled around the world and having preached the gospel, are called the feet of the Lord; concerning them, the Spirit foretells through the psalmist: "Let us worship at the place where his feet stood," that is, where "the feet arrived" of him, the apostles; through whom, preaching, "he reached to the ends of the earth." Tears are repentance; and let the loosened hairs of vanity proclaim release, and the suffering with endurance after the preaching for the Lord, the old vanity loosened because of the new faith. But passion also shows mastery; mystically in this they understand the oil, it is the same Lord, from whom mercy comes upon us; but the myrrh, the scented oil, is Judas the betrayer, to whom the Lord anointed the feet, being freed from worldly conduct; for the dead give off a smell. But we are tears, the sinners who have repented, those who have trusted in him, to whom he has forgiven their sins. And the loosened hairs are mourning Jerusalem, the forsaken one, for whom the prophetic Lamentations were made. Let the Lord himself teach us, that Judas is the scented one; "Whoever dips with me," saying, "into the dish, this one will betray me." You see the deceitful companion at the drinking, and it is this same Judas who betrayed the Instructor with a kiss; for he became a hypocrite himself, and having a deceitful kiss, imitating another old hypocrite; and he was rebuking that people, for whom it is said: "This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." It is not inappropriate, then, to describe him as oil, both as a disciple anointed with mercy, and as a treacherous one, oil mixed with poison. So this was what those who smelled the feet foretold, the betrayal of Judas, as the Lord was going toward his passion. And the Savior himself, "washing the feet" of the disciples, sending them to good deeds, he hinted at their journey, to the benefits for the nations, preparing it well and purely with his own power; and he anointed them with the oil, and the work of the fragrance reaching all has been proclaimed; for the passion of the Lord was fulfilled, a fragrance for us, but for the Hebrews, sin. The Apostle clearly showed this, saying: "Thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and who makes the fragrance of the knowledge of him known through us everywhere. For we are the fragrance of the Lord to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To some, the fragrance is from death to death; to others, the fragrance is from life to life." The kings of the Jews, wearing crowns made of gold and precious stones, richly decorated and varied, the anointed ones, symbolically carrying Christ upon their heads, were hidden while adorning themselves with the head of the Lord. A stone indeed is precious, whether a pearl or an emerald; it symbolizes the Word itself. Gold itself is again the incorruptible Word, who does not admit the poison of decay. Gold, then, was brought to him who was born, as a symbol of kingship by the magi; and this crown remains immortal in the image of the Lord, for it does not wither like a flower. I also know the words of Aristippus of Cyrene; Aristippus was a man of luxury. This sophist asked a certain such question: "A horse, anointed with myrrh, is not harmed in its horse-like virtue, nor is a dog, when scented, harmed in its dog-like virtue; so neither is a man, then. ." he brought it forward; and he gathered. But to the horse and the dog, not a single word is said about the myrrh; for those whose sense is more rational, their enjoyment is more delicate, when girl-like scents are applied to them. There are countless varieties of these myrrhs: brenthion, and metallion, and basileion; and also plangonion and Egyptian spagdas. Simonides, however, in his iambics does not hesitate to say:

And I was anointed with myrrhs and incense,

And with balsam,

for indeed there was a certain merchant present. They also prepare perfume from lilies and from cyprus; and nard is well regarded among them; and ointment made from roses; and others, which women still use, both wet and dry, and those that are sprinkled on, and the perfumes that are inhaled; for they invent these daily, to satisfy the insatiable desire, the unquenchable craving for fragrance; therefore they give off a certain excessive and boundless scent. They also scent the clothes, the bed linens, and the houses with perfumes, sprinkling them; but luxury forces even the sleeves to smell of perfume alone. They seem to me to have gone too far in their eagerness about this, to such an extent that some are spoiled by perfumes, so much so that they effeminize the men's quarters, to the point that even their craftsmen, the perfumers, are driven out of well-governed cities, and the dyers of flower wools are driven out as well; for it is not right for deceitful clothes and ointments to enter the city of truth. It is necessary that the men among us do not smell of perfumes, but of virtue and goodness; and that a woman breathe forth the anointing of Christ, the royal one, not of powders and perfumes. Instead, she should always be anointed with the immortal ointment of self-control, delighting in the holy fragrance of the Spirit. Christ prepares for people a familiar fragrance ointment, the perfume made from heavenly spices. To this ointment the Lord himself is anointed; as it is foretold through David: "Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions: myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, from your garments." But let us not, like vultures, hate perfumes, or like beetles; (for these, anointed with rosy myrrh, are said to die;) and from these a few of the perfumes must be separated for women, just enough so that they do not overpower the man. For excessive anointing with perfumes breathes death, not life together. And yet the oil itself is an enemy to bees and to insects, which are hostile creatures; but it has helped some people, and there are those whom it has called out to battle; and it drives away former friends, who were once close, turning them in the stadiums into fierce rivals in the contest. Do not think that the perfume, being a soft oil, is able to weaken general manners? Indeed. Just as we have turned away from luxury and from pleasure in taste, so too we neglect the craving for pleasant sights and smells, lest we unknowingly let in the very excess we fled from, giving it a way into the soul through the senses, like through unguarded doors. If indeed the perfume "the incense" If they say that the great high priest, the Lord, offers the incense to God, they do not mean this sacrifice and the fragrance of incense; but rather that the Lord offers the acceptable fragrance of love, the spiritual fragrance, to be received at the altar. The oil itself is sufficient to anoint the surface and to loosen the sinewy parts, and to raise up a somewhat stronger smell from the body, even though we need the oil for this purpose. The practice of fragrance is a trap of laziness, stirred up from afar into a desire for a lamp; for the uncontrolled person is easily led astray from every side— from food, from bedding, from company, from the eyes, from the ears, from the jaws, and even from the nostrils. Just as oxen are bound by rings and ropes, so too the uncontrolled person is caught by incense, perfumes, and the fragrances from wreaths. Since we do not give any place to pleasure, nor any need that is harmful to life joined with it, bring it here, and let us separate it, choosing what is necessary; for there are some fragrances that are neither harmful nor lustful; therefore, they do not give off the scent of entanglement with uncontrolled company. They are healthy with moderation, nourishing the brain when one is weak, and strengthening the stomach as well. It is very important, then, to cool the flowers themselves whenever the nerves want to be soothed; for their use should not be rejected in every case, but the perfume should be used like a medicine and aid, both to awaken the weary strength, and against colds and chills, and discomfort; as the Comic poet says somewhere: "With perfumes one anoints the hands; a great part of health, making the brain's smells good." And the rubbing of the feet with warming or invigorating perfumes through the fat is practiced for the sake of benefit; so indeed from the head, for those who are full, there is some drawing off and retreat toward the less important parts of the body. Pleasure, when it is not joined with what is necessary, is a companion to bad character and a poison of irritations. Applying perfume and anointing with myrrh differ completely; for one is effeminate, but anointing with myrrh can be useful at times. Aristippus, the philosopher, having anointed himself with myrrh, said, "Evil men should perish badly, even the effeminate ones." He said, "Those who have slandered the benefit of myrrh by insult." Honor a doctor according to your need," The Scripture says, "For even he was created by the Most High himself." Healing is from the Lord." Then he adds, "And he will make a fragrant mixture;" Clearly for benefit, not for pleasure, in giving the perfumes. For one must not at all be eager about the stimulating quality of the perfumes, but rather choose what is beneficial; for God assigned the origin of oil to humans as a help for pain. The frivolous women, while dyeing their gray hair and smelling their hair, become grayer more quickly because of the perfumes, which are drying; therefore, those who smell them become more withered, and withering makes them grayer. For whether the grayness of the hair is due to aging or to a lack of warmth, the dryness drinks up the natural moist nourishment of the hair and makes it gray; how then could we reasonably still love the perfumes, through which those who avoid grayness become gray? Just as dogs, by sniffing, track wild animals from their smell, so the sensible detect the licentious from the excessive scent of perfumes. Such is also the use of wreaths, festive and drunken; it has passed away. "Do not place a wreath upon my head. For it is the season of spring, when the meadows are wet with dew, and with soft, varied flowers, it is beautiful to wear a garland," which grows naturally and has a certain pure fragrance, just like the bees that feed on it. The "woven wreath from an unblemished meadow" Having adorned themselves with it, to wear it at home is not wise; for it is not fitting for the hair to be thickly covered with the calyx of roses, or with violets, or lilies, or some other such flowers, while the grass is being decorated. For the wreath surrounding the hair gives it life in a different way, both because of its moisture and because of its coolness. To this, the doctors also agree, considering the brain to be naturally cold; they recommend anointing the chest and the tips of the nostrils with myrrh, so that the fiery fumes, passing quietly, may be able to nourish the coldness in a healthy way. Therefore, it is very necessary for the flowers to cool it. Yes indeed, those crowned with flowers lose the pleasure of the blossoming; for those who wear the wreath above their eyes do not enjoy the sight, nor do those who keep the flowers away beyond their breath enjoy the fragrance. For as the fragrance naturally rises and is breathed upward over the head, the breath is left empty of enjoyment, the fragrance being snatched away. Just as beauty pleases when seen, so too does the flower delight the eyes; and it is necessary to enjoy the beautiful through sight, giving glory to the Creator. Their use is harmful, and it passes away quickly, punished by regret. Indeed, their fleeting nature is clearly shown; for both the flower and the beauty wither away. But for those who touch them, one revived, the other burned up. In one word, the enjoyment beyond sight is arrogance, not pleasure; it is fitting for us to enjoy, as in paradise, with self-control, truly following the Scripture. The man should be considered the crown of the woman, and marriage the crown of the man, and children the flowers of both; these are what the divine farmer harvests from the earthly fields. "The crown of the elders is their children's children; and the fathers are the glory of their children," he says; for us, the Father of all; and the crown of the whole Church is Christ. Just as roots and herbs have their own qualities, so also do flowers; some are helpful, others harmful; and some are even dangerous. The citron gives life; but the walnut tree sends out a dulling spirit, as its name also shows by its etymology; the narcissus is a heavy-smelling flower; its name proves this, meaning "to numb, numbing the nerves." The scents of roses and violets are calm and cool; they contract and close the pores. But for us, it is not allowed to get drunk in any way, nor even to be intoxicated; indeed, the saffron and the flower of the henna lead to painless sleep. Many of these, since the brain is naturally cold, nourish it with their scents, thinning the excess moisture of the head. From this comes the name of the rose, they say, because it gives off a very strong flow of fragrance; therefore, it also withers more quickly. But even among the ancient Greeks, the use of wreaths was not yet common; for neither the suitors nor the pleasure-loving Phaeacians used them. In the contests, first came the prize for the athletes, second the waking-up call, third the throwing of leaves, and last the wreath, which began to be given as a reward for luxury in Greece after the Persian Wars. Those who are trained in Reason are therefore kept away from wreaths; they do not seem to accept the word, established in their mind; not because the wreath would be a symbol of drunken pride; but rather because it is associated with idols. At least Sophocles called the narcissus "an ancient crown of the great gods." He spoke, referring to the gods of the underworld; but Sappho crowns the Muses with a rose: "For you do not share the roses from Pieria;" They say that Hera delights in the lily, and Artemis in the myrrh. For although flowers came mostly because of humans, the foolish, having taken these, used them not for their own grateful purpose, but for the ungrateful service of demons. They must be avoided because of conscience. The wreath is a symbol of carefree joy; with it, even the dead are crowned. For this reason, idols, by their actions, also bear witness to being dead. The Bacchantes do not perform their rites without wreaths; and when the flowers are placed around, they are burned excessively at the end. Certainly, one must not share with demons in any way. But neither should the living image of God be crowned like the idols of the dead. For the beautiful crown of the unfading is reserved for the one who has lived well. This flower the earth has not allowed to bear; only heaven knows how to make it bear fruit. But to those who have heard us without reason, the Lord says, "with thorns" "crowned with thorns", those indulging in the sacred passion of the Lord, to be crowned with flowers. For the crown of the Lord was prophetically hinted to us, those once fruitless, who are surrounded by him through the Church, of which he is the head. But it is also a symbol of faith: of life because of the nature of the wood, of joy because of the name of the crown, and of danger because of the thorn; for it is not possible to approach the Word without risk. But this woven crown withers, and the mesh of crookedness is undone, and the flower dries up; for the glory of those who have not trusted in the Lord withers away. They crowned Jesus while he was lifted up, bearing witness to their own ignorance; for this is exactly what the hard-hearted do not understand—a prophecy made wise, which they themselves call the Lord's insult. "The people did not know the Lord" The one who has gone astray; the mind is not circumcised; the darkness has not been enlightened; he did not see God; he denied the Lord; Israel has perished; he has rejected God; he hoped to insult the Word; and the one whom he crucified as a criminal, he raised up as king. Therefore, to the one in whom people did not believe, the loving God, they will come to know the Lord and the righteous one; the very one whom they bitterly opposed to show the Lord, they have testified to him who is exalted, having placed the crown of righteousness above every name, placed upon him through the ever-living crown of thorns; this crown stopped those who plotted as enemies; it confined those who gathered with the church as friends; this crown is a flower for those who have trusted in the glorified one; but it bleeds and punishes those who have not believed. Indeed, it is also a symbol of the Lord's achievement, who bore on his head and the ruling part of the body all our evils, through which we are pierced; for he, by enduring his own suffering, saved us from snares and sins and such thorns, and having destroyed the devil, rightly prayed saying, "Where is your sting, death?" And we gather grapes from thorns, and figs from brambles; but those who deserve wounds, upon whom he "stretched out his hands," upon a disobedient and fruitless people. I could also tell you another mystery here; for when the all-powerful Lord of all was about to give the law through the Word, and wished to make his power clear to Moses, a divine-like vision of light appeared to him on a burning bush; (the thorny plant is the bush;) when the lawgiving and the Word's dwelling among humans stopped, the Lord again secretly wraps himself in a thorn; from there he goes back to where he came from, summing up the beginning of the old descent, so that the Word, first seen through the bush, later taken up through the thorn, may show all things as one work of power, being one, of the one Father, the beginning and the end of the age. But I have stepped beyond the form of a tutor, introducing the form of a teacher; therefore I return again to the subject at hand. Just as in the case of a drug given for healing, and also for a wise spreading, we have shown that the pleasure from flowers and the benefit from myrrh and incense should not be rejected. But if some were to say, "What use then is the grace of flowers to those who do not use them?" ? Know then that myrrh is also made from them, and it is very useful: susinon comes from lilies and irises; it is warming, astringent, drawing together, moistening, cleansing, finely detailed, stirring laziness, and softening; narcissinon comes from the narcissus, and it helps equally with susinon; myrsinon comes from myrtles and myrrh, it is astringent and stops bodily discharges; and that which comes from roses is invigorating. For in general these too have been created for our use. "Listen to me," he says, "and like a rose planted by flowing waters, you have blossomed; like frankincense, you have given off fragrance; and you have blessed the Lord for his works." And much could be said about these things, concerning the necessary benefits of the flowers and perfumes we speak of, not about the excesses of luxury; but if anything is to be allowed, let them enjoy the fragrance of the flowers without adorning themselves with them; for the Father fills a person with many scents, and he alone gives this special skill to him. The Scripture says, then: "Water, and fire, and iron, and milk, fine wheat flour, and honey, the blood of the grape, and oil, and clothing— all these are for the good of the pious."

Chapter 9

How one should approach sleep.

How, then, should we go from here to sleep, remembering the commands of temperance? This must now be said. For after the feast, having blessed God for the sharing of pleasures and the running out of the day, one should invite the word to sleep, the luxury of the bedding, the gold-embroidered carpets, and the finely embroidered thin carpets, the salt-washed rugs, and the precious cushions, the artistic rugs, the purple cloaks, and the cloaks lined underneath with wool, and the softer beds of sleep being brought in. For against the fault of pleasure-seeking, harmful is the sleeping in the downy feathers, just like bodies falling into a void because of the softness of the bedding. For it does not hold together those turning about who lie in them, because of the troublesome disturbance of sleep from the sides of the body; nor does it allow food to settle, but rather to burn up; this indeed destroys the food. But lying down on smooth beds, as a natural exercise of sleep, helps the settling of the food. Those who can roll about on other beds, having this natural exercise of sleep, more easily settle their food and prepare themselves better for the circumstances. Moreover, the silver-footed dancers are accusers full of great arrogance; and the elephant in the small beds, a body left without soul, is not holy or good for holy people, but a foolish device for rest. Therefore, one should not be eager about these things; for the use is not inexperienced to those who have acquired it, but the practice about them is hindered; for happiness is not in these things. Again, it is the vanity of the Cynic, like Diomedes, to practice.

… and under it was spread the hide of a wild ox,

unless, then, the situation forces it. But Odysseus, pressing down on the bride's bed, propped it up with a stone. Such great simplicity and self-sufficiency were practiced not only by private individuals but also by the leaders of the ancient Greeks. And what need is there for me to speak of these things? Jacob was sleeping on the ground, and a stone was his pillow; then he was deemed worthy to see the vision above human level. We must follow the teaching and remove from sleep whatever comforts us, keeping only what is fitting and moderate to encourage us; if it is summer, then shade; if it is cold, then warmth. Let the bed be simple, and let the feet be smooth; for the fussy twists are sometimes like the rubbing of creeping animals around the joints of the craft, winding themselves without slipping away. Above all, the softness of the bed must be balanced with firmness; for sleep should not be a complete loosening of the body, but a rest. Therefore, I say that one must take it not for laziness, but for the rest of actions. Therefore, one must wake up without drowsiness. "Let your loins be girded, he says, and your lamps burning, and you be like men waiting for their Lord, when he will break from the wedding, so that when he comes and knocks, they may immediately open to him." Blessed are those servants whom the Lord finds awake when he comes." For there is no benefit to a man who is sleeping, just as there is none to one who is dead; therefore, often one must rise from the bed at night and bless God. For blessed are those who are awake toward him, resembling angels who are "awake." We call them "awake." But no person who is sleeping is worthy of anything, no more than one who is not alive. But the one who has the light is awake, "and the darkness does not overcome him." Nor indeed sleep, since it is not darkness; therefore, the one who is enlightened has awakened toward God. And such a person lives. "For what has happened in him was life." "Blessed is the man, says Wisdom, who listens to me, and the man who keeps my ways, watching at my doors, guarding the posts of my entrances every day." "Therefore, let us not sleep like the others, but let us watch, says the Scripture, and let us be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night;" that is, in the darkness of ignorance; but we, being of the day, let us be sober. For all of you are children of light, and children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness." But the one who is for us the guardian of true life and genuine thinking above all, stays awake as much as possible, here keeping watch only for his own health, which is useful; yet he is not going very well into habit. The practice of discipline produces eternal watchfulness from toil. Therefore, let not our food be heavy, but rather lightening; so that we may not be harmed by sleep, just as those who swim depend on weights. On the contrary, like from the depths below, sobriety will relieve us for the efforts of watchfulness. For the burden of sleep seems like death, brought on by foolishness into numbness, cutting off the light from the eyelids by closing them. Therefore, let us not shut out this light from the true sons of light; but turning inward to ourselves, shining the eyes of the hidden man, we may behold the very truth, and partake of its streams, clearly and wisely revealing the true nature of dreams. The belches of those weighed down by wine, and the loud noises of those stuffed with food, and the groaning wrapped in the beds, and the rumblings of troubled stomachs, have seized the eye of the soul's insight, filled with countless imaginations of the mind. The cause is excessive food, which drags the reasoning faculty down into numbness. Sleep, indeed, when excessive, brings no benefit to either our bodies or our souls, nor does it fit well with all the actions concerning truth, even though it is natural. Lot the righteous (for I now refer to the explanation of the economy of the regeneration) would not have been led into that unlawful union, unless perhaps he had been drunk with his daughters and overcome by sleep. If then we cut off the causes of excessive sleep by restraint, we will sleep more soberly; for it is not right for those who have the Word dwelling within them, the watchful one, to sleep all night. One must rise at night, especially when the days grow shorter; and one must engage in study, another must attend to his craft; one must also touch the suffering women. For all, so to speak, we must struggle against sleep, which gently accustoms us by approach, so that we may take more time for living through wakefulness. For sleep, like a tax collector, divides with us half of our life's time. One must indeed allow oneself to sleep a good deal after the day, especially for those who have cut away most of the night for wakefulness; but restlessness, drowsiness, stretching, and yawning are uncertain troubles of the soul. It is necessary for everyone to know this as well: that it is not the soul that needs sleep. For the soul is always active; but the body, burdened by rest, gives way, no longer acting bodily through the soul, but thinking on its own. This is why the true dreams, rightly considered by one who is sober, are thoughts of the soul, undistracted at that time because it is free from the body's sensations, and giving the best advice to itself. It is ruin for the soul to be without rest. Therefore, always keeping God in mind, through constant conversation, it entrusts wakefulness to the body, and by angelic grace, it makes the person equal, receiving eternal life from the practice of staying awake.

Chapter 10

What must be discussed about childbearing.

Only those who are married are left to consider the proper time for intercourse; for those who are married, the goal is childbearing; and the end is having many children. Just as for a farmer, the cause of sowing seeds is the provision of food, and the end of farming is the gathering of the crops. A far better farmer is the one who sows a living field. For one judges the right time for food, and the other plans for the whole duration; both farm. One farms for himself, the other farms for God. "Be fruitful, for he said so; and this must be obeyed, and in this way: Man is made in the image of God, since in the birth of a man, a man cooperates." Not every land is suitable for receiving seeds; even if all were, not all are for the same farmer. Nor should one sow on rock, nor should the seed be dishonored, since it holds the origin of birth, containing within it the natural principles of life. Those natural principles should not be senselessly brought to shame by unnatural means, which are godless. You see, then, how the all-wise Moses once symbolically rejected the barren sowing: "You shall not mate the hare, nor the hyena," he said." Man does not wish to share in their nature, nor to taste the same kind of lust; for these animals are completely disgusted by mating. And they say that the hare gains advantage by delaying defecation for a year, holding holes in numbers according to the years it has lived. In this way, then, the refusal of food shows the rejection of hare pederasty. The male, in turn, exchanges with the female every year; and it is hinted that the one who keeps away from the hyena should not be driven to adultery. But I agree that the all-wise Moses is hinting, through the given prohibition, that these animals should not be like this in their need. However, I do not agree with this explanation of the symbolic statements; for nature would never be forced to change. What has been formed once in it must not be reshaped by suffering; for suffering is not nature. Suffering tends to distort, not to reorder, the original form. For although it is said that many birds change their color and voice according to the seasons—for example, the chough, which is blond from black, becoming noisy from being a songbird; and likewise the nightingale changes both its color and its song with the seasons—yet they do not change their nature, as if becoming female from male by transformation. Rather, the new feathers of the young bird bloom like a fresh garment with some coloring of feathers; and a little later, during the winter threat, they fade away, just like a flower withering on the skin. The voice also fades in a similar way, weakened by the cold; for as the surface thickens from what surrounds it, the arteries around the neck, being pressed and thickened, squeeze the breath; and this, being too constrained and suffocated, gives up the sound. Again, being compared with what surrounds it, and harmonizing with the spring, the breath is freed from its tightness, carried through the wide arteries that were previously constricted. The once faded song no longer falters; instead, it now blooms clear and bright, and their sound spreads more widely. And so the song of the birds becomes the spring of their voice. Then it must never be believed that the hyena changes its nature; for the same animal cannot have both sexes at once, male and female, as some have suggested, inventing monsters called hermaphrodites, and creating a third nature between female and male, an androgynous unnatural being. They are very much mistaken, not understanding the loving nature of the all-mother and life-giving nature. For the hyena is the most lustful animal; under the tail, in front of the opening for waste, it has a certain fleshly projection, similar in shape to a female sexual organ. But this fleshly form has no opening for any use, neither for a womb nor for urination, I mean. Instead, it has only a large cavity, which receives the empty desire when the openings around the birth canal are closed off, busy with the process of giving birth. This same feature has grown in the hyena for both male and female because of its excessive passion; for the male also mates, which is why it is very rare to find a female hyena. The pregnancies in this animal are not continuous, due to the frequent unnatural seedings that occur among them without restraint. It seems to me that Plato, in Phaedrus, also rejects pederasty by calling it a beast, saying that those given over to pleasures, biting the bit, walk by the law of four-footed animals and try to sow children. Τοὺς "δὲ" "But God has handed over the ungodly," As the Apostle says, "God has handed them over to shameful passions; for their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature; likewise also the men, abandoning the natural use of the woman, burned in their desire for one another, men committing shameful acts with men, and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error." And yet nature has not allowed even the most lustful of animals to look for a passage for waste in the wrong place; for urine is discharged into the bladder, moist food into the stomach, tears into the eye, blood into the veins, dirt into the ears, mucus into the nostrils; and the seat is always connected to the end of the intestine, through which waste is expelled. Only among hyenas has varied nature invented this extra part beside the sexual organs as something unnecessary; and so it is hollow to a certain extent to serve the itching parts; from there the hollow is closed off; for it was not made for reproduction. From this it is clear to us, as everyone agrees, that one must reject male-male relations, fruitless seed, subsequent beds, and unnatural unions of men and women; since nature itself forbids these by the structure of the organs, which are not made to receive seed but to send it forth, the male having grown into a man. But when Jeremiah says, that is, through him the Spirit: "My house has become a cave of hyenas;" " Being defiled by the food of dead bodies, he has wisely exposed idolatry in allegory; for it is necessary that the house of the living God be truly pure from idols. Again, Moses forbids eating the hare; for the hare urinates all the time, and after the female sits down, it mounts her; for it is backward-looking. It conceives according to the month, and becomes pregnant; it urinates, and gives birth; and after giving birth, it immediately urinates from whichever hare it happens to have. For one marriage is not enough; and it conceives again while still nursing. It has a double uterus; and not only the emptying of the uterus is enough for it to be a source of intercourse; for every empty thing desires to be filled. But it happens that when they conceive, one part of the uterus is held back by desire and anger; for this reason, they become pregnant again. Therefore, the prohibition of this riddle advised to avoid strong desires, repeated sexual acts, relations with pregnant women, mutual domination, child destruction, adultery, and lust. In this, plainly and no longer in riddles, Moses forbade the same thing with a bare statement: "You shall not commit fornication; you shall not commit adultery; you shall not destroy children." saying. The command of the Word must be kept with full strength by everyone, and the commandments must never be broken or set aside; for evil desire is called arrogance, and the horse of desire is called a "braggart." Plato said, "You have become mares, wild horses to me," ἀναγνούς. The angels who came to Sodom show us the punishment for arrogance. These men, trying to shame those who wished to test them, burned them in that city, a clear sign of the fruit of lust, fire, confirming it. For the signs of the past, as we said before, have been recorded for our instruction, so that we do not fall into the same things; and we must be careful not to fall into the same faults. One must consider sons as children; but regard other men's wives as one's own daughters; and to control pleasures, for the stomach and even the master of what is under the stomach is the most basic rule. For if even a finger is not allowed to move as it pleases by the wise word, as the Stoics agree, how much more must those who pursue wisdom control the part that shares in it? This, it seems to me, is also called the private part, because one must use this part of the body more than any other with respect. For nature, just as with food, so also with lawful marriages, allowed us to use what is natural, useful, and proper; and allowed us to desire having children. But those who pursue excess stumble around what is natural, harming themselves through unlawful sexual acts. It is more proper above all never to share, like females, in the mixing of sexual acts with young men. Therefore also, "Do not sow among rocks and stones," says the philosopher from Moses: "so that nature may never take its own root as fertile from the beginning. Certainly, very clearly through Moses the Word commanded. "And you shall not lie with a male as with a woman; for it is an abomination." But also, "and to keep away from every female of the field " Because not of his own, the good one, called from the divine Scriptures, Plato advised, having taken the law from there: "And with the wife of your neighbor you shall not give your bed of seed, to be defiled with her. Illegitimate seed of concubines and bastards. Do not sow where you would not want what is sown to grow for you; and do not touch at all anyone except your husband, your own wife," from whom alone it is right for the flesh to receive pleasures in true succession. For these alone are lawful according to the Word. Having received a share of the divine creative portion, the seed must not be thrown away, nor insulted, nor indeed sown in a mixed way. Moses himself forbids even approaching those same sexual unions if they happen to coincide with the monthly purifications. For it is not yet reasonable that the most fertile part of the seed should be polluted by the cleansing of the body and shortly after by a person; nor should it be shut off from the filthy flow and cleansing of the matter. But the seed of generation grows naturally, being deprived of the grooves of the womb. Nor did any of the ancient Hebrews ever produce offspring by lying with his own pregnant wife. For pleasure alone, even if taken in marriage, is unlawful, unjust, and unreasonable. On the other hand, Moses forbids men from lying with pregnant women until they give birth. For the womb, being under the bladder and above the part called the bowel, stretches the neck between the shoulders inside the bladder. The opening of the neck, where the seed is received, is filled and sealed. Then it is emptied and cleansed by childbirth. After laying aside the fruit, it then receives the seed. It is not shameful for us, for the benefit of those who hear, to name the reproductive organs, of which God was not ashamed in creation. The womb, therefore, thirsty for childbearing, receives the seed; and it refuses the pleasure of intercourse, shutting out complete lust after the seed has been sown, its mouth sealed. Her desires, which before were stirred around loving embraces, having turned inward and occupied with childbearing, cooperate with the Creator. It is not right to trouble nature when it is already working, going beyond into excess. Hubris is many-named and many-formed; whenever the part of disorder related to desire turns this way, it is called lust, the lustful, and common, and rude about the private parts, and shameful in showing its name. From these growing, a great number of diseases come upon us: greed, lust for wine, love of women, and indeed also debauchery, and all pleasure-seeking. Desire rules over these. Countless sister sufferings grow from them, from which the uncontrolled nature reaches its peak. The Scripture says: "Whips are prepared for the reckless, and punishments for the backs of fools;" The strength of recklessness and the steady endurance, "backs of fools," calling. Therefore, it says, "Turn away from your servants empty hopes; and desires, it says, turn away from me unseemly ones." Let not the craving of the belly and companionship seize me." Therefore, one must keep far away from the great evil of many plotters; for it does not enter only into the purse of power, but not even into our city, neither a foolish parasite, nor a shameless fornicator, rejoicing in the fist; not a deceitful prostitute; but also not any other such beast of pleasure. Therefore, let much diligence be sown in us throughout our whole life. In general, then, either one must marry, or completely avoid marriage; for it is subject to inquiry; and this has been made clear to us in the On Self-Control. But if this very thing, if one must marry, requires thought, how could it be allowed to use intercourse openly, just like food, as something necessary each time? It is indeed possible to see from it, just like the threads of a warp, the nerves being separated and breaking apart under the strain of intercourse; yes, it even scatters a mist over the senses; and it also strikes the tones. This is clear also in irrational animals and in bodies under training; those who avoid them in contests of rivals win out; but those who are dragged away, drawn by the groin, dragged along alone, are completely emptied of all strength and vigor. "Intercourse is a slight seizure " The sophist from Abdera said that it is an incurable disease. For are not even seizures complained of, attributed to the severity of the absence? "For a person is born from a person, and is also separated." See the extent of the harm: the whole person is torn away by the absence of companionship. For he says, "This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh." So much then is a person emptied by the seed, as is seen in the body; for the beginning of birth is the part that is separated. But also the boiling of the matter disturbs and breaks the harmony of the body. That man is very clever, then, who said to the one he loves, "How could you have to do with unchaste things, Eupheme?" Yet I gladly avoided them, as if fleeing from a mad and wild master." But let marriage be approved and established; for the Lord wishes humanity to increase. But he says, "Do not be immoral." Nor did he want them themselves, as if made into vessels, to be given over to pleasures. Let the Instructor rebuke us through Ezekiel, crying out: "Cut away your prostitution." There is a proper time for sowing, even for the irrational animals. But to refuse to conceive children is an insult to nature; it is necessary to call a teacher to watch over the wise guidance of the right time—by this I mean old age and the childhood that comes after it. For some have not yet consented, and others no longer wish to marry; but it is not always right to marry. Marriage is the desire to have children, not the disorderly release of seed, which is unlawful and irrational. According to nature, our whole life would have room, if the desires from above held sway, and did not kill the human race, which grows by divine providence, with evil devices. For these, under the cover of fornication, which leads to complete destruction, using destructive poisons, waste away love for mankind along with the embryo. But for those whom marriage has joined, a Guide was needed, so that the secret rites of nature would not be performed daily; nor should one, coming from the Church or the market in the morning, crow like a rooster. For there is a time for prayer and reading, and for the good works done daily. In the evening, it is proper to rest after the meal, and after enjoying the pleasures, to give thanks. Nature does not always allow time for the union of marriage to be completed; for the longer union is, the more painful it becomes. Certainly not should one indulge in debauchery as in the darkness of night, but the soul should hold fast to modesty, like the light of reason. For we will not imitate Penelope, the weaver, who by day wove the patterns of prudence, but by night unraveled them, whenever we go to bed. For modesty must be practiced; therefore, much more should a woman show her own modesty, avoiding shameful entanglements. And let the sure trust of purity toward others be established from home. For it is no longer considered modest by her, in whom modesty is not clearly shown among those sharp pleasures. Goodwill, admitting that it easily leads to intimacy, lasts only a little and grows old with the body. Sometimes it even grows old before the body, when desire withers, at which time the pleasures that insult marital chastity will do so with companions. For the hearts of lovers are like birds, and the charms are extinguished by regret; often love turns into hate, whenever satiety senses blame. There is no need to mention the reckless words and shameful behaviors of companions, nor the names of sinful kisses and such lustful acts, if we obey the blessed Apostle who plainly says: "Let no fornication or impurity of any kind, or greed, even be named among you, as is proper for the holy ones." " Certainly, someone seems to have said well: "Sexual intercourse has harmed no one, except a loved one, if it has harmed at all." " For the unlawful kind is harmful, except insofar as it concerns childbearing. But concerning the unlawful, Scripture says: "A hired woman will be considered equal to spit; an unmarried woman is a tower of death to those who use her." Like a boar or a sow, it resembled a bestial passion: "death" But seeking death, it declared adultery to be kept with a prostitute: "a house" and also "a city," in which they act shamelessly. Yes, indeed, even the poetry among you, somewhat reproachful, writes:

Adultery is an unlawful union both with you and with men,

Born of a woman and unjust, evil in every way, impure.

On the other hand, it dishonors the sensible;

Nor do they have shameful desire for another's bed;

Nor do they have violence toward a man, both hateful and detestable.

Urged on. Because most people consider these pleasures to be unnatural, the indulgences of their own sins; but those who are more moderate among them recognize that these are sins, yet they are weaker than the pleasures, and darkness is a veil for their passions. For the one who associates with another commits adultery against his own marriage, and does not listen to the Instructor crying out: "The man who goes up to his own bed, saying in his soul, 'Who sees me?'" ? "Darkness is all around me, and the walls are my shelter, and no one sees my sins." "Why should I be careful, since the Most High will not remember?" This man is very foolish, fearing only the eyes of people, but thinking to escape God. "For he does not know," The Scripture says, "For the eyes of the Lord Most High are many times brighter than the sun; they watch over all the ways of people and perceive even hidden places." Again, the Instructor threatens them with this, speaking through Isaiah: "Woe to those who make secret plans and say, 'Who sees us?'" ?" For perhaps someone may steal the visible light, but the invisible one is impossible to steal. Ah, as Heraclitus says, "How could someone ever escape what never sets?" Let us not cover the darkness at all; for the light dwells within us: "And the darkness," he says, "does not overcome it itself." But the night shines upon it for the wise mind; and the thoughts of good men, "which are sleepless lamps " Scripture called them; and yet it is indeed a test to be unaware of the things in which one clearly admits to sinning. Everyone who sins and wrongs immediately does not so much commit adultery against a neighbor as against himself, because he has committed adultery; rather, he clearly shows himself to be worse and more dishonored. For the one who sins, by how much he sins, he is worse and more dishonored than himself; and certainly, at some point, licentiousness also comes upon the one who is overcome by shameful pleasure. Therefore, the one who commits fornication has completely died to God, and is left dead from the Word, just as from the Spirit; for he detests the holy. to be defiled, as is fitting then. But it is always right for the pure to touch the pure. Let us not, then, as we take off our tunic, also take off modesty at the same time; for it is never right for the righteous to put aside self-control. For see, this perishable thing puts on imperishability, whenever the insatiable desire, flowing toward licentiousness, is led by self-control, becomes free from corruption, and yields the person to eternal self-control. "For in this age they marry and are given in marriage;" having put aside the works of the flesh, putting on imperishability with that very pure flesh, we pursue the measure of the angels. In this matter, Plato also, in Philebus, the student of foreign philosophy, has secretly called those who corrupt and defile God, the indwelling Logos, atheists, as much as they do so to themselves, in the habit of their passions. Therefore, one must never live as a mortal, while being sanctified to God; "Nor indeed," as Paul says, "It is not right for the members of Christ to become prostitutes; nor indeed should the temple of God be made a temple of shameful passions." Remember the twenty-four thousand who were destroyed because of fornication; and the sufferings of those who committed fornication, as has already been told to me, are examples that discipline our desires. But the Instructor clearly advises us: "Do not follow after your desires, and hold back from your cravings." For wine and women will turn wise men away; and the one who clings to prostitutes will become more reckless. Decay and worms will inherit him, and he will be taken away as a greater example." And again: for he does not grow tired of doing good; "But the one who resists pleasure crowns his life." Then it is not right to be defeated by lusts, nor to be careless about desires; but neither to be destroyed by unreasonable cravings, nor to desire to be defiled. But it is allowed to sow only to the married man, like a farmer at the proper season, when the time accepts the seed. But against the other kind of lack of self-control, the best remedy is reason; and the lack of satisfaction also helps, through which the desires, being cooled, leap around pleasures. Therefore, one should not seek to have expensive clothing, just as one should not have a variety of food. The Lord himself, dividing the commands into soul and body, and a third for external things, advises that external things be provided for the body, and the body be governed by the soul. He instructs the soul, saying, "Do not worry about your soul, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will wear; for the soul is more than food, and the body more than clothing." And he gives a clear example of the teaching: "Consider the ravens, that they neither sow nor reap, for they have no storehouse or barn, and yet God feeds them." Are you not more valuable than the birds?" And these things are about food. Likewise, he gives advice about clothing, which belongs to the third category, those external things: "Consider, he says, the lilies; how they neither spin, nor weave. But I say to you that not even Solomon was dressed like one of these." Solomon, the king, was very richly dressed. What then is more beautiful and more fragrant than flowers? What indeed is more pleasing than lilies, or myrrh, or roses? "If the grass today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, God dresses it like this; how much more, then, will he clothe you, you of little faith? And do not you also seek what you will eat or what you will drink." Here the word "what" has cast out the variety of food; for this is indicated by the Scripture, "Do not worry about what you will eat or what you will drink;" For greed and luxury are what cause worry about these things. But the phrase "to eat" understood simply as eating, is necessarily a sign of lack, the fullness, as we said, of need. But what is more, comes from excess; and what is superfluous, the Scripture has revealed to be from the devil. The added phrase makes the meaning clear: "Do not seek what you will eat or what you will drink," having said this, he added: "And do not be anxious." Anxiety makes one proud and careless of the truth; and the pleasure taken in superfluous things leads away from the truth. Therefore he also says fittingly: "All these things the nations of the world seek," The disorderly and foolish are the nations. But what does he mean by "these things"?" He means luxury, pleasure, seasoning, eating delicacies, gluttony. These are what he means by "What." But about plain food, both dry and moist, as being necessary, "Your Father knows," he says, "that you need them". ." But if we have become seekers at all, let us not let our seeking be for luxury, but let us kindle it for the discovery of truth. "For you seek the kingdom of God," he says, "and the things needed for food will be added to you." If then concern for clothing, luxury, and unnecessary things is simply taken away as not needed, what need is there to think or speak about love of the world, or about dyeing with wool, and the variety of colors, and the fancy stones, and the working of gold, and even the skillful braiding of hair, and twisted curls? And also the marking of the eyes, the smearing on, the squeezing close, the powdering, the dyeing of hair, and the bad workmanship around these deceptions? That must be rightly criticized, especially what was said a little earlier about grass, so that it is not also applied to these unseemly lovers of the world. ? For the world is a field, and we are grass, refreshed by the grace of God; and again we rise, as will be shown more fully in the On the Resurrection. Grass, in a low sense, is a symbol for the crowd, those who love fleeting pleasure, those who belong to the moment, who bloom for a little while, who love the world, who are ambitious, and who care about everything more than truth, ready for nothing except to be quickly burned by fire. "There was a certain man, the Lord says in his story, very rich, who was dressed in purple and fine linen, enjoying himself splendidly every day;" This man was the grass. "But there was a certain poor man named Lazarus, who was laid at the rich man's gate, covered with sores, longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table;" This is the grass. But the rich man was punished in Hades, sharing in the fire; while the other blossomed in the bosom of the Father. I admire the old city of the Lacedaemonians, which allowed only the companions to wear flowered clothes and golden jewelry, taking away the love of adornment from the respectable women, so that only the companions might be adorned. But in Athens, on the other hand, the rulers, who were zealous for the civic government, forgetting about the men's quarters, wore gold, putting on long tunics, and they wore long cloaks, and a krobylos, which is a kind of braid, tied with gold, decorated with cicadas; truly showing a native example of excessive effeminacy. The zeal of these rulers even extended to the other Ionians, whom Homer, feminizing, called "long-robed"." calls them. The love of beauty, then, is only a false image, not the true beauty itself urging us on, worshiping idols again in the name of what is beautiful, and must be banished far from the truth, dreaming about beauty with opinion, not with knowledge. And for them, this life here is a deep sleep of ignorance; from which we must be awakened to hurry toward what is truly beautiful and proper, and cling only to that, leaving behind the worldly pleasures here before we are completely swept away. I say, then, that a person needs clothing not for any other reason but to cover the body, to protect against excessive cold and the burning heat, so that the lack of proper covering does not harm us. If this is the purpose of clothing, see to it that one kind of clothing is not given to men, and another kind to women; for the covering is common to both, just as eating and drinking are the same for both. Since the need is common, we try out a similar kind of clothing. Just as the need for covering is common to both, so the coverings themselves must be similar; and if such a covering is to be accepted, it should be one by which the eyes of women need to be hidden. For even if the female has an advantage because of weakness, the custom of bad upbringing must be blamed, through which often men, raised on poor diets, have become more effeminate than women; it is not right to despise this. But if one must behave accordingly, it is necessary to allow them to use slightly softer fabrics, removing only the elaborate fine work and the intricate braids in the weavings; allowing threads of gold, and Indian silk, and the elaborate silks to be enjoyed. The worm that first grows, then from it appears a hairy caterpillar, after which it changes into a third form, a chrysalis; and those called "nekydaloi" they themselves call "nekydaloi," from which a long thread is produced, just as the spider's thread comes from the spider. For these excessive and transparent things are a proof of a weak mind, bringing forward the shame of the body with only a thin veil. For fine clothing is no longer a covering, unable to hide the shape of nakedness. For such clothing clings to the body, sticks to it more closely, and shapes itself to it, naturally formed by the flesh, according to the shape; and it reveals the form of the woman, so that to one who does not see the whole body, the arrangement is not clear. One must also give up dyes in clothing; for these go far beyond both necessity and truth, and they bring about slander against one's character. For their use is neither helpful—since they are not suited to cold nor do they provide any covering beyond the other clothing—but only bring blame. And the delight in the color irritates the skin, causing itching, and provokes foolish eyes. One should use white clothing, pure and genuine within, most fitting with white and simple garments. Clearly and purely, then, the prophet Daniel said, "They were set," he says, "Thrones were set, and he sat upon them, like one of old days, and his clothing was like white snow." Wearing such a robe, to see the Lord in a vision, and the Revelation says: "I saw the souls of those who had been martyred under the altar; and white robes were given to each one." But if it is necessary to seek some other color, the natural dye of truth is enough. The garments resembling flowers should be understood as Bacchic and initiatory robes; and also purple and silver threads, as the comic poet says,

Useful for the tragedians, and not for life.

Our life, however, should be more about everything than about show. At least a Sardinian dye, and another purple, and a different green, rose-mixed, and grain-dyed, and countless other dyes made with care, have been thought up for outward pleasures; this clothing is for appearance, not for protection. The ones made with gold, and dyed with sea-purple, and some kind of luxury from animals, and that saffron-colored perfume-dyed, and the rich and varied garments made from the membranes of insects, having constellations in the purple, should be enjoyed for their craft. "For what wise women have done, or bright," says the comedy, "who sit adorned with flowers, wearing saffron, and made beautiful?" But the Instructor plainly advises, "You will not boast in the wrapping of a garment, nor lift yourself up in any pride," since it is unlawful. Indeed, mocking those dressed in soft clothes, he says in the Gospel: "Look, those who live in glorious clothing and luxury are in the earthly kings' courts;" by kings he means the mortal ones, where there is love of glory, and boasting, and flattery, and deception. But those who serve the heavenly court around the king of all, the pure garment of the soul, the flesh, are sanctified; and in this they put on incorruption. Just as the unmarried woman devotes herself solely to God, and her care is not divided; but the married woman, if she is sensible, divides her life both toward God and toward her husband; but the woman who behaves otherwise becomes all of marriage, that is, of passion. In the same way, I think, the sensible woman, while devoted to her husband, sincerely worships God; but loving the world, she has fallen away from both God and the marriage of the sensible, exchanging the order for that of the husband. I say the same about the Argive courtesan, Eriphyle.

She received the gold of a dear husband as an honor.

To her I also accept Keion the sophist, who paints fitting and appropriate images of Virtue and Vice; he made Virtue standing simply, pale-faced and pure, adorned only with modesty (such is how a faithful virtuous woman should be with modesty); but he introduces the opposite, Vice, dressed in extravagant clothing, grown in a foreign color; and her movement and manner, practiced to be pleasing, lie in the shadowy outline of women who wear makeup. The one who follows the Word will not at all become accustomed to shameful pleasure; therefore, the necessary use of clothing must be preferred. And if the Word sings this, speaking through David about the Lord: "May the daughters of kings rejoice in honor; the queen stands at your right hand, dressed in gold, and clothed with golden fringes." It did not indicate a luxurious garment, but the pure attire woven from faith, the adornment of the merciful Church, in which the sinless Jesus shines forth like gold, and the fringes, the chosen ones, the golden ones—. But if it is necessary for this to be for women, a pleasant and soft garment to the touch must be woven, not like the Scriptures, adorned for the delight of the eye. For the writing fades away with time; but the stains and smudges, melted by the poisonous dyes, weaken the threads of the garments they cover; and this is not suitable even for practical use. The greatest vanity is to be so concerned about the robes, the fringes, and the cloaks." and also the tunics, which modesty covers all around," Homer says, "I am truly ashamed," seeing so much wealth poured out for the covering of modesty. For the ancient man, who was in the garden, measured the covering of modesty with branches and leaves; but now, since sheep have been created for us, let us not clothe ourselves like sheep; and being taught by the Word, let us examine the luxury of clothing carefully, choosing. "You are the wool of sheep." Even if Miletus is proud of its fleece, and Italy is famous, and the wool is kept under skins, about which many are angry, it is not necessary for us to care. But the blessed John, looking beyond the wool of the sheep, which smelled of luxury, "chose the hair of camels," and he wore these, representing a life that is humble and pure. For he also "ate honey and locusts," a sweet and spiritual food, preparing the ways of the Lord to be humble and wise. For he would put on a rough cloak, having turned away from political arrogance, and in the desert of solitude, living in peace with God, free from all empty ambition, lack of goodness, and pettiness? "to the milkwoman" Elijah wore a garment and a "milkwoman's belt." He fastened "made of hair." But Isaiah, another prophet, was "naked." and "without sandals." He was; and often he wore a sackcloth, a garment of humility. But if you also call Jeremiah, "wearing a linen garment" he is "wrapped in a loincloth" he only had. Just as well-fed bodies, when uncovered, show their prime more clearly, so too the beauty of character, when not wrapped up in endless fine words, shows its greatness. But also to drag off the clothes. Letting the feet hang out at the edges, a boastful display, a hindrance to the act of walking, like a beautifier dragging the surface straw of the ground with the clothes; not even those who have been brought down, those indeed who bring silent effeminacy to the tents of the dancers, letting it flow out into such an insult by looking down on the clothes; for whom careful adornments, the fraying of the fringes, and the elaborate rhythms of the shapes show a petty babbler's foolishness. And if someone wears the Lord's foot-length garment, that richly flowered tunic shows the blossoms of wisdom, the varied and unfading Scriptures, the words of the Lord, shining with the bright rays of truth. The Spirit clothed the Lord in such another garment through David, singing like this: "I will put on confession and beauty, putting on light as a garment." Just as in the making of clothes all oddness must be avoided, so too the excess in their use must be treated with care. For it is not proper for a woman to be adorned above the knee, as the Lacedaemonians say about virgins; for no part of a woman should be exposed in an improper way. And indeed it is possible to speak very properly that refined voice to the one saying, "The forearm is beautiful," but not public." and, "The calves are beautiful; but only of one," to say, "of my man," and, "A handsome face; but only of the one married;" But I do not want to give the reason for such praises to those who, through praises, seek the flashy things; and not only is the ankle exposed, which is forbidden, but also the head is covered, and the face is ordered to be shadowed; for it is not right for the beauty of the body to be a hunting ground for men. Nor is it reasonable for a woman to become conspicuous by wearing a veil dyed with sea-purple. If only it were possible to remove the purple from the clothing, so that the eyes of those looking would not be turned toward the face of the wearer! But those who weave a little piece of the cloak with sea-purple have made the whole garment sea-purple, inflaming laziness; and indeed, around these delicate women who wear the purple tied in knots, according to that poetic line, "Death seized the purple". " Because of this purple, Tyre, Sidon, and the neighboring sea of Laconia are most desired; and well indeed are their dyers and purple-makers praised, and even the shells themselves, because the purple blooms from their blood. But also, mixing with linen cloths, deceitful women, and effeminate men use deceitful dyes, spreading corruption around the excess, no longer using the linens from Egypt, but obtaining others from the land of the Hebrews and Cilicia. As for the amorgina and byssus, I keep silent; luxury has gone beyond even their name. The veil, I think, must show better by itself what it covers, like the statue of the temple, and the soul of the body, and the body of the clothing. But now everything is the opposite: if they were to sell their own body, they would never find a thousand Attic coins; yet by buying one garment worth ten thousand talents, they prove themselves more worthless and dishonorable than the fabrics. Why then do you chase after the rare and luxurious instead of the common and the simple? Because you do not know what is truly beautiful and truly good; and instead of the real things, you strive after what seems so to the foolish, who also think white things appear black to those who are mad.

Chapter 11

On Hospitality.

The braggarts are similar in their hospitality, showing great foolishness here as well. Truly shameful are those sandals on which the golden ornaments are placed; but they also think it proper to strike the nails spirally with the hammer. Many even engrave love greetings on them, as if by the way they walk they could regulate the earth and seal the spirit of friendship from their step. Therefore, let the golden and gem-encrusted vanity of sandals, the Attic soles, the Sicyonian ones, and the cothurni, both Persian and Tyrrhenian, rejoice; but according to our custom and truth, one must choose the proper and natural purpose. For the use of footwear is partly to protect the feet, partly to guard against stumbling and the roughness of mountain paths, saving the sole of the foot.

For women, the white shoe is to be allowed, unless they are walking; then they should use the ungreased kind. Those who walk need the nails of their shoes hammered in. But mostly, shoes are to be used by them; for it is not fitting to show the bare foot, especially since a woman is sensitive to injury. For a man, going barefoot is very suitable, except when on a campaign. And indeed, the phrase "to be shod is near to being bound". It is most ascetic to use bare feet, and it is good for health and ease where no one hinders. But if we do not walk, nor carry barefootedness, then we must use shoes or slippers; the Athenians called these "dust-feet", because, it seems to me, they bring the dust close to the feet.

John is a witness to simple hospitality, confessing that it is "not worthy to untie the strap of the Lord's sandals." For the one who shows true philosophy to the Hebrews did not wear any of the fancy things. This, even if it is hinted at, will be explained elsewhere.

Chapter 12

That one should not be concerned about the stones and the golden decoration

It is childish to be amazed by stones that are gray or green, or by the cast-offs of the separated sea, and the baked fragments of the earth. For to be attracted by the clear ones among the stones, and those with distinct colors, and to desire varied colors, is nothing but the folly of foolish people, drawn by a striking imagination. Even children, seeing these, are drawn to the fire because of their brightness; but the danger of touching them is not understood because of ignorance. Such stones, foolishly worn by women as necklaces and locked in chains, like amethysts, and thunderstones, and jaspers, and topaz, which is from Miletus.

The emerald, a most precious jewel.

The highly valued pearl has become especially popular among women; it is formed in a certain shell similar to a wing; its size is about that of a fish's eye, quite large. And the unfortunate ones are not ashamed, having made all their effort about a small shell, when it would be fitting to be adorned with a holy stone, the Word of God, which is called the "Pearl." The Scripture has perhaps called it the pearl, the clear and pure Jesus, the eye who saw in the flesh, the transparent Word, through whom the flesh is honored, reborn by water; for that shell, formed in water, covers the flesh; and from this the pearl is produced. We have received that the heavenly Jerusalem is built with holy stones; and the twelve gates of the city of heaven, represented by precious stones, we understand to symbolize the distinguished grace received through the apostolic voice. For on the precious stones the colors are laid; these are precious; but the rest are left as earthly material. Symbolically, the city of the saints is rightly walled with these, being built spiritually. So, toward the flower of the stones, the inimitable, the flower of the Spirit, they have conceived the pure and holy essence; but those who do not understand the symbolic meaning of the Scriptures cover everything with stones, bringing forward that wonderful argument: "Which God also showed, why should we not use it?" and "It is at my disposal, why should I not enjoy it?" and, "To whom then have these things happened if not to us?" When the will of God was completely ignored, such voices. First of all, the necessary things, like water and air, are clearly provided to everyone; but those things that are not necessary, he has hidden from both the earth and the water. For this reason, ants mine for gold, and griffins guard the gold, and the sea has hidden the pearl as a stone. But you are meddlesome about things that are not necessary. Behold, the whole heaven is lit up, and you do not seek God; but the hidden gold and the stones, those who are marked for death, mine them beside us. But you even contradict the Scripture, which clearly cries out: "Seek first the kingdom of heaven, and all these things will be added to you". ." But even if all things are given to you, and if all things are allowed to you, and if "all things are lawful for you," says the Apostle, yet not all things are beneficial." God brought forth our race into fellowship, giving first of all to himself and sharing with all people his own supporting Word, making everything for the sake of all. So all things are common, and the rich should not be greedy. So, "I have enough, and I have more than enough; why should I not enjoy myself?" ?" Not human, nor social. That is more loving: "I have enough; why should I not share with those in need?" For such a one is perfect, the one who says, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," having fulfilled it; for this is true delight, the wealth stored up in abundance. But the wasting away on empty desires is destruction, not a matter of expense; for God gave us, I know, the power to use things, but only up to what is necessary; and he has decided that their use should be common. It is unreasonable for one to live in luxury while many are suffering from hunger. For how much more honorable it is to help many than to live in luxury. ? How much wiser it is to spend on people rather than on stones and gold? How much more beneficial it is to gain honorable friends than lifeless ornaments? What fields could help as much as giving gifts? So then, we still need to solve the problem brought up: To whom, then, do the more luxurious things belong, if everyone chooses the simpler ones? To people, I would say, if we use them without struggle or difference; but if it is impossible for everyone to be sensible, and also because of the need for necessities, the more easily obtained things must be pursued, while those who aim to enjoy the extra things must be far away from these. In general, then, the proper things must not be rejected like showy decorations, nor should the whole world be given up as worthless; for one must be proper from within, and show the inner woman as beautiful; for only in the soul do both beauty and shame appear; therefore, only the serious person is truly beautiful and good. And only what is beautiful is considered good. Virtue alone is shown even through the beauty of the body, and it shines upon the flesh, displaying the lovely charm of self-control, as if the character shines like a light on the form; for the beauty of each plant and animal is found in the virtue of each. The virtues of a person are justice, self-control, courage, and piety. A person is therefore beautiful who is just, and self-controlled, and altogether good, not one who is rich. Even soldiers now want to be decorated with gold, not recognizing even that as a true mark of worth,

Who, even having gold, went to war like a girl.

Childish.

But the love of order, which cares least for virtue, and which takes the place of the body, having turned away from the love of beauty toward vanity, must be completely rejected. For attaching things not natural to the body as if they were natural has produced a habit of lying and a custom of deceit; not the serious, simple, and truly innocent, but the solemn and fragile. And they appear delicate in their diet. But those who dim true beauty, overshadowing it with gold. And they do not know what a fault it is to have bound themselves with rich chains in great numbers; just as among the barbarians it is said that criminals are bound with gold. It seems to me that women have envied these rich prisoners. For is not the golden necklace a kind of chain, and the twisted ones, called "kathetes", hold the place of shackles? And among the Athenians, by that very name, they are called "chains". The ankle rings are the disorder around the feet of women. Philemon addressed this in Synephebos:

Sheer cloaks and certain anklets

Golden

What then is the point of zealous adornment, or of wanting you, women, to appear bound yourselves? For if the material hides the shame, the passion remains unspoiled. To me, it seems that by willingly falling into bonds, you boast of rich misfortunes. Perhaps even the poetic myth says that such bonds were thrown upon Aphrodite the adulteress; hinting at nothing other than a symbol of adultery in these ornaments. For Homer also called those bonds golden. And now, most clearly, they are not ashamed to wear the symbols of the Evil One. Just as the serpent deceived Eve, so the golden world, using the serpent's form as a lure, has led other women into insults, spreading certain smirches and serpents disguised as beauty. The comic poet Nicostratus says, "Chains, shackles, rings, buffaloes, serpents, leg bands, hellebore." Aristophanes, in Thesmophoriazusae, very harshly lists all the female adornments, showing them off. I will set down the comic's words, carefully examining your burdensome lack of goodness.

Headbands, anklets, natron, and iron,

Perfume, a twisted band, a sling behind the back;

A back covering, seaweed, flowing necklaces;

Underlinings, grape baskets, a hidden head covering;

A belt, an outer garment, soft edges;

A scraper, a tunic, a pit, a circular little tunic.

I have not spoken of the greatest things among these; then what?

A two-eyed stone, a piece of flint, a flat stone, a millstone.

A cluster of grapes, pins, a double cloak;

Anchors, fetters, seals, chains,

Rings, tablets, bubbles;

Unbinders, rollers, sandals, summer shoes, screws.

I grew tired and burdened as I spoke of the many orderly things; yet they also caused me to marvel, as if they never grow weary, carrying such a great burden. O empty meddlesomeness! O vain desire for glory! They pour out their wealth in a shameful way; and they falsify the gifts of God with endless vanity, imitating the craft of the Evil One. Clearly the Lord in the Gospel speaks of the rich man, who was storing up in his barns and saying to himself, "You have many good things stored up for many years; eat, drink, and be merry." He called him a fool: "For tonight your soul will be demanded of you; so then, whose will be the things you have prepared?" Apelles the painter, seeing one of the students who had painted Helen called "very golden," said, "Young man, since you are not able to paint her beautiful, you have made her rich." Such are the Helenas of today's women—not truly beautiful, but richly adorned. The Spirit prophesies to these women through Sophonias: "Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's anger." Those who are taught by Christ should not be adorned with gold, but with the Word, through which alone true gold is revealed. The old Hebrews would have been blessed if, having taken hold of the world of women, they had thrown it away or only swallowed it; but now, having made it a golden calf and worshiped this idol, they themselves gained neither skill nor influence. Instead, they taught our women to be most formally separated from what is proper. For lustful prostitution becomes a golden idol, tormented by fire; pleasure is kept only for it, like an idol, not for truth. From here the Word reproaches the Hebrews through the prophet, saying, "They have made silver and gold for Baal." Clearly proper; and very clearly threatening, "And I will take revenge, he says, on her during the days of the Baals, when they lusted after her, and she turned her ears away, and her feet went astray." And he gave the reason for the adornment, saying: "And she went after her lovers; but she forgot me, says the Lord." Therefore, putting aside the foolish, evil sophist, who does not share in this companionable adornment, nor worships idols behind a fair veil. Certainly, the blessed Peter marvels greatly, saying, "Women should not adorn themselves with braids, or gold, or pearls, or expensive clothes, but, as is proper for women who promise godliness, they should adorn themselves through good works." And rightly, it commands them to be without adornment; for if they are naturally beautiful, nature is enough, and art should not compete with nature—that is, deception should not contend with truth. But if they are naturally ugly, they are exposed by what they add that they do not have. It is fitting, then, to embrace simplicity for those who worship Christ. For simplicity truly leads to holiness, balancing out greed, and through what is gained, it provides for needs without excess. For what is simple, as its name shows, does not stand out, nor does it swell or bulge in any way, but is shaped; smooth all over, even, level, and without excess—and this is enough. Sufficiency is a state that reaches toward its proper limit without fail and without excess. Justice is their mother; self-sufficiency is their nurse." This, indeed, is a state sufficient for what is needed, and through it is provided the means for a life leading to blessedness. Let there be, then, in the fruits of your hands a holy order, a generous sharing, and works of thrift. "For the one who gives to the poor lends to God." And, "The hands of the brave make rich." bravely. He has called those who despise wealth easy about sharing. At the feet, let tireless readiness for good works appear, and the journey toward justice. Modesty and self-control are like seats and flowing cloaks; God crafts such impulses like a goldsmith. "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the mortal who gains understanding," through Solomon the Spirit says: "For it is better to gain her than to gain silver, and her value is greater than precious stones;" for this is true modesty. Let the ears not be unnaturally shaken by these things, for the sake of gaining scraps and counterfeit coins; for it is neither right to force nature beyond what it wills, nor would there be a better adornment of the ears than one that goes down the natural channels of hearing, leading to true instruction. The eyes, enlightened by the Word, and the ears, opened to perception, prepare one to hear the divine and to behold the holy, showing truly the real beauty of the Word, "which no eye has seen before, nor ear has heard."

Chapters of Book Three

1. About True Beauty.

2. That One Should Not Adorn Oneself.

3. To Men Who Adorn Themselves.

4. With Whom One Should Spend Time.

5. How One Should Behave Around the Baths.

6. That the Christian Alone Is Truly Rich.

7. That Simplicity Is a Good Provision for the Christian.

8. That Icons and Models Are a Great Part of Correct Teaching.

9. For Whose Sake the Bath Must Be Received.

10. That Exercises Must Also Be Chosen by Those Who Live According to Reason.

11. A Fundamental Overview of the Best Life

12. Likewise, a Fundamental Overview of the Best Life: All Those Passages of the Holy Scriptures That Describe the Life of Christians

THIRD DISCOURSE

Chapter 1

On True Beauty

It seems, then, that the greatest of all lessons is to know oneself; for if someone knows himself, he will know God; and knowing God, he will be made like God—not by wearing gold or purple, but by doing good works, and especially by needing very little. God alone is without need, and he rejoices most when he sees us pure in the order of the mind; then also clothed in the pure garment of the body, which is self-control.

Since the soul has three origins, the rational part, which is called the reasoning part, is the inner man, the ruler of this visible man; God leads that part differently. The spirited part, being wild, dwells near madness. The desiring part is many-formed and third, beyond Proteus, the sea demon, changing shape in many ways, delighting in adultery, lust, and corruption.

Indeed, first of all, the lion is born noble.

Still carrying the decoration, the beard shows a man.

But then the dragon, or the leopard, or the great boar;

The love of beauty has fallen into excess. No longer does a man appear as a strong beast,

And there came to be a watery moisture and a tall-leaved tree.

Passions pour out, pleasures wash away, beauty withers, and the petal falls to the ground more quickly when the storms of lustful arrogance blow upon it; and before the forehead frost can come, it withers from decay. For all desire both arises and is shaped, and wishes to deceive in order to hide the person; but the person with whom the Word dwells does not change, does not get shaped; he has the form of the Word; he is made like God; he is beautiful, not adorned; true beauty is real; for God is; and that person becomes God, because God wills it. Heraclitus said rightly: "Men are gods, gods are men." For the Word itself is a clear mystery; God in a man; and the man is God; and the will of the Father is carried out by the mediator; for the Word is the mediator common to both; Son of God, Savior of men; and servant of the one, and guide of us. Since the flesh is a servant, as Paul also testifies, how could one rightly honor the servant, as if she were a guide? For the Apostle says that the flesh is the form of a servant, in relation to the Lord: "He emptied himself, taking the form of a servant;" Calling the one outside a man a servant, before he served and bore the flesh of the Lord. But the compassionate God himself freed the flesh; delivering it from decay and the deadly and bitter slavery, he put on it incorruption, giving this holy flesh the adornment of immortality, immortality itself. There is also another beauty of humans, love; "Love, according to the Apostle, is patient, kind, does not envy, does not boast, is not proud." For boasting is an ornament, showing excess and uselessness. Therefore it also says, "He does not behave disgracefully." For disgraceful is what is foreign and not according to natural form; and the artificial is foreign; which is explained clearly: "It does not seek what is not its own," it says." For truth calls its own what is proper; but love of the world seeks what is foreign, being outside both God, and the Word, and love. But the Spirit testifies through Isaiah that the Lord himself became a shameful sight: "We saw him, and he had no form or beauty; but his form was despised, and he was rejected by men". ." And who is better than the Lord? ? But not the beauty of the flesh, the imagined one; rather, the true beauty of both soul and body was shown: the one beneficial, the other immortal, of the flesh.

Chapter 2

That it is not necessary to beautify oneself.

It is not the face of the outward man that should be adorned, but the soul with the ornament of virtue; and one might also say the body with the decoration of self-control. Those who beautify their outward appearance and neglect their inner depths have forgotten themselves, following the customs of the Egyptians; with them, temples and gateways and porticoes are built, along with groves and gardens; the courtyards are crowned with many columns; the walls shine with foreign stones and skillful paintings, of which not one is lacking; the temples gleam with gold, silver, and amber, and are decorated with marbles brought from India and Ethiopia; the inner sanctuaries are shaded with gold-embroidered veils. But if you enter the inner part of the enclosure, and hasten to see the image of the greater one, you will look for the statue dwelling in the temple; a veil-bearer or some other of the priests, having solemnly looked around the sanctuary, singing a paean in the Egyptian language, after slightly raising the curtain as if to show the god, gives us a broad laugh at the reverence; for the god sought inside will not be found, for whom we hastened there; a cat, or a crocodile, or a native snake, or some such beast; unworthy of the temple, fit only for a den, a hole, or a swamp; the god of the Egyptians appears as a beast rolling on a bed of salt marsh. Here, the women who wear gold seem to be twisting their braids, anointing their cheeks and under their eyes, dyeing their hair, and contriving other foolishness, adorning the outer body, truly acting like Egyptians, trying to attract superstitious lovers. But if someone uncovers the curtain of the temple, I mean the veil, the paint, the garment, the gold, the purple, the decorations—that is, the appearance made up of these things, the curtain—expect that person to be disgusted when they find the true beauty inside; I know this well. For inside you will not find the image of God dwelling there, the worthy one; instead, a prostitute and adulteress of the soul has taken over the sanctuary. The true beast will be exposed, painted like a monkey with white lead; and that deceitful serpent, devouring the mind of man through ambition, holds the soul as a widow. Filled with deadly poisons, and having poured out the venom of his own deception, this leading dragon has turned women into prostitutes. For they are not wives, but companions of the world; who care little for the household duties with their husbands, but having freed themselves from the husband's purse, they turn their support into desires, as if to have many witnesses that they seem beautiful. And spending the whole day sitting with hairdressers, they busy themselves as paid slaves. Just as a bad sight pleases the flesh, so they have added hairdressing during the day, lounging about so they won't be blamed, blooming. But in the evening, like from a nest, this false beauty creeps toward the lamp; for both drunkenness and the dim light help their makeup. And the comic Menander forbids the one who dyes her locks blonde from the house;

Now creep away from these houses; for the woman

A sensible woman should not make her hair blonde;

but also should not puff out her cheeks, nor outline her eyes. The evil spirits have forgotten them, destroying their natural beauty with artificial means; for, being torn during the day, stretched, and pressed down by certain ointments, they cool the skin but dig into the flesh with drugs and the excessive care of wrinkles, wasting away their natural bloom. Because of this, they appear pale from the ointments and become vulnerable to diseases, already having the flesh marked by drugs; dishonoring the Creator of humans, as if beauty were not given rightly; naturally slow to heal, like painted images, made to be looked at while sitting, not made for healing. Because of this, the wise woman in the comedy says: "Why should women work wisely or beautifully, who sit adorned, having their character ruined among free women; causing disorder in the household, breaking up marriages, and slandering children." For this very reason, Antiphanes the comic writer mocks the soft, companion women in Malthake, using words common to all, found for ridicule, saying:

"She comes; she goes in, she does not come out; she arrives, she is present, she gets dirty, she comes near; she sneezes, she combs, she has thrown up, she rubs herself, she bathes, she looks around, she sends, she smells, she adorns herself, she anoints; and if she has anything, she takes it away." For three times, not just once, the righteous have been lost, using crocodile skins for soles, and being anointed with the froth of decayed things, and wiping away the scurf from their eyebrows, and rubbing their cheeks with white lead. Therefore, these things also please the pagan poets because of the style; how could they not be rejected by the truth? Another comic poet, Alexis, also criticizes them; and I will present his word, which smells bad because of the excessive interpretation, the undeniable shamelessness; for he was not so overly curious. But I am ashamed, with the women's quarters being mocked to such an extent, if I were to help; "Then indeed she also destroys her husband; for first of all, for gain, and to rob those nearby, all other tasks become secondary for them." It happens to be a small thing? A cork is stuck in the bellows; it is somewhat long? It carries a thin step, resting its head on the shoulder, it comes out; this took away from its length. It does not have any hips? He put a tight seam under it, so that the well-shaped buttocks shout to those who see them. It has a full belly? With these little breasts that the comic poets have, adding these rightly, she lifted the garment of the belly forward as if to the short ones. One has red eyebrows? They paint with pitch. It happened to be black? He covered it with white lead. White lead is very bright? It is rubbed with a pumice stone. It has some beauty of the body? This shows it naked. He had well-formed teeth? One must laugh out of necessity, so that those present may see the mouth as wearing a graceful expression. But if she does not rejoice laughing, she spends the whole day inside, just like the cooks with the things laid out before them each time when they sell goat heads, holding a thin, straight wooden stick of myrrh between their lips; so over time she has become hardened, whether she wants to or not." I offer these things to you as a warning against the vain cleverness of worldliness, from worldly wisdom, since the Word wished to save us all completely; and shortly I will also confirm this with divine Scriptures. One somehow loves not to be unnoticed, to avoid the shame of being exposed for sins. Just as a swollen hand and a watery eye show signs of illness by their appearance, so also the sores and stains hint at a soul sick deep inside. But for us, to "let flow a river that is foreign" " The divine Guide warns us: the foreign woman, the harlot, is an allegory of a foreign river flowing over all, poured out to all in licentiousness, a prostitute leading to indulgence. "Keep away from the water of a stranger," he says, "and do not drink from a foreign spring;" the stream "of pleasure-seeking" warning to guard against it, "so that we may live a long time; and may years of life be added to us," whether by not chasing after foreign pleasure, or even by turning away from heresies. Philopsia and philoinia, though great passions, are not as large in extent as philocosmia. "A table full, and cups piled up," Enough to satisfy gluttony; but for those who love gold, purple, and jewels, neither the gold above and below the earth is enough; neither the sea of Tyre, nor the cargo from India and Ethiopia; nor even the Pactolus river flowing its wealth; nor would any Midas become full from them, but is still poor, desiring other wealth; and these are ready to die together with their gold. And if Wealth itself is blind, as indeed it is, how do those around it, who are frightened and share its feelings, not become even more blind? Having no limit to their desire, they rush into shamelessness; for they need a theater, a procession, a crowd of spectators, wandering in the temples, and spending time in the colonnades, so that they may become obvious to all. For they adorn themselves to please others, boasting in their faces, not in their hearts; just as the marks reveal a runaway, so the ornaments show the adulteress; "Even if she puts on red, and adorns herself with golden decoration; and even if she dazzles your eyes with glitter, your beauty is in vain," The Word says through Jeremiah. Then it is not strange that horses, birds, and other animals rise up from the grass and meadows and fly, rejoicing in their own beauty, in their manes like those of horses, in their natural color, and in their varied wings; but the woman, being more lacking even than the nature of a beast, thinks herself so ugly that she needs borrowed beauty, bought and painted? There are hairpieces, and differences in hairpieces, and elaborate braids, and countless styles of hair, and costly mirror sets, by which they shape themselves, to deceive fools like children who are frightened by appearances; this is the perfect madness of women. These women, making their faces like courtesans, no one would blame. The Word advises us, "Do not look at what is seen, but at what is unseen; for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." But this went beyond even the absurdity of their false appearance, as if it were some brave deed or correction; they invented mirrors. It was especially necessary to put on a cover of deception by this means. For, as the Greek story goes, even Narcissus did not go so far as to become a spectator of his own image because of his beauty. If Moses commands that no image be made by humans as an imitation of God, how could these women reasonably make false images of their faces by reflecting them? But also to Samuel the prophet, when he was sent to anoint one of Jesse's sons as king, and seeing the eldest of his children, handsome and tall, when the anointing was presented, Samuel was pleased with him and said," he says, "The Lord said to him: Do not look at his appearance or the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For man looks at the eyes, but the Lord looks at the heart;" and he did not anoint the one with the handsome body, but the one with the good soul. If then the Lord considers the natural beauty of the body to be less than that of the soul, what will he think about the illegitimate one, completely casting out all falsehood? "For we walk by faith, not by sight." Clearly then the Lord teaches through Abraham to despise homeland, relatives, possessions, and all wealth for the one who follows God, making him a stranger; and for this reason also "a friend" He called him a friend, one who despised the property of his household; for he was a nobleman and very wealthy. "For three hundred" at least "and eighteen and ten" he has been served by eighteen and ten personal servants, having defeated the four kings who captured Lot. We find only Esther rightly adorned; the woman was secretly beautified for her own king; but that beauty is found to be a ransom for a people being killed. That beautifying makes women into companions, but men into androgynes and adulterers, the tragic poet is witness to us, telling the story somewhat like this:

Having come from Phrygia, he who serves the goddesses

Judging now, as the story of the Argives goes,

To Lacedaemon, blooming indeed in the dress of garments,

And bright with gold, with a barbaric luxury;

Loving, he seized the one he loved and went away,

Taking Helen away to the cattle pen of Ida, as a traveler abroad,

Menelaus.

O adulterous beauty! The barbarian love of luxury has overturned Greece, and the luxury of husband and wife; Spartan clothing destroyed modesty, and luxury, and fair beauty. Barbarian love of luxury has shamed the daughter of Zeus. There was no guide for them, restraining their desires; neither the one saying, "You shall not commit adultery," nor "You shall not desire," saying, do not go into adultery through desire; but do not burn up your longings through love of luxury. What kind of end followed for them in these things? And how much evil did they suffer because they did not want to stop selfishness? Two continents are stirred by uneducated pleasures, and everything is shaken by a barbarian youth; all of Greece is tossed by the sea; the sea is troubled, carrying continents; a long war is thrown, and strong battles are broken; and the fields are filled with dead; the barbarian insults the harbor; injustice rules, and the eye of that Zeus the creator looks upon the Thracians; noble blood drinks barbarian fields, and the streams of rivers stand with bodies of the dead; chests are struck with laments, and mourning spreads over the land; and all the feet of many-ridged Ida and its peaks tremble, and the cities of the Trojans and the ships of the Achaeans. Where shall we flee, Homer, and stand? Show us a land not stirred.

"Do not touch the reins", child, being inexperienced;

"Do not mount the chariot if you have not learned to drive."

The sky is pleased with two charioteers, who alone drive the fire being driven; for the mind is carried away by pleasure; and the pure reasoning, if not guided by the Word, slips into licentiousness, and the fall receives the reward of the offense. A sign of these things to you are "the angels", who, having left behind the beauty of God, with beauty fading, have fallen so far down from the heavens to the ground. But also the "Sikimites" are punished, having fallen, insulting the holy virgin; punishment is their tomb, and the memory of the penalty leads to salvation as a guide.

Chapter 3

To those who adorn themselves for men.

To such an extent then has luxury grown, that not only women suffer from this empty showiness, but even men envy the disease. For by not keeping their grooming pure, they do not stay healthy; but turning toward softness, they become effeminate, shaving off their beards like low-born women and prostitutes, dressed in thin, sheer cloaks, chewing mastic, and smelling of perfume. What could one say, seeing these men? Plainly, just like a face-reader, one judges them by their appearance to be adulterers and effeminate men, worshippers of both Aphrodites, half-shaven, clean-shaven, defiling the flower of manhood, and arranging their hair like women; "living with impious boldness, they commit reckless and evil deeds," the Sibyl says. Because of these men, the cities are full, with many falling, wasting away, and trembling from these effeminate ones; workshops have been built and opened everywhere, and craftsmen of this kind of companion prostitution openly sell their services for money, who shave them down, and provide all kinds of ways to pull out their hair, feeling no shame before those who see them, nor those who pass by, nor even themselves, though they are men. For such are the zealots of the most shameful passions, with their whole body worked over by the violent pulls of shaving. Nor does it care in the least to go any further in such shamelessness. For if nothing remains unaccomplished by them, it is not impossible for me either. Once, Diogenes, reproving one of these dishonorable youths in a teaching manner, when he was dealing with him, said very boldly, "Go away, boy; buy yourself a man." With doubtful words, correcting that man's lustfulness. For how is it not dishonorable for men, being men, to shave and smooth themselves? Certain dyes of the hair, and applications of gray powders, and blondings, practices destroying men and women, and their combing must be changed by those who act effeminately. For they think, like snakes, to shed old age from the head, changing themselves and making themselves new; even if they make their hair look clever, they do not escape the wrinkles; nor will they avoid death, trying to trick time. For it is not terrible, not terrible, for an old man to seem, since he cannot be hidden. The more a person approaches the end, the more honorable he is toward the truth, having only God as older than himself; since he too is the eternal old one, the oldest of all beings: "Old of days" the prophecy has called him; "and the hair of his head is like pure wool," The prophet says: "No one else, says the Lord, can make hair white or black." How then do the atheists act as rival creators against God, or rather, how do they force themselves to oppose him, by falsifying the hair that has been made gray by him? "A crown of many years of experience among the elders," The Scripture says: "And the gray hair of their face is the flower of much experience." But those who disgrace the honor of old age, the gray hair. It is not possible to truly show the soul that has a false head; "But you did not learn Christ in this way, he says, if indeed you heard him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put away your former way of life, the old man, not the gray one, but the one corrupted by deceitful desires." Be renewed not by dyes and adornments, but by the spirit of your mind, and put on the new man, created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the truth." A man who lets his hair be combed and shaved with a razor, arranging his hair for neatness and for the mirror, shaving and trimming, and smoothing his cheeks—how is this not womanly? And if someone were to see them bare, he might even mistake them for women. For if they do not wear gold themselves, still, because of their effeminate desire, they wrap straps and bands of gold around themselves with plates, or make some round shapes of the same material, and they wear them on their wrists and hang them around their necks. This is a trick of corrupt people, dragged down into the women's quarters, like two-faced and lustful beasts; this way is a trap of fornication and godless. For God wanted the woman to be a prize, naturally adorned only with her hair, like a horse with its mane, showing off; but the man, like lions, was decorated with a beard and made manly by his hairy chest; this is a sign of strength and authority. To her, and to the roosters, the champions among birds, like a young girl, he adorned with beauty; and so God regards these hairs highly, commanding at the same time that they be given to men; and indeed, amazed at their dignity, he honored the fierce sight with a gray beard. Wisdom and careful reasoning, with gray understanding, grow stronger over time, and old age strengthens with the tone of much experience, an admirable flower of noble wisdom, offering gray hair as a reasonable sign of faith. This then is the mark of the man, the beard, by which the man is shown to be older than Eve, and a symbol of the stronger nature; for this the roughness God rightly assigned, and scattered hair all over the man's body; but the part that is smooth and soft, he took from the side, creating Eve, a clear receptacle for seed, a helper in birth and household. He, (for the smooth part came first,) remained a man, and shows the man; and it is allowed to act for him, just as suffering is for her; for the rough parts are drier and warmer by nature than the smooth. Therefore, the male parts of females, and the testicles of those who have been circumcised, and the complete parts of the incomplete, are also rougher and warmer. The symbol of the manly nature, the roughness, is unlawful to violate; but the ornament of smoothness, (for I am warmed by the Word,) if it is on men, it is effeminate, and if on women, it is adulterous; both of these must be especially far removed from our way of life. "But even the hairs of your head are all numbered," says the Lord; and they are also numbered on the beard, and indeed on the whole body; not at all should what has been counted by the will of God be plucked out against His intention; unless you "do not recognize yourselves," says the Apostle, "that Christ Jesus is in you;" whom, if we knew to be dwelling within, I do not know how we would have dared to insult him. But to be beaten (I hesitate even to speak of this shameful deed) when turned away and bent down, and exposing the secrets of nature to view, dancing wildly, and being smeared with colors, they blush with their appearance, not blushing themselves, in the very youth and midst of exercise, where the virtue of men is tested, acting shamefully, pursuing this unnatural practice—how is this not the height of wickedness? For those who openly commit such acts would at least feel shame in certain homes. Their shamelessness in public proves their reckless behavior in secret by choice; for the man who denies himself under the light is clearly exposed as a woman when tested at night. "There will not be," said the Word through Moses, "There will not be a prostitute among the daughters of Israel; and there will not be a fornicator among the sons of Israel." But the cake is useful, he says. But it slanders, I say. But no one, thinking well, would want to seem to be a fornicator without being sick, and would practice slandering the good image. Therefore, no one would willingly choose it. "For if God foreknew those called according to his purpose to be conformed to the image of his Son," through whom, according to the Apostle, he blessedly appointed him, "to be the firstborn among many brothers;" how could they not be ungrateful atheists, dishonoring the body conformed to the Lord? For a man who wants to be beautiful, the best part in a person is the mind, which must be adorned and shown more gracefully each day; what must be trimmed are not the hairs, but the desires. But I pity the slave traders' boys, dressed up for insult; yet they are not harmed by themselves, but by orders, for the wretched ones are made up for shameful profit. Those who willingly choose to do these things commanded under threat of death, if they were men, how could they not be utterly shameful? And now life has fallen into such great wickedness, indulging in wrongdoing; and every lust has poured into the cities, becoming a law. On their rooftops stand women selling their own flesh for the insult of pleasure; and boys, having been taught to deny their nature, pretend to be women. Luxury has upset everything; it has shamed humanity; a delicate way of life seeks everything, tries everything, forces everything, and breaks nature; men suffer the things of women, and women act like men against nature; women are both married and marrying; no path is untrodden by debauchery; Aphrodite is shared among them all; luxury is their common feast. O the pitiful sight! O the unspeakable practice! These are the trophies of your political weakness; the proof of your deeds, the scornful blows. Woe to such great lawlessness! But the wretched do not even understand that the uncertainty of their intercourse causes many tragedies; fathers often join with their own sons who have prostituted themselves and with their shameless daughters, forgetting the children they have exposed; and the power of debauchery shows the men who have fathered it. These things the wise men of the laws allow; it is permitted for them to sin according to the law; and they call the secrecy of pleasure an ease. Adulterers think they have escaped nature; but justice follows as the punisher of their bold acts. And bringing upon themselves an unavoidable disaster, they buy death for a small price. The evil spirits sail as merchants of these burdens, carrying prostitution as if it were grain or wine; others, much more miserable, buy pleasures as if they were bread or food. Not even then do they keep in mind what Moses said: "You shall not defile your daughter by making her a prostitute; and the land will not be filled with lawlessness through prostitution." These things were foretold long ago; the outcome is clear: the whole earth is already filled with prostitution and lawlessness. I admire the ancient Roman lawmakers; they hated the practice of husband and wife, and they condemned the union of the body with the female, which goes against the law of nature, as a crime according to the law of justice. For it is not lawful ever to remove the beard, the natural beauty, the noble beauty.

First a young man; the most charming youth.

Advancing further, he anoints himself, "growing a beard," on which "the prophetic ointment" was poured down, honoring Aaron. It is necessary for the one rightly educated, on whom peace has come to dwell, to also bring peace to his own hair. So why would women, eager for effeminacy, dare to practice such things while being seen by men? Rather, these should not be called men, but effeminate and womanish, whose voices are broken, and whose clothing is softened by touch and dye. Such people are clearly exposed by their manner of dress, their shoes, their posture, their walk, their hairstyle, and their gaze. "For a man will be recognized by his appearance," the Scripture says; "and a man will be recognized by the meeting of a person. The adornment of a man, the step of his foot, and the laughter of his teeth will declare what is about him." For these men, especially compared to other shaved hairs, keep only the hair on their head, carefully binding their hidden locks, just like women. Lions boast of their shaggy hair, but they arm themselves with their hair for strength; boars also take pride in their crest, but hunters fear them because of their bristling hair.

The Eirophókois are sheep weighed down with wool.

But even among these, the loving Father increased the hair, for your service, man, teaching the sheep to shear. And the Celts and the Scythians among the nations wear their hair long, but they do not adorn themselves; the well-haired barbarian is somewhat fearsome, and his blond hair threatens war; the color is somewhat like blood. Both barbarians share a half-measure of luxury; clear witnesses are shown by Rhenus the German and the Scythian the chariot. Yet even the Scythian sometimes despises the chariot; the barbarian seems to consider its size a wealth. Leaving luxury behind, he lives a simple life, self-sufficient at home, and better girded for the chariot, the Scythian man takes his horse, mounts, and goes where he wishes. When he grows tired from hunger, he asks the horse for food; the horse holds back its veins; and what it has, it gives to its master as blood. For the nomad, the horse is both a vehicle and food. These are other nomads of the Arabs; the fighting age are camel riders. They lean on pregnant camels; they both graze and run, carrying their masters; and they carry their home with them. If they leave drink for the barbarians, they milk the camels; when the food runs out, they do not spare even the blood, which they say has freed them from wolves. The barbarians who are tamer do not hold grudges when wronged; they even openly expose the wilderness, boldly carrying and feeding their masters together. The wild beasts that guard, whose food is blood, perish! For it is not right for humans to touch blood, whose body is nothing but flesh cultivated by blood. The human blood shared in the Word partakes of grace with the Spirit; and if someone wrongs them, he will not escape; it is allowed for him to speak naked of form before the Lord. I accept the simplicity of the barbarians; loving a well-girded life, the barbarians left behind luxury. Such the Lord calls us—naked of vain beauty, naked of empty glory, torn away from sins, only carried by the wood of life, only holding on to salvation.

Chapter 4

With whom one must share a meal.

But indeed, having sailed alongside the spirit of the following, to which one must again return, and the great wealth of the servants must be reproached. For fleeing from self-work and self-service, they take refuge with the servants—those who cook, who serve at the table, and who skillfully divide the meat into portions—joining the large crowd. Their service is divided among them in many ways: some work for their gluttony—servers, spice-mixers, those who handle the pieces of meat, those who prepare honeyed dishes, and those who make drinks and concoctions. Others are busy with the extra clothing; some guard the gold like griffins; others keep the silver, collect the tips, and prepare the meals around the hearth. Some roast the pack animals; a group of wine-pourers serves among them, along with herds of handsome youths, like livestock, from whom they draw beauty. Barbers and hairdressers attend to the women: some care for the mirrors, others for the hairnets, and others for the combs. Many eunuchs, who are also pimps, serve the trustworthy ones who cannot love, attending without suspicion to those who wish to indulge in pleasures. A true eunuch is not one who cannot love, but one who does not want to love. The Word, protesting through the prophet Samuel to the transgressing Jews who were asking the people for a king, does not promise them a kind lord, but threatens them with a stubborn, indulgent tyrant: "He who will take," he says, "your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers;" Holding to the law of war, not desiring a peaceful arrangement. Many Celts lift the litters of women high and carry them in a line; there is no quarrelling, no hardship, no weaving, no housework among them. But those who deceive the women spend the day with them, indulging in false love stories, wasting both their bodies and their souls with false deeds and lies. "You will not be among many, " he says, "you will not be among a crowd in evil, nor will you add to the number;" because wisdom is found in few, but disorder shows itself in a crowd. But they, not out of respect for being observed, do not want to join with those who carry it; for it would be pleasing if they added their attention to this disposition; but, being fragile, they follow the servants, eager to spy. When the curtain is spread open, they look more sharply at those who are watching it, and they examine their behavior; and often they even lean out from inside. Shaming the shallow respectability with their slipping curiosity. "Do not look around, he says, in the streets of the city; do not wander in its deserted places;" For a place is truly deserted, even if there is a crowd of the reckless, where no sensible person is present. They wander around the temples, raving and prophesying, with beggars and fortune-tellers, and old women who are buffoons, destroying homes, joining in daily processions; and they endure the whispering talk by the drinking cups, learning love potions and spells from sorcerers for the ruin of marriages; some have men, others are owned by men, and still others are promised to them by the soothsayers. They do not realize that they are being deceived, and they themselves willingly offer their bodies as vessels of pleasure to those who lust; exchanging their purity for the worst disgrace, they consider the shameful destruction a kind of business. Many servants of debauchery in the company of prostitutes slip in from different places; for the immoral are easy to lead into lust, like pigs carried toward the opening of a trough. Therefore, the Scripture strongly advises: "Do not bring every person into your house; for many are the traps of the deceitful." " But elsewhere it says: "Let righteous men be your guests at dinner; and in the fear of the Lord, let your pride remain." " Prostitution is for ravens: "For you know this well", " The Apostle says, "That every fornicator or unclean person or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." They enjoy sexual relations between men and women; crowds of the wicked slip in among them, gossips; their bodies are defiled, and their words are defiled, trained to serve lust, ministers of adultery, whispering and murmuring, shamelessly stirring up lewdness through their noses, trying to please with licentious words and gestures, and calling out to laughter, a byway of prostitution. Sometimes, burning with sudden anger, either they themselves are fornicators, or having become jealous for the destruction of the crowd of the wicked, they applaud with their nose like frogs, as if they had bile dwelling in their nostrils. But those who are more frivolous than these raise Indian birds and Median peacocks, and lie down together playing with foxes, delighting in Sicinnian wonders; and hearing Thersites, they laugh. These women, valuing Thersites highly, do not join themselves to men as spouses, but boast in those things which are indeed a burden on the earth. They overlook a chaste widow, who is much better than Melitaeus the little dog; and they disregard an old, righteous man, more respectable, I think, than a silver-paid monster. But they do not take in an orphaned child, those who raise parrots and larks; instead, they expose at home the children they have borne, and they take the young of birds as substitutes; and they prefer the irrational over the rational. It is necessary to support the elders who promise self-control, who, I think, are more pleasing in appearance than monkeys, and able to utter something better than the songs of nightingales; and they add the phrase, "He who shows mercy to the poor will lend to God". " and the phrase, "As for how long," he says, "If you have done it to one of the least of these, you have done it to me;" but on the other hand, ignorance has set itself above self-control, throwing away their own possessions for pearls and Indian emeralds. And indeed, they spend and scatter money on costly dyes for slaves and on silver coins, digging through the waste of life like birds that have eaten their fill. "Poverty," he says, humbles a man;" They want to call thrift poverty, by which the rich become poor, having no means of sharing.

Chapter 5

How one should behave concerning the baths.

What kind of baths are these? They are artificial, built together, and portable, covered with transparent linen cloths; the seats are gilded, silvered, and there are countless vessels of gold and silver—some for drinks, some for food, and some carried around for washing. And there are even charcoal braziers; for they come to such excess that they dine and get drunk while still bathing. The silverware with which they serve is displayed lavishly in the baths. Perhaps wealth is excessive through arrogance, but especially their own willful ignorance, by which they are accused as men without courage, dominated by women, and are shown to be so; they are reproached for their foolishness, unable to understand themselves, and unable to sweat apart from the many vessels. For even those who work hard, not sharing in the display, share equally in the baths.

So filth has a great reputation for blasphemy against wealth; with this as bait, they hook the wretched, boasting over the glitter of gold. And indeed, amazed by this, the extravagant ones make lovers marvel, who soon insult them while naked. And truly, the men would not undress in front of their own, feigning credible shame; but those who wish may see the naked women locked away in the baths at home. There, they undress before the spectators, like sellers of bodies, without shame. But Hesiod,

Do not brighten the skin with a woman's bath,

He advises, Do not brighten the skin with a woman's bath. The baths are open to both men and women together; and from there they give themselves over to excess (for it is from looking that people begin to desire [61])—as if their shame were washed away in the baths. Those who do not blush so much exclude the men, but gather with their own servants, and the naked women undress before the slaves and are rubbed down by them, giving power to the one overcome by desire, the shamelessness of touching. For those brought in beside the baths to the mistresses, they gain practice in undressing boldly, overcoming fear by bad habit.

The old athletes, ashamed to show their naked bodies, performed their contests wearing belts, guarding their modesty; but the women, undressing along with their tunics and their shame, want to appear beautiful, yet are still rightly blamed. For through this the weakness of desire in the body is shown most clearly, just as the wetness on the surface shows the sickness of those with dropsy. The disease of both is recognized by sight.

Therefore, men, who are to be noble examples of truth to women, must be ashamed of undressing with them and guard their slippery eyes. "For he who looks," it is said, "has already sinned more curiously." At home, one should respect parents and servants; in the streets, those one meets; in the baths, the women; and in solitude, oneself. Everywhere the Word, who is everywhere, "and without him not one thing came to be," for only in this way can one remain pure, if one always thinks God is present with them.

Chapter 6

That the Christian alone is truly rich.

We must share wealth worthily and give it kindly, not in a mean or boastful way. We must not turn the love of beauty into self-love and endless vanity. Otherwise, someone might say to us: "His horse is worth fifteen talents, or his land, or his servant, or his gold; but he himself is made of bronze, which is worth less than three." Immediately then, the world of women and the servants of masters was taken over, and you will find that the masters differ in no way from hired servants—not in their walk, not in their gaze, not in their speech. So they seem to be like slaves; but they are even considered weaker than the servants, and brought up in a more sickly way. At least, it is best to sing this teaching in every case: "Just as a good man, being wise and just," stores up wealth in heaven; this one, having sold off earthly things and given to the poor, finds the imperishable treasure, "where neither moth nor thief." Blessed indeed is this one, "even if he is small and weak and without honor," and truly he makes rich the greatest; "But if Kinyras and Midas are richer, yet they are unjust," and proud, just like the one who lives in luxury in purple and fine linen, and proud over Lazarus, "he is both miserable and lives in suffering," and he will not live. It seems to me that wealth is like a serpent, which, unless someone knows how to take it safely from a distance, and without danger from the very tip of its tail, the beast will coil around the hand and bite it. Wealth is also terrible, when grasped either by one experienced or inexperienced, to cling to and to bite. But if someone, thinking highly of himself, skillfully handles it, so that together with the charm of the Word, he may tame the beast, then the beast will be tamed, and he himself will remain unharmed. But, as it seems, having gained things of greater value, he alone has truly become rich. Things of great value are not stone, nor silver, nor clothing, nor the beauty of the body, but virtue; which is the Word given through the Instructor for practice. This Word rejects luxury, encourages self-work as its servant, praises simplicity, and is the offspring of self-control. "Receive instruction, he says, and not silver; and knowledge rather than fine gold, tested and approved; for wisdom is better than precious stones; and every valuable thing is not worthy of it." And again: "Buy me for more than gold, and for a precious stone, and for silver; for my produce is better than chosen silver." But if it must be divided, let the rich man be the one who has much, wrapped in gold, like a stained pouch; but let the just man be well-ordered, since good order is discipline; and in the proper arrangement, measured concerning management and payments: "For those who sow are also those who gather more," about which it is written: "He scattered, he gave to the poor; his righteousness remains forever." So it is not the one who has and keeps, but the rich man who shares; and sharing shows the blessedness, not possession; the fruit of the soul is generosity. Then wealth is in the soul.

And indeed, let the good things belong only to the good owners; and the Christians are good. A foolish or unrestrained person would neither have a sense of what is good, nor would he gain possession; therefore, the good things belong only to the Christians. Of these good things, nothing is richer; therefore, these alone are rich. For true wealth is righteousness; and the Word, more precious than any treasure, does not grow from food and land, but is given by God, an inexhaustible wealth. The soul alone is its treasure; the best possession for the one who has it, making the person blessed by the truth. For whoever has it, desires nothing that is not in our power, and whatever he desires, he obtains; and even what he devoutly strives for, he receives when he asks from God. How then could this person not be very wealthy and possess everything, holding an eternal treasure, God? "To the one who asks, he says, it will be given, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened." If God denies nothing, everything happens for the godly.

Chapter 7

That simplicity is a good provision for Christians.

Luxury, when given over to pleasures, becomes a hard shipwreck for people; for this sweet and shameful life belongs to a love of false beauty and to vain pleasures, not to true goodness. For by nature, man is a proud and lofty creature, and a seeker of what is beautiful, being the creation of the Only One. But a life focused on the belly is shameful and disgraceful, and ugly, and worthy of ridicule. Pleasure-seeking is most alien to the divine nature; it is like feeding on ostriches, and like wallowing with pigs and goats. For to think pleasure is good is complete ignorance of what is truly beautiful. Love of wealth leads a person away from the right way of life, persuading them toward shameful things; if it has power, like a wild beast, it drives them to eat all kinds of food, and to drink the same, and to be completely filled with every kind of lust. For this reason, very rarely does someone "the kingdom of God" inherits the kingdom. Where then are all these dishes prepared, or is it to fill one stomach? The filthiness of gluttony is exposed by dung beetles, onto which the stomachs of our feast spit their leftovers. Where then do the servers gather so many, able to fill one cup? Where then are the chests of the clothes? But where are the gold items? And where are the ornaments? They are prepared for thieves and evildoers, and for the watchful eyes. "Let alms and faith never fail you, " Scripture says. Behold, indeed, we have the good example of the Theban Elijah for simplicity, when he sat under the broom bush, and the angel brought him food: "The hidden food was barley bread, and a jar of water was at his side." The Lord sent him such a meal; therefore, it is necessary for those who truly journey to be well girded. "For you do not carry a wallet," the Lord said, "nor a bag, nor sandals;" That is, "Do not gain wealth that is stored only in a wallet; do not fill your own storehouses as if you were putting seed into a bag, but share with those in need; do not be busy with beasts of burden and servants, who 'shoes" of the journey of the rich, carrying burdens, are spoken of allegorically." Therefore, the many possessions, the silver, the gold ornaments, and the crowd of servants must be thrown away; instead, take with you good and honorable companions from the Instructor, who have received manual work and simplicity. And indeed, one must walk in harmony with the Word; even if a wife and children are present, the household is not a burden for a wise traveler who has learned to share the load. The wife who loves pleasure must also be sent away, just as a man who travels must do. A good provision for the journey to the heavens is simplicity, combined with a single dignified modesty. Measure, just as the foot fits the shoe, so the body fits each person's possessions. What is excessive, which some call proper, and the furnishings of the rich, are a burden, not an adornment, to the body. One who is eager to ascend to the heavens must carry a good staff, kindness; and having shared it with those who suffer, must share in true rest. For Scripture agrees, saying, "For the wealth of a man's soul is his own ransom." That is, if he is rich, he will share and be saved. Just as with wells, whatever naturally flows out, when drawn up, returns to its original level; so too, sharing, being a good spring of kindness, sharing the drink with those who thirst, grows again and fills up; just as milk is accustomed to flow to the nursing or even swollen breasts. For the Word of God the Almighty, who is without lack and never runs out of anything needed, is inexhaustible; the Word is an inexhaustible possession and the cause of all abundance. But if someone says they have often seen a righteous person suffering for bread, this is rare, and where no other righteous person is found; yet let them also read this: "For the righteous will not live by bread alone, but by the word of the Lord." Who is the true bread, the bread of heaven. So the good man is never truly without resources, as long as he keeps a sound confession toward God; for he has the ability to ask and receive whatever he needs from the Father of all, and to enjoy what is his own, if he guards the Son. It is also possible for him not to feel any lack at all. This Word of ours, the teacher, gives us our wealth; and to be rich is not a cause for envy, for those who have it through him lack nothing. Whoever has this wealth will inherit the kingdom of God.

Chapter 8

That the images and patterns are a very important part of correct teaching.

If any of you will flee luxury to the end, choosing simplicity, he will more easily learn to endure involuntary pains, constantly practicing voluntary afflictions through persecutions; whenever he comes to necessary pains, fears, and sorrows, not being careless, he will endure. For this reason, we do not have a homeland on earth so that we may despise earthly possessions. Simplicity is very rich, balancing with unceasing expenses those things which must be done, and for as long as they must be done; for "expenses" are the costs.

Now, just as a man must live with his wife, and concerning farming, housekeeping, and the use of servants; and also concerning the time of marriage, and the things fitting for women, we have gone through these in the marriage discourse; but those things fitting for education, we now set before you alone in the form of a summary, marking the Christian life. And indeed, most things have already been said and taught; what remains, we will set down. For the examples are not a small help toward salvation. See, the tragedy says,

… he did not kill the wife of Odysseus

Telemachus: for she did not marry one husband after another;

And she remains at home, a faithful bed.

Someone insulting licentious adultery showed a beautiful image of self-control and love of one's country. The Helots, servants (the name of the servants is Helots) whom the Lacedaemonians forced to get drunk, showed to themselves the works of drunkenness, but they are sensible in service and correction to some extent. Watching carefully the disgrace of those people, so that they themselves would not fall into similar blame, they were trained, benefiting from the shameful behavior of the drunkards by making their own conduct blameless. For among humans, some, having been taught, were saved; others, self-taught, either envied or sought virtue;

That one is the best, who himself understands everything.

He himself is Abraham, the one who sought God.

Good also is the one who listens well to what is said;

These are the disciples, those who have believed the Word. For this reason, one heard "friend," and the others "apostles;" one and the same God, one being busy about many things, the others preaching; both are peoples; and both have these listeners, one benefiting through seeking, the other being saved through finding.

But whoever neither understands it himself, nor listens to another,

Is thrown into anger, and this man again is useless;

Another people is pagan, useless; this people, who do not follow Christ. The Instructor, who is loving toward humanity, helped in many ways; he both encouraged some and even rebuked others. He showed us the shame of those who sinned, and also the punishment for this, revealing it both to guide the soul and to warn, working a loving turning away from evil through the example of those who suffered before us. Through these clear examples, he stopped those who were disposed to do wrong, and prevented those who dared to do what was right; he established some in patience; he stopped others from evil; and he healed those who, by contemplating what was like themselves, were changed for the better. For who would not watch carefully, following the right path, and then, when the one before falls into a pit, avoid the same danger by guarding against following sin? Who then, being a disciple, having carefully learned the way of ambition, and having seen the prize received by the one who struggled for it, would not strive for the crown himself, imitating the elder? Many such are the images of divine wisdom; but I will mention one example and present it briefly: the suffering of the Sodomites, a punishment for their injustice, but also a lesson for those who hear. The Sodomites, having become corrupt through much luxury into debauchery, committing adultery shamelessly, and violently pursuing boys, since the all-seeing Word, whom no one acting wickedly can escape, saw them; nor did the sleepless guardian of humanity overlook their debauchery.

Turning us away from imitating them, and instructing us toward temperance through his discipline, he imposed on some sinners that, so that the unpunished licentiousness might not receive free rein, he ordered the burning of Sodom, pouring out a little of that wise fire upon their debauchery, so that their lust, having become unrestrained, would not spread wide couches for those carried away by pleasure. The just punishment of the Sodomites has become a clear example of salvation for people. For those who have not sinned in the same way as the condemned do not promise a similar punishment to sinners; those who do not sin are naturally protected from suffering. "For you to know," Jude says, "I want you to know that God, after saving the people once from the land of Egypt, destroyed the unbelievers the second time; and the angels who did not keep their own position but abandoned their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day, guarded by wild angels." And shortly after, the images of those being judged are explained very instructively: "Woe to them, because they followed the way of Cain, and they were scattered in the error of Balaam, and they were destroyed in the rebellion of Korah." For the fear of not insulting preserves those who are not able to bear the authority of adoption as sons. For this reason, punishments and threats exist, so that, fearing justice, we may avoid sinning. I am going to tell you about the punishments for love of the world and the penalties for ambition, not only for lack of self-control; but also to present the blasphemies against the foolish in wealth, in which the Word stops wrongdoing by causing fear. But, sparing you the length of the whole text, I bring you the following commands of the Instructor, so that you may keep the threats.

Chapter 9

For what reason should the bath be received?

The bathhouse, then (for from here I was stopped from speaking), has four reasons for which we go there: either for cleanliness, or for relaxation, or for health, or lastly for pleasure. For the sake of pleasure, then, one should not go to bathe; for shameless pleasure must be completely cut off. The bath should be received by women for cleanliness and health; but by men for health alone. The reason of relaxation is unnecessary; it is also possible to comfort someone hardened by cold in other ways. Frequent use of the bathhouse weakens the strength and loosens the natural tones; often it also causes fainting and loss of consciousness. For bodies absorb in a certain way, like trees do, not only through the mouth but also through the whole body during a bath, as they say, by means of pores. Proof of this: after being very thirsty many times, then entering the water, they were relieved of their thirst. If then the bath does not help in some way, it must already be avoided; the ancients called it "man-destroyer," since it loosens the body faster than is proper, and forces it to grow old sooner, like iron that is quenched in the same way, as the heat of the flesh softens it. From this comes our need for something like anointing and closing off the cold. Nor should one bathe every time, but if someone is either too empty or, on the other hand, too full, the bath should be avoided—especially according to the age of the body and the season of the year. For it does not always benefit everyone, nor always help, as those wise in these matters agree. For us, moderation is necessary, which we call a helper in life everywhere. For one should not spend so much time in the bath as to need a guide; nor should one bathe continuously and often during the day, as if frequently going to the market. But also to be washed by many servants is to insult those nearby, who are greedy for luxury; and to force those who do not want it to accept it, since it is common for those bathing to share the bath. One must bathe the soul especially with the cleansing Word; and the body also sometimes, because of the sickness that grows on it; yet sometimes it is necessary to wash away the sweat. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites," the Lord says, "because you are like whitewashed tombs. On the outside the tomb looks beautiful, but inside it is full of dead bones and all kinds of uncleanness." And again he says to the same ones: "Woe to you, because you clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of uncleanness; first clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may also become clean." The best bath for the soul removes the dirt, and it is spiritual; on this the prophecy clearly says: "The Lord will wash away the filth of the sons and daughters of Israel, and will cleanse the blood from among them," the blood of lawlessness and the murders of the prophets. And the Word indicated the manner of cleansing, saying: "By a spirit of judgment, and by a spirit of burning," But the cleansing of the body, the fleshly one, is completed by water alone, just as often happens in the fields, where there is no bathhouse.

Chapter 10

That even exercises must be chosen for those who live according to reason.

For young men, exercise is necessary, even if there is a bathhouse. For it is not perhaps wrong to approve of these things for men before bathing, since they have some use for the youth in regard to health; putting in effort and ambition, not only caring for good condition but also for courage; and this, when done without being distracted from better works, is graceful and not without benefit. Nor here should women be excluded from physical exercise; but they should not be encouraged to wrestling and running. Instead, they should be trained in hard work, in weaving, and in attending to spinning, if needed. Moreover, women must be taught to work with their hands in the household, especially those we need; and it is not shameful for them to come near the mill. Nor should they avoid concern for their appearance, so that they may be pleasing to their husbands, not a disgrace to the householder, spouse, and helper. And if she also fluffs the mattress for him, offers a drink to her thirsty husband, and serves a meal, she would be very modest and trained in sensible health; such a woman the Instructor accepts, who "stretches out her arms for useful work; her hands rest on the spindle; her hands open to the poor; and she extends fruit to the needy;" She was not ashamed of the greatest service, emulating Sarah in eagerly helping travelers; for Abraham said to her, "Hurry, and prepare three measures of fine flour; and make some cakes in secret." "But Rachel, the daughter of Laban, was coming," he says, "with the sheep of her father." And this was not enough, but teaching modesty, he added: "For she was tending the sheep of her father." And countless things that the Scriptures desire, both of humility and of self-work, as well as examples of exercises. Some of the men were naked and taking part in wrestling; others were playing with a small ball, the child Feninda especially in the sun; for others, the walk was enough as they went through the fields, or if they were going down to the city. And if they even touched a spade, this was not an unworthy side activity of a practical farming gymnasium. But almost I forgot to say what Pittacus said there, that the king of the Mytileneans came using active exercise. It is also good to draw water for oneself and to cut wood, which one will use oneself. "Jacob" Jacob tended the sheep of Laban, those left behind, having a royal sign, "a rod of almond wood," practicing to change by the wood into a better nature. Many times it happens that even the sound of reading is a kind of exercise. And indeed, even in wrestling, which we judged, if one does not take up useless quarrels, but rather for the sake of manly sweat and exertion; and certainly the skillful part of it, the showy part, should not be labored; but those things that come from proper wrestling, from the neck, and hands, and sides being stretched out; for such exertion is more orderly and manly with decent strength, taken up for the sake of health, useful and profitable; but the others, the rest, who report the practice of gymnastics as not free postures. Everywhere, the measure must be considered. For just as it is best to think of labor as food, so it is worst, most painful, and disease-causing to labor beyond measure. Therefore, it is necessary neither to be completely idle nor, on the other hand, entirely toilsome. Just as we have gone through this about food, so it is similarly in all things and everywhere: one must not live for pleasure in a wild and uncontrolled way, nor, on the other hand, in the opposite extreme of harshness, but in the middle between these, a balanced, sensible, and pure way, avoiding both vices—both luxury and stinginess. And now, as we said before, self-sufficiency is a simple exercise: to wear oneself down a little, to wash one's feet, and to rub off the greasy dirt; also, to return the same favor to the one who rubbed you, in turn—this exercise belongs to social justice. It is also to help a sick friend, to serve one who is unable, and to give to one in need. "And he gave to them," he says, Abraham gave the best meal to the three "under the tree." and "stood by while they ate for them." And the fishing, as "to Peter," If we take a break from the necessary lessons in the Word. But this is a better catch, which the Lord granted to the disciple, just as a fish through water, to "catch men." having taught.

Chapter 11

A fundamental overview of the best life.

Therefore, wearing gold and using softer clothing should not be completely cut off; rather, the irrational impulses must be controlled, so that they do not shake us into luxury, having seized us through much ease. For luxury is terrible, once it has overflowed into satiety, to leap, to rear back, and to shake off both the driver and the tutor; who, holding the reins from afar, leads and carries the human horse, the irrational part of the soul, which is about pleasures and blameworthy desires, and stones, and gold, and colorful clothing, and other wild luxury. Keeping this especially in mind, the sacred saying: "Let your conduct among the nations be good, so that, in the very thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God" (84-85).

Therefore, the tutor gives us to use simple clothing and white color, as we said before; so that, not adopting what is varied by art but naturally familiar, we avoid everything deceitful and false to the truth. Presenting ourselves, let us embrace the single way and single face of truth. Sophocles, reproaching a young woman for luxury, says:

Dressed in clothes fitting for female actors.

Just as a soldier, a sailor, and a ruler have their own proper dress, so too a sensible person's clothing is simple, modest, and clean. Moreover, even in the law, "concerning leprosy,"" The law given through Moses, varied and full of many colors, is not rejected as holy, but rather resembles the many-colored scales of the serpent. At least no longer having the variety of colors woven through it, but rather all whitened throughout, from the very top of the head to the ends of the feet, it wishes to be clean; so that, by passing away from the body, we may put aside the varied and crafty passion of the mind, and love the simple color of truth, which is free from variation and doubt. And indeed, in this too, the zealous follower of Moses, the most excellent Plato, says, "ὑφὴν" He accepts that texture, "to which no further work is added by a prudent woman. Colors that are white would be fitting for dignity." And elsewhere he says: "And in texture, do not offer dyes, except for war ornaments." For peaceful people, then, white is suitable and bright. As signs, then, being the closest causes, they show what is present, but more so they point to the existence of the result, like smoke to fire, or a healthy color and good pulse to health; in the same way, for us, such an appearance of character shows the condition. Temperance is both pure and simple; for purity is a habit formed by a lifestyle prepared with a clean and unmixed avoidance of shameful things, while simplicity is a habit that removes what is unnecessary. A firm garment, and especially one without seams, keeps the heat in the body from escaping—not because the garment itself has warmth, but because it turns back the heat going out of the body and does not allow it to pass through. And if something falls on it, holding the heat inside, warmed by it, it warms the body in return. For this reason, it is especially useful in winter. This is easy; ease is a habit without excess, open to what is continuous, enough for the healthy measure and a blessed life. Let a woman also use simple and modest clothing; it is more fitting for her to be softer than a man, but not with complete looseness or flowing softness. Let the clothes be fitting to age, face, place, nature, and customs. "To put on clothing" For the divine Apostle fully advises us to "clothe yourselves with Christ Jesus, and do not make provision for the desires of the flesh." The Word prevents those who are rushing from tearing the lobes of their ears. For why not also the nose? So that what was said might also be fulfilled: "Like an earring in a pig's snout, so is beauty to a foolish woman." In general, if anyone thinks that being adorned with gold is better, gold is less valuable; and the one who is less than gold is not master of it. But to admit oneself more unadorned and inferior to a Lydian coin, how much more absurd is that? Just as gold is stained by the dirt of a pig, when the snout disturbs the ring, so the more luxurious women, proud because of their wealth, disgrace true beauty with the pollutions of Aphrodite. They give them a ring of gold; but not for adornment, rather to mark those worthy of household guard, because of the care of the household. For if all were well educated, there would be no need for any seals, since the judges, servants, and masters would be alike; but because ignorance gives a strong tendency toward injustice, we have needed seals. But this is not the time to lower the tone; for there are times when a woman who has not found a prudent husband must be forgiven, and when women dress themselves to please their husband. Let the limit for them be the desire to please only their own husbands. I did not want them to practice physical beauty, bringing their husbands to wise love with a gentle, forceful, and just remedy; but since they want to harm their soul, let it be offered to them, if they wish to be sensible, to calmly soothe the irrational urges and desires of men. They must be quietly led to simplicity by a habit of moderation toward less, for the sake of greater prudence. For a dignified appearance is not gained by adding burdens, but by removing what is unnecessary. Just as swift-winged birds must have their luxurious and wasteful expenses cut back, which make unstable and empty pleasures of softness for women, by which, growing proud and flying high, they often fly away from their marriages. Therefore, women must also be modestly restrained and tightly held by prudent shame, so that they do not slip away from the truth through softness. It is indeed good for wives, who have trusted their husbands, to allow them to manage the household. When given helpers for this purpose. If then it is necessary for us, who live in the city, and also for some others who manage affairs in the countryside, often even without women, to be sealed for security, a signet ring is given to us for this purpose alone. The other rings must be rejected; since "the world," according to Scripture, "gold is for the wise education." The women who wear gold seem to me to be afraid that, if someone takes away their gold, they will be considered slaves, not adorned. But the noble truth, examined in the naturally good soul, does not buy and sell the slave, but judges him by the opinion of the unfree. But it does not seem fitting for us to be free, but rather to be suited to those who are taught by God and made belong to God. Therefore, both position, and movement, and walking, and clothing, and simply the whole life must be called most of all free. But the ring should not be worn on the joint by men; for this is feminine. And it should be placed on the little finger, and even that at the very end; for in this way the hand will be helpful in the things we need it for. And the signet ring will not easily fall off, since it is kept by the larger joint's connection. Let our seals be doves, or a fish, or a ship sailing the sky, or a musical lyre, which Polycrates used, or a sailor's anchor, which Seleucus engraved on his seal; and if someone is a fisherman, he will remember the apostle and the children drawn up from the water. For the faces of idols must not be imprinted, since they are inexperienced even in paying attention; nor should a sword or bow be used by those who pursue peace; nor cups by those who are self-controlled. Many of the unrestrained keep their lovers, or their companions, naked, as if they never wished to be able to forget the passions of love because of the constant reminder of their unrestrained behavior. As for hair, here is what seems fitting: The head of men should be bare, unless the hair is thick; the beard should be rough; and the curled hair should not fall too far from the head, slipping down into locks like a woman's hair; for a smooth face is unsuitable for men. But if someone shaves part of the beard, it should not be completely bare; for the sight is shameful. And the shaving of the beard close to the skin has been condemned, as it borders on effeminacy and smoothness. Indeed, the Psalmist, delighting in the beard along with the hair, says: "Like the oil that flows down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron;" τῇ παλινῳδίᾳ "τοῦ πώγωνος" Praising the beard as something fitting, he anointed the face with oil of the Lord. Since the haircut is not to be taken for the sake of beauty, but because of necessity, the hairs of the head, so that they do not grow down to the eyes and get in the way, and perhaps the hairs on the upper lip, which must be kept according to custom, are not to be shaved with a razor—since that is unworthy—but with the two barber's knives; but the beard hairs, without cutting any of them, are not to be disturbed; for they bring dignity to the face and a natural awe; and they also guide many not to sin because of their well-kept appearance. But those who openly want to sin enjoy hiding behind their appearance, which is not noticeable, the most pleasing thing; fearing this, those who are allowed to fail through ignorance, by resembling the many, have freely taken advantage of sinning without fear. Not only does a shaved head show a man to be strict, but it also makes the skull uncomfortable, getting used to exposure and suffering from cold and heat; and it drives away the damage caused by these things, which the hair, like a sponge, takes up and settles on the head, keeping the damage from moisture away. Women should soften their hair by washing it, and tie up their hair simply with a plain pin near the neck, removing the treatments that make their modest hair grow together into genuine beauty. For the elaborate hairstyles of courtesans, and the tying up of hair in rows, show that they have been adorned in a way that is shameful, cutting the hair and pulling it out with cunning braids; because of these, they do not even touch the scalp of their heads, fearing to mix their own hair. But even sleep comes to them with fear, lest they unknowingly crush the shape of their braids. Completely removed are the attachments of others' hair, and it is most improper to arrange the hair on the head with a wig, dressing the skull with dead braids. For to whom does the elder lay his hand? And whom will he bless? Not the woman who is adorned, but the foreign hairs, and through them another head. But if "the head of a woman is a man, and the head of a man is God," how is it that they do not fall into ungodliness through twofold sins? For they deceive the men because of the excessive hair; they shame the Lord, as much as is on them, adorning themselves in a way like prostitutes to deceive the truth; and they blaspheme the truly beautiful head. Therefore, hair should not be dyed; nor should gray hair be changed in color. For it is not allowed to decorate the clothing; especially the honor of old age, which is trustworthy, should not be covered up. It must be shown by the light of God as a mark of respect for the young. For even when the appearance of gray hair, like a teacher standing by, guided them toward self-control, and the shining brightness of the sight struck down the youth of desire, they still act shamelessly. But the faces should not be rubbed with crafty wisdom's tricks. Let us show them a modest kind of grooming. For the best beauty is first of all the beauty of the soul, as I have often pointed out. When the soul is adorned with the holy Spirit and with the bright qualities inspired by it—justice, understanding, courage, self-control, kindness, and honor, whose color has never been seen more lovely—then the beauty of the body should also be practiced, with harmony of limbs and parts and with good color. Here the grooming of health is rightly placed, by which the change from the image of the false idol to the true one takes place, according to the form given by God. The balance of drinks and the proper measure of foods are powerful ways to beautify according to nature. For the body not only keeps health from these, but also causes beauty to appear. For from the fiery comes the shining and sparkling; from the moist, the bright and well-formed; from the dry, the strong and steady; from the airy, the well-breathed and balanced; from these, this well-proportioned and beautiful statue of the Word is adorned. Beauty is the free flower of health; for health works within the body, and beauty, blooming outside the body, clearly shows a good complexion. The most beautiful and healthiest treatments, though tiring the bodies, produce genuine and lasting beauty, as the warmth draws out all the moisture, and the cold spirit is drawn wholly into itself by the heat, which is stirred by movement. But when it draws in, it gently wastes away the flesh's surplus from food, both in amount of moisture and in excess of heat; therefore, the earlier food is also emptied. In a motionless body, the eaten food does not stick but falls away—like bread from a cold oven, either whole or with only the bottom part left behind. It is natural, then, that those who have excess during cleansing produce more waste and refuse; other wastes also increase for them, along with sweat, since the body does not return the nourishment but pours it out as excess. From this comes the stirring of lusts, around the parts of generation, flowing from the excess with balanced movements. Therefore, this excess must be melted down and poured into digestion, through which beauty is made rosy. It is strange, those "in the image and likeness of God" having been made, as if dishonoring the original, sought to apply a cosmetic treatment, the human poor workmanship, before the divine chosen creation. The Instructor commands them to go forward "in modest restraint, to adorn themselves with respect and self-control, being subject to their own husbands, so that even if some disobey the word, they may be won over without a word by the behavior of the women, having observed, he says, your pure conduct in the word. Let there be no outward entanglement, nor the adornment of gold, or the wearing of fine clothes; but the hidden person of the heart, in the imperishable gentleness and quiet spirit, which is precious before God." Self-work brings genuine beauty especially to women, training their bodies and adorning themselves through their own efforts; not offering a decoration made by others that is disorderly, unfree, and suited to companions, but that of each sensible woman, made by her own hands, whenever it is most needed, sufficient and well-woven. For it is never fitting for those who live according to God to appear adorned by things bought from the market, but by household, their own works. For the best work is a woman who manages the household, adorning both herself and her husband with her own decorations; through these, all take pride—the children in their mother, the husband in his wife, she in them, and all in God. In summary, then, "Courage is the treasury of virtue for a woman; she who does not eat lazy food; and the laws of mercy are on her tongue; she who opens her mouth wisely and lawfully; whose children bless her as they rise," as the holy Word says through Solomon: "Her husband praises her. For a godly woman is praised; but let her praise the fear of the Lord." And again: "A courageous woman is a crown to her husband." It must be corrected especially in the gestures, the glances, the walk, and the voices. For not, like some who envy the acting of comedy, and watching closely the delicate movements of the dancers, do they act on the stage during conversations, with those gentle motions, and those soft walks, and voices shaped to be alluring, looking around with a seductive glance, practiced as a lure of pleasure. "For honey drips from the lips of a prostitute woman, who, speaking to please, oils your throat; but later you will find a bitterness more bitter than bile, and a double-edged sword sharper than a whetstone. For the feet of folly lead those who use it after death down to Hades." Samson, at least, was defeated by the prostitute, and another woman cut the man's hair. . But not in this way was Joseph deceived by another woman; the Egyptian prostitute was defeated; and, taking the bonds of chastity, he appears stronger than one who is freed from power. That too might be said in the best way;

… As for the whole, I do not understand

I whisper, not even broken,

Having turned the neck sideways, to walk,

Just as I see other effeminate men here

Many in the city, and beaten down.

The feminine movements, and gestures, and luxuries must be completely cut off; for the delicate manner of walking around, "and walking like a woman", " as Anacreon says, a companion's adornment; "Just as it seems to me," says the comedy, "the traces of companions leave behind pleasure, and luxury." The traces of prostitutes "do not rest on truth; for they do not lead to the paths of life; their ways are unstable and not well known." Above all, one must spare the eyes; for it is better to slip with the feet than with the eyes. The Lord certainly heals this passion very quickly: "If your eye causes you to stumble, cut it out," saying, pulling the desire out from its roots. Lewd looks and winking, which is a kind of blinking through the eyes, are nothing else but committing adultery through the eyes, as desire shoots out through them. For the eyes are corrupted before the whole body. "When the eye sees something beautiful, it makes the heart glad;" That is, having learned to look well, it makes glad; "But the eye winking with deceit brings sorrow to men." Perhaps such was the effeminacy of Sardanapalus, the king of the Assyrians, who was led in backward on a couch, wearing purple, and rolling back the whites of his eyes. Women who practice these things lead themselves by their own eyes; "For the eye is the lamp of the body," Scripture says; through it what is inside is revealed, shining with the light that appears. "But the fornication of a woman is in the wandering of the eyes. So then, put to death the parts of you that are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these things, the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience," The Apostle indeed cries out; but we stir up the passions again, and we are not ashamed? Some of them chew mastic gum, rolling it around and chewing it with their cheeks; others, as if they had no fingers, pick at their heads with the pins they carry, breaking them; and they busy themselves with these pins, made from the shell of a tortoise, or ivory, or some other dead animal. Others, as if they had some kind of rash to please those who see them, adorned with bright powders, stain their own faces. "A foolish and bold woman" through Solomon, who says, and she "does not even know shame; she sat at the doors of her house, openly on a seat, calling to those passing by on the road, those who were making straight their own paths," through her appearance and her whole way of life, it is clear that she is saying, "Who among you is the most foolish? let him turn aside to me. She urges those lacking in understanding, saying, "Taste the hidden bread with delight, and the sweet theft of water." She calls this thief Aphrodite. From here, the Boeotian Pindar, benefiting, says, "Sweet care stolen from Cyprus." But the wretched man does not know that "those born of the earth perish by her; and at the crossroad of Hades he meets her." But jump away, he says, do not delay in that place," The Instructor says: "Do not even turn your eye toward her; for thus foreign water will pass, and he will cross over the Acheron." For this reason the Lord says through Isaiah: "Instead of the daughters of Zion walking with a proud neck, and with the gestures of their eyes, and dragging their robes along as they walk, and playing with their feet; God will humble the daughters of Zion, and will reveal their form," their shameful form. I do not even consider it proper for the servants of noble women to speak or act shamefully; rather, they should be disciplined by their mistresses. Certainly, the comic poet Philemon says very sharply: "It is proper for a free woman to be followed from behind by a beautiful servant, just as someone from Plataea follows her, watching closely." For the licentiousness of the servant turns back upon the mistress, allowing those who try lesser things to go unchecked, not respecting greater matters, by excusing the shameful acts, not condemning them while the mistress is present; and the clear proof of this opinion is that the mistress does not get angry at those who behave badly, showing that she is turning toward the same kind of behavior. "For just as the mistress," say the proverb-makers, 'such is the mistress, such is the dog'. " We must also avoid the madness of the walk; instead, we should choose what is dignified and calm, not the hesitant stepping. Nor should one sway in the streets, or lie on one's back, looking around at those they meet to see if they are looking at him, as if performing on a stage and being pointed at; nor should one be carried around by servants, pushed by the back of the neck; just as we see the more pampered ones, seeming to be strong but actually shattered by softness of spirit. A sign of a noble man should not be any softness that stands out on the face, nor in any other part of the body. Therefore, let not the disgrace of courage ever be found in movements or in posture. Nor indeed, like beasts of burden, should servants be used by the healthy man. For just as it is commanded to them, "to be subject to every fear of masters, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh," Peter says: in this way, equality, patience, and kindness are fitting toward masters. "For the end," he says, "all of one mind, sympathetic, loving brothers, tenderhearted, humble-minded," and the things above these, "so that you may inherit a good and acceptable blessing. The Kittian seems to sign as Zeno, a likeness of a young woman; and thus he sculpts her statue: "Let the face be clean; the brow not lowered, nor the eye wide open, nor squinting; the neck not bent backward, nor the limbs of the body relaxed; but the raised parts alike in strong tension, upright; sharpness toward reason, and holding fast to what is rightly said, and forms, and movements giving no hope to the unchaste, let shame grow again, and manliness; let her also be free from the perfumes of perfumers, and goldsmiths, and wool merchants, and from the other workshops, where also, adorned in a companionable way, as if sitting on a roof, they spend the day and night." Therefore, let not the men, spending time in barbershops and taverns, idle and gossiping with closed mouths; and looking at women who are showing their necks, let them stop at some point; yet many do not cease blaspheming and laughing. Indeed, the game of dice still hinders; and also the practice with knucklebones, which they love to use for greed. Such things, the wastefulness of luxury, bring trouble to them; for idleness is the cause. Some love vain things, those that are outside the truth; for there is no other way to gain amusement without harm. The choice of life is the imitation of each person's mind. But, as it seems, only the company with good men benefits; on the other hand, the fellowship with worthless people, as the all-wise Instructor through Moses clearly shows, is like a pigsty. The elder forbade the people to share with swine; showing that those who call on God should not mix with unclean people, who, like pigs, delight in bodily pleasures, fearful foods, and wanton tickling, enjoying a harmful pleasure toward Aphrodite. But not even "a kite, or a quick-eating weasel, or an eagle to eat," he says, "you do not approach," speaking to those who gain their life by robbery. And the other things are likewise allegorized. To whom then must one be related? To the righteous, he says again in allegory: for every "split and cracked," is clean." This is because the "split" shows justice as balance, chewing over its own food of justice, the Word, which enters from outside, according to the same food, through instruction, but is sent back up from inside, as if from the womb of the mind, into rational memory. The righteous chew the spiritual food, holding the Word in their mouth; and justice splits in two, fittingly sanctifying here as well, and sending forward into the coming age. Therefore, the Instructor will not lead us even to the spectacles; nor, without reason, the steps and the theaters, "a seat of plagues." Someone might say: "The counsel" For the plan here is also evil, just as it is against the righteous; therefore, the assembly that follows it is cursed. These gatherings are full of much mixing and lawlessness; and the reasons given for coming together are a cause of disorder, since men and women come together to see one another. Here already the council is acting arrogantly. For when the sight is lit by a lamp, desires grow warm; and the eyes, used to looking more boldly at those nearby, because they have time to do so, set fire to erotic desires. Since the spectators and the audiences are inexperienced, they are filled with much foolish talk and nonsense. For what shameful act is not displayed in theaters? What shameless words are not spoken by the comedians? But they, having enjoyed the wickedness within themselves, clearly wipe away the images at home. On the other hand, those who are not drawn to these things and are indifferent would never stumble over careless pleasures. For even if they say that the shows are taken in as a kind of play for amusement, I would not say that the cities where even playing is taken seriously are wise. For ambitions are no longer mere playthings, but ruthless enough to kill to such an extent. But neither are empty pursuits, nor foolish ambitions; and also vain expenditures of wealth; nor even the conflicts over these things are still mere play. But laziness must never be accepted as empty pursuit; for a mind that has understanding would never choose what is easier instead of what is better. But not all, he says, are lovers of wisdom. Surely then, not all of us live life? What do you say? How then did you believe? How then do you still love God and your neighbor, without philosophizing? How then do you love yourself, if you do not love life? He says, "I did not learn letters." But if you did not learn to read, it is unquestionable that you did not learn to listen, because it cannot be taught; faith, however, is not the possession of the wise in the world, but of those who are with God; and it is trained even without letters; and its writing, both private and divine, is called love, a spiritual composition. It is allowed to listen to divine wisdom, but also to live accordingly; and it is not forbidden to conduct oneself properly in the world according to God. And the one who sells or buys something should never say two prices for what he either buys or sells. By speaking simply and practicing truthfulness, if he does not have this, having the truth, he is rich in a right disposition. The oath is responsible for all that is sold; and the oath is also responsible for other matters. And in this way, the market sellers and shopkeepers philosophize: "For you will not take the name of the Lord in vain; for the Lord will not cleanse the one who takes his name in vain." But the Lord drove out from the court those who acted like this: the greedy, the liars, the hypocrites, and those who traded in truth and in the ancestral things, not wanting the house of God, the holy house, to be a place of unjust trade or of words or of possessions made from materials. At the church, the woman and the man must come, adorned modestly, with simple walking, embracing silence, having gained sincere love, pure in body, pure in heart, suitable to pray to God. Let the woman have this more: let everything be covered, except if she happens to be at home. For her appearance should be modest and not showy; and she will never fail, having placed shame and her veil before the eyes. She will not call another into the slip of sin by uncovering her face. For this is what the Word wants: since it is proper for her to pray with her head covered. They say that the wife of Aeneas showed great modesty, not even revealing herself when Troy was being captured; and yet, even while fleeing the burning, she remained covered. Such people ought to appear and be formed this way throughout their whole life—those who belong to Christ, as they shape themselves in the churches toward greater modesty, and to be, not just to seem to be, such people; so gentle, so reverent, so loving. But now, I do not know how, the places, the styles, and the ways change together; just as they say the octopuses resemble the stones they cling to, so they appear like those and even their color. At least, after putting aside the sacredness of the assembly and being freed from it, they resemble the many with whom they live; but they are more exposed, having put off the false show of reverence, as they truly are. And though they honor the word about God, they leave it behind inside, where they heard it; but outside, they run with the godless, filled with blows and love songs, flute music and noise, drunkenness, and all sorts of riffraff. Singing and answering each other in this way, those who once praised immortality now end badly, singing badly a ruinous song, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." But those who do not truly die tomorrow, but have already died to God, "burying " their own "dead," that is, throwing themselves into death. But the Apostle opposes them very strongly, saying, "Do not be deceived, neither adulterers, nor the effeminate, nor men who lie with men, nor thieves, nor greedy people, nor drunkards, nor slanderers," and all the other things like these, will not inherit the kingdom of God." But if we have also been called to the kingdom of God, let us live worthy of the kingdom, loving God and our neighbor. But love is not shown by a kiss, but is judged by goodwill. But those who show nothing except a kiss disgrace the churches, having no love within themselves. For indeed this too has filled with shameful suspicion and blasphemy, to use the kiss boldly, which ought to be secret: "Holy" The Apostle himself called it this; when we have tasted worthily of the kingdom, let us govern the goodwill of the soul through the mouth of a sensible and silent person, by which especially a gentle manner is served. There is also another impure kiss, full of poison, pretending to be holiness. Do you not know that even the phalanges, when touched only by the mouth, cause pain to people? Kisses often send forth the poison of licentiousness. It is clear to us, then, that a kiss is not love; "For love is of God." This is the love of God," John says, "that we may keep the commandments," not that we should kiss one another with the mouth; "And his commandments are not burdensome." But indeed, even the greetings of those who love along the roads, full of foolish boldness, clearly show that they want to be outside and do not share even the smallest part of grace; for if "in the treasury" one should pray secretly," it would be right before God to also follow "the neighbor," whom we are commanded to love second, just as we do God, and to think kindly in secret from within, "buying back the time; for we are the salt of the earth. Whoever blesses," he says, "A friend in the morning with a loud voice will seem no different from one who curses." It seems best to turn away from the sight of women above all else; for it is not only touching but also looking that leads to sin. One who is truly being taught must especially avoid these things. "Let your eyes look straight ahead; and let your eyelids look right," For it is not right to endure even having seen, but one must guard against falling. For it is possible to slip after seeing; but it is impossible to desire without seeing. For it is not only proper speech that the sensible must avoid, but also it must be carefully pursued to be free from blame, having shut out every cause of suspicion, for the sake of the summary of purity; so that we may not only be trustworthy but also appear trustworthy. And indeed this must also be carefully guarded, as the Apostle says, "Let no one find fault with us; for we are careful to do what is right, not only before the Lord but also before people." Turn away your eye from a woman who is adorned, and do not take in the beauty of another's appearance," Scripture says: And if you ask the reason, it will explain to you: "Many have been led astray by the beauty of a woman, and from this, friendship burns like fire," leading to an unceasing fire because of sin; the friendship that comes from fire, which they call love.

Chapter 12

A fundamental overview likewise of the best life; as many of the holy Scriptures describe the life of Christians.

I would also advise those who are married at home not to ever show favor to their servants by liking them more than their wives; for Aristotle never allowed servants to be greeted first. It is very important that the wife appears to be respectful toward them in appearance. It is better, starting at home from the marriage, to show dignity; for the greatest bond is that of self-control, breathing forth pure pleasure. Indeed, tragedy says this very wonderfully:

"Alas, alas," "women, as it is among humans indeed,"

"Not gold, not tyranny, not the luxury of wealth"

"Pleasures differed so much,"

"As much as a good man and a pious woman"

"A just opinion, and one thinking manly thoughts?"

These are the commands of justice, and having been declared even by those who practice worldly wisdom, they must not be rejected. Having recognized then the work of each one, "live the time of your stay here in fear, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable silver or gold from your empty way of life handed down from your ancestors, but with precious blood, as of a spotless and undefiled Lamb, Christ. Enough then of the time that has passed, Peter says, to carry out the will of the nations, who walk in debauchery, lusts, drunkenness, wild parties, drinking bouts, and unlawful idolatries." We have a limit, the cross of the Lord, by which we are crucified and surrounded from former sins; therefore, having been born again, let us hold fast to the truth, and let us sober up, and be sanctified; for "the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." And who will harm us, if we become zealous for what is good?" The best way of life is good order, being complete in decency, and a strong, steady power, with what follows laid out in good work, giving back well to one another, unmatched in virtue. If these things were even spoken more harshly, managing the salvation of correction, the Instructor says to me having been told: since "the one who reproves, with boldness, makes peace;" But you, if you listen to me, you will be saved; but if you do not pay attention to what has been said, I do not care; yet it still matters this way: "for repentance of the sinner is chosen more than death. But if you listen to me, you will eat the good things of the earth," The Instructor again says: "good things of the earth " Calling human things good, beauty, wealth, health, strength, and food; for these are truly good, "things which neither ear has heard, nor have ever entered into the heart," about the truly existing king, the truly existing, good existing, and awaiting us; for he is both giver and guardian of good things; but by way of participation in those, the things here share the same name. With the Instructor being God the Word, [he leads] human weakness from the sensible to understanding. Therefore, whatever must be carefully guarded at home, and how life must be set right, the Instructor clearly explains to us; and those things which it is also good for children to practice on the way, until he leads them to the teacher, these are given to us in summary form through the Scriptures, presenting the commands plainly, fitting them to the time of guidance, while leaving their explanations to the teacher. For the law itself wishes to remove fear, freeing the willing toward faith. Listen, he says, child, well taught, to the principles of salvation; for I will lay bare my own character, and I will give you these good commands, through which you will arrive at salvation; I will lead you on the saving way, away from the paths of error: "For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish". ." Follow then, child, the good way, which I will explain to you, promising me your listening ears; "and I will give you dark, hidden, unseen treasures." To the nations, but to us visible; treasures of wisdom, unfailing; which the Apostle marveling at, says, "Oh, the depth, he says, of the riches and wisdom." Treasures, then, are given by one God in many ways; some through the law, others through the prophets revealed; others through the divine mouth; another singing with the sevenfold Spirit; one Lord, through all these the same is the Instructor. There is then from this source a fundamental instruction and a practical exhortation, containing everything: "Just as you want people to do to you, do also to them." It is also possible to include the commandments in two: as the Lord says, "You shall love the God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength; and your neighbor as yourself." Then from these he adds: "On these hang all the law and the prophets." Yes, indeed, also to the one asking, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" "You know the commandments," he answered; but to the one who pressed further, "Do this," he says, "and you will be saved." But indeed, it is necessary to set forth the loving kindness of the Instructor in a more detailed way through the various and saving commandments, so that we may have a more ready discovery of abundant salvation and the arrangement of the Scriptures. We have the Decalogue given through Moses, a saving address describing sins with a simple and unique symbolic element, saying: "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not worship idols; You shall not kill children; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; Honor your father and your mother;" and the things that follow these. These must be carefully observed by us, along with whatever else is commanded in the readings of the Books. And he also commands through Isaiah: "Wash yourselves, and become clean; remove the evil from your souls before my eyes; learn to do good; seek justice; rescue the one being wronged; judge the orphan, and defend the widow; and come, and let us reason together," says the Lord." We would find many instructions also among the others; for example, take this concerning prayer, "The good works," he says, "A prayer acceptable to the Lord," the Scripture says. And the manner of prayer is prescribed: "If you see," he says, "Naked, clothe yourself, and do not be proud because of your own offspring; then your light will break out early, and your healing will quickly rise, and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of God will surround you." What then is the fruit of this prayer? "Then you will cry out, and God will listen to you; while you are still speaking, he will say, 'Here I am.'." About fasting, "Why do you fast to me, he says?" The Lord says, "This is not the fast I have chosen, a day for a person to humble their soul? Nor would you bow your neck like a ring, nor put on sackcloth and ashes; you would not call this an acceptable fast." What then does the fast mean? "Behold, this," He says, "The fast that I have chosen," says the Lord: "Break every chain of injustice; undo the ropes of violent deals; set free the broken in forgiveness, and tear apart every unjust contract. Break your bread for the hungry; and bring the poor and homeless into your house; if you see someone naked, clothe them." Yes, indeed, also concerning the sacrifices: "What do I care for the many sacrifices you offer me? says the Lord: I am full of burnt offerings and rams; and the fat of lambs, and the blood of bulls and goats, I do not desire; nor would I accept you coming to appear before me. For who asked these things from your hands? You will not tread my courtyard; you will not add to it. If you bring fine flour, incense is a worthless abomination to me. I do not tolerate your new moons and your Sabbaths." How then shall I offer a sacrifice to the Lord? "A sacrifice," he says, "to the Lord is a broken spirit." How then shall I anoint with oil, or with myrrh, or offer incense to the Lord? "A fragrance," he says, "a heart that glorifies the one who made it is a pleasing aroma to God." These are the crown, and sacrifices, and perfumes, and flowers of God. Still concerning forbearance, "If he sins," he says, "If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. If he sins against you seven times in one day, and seven times turns back to you, saying, "I repent," forgive him;" And to the soldiers, through John, he commands, "it is enough to be content with only your pay;" But to the tax collectors, "do not collect anything more than what is appointed;" But to the judge, "You shall not accept," he says, "You shall not show partiality in judgment; for gifts blind the eyes of those who see, and they pervert just words, to save the wronged." But also to the stewards: "Acquisition pursued with lawlessness becomes less." Yes, indeed, also about love, "Love," he says, "love covers a multitude of sins." And about citizenship, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." About oaths and revenge: "Did I not command your ancestors, who came out of the land of Egypt, to bring me burnt offerings and sacrifices? But this is what I commanded them: Each of you must not hold a grudge against your neighbor in your heart; do not love a false oath." But he also threatens liars and the blind; to them in this way: "Woe to those who say that what is sweet is bitter, and what is bitter is sweet;" but to these: "Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and clever before themselves; for the one who humbles himself will be exalted, and the one who exalts himself will be humbled." And "those who are merciful" blesses, "because they will be shown mercy;" But Wisdom is troubled with anger, because then "she will destroy even the wise." Already she commands to love enemies, and to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who mistreat us. "To the one who strikes you," he says, "to the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and if someone takes your coat, do not stop him from taking your cloak as well." About faith he says: "All things whatever you ask for in prayer, believing, you will receive," he says. "Faithful is he to the unbelievers for nothing," according to Pindar. And one must be kind to servants, as to themselves; for they are human, like us. For God is equal to all, both to the free and to the slaves, if you consider carefully. But one must not punish brothers who do wrong; rather, one should reprimand them: "For the one who is sparing," he says, "hates his own son with his own staff." He also drives away ambition: "Woe to you, Pharisees," saying, "because you love the place of honor in the synagogues, and the greetings in the marketplaces;" But he welcomes the repentance of the sinner, loving the repentance that follows sins; for only the Word himself is without sin. For sinning is natural and common to all; but to return after sinning is not something that just any man does, but only one worthy. About sharing, "Come," He said, "Come, all you who are blessed by me; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me." And when did we do any of these things to the Lord? The Instructor himself will say again, kindly turning the good deed done to the brothers toward himself, and saying: "As much as you did it to these little ones, you did it to me. And such people will go away into eternal life." Such are the rational laws, the encouraging words not written on stone tablets with a finger of the Lord, but inscribed in the hearts of people, which alone do not admit decay. For this reason, the tablets of the hard-hearted were broken, so that the faith of infants might be imprinted on gentle minds. Both laws served the Word as a guide for humanity, the one through Moses, the other through the apostles. What kind of guidance the apostles also gave, it seems necessary to me to discuss concerning its nature; but remembering myself, the Guide says, that he will again set down the instructions in a seed-like way: "Having put away falsehood, each one of you speak truth with his neighbor, because we are members of one another." Let not the sun go down on your anger, nor give place to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal; rather, let him work hard at doing what is good, so that he may have something to share with the one in need. Let all bitterness, and anger, and wrath, and shouting, and slander be removed from you along with all evil. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, just as God also in Christ forgave you. Therefore, be wise and imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you. Let the wives be subject to their own husbands, as to the Lord; but let the husbands love their wives, just as Christ also loved the Church." Therefore, let those joined together love one another, "as their own bodies." Children, obey your parents. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but raise them with discipline and instruction from the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with sincerity of heart, as to Christ, serving wholeheartedly with goodwill. And masters, do good to your slaves, forgiving the threats; knowing that both theirs and yours is the Lord in heaven, and there is no favoritism."—"If we live by the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. Let us not become vain-glorious, provoking one another, envying one another; but bear one another's burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ. Do not be deceived; God is not mocked. Let us do good and not grow weary; for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brothers: warn the disorderly, comfort the fainthearted, support the weak, be patient with everyone. See that no one repays evil for evil to anyone. Do not quench the Spirit; do not despise prophecies. Test everything; hold on to what is good; keep away from every kind of evil. Be devoted to prayer, staying alert in it, with thankfulness. Walk wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer each person properly. Be respectful of the words of faith. Train yourself to be godly; for physical exercise is of little benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. Let those who have believing masters not treat them with contempt, because they are brothers; rather, let them serve them even more, because they are faithful. Let the one who gives share generously; the one who leads do so eagerly; the one who shows mercy do so cheerfully. Let love be without hypocrisy. Hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lazy in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and be persistent in prayer. Pursue hospitality, and share with the needs of the saints." These few things are taken from many, as an example, going through the divine Scriptures. The Instructor sets them before his own children, by which, so to speak, evil is completely cut off, and injustice is outlined. Countless instructions, addressed to chosen individuals, are written in the holy books: some to elders, some to bishops, some to deacons, others to widows—about which another time might be suitable to speak. Many are also given in riddles, and many in parables, so that those who hear may be helped. But it is no longer my place, says the Instructor, to teach these things; we need a teacher to explain those holy words, to whom we must follow. And indeed, it is time for me to stop the instruction, and for you to listen to the teacher. But when this one takes you up, under good guidance, he will teach the words thoroughly. If the Church is good, and the bridegroom, the only teacher, is the good will of the good Father, genuine wisdom, the sanctification of knowledge; "and he himself is the atonement for our sins," as John says, who heals both our body and soul, the same man, Jesus; "Not only for our sins, but also for the whole world. And in this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. The one who says, "I have come to know him," but does not keep his commandments, is a liar, and in this there is no truth. But whoever keeps his word, truly in this the love of God is perfected. In this we know that we are in him. The one who says that he remains in him must walk just as he walked." O blessed nurture of discipline! Let us fill the face of the Church with good, and as infants let us run to the good mother; and even if we become hearers of the Word, let us praise the blessed arrangement, through which man is led as a child, is made holy as a child of God; and he lives in the heavens, being led from the earth, and there he receives a father, whom he learns on earth. The Word does everything: he makes, he teaches, and he leads as a guide. A horse is led by a bridle, and a bull is led by a yoke, a wild beast is caught by a noose; but man is transformed by the Word, by whom wild beasts are tamed, fish are lured, and birds are drawn in. This one truly makes a bridle for the horse, a yoke for the bull, a noose for the wild beast, a reed for the fish, a trap for the bird; this one lives in society and farms, rules and serves, and creates all things.

On the one hand he fashioned the earth, on the other the sky, and on the other the sea,

And he arranged all the stars, with the sky crowned by them.

O divine craftsman! O divine commander! "Let this water move within itself; let this fire hold its anger; let this air wander into the ether; let the earth be solid and bear weight. When I want to shape a human being, and I desire matter, I have the elements; I bring them together with the creature. If you recognize me, the fire will serve you." Such is the Word; this is the Guide, the creator of the world and of humanity, and through them already the guide of the world; by whose command we both stand together, awaiting judgment; for the audible word does not deceive mortals; the word will be wisdom, as Bacchylides says. "But the blameless, pure, and faultless children of God," according to Paul, "appear in the world as lights in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation." Therefore, since the celebration is about such a Word, let us pray to the Word. "Be merciful to your children, Guide, Father, charioteer of Israel, Son and Father, both in one, Lord. Grant us, who follow your commands, to fill the likeness of the image, and to perceive by the power of the good God, and the judge who is not harsh; and grant all things yourself in peace to those who live by your law, who have been transferred to your city, having sailed through the storm of sin without disturbance, to benefit from the holy Spirit in calmness; with ineffable wisdom, night and day, giving thanks and praising to the perfect day, praising and giving thanks to the only Father and Son, Son and Father, Guide and Instructor Son, together with the holy Spirit; all to the one; in whom are all things; through whom all things are one; through whom is the eternal; all members are one; to whom be glory, forever; all to the good, all to the beautiful, all to the wise; all to the just; to whom is glory now, and forever and ever. Amen." And when the Guide established us in the Church, he entrusted us to himself, to the teaching and all-seeing Word; it would be fitting for us who are here to offer a worthy reward of thanksgiving, a just and fitting praise of a humble guide to the Lord.

Hymn of the Savior Christ by Saint Clement.

The mouth of unlearned foals,

The wing of wandering birds,

The rudder of innocent infants,

Shepherd of royal lambs.

You will take away your own.

I gather the children,

To praise in holiness,

To sing praises sincerely

With innocent mouths

Christ, the leader of children.

King of the saints,

Word, all-devouring,

of the Most High Father,

Ruler of wisdom,

Support of labors

Giver of eternal joy,

Of the mortal race

Savior Jesus,

Shepherd, plowman

Helm, rudder,

Heavenly wing

Of the all-holy flock;

Fisher of souls

Of those being saved,

Of the sea of evil

A pure fish

Of the hostile waves

Luring with sweet life;

Leader of sheep

Shepherd of rational beings.

Holy one, lead,

King, protector of children.

Footsteps of Christ,

Heavenly way,

Eternal Word,

Unfailing age,

Everlasting light,

Source of mercy,

Ruler of virtue;

A solemn life

Christ Jesus, praised by those who honor God,

Heavenly milk

Sweet breasts

Bride of graces,

Born from your wisdom,

The infants

With gentle mouths

Being nurtured,

Of the rational breast

With a fresh spirit

Being filled,

You take away praises,

You bring forth true hymns,

To King Christ,

holy rewards

teachings of life,

Let us sing together,

Let us sing simply,

A strong child.

Chorus of peace

The Christ-bearers,

A sensible people,

Let us sing together to the God of peace.

To the Tutor.

To you, Instructor, I also offer this.

Weaving a crown of pure words.

Of the meadow, from which you gave us the pastures,

Like a bee working, away from the fields,

Gathering shoots, useful from gentle labors,

It gives wax, sweet to the one in charge.

Even if I am a short servant of yours;

(For it is necessary for you to bless your own with divine decrees;)

King of mortals, greatest giver of good things,

Giver of good things, and creator of all, Father,

Who alone created both the heaven and the sky

You have established the world, arranging it by divine reason;

You yourself showed both the day and the light,

And the stars that revolve around the pole, their unerring course.

But if the earth and the sea depend on their place,

Binding the seasons and the times accurately in a circle,

Spring and winter and summer again,

And the order of the late autumn arranged;

Having made the whole world out of disorder,

Having formed the whole from formless matter,

He himself always lives your life securely,

And grant me your grace securely,

To do and to speak your divine scriptures,

To always praise you and the all-wise one from you

Who is with you and present to you, the Word.

Do not give me poverty, nor indeed wealth;

But give me the rank that is most self-sufficient and fitting,

Father, grant also a good end to life.