Opuscula 4.1–4.4
Greek text: PG 65 (Greek text: Migne, Patrologia Graeca vol. 65 (1864), OCR of the Bavarian State Library copy).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 4
4.1PG 65:1009
Ἐρώτησις. Πῶς ἡ Γραφὴ λέγει ἐπουράνιον εἶναι τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, σὺ δὲ εἴρηκας ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτὴν εἶναι Απόκρισις. Οὐ μόνον τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἀγαθὰ, ὅσα μέλλουσιν ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει λαμβάνειν οἱ δίκαιοι, οἴδαμεν ὅτι ἄνω εἰσί. Τούτων δὲ οἱ ἀῤῥαβῶνες καὶ ἀπαρχαὶ, ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις τῶν βεβαιοπίστων ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν πνευματικῶς ἐνεργοῦσιν· ὅπως πληροφορηθέντες περὶ τῶν μελλόντων, τῶν παρόντων ἁπάντων καταφρονήσωμεν, καὶ ἕως θανάτου τὸν Θεὸν ἀγαπήσωμεν. Διὰ τοῦτο, Προσελθεῖν ἔχετε, οὐκ εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ, Προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει, καὶ πόλει Θεοῦ ζῶντος Ἱερουσαλήμ ἐπουρανίῳ. Δεκτικοὶ γὰρ τούτων ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος γεγόναμεν · τυχεῖν δὲ αὐτῶν μόνοι καταξιοῦνται οἱ βεβαιόπιστοι, οἱ διὰ τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀγάπην καθ' ἡμέραν ἀποθνήσκοντες, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι πᾶσαν ἔννοιαν τῆς ἐνταῦθα ζωῆς ὑπερβαίνοντες, καὶ μηδὲν ἕτερον ἐννοοῦντες ἢ μόνον, πότε καταντήσωσιν εἰς τελείαν ἀγάπην τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἐνδότερον ἄνοιγμα τῆς καρδίας, ὅπου πρόδρομος εἰσῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς. Τοῦτο ζητῶν παρὰ τὰς ἀρχὰς ὁ ἅγιος Παῦλος ἔλεγε· Διώκω δὲ εἰ καὶ καταλάβω, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ καὶ κατελήφθην (τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, ἵνα ἀγαπήσω, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ καὶ ἠγαπήθην) ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ. Μετὰ δὲ τὸ καταλαβεῖν ταύτην τὴν ἀγάπην, οὐκέτι ἕτερόν τι ἐννοεῖν κατεδέχετο, οὐ τὰ θλιβερὰ τούτου τοῦ σώματος, οὔτε τὰ θαύματα τῆς κτίσεως, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν σχεδὸν ἔννοιαν παρῃτεῖτο, μηδὲ πρὸς ὥραν τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνεργείας ἀποστερηθῆναι καταδεχόμενος. Ἐφανεροποίησε δὲ ὅσα διὰ τὴν πνευματικὴν ἀγάπην παρῃτεῖτο, καί φησι· Τίς ἡμᾶς χωρίσει ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Χριστοῦ; θλίψις, ἢ στενοχωρία, ἢ διωγμός, ἢ λιμός, ἢ γυμνότης, ἢ κίνδυνος, ἢ μάχαιρα; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ πάλιν· Πέπεισμαι, φησὶν, ὅτι οὔτε θάνατος, οὔτε ζωὴ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ πάλιν· Οὔτε τις κτίσις ἑτέρα δυνήσεται ἡμᾶς χωρίσαι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ, τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ ἡμῶν, καθότι οὐδὲν τοῦτο ἐννοεῖν ἡνείχετο, ἢ μόνον ἐκεῖ παραμένειν. Ερώτησις Πῶς πρὸ βραχέος εἴρηκας, ὅτι τελείως ἐνοικεῖ ἐν ἡμῖν τὸ Πνεῦμα; ᾿Απόκρισις. ᾿Απαρχὴν εἶπον, οὐ μέρος τι τοῦ παντὸς, οὐδὲ ὡς τομήν τινα τοῦ Πνεύματος εἰσάγων [οὔτε γὰρ τέμνεται, οὔτε ἀλλοιοῦται], ἀλλὰ τὸ ἡμῶν χωρητικὸν ἐμφαίνων, μὴ δυνάμενον χωρῆσαι πᾶσαν τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐνέργειαν, εἰ μὴ διὰ τῆς τελείας ἐντολῆς, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι διὰ θανάτου. Εἴπερ καὶ ὁ ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας Χριστοῦ θάνατος ἐντολὴ Θεοῦ ἐστιν. "Ωσπερ οὖν ὁ ἥλιος ὧν τέλειος, τελείαν καὶ ἁπλῆν καὶ ἴσην ἅπασι τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χάριν ἐπιβάλλει, λοιπὸν δὲ ἕκαστος καθόσον ἔχει τὸ ὄμμα κεκαθαρμένον, κατ᾿ αὐτὸν καὶ εἰσδέχεται φῶς · οὕτω καὶ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, πασῶν μὲν ἐνεργειῶν καὶ δωρεῶν τοὺς πιστεύοντας αὐτῷ δεκτικοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ἐποίησε. Λοιπὸν δὲ οὐ πᾶσιν ὁμοτίμως τὰς δωρεὰς ἐνεργεῖν, ἀλλ᾿ ἑκάστῳ πρὸς ἀξίαν, κατὰ ἀναλογίαν τῆς ἐργασίας τῶν ἐντολῶν, ὅσον μαρτυρῆσαι τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς ἔργοις, καὶ φανεροποιῆσαι τὸ μέτρον τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως. Διὸ, φησὶν, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς καρδίας ἡμῶν, κράζον· Ἀββᾶ, ὁ Πατήρ· καὶ, Αὐτὸ τὸ Πνεῦμα συμμαρτυρεῖ τῷ πνεύματι ἡμῶν, ὅτι ἐσμὲν τέκνα Θεοῦ. Ὅτι δὲ οὐδεὶς ἑαυτῷ ἐκκόπτει τὴν τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ ἁμαρτίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ὁ Χριστὸς μόνος κατὰ ἀναλογίαν τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν πίστεως, ἄκουε τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου λέγοντος, ὅτι Χριστὸς ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἡμῶν κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς· καὶ πάλιν· Συνίστησι δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἀγάπην εἰς ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι ἔτι ἁμαρτωλῶν ἡμῶν ὄντων, Χριστὸς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀπέθανε· καὶ, Συνετάφημεν αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ἵνα, ὥσπερ ἠγέρθη Χριστὸς ἐκ νεκρῶν, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐν καινότητι ζωῆς περιπατήσωμεν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· καὶ, ὅτι Ὁ ἀποθανὼν δεδικαίωται ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· καὶ, ὅτι Χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι διὰ τῆς πίστεως, καὶ οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων, ἵνα μή τις καυχήσηται· καὶ πάλιν· Ἧτε γάρ ποτε σκότος, νῦν δὲ φῶς ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ως τέκνα φωτὸς περιπατεῖτε· καὶ πάλιν Ἡμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐσμὲν παιδίσκης τέκνα, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐλευθέρας. Τῇ ἐλευθερίᾳ οὖν, ᾗ Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἠλευθέρωσε στήκετε· καὶ πάλιν· Ὡς ἐλεύθεροι, καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐπικάλυμμα ἔχοντες τῆς κακίας τὴν ἐλευθερίαν. Βλέπεις πῶς δι' ὧν σὺ λέγεις ἀγῶνα ἐκκόπτειν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ταῦτα καινότητος, καὶ ἐλευθερίας, καὶ φωτὸς ἔργα λέγει ἡ Γραφή; Φανεροῖ δὲ καὶ αὐτεξουσίου παρατροπὰς, ἃς σὺ λέγεις εἶναι τὴν τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ ἁμαρτίαν. Τὸ γὰρ, ῾Ὡς ἐπικάλυμμα τῆς κακίας ἔχειν τὴν ἐλευθερίαν· καὶ, Λυπεῖν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· καὶ, Ποιεῖν τὸ θέλημα τῆς σαρκὸς καὶ τῶν διανοιῶν· καὶ τὸ, Ἐναρξαμένους πνεύματι, νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθαι· καὶ, ὅτι ᾿Οφειλέται ·ἐσμὲν, οὐ τῇ σαρκὶ, τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα ζῇν, ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα εἰδυῖα ἡ Γραφή, ὅτι ποιεῖν αὐτὰ ἢ μὴ ποιεῖν ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἐστι, διὰ τοῦτο οὐχὶ Σατανᾶν, οὐδὲ τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ ἁμαρτίαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡμᾶς μέμφεται. Εἰ δὲ βούλει νουνεχῶς ἀκοῦσαι, εἴπω σοι τῶν πάντων κεφαλαιωδέστερον. Σὺ τοὺς λογισμούς μετασχηματικοὺς λέγεις εἶναι τὴν τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ ἁμαρτίαν· καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος φανερῶς καὶ ἀριδήλως περὶ τῆς κακονοίας ταύτης, ὡς αἰτίοις ἡμῖν ἐγκαλεῖ, λέγων· Μὴ σχηματίζεσθε τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ μεταμορφοῦσθε τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοὸς ὑμῶν. Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα οὐκ ἔστι τοῦ ἡμετέρου θελήματος, ἀλλὰ τῆς τοῦ Σατανᾶ τυραννίδος, καὶ ἐγκατάλειμμα τῆς τοῦ ᾿Αδὰμ ἁμαρτίας, διὰ τί ἡμεῖς ὑπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ἐγκαλούμεθα, οἱ ἀκουσίως ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐνεργούμενοι, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ τυραννούμενοι; "Ἆρα καὶ ἀναιτίως μέλλομεν κολάζεσθαι; Ἢ τάχα καὶ ἄδικος ὁ Θεὸς, τὰ ὑπὲρ φύσιν προστάξας, καὶ παρὰ φύσιν ζητῶν ἡμῖν τὰ ὑπὲρ δύναμιν; ᾿Αλλ' οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο· μὴ γένοιτο! Ἑπεὶ ἐγώ σε ἐρωτήσω, καὶ δός μοι ἀπόκρισιν. Ὅσην ἔχει ἡ φύσις ἡμῶν εὐσεβείας δύναμιν, ταύτην καθ' ἡμέραν κεχρεωστήκαμεν τῷ Θεῷ προσφέρειν ἢ οὔ; Πάντως ἐρεῖς μοι, ὅτι Ναὶ, ἐπειδὴ ὁ Θεὸς τοῦτο φύσει κεχάρισται, καὶ κατὰ δύναμιν τὰς ἐντολὰς ἔθετο. Οὐκοῦν εἰ ·· σήμερον αὐτῷ προσφέρομεν ἀγαθὸν, σημερινόν ἐστι χρέος, δεῖξόν μοι λοιπὸν τῆς παλαιᾶς ἁμαρτίας ἀνταπόδομα, ἤτοι τῆς σῆς, ἤτοι τῆς ᾿Αδάμ. Ἐγὼ δέ σοι λέγω, ὅτι οὐ μόνον τοῦτο οὐκ ἔχεις δεῖξαι, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τὸ καθ᾽ ἡμέραν ἀνελλιπῶς ἀποδοῦναι. Καὶ πόθεν δῆλον τοῦτο; Ἐκ τοῦ μὴ πάντοτε ἐν ταῖς αὐταῖς ἀρεταῖς εὑρίσκεσθαι. Ὅσον γὰρ ἂν σήμερον προσθείης τῇ ἀρετῇ, τοσοῦτον ἠλέγχθης χρεώστης εἶναι τῆς παρελθούσης, φανεροποιήσας τὴν τῆς φύσεως δύναμιν. Ἐδείχθη γὰρ διὰ τῆς σήμερον προσθήκης, ὅτι οὐ φύσεως, ἀλλὰ θελήματος πρόσθεσίς ἐστιν ἡ ἔλλειψις, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀναιρούμεθα. Ερώτησις. Δεδόσθω ταῦτα οὕτω ἔχειν· ὅμως ἓν οἶδα, ὅτι, εἰ μὴ ὁ ᾿Ἀδὰμ παρέβη, ἐγὼ τῆς τοῦ κακοῦ προσβολῆς πεῖραν οὐκ ἐλάμβανον. Απόκρισις. Οὐδὲ τοῦτο ὀρθῶς εἴρηκας· τὸ γὰρ τῆς τοῦ κακοῦ προσβολῆς ἄπειρον εἶναι, ἀτρέπτου φύσεώς ἐστιν, οὐχὶ δὲ τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης· ἡμεῖς γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἀδὰμ μιᾶς φύσεώς ἐσμεν. Ἔδει κἀκεῖνον καθ' ἡμᾶς εἶναι, καὶ ἡμᾶς κατ᾿ ἐκεῖνον. Οὐκοῦν πειθέτω σε αὐτὸς ἐκεῖνος ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος, ὅτι οὔτε ἄτρεπτος ἦν, οὔτε μονομερῶς κακότρεπτος, καὶ οὐκ ἀνάγκῃ φύσεως παρέβη τὴν ἐντολὴν, ἀλλ᾽ εὐδοκίᾳ θελήματος. Ωσπερ ἐκεῖνος δεκτικὸς μὲν ἦν τῆς τοῦ Σατανᾶ προσβολῆς ὑπακοῦσαι, εἶχε δὲ τὴν ἐξουσίαν, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς.
Erōtēsis. Pōs hē Graphē legei epouranion einai tēn Hierousalēm, sy de eirēkas en tę̄ kardią autēn einai Apokrisis. Ou monon tēn Hierousalēm, alla kai ta loipa agatha, hosa mellousin en tę̄ anastasei lambanein hoi dikaioi, oidamen hoti anō eisi. Toutōn de hoi arrhabōnes kai aparchai, en tais kardiais tōn bebaiopistōn apo tou nyn pneumatikōs energousin; hopōs plērophorēthentes peri tōn mellontōn, tōn parontōn hapantōn kataphronēsōmen, kai heōs thanatou ton Theon agapēsōmen. Dia touto, Proselthein echete, ouk eipen, alla, Proselēlythate Siōn orei, kai polei Theou zōntos Hierousalēm epouraniǭ. Dektikoi gar toutōn apo tou baptismatos gegonamen ; tychein de autōn monoi kataxiountai hoi bebaiopistoi, hoi dia tēn tou Christou agapēn kath' hēmeran apothnēskontes, tout᾽ esti pasan ennoian tēs entautha zōēs hyperbainontes, kai mēden heteron ennoountes ē monon, pote katantēsōsin eis teleian agapēn tou Christou, hētis estin endoteron anoigma tēs kardias, hopou prodromos eisēlthen Iēsous. Touto zētōn para tas archas ho hagios Paulos elege; Diōkō de ei kai katalabō, eph᾽ hǭ kai katelēphthēn (tout᾽ estin, hina agapēsō, eph᾽ hǭ kai ēgapēthēn) hypo Christou. Meta de to katalabein tautēn tēn agapēn, ouketi heteron ti ennoein katedecheto, ou ta thlibera toutou tou sōmatos, oute ta thaumata tēs ktiseōs, alla pasan schedon ennoian parę̄teito, mēde pros hōran tēs tou Pneumatos energeias aposterēthēnai katadechomenos. Ephaneropoiēse de hosa dia tēn pneumatikēn agapēn parę̄teito, kai phēsi; Tis hēmas chōrisei apo tēs agapēs tou Christou? thlipsis, ē stenochōria, ē diōgmos, ē limos, ē gymnotēs, ē kindynos, ē machaira? kai ta hexēs; kai palin; Pepeismai, phēsin, hoti oute thanatos, oute zōē, kai ta hexēs; kai palin; Oute tis ktisis hetera dynēsetai hēmas chōrisai apo tēs agapēs tou Theou, tēs en Christǭ Iēsou tǭ Kyriǭ hēmōn, kathoti ouden touto ennoein hēneicheto, ē monon ekei paramenein. Erōtēsis Pōs pro bracheos eirēkas, hoti teleiōs enoikei en hēmin to Pneuma? ᾿Apokrisis. ᾿Aparchēn eipon, ou meros ti tou pantos, oude hōs tomēn tina tou Pneumatos eisagōn [oute gar temnetai, oute alloioutai], alla to hēmōn chōrētikon emphainōn, mē dynamenon chōrēsai pasan tēn tou Pneumatos energeian, ei mē dia tēs teleias entolēs, tout᾽ esti dia thanatou. Eiper kai ho hyper alētheias Christou thanatos entolē Theou estin. "Ōsper oun ho hēlios hōn teleios, teleian kai haplēn kai isēn hapasi tēn heautou charin epiballei, loipon de hekastos kathoson echei to omma kekatharmenon, kat᾿ auton kai eisdechetai phōs ; houtō kai to hagion Pneuma, pasōn men energeiōn kai dōreōn tous pisteuontas autǭ dektikous apo tou baptismatos epoiēse. Loipon de ou pasin homotimōs tas dōreas energein, all᾿ hekastǭ pros axian, kata analogian tēs ergasias tōn entolōn, hoson martyrēsai tois agathois ergois, kai phaneropoiēsai to metron tēs eis Christon pisteōs. Dio, phēsin, exapesteilen ho Theos to Pneuma tou Huiou autou eis tas kardias hēmōn, krazon; Abba, ho Patēr; kai, Auto to Pneuma symmartyrei tǭ pneumati hēmōn, hoti esmen tekna Theou. Hoti de oudeis heautǭ ekkoptei tēn tou ᾿Adam hamartian, all᾽ ho Christos monos kata analogian tēs eis auton pisteōs, akoue tou ᾿Apostolou legontos, hoti Christos apethanen hyper tōn hamartiōn hēmōn kata tas Graphas; kai palin; Synistēsi de tēn heautou agapēn eis hēmas ho Theos, hoti eti hamartōlōn hēmōn ontōn, Christos hyper hēmōn apethane; kai, Synetaphēmen autǭ dia tou baptismatos, hina, hōsper ēgerthē Christos ek nekrōn, houtō kai hēmeis en kainotēti zōēs peripatēsōmen, kai ta hexēs; kai, hoti Ho apothanōn dedikaiōtai hypo tēs hamartias; kai, hoti Chariti este sesōsmenoi dia tēs pisteōs, kai ouk ex ergōn, hina mē tis kauchēsētai; kai palin; Hēte gar pote skotos, nyn de phōs en Kyriǭ. Ōs tekna phōtos peripateite; kai palin Hēmeis de ouk esmen paidiskēs tekna, alla tēs eleutheras. Tę̄ eleutherią oun, hę̄ Christos hēmas ēleutherōse stēkete; kai palin; Hōs eleutheroi, kai mē hōs epikalymma echontes tēs kakias tēn eleutherian. Blepeis pōs di' hōn sy legeis agōna ekkoptein tēn hamartian, tauta kainotētos, kai eleutherias, kai phōtos erga legei hē Graphē? Phaneroi de kai autexousiou paratropas, has sy legeis einai tēn tou ᾿Adam hamartian. To gar, ῾Hōs epikalymma tēs kakias echein tēn eleutherian; kai, Lypein to Pneuma to hagion; kai, Poiein to thelēma tēs sarkos kai tōn dianoiōn; kai to, Enarxamenous pneumati, nyn sarki epiteleisthai; kai, hoti ᾿Opheiletai ;esmen, ou tę̄ sarki, tou kata sarka zę̄n, tauta kai toiauta eiduia hē Graphē, hoti poiein auta ē mē poiein eph' hēmin esti, dia touto ouchi Satanan, oude tou ᾿Adam hamartian, all᾽ hēmas memphetai. Ei de boulei nounechōs akousai, eipō soi tōn pantōn kephalaiōdesteron. Sy tous logismous metaschēmatikous legeis einai tēn tou ᾿Adam hamartian; kai idou ho makarios Paulos phanerōs kai aridēlōs peri tēs kakonoias tautēs, hōs aitiois hēmin enkalei, legōn; Mē schēmatizesthe tǭ aiōni toutǭ, alla metamorphousthe tę̄ anakainōsei tou noos hymōn. Ei de tauta ouk esti tou hēmeterou thelēmatos, alla tēs tou Satana tyrannidos, kai enkataleimma tēs tou ᾿Adam hamartias, dia ti hēmeis hypo tēs Graphēs enkaloumetha, hoi akousiōs hypo tēs hamartias energoumenoi, kai hypo tou Satana tyrannoumenoi? "Ara kai anaitiōs mellomen kolazesthai? Ē tacha kai adikos ho Theos, ta hyper physin prostaxas, kai para physin zētōn hēmin ta hyper dynamin? ᾿All' ouk esti touto; mē genoito! Hepei egō se erōtēsō, kai dos moi apokrisin. Hosēn echei hē physis hēmōn eusebeias dynamin, tautēn kath' hēmeran kechreōstēkamen tǭ Theǭ prospherein ē ou? Pantōs ereis moi, hoti Nai, epeidē ho Theos touto physei kecharistai, kai kata dynamin tas entolas etheto. Oukoun ei ;; sēmeron autǭ prospheromen agathon, sēmerinon esti chreos, deixon moi loipon tēs palaias hamartias antapodoma, ētoi tēs sēs, ētoi tēs ᾿Adam. Egō de soi legō, hoti ou monon touto ouk echeis deixai, all᾽ oude to kath᾽ hēmeran anellipōs apodounai. Kai pothen dēlon touto? Ek tou mē pantote en tais autais aretais heuriskesthai. Hoson gar an sēmeron prostheiēs tę̄ aretę̄, tosouton ēlenchthēs chreōstēs einai tēs parelthousēs, phaneropoiēsas tēn tēs physeōs dynamin. Edeichthē gar dia tēs sēmeron prosthēkēs, hoti ou physeōs, alla thelēmatos prosthesis estin hē elleipsis, kai dia touto hypo tēs hamartias anairoumetha. Erōtēsis. Dedosthō tauta houtō echein; homōs hen oida, hoti, ei mē ho ᾿Adam parebē, egō tēs tou kakou prosbolēs peiran ouk elambanon. Apokrisis. Oude touto orthōs eirēkas; to gar tēs tou kakou prosbolēs apeiron einai, atreptou physeōs estin, ouchi de tēs anthrōpinēs; hēmeis gar kai ho Adam mias physeōs esmen. Edei kakeinon kath' hēmas einai, kai hēmas kat᾿ ekeinon. Oukoun peithetō se autos ekeinos ho prōtos anthrōpos, hoti oute atreptos ēn, oute monomerōs kakotreptos, kai ouk anankę̄ physeōs parebē tēn entolēn, all᾽ eudokią thelēmatos. Ōsper ekeinos dektikos men ēn tēs tou Satana prosbolēs hypakousai, eiche de tēn exousian, houtō kai hēmeis.
Question. How does Scripture say that Jerusalem is heavenly, while you have said that it is in the heart? Answer. Not only Jerusalem, but also the other good things that the righteous will receive in the resurrection, we know are above. But their pledges and firstfruits are at work spiritually from now on in the hearts of those firm in faith, so that, being fully assured about the things to come, we may despise all present things and love God until death. That is why he did not say, “You are to come,” but, “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” For we have become capable of receiving these things from baptism; but only those firm in faith are counted worthy to obtain them, who for the love of Christ die daily, that is, rise above every thought of the life here and think of nothing else but when they will reach perfect love of Christ, which is the inner opening of the heart, where Jesus entered as forerunner. Seeking this at the beginning holy Paul said, “But I press on, if I may lay hold of that for which I was also laid hold of” (that is, that I may love, as I was also loved) “by Christ.” After laying hold of this love, he no longer consented to think of anything else, neither the hardships of this body nor the wonders of creation, but declined almost every thought, not consenting to be deprived even for an hour of the working of the Spirit. He made plain what he declined for the sake of spiritual love, and says, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Affliction, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” and the rest; and again, “I am persuaded,” he says, “that neither death nor life,” and the rest; and again, “nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord,” since he could not bear to think of any of these, but only to remain there. Question. How did you say a little while ago that the Spirit dwells in us perfectly? Answer. I spoke of firstfruits, not introducing some part of the whole, nor any division of the Spirit, but indicating our capacity, which cannot contain the whole working of the Spirit except through the perfect commandment, that is, through death; since death for the truth of Christ too is a commandment of God. Just as the sun, being perfect, casts its favour perfect, simple, and equal upon all, while each receives light in proportion as he has his eye cleansed, so also the Holy Spirit has made those who believe in him capable of all workings and gifts from baptism. But thereafter he works his gifts not equally in all, but in each according to worth, in proportion to the practice of the commandments, so as to bear witness to good works and make plain the measure of faith in Christ. That is why, it says, “God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba, Father’”; and, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” That no one cuts out Adam's sin for himself, but Christ alone, in proportion to faith in him, hear the apostle saying, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures”; and again, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us”; and, “We were buried with him through baptism, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead, we too might walk in newness of life,” and the rest; and, “Whoever has died has been justified from sin”; and, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and not from works, so that no one may boast”; and again, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light”; and again, “We are not children of the slave woman but of the free. Stand fast, then, in the freedom with which Christ has set us free”; and again, “As free, and not having your freedom as a cover for wickedness.” Do you see how the things through which you say struggle cuts out sin, Scripture calls works of newness, of freedom, and of light? And it also makes plain the turnings of free will, which you say are Adam's sin. For “having freedom as a cover for wickedness,” and “grieving the Holy Spirit,” and “doing the will of the flesh and of the thoughts,” and “having begun in the Spirit, now being made perfect by the flesh,” and “we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh”: Scripture, knowing these and such things, that it is in our power to do them or not, for this reason blames not Satan nor Adam's sin, but us. And if you wish to hear with understanding, let me tell you the most principal point of all. You say that thoughts that change their shape are Adam's sin; and see, blessed Paul clearly and plainly reproaches us about this evil mind as being ourselves the cause, saying, “Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” If these things are not of our will but of Satan's tyranny and a remnant of Adam's sin, why are we reproached by Scripture, we who are worked upon unwillingly by sin and tyrannized by Satan? Are we then to be punished without cause? Or perhaps God is unjust, commanding what is above nature and requiring of us, against nature, what is beyond our power? But it is not so; far from it! For let me ask you, and give me an answer. Do we owe it to offer God daily as much power of godliness as our nature has, or not? You will certainly tell me, “Yes, since God gave this by nature and laid down the commandments according to our power.” Then if the good we offer him today is today's debt, show me now the repayment for the old sin, whether yours or Adam's. But I tell you that not only can you not show this, but you cannot even repay the daily debt without fail. And how is this clear? From our not always being found in the same virtues. For as much as you add to virtue today, so much are you proved a debtor for the past, having made plain the power of nature. For it has been shown through today's addition that the lack is not of nature but of will, and for this reason we are destroyed by sin. Question. Let it be granted that this is so; yet one thing I know: if Adam had not transgressed, I would not have experienced the provocation of evil. Answer. Neither have you said this rightly. For to be without experience of the provocation of evil belongs to an unchangeable nature, not to human nature; and we and Adam are of one nature. He had to be as we are, and we as he. Let that first man himself persuade you that he was neither unchangeable nor wholly prone to evil, and that he transgressed the commandment not by necessity of nature but by the consent of his will. Just as he was capable of obeying Satan's provocation, but had the power, so are we.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Heb 12:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 6:20 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 3:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:35 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:38 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:39 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 4:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:16 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 15:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 5:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 6:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 6:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 2:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 5:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 4:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 5:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 2:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:30 (allusion, high confidence) · Eph 2:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 3:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 8:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 12:2 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The heavenly Jerusalem's firstfruits are in the heart; the Spirit is given wholly in baptism but works in proportion to obedience; sin is from the will, not Adam.
- Heb 12:22; 6:20; Phil 3:12; Rom 8:35, 38–39; Gal 4:6; Rom 8:16; 1 Cor 15:3; Rom 5:8; 6:4, 7; Eph 2:8–9; 5:8; Gal 4:31; 5:1; 1 Pet 2:16; Eph 4:30; 2:3; Gal 3:3; Rom 8:12; 12:2. Migne prints in square brackets a parenthesis after “division of the Spirit” (“for he is neither divided nor changed”); it is left out. Two lines displaced in the scan are restored (“indicating … faith in Christ. That is why, it says, God sent the Spirit”); stray words (“εἰς λαϊκὸν 26*”, “εἷς λαϊκῶν”) from the facing Latin column and the page signature are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR letter slip; displaced line restored inside the word; margin letter removed and displaced line moved back; word split by a margin letter in the OCR; word split by the OCR; words from the facing Latin column and a page signature removed; words from the facing Latin column removed): ἐμΒ στεως. Διὸ, φησὶν, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ φαίνων → ἐμφαίνων; πίΠνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ → πίστεως. Διὸ, φησὶν, ἐξαπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Υἱοῦ; τέμνεΑ ται → τέμνεται; Πνεύ ματος → Πνεύματος; καὶ εἰς λαϊ κὸν 26* εἰσδέχεται → καὶ εἰσδέχεται; λέγων· εἷς λαϊκῶν. Μὴ → λέγων· Μὴ; Συνετάξημεν → Συνετάφημεν; Διαρξαμένους → Ἐναρξαμένους.
Topics: Baptism
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 4.1 (PG 65:1009; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/4-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/4-1
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
4.2PG 65:1013
Ἐρώτησις. Τάχα νῦν ἀνέχομαί σου, ὅτι τὴν προσβολὴν τοῦ Σατανᾶ οὐκ ἀναιρεῖς. Ἀπόκρισις. Ἐγὼ μὲν οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς προειρημένοις ἀνεῖλον πώποτε. Οἶδα γὰρ καὶ τὸν Ἰὼβ πειρασθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου, καὶ τὴν Γραφὴν λέγουσαν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς, πρὸς τὰς ἐξουσίας, πρὸς τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις· καὶ πάλιν, Ἀντίστητε τῷ διαβόλῳ, καὶ φεύξεται ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν· καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ, Ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος, ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπατεῖ, ζητῶν τίνα καταπίῃ. ᾿Αλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἡμεῖς τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμοὺς, οὐχ ἡμῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἑτέρων τινῶν εἶναι νομίζομεν, ποτὲ μὲν λέγοντες αὐτοὺς εἶναι τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ ἁμαρτίαν, ποτὲ δὲ αὐτὸν τὸν Σατανᾶ, ποτὲ δὲ τὴν τοῦ Σατανᾶ προσβολήν, τούτου χάριν λέγομεν, ὅτι ἄλλο τί ἐστιν ἡ τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ ἁμαρτία, καὶ ἄλλο ὁ Σατανᾶς, καὶ ἄλλο ἡ τοῦ Σατανᾶ προσβολή, καὶ ἕτερον οἱ πονηροὶ ἡμῶν λογισμοὶ, κἂν ἐκ προσβολῆς τὰς ἀφορμὰς ἔχωσι. Σατανᾶς μὲν γὰρ ἐστιν αὐτὴ ἡ τοῦ διαβόλου ὑπόστασις, ἡ καὶ τὸν Κύριον πειράζειν ἐπιχειρήσασα· ἁμαρτία δὲ τοῦ πρώτου Ἀδὰμ, ἐστὶν ἡ τῆς ἐντολῆς παράβασις τοῦ πρώτου ἀνθρώπου προσβολὴ δὲ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, ἐστὶ μονολόγιστος ἐμφάνεια πράγματος πονηροῦ, ἥτις ἑαυτῷ προσεγγίσαι τῷ νῷ ἡμῶν δι᾽ ὀλιγοπιστίας εὑρίσκει. Ἐντολὴν γὰρ ἡμῶν λαβόντων τοῦ μηδὲν μεριμνᾶν, ἀλλὰ πάσῃ φυλακῇ τηρεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ καρδίαν, καὶ ζητεῖν ἐντὸς ἡμῶν οὖσαν τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ὅταν ἀποστῇ ὁ νοῦς τῆς καρδίας καὶ τῆς προειρημένης ζητήσεως, εὐθέως δίδωσι τόπον τῇ τοῦ διαβόλου προσβολῇ καὶ γίνεται δεκτικὸς τῆς πονηρᾶς ὑποθέσεως. Ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τότε κινεῖν ὁ διάβολος τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἡμῶν κατ' ἐξουσίαν ἔχει, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἂν ἡμῶν ἐφείσατο, πᾶσαν κακὴν ἔννοιαν ἀναγκαστικῶς ἐπιφέρων, καὶ μηδὲν ἀγαθὸν ἐννοεῖν συγχωρῶν· ἐξουσίαν δὲ μόνον ἔχει μονολογίστως ἐν πρωτονοίᾳ ὑποδεικνύειν τὰ πονηρά δόγματα τοῦ πειράζειν ἡμῶν τὸ ἐνδιάθετον, τοῦ ῥέπειν πρὸς τὴν ἐκείνου ὑπόθεσιν, ἢ πρὸς τὴν ἐντολὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἀλλήλοις ἀντίκεινται· ὅθεν ἡμεῖς, ἐφ᾽ οἷς μὲν ἀγαπῶμεν, εὐθέως πρὸς τὸ ὑπόδειγμα ἀνακινοῦμεν τοὺς λογισμοὺς, καὶ ἐμπαθῶς προσομιλοῦμεν κατὰ διάνοιαν τῷ ὑποβληθέντι πράγματι· ἐφ᾽ οἷς δὲ μισοῦμεν, συγχρονίζειν οὐ δυνάμεθα, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὴν μισοῦμεν τὴν προσβολήν. Ἡ δὲ μισουμένη παραμένει γίνεται γάρ], πλὴν οὐκ ἐκ διαθέσεως προσφάτου, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ παλαιᾶς προ[σ]λήψεως ὠχύρωται· διὸ καὶ ἀπρόσκοπ[τ]ος ἵσταται ἐν τῷ τόπῳ καὶ μονολόγιστος, ὑπὸ τῆς καρδιακῆς ἀηδείας εἰς πολύνοιαν καὶ πάθος προσβῆναι κωλυομένη· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει φύσιν ἡ μονοπρόσωπος ἐμφάνεια μισουμένη, παρὰ τοῦ προσέχοντος ἑαυτὸν, βίᾳ κατασῦραι τὸν νοῦν εἰς τὸ τῆς πολυνοίας πάθος, εἰ μὴ διὰ ἡδυπαθείας καρδιακῆς μόνης. Ὥστε ἡμεῖς τῆς ἡδυπαθείας εἰ παντελῶς ἀποστῶμεν, οὐδὲ τῶν προ[σ]λήψεων μονολόγιστος ἐμφάνεια βλάψαι ἡμᾶς ἔτι δύναται, καὶ τὴν συνείδησιν πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τῶν μελλόντων κατακρίνειν. Ἐπιγνόντος γὰρ τοῦ νοὸς τὴν ἀργὴν τῆς προ[σ]λήψεως ἔνστασιν, καὶ ἐξομολογουμένου τῷ Θεῷ τὴν παλαιὰν αἰτίαν, εὐθέως ἀναιρεῖται καὶ οὗτος ὁ πειρασμός. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ νοῦς ἐξουσίαν ἔχει προσέχειν τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ πάσῃ φυλακῇ τηρεῖν αὐτὴν, εἰς τὰ ἐνδότερα αὐτῆς ἀνενόχλητα ταμεῖα εἰσελθεῖν πειρώμενος, ἔνθα οὐκ εἰσὶ πονηρῶν λογισμῶν ἄνεμοι, βιαίως ὠθοῦντες καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἐπὶ τοὺς κρημνοὺς τῆς ἡδυπαθείας, καὶ εἰς φρέατα ἀσφάλτου καταβάλλοντες· οὔτε πλατεῖά τις καὶ εὐρύχωρος ὁδὸς, ῥήμασί τε καὶ σχήμασι κοσμικῆς σοφίας κατατετρωμένη, καὶ δελεάζουσα τοὺς ἑπομένους αὐτῇ, κἂν λίαν φρόνιμοι τυγχάνουσι. Τὰ δὲ καθαρὰ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνδότερα ταμεῖα, καὶ ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Χριστοῦ γυμνὸν οὐκ εἰσδέχονται μηδὲν ἐπιφερόμενον τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, μὴ εὔλογον, μὴ ἄλογον, εἰ μὴ τὰ τρία ταῦτα, ἃ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Απόστολος, πίστιν, ἐλπίδα, ἀγάπην. Δύναται οὖν τις φιλαλήθης ὧν καὶ καρδιοπονεῖν βουλόμενος, μηδὲ ὑπὸ τῶν προλήψεων ἐξωσθῆναι κατὰ τὴν ἀκολουθίαν ἣν προειρήκαμεν ἀλλὰ προσέχειν τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ προκόπτειν εἰς τὸ ἐνδότερον, καὶ ἐγγίζειν τῷ Θεῷ μόνον, ἵνα ἐπὶ τῆς προσοχῆς καὶ παραμονῆς πόνοις μὴ ἀηδίζηται. Οὐ δύναται γὰρ μὴ καρδιοπονεῖν ὁ προσεκτικὸς τῶν λογιστικῶν μετεωρισμῶν καὶ σαρκικῶν ἡδονῶν, ἑαυτὸν καθ' ἡμέραν, οὐκ ἔξωθεν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔνδοθεν περιγράφων· ἐν οἷς πολλάκις καὶ ἔννοια καὶ πρᾶξις ἀνεστράφη. "Οθεν, τὴν μὲν μονολόγιστον προσβολὴν, ἀναγκαστικὴν οἴδαμεν, διὰ τὸ καὶ μισουμένην παραμένειν· τὴν δὲ τῶν ἐπαγομένων λογισμῶν ὁμιλίαν, προαιρετικήν. Ἔδειξαν δὲ τοῦτο καὶ οἱ μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντες ἐν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς παραβάσεως ᾿Αδάμ, τὴν μὲν προσβολὴν κωλῦσαι μὴ δυνηθέντες, τὴν δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁμιλίαν καὶ προσπάθειαν καθόλου παραιτησάμενοι. Ερώτησις. Εἰ τὴν τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ παράβασιν κατὰ ἀνάγκην οὐ παρεδεξάμεθα; Ο ἐστιν ἡ λογιστικὴ ἡμῶν ἁμαρτία. Απόκρισις. Οὐκ ἔστι τοῦ Ἀδὰμ παράβασις, ἀλλ᾽ ἔλεγχος τῆς ἑκάστου ἡδυπαθείας. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τὴν παράβασιν διεδεξάμεθα. Ἐπεὶ κατὰ τὴν διαδοχὴν, ἀνάγκῃ ἔδει πάντας παραβάτας εἶναι, καὶ μὴ ἐγκαλεῖσθαι ὑπὸ Θεοῦ κατὰ ἀνάγκην φυσικῆς διαδοχῆς παραβαίνοντας. Νῦν δὲ οὐχ οὕτως· οὐδὲ γὰρ πάντες παραβαίνομεν τὴν ἐντολὴν, οὐδὲ πάντες φυλάττομεν. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι οὐ κατὰ ἀνάγκην ἐστὶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἡδυπάθεια ἡ παράβασις. Εἰ δὲ λέγεις διὰ ταύτην ἐληλυθέναι τὸν Κύριον· διὰ τί ταύτην οὐκ ἀνήρει ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι, ἀλλ᾽ ἔτι καὶ νῦν ἕκαστος ἐξουσίαν ἔχει παραβῆναι, ἢ μὴ παραβῆναι; Οὐκοῦν τὴν παράβασιν προαιρετικὴν οὖσαν, καθὼς ἀποδέδεικται, οὐδεὶς ἐξ ἀνάγκης διεδέξατο· τὸν δὲ ἐκ ταύτης θάνατον ἀναγκαστικὸν ὄντα διεδεξάμεθα· ὅς ἐστι Θεοῦ ἀλλοτρίωσις. ᾿Αποθανόντος γὰρ τοῦ πρώτου ἀνθρώπου, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν ἀλλοτριωθέντος ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὔτε ἡμεῖς ζῇν ἐν Θεῷ ἡδυνάμεθα· διὸ ἦλθεν ὁ Κύριος, ἵνα ἡμᾶς διὰ λουτροῦ παλιγγενεσίας ζωοποιήσῃ, καὶ καταλλάξῃ τῷ Θεῷ, ὁ καὶ πεποίηκεν. Οὐκοῦν οὐ τὴν παράβασιν διεδεξάμεθα, ἐπειδὴ κἀκεῖνον ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐκράτησεν, ὃς ἐβασίλευε καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντας ἐπὶ τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς παραβάσεως ᾿Αδάμ. Ερώτησις. Δεδόσθω ὅτι τὴν παράβασιν θελήματι ἔσχεν ὁ ᾿Αδὰμ, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὁμοφυεῖς ὄντες καὶ ἡμεῖς θέλήματι ἐκπίπτομεν· μὴ καὶ τὴν προσβολήν θελήματι ἔσχεν; Απόκρισις. Ναὶ τὴν προσβολὴν κατὰ ἀνάγκην ἔσχεν. Ἀλλ᾽ ἡ προσβολὴ οὔτε ἁμαρτία ἐστὶν, οὔτε δικαιοσύνη, ἀλλ᾿ ἔλεγχος τοῦ αὐτεξουσίου ἡμῶν θελήματος. Διὸ καὶ προσβάλλειν ἡμῖν παρεχωρήθη, ἵνα τοὺς μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν ἐντολὴν ῥέποντας στεφανίτας, ἀποδείξῃ ὡς πιστούς τοὺς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν κατεγνωσμένους, ὡς ἀπίστους. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ εἰδέναι ἡμᾶς χρὴ, ὅτι οὐ καθ᾿ ἑκάστην ἡμῶν τροπὴν εὐθέως δόκιμοι ἢ ἀδόκιμοι κρινόμεθα· ἀλλ᾽ ὅταν ὅλην ἡμῶν τὴν ἐν σαρκὶ ζωὴν διὰ τῶν προσβολῶν δοκιμασθῶμεν, νικῶντες, νικώμενοι· πίπτοντες, ἐγειρόμενοι· πλανώμενοι, εὐοδούμενοι · τότε ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐξόδου πάντων συμψηφισθέντων, κατὰ ἀναλογίαν κρινόμεθα. Οὔτε οὖν ἡ προσβολή ἐστιν ἁμαρτία. Μὴ γένοιτο! Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐξ ἀνάγκης μονολογίστως δεικνύει τὰ πράγματα, ἀλλ᾿ ἡμεῖς ἐν Κυρίῳ ἐλάβομεν ἐξουσίαν πνευματικῆς ἐργασίας, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν ἐστιν ἀπὸ πρώτης ἐννοίας δοκιμάζειν τὸ βλαβερὸν καὶ τὸ ὠφέλιμον, καὶ ἀποβάλλειν ἢ προσδέχεσθαι τοὺς λογισμοὺς, οὐκ ἐξ ἀνάγκης, ἀλλ' ἐκ διαθέσεως πληθυνομένους. Θῶμεν δὲ κατὰ σὲ, ὅτι καὶ οὗτοι κατὰ ἀνάγκην καὶ διαδοχὴν ἀναφύονται διὰ τί ἡμᾶς ἡ θεία Γραφὴ κατακρίνει ἐπὶ τοῖς πονηροῖς λογισμοῖς; ἢ πῶς δυνάμεθα ἀποκλεῖσαι τοὺς ἐξ ἀνάγκης καὶ διαδοχῆς ἡμῖν ἐνοχλοῦντας; Εἰ δὲ μοι λέγεις · Δυνάμεθα διὰ τῆς χάριτος ἧς εἰλήφαμεν ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς· γνῶθι ὅτι καὶ οὕτως ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν αἴτιοι, ἔχοντες παρὰ Θεοῦ δύναμιν ἀποκλείειν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ πρώτης ἐννοίας καὶ ἀναδόσεως. Εἴ τις δὲ ἄλλον τινὰ ἴστησιν αἴτιον τῶν ἑαυτοῦ κακῶν, οὐ μόνον ἀδεῶς ἐξαμαρτάνει, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλασφημεῖ κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὡς ἀναιτίως τοὺς ἀνθρώπους παραχωροῦντος πολεμεῖσθαι. Ερώτησις. Διὰ τί οὖν ἐγὼ βεβαπτισμένος, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλῶ, καὶ τὴν χάριν αὐτοῦ ἐπικαλοῦμαι, καὶ ὅλῳ θελήματι βούλομαι ῥυσθῆναι καὶ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῶν πονηρῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ οὐ δύναμαι; Η δῆλον, ὅτι ἡ τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ παράβασις ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν ἀπαραίτητον κληρονομίαν κατέλιπεν ᾿Απόκρισις. Ἔδει μὲν ἡμᾶς λογικοὺς ὄντας, εἰδέναι τί ἀκούομεν. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ὑπὸ φιληδονίας καὶ κενοδοξίας σκοτισθεῖσα ἡ ψυχὴ εἰς τὸν βυθὸν τῆς ἀγνοίας καταπέπτωκεν, οὐκέτι οὔτε Γραφικῆς ἐντολῆς ἀκούει, οὔτε φυσικῆς ἀκολουθίας, οὔτε ἐμπείρων ἐπιστασίας · ἢ μόνον ταῖς ἐννοίαις ἀκολουθεῖν. Τίς γὰρ πιστεύων τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ, καὶ ποιῶν τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Κυρίου, οὐχ εὑρίσκει κατὰ ἀναλογίαν τὴν ὑπόλειψιν τῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ πληροφορεῖται, ὅτι οὐ κατ᾿ ἐξουσίαν κρατοῦσιν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν ὀλιγοπιστίαν ἡμῶν καὶ ἔλλειψιν τῶν ἐντολῶν; Διὸ οὐ πάντες τῇ καταστάσει ἴσοι ἐσμὲν, οὔτε ταῖς αὐταῖς ἐννοίαις ἐλαυνόμεθα, ἐπειδὴ προαιρετικαί εἰσιν αἱ τῶν λογισμῶν αἰτίαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἦσαν ἀναγκαστικαὶ ἐκ τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ, πάντες ἂν ὁμοίως ἐνηργούμεθα, καὶ ἀπαραιτήτως ἐκρατούμεθα· καὶ οὔτε Γραφικῆς νουθεσίας ἐδεόμεθα, φύσεως κατά διαδοχὴν κρατούσης, καὶ οὐ φιληδόνου θελήματος. Νῦν δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἐστίν. Μὴ γένοιτο ! Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὁρῶμεν, ὅτι οὐ πάντες ὁμοίως ἐνεργούμεθα, οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς αὐτοῖς καιροῖς, οὔτε ἐπὶ τοῖς αὐτοῖς πράγμασιν· ἀλλ᾽ ἕκαστος καθὸ ἂν ἐπίστευσε τῷ Κυρίῳ, περὶ τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ἀνθρωπίνης δόξης, καὶ ἡδυπαθείας καταφρονήσας, τοσοῦτον καὶ τοὺς λογισμοὺς ἀπέκλεισε, καὶ τοῦ ἡδυπαθοῦντος ἡσυχέστερος τυγχάνει. Διὰ τοῦτο ἕτερος ἑτέρου καὶ τῇ ἐννοίᾳ καὶ τῷ βίῳ διενηνόχαμεν. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν καὶ τοῦτο σοφιζόμεθα τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, καὶ ζητοῦμεν οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν οὐ δι᾽ ἐργασίας τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ, οὔτε δι' εὐτελείας καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνης καρδιοπονοῦντες σβέσαι τοὺς λογισμοὺς, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τῆς κρυπτῆς ἡδυπαθείας, κενοδοξίας, λέγω, καὶ ἀνθρωπαρεσκείας, οἰήσεως καὶ φαντασμοῦ νίκης καὶ ἐπάρσεως, καὶ ἑτέρων τοιούτων, ὧν αἱ μὲν ἀποτυχίαι τοὺς ἐπιθυμητικοὺς πληθύνουσι λογισμούς, τούτου χάριν οὐ δυνάμεθα. Τί οὖν τὰς αἰτίας κρατοῦντες πειρώμεθα ἀποβάλλειν ἀδίκως τὰς προσφυεῖς αὐτῶν ἐνεργείας; Εἰ δὲ ψευδὴς ὁ λόγος, καὶ χωρὶς ἡμετέρας αἰτίας ὑπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν ἐνεργούμεθα, ἀκριβῶς ἐπισκεψώμεθα ὡς Θεῷ ἐξομολογούμενοι. Τίς οὐκ οἶδεν, ὅτι καὶ ἔργῳ, καὶ λόγῳ, καὶ διανοίᾳ τὰ προειρημένα πάθη ἐπισπώμεθα καθ' ἡμέραν καὶ τοὺς μὲν συνεργοῦντας ἀγαπῶμεν, ὡς εὐεργέτας τοὺς δὲ ἐμποδίζοντας, ὡς ἐχθροὺς ἀποστρεφόμεθα Εἰ δὲ οὕτω τὰ προειρημένα πάθη ἀγαπῶμεν, ὡς καὶ προφανῶς αὐτὰ διεκδικεῖν, πῶς τὴν μονολόγιστον αὐτῶν προσβολήν μισήσομεν ; Τῆς πρωτονοίας δὲ παραδεχθείσης, πῶς οἱ ταύτης ἀπηρτισμένοι λογισμοὶ μὴ ἀκολουθήσωσιν;
Erōtēsis. Tacha nyn anechomai sou, hoti tēn prosbolēn tou Satana ouk anaireis. Apokrisis. Egō men oude en tois proeirēmenois aneilon pōpote. Oida gar kai ton Iōb peirasthenta hypo tou diabolou, kai tēn Graphēn legousan, hoti ouk estin hēmin hē palē pros haima kai sarka, alla pros tas archas, pros tas exousias, pros tous kosmokratoras tou skotous tou aiōnos toutou, pros ta pneumatika tēs ponērias en tois epouraniois; kai palin, Antistēte tǭ diabolǭ, kai pheuxetai aph᾽ hymōn; kai en heterǭ, Ho antidikos hymōn diabolos, hōs leōn ōryomenos peripatei, zētōn tina katapię̄. ᾿All' epeidē hēmeis tous ponērous logismous, ouch hēmōn, all᾽ heterōn tinōn einai nomizomen, pote men legontes autous einai tou ᾿Adam hamartian, pote de auton ton Satana, pote de tēn tou Satana prosbolēn, toutou charin legomen, hoti allo ti estin hē tou ᾿Adam hamartia, kai allo ho Satanas, kai allo hē tou Satana prosbolē, kai heteron hoi ponēroi hēmōn logismoi, kan ek prosbolēs tas aphormas echōsi. Satanas men gar estin autē hē tou diabolou hypostasis, hē kai ton Kyrion peirazein epicheirēsasa; hamartia de tou prōtou Adam, estin hē tēs entolēs parabasis tou prōtou anthrōpou prosbolē de tou Satana, esti monologistos emphaneia pragmatos ponērou, hētis heautǭ prosengisai tǭ nǭ hēmōn di᾽ oligopistias heuriskei. Entolēn gar hēmōn labontōn tou mēden merimnan, alla pasę̄ phylakę̄ tērein tēn heautou kardian, kai zētein entos hēmōn ousan tēn basileian tōn ouranōn, hotan apostę̄ ho nous tēs kardias kai tēs proeirēmenēs zētēseōs, eutheōs didōsi topon tę̄ tou diabolou prosbolę̄ kai ginetai dektikos tēs ponēras hypotheseōs. All᾽ oude tote kinein ho diabolos tous logismous hēmōn kat' exousian echei, epei ouk an hēmōn epheisato, pasan kakēn ennoian anankastikōs epipherōn, kai mēden agathon ennoein synchōrōn; exousian de monon echei monologistōs en prōtonoią hypodeiknyein ta ponēra dogmata tou peirazein hēmōn to endiatheton, tou rhepein pros tēn ekeinou hypothesin, ē pros tēn entolēn tou Theou; epeidē tauta allēlois antikeintai; hothen hēmeis, eph᾽ hois men agapōmen, eutheōs pros to hypodeigma anakinoumen tous logismous, kai empathōs prosomiloumen kata dianoian tǭ hypoblēthenti pragmati; eph᾽ hois de misoumen, synchronizein ou dynametha, alla kai autēn misoumen tēn prosbolēn. Hē de misoumenē paramenei ginetai gar], plēn ouk ek diatheseōs prosphatou, all᾽ ek palaias pro[s]lēpseōs ōchyrōtai; dio kai aproskop[t]os histatai en tǭ topǭ kai monologistos, hypo tēs kardiakēs aēdeias eis polynoian kai pathos prosbēnai kōlyomenē; ou gar echei physin hē monoprosōpos emphaneia misoumenē, para tou prosechontos heauton, bią katasyrai ton noun eis to tēs polynoias pathos, ei mē dia hēdypatheias kardiakēs monēs. Hōste hēmeis tēs hēdypatheias ei pantelōs apostōmen, oude tōn pro[s]lēpseōn monologistos emphaneia blapsai hēmas eti dynatai, kai tēn syneidēsin pros asphaleian tōn mellontōn katakrinein. Epignontos gar tou noos tēn argēn tēs pro[s]lēpseōs enstasin, kai exomologoumenou tǭ Theǭ tēn palaian aitian, eutheōs anaireitai kai houtos ho peirasmos. Kai palin ho nous exousian echei prosechein tę̄ kardią, kai pasę̄ phylakę̄ tērein autēn, eis ta endotera autēs anenochlēta tameia eiselthein peirōmenos, entha ouk eisi ponērōn logismōn anemoi, biaiōs ōthountes kai psychēn kai sōma epi tous krēmnous tēs hēdypatheias, kai eis phreata asphaltou kataballontes; oute plateia tis kai eurychōros hodos, rhēmasi te kai schēmasi kosmikēs sophias katatetrōmenē, kai deleazousa tous hepomenous autę̄, kan lian phronimoi tynchanousi. Ta de kathara tēs psychēs endotera tameia, kai ho oikos tou Christou gymnon ouk eisdechontai mēden epipheromenon tou aiōnos toutou, mē eulogon, mē alogon, ei mē ta tria tauta, ha eipen ho ᾿Apostolos, pistin, elpida, agapēn. Dynatai oun tis philalēthēs hōn kai kardioponein boulomenos, mēde hypo tōn prolēpseōn exōsthēnai kata tēn akolouthian hēn proeirēkamen alla prosechein tę̄ kardią, kai prokoptein eis to endoteron, kai engizein tǭ Theǭ monon, hina epi tēs prosochēs kai paramonēs ponois mē aēdizētai. Ou dynatai gar mē kardioponein ho prosektikos tōn logistikōn meteōrismōn kai sarkikōn hēdonōn, heauton kath' hēmeran, ouk exōthen monon, alla kai endothen perigraphōn; en hois pollakis kai ennoia kai praxis anestraphē. "Othen, tēn men monologiston prosbolēn, anankastikēn oidamen, dia to kai misoumenēn paramenein; tēn de tōn epagomenōn logismōn homilian, proairetikēn. Edeixan de touto kai hoi mē hamartēsantes en tǭ homoiōmati tēs parabaseōs ᾿Adam, tēn men prosbolēn kōlysai mē dynēthentes, tēn de pros autēn homilian kai prospatheian katholou paraitēsamenoi. Erōtēsis. Ei tēn tou ᾿Adam parabasin kata anankēn ou paredexametha? O estin hē logistikē hēmōn hamartia. Apokrisis. Ouk esti tou Adam parabasis, all᾽ elenchos tēs hekastou hēdypatheias. ᾿All᾽ oude tēn parabasin diedexametha. Epei kata tēn diadochēn, anankę̄ edei pantas parabatas einai, kai mē enkaleisthai hypo Theou kata anankēn physikēs diadochēs parabainontas. Nyn de ouch houtōs; oude gar pantes parabainomen tēn entolēn, oude pantes phylattomen. Hothen dēlon, hoti ou kata anankēn estin, all᾽ hēdypatheia hē parabasis. Ei de legeis dia tautēn elēlythenai ton Kyrion; dia ti tautēn ouk anērei en tǭ baptismati, all᾽ eti kai nyn hekastos exousian echei parabēnai, ē mē parabēnai? Oukoun tēn parabasin proairetikēn ousan, kathōs apodedeiktai, oudeis ex anankēs diedexato; ton de ek tautēs thanaton anankastikon onta diedexametha; hos esti Theou allotriōsis. ᾿Apothanontos gar tou prōtou anthrōpou, tout᾽ estin allotriōthentos apo tou Theou, oute hēmeis zę̄n en Theǭ hēdynametha; dio ēlthen ho Kyrios, hina hēmas dia loutrou palingenesias zōopoiēsę̄, kai katallaxę̄ tǭ Theǭ, ho kai pepoiēken. Oukoun ou tēn parabasin diedexametha, epeidē kakeinon ex anankēs ekratēsen, hos ebasileue kai epi tous mē hamartēsantas epi tǭ homoiōmati tēs parabaseōs ᾿Adam. Erōtēsis. Dedosthō hoti tēn parabasin thelēmati eschen ho ᾿Adam, kai dia touto homophyeis ontes kai hēmeis thelēmati ekpiptomen; mē kai tēn prosbolēn thelēmati eschen? Apokrisis. Nai tēn prosbolēn kata anankēn eschen. All᾽ hē prosbolē oute hamartia estin, oute dikaiosynē, all᾿ elenchos tou autexousiou hēmōn thelēmatos. Dio kai prosballein hēmin parechōrēthē, hina tous men epi tēn entolēn rhepontas stephanitas, apodeixę̄ hōs pistous tous de epi tēn hēdonēn kategnōsmenous, hōs apistous. Kai touto de eidenai hēmas chrē, hoti ou kath᾿ hekastēn hēmōn tropēn eutheōs dokimoi ē adokimoi krinometha; all᾽ hotan holēn hēmōn tēn en sarki zōēn dia tōn prosbolōn dokimasthōmen, nikōntes, nikōmenoi; piptontes, egeiromenoi; planōmenoi, euodoumenoi ; tote en hēmerą exodou pantōn sympsēphisthentōn, kata analogian krinometha. Oute oun hē prosbolē estin hamartia. Mē genoito! Ei gar kai ex anankēs monologistōs deiknyei ta pragmata, all᾿ hēmeis en Kyriǭ elabomen exousian pneumatikēs ergasias, kai eph᾽ hēmin estin apo prōtēs ennoias dokimazein to blaberon kai to ōphelimon, kai apoballein ē prosdechesthai tous logismous, ouk ex anankēs, all' ek diatheseōs plēthynomenous. Thōmen de kata se, hoti kai houtoi kata anankēn kai diadochēn anaphyontai dia ti hēmas hē theia Graphē katakrinei epi tois ponērois logismois? ē pōs dynametha apokleisai tous ex anankēs kai diadochēs hēmin enochlountas? Ei de moi legeis ; Dynametha dia tēs charitos hēs eilēphamen apo tou baptismatos, kata tas Graphas; gnōthi hoti kai houtōs hēmeis esmen aitioi, echontes para Theou dynamin apokleiein autous apo prōtēs ennoias kai anadoseōs. Ei tis de allon tina istēsin aition tōn heautou kakōn, ou monon adeōs examartanei, alla kai blasphēmei kata tou Theou, hōs anaitiōs tous anthrōpous parachōrountos polemeisthai. Erōtēsis. Dia ti oun egō bebaptismenos, kai ton Theon parakalō, kai tēn charin autou epikaloumai, kai holǭ thelēmati boulomai rhysthēnai kai apallagēnai tōn ponērōn logismōn, kai ou dynamai? Ē dēlon, hoti hē tou ᾿Adam parabasis tautēn hēmin tēn aparaitēton klēronomian katelipen ᾿Apokrisis. Edei men hēmas logikous ontas, eidenai ti akouomen. Epei de hypo philēdonias kai kenodoxias skotistheisa hē psychē eis ton bython tēs agnoias katapeptōken, ouketi oute Graphikēs entolēs akouei, oute physikēs akolouthias, oute empeirōn epistasias ; ē monon tais ennoiais akolouthein. Tis gar pisteuōn tę̄ theią Graphę̄, kai poiōn tas entolas tou Kyriou, ouch heuriskei kata analogian tēn hypoleipsin tōn logismōn, kai plērophoreitai, hoti ou kat᾿ exousian kratousin, alla kata tēn oligopistian hēmōn kai elleipsin tōn entolōn? Dio ou pantes tę̄ katastasei isoi esmen, oute tais autais ennoiais elaunometha, epeidē proairetikai eisin hai tōn logismōn aitiai. Ei gar ēsan anankastikai ek tou ᾿Adam, pantes an homoiōs enērgoumetha, kai aparaitētōs ekratoumetha; kai oute Graphikēs nouthesias edeometha, physeōs kata diadochēn kratousēs, kai ou philēdonou thelēmatos. Nyn de ouch houtōs estin. Mē genoito ! Idou gar horōmen, hoti ou pantes homoiōs energoumetha, oude en tois autois kairois, oute epi tois autois pragmasin; all᾽ hekastos katho an episteuse tǭ Kyriǭ, peri tōn mellontōn agathōn, anthrōpinēs doxēs, kai hēdypatheias kataphronēsas, tosouton kai tous logismous apekleise, kai tou hēdypathountos hēsychesteros tynchanei. Dia touto heteros heterou kai tę̄ ennoią kai tǭ biǭ dienēnochamen. Epeidē oun kai touto sophizometha tę̄ alētheią, kai zētoumen ouk ek pisteōs Iēsou, tout᾽ estin ou di᾽ ergasias tōn entolōn autou, oute di' euteleias kai tapeinophrosynēs kardioponountes sbesai tous logismous, alla meta tēs kryptēs hēdypatheias, kenodoxias, legō, kai anthrōpareskeias, oiēseōs kai phantasmou nikēs kai eparseōs, kai heterōn toioutōn, hōn hai men apotychiai tous epithymētikous plēthynousi logismous, toutou charin ou dynametha. Ti oun tas aitias kratountes peirōmetha apoballein adikōs tas prosphyeis autōn energeias? Ei de pseudēs ho logos, kai chōris hēmeteras aitias hypo tōn logismōn energoumetha, akribōs episkepsōmetha hōs Theǭ exomologoumenoi. Tis ouk oiden, hoti kai ergǭ, kai logǭ, kai dianoią ta proeirēmena pathē epispōmetha kath' hēmeran kai tous men synergountas agapōmen, hōs euergetas tous de empodizontas, hōs echthrous apostrephometha Ei de houtō ta proeirēmena pathē agapōmen, hōs kai prophanōs auta diekdikein, pōs tēn monologiston autōn prosbolēn misēsomen ? Tēs prōtonoias de paradechtheisēs, pōs hoi tautēs apērtismenoi logismoi mē akolouthēsōsin?
Question. Perhaps I now bear with you, since you do not do away with the provocation of Satan. Answer. Neither in what was said before did I ever do away with it. For I know that Job was tempted by the devil, and that Scripture says, “Our wrestling is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places”; and again, “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you”; and elsewhere, “Your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” But since we consider evil thoughts to be not ours but someone else's, saying sometimes that they are Adam's sin, sometimes Satan himself, sometimes Satan's provocation, for this reason we say that Adam's sin is one thing, Satan another, Satan's provocation another, and our evil thoughts yet another, even if they take their occasions from provocation. Satan is the very person of the devil, who also dared to tempt the Lord; the sin of the first Adam is the first man's transgression of the commandment; and Satan's provocation is the appearance, in a single thought, of an evil thing, which finds a way to approach our mind through little faith. For we received a commandment to be anxious about nothing, but to keep one's heart with all watchfulness and seek the kingdom of heaven which is within us; when the mind withdraws from the heart and from this seeking, it at once gives place to the devil's provocation and becomes receptive to the evil suggestion. But not even then does the devil have power to move our thoughts by force; otherwise he would not have spared us, bringing every evil thought by compulsion and allowing us to think nothing good. He has power only to show evil suggestions in a single thought at the first thought, to test our inner disposition, whether it inclines to his suggestion or to God's commandment, since these are opposed to each other. Hence, toward the things we love, we at once stir up our thoughts toward the example, and converse passionately in the mind with the thing put forward; but with the things we hate we cannot linger, but hate the provocation itself. A hated provocation does remain, yet not from a recent disposition; it is entrenched from an old prepossession. That is why it stands in its place without advancing and as a single thought, prevented by the heart's distaste from going on to much thinking and to passion. For a hated single appearance has no power by nature to drag the mind by force from the one who attends to himself into the passion of much thinking, except through the heart's self-indulgence alone. So if we wholly withdraw from self-indulgence, not even the single appearance of prepossessions can harm us any more, or condemn our conscience, for the security of the future. For when the mind recognizes the idle presence of the prepossession and confesses the old cause to God, this temptation too is at once destroyed. And again the mind has power to attend to the heart and keep it with all watchfulness, trying to enter its inner, undisturbed chambers, where there are no winds of evil thoughts driving soul and body violently onto the cliffs of self-indulgence and casting them into pits of asphalt; nor any broad and spacious road, trodden with the words and forms of worldly wisdom, enticing those who follow it, however prudent they may be. The pure inner chambers of the soul and the house of Christ receive no one who brings anything of this age, reasonable or unreasonable, except these three, which the apostle named: faith, hope, love. One who loves the truth and is willing to labour in heart can, then, not be driven out even by prepossessions, according to the sequence we have described, but attend to the heart, advance inward, and draw near to God alone, so as not to grow weary of the labours of attention and perseverance. For one who attends to the wanderings of thought and the pleasures of the flesh cannot help labouring in heart, daily circumscribing himself not only outwardly but also inwardly, in which both thought and deed have often been overturned. Hence we know the single-thought provocation to be compulsory, since it remains even when hated; but converse with the thoughts that follow, to be chosen. Those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam's transgression showed this: they could not prevent the provocation, but wholly refused converse and attachment to it. Question. Did we not receive Adam's transgression by necessity, which is our sin in thought? Answer. It is not Adam's transgression but the exposure of each person's self-indulgence. Nor did we inherit the transgression. For by inheritance all would necessarily have had to be transgressors, and not be accused by God, transgressing by necessity of natural succession. But now it is not so; for neither do we all transgress the commandment, nor do we all keep it. Hence it is clear that transgression is not by necessity but is self-indulgence. And if you say the Lord came because of it, why did he not destroy it in baptism, but still now each has the power to transgress or not to transgress? So no one inherited by necessity the transgression, since it is voluntary, as has been shown; but we inherited the death that came from it, which is compulsory, and which is estrangement from God. For when the first man died, that is, was estranged from God, neither could we live in God. That is why the Lord came, to make us alive through the washing of regeneration and reconcile us to God, which he has done. So we did not inherit the transgression, since necessity ruled him too, which “reigned even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam's transgression.” Question. Let it be granted that Adam had the transgression by will, and that for this reason we too, being of the same nature, fall by will; did he not also have the provocation by will? Answer. Yes, he had the provocation by necessity. But provocation is neither sin nor righteousness, but a test of our free will. That is why it was permitted to provoke us, to show those who incline to the commandment crowned as faithful, and those condemned for inclining to pleasure as unbelieving. And we must know this too: we are not judged approved or unapproved at once at each of our turnings; but when we have been tested through provocations through our whole life in the flesh, conquering, conquered, falling, rising, straying, prospering, then on the day of our departure, when all has been reckoned together, we are judged in proportion. So provocation is not sin. Far from it! For even if by necessity it shows things in a single thought, we have received in the Lord power for spiritual work, and it is in our power from the first thought to test what is harmful and what is beneficial, and to cast off or accept the thoughts that multiply not by necessity but by disposition. But suppose, as you say, that these too spring up by necessity and inheritance: why does the divine Scripture condemn us for evil thoughts? Or how can we shut out those that trouble us by necessity and inheritance? And if you tell me, “We can, by the grace we have received from baptism, according to the Scriptures,” know that even so we are the cause, having power from God to shut them out from the first thought and arising. And whoever makes someone else the cause of his own evils not only sins without fear but also blasphemes against God, as permitting people to be warred against without cause. Question. Why then, though baptized, do I entreat God, call upon his grace, and wish with my whole will to be rescued and freed from evil thoughts, and cannot? Is it not clear that Adam's transgression left us this inescapable inheritance? Answer. Being rational, we ought to know what we hear. But since the soul, darkened by love of pleasure and vainglory, has fallen into the depth of ignorance, it no longer listens to the commandment of Scripture, nor to the natural sequence of things, nor to the guidance of the experienced, but only follows its thoughts. For who that believes the divine Scripture and does the Lord's commandments does not find the thoughts diminishing in proportion, and is not assured that they rule not by force but by our little faith and lack of the commandments? That is why we are not all equal in condition, nor driven by the same thoughts, since the causes of thoughts are matters of choice. For if they were compulsory from Adam, we would all be worked upon alike and held inescapably; and we would not need the admonition of Scripture, since nature by inheritance, and not a pleasure-loving will, would be ruling. But it is not so. Far from it! For see, we observe that we are not all worked upon alike, nor at the same times, nor in the same matters; but each, to the extent that he has believed the Lord about the good things to come and has despised human glory and self-indulgence, has shut out the thoughts and is quieter than the self-indulgent. For this reason we differ from one another both in thought and in life. Since, then, we even sophisticate against the truth in this, and seek to quench the thoughts not by faith in Jesus, that is, not by the practice of his commandments, nor by labouring in heart through lowliness and humility, but with hidden self-indulgence, I mean vainglory and the wish to please people, conceit, imagined victory and elation, and other such things, whose failures multiply the thoughts of desire: for this reason we cannot. Why then, holding on to the causes, do we try unjustly to cast off their fitting workings? And if this account is false, and we are worked upon by thoughts without our own cause, let us examine closely, as confessing to God. Who does not know that by deed, word, and thought we draw the passions mentioned to ourselves daily, and love those who help us as benefactors, and turn away from those who hinder us as enemies? And if we so love these passions as even to defend them openly, how shall we hate their single-thought provocation? And when the first thought has been accepted, how shall the thoughts attached to it not follow?
Job 1:12 (allusion, medium confidence) · Eph 6:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Jas 4:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 5:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 6:25 (allusion, medium confidence) · Prov 4:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 17:21 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 7:13 (allusion, medium confidence) · 1 Cor 13:13 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 5:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Titus 3:5 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Mark distinguishes Satan, Adam's sin, provocation, and our thoughts; provocation is compulsory, but consent is chosen, and death, not guilt, was inherited from Adam.
- Job 1–2; Eph 6:12; Jas 4:7; 1 Pet 5:8; Matt 4:1; Matt 6:25; Prov 4:23; Luke 17:21; Matt 7:13; 1 Cor 13:13; Rom 5:14; Titus 3:5. Migne's square brackets mark a gloss (“for it happens”) and letters to be deleted (προ[σ]λήψεως, ἀπρόσκοπ[τ]ος); the gloss is left out and the words are read without the bracketed letters. Mark's teaching that Adam's transgression is not inherited, only death, is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne margin letter removed; OCR letter slip; word split by the OCR): περιπατεῖ, Α ζητῶν → περιπατεῖ, ζητῶν; λέγο μεν → λέγομεν; ἡμῶν Β λαβόντων → ἡμῶν λαβόντων; και κὴν → κακὴν; εὐοδού μενοι → εὐοδούμενοι; συμψηφισθέν των → συμψηφισθέντων; δοκι μάζειν → δοκιμάζειν; ἀλ τοῦ βαπτίσματος → ἀπὸ τοῦ βαπτίσματος; ἀνθρώ πους → ἀνθρώπους; παρα καλῶ → παρακαλῶ; ἔλλει ψιν → ἔλλειψιν.
Topics: Baptism
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 4.2 (PG 65:1013; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/4-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/4-2
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
4.3PG 65:1021
Ἐρώτησις. Εἰ καὶ ταῦτα θῶμεν οὕτως ἔχειν· οὕτως ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ὁ Κύριος ἐπηγγείλατο ποιῆσαι τὴν ἐκδίκησιν τῶν βοώντων πρὸς αὐτὸν νυκτὸς καὶ ἡμέρας. ᾿Απόκρισις. Ὁ μὲν Κύριος οὐ πρὸς τοὺς ἐγκειμένους ταῖς ἡδυπαθείαις θελήματι τὴν παραβολὴν λέγει, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ὑπὸ μόνων τῶν προσλήψεων πολεμουμένοις. Διὸ τοὺς μὲν ὑπὸ ἐχθρῶν ἀδικουμένους ἐκδικήσειν ἐπηγγείλατο, ἐκείνοις δὲ ὡς τὴν βοηθοῦσαν ἐντολὴν ἀποθεμένοις ἐγκαλεῖ, λέγων· Τι με καλεῖτε, Κύριε, Κύριε, καὶ οὐ ποιεῖτε ἃ λέγω; Οὓς καὶ παρεικάζει ἀνδρὶ μωρῷ ἐπὶ ψάμμου τῶν ἰδίων θελημάτων οίκοδομοῦντι τὴν οἰκίαν αὐτοῦ. Μὴ οὖν ἀστηρίκτῳ νῷ καὶ ἀλόγῳ βουλῇ πάσαις ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ ὑπονοίαις ὡς ἀληθιναῖς ἐπερείδου, ποτὲ μὲν λέγων, ὅτι Ἐγὼ βεβάπτισμαι, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν παρακαλῶ, καὶ τὴν χάριν αὐτοῦ ἐπισπῶμαι, ὅλῳ θελήματι βουλόμενος ῥυσθῆναι τῶν πονηρῶν λογισμῶν, καὶ οὐ δύναμαι, ὡς ἀναιτίως ὑπὸ τῶν λογισμῶν κρατούμενος· ποτὲ δὲ πάλιν τὴν ἐκδίκησιν περιμένων τοῦ Κυρίου, ἣν ποιῆσαι ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις κατηγγείλαμεν, πανταχοῦ σεαυτὸν ἀναίτιον ἱστῶν· ὅπερ μεγάλης ἐστὶ βλασφημίας. "Όμως ἐρωτήσω σε κἀγὼ τῆς οἰήσεως νόημα, καὶ δός μοι ἀπόκρισιν. Οἶδα δὲ, ὅτι ἀπὸ τῆς ἀληθείας σφιγγόμενος, ἢ μείζονος ἐπάρσεως ῥήματα λαλήσεις, ἢ τὴν σεαυτοῦ αἰτίαν ὁμολογήσεις.
Erōtēsis. Ei kai tauta thōmen houtōs echein; houtōs en tois Euangeliois ho Kyrios epēngeilato poiēsai tēn ekdikēsin tōn boōntōn pros auton nyktos kai hēmeras. ᾿Apokrisis. Ho men Kyrios ou pros tous enkeimenous tais hēdypatheiais thelēmati tēn parabolēn legei, alla tois hypo monōn tōn proslēpseōn polemoumenois. Dio tous men hypo echthrōn adikoumenous ekdikēsein epēngeilato, ekeinois de hōs tēn boēthousan entolēn apothemenois enkalei, legōn; Ti me kaleite, Kyrie, Kyrie, kai ou poieite ha legō? Hous kai pareikazei andri mōrǭ epi psammou tōn idiōn thelēmatōn oikodomounti tēn oikian autou. Mē oun astēriktǭ nǭ kai alogǭ boulę̄ pasais tais heautou hyponoiais hōs alēthinais epereidou, pote men legōn, hoti Egō bebaptismai, kai ton Theon parakalō, kai tēn charin autou epispōmai, holǭ thelēmati boulomenos rhysthēnai tōn ponērōn logismōn, kai ou dynamai, hōs anaitiōs hypo tōn logismōn kratoumenos; pote de palin tēn ekdikēsin perimenōn tou Kyriou, hēn poiēsai en tois Euangeliois katēngeilamen, pantachou seauton anaition histōn; hoper megalēs esti blasphēmias. "Omōs erōtēsō se kagō tēs oiēseōs noēma, kai dos moi apokrisin. Oida de, hoti apo tēs alētheias sphingomenos, ē meizonos eparseōs rhēmata lalēseis, ē tēn seautou aitian homologēseis.
Question. Even if we grant that this is so, still in the Gospels the Lord promised to avenge those who cry to him night and day. Answer. The Lord does not speak the parable to those who are given over to self-indulgence by their will, but to those who are warred upon by prepossessions alone. That is why he promised to avenge those wronged by enemies, but reproaches the others as having laid aside the commandment that helps them, saying, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” He also likens them to a foolish man who builds his house on the sand of his own wishes. Do not, then, with an unsteady mind and irrational counsel, lean on all your own suspicions as though they were true, saying at one time, “I have been baptized, and I entreat God, and draw down his grace, wishing with my whole will to be rescued from evil thoughts, and I cannot,” as though held by thoughts without cause; and at another time waiting for the Lord's vengeance, which we announced he would carry out in the Gospels, setting yourself up everywhere as blameless, which is great blasphemy. Yet let me too ask you a thought of conceit, and give me an answer. I know that, pressed by the truth, you will either speak words of greater elation or confess your own responsibility.
Luke 18:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 6:46 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 7:26 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The promise of vengeance is for those warred on by prepossessions, not for the self-indulgent who blame others.
- Luke 18:7–8; Luke 6:46; Matt 7:26.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne margin letter removed; word split by the OCR): ᾿Απόκρισις. Β Ὁ → ᾿Απόκρισις. Ὁ; ἀλη θιναῖς → ἀληθιναῖς; ῥυσθῆ ναι → ῥυσθῆναι; ἀληθείας Α σφιγγόμενος → ἀληθείας σφιγγόμενος.
Topics: Baptism
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 4.3 (PG 65:1021; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/4-3). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/4-3
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-mark-hermit-opuscula-4-3) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
4.4PG 65:1023
Ἐρώτησις. Διὰ τί ὁ Κύριος εἰπὼν, Ἐν τάχει ποιήσει τὴν ἐκδίκησιν, οὐ ποιεῖ ἐν τάχει, ἀλλὰ βραδύνει, καὶ ἀφίησί σε ἐν τοῖς πονηροῖς λογισμοῖς, καίτοι όλοκαρδίως καὶ ἀνενδοιάστως εὐχόμενον, καθὼς εἴρηκας; Απόκρισις. Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν, ἐγὼ λογίζομαι, ὅτι δι' οὐδὲν ἕτερον βραδύνει, ἢ διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ὑπομονήν· ὅσον γὰρ ἄν τις ὑπομείνῃ πολεμούμενος, τοσοῦτον καὶ δοξασθήσεται. Ἐγὼ μὲν ἐδόκουν μόνης τῆς περιεχούσης σε οἰήσεως προσενέγκαι ἀπόκρισιν· σὺ δὲ καὶ βλασφημίαν προσέθηκας. Ἵνα γὰρ σεαυτοῦ ψευδώνυμον ὑπομονὴν ἐπιγράψῃς, ἔστησας τὸν Θεὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἰδίου λόγου ψευδόμενον· καὶ τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμοὺς, οὐκέτι κατὰ τὴν θείαν Γραφὴν, πονηρίας, καὶ ἡδυπαθείας, καὶ πάσης ἁμαρτίας παρεκτικοὺς, ἐκ τῆς καρδίας ἐκπορευομένους, κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ κοινοῦντας τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπομονῶν αἰτίους. Ἐγὼ δὲ οὐδέποτε τοὺς τοῖς πονηροῖς λογισμοῖς συνεχομένους, ὑπὸ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς ἐπαινουμένους εὔρηκα, οὔτε ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, οὔτε ἐν τῇ Καινῇ Διαθήκῃ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ὡς αἰτίους καὶ κατακρινομένους ὁ Θεὸς γὰρ, ὥσπερ τοὺς πονηροὺς λογισμοὺς μισεί, οὕτω καὶ τὴν γεννῶσαν αὐτοὺς καρδίαν. Διὸ οἱ ἔχοντες αὐτοὺς, πενθεῖν ὀφείλομεν ὡς φιλαμαρτήμονες, καὶ μὴ φυσιοῦσθαι ὡς πολεμοῦντες ἀλλοτρίοις κακοῖς. Γνῶθι οὖν, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος ἐφορᾷ τὰς πάντων καρδίας, καὶ τοὺς μὲν μισοῦντας τῶν πονηρῶν ἐνθυμημάτων τὴν πρωτόνοιαν παραχρῆμα ἐκδικεῖ, καθὼς ἐπηγγείλατο, καὶ οὐκ ἐπαφίησι τὸν ἐσμὸν τῆς πολυνοίας ἐπαναστάντα μολῦναι αὐτῶν τὸν νοῦν καὶ τὴν συνείδησιν· τοὺς δὲ τὰς πρώτας ἀναδόσεις μὴ διὰ πίστεως καὶ ἐλπίδος καταβάλλοντας, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τοῦ καταμανθάνειν δῆθεν καὶ δοκιμάζειν προσηδυπαθοῦντας, ἀφίησιν, ὡς ἀπίστους καὶ αὐτοβοηθοῦντας, περικρουσθῆναι καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἐφεπομένων λογισμῶν· οὓς διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀναιρεῖ, ἐπειδὴ βλέπει τὴν πρὸς αὐτοὺς προσβολὴν ὑφ᾽ ἡμῶν ἀγαπωμένην, καὶ μὴ ἐκ πρώτης ἀφανείας μισουμένην. Εἰ δὲ τις μετὰ τοσαύτην φανερολογίαν ἀπιστεῖ τοῖς εἰρημένοις, ἔργῳ ἐπιτηδευσάτω μαθεῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Εἰ δὲ οὔτε τῇ Γραφῇ πιστεύει, οὔτε ἔργῳ βούλεται ἑαυτὸν πληροφορῆσαι, δῆλός ἐστιν ἀγαπῶν τὴν᾿ ἡδονὴν τῆς οἰήσεως. Τί γὰρ ταύτης ἡδυπαθέστερον, ἀλλοτρίαν τὴν λογικὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὑποτιθεμένης, καὶ γαυριᾷν καὶ ἐπαίρεσθαι, ὡς ἀναιτίους μᾶλλον, ἢ ἐξομολογεῖσθαι καὶ πενθεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς πονηροῖς βουλεύμασι παρασκευαζούσης; Ερώτησις. Σὺ προείρηκας, ὅτι τὴν μὲν παράβασιν τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ οὐ διεδεξάμεθα, τὸν δὲ θάνατον αὐτοῦ διεδέχθημεν. Οὐκοῦν τοῦ θανάτου κρατοῦντος, κρατοῦσι καὶ οἱ πονηροὶ λογισμοί. ᾿Απόκρισις. Ὢ τῆς ἀπιστίας! Τί οὖν ἦλθεν ὁ Κύριος ἐν σαρκὶ, ἢ πάντως ἵνα εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀποθάνῃ, κατὰ τὰς Γραφὰς, καὶ καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι τὸν διάβολον; Εἰ δὲ ἔτι τὸν ἐκ τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ θάνατον κρατεῖν ἐκτὸς ἡμετέρας κακοπιστίας νομίζεις, δηλονότι καὶ τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀθετεῖς, καὶ τὸ βάπτισμα ἀτέλεστον ἔχεις, ἔτι τῶν βεβαπτισμένων χωρὶς αἰτίας ἰδίας ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρικοῦ θανάτου κρατουμένων. Διὰ τοῦτο, ὦ ἄνθρωπε, πῶς χάριτι Χριστοῦ νέος Ἀδὰμ γέγονας, καὶ οὐδὲν τοῦ παλαιοῦ ἐξ ἀνάγκης ἐπιφέρεις, εἰ μή τι ἂν ἐκ τῆς σῆς κακοπιστίας καὶ παραβάσεως; Ήλθε δι᾽ ἡμᾶς ὁ Κύριος, ἀπέθανεν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, ἔλυσεν ἡμᾶς τοῦ πατρικοῦ θανάτου, καθαρίζει ἡμᾶς καὶ ἀνακαινίζει διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, τίθησιν ἡμᾶς ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ ἐσθίειν ἐπιτρέπει, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι πάντα βεβαπτισμένον ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀγαπᾶν καὶ ὑπομένειν ἐν τοῖς ἡττήμασι, καὶ μὴ ἐν ταῖς τροπαῖς ἕκαστον ἐφευρίσκειν. Καὶ ἐν μὲν τοῖς δοκοῦσι καλοῖς ἀγαπᾶν, ἐν δὲ τοῖς νομιζομένοις κακοῖς μισεῖν· ὅ ἐστι τὸ ξύλον τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρὸν, οὗ ἀπογευσάμενος ὁ νοῦς, εὐθέως περιπίπτει τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἡττήμασι, καὶ εὑρίσκει τὴν ἑαυτοῦ γύμνωσιν διὰ τῆς πονηρᾶς ἐφευρέσεως, διὰ τοῦ πλησίον, ἣν πρῶτον οὐκ ἐπίστατο, διὰ συμπαθείας ἐπικεκαλυμμένην. Διὰ τοῦτο τοῖς ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας τεθεῖσιν ἐντέταλται, λέγων· Μὴ κρίνετε, ἵνα μὴ κριθῆτε· ἄφετε, καὶ ἀφεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Σύντομον ἐπὶ τούτοις φησίν· "Οσα θέλετε ἵνα ποιῶσιν ὑμῖν οἱ ἄνθρωποι, καὶ ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε αὐτοῖς ὁμοίως. Οὗτος γάρ ἐστιν ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται. Ὃν τρόπον ἐποίησας, ἔσται σοι. Ποσάκις οὖν τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας ἐβεβηλώσαμεν ! Ποσάκις τὸν πλησίον κατεκρίναμεν ἀσυμπαθῶς! Ποσάκις ἐμισήσαμεν, ἢ καὶ μηδὲν ἀδικοῦντας ἠδικήσαμεν! Εἰ δὲ ταῦτα οὕτως ἔχει, τί ἔτι τὸν Ἀδὰμ μεμφόμεθα, καὶ ἑτέροις αἱτιώμεθα κακοῖς; Εἰ γὰρ δὴ καὶ περιεπέσαμεν τῷ ὁμοίῳ θανάτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁμοίως παρέβημεν τὴν ἐντολὴν θελήματι, καθὼς κἀκεῖνος. Τρία οὖν συμβέβηκε τῷ ᾿Ἀδὰμ πράγματα, καὶ οὐχὶ ὡς σὺ νομίζεις· ἅτινά ἐστι, προσβολὴ κατ' οἰκονομίαν, παράβασις κατὰ ἰδίαν ἀπιστίαν, θάνατος κατὰ δικαίαν κρίσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἐπακολουθήσας οὐχ ἧττον τῇ οἰκονομικῇ προσβολῇ, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐξ ἀπιστίας παραβάσει. Ἡμεῖς οὖν μόνον τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ διεδεξάμεθα· διὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἐκ νεκρῶν ζῶντας γενέσθαι, ἕως οὗ ἦλθεν ὁ Κύριος, καὶ πάντας ἐζωοποίησε. Τὴν δὲ πρωτόνοιαν κατ' οἰκονομίαν ἔχομεν ὥσπερ κἀκεῖνος · καὶ τὸ παρακοῦσαι ἢ μὴ παρακοῦσαι κατὰ θέλημα ἔχομεν, ὥσπερ κἀκεῖνος. Καὶ πείθουσιν ἡμᾶς, ὅτι προαιρετικὴν ἔχομεν τὴν διὰ τῶν λογισμῶν παράβασιν οἱ μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντες ἐν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς παραβάσεως ᾿Ἀδὰμ, καθὼς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Εἰ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ ὄντες ἐκεῖνοι ἠδυνήθησαν μὴ ἁμαρτῆσαι ἐν τῷ ὁμοιώματι τῆς παραβάσεως ᾿Ἀδὰμ, δηλονότι καὶ ἡμεῖς δυνάμεθα. Τί οὖν προφασιζόμεθα προφάσεις ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, καὶ λαλοῦμεν κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀδικίας, ὡς ἀλλοτρίοις κακοῖς πολεμεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς παραχωρήσαντος ἀδίκως; Ὀφείλομεν δὴ οὖν ἀκριβῶς εἰδέναι, ὅτι πάσης τῆς τοῦ ᾿Ἀδὰμ αἰτίας ἀναιρεθείσης παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου, ἕκαστος εἴ τι πάσχοι κακὸν, ἀθετήσας διὰ τῆς ἰδίας ἀπιστίας, ἤγουν ἐκ φιληδονίας, ἣν ἔλαβε μυστικῶς ἐν τῷ βαπτίσματι τελειότητα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος οὔπω ἔγνω ὁ ἔλαβεν, ἀτελὴς ὢν τῇ πίστει, καὶ ἐλλιπὴς ὢν τῇ ἐργασίᾳ· ἀλλ᾽ ὁ Θεὸς τὸ τέλειον ἐδωρήσατο. Φησὶ γάρ· Πᾶν δώρημα τέλειον ἄνωθέν ἐστι καταβαῖνον παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν φώτων. Τοῦτο δὲ τέλειον οὐχ ἁπλῶς, οὐδ᾽ ὡς ἔτυχεν εὑρίσκει τις, κἂν πᾶσαν κοσμικὴν σύνεσιν παρεισενέγκῃ, εἰ μὴ δι' ἐργασίας τῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντολῶν· καὶ τοῦτο ἀναλόγως· κατὰ γὰρ τὴν διαφορὰν τῆς ἐργασίας, διαφόρως καὶ ἡ δωρεὰ ἡμῖν ἀποκαλύπτεται. Μηδεὶς οὖν ἑαυτὸν συστελλέτω λόγοις καὶ σχήμασιν, ἐκείνην μὴ ἔχων τὴν σύνεσιν. Φησὶ γάρ· Οὐχ ὁ ἑαυτὸν συνιστάνων, ἐκεῖνός ἐστι δόκιμος, ἀλλ' ὃν ὁ Κύριος συνίστησι. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ παρὰ Κυρίου τὰς συστάσεις λαμβάνων, ὀφείλει ὀρθῷ φρονήματι κεχρῆσθαι, καὶ εἰδέναι ἀκριβῶς, ὅτι ὅσον ἄν τις ἡγωνίσατο κατὰ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ ἀπιστίας, καὶ προέκοψε τῇ πίστει, καὶ κατέλαβέ τι ἀγαθὸν, οὐ κατὰ γνῶσιν μόνον ψιλὴν, ἀλλὰ κατ᾿ ἐνέργειαν· οὐδὲν πλέον εὗρεν ἢ εὑρεῖν δυνήσεται, εἰ μὴ ὁ προειλήφει μυστικῶς διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ὁ Χριστός. "Ὅσοι γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς Χριστὸν ἐβαπτίσθητε, Χριστὸν ἐνεδύσασθε. Χριστὸς δὲ τέλειος Θεὸς ὢν, τελείαν τοῖς βαπτισθεῖσι τὴν χάριν τοῦ Πνεύματος δεδώρηται· προσθήκην δὲ παρ' ἡμῶν οὐ λαμβάνουσαν, ἀποκαλυπτομένην δὲ καὶ ἐμφανίζουσαν ἡμῖν κατὰ ἀναλογίαν τῆς ἐντολῶν ἐργασίας, καὶ προσθήκην ἡμῖν τῆς πίστεως παρέχουσαν, ἕως ἂν καταντήσωμεν οἱ πάντες εἰς τὴν ἑνότητα τῆς πίστεως, εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας τοῦ πληρώματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Εἴ τι οὖν προσφέρομεν αὐτῷ ἀναγεννηθέντες, τοῦτο ἤδη παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἦν ἐγκεκρυμμένον, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Τις ἔγνω νοῦν Κυρίου, ἢ τίς σύμβουλος αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, ἢ τίς προέδωκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀνταποδοθήσεται αὐτῷ; "Ὅτι ἐξ αὐτοῦ καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν πάντα. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
Erōtēsis. Dia ti ho Kyrios eipōn, En tachei poiēsei tēn ekdikēsin, ou poiei en tachei, alla bradynei, kai aphiēsi se en tois ponērois logismois, kaitoi olokardiōs kai anendoiastōs euchomenon, kathōs eirēkas? Apokrisis. Ho de eipen, egō logizomai, hoti di' ouden heteron bradynei, ē dia tēn emēn hypomonēn; hoson gar an tis hypomeinę̄ polemoumenos, tosouton kai doxasthēsetai. Egō men edokoun monēs tēs periechousēs se oiēseōs prosenenkai apokrisin; sy de kai blasphēmian prosethēkas. Hina gar seautou pseudōnymon hypomonēn epigrapsę̄s, estēsas ton Theon epi tou idiou logou pseudomenon; kai tous ponērous logismous, ouketi kata tēn theian Graphēn, ponērias, kai hēdypatheias, kai pasēs hamartias parektikous, ek tēs kardias ekporeuomenous, kata ton logon tou Kyriou, kai koinountas ton anthrōpon, all᾽ hypomonōn aitious. Egō de oudepote tous tois ponērois logismois synechomenous, hypo tēs theias Graphēs epainoumenous eurēka, oute en tę̄ Palaią, oute en tę̄ Kainę̄ Diathēkę̄, alla mallon hōs aitious kai katakrinomenous ho Theos gar, hōsper tous ponērous logismous misei, houtō kai tēn gennōsan autous kardian. Dio hoi echontes autous, penthein opheilomen hōs philamartēmones, kai mē physiousthai hōs polemountes allotriois kakois. Gnōthi oun, ō anthrōpe, hoti ho Kyrios ephorą tas pantōn kardias, kai tous men misountas tōn ponērōn enthymēmatōn tēn prōtonoian parachrēma ekdikei, kathōs epēngeilato, kai ouk epaphiēsi ton esmon tēs polynoias epanastanta molynai autōn ton noun kai tēn syneidēsin; tous de tas prōtas anadoseis mē dia pisteōs kai elpidos kataballontas, all᾽ ek tou katamanthanein dēthen kai dokimazein prosēdypathountas, aphiēsin, hōs apistous kai autoboēthountas, perikrousthēnai kai hypo tōn ephepomenōn logismōn; hous dia touto ouk anairei, epeidē blepei tēn pros autous prosbolēn hyph᾽ hēmōn agapōmenēn, kai mē ek prōtēs aphaneias misoumenēn. Ei de tis meta tosautēn phanerologian apistei tois eirēmenois, ergǭ epitēdeusatō mathein tēn alētheian. Ei de oute tę̄ Graphę̄ pisteuei, oute ergǭ bouletai heauton plērophorēsai, dēlos estin agapōn tēn᾿ hēdonēn tēs oiēseōs. Ti gar tautēs hēdypathesteron, allotrian tēn logikēn hamartian hypotithemenēs, kai gauriąn kai epairesthai, hōs anaitious mallon, ē exomologeisthai kai penthein epi tois ponērois bouleumasi paraskeuazousēs? Erōtēsis. Sy proeirēkas, hoti tēn men parabasin tou ᾿Adam ou diedexametha, ton de thanaton autou diedechthēmen. Oukoun tou thanatou kratountos, kratousi kai hoi ponēroi logismoi. ᾿Apokrisis. Ō tēs apistias! Ti oun ēlthen ho Kyrios en sarki, ē pantōs hina heis hyper pantōn apothanę̄, kata tas Graphas, kai katargēsę̄ ton to kratos echonta tou thanatou, tout᾽ esti ton diabolon? Ei de eti ton ek tou ᾿Adam thanaton kratein ektos hēmeteras kakopistias nomizeis, dēlonoti kai tēn parousian tou Christou atheteis, kai to baptisma ateleston echeis, eti tōn bebaptismenōn chōris aitias idias hypo tou patrikou thanatou kratoumenōn. Dia touto, ō anthrōpe, pōs chariti Christou neos Adam gegonas, kai ouden tou palaiou ex anankēs epiphereis, ei mē ti an ek tēs sēs kakopistias kai parabaseōs? Ēlthe di᾽ hēmas ho Kyrios, apethanen hyper hēmōn, elysen hēmas tou patrikou thanatou, katharizei hēmas kai anakainizei dia tou baptismatos, tithēsin hēmas en tǭ paradeisǭ tēs Ekklēsias, apo pantos xylou tou en tǭ paradeisǭ esthiein epitrepei, tout᾽ esti panta bebaptismenon en tę̄ Ekklēsią agapan kai hypomenein en tois hēttēmasi, kai mē en tais tropais hekaston epheuriskein. Kai en men tois dokousi kalois agapan, en de tois nomizomenois kakois misein; ho esti to xylon tou ginōskein kalon kai ponēron, hou apogeusamenos ho nous, eutheōs peripiptei tois autois hēttēmasi, kai heuriskei tēn heautou gymnōsin dia tēs ponēras epheureseōs, dia tou plēsion, hēn prōton ouk epistato, dia sympatheias epikekalymmenēn. Dia touto tois en tǭ paradeisǭ tēs Ekklēsias tetheisin entetaltai, legōn; Mē krinete, hina mē krithēte; aphete, kai aphethēsetai hymin. Syntomon epi toutois phēsin; "Osa thelete hina poiōsin hymin hoi anthrōpoi, kai hymeis poieite autois homoiōs. Houtos gar estin ho nomos kai hoi prophētai. Hon tropon epoiēsas, estai soi. Posakis oun tas entolas tautas ebebēlōsamen ! Posakis ton plēsion katekrinamen asympathōs! Posakis emisēsamen, ē kai mēden adikountas ēdikēsamen! Ei de tauta houtōs echei, ti eti ton Adam memphometha, kai heterois haitiōmetha kakois? Ei gar dē kai periepesamen tǭ homoiǭ thanatǭ, alla kai homoiōs parebēmen tēn entolēn thelēmati, kathōs kakeinos. Tria oun symbebēke tǭ ᾿Adam pragmata, kai ouchi hōs sy nomizeis; hatina esti, prosbolē kat' oikonomian, parabasis kata idian apistian, thanatos kata dikaian krisin tou Theou, epakolouthēsas ouch hētton tę̄ oikonomikę̄ prosbolę̄, alla tę̄ ex apistias parabasei. Hēmeis oun monon ton thanaton tou ᾿Adam diedexametha; dia to mē dynasthai ek nekrōn zōntas genesthai, heōs hou ēlthen ho Kyrios, kai pantas ezōopoiēse. Tēn de prōtonoian kat' oikonomian echomen hōsper kakeinos ; kai to parakousai ē mē parakousai kata thelēma echomen, hōsper kakeinos. Kai peithousin hēmas, hoti proairetikēn echomen tēn dia tōn logismōn parabasin hoi mē hamartēsantes en tǭ homoiōmati tēs parabaseōs ᾿Adam, kathōs eipen ho Apostolos. Ei gar ek tou ᾿Adam ontes ekeinoi ēdynēthēsan mē hamartēsai en tǭ homoiōmati tēs parabaseōs ᾿Adam, dēlonoti kai hēmeis dynametha. Ti oun prophasizometha prophaseis en hamartiais, kai laloumen kata tou Theou adikias, hōs allotriois kakois polemeisthai hēmas parachōrēsantos adikōs? Opheilomen dē oun akribōs eidenai, hoti pasēs tēs tou ᾿Adam aitias anairetheisēs para tou Kyriou, hekastos ei ti paschoi kakon, athetēsas dia tēs idias apistias, ēgoun ek philēdonias, hēn elabe mystikōs en tǭ baptismati teleiotēta. Ei gar kai ho anthrōpos oupō egnō ho elaben, atelēs ōn tę̄ pistei, kai ellipēs ōn tę̄ ergasią; all᾽ ho Theos to teleion edōrēsato. Phēsi gar; Pan dōrēma teleion anōthen esti katabainon para tou Patros tōn phōtōn. Touto de teleion ouch haplōs, oud᾽ hōs etychen heuriskei tis, kan pasan kosmikēn synesin pareisenenkę̄, ei mē di' ergasias tōn tou Theou entolōn; kai touto analogōs; kata gar tēn diaphoran tēs ergasias, diaphorōs kai hē dōrea hēmin apokalyptetai. Mēdeis oun heauton systelletō logois kai schēmasin, ekeinēn mē echōn tēn synesin. Phēsi gar; Ouch ho heauton synistanōn, ekeinos esti dokimos, all' hon ho Kyrios synistēsi. Kai autos de ho para Kyriou tas systaseis lambanōn, opheilei orthǭ phronēmati kechrēsthai, kai eidenai akribōs, hoti hoson an tis hēgōnisato kata tēs heautou apistias, kai proekopse tę̄ pistei, kai katelabe ti agathon, ou kata gnōsin monon psilēn, alla kat᾿ energeian; ouden pleon heuren ē heurein dynēsetai, ei mē ho proeilēphei mystikōs dia tou baptismatos, hoper estin ho Christos. "Hosoi gar, phēsin, eis Christon ebaptisthēte, Christon enedysasthe. Christos de teleios Theos ōn, teleian tois baptistheisi tēn charin tou Pneumatos dedōrētai; prosthēkēn de par' hēmōn ou lambanousan, apokalyptomenēn de kai emphanizousan hēmin kata analogian tēs entolōn ergasias, kai prosthēkēn hēmin tēs pisteōs parechousan, heōs an katantēsōmen hoi pantes eis tēn henotēta tēs pisteōs, eis andra teleion, eis metron hēlikias tou plērōmatos tou Christou. Ei ti oun prospheromen autǭ anagennēthentes, touto ēdē par᾿ autou ēn enkekrymmenon, kata to gegrammenon; Tis egnō noun Kyriou, ē tis symboulos autou egeneto, ē tis proedōken autǭ, kai antapodothēsetai autǭ? "Hoti ex autou kai di' autou kai eis auton panta. Autǭ hē doxa eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. Amēn.
Question. Why does the Lord, who said, “He will carry out the vengeance speedily,” not do it speedily, but delays, and leaves you among evil thoughts, though you pray, as you said, with your whole heart and without hesitation? Answer. I reckon he delays for no other reason than for my patience; for as much as someone endures when warred upon, so much will he be glorified. I thought I was answering only the conceit that holds you; but you have added blasphemy too. For in order to write yourself up with a falsely named patience, you have made God a liar in his own word; and you make evil thoughts no longer, as divine Scripture says, the producers of wickedness, self-indulgence, and every sin, coming out of the heart, according to the Lord's word, and defiling the person, but causes of patience. I have never found those held by evil thoughts praised by divine Scripture, either in the Old or the New Testament, but rather condemned as responsible. For God, as he hates evil thoughts, so too hates the heart that gives birth to them. Therefore we who have them ought to mourn as lovers of sin, and not be puffed up as fighting against evils not our own. Know, then, O man, that the Lord looks upon the hearts of all; those who hate the first thought of evil designs he avenges at once, as he promised, and does not let the swarm of much thinking rise up and defile their mind and conscience; but those who do not overthrow the first arisings by faith and hope, but indulge in them on the pretext of examining and testing them, he leaves, as unbelievers who help themselves, to be battered also by the thoughts that follow. He does not destroy these, because he sees that the provocation toward them is loved by us and not hated from its first, still invisible, appearance. And if anyone, after so plain a statement, disbelieves what has been said, let him try to learn the truth in practice. And if he neither believes Scripture nor wishes to assure himself by practice, he clearly loves the pleasure of conceit. For what is more self-indulgent than this conceit, which supposes the sin in thought to be someone else's and makes people exult and be elated as blameless, rather than confess and mourn over evil designs? Question. You said before that we did not inherit Adam's transgression, but that we did inherit his death. Then since death rules, evil thoughts also rule. Answer. O the unbelief! Why then did the Lord come in the flesh, if not that one might die for all, according to the Scriptures, and destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil? But if you still think that the death from Adam rules apart from our false belief, clearly you set aside the coming of Christ too, and hold baptism to be ineffective, since the baptized are still ruled by ancestral death without cause of their own. Therefore, O man, how have you become a new Adam by the grace of Christ, and bring nothing of the old by necessity, unless it be from your own false belief and transgression? The Lord came for us, died for us, loosed us from ancestral death, cleanses and renews us through baptism, places us in the paradise of the church, and allows us to eat of every tree in the paradise: that is, to love every baptized person in the church and bear with them in their failings, and not to search out each person's lapses; and not to love them in what seems good and hate them in what is thought evil, which is the tree of knowing good and evil. When the mind tastes of it, it at once falls into the same failings, and through its evil searching through its neighbour finds its own nakedness, which at first it did not know, since it was covered by compassion. That is why those placed in the paradise of the church are commanded, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged; forgive, and you will be forgiven.” And concisely beyond these he says, “Whatever you wish people to do to you, do likewise to them; for this is the law and the prophets.” “As you have done, so it will be to you.” How often, then, have we profaned these commandments! How often have we condemned our neighbour without compassion! How often have we hated, or even wronged those who did no wrong! If this is so, why do we still blame Adam and accuse others of evils? For even if we have fallen into a like death, we have also likewise transgressed the commandment by will, as he did. Three things happened to Adam, then, and not as you think: provocation by God's ordering, transgression by his own unbelief, and death by God's just judgment, following not so much the providential provocation as the transgression that came from unbelief. We, then, inherited only Adam's death, because we could not become living from the dead until the Lord came and made all alive. The first thought we have by God's ordering, as he did; and to disobey or not to disobey we have by will, as he did. And those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam's transgression, as the apostle said, persuade us that transgression through thoughts is a matter of choice. For if they, being from Adam, were able not to sin in the likeness of Adam's transgression, clearly we can too. Why then do we make excuses in sins, and speak injustice against God, as though he unjustly allowed us to be warred upon by evils not our own? We ought, then, to know exactly that since every cause from Adam has been removed by the Lord, each person, if he suffers any evil, has set aside through his own unbelief, that is, from love of pleasure, the perfection he received mystically in baptism. For even if the person has not yet known what he received, being imperfect in faith and deficient in practice, God gave what is perfect. For it says, “Every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.” This perfect gift one does not find simply or by chance, even if he brings in all worldly understanding, but only through the practice of God's commandments, and that in proportion; for according to the difference of the practice, the gift too is revealed to us differently. Let no one, then, commend himself by words and appearances, not having that understanding. For it says, “Not the one who commends himself is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.” And even the one who receives commendation from the Lord ought to have a right mind and know exactly that however much one has struggled against his own unbelief, advanced in faith, and laid hold of some good, not by bare knowledge only but in act, he has found nothing more, nor will be able to find, than what he had received beforehand mystically through baptism, which is Christ. “For as many of you,” it says, “as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” And Christ, being perfect God, has given the baptized the grace of the Spirit perfect; it receives no addition from us, but is revealed and manifests itself to us in proportion to the practice of the commandments, and gives us increase of faith, “until we all attain to the unity of the faith, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.” Whatever, then, we offer him after being reborn was already hidden in us from him, as it is written: “Who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counsellor? Or who has first given to him, that it should be repaid to him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
Luke 18:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Mark 7:21 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 2:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 2:16 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 2:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 7:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 6:37 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 7:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Obad 1:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 141:4 (140:4 LXX) (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 75:5 (74:6 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 5:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Jas 1:17 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 10:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Gal 3:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 11:34 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 11:36 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: God's delay exposes love of evil thoughts; only Adam's death was inherited, and Christ's perfect grace in baptism is revealed by keeping the commandments.
- Luke 18:8; Mark 7:21–23; 2 Cor 5:14–15; Heb 2:14; Gen 2:16–17; 3:7; Matt 7:1; Luke 6:37; Matt 7:12; Obad 15; Ps 141:4 (LXX 140:4); Ps 75:5 (LXX 74:6); Rom 5:14; Jas 1:17; 2 Cor 10:18; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:13; Rom 11:34–36. Mark's teaching that only Adam's death was inherited is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (word split by a stray letter in the OCR; word split by the OCR): και “κοῖς → κακοῖς; ποΟ νηροὶ → πονηροὶ; κε χρῆσθαι → κεχρῆσθαι.
Cite (SBL): Mark the Hermit, Opusc. 4.4 (PG 65:1023; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/4-4). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/mark-hermit-opuscula/4-4
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Greek of Migne's Patrologia Graeca (scan OCR; corrections logged). No public-domain English translation exists and no FOTC volume covers this work, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.