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dom, and of Who the perfeci man is. With theso minis stiali bo includod what follows in accord- anco with tho demands of the potnis to bo spoliena ut, and hom both Mnd and Dee must equassy philosophiae, .liother malo or female in sex. And in the sequet, after finishing what is to M said on faith and inqui , we shali set forin the depariment of symbols; so that, on cursortly concluding the disco so on ethim, We shali exhibit the advantago .hita has accruod to tho Greelis hom the barbarian phil sophy. Mter Which aetch, the bries explanation os tho Seripturas both against the Greelis and against tho Jews willbe presented, and WhateVer potnis We Were unable to embra in the protous Miseellantes throno haring respect nece sarib to tho multitude os matters), in accordanco with tho commen ment of the pmem, purposing to finisti them in one commentary. D addition to these potnis, after ards oncompleting the inelch, as far as me can in accordance Mith hat Wo propose, We must give an account of the physicaldoctrines of the Greeis and of the barbarians, respectingelementary principies, as sar as their opinions have reachedus, and argue against the principia Views excogitated by the philosophera. It will naturalty sali aster these, aster a cursory VieW os theologn to discum the opinions handed dom respectingprophecy; so that, haring demonstrated that tho Scripturos
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which we bellove ars valid hom their omnipotent authori , vo shali bo able to go over them consecutively, and to stio thenco to ali the heresios one God and omnipotent Lord tobe truly preached by the laW and the propheta, and besides by the blessed gospei. Many contradictions against the het rodox a ait us whilo Wo attempt, in Wriling, to do a V Withtho force of the allegations made by them, and to persuade them against their Will, proving by the Scriptures themselves. On completing, then, the whole of What me propose in thocommentaries, on Whicli, is the Spirit Will, we ministeringto the urgent need, for it is exceedin y necessa , besore coming to the truth, to embrace What ought to be said is Wayos preface), shali ad tress o selves to the true gnostic science of nature, receiving initiation into tho minor mysteries besore the greater; so that nothing may be in the way of the trulydivino declaration os sacred things, the subjecis requiring preliminary detest and statement being cleared aWay, and
shelched besoreliand. The scienco os nature, then, or rather observation, as contained in the gnostic tradition accordingto tho rule of tho truth, deponds on the discussion concerning cosmogony, ascending thence to the depariment of theology. Whence, then, We shali begin our account of What is handodilown, With the creation as related by the propheta, inir ducing also the tenets of the heterodox, and endeavouring assar as me can to confute them. But it shali bo writton is God Will, and as Ηe inspires; and noW We must proceed toWhat We proposed, and complete the discourse on ethics.
of thoso that consuli them carolemty and uiaskilfuit' be ofvaried character-and as tho name iraeis indicates, patchedisgether-passing constantly hom one thing in another, and in the series os discussions hinting at one thing and demon-
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one to underetand it. The Miscellantes os notes contribute, then, to tho recollection and expression os truth in the case os him .ho is ablo to investigate With reason. Aiad you must prosecute, in addition to these, other labours and reaearches; since, in tho cam M peoplo Who ars setting out on a madmith whicli they are unacquainted, it is suffcient merely topoint out the direction. Aiter this thoy must walh and findout the rest for themselves. As, they say, When a certain flavo once asked at the oracle What he should do to pleaso his master, the Pythian priesi s replied, u will find ityou seeh.' It is truly a dissiculi matter, then, as turna out, in find out latent Mod; since
For narroW,' in truth, and struit is tho way of tho Lord. And it is to tho violent that tho hin om of God belongs. 'Whence, Seek, and ye shali find,' holding on by thotruly royal road, and not deviating. As me might expect, then, the generative pomer of the seeds of the doctrines comprehended in this treatlae is meat in smali space, as the universat herbago A the field, 3 as Scripture salth. Thus tho Miscellantes os notes have their proper titie, Won deesullylike that ancient oblation culled from ali foris os things of .hicli Sophocles Writes:
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THE most of men havo a disposition unsi te and hetalem, lita tho nature of stoms Want of saith has done many good things, and faith erit things.' And Epicharmus sus, Don't formi to exerciso increduli ; for it is tho sineWs of the foui.' NoW, to disbelievo truth brings Math, as to belleve, lite; and again, in belleve the lis and to dis siove thotruth hurries to destruction. The fame is the case mitti self- restriant and licentiousness. To restrain one's self hom doing good is the work of vico; but to keep hom Wrong is the b ginning of salvation. So the Sabbath, is abstinenco Domeviis, seems to indicato self-restraint. And what, I ask, is itin whicli man differs from beasis, and the angela of God, onthe other hand, Me miser than lie Thou madest him alitilo lowor than ino angels.' For some do not interpretthis scripturo of the Lord, although ΗΘ also boro flesti, butos the perfeci man and the gnostic, inferior in comparisonmith the angeis in time, and by reason of the vestum fostho bodyJ. I cali then Wisdom nothing but science, sinceliso differs not frem illa. For is livo is common to themorial nature, that is to man, With that to whicli has been Vouchsased immortality; as also tho faculty ot contemplationand of self-restriant, one of tho tWo being more excellent.
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thus speiss Solomon.' For is there is one sunction bolonying to the peculiar nature of each creature, althe of the o and horae, and dog, What inali me say is the peculiar function os inan He is line, it appears to me, tho Centaur, a Thessalian figment, compounded os a rational and irrational
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lleari, and thou shali love thy neighbour as thyset . y And it ho that loveth his neighbour Worheth no evit,' and it every commandment is comprehended in this, the lovingour neighbour,'. the commmdmenti, by menacing With sear, work love, not hatred. Wheresore the law is productivo ofilio emotion os fear. - So that the law is holy,' and in truth spirituat, ' according to the apostle. Wε must, then, as is fit, in investigating tho nature of the bob and the essence of the foui, apprehend the end of each, and not regard death as
From man, When he reduces lium to a state os flave .
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-E MISCELLANTES 145 duces in the philosopher gnostic alacrit' so that he is easib ablo to bear natural death, whicli is the dissolution of thoohians which bind the foui to tho body. For tho Worid is crucified to mo, and Ι to the worid,' tho saposuri sus; μ and no. I live, though in the fiesh, as having conversation in
eastin and gives up his body to Um Who aas; and, pr vlo ly divesting himself of the affections of this carcas' noti ulting the tempter, but rather, in my opinion, training himand convincing him,
doos he soli his fiath in the liope of the insis prepared, butin iove to tho Lord ho mili mosi gladiy depari hom this liso; perhaps giring thanis both is him Who afforded the causo os his departum henco, and to him Who laid the plot againsthim, tor receiving an honourabie reamn which he himselfiurnished not, for sho ing What he is, to him is his patience, and to the Lord in iove, by which ovon foro his blath ho
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ali but those Who have been conspicuous in virtve. Some
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THE MISCELLANIES 147 for the sine of being the friend of God, and or obtaining tho right hand in the holy place, as the Apostles have done.
shali reply at the proper time; for they dissor milli us in
livo, and to live well. For it is by tho path of liso and
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sibio for the gnostic to mine an excellent use os ali circumstances. And that ancient achievements are proposed asimages for our correction, the apostle ShoWs, When he says,
So that my bonds in Christ aro bocomo manisost in ali thopalace, and to est the rest; and sevorat of the brothren in tho Lord, Waring confident bonds, are much more boldio speis tho mord of God without sear,' δ since martyrs' testimonios are exmples os conversion glorio ly sanctified. For What things the Scripture speas mere Written for our instruction, that me, throuo patience and the consolation ofine Scriptures, might have the liope os consolation. When pala is present, the wes appears to decline hom it, and totiem release Dom present pian a preciοus thing. At that moment ii stachens from studies, When the other viriues also
are neglected. And yet We do not say that it is virtuo itinis Which suffers, for virtuo is not affected by dimaso. But hoWho is partiser of both, of virtus and the diserae, is amicted by the pressure of the lalter; and is he who has not yot