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BY whicli consideration ' is solved the question propcundedio us by the heretics, Whether Adam Was created perfeci orimpersecti Well, is imperfeci, how could the work of a persect God- ove ali, that Work being man e imperfeci And is perfeci, hoW did lis transgress the commandments For thoy shali heis from us that he was not perfeci in his creation, but adapted in the reception os virtve. For it is of great importance in regard to virtus in be mado fit for ita
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attainment. And it is intended that wo fhould bo saved by ourselves. This, then, is the nature of the foui, to move ofitself. Then, as we are rational, and philosophy being rationat,mo havo somo amnity with it. NoW an aptitude is a move-ment toWards Viriue, not virtve iiseis. Ali, then, as I said, are naturalty constituted sor the acquisition of virtve. But one man applies tess, one more, to learning and training. Wheresore also some have been competent to attainto perfect Viriue, and others have attained is a Lind of it. And some, on the other hand, through negligence, although in other respecta of good dispositions, have turned to the opposite. NoW much more is that knowledge which excols ali branchesos culture in greatness and in truth, most dissiculi to acquire, and is attained With much toll. But, as seems, they kno notths mysteries of God. For God created man sor immortalitriand mado him an image of His oWn nature; VJ according towhich nature of Ηim Who knows ali, he who is a Gnostic, and righteous, and holy With prudence, hastes to reach thomeasure os perfeci mantiood. For not only are actions and thoughis, but Words also, pure in the case of the Gnostic: Thou hast proved mine heari; Thou hast visited mo bynigh V it is said ; Thou hast subjected me to tho fre, andvnrighteousness was not found in me: so that my mouthshali not speah the works of men. δAnd why do I say tho Works of men Τ Ηe recognises sinitsolf, whicli is not brought forWard in ordor to repentanee for this is common to ali bellevers); but What sin is. Nordoes he condemn this or that sin, but simply ali sin; nor is it what one has dono ill that he brings up, but What ought not to be done. Whence also repentance is twosold: that Whicli is common, on account of having transgressed; and that whicli, irom learning the nature os sin, persuades, in thesrst instance, to keep from sinning, the result of which is not sirining. Let them not then say, that he Who does Wrong and stas transgresses through the agency os demons; for then howould bo guttiless. But by choosing the fame things as
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his destres, lihe a demon, he becomes a demoniac man. No he who is bad, having become, through evit, sinsul by nature, becomes depraved, having What he has chosen; and beingsinsul, sins also in his actions. Αnd again, the good mandoes right. Whereiore Wo cali not only the virtves, but also right actions, good. And of things that are good wo knowstat some are destrillo for themsolves, as knowledge; sor me
it be with us, and that we be in uninterrupted contemplation, and strive to reacti it for iis own sahe. But other things arodestrabis for other considerations, such as salth, sor escapesrom punishment, and the advantage arising from reWard, hicli accrue hom it. For, in the case of many, sear is thecause of their not sinning ; and the promise is the means of pursuing obedience, by Whicli comes salvation. KnoWledge, then, destrabie as it is for ita oWn sake, is the most perfectgood; and consequently the things whicli solioW is means of it are good. Αnd punishment is the cause of correctionto him who is punished; and to those Who are able to se besore them ho becomes an example, to prevent them fallinginto tho like. Let us then receivo knowledge, not destring iis resulis, but embracing itsoli sor tho salio of knowing. For the fidit advantago is tho habit of knowledgo γνωστική), Which su nishes harmiess pleasures and exultation both sor the presentand tho futuro. And exultation is sald to be gladness, beinga reflection of tho virtuo Whicli is according to truth, thmugha kind of exhilaration and relaxation os foui. And the acta hicli partata of hnoKledge are good and fair actions. Forabundanco in the actions that are according to virtve, is thetrue riches, and destitution in decorous' destres is pover . For the uso and enjoyment of necessaries are not injurious in quali , but in quantity, When in excess. Whereiore tho Gnostic circumscribes his destres in referencs both to posses-
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sion and to enjoyment, not exceeding the limit os necessity. Theresore, regariling life in this Worid as necessary sor the increase of scienco ἐπι στήμη) and tho acquisition of know
Ηo will thorosore preser notther children, nor marriage, nor parenis, to love for God, and righinousnem in liso. To suchan one, his Wise, after conception, is as a sister, and is judgedas is of tho fame sather; thon only recollecting her husband, when stio looks on the childron ; as being destinia to becomea sister in reality aster putting off tho flesh, whicli separates and limits the knowledge of thoso who are spiritual by the
peculiar characteristics of the sexes. For fouis, themselves by themselves, are equat. Sotas are Deither male nor semiae, When they no longer marry nor are given in marriage. Andis not Woman translated into man, When she is become equallyuniaminine, and manly, and persecti Such, then, Was thelaughter of Sarali in When site recoived the good news of the birili os a son; not, in my opinion, that she disbelieved theanget, but that she teli ashmed os tho intercourso by means
sister, being of the fame sather, but not os the fame mother 'To those, then, Who have repented and not firmly belloved, God granis their requesta through their supplications. Butto thoso who livo sinlessty and gnosticatly, He oves, Whenthey have but merely entertained tho thought. For example, to Anna, on her merely conceiving the thought, conceptionwas uouchsafed of the child Samuel. Ash,' says the Seri
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ho mill ash largi veness os sins; and aster, that he may sin nomore; and surther, the pomer of Well-doing and os comprehending the wholo creation and administration by the Lord,
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the dyeing process, remaining in the wool, produces in it a certain quality and diversi from other Wool; so also in thesoui the pain is gone, but the good remalias; and the s est istest, but the baso is Wiped aWay. For these are tWo qualities characteristic os each foui, by whicli is known that which is glorified, and that whicli is condemned. And as in ilis case of Moses, hom his righteous conduci, and from his uninterrupted intercourse With God, who spolisto him, a Lind of glorified hue setiled on his face; so also a divine poWer of goodness clinging to the righinous foui in contemplation and in prophecy, and in the exercise of the function os governing, impresses on it something, as it Mere, of intolloctuat radian eo, lita the solar ray, as a visibie signos righteousness, uniting the foui With light, through un-brohen lovo, whicli is God-bearing and God-borne. Thenceassimilation to God tho Saviour arises to the Gnostic, as saras permitted to human nature, he heing made persect Wasthe Father who is in heaven.
mains blessed and immortat, notther molested nor molestinganother; si not in consequence of being by nature good, butin consequence of doing good in a manner peculiar in Him
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THE MISCELLANTES. 365 both Father and good, continues immutably in the sel samegoodness. For What is the use of good that does not aet
ΗΕ, then, Who has fidit moderated his passions and trainedhimsoli sor impassibili , and developed to the beneficence of gnostic persection, is here equat to the angels. Luminous atready, and like the sun shining in the exercise of beneficence, he speeds by righteous knowledge through the lovo ofGod to the sacred abode, lihe as the apostles. Not that theybecamo apostles through being chosen sor some distinguishod peculiarityy of nature, since also Judas Was chosen alongwith them. But they Were capable os becoming apostles onbeing chosen is Him Who foresees even ultimato issues. Matthias, accordingly, Who Was not chosen along mitti them,on shoming himself Worthy of becoming an apostle, is substituted for Judas. Τhose, then, also noW, Who have exercised themselves intho Lord's commandinenta, and lived perfectly and gnosti- catly according to the gospei, may bs enrolled in the chosen body of the apostles. Such an one is in reality a presbyter of the church, and a truo minister doacon) os tho will os God, is ho do and inach What is the Lord's; not as being
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'hies feat,' ho will sit down on the fou and-tWenty thrones,' judging the people, as dolin says in the Apocalypse. For, in truth, the covenant os salvation, reaching do nto us hom the foundation of the worid, through different generations and times, is one, though conceived as different in respect os gist. For it follows that there is ono unchang ablo gist os salvation given by one God, throuo one Lord, benesting in many Ways. For Whicli causo the midvis Wallywhicli separated tho Groeli from the JeW is taen aWay, in ordor that there might be a peculiar people. And w both meet in the one unity of faith; and the selection out os bothis one. And the chosen of the chosen are those who byreason os perfect knowledge are culled fas the bestJ Dom thoehurch itself, and honoured With the most august glorytho judges and rulera-four--d-tWenty the grace Mingdoublodi equalty srom JeWs and Greeis. Since, accordingio my opinion, the grades here in the church, of bishops, presbyters, deacons, are imitations of the angelic glory, and of that economy Whicli, the Scriptures say, a alta those Who, following the focisteps of the apostles, have lived in persection of righteousness according to the gospes. For theselahen up in the clouci, the apostle' writes, will firat minister fas deacon , then be classed in the presbyterate, by prom
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heari, in Whom there is no guile y Who do not remain intho seventh seat, the place of rest, but are promoted, throughtho activo beneficencs of tho divino likeness, to tho herilage of beneficence Whicli is the eighth grade; devoting them-selves to tho pure vision os insatiabie contemplation. Αnd other sheep there Me also,' saith tho Lord, - whicham not of this sold V -doemod worthy of anothor sold and mansion, in proportion to their faith. But my insep hear
in tho highest honour after being saved is a greater thingthan Ming saved. Accordin*y the bellever, through great discipline, divesting himself of the passions, passes to themansion which is beller than tho former one, viz. to the meatest torment, taking With him the characteristic os repent-ance from the sina he has committed astor baptism. IIo istortured then stili more-not yet or not quite attaining Whatho sees others is have acquired. Besides, he is also ashamedos his transgressions. The greatest tormenis, indeed, amassigned to the bellever. For God's righteo nem is Mod, and His modness is righteo . And though tho punishmentaceam in tho muris of the completion os the expiation and purification of each one, yet those have very great and pe