De Mutatione Nominum

Therefore the practiser of virtue, even while praying, proves the very same thing, saying, "The God to whom my fathers were acceptable," [*](Genesis xlviii. 15. ) and he adds also the words "before him," for the sake of giving you to know the difference, the real practical difference between the expression, "to please God," by itself, and the same words with the addition of the sentence, "before him." For the one expression gives both meanings, and the other only one.

Thus also Moses, in his exhortatory admonitions, recommends his disciples such and such things, saying, "Thou shalt do what is pleasing before the Lord thy God," [*]( Deuteronomy xii. 28. ) as if he were to say, Do such things as shall be worthy to appear before God, and what he when he sees them will accept. And these things are wont to appear equally pure both externally and internally. [*](This passage is given up by Mangey as corrupt. The text has ταυ̃τα iSi καὶ εἰς τοὺς ὁμοίους εἲωθε χωρει̃ν, which is quite unintelligible. Mangey corrects it, ταυ̃τα δὲ τοι̃ς εἲσω καὶ ἔξω ὁμοίως εἲωθε καθαρεύειν of which he gives a Latin translation which I have followed, )

And proceeding onwards from thence he wove the tent of the tabernacle with two boundaries of space, placing a veil between the two, in order to separate what is within from what is without. And also he gilded the sacred ark, the place wherein the laws were kept, both within and without; and he gave the great high priest two robes, the inner one made of linen, and the other one beautifully embroidered, with one robe reaching to the feet.

For these and such things as these are symbols of the soul which in its inner parts shows itself pure towards God, and in its exterior parts shows itself without reproach in reference to the world which is perceptible to the outward senses and to this life: with great felicity therefore was this said to the victorious wrestler, when he was about to have his brows crowned with the garlands of victory: and the declaration made with respect to him was of the following tenor, "You have been mightily powerful both with God and with men;" [*](Genesis xxxii. 28. ) [*](Genesis xlviii. 15. ) [*]( Deuteronomy xii. 28. ) [*](This passage is given up by Mangey as corrupt. The text has ταυ̃τα iSi καὶ εἰς τοὺς ὁμοίους εἲωθε χωρει̃ν, which is quite unintelligible. Mangey corrects it, ταυ̃τα δὲ τοι̃ς εἲσω καὶ ἔξω ὁμοίως εἲωθε καθαρεύειν of which he gives a Latin translation which I have followed, ) [*](Genesis xxxii. 28. )

for to have a good reputation with both classes, namely, with the uncreated God and with the creature, is the task of no small mind, but, if one must say the truth, it is one fit for that which is in the confines between the world and God. In short, it is necessary that the good man should be an attendant of God, for the creature is an object of care to the Ruler and Father of the universe;

for who is there who does not know, that even before the creation of the world God was himself sufficient to himself, and that he remained as much a friend as before after the creation of the world, without having undergone any change? Why then did he make what did not exist before? Because he was good and bounteous. Shall we not then, we who are slaves, follow our master, admiring, in an exceeding degree, the great first Cause of all things, and not altogether despising our own nature?

But after he has said, "Be thou pleasing to me before me," he adds further, "and be thou blameless," using here a natural consequence and connection of the previous sentence. Do thou therefore all the more apply thyself to what is good that thou mayest be pleasing; and if thou canst not be pleasing, at all events abstain from open sins, that thou mayest not incur reproach. For he who does right is praiseworthy, and he who avoids doing wrong is not to be blamed.

And the most important prize is assigned to those who do right, namely, the prize of feeling that they are acceptable to God: but the second prize belongs to those who do no sin, that, namely, of avoiding blame; and, perhaps, in the case of the mortal race of mankind, the doing no sin is set down as equivalent to doing right; for who, as Job says, is "pure from pollution, even if his life be but one single day long?" [*](Job xiv. 4. )

In fact, the things which pollute the soul are infinite in number, and it is impossible completely to wash them away and to efface their stains; for there are, of necessity, left disasters which are akin to every mortal man, which it is natural indeed to weaken, but impossible wholly to eradicate.

Does any one therefore seek a just, or prudent, or temperate, or, in short, any perfectly good man, in this confused life? Be content if you find one who is not wholly unjust, or foolish, or intemperate, or cowardly, or who is not utterly worthless; for the avoidance of evil is a thing with which to be content, but [*](Job xiv. 4. )