De Theologia (Orat. 28)

Ἄγε δὴ γῆν ἀφεὶς καὶ τὰ περὶ γῆν, πρὸς τὸν ἀέρα κουφίσθητι τοῖς τῆς διανοίας πτεροῖς, ἵνα σοι καθ’ ὁδὸν ὁ λόγος προίη· κἀκεῖθεν ἀνάξω σε πρὸς τὰ οὐράνια, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν αὐτόν, καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ οὐρανόν. καὶ τοῖς ἑξῆς ὀκνεῖ μὲν προσβῆναι ὁ λόγος, προσβήσεται δὲ ὅμως ὁπόσον ἔξεστι. τίς ὁ χέας ἀέρα, τὸν πολὺν τοῦτον πλοῦτον [*](8 ποταμοῖς] μους abcef || 14 om τὴν cdf 28. 17 προίη] προῄει e πλοῦτον τοῦτον e) [*](1. τοῦτο] sc. τὸ πρόσταγμα.) [*](2. τὸν χέρσ’. ναυτ.] There is prob. no direct ref. to the shell-fish called a nautilus, which only bears that name because of its similarity to a man in a sailing boat. By ’the land ’’ Gr. means the land animal which nevertheless finds a home on the sea. At the same time the word ναυτίλος had become so exclusively poetical as applied to men and ships, and so recognised a name for the shell-fish, that the ad- dition of χ. was necessary to prevent a moment's mistake. Ἄγει sc. ἢ θάλασσα.) [*](4. deduct] Cp. ἑ 26. Χρείαις κ. ἐπ’. almost ’demand and supply.’) [*](8. ποταμοῖς] ἴθι the rivers, ’ not ‘with,’ in spite of Hab. iii 9.) [*](10. ἐπεξιούσης] ‘break out.’) [*](11. ἢ τῶν ὑδ. ‘how are the waters fed?’ The metaphor more ’luxuriant’ in Greek than in English, and Gr. proceeds, with an apology, to develope it. Some of them, he says, are ’watered from above,’ i.e. are fed by others (and this is the climax of the ’luxuriance’) ’drink with their roots? i.e. are fed by springs from under- ground. These last Gr. had learned from Arist. to be connected with the sea.) [*](28. The air, and all the pheno- mena of meteorology.) [*](16. καθ’ ὁδόν] ’in due order,’ ’methodically’; Plat. Rep. 435 Α.)

καὶ ἄφθονον, οὐκ ἀξίαις, οὐ τύχαις μετρούμενον, οὐχ ὅροις κρατούμενον, οὐχ ἡλικίαις μεριζόμενον, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ μάννα διανομὴν αὐταρκείᾳ περιλαμβανόμενον καὶ ἰσομοιρίᾳ τιμώμενον· τὸ τῆς πτηνῆς φύσεως ὄχημα, τὴν ἀνέμων ἕδραν, τὴν ὡρῶν εὐκαιρίαν, τὴν ζώων ψύχωσιν, μᾶλλον δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς πρὸς τὸ σῶμα συντήρησιν, ἐν ᾧ σώματα, καὶ μεθ’ οὐ λόγος, ἐν ᾧ φῶς καὶ τὸ φωτιζόμενον, καὶ ἡ ὄψις ἡ δι’ αὐτοῦ ῥέουσα; σκόπει δέ μοι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· οὐ γὰρ συγχωροῦμαι τῷ ἀέρι δοῦναι τὴν ἅπασαν δυνα- στείαν τῶν τοῦ ἀέρος εἶναι νομιζομένων. τίνα μὲν ἀνέμων ταμιεῖα; τίνες δὲ θησαυροὶ χιόνος; τίς δὲ ὁ τετοκὼς βώλους δρόσου, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον; ἐκ γαστρὸς δὲ τίνος ἐκπορεύεται κρύσταλλος; τίς ὁ δεσμεύων ὕδωρ ἐν νεφέλαις, καὶ τὸ μὲν ἱστὰς ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν—ὣ τοῦ θαύματος—λόγῳ κρατουμένην φύσιν τὴν ῥέουσαν, τὸ δὲ ἐκχέων ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ σπείρων καιρίως καὶ ὁμοτίμως, καὶ οὔτε ἀφιεὶς ἅπασαν τὴν ὑγρὰν οὐσίαν ἐλευθέραν καὶ ἄσχετον, — ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ἡ ἐπὶ Νῶε κάθαρσις, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ διαθήκης οὐκ ἐπιλήσμων ὁ ἀψευδέστατος, — οὔτε ἀνέχων [*](11 τινες δε] om ’δε ef || 13 τις] + ’δε e || 15 κρτουμενην]+ τὴν ’Reg. Cypr.’ || 17 ουτε] οὐδὲ abef ΙΙ απασαν] ἅπασι ’Reg. Cypr.’) [*](1. οὐκ ἀξίαις] ’by deserts’; Matt. v 45; or perh. ’ by differences of rank.’ Τύχαις, ‘by fortunes.’ ῾Ηλ., coming after ὄροις, may mean ’ages’ in the sense of a measurement of time, ’to certain generations.’) [*](2. τοῦ μάννα] Ex. xvi 18. αὐταρκεῖ π.] ’freely taken in’; no leave has to be asked, and ἰσομ. τιμώμ. ’each ’s share is of equal ’’, lit. ’assessed at an equality οἱ partition.’) [*](5. εὐκαιρίαν] The air is said to the ’suitableness of seasons’ be- cause the suitableness of seasons de- pends upon atmospheric conditions.) [*](7. μεθ’ οὐ λόγος] ’with which (cp. § 26) we speak.’) [*](9. οὐ γὰρ συγχωρ.] ace. to Elias, directed against Arist. (presumably de Mund. 4).) [*](11. θησαυροὶ χιόνος] Job xxxviii 22.) [*](ib. τίς ὁ τετοκώς κτλ.] Job xxxviii 28, 29.) [*](13. δεσμεύων υδ.] Job xxvi 8.) [*](14. τὸ μὲν ἱστάς] τὸ μὲν and τὸ δέ appear to be ’part’ and ’part’ of the water thus ’bound ’ In that case φύσιν is in app. to τὸ μέν.) [*](15. ἐπὶ πρόσωπονπ. τ. γ] Scripbe tural language, but not a definite quotation.) [*](16. ὁμοτίμως] Elias rightly refers to Matt, v 45.) [*](19. διαθήκης] Gen. ix 12.) παντάπασιν, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν Ἡλίου τινὸς δεηθῶμεν, τὴν ξηρότητα λύοντος; Ἐὰν κλείσῃ, φησί, τὸν οὐρανόν, τίς ἀνοίξει; ἐὰν δὲ ἀνοίξῃ τοὺς καταράκτας, τίς συνέξει; τίς οἴσει τὴν ἐπ’ ἀμφότερα τοῦ ὑετίζοντος ἀμετρίαν, ἐὰν μὴ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μέτροις καὶ σταθμοῖς διεξαγάγῃ τὰ σύμπαντα; τί μοι φιλοσοφήσεις περὶ ἀστραπῶν καὶ βροντῶν, ὦ βροντῶν ἀπὸ γῆς σὺ καὶ οὐδὲ μικροῖς σπινθῆρσι τῆς ἀληθείας λαμπόμενε; τίνας ἀτμοὺς ἀπὸ γῆς αἰτιάσῃ νέφους δημιουργούς, ἢ ἀέρος πύκνωσίν τινα, ἢ νεφῶν τῶν μανοτάτων θλῖψιν ἢ σύρρηξιν, ἵνα ἢ μὲν θλίψις σοι τὴν ἀστραπήν, ἡ δὲ ῥῆξις τὴν βροντὴν ἀπεργάσηται; ποῖον δὲ πνεῦμα στενοχωρούμενον, εἶτα οὐκ ἔχον διέξοδον, ἵνα ἀστράψῃ θλιβόμενον, καὶ βροντήσῃ ῥηγνύμενον; εἰ τὸν ἀέρα διῆλθες τῷ λογισμῷ, καὶ ὅσα περὶ ἀέρα, ψαῦσον ἤδη σὺν ἐμοὶ καὶ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῶν οὐρανίων. πίστις δὲ ἀγέτω πλέον ἡμᾶς ἢ λόγος, εἴπερ ἔμαθες τὸ ἀσθενὲς ἐν τοῖς ἐγγυτέρω, καὶ λόγον ἔγνως τὸ γνῶναι τὰ ὑπὲρ λόγον, ἵνα μὴ παντελῶς ἐπίγειος ἦς ἢ περίγειος, ἀγνοῶν καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο, τὴν ἄγνοιαν.

τίς περιήγαγεν οὐρανόν, ἔταξεν ἀστέρας; μᾶλλον δὲ τί πρὸ τούτων οὐρανὸς καὶ ἀστέρες ἔχοις ἂν εἰπεῖν [*](5 διεξάγῃ ce ’Reg. a Or. ’ ΙΙ 8 λαμπόμενος def || ἄπο] ἔπι ’Or. 1’ || 9 μανωτατων cdf || 17 τὸ] τὼ ef) [*](1. Ἡλίου τ.] 1 Kings xviii 45.) [*](2. κλείση] Job xii 14. Gr. adds τὸν οὐρ.) [*](3. ἀνοίξῃ τοὺς κ.] Gen. vii ΙΙ; cp. Mai. iii 10. Συνέσιε, Gen. viii 2.) [*](4. οἴσει] ‘shall bear’; τὴν τὴν ἐπ’ ἁ. ἀμετρίαν means of course excess in giving too much or too little.) [*](5. μέτροις κ. στάθμ’.] Job xxviii 25.) [*](8. τίνας ἀτμούς] directed against Arist. Meteor, i 4.) [*](9. μανοτάτων] μανός (the quan- tity of the α is variable) = ’rare,’ as opp. to ’dense.’ The interjection of τῶν μ. is, of course, Gr.'s form counter argument. The clouds are too ’rare’ to produce such effects.) [*](17. λόγον ἔγμως κτλ.] ’know that it is reason to know the things above reason? Something like St Austin’s Credo ut intellegam.) [*](18. ἔπη. ἢ περίγ.] ’on the earth or concerned with the earth, ignorant even of your ignorance? Cp. Plat. Leg. ix 863 c.) [*](29. The heavens, the sun.) [*](20. περιήγαγεν] ’ made it revolve’; cp. § 30.)

ὁ μετέωρος, ὁ τὰ ἐν ποσὶν ἀγνοῶν, καὶ οὐδὲ σεαυτὸν μετρῆσαι δυνάμενος, τὰ δὲ ὑπὲρ τὴν σὴν φύσιν πολυπραγμονῶν, καὶ κεχηνὼς εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα; ἔστω γάρ σε κύκλους καὶ περιόδους καὶ παησιασμοὺς καἰ ἀποχωρήσεις καταλαμβάνειν, λαμβάνειν, ἐπιτολὰς καὶ ἀνατολάς, καὶ μοίρας τινὰς καἰ λεπτότητας, καὶ ὅσοις σὺ τὴν θαυμασίαν σου ταύτην ἐπιστήμην ἀποσεμνύνεις· οὔπω τοῦτο κατάληψις τῶν ὄντων ἐστίν, ἀλλὰ κινήσεως τινος ἐπιτήρησις, ἣ πλείονι γυμνασία βεβαιωθεῖσα, καὶ εἰς ἓν ἀγαγοῦσα τὰ τηρηθέντα πλείοσιν, εἶτα λόγον ἐπινοήσασα, ἐπιστήμη προσηγορεύθη· ὥσπερ τὰ περὶ σελήνην παθήματα γνώριμα γέγονε τοῖς πολλοῖς, τὴν ὄψιν ἀρχὴν λαβόντα τῆς γνώσεως. σὺ δέ, εἰ λίαν ἐπιστήμων εἶ τούτων, καὶ δικαίως ζητεῖς θαυμάζεσθαι, εἰπὲ τίς ἡ τῆς τἀξ ἕως αἰτία καὶ τῆς κινήσεως; πόθεν ἥλιος φρυκτωρεῖ πάσῃ τῆ οἰκουμένῃ καὶ πάσαις ὄψεσιν, ὥσπερ χοροῦ τινὸς κορυφαῖος, πλέον τοὺς ἄλλους ἀστέρας ἀποκρύπτων φαιδρότητι ἤ τινες ἐκείνων ἑτέρους; ἀπόδειξις δέ, οἱ μὲν ἀντιλάμπουσιν, ὁ δὲ ὑπερλάμπει, καὶ οὐδὲ ὅτι συνανίσχουσιν ἐᾷ γνωρίζεσθαι, καλὸς ὡς νυμφίος, ταχὺς ὡς γίγας καὶ μέγας· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἀνέχομαι ἄλλοθεν ἢ τοῖς [*](29. 16 κορυφαίου e) [*](3. κύκλους κτλ.] ’revolutions, and orbits, and conjunctions (lit. and separations (departures), and risings (there seems to be no difference between ἔπιτ’. and ἀνατ), νιν degrees (in the astronomical sense) as they call them τινάς), and ’ Perh. the last word has ref. to the speculations about the ’aether.’ But as λεπτὸν appears to be used in the astronomical sense of a ’minute,’ it is possible that Gr. may intend λ. here in that sense.) [*](8. ἐπιτήρησις] There could hardly be abetter description of inductive science.) [*](11. ὤσπερ τὰπεμ σ. ΙΙ.] ἃς, for instance, what happens to the moon has become α piece ὁ general knowapproaches), ledge, a knowledge arising in the first instance from ocular observatioin.’ Παθήμ., cp. § 30 πάθη.) [*](15. Φρυκτωρεῖ] ‘gives the fiery signal.’) [*](18. οἱ μὲν ἀντιλάμπ.] ‘they shine against him, but he outshines them, and does not suffer even their ising with him to be perceived’; when light might be thought not to have gained its full strength.) [*](19. ὡς νυμφίος . . . γίγας] Ps. xviii 6 (xix 5).) [*](20. ἄλλοθεν ἢ τοῖς ἐμοῖς] i.e. from pagan sources; cp. ἀλλότριος §§ 16) [*](30. Ἀποσεμν. ‘ to glorify.) ἐμοῖς τοῦτον ἀποσεμνύνειν· τοσοῦτος τὴν δύναμιν, ὥστε ἀπ’ ἄλλων ἄκρων ἄλλα τῆ θερμότητι καταλαμβάνειν, καὶ μηδὲν διαφεύγειν αὐτοῦ τὴν αἴσθησιν, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν πλη- ροῦσθαι καὶ ὄψιν φωτὸς καὶ σωματικὴν φύσιν θερμότητος· θέροντος, ἀλλ’ οὐ φλέγοντος, εὐκρασίας ἡμερότητι καὶ τάξει κινήσεως, ὡς πᾶσι παρόντος, καὶ πάντα ἐπίσης περιλαμβάνοντος.

Ἐκεῖνο δέ σοι πηλίκον, εἰ κατενόησας’ τοῦτο ἐν αἰσθητοῖς ἥλιος, ὅπερ ἐν νοητοῖς θεός, ἔφη τις τῶν ἀλλο- τρίων. αὐτὸς γὰρ ὄψιν φωτίζων, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος αὐτὸς καὶ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἐστὶ τὸ κάλλιστον, ὥσπερ ἐκεῖνος τῶν νοουμένων. ἀλλὰ τί τὸ κινῆσαν αὐτὸν ἀπ’ ἀρχῆς; τί δὲ τὸ ἀεὶ κινοῦν καὶ περιάγον ἑστῶτα λόγῳ καὶ μὴ κινούμενον, ὄντως ἀκάμαντα, καὶ φερέσβιον, καὶ φυσίζῳον, καὶ ὅσα ποιηταῖς ὕμνηται κατὰ λόγον, καὶ μήτε τῆς ἑαυτοῦ φορᾶς ποτὲ μήτε τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἱστάμενον; πῶς ἡμέρας δημιουργὸς ὑπὲρ γῆς καὶ νυκτὸς ὑπὸ γῆν; ἢ οὐκ οἶδ’ ὅ τι χρὴ λέγειν ἡλίῳ προσβλέψαντα. τίς ἡ τούτων πρόσλη- ψίς τε καὶ ἀνθυφαίρεσις, καὶ ἡ τῆς ἀνισότητος ἰσότης, ἵν εἴπω τι καὶ παράδοξον; πῶς δὲ ὡρῶν ποιητής τε καὶ [*](5 θεροντος] θερμαίνοντος e: θάλποντος ’El.’ ΙΙ 7 περιλαμβάνοντος] περιλαμποντος ’tres ’ 30. II om καὶ f || 13 ’δε] δάι df II 15 υμνεσαι e || μήτε] μήποτε ’in quibusd.’) [*](2. ἀπ’ ἄλλων ἄκρων] ’from one end he reaches another with his heat.’ Ἄκρον is the LXX. word in Ps. xviii 7 (xix 6). The following words are not a quotation, but only an allusion to those of the Ps.) [*](5. θέροντος] ᾿warming.’ The sun; day and night, the seasons; the moon and stars.) [*](8.> ἐκεῖνο] the thought expressed in the following words.) [*](ib τοῦτο ἐν αἰσθ.] Plato Rep. vi 508 c.) [*](13. ἑστῶτα λόγῳ] while fixed in the law which governs him; λόγῳ as e.g. in ἑ 16 πᾶσι λόγον ἐνθείς.) [*](14. ἀκάμαντα] Hom. Il. xviii 239 ‘untiring’; φερέσβιον, ‘bringing means of life’; φυσίζῳον ‘life-begetting.’ It has not yet been ascertained what poet applies the last two epithets to the sun.) [*](15. κατὰ λόγον] ’reasonably,’ ’rightly? Φορᾶς, ’movement.’) [*](17. ἢ οὐκ’] Cp. ξ 27.) [*](18. πρόσλ. τε κ. ἀνθυφ.] ’the increase and corresponding diminution’ of day and night. Ἀνισ. ἰσότης; at the end of the year neither has gained upon the other.)

μεριστής, εὐτάκτως ἐπιγινομένων τε καὶ ἀπογινομένων, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐν χορῷ συμπλεκομένων ἀλλήλαις καὶ διισταμένων, τὸ μὲν φιλίας νόμῳ, τὸ δὲ εὐταξίας, καὶ κατὰ μικρὸν κιρναμένων, καὶ ταῖς ἐγγύτησι κλεπτομένων ταὐτὸν ἡμέραις τε καὶ νυξίν, ἵνα μὴ τῇ ἀηθείᾳ λυπήσωσιν; ἀλλ’ ἴτω μὲν ἡμῖν ἥλιος’ σὺ δὲ ἔγνως σελήνης φύσιν, καὶ πάθη, καὶ μέτρα φωτός, καὶ δρόμους, καὶ πῶς ὁ μὲν ἡμέρας ἔχει τὴν δυναστείαν, ἡ δὲ νυκτὸς προκαθέζεται, καὶ ἡ μὲν θηρίοις δίδωσι παρρησίαν, ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπον ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον ἀνίστησιν, ἢ ὑψούμενος ἢ ταπεινούμενος πρὸς τὸ χρησιμώτατον; συνῆκας δὲ δεσμὸν Πλειάδος ἢ φραγμὸν ᾿Ωρίωνος, ὡς ὁ ἀριθμῶν πλήθη ἄστρων καὶ πᾶσιν αὐτοῖς ὀνόματα καλῶν, καὶ δόξης ἑκάστου διαφοράν, καὶ τάξιν κινήσεως, ἵνα σοι πιστεύσω διὰ τούτων πλέκοντι τὰ ἡμέτερα καὶ κατὰ τοῦ κτίστου τὴν κτίσιν ὁπλίζοντι;

Τί λέγεις; ἐνταῦθα στησόμεθα τοῦ λόγου μέχρι τῆς ὕλης καὶ τῶν ὁρωμένων; ἢ ἐπειδὴ τοῦ κόσμου παντὸς ἀντίτυπον τὴν Μωυσέως σκηνὴν οἶδεν ὁ λόγος, τοῦ ἐξ ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων λέγω συστήματος, τὸ πρῶτον [*](5 ἀήθεια] ἀλήθεια de ’El.’ || 6 om ἥμιν bf Ἴ’ φύσιν] λύσιν ’Reg. Cypr.’ 31. 17 om η be || 19 συστηματος] + η be) [*](2. συμπλεκ. κ. διιστ.] The seasons lock one another in embrace, because there is no sharp line of demarcation between them, and then part. The poetical preacher sees in the first action a law of love, in the second, of order.) [*](4. ταῖς ἐγγύτησι] ‘by their close approach to each other (the pi. indicates the nearness of each to the next) filching from each other (mid.) ἃς much and as little ἃς day and night do, in order not to distress us by anything startling (lit. by the unaccustomedness, which would mark a different kind of transition).’) [*](6. πάθη] Cp. § 29 παθήματα.) [*](7. ἠμἐρας..δυν] a ref. to Gen. i 16, 18 (Ps. cxxxvi 7); but δὺν. does not occur in the LXX. there, 8. θηρίοις κτλ.] a ref. to Ps. ciii (civ) 20 — 23.) [*](11. συνῆκας κτλ.] Job xxxviii 31.) [*](ib. 6 ἀριθμῶν κτλ.] Ps. cxlvi (cxlvii) 4.) [*](13. δόξης...διαφ.] 1 Cor. xv 41.) [*](14. διὰ τούτων πλ. τ. ἤμ’.] the astrologer.) [*](31. The spiritual beings who people heaven.) [*](16. μέχρι] Cp. § 9.) [*](17. τ. κόσμου π.ἀντ] The παντὸς is placed emphatically; the type includes the unseen as well as the seen. Ὁ λόγος, ‘our reason.’ does not refer to any passage of Scripture; it was the traditional interp. of his time. See however Wisd. ix 8 (xviii 24) and cp. West- cott Hebrews p. 237 foil.)

καταπέτασμα διασχόντες, καὶ ὑπερβάντες τὴν αἴσθησιν, εἰς τὰ ἅγια παρακύψωμεν, τὴν νοητὴν φύσιν καὶ ἐπουράνιον; οὐκ ἔχομεν οὐδὲ ταύτην ἀσωμάτως ἰδεῖν, εἰ καὶ ἀσώματος, πῦρ καὶ πνεῦμα προσαγορευομένην ἢ γινομένην. ποιεῖν γὰρ λέγεται τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα· εἰ μὴ ποιεῖν μέν ἐστι τὸ συντηρεῖν τῷ λόγῳ, καθ’ ὃν ἐγένοντο. πνεῦμα δὲ ἀκούει καὶ πῦρ· τὸ μὲν ὡς νοητὴ φύσις, τὸ δὲ ὡς καθάρσιος· ἐπεὶ καὶ τῆς πρώτης οὐσίας τὰς αὐτὰς οἶδα κλήσεις. πλὴν ἡμῖν γε ἀσώματος ἔστω, ἢ ὅτι ἐγγύτατα. ὁρᾷς ὅπως ἰλιγγιῶμεν περὶ τὸν λόγον, καὶ οὐκ ἔχομεν οἷ προέλθωμεν, ἢ τοσοῦτον ὅσον εἰδέναι ἀγγέλους τινὰς καὶ ἀρχαγγέλους, θρόνους, κυριότητας, ἀρχάς, ἐξουσίας, λαμπρότητας, ἀναβάσεις, νοερὰς δυνάμεις, ἢ νόας, καθαρὰς φύσεις καὶ ἀκιβδήλους, ἀκινήτους πρὸς τὸ χεῖρον ἢ δυσκινήτους, περὶ τὸ πρῶτον αἴτιον ἀεὶ χορευούσας· ἢ πῶς ἄν τις αὐτὰς ἀνυμνήσειεν, ἐκεῖθεν ἐλλαμπομένας τὴν καθαρωτάτην [*](2 παρακυψομεν ?cd ΙΙ 8 τὸ ’δε] τὼ ’δε a || καθάρσιος] κάθαρσις ’in quibus.’ || 9 επει] ἐπειδὴ ’Reg. a’ || om τὰς e ΙΙ 1 προσέλθωμεν f) [*](1. διασχόντες] Cp. ἑ 3.) [*](3. εἰ καὶ ἀσώματος] sc. εἴη. Gr. will not pronounce upon the ques- tion whether the heavenly φύσις, i.e. the angels, are incorporeal or not (cp. ἑ 8); but, even if they are, we cannot conceive of them except through corporeal images (cp. §§ 12, 13), such as are suggested by the language of Scripture.) [*](4. προσαγ. ἢ γιν.] ‘is called, or is made.’) [*](5. ποιεῖν γ. λέγεται] Ps. ciii (civ) 4, Heb. i 7.) [*](6. εἰ μὴ ποιεῖν] ’unless by "making’’ is meant keeping them to the law of their original creation.’ To ’make’ the angels winds suggests a change in their mode of existence; but Gr. thinks that it may denote what is contained in the original act of creation, and not something sub- sequent.) [*](8. ἀκούει] audit, ’it is called.’) [*](9. τῆς π. οὐσίας] sc. θεοῦ; cp. § 7.) [*](11. ἰλιγγιῶμεν] Cp. § 21.) [*](13. λαμπρότητας, ἀναβάσεις] It seems as if these, like the foregoing, were recognised titles for spiritual beings; but they do not appear to be used by any other of the Fathers. Ἀνάβασις is a strange designation for a personal being, and, if it not for the ν. δὺν. which follows, it might have been thought that Gr. had turned from the angelic beings to their actions, and that referred (as perh. it does in any case) to Jacob’s dream.) [*](14. νόας] ace. pi. of νοῦς.) ἔλλαμψιν, ἢ ἄλλως ἄλλην κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς φύσεως καἰ τῆς τάξεως· τοσοῦτον τῷ καλῷ μορφουμένας καὶ τυπουμένας, ὥστε ἄλλα γίνεσθαι φῶτα καὶ ἄλλους Φψτίζειν δύνασθαι ταῖς τοῦ πρώτου φωτὸς ἐπιρροαῖς τε καὶ διαδόσεσι· λειτουργοὺς θείου θελήματος, δυνατὰς ἰσχύι φυσικῇ τε καὶ ἐπικτήτῳ, πάντα ἐπιπορευομένας, πᾶσι πανταχοῦ παρούσας ἑτοίμως, προθυμίᾳ τε λειτουργίας καὶ κουφότητι φύσεως· ἄλλας ἄλλο τι τῆς οἰκουμένης μέρος διειληφυίας, ἢ ἄλλῳ τινὶ τοῦ παντὸς ἐπιτεταγμένας, ὡς οἶδεν ὁ ταῦτα τάξας καὶ διορίσας· πάντα εἰς ἓν ἀγούσας, πρὸς μίαν σύννευσιν τοῦ τὰ πάντα δημιουργήσαντος· ὑμνῳδοὺς θείας μεγαλειότητος, θεωροὺς δόξης ἀιδίου καὶ ἀιδίως, οὐχ ἵνα δοξασθῇ θεός, — οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ὃ προστεθήσε- ται τῷ πλήρει, τῷ καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις χορηγῷ τῶν καλῶν, — ἀλλ’ ἵνα μὴ λείπῃ τὸ εὐεργετεῖσθαι καὶ ταῖς πρώταις μετὰ θεὸν φύσεσι; ταῦτα εἰ μὲν πρὸς ἀξίαν ὕμνηται, τῆς τριάδος ἡ χάρις, καὶ τῆς μιᾶς ἐν τοῖς τρισὶ θεότητος· εἰ δὲ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας ἐνδεέστερον, ἔχει τὸ νικᾷν καὶ οὕτως ὁ λόγος. τοῦτο γὰρ ἠγωνίζετο παραστῆσαι, ὅτι νοῦ κρείττων [*](4 του πρώτου usque ad fin. desunt in a || 14 om τοῖς c) [*](1. ἢ ἄλλως ἆ.] The ἢ offers an alternative or correction to the sup. τὴν καθ’. Cp. § 4.) [*](3. ἄλλα γ. φῶτα] ‘become in their turn lights,’ — ἄλλα in respect of the πρῶτον φῶς.) [*](5. δυνατὰς ἰσχύι] Ps. cii (ciii) 20. πᾶσι πανταχοῦ] Gr. does not of course mean at the same time; ἑτοίμως shews it.) [*](8. ἄλλας ἄλλο τι] Cp. Deut. xxxii 8 (LXX.), Dan. x 13, 20, SI. Διειλ. ‘having severally received.’) [*](9. ἢ ἄλλῳ τινί] ’or (if not a portion of the inhabited globe) set over some other part of the universe,’ e.g. a star.) [*](10. εἰς ἐν] ‘bringing all into unity, with reference to the approval, for which alone they care μίαν),’ etc.) [*](13. οὐχ ἵνα δ θ.] In scriptural language the reverse might as truly have been said.) [*](14. τῷ πλήρει] Cp. § 11.) [*](15. ἴνα μὴ Xeiirrj κτλ.] ‘but that even these first beings after God may never fail Δ’ be the recipients of benefits? They might have seemed too great to receive anything. 18. καὶ οὕτως] Even if he does not speak as well as he wished, has gained his point, viz. to shew that even the angels are beyond our understanding; much more (μὴ ὅτι, cp. ἑ 11) God Himself.) καὶ ἡ τῶν δευτέρων φύσις, μὴ ὅτι τῆς πρώτης καὶ μόνης, ὀκνῶ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὑπὲρ ἅπαντα.

[*](2 ἀπάντα] ἅπαντας ‘Reg. Cypr.’)[*](1. τῆς πρ. κ. μ.] Unless we are to suppose that there is some irregularity in the grammar, we must supply φύσεως, so that the clause, if written out in full, would run μὴ εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἡ τῆς πρώτης κ. μ. φύσεως φύσις.)[*](1. ὀκνῶ γὰρ εἰπεῖν] Cp. § 13. The formula implies that the statement would be not incorrect, but capable of misconception. To say that the divine nature is ’above all’ might appear to coordinate it with other things, as one, though the highest, of a series: so Gr. prefers to say μόνης, to bring out its absolute uniqueness.)