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Featured Book: The Comprehensive New Testament More Books: Online References: Apostolic and Early Church Fathers
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ALLEGORICAL
INTERPRETATION, I{*} II.
(2) "And on the sixth day God finished his work which he had made." It
would be a sign of great simplicity to think that the world was created in six
days, or indeed at all in time; because all time is only the space of days and
nights, and these things the motion of the sun as he passes over the earth and
under the earth does necessarily make. But the sun is a portion of heaven, so
that one must confess that time is a thing posterior to the world. Therefore it
would be correctly said that the world was not created in time, but that time
had its existence in consequence of the world. For it is the motion of the
heaven that has displayed the nature of time. (3)
When, therefore, Moses says, "God completed his works on the sixth
day," we must understand that he is speaking not of a number of days, but
that he takes six as a perfect number. Since it is the first number which is
equal in its parts, in the half, and the third and sixth parts, and since it is
produced by the multiplication of two unequal factors, two and three. And the
numbers two and three exceed the incorporeality which exists in the unit;
because the number two is an image of matter being divided into two parts and
dissected like matter. And the number three is an image of a solid body, because
a solid can be divided according to a threefold division. (4) Not but what it is
also akin to the motions of organic animals. For an organic body is naturally
capable of motion in six directions, forward, backwards, upwards, downwards, to
the right, and to the left. And at all events he desires to show that the races
of mortal, and also of all the immortal beings, exist according to their
appropriate numbers; measuring mortal beings, as I have said, by the number six,
and the blessed and immortal beings by the number seven. (5) First, therefore,
having desisted from the creation of mortal creatures on the seventh day, he
began the formation of other and more divine beings. III.
For God never ceases from making something or other; but, as it is the property
of fire to burn, and of snow to chill, so also it is the property of God to be
creating. And much more so, in proportion as he himself is to all other beings
the author of their working. (6) Therefore the expression, "he caused to
rest," is very appropriately employed here, not "he rested." For
he makes things to rest which appear to be producing others, but which in
reality do not affect anything; but he himself never ceases from creating. On
which account Moses says, "He caused to rest the things which he had
begun." For all the things that are made by our arts when completed stand
still and remain; but all those which are accomplished by the knowledge of God
are moved at subsequent times. For their ends are the beginnings of other
things; as, for instance, the end of day is the beginning of night. And in the
same way we must look upon months and years when they come to an end as the
beginning of those which are just about to follow them. (7) And so the
generation of other things which are destroyed, and the destruction of others
which are generated is completed, so that that is true which is said that-- And
naught that is created wholly dies; But
one thing parted and combined with others Produces
a fresh form. IV.
(8) But nature delights in the number seven. For there are seven planets, going
in continual opposition to the daily course of the heaven which always proceeds
in the same direction. And likewise the constellation of the Bear is made up of
seven stars, which constellation is the cause of communication and unity among
men, and not merely of traffic. Again, the periodical changes of the moon, take
place according to the number seven, that star having the greatest sympathy with
the things on earth. And the changes which the moon works in the air, it
perfects chiefly in accordance with its own configurations on each seventh day.
(9) At all events, all mortal things, as I have said before, drawing their more
divine nature from the heaven, are moved in a manner which tends to their
preservation in accordance with this number seven. For who is there who does not
know that those infants who are born at the end of the seventh month are likely
to live, but those who have taken a longer time, so as to have abided eight
months in the womb, are for the most part abortive births? (10) And they say
that man is a reasoning being in his first seven years, by which time he is a
competent interpreter of ordinary nouns and verbs, making himself master of the
faculty of speaking. And in his second period of seven years, he arrives at the
perfection of his nature; and this perfection is the power of generating a being
like himself; for at about the age of fourteen we are able to beget a creature
resembling ourselves. Again, the third period of seven years is the termination
of his growth; for up to the age of one and twenty years man keeps on increasing
in size, and this time is called by many maturity. (11) Again, the irrational
portion of the soul is divisible into seven portions; the five senses, and the
organ of speech, and the power of generation. (12) Again, the motions of the
body are seven; the six organic motions, and the rotary motion. Also the
entrails are seven--the stomach, the heart, the spleen, the liver, the lungs,
and the two kidneys. In like manner the limbs of the body amount to an equal
number--the head, the neck, the chest, the two hands, the belly, the two feet.
Also the most important part of the animal, the face, is divisible according to
a sevenfold division--the two eyes, and the two ears, and as many nostrils, and
in the seventh place, the mouth. (13) Again, the secretions are seven--tears,
mucus from the nose, saliva, the generative fluid, the two excremental
discharges, and the sweat that proceeds from every part of the body. Moreover,
in diseases the seventh day is the most critical period--and in women the
catamenial purifications extend to the seventh day. V.
(14) And the power of this number has extended also to the most useful of the
arts--namely, to grammar. At all events, in grammar, the most excellent of the
elements, and those which have the most powers, are the seven vowels. And
likewise in music, the lyre with seven strings is nearly the best of all
instruments; because the enharmonic principle which is the most dignified of all
the principles of melody, is especially perceived in connection with it. Again,
it happens that the tones of the voice are seven--the acute, the grave, the
contracted, the aspirate, the lene, the long and the short sound. (15) The
number seven is also the first number which is compounded of the perfect number,
that is to say of six, and of the unit. And in some sense the numbers which are
below ten are either generated by, or do themselves generate those numbers which
are below ten, and the number ten itself. But the number seven neither generates
any of the numbers below ten, nor is it generated by any of them. On which
account the Pythagoreans compare this number to the Goddess always a virgin who
was born without a mother, {2}{i.e., Minerva.} because it was not generated by
any other, and will not generate any other. VI.
(16) "Accordingly, on the seventh day, God caused to rest from all his
works which he had Made."{3}{Genesis 2:2.} Now, the meaning of this
sentence is something of this kind. God ceases from forming the races of mortal
creatures when he begins to create the divine races, which are akin to the
nature of the number seven. And the reference which is here contained to their
moral character is of the following nature. When that reason which is holy in
accordance with the number seven has entered into the soul the number six is
then arrested, and all the mortal things which this number appears to make. VII.
(17) "And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it." God blesses
the manners which are formed in accordance with the seventh and divine light, as
being truly light, and immediately declares them holy. For that which is
blessed, and that which is holy, are closely connected with one another. On this
account he says, concerning him who has vowed a great vow, that "If a
sudden change comes over him, and pollutes his mind, he shall no longer be
Holy."{4}{Numbers 6:9.} But the previous days were not taken into the
calculation, as was natural. For those manners which are not holy are not
counted, so that which is blessed is alone holy. (18) Correctly therefore, did
Moses say that "God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it," because
on it he "caused to rest from all his works which he had begun to
make." And this is the reason why he who lives and conducts himself in
accordance with the seventh and perfect light is blessed and holy, since it is
in accordance with his nature, that the creation of mortal beings was
terminated. For the case is thus: when the light of virtue, which is brilliant
and really divine, rises up, then the generation of the contrary nature is
checked. And we have shown that God never desists from creating something, but
that when he appears to do so he is only beginning the creation of something
else; as being not only, the Creator, but also the Father of everything which
exists. VIII.
(19) "This is the book of the generation of heaven and earth, when they
were Created."{5}{Genesis 2:4.} This is perfect reason, which is put in
motion in accordance with the number seven, being the beginning of the creation
of that mind which was arranged according to the ideas, and also of the
sensation arranged according to the ideas, and perceptible only by the
intellect, if one can speak in such a manner. And Moses calls the word of God a
book, in which it is come to pass that the formations of other things are
written down and engraved. (20) But, lest you should imagine that the Deity does
anything according to definite periods of time, while you should rather think
that everything done by him is inscrutable in its nature, uncertain, unknown to,
and incomprehensible by the race of mortal men. Moses adds the words, "when
they were created," not defining the time when by any exact limitation, for
what has been made by the Author of all things has no limitation. And in this
way the idea is excluded, that the universe was created in six days. IX.
(21) "On which day God created the heaven and the earth, and every green
herb of the field, before it appeared upon the earth, and all the grass of the
field before it sprang up. For God did not rain upon the earth, and man did not
exist to cultivate the earth." This day Moses has previously called a book,
since at least he describes the generation of both heaven and earth in each
place. For by his most conspicuous and brilliant word, by one command, God makes
both things: the idea of mind, which, speaking symbolically, he calls heaven,
and the idea of sensation, which by a sign he named earth. (22) And he likens
the idea of mind, and the idea of sensation to two fields; for the mind brings
forth fruit, which consists in having intellectual perception; and sensation
brings forth other fruits which consist in perceiving by the agency of the
external senses. And what he says has the following meaning; --as there was a
previously existing idea of the particular mind, and also of the indivisible
minds to serve as an archetype and model for either; and also a pre-existent
idea of particular sensation, being, so to say, a sort of seal which gave
impressions of forms, so before particular things perceptible only by the
intellect had any existence, there was a pre-existent abstract idea of what was
perceptible only by intellect, by participation in which the other things also
received their names; and before particular objects perceptible by the external
senses, existed, there was also a generic something perceptible by the external
senses, in accordance with a participation in which, the other things
perceptible by the external senses were created. (23) By "the green herb of
the field," Moses means that portion of the mind which is perceptible only
by intellect. For as in the field green things spring up and flourish, so also
that which is perceptible only by the intellect is the fruit of the mind.
Therefore, before the particular something perceptible only by intellect
existed, God created the general something perceptible only by intellect, which
also he correctly denominated the universe. For since the particular something
perceptible only by intellect is incomplete, that is not the universe; but that
which is generic is the universe, as being complete. X.
(24) "And all the grass of the field," he proceeds, "before it
sprang up." That is to say, before the particular things perceptible by the
external senses sprang up, there existed the generic something perceptible by
the external senses through the fore-knowledge of the Creator, which he again
called "the universe." And very naturally he likened the things
perceptible by the external senses to grass. For as grass is the food of
irrational animals, so also that which is perceptible by the external senses is
assigned to the irrational portion of the soul. For why, when he has previously
mentioned "the green herb of the field," does he add also "and
all the grass," as if grass were not green at all? But the truth is, that
by the green herb of the field, he means that which is perceptible by the
intellect only, the budding forth of the mind. But grass means that which is
perceptible by the external senses, that being likewise the produce of the
irrational part of the soul. (25) "For God did not rain upon the earth, and
man did not exist to cultivate the earth," speaking in the strictest
accordance with natural philosophy. For if God did not shed the perceptions of
things subject to them, like rain upon the senses, in that case the mind too
would not labor nor employ itself about sensation. For he himself would be
unable to effect anything by himself, unless he were to pour forth, like rain or
dew, colors upon the sight, and sounds upon the hearing, and flavor on the
tastes, and on all the other senses, the things proper to produce the requisite
effects. (26) But when God begins to rain sensation on the things perceptible by
the external senses, then also the mind is perceived to act like the cultivator
of fertile soil. But the idea of sensation, which he, speaking figuratively, has
called the earth, is in no need of nourishment. But the nourishment of the
senses, are the particular objects perceptible by the external senses; and these
objects are bodies. But an idea is a thing different from bodies. Before,
therefore, there existed any individual compound substances, God did not rain
upon that idea of sensation to which he gave the name of the earth. And that
means that he did not furnish it with any nourishment; for, indeed, it had
altogether no need of any object perceptible by the external senses. (27) But
when Moses says, "And man did not exist to cultivate the earth," that
means that the idea of intellect did not labor upon the idea of the sensations.
For my intellect and yours work up the sensations by means of things perceptible
by the external senses: but the idea of mind as must be the case while there is
no individual body connected with it does not work upon the idea of sensation.
For if it did so work, it would of course work by means of objects, perceptible
by the external senses. But there is no such object in ideas. XI.
(28) "But a fountain went up upon the earth, and watered all the face of
the earth." He here calls the mind the fountain of the earth, and the
sensations he calls the face of the earth, because there is the most suitable
place in the whole body for them, with reference to their appropriate energies,
a place that nature which foreknows everything, has assigned to them. And the
mind waters the sensations like a fountain, sending appropriate streams over
each. See now how all the powers of a living animal depend upon one another like
a chain. For as the mind, and sensations, and the object perceptible by the
external sense are three different things, the middle term is sensation; and the
mind, and the object perceptible by the external sense, are the two extremes.
(29) But the mind is unable to work; that is to say, to energize according to
sensation, unless God rains upon and irrigates the object perceptible by the
external senses, nor is there any advantage from the object perceptible to the
external sense when watered, unless the mind, like a fountain, extending itself
as far as the sensation, puts it in motion when it is quiet, and leads it on to
a comprehension of the subject. So that the mind, and the object perceptible by
the external senses, are always endeavoring to reciprocate with one another, the
one the being subject to the sensations as a kind of material would be, and the
mind stirring up the sensations toward the external object, as a workman would
do, in order to create an appetite. (30) For a living animal is superior to that
which is not a living animal in two points, imagination and appetite.
Accordingly, imagination consists in the approach of the external object
striking the mind by means of the sensations. And appetite is the brother of
imagination, according to the intensive power of the mind, which the mind keeps
on the stretch, by means of the sensation, and so touches the subject matter,
and comes over to it, being eager to arrive at and comprehend it. XII.
(31) "And God created man, taking a lump of clay from the earth, and
breathed into his face the breath of life: and man became a living soul."
The races of men are twofold; for one is the heavenly man, and the other the
earthly man. Now the heavenly man, as being born in the image of God, has no
participation in any corruptible or earthlike essence. But the earthly man is
made of loose material, which he calls a lump of clay. On which account he says,
not that the heavenly man was made, but that he was fashioned according to the
image of God; but the earthly man he calls a thing made, and not begotten by the
maker. (32) And we must consider that the man who was formed of earth, means the
mind which is to be infused into the body, but which has not yet been so
infused. And this mind would be really earthly and corruptible, if it were not
that God had breathed into it the spirit of genuine life; for then it
"exists," and is no longer made into a soul; and its soul is not
inactive, and incapable of proper formation, but a really intellectual and
living one. "For man," says Moses, "became a living soul." XIII.
(33) But some one may ask, why God thought an earth-born mind, which was wholly
devoted to the body, worthy of divine inspiration, and yet did not treat the one
made after his own idea and image in the same manner. In the second place he may
ask, what is the meaning of the expression "breathed into." And
thirdly, why he breathed into his face: fourthly also, why, since he knew the
name of the Spirit when he says, "And the Spirit of God moved upon the face
of the Waters,"{6}{Genesis 1:2.} he now speaks of breath, and not of the
Spirit. (34) Now in reply to the first question we must say this one thing; God
being very munificent gives his good things to all men, even to those who are
not perfect; inviting them to a participation and rivalry in virtue, and at the
same time displaying his abundant riches, and showing that it is sufficient for
those also who will not be greatly benefited by it; and he also shows this in
the most evident manner possible in other cases; for when he rains on the sea,
and when he raises up fountains in desert places, and waters shallow and rough
and unproductive land, making the rivers to overflow with floods, what else is
he doing but displaying the great abundance of his riches and of his goodness?
This is the cause why he has created no soul in such a condition as to be wholly
barren of good, even if the employment of that good be beyond the reach of some
people. (35) We must also give a second reason, which is this: Moses wished to
represent all the actions of the Deity as just--therefore a man who had not had
a real life breathed into him, but who was ignorant of virtue, when he was
chastised for the sins which he had committed would say that he was punished
unjustly, in that it was only through ignorance of what was good that he had
erred respecting it; and that he was to blame who had not breathed any proper
wisdom into him; and perhaps he will even say, that he has absolutely committed
no offence whatever; since some people affirm that actions done involuntarily
and in ignorance have not the nature of offences. (36) Now the expression
"breathed into" is equivalent to "inspired," or "gave
life to" things inanimate: for let us take care that we are never filled
with such absurdity as to think that God employs the organs of the mouth or
nostrils for the purpose of breathing into anything; for God is not only devoid
of peculiar qualities, but he is likewise not of the form of man, and the use of
these words shows some more secret mystery of nature; (37) for there must be
three things, that which breathes in, that which receives what is breathed in,
and that which is breathed in. Now that which breathes in is God, that which
receives what is breathed in is the mind, and that which is breathed in is the
spirit. What then is collected from these three things? A union of the three
takes place, through God extending the power, which proceeds from himself
through the spirit, which is the middle term, as far as the subject. Why does he
do this, except that we may thus derive a proper notion of him? (38) Since how
could the soul have perceived God if he had not inspired it, and touched it
according to his power? For human intellect would not have dared to mount up to
such a height as to lay claim to the nature of God, if God himself had not drawn
it up to himself, as far as it was possible for the mind of man to be drawn up,
and if he had not formed it according to those powers which can be comprehended.
(39) And God breathed into man's face both physically and morally. Physically,
when he placed the senses in the face: and this portion of the body above all
others is vivified and inspired; and morally, in this manner, as the face is the
dominant portion of the body, so also is the mind the dominant portion of the
soul. It is into this alone that God breathes; but the other parts, the
sensations, the power of speech, and the power of generation, he does not think
worthy of his breath, for they are inferior in power. (40) By what then were
these subordinate parts inspired? beyond all question by the mind; for of the
qualities which the mind has received form God, it gives a share to the
irrational portion of the soul, so that the mind is vivified by God, and the
irrational part of the soul by the mind; for the mind is as it were a god to the
irrational part of the soul, for which reason Moses did not hesitate to call it
"the god of Pharaoh."{7}{Exodus 7:1.} (41) For of all created things
some are created by God, and through him: some not indeed by God, but yet
through him: and the rest have their existence both by him and through him. At
all events Moses as he proceeds says, that God planted a paradise, and among the
best things as made both by God and through God, is the mind. But the irrational
part of the soul was made indeed by God but not through God, but through the
reasoning power which bears rule and sovereignty in the soul; (42) and Moses has
used the word "breath," not "spirit," as there is a
difference between the two words; for spirit is conceived of according to
strength, and intensity, and power; but breath is a gentle and moderate kind of
breeze and exhalation; therefore the mind, which was created in accordance with
the image and idea of God, may be justly said to partake in his spirit, for its
reasoning has strength: but that which is derived from matter is only a partaker
in a thin and very light air, being as it were a sort of exhalation, such as
arises from spices; for they, although they be preserved intact, and are not
exposed to fire or fumigation, do nevertheless emit a certain fragrance. XIV.
(43) "And God planted a paradise in XV.
(48) And some one may ask here, why, since it is a pious action to imitate the
works of God, it is forbidden to me to plant a grove near the altar, and yet God
plants a paradise? For Moses says, "You shall not plant a grove for
yourself; you shall not make for yourself any tree which is near the altar of
the Lord your God."{9}{Deuteronomy 16:21.} What then are we to say? That it
is right for God to plant and to build up the virtues in the soul. (49) But the
selfish and atheistical mind, thinking itself equal with God while it appears to
be doing something, is found in reality to be rather suffering. And though God
sows and plants good things in the soul, the mind which says, "I
plant," is acting impiously. You shall not plant therefore where God is
planting: but if, O mind, you fix plants in the soul, take care to plant only
such trees as bear fruit, and not a grove; for in a grove there are trees of a
character to bear cultivation, and also wild trees. But to plant vice, which is
unproductive in the soul, along with cultivated and fertile virtue, is the act
of a double natured and confused leprosy. (50) If, however, you bring into the
same place things which ought not to be mingled together, you must separate and
disjoin them from the pure and incorrupt nature which is accustomed to make
blameless offerings to God; and this is his altar; for it is inconsistent with
this to say that there is any such thing as a work of the soul, when all things
are referred to God, and to mingle barren things with those which are
productive; for this would be faulty: but they are blameless things which are
offered to God. (51) If therefore you transgress any one of these laws, O soul!
you will be injuring yourself, not God. On this account God says, "You
shall not plant for yourself:" for no one works for God, and especially
what is evil does not. And again, Moses adds: "You shall not make for
yourself." And in another place he says, "You shall not make gods of
silver with me, and you shall not make gods of gold for yourselves." For he
who conceives either that God has any distinctive quality, or that he is not
one, or that he is not uncreated and imperishable, or that he is not
unchangeable, injures himself and not God. "For you shall not make them for
yourselves," is what he says. For we must conceive that God is free from
distinctive qualities, and imperishable, and unchangeable; and he who does not
conceive thus of him is filling his own soul with false and atheistical
opinions. (52) Do you not see that--even though God were to conduct us to
virtue, and though when we had been thus conducted we were to plant no tree
which was barren, but only such as produce fruit, he would still command us to
purify its impurity, that is to say, the appearing to plant. For he here orders
us to cut away vain opinions; and vain opinions are a thing impure by nature. XVI.
(53) "And the man whom he had formed," Moses says, "God placed in
the XVII.
(56) "And God caused to rise out of the earth every tree which is pleasant
to the sight and good for food, and the tree of life he raised in the middle of
the Paradise, and also the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." He here
gives a sketch of the trees of virtue which he plants in the soul. And these are
the particular virtues, and the energies in accordance with them, and the good
and successful actions, and the things which by the philosophers are called
fitting; (57) these are the plants of the XVIII.
(59) But the tree of life is that most general virtue which some people call
goodness; from which the particular virtues are derived, and of which they are
composed. And it is on this account that it is placed in the centre of the
Paradise; having the most comprehensive place of all, in order that, like a
king, it may be guarded by the trees on each side of it. But some say that it is
the heart that is meant by the tree of life; since that is the cause of life,
and since that has its position in the middle of the body, as being, according
to them, the dominant part of the body. But these men ought to be made aware
that they are expounding a doctrine which has more reference to medical than to
natural science. But we, as has been said before, affirm that by the tree of
life is meant the most general virtue. (60) And of this tree Moses expressly
says, that it is placed in the middle of the paradise; but as to the other tree,
that namely of the knowledge of good and evil, he has not specified whether it
is within or outside of the Paradise; but after he has used the following
expression, "and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil," he says
no more, not mentioning where it is placed, in order that any one who is
uninitiated in the principles of natural philosophy, may not be made to marvel
at his knowledge. (61) What then must we say? That this tree is both in the XIX.
(63) "And a river goes forth out of XX.
(66) "The name of one river is Pheison. This is that river which encircles
all the But
with reference to the geographical position of virtue, there are two personages,
each invested with distinctive qualities. One, the being who has prudence, the
other, the being who exerts it; and these he likens to the carbuncle and the
emerald. XXI.
(68) "And the name of the second river is Gihon. This is that which
encircles all the XXII.
(70) It is worth while therefore to raise the question why courage has been
spoken of as the second virtue, and temperance as the third, and prudence as the
first; and why Moses has not also explained the course of action of the other
virtues. Now we must understand that our soul is divided into three parts, and
that it has one portion which is conversant about reason; another which is
subject to passion; and another which is that in which the desires are
conceived. And we find that the proper place and abode of the reasoning part of
the soul, is the head; of the passionate part, the chest; and of the part in
which the desires are conceived, the stomach. And we find that appropriate
virtues are adapted to each of these parts. To the rational part, prudence; in
it is the office of reason, to have a knowledge of what one might, and of what
one ought not to do. And the virtue of the passionate part of the soul is
courage: and of the appetitive part, temperance. For it is through temperance
that we remedy and cure the appetites. (71) For as the head is the principle and
uppermost part of the animal, and the chest the next highest, and the liver the
third, in point both of importance and of position; so in the soul again, the
first is the rational part, the second the passionate part, and the third the
appetitive part. In the same way again of the virtues; the first is that which
is conversant about the first portion of the soul, which is the reasoning
portion, and which at the same time has its abode in the head of the body; in
short it is prudence. And the second of the virtues is courage, because it is
conversant about the second portion of the soul, namely, about passion, and has
its abode in the second portion of the body, namely, in the chest. And the third
virtue is temperance, which is placed in the stomach which is the third portion
of the body, and it is conversant about the appetitive part, which has been
allotted the third part of the soul, as being its subject matter. XXIII.
(72) "And the fourth river," continues Moses, "is the river XXIV.
(74) Again, let us look at the subject in this way also. Pheison, being
interpreted, is the change of the mouth; and Evilat means bringing forth, and by
these two names prudence is signified. For people in general think a man prudent
who is an inventor of sophistical expressions, and clever at explaining that
which he has conceived in the mind. But Moses considered such a one a man fond
of words, but by no means a prudent man. For in the changing of the mouth, that
is to say of the power of speaking and explaining one's ideas, prudence is seen.
And prudence is not a certain degree of acuteness in speech, but ability which
is beheld in deeds and in serious actions. (75) And prudence surrounds Evilat,
which is in travail, as it were with a wall, in order to besiege it and destroy
it. And "bringing forth," is an especially appropriate name for folly,
because the foolish mind, being always desirous of what is unattainable, is at
all times in travail. When it is desirous of money it is in labor, also when it
thirsts for glory, or when it is covetous of pleasure, or of any thing else.
(76) But, though always in labor, it never brings forth. For the soul of the
worthless man is not calculated by nature to bring any thing to perfection which
is likely to live. But every thing which it appears to bring forth is found to
be abortive and immature. "Eating up the half of its flesh, and being like
a death of the Soul."{15}{Numbers 12:12.} On which account that holy word
Aaron entreats the pious Moses, who was beloved by God, to heal the leprosy of
Miriam, in order that her soul might not be occupied in the labor of bringing
forth evil things. And in consequence he says: "Let her not become like
unto death, as an abortion proceeding out of the womb of her mother, and let her
not devour the half of her own Flesh."{16}{Numbers 12:13.} XXV.
(77) "That," says Moses, "is the country, where there is
gold." He does not say that that is the only place where there is gold, but
simply that is the country where there is gold. For prudence which he likened to
gold, being of a nature free from deceit, and pure, and tried in the fire, and
thoroughly tested, and honorable, exists there in the wisdom of God. And being
there, it is not a possession of wisdom, but something belonging to the God who
is its creator and owner, whose work and possession this wisdom likewise is.
(78) "And the gold of that land is good." Is there, then, any other
gold which is not good? Beyond all doubt; for the nature of prudence is twofold,
there being one prudence general, and another particular. Therefore, the
prudence that is in me, being particular prudence, is not good; for when I
perish that also will perish together with me; but general or universal
prudence, the abode of which is the wisdom of God and the house of God, is good;
for it is imperishable itself, and dwells in an imperishable habitation. XXVI.
(79) "There also is the carbuncle and the emerald." The two beings
endowed with distinctive qualities, the prudent man and the man who acts
prudently, differ from one another; one of them existing according to prudence,
and the other acting wisely according to the rules of wisdom. For it is on
account of these two beings thus endowed with distinctive qualities God
implanted prudence and virtue in the earth-born man. For what would have been
the use of it, if there had been no reasoning powers in existence to receive it,
and to give impressions of its form? So that virtue is very properly conjoined
with prudence, and the prudent man is rightly joined with him who displays
prudence in his actions; the two being like two precious stones. (80) And may
not they be Judah and Issachar? For the man who puts in practice the prudence of
God confesses himself to be bound to feel gratitude, and to feel it towards him
who has given him what is good without grudging; and he also does honorable and
virtuous actions. Accordingly XXVII.
(85) And it is worth while to raise the question why the two rivers the Pheison
and the Gihon encircle certain countries, the one surrounding Evilat, and the
other Ethiopia, while neither of the other rivers is represented as encompassing
any country. The Tigris is indeed said to flow in front of the land of the
Assyrians, but the XXVIII.
(88) "And the Lord God took the man whom he had made and placed him in the XXIX.
(90) "And the Lord God commanded Adam, saying, Of every tree that is in the
Paradise thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and
evil ye shall not eat; but in the day on which ye eat of it ye shall die the
death." A question may arise here to what kind of Adam he gave this command
and who, this Adam was. For Moses has not made any mention of him before; but
now is the first time that he has named him. Are we then to think that he is
desirous to supply you with the name of the factitious man? "And he calls
him," continues Moses, "Earth." For this is the interpretation of
the name of Adam. Accordingly, when you hear the name Adam, you must think that
he is an earthly and perishable being; for he is made according to an image,
being not earthly but heavenly. (91) But we must inquire how it was that after
he had given names to all the other animals, he did not give one also to
himself. What then are we to say about this? The mind which is in each of us is
able to comprehend all other things, but has not the capability of understanding
itself. For as the eye sees all other things, but cannot see itself, so also the
mind perceives the nature of other things but cannot understand itself. For if
it does, let it tell us what it is, or what kind of thing it is, whether it is a
spirit, or blood, or fire, or air, or any other substance: or even only so much
whether it is a substance at all, or something incorporeal. Are not those men
then simple who speculate on the essence of God? For how can they who are
ignorant of the nature of the essence of their own soul, have any accurate
knowledge of the soul of the universe? For the soul of the universe is according
to our definition, --God. XXX.
(92) It is therefore very natural that Adam, that is to say the mind, when he
was giving names to and displaying his comprehension of the other animals, did
not give a name to himself, because he was ignorant of himself and of his own
nature. A command indeed is given to man, but not to the man created according
to the image and idea of God; for that being is possessed of virtue without any
need of exhortation, by his own instinctive nature, but this other would not
have wisdom if it had not been taught to him: (93) and these three things are
different, command, prohibition, and recommendation. For prohibition is
conversant about errors, and is directed to bad men, but command is conversant
about things rightly done; recommendation again is addressed to men of
intermediate character, neither bad nor good. For such a one does not sin so
that any one has any need to direct prohibition to him, nor does he do right in
every case in accordance with the injunction of right reason. But he is in need
of recommendation, which teaches him to abstain from what is evil, and exhorts
him to aim at what is good. (94) Therefore there is no need of addressing either
command, or prohibition, or recommendation to the man who is perfect, and made
according to the image of God; For the perfect man requires none of these
things; but there is a necessity of addressing both command and prohibition to
the wicked man, and recommendation and instruction to the ignorant man. Just as
the perfect grammarian or perfect musician has need of no instruction in the
matters which belong to his art, but the man whose theories on such subjects are
imperfect stands in need of certain rules, as it were, which contain in
themselves commands and prohibitions, and he who is only learning the art
requires instruction. (95) Very naturally, therefore, does God at present
address commands and recommendations to the earthly mind, which is neither bad
nor good, but of an intermediate character. And recommendation is employed in
the two names, in that of the Lord and of God. For the Lord God commanded that
if man obeyed his recommendations, he should be thought worthy of receiving
benefits from God; but if he rejected his warnings, he should then be cast out
to destruction by the Lord, as his Master and one who had authority over him.
(96) On which account, when he is driven out of Paradise, Moses repeats the same
names; for he says, "And the Lord God sent him forth out of the XXXI.
(97) And the recommendations that he addresses to him are as follows: "Of
every tree that is in the XXXII.
(100) "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil he shall not
eat." Therefore this tree is not in the XXXIII.
(105) Accordingly God says, "In the day in which ye eat of it ye shall die
the death." And yet, though they have eaten of it, they not only do not
die, but they even beget children, and are the causes of life to other beings
besides themselves. What, then, are we to say? Surely that death is of two
kinds; the one being the death of the man, the other the peculiar death of the
soul--now the death of the man is the separation of his soul from his body, but
the death of the soul is the destruction of virtue and the admission of vice;
(106) and consequently God calls that not merely "to die," but
"to die the death;" showing that he is speaking not of common death,
but of that peculiar and especial death which is the death of the soul, buried
in its passions and in all kinds of evil. And we may almost say that one kind of
death is opposed to the other kind. For the one is the separation of what was
previously existing in combination, namely, of body and soul. But this other
death, on the contrary, is a combination of them both, the inferior one, the
body, having the predominance, and the superior one, the soul, being made
subject to it. (107) When, therefore, God says, "to die the death,"
you must remark that he is speaking of that death which is inflicted as
punishment, and not of that which exists by the original ordinance of nature.
The natural death is that one by which the soul is separated from the body. But
the one which is inflicted as a punishment, is when the soul dies according to
the life of virtue, and lives only according to the life of vice. (108) Well,
therefore, did Heraclitus say this, following the doctrine of Moses; for he
says, "We are living according to the death of those men; and we have died
according to their life." As if he had said, now, when we are alive, we are
so though our soul is dead and buried in our body, as if in a tomb. But if it
were to die, then our soul would live according to its proper life, being
released from the evil and dead body to which it is bound. |
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