§36Δεῖ τοίνυν ἐπ᾿ ἴσης τῷ βουλομένῳ τὸ πειθόμενον ἔχειν τὸν μαθητὴν καὶ τῷ πόθῳ τὴν πίστιν ἐγκαταμίξαντα γυμνάζειν καὶ μελετᾶν, ἑκάστοτε πρὸς ἑαυτὸν τὴν τῶν θεωρημάτων ἀλήθειαν ἐξετάζοντα·
Therefore, equally with the one who wishes to have an obedient disciple, the disciple himself must, mixing faith with desire, practice and study, examining on each occasion the truth of the doctrines with respect to himself.
ἐπειδὰν δὲ εὖ ἔχειν αὐτῷ δοκῇ, τότε δὴ καὶ εἰς τὰς τῶν πέλας ζητήσεις καθιέναι· ἐπεὶ καὶ οἱ νεοττοὶ προαποπειρῶνται τοῦ πετάσαι ἐπὶ τῆς καλιᾶς γυμνάσαντες τὰ πτερά.
And when it seems to him to be well, then indeed he may also enter into the inquiries of his neighbors; since even nestlings, having trained their wings, make preliminary attempts to fly over the nest.
§37Ἡ γὰρ ἀρετὴ ἡ γνωστικὴ πανταχοῦ καλὸν καὶ πρᾶον καὶ ἀβλαβὲς καὶ ἄλυπον καὶ μακάριον καὶ παρεσκευασμένον ἄριστα μὲν ὁμιλεῖν παντὶ τῷ θείῳ, ἄριστα δ᾿ ἀνθρώποις, θεωρητικὸν ὁμοῦ καὶ πρακτικόν, ἄγαλμα θεῖον τὸν ἄνθρωπον κατασκευάζουσα καὶ φιλόκαλον ἀπεργαζομένη δι᾿ ἀγάπης·
For gnostic virtue is everywhere beautiful, gentle, harmless, painless, blessed, and excellently prepared to associate with all that is divine and excellently with men, being at once contemplative and active, fashioning man into a divine image and making him a lover of beauty through love.
τὸ γὰρ καλὸν ὡς ἐκεῖ σοφίᾳ θεωρητὸν καὶ νοητόν, ἐνταῦθα σωφροσύνῃ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ διὰ πίστεως πρακτόν, ἐν σαρκὶ μελετήσαντος ἀγγελικὴν ὑπουργίαν, ὥσπερ ἐν τόπῳ διαφανεῖ καὶ ἀμιάντῳ τῷ σώματι τὸν νοῦν καθιερώσαντος.
For beauty is there contemplated and understood by wisdom, but here it is practiced through temperance and justice by means of faith, in the case of one who has practiced angelic service in the flesh, having consecrated his mind in the body as if in a transparent and undefiled place.
§38Πρὸς δὲ Τατιανὸν λέγοντα εὐκτικὸν εἶναι τὸ »γενηθήτω φῶς« λεκτέον· εἰ τοίνυν εὐχόμενος ᾔδει τὸν ὑπερκείμενον θεόν, πῶς λέγει »ἐγὼ θεὸς καὶ πλὴν ἐμοῦ ἄλλος οὐδείς«; §39Εἶπε μὲν ὡς κολάσεις εἰσὶ βλασφημιῶν, φλυαρίας, ἀκολάστων ῥημάτων, λόγῳ κολαζομένων καὶ παιδευομένων· ἔφασκεν δὲ καὶ διὰ τὰς τρίχας κολάζεσθει καὶ τὸν κόσμον τὰς γυναῖκας ὑπὸ δυνάμεως τῆς ἐπὶ τούτοις τεταγμένης, ἣ καὶ τῷ Σαμψὼν δύναμιν παρεῖχε ταῖς θριξίν, ἥτις κολάζει τὰς διὰ κόσμου τριχῶν ἐπὶ πορνείαν ὁρμώσας.
But against Tatian, who says that 'Let there be light' is a prayer, it must be said: 'If therefore, while praying, he knew the God who is above him, how does he say, "I am God, and besides me there is no other"?' He said indeed that there are punishments for blasphemies, babblings, and licentious words, as they are punished and disciplined by the Word; and he also asserted that women are punished for their hair and ornaments by the power appointed over these things, which also supplied strength to Samson in his hair, and which punishes those who, through the ornament of their hair, are impelled toward fornication.
§40Καθάπερ ἀγαθοῦ ἀπορροίᾳ ἀγαθύνονται, οὕτως καὶ κακοῦ κακοῦνται.
Just as by the emanation of good they are made good, so also by evil they are made evil.
καλὴ ἡ κρίσις τοῦ θεοῦ, ἥ τε διάκρισις ἡ τῶν πιστῶν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀπίστων ἥ τε πρόκρισις ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ μείζονι περιπεσεῖν κρίσει ἥ τε κρίσις παίδευσις οὖσα.
Beautiful is the judgment of God, both the separation of the believers from the unbelievers, and the pre-election so as not to fall into a greater judgment, and the judgment being a discipline.
§41Ἡ γραφή φησι τὰ βρέφη τὰ ἐκτεθέντα τημελούχῳ παραδίδοσθαι ἀγγέλῳ, ὑφ᾿ οὗ παιδεύεσθαί τε καὶ αὔξειν, »καὶ ἔσονται«, φησίν, »ὡς οἱ ἑκατὸν ἐτῶν ἐνταῦθα πιστοί. «
Διὸ καὶ Πέτρος ἐν τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει φησί· »καὶ ἀστραπὴ πυρὸς πηδῶσα ἀπὸ τῶν βρεφῶν ἐκείνων καὶ πλήσσουσα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῶν γυναικῶν· « ἐπεὶ ὁ δίκαιος »ὡς σπινθὴρ διὰ καλάμης ἐκλάμπει καὶ κρίνει ἔθνη. « §42»Μετὰ ὁσίου ὁσιωθήσῃ. « κατὰ αἶνον ὁσίων δεδόξασται τὸ ὄνομά σου, κατ᾿ ἐπίγνωσιν ἡμῶν δοξαζομένου τοῦ θεοῦ [κατά τε τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν κατά τε τὴν κληρονομίαν].
The Scripture says that exposed infants are delivered to a guardian angel, by whom they are disciplined and grow, 'and they shall be,' it says, 'like the believers of a hundred years here.' Therefore Peter also says in the Apocalypse: 'And a flash of fire leaping from those infants and striking the eyes of the women;' since the righteous 'shines forth like a spark through stubble and judges nations.' 'With the holy you will be made holy.' According to the praise of the holy ones your name has been glorified, with God being glorified according to our knowledge.
οὕτω καὶ τὸ »ζῇ κύριος« καὶ τὸ »ἀνέστη κύριος«. §43»Λαὸς ὃν οὐκ ἔγνων. ἐδούλευσέν μοι· « κατὰ διαθήκην οὐκ ἔγνων.
So also 'The Lord lives' and 'The Lord has risen.' 'A people whom I knew not served me;' according to the covenant, I knew them not.
»Υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι· « τὰ τοῦ ἄλλου ἐζηλωκότες.
'Alien sons;' those who have envied the things of another.
§44»Μεγαλύνων τὰς σωτηρίας τοῦ βασιλέως αὐτοῦ. « βασιλεῖς πάντες λέγονται οἱ πιστοί, κεκλημένοι εἰς βασιλείαν κατά τε τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν κατά τε τὴν κληρονομίαν.
'Magnifying the salvations of His king.' All believers are called kings, having been called into the kingdom both according to knowledge and according to inheritance.
§45»Ἡ μακροθυμία γλυκύτης ἐστὶν ὑπὲρ τὸ μέλι«, οὐχ ὅτι ἐστὶ μακροθυμία, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν καρπὸν τῆς μακροθυμίας.
'Patience is sweetness above honey,' not because it is patience, but according to the fruit of patience.
ἐπεὶ οὐδὲ ὁ ἐγκρατής ἐστιν ἀπαθής, κρατῶν οὐκ ἀπόνως τῶν παθῶν· ὅταν δὲ ἕξις γένηται, οὐκέτι ἐγκρατής, ἐν μιᾷ ἕξει τῷ ἁγίῳ πνεύματι γενομένου τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.
Since neither is the self-controlled person passionless, controlling the passions not without pain; but when it becomes a habit, he is no longer self-controlled, the man having come into a single habit with the Holy Spirit.
§46»Πνεύματα· « λέγεται τὰ πάθη τὰ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ οὐκ ἐξ οὐσίας πνεύματα, ἐπεὶ ἔσται ἐμπαθὴς ἄνθρωπος λεγεὼν δαιμόνων, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν [προ]τροπήν.
'Spirits;' the passions in the soul are not called spirits by essence, since a passionate man would be a legion of demons, but according to tendency.
ἡ γὰρ αὐτὴ ψυχὴ κατὰ μεταβολὰς ἄλλας καὶ ἄλλας ποιότητας κακίας ἀναδεχομένη πνεύματα λέγεται ἀνειληφέναι.
For the same soul, receiving other and other qualities of wickedness according to changes, is said to have taken in spirits.
§47Ὁ λόγος τῆς κτήσεως ἀφίστασθαι οὐ κελεύει, ἀλλ᾿ ἀπροσπαθῶς διοικεῖν τὴν κτῆσιν.
The Word does not command to depart from possessions, but to manage possessions without attachment.
ἐπισυμβάντος δέ τινος μὴ ἀγανακτεῖν μηδὲ λυπεῖσθαι μηδὲ ἐπιθυμεῖν κτήσασθαι· τῆς ἐν πάθει γὰρ κτήσεως ἀφίστασθαι κελεύει καὶ πάσης προσπαθείας.
And if something happens, not to be indignant, nor to grieve, nor to desire to acquire; for He commands to depart from possession in passion and from all attachment.
Ἡ θεία πρόνοια οὐ καταστρέφει ἐπὶ μόνους τοὺς ἐν σαρκί.
Divine providence does not limit itself only to those in the flesh.