[2445] Cf. Luke xiv. 11.
[2446] Cf. 1 Cor. i. 29.
[2447] ton apeiron aiona.
[2448] sunergethenai .
[2449] anastoicheiothenai.
[2450] pentekontaetian. Rufinus has "sexaginta annos."
[2451] aperanton aiona.
[2452] eikoni.
[2453] tachion.
[2454] propetesteron, kai ouchi hodo ep' auta hodeusase.
[2455] Cf. Wisd. vii. 16.
[2456] Ezek. xi. 19, 20.
[2457] apo ton psilon rheton to eph' hemin anairon.
[2458] cheiragogesein.
[2459] Mark iv. 12.
[2460] omotes.
[2461] demiourgou.
[2462] he amuntike kai antapodotike ton cheironon proairesis.
[2463] eugnomonos.
[2464] oudenos elatton.
[2465] heoramenous ou bebaious esesthai en te epistrophe.
[2466] ton bathuteron.
[2467] epi pleion emphorethentas.
[2468] hos eikos mallon porro ontes tes axias ton exo.
[2469] ei me mallon hemeis pros to exetastiko kai to eusebes pante agonizometha terein peri Theou, etc.
[2470] diatheseis.
[2471] Rom. ix. 16.
[2472] kataskeues.
[2473] kataskeuasantos.
[2474] proaireseos.
[2475] para ten enargeian.
[2476] ta kreittona.
[2477] ton meson esti.
[2478] asteion.
[2479] Rom. ix. 16.
[2480] ode ton anabathmon.
[2481] Ps. cxxvii. 1.
[2482] ouk an ptaioimen.
[2483] 1 Cor. iii. 6, 7.
[2484] he hemetera teleiosis ouchi meden hemon praxanton ginetai.
[2485] apartizetai.
[2486] pnoen.
[2487] eukrasian.
[2488] arithmon.
[2489] eis huperbolen pollaplasion.
[2490] eklambanein.
[2491] exeilephasi ta kata ton topon.
[2492] Cf. Phil. ii. 13.
[2493] ta diapheronta.
[2494] hemeis men edoxamen, ho de Theos tauta edoresato.
[2495] to katholou thelein.
[2496] eulogos.
[2497] to eidikon tode.
[2498] to men genikon, to kineisthai.
[2499] demiourgou.
[2500] Rom. ix. 18-21.
[2501] 2 Tim. i. 16-18.
[2502] ou kata ton auton de apostolon esti.
[2503] para ten aitian tou demiourgou.
[2504] hugies.
[2505] 2 Cor. v. 10.
[2506] epi touto praxeos.
[2507] 2 Tim. ii. 20, 21.
[2508] aperikatharton heauton periidon.
[2509] prognosin.
[2510] prokatakrinei e prodikaioi.
[2511] ek presbuteron aition.
[2512] hoson epi te hupokeimene phusei.
[2513] henos phuramatos ton logikon hupostaseon.
[2514] Cf. Ex. xix. 19.
[2515] kata philoneikian.
[2516] sozousi.
[2517] ek proteron tinon katorthomaton.
[2518] to eph' hemin.
[2519] episteme: probably in the sense of prognosis.
[2520] tes katachreseos tou kat' axian tou eph' hemin. "Nec sine usu liberi nostri arbitrii, quod peculiare nobis et meriti nostri est" (Redepenning).
[2521] oute tou epi to Theo monon.
[2522] hulen tina diaphoras.
Chapter II.--On the Opposing Powers.
1. We have now to notice, agreeably to the statements of Scripture, how the opposing powers, or the devil himself, contends with the human race, inciting and instigating men to sin. And in the first place, in the book of Genesis, [2523] the serpent is described as having seduced Eve; regarding whom, in the work entitled The Ascension of Moses [2524] (a little treatise, of which the Apostle Jude makes mention in his Epistle), the archangel Michael, when disputing with the devil regarding the body of Moses, says that the serpent, being inspired by the devil, was the cause of Adam and Eve's transgression. This also is made a subject of inquiry by some, viz., who the angel was that, speaking from heaven to Abraham, said, "Now I know that thou fearest God, and on my account hast not spared thy beloved son, whom thou lovedst." [2525] For he is manifestly described as an angel who said that he knew then that Abraham feared God, and had not spared his beloved son, as the Scripture declares, although he did not say that it was on account of God that Abraham had done this, but on his, that is, the speaker's account. We must also ascertain who that is of whom it is stated in the book of Exodus that he wished to slay Moses, because he was taking his departure for Egypt; [2526] and afterwards, also, who he is that is called the destroying [2527] angel, as well as he who in the book of Leviticus is called Apopompæus, i.e., Averter, regarding whom Scripture says, "One lot for the Lord, and one lot for Apopompæus, i.e., the Averter." [2528] In the first book of Kings, also, an evil spirit is said to strangle [2529] Saul; and in the third book, Micaiah the prophet says, "I saw the Lord of Israel sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him, on His right hand and on His left. And the Lord said, Who will deceive Achab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner. And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and said, I will deceive him. And the Lord said to him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And He said, Thou shalt deceive him, and prevail also: go forth, and do so quickly. And now therefore the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all thy prophets: the Lord hath spoken evil concerning thee." [2530] Now by this last quotation it is clearly shown that a certain spirit, from his own (free) will and choice, elected to deceive (Achab), and to work a lie, in order that the Lord might mislead the king to his death, for he deserved to suffer. In the first book of Chronicles also it is said, "The devil, Satan, stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number the people." [2531] In the Psalms, moreover, an evil angel is said to harass [2532] certain persons. In the book of Ecclesiastes, too, Solomon says, "If the spirit of the ruler rise up against thee, leave not thy place; for soundness will restrain many transgressions." [2533] In Zechariah [2534] we read that the devil stood on the right hand of Joshua, and resisted him. Isaiah says that the sword of the Lord arises against the dragon, the crooked [2535] serpent. [2536] And what shall I say of Ezekiel, who in his second vision prophesies most unmistakeably to the prince of Tyre regarding an opposing power, and who says also that the dragon dwells in the rivers of Egypt? [2537] Nay, with what else are the contents of the whole work which is written regarding Job occupied, save with the (doings) of the devil, who asks that power may be given him over all that Job possesses, and over his sons, and even over his person? And yet the devil is defeated through the patience of Job. In that book the Lord has by His answers imparted much information regarding the power of that dragon which opposes us. Such, meanwhile, are the statements made in the Old Testament, so far as we can at present recall them, on the subject of hostile powers being either named in Scripture, or being said to oppose the human race, and to be afterwards subjected to punishment.
Let us now look also to the New Testament, where Satan approaches the Saviour, and tempts Him: wherein also it is stated that evil spirits and unclean demons, which had taken possession of very many, were expelled by the Saviour from the bodies of the sufferers, who are said also to be made free by Him. Even Judas, too, when the devil had already put it in his heart to betray Christ, afterwards received Satan wholly into him; for it is written, that after the sop "Satan entered into him." [2538] And the Apostle Paul teaches us that we ought not to give place to the devil; but "put on," he says, "the armour of God, that ye may be able to resist the wiles of the devil:" [2539] pointing out that the saints have to "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." [2540] Nay, he says that the Saviour even was crucified by the princes of this world, who shall come to nought, [2541] whose wisdom also, he says, he does not speak. By all this, therefore, holy Scripture teaches us that there are certain invisible enemies that fight against us, and against whom it commands us to arm ourselves. Whence, also, the more simple among the believers in the Lord Christ are of opinion, that all the sins which men have committed are caused by the persistent efforts of these opposing powers exerted upon the minds of sinners, because in that invisible struggle these powers are found to be superior (to man). For if, for example, there were no devil, no single human being [2542] would go astray.
2. We, however, who see the reason (of the thing) more clearly, do not hold this opinion, taking into account those (sins) which manifestly originate as a necessary consequence of our bodily constitution. [2543] Must we indeed suppose that the devil is the cause of our feeling hunger or thirst? Nobody, I think, will venture to maintain that. If, then, he is not the cause of our feeling hunger and thirst, wherein lies the difference when each individual has attained the age of puberty, and that period has called forth the incentives of the natural heat? It will undoubtedly follow, that as the devil is not the cause of our feeling hunger and thirst, so neither is he the cause of that appetency which naturally arises at the time of maturity, viz., the desire of sexual intercourse. Now it is certain that this cause is not always so set in motion by the devil that we should be obliged to suppose that bodies would nor possess a desire for intercourse of that kind if the devil did not exist. Let us consider, in the next place, if, as we have already shown, food is desired by human beings, not from a suggestion of the devil, but by a kind of natural instinct, whether, if there were no devil, it were possible for human experience to exhibit such restraint in partaking of food as never to exceed the proper limits; i.e., that no one would either take otherwise than the case required, or more than reason would allow; and so it would result that men, observing due measure and moderation in the matter of eating, would never go wrong. I do not think, indeed, that so great moderation could be observed by men (even if there were no instigation by the devil inciting thereto), as that no individual, in partaking of food, would go beyond due limits and restraint, until he had learned to do so from long usage and experience. What, then, is the state of the case? In the matter of eating and drinking it was possible for us to go wrong, even without any incitement from the devil, if we should happen to be either less temperate or less careful (than we ought); and are we to suppose, then, in our appetite for sexual intercourse, or in the restraint of our natural desires, our condition is not something similar? [2544] I am of opinion, indeed, that the same course of reasoning must be understood to apply to other natural movements as those of covetousness, or of anger, or of sorrow, or of all those generally which through the vice of intemperance exceed the natural bounds of moderation. There are therefore manifest reasons for holding the opinion, that as in good things the human will [2545] is of itself weak to accomplish any good (for it is by divine help that it is brought to perfection in everything); so also, in things of an opposite nature we receive certain initial elements, and, as it were, seeds of sins, from those things which we use agreeably to nature; [2546] but when we have indulged them beyond what is proper, and have not resisted the first movements to intemperance, then the hostile power, seizing the occasion of this first transgression, incites and presses us hard in every way, seeking to extend our sins over a wider field, and furnishing us human beings with occasions and beginnings of sins, which these hostile powers spread far and wide, and, if possible, beyond all limits. Thus, when men at first for a little desire money, covetousness begins to grow as the passion increases, and finally the fall into avarice takes place. And after this, when blindness of mind has succeeded passion, and the hostile powers, by their suggestions, hurry on the mind, money is now no longer desired, but stolen, and acquired by force, or even by shedding human blood. Finally, a confirmatory evidence of the fact that vices of such enormity proceed from demons, may be easily seen in this, that those individuals who are oppressed either by immoderate love, or incontrollable anger, or excessive sorrow, do not suffer less than those who are bodily vexed by devils. For it is recorded in certain histories, that some have fallen into madness from a state of love, others from a state of anger, not a few from a state of sorrow, and even from one of excessive joy; which results, I think, from this, that those opposing powers, i.e., those demons, having gained a lodgment in their minds which has been already laid open to them by intemperance, have taken complete possession of their sensitive nature, [2547] especially when no feeling of the glory of virtue has aroused them to resistance.