[3374] Lit. "of their nature."
[3375] Lit. "the strength of their exactness," i.e., their exact (or complete) strength. Cureton has, "their force of energy."
[3376] "being lessened," or "lowered."
[3377] Lit. "do not take place by."
[3378] Cureton renders, "have the use of his hands:" Merx gives "etwas erwirbt."
[3379] Or "towns."
[3380] Lit. "without ill-will."
[3381] Lit. "every man in whom there is a soul."
[3382] Lit. "can do rejoicing."
[3383] The Greek zizania.
[3384] Lit. "a mind the son of the free."
[3385] Lit. "is the man's own."
[3386] Lit. "is not sound in his nature."
[3387] Cureton, "for good hope." But *** is a common expression for "in hope," as in Rom. viii. 20.
[3388] Lit. "did one deed."
[3389] Lit. "used one mind."
[3390] Lit. "in whom there is a soul."
[3391] Phusis.
[3392] Lit. "as children of the free."
[3393] Lit. "in which there is a soul."
[3394] Lit. "let him see."
[3395] Lit. "patient," i.e., tolerant of the craving which seeks gratification.
[3396] Lit. "in which they had stood."
[3397] Or "volitions."
[3398] Lit. "have stood in."
[3399] So Merx, "in either Rede." Cureton, "by a vain plea."
[3400] Lit. "this knowledge of art (or skill)."
[3401] To what other work of his he refers is not known.
[3402] Cureton, "is capable." Dr. Payne Smith (Thes. Syr., s.v.) says, referring to *** as used in this passage: "eget, cupit, significare videtur."
[3403] So Dr. Payne Smith. Merx renders, "Even that which men desire to do." Cureton has, "and the same men meditate to do."
[3404] Lit. "the sevenths."
[3405] Lit. "Chaldæans."
[3406] Lit. "my weakness."
[3407] Or "sects" (haireseis).
[3408] Lit. "rich."
[3409] ***, Shlitâne. [Of Angels, see vol. i. p. 269.]
[3410] ***, Medabhrâne. Merx, p. 74, referring to the Peshito of Gen. i. 16, thinks that by the Potentates are meant the sun and moon, and by the Governors the five planets.
[3411] [The book of Job and the Book of Ecclesiastes, with the eloquent and pathetic remonstrance (chap. iii. 18-22) "concerning the estate of the sons of men," are proofs that God foresaw the struggles of faith against the apparently unequal ways and rulings of Providence. For popular answers see Parnell's Hermit, and Addison, Spectator, No. 237. But a valuable comment may be found in Wordsworth's Bampton Lectures (for 1881) on the one Religion, p. 5, Oxford, Parker, 1881.]
[3412] Merx renders *** by "emanation," quoting two passages from Eph. Syr. where the root *** is used of the issuing of water from a fountain. Dr. Payne Smith says: "The word seems to mean no more than cursus: cf. Eusb., Theoph., i. 31. 5, 55. 1, 83, 22, where it is used of the stars; and i. 74. 13, where it means the course of nature."
[3413] Read *** for ***.
[3414] Lit. "in their descents."
[3415] Lit. "in their descents."
[3416] Or "nativity," "natal hour" (*** = place of birth, "Geburtshaus:" Merx).
[3417] Lit. "this agent of change." Cureton, "this alternation." "Das diese Veränderung bewirkende Agens" is the rendering of Merx.
[3418] Dr. Payne Smith thinks the reference to be to the Gnostic nous, psuche, and soma, which seem to be spoken of just before. This difficult passage is rendered by Cureton: "And this alternation itself is called the Fortune, and the Nativity of this assemblage, which is being sifted and purified for the assistance of that which," etc. Merx has, "...zur Unterstützung des Dinges, welches...unterstützt worden ist und unterstützt bleibt bis zur Vernichtung des Weltalls."
[3419] Lit. "are Nature's own."
[3420] Lit. "a sufficiency in measure for all bodies."
[3421] Lit. "be heads to."
[3422] Lit. "know ye distinctly."
[3423] Or "heads."
[3424] Lit. "agent of change," as above. Merx: "das Veränderungs-princip."
[3425] Lit. "excellence."
[3426] i.e., zones of the earth. See p. 732, note 2, infra.
[3427] Or, "power as to themselves."
[3428] Lit. "the matter compels thee to be convinced."
[3429] Lit. "Chaldæans."
[3430] Lit. "Chaldaism."
[3431] The Greek klima, denoting one of the seven belts (see p. 732, below) into which the earth's latitude was said to be divided. The Arabs also borrowed the word.
[3432] Or "family."
[3433] That is, their own "houses," as below. Each house had one of the heavenly bodies as its "lord," who was stronger, or better "located" in his own house than in any other. Also, of two planets equally strong in other respects, that which was in the strongest house was the stronger. The strength of the houses was determined by the order in which they rose, the strongest being that about to rise, which was called the ascendant.
[3434] Lit. "the signs of humanity."
[3435] The text adds ***.
[3436] Lit. "while Mars was witness to them."
[3437] The difficult word *** is not found in the lexicons. Dr. Payne Smith remarks that it could only come from ***, which verb, however, throws away its ***, so that the form would be ***. He suggests, doubtfully, that the right reading is ***, from ***, which is used occasionally for appetite, and forms such an adjective in the sense of animosus, animâ præditus; and that if so, it may, like *** in Jude 19 and 1 Cor. xv. 44, 46, be = psuchikoi, having an animal nature, sensual. Eusebius and Cæsarius have spatalous, a word of similar force.
[3438] Cureton's rendering, "and some adorn themselves," etc., is not so good, as being a repetition of what has already been said. It is also doubtful whether the words can be so construed. The Greek of Eusebius gives the sense as in the text: kosmousai pollo chruso kai lithois barutimois tous hippous. If ***, horses, be masc., or masc. only, as Bernstein gives it, the participle should be altered to the same gender. But Dr. Payne Smith remarks that Amira in his Grammar makes it fem. Possibly the word takes both genders; possibly, too, the women of Bactria rode on mares.
[3439] Lit. "possess."
[3440] The zenith.
[3441] Lit. "name," or "report."
[3442] Lit. "made."
[3443] Lit. "is not very angry."
[3444] Eusebius has, Par' Ellesi de kai hoi sophoi eromenous echontes ou psegontai.
[3445] Lit. "how many times."
[3446] The text of Eusebius and the Recognitions is followed, which agrees better with the context. The Syriac reads "Germans."
[3447] So Eusebius: anchonimaio moro. Otherwise "suffocation."
[3448] So called from containing each ten of the parts or degrees into which the zodiacal circle is divided. Cf. Hahn, Bardesanes Gnosticus, p. 72.
[3449] Lit. "who surround the whole world."
[3450] Lit. "have been in all the winds."
[3451] Lit. "for."
[3452] Lit. "able."
[3453] Lit. "commands."
[3454] According to Neander, General Church History, i. 109, this was the Abgar Bar Manu with whom Bardesan is said to have stood very high. His conversion is placed between 160 and 170 a.d.
[3455] For ***, Merx, by omitting one ***, gives ***, "readings." But what is meant is not clear. Ephraem Syrus ascribes certain compositions of this name to Bardesanes. Cf. Hahn, Bard. Gnost., p. 28.
[3456] Or "Hutra."
[3457] Lit. "this man who is seen."
[3458] Lit. "all natures."
[3459] Lit. "this order."
[3460] Lit. "natures."
[3461] The Greek sunodoi.
[3462] The five planets are called by their Greek names, Kronos, k.t.l.
Ancient Syriac Documents.
------------------------
A Letter of Mara, Son of Serapion. [3463]
Mara, son of Serapion, to Serapion, my son: peace.
When thy master and guardian wrote me a letter, and informed me that thou wast very diligent in study, though so young in years, I blessed God that thou, a little boy, and without a guide to direct thee, hadst begun in good earnest; and to myself also this was a comfort--that I heard of thee, little boy as thou art, as displaying such greatness of mind and conscientiousness: [3464] a character which, in the case of many who have begun well, has shown no eagerness to continue.
On this account, lo, I have written for thee this record, touching that which I have by careful observation discovered in the world. For the kind of life men lead has been carefully observed by me. I tread the path of learning, [3465] and from the study of Greek philosophy [3466] have I found out all these things, although they suffered shipwreck when the birth of life took place. [3467]
Be diligent, then, my son, in attention to those things which are becoming for the free, [3468] so as to devote thyself to learning, and to follow after wisdom; and endeavour thus to become confirmed in those habits with which thou hast begun. Call to mind also my precepts, as a quiet person who is fond of the pursuit of learning. And, even though such a life should seem to thee very irksome, yet when thou hast made experience of it for a little while, it will become very pleasant to thee: for to me also it so happened. When, moreover, a person has left his home, and is able still to preserve his previous character, and properly does that which it behoves him to do, he is that chosen man who is called "the blessing of God," and one who does not find aught else to compare with his freedom. [3469] For, as for those persons who are called to the pursuit of learning, they are seeking to extricate themselves from the turmoils of time; and those who take hold upon wisdom, they are clinging to the hope of righteousness; and those who take their stand on truth, they are displaying the banner of their virtue; and those who cultivate philosophy, they are looking to escape from the vexations of the world. And do thou too, my son, thus wisely behave thyself in regard to these things, as a wise person who seeks to spend a pure life; and beware lest the gain which many hunger after enervate thee, and thy mind turn to covet riches, which have no stability. For, when they are acquired by fraud, they do not continue; nor, even when justly obtained, do they last; and all those things which are seen by thee in the world, as belonging to that which is only for a little time, are destined to depart like a dream: for they are but as the risings and settings of the seasons.
About the objects of that vainglory, too, of which the life of men is full, be not thou solicitous: seeing that from those things which give us joy there quickly comes to us harm. Most especially is this the case with the birth of beloved children. For in two respects it plainly brings us harm: in the case of the virtuous, our very affection for them torments us, and from their very excellence of character we suffer torture; and, in the case of the vicious, we are worried with their correction, and afflicted with their misconduct.
Thou hast heard, [3470] moreover, concerning our companions, that, when they were leaving Samosata, they were distressed about it, and, as if complaining of the time in which their lot was cast, said thus: "We are now far removed from our home, and we cannot return again to our city, or behold our people, or offer to our gods the greeting of praise." Meet was it that that day should be called a day of lamentation, because one heavy grief possessed them all alike. For they wept as they remembered their fathers, and they thought of their mothers [3471] with sobs, and they were distressed for their brethren, and grieved for their betrothed whom they had left behind. And, although we had heard that their [3472] former companions were proceeding to Seleucia, we clandestinely set out, and proceeded on the way towards them, and united our own misery with theirs. Then was our grief exceedingly violent, and fitly did our weeping abound, by reason of our desperate plight, and our wailing gathered itself into a dense cloud, [3473] and our misery grew vaster than a mountain: for not one of us had the power to ward off the disasters that assailed him. For affection for the living was intense, as well as sorrow for the dead, and our miseries were driving us on without any way of escape. For we saw our brethren and our children captives, and we remembered our deceased companions, who were laid to rest in a foreign [3474] land. Each one of us, too, was anxious for himself, lest he should have disaster added to disaster, or lest another calamity should overtake that which went before it. What enjoyment could men have that were prisoners, and who experienced things like these?
But as for thee, my beloved, be not distressed because in thy loneliness thou hast [3475] been driven from place to place. For to these things men are born, since they are destined to meet with the accidents of time. But rather let thy thought be this, that to wise men every place is alike, and that in every city the good have many fathers and mothers. Else, if thou doubt it, take thee a proof from what thou hast seen thyself. How many people who know thee not love thee as one of their own children; and what a host of women receive thee as they would their own beloved ones! Verily, as a stranger thou hast been fortunate; verily, for thy small love many people have conceived an ardent affection for thee.