Equal wage from God; approach churches washed—Book 14 ends
Cyril: ...equal the wage from the prize-giver God. So then the young race is somehow unbridled, and does not very much bear the bridles unto continence. But unshaken was the all-divine Joseph, not having the relaxed of youth unpedagogued, not fearing that he was a stranger and house-servant. For he had been forced unto both by the brothers, being sold-down to the Ishmaelites. And since he was stronger than both pleasure the most polluted, and the movements unto wantonness, the little-woman slanders, and makes reverse for the youth the writing. And him, not yielding to her asks, she was calling insolent. And a bound one thereafter the youth was; yet by divine grace he was being saved, and a wage of continence he gained-out at once, the ruling all the land of the Egyptians. So then even if the matter should have labors, even if heavy sweats should lie-before of the boasts unto continence, not great is the word, for the one having altogether chosen to God-love; for he will have, he will have also equal the from God. Therefore those wishing to frequent the churches must approach washed from sin's stain—clean in manners as the law's clean creatures, continent as Joseph—so as to stand beside God in spirit and truth (Genesis 39) (Genesis 41).
Greek
ηβον εἶναι γένος, καὶ χαλινῶν τῶν εἰς ἐγκράτειαν οὐ λίαν ἀνέχεται. Ἀλλ' ἦν ἀκλόνητος ὁ θεσπέσιος Ἰωσὴφ, οὐ τὸ τῆς νεότητος ἀνειμένον ἀπαιδαγώγητον ἔχων, οὐ δεδιὼς ὅτι ξένος ἦν καὶ οἰκέτης. Ἐκβεβίαστο γὰρ εἰς ἄμφω παρὰ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τοῖς Ἰσμαηλίταις καταπωλούμενος. Ἐπεὶ δὲ κρείττων ἦν ἡδονῆς τε ἅμα τῆς μυσαρωτάτης, καὶ τῶν εἰς ἀσέλγειαν κινημάτων, συκοφαντεῖ τὸ γύναιον, καὶ ἀντίστροφον τῷ νέῳ ποιεῖται τὴν γραφήν. Τὸν δὲ, οὐκ εἴκοντα τοῖς αὐτῆς αἰτήμασιν, ὑβριστὴν ἀπεκάλει. Καὶ δεσμώτης μὲν ἐντεῦθεν ὁ νεανίας ἦν· θείᾳ γε μὴν χάριτι διεσώζετο, καὶ μισθὸν ἐγκρατείας ἀποκεκέρδηκεν εὐθὺς, τὸ ἁπάσης κατάρξαι τῆς Αἰγυπτίων χώρας. Οὐκοῦν κἂν εἰ ἔχοι τὸ χρῆμα πόνους, κἂν ἱδρῶτες προκέοιντο βαρεῖς τῶν εἰς ἐγκράτειαν αὐχημάτων, οὐ πολὺς ὁ λόγος, τῷ γε ὅλως φιλοθεεῖν ᾑρημένῳ· ἕξει γὰρ, ἕξει καὶ ἰσοπαλῆ τὸν ἔπαινον, καὶ ἰσοῤῥόπους τὰς ἀμοιβάς. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Δαβὶδ, ταῖς ἐπὶ τοῦτο τληπαθείαις ἀποθαυμάζει λέγων, τὸν ἀξιεπαινετώτατον νεανίαν, «Εἰς δοῦλον ἐπράθη Ἰωσὴφ, ἐταπείνωσαν ἐν πέδαις τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, σίδηρον διῆλθεν ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ.» Σίδηρον, οἶμαι, λέγων, τὴν σκληρὰν καὶ ἄθραυστον τῶν ἱδρώτων προσβολὴν, δι' ὧν ἂν γένοιτο καταστέλλειν ἁμαρτίας καὶ ῥύπου παντὸς ἀποφοιτᾷν, τῆς γε μὴν ἁγίας καὶ καθαρωτάτης ἐφικέσθαι ζωῆς, φημὶ δὴ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς τε καὶ ἐν Χριστῷ, δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα, σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 14 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 14 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 14 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 14)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 14)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.