Moses rebukes the victors; leaders judged more strictly

high priest, and the saints’ successes are not unclear to the peoples, according at least to: ‘For there is not a hidden thing which will not be manifested, nor a concealed thing which will not be known, and come into the open.’ The things from the captivity are therefore led in the priest’s sight, and of all the people, typically and economically. Yet Moses was rebuking the conquerors as not having composed the deed according to the precise and altogether unblamable word; for one must not, he says, take the male alive, nor again a female experienced of marriage. And the word of the history is persuasive; for one must, one must, shear off the male from the land about to be under them as soon as not yet, as about to come after a little unto youth and strength, and about to be hostile to the people; and the female also must be destroyed together, having become a cause of scandal, and if she had been saved, perhaps about to be so again; yet as far as it comes unto the spiritual contemplation, that, I think somewhere, one might see elegantly hinted for us in these things.

Palladius: What sort of thing do you say?

Cyril: The chosen of the tribes have not remained unaccused, although having taken the victory; through which it is signaled, and very clearly, that the altogether blameless would not even ever belong to those playing the man themselves. For even our seeming to have worked rightly would somehow not be without blame and charge, God examining carefully and testing. Therefore it has also been written: ‘If you watch lawlessnesses, Lord, Lord, who will stand?’ And again: ‘From my hidden things cleanse me, and from foreigners spare your servant; if they do not master me, then I will be blameless.’ It is possible then sometimes even in the chosen ones’ manlinesses to see a holy blame, which the lawgiver’s knowledge looks down upon, yet passes us by; for we somehow do not understand, according to: ‘Transgressions—who will understand?’ And Isaiah also says somewhere that all our righteousness is as a sitting woman’s rag. Because of being able never to have unto the extreme elegantly and blamelessly. And Paul the wisest, having written ‘For I am conscious of nothing for myself,’ says: ‘But I have not been justified in this; and the one examining me is the Lord.’ And the blame from Moses was practiced not toward all simply, but toward only the overseers of the force, and toward chiliarchs and centurions; for ‘Powerful ones will be examined powerfully,’ and the law’s precision especially against them; ‘For to whom they have set much,’ he says, ‘they will seek much from him.’ Therefore the Savior’s disciple has also written: ‘Do not become many teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a greater judgment.’ The accusation according to all is therefore carried upon the overseers and those set over the ranks. For somewhere the subject always is approved by the leaders’ watchfulness. Therefore it has also been written to the peoples under hand: ‘Be persuaded by your leaders and yield; for they keep wake