Courage in Christ: saints must not befriend the world’s cares
ON ADORATION AND WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH — BOOK FIVE. Concerning the manliness that is in Christ. The saints’ aim therefore, Palladius—even if they should contend above others’ life—is to love appropriating nothing of the things in the world; for thus they would be both wise and powerful, and filled with good hope, and very well walled by favors from above, and, know it well, friend, the matter is not otherwise. For having the mind higher than the distractions in the world and temporary desires, they will meet enemies altogether easy to conquer, and will very easily prevail over those who have stood against, God shaking down those ones’ power beforehand; yet having themselves also fallen into worldly passions, and been wrapped in more earthy desires, they will then lie beside those who have chosen to pursue them as easy to overrun and most easy to catch, and having been shown bare of the security from above, they will lie beside the enemies as some most ready prey.
Palladius: And what would the assurance of what has been said be? I would wish to know clearly.
Cyril: The sacred Letter, usefully sounding beside what befell the ancients. For did not even divine Paul say that those things have been written toward our admonition?
Palladius: I say so; for the things shown from them will work for us not moderate benefit. For the shadows were types of the truth.
Cyril: Therefore let us speak already. For having crossed the Jordan those from Israel attacked Jericho; and indeed also following divine nods they were eager to besiege it out, as about to prevail at once and take it, and the most fight-ready were present having hung upon themselves the law of war. For it has been written:
Greek
ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΝ ΠΝΕΥΜΑΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΑΛΗΘΕΙΑ ΠΡΟΣΚΥΝΗΣΕΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΛΑΤΡΕΙΑΣ ΛΟΓΟΣ ΠΕΜΠΤΟΣ Περὶ ἀνδρείας τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ. Σκοπὸς οὖν ἁγίοις, κἂν εἰ τῆς τῶν ἄλλων ὑπεραθλοῖεν ζωῆς, ὦ Παλλάδιε, μηδὲν τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ προσοικειοῦσθαι φιλεῖν· εἶεν γὰρ ἂν οὕτω σοφοί τε καὶ δυνατοὶ, καὶ ἀγαθῆς ἐλπίδος ἔμπλεῳ, καὶ εὐμενείαις ταῖς ἄνωθεν εὖ μάλα τετειχισμένοι, καὶ, ὡς εὖ ἴσθι τοι, μὴ ἑτέρως ἔχειν τὸ χρῆμα, ὦ τᾶν. Ἀνωτέραν μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἐν κόσμῳ περισπασμῶν καὶ προσκαίρων ἐπιθυμιῶν τὴν διάνοιαν ἔχοντες, εὐκαταγωνίστοις κομιδῆ περιτεύξονται τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, περιέσονταί τε καὶ μάλα ῥᾳδίως τῶν ἀνθεστηκότων, προκατασείοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἐκείνων δύναμιν· ἐναλόντες δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ πάθεσι κοσμικοῖς, καὶ γεωδεστέραις ἐπιθυμίαις ἐνειλημμένοι, εὐκατάτροχοι μὲν ὥσπερ καὶ εὐαλωτότατοι λίαν παρακείσονται τότε τοῖς διώκειν αὐτοὺς ᾑρημένοις, γυμνοὶ δὲ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀσφαλείας ἐκδεδειγμένοι, θήρα τις ὥσπερ ἑτοιμοτάτη παρακείσονται τοῖς ἐχθροῖς.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ τίς ἂν γένοιτο τῶν εἰρημένων ἡ πίστις, ἐθέλοιμ' ἂν εἰδέναι σαφῶς.
{ΚΥΡ.} Τὸ Γράμμα τὸ ἱερὸν, τὰ τοῖς ἀρχαίοις συμβεβηκότα χρησίμως παραφωνοῦν. Ἦ γὰρ, οὐχὶ πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν ἐκεῖνα γεγράφθαι καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος ἔφη Παῦλος;
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Φημί· ἐμποιήσει γὰρ οὐ μετρίαν ἡμῖν τὴν ὄνησιν τὰ ἐξ αὐτῶν δηλούμενα. Τύποι γὰρ ἦσαν τῆς ἀληθείας αἱ σκιαί.
{ΚΥΡ.} Οὐκοῦν ἤδη λέγωμεν. Διαπεραιωσάμενοι γὰρ τὸν Ἰορδάνην οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, προσέβαλον τῇ Ἱεριχώ· καὶ δὴ καὶ θείοις ἑπόμενοι νεύμασιν ἐκπολιορκεῖν ἐσπούδαζον, ὡς αὐτίκα δὴ μάλα περιεσόμενοι, καὶ αἱρήσοντες, καὶ τὸν πολέμου νόμον ἐξηρτημένοι παρῆσαν οἱ μαχιμώτατοι. Γέγραπται γάρ·
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 5 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 5 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 5 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 5)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 5)
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.