Letter 4

Concerning the conflicts which you undergo, excellent sir, be convinced: the present circumstances put before us are an invisible arena, in which we do not wrestle against perceptible beasts, but against perceptible passions. These are the very things that, if they should prevail over the strength in us, will bring on danger not just as far as the body but bring death to the soul itself. But if they should be controlled then they will flee, and we will gain for ourselves great rewards and acclamation; and here we wrestle these often, but hereafter certainly we will receive rewards and acclamation, since the coming age has been entrusted with rewards, just as this age has been entrusted with trials.

Concerning the conflicts[11] which you undergo, excellent sir, be convinced: the present circumstances put before us are an invisible arena,[12] in which we do not wrestle against perceptible beasts, but against perceptible[13] passions. These are the very things that, if they should prevail over the strength in us, will bring on danger not just as far as the body but bring death to the soul itself. But if they should be controlled then[14] they will flee, and we will gain for ourselves great rewards and acclamation; and here we wrestle these often, but hereafter certainly we will receive rewards and acclamation,[15] since the coming age has been entrusted with rewards, just as this age has been entrusted with trials.[16]

Τινές σέ φασιν ἱερωσύνης ἐρᾷν, πράγματος ἀνεφ- ίχτου πολλοῖς, σοὶ δὲ χαὶ μάλιστα" ἣ τοίνυν τὸν σαυ- τοῦ βίον διόρθωσαι, ἣ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας τῶν ἀψαύστων σοι ἀναχτόρων ἀπόστηθι. ΚΙ΄. --- ΘΕΟΦΙΛΏ. Εἰς τὸ, ε« Πᾶν ἄρσεν διανοῖγον μήτραν, ν καὶ κατὰ Θεοπασχητῶν, καὶ τὴν [[. των] μίαν ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ φύσιν εἶναι λεγόντων. Τὸ εἰρημένον ἐν τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ, ὅτι ε Πᾶν πρωτό- ργϊπιοξοηίίαπι δἀδρογίθηβ Ὑμΐνᾶπὶ., ϑβᾶποίυπιὶ Ὠο- Ὦ τοχὸν διανοῖγον μήτραν, ἅγιον τῷ Κυρίῳ, » οὐ περὶ πηΐη νοοϑυλυγ ,.) ἀ Οπληΐ ργΙ ΠΟ ΘηΠ ἀΪ- εἰυπὶ ( ο ἱπηροῦιιῖ Ὠοιηΐπ οχἰδιϊ πθη), γΘΓπὶ ἐ υηο ἰΠΠὉ . , ὶ ἰῃ ράᾶγία νυϊνδπ) ἀρογυῖΐ!, Εἰοπίαι οπλθι αυϊάοθπι νυ ϊνᾶπὶ σοηου ἃς νΘΠΟΓΘῸΒ ΘΟΙΠρίοΧυ ΔροΥΪ! : ἂὶ π|, ΄υ Ὠοηϊΐ - ΔΊ (οτγ. ν, ὁ. . Ἐχρᾷ. ΧΠΙ, ; ἰμυς. , . παντὸς εἴρηται πρωτοτόχου " μὴ οὕτως οἱ ἀμαθεῖς νομιζέτωσαν " ἀλλὰ περὶ ἑνὸς [ἐχείνου) καὶ μόνου, τοῦ ἐν τῷ τίχτεσθαι τὴν μήτραν ἀνοίξαντος. Πᾶσαν γὰρ μήτραν μίξις χαὶ συνουσία ἀνοίγνυσι" τὴν δὲ τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν χυήσασαν, αὑτὸς ΥΑΒΙ(Ὲ ΓΕΟΤΙΟΝῈΒ ΕἸ ΝΟΤΕ. τος ) εἶυη!. Υγ. , ὑγοὸ συϑὺθθ Πνεύματος ΑΙἰι. ἴῃ οοπίοχιι ροηΐὶ Πνεύματι, γαρίοηδ ἰη πιδγαῖπο ορροηἰι Πνεύματος. δογθ. , Ιοοο νοσδθυ αύστασις ὁοάἀ. αι. οἱ ΑἸι. φδογίθυηι σύνταξις. ΠΌΘΙΝ. () αοδά. ἄἀυο ΑΙι. εἰ αι. τπῸ οοπδδηϑιι θεότη () Νοη ᾿Αμμωνίῳ "Ἄμμωνι ἱπδογί ἱλυς Πδος ορ᾽βίοἶα ἰῃ οοιἰ. αι. οἱ ΑΙ. [ἢ νϑῦβυ , μὲν ΑἸτΔΠπ| πο ἃρηοϑοῖ!. [ἰδ νὸγβ. ὃ, ρυϑὶ δύο αὐάϊι δ, ρΓδίΘΓΟΔ ἴῃ ὙΟΓδὶ ροηυ η ΡΓῸ εὑρήσειας εἰ χρατήσειας, ἰορὶι εὑρήσεις οἱ χρατήσεις, βυῆϊτα- ἔληίο φυοῦυο αι. . ΡΟΞΞΙΝ, ἘΡΙΘΤΟΙΑΒῸΝ {.. - ΕΡΙΤ. ΧΧΥΙ. συλληφθεὶς ἀσπόρως προερχόμενος ἤνοιξε, χαὶ πάλιν Α πῦπι ποδίτιιπι δεδυμι ΟἸ γβίυπι ρομογὶβ, ἧρϑθ βίβθ ἐσφραγισμένην κατέλιπεν - ἀληθῶς () μὲν γενό- μενος ἄνθρωπος, ἀληθῶς δὲ [ὧν χαὶ) θεὸς χαὶ προσ- χυνούμενος εἷς ἐξ ἀμφοτέρων τῶν φύσεων.