The limits of inquiry and the danger of impiety
Folly has become a middle point between cunning and wickedness. Cunning is a surplus of wisdom. But cunning is praised in the Scripture, while among the Greeks it is reproached. And it is being reproached as cunning, and the Scripture calls it craftiness: 'O full of deceit and of all craftiness, son of the devil' (Acts 13:10). And even more, the New Testament reproaches cunning: 'For I fear lest, as the serpent deceived Eve in his cunning' (2 Corinthians 11:3); and also: 'But being a cunning man, I caught you by deceit' (1 Thessalonians 2:9). And still, concerning the heretics, he says that 'they walk in cunning, deceiving the word of the Lord' (2 Peter 3:16). Folly is a deficiency of wisdom.
And concerning all the virtues, this has been shown to us many times. We say, therefore, that piety exceeds reverence, but lacking it, one is the impious. And here, therefore, he intends to say: do not be too just; do not go outside of justice; seek to remain according to the standard, taking care of equality. Do not become too just; for many indeed have been accustomed to say: do not be strictly just, do not seek more than what is just. And it is possible also to take it this way, so that it may be most acceptable according to the will of Christianity. If it were to happen that you were wronged or that you should do wrong, do not be very just in giving what is just, since you do not do wrong. Desire rather to be wronged than to do wrong. Do not become, indeed, very just for the sake of not being wronged, but rather give yourself over. For in this way neither you will do wrong nor he, toward whom you have the grievance.
And do not philosophize excessively, lest you be astonished. We say the same thing: do not philosophize beyond what is necessary, do not become outside of what is permitted to men. Such are those saying that we know God in the same way that He knows Himself. These philosophize excessively. Therefore also they are astonished, they become outside of their senses, they are found outside of logical observation. Do not philosophize excessively.
By logical reasoning, it is sometimes a discussion held for the sake of not letting the communion be broken, until I arrive at the right place and it is glorious and I am discussed with it. But if anyone thinks he succeeds in sophistry, he ought not to remain in sophistry. 'Do not sophistize excessively,' do not become too wise and be astonished. Do not be very impious, do not grow hardened.
We say that there is something known of God, which if we speak of, we are impious. But that which God has revealed to us, if we know it and wish to have it, we are not harmed. But if we also wish to intellectually grasp those things which are not attainable for us, we are astonished and we are very impious. And it is possible also to say this: if anything of the others seems difficult and hard to find for us, regarding this you should attempt to discuss; it does not harm; one should attempt regarding the separate things. But when the word is about God, and the one wishing to know about God reaches into those things which he is not able to, he is very impious by reaching beyond what is necessary.
For example, the stars are a multitude. And every multitude is either superfluous or exact. And the exact is divided into two, but the superfluous has one part having more than the other. If we wish to attempt and speak regarding the stars, first saying they are superfluous or exact, we are not very impious. It was necessary not to attempt regarding those things of which we do not know. However, we are not very impious. For we do this, because the heaven is circular and is cut into two equal hemispheres by a straight diameter being drawn. And since the heaven is starry everywhere, someone will say that the semicircles being equal, there are as many in each semicircle as in the rest. And from this we construct them to be exact. And we are not impious, whether it is so or not. The attempt has happened for the sake of exercise.
Again, since those having studied about numbers say that the superfluous is stronger—for it is active—and the exact is more material—for it consists of matter; and matter is divisible; for first...
Greek
γέγονε̣ν μέσον τῆς πανουργίας καὶ κακουργίας τῆς ἀφροσ̣υ´̣ν̣ης. καὶ υ῾̣π̣ε̣ρ β̣ολὴ μέν ε᾿̣στιν φρονήσεως ἡ πανουργία. ἐπαινεῖται δὲ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ ἡ π̣α̣νουργία, παρ' Ἕλλησιν δὲ ψέγεται. πανουργίαν δὲ ψεγομένην κ̣αὶ ἡ γραφὴ λε´̣γ̣ει ῥᾳδιουργίαν· "ὦ πλήρης δόλου καὶ πάσης ῥᾳδιουργί ας, υἱὲ διαβόλου". ὡς ἐπὶ π̣λ̣εῖστον δε`̣ καὶ ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη ψέγει τὴν πανουργίαν· "φοβοῦμαι γὰρ μήπως, ὡς ὁ ὄφις ἐcηπάτησεν Εὔαν ἐν τῇ παν ουργίᾳ αὐτοῦ···", καὶ ἔτι· "ἀλλὰ ὑπάρχων πανοῦργ̣ος δόλῳ ὑμᾶς ἔλαβον". καὶ ἔτι περὶ τῶν αἱρετικῶν λέγει ὅτι "περιπατοῦσιν ἐν πανου̣ργίᾳ δο λοῦντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου". ἔνλειψις δὲ τῆς φρονήσεως ἡ ἀφ̣ρ̣οσ̣υ´̣ν̣η ε᾿̣σ̣τίν. καὶ περὶ πασῶν τῶν ἀρετῶν πολλάκις ἡμῖν τοῦτο τεθεώρηται. λέ γομεν οὖν τὴν δεισιδαιμονίαν ὑπερβάλλειν τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἐνδεὲς δὲ αὐ τῆς τὸν ἀσεβήν. καὶ ὧδε οὖν τοῦτο βούλεται λέγειν· μὴ πολὺ δίκαιος ἔσο· μὴ ἔξω τῆς δι κ̣αιοσ̣ύν̣η̣ς ἴθι· κατ' ἀξίαν νέμειν ζήτει, τῆς ἰσότητος ἐπιμέλου. μὴ πολὺ δίκαιος γίνου· πολλοὶ γοῦν εἰώθασιν λέγειν· μὴ ἀκριβοδίκαιος ἔσο, μὴ πλέον τι τοῦ δικαίου ζήτει. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ οὕτω λαβεῖν αὐτό, ἵνα μάλιστα κατὰ τὸ βούλημα τοῦ χρι στιανισμοῦ αὐτὸ ἐκδεχθῇ. ἐὰν προκέοιτο ἀδικηθῆναι ἢ ἀδικῆσαι, μὴ πολὺς ἔσο δίκαιος ἐκδιδῶν τὸ δίκαιον, ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἀδικῇ. θέλησον ἀδικηθῆναι μᾶλλον ἢ ἀδικῆσαι. μὴ πολὺς γοῦν γίνου δίκαιος πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀδικηθῆναι, ἀλλ' ἐπίδος ἑαυτὸν μᾶλλον. οὕτω γὰρ οὐδὲ σὺ ἀδικήσῃς οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος, πρὸς ὃν ἔχεις. καὶ μὴ σοφίζου περισσά, μήποτε ἐκπλαγῇς. τῷ αὐτῷ λέγομεν· πέρα τοῦ δέοντος μὴ σοφίζου, μὴ ἔξω τοῦ ἐφειμένου τοῖς ἀνθρώποις γίνου. οἷοί εἰσιν οἱ λέγοντες, ὅτι οὕτως ἴσμεν τὸν θεὸν ὡς αὐ τὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐπίσταται. οὗτοι περισσὰ σοφίζονται. διὸ καὶ ἐκπλήττονται, ἔξω φρενῶν γίνονται, ἔξω θεωρίας λογικῆς εὑρίσκονται. μὴ σοφίζου περισσά. 216 δύναται δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λεχθῆναι πάλιν ἑπομένως τῇ λογικῇ θ̣εωρίᾳ, ὅτι ἔστιν ποτὲ διαλεγόμενον ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ λυθῆναι τὴν συνουσίαν, ἕως ἔλθω μεν εἰς ὀρθὸν κα····· ··ς ἔνδοξον καὶ αὐτῷ διαλεχθῆναι. ἐὰν δέ τις ἐν τῷ σοφίζεσθαι δόξῃ ἐπιτυγχα´̣νειν, οὐκ ὀφείλει καταμένειν τῷ σοφίζεσθαι. "μὴ σοφίζου περισσά", μὴ ἐκγίνου τοῦ σοφὸς εἶναι καὶ ἐκπλαγῇς. μὴ ἀσεβήσῃς πολύ, μὴ γίνου σκληρός. 25 εἴπομεν, ὅτι ἔστιν τι γνωστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ, ᾧπερ ἐὰν ἐπῶμεν, ἀσεβοῦμεν. ἐκεῖνο δέ, ὃ ἐφανέρωσεν ἡμῖν ὁ θεός, ἐὰν γιγνώσκωμεν καὶ θέλωμ̣εν ἔχειν, οὐ βλαπτόμεθα. ἐὰν δὲ κἀκεῖνα τὰ μὴ ἐφικτὰ ἡμῖν θέλωμεν νοεῖν, ἐκπλητ τόμεθα καὶ ἀσεβοῦμεν πολύ. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λέγε̣ιν· εἴ ποτέ τι τῶν ἄλλων δυσχερὲς ἡμῖν καὶ δυςεύρετον φαίνεται̣, περὶ τούτου δὲ ἐπιχειρήσεις, οὐ βλάπτει· ἐπιχει ρητέον εἰς ἑκάτερα. ὅταν δὲ πε̣ρὶ θεοῦ ᾖν ὁ λόγος καὶ εἰς ἐκεῖνα χωρῇ ὁ θέλων εἰδέναι περὶ θεοῦ, ἃ μὴ δύναται, ἀσεβ̣εῖ πολὺ πέρα τοῦ δέοντος χωρῶν. οἷον πλῆθός εἰσιν οἱ ἄστερες. πᾶν δὲ πλῆθος ἢ περιττὸν ἢ ἄρτιόν ἐστιν. καὶ τὸ μὲν ἄρτιον εἰς δύο διαιρεῖται, τὸ δὲ περιττὸν ἔχει πλεο νάζον τὸ ἕτερον μέρος ἑνί. ἐὰν θέλωμεν περὶ τῶν ἀστέρων ἐπιχειρεῖν καὶ λέγειν, πρότερον περιττοὶ ἢ ἄρτιοι, οὐκ ἀσεβοῦμεν πολύ. ἔδει μὲν μὴ ἐπιχειρεῖν, περὶ ὧν οὐκ ἴσμεν. ὅμως οὐκ ἀσεβοῦμεν πολύ. ποιοῦμεν γὰρ τοῦτο, ὅτι ὁ οὐρανὸς κυκλοειδής ἐστιν καὶ εἰς δύο ἴσα τέμνεται ἡμισφαί ρια διαμέτρου ἀχθείσης εὐθείας. καὶ ἐπεὶ πάντοθεν ὁ οὐρανὸς ἠστέρωται, λέξει τις ὅτι ἴσων ὄντων τῶν ἡμικυκλίων ἐν ἑκάστῳ ἡμικυκλίῳ τοσοῦτοί εἰ σιν, ὅσοι καὶ ἐν τῷ λοιπῷ. καὶ κατασκευάζομεν ἐκ τούτου ἀρτίους αὐτοὺς εἶναι. καὶ οὐκ ἀσεβοῦμεν, κἄν τε οὕτως ἔχῃ κἂν μὴ ἔχῃ. γυμνασίας ἕνεκα ἡ ἐπιχείρησις γέγονεν. πάλιν ἐπειδὴ οἱ περὶ ἀριθμῶν πραγματευσάμενοι λέγουσιν τὸν περιττὸν ἰσχυρότερον εἶναι –δραστήριος γάρ ἐστιν– , ὁ δὲ ἄρτιος ὑλικώτερος– ὕλῃ γὰρ ἀνάκειται· ἡ δὲ ὕλη διαιρετή ἐστιν· πρώτη γὰρ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes.
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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