Expository Treatise Against the Jews.

Expository Treatise Against the Jews.

1. Now, then, incline thine ear to me, and hear my words, and give heed, thou Jew. Many a time dost thou boast thyself, in that thou didst condemn Jesus of Nazareth to death, and didst give Him vinegar and gall to drink; and thou dost vaunt thyself because of this. Come therefore, and let us consider together whether perchance thou dost not boast unrighteously, O Israel, (and) whether that small portion of vinegar and gall has not brought down this fearful threatening upon thee, (and) whether this is not the cause of thy present condition involved in these myriad troubles.

2. Let him then be introduced before us who speaketh by the Holy Spirit, and saith truth—David the son of Jesse. He, singing a certain strain with prophetic reference to the true Christ, celebrated our God by the Holy Spirit, (and) declared clearly all that befell Him by the hands of the Jews in His passion; in which (strain) the Christ who humbled Himself and took unto Himself the form of the servant Adam, calls upon God the Father in heaven as it were in our person, and speaks thus in the sixty-ninth Psalm:  “Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto my soul. I am sunk in the mire of the abyss,” that is to say, in the corruption of Hades, on account of the transgression in paradise; and “there is no substance,” that is, help. “My eyes failed while I hoped (or, from my hoping) upon my God; when will He come and save me?”1    Ps. lxix. 1 ff.

3. Then, in what next follows, Christ speaks, as it were, in His own person: “Then I restored that,” says He, “which I took not away;” that is, on account of the sin of Adam I endured the death which was not mine by sinning. “For, O God, Thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from Thee,” that is, “for I did not sin,” as He means it; and for this reason (it is added), “Let not them be ashamed who want to see” my resurrection on the third day, to wit, the apostles. “Because for Thy sake,” that is, for the sake of obeying Thee, “I have borne reproach,” namely the cross, when “they covered my face with shame,” that is to say, the Jews; when “I became a stranger unto my brethren after the flesh, and an alien unto my mother’s children,” meaning (by the mother) the synagogue. “For the zeal of Thine house, Father, hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached Thee are fallen on me,” and of them that sacrificed to idols. Wherefore “they that sit in the gate spoke against me,” for they crucified me without the gate. “And they that drink sang against me,” that is, (they who drink wine) at the feast of the passover. “But as for me, in my prayer unto Thee, O Lord, I said, Father, forgive them,” namely the Gentiles, because it is the time for favour with Gentiles. “Let not then the hurricane (of temptations) overwhelm me, neither let the deep (that is, Hades) swallow me up: for Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Hades); neither let the pit shut her mouth upon me,”2    Ps. xvi. 10. that is, the sepulchre. “By reason of mine enemies, deliver me,” that the Jews may not boast, saying, Let us consume him.

4. Now Christ prayed all this economically3    οἰκονομικῶς.  [The Fathers find Christ everywhere in Scripture, and often understand the expressions of David to be those of our Lord’s humanity, by economy.] as man; being, however, true God. But, as I have already said, it was the “form of the servant”4    Phil. ii. 7. that spake and suffered these things. Wherefore He added, “My soul looked for reproach and trouble,” that is, I suffered of my own will, (and) not by any compulsion. Yet “I waited for one to mourn with me, and there was none,” for all my disciples forsook me and fled; and for a “comforter, and I found none.”

5. Listen with understanding, O Jew, to what the Christ says: “They gave me gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.” And these things He did indeed endure from you. Hear the Holy Ghost tell you also what return He made to you for that little portion of vinegar.  For the prophet says, as in the person of God, “Let their table become a snare and retribution.” Of what retribution does He speak? Manifestly, of the misery which has now got hold of thee.

6. And then hear what follows:  “Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not.” And surely ye have been darkened in the eyes of your soul with a darkness utter and everlasting. For now that the true light has arisen, ye wander as in the night, and stumble on places with no roads, and fall headlong, as having forsaken the way that saith, “I am the way.”5    John xiv. 6. Furthermore, hear this yet more serious word: “And their back do thou bend always;” that means, in order that they may be slaves to the nations, not four hundred and thirty years as in Egypt, nor seventy as in Babylon, but bend them to servitude, he says, “always.” In fine, then, how dost thou indulge vain hopes, expecting to be delivered from the misery which holdeth thee? For that is somewhat strange. And not unjustly has he imprecated this blindness of eyes upon thee. But because thou didst cover the eyes of Christ, (and6    The text is οὕτως, for which read perhaps ὅτε = when.) thus thou didst beat Him, for this reason, too, bend thou thy back for servitude always. And whereas thou didst pour out His blood in indignation, hear what thy recompense shall be: “Pour out Thine indignation upon them, and let Thy wrathful anger take hold of them;” and, “Let their habitation be desolate,” to wit, their celebrated temple.

7. But why, O prophet, tell us, and for what reason, was the temple made desolate? Was it on account of that ancient fabrication of the calf? Was it on account of the idolatry of the people? Was it for the blood of the prophets? Was it for the adultery and fornication of Israel? By no means, he says; for in all these transgressions they always found pardon open to them, and benignity; but it was because they killed the Son of their Benefactor, for He is coeternal with the Father. Whence He saith, “Father, let their temple be made desolate;7    Cf. Matt. xxiii. 38. for they have persecuted Him whom Thou didst of Thine own will smite for the salvation of the world;” that is, they have persecuted me with a violent and unjust death, “and they have added to the pain of my wounds.” In former time, as the Lover of man, I had pain on account of the straying of the Gentiles; but to this pain they have added another, by going also themselves astray. Wherefore “add iniquity to their iniquity, and tribulation to tribulation, and let them not enter into Thy righteousness,” that is, into Thy kingdom; but “let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous,” that is, with their holy fathers and patriarchs.

8. What sayest thou to this, O Jew? It is neither Matthew nor Paul that saith these things, but David, thine anointed, who awards and declares these terrible sentences on account of Christ. And like the great Job, addressing you who speak against the righteous and true, he says, “Thou didst barter the Christ like a slave, thou didst go to Him like a robber in the garden.”

9. I produce now the prophecy of Solomon, which speaketh of Christ, and announces clearly and perspicuously things concerning the Jews; and those which not only are befalling them at the present time, but those, too, which shall befall them in the future age, on account of the contumacy and audacity which they exhibited toward the Prince of Life; for the prophet says, “The ungodly said, reasoning with themselves, but not aright,” that is, about Christ, “Let us lie in wait for the righteous, because he is not for our turn, and he is clean contrary to our doings and words, and upbraideth us with our offending the law, and professeth to have knowledge of God; and he calleth himself the Child of God.”8    Wisd. ii. 1, 12, 13. And then he says, “He is grievous to us even to behold; for his life is not like other men’s, and his ways are of another fashion.  We are esteemed of him as counterfeits, and he abstaineth from our ways as from filthiness, and pronounceth the end of the just to be blessed.”9    Wisd. ii. 15, 16. And again, listen to this, O Jew! None of the righteous or prophets called himself the Son of God. And therefore, as in the person of the Jews, Solomon speaks again of this righteous one, who is Christ, thus: “He was made to reprove our thoughts, and he maketh his boast that God is his Father. Let us see, then, if his words be true, and let us prove what shall happen in the end of him; for if the just man be the Son of God, He will help him, and deliver him from the hand of his enemies. Let us condemn him with a shameful death, for by his own saying he shall be respected.”10    Wisd. ii. 14, 16, 17, 20. [The argument is ad hominem. The Jews valued this book, but did not account it to be Scripture; yet this quotation is a very remarkable comment on what ancient Jews understood concerning the Just One.  Comp. Acts iii. 14; vii. 52; and xxii. 14.]

10. And again David, in the Psalms, says with respect to the future age, “Then shall He” (namely Christ) “speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure.”11    Ps. ii. 5. And again Solomon says concerning Christ and the Jews, that “when the righteous shall stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted Him, and made no account of His words, when they see it they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of His salvation; and they, repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves, This is He whom we had sometimes in derision and a proverb of reproach; we fools accounted His life madness, and His end to be without honour. How is He numbered among the children of God, and His lot is among the saints? Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of righteousness rose not on us. We wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness and destruction; we have gone through deserts where there lay no way: but as for the way of the Lord, we have not known it. What hath our pride profited us? all those things are passed away like a shadow.”12    Wisd. v. 1–9.

The conclusion is wanting.13    (Compare Justin, vol. i. p. 194; Clement, vol. ii. pp 334–343; Tertullian, vol. iii. p. 151; Origen, vol. iv. p. 402, etc.; and Cyprian, vol. v., this series.]

[Πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἀποδεικτική] Οὐκοῦν κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου ἐμοὶ καὶ εἰσάκουσον τῶν ῥημάτων μου καὶ πρόσεχε, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε: σὺ δὲ πολλάκις ἐκκαυχώμενος ὅτι τὸν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Ναζωραῖον θανάτωι κατέκρινας καὶ ὄξος καὶ χολὴν αὐτὸν ἐπότισας, καὶ σεμνύνηι ἐπὶ τούτωι. δεῦρο οὖν, κοινῶς ἐπισκεψώμεθα μήπως ἀδίκως καυχᾶσαι, ὦ Ἰσραήλ, μήπως σοι τὸ μικρὸν ἐκεῖνο ὄξος καὶ ἡ χολὴ τὴν φοβερὰν [σοι] ταύτην ἐπήγαγεν ἀπειλήν, μήπως δι' αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς μυρίοις τούτοις ὑπάρχεις δεινοῖς. προαγέσθω τοίνυν εἰς μέσον ὁ διὰ πνεύματος ἁγίου λαλῶν ἀψευδὴς ὑπάρχων Δαυὶδ ὁ τοῦ Ἰεσσαί. οὗτος ψάλλων τινὰ προφητικῶς εἰς τὸν ἀληθῆ Χριστὸν τὸν θεὸν ἡμῶν ἐμελώιδησεν διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος. πάντα τὰ ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων εἰς αὐτὸν ἐν τῶι πάθει γινόμενα σαφῶς κατηγγείλατο, ἐν ὧι Χριστὸς ὁ ταπεινώσας ἑαυτὸν καὶ τὴν μορφὴν τοῦ δούλου Ἀδὰμ ἐνδυσάμενος ὡς ἐκ προσώπου ἡμῶν ἐπικαλεῖται τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς θεὸν πατέρα καὶ λέγει [ἐν τῶι [ξη] ψαλμῶι]: σῶσόν με, ὁ θεός, ὅτι εἰσήλθοσαν ὕδατα ἕως ψυχῆς μου: ἐνεπάγην εἰς ἰλὺν βυθοῦ, τοῦτ' ἐστὶν εἰς τὴν φθορὰν τοῦ ἅιδου διὰ τῆς ἐν παραδείσωι παρακοῆς: [καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ὑπόστασις,] ἢ γοῦν ἀντίληψις: [ἐξέλειπον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου ἀπὸ τοῦ ἐλπίζειν με ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν μου,] πότε ἥξει καὶ σώσει με. εἶτα εἰπὼν τὰ ἑξῆς λέγει λοιπὸν ὡς ἐξ οἰκείου προσώπου ὁ Χριστός: [ἃ οὐχ ἥρπαζον,] φησίν, [τότε ἀπετίννυον,] τοῦτ' ἐστὶν ἅπερ οὐχ ἥμαρτον, ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἁμαρτήσαντος Ἀδὰμ ὑπέμεινα τὸν θάνατον, ἐπεί, [ὁ θεός, σὺ οἶδας τὴν ἀφροσύνην μου καὶ αἱ πλημμελίαι μου ἀπὸ σοῦ οὐκ ἀπεκρύβησαν,] τοῦτ' ἐστὶν οὐ γὰρ ἐπλημμέλησα, φησίν. [δι' ὃ μὴ αἰσχυνθείησαν οἱ ὑπομένοντές] μου ἰδεῖν τὴν τριήμερον ἀνάστασιν, τοῦτ' ἐστὶν οἱ ἀπόστολοι, [ὅτι ἕνεκα σοῦ,] χάριν τοῦ ὑπακοῦσαί σοι, [ὑπήνεγκα ὀνειδισμόν,] τοῦτ' ἐστὶν τὸν σταυρόν, ὅτε ἐκάλυψαν [ἐντροπῆι τὸ πρόσωπόν μου] οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ὅτε [ἀπηλλοτριωμένος ἐγενήθην τοῖς] κατὰ σάρκα [ἀδελφοῖς μου καὶ ξένος τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς μητρός μου,] τοῦτ' ἐστὶ συναγωγῆς, διότι ὁ [ζῆλος τοῦ οἴκου σου], πάτερ, [κατέφαγέ με, καὶ οἱ ὀνειδισμοὶ τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων σε] [ἐπέπεσαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ] καὶ θυόντων τοῖς εἰδώλοις [ἐπέπεσαν [ἐπ'] ἐμέ.] δι' ὃ [κατ' ἐμοῦ ἠδολέσχουν οἱ καθήμενοι ἐν πύλαις,] ἔξω γὰρ τῆς πύλης με ἐσταύρωσαν, [καὶ εἰς ἐμὲ ἔψαλλον οἱ πίνοντες οἶνον,] τοῦτ' ἐστὶν τῆι τοῦ πάσχα ἑορτῆι. [ἐγὼ δὲ τῆι προσευχῆι μου πρὸς σέ, κύριε,] ἔλεγον: πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς, τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, διότι [καιρὸς εὐδοκίας] τῶν ἐθνῶν. [μὴ] τοίνυν [καταποντισάτω με καταιγὶς] πειρασμῶν [μηδὲ καταπιέτω με βυθός,] τοῦτ' ἐστὶν ὁ ἅιδης. οὐ γὰρ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ἅιδην [μηδὲ συσχέτω ἐπ' ἐμὲ φρέαρ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ,] τοῦτ' ἐστὶν τὸ μνῆμα. [ἕνεκα τῶν ἐχθρῶν μου ῥῦσαί με,] ἵνα μὴ καυχήσωνται οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες καταπίωμεν αὐτόν. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα Χριστὸς οἰκονομικῶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος ηὔχετο, θεὸς ὢν ἀληθινός, ἀλλ', ὡς φθάσας εἶπον, ἡ μορφὴ τοῦ δούλου ἦν ἡ ταῦτα λέγουσα καὶ πάσχουσα. δι' ὃ ἐπήγαγε λέγων: [ὀνειδισμὸν προσεδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν,] τοῦτ' ἐστὶν ἑκουσίως ἔπαθον καὶ οὐκ ἔκ τινος βίας: ὅμως [ὑπέμεινα συλλυπούμενον καὶ οὐχ ὑπῆρξε,] ἀφέντες γὰρ πάντες οἱ ἐμοὶ μαθηταὶ ἔφυγον, [καὶ παρακαλοῦντας καὶ οὐχ εὗρον.] ἄκουσον νουνεχῶς, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε, τί φησιν ὁ Χριστός: [ἔδωκαν εἰς τὸ βρῶμά μου χολὴν καὶ εἰς τὴν δίψαν μου ἐπότισάν με ὄξος.] καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἔπαθεν ἐξ ὑμῶν: ἄκουσον τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος λέγοντος καὶ τί ἀνταπέδωκεν ὑμῖν ἀντὶ τοῦ μικροῦ ἐκείνου ὄξους. λέγει γὰρ ὁ προφήτης ὡς ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ: [γενηθήτω ἡ τράπεζα αὐτῶν εἰς παγίδα καὶ εἰς ἀνταπόδοσιν.] ποίαν ἀνταπόδοσιν λέγει; εὔδηλον, τὴν νῦν κατέχουσάν σε δυστυχίαν. εἶτα ἄκουσον καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς: [σκοτισθήτωσαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν τοῦ μὴ βλέπειν.] ἀλλ' ἐσκοτίσθητε τοῖς τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμοῖς σκοτισμὸν ἀφεγγῆ καὶ αἰώνιον. ἀνατείλαντος γὰρ τοῦ φωτὸς τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ ὑμεῖς ὡς ἐν νυκτὶ πλανᾶσθε καὶ ἀνοδίαις προσκόπτοντες καὶ κρημνιζόμενοι ὡς καταλείψαντες τὴν ὁδὸν τὴν λέγουσαν [ἐγὼ εἰμὶ ἡ ὁδός.] εἶτα ἄκουσον καιριώτερον, λέγει γάρ: [καὶ τὸν νῶτον αὐτῶν διὰ παντὸς σύγκαμψον,] τοῦτ' ἐστὶν ἵνα δουλεύσηι τοῖς ἔθνεσι οὐ τετρακόσια ἔτη καὶ τριάκοντα ὡς ἐν Αἰγύπτωι, οὔτε ἑβδομήκοντα ὡς ἐν Βαβυλῶνι, ἀλλὰ διὰ παντός, φησίν, εἰς δουλείαν σύγκαμψον. λοιπὸν τί κενὰς ἐλπίδας ἔχεις ἀπαλλαγῆναι προσδοκῶν τῆς κατεχούσης σε ταλαιπωρίας; τὸ γὰρ παραδοξότερον, καὶ οὐκ ἀδίκως τὴν τῶν ὀμμάτων σου τύφλωσιν ἐπηύξατο, ἀλλ' ὅτι καλύψας τὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὄμματα οὕτως αὐτὸν ἐράπιζες καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὸν νῶτόν σου διὰ παντὸς σύγκαμψον εἰς δουλείαν. καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ μετ' ὀργῆς ἐξέχεας, ἄκουσον τὸ ἀντίδωρον: [ἔκχεον ἐπ' αὐτοὺς τὴν ὀργήν σου καὶ ὁ θυμὸς τῆς ὀργῆς σου καταλάβοι αὐτοὺς καὶ γενηθήτω ἡ ἔπαυλις αὐτῶν ἠρημωμένη,] πρόδηλον ὁ ναὸς ὁ περιβόητος. διὰ τί, ὦ προφῆτα, εἰπὲ ἡμῖν: τίνος χάριν ὁ ναὸς ἠρημώθη; ἆρα διὰ τὴν πάλαι μοσχοποιίαν; ἆρα διὰ τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ εἰδωλολατρείαν; ἆρα διὰ τὸ τῶν προφητῶν αἷμα; ἆρα διὰ τὰς μοιχείας καὶ πορνείας Ἰσραήλ; οὐδαμῶς, φησίν, ἐπὶ πᾶσιν γὰρ ἐκείνοις πάντοτε συγγνώμης καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ἠξιοῦντο, ἀλλ' ὅτι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ εὐεργέτου ἐθανάτωσαν. αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ τῶι πατρὶ συναίδιος [υἱός], ὅθεν λέγει: γενηθήτω, ὦ πάτερ, ὁ ναὸς αὐτῶν ἠρημωμένος, ὅτι ὃν σὺ πρὸς σωτηρίαν κόσμου θελοντὶ [ἐπάταξας, αὐτοὶ κατεδίωξαν,] σημαίνει δέ: αὐτοὶ δὲ βιαίωι καὶ καταδίκωι θανάτωι με κατεδίωξαν, [καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ἄλγος τῶν τραυμάτων μου προσέθηκαν.] πρότερον μὲν ἄλγος εἶχον ὡς φιλάνθρωπος διὰ τὴν πλάνην τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὸ ἄλγος προσέθηκάν μοι ἕτερον πλανηθέντες καὶ αὐτοί. δι' ὅ, πάτερ, [πρόσθες ἀνομίαν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνομίαν αὐτῶν] καὶ θλῖψιν ἐπὶ θλῖψιν, [καὶ μὴ εἰσελθέτωσαν ἐν δικαιοσύνηι σου], τοῦτ' ἐστὶν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν σου, ἀλλ' [ἐξαλειφθήτωσαν ἐκ βίβλου ζώντων καὶ μετὰ δικαίων μὴ γραφήτωσαν], τοῦτ' ἐστὶν μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων πατέρων πατριαρχῶν αὐτῶν. τί λέγεις πρὸς τοῦτο, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε; οὐ λέγει Ματθαῖος οὐδὲ Παῦλος, ἀλλὰ Δαυὶδ ὁ σὸς χριστός, ὁ κατὰ σοῦ ὁριζόμενος, ὁ τὰς φοβερὰς ἀποφάσεις διὰ Χριστὸν ἀντιδιδόμενος καὶ φθεγγόμενος. καὶ ὡς ὁ μέγας Ἰὼβ ἐρῶ πρὸς ὑμᾶς τῶι δικαίωι καὶ ἀψευδεῖ λέγοντος οὕτως: ἠγόρασας τὸν Χριστὸν δουλοπρεπῶς: ἦλθες πρὸς αὐτὸν ληιστρικῶς ἐν τῶι κήπωι. φέρω δὴ εἰς μέσον καὶ τὴν προφητείαν Σολομὼν τὴν λέγουσαν περὶ Χριστοῦ τὰ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους σαφῶς καὶ ἀριδήλως διαγγέλλουσαν, οὐ μόνον τὰ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα καιρόν, ἀλλὰ τὰ κατὰ τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα αὐτοῖς συμβαίνειν [μέλλοντα] διὰ τὴν αὐθάδειαν καὶ τόλμαν ἣν ἐποίησαν τῶι ἀρχηγῶι τῆς ζωῆς. λέγει γὰρ ὁ προφήτης: οὐ διελογίσαντο οἱ ἀσεβεῖς περὶ Χριστοῦ εἰπόντες ὀρθῶς: [ἐνεδρεύσωμεν τὸν δίκαιον, ὅτι δύσχρηστος ἡμῖν ἐστιν καὶ ἐναντιοῦται τοῖς ἔργοις] καὶ τοῖς λόγοις [ἡμῶν καὶ ὀνειδίζει ἡμῖν ἁμαρτήματα νόμου καὶ ἐπαγγέλλεται γνῶσιν ἔχειν θεοῦ καὶ παῖδα κυρίου ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζει:] εἶτά φησιν: [βαρὺς ἡμῖν ἐστιν καὶ βλεπόμενος, ὅτι ἀνόμοιός ἐστι τοῖς ἄλλοις ὁ βίος αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξηλλαγμέναι αἱ τρίβοι αὐτοῦ. εἰς κίβδηλον ἐλογίσθημεν αὐτῶι καὶ ἀπέχεται τῶν ὁδῶν ἡμῶν ὡς ἀπὸ ἀκαθαρσιῶν] καὶ [μακαρίζει ἔσχατα δικαίων.] καὶ πάλιν ἄκουσον, ὦ Ἰουδαῖε: οὐδεὶς ἐκ τῶν δικαίων ἢ προφητῶν ἐκάλεσεν ἑαυτὸν υἱὸν θεοῦ: λέγει οὖν αὖθις ὡς ἐκ προσώπου Ἰουδαίων ὁ Σολομὼν περὶ τούτου τοῦ δικαίου, ὅς ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός, ὅτι [ἐγένετο ἡμῖν εἰς ἔλεγχον ἐννοιῶν ἡμῶν καὶ ἀλαζονεύεται πατέρα θεόν. ἴδωμεν οὖν εἰ οἱ λόγοι αὐτοῦ ἀληθεῖς εἰσιν, καὶ πειράσωμεν τὰ ἐν ἐκβάσει αὐτοῦ. εἰ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ δίκαιος υἱὸς θεοῦ, ἀντιλήψεται αὐτοῦ καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτὸν ἐκ χειρὸς ἀνθεστηκότων. θανάτωι ἀσχήμονι καταδικάσωμεν αὐτόν: ἔσται γὰρ ἐπισκοπὴ αὐτοῦ ἐκ λόγων αὐτοῦ.] καὶ πάλιν ὁ Δαυὶδ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς λέγει περὶ τὸν μέλλοντα αἰῶνα: [τότε λαλήσει πρὸς αὐτοὺς] ὁ Χριστὸς [ἐν ὀργῆι αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν τῶι θυμῶι αὐτοῦ ταράξει αὐτούς.] καὶ πάλιν Σολομὼν περὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ Ἰουδαίων φησὶν ὅτι ὅτε [στήσεται ὁ δίκαιος ἐν παρρησίαι πολλῆι κατὰ πρόσωπον τῶν θλιψάντων καὶ τῶν ἀθετούντων τοὺς λόγους αὐτοῦ, ἰδόντες ταραχθήσονται φόβωι δεινῶι καὶ ἐκστήσονται ἐπὶ τῶι παραδόξωι τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτοῦ. καὶ ἐροῦσιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς μετανοοῦντες καὶ διὰ στενοχωρίαν πνεύματος στενάζοντες: οὗτός ἐστιν ὃν ἔσχαμέν ποτε εἰς γέλωτα καὶ εἰς παραβολὴν ὀνειδισμοῦ, οἱ ἄφρονες. τὸν βίον αὐτοῦ ἐλογισάμεθα μανίαν καὶ τὴν τελευτὴν αὐτοῦ ἄτιμον. πῶς κατελογίσθη ἐν υἱοῖς θεοῦ καὶ ἐν ἁγίοις ὁ κλῆρος αὐτοῦ ἐστιν; ἄρα ἐπλανήθημεν ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ ἀληθείας καὶ τὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης φῶς οὐ κατέλαμψεν ἡμῖν, ὁ ἥλιος οὐκ ἀνέτειλεν ἡμῖν. ἀνομίας ἐνεπλήσθημεν τρίβους καὶ ἀπωλείας: διωδεύσαμεν ἐρήμους ἀβάτους, τὴν δὲ ὁδὸν κυρίου οὐκ ἐγνώσαμεν. τί ὠφέλησεν ἡμᾶς ἡ ὑπερηφάνεια ἡμῶν; παρῆλθεν ἐκεῖνα πάντα ὡς σκιά.]