Demonstration X, §8
Demonstratio X, §8
AphrahatDemonstratio X, §8
Dominus domus thesauro regio me praeposuit, et amplas mihi facultates ibi ostendit, quas cum vidissem, mente captus sum prae thesauri illius magnitudine; et cum intuitus essem, oculos meos hebetaverunt, rapuerunt sensum, et cogitationes multis modis abstraxerunt. Qui ex eo sumit ditescit ipse et alios locupletat; ad omnia de quibus interrogatur pervium facilemque praebet. Etiam si plures inde sumant, thesaurus non minuitur, et si dederint omnia quae acceperunt, magis augebitur quod habent. Quod gratis receperunt, gratis etiam dare oportet, quemadmodum illud acceperunt, non autem pretio vendere; nihil enim est quod illi possit aequiparari. Thesaurus nunquam deficit, nec satiantur qui hauriunt ex eo; bibentes adhuc sitiunt, edentes adhuc esuriunt. Si quis non sitiat non potest bibere, nec qui non esurit manducare. Multi eius esurie satiantur, et siti eius fontes emanant. Similis enim est ille qui ad Dei cultum accedit, homini sitienti qui fonti appropinquans, bibit sitimque compescit, nec fons decrescit. Terra indigens aquatione de fonte haurit, sed nil minuuntur aquae; et terram, postquam bibit, iterum oportet irrigari; fons vero aquae lapsu non imminuitur. Ita se habet
Demonstratio X, §8
ܒܰܪ ܐܳܬܝܰܒ ܐܰܠܥܰܢܝ ܠܒܶܝܬ ܓܰܙܳܐ ܕܡܰܠܟܳܐ ܘܚܰܘܝܰܢܝ ܬܰܡܳܢ ܛܽܘܪܶܐ ܣܰܓܺܝܶܐܐ: ܕܡܰܕ ܚܙܺܝܬ ܐܶܢܽܘܢ ܐܶܫܬܒܺܝ ܠܶܗ ܡܰܕܚܰܥܝ ܒܓܰܙܳܐ ܪܰܒܳܐ: ܘܟܰܕ ܚܳܪܶܐ ܒܶܗܡܰܫܪܶܓ ܥܰܝܢܶܐ: ܘܢܳܒܶܐ ܡܰܚܫܳܒܳܬܳܐ: ܘܡܰܦܗܶܐ ܪܶܥܝܳܢܶܐ ܒܓܰܘܢܶܐ ܣܰܓܺܝܶܐܐ. ܡܰܢܕܢܳܣܶܒ ܡܶܢܶܗ ܥܳܬܰܪ ܘܡܰܥܬܰܪ: ܦܺܬܺܝܚ ܘܰܒܫܺܝܚܩ ܩܕܳܡ ܟܽܠ ܕܒܳܥܶܝܢ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܳܠܐ ܚܳܣܰܪ: ܡܰܕ ܢܶܬܠܽܘܢ ܡܶܢ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܕܰܢܣܰܒܘ ܕܺܝܠܗܽܘܢ ܡܶܣܓܳܐ ܣܳܓܶܐ܂ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܰܢܣܰܒܘ. ܒܕܰܡܰܝܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܳܠܐ ܡܶܙܕܰܒܰܢ ܓܶ݁ܝܪ ܓܰܙܳܐ ܚܳܣܰܪ ܘܳܠܐ ܢܳܝܩܺܝܽܘܠܰܘܗ݈ܝ ܡܰܦܢܺܝܢ. ܡܰܢ ܕܳܠܐ ܨܳܗܶܐ ܳܠܐ ܡܶܫܟܰܚ ܕܢܶܫܬܶܐ: ܘܡܰܢ ܕܳܠܐ ܟܳܦܶܢ ܳܠܐ ܡܶܫܟܰܚ ܠܡܶܚܰܐܟܰܠ. ܟܰܦܢܽܘܬܶܗ ܡܣܰܒܥܳܐ ܣܰܓܺܝܶܐܐ ܘܨܰ ܺܝܽܘܬܶܗ ܪܳܕܶܝܢ ܡܶܢܳܗ ܡܰܒܽܘܥܶܐ. ܕܳܡܶܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܒܰܪܢܳܫܳܐ ܕܩܳܪܶܒ ܠܕܶܚܠܬܶܗ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ ـ ܠܓܰܒܪܳܐ ܕܨܰܗܶܐ ܘܡܶܬܩܰܪܰܒ ܠܡܰܒܽܘܥܳܐ ܘܫܳܬܶܐ: ܘܣܳܒܰܥ: ܘܡܰܒܽܘܥܳܐ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܳܠܐ ܚܳܣܰܪ. ܘܰܐܪܥܳܐ ܕܣܰܢܺܝܩܳܝܐ ܥܰܠ ܡܰܝܳܐ ܠܡܶܫܬܳܐ ܫܳܬܝܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܡܰܒܽܘܥܳܐ ܘܳܠܐ ܓܳܙܺܝܢ ܡܰܘܗ݈ܝ: ܘܰܐܪܥܳܐ ܟܰܕ ܬܶܫܬܶܐ ܬܽܘܒ ܣܢܺܝܩܳܐ ܗܺܝ ܠܡܶܫܬܳܐ: ܘܡܰܒܽܘܥܳܐ ܳܠܐ ܡܶܬܒܨܰܪ ܡܶܢ ܡܰܪܕܺܝ݁ܬܶܗ.
ܐܳܢܳܪܣܽܘܚ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܗܳܢܶܡ ܢܽܘܒܣܶܢ ܐܳܫܳܢܷܐ ܝܰܢܒ ܢܶܡ ܐܳܟܝܰܬܣܶܡ ܳܐܳܠ ܦܳܐܘ ܗܳܒ ܐܶܘܳܗ ܳܐܳܠ ܐܶܦܶܣܰܡ ܗܳܢܶܡ ܠܶܩܳܫܕ ܳܐܳܠ : ܐܳܪܣܶܒ : ܠܰܩܫܶܡܠ . ܪܰܣܳܚ ܡܶ݁ܕܶܡ ܠܶ݁ܬܶܢ ܕܰܟ ܳܐܳܠܘ ܽ ܐܳܢܳܕܩܰܝ ܢܶܡ ܐܳܓܳܪܫܰܒ ܒܰܣܶܬ ܕܰܟ ܐܳܪܽܘܢ ܶܐܳܠ ܗܳܢܶܡ ܬܢܰܐ ܩܶܠܰܕܡ ܐܶܐܳܝܓܰܣ ܐܶܓܳܪܫܰܒ ܐ݂ܳܓܳܪܫ ܳܐܳܠܘ : ܗܶܢܶܡ ܒܰܣܶܬ ܕܰܟ ܪܰܣܳܚ ܐܳܢܳܕܩܰܝ ܚܰ݁ܟܫܶܡ ܐܳܠ . ܩܶܠܰܕܡ ܐܶܐܺܝܓܰܣܠܰܕ ܪܰܨܳܒ ܗܶܙܰܓ ܗܶܠܽ݁ܟ ܠܰܩܫܶܡܠ ܐܳܫܳܢܐ ܪܰܒܕܰܚ ܦܳܐܘ ܐܚܳܟܠܰܡܕ ܀ ܐܶܬܫܶܢܕܰܟ ܐܚܳܝܗܰܨ ܳܐܳܠ : ܝ݈ܗܘܰܡ ܢܽܘܗܠ ܢܺܝܙܝܳܓ ܐܳܥܽܘܒܰܡ ܢܶܡ ܐܳܡܳܪ ܐܳܪܽܘܛ ܠܰܥ ܫܳܢܷܐ ܡܽܘܩܢ ܕܰܟ ܐܳܠܦܳܐܘ : ܐܚܳܩܚܽܘܪܘ ܐܚܳܒܪܽܘܩ ܗܝܶܢܝܰܥ ܟܶܪܕܰܬ ܦܳܐܘ ܳܐܳܠ ܐܶܢܡܶܢܘ ܡܽܘܩܢ ܐܳܝܰܡܫ ܝܰܒܟܘܰܟ ܕܰܟ ܗܳܠܽܟ ܐܳܗܳܠܰܐܕ ܗܶܬܠܚܶܕܠ ܒܽܘܪܩܶܢ ܕܰܟ ܶܐܳܠ ܒܳܛ ܕܰܟ ܦܳܐܘ : ܠܰܩܫܶܡܠ ܚܰܟܫܶܡ ܬܰܪܨܶܒܕ ܐܳܥܕܚܰܝܬܶܡ ܳܐܳܠ ܠܽܘܩܫܶܢ ܺܝܓܰܣ ܠܰܩܫܰܕ ܡܶܕܶܡ ܢܶܡ ܠܶܬܶܢ ܕܰܟ ܐܳܠܦܳܐܘ : ܗܳܠ ܀ . ܗܳܟܳܣܠ ܐܳܛܡܰܘ ܗܶܢܶܡ ܗܳܠ ܐܰܪܡ݂ܶܓ : ܟܳܠ ܬܶܒܬܶܟ ܐܳܬܽܘܢܳܡܝܰܗܕ ܐܳܝܳܡܕܰܩ ܗܶܠ ܶܐܶܠܳܘ ܢܳܓܰܡ ܢܳܓܰܡ ܠܰܩܫܰܕ ܢܰܡܕ : ܢܰܪܳܡ ܪܰܡܶܐܕ ܟܝܰܐ : ܠܰܩܫܰܕ ܟܝܰܐ ܠܶܬܶܢܕ ܢܰܡ . ܘܚܒܰܗ ܢܳܓܰܡ ܢܽܘܬܒܰܣܢ ܢܳܓܳܡܕ ܦܳܐ ܠܰܩܫܰܕ ܡܶ݁ܕܶܡ ܢܶܡ ܐܶܠܝܳܟܕ ܪܚܝܶܓ ܂ܗܶܢܚܶܡ ܗܶܠ ܠܶܩܬܫܶܡ ܠܶܒܰܩܕ
scientia Dei. Etiam si omnes homines ex ea capiant, nullam patitur imminutionem, nec filii carnis eam unquam exhaurient. Qui ex ea sumit, totum non poterit absumere, et cum aliis dederit, nihil deficiet. Si ignem ex incendio lucerna comprendis, unde plures lucernas inflammes, non deminuitur incendium ex quo eum sumis, nec deficit lucerna ex qua plures alias accendis. Non potest universum regis thesaurum unus homo tollere, nec sitiens, dum laticem haurit, fontem extenuare; nec vir in summo vertice constitutus proxima et remota oculo pariter attingere; nec si stellas caeli stans dinumeret virtutes caelorum poterit adsequi: ita neque ille qui ad cultum Dei accedit, thesaurum universum potest tollere; et licet multa valde abstulerit, non videtur fuisse rem imminutam, nec, si omnia quae accepit dederit, ullo modo absumptam aut penitus confectam. Et recordare, carissime, eorum quae in primo sermone de Fide tibi conscripsi, eum nempe qui gratuito accepit vicissim debere gratuito dare, quemadmodum accepit, ut Dominus dicit: Quod gratis accepistis gratis date; nam si quis voluerit ea quae sumpsit retinere, ea etiam quae accepit, ab ipso auferentur. Propterea, carissime, quae-
cumque nunc de thesauro illo indeficienti tollere potui, ad te misi, eaque, licet ad te dimiserim, apud me tamen cuncta remanent; thesaurus enim nunquam deminuitur, cum sit Dei sapientia; dispensator autem est Dominus noster Iesus Christus, quemadmodum ipse testatus est dicens: Omnia mihi tradita sunt a Patre meo. Dum vero sapientiae est dispensator, ipse etiam Sapientia est, sicuti ait Apostolus: Christum Dei virtutem et Sapientiam ipsius. Haec est Sapientia illa inter plurimos dispertita, nec tamen ullo modo imminuta, sicut supra tibi ostendi de Christi spiritu prophetas accepisse, quamvis nullo modo Christus attenuetur.
ܡܶܛܽܠ ܗܳܢܳܐ ܚܰܒܺܝܒܝ ܐܶܫܟܚܶܬ ܠܡܶܫܩܰܠ ܒܗܳܢܳܐ ܙܰܒܢܳܐ ܡܶܢ ܗܰܘ ܓܰܙܳܐ ܕܠܳܐ ܚܳܣܚܰܪ ܫܰܚܕܪܶܬ ܠܳܟ ܡܶܢܶܗ: ܚܰܡܕ ܟܳܠ ܫܰܚܕܪܶܬ ܠܘܳܬܝ ܐܺܝܬܰܘܗ݈ܝ ܟܽܠܶܗ. ܓܰܙܳܐ ܓܶܝܪ ܠܳܐ ܚܳܣܰܪ: ܓܶܝܪ ܚܶܟܡܬܶܗ ܗ݈ܝ ܺܓܶܝܪ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ: ܘܪܰܒܰܒܝܰܬܳܐ ܡܳܪܰܢ ܝܶܫܽܘܥ ܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܗܽܘܣ ܕܶܗ ܘܶܐܡܰܚܪ ܕܟܽܠ ܡܶܚܕܶܡ ܐܶܫܬܠܶܡ ܠܺܝ ܡܶܢ ܐܳܒܝ. ܘܟܰܕ ܗܽܘܝܽܘ ܪܰܒܰܝܬܳܐ ܕܚܶܟܡܬܳܐ ܬܽܘܒ ܐܰܝܟ ܕܶܐܡܰܪ ܫܠܺܝܚܳܐ: ܕܰܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܚܰܝܠܶܗ ܗ݈ܘ ܘܚܶܟܡܬܶܗ ܕܰܐܠܳܗܳܐ. ܗܳܕܶܐ ܚܶܟܡܬܳܐ ܐܶܬܦܰܠܓܰܬ ܠܣܰܓܺܝܶܐܐ ܘܡܶ݁ܕܶܡ ܠܳܐ ܚܳܣܪܳܐ. ܐܰܝܟ ܕܡܶܢ ܠܥܶܠ ܐܰܦܺܝܣܬܳܟ: ܕܡܶܕܢ ܪܽܘܚܶܗ ܕܰܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܩܰܒܶܠܘ ܢܒܺܝܶܐ ܘܰܡܫܺܝܚܳܐ ܡܶ݁ܕܶܡ ܠܳܐ ܐܶܬܒܰܨܰܪ܀
Demonstration X, §8
The Lord of the house has set me over the royal treasury and shown me there its vast resources; and when I had seen them, my mind was overwhelmed by the magnitude of that treasure. As I gazed, my eyes grew dim, my senses were carried away, and my thoughts were drawn off in many directions. Whoever takes from it grows rich himself and enriches others; he becomes open and ready to answer everything about which he is questioned. Even if many take from it, [the treasure] is not diminished; and if they give away all that they have received, what they hold will only increase. What they have freely received they ought also to give freely, in the same manner as they received it, and not to sell it for a price; for there is nothing that can be set on a level with it. The treasure never fails, nor are those who draw from it ever sated; while drinking they still thirst, while eating they still hunger. One who does not thirst cannot drink, nor can one who does not hunger eat. Many are filled by its hunger, and from its thirst springs gush forth. For one who draws near to the worship of God is like a thirsting man who, on coming to a spring, drinks and quenches his thirst, yet the spring is not lessened. Land in need of watering draws from the spring, yet its waters are in no way diminished; and the land, after it has drunk, must again be watered, while the spring is not reduced by the flow of its water. So it is with
Demonstration X, §8
The Lord of the house has set me over the royal treasury and shown me there its vast resources; and when I had seen them, my mind was overwhelmed by the magnitude of that treasure. As I gazed, my eyes grew dim, my senses were carried away, and my thoughts were drawn off in many directions. Whoever takes from it grows rich himself and enriches others; he becomes open and ready to answer everything about which he is questioned. Even if many take from it, [the treasure] is not diminished; and if they give away all that they have received, what they hold will only increase. What they have freely received they ought also to give freely, in the same manner as they received it, and not to sell it for a price; for there is nothing that can be set on a level with it. The treasure never fails, nor are those who draw from it ever sated; while drinking they still thirst, while eating they still hunger. One who does not thirst cannot drink, nor can one who does not hunger eat. Many are filled by its hunger, and from its thirst springs gush forth. For one who draws near to the worship of God is like a thirsting man who, on coming to a spring, drinks and quenches his thirst, yet the spring is not lessened. Land in need of watering draws from the spring, yet its waters are in no way diminished; and the land, after it has drunk, must again be watered, while the spring is not reduced by the flow of its water. So it is with
the knowledge of God. Even if all human beings drew from it, it would suffer no diminishment, nor will the children of flesh ever exhaust it. He who takes from it cannot consume [the whole], and when he has given to [others], nothing will be lacking. If you catch fire from a blaze with a lamp, so that you may kindle several other lamps from it, the blaze from which you take it is not lessened, nor does the lamp from which you light many others fail. One man cannot carry off the entire treasure of the king, nor can a thirsty man, while drawing water, drain the spring; nor can a man stationed on the highest peak reach what is near and what is far with his eye alike; nor, if he were to stand and number the stars of heaven, could he attain to the powers of the heavens: so neither can he who approaches the worship of God carry off the whole [treasure]; and although he should take very much, the thing will not appear to have been diminished, nor, if he should give away all that he has received, will it in any way have been used up or wholly consumed. And remember, dearly beloved, what I wrote to you in the first discourse on Faith, namely that he who has received freely ought in turn to give freely, just as he received, as the Lord says: “Freely you have received, freely give”; for if anyone should wish to retain what he has taken, even what he has received will be taken away from him. Therefore, dearly beloved, what-
the knowledge of God. Even if all human beings drew from it, it would suffer no diminishment, nor will the children of flesh ever exhaust it. He who takes from it cannot consume [the whole], and when he has given to [others], nothing will be lacking. If you catch fire from a blaze with a lamp, so that you may kindle several other lamps from it, the blaze from which you take it is not lessened, nor does the lamp from which you light many others fail. One man cannot carry off the entire treasure of the king, nor can a thirsty man, while drawing water, drain the spring; nor can a man stationed on the highest peak reach what is near and what is far with his eye alike; nor, if he were to stand and number the stars of heaven, could he attain to the powers of the heavens: so neither can he who approaches the worship of God carry off the whole [treasure]; and although he should take very much, the thing will not appear to have been diminished, nor, if he should give away all that he has received, will it in any way have been used up or wholly consumed. And remember, dearly beloved, what I wrote to you in the first discourse on Faith, namely that he who has received freely ought in turn to give freely, just as he received, as the Lord says: “Freely you have received, freely give”; for if anyone should wish to retain what he has taken, even what he has received will be taken away from him. Therefore, dearly beloved, what-
what I have now been able to take from that inexhaustible treasure I have sent to you; and although I have dispatched it to you, all of it nevertheless remains with me. For the treasure is never diminished, since it is the wisdom of God; and its dispenser is our Lord Jesus Christ, just as he himself testified, saying: “All things have been delivered to me by my Father” [Matthew 11:27]. And while he is the dispenser of wisdom, he is also Wisdom itself, as the Apostle says: “Christ the power of God and his Wisdom” [1 Corinthians 1:24]. This is that Wisdom which has been distributed among very many, and yet in no way diminished, just as I showed you above—that the prophets received of the Spirit of Christ, and yet Christ is in no way reduced.
what I have now been able to take from that inexhaustible treasure I have sent to you; and although I have dispatched it to you, all of it nevertheless remains with me. For the treasure is never diminished, since it is the wisdom of God; and its dispenser is our Lord Jesus Christ, just as he himself testified, saying: “All things have been delivered to me by my Father” [Matthew 11:27]. And while he is the dispenser of wisdom, he is also Wisdom itself, as the Apostle says: “Christ the power of God and his Wisdom” [1 Corinthians 1:24]. This is that Wisdom which has been distributed among very many, and yet in no way diminished, just as I showed you above—that the prophets received of the Spirit of Christ, and yet Christ is in no way reduced.