Shrewdness, marriage and salt
Cyril: …how could it not be uphill work to see? I think, then, that even the shrewd conduct a holy and good soul sometimes shows, if it is practiced at the right time and has piety toward God as its motive, is not rejected by him; yet it will not be ranked on an equal footing with fragrant virtue, nor would it be counted as a spiritual sacrifice. For simplicity is more precious with God. For Holy Scripture admires the inspired Jacob, saying: ‘And Jacob was a guileless man, living in a house’ (Genesis 25:27). For shrewdness is far removed from all who are innocent. And to the holy apostles the Savior himself said: ‘Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves’ (Matthew 10:16). Yet innocence is precious with God, and compared with the other is in every way the better. But shrewd and wily conduct is fitting for the management of the apostolic mission; the blessed Paul too made use of it at times, everywhere escaping an untimely death at the hands of his enemies. So shrewdness, in godly pursuits, might well be acceptable, but it would by no means be counted as the fragrance of virtue if it were tested by its own nature. In the same way honey too, taken as a type of fleshly pleasure, would point, I think, to this life in the world, which is not free of the pleasures of the flesh. For marriage is honorable (Hebrews 13:4), serving the bearing of children, and blameless according to the law when it is lived in Christ. Yet this will not count for anyone as the strength of virtue, nor will it be ranked equal with the glories of self-control. And the blessed Paul too writes to the married: ‘Do not separate from one another, except perhaps by agreement for a time, so that you may give yourselves to prayer and supplication’ (1 Corinthians 7:5). And again: ‘Be together,’ he says, ‘so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control’ (1 Corinthians 7:5). And he added to this: ‘I say this by way of concession, not of command’ (1 Corinthians 7:6). Do you see, then, that he grants a concession to the married? How then can something that is met with a concession be a virtue? ‘Concerning the virgin,’ he says (1 Corinthians 7:25), ‘she is more blessed if she remains as she is’ (1 Corinthians 7:40), that is, unmarried. So honey is not rejected, for marriage is acceptable; yet it is not offered for a fragrant aroma, as the ways of virtue are. But salt is also sprinkled on the sacrifices; for I think we must offer sacrifice wisely and with understanding, and be well seasoned for every good thing. For what is graceless and tasteless would least of all befit those who have chosen to live devoutly. This is why the Savior said to the holy disciples: ‘You are the salt of the earth’ (Matthew 5:13). And Paul too writes: ‘Let your speech be seasoned with grace and salt (Colossians 4:6), that it may give grace to those who hear’ (Ephesians 4:29).
Palladius: It is settled, then, that good sense and graciousness are signified by the salt.
Cyril: So it is. And now, I think, having carefully marked out the ways in which one must offer sacrifice, we must next observe from the sacred Scriptures themselves…
Greek
σίαν ἀνακομίζειν αὐτὰ, πῶς οὐκ ἄναντες ἰδεῖν; Οἶμαι δὴ οὖν ὅτι καὶ πανοῦργον ἔσθ' ὅτε ψυχῆς ὁσίας καὶ ἀγαθῆς, εἰ δρῷτο κατὰ καιροὺς, καὶ πρόφασιν ἔχοι τὴν εἰς Θεὸν εὐσέβειαν, οὐκ ἀπόβλητον μὲν παρ' αὐτῷ, πλὴν οὐκ ἐν ἴσῳ λόγῳ κατατετάξεται τῆς εὐώδους ἀρετῆς, οὐδ' ἂν εἰς θυσίαν καταλογισθείη τὴν νοητήν. Ἁπλότης γὰρ μᾶλλον τιμιωτέρα παρὰ Θεῷ. Καταθαυμάζει μὲν γὰρ τὸ Γράμμα τὸ ἱερὸν τὸν θεσπέσιον Ἰακὼβ, οὕτω λέγον· «Καὶ ἦν Ἰακὼβ ἄπλαστος ἀνὴρ, οἰκῶν ἐν οἰκίᾳ.» Ἐξῄρηται μὲν γὰρ πάντων τῶν ἀκάκων ἡ πανουργία. Πρὸς δέ γε τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους αὐτὸς ἔφασκεν ὁ Σωτήρ· «Γίνεσθε φρόνιμοι ὡς οἱ ὄφεις, καὶ ἀκέραιοι, ὡς αἱ περιστεραί.» Ἀλλ' ἔστι τὸ μὲν ἀκέραιον τίμιον παρὰ Θεῷ, καὶ καθ' ἕτερόν που πάντων ἐν ἀμείνοσιν. Τὸ δέ γε πανοῦργον καὶ πονηρὸν, τῇ οἰκονομίᾳ πρέπον τῆς ἀποστολῆς, ᾧ προσεχρῆτο κατὰ καιροὺς καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, πανταχῆ διαδιδράσκων τὸ πρόωρον παρ' ἐχθρῶν ὑπομεῖναι θάνατον. Οὐκοῦν τὸ πανοῦργον ἔν γε τοῖς κατὰ Θεὸν σπουδάσμασι, δεκτὸν μὲν ἂν γένοιτο, καταλογισθείη δ' ἂν οὐδαμῶς εἰς ἀρετῆς εὐωδίαν, εἰ δοκιμάζοιτο κατ' ἰδίαν φύσιν. Κατὰ τὸν ἴσον δὴ τρόπον καὶ τὸ μέλι, τῆς σαρκικῆς ἡδονῆς εἰς τύπον παραληφθὲν, ὑποφήνειεν ἂν, οἶμαί που, τὴν ἐγκόσμιον ταύτην, καὶ σαρκικῶν ἡδονῶν οὐκ ἀπηλλαγμένην ζωήν· τίμιος μὲν γὰρ ὁ γάμος, ταῖς τεκνογονίαις ὑπηρετῶν, καὶ ἀνυπαίτιος κατὰ νόμον, ὁ ἐν Χριστῷ κεχρημένος. Πλὴν οὐκ ἔσται τοῦτό τισιν εἰς ἀρετῆς δύναμιν, οὔτε μὴν ἐν ἴσῳ τετάξεται τοῖς τῆς ἐγκρατείας αὐχήμασιν· ἐπιστέλλει δὲ τοῖς ἐν γάμῳ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· «Μὴ χωρίζεσθε ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, εἰ μή τι ἂν ἐκ συμφώνου πρὸς καιρὸν, ἵνα σχολάσητε τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ τῇ δεήσει.» Καὶ πάλιν· «Ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἦτε, φησὶν, ἵνα μὴ πειράζῃ ὑμᾶς ὁ Σατανᾶς, διὰ τὴν ἀκρασίαν ὑμῶν.» Προσεπήνεγκε δὲ τούτοις· «Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω κατὰ συγγνώμην, οὐ κατὰ ἐπιταγήν.» Ὁρᾷς οὖν ὅτι συγγνώμην δίδωσι τοῖς ἐν γάμῳ; Πῶς οὖν ἀρετὴ, τὸ συγγνώμῃ θεραπευόμενον; «Περὶ δὲ τῆς παρθένου,» φησὶν, «ὅτι μακαριωτέρα ἐστὶν ἐὰν οὕτως μείνῃ,» τοῦτ' ἔστιν, ἄγαμος. Οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἀπόβλητον μὲν τὸ μέλι. δεκτὸς γὰρ ὁ γάμος. Πλὴν οὐκ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, καθὰ καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς οἱ τρόποι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἔν γε μὴν τοῖς θύμασιν ἐπιπάττονται ἅλες, χρῆναι γὰρ οἶμαι καταθύειν ἡμᾶς σοφῶς τε καὶ ἐμφρόνως, καὶ πρὸς πᾶν ὁτιοῦν τῶν ἀγαθῶν εὖ μάλα διηρτημένους. Τὸ γὰρ ἄχαρί τε καὶ ἄνοστον, πρέποι ἂν ἥκιστά γε τοῖς εὐσεβεῖν ἑλομένοις. Ταύτῃτοι καὶ ὁ Σωτήρ· «Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς,» τοῖς ἁγίοις ἔφασκε μαθηταῖς. Ἐπιστέλλει δὲ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος· «Ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ἐν χάριτί τε καὶ ἅλατι ἠρτυμένος, ἵνα δῷ χάριν τοῖς ἀκούουσιν.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Ἄραρεν οὖν ὅτι τὸ ἔμφρον τε καὶ ἐπίχαρι, διὰ τῶν ἁλῶν σημαίνεται.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὧδε ἔχει· χρῆναι δὲ οἶμαι λοιπὸν εὖ μάλα διῃρηκότας τοὺς ἐπί γε τὸ δεῖν καταθύειν τρόπους, ἐξ αὐτῶν ἤδη τῶν ἱερῶν καταθρεῖν Γραμμάτων, τὸ