274. This is in accordance with the Platonic theory of ideas, lo&goj is perhaps best rendered "rationale," but the original word must be kept for the sake of the play on the words in this sentence.
275. This is a strangely forced interpretation of the passage in Matt. xxiv. 35.
276. In this statement he passes in his philosophising from Platonism to Origenism.
277. All the answer which Macarius gives to this objection is contained in the last paragraph of chapter xvii., which is his answer to the previous objection of chapter viii.
278. Eng. Vers. " The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us."
279. Aratus was a Cilician astronomer. See Introd., p. xxi,
280. A reference to the Pythagoreans.
281. In this last brief paragraph Macarius answers a further objection, thus curtailing his own chapters for the second time in Book IV.
282. Thus does Macarius run away from the point, and content himself with an allegorical interpretation.
283. The following paragraph introduces the next six questions.
284. The following paragraph is an introduction to the next six answers.
285. It is only here that Macarius plainly refers to his method of arrangement, taking a number of objections to answer at the same time. The average number is seven, but this is not always strictly adhered to. The odd thing is that in this case the number of questions answered consecutively is only six.
286. Macarius refers elsewhere to the Emperor as basileu&j . Apparently there had just been a "royal progress" in the East in his locality. It may be only a bit of sham realism, or an event which occurred when Macarius was writing his book ; but on the face of it, it seems to give some support to the theory of a real dialogue.
287. The passage which begins here, and continues to the end of the paragraph (268 words in the Greek) is the only one where the inner doctrines of the Christian Creed are expounded. It is either a later interpolation, or an exception to the usual style of the book. In the latter case, it is not easy to reconcile with an early date for Macarius. See Introd., pp. xviii and xxviii.
288. It is to be noted that he here misquotes his text, and assists his argument by reading tou~ pneu&matoj instead of e0n tw~| pneu&mati , thus making "in the name of" refer to Him as well as to Christ.
289. This is the seemingly Post-Nicene phrase which has inclined so many critics to assign a late date to Macarius. But see Introd., p. xviii. n. 3, and p. 155 n. 1. The theory that the passage is a later interpolation is supported by the subject of the next objection. Could Macarius have chosen anything more unfortunate than the Three Persons to lend on to a defence of the Monarchy of God ?
290. This objection and the next, and also the answers contained in chapters xxvi., xxvii., and xxviii. are quoted by Nicephorus, in his Antirrhetica, and are to be found in D. Pitra's Spicil. Solesm. t. I. p. 309 et seq. See Introd., pp. x, xi, xxvii.
One interest of Nicephorus lies in the difference of his text from the Athens MS. The most notable in this chapter occurs in the first sentence, where he omits the words tou~ mo&nou qeou~ kai\ th~j poluarxi/aj .
291. The word Monarchia ( monarxi/a ) seems to require translating thus, in order to bring it into contrast with the Polyarchia ( poluarxi/a ) which follows.
292. e0c ei0k&noj h9mi~n . . . to_n lo&gon kratu&nein e0spou&dasaj . The mention of an "image" at the beginning of this answer may possibly have attracted the attention of Nicephorus to the passage. For it is on the question of image worship that he introduces it as supporting his own attitude.
293. The same illustration is used in ii. 9.
294. qe&sei , in contrast with fu&sei , philosophic terms by which he expresses his argument. Literally, "by position" and "by nature." See ii. 9.
295. These first sentences are placed by Nicephorus under the objection of the previous chapter. It is to be noted that the matter of naming was mentioned there, and answered by Macarius, whereas his answer to this question is silent on this point. It is therefore possible that Nicephorus preserves the right order.
296. An ancient reader was unable to restrain himself, and wrote in the margin of the MS., "This is not true."
297. Blondel gives Qeo&j , not qeo&j , in this passage.