298. There may be something wrong about to_ loipo_n kaqareu&ontaj . Nicephorus reads tw~n loipw~n .
299. This statement has been taken as proof that the author wrote after the beginning of the new encouragement of Christianity shown by Constantine. For during the period that it was an unlawful religion (till A.D. 312), there were not the larger churches, which began to be built immediately afterwards. But the force of the argument is weakened by the many reasons there are for believing that the philosopher's date is earlier.
300. tou~ kuri/on is an addition by Nicephorus. It scarcely sounds like the language of the objector, but a subject of some sort is wanted.
301. Blondel's edition follows Nicephorus in reading au0tw~n , and prints lo&gw| earlier in the sentence, and not Lo&gw| . The MS. reads au0tw~| , which would refer to "the Word." As here translated, au0tw~n , and also e0ke/inwn in the following clause, of course refer to the angels.
302. Nicephorus is answering the Iconoclastic party, who were utterly opposed to the use of Christian images. They had garbled the words of Macarius to suit their purpose, taking the words ou0 mh_n ei0ko&naj e0kei/nwn tupw&saj tw~| sxh&mati k.t.l ., and referring them to Christian images, and omitting the words just before them. Nicephorus ( op. cit. p. 322) shows that Macarius is only speaking from the Greek point of view, as the words w9j fh_j au0to&j prove, and that he would not be answering his opponent if they referred to Christian images.
303. qhra~n to_ a0qh&raton . This is more likely than the a0qe/aton of the text of Nicephorus, showing that the latter is only occasionally a guide to the true reading.
304. qeofo&ron a1galma monogenw~j e0rga&setai . If monogenw~j is not to be connected with the name which the author uses as the sub-title of his book, it may only mean "by an unique birth." Could it mean "by a birth that is single " ?
305. The passage beginning with the mention of Prometheus and ending here, is quoted by Nicephorus, Antirrhet ., loc. cit.
306. He means that even men sometimes have the title. He might have quoted, as our Lord did, " I said, ye are gods" (John x. 34). If it can be used by men concerning each other, it can be used of higher beings.
307. He here continues the thoughts of his last chapter.
308. There is a play on words here ; the stars run ( qe/wsin ) but are not qeoi/ in consequence ( tou&touj mh_ qeia&swmen ) .
309. See chapter xxvi. init.
310. The title of the chapter uses the phrase, so familiar in early creeds, "Resurrectio carnis." And although his opponent calls it "the resurrection of the dead," the former phrase is used in his answer as well as in the title of it.
311. u9po&stasij .
312. Reading ti/na for ti/j ( u9po&stasin e0xari/sato ;). This passage is an example of the fact that Macarius does not ordinarily use this word as meaning "person." See Introd., p. xviii, and p. 142 n. I.
313. miasma&twn — perhaps in the sense of "noxious mists."
314. An unexpected word; perhaps it should be nauagi/aj , "shipwreck."
315. See p. 125, n. 3.
316. th~j a0xra&ntou periwph~j .
317. dia_ to_n xarakth~ra .
318. a0mi/anton . It cannot be translated asbestos, as it is repeated in the a0mi/anton o1noma of the next clause.
319. There appears to be an intentional alliteration in ou0k e0n fwti\, a0ll' e0n forutw~| .
320. This quotation also appears in Latin form in his Adversus Magdaburgenses, lib. iv. ch. 7.
321. to_ prolabo_n kato&rqwma . Like the fragment of Book I., the language is here linked with that of the rest of Macarius by the use of his favourite word, which occurs three times in this fragment.
322. Turrianus gives fa&blwn , but his Latin rendering "pravis" shows it to have been fau&lwn .