If it were fitting to honor with sums of money those who excel in virtues, then surely, as Solomon says (Prov.), the whole world of riches would appear small, that it could be matched against your virtues. But because grace is far better than that wealth of riches which is owed to your reverence, and because the holy Pasch also demands the customary munificence of charity, we offer to your excellent prudence a gift, small indeed, although it may seem worthy to be presented to you, yet not held unequal to our powers. And this gift is a discourse, like a very poor garment, woven not without labor out of our meager understanding:
but the subject matter of the discourse will perhaps seem to many too bold, yet nevertheless it is judged neither absurd nor unseemly. He alone has worthily contemplated the creation of God who was himself created according to God. And truly Basil, made and formed according to the image of God, our common father and teacher, who by his contemplation perfected for many an understanding of the most sublime adornment of the whole creation, and established the world, formed in the true wisdom of God, to be most fully known to those who through his prudence are fitted for this inspection. But we, although we are by no means able to admire him as is worthy,
nevertheless we have thought that those things which are lacking to what has been thoroughly examined by this master should be added, in no way by the present occasion diminishing the diligence of his labor (for it is not lawful that his sublime eloquence should be overshadowed by our discourses), but lest that glory which seems wanting to the master should be imputed to his disciples. For since his exposition concerning the formation of man is lacking from his Hexaemeron, if none of his hearers should bring some effort whereby to fulfill what was desired, an occasion of reproach might perhaps be furnished against his great glory, as of one who neglected to imbue the minds of his disciples with a certain habit of penetrating intelligence.
Now therefore, having undertaken according to our powers to expound that which is somewhat lacking, if anything of such a kind be found in our work that is not unworthy of his teaching, let it rightly be referred to the master; but if our discourse does not attain to the magnificence of his contemplation, he indeed will remain free from the accusation by which he is thought to have been unwilling to impart to his disciples the achievement of a happier outcome, escaping the mark of blame. But we, among those who are zealous for fault-finding, shall consequently be liable, as those who through the smallness of our heart are unable to grasp the wisdom of so great a master. The aim set before us for contemplation is no small one, nor to be set after any of the marvels which are in the world;
but perhaps it is even to be preferred above all things that are subject to our knowledge. For nothing of the things that are seen is like to God, as is the human constitution; so that pardon is to be asked of us in the present by kindly hearers concerning the things we are about to say, if our discourse should appear inferior to what the dignity of the matter requires. And I think it fitting to leave none of those things wholly undiscussed which are believed to have been wrought beforehand concerning man, and which are hoped to be fulfilled hereafter, and which are now beheld in the present, lest perhaps this exposition be convicted of being less than our promise, if, when man is set before us for contemplation, anything be passed over of those things which are shown to pertain to the matter.
But also those things which seem to have befallen him contrary to expectation, and why those things which were made from the beginning are not found in his nature, are more becomingly explained by a certain necessary sequence, gathered both from the authority of the Scriptures and from the reasoning of thought: so that the whole subject matter may be consonant with itself, when the order and series which is thought to be adverse converges upon one and the same end, thus by divine help and power affording us hope against hope and ability out of difficulty. And for the sake of clarity I have judged it best to set forth the present discourse to you in chapters, so that you may in brief recognize the effect of the whole work through the several arguments of our undertaking.