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of his heart become manifest; or as Elisha: Did not my heart go with you, when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? And prophecy is also foreknowledge through dreams, as was shown to Joseph in Egypt and to Daniel in Babylon. How then also Pharaoh and Nebuchadnezzar? Because regarding the conditions of the world, it was necessary for the rulers to foresee, so that it might be believed. And how do Balaam and Caiaphas also prophesy? Because they too had those who were persuaded by them; and the one as high priest, the other as a seer. For here there is no purity of soul, nor clarity of mind seeing God and drawing down power from thence; but the word is in them by dispensation, not according to their worth, but for the occasion. And you will ask whether the things in Isaiah and Ezekiel are visions, seen through such phantasms, or theologies, announcing to us the properties of the Godhead through riddles of the Spirit. p.5 And some say that they prophesy in a state of ecstasy, with the human mind being overshadowed by the Spirit. But this is contrary to the promise of the divine visitation, to make the one possessed by God out of his mind, and, when he has become full of the divine teachings, then also to be beside his own thought, and while benefiting others through himself, to be deprived of the benefit from his own words. And in general, what consistent reason is there for one to become like a madman from the Spirit of wisdom, and to lose the faculty of comprehension from the Spirit of knowledge? But neither does light produce blindness, but rather it awakens the visual power that exists by nature; nor does the Spirit produce darkness in souls, but it raises up the mind that is pure from the stains of sin to the contemplation of intelligible things. That an evil power, therefore, should be confounding to the mind, plotting against human nature, is not incredible; but to say that the presence of the divine Spirit works this same thing is impious. Then, if the Saints are wise, how did they not comprehend the things being prophesied? For a wise man (it says) will understand the things from his own mouth, and on his lips he wears discernment. But if because Isaac was amazed at the entrance of his son, and David said in his ecstasy, for this reason they falsely accuse the saints of frenzy, let them know that amazement has been called ecstasy; as in "The heaven was amazed, and the earth shuddered." But it is necessary, starting from common notions, concerning God to confess, not to comprehend, things that are contradictory, as far as the wording is concerned. For example, according to the common preconceptions, it is to confess the divine nature to be good, and without anger, and just. p.6 If, therefore, Scripture speaks of him being angry, or grieving, or repenting, or not treating someone according to worth, it is fitting to seek the intention of the word, and to be concerned in what way we may be able to restore it, and not to overturn the worthy conceptions about God. And thus we shall encounter the Scriptures without stumbling, being benefited by the things that are easily understood, and not being harmed by the more obscure things. But if someone should find fault with the divine Scripture, as not being instructive, nor effective for those who are able to be benefited, let him consider the whole arrangement of human affairs, not only in spiritual matters, but also in inferior ones and in the things of life; that to the irrational animals he gave an easy starting-point for living; spontaneous foods and natural shelter, and the garments from hair and feathers, the power that governs all things bestowed; but having brought forth man naked, he gave reason instead of all things, through which the providing arts were established, building, weaving, agriculture, metalworking, the soul supplying what is lacking to the body by the presence of reason. Just as, therefore, in these things our creator, not begrudging us, did not allow all the starting-points for life to be co-generated with us similarly to the irrational animals, but contrived the lack of necessities as an exercise for our intellect, so also the obscurity in the Scriptures for the benefit of the mind, he arranged

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καρδίας αὐτοῦ φανερὰ γίνεται· ἢ ὡς ὁ Ἑλισσαῖος· Οὐχὶ ἡ καρδία μου ἐπορεύετο μετὰ σοῦ, ἡνίκα ἀνέστρεψεν ὁ ἀνὴρ, μετὰ τοῦ ἅρματος αὐτοῦ, εἰς συνάντησίν σοι; Ἔστι δὲ προφητεία καὶ ἡ δι' ὀνείρων πρόγνωσις, ὡς τῷ Ἰω σὴφ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ τῷ ∆ανιὴλ ἐπὶ τῆς Βαβυλωνίας ἐδείκ νυτο. Πῶς οὖν καὶ Φαραὼ, καὶ Ναβουχοδονόσορ; Ὅτι περὶ τῶν κοσμικῶν καταστάσεων τοὺς κρατοῦντας ἔδει προβλέ πειν, ἵνα πιστεύηται. Πῶς δὲ καὶ Βαλαὰμ προφητεύει καὶ Καϊάφας; Ὅτι κἀκεῖνοι τοὺς πειθομένους εἶχον· καὶ ὁ μὲν ὡς ἀρχιερεὺς, ὁ δὲ ὡς μάντις. Οὐ γὰρ ψυχῆς καθαρότης ἐνταῦθα, οὐδὲ διαύγεια νοῦ ἐνορῶντος Θεὸν, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν δύναμιν ἐπισπῶντος· ἀλλ' οἰκονομικῶς ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ λόγος, οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν καιρόν. Ζητήσεις δὲ εἰ τὰ παρὰ τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ καὶ τῷ Ἰεζεχιὴλ ὀπτασίαι εἰσὶ, διὰ τοιῶνδε φαντασιῶν ἑωραμέναι, ἢ θεολογίαι, δι' αἰνιγμάτων τοῦ Πνεύματος τὰ τῆς θεότητος ἡμῖν ἰδιώματα καταγγέλ λουσαι. p.5 Φασὶ δέ τινες ἐξεστηκότας αὐτοὺς προφητεύειν, ἐπικαλυπτομένου τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου νοῦ παρὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἐστὶ τῆς θείας ἐπιδημίας, ἔκφρονα ποιεῖν τὸν θεόληπτον, καὶ, ὅτε πλήρης γέγονε τῶν θείων διδαγμάτων, τότε καὶ τῆς οἰκείας ἐξίστασθαι διανοίας, καὶ ἄλλους μὲν ὠφελοῦντα δι' ἑαυτοῦ, αὐτὸν δὲ τῆς ἐκ τῶν ἰδίων λόγων ἀπολείπεσθαι ὠφελείας. Ὅλως δὲ, τίνα λόγον ἀκόλουθον ἔχει ἐκ τοῦ τῆς σοφίας Πνεύματος, μεμηνότι παραπλήσιον γίνεσθαι, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ τῆς γνώσεως Πνεύματος τὸ παρακολουθητικὸν ἀποβάλλειν; Ἀλλ' οὔτε τὸ φῶς τυφλότητα ἐμποιεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐκ φύσεως ἐνυπάρ χουσαν ὁρατικὴν δύναμιν διεγείρει· οὔτε τὸ Πνεῦμα σκό τωσιν ἐμποιεῖ ταῖς ψυχαῖς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὴν τῶν νοητῶν θεωρίαν τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας κηλίδων καθαρεύοντα νοῦν διανίστησι. Πονηρὰν μὲν οὖν δύναμιν συγχυτικὴν εἶναι διανοίας, ἐπιβουλεύουσαν τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ φύσει, οὐκ ἀπίθανον· θεί ου δὲ Πνεύματος παρουσίαν ταὐτὸ τοῦτο λέγειν ἐνερ γεῖν, ἀσεβές. Ἔπειτα, εἰ σοφοὶ οἱ Ἅγιοι, πῶς οὐκ ἐπηκολούθουν τοῖς προφητευομένοις; Σοφὸς γὰρ (φησὶ) νοήσει τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἰδίου στόματος· ἐπὶ δὲ χείλεσι φορεῖ ἐπιγνωμοσύνην. Εἰ δὲ ὅτι ἐξέστη Ἰσαὰκ ἐπὶ τῇ εἰσόδῳ τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ∆αβὶδ εἶπεν ἐν τῇ ἐκστάσει αὐτοῦ, διὰ τοῦτο τὴν παρα φορὰν καταψεύδονται τῶν ἁγίων, γινωσκέτωσαν τὴν ἔκπλη ξιν ἔκστασιν εἰρῆσθαι· ὡς τὸ Ἐξέστη ὁ οὐρανὸς, καὶ ἡ γῆ ἔφριξε. Χρὴ δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν κοινῶν ἐννοιῶν ὡρμημένους, περὶ Θεοῦ τὰ ἐναντιούμενα, ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ λέξει, ὁμολογεῖν, μὴ νοεῖν. Οἷον, κατὰ τὰς κοινὰς προλήψεις ἐστὶ τὴν θείαν φύσιν ἀγαθὴν, καὶ ἀόργητον, καὶ δικαίαν ὁμολογεῖν. p.6 Ἐὰν οὖν ὀργιζόμενον, ἢ λυπούμενον, ἢ μεταμελόμενον, ἢ μὴ κατ' ἀξίαν τινὶ χρώμενον, ἡ Γραφὴ λέγει, ζητεῖν προσ ήκει τὸ τῆς λέξεως βούλημα, καὶ μεριμνᾷν τίνα τρόπον ἀποκαταστῆσαι δυνηθῶμεν, οὐχὶ δὲ ἀνατρέπειν τὰς ἀξιο λόγους περὶ Θεοῦ ὑπολήψεις. Καὶ οὕτως ἀπροσκόπως ἐντευ ξόμεθα ταῖς Γραφαῖς, ἀπὸ μὲν τῶν εὐλήπτων ὠφελού μενοι, ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἀσαφεστέρων οὐ παραβλαπτόμενοι. Ἐὰν δέ τις ἐγκαλῇ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ, ὡς οὐ διδασκαλικῇ, οὐδὲ ἐνεργητικῇ τῶν ὠφελεῖσθαι δυναμένων, καταμανθανέτω πᾶσαν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων διακόσμησιν, οὐκ ἐν τοῖς πνευ ματικοῖς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τοῖς ὑποδεεστέροις καὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὸν βίον πράγμασιν· ὅτι τοῖς μὲν ἀλόγοις εὔκολον ἔδωκε τὴν πρὸς τὸ ζῇν ἀφορμήν· τροφὰς αὐτομάτους καὶ σκέπην αὐτοφυᾶ, καὶ τὰ ἐκ τριχῶν καὶ πτερῶν ἐνδύματα, ἡ τὰ σύμπαντα οἰκονομοῦσα δύναμις ἐχαρίσατο· τὸν δὲ ἄν θρωπον γυμνὸν παραγαγοῦσα, λόγον ἔδωκεν ἀντὶ πάντων, δι' οὗ αἵ τε ποριστικαὶ συνέστησαν τέχναι, οἰκοδομικὴ, ὑφαν τικὴ, γεωργία, χαλκευτική, τὸ τοῖς σώμασιν ἐνδέον ἀνα πληρούσης τῆς ψυχῆς τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ λόγου. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐν τούτοις οὐχὶ βασκαίνων ἡμῖν πρὸς τὸ ζῇν ἀφορμῶν παραπλησίως τοῖς ἀλόγοις συναπογενηθῆναι πάντα ὁ δημιουργὸς ἡμῶν οὐ συνεχώρησεν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἔνδειαν τῶν ἀναγκαίων γυμνάσιον ἡμῖν τῆς διανοίας ἐμηχανήσατο, οὕτω καὶ τὴν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἀσάφειαν ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ τοῦ νοῦ, διε