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taking them captive; but this man was able to bring thousands back to the truth, and he was weak. For even if, he says, no other harm came to their affairs from his sickness, this alone was sufficient to make the faithful more hesitant and more slothful. For if soldiers, seeing their own general bound to his bed, become more hesitant and more slothful for the battle, it was much more likely that the faithful then, seeing their teacher who had worked so many signs constantly ailing and his body weary, would suffer some human weakness. But it is not only these things, but also something else that those who are perplexed seek: for why again did neither he himself, nor his teacher, heal him when he was in such a state? But they raised the dead, and cast out demons, and held sway over death with abundance, yet they did not restore one weakened body; but having displayed such power in the bodies of others, both living and dead, they did not restore a failing stomach; and what is greater, that Paul is not ashamed nor does he blush after so many and so great signs, which he used to display even by a mere word, to write to Timothy to take refuge in the cure that comes from wine-drinking. Not that drinking wine is shameful, far from it; for these are the injunctions of heretics; but that he did not consider it a shame to be unable to correct one ailing member without its help. But nevertheless, he was so far from being ashamed of this, that he even made it clear to all who came after. See to what depth we have brought the argument? How what seems to be a small thing is full of a thousand questions? Come then, let us also bring forward the solution. For it was for this reason that we descended to a great depth, so that, having stirred up your mind, we might store away the thoughts in safety.

3. But allow me, before I bring the solution to these questions, to say something about the virtue of Timothy and the solicitude of Paul. For what has been more affectionate than he, who, being at such a distance and surrounded by so many affairs, took such great care for the health of his disciple's stomach, and wrote with precision concerning the correction of the illness? And what is equal to the virtue of Timothy? He so disdained luxury, and laughed at a sumptuous table, as even to fall into weakness from excessive austerity and intense fasting. For that he was not so by nature, but that he cast down the strength of his stomach by fasting and water-drinking, hear Paul himself declaring this with precision. For he did not simply say, Use a little wine; but having first said, No longer drink water, he then added the 49.20 advice of wine-drinking. And the "no longer" was to show that until then he had drunk water, and for this reason he had become weak. Who then would not be astonished at his philosophy and his exactness? He laid hold of the very heavens, and strove toward the summit of virtue; and his teacher bears witness to this for him, saying thus: I have sent to you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord. And when Paul calls him a child, and a faithful and beloved child, these words are sufficient to show all his virtue. For the judgments of the saints are not made according to favor, nor according to enmity, but are free from all prejudice. Timothy would not have been so admirable, if he had been Paul's child by nature, as he is wondrous now, because, being related to him in no way according to the flesh, through the kinship of piety he brought himself into his adoption, preserving with exactness the characteristics of his philosophy in all things. For just as a calf yoked with a bull, so he drew the yoke with him everywhere in the world, and was in no way inferior on account of his age, but his zeal prepared him to contend with the labors of his teacher. And of these things Paul himself is again a witness, saying thus: Let no one therefore despise him; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. Do you see how he bears witness to him as being exactly the same

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αἰχμαλωτίζοντες· οὗτος δ' ἠδύνατο μυρίους ἐπὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐπαναγαγεῖν, καὶ ἠσθένει. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μηδεμία, φησὶν, ἑτέρα βλάβη τοῖς πράγμασιν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας ἐγίνετο, τοῦτο μόνον ἱκανὸν ἦν τοὺς πιστοὺς ὀκνηροτέρους καὶ ῥᾳθυμοτέρους ποιῆσαι. Εἰ γὰρ στρατιῶται τὸν στρατηγὸν τὸν ἑαυτῶν ὁρῶντες τῇ κλίνῃ προσδεδεμένον, ὀκνηρότεροι γίνονται καὶ πρὸς τὴν μάχην ῥᾳθυμότεροι· πολλῷ μᾶλλον εἰκὸς ἦν, καὶ τοὺς πιστοὺς τότε τὸν διδάσκαλον ὁρῶντας τὸν τοσαῦτα σημεῖα ἐργασάμενον συνεχῶς ἀῤῥωστοῦντα, καὶ τὸ σῶμα κάμνοντα, ἀνθρώπινόν τι παθεῖν. Οὐ ταῦτα δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερόν τι οἱ διαποροῦντες ζητοῦσι· τίνος γὰρ ἕνεκεν πάλιν οὔτε αὐτὸς ἑαυτὸν, οὔτε ὁ διδάσκαλος αὐτοῦ οὕτω διακείμενον ἐθεράπευσεν; ἀλλὰ νεκροὺς μὲν ἤγειρον, καὶ δαίμονας ἀπήλαυνον, καὶ θανάτου μετὰ περιουσίας ἐκράτουν, σῶμα δὲ ἓν ἠσθενηκὸς οὐ διώρθωσαν, ἀλλ' ἐν ἀλλοτρίοις σώμασι καὶ ζῶντες καὶ τετελευτηκότες τοσαύτην ἐπιδεδειγμένοι δύναμιν, στόμαχον καταπεσόντα οὐκ ἀνέστησαν· καὶ τὸ δὴ μεῖζον, ὅτι οὐκ αἰσχύνεται Παῦλος οὐδὲ ἐρυθριᾷ μετὰ τοσαῦτα καὶ τηλικαῦτα σημεῖα, ἃ καὶ διὰ ψιλοῦ ῥήματος ἐπεδείκνυτο, Τιμοθέῳ γράφων ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς οἰνοποσίας καταφυγεῖν θεραπείαν. Οὐχ ὅτι τὸ πίνειν οἶνον αἰσχρὸν, μὴ γένοιτο· αἱρετικῶν γὰρ ταῦτα παραγγέλματα· ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐκ ἐνόμιζεν αἰσχύνην εἶναι τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι χωρὶς τῆς ἐκείνου βοηθείας διορθώσασθαι νενοσηκὸς ἓν μέλος. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τοσοῦτον ἀπέσχεν αἰσχυνθῆναι ἐπὶ τούτῳ, ὅτι καὶ τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα πᾶσι δῆλον αὐτὸ ἐποίησεν. Ἴδετε πρὸς πόσον βάθος κατηγάγομεν τὸν λόγον; πῶς τὸ δοκοῦν μικρὸν εἶναι, μυρίων γέμει ζητημάτων; Φέρε οὖν καὶ τὴν λύσιν ἐπαγάγωμεν. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τοῦτο πρὸς πολὺ βάθος κατέβημεν, ἵνα διεγείραντες ὑμῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ τὰ νοήματα ἀποθώμεθα.

γʹ. Συγχωρήσατε δέ μοι, πρὶν ἢ τὴν λύσιν τοῖς ζητήμασι τούτοις ἐπαγαγεῖν, εἰπεῖν τι περὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τοῦ Τιμοθέου, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Παύλου κηδεμονίας. Τί γὰρ ἐκείνου φιλοστοργότερον γέγονεν, ὃς ἐκ τοσούτου διαστήματος ὢν καὶ τοσούτοις κυκλούμενος πράγμασιν, ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑγείας τοῦ στομάχου τοῦ μαθητοῦ τοσαύτην ἐποιεῖτο πρόνοιαν, καὶ μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἐπέστελλεν ὑπὲρ τῆς τοῦ νοσήματος διορθώσεως; Τί δὲ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἴσον τῆς Τιμοθέου; Οὕτως ὑπερεώρα τρυφῆς, καὶ κατεγέλα πολυτελοῦς τραπέζης, ὡς καὶ εἰς ἀσθένειαν ἐμπεσεῖν ἐκ τῆς ἄγαν σκληραγωγίας καὶ ἐπιτεταμένης νηστείας. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐ φύσει τοιοῦτος ἦν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ νηστείας καὶ ὑδροποσίας τοῦ στομάχου κατέβαλε τὴν ἰσχὺν, αὐτοῦ τοῦ Παύλου μετ' ἀκριβείας τοῦτο δηλοῦντος ἀκούσατε. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς εἶπεν, Οἴνῳ ὀλίγῳ χρῶ· ἀλλὰ πρότερον εἰπὼν, Μηκέτι ὑδροπότει, τότε τὴν τῆς οἰνοποσίας προσ 49.20 έθηκε συμβουλήν. Τὸ δὲ, μηκέτι, δηλοῦντος ἦν, ὅτι μέχρι τότε ὑδροπότει, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο γέγονεν ἀσθενής. Τίς οὖν οὐκ ἂν ἐκπλαγείη τὴν φιλοσοφίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ἀκρίβειαν; Αὐτῶν ἐπελάβετο τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ πρὸς τὸ τῆς ἀρετῆς ἄκρον ἤλασε· καὶ ταῦτα ὁ διδάσκαλος αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖ οὕτω λέγων· Ἔπεμψα ὑμῖν Τιμόθεον, ὅς ἐστι τέκνον μου ἀγαπητὸν καὶ πιστὸν ἐν Κυρίῳ. Ὅταν δὲ Παῦλος αὐτὸν καλεῖ τέκνον καὶ τέκνον πιστὸν καὶ ἀγαπητὸν, ἀρκεῖ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἅπασαν αὐτοῦ δεῖξαι τὴν ἀρετήν. Αἱ γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων κρίσεις οὐ πρὸς χάριν, οὐδὲ πρὸς ἀπέχθειαν γίνονται, ἀλλὰ πάσης εἰσὶν ἀπηλλαγμέναι προλήψεως. Οὐκ ἦν οὕτω ζηλωτὸς ὁ Τιμόθεος, εἰ Παύλου τέκνον ἦν φύσει, ὥς ἐστι θαυμαστὸς νῦν, ὅτι κατὰ σάρκα μηδὲν αὐτῷ προσήκων, διὰ τῆς κατὰ τὴν εὐλάβειαν συγγενείας εἰς τὴν υἱοθεσίαν εἰσήγαγεν ἑαυτὸν τὴν ἐκείνου, μετὰ ἀκριβείας τοὺς χαρακτῆρας τῆς ἐκείνου φιλοσοφίας διασώζων ἐν ἅπασι. Καθάπερ γὰρ μόσχος ταύρῳ συμβεβλημένος, οὕτω τὸν ζυγὸν εἷλκε μετ' αὐτοῦ πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης, καὶ οὐδὲν ἠλαττοῦτο διὰ τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἀλλ' ἡ προθυμία ἁμιλλᾶσθαι τοῖς τοῦ διδασκάλου πόνοις αὐτὸν παρεσκεύαζε. Καὶ τούτων πάλιν μάρτυς αὐτὸς ὁ Παῦλος, οὕτω λέγων· Μηδεὶς οὖν αὐτὸν ἐξουθενήσῃ· τὸ γὰρ ἔργον Κυρίου ἐργάζεται, ὡς κἀγώ. Εἶδες πῶς ἀπαράλλακτον αὐτῷ μαρτυρεῖ