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but it does not create any opposition, nor a conflict. And how is it not a contradiction, he says, to carry with not to carry? Because both happened. And when they went out from the praetorium, Christ was carrying it; but as they were going on, Simon took it from him and carried it. Again concerning the robbers, the one says that the two were blaspheming him; 51.54 but the other that the one was rebuking the one accusing. But this again is not a contradiction. Why? Because here too both happened and at the beginning both were the ones acting wickedly; but after this, when signs occurred and the earth was shaken, and the rocks were split, and the sun was hidden, the one of them was changed, and became more sober-minded, and recognized the crucified one, and confessed his kingdom. For so that you may not think that this happened by some necessity and force of something pushing him from within, nor be perplexed, it shows you that even on the cross he still maintained his former wickedness, so that you may know that having changed from his own accord and by himself, and having enjoyed the grace of God, thus he became better. 4. And it is possible to select many other such things from the Gospels, which seem to have a suspicion of contradiction, but it is not a contradiction, but both the things said by this one and by that one have happened; and if not at the same hour, the one said the first thing, the other the second; but here there is nothing of the sort; but the multitude of the signs mentioned shows even to those paying any attention at all, that he was one person, and that one was another. And this would be no small proof for showing that the evangelists agree with each other, and do not conflict. For if it is the same person, the conflict is great; but if that one is another person, all dispute is resolved. Come then, let us state the reasons why we say this one is not that one. What then are these? The one is healed in Jerusalem, but this one in Capernaum, and the one by the pool of waters, but this one in a certain small house; behold, from the place; and that one on a feast day; behold, from the time; and that one had thirty-eight years in his infirmity; but concerning this one the evangelist says nothing of the sort; behold, also from the duration; and that one was healed on the sabbath; behold, also from the day; for if this one had also been healed on the sabbath, Matthew would not have passed this over in silence, nor would the Jews present have been quiet; for those who were annoyed for another reason even when he was not healed on a sabbath, much more if they also had the pretext from the occasion, would not have refrained from accusations against Christ. And this one is brought to Christ; but to that one Christ himself comes, and for that one there was no man to help; For Lord, he says, I have no man; but this one had many relatives, who also lowered him through the roof. And of that one He healed the body before the soul; for having first healed his paralysis, then he says: Behold, you have been made well, sin no more; but here it was not so, but having first healed his soul (for he says to him: Be of good cheer, child, your sins are forgiven you), then he healed the paralysis. That this one is not that one, therefore, has been clearly demonstrated to us from these things, but it is necessary henceforth to go to the beginning of the narrative and see how Christ healed this one, and how that one, and why differently; why the one on the sabbath, but that one not on the sabbath, and to that one he himself came, but this one he waited 51.55 for to be brought to him, and why he heals the body of that one first, but the soul of this one first. For he does not do these things simply nor randomly, being wise and provident. Let us pay attention, therefore, and let us see him healing. For if in the case of physicians, when they cut, or cauterize, or in another way operate on one who is maimed and weakened, and cut up a limb, many surround both the sick person and the physician doing these things, much more should we do this here, inasmuch as the physician is greater, and the disease more grievous, not by human art, but by divine

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δὲ ἐναντίωσίν τινα οὐ ποιεῖ, οὐδὲ μάχην. Καὶ πῶς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐναντίον, φησὶ, τὸ βαστάζειν τῷ μὴ βαστάζειν; Ὅτι ἀμφότερα γέγονε. Καὶ ἐξελθόντων μὲν ἐκ τοῦ πραιτωρίου, ὁ Χριστὸς ἐβάσταζε· προϊόντων δὲ, ὁ Σίμων ἔλαβεν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔφερε. Πάλιν ἐπὶ τῶν λῃστῶν, ὁ μέν φησιν, ὅτι οἱ δύο αὐτὸν 51.54 ἐβλασφήμουν· ὁ δὲ ὅτι ὁ εἷς ἐπεστόμιζε τὸν κατηγοροῦντα. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐναντίον. ∆ιατί; Ὅτι καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἀμφότερα γέγονε καὶ παρὰ μὲν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀμφότεροι ἦσαν οἱ πονηρευόμενοι· μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα σημείων γενομένων καὶ τῆς γῆς κλονουμένης, καὶ τῶν πετρῶν σχιζομένων, καὶ ἡλίου κρυπτομένου, θάτερος αὐτῶν μετεβλήθη, καὶ σωφρονέστερος γέγονε, καὶ τὸν ἐσταυρωμένον ἐπέγνω, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ὡμολόγησε τὴν ἐκείνου. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ νομίσῃς, ὅτι ἀνάγκῃ τινὶ καὶ βίᾳ τινὸς ἔνδοθεν ὠθοῦντος αὐτὸν τοῦτο γίνεται, μηδὲ διαπορῇς, δείκνυσί σοι καὶ ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ τὴν πονηρίαν αὐτοῦ ἔτι διατηροῦντα τὴν προτέραν, ἵνα εἰδῇς, ὅτι οἴκοθεν καὶ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ μεταβαλόμενος, καὶ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος ἀπολαύσας, οὕτω βελτίων ἐγένετο. δʹ. Καὶ ἕτερα πολλὰ τοιαῦτα ἔστιν ἐκ τῶν Εὐαγγελίων ἀναλέγεσθαι, ἃ δοκεῖ μὲν ἐναντιώσεως ὑποψίαν ἔχειν, οὐκ ἔστι δὲ ἐναντίωσις, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ παρὰ τούτου καὶ τὰ παρ' ἐκείνου εἰρημένα γεγένηται· εἰ δὲ μὴ κατὰ τὴν αὐτὴν ὥραν, καὶ ὁ μὲν πρότερον, ὁ δὲ τὸ δεύτερον εἴρηκεν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ἀλλὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν εἰρημένων σημείων δείκνυσι καὶ τοῖς ὁπωσοῦν προσέχουσιν, ὅτι ἕτερος μὲν αὐτὸς ἦν, ἕτερος δὲ ἐκεῖνος. Οὐ μικρὰ δὲ καὶ αὕτη γένοιτ' ἂν ἀπόδειξις πρὸς τὸ δεῖξαι τοὺς εὐαγγελιστὰς συμφωνοῦντας ἀλλήλοις, καὶ οὐ μαχομένους. Ἂν μὲν γὰρ αὐτὸς ᾖ, πολλὴ ἡ μάχη· ἂν δὲ ἕτερος ἐκεῖνος, πᾶσα ἀμφισβήτησις λέλυται. Φέρε οὖν αὐτὰς τὰς αἰτίας εἴπωμεν, δι' ἃς οὔ φαμεν τοῦτον εἶναι ἐκεῖνον. Τίνες οὖν εἰσιν αὗται; Ὁ μὲν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις θεραπεύεται, οὗτος δὲ ἐν Καπερναοὺμ, καὶ ὁ μὲν παρὰ τὴν κολυμβήθραν τῶν ὑδάτων, οὗτος δὲ ἐν οἰκίσκῳ τινί· ἰδοὺ ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου· κἀκεῖνος μὲν ἐν ἑορτῇ· ἰδοὺ ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ κἀκεῖνος μὲν τριάκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτη εἶχεν ἐν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ· περὶ τούτου δὲ οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον ὁ εὐαγγελιστής· ἰδοὺ καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ χρόνου· κἀκεῖνος μὲν ἐθεραπεύθη ἐν σαββάτῳ· ἰδοὺ καὶ ἀπὸ ἡμέρας· εἰ γὰρ ἐν σαββάτῳ ἐθεραπεύθη καὶ οὗτος, οὐδ' ἂν τοῦτο παρεσιώπησεν ὁ Ματθαῖος, οὐδ' ἂν ἡσύχασαν οἱ παρόντες Ἰουδαῖοι· οἱ γὰρ καὶ μὴ ἐν σαββάτῳ θεραπευθέντος αὐτοῦ δυσχεράναντες δι' ἄλλην αἰτίαν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον εἰ καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ λαβὴν ἔσχον, οὐκ ἂν ἐφείσαντο τῶν ἐγκλημάτων τῶν κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Καὶ οὗτος μὲν πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν φέρεται· πρὸς ἐκεῖνον δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστὸς παραγίνεται, κἀκείνῳ μὲν οὐδεὶς ἄνθρωπος ἦν ὁ βοηθήσων· Κύριε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἄνθρωπον οὐκ ἔχω· οὗτος δὲ πολλοὺς εἶχε τοὺς προσήκοντας, οἳ καὶ διὰ τοῦ στέγους αὐτὸν ἐχάλασαν. Κἀκείνου μὲν πρὸ τῆς ψυχῆς τὸ σῶμα διώρθωσε· πρότερον γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν παράλυσιν σφίγξας, τότε φησίν· Ἴδε ὑγιὴς γέγονας, μηκέτι ἁμάρτανε· ἐνταῦθα δὲ οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλὰ πρότερον αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν ἰασάμενος (φησὶ γὰρ αὐτῷ· Θάρσει, τέκνον, ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου), τότε τὴν παράλυσιν διώρθωσεν. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος ἐκεῖνος, ἀπὸ τούτων ἡμῖν σαφῶς ἀποδέδεικται, δεῖ δὲ λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ διηγήματος ἐλθόντας ἰδεῖν, πῶς μὲν τοῦτον, πῶς δὲ ἐκεῖνον ἐθεράπευσεν ὁ Χριστὸς, καὶ διὰ τί διαφόρως· διὰ τί τὸν μὲν ἐν σαββάτῳ, ἐκεῖνον δὲ οὐκ ἐν σαββάτῳ, καὶ πρὸς ἐκεῖνον μὲν αὐτὸς ἦλθε, τοῦτον 51.55 δὲ ἀνέμεινε πρὸς αὐτὸν κομισθῆναι, καὶ διὰ τί ἐκείνου μὲν τὸ σῶμα πρότερον, τούτου δὲ τὴν ψυχὴν πρότερον ἰᾶται. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς οὐδὲ εἰκῆ ταῦτα ποιεῖ, σοφὸς ὢν καὶ προνοητικός. Προσέχωμεν τοίνυν, καὶ ἴδωμεν αὐτὸν θεραπεύοντα. Εἰ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν ἰατρῶν, ἐπειδὰν τέμνωσιν, ἢ καίωσιν, ἢ καὶ ἄλλῳ τρόπῳ πεπηρωμένον καὶ ἐξησθενηκότα ἀνατέμνωνται, καὶ κατατέμνωσι μέλος, πολλοὶ περιστοιχίζονται τόν τε ἄῤῥωστον καὶ τὸν ταῦτα ποιοῦντα ἰατρὸν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμᾶς ἐνταῦθα τοῦτο ποιεῖν χρὴ, ὅσῳ καὶ ἰατρὸς μείζων, καὶ τὸ νόσημα χαλεπώτερον, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνῃ τέχνῃ, ἀλλὰ θείᾳ