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wishing to reveal to us the secrets of his mind; since when Christ questioned the Canaanite woman, it was not that He might learn, but that He might teach us the treasure of faith laid up in her; He asks him, then, why he had come so long a journey, and having left cities and peoples, embraces the desert, not that He might learn, (for how could He who knows all things?) but that He might teach us through that man's 63.466 answer the secrets of his mind, and that He had rightly allowed him to be shaken by fear, and to fall into cowardice; He allowed, He did not push; He permitted, He did not cause it, but He only stripped him, and he was exposed; since then He said, What are you doing here, Elijah? let us hear what he says: They have broken down your altars, and killed your prophets; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. Do you see that he thought all had perished, and he alone was left, and that after him there was no other; which could have little by little led him to despair. For this reason God, removing this misguided reasoning of his, says: I have left for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Since therefore also when he brought the drought, he persisted in intensifying the punishment, and after these things he imagined great things about himself, as being the only one of his kind on earth; He allows him to perceive his own weakness, teaching the multitude of those who were saved, by means of both these things cleansing his mind, and persuading him to be moderate everywhere, and to be forgiving, and to mix philanthropy with his zeal.

5. But if you wish to see these same things in the New Testament as well, we will again try to bring before you the leaders and towers and bulwarks, and the chief figures of the New Testament. Just as Moses and Elijah, so Paul and Peter are shown in the New Testament. For just as each of these, the one fearing the threat of one Egyptian, the other of one prostitute, were put to flight; so too Peter the foundation, the cornerstone, the pillar, after countless commands, after so many miracles, after such great philosophy, feared the threat not of a queen, nor of a man, but of a doorkeeper's maid; and this was much worse than the former. For they, fearing, only fled, but he also fell a most grievous fall, which all know; for since he was stripped of grace, his weakness was also shown, being destitute of God's care. And God allowed him to fall, since He was also about to make this man a ruler of the whole world; so that, remembering his own falls, he might be forgiving to those who were being tripped up.

And that what has been said is not conjecture, hear Christ Himself saying: Simon, Simon, how many times has Satan asked to sift you as wheat; and I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Give me this reward, He says, for my help to you; for if you had not benefited from my providence, you would not have been able by yourself to bear his assault. Considering your own things, therefore, be forgiving to others also; for, Strengthen, is this which He is intimating; strengthen those who are shaken, condescending, stretching out a hand, showing great philanthropy.

And Paul, being bolder than any lion, the dauntless soul, suffered this same thing. And see how he shows himself to be continually in need of the medicines of humility; for writing to the Corinthians he says: But I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength; but we ourselves had the sentence of death 63.467 in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death. And we have hoped that He will also deliver us.

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ἡμῖν ἐκκαλύψαι τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ βουλόμενος· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν Χαναναίαν ὁ Χριστὸς ὅτε ἠρώτα, οὐχ ἵνα μάθῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἡμᾶς διδάξῃ τὸν θησαυρὸν τὸν ἐναποκείμενον αὐτῇ τῆς πίστεως· ἐρωτᾷ τοίνυν αὐτὸν, τί δήποτε ἀφιγμένος εἴη τοσαύτην ὁδὸν, καὶ καταλιπὼν πόλεις καὶ δήμους, τὴν ἔρημον ἀσπάζεται, οὐχ ἵνα αὐτὸς μάθῃ, (πῶς γὰρ ὁ πάντα εἰδώς;) ἀλλ' ἵνα ἡμᾶς διδάξῃ διὰ τῆς 63.466 ἀποκρίσεως ἐκείνου τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς διανοίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὅτι εἰκότως ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ φόβου διασεισθῆναι, καὶ εἰς δειλίαν ἐμπεσεῖν· ἀφῆκεν, οὐκ ὤθησε· συνεχώρησεν, οὐκ ἐνήργησεν, ἀλλ' ἐγύμνωσεν αὐτὸν μόνον, καὶ ἠλέγχθη· ἐπειδὴ οὖν εἶπεν, Τί σοι ὧδε, Ἠλία; ἀκούσωμεν τί φησι· Τὰ θυσιαστήριά σου κατέσκαψαν, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας σου ἀπέκτειναν· κἀγὼ ὑπελείφθην μόνος, καὶ ζητοῦσι τὴν ψυχήν μου. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι πάντας ἐνόμιζεν ἀπολωλέναι, καὶ μόνον αὐτὸν ὑπολελεῖφθαι, καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν οὐδένα εἶναι ἕτερον· ὅπερ αὐτὸν κατὰ μικρὸν εἰς ἀπόνοιαν ἀγαγεῖν ἠδύνατο. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς τοῦτον ἐξαίρων αὐτοῦ τὸν λογισμὸν τὸν πεπλανημένον, φησί· Κατέλιπον ἐμαυτῷ ἑπτακισχιλίους ἄνδρας, οἵτινες οὐκ ἔκαμψαν γόνυ τῷ Βάαλ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ ἡνίκα τὸν αὐχμὸν ἐπήγαγε, παρέμενεν ἐπιτείνων τὴν κόλασιν, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα περὶ ἑαυτοῦ μεγάλα ἐφαντάζετο, ἅτε δὴ μόνος ὢν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τοιοῦτος· ἀφίησιν αὐτὸν αἰσθέσθαι τὴν οἰκείαν ἀσθένειαν, διδάσκων τὸ πλῆθος τῶν διασωθέντων, δι' ἀμφοτέρων τούτων καθαιρῶν αὐτοῦ τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ πείθων μετριάζειν πανταχοῦ, καὶ συγγνωμικὸν εἶναι, καὶ τῷ ζήλῳ κεραννύναι φιλανθρωπίαν.

εʹ. Εἰ δὲ βούλει καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Καινῆς αὐτὰ ταῦτα ἰδεῖν, πάλιν σοι τοὺς

κορυφαίους καὶ πύργους καὶ προβόλους, καὶ τὰ κεφάλαια τῶν ἐν τῇ Καινῇ εἰς μέσον ἀγαγεῖν πειρασόμεθα. Ὥσπερ Μωϋσέα καὶ Ἠλίαν, οὕτω Παῦλον καὶ Πέτρον ἐπὶ τῆς Καινῆς δείκνυνται. Καθάπερ γὰρ τούτων ἑκάτερος ὁ μὲν Αἰγυπτίου ἑνὸς, ὁ δὲ πόρνης μιᾶς ἀπειλὴν δείσαντες ἐφυγαδεύθησαν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ Πέτρος ἡ κρηπὶς, ὁ θεμέλιος, ὁ στῦλος, μετὰ μυρία παραγγέλματα, μετὰ τὰ τοσαῦτα θαύματα, μετὰ τὴν τοσαύτην φιλοσοφίαν, οὐδὲ βασιλίδος, οὐδὲ ἀνδρὸς, ἀλλὰ θυρωροῦ κόρης ἀπειλὴν ἔδεισε· καὶ ἦν τοῦ προτέρου πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ δείσαντες ἔφυγον μόνον, οὗτος δὲ καὶ πτῶμα ἔπεσε χαλεπώτατον, ὅπερ ἅπαντες ἴσασιν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐγυμνώθη τῆς χάριτος, ἐδείχθη καὶ ἡ τούτου ἀσθένεια, ἐρήμη γενομένη τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κηδεμονίας. Ἀφῆκε δὲ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν πεσεῖν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦτον ἔμελλεν ἄρχοντα ποιεῖν τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁπάσης· ἵνα τῶν οἰκείων ἀναμιμνησκόμενος πτωμάτων, τῶν ἐφεξῆς γινομένων συγγινώσκῃ τοῖς ὑποσκελιζομένοις.

Καὶ ὅτι οὐ στοχασμὸς τὰ εἰρημένα, ἄκουσον αὐτοῦ λέγοντος τοῦ Χριστοῦ· Σίμων, Σίμων, ποσάκις ἐζήτησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς σινιάσαι σε ὡς τὸν σῖτον· κἀγὼ ἐδεήθην περὶ σοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἡ πίστις σου. Καὶ σύ ποτε ἐπιστρέψας, στήριξον τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου. Ταύτην μοι δὸς τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, φησὶ, τῆς περὶ σὲ βοηθείας· εἰ γὰρ μὴ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀπέλαυες προνοίας, οὐκ ἂν ἤρκεσας καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἐνεγκεῖν ἐκείνου τὴν ἔφοδον. Ἐννοῶν τοίνυν τὰ σὰ, γίνου καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις συγγνωμονικός· τὸ γὰρ, Στήριξον, τοῦτό ἐστιν αἰνιττομένου· τοὺς σαλευομένους στήριξον συγκαταβαίνων, χεῖρα ὀρέγων, φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπιδεικνύμενος πολλήν. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ὁ λέοντος παντὸς θρασύτερος ὢν, ἡ ἀκατάπληκτος ψυχὴ, τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἔπαθε. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς δείκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν συνεχῶς δεόμενον τῶν τῆς ταπεινοφροσύνης φαρμάκων· Κορινθίοις γὰρ ἐπιστέλλων φησίν· Οὐ θέλω δὲ ὑμᾶς ἀγνοεῖν, ἀδελφοὶ, περὶ τῆς θλίψεως ἡμῶν τῆς γενομένης ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ Ἀσίᾳ, ὅτι καθ' ὑπερβολὴν ἐβαρήθημεν ὑπὲρ δύναμιν· ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἀπόκριμα τοῦ θανάτου 63.467 ἐσχήκαμεν, ἵνα μὴ πεποιθότες ὦμεν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ Θεῷ τῷ ἐγείροντι τοὺς νεκροὺς, ὃς ἐκ τηλικούτων θανάτων ἐῤῥύσατο ἡμᾶς. Ἠλπίκαμεν δὲ ὅτι καὶ ῥύσεται.