V.  But, as I was saying, to return to my argument; for this reason great multitudes followed Him, because He condescended to our infirmities.  What next?  The Pharisees also, it says, came unto Him, tempting Him, and saying unto Him, is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?  Again the Pharisees tempt Him; again they who read the Law do not know the Law; again they who are expounders of the Law need others to teach them.  It was not enough that Sadducees should tempt Him concerning the Resurrection, and Lawyers question Him about perfection, and the Herodians about the poll-tax, and others about authority; but some one must also ask about Marriage at Him who cannot be tempted, the Creator of wedlock, Him who from the First Cause made this whole race of mankind.  And He answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that He which made them at the beginning made them male and female?  He knoweth how to solve some of their questions and to bridle others.  When He is asked, By what authority doest thou these things? He Himself, because of the utter ignorance of those who asked Him, replies with another question; The baptism of John, was it from Heaven or of men?  He on both sides entangles His questioners, so that we also are able, following the example of Christ, sometimes to check those who argue with us over-officiously, and with still more absurd questions to solve the absurdity of their questions.  For we too are wise in vanity at times, if I may boast of the things of folly.  But when He sees a question that calls for reasoning, then He does not deem His questioners unworthy of prudent answers.

Εʹ. Πλὴν ὅπερ ἔλεγον, ἵνα πρὸς τὸν ἐμὸν ἀναδράμω λόγον, διὰ τοῦτο ἠκολούθουν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοὶ, ὅτι ταῖς ἀσθενείαις συγκαταβαίνει ταῖς ἡμετέραις. Εἶτα τί; Καὶ προσῆλθον αὐτῷ, φησὶν, οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, πειράζοντες αὐτὸν καὶ λέγοντες: Εἰ ἔξεστιν ἀνθρώπῳ κατὰ πᾶσαν αἰτίαν ἀπολῦσαι τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ; Πάλιν Φαρισαῖοι πειράζουσι: πάλιν οἱ τὸν νόμον ἀναγινώσκοντες, τὸν νόμον οὐ γινώσκουσι: πάλιν οἱ ἐξηγηταὶ τοῦ νόμου τυγχάνοντες, ἄλλων διδασκάλων δέονται. Οὐκ ἤρκεσαν Σαδδουκαῖοι πειράζοντες περὶ ἀναστάσεως, καὶ νομικοὶ πυνθανόμενοι περὶ τελειότητος, καὶ Ἡρωδιανοὶ περὶ κήνσου, καὶ περὶ ἐξουσίας ἕτεροι. Ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ γάμου τις πάλιν ἐρωτᾷ τὸν ἀπείραστον, τὸν κτίστην τῆς συζυγίας, τὸν ἐκ τῆς πρώτης αἰτίας τὸ πᾶν τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος τοῦτο συστησάμενον. Ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς: Οὐκ ἀνέγνωτε, ὅτι ὁ ποιήσας ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ἄῤῥεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς; Οἶδε τινὰς μὲν τῶν ἐρωτήσεων διαλύειν, τινὰς δὲ ἐπιστομίζειν. Ὅτε ἐρωτᾶται, Ἐν ποίᾳ ἐξουσίᾳ ταῦτα ποιεῖς; διὰ τὸ ἄγαν ἀπαίδευτον τῶν ἐρωτησάντων, καὶ αὐτὸς ἀντερωτᾷ: Τὸ βάπτισμα τὸ Ἰωάννου, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἦν, ἢ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων; Καὶ ἀμφοτέρωθεν συμποδίζει τοὺς ἐρωτῶντας. Ὥστε δυνάμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς μιμούμενοι Χριστὸν, ἔστιν ὅτε τοὺς περιέργως ἡμῖν διαλεγομένους ἐπιστομίζειν, καὶ ἀτοπωτέροις ἀντερωτήμασι λύειν τὴν ἀτοπίαν τῶν ἐρωτήσεων. Ἐσμὲν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς σοφοὶ τὰ μάταια ἔστιν ὅτε, ἵνα τὰ τῆς ἀφροσύνης καυχήσωμαι. Ὅτε δὲ ἐρώτησιν ὁρᾷ λογισμοῦ δεομένην, τότε οὐκ ἀπαξιοῖ τοὺς ἐρωτῶντας συνετῶν ἀποκρίσεων.