In neglected fields, couch grass springs up, and it takes hold and spreads over every place, always running forward, according to the same principle, the judgment, that is, the justifying grace under heaven, or the evangelical and salvific proclamation, took hold of every city and country. Therefore, besides the twelve, another seventy in number were appointed by Christ. And of this, again, the type was written in the words of Moses; for at God's command he too selected seventy, and God sent the Spirit upon those chosen. And in another way we shall find both the twelve disciples and the seventy themselves signified through the shadow of the law. For it is thus written in Exodus concerning the sons of Israel: They came, it says, to Elim—which is interpreted as an ascent or an increase—and there were there, it says, twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. For ascending to a more perfect understanding and running up to spiritual increase, we shall find the twelve springs 100, that is, the holy apostles, and the seventy trunks of the palm trees, clearly those who were appointed by Christ; for we draw, as from holy springs, from the disciples of our Savior the knowledge of every good thing, and we also admire the seventy and say that they are like palm trees; for the plant has a good heart, is well-rooted and fruitful and always flourishing by the waters, and is large in size and tall. ZU LK 10, 2 But it was likely for some to suppose that the first had been removed, and that these had been brought in to replace them, as being able to initiate into the mysteries better than they. Therefore, so that he who knows hearts and foresees the future might cut off such suspicions from our minds, he has all but made a defense, saying: The harvest is great, but the laborers are few, and so on. For just as wide and long fields, richly flourishing, require many harvesters, so the whole earth, that is, the multitude of those who were to believe in Christ, being very great and innumerable, needed not a few initiators. Therefore, being sent two by two, they went through cities and villages, all but crying out the words of John’s voice: Prepare the way of the Lord. But observe this: for having said, Pray to the Lord of the harvest that he may send out laborers into his harvest, he did this himself. And yet, who else could be Lord of the harvest, that is, of those on the earth, besides the one who is by nature and truly God? For the whole earth is his, and its fullness, as it is written. Then how, when it is fitting for the God over all alone to send out the laborers, did Christ appoint these? He himself, then, is the Lord of the harvest, and through him and with him God the Father rules over all things. And all things are his own 101, and there is nothing which the Father might be said to have that is not also the Son’s. Wherefore, although he attributed the appointment of the reapers to the Father’s will, he immediately showed himself to be the Lord of the harvest, bestowing on the holy apostles the duty of initiating into the mysteries. ZU LK 10, 3α Luke then narrates the mission of the seventy disciples, having from Christ the apostolic model which is simple and unburdened and unhindered, and which places none of the affairs of this life before the sacred proclamations, leaping up in such a way to a youthful spirit, as to be suspicious of no dangers at all, nor indeed to dread death itself, when it is brought on because of him. For he says: Go, do not be terrified by the assault of persecutions. ZU LK 10, 3β And how could a sheep prevail over a wolf, and the tame overcome the fierceness of the beasts? Yes, he says, I will be with you and will shield you and of all

ἀγρῶν κεχερσωμένοις ἀνίσχει μὲν ἡ ἄγρωστις, καταδράσσεται δὲ καὶ κατευρύνεται τόπου παντὸς ἀεὶ τρέχουσα πρόσω, κατὰ τὸν ἴσον τούτῳ λόγον τὸ κρῖμα, τουτέστιν ἡ δικαιοῦσα χάρις τὴν ὑπ' οὐρανόν, ἤγουν τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν καὶ σωτήριον κήρυγμα, κατεδράξατο πάσης πόλεώς τε καὶ χώρας. ἀνεδείχθησαν τοίνυν παρὰ Χριστοῦ πρὸς τοῖς δύο καὶ δέκα καὶ ἕτεροι τὸν ἀριθμὸν ἑβδομήκοντα. καὶ τούτου πάλιν ὁ τύπος ἐν τοῖς Μωυσέως ἐγράφετο λόγοις· θεοῦ γὰρ προστάττοντος ἑβδομήκοντα μὲν ἐπελέξατο καὶ αὐτός, ἐπηφίει δὲ τοῖς ἐξειλεγμένοις τὸ πνεῦμα θεός. καὶ καθ' ἕτερον δὲ τρόπον τούς τε δύο καὶ δέκα μαθητὰς καὶ αὐτοὺς δὲ τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα διὰ τῆς τοῦ νόμου σκιᾶς σημαινομένους εὑρήσομεν. γέγραπται γὰρ οὕτως ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ περὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ· Ἦλθον, φησίν, εἰς Ἐλείμ ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ εἰςἀνάβασιν ἤγουν εἰς αὔξησιν καὶ ἦσαν ἐκεῖ δώδεκα, φησίν, ὑδάτων πηγαὶ καὶ ἑβδομήκοντα στελέχη φοινίκων. ἀναβαίνοντες γὰρ εἰς τελειοτέραν σύνεσιν καὶ εἰς αὔξησιν ἀνατρέχοντες τὴν πνευματικὴν τὰς δύο καὶ δέκα πηγὰς 100 εὑρήσομεν, τουτέστι τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους, καὶ τὰ ἑβδομήκοντα τῶν φοινίκων στελέχη, τοὺς ἀναδειχθέντας δηλονότι παρὰ Χριστοῦ· ἀρρυόμεθα γὰρ ὡς ἐκ πηγῶν ἁγίων ἐκ τῶν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μαθητῶν παντὸς εἴδησιν ἀγαθοῦ, θαυμάζομεν δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα καὶ οἱονεὶ φοίνικας αὐτοὺς εἶναι φαμέν· εὐκάρδιον γὰρ τὸ φυτόν, εὔριζόν τε καὶ ἔγκαρπον καὶ ἀεὶ τοῖς ὕδασιν ἐντεθηλός, εὐμέγεθές τε καὶ ὑψίκομον. ZU LK 10, 2 Ἀλλ' ἦν εἰκὸς ὑπονοῆσαί τινας ἀποκεκινῆσθαι μὲν τοὺς πρώτους, ἀντεισενηνέχθαι δὲ τούτους ὡς ἄμεινον ἢ ἐκεῖνοι μυσταγωγεῖν δυναμένους. ἵνα τοίνυν ἀποκείρῃ τῶν ἡμετέρων διανοιῶν τὰς τοιαύτας ὑποψίας ὁ καρδίας εἰδὼς καὶ γινώσκων τὰ ἐσόμενα, μονονουχὶ καὶ ἀπολελόγηται λέγων· Ὁ μὲν θερισμὸς πολύς, οἱ δὲ ἐργάται ὀλίγοι καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀγροὶ κομῶντες πλουσίως εὐρεῖς τε καὶ μακροὶ πολλοὺς ζητοῦσι τοὺς θεριστάς, οὕτως ἡ σύμπασα γῆ ἤτοι τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν εἰς Χριστὸν ἡ πληθὺς πολλή τις οὖσα καὶ ἀναρίθμητος οὐκ ὀλίγων ἐδεῖτο μυσταγωγῶν. ἐβάδιζον οὖν ἀνὰ δύο πεμπόμενοι κατὰ πόλεις καὶ κώμας, μονονουχὶ βοῶντες τὸ διὰ τῆς Ἰωάννου φωνῆς· Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ κυρίου. πλὴν ἐκεῖνο ἄθρει· εἰπὼν γάρ· ∆εήθητε τοῦ κυρίου τοῦ θερισμοῦ ὅπως ἐκβάλῃ ἐργάτας εἰς τὸν θερισμὸν αὐτοῦ. τοῦτο πέπραχεν αὐτός. καίτοι τοῦ θερισμοῦ κύριος, τουτέστι τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, τίς ἂν ἕτερος εἴη παρὰ τὸν φύσει καὶ ἀληθῶς ὄντα θεόν; αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἡ σύμπασα γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς καθὰ γέγραπται. εἶτα πῶς μόνῳ πρέποντος τῷ ἐπὶ πάντας θεῷ τοῦ ἐκβάλλειν τοὺς ἐργάτας, τούτους ἀνέδειξεν ὁ Χριστός; αὐτὸς ἄρα ἐστὶν ὁ τοῦ θερισμοῦ δεσπότης καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ τε καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ κατάρχει τῶν ὅλων ὁ θεὸς καὶ πατήρ. ἴδια δὲ πάντα ἐστὶν 101 αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐδέν ἐστιν ὧν ἂν ἔχειν ὁ πατὴρ λέγοιτο, ὃ μή ἐστι καὶ τοῦ υἱοῦ. διὸ καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀμώντων ἀνάδειξιν καίτοι τοῖς τοῦ πατρὸς θελήμασιν ἀναθείς, ἑαυτὸν ἀπέφηνεν εὐθὺς τοῦ θερισμοῦ τὸν δεσπότην, τὸ χρῆναι μυσταγωγεῖν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις ἀπονέμων. ZU LK 10, 3α ∆ιηγεῖται δὲ ἐφεξῆς ὁ Λουκᾶς καὶ τὴν ἀποστολὴν τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα μαθητῶν τὸν ἀποστολικὸν ἔχουσαν παρὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τύπον τὸν ἀπέριττον καὶ ἀπαρενόχλητον καὶ ἀπαρεμπόδιστον καὶ οὐδὲν τῶν ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ πραγμάτων τῶν ἱερῶν προτάττοντα κηρυγμάτων, ἀναθρώσκοντα δὲ οὕτως εἰς φρόνημα τὸ νεανικόν, ὡς μηδὲν ὅλως ὑποβλέπεσθαι τῶν δεινῶν μήτε μὴν αὐτὸν ὑφορᾶσθαι τὸν θάνατον, ὅταν ἐπάγηται δι' αὐτόν. φησὶ γοῦν· Ὑπάγετε, μὴ καταπτοιεῖσθε τῶν διωγμῶν τὴν ἔφοδον. ZU LK 10, 3β Καὶ πῶς ἂν πρόβατον κατισχύσειε λύκου καὶ τῆς τῶν θηρῶν ἀγριότητος κρατήσῃ τὸ ἥμερον; Ναί, φησίν, ἐγὼ συμπαρέσομαι καὶ συνασπιῶ καὶ παντὸς