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that which comes to be, is the word of God, not articulated by any vocal organs, but spoken through the very wonders in the things that appear. For while the earthy quality was still mixed up with the moist nature, whose else was it, to condense the earth by its own qualities, so that when all its parts were compressed towards what was of like nature, in its solid and condensed state to squeeze out from it the moisture contained within? and the water is separated from its mixture with the earth, and is gathered together about itself, being contained in the hollows of the earth? Since, then, such a thing is truly of divine power and wisdom. For this reason Moses says that the word of God led the way for the wonder, uttering a certain commanding saying, but as I judge concerning this, he points out through this commanding utterance the reason inherent in the nature of creation. "For God said," he says, "Let the waters be gathered together into their own collections, 89 and let the dry land appear." Do you see the necessary order of nature, how, when the water is drawn off from the earth, that which is separated from the moisture becomes dry, and how, since the moisture is no longer mixed like mud with the earth, the water is necessarily surrounded by certain receptacles; so that it might not, by its fluid nature, come to disappearance, with nothing constricting its diffusion. But it seems to me not to be untimely to make mention again of the waters above the heavens. For if necessarily here the earth is formed for the reception of the waters, enclosing their fluid nature as in certain gulfs, and providing stability to the unstable nature of the waters by its own stable nature; how could the water, if it is indeed water, stand upon the unstable, and remain unpoured upon the convex surface? For if we suppose one and the same nature for the two waters, it is altogether necessary that the things we see in these, we should think to be the case in those also; therefore the back of the heaven is split into channels, being hollowed out into ravines in the likeness of the divisions of cliffs on earth, so that the water might be contained in the hollows. What then will they say, when the circular revolution of the pole inclines downward what is now above? Will they perhaps devise certain lids for the circles, so that the water, becoming suspended, may not flow out of the hollows? But he says that fire is consumptive, and has need of some matter that ever sustains the flame, so that it may not be extinguished, being consumed upon itself by the lack of what kindles it. But I, even if the great voice of our teacher agrees with such an opinion, will ask those who read not to be harsh, if, looking to what is consequent, I in everything am a slave to the first principles in the contemplation of things that are. For the teacher's purpose was, not in every way to legislate his own opinions for his hearers, but that through his teaching some approach to the truth should be made in his disciples; and so we, having been trained in the lessons left by him, look to what is consequent. And this would be, if the argument should attain to what is probable, referred to the wisdom of the teacher. What then do we reckon to the objection brought forward? For not only in fire and water do we behold corresponding qualities, but also in each of the elements it is possible to find some conflict in their properties against their opposites. For just as in the case of the aforementioned elements heat opposes the cold, and dryness the moist, so again along the other diameter in the case of earth and air the qualities in each are seated in opposition to one another; both solidity and rarity, resistance and tenuity, both heaviness and lightness; and as many other things as are particular to each of these, are known by their opposites. Just as, then, in these cases it is not possible to say that one is nourished by its opposite; for neither is the lightness in the air increased by the consumption of the heavy, nor does the density of the earth produce the rarity of its opposite, nor the remaining things concerning the

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γινόμενον, Θεοῦ λόγος ἐστὶν, οὐκ ὀργάνοις τισὶ φωνητικοῖς διαρ θρούμενος, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτῶν ἐκφωνούμενος τῶν ἐν τοῖς φαινομένοις θαυμάτων. Ἔτι γὰρ συμπεφυρμένης πρὸς τὴν ὑγρὰν φύσιν τῆς γεώδους ποιότητος, τίνος ἦν ἑτέρου, τὴν μὲν γῆν ταῖς ἰδίαις καταπυκνῶ σαι ποιότησιν, ὥστε πάντων αὐτῆς τῶν μορίων πρὸς τὰ ὁμοφυῆ συμπιεσθέντων, ἐν τῷ ναστῷ τε καὶ πε πιλημένῳ ἀποθλῖψαι ἀπ' αὐτῆς τὴν ἐγκειμένην ὑγρό τητα· τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ διακρίνεται τῆς πρὸς τὴν γῆν ἐπι μιξίας, καὶ περὶ ἑαυτὸ συναγείρεται ταῖς κοιλότησι τῆς γῆς ἐγκρατούμενον; ἐπεὶ οὖν θείας ὡς ἀληθῶς δυνάμεώς τε καὶ σοφίας τὸ τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν. Τούτου χάριν ὁ Μωϋσῆς λόγον Θεοῦ φησι τοῦ θαύ ματος καθηγήσασθαι, προστακτικήν τινα ῥῆσιν διεξο δεύοντα, ὡς δὲ ἐγὼ περὶ τούτου κρίνω, τὸν ἐγκείμενον τῇ φύσει τῆς κτίσεως λόγον, διὰ τῆς ἐξοδικῆς ταύτης ἐνδείκνυται ῥήσεως. «Εἶπε» γὰρ, φησὶν, «ὁ Θεὸς, Συναχθήτω τὰ ὕδατα εἰς τὰς συναγωγὰς αὐτῶν, 89 καὶ ὀφθήτω ἡ ξηρά.» Ὁρᾷς τὴν ἀναγκαίαν τάξιν τῆς φύσεως, πῶς τῆς γῆς ἀφελκυσθέντος τοῦ ὕδα τος ξηραίνεται τὸ ἀποκριθὲν τῆς ὑγρότητος, καὶ πῶς μηκέτι πηλοειδῶς ἀνακεκραμένης πρὸς τὴν γῆν τῆς ὑγρότητος, ἀναγκαίως δοχείοις τισὶ τὸ ὕδωρ περιστοιχίζεται· ὡς ἂν μὴ τῷ ῥευστῷ τῆς φύσεως εἰς ἀφανισμὸν ἔλθοι, μηδενὸς τὴν διάχυσιν αὐτοῦ περισφίγγοντος. Ἀλλά μοι δοκεῖ μὴ ἄκαιρον εἶναι πάλιν τῶν ὑπερουρανίων ὑδάτων μνήμην ποιή σασθαι. Εἰ γὰρ ἀναγκαίως ἐνταῦθα πρὸς ὑποδοχὴν τῶν ὑδάτων ἡ γῆ σχηματίζεται, οἷόν τισι κόλποις τὸ ῥευστὸν αὐτῶν περιείργουσα, καὶ τῇ ἀστάτῳ τῶν ὑδάτων φύσει, τῷ ἰδίῳ σταθερῷ παρεχομένη τὸ στά σιμον· πῶς ἂν τὸ ὕδωρ, εἴπερ τῷ ὄντι ὕδωρ ἐστὶν, ἵσταται μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀστάτου, ἀδιάχυτον δὲ ἐπὶ τοῦ κυρτοῦ διαμένει; Εἰ γὰρ μίαν τε καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν τῶν δύο ὑδάτων τὴν φύσιν ὑποτιθέμεθα, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα, ἅπερ ἐπὶ τούτων βλέπομεν, ταῦτα καὶ ἐπ' ἐκείνων οἴεσθαι· οὐκοῦν τὰ νῶτα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ σχίζεται εἰς αὐλῶνας, καθ' ὁμοιότητα τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς γινομένων πρὸς τὰς τῶν κρημνῶν διαστάσεις ἐκφαραγγούμενα, ἵνα τὸ ὕδωρ ἐγκρατηθῇ ταῖς κοιλότησι. Τί οὖν ἐροῦ σιν, ὅταν ἡ ἐγκύκλιος τοῦ πόλου περιφορὰ πρὸς τὰ κάτω κλίνῃ τὸ νῦν ὑπερκείμενον, ἄρα μὴ πώματά τινα τοῖς κύκλοις ἐπινοήσωσιν, ὡς ἂν μὴ ἐκκρεμὲς τὸ ὕδωρ γενόμενον, τῶν κοιλωμάτων ἐκρέοι; Ἀλλά φησι δαπανητικὸν μὲν εἶναι τὸ πῦρ, χρείαν δὲ ἔχειν ὕλης τινὸς τῆς ὑποτρεφούσης εἰσαεὶ τὴν φλόγα, ὡς ἂν μὴ καταμαρανθείη, τῇ ἀπορίᾳ τοῦ ὑπεκκαίοντος αὐτὸ περὶ ἑαυτὸ δαπανώμενον. Ἐγὼ δὲ κἂν ἡ με γάλη τοῦ διδασκάλου ἡμῶν φωνὴ τῇ τοιαύτῃ ὑπολή ψει συμφέρεται, παραιτήσομαι τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας, μὴ χαλεπῶς ἔχειν, εἰ πρὸς τὸ ἀκόλουθον βλέπων, πάντη δουλεύω τοῖς προκαθημένοις ἐν τῇ θεωρίᾳ τῶν ὄντων. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τῷ διδασκάλῳ σκοπὸς ἦν, οὐ πάντως τὰς ἰδίας ὑπολήψεις τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις νομο θετεῖν, ἀλλὰ ἔφοδόν τινα διὰ τῆς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐν τοῖς μαθητευομένοις γενέσθαι· καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν ἐγγυμνασθέντες τοῖς παρ' ἐκείνου καταλειφθεῖσι μαθήμασι, πρὸς τὸ ἀκόλουθον βλέπο μεν. Εἴη δ' ἂν οὗτος, εἴπερ ἐπιτύχοι τοῦ εἰκότος ὁ λόγος, εἰς τὴν τοῦ διδασκάλου σοφίαν ἀναφερόμενος. Τί τοίνυν πρὸς τὴν ὑπενεχθεῖσαν ἀντίθεσιν ἡμεῖς λογιζόμεθα; Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἐν τῷ πυρὶ καὶ ὕδατι θεω ροῦμεν τὰς ἀντιστοιχούσας ποιότητας, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν στοιχείων ἔστιν εὑρεῖν τινα πάντως ἐν τοῖς ἰδιώμασι πρὸς τὰ ἀντικείμενα μάχην. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν μνημονευθέντων στοιχείων ἀντιβαίνει τῷ μὲν ψυχρῷ ἡ θερμότης, τῷ δὲ ὑγρῷ ἡ ξηρότης, οὕτω πάλιν κατὰ τὴν ἑτέραν διάμετρον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τε καὶ τοῦ ἀέρος ἐξ ἐναντίου εἰσὶν αἱ ἐν ἑκατέρῳ ποιότητες ἀλλήλαις ἀντικαθήμεναι· στεῤῥότης τε καὶ μανότης, ἀντιτυπία καὶ ἀραιότης, βαρύτης τε καὶ κουφότης· καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα κατὰ τὸ ἰδιάζον ἐν ἑκατέρῳ τούτων, ἐκ τῶν ἐναντίων γνωρίζεται. Ὥσπερ τοίνυν ἐν τούτοις οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν τρέφεσθαι τῷ ἐναντίῳ τὸ ἕτερον· οὔτε γὰρ τῇ δαπάνῃ τοῦ ἐμβριθοῦς ἡ ἐν τῷ ἀέρι κουφότης αὔξεται, οὔτε τὸ ναστὸν τῆς γῆς ἐνεργεῖ τοῦ ἀντι στοιχοῦντος τὴν ἀραιότητα, οὔτε τὰ λοιπὰ περὶ τὴν