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I will apply solutions. But having another argument as a helper, I have decided through these to weave a defense of that providence which is attacked by you. Therefore, leaving you here, and having exhorted you to delight in the contemplation of what has been said, and to draw benefit from every quarter, I will praise the Governor of the universe; to whom is due glory for ever and ever. Amen. DISCOURSE 3. A proof from the construction of the human body. Those who are very well disposed in body do not need treatment from physicians; for perfect health is not in need of the assistance of medicines; but those who are assailed by disease are accustomed to call physicians for help, and using the weapons of the art as helpers against their afflictions, they attempt to drive them out of their bodies like enemies. For the art of medicine is a helper of bodies, and a plotter against afflictions. So then, those who have healthy souls, and are made bright by the health of piety, do not need instructive medicines; but those who are possessed by a wicked prejudice, and have received the disease of abominable doctrines, and over time have made this disposition a habit, need many purges, which are able to stir up that evil matter, and to show their souls to be clean; and many medicines, which with their efficacy break and block up the passages that generate it, and stop the wicked birth-pangs. Since, therefore, the disease of those who attempt to deprive creation of providence is very grievous and difficult to treat, we have already brought them two remedies, having mixed them from the parts of creation; but in order that we might pull up the disease by the roots, and completely deliver them from their grievous illness, we shall also attempt to prepare and offer them a third. And the materials for its preparation we shall take not from heaven, and earth, and sea, nor from the sun, and moon, and the other luminaries, nor from the air, and clouds, and winds, nor from rivers, and springs, and wells, 83.589 but from those very persons who attempt to blaspheme. For having received a mouth from the Creator, in order that they might offer praise to the Giver for the good things they enjoy, not only do they not wish to praise him, but they also defile their tongue with blasphemies, and dishonor the instrument of reason. But even this one part is sufficient to show not only the wisdom, but also the boundless love for humanity of the one who made it. For it resembles an organ composed of bronze reeds, and blown by bellows, and moved by the fingers of the craftsman, and producing that harmonious sound. But nature was not taught by art, but art was taught by nature the mechanism of that pleasant sound; for nature is the archetype of art, and art is the image of nature. Observe, therefore, you who have obtained reason, but dishonor the one who honored you with the honor, how the lung lies like a bellows, and it is squeezed not by human feet, but by the muscles surrounding the chest, contracting and expanding it. And this sends up the breath through the windpipe, and the breath being forced together, opens the epiglottis, and is carried through the pharynx to the mouth. And speech, having taken hold of the tongue as if it were a right hand, brings it to the teeth just as to those bronze reeds, and makes it run up and down and slip easily and very readily; and the underlying gland assists it towards the ease of its course, gushing forth moisture like a stream. For since its frequent running dries it out, it needed moderate moisture, wetting and smoothing it, and

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λύσεις προσαρμόσω. Ἕτερον δὲ λόγον συνεργὸν ἔχων, τὴν ὑπὸ σοῦ πολεμουμένην προμήθειαν ὑφῆναι διὰ τούτων βεβούλευμαι. Ἐν ταῦθά σε τοίνυν καταλιπὼν, καὶ τῇ τῶν εἰρημένων ἐντρυφῆσαι θεωρίᾳ παρακαλέσας, καὶ πανταχόθεν ἑλκῦσαι τὴν ὠφέλειαν, τὸν τοῦ παντὸς Κυβερνήτην ὑμνήσω· ᾧ πρέπει δόξα εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώ νων. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ Γʹ. Ἀπόδειξις ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου σώματος κατασκευῆς. Οἱ μὲν εὖ μάλα πως τὸ σῶμα διακείμενοι, τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν ἰατρῶν θεραπείας οὐ δέονται· ἀκραιφνὴς γὰρ ὑγεία τῆς τῶν φαρμάκων ἐπικουρίας οὐκ ἐνδεής· οἱ δ' ὑπὸ νόσου πολεμούμενοι, καλεῖν εἰώθασι τοὺς ἰατροὺς εἰς βοήθειαν, καὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις τῆς τέχνης κατὰ τῶν παθῶν χρώμενοι συνεργοῖς, ὥσπερ τινὰς πολεμίους ἐκ τῶν σωμάτων διώκειν ἐπιχειροῦσιν. Ἰατρικὴ γὰρ τέχνη σωμάτων ἐπίκουρος, καὶ παθῶν ἐπίβουλος. Καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς τοίνυν οἱ μὲν ἐῤῥωμένας ἔχοντες, καὶ τῇ τῆς εὐσεβείας ὑγείᾳ λαμπρυνομένας, τῶν διδασκαλικῶν φαρμάκων οὐ χρῄζουσιν· οἱ δὲ προλήψει πονηρᾷ κατεχόμενοι, καὶ τῶν βδελυρῶν δογμάτων τὴν νόσον δεξάμενοι, καὶ τῷ χρόνῳ τὴν διάθεσιν ἕξιν ἐργασάμενοι, πολλῶν μὲν δέονται κα θαρτηρίων, τὴν μοχθηρὰν ἐκείνην ὕλην ἀναμοχλεῦσαι δυναμένων, καὶ τὰς ψυχὰς καθαρὰς ἀποφῆναι· πολ λῶν δὲ φαρμάκων, τοὺς γεννητικοὺς ἐκείνης πόρους τῷ δραστηρίῳ κλώντων τε καὶ φραττόντων, καὶ τὰς πονηρὰς ὠδῖνας παυόντων. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν παγχά λεπος καὶ δυστράπελος τῶν τὴν κτίσιν προνοίας ἀποστερεῖν ἐπιχειρούντων ἡ νόσος, δύο μὲν αὐτοῖς ἤδη φάρμακα προηνέγκαμεν, ἐκ τῶν τῆς κτίσεως μορίων ταῦτα κεράσαντες· ἵνα δὲ πρόῤῥιζον ἀνα σπάσωμεν τὴν νόσον, καὶ τέλεον αὐτοὺς τῆς χαλεπῆς ἀπαλλάξωμεν ἀῤῥωστίας, καὶ τρίτον αὐτοῖς κατα σκευάσαι τε καὶ προσενεγκεῖν πειρασόμεθα. Τῆς δὲ κατασκευῆς τὰς ὕλας οὐκ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ γῆς, καὶ θαλάττης, οὐδ' ἐξ ἡλίου, καὶ σελήνης, καὶ τῶν ἄλ λων φωστήρων, οὐδ' ἐξ ἀέρος, καὶ νεφῶν, καὶ πνευ μάτων, οὐδ' ἐκ ποταμῶν, καὶ πηγῶν, καὶ φρεάτων, 83.589 ἀλλ' ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν βλασφημεῖν ἐπιχειρούντων ληψό μεθα. Στόμα γὰρ εἰληφότες παρὰ τοῦ κτίσαντος, ἵν' ὑπὲρ ὧν ἀπολαύουσιν ἀγαθῶν τῷ δοτῆρι τὸν ὕμνον προσφέρωσιν, οὐ μόνον ὑμνεῖν οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλασφημίαις τὴν γλῶσσαν μιαίνουσι, καὶ τὸ λογικὸν ἀτιμάζουσιν ὄργανον. Ἀρκεῖ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο μόνον τὸ μόριον δεῖξαι τοῦ πεποιηκότος, οὐ τὴν σο φίαν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄπλητον φιλανθρω πίαν. Ὀργάνῳ γὰρ ἔοικεν ἀπὸ χαλκῶν συγκειμένῳ καλάμων, καὶ ὑπ' ἀσκῶν ἐκφυσουμένῳ, καὶ κινου μένῳ ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦ τεχνίτου δακτύλων, καὶ ἀποτε λοῦντι τὴν ἐναρμόνιον ἐκείνην ἠχήν. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἡ φύσις παρὰ τῆς τέχνης, ἡ τέχνη δὲ παρὰ τῆς φύσεως ἐδιδάχθη τῆς τερπνῆς ἐκείνης ἠχῆς τὸ μηχάνημα· ἀρχέτυπον γὰρ τῆς τέχνης ἡ φύσις, ἴνδαλμα δὲ τῆς φύσεως ἡ τέχνη. Ἄθρει τοιγαροῦν ὁ λόγου μὲν τετυχηκὼς, ἀτιμάζων δὲ τῇ τιμῇ τὸν τιμήσαντα, πῶς ὑπόκειται μὲν ὁ πνεύμων δίκην ἀσκοῦ, ἀποθλίβουσι δὲ αὐτὸν, οὐ πόδες ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλ' οἱ περικείμενοι τῷ θώρακι μύες, συστέλλοντες αὐτὸν καὶ διαστέλλοντες. Ἀνα πέμπει δὲ οὑτοσὶ διὰ τῆς τραχείας ἀρτηρίας τὸ πνεῦμα, τὸ δὲ συνωθούμενον, ἀνοίγει μὲν τὴν ἐπι γλωττίδα, φέρεται δὲ διὰ τοῦ φάρυγγος ἐπὶ τὸ στόμα. Ὁ δὲ λόγος, τῆς γλώττης οἷόν τινος δεξιᾶς ἐπειλημμένος, ταύτην τοῖς ὀδοῦσι καθάπερ τοῖς χαλκοῖς ἐκείνοις προσφέρει καλάμοις, καὶ ἄνω καὶ κάτω διαθέειν καὶ διολισθαίνειν εὐπετῶς καὶ μάλα ῥᾳδίως κατασκευάζει· συνεργεῖ δὲ αὐτῇ πρὸς τὴν εὐκολίαν τοῦ δρόμου, ὁ ὑποκείμενος ἀδὴν, οἷόν τις λιβὰς ἀναβλύζων νοτίδα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτὴν ὁ συχνὸς καταξηραίνει δρόμος, ἐδεῖτο μετρίας ὑγρότητος, τεγγούσης αὐτὴν καὶ λειαινούσης, καὶ