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that the rains flow upon the earth, as both the preceding argument has shown, and prophecy teaches, ascribing such a work to God, in those passages where it says, that “He who calls for the water of the sea, and pours it out upon the face of the earth,” and many others. And that all the clouds are roasted by the overlying heat, and are completely parched, this too we have learned through experience. It remains, therefore, not to pass over the objection that consequently arises for us from what has been said. For someone, following what has been examined before, will say that according to the example of the oil we have learned, that the material of the substrate, even after being roasted, is not destroyed, but moves into the air, being separated from the earth by the action of the fire. But with the moisture having been made to disappear by the opposite quality, how is it possible for the moist nature to remain undiminished forever, when the hot substance is always parching the moisture in the vapors, and changing it into a dry quality, as the theory has shown in due course through what has been examined? If, therefore, the moisture is evaporated, and the wetness becomes easy prey to the heat, having been divided into fine and indivisible parts through the vapors; it is entirely necessary, as the moisture passes over to the dry quality, to suppose that other argument to be truer, that there is some abundance of waters, which always replenishes what is consumed by the fire. Perhaps someone might even take some testimony from Scripture for such a supposition: the opening of the floodgates of heaven, when the earth had to become submerged, with the water exceeding the peak of every mountain by a great depth, But I say that it is possible to counter the scriptural objection through another Scripture; for I know the figurative use of the divine sayings in scriptural custom. What does it signify by ‘to open’, and what does it indicate by ‘to shut’? For it is clear that what is shut is opened, and what is opened is shut. Since, therefore, when vapor once prevailed in the time of Elijah, the Scripture says thus, that “Heaven was shut for three years and six months;” I think that the word of Scripture says that the floodgates of heaven were opened in the same way that they were shut in the time of drought. But then indeed, through the prayer of Elijah, a cloud appearing from the sea opened heaven for them with its rain. Therefore, it clearly proves through these things, that not even then did the firmament of heaven, being split, pour down the rain from the waters said to be above, but it calls heaven the air around the earth, which sets a limit to the vapors' station, which is the boundary of the very fine nature of what lies above; beyond which nothing of the heavier things has any power to ascend, not a cloud, not a wind, not a vapor, not an exhalation, not the nature of birds. Therefore, what is over our heads Scripture usually calls heaven, saying “birds of heaven,” which fly through this air. But even if these things are in this manner, the argument has not yet for us 104 solved the other problem, how the transformation of the vapors into dryness does not diminish the moisture, which is consumed by the prevalence of the hot substance. But concerning these things, it would be well to discover another line of reasoning that is consistent with the theory of the argument; for perhaps through more diligent application it might be possible for us not to miss the proper understanding concerning the investigation. I have heard prophecy describing the majesty of the power of God through the wonders in creation, in which it says: “Who has measured the water in the hollow of his hand, and the heaven with a span, and the whole earth with a handful? who has set the boundaries by weight, and the valleys by a balance?” through which I think the prophet clearly teaches that each of the elements is circumscribed by its own measures, with the encompassing power of God, which he names hand and handful, and span, specially binding each of the things that exist within its proper measure. If, therefore, heaven is measured by the divine power, and the water by the hand, and all the earth by the handful, and the valleys are weighed in a balance, and a clear weight is assigned to the mountains, it is absolutely necessary for each to remain in its own measure and weight,

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ἐπιῤῥεῖν τοὺς ὄμβρους τῇ γῇ, ὅ τε προλαβὼν ἀπ έδειξε λόγος, καὶ ἡ προφητεία διδάσκει τῷ Θεῷ τὸ τοιοῦτον ἔργον ἀνατιθεῖσα, ἐν οἷς φησιν, ὅτι «Ὁ προσ καλούμενος τὸ ὕδωρ τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ ἐκχέων αὐτὸ κατὰ πρόσωπον τῆς γῆς,» καὶ ἄλλα πολλά. Καὶ τὸ ἐξοπτᾶσθαι πάντα τὰ νέφη ἐκ τῆς ὑπερκειμένης θερμότητος, καὶ εἰς τὸ παντελὲς καταφρύγεσθαι, καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τῆς ἐνεργείας ἐμάθομεν. Λείπεται τοίνυν μὴ παραδραμεῖν τὴν ἀκολούθως ἀνακύπτουσαν ἡμῖν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων ἀντίθεσιν. Ἐρεῖ γάρ τις τοῖς προ εξητασμένοις ἑπόμενος, ὅτι Κατὰ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐλαίου ὑπόδειγμα μεμαθήκαμεν, τὸ μὲν ὑλικὸν τοῦ ὑποκει μένου καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἐξόπτησιν μὴ ἀπόλλυσθαι, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν ἀέρα μεταχωρεῖν διὰ τῆς τοῦ πυρὸς ἐνεργείας ἀπογεούμενον. Τοῦ δὲ ὑγροῦ ἐναφανισθέντος τῇ ἐναν τία ποιότητι, πῶς ἔστιν ἀμείωτον τὴν ὑγρὰν φύσιν εἰσαεὶ διαμένειν, πάντοτε τῆς θερμῆς οὐσίας τὸ ἐν τοῖς ἀτμοῖς ὑγρὸν καταφρυττούσης, καὶ εἰς ξηρὰν μεταβαλλούσης ποιότητα, καθὼς ἡ θεωρία κατὰ τὸ ἀκόλουθον διὰ τῶν ἐξητασμένων ἀπέδειξεν; Εἰ οὖν ἐξατμίζεται μὲν τὸ ὑγρὸν, εὐάλωτος δὲ γίνεται τῷ θερμῷ ἡ ὑγρότης, εἰς τὰ λεπτά τε καὶ ἀμερῆ τμήματα διὰ τῶν ἀτμῶν μερισθεῖσα· ἀνάγκη πᾶσα, πρὸς τὴν ξηρὰν ποιότητα τοῦ ὑγροῦ μεταβαίνοντος, ἀληθέστε ρον ἐκεῖνον τὸν λόγον οἴεσθαι, ὅτι ἐστί τις ὑδάτων περιουσία, ἡ ἀεὶ ἀναπληροῦσα τὸ ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς δα πανώμενον. Ἴσως δ' ἄν τινα καὶ μαρτυρίαν πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην ὑπόληψιν ἀπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς παραλά βοι· τὸ ἀνοιγῆναι τοὺς καταῤῥάκτας τοῦ οὐρα νοῦ, ὅτε ὑποβρύχιον ἔδει γενέσθαι τὴν γῆν, πάσης ὀρῶν κορυφῆς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον βάθους ὑπερέχοντος τοῦ ὕδατος, Ἀλλ' ἐγὼ τὴν μὲν γραφικὴν ἀντίθεσίν φημι δυνατὸν εἶναι διὰ Γραφῆς ἑτέρας παραμυθήσασθαι· οἶδα γὰρ τὴν κατάχρησιν τῶν θείων ῥημάτων ἐπὶ τῆς γραφικῆς συνηθείας. Τί σημαίνει διὰ τοῦ ἀνοῖξαι, καὶ τί διὰ τοῦ κλεῖσαι ἐνδείκνυται; ∆ῆλον γὰρ ὅτι τὸ κλειόμενον ἀνοίγεται, καὶ τὸ ἀνοιγόμενον κλείεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν, ἀτμοῦ ποτε κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Ἠλίου ἐπικρα τοῦντος, οὕτω φησὶν ἡ Γραφὴ, ὅτι «Ἐκλείσθη ὁ οὐρα νὸς ἐπὶ ἔτη τρία καὶ μῆνας ἔξ·» τοῦτο οἶμαι τοῦ οὐ ρανοῦ τοὺς καταῤῥάκτας ἠνεῷχθαι τὸν τῆς Γραφῆς λόγον λέγειν, ὡς ἐκλείσθη ἐν τῷ τῆς ἀνομβρίας και ρῷ. Ἀλλὰ μὴν τότε διὰ τῆς προσευχῆς τοῦ Ἠλίου, νέφος ἐκ τῆς θαλάσσης ἀναφανὲν, τὸν οὐρανὸν αὐτοῖς διὰ τῆς ἐπομβρίας ἤνοιξεν. Ἄρα σαφῶς ἀποδείκνυ διὰ τούτων, τὸ μηδὲ τότε τὸ στερέωμα τοῦ οὐ ρανοῦ διασχισθὲν, ἐκ τῶν ὑπερκεῖσθαι λεγομένων ὑδάτων καταῤῥῆξαι τὸν ὄμβρον, ἀλλ' οὐρανὸν λέγει, τὸν περίγειον ἀέρα, τὸν ὁρίζοντα τοῖς ἀτμοῖς τὴν στάσιν, ὅπερ ἐστὶ τῆς λεπτομερεστάτης τοῦ ὑπερκει μένου ὅρος φύσεως· μεθ' ὃν οὐδεμίαν δύναμιν πρὸς τὴν ἄνοδον ἔχει τῶν ἐμβριθεστέρων οὐδὲν, οὐ νέφος, οὐ πνεῦμα, οὐκ ἀτμὸς, οὐκ ἀναθυμίασις, οὐχ ἡ τῶν πτηνῶν φύσις. Τὸ οὖν ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς συνήθως ἡ Γραφὴ οὐρανὸν λέγει, «οὐρανοῦ πετεινὰ» λέγουσα, τὸν ἀέρα τοῦτον διαπετόμενα. Ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ταῦτα τοῦτον ἔχει τὸν τρόπον, οὔπω τὸ ἕτερον ὁ λόγος ἡμῖν ὑπ 104 ελύσατο, πῶς ἡ εἰς τὸ ξηρὸν τῶν ἀτμῶν μεταποίησις οὐκ ἐλαττοῖ τὸ ὑγρὸν, τὸ ἐπικρατήσει τῆς θερμῆς οὐ σίας ἐκδαπανώμενον. Πρὸς δὲ ταῦτα καλῶς ἂν ἔχοι ἑτέραν ἀκολουθίαν ἐξευρεῖν τῇ θεωρίᾳ τοῦ λόγου συμ βαίνουσαν· ἴσως γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο ἡμῖν διὰ τῆς φιλο πονωτέρας προσεδρίας, μὴ διαμαρτεῖν τῆς προσ ηκούσης περὶ τοῦ σκέμματος ὑπολήψεως. Ἤκουσα τῆς προφητείας τὸ μεγαλεῖον τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως διὰ τῶν ἐν τῇ κτίσει θαυμάτων διεξιούσης, ἐν οἷς φησι· «Τίς ἐμέτρησε τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν δρακί; τίς ἔστησε τὰ ὅρια σταθμῷ, καὶ τὰς νάπας ζυγῷ;» δι' ὧν οἶμαι σαφῶς ἰδίοις μέτροις τῶν στοιχείων ἕκαστον περιγε γράφθαι τὸν προφήτην διδάσκειν, τῆς περιεκτικῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως, ἢν χεῖρα καὶ δράκα, καὶ σπιθαμὴν ὀνομάζει, ἰδικῶς ἕκαστον τῶν ὄντων ἐν τῷ καθήκοντι μέτρῳ περισφιγγούσης. Εἰ οὖν μεμέτρηται οὐρανὸς τῇ θείᾳ δυνάμει, καὶ τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, καὶ τῇ δρακὶ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ, καὶ ζυγοστατοῦνται αἱ νάπαι, καὶ φανε ρὸς τοῖς ὄρεσιν ἀφορίζεται σταθμὸς, ἀνάγκη πᾶσα μένειν ἕκαστον ἐπὶ τοῦ ἰδίου μέτρου καὶ σταθμοῦ,