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the crystalline sphere that lies under it, and peers through its middle, the vitreous humor poured around it, the retina-like covering, the glandular seat, upon which all rests, the nourishment supplied from the brain through a most slender vessel, the outflow of waste through the corners of the eye. Consider into how many colors the blood is transformed. This was at first food; but having been made fine by the teeth, it was sent to the stomach; that changed this to its own color, and made it white; the liver, receiving this, again changes it to its own color. Thus the nature of the blood, having become so, going into the brain, is again whitened, and is fixed into bones, and is changed into nerves that are firm, yet flexible. But perhaps I do something similar to those who try to count the sand, by striving to investigate the providence of the Creator apparent in the body. Therefore, consider for yourself all the senses in your contemplation: taste, smell, hearing; how the one has the perception of smells, and accepts what is pleasant, but rejects what is foul-smelling, and is entrusted with the secretions of the head's waste products. For since it, lying above 83.605 the rest of the body, receives all the vapors sent up from below, and an abundance of these would have caused great harm to the most sovereign part, I mean the brain, the Creator of all did not neglect this either, but having fashioned certain passages in them, and made them spongy and porous, He guided the liquid and thick parts of the waste to the palate and the nostrils, and assigned to these two parts for secretions, so that the harmful substance might be carried out quickly; and the vaporous and sooty waste He has caused to be dispersed and pushed out from above through the sutures of the skull. And consider the working of hearing; see how, receiving countless sounds, it is not sated, it is not filled, it does not receive all equally, but knows the difference between a high-pitched and a low-pitched sound; it is pleased by euphony, and turns away from cacophony. Through this we hear the divine oracles, through this, human nature is taught every human learning: grammar, rhetoric, sophistry, arithmetic, medicine, mechanics, and any other that human nature has discovered. Subject this hearing to our words, receive the medicine that cleanses the soul, and frees it from wicked blasphemy; place upon it gates, which is reason, and a gatekeeper, the fear of God, and be a judge of the words offered to you, and to the pious let the gatekeeper open the gates, but let him send away the blasphemous and abominable and God-hating, and let him shut the gates, and let him apply, like some unbreakable bar, the steadfastness of faith. For thus it is possible, both to be rid of enemies, and for those who listen to friendly and beneficial words, for their souls to be healthy; not, according to the divine Paul, having itching ears, nor subjecting it to words which please but harm the reason; but becoming upright and just judges of what is said, and choosing those things which bring benefit, and, according to the prophet, foreseeing God always, both by night and by day, both walking and sitting, and doing or suffering anything whatsoever. To Him be the glory, and the honor, and the worship for ever and ever. Amen. DISCOURSE 4. A proof from the hands of men and the arts that have been invented. I have heard the prophetic voice singing and crying out: “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims the work of his hands.” But from there indeed a voice

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κρυσταλλοειδῆ σφαῖραν τὴν ὑπὸ τούτῳ κειμένην, καὶ διὰ μέσου διακύπτουσαν, τὸ περὶ ταύ την διακεχυμένον ὑελοειδὲς ὑγρὸν, τὸ ἀμφιβλη στροειδὲς περιβόλαιον, τὴν ἀδενώδη ἕδραν, ἐφ' ἧς ἅπας ἐρήρεισται, τὴν ἐκ τοῦ ἐγκεφάλου δι' ἀγγείου λεπτοτάτου χορηγουμένην τροφὴν, τὴν διὰ τῶν καν θῶν τοῦ περιττώματος ἐκροήν. Σκόπησον εἰς πόσα τὸ αἷμα μετασχηματίζεται χρώματα. Τοῦτο πρῶτον μὲν ἦν σιτίον· τοῖς ὀδοῦσι δὲ λεπτυνθὲν, τῇ γαστρὶ παρεπέμφθη· ἐκείνη πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν χρόαν τοῦτο μετέβαλε, καὶ λευκὸν ἀπειργάσατο· τοῦτο τὸ ἧπαρ δεξάμενον, πάλιν εἰς τὸ οἰκεῖον μετατίθησι χρῶμα. Οὕτω γενομένη τοῦ αἵματος ἡ φύσις, εἰς ἐγκέφαλον χωροῦσα, πάλιν λευκαίνεται, καὶ εἰς ὀστᾶ μεταπή γνυται, καὶ εἰς νεῦρα στεγανὰ μὲν, εὐκαμπῆ δὲ με τατίθεται. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἴσως ὅμοιον ποιῶ τοῖς τὴν ψάμμον ἀριθμεῖν πειρωμένοις, τὴν ἐν τῷ σώματι φαινομένην τοῦ Ποιητοῦ προμήθειαν ἐρευνῆσαι φιλο νεικῶν. Κατὰ σαυτὸν τοιγαροῦν πάσας τῇ θεωρίᾳ περινόστησον τὰς αἰσθήσεις, τὴν γεῦσιν, τὴν ὄσφρη σιν, τὴν ἀκοήν· ὅπως ἡ μὲν τῶν ὀσμῶν τὴν ἀντίλη ψιν ἔχει, καὶ τὸ μὲν ἡδὺ προσίεται, τὸ δὲ δυσῶδες ἀπωθεῖται, καὶ τῶν τῆς κεφαλῆς περιττωμάτων τὰς ἐκκρίσεις πεπίστευται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοὺς κάτωθεν ἅπαντας ἀναπεμπομένους ἀτμοὺς ὡς ὑπερκειμένη 83.605 τοῦ σώματος ὑποδέχεται, ἡ δὲ τούτων πλημμύρα πολλὴν ἂν εἰργάσατο τῷ κυριωτάτῳ μορίῳ, φημὶ δὴ τῷ ἐγκεφάλῳ, τὴν λώβην, οὐδὲ τούτου κατημέλησεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Ποιητὴς, ἀλλὰ πόρους τινὰς ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐργασάμενος, καὶ σπογγοειδεῖς καὶ σηραγγοειδεῖς πεποιηκὼς, τὰ ὑγρὰ καὶ τὰ παχέα τῶν περιττωμάτων ἐπὶ τὴν ὑπερῷαν καὶ τοὺς μυκτῆρας ὡδήγησε, καὶ δύο τούτοις ἐκκρίσεων ἀπένειμε μόρια, ἵνα συντό μως τὸ βλαβερὸν ἐκφορῆται· τὸ δὲ ἀτμῶδες καὶ λι γνυῶδες περίττωμα ἄνωθεν διὰ τῶν τοῦ κρανίου ῥα φῶν διαφορεῖσθαι καὶ διεξωθεῖσθαι πεποίηκε. Θεώ ρησον δὲ καὶ τῆς ἀκοῆς τὴν ἐνέργειαν· βλέπε πῶς μυρίας δεχομένη φωνὰς οὐ κορέννυται, οὐ πληροῦ ται, οὐκ ἴσως ἅπαντα δέχεται, ἀλλ' οἶδεν ὀξείας καὶ βαρείας φωνῆς τὸ διάφορον· εὐφωνίᾳ τέρπεται, καὶ κακοφωνίαν ἀποστρέφεται. ∆ιὰ ταύτης τῶν θείων ἐπαΐομεν λογίων, διὰ ταύτης πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπείαν ἡ φύσις παιδεύεται παίδευσιν, γραμματικὴν, ῥητο ρικὴν, σοφιστικὴν, ἀριθμητικὴν, ἰατρικὴν, μηχανι κὴν, καὶ εἴ τινα ἑτέραν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις ἐξεῦρε. Ταύτην ὑπόθες τοῖς ἡμετέροις λόγοις τὴν ἀκοὴν, δέξαι φάρμακον τὴν ψυχὴν καθαῖρον, καὶ τῆς πονηρᾶς αὐτὴν βλασφημίας ἐλευθεροῦν· ἐπί θες ταύτῃ πύλας, τὸν λόγον, καὶ πυλωρὸν, τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φόβον, καὶ τῶν προσφερομένων σοι λόγων γίνου κριτὴς, καὶ τοῖς μὲν εὐσεβέσιν ὁ πυλωρὸς ἀνοι γέτω τὰς πύλας, τοὺς δὲ βλασφήμους καὶ βδελυροὺς καὶ θεομισεῖς ἀποπεμπέτω, καὶ τὰς πύλας κλειέ τω, καὶ οἷόν τινα μοχλὸν ἀῤῥαγῆ, τὸ στεῤῥὸν ἐπιτιθέτω τῆς πίστεως. Οὕτω γὰρ δυνατὸν, τῶν τε πολεμίων ἀπαλλάττεσθαι, καὶ τοὺς φίλους καὶ εὐερ γέτας τῶν λόγων ἐπακούοντας, τὰς ψυχὰς ὑγιαί νειν· οὐ κνηθομένους, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Παῦλον, τὴν ἀκοὴν, οὐδὲ τοῖς τέρπουσι μὲν, βλάπτουσι δὲ τὸ λο γικὸν λόγοις ταύτην ὑποτιθέντας· ἀλλὰ κριτὰς ὀρ θοὺς καὶ δικαίους τῶν λεγομένων γιγνομένους, καὶ τοὺς ὄνησιν φέροντας ἐκλεγομένους, καὶ τὸν Θεὸν, κατὰ τὸν προφήτην, διὰ παντὸς προορωμένους, καὶ νύ κτωρ καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν, καὶ βαδίζοντας καὶ καθημέ νους, καὶ πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἢ δρῶντας ἢ πάσχοντας. Αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα, καὶ ἡ τιμὴ, καὶ ἡ προσκύνησις εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. Ἀμήν. ΛΟΓΟΣ ∆ʹ. Ἀπόδειξις ἀπὸ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἀνθρωπείων καὶ τῶν ἐφευρεθεισῶν τεχνῶν. Ἤκουσα τῆς προφητικῆς φωνῆς ᾀδούσης καὶ βοώ σης· «Οἱ οὐρανοὶ διηγοῦνται δόξαν Θεοῦ, ποίησιν δὲ χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀναγγέλλει τὸ στερέωμα.» Ἀλλὰ φω νῆς μὲν ἐκεῖθεν