Chapter Iv. That not by participation are the Properties of God the Father in the Son, but Essentially and by Nature.

35 The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His Hand.

For since he had said, that it behoved not the Son Who had beamed forth God of God, to be able to use words other than He That begat Him, to wit, true words; for He Whom God hath sent, saith he, speaketh the words of God, needs does he subjoin what is before us, and saith, The Father loveth the Son. We shall not grieve (saith he) God the Father by clothing in equal honour Him That is begotten of Him, we shall not offend Him by crowning with God-befitting Glory Him Who is Essentially the Heir of the Father's goods. For He loveth the Son. He will therefore be pleased at His being glorified by us, and be grieved by the contrary. And let no one suppose, saith he, that He hath His Own Son Heir of this one Divine Excellence only. For He hath given all things into His Hand; i. e., everything, which is essentially good in the Father, this is altogether in the power of the Son. For he calleth power Hand in these words, as when God saith by one of the Prophets, My right Hand hath spanned the heavens, instead of, My Power. But the Son hath in Himself the whole Property of the Father, not by participation, though the Father be said to have given it (for so He would have an acquired, not a Natural Godhead) but the Father gives all that is His to His Son, just as a man too may be conceived to give to the child born of him all the properties of manhood, or as the fire too may be said to give to the heat proceeding from it in the way of energy, the property of its own nature. In such things, both is the giving no loss to the givers (for not by division or severance is the going forth of what is conceived to be given) and the appearance of receiving is blameless on the part of the recipients. For only because of the 'whence,' are such things said, and the offspring are conceived of as being a certain natural quality, so to say, of their begetters, shewing clearly what the generator is by nature, and flashing forth the natural energy of their own source. And these things again are adduced by way of examples, but God is above them all. We will not for this accuse human language which is weak, for the glory of God hideth speech, as it is written. And if we see through a glass and darkly, and conceive in part, how shall we not be yet more powerless in the words through the tongue? You will then piously conceive, either that in this way all things are given by the Father to the Son: or you will take it again of the oeconomy with Flesh, no longer introducing the giving and receiving in respect of Natural Properties, but as putting the Son in authority over all things originate, that you may conceive of it in some such way as this,

The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His Hand.

Let not the slow to hearken (he says) be bold in speech, at seeing the Lord of all a Man, nor let him suppose that the Truth is false, rejecting the due belief in God by reason of the Flesh. Let him receive His testimony, let him readily set to his seal that God is true, lest he grieve the Father Which is in Heaven. For He loveth His Son: and the proof of His Love for Him, is that authority over all is given to Him. Which also the Saviour Himself says, All things are delivered unto Me of My Father, and again, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Nor do I suppose that because of the Son's seeming to receive it, will He reasonably be predicated by any as lesser: and why? for He receives when He became Man, when He humbled Himself for our sakes, when the Lord was called a slave, when the Son, Who is free, became among servants. For how did He humble Himself? or how is He said to have descended from His Equality with God the Father? Dost thou not in these things see Him Who Divinely giveth, Him Who Humanly and as a servant is said to receive what as God He had? For not strictly a gift from the Father is that which appointed the Son to the beginning of Lordship over all things; but rather a return and regain with the Flesh also of the authority that He had before the Flesh. For not when He became Man, did He then begin to rule the creation.

Since to what lowliness would one say that He had descended, if, when He became Man, He then began to have lordship? how will He appear in the Form of a servant, if then at length and scarcely declared Lord of all? Away with the absurdity of the reasonings herein. But when He became Man, then even so begins He to rule, not losing by reason of His Flesh the Divine Dignity, but mounting again with the Flesh also, to what He was from the beginning. But that the things spoken of as Christ's, were but the regain of what He had before, Himself will prove, saying, Father, glorify Thou Me with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was. Seest thou that He asketh not for a beginning of glory, but a renewal of the pristine glory, saying this too as Man? But that because of the Human Nature is it said that all things are given to the Son, he that is fond of learning will from all quarters heap up proofs with wisdom, and will be able to understand, but specially from that most dread vision of Daniel, wherein he savs that he saw the Ancient of Days set on His Throne, and declares that thousand thousands ministered unto Him and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. And hereto he added, And behold one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him, and there was given Him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him. Thou seest how here is the whole Mystery of the Incarnation accurately delineated to us; thou seest how the Son is said to receive the kingdom of the Father; shewn to the Prophet as no bare Word , but as the Son of Man (for He humbled Himself, as it is written, being found for our sakes in fashion as a Man), that He first brought back to His Kingdom, might be shewn forth a Beginning and Way to us of Glory into the Kingdom. And as He being by Nature Life did for our sakes descend unto death after the Flesh for all, that He might free us both from death and corruption, by His likeness to us having immingled us as it were with Himself and rendered us partakers of eternal life: so doth He confashion Himself to our low repute, being Lord of Glory as God, that He might restore the nature of man to the royal honour also. For in all things He hath the preeminence, as Paul saith, being both the Way and the Door and the Firstfruits of the good things of human nature, from death to life, from corruption to incorruption, from weakness to might, from bondage to sonship, from dishonour and ignominy to honour and kingly glory. Therefore when the Son appears to receive as Man what He had as God, let us no wise be offended but let us consider rather the mode of the oeconomy on our account and for us. For so we shall preserve our mind unwounded and unhurt.

36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. 

Not simply, nor without examination doth the most wise Baptist testify that to them that believe in Christ is life set forth, as their Reward, but he brings forth to us the proof of it from the very quality so to speak of things. For the Only Begotten is by Nature Life: for in Him we live and move and are. But He is introduced into us of a surety through faith, and dwelleth in us through the Holy Ghost: and the blessed John the Evangelist will testify saying in his epistles Hereby know we that He dwelleth in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. Christ will therefore quicken them that believe in Him, as being Himself Life by Nature and dwelling in them. But that the Son indwelleth in us by faith, Paul will furnish proof, saying, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. Since then through faith Life by Nature entereth into us, how is he not true that saith, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting Life? that is to say, the Son Himself, nought else than Him being conceived of as Life.

and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life.

Doth then (will haply some one say) the Baptist preach to us another opinion, and corrupt the doctrine of the resurrection, saying that he that believeth shall be quickened, wholly asserting that he that doth not shall not see life? We shall not all, it seems, rise; his word introducing to us this distinction. Whither then will that pass away, that is said absolutely and as it were to all, The dead shall be raised? What is Paul too about, saying, For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad? I suppose then that he that is eager after learning ought to be praised, nevertheless most accurate scrutiny must be made in Holy Scripture. For see clearly, I pray you, the distinction between the things said. For of the believer he says that he shall have everlasting life, of the unbeliever, the word hath a different significance. For he does not say that he shall not have life: for he shall be raised by the common law of the resurrection ; but he says that he shall not see life, that is, he shall not so much as arrive at the bare sight of the life of the saints, he shall not touch their blessedness, he shall remain untasting of their life passed in bliss. For that is indeed life. But to exist in punishment is bitterer than all death, holding the soul in the body only for the sensation of sufferings. Some such difference in life Paul also brings forward. Hear what he says to those who are dead to evil for Christ's sake, Forye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God; when Christ, yourlife, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory. Seest thou how he calls appearing in glory with Christ the life of the saints? But what when the Psalmist too sings to us, saying, What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil. Shall we not say that herein is signified the life of the saints? but it is, I think, evident to all. For he does not, forsooth, bid some to refrain from evil, that they may obtain the resurrection of the flesh hereafter (for they will rise again even if they do not cease from evil), but he rouses them rather to that life, wherein they may wholly see good days, passing an endless life in bliss and glory.

but the wrath of God abideth on him.

More openly by means of this which follows did the blessed Baptist shew us the aim of what has been said. Let him who loves to search consider carefully the force of the thought. He that believeth not (he saith) on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. But if it were possible to understand that the unbeliever should be indeed bereft of the life in the body, he would surely have immediately added, "but death abideth on him." But since he calls it the wrath of God, it is plain that he is contrasting the punishment of the ungodly with the enjoyments of the saints, and that he calls that life, which is the true life in glory with Christ, and the torments of the ungodly, the wrath of God. That punishment is ofttimes called wrath by the Divine Scriptures, I will adduce two witnesses, Paul and John: for the one said to the converted among the Gentiles, And were by nature the children of wrath, even as others; and the other to the Scribes and Pharisees, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  

Chap. iv.2, 3 When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself baptized not but His disciples), He left Judaea and departed again into Galilee.

Whence our history proceeds to this point, or from what commencement the order of the narrative progressing, introduces the Lord as knowing that the Pharisees had learnt what they enquired, it will not be amiss (it appears) to say. For in that the holy Evangelist saith When therefore the Lord knew, it clearly brings forth a certain declaration of a subject previously under consideration. For He knew all things, without any one telling Him, of Himself, as God, and not at their first coming into existence, but even before they be, as the prophet testified. But He awaiteth the right season for each, and yields rather to the order of things, than to His foreknowledge: for this too was worthy of God-befitting ceconomy.

There being then a question between some of John's disciples and a Jew about purifying, there was much disputing on both sides. For the one taking the part of their own master, were contending that his Baptism was far superior to the legal sprinklings and typical purifications of the others. And indeed probably they were adducing as a proof of this, that many came to him, and very gladly left the more ancient and older customs. These again on the other hand, when the argument was being borne down headlong by the opposite party, and the force of truth rushing down like waters, was overwhelming the feeble mind of its opponents, go against their own opinion, and against their own will say that the baptism bestowed through Christ is far more excellent. And now they begin to have the upper hand, using like arguments for their proof, and rising up against their conquerors with the same arguments. For they were affirming that many more are seen going to Christ, and that all men hasten to Him rather than to John. Whence I suppose the disciples of John kindled with grief go to their master and say, Rabbi, HeThat was with thee beyond Jordan, to Whom thou barest witness, behold, the Same baptizeth, and all men come to Him. The propositions or arguments of the Jews put forth out of strife, they put forward interrogatively. Hence therefore the Evangelist says that the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made more disciples than John, then that He shunning their lawless jealousy, and keeping His Passion for its own time, retreats from the land of the Jews, and withdraws again into Galilee.

4, 5 And He must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh He to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

O great readiness of mind and deep prudence! He prevents by his answers the things that would have been asked of him. For some one would straightway have said, either speaking to another, or secretly reasoning, Why did our Lord Jesus Christ, in not fit season, give illumination to the Samaritans? For once there came to Him the Syrophenician woman, with tears entreating mercy for her wretched daughter; and what said the Compassionate to her? It is not meet, saith He, to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. For He did not think it right, I suppose, to pour forth upon the Gentiles before the time the grace assigned to them of Israel. And this Himself made clearer by saying, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. How then (will one say) did He Who was sent to Israel alone begin to instruct the race of the Samaritans, albeit Israel had not yet wholly spurned the grace? To such things does he introduce the reply persuasive with power, to wit, that He must needs go through Samaria. For not for this reason alone did He arrange His sojourn with the Samaritans, that He might preach the word among them, and wholly transfer the whole blessing from Israel: but since He must needs pass through, therefore doth He teach, fulfilling the work of wisdom.

For as fire will never cease from its inherent natural operation of burning; so I deem it wholly impossible, that the Wisdom of all should not work what befits wisdom. And as, while saying that it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it unto dogs, yet to the woman who wept and entreated for pity with many words, He cast the grace, not admonished by another of the season for giving it, but Himself with the Father being Appointer of it, as Son and God and Lord: so did He pity the Samaritans too, and unveiling the Ineffable Might of His God-befitting Authority, He made the illumination of a whole country the bye-work of a journey.

It were besides strange, that Israel, who was already mad in folly, and imagining slaughter against the Lord, should be perfectly loved. But since they do not yet thoroughly persecute Him, but as yet only in measure, therefore our Lord Jesus the Christ also doth not yet wholly strip them of His grace, but doth nevertheless draw off the blessing by little and little to others. But His departing wholly from the country of the Jews, and hasting to go into that of aliens, by reason of the cruelty of His persecutors, was a threat, depicted on the nature of the thing as in a type, that they should endure the total loss of grace, and should dismiss unto others their own good, that is, the Christ, unless they abstained from their violence against Him.

6 Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus, therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well.

Having crossed the borders of Judaea, and being now among aliens, the Saviour rests upon Jacob's well: shewing us again as in a type and darkly, that even though the preaching of the Gospel should depart from Jerusalem, and the Divine Word at length hasten forth to the Gentiles, there shall not be lost therewith to Israel the love to their fathers, but Christ shall cleave to them again, and shall again be refreshed and rest, as in His Saints, preserving to them the pristine unfading grace. For He loveth to dwell in the memories of His saints, that He may make Himself an en-sample to us in this also, and may become the Beginning and Door of the honour given to the fathers. But being wearied with His journey, as it is written, He resteth, that in this too He may accuse the impiety of those that drove Him away. For whereas they ought to have gained His friendship by kindly honours, cherishing Him with reverence and fear, as a Benefactor, they maltreat the Lord with toil and labours, that He may be true, saying of them in the book of Psalms, And they rewarded Me evil for good.

Herein then is seen the daring of the Jews. But what will the Arians again, neighbours of these in folly, answer us to this, yea rather to whom it would rightly be said, Sodom was justified by thee? For the one crucify Christ in the Flesh, but the others rage against the Ineffable Nature Itself of the Word. Lo, He was wearied with His journey: Who was He Who suffered this? will ye bring before us the Lord of Hosts lacking in might, and will ye lay upon the Only Begotten of the Father the toil of the journey, that He may be conceived of as even Passible, Who cannot suffer? Or will ye, acting rightly, refuse so to think, and attribute the charge of these to the nature of the Body only, yea rather will ye say that the toil befits the Human Nature, rather than Him Who is, and is conceived of, as bare Word by Himself? As then He Who possesseth in His Own Nature Power over all things, and is Himself the Strength of all, is said to be wearied (for do not I pray do not divide the One Christ into a Duality of Sons, even though He make His own the sufferings of His Human Nature) albeit He abideth Impassible, since He became Man, Who had it not in Him to be weary; so if He at all speak also of things which we think rather befit man, and not God, let us not hunt after words, nor, when we most need skill unto piety, be then caught in exceeding folly, putting the plan of the oeconomy of the Flesh far away from us, ascending hotly to the Very Godhead of the Word, and laying hold with much folly of the things above us. For if He were not altogether called Man, if He were not made in the form of a servant, it were right to be troubled, when one said anything servile of Him, and to demand rather all things according to what befits God. But if in firm faith and unswervingly we are confident, that according to the voice of John, The Word was made Flesh, and tabernacled among us, when thou seest Him speaking as Flesh, that is, as Man, receive discourse befitting man, for confirmation of the preaching. For in no other way could we know certainly, that He being God and Word, became Man, had not the Impassible been recorded to have suffered something, and the High One to have uttered something lowly.

it was about the sixth hour.

He shews that opportunely did Jesus rest upon the well. For the sun pouring down its strongest rays from the mid-vault on those upon the earth, and consuming bodies with its unmitigated strokes, it would not have been without hurt to have gone further, but was more convenient to rest a little, especially when He would easily have thrust away the charge of luxuriousness, if the fitness of the season had agreed thereto.

He does not say that it was the sixth hour precisely, but about the sixth hour, that we too may learn not to be indifferent even about the least things, but rather to try and practise truth in common things.

7, 8, 9  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give Me to drink. (For His disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat). Then saith the woman of Samaria unto Him,

The Saviour was not ignorant of the woman's coming. For right well did He know being Very God, that she would forthwith be there to draw the cold stream from the fountain. But when she was now come, He began to get His prey within the toils, and straightway holding forth the word of teaching, made His discourse from what was before Him.

The Law appointed for the Jews that they must not be defiled in any way, and therefore ordered them to withdraw from every unclean thing, and not to mix themselves up with strangers, or uncircumcised. But they, carrying forward the force of the commandment to something more, and following most empty observances, ratter than the exactness of the Law, nor venturing so much as to touch the flesh of any alien, used to think that they would incur all uncleanness, if they were found having to do with the Samaritans in anything. To so great an extent did their disagreement at length advance, that they recoiled from tasting water or food brought to them by the hand of aliens. In order then that the woman may exclaim, and that His unwonted conduct may invite her to ask Who He is, and whence, and how He despises the Jewish customs; and so at length the conversation may come to His aim, He makes as though thirsty, saying, Give Me to drink. But she said,

10 How is it that Thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with theSamaritans. Jesus answered and said unto her, 

Enquiry is the beginning of learning, and to those who are ignorant upon any subject, doubt concerning it is the root of understanding. This commencement the discourse aims at: wherefore the Saviour wisely hints, that He accounts of no value the customs of the Jews.

11  If thou knewest the gift of God, and Who It is That saith to thee, Give Me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water. The woman saith unto Him, 

Not knowing the Essence of the Only Begotten, surpassing earth and heaven, yea rather being wholly ignorant of the Incarnate Word, the woman was calling Him a Jew. And profitably is He silent to this, that the foundation of His discourse with her may be kept. Yet does He uplift her to a higher conception of Himself, saying that she knows not Who It is Who asked drink, or how great grace Divine gifts have, insomuch that if she had had knowledge of it, she would not have endured to be behindhand, for she would have prevented the Lord in asking. He rouses her then by these things to a very earnest wish to learn. Observe how now too fashioning His discourse skillfully and free from boast, He says that He is God, even though the woman be slow to understand. For inducing her to marvel at the gift of God, He introduces Himself as the Giver of it. For if (says He,) thou knewest the gift of God and Who It is That saith to thee, thou wouldest have asked of Him. But whom would it befit to give the things of God? would it not Him Who is by Nature God?

But He calls the quickening gift of the Spirit living water, whereby alone human nature, albeit well nigh parched to its very roots, rendered now dry and barren of all virtue by the villainies of the devil, runneth back to its pristine beauty of nature, and drinking in the life-giving grace, is adorned with varied forms of good things, and shooting forth into a virtuous habit puts forth most thriving shoots of love towards God. Some such thing as this God says to us by the Prophet Isaiah also, The beast of the field shall honour Me, the dragons and the owls, because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen, whom I have formed for Myself to declare Mine excellencies. And another of the Saints says that the soul of the righteous shall be as a fruitful tree, and shall spring up as grass among the waters, and shall appear as the willow by running water.

We might heap up, besides those already quoted, many other testimonies also from the Divine Scripture, whence it would be very easy to shew, that under the name of water, the Divine Spirit is often named. But it is no time to linger here. Wherefore we will swim to other places, pressing on upon the great and wide sea of Divine meditations.

Sir, Thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast Thou that living water?

The woman imagines nothing more than what she is accustomed to; and by no means understands the force of what is said, but supposes that like some of those who are accustomed to work wonders by means of charms and devilish deceit, without a line or other contrivance He will draw up the water to her from the depths of the well. But she calls that living water, according to her own meaning, which has fresh flowed from the breasts of the fountain.  

12, 13 Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Jesus answered and said unto her,

The woman arrests herself, and that as quickly as possible, being conscious that she had taken up ideas of Him neither holily nor surely true. For it was not possible that she should not be altogether profited to understanding, who is wholly enjoying the Divine words. Since then it was possible that He Who speaks should not be a magician, but rather a Prophet, and one of those surpassing in holiness, and had therefore promised to give her the living water, without the usual means of buckets, or having found water far better to use from another source, she straightway changes her discourse for the soberer, and as it were compares saint with saint, saying, Art Thou greater than our father Jacob who gave us this well? Receive the intelligence of her thought, from her no longer wondering at His promising water with out a rope, but speaking only of its quality to the taste.

The Samaritans then were aliens (for they were colonists of the Babylonians), but they call Jacob their father for two reasons. For as inhabiting a country bordering on, and the neighbour of the Jews' land, they were taking a little impression themselves of their worship, and were accustomed to boast of the Jews' ancestors. Besides, it was really true that the greater number of the inhabitants of Samaria were sprung from the root of Jacob. For Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, having gathered together ten tribes of Israel, and the half-tribe of Ephraim, departed from Jerusalem in the time of the kingdom of Rehoboam the son of Solomon, and took Samaria, and built houses therein and cities.

14, 15 Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman saith unto Him, 

The woman of Samaria proposing, as a hard question and difficult to cope with. Art Thou greater than our father Jacob; the Saviour most skilfully avoids all boasting, not saying clearly that He is greater, yet from the nature of the actions does He persuade her to approve Him who excels. Therefore He shews that incomparable is the difference between the spiritual waters, and the sensible and grosser ones, saying, Whosoever shall drink of this water shall thirst again, but he that is filled (saith He) with My water, shall not only be shewn to be superior to thirst henceforth, but he shall have in him a well of water able to nourish him to eternal life. Therefore He that giveth the greater, is greater (saith He) than he that hath the less, and the worsted will not carry off the same glory as the conqueror.

We must know again, that the Saviour here calls the grace of the Holy Ghost water, whereof if any be partaker, he shall have the gift of the Divine teaching evermore flowing up within him, so as no more to be in need of admonition from others, yea rather, readily to suffice to exhort those who thirst after the Divine and heavenly Word, such as were some yet living in this present life and upon earth, the holy Prophets and Apostles, and the heirs of their ministrations, of whom it was written, And ye shall draw water with joy out of the wells of salvation.

16  Give me this water, that I thirst not neither come hither to draw. Jesus saith unto her,

Again does she both speak and imagine only ordinary things, and of the things that were said understands no whit; but she supposes that in being released from petty toils, will consist all the aim of our Saviour, and to thirsting no more does she bound the measure of the grace of God, not so much as in bare idea receiving things above the world.

Go call thy husband, and come hither.

Well and not untruly might one say, that the minds of woman are womanish, and that an effeminate soul is in them, never having the power of understanding readily. But the nature of man somehow is apter for learning, and far more ready for reasoning, having a mind awake to wisdom, and (so to say) warm, and of matured manhood. For this reason (I suppose) did He bid the woman call her husband, secretly convicting her as having a heart most slow to learn, not practised in the words of wisdom; yet He is at the same time contriving something else most beautiful.

17, 18, 19  The woman saith to Him I have no husband. Jesus saith unto her, Thou hast well said I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto Him,

To whom is it not now evident that the Saviour was not ignorant that she was bereft of any rightful husband and that He made the enquiry about her husband who was not, a plea for making known hidden things? For He was, He was thus with difficulty able to help her no longer marvelling at Him as one of us, but as now above man, by reason of His wondrous knowledge of her circumstances. And profitably does He approve her saying she has no husband, although she had had so many; for not the coming together out of pleasure, but the approval of the law and bond of pure love make marriage blameless.

Sir, I perceive that Thou art a Prophet.

With difficulty does she brighten up to apprehension, and that again not yet perfect. For she still calls the Lord of Prophets a Prophet. But she has by degrees shewn herself better than before, in no way ashamed at reproof, seizing to her own profit the force of the sign and so going forth from her effeminate understanding, attaining to some extent to a vigorous mind, and stretching forth the eye of her heart to an unwonted view of things. Wherein we must chiefly admire alike the forbearance and power of our Saviour, who easily remodels our untutored understanding to an admirable condition.

20, 21  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and Ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, 

Conceiving that the Lord is in truth a Prophet and a Jew, she boasts exceedingly of the customs of her country, and asserts that the Samaritans are far superior in wisdom to the Jews. For the Jews admitting too gross notions of the Divine and Incorporeal Nature, contended that in Jerusalem alone, or its neighbour Sion, ought the God over all to be worshipped, as though the whole Ineffable and Incomprehensible Nature had once for all there taken abode, and was enclosed in temples made with hands. Wherefore they were convicted of being utterly without understanding, by the voice of the Prophets, God saying, Heaven is My Throne and earth is My Footstool, what house will ye build Me, saith the Lord, or what is the place of My rest? The Samaritans again little remote from the folly of the Jews, bordering both in country alike and uninstructedness, supposing that in the mount called Gerizim they ought both to pray and worship, rightly escape not being laughed at. But the plea to them also of their senselessness was, that the blessing was given in Mount Gerizim, as we find written in Deuteronomy. This question the woman proposes to the Saviour, as some great and difficult problem, saying, Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, &c.

Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming, when neither in Jerusalem nor in this mountain, shall ye worship the Father.

He condemns alike the folly of all, saying that the mode of worship of both shall be transformed to the more truthful. For no longer (saith He) shall a place be sought, wherein they shall deem that God properly dwells, but as filling and able to contain all things, shall they worship the Lord every one from his place, as one of the holy Prophets says. He says that His own sojourn in the world with a Body is the time and season for a change of such customs.

Observe how with most gentle leading of discourse, does He guide the mind of the woman to right conceptions respecting the Son, by calling God the Father. For how shall the Father at all be conceived of, if the Son be not?  

ΚΕΦΑΛΗ Δ. Ὅτι οὐ μεταληπτῶς ἐν Υἱῷ τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἴδια, ἀλλ' οὐσιωδῶς καὶ κατὰ φύσιν.
« Ὁ Πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δέδωκεν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ. » ΕΠΕΙΔΗ γὰρ εἴρηκεν, ὡς ἐκ Θεοῦ πεφηνότα Θεὸν τὸν Υἱὸν μὴ ἑτέροις δύνασθαι χρῆσθαι λόγοις ἢ οἷσπερ ἂν χρήσαιτο καὶ ὁ γεννήσας αὐτὸν, ἀληθέσι δηλαδή: ” Ὃν γὰρ “ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ λαλεῖ,” φησίν: ἀναγκαίως διὰ τῶν προκειμένων ἐπεξεργάζεται καί φησιν Ὁ Πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Υἱόν: οὐκ ἀνιάσομεν, φησὶ, τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα, τὴν ἴσην τῷ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γεννηθέντι περιτιθέντες τιμὴν, οὐ προσκρούσομεν τῇ θεοπρεπεῖ στεφανοῦντες δόξῃ τὸν τῶν τοῦ Πατρὸς ἀγαθῶν οὐσιωδῶς κληρονόμον. ἀγαπᾷ γάρ φησι τὸν Υἱόν. οὐκοῦν ἐφησθήσεται μὲν δοξαζομένῳ πρὸς ἡμῶν, βαρυνθήσεται δὲ πρὸς τὸ ἐναντίον. καὶ μή τις οἰέσθω, φησὶν, ὡς ἑνὸς δὴ τούτου καὶ μόνου θεοπρεποῦς ἀξιώματος κληρονόμον ἔχει τὸν ἴδιον Υἱόν: πάντα γὰρ δέδωκεν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, τουτέστι σύμπαν ὅσον ἐστὶν οὐσιωδῶς ἀγαθὸν ἐν Πατρὶ, τοῦτο πάντως ἐστὶν ἐν δυνάμει τοῦ Υἱοῦ. χεῖρα γὰρ ἐν τούτοις ὀνομάζει τὴν δύναμιν, ὥσπερ ὅταν δι' ἑνός που προφήτου λέγῃ “Ἡ χείρ μου ἐστερέωσε ” τὸν οὐρανὸν,“ ἀντὶ τοῦ Ἡ δύναμις: ἔχει δὲ σύμπαν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἴδιον ὁ Υἱὸς, οὐ μεταληπτῶς, εἰ καὶ δεδωκέναι λέγεται ὁ Πατήρ: ἢ γὰρ ἂν ἐπίκτητον ἔχοι καὶ οὐ φυσικὴν τὴν θεότητα: δίδωσι δὲ οὕτως ὁ Πατὴρ τῷ Υἱῷ πάντα τὰ ἑαυτοῦ, ὡσπερανεὶ καὶ ἄνθρωπος τῷ ἐξ αὐτοῦ φύντι παιδὶ διδόναι νοοῖτο τὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἴδια, ἢ ὡσπερανεὶ καὶ τὸ πῦρ τῇ ἐξ αὐτοῦ κατ' ἐνέργειαν προϊούσῃ θερμότητι διδόναι λέγοιτο τῆς ἰδίας φύσεως τὸ ἰδίωμα. ἐν δὲ τοῖς τοιούτοις, καὶ τὸ παρασχεῖν τοῖς παρέχουσιν ἀζήμιον, οὐ γὰρ κατὰ μερισμὸν ἢ ἀποκοπὴν τῶν παρέχεσθαι νοουμένων ἡ πρόοδος: καὶ αὐτὸ δὲ τὸ δόξαι λαβεῖν, τοῖς λαβοῦσιν ἀκατηγόρητον: διὰ γὰρ μόνον τό Ἐξ οὗ τὰ τοιαῦτα λέγεται, καὶ φυσική τις, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, ποιότης τῶν γεννώντων νοεῖται τὰ γεννώμενα, τὸ τί κατ' οὐσίαν ἐστι τὸ γεννῶν ἐκφαίνοντα, καὶ καταλαμπρύνοντα τῆς οἰκείας πηγῆς τὴν κατὰ φύσιν ἐνέργειαν. καὶ ταῦτα μὲν πάλιν, ὡς ἐπὶ παραδειγμάτων, ἀνωτέρω δὲ τούτων δηλονότι Θεός: διά τοι τοῦτο τὸν ἀνθρώπινον ἀσθενοῦντα λόγον οὐκ αἰτιασόμεθα, ” Δόξα γὰρ Κυρίου κρύπτει λόγον,“ καθὰ γέγραπται. καὶ εἰ βλέπομεν δι' ἐσόπτρου καὶ δι' αἰνίγματος, καὶ νοοῦμεν ἐκ μέρους, πῶς ἂν οὐχὶ πολλῷ δὴ μειζόνως τοῖς διὰ γλώττης ἀτονήσαιμεν ῥήμασιν; νοήσεις τοιγαροῦν εὐσεβῶς, ἢ κατὰ τοῦτον τὸν τρόπον τὸ πάντα δεδόσθαι παρὰ Πατρὸς τῷ Υἱῷ: ἢ παραλήψῃ πάλιν τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας τὸν λόγον, οὐκέτι τὸ δοῦναι καὶ λαβεῖν ἐπὶ τῶν φυσικῶν ἰδιωμάτων εἰσφέροντα, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῇ κατὰ πάντων τῶν γενητῶν ἐξουσίᾳ τιθέντα τὸν Υἱὸν, ἵνα πάλιν νοῇς τι τοιοῦτον.
« Ὁ Πατὴρ ἀγαπᾷ τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δέδωκεν ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ. » Μὴ ἀπαυθαδιζέσθω, φησὶν, ὁ δυσήκοος, ἄνθρωπον ὁρῶν τὸν ἁπάντων Κύριον, μηδὲ νομιζέτω ψεύδεσθαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τὸ χρῆναι πιστεύειν ὡς Θεῷ διὰ τὴν σάρκα παραιτούμενος. δεχέσθω τὴν μαρτυρίαν αὐτοῦ, κατασφραγιζέτω δὲ προθύμως, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀληθής ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ λυπῇ τὸν ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα. ἀγαπᾷ γὰρ τὸν ἴδιον Υἱὸν, ἀπόδειξις δὲ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν ἀγάπης, τὸ πάντων αὐτῷ δεδόσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν. ὃ δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς ἔφασκεν ὁ Σωτήρ ” Πάντα μοι παρε“δόθη ὑπὸ τοῦ Πατρός μου.” καὶ πάλιν “Ἐδόθη μοι πᾶσα ” ἐξουσία ἔν τε οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς.“ καὶ οὐ δήπου διὰ τὸ δόξαι λαβεῖν ὁ Υἱὸς, εὐλόγως ἂν ὡς ἐλάττων ὑπό του κατηγοροῖτο, καὶ διατί; λαμβάνει γὰρ, ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ὅτε τεταπείνωκεν ἑαυτὸν δι' ἡμᾶς, ὅτε δοῦλος ἐχρημάτισεν ὁ Δεσπότης, ὅτε γέγονεν ἐν οἰκέταις ὁ ἐλεύθερος Υἱός. ἐπεὶ κατὰ τίνα τρόπον τεταπείνωκεν ἑαυτὸν, ἢ πῶς ἐξ ἰσότητος τῆς πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ Πατέρα καταβεβηκέναι λέγεται; ἢ γὰρ οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἐν τούτοις τὸν μὲν διδόντα θεοπρεπῶς, τὸν δὲ ἀνθρωπίνως τε καὶ οἰκετικῶς λαμβάνειν λεγόμενον, ἅπερ εἶχεν ὡς Θεός; οὐ δόσις δὲ κυρίως ἐστὶν ἡ παρὰ Πατρὸς εἰς ἀρχὴν τεθεῖσα τῆς κατὰ πάντων κυριότητος τὸν Υἱόν: ἐπαναδρομὴ δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐπανάληψις καὶ μετὰ σαρκὸς εἰς τὴν πρὸ σαρκὸς ἐξουσίαν: οὐ γὰρ ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, τότε τῆς κτίσεως ἄρχεται κρατεῖν. Ἐπεὶ πρὸς ποίαν ἐρεῖ τις αὐτὸν καταβεβηκέναι ταπείνωσιν, εἴπερ ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, τότε τοῦ κυριεύειν ἄρχεται; ἢ πῶς ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου φανεῖται μορφῇ, τότε δὴ καὶ μόλις ἁπάντων ἀναδεδειγμένος Δεσπότης; ἄπαγε τῆς ἐν τούτοις ἀτοπίας τῶν λογισμῶν: ἀλλ' ἐπείπερ ἄνθρωπος γέγονε, τότε καὶ οὕτως ἄρχεται κρατεῖν, οὐκ ἀποβαλὼν τὸ θεοπρεπὲς ἀξίωμα διὰ τὴν σάρκα, ἀναβαίνων δὲ αὖθις καὶ μετὰ σαρκὸς ἐφ' ὅπερ ἦν ἐξ ἀρχῆς. ὅτι δὲ τῶν ἀρχαιοτέρων ἐπανάληψις ἦν τὰ ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ θρυλούμενα, πληροφορήσει λέγων αὐτός ” Πάτερ δόξασόν με τῇ δόξῃ ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ “τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί.” ὁρᾷς ὅπως οὐ δόξης ἀρχὴν, ἀλλ' ἐπανανέωσιν τὴν εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον αἰτεῖ, καὶ τοῦτο λέγων ὡς ἄνθρωπος; ὅτι δὲ πάλιν διὰ τὴν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος αἰτίαν δεδόσθαι λέγεται τὰ πάντα τῷ Υἱῷ, πανταχόθεν μὲν ὁ φιλομαθὴς ἐπισωρεύσει σοφῶς, καὶ συνιέναι δυνήσεται, μάλιστα δὲ δι' ἐκείνης τῆς τοῦ Δανιὴλ φρικωδεστάτης ὀπτασίας, ἐν ᾗ τὸν μὲν παλαιὸν τῶν ἡμερῶν τεθεᾶσθαί φησιν ἱδρυμένον ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου, χιλίας δὲ χιλιάδας, καὶ μυρίας μυριάδας, τὰς μὲν λειτουργεῖν, τὰς δὲ παριστάναι διισχυρίζεται. προσετίθει δὲ τούτοις τό “Καὶ ἰδοὺ μετὰ τῶν νεφε” λῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος ἦν, καὶ ἕως “τοῦ παλαιοῦ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἔφθασεν, καὶ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ” προσηνέχθη, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐδόθη ἡ ἀρχὴ καὶ ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ “βασιλεία, καὶ πάντες οἱ λαοὶ φυλαὶ γλῶσσαι αὐτῷ δου” λεύσουσιν.“ ὁρᾷς ὅπως ἐν τούτοις ὅλον ἡμῖν ἀκριβῶς καταγράφεται τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τὸ μυστήριον: ὁρᾷς ὅπως λαμβάνειν λέγεται τὴν βασιλείαν παρὰ Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱός: οὐ γυμνὸς τῷ προφήτῃ Λόγος, ἀλλ' ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου, φαινόμενος: ἐταπείνωσε γὰρ ἑαυτὸν, καθὰ γέγραπται, σχήματι δι' ἡμᾶς εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος: ἵνα καὶ πρῶτος εἰς βασιλείαν ἀνενεχθεὶς, ἀρχὴ πάλιν ἡμῖν καὶ ὁδὸς τῆς εἰς βασιλείαν δόξης ἀναδειχθῇ. καὶ ὥσπερ ὑπάρχων κατὰ φύσιν ζωὴ καταβέβηκε δι' ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸν ὑπὲρ πάντων κατὰ σάρκα θάνατον, ἵνα ἡμᾶς καὶ θανάτου καὶ φθορᾶς ἐξέληται, διὰ τῆς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁμοιώσεως οἷον ἀναμίξας ἑαυτῷ, καὶ ζωῆς τῆς αἰωνίου μετόχους ἀπεργασάμενος: οὕτω καὶ ταῖς ἡμετέραις ὀλιγοτιμίαις συσχηματίζεται Κύριος τῆς δόξης ὑπάρχων, ὡς Θεὸς, ἵνα καὶ εἰς τὴν βασιλίδα τιμὴν ἀναγάγῃ τὴν ἀνθρώπου φύσιν. γέγονε γὰρ ” ἐν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς πρωτεύων,“ ὡς ὁ Παῦλός φησιν, καὶ ὁδὸς καὶ θύρα καὶ ἀπαρχὴ τῶν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ἀγαθῶν ἐκ θανάτου πρὸς ζωὴν, ἐκ φθορᾶς εἰς ἀφθαρσίαν, ἐξ ἀσθενείας εἰς δύναμιν, ἐκ δουλείας εἰς υἱοθεσίαν, ἐξ ἀτιμίας καὶ ἀδοξίας εἰς τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν τὴν βασιλικήν. οὐκοῦν ὅταν φαίνηται λαμβάνων ὡς ἄνθρωπος ὁ Υἱὸς, ἅπερ εἶχεν ὡς Θεὸς, σκανδαλιζώμεθα μὲν μηδαμῶς, ἐννοῶμεν δὲ μᾶλλον τῆς δι' ἡμᾶς καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν οἰκονομίας τὸν τρόπον. οὕτω γὰρ ἄτρωτόν τε καὶ ἀζήμιον τὸν ἑαυτῶν διατηρήσομεν νοῦν.
« Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον. » Οὐχ ἁπλῶς, οὐδὲ ἀζητήτως τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς Χριστὸν ζωὴν προκεῖσθαι τὸ γέρας ὁ σοφώτατος ἐπιμαρτυρεῖ βαπτιστὴς, ἀλλ' ἐξ αὐτῆς ἡμῖν, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ποιότητος εἰσκομίζει τὴν ἀπόδειξιν: ζωὴ μὲν γὰρ κατὰ φύσιν ἐστὶν ὁ Μονογενής: ” Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ ζῶμεν καὶ “κινούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν.” εἰσοικίζεται δὲ πάντως ἡμῖν διὰ τῆς πίστεως, καὶ κατοικεῖ διὰ τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος: καὶ μαρτυρήσει λέγων ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης ὁ Εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐν οἰκείαις ἐπιστολαῖς “Ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν, ὅτι ” ἐκ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν.“ ζωοποιήσει τοιγαροῦν ὁ Χριστὸς τοὺς πιστεύοντας εἰς αὐτὸν, ὡς αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων κατὰ φύσιν ζωὴ, καὶ λοιπὸν κατοικῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς. ὅτι δὲ διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἐν ἡμῖν ὁ Υἱὸς αὐλίζεται, πληροφορήσει λέγων ὁ Παῦλος ” Τούτου χάριν κάμπτω τὰ γόνατά μου “πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα, ἐξ οὗ πᾶσα πατριὰ ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ ” γῆς ὀνομάζεται, ἵνα δῷ ὑμῖν κατὰ τὸ πλοῦτος τῆς δόξης “τῆς ἁπλότητος αὐτοῦ, δυνάμει κραταιωθῆναι διὰ τοῦ Πνεύ” ματος αὐτοῦ, κατοικῆσαι τὸν Χριστὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις “ὑμῶν διὰ τῆς πίστεως.” ὅτε τοίνυν διὰ τῆς πίστεως ἡ κατὰ φύσιν ἡμῖν ἐπεισκρίνεται ζωὴ, πῶς οὐκ ἀληθὴς ὁ λέγων Ὁ πιστεύων εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον; αὐτὸν δηλονότι τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ οὐχ ἑτέραν τινὰ παρ' αὐτὸν νοουμένην ζωήν.
« Ὁ δὲ ἀπειθῶν τῷ Υἱῷ οὐκ ὄψεται τὴν ζωήν. » Ἆρ' οὖν, ἐρεῖ τις τυχὸν, ἑτέραν ἡμῖν πρεσβεύει δόξαν ὁ βαπτιστὴς, καὶ τὸν τῆς ἀναστάσεως παραφθείρει λόγον, ζωοποιηθήσεσθαι μὲν τὸν πιστεύοντα λέγων, τὸν δὲ μὴ τοιοῦτον οὐκ ὄψεσθαι ζωὴν ὅλως διαβεβαιούμενος; ἐγερθησόμεθα δὲ κατά γε τὸ εἰκὸς οὐ πάντες, ταύτην ἡμῖν εἰσκεκομικότος τοῦ λόγου τὴν διαφοράν: εἶτα ποῖ ποτε χωρήσει τὸ ἀπολύτως καὶ ὡς ἐφ' ἅπασιν εἰρημένον “Ἀναστήσονται ” οἱ νεκροί;“ τί δ' ἂν καὶ δρῴη λέγων ὁ Παῦλος ” Τοὺς γὰρ “πάντας ἡμᾶς δεῖ φανερωθῆναι ἔμπροσθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ ” Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος τὰ διὰ τοῦ σώματος, πρὸς “ἃ ἔπραξεν, εἴτε ἀγαθὸν εἴτε φαῦλον.” Ἐπαινεῖσθαι μὲν οὖν οἰήσομαι δεῖν τὸν φιλομαθῆ, χρῆναι δὲ ὅμως ἀκριβεστάτην ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς γράμμασι ποιεῖσθαι τὴν βάσανον. ὅρα γάρ μοι σαφῶς τὴν τῶν εἰρημένων διαστολήν: περὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ πιστεύοντός φησιν, ὅτι ζωὴν ἕξει τὴν αἰώνιον, περὶ δὲ τοῦ ἀπειθήσαντος, ἑτέραν ὁ λόγος ἔχει τὴν ἔμφασιν. οὐ γὰρ ἔφη ζωὴν οὐχ ἕξειν αὐτόν: ἐγερθήσεται γὰρ τῷ κοινῷ τῆς ἀναστάσεως νόμῳ: ἀλλὰ ζωὴν οὐκ ὄψεσθαί φησιν, τουτέστιν, οὐδ' ὅσον εἰς θεωρίαν ψιλὴν τῆς τῶν ἁγίων ἐφίξεται: ζωῆς, οὐχ ἅψεται τῆς ἐκείνων μακαριότητος, ἄγευστος διαμενεῖ τῆς ἐν εὐφροσύναις διαγωγῆς: ζωὴ γὰρ ὄντως ἐκείνη: τὸ δὲ ἐν κολάσεσιν ἀναπνεῖν, θανάτου παντὸς ἀνιαρώτερον, ἐπὶ μόνῃ τῇ τῶν κακῶν αἰσθήσει ψυχὴν συνέχον ἐν σώματι. τοιαύτην τινὰ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος ζωῆς εἰσφέρει διαφοράν. ἄκουε τί φησι πρὸς τοὺς ἐν κακίᾳ νενεκρωμένους διὰ Χριστόν “Ἀπεθάνετε γὰρ, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ ” ὑμῶν κέκρυπται ἐν τῷ Θεῷ σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ: ὅταν ὁ “Χριστὸς φανερωθῇ, ἡ ζωὴ ὑμῶν, τότε καὶ ὑμεῖς σὺν αὐτῷ ” φανερωθήσεσθε ἐν δόξῃ.“ ὁρᾷς ὅπως τὸ ἐν δόξῃ φανερωθῆναι μετὰ Χριστοῦ τὴν τῶν ἁγίων ὀνομάζει ζωήν; τί δὲ ὅταν ἡμῖν καὶ ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς ἀναμέλπῃ λέγων ” Τίς ἐστιν “ἄνθρωπος ὁ θέλων ζωὴν, ἀγαπῶν ἡμέρας ἰδεῖν ἀγαθάς; ” παῦσον τὴν γλῶσσάν σου ἀπὸ κακοῦ:“ ἆρ' οὐχὶ τὴν τῶν ἁγίων ἐν τούτοις ἐροῦμεν κατασημαίνεσθαι ζωήν; ἀλλ' ἔστιν, οἶμαι, πᾶσι καταφανές. οὐ γὰρ δήπου τῶν φαύλων ἀποσχέσθαι κελεύει τινὰς, ἵνα δὴ τύχοιεν τῆς εἰσαῦθις ἀναβιώσεως τῆς σαρκός: ἀναστήσονται γὰρ καὶ εἰ μὴ πεπαύσοιντο τοῦ κακοῦ: πρὸς ἐκείνην δὲ μᾶλλον ἐρεθίζει τὴν ζωὴν, ἐν ᾗ πάντως ἐστὶν ἡμέρας ἰδεῖν ἀγαθὰς, ἐν μακαριότητι καὶ δόξῃ τὸν μακραίωνα τρίβοντας βίον.
« Ἀλλ' ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει ἐπ' αὐτόν. » Γυμνότερον ἡμῖν διὰ τῆς ἐν τούτοις ἐπαγωγῆς τὸν τῶν εἰρημένων σκοπὸν ὁ μακάριος ἔδειξε βαπτιστής. περιαθρείτω δὲ πάλιν ὁ φιλοζητητὴς τὴν τοῦ νοήματος δύναμιν. ” Ὁ “ἀπειθῶν, φησὶ, τῷ Υἱῷ οὐκ ὄψεται ζωὴν,” ἀλλ' ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ μένει ἐπ' αὐτόν. ἀλλ' εἴπερ ἦν ὄντως ἔρημον ἔσεσθαι τῆς ἐν σώματι ζωῆς ἐννοῆσαι τὸν ἀπειθήσαντα, πάντως ἂν ὅτι καὶ ἐπήνεγκεν εὐθύς Ἀλλ' ὁ θάνατος μένει ἐπ' αὐτόν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὀργὴν ὀνομάζει Θεοῦ, δῆλον ἂν εἴη λοιπὸν ταῖς τῶν ἁγίων εὐθυμίαις τὴν τῶν ἀσεβῶν ἀντιδιαστέλλων κόλασιν, καὶ ζωὴν μὲν ἀποκαλῶν τὴν ὄντως ζωὴν ἐν δόξῃ μετὰ Χριστοῦ, τὰς δὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀσεβοῦσιν αἰκίας ὀργὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ. ὅτι δὲ ὀργὴ πολλάκις ἡ κόλασις παρὰ ταῖς θείαις εἴρηται γραφαῖς, δύο παροίσω τοὺς μάρτυρας, Παῦλόν τε καὶ Ἰωάννην: ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔφη πρὸς τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐπιστρέφοντας “Καὶ ἦμεν τέκνα ὀργῆς φύσει, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποί:” ὁ δὲ τοῖς γραμματεῦσι καὶ Φαρισαίοις “Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέ” δειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς;“
« Ὡς οὖν ἔγνω ὁ Κύριος ὅτι ἤκουσαν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ὅτι Ἰησοῦς πλείονας μαθητὰς ποιεῖ καὶ βαπτίζει ἢ Ἰωάννης: καίτοι γε αὐτὸς Ἰησοῦς οὐκ ἐβάπτιζεν, ἀλλ' οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ: ἀφῆκε τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καὶ ἀπῆλθε πάλιν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν. » Πόθεν ἡμῖν εἰς τοῦτο πρόεισιν ὁ λόγος, ἢ ἐκ ποίας ἀρχῆς ἡ τοῦ διηγήματος καθέλκουσα τάξις, ἐγνωκότα τὸν Κύριον εἰσφέρει τοὺς Φαρισαίους ἅπερ ἐπύθοντο μαθεῖν, οὐκ ἄκομψον, ὡς ἔοικεν, εἰπεῖν. τὸ γάρ Ὡς οὖν ἔγνω λέγειν τὸν ἅγιον Εὐαγγελιστὴν, ἔμφασίν τινα προϋποκειμένου σαφῶς ἀνατίκτει πράγματος: πάντα μὲν γὰρ, οὐδενός τι καταμηνύοντος, αὐτομάτως οἶδεν, ὡς Θεὸς, καὶ οὐχ ὅτε γίγνεται πρῶτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ” πρὶν γενέσεως αὐτῶν,“ ὡς ὁ προφήτης διεμαρτύρατο. περιμένει δὲ τοὺς ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ καιροὺς, καὶ ταῖς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀκολουθίαις, ἢ τῇ προγνώσει, μᾶλλον ἐνδίδωσιν: ἦν γὰρ δὴ καὶ τοῦτο θεοπρεποῦς οἰκονομίας ἄξιον. Ζητήσεως τοιγαροῦν γενομένης ” ἐκ τῶν μαθητῶν Ἰω“άννου μετὰ Ἰουδαίου περὶ καθαρισμοῦ,” πολὺς παρ' ἀμφοῖν ἦν ὁ λόγος. οἱ μὲν γὰρ τῷ οἰκείῳ διδασκάλῳ συναγορεύοντες, τῶν νομικῶν περιῤῥαντηρίων καὶ τῶν παρ' ἐκείνοις τυπικῶν καθαρισμῶν ἐν ἀμείνοσιν ἤδη μέτροις τὸ δι' αὐτοῦ γενέσθαι διετείνοντο βάπτισμα: καὶ δὴ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς εἰς ἀπόδειξιν ἐποιοῦντο τοῦ πράγματος, τὸ πολλοὺς μὲν ἰέναι πρὸς αὐτὸν, τῶν δὲ ἀρχαιοτέρων τε καὶ ἄνωθεν ἐθῶν ἥδιστα λίαν ἀποφοιτᾶν. οἱ δὲ αὖ πάλιν, ἐπείπερ τοῖς δι' ἐναντίας ὁ λόγος ἐφέρετο κατὰ πρανοῦς, καὶ ὑδάτων δίκην καταῤῥοίζουσα τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ δύναμις τὸν ἀδρανῆ τῶν ἀνθεστηκότων ἐβάπτιζε νοῦν, ἐπὶ τὸ παρὰ γνώμην χωροῦσι, καὶ ἄκοντες, πολὺ δὴ κάλλιον εἶναι λέγοντες τὸ διὰ Χριστοῦ χορηγούμενον βάπτισμα: καὶ κατεκράτουν ἤδη τοῖς ἴσοις εἰς ἀπόδειξιν ἀποχρησάμενοι λογισμοῖς, καὶ διὰ τῶν αὐτῶν ἐνθυμημάτων τοῖς νενικηκόσιν ἀντεγειρόμενοι: πολλῷ γὰρ ὁρᾶσθαι πλείους διισχυρίζοντο τοὺς προσιόντας Χριστῷ, καὶ πάντας ἐκείνῳ μᾶλλον ἤπερ Ἰωάννῃ προστρέχειν: ὅθεν οἶμαι καὶ εἰς λύπην ἀνακαυθέντας τοὺς Ἰωάννου μαθητὰς τῷ οἰκείῳ προσελθεῖν διδασκάλῳ λέγοντας “Ῥαββὶ, ὃς ἦν μετὰ σοῦ πέραν ” τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ᾧ σὺ μεμαρτύρηκας, ἴδε οὗτος βαπτίζει, καὶ “πάντες ἔρχονται πρὸς αὐτόν.” τὰς γὰρ ἐξ ἔριδος τῶν Ἰουδαίων προτάσεις, ἤτοι λόγους ἀποδεικτικοὺς, ὡς ἐν ἐρωτήσει προΐσχονται. ἐντεῦθεν τοιγαροῦν ἐγνωκέναι φησὶν ὁ Εὐαγγελιστὴς τὸν Κύριον ὅτι ἤκουσαν οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ὅτι Ἰησοῦς πλείονας μαθητὰς ποιεῖ ἢ Ἰωάννης, εἶτα τὸν ἐξαίσιον αὐτῶν παραιτούμενος φθόνον, καὶ καιρῷ φυλάττων ἰδίῳ τὸ παθεῖν, τῆς μὲν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπέξεισι χώρας, ἀναχωρεῖ δὲ πάλιν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν.
« Ἔδει δὲ αὐτὸν διέρχεσθαι διὰ τῆς Σαμαρείας: ἔρχεται οὖν εἰς πόλιν τῆς Σαμαρείας λεγομένην Συχὰρ, πλησίον τοῦ χωρίου ὃ ἔδωκεν Ἰακὼβ Ἰωσὴφ τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ. » Ὦ πολλῆς ἀγχινοίας καὶ ἀκράτου νήψεως: φθάνει ταῖς ἀπολογίαις τὰ ζητηθήσεσθαι προσδοκώμενα. εἶπε γὰρ ἄν τις εὐθὺς, ἢ ἑτέρῳ προσλαλῶν, ἢ λεληθότως διενθυμούμενος Τοῦ δὴ χάριν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, οὐκ ἐν καιρῷ τῷ καθήκοντι τὸν Σαμαρειτῶν ἐποιήσατο φωτισμόν; προσῆλθε μὲν γὰρ ἡ Συροφοινίκισσά ποτε, τὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ταλαιπώρῳ θυγατρὶ μετὰ δακρύων ἔλεον ἐξαιτοῦσα, καὶ τί πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ φιλοικτίρμων; “Οὐ καλὸν, φησὶ, λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν ” τέκνων καὶ βαλεῖν τοῖς κυναρίοις:“ οὐ γὰρ, οἶμαι, δεῖν ἐδοκίμαζε, πρόωρον τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν τὴν τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ ἀπονεμηθεῖσαν ἐπιδαψιλεύσασθαι χάριν: ὃ δὴ καὶ σαφέστερον αὐτὸς ἐποίει λέγων ” Οὐκ ἀπεστάλην εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ πρόβατα “τὰ ἀπολωλότα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ.” πῶς οὖν ἄρα, φήσειεν ἄν τις, ὁ πρὸς μόνον ἀπεσταλμένος τὸν Ἰσραὴλ τὸ Σαμαρειτῶν ἐπαίδευε γένος, καίτοι τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οὔπω παντελῶς τὴν χάριν ἀπολακτίσαντος; πρὸς δὴ τὰ τοιαῦτα, πιθανὴν μετ' ἐξουσίας τὴν ἀπολογίαν εἰσφέρει τό Ἔδει δὲ αὐτὸν διέρχεσθαι διὰ τῆς Σαμαρείας: οὐ γὰρ δὴ τούτου γε ἕνεκα καὶ μόνου τὴν πρὸς Σαμαρείτας ἀποδημίαν ἐστείλατο, ἐφ' ᾧ τε κηρύξαι παρ' αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον, καὶ ὅλην ἐξ ὅλου μεταστῆσαι τὴν εὐλογίαν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ: ἀλλ' ἐπείπερ ἔδει παρέρχεσθαι, διὰ τοῦτο διδάσκει, τὸ σοφίας ἔργον ἀποτελῶν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οὐκ ἄν ποτε τῆς ἐνούσης αὐτῷ κατὰ φύσιν καυστικῆς ἐνεργείας καταλήξαι τὸ πῦρ, οὕτως οἶμαι κατὰ τὸ παντελὲς ὑπάρχειν ἀμήχανον τὴν τῶν ὅλων σοφίαν μὴ οὐχὶ τὸ σοφίᾳ πρέπον ἐνεργεῖν: καὶ ὥσπερ οὐκ ἐξεῖναι λέγων λαβεῖν τὸν ἄρτον τῶν τέκνων καὶ βαλεῖν τοῖς κυναρίοις, δακρυῤῥοοῦντι καὶ πολλοῖς εἰς ἔλεον ἐκλιπαροῦντι λόγοις, προσέῤῥιψε τῷ γυναίῳ τὴν χάριν, οὐ παρ' ἑτέρου νομοθετούμενος τὸν τοῦ διδόναι καιρὸν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων μετὰ Πατρὸς ὁριστὴς, ὡς Υἱὸς καὶ Θεὸς καὶ Κύριος: οὕτω καὶ Σαμαρείτας ἠλέει, καὶ τῆς θεοπρεποῦς ἐξουσίας τὴν ἄφραστον ἀνακαλύπτων δύναμιν, ὁδοῦ πάρεργον χώρας ὅλης ποιεῖται τὸν φωτισμόν. Ἦν δὲ καὶ ἑτέρως ἄτοπον, ἤδη ταῖς ἀπονοίαις λελυττηκότα καὶ φονῶντα κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἀγαπᾶσθαι τελείως. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὔπω μὲν ὁλοτελῶς, διώκει δ' οὖν ὅμως ἔτι συμμέτρως, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς οὔπω μὲν αὐτὸν ὁλοκλήρως ἀπογυμνοῖ τῆς χάριτος, ἐξέλκει δ' οὖν ὅμως εἰς ἑτέρους τὴν εὐλογίαν κατὰ βραχύ. τὸ δὲ ὅλως τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἀπανίστασθαι χώρας, καὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν ἀλλογενῶν σπουδάζειν ἰέναι, διὰ τὴν τῶν διωκόντων ἀπανθρωπίαν, ἀπειλή τις ἦν, καθάπερ ἐν τύπῳ ζωγραφουμένη τῇ τοῦ πράγματος φύσει, ὡς ὁλόκληρον ἤδη τῆς χάριτος ὑπομενοῦσι ζημίαν, καὶ παραπέμψουσιν εἰς ἑτέρους τὸ οἰκεῖον ἀγαθὸν, τουτέστι τὸν Χριστὸν, εἰ μὴ τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν παροινίας ἀπόσχοιντο.
« Ἦν δὲ ἐκεῖ πηγὴ τοῦ Ἰακώβ: ὁ οὖν Ἰησοῦς κεκοπιακὼς ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ἐκαθέζετο οὕτως ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ. » Τοὺς τῆς Ἰουδαίας ὅρους ἐκβεβηκὼς, καὶ παρὰ τοῖς ἀλλογενέσιν ἤδη γεγονὼς ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ καταλύει τοῦ Ἰακώβ: ὡς ἐν τύπῳ πάλιν ἡμῖν καὶ δι' αἰνίγματος ὑποδεικνὺς, ὅτι κἂν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν ἐκφοιτήσῃ κήρυγμα, καὶ εἰς ἔθνη λοιπὸν ὁ θεῖος ἐκδράμοι λόγος, οὐ συναποβληθήσεται τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ἡ εἰς τοὺς πατέρας ἀγάπη, ἀλλὰ πάλιν αὐτῶν ἀνθέξεται Χριστὸς, καὶ ἐπαναπαύσεται καὶ καταλύσει πάλιν ὡς ἐν ἁγίοις, ἀμάραντον αὐτοῖς τὴν ἐν ἀρχαῖς ἀποσώζων χάριν. ἐμφιλοχωρεῖ δὲ ταῖς τῶν ἁγίων μνήμαις, ἵνα τύπον ἡμῖν ἑαυτὸν κἀν τούτῳ παράσχοι, καὶ ἀρχὴ καὶ θύρα τῆς εἰς τοὺς πατέρας γένοιτο τιμῆς. καταλύει δὲ κεκοπιακὼς ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας, ὡς γέγραπται, ἵνα κἀν τούτῳ τῆς τῶν ἐλαυνόντων αὐτὸν ἀσεβείας κατηγορῇ. δέον γὰρ ταῖς εὐγνώμοσιν ἀνακτᾶσθαι τιμαῖς, αἰδοῖ τε καὶ φόβῳ περιθάλπειν ὡς εὐεργέτην, ἱδρῶτι καὶ πόνοις καταικίζονται τὸν Κύριον, ἵνα καὶ ἀληθεύοι λέγων περὶ αὐτῶν ἐν βίβλῳ ψαλμῶν “Καὶ ἀνταπεδίδοσάν μοι πονηρὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν.” Ἰουδαίων μὲν οὖν ἐν τούτοις ὁρᾶται τὸ θράσος. τί δὲ ἄρα φήσουσι πρὸς τοῦτο πάλιν ἡμῖν καὶ οἱ τῆς ἐκείνων ἀπονοίας γείτονες Ἀρειανοὶ, μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸς οὓς ἂν λέγοιτο δικαίως Ἐδικαιώθη Σόδομα ἐκ σοῦ; οἱ μὲν γὰρ κατὰ σάρκα σταυροῦσι Χριστὸν, οἱ δὲ εἰς αὐτὴν ἐμπαροινοῦσι τὴν ἄῤῥητον τοῦ Λόγου φύσιν. ἰδοὺ κεκοπίακεν ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας: τίς ὁ τοῦτο παθών; ἆρα καὶ ἰσχύος ἡμῖν ἐπιδεᾶ τὸν τῶν δυνάμεων εἰσοίσετε Κύριον, καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ ἐκ Πατρὸς Μονογενεῖ τὸν ἐκ τῆς ὁδοιπορίας ἀναθήσετε πόνον, ἵνα καὶ παθητὸς νοῆται λοιπὸν ὁ παθεῖν οὐκ εἰδώς; ἢ φρονεῖν μὲν οὕτω παραιτήσεσθε ποιοῦντες ὀρθῶς, μόνῃ δὲ τῇ τοῦ σώματος φύσει περιθήσετε τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐγκλήματα, μᾶλλον δὲ τῇ ἀνθρωπότητι πρέπειν ἐρεῖτε τὸν πόνον, ἤπερ ὄντι καὶ νοουμένῳ γυμνῷ καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν τῷ Λόγῳ; ὅνπερ οὖν τρόπον ἐν ἰδίᾳ φύσει τὸ πάντα δύνασθαι κεκτημένος, καὶ αὐτὸς ὑπάρχων ἡ πάντων ἰσχὺς κεκοπιακέναι λέγεται: μὴ γάρ μοι, μὴ διέλῃς εἰς υἱῶν δυάδα τὸν ἕνα Χριστὸν, κἂν τὰ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος εἰς ἑαυτὸν οἰκειοῦται πάθη: καίτοι μένων ἀπαθὴς, ἐπείπερ ἄνθρωπος γέγονεν, ὁ κοπιᾶν μὴ πεφυκώς: οὕτως εἴ τι καὶ λέγοι τῶν ὅσα δὴ πρέπειν ἀνθρώπῳ μᾶλλον οἰησόμεθα δεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἄρα τῷ Θεῷ, μὴ λεξιθηρῶμεν εὐθὺς, μηδὲ ὅτε μάλιστα τέχνης ἡμῖν τῆς εἰς εὐσέβειαν δεῖ, τότε δὴ διαφερόντως ἀμαθαίνοντες ἁλισκώμεθα, τὸν μὲν τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας ὡς ποῤῥωτάτω ποιούμενοι λόγον, ἐπ' αὐτὴν δὲ θερμῶς ἀναβαίνοντες τὴν τοῦ Λόγου θεότητα, καὶ τῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμᾶς πραγμάτων ἐκ πολλῆς τῆς ἀμαθίας ἁπτόμενοι. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ὅλως οὐ κεχρημάτικεν ἄνθρωπος, εἰ μὴ γέγονεν ἐν τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ, θορυβεῖσθαι δίκαιον, ὅταν τι λέγῃ δουλοπρεπὲς, ἀπαιτεῖσθαι δὲ μᾶλλον πάντα κατὰ τὸν πρέποντα τῷ Θεῷ λόγον: εἰ δὲ σωζόμενον ἐν πίστει βεβαίᾳ καὶ ἀνενδοιάστως τεθαρσήκαμεν, ὅτι κατὰ τὴν Ἰωάννου φωνήν “Ὁ Λόγος σὰρξ ἐγένετο καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν,” ὅταν ἴδῃς ὡς σάρκα λαλοῦντα, τουτέστιν ὡς ἄνθρωπον, δέχου πρὸς ἀσφάλειαν τοῦ κηρύγματος τὸν ἀνθρώπῳ πρέποντα λόγον. οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρως ἐπιγνῶναι σαφῶς, ὅτι Θεὸς ὢν καὶ Λόγος, γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, εἰ μή τι καὶ παθεῖν ὁ ἀπαθὴς, καὶ λαλῆσαί τι ταπεινὸν ὁ ὑψηλὸς ἀναγέγραπτο.
« Ὥρα ἦν ὡς ἕκτη. » Εὐαφόρμως ἐπὶ τῇ πηγῇ καταλύοντα δεικνύει τὸν Ἰησοῦν. ἡλίου γὰρ ἀκμαιοτάτην ἀπὸ μέσων ἁψίδων τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τὴν ἀκτῖνα καταχέοντος, καὶ ἀκράτοις τὰ σώματα καταφλέγοντος βολαῖς, τὸ μὲν ἔτι πρόσω βαδίζειν οὐκ ἀζήμιον, τὸ δὲ ἀναπνεῦσαι βραχὺ μᾶλλον ἦν ἀκολουθότερον, ὅτε δὴ μάλιστα καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τρυφαῖς αἰτίαν ῥᾳδίως ἂν ἀπεκρούσατο, καιροῦ τοῦ πρέποντος συνηγοροῦντος τῷ πράγματι. ἕκτην δ' οὐκ ἀκριβῶς, ἀλλ' ὡς ἕκτην εἶναι τὴν ὥραν φησὶν, ἵνα καὶ ἡμεῖς μανθάνωμεν μηδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἐλαχίστοις ἀδιαφορεῖν, πειρᾶσθαι δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἐπιτηδεύειν ἀλήθειαν.
« Ἔρχεται γυνὴ ἐκ τῆς Σαμαρείας ἀντλῆσαι ὕδωρ. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Δός μοι πιεῖν. οἱ γὰρ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ἀπεληλύθεισαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἵνα τροφὰς ἀγοράσωσι. λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ γυνὴ ἡ Σαμαρεῖτις. » Οὐκ ἠγνόει τοῦ γυναίου τὴν ἄφιξιν ὁ Σωτήρ. εὖ γὰρ δὴ καὶ λίαν ἠπίστατο Θεὸς ὑπάρχων ἀληθινὸς, ὡς αὐτίκα παρέσται ψυχρὸν ἀπὸ κρήνης ἀρυσομένη τὸ νᾶμα: ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἤδη παρῆν, εἴσω βρόχων ἐποιεῖτο τὸ θήραμα, καὶ τὸν τῆς διδασκαλίας εὐθὺ κατατείνων λόγον, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐν χερσὶ πραγμάτων ἐποιεῖτο τὴν διάλεξιν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν μηδαμόθεν χρῆναι καταμολύνεσθαι, τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ὁ νόμος ἐπραγματεύετο: διά τε τοῦτο παντὸς ἀναχωρεῖν ἀκαθάρτου διετύπου πράγματος, καὶ μήτε ἀλλογενέσιν ἢ ἀπεριτμήτοις ἀναμιγνύσθαι. οἱ δὲ εἰς πολύ τι πλέον ἀναφέροντες τῆς ἐντολῆς τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ εἰκαιοτάταις μᾶλλον ἐπιτηρήσεσιν, ἢ ταῖς ἀκριβείαις τῶν λεγομένων ἀκολουθήσαντες, οὐδ' ὅσον ἀποθίγειν τῆς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων σαρκὸς ἀποτολμῶντες, ἁπάσης δὲ εἴσω πεσεῖν ἀκαθαρσίας ἐνόμιζον, εἰ κατά τι γοῦν ὀφθεῖεν ὅλως Σαμαρείταις συμβαίνοντες. εἰς τοσοῦτον δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ τῆς διαστάσεως ἐχώρει λοιπὸν, ὡς καὶ ὕδατος καὶ τροφῆς ἀπογεύεσθαι ναρκᾶν, τῆς διὰ χειρὸς ἀλλοφύλων προσκομιζομένης. ἵνα τοίνυν ξενοφωνήσῃ τὸ γύναιον, καὶ τὸ ἀσύνηθες αὐτῷ καλέσῃ πρὸς ζήτησιν, τίς μὲν εἴη, καὶ πόθεν, ἢ καὶ ὅπως τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν κατεφρόνησεν ἐθῶν: οὕτω τε λοιπὸν ὁ λόγος ἐπὶ τὸν οἰκεῖον βαδίζοι σκοπὸν, καὶ τὸ διψῆν ὑποκρίνεται, λέγων Δός μοι πιεῖν. ἡ δὲ ἔφη:
« Πῶς σὺ Ἰουδαῖος ὢν παρ' ἐμοῦ ζητεῖς πιεῖν ὕδωρ γυναικὸς Σαμαρείτιδος οὔσης; οὐ γὰρ συγχρῶνται Ἰουδαῖοι Σαμαρεί ταις. ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ. » Ἀρχὴ μαθήσεως ζήτησις, καὶ ῥίζα τῆς ἐπί τισιν ἀγνοουμένοις συνέσεως ἡ περὶ αὐτῶν ἐπαπόρησις. ταύτην ὁ λόγος ἑλεῖν ἐπιθυμεῖ τὴν ἀρχήν: διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ τὸ δοκεῖν ἡγεῖσθαι μηδὲν τὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθη σοφῶς ὁ Σωτὴρ ὑπεπλάττετο.
« Εἰ ᾔδεις τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ λέγων σοι Δός μοι πιεῖν, σὺ ἂν ᾔτησας αὐτὸν, καὶ ἔδωκέ σοι ὕδωρ ζῶν. λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ γυνή. » Τὴν ὑπερκόσμιόν τε καὶ ὑπερουράνιον οὐκ εἰδυῖα τοῦ Μονογενοῦς οὐσίαν, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀγνοοῦσα παντελῶς τὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα Λόγον, Ἰουδαῖον οὖν αὐτὸν ὠνόμαζεν ἡ γυνή. καὶ σιωπᾷ μὲν πρὸς τοῦτο χρησίμως, ἵνα σώζηται πάλιν ἡ τοῦ πρὸς αὐτὴν ὑπόθεσις λόγου: ἀναφέρει δ' οὖν ὅμως εἰς ὑψηλοτέραν τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ διάληψιν, οὐκ εἰδέναι λέγων, τίς ὁ ποτὸν αἰτήσας ἐστὶν, ἢ καὶ ὅσην ἔχει τὴν χάριν τὰ θεόθεν χορηγούμενα, ὡς εἴπερ ἔχοι τὴν γνῶσιν, οὐκ ἂν ὑστερίζειν ἠνέσχετο, ᾔτησε γὰρ ἂν προλαβοῦσα τὸν Κύριον. ἐρεθίζει μὲν οὖν διὰ τούτων εἰς τὸ καὶ λίαν ἐσπουδασμένως ἐθελῆσαι μαθεῖν. ἐπιτήρει δὲ ὅπως εὐφυᾶ δὴ καὶ νῦν καὶ κόμπου γυμνὸν ἐπιτηδεύων λόγον, Θεὸν ἑαυτὸν εἶναί φησιν, εἰ καὶ βραδεῖα πρὸς τὸ δύνασθαι νοεῖν ἡ γυνή. ἀποθαυμάζειν γὰρ ἀναπείθων τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δωρεὰν, ταύτης ἑαυτὸν εἰσφέρει χορηγόν: εἰ γὰρ ᾔδεις φησὶ τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ λέγων σοι, σὺ ἂν ᾔτησας αὐτόν. τίνι δ' ἂν καὶ πρέποι τὸ χαρίζεσθαι τὰ Θεοῦ; μὴ οὐχὶ κατὰ φύσιν ὄντι Θεῷ; Ὕδωρ δὲ ζῶν ἀποκαλεῖ τὴν ζωοποιὸν τοῦ Πνεύματος δόσιν, δι' ἧς καὶ μόνης ἡ ἀνθρωπότης, καίτοι τοῖς ἐν ὄρεσι πρέμνοις αὐαινομένη παραπλησίως, ξηρά τε ἤδη καὶ πάσης ἄγονος ἀρετῆς ταῖς τοῦ διαβόλου κακουργίαις ἀναδεδειγμένη, πρὸς τὸ ἀρχαῖον ἐπανατρέχει τῆς φύσεως κάλλος, καὶ τὴν ζωοποιὸν ἐκπίνουσα χάριν, πολυτρόποις ἀγαθῶν ἰδέαις περιανθίζεται, καὶ εἰς ἕξιν ἀναβλαστῶσα τὴν φιλάρετον, εὐτραφεστάτους τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀγάπης ἀνίησι κλῶνας. τοιοῦτον δέ τι καὶ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησὶν Ἡσαΐου πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός “Εὐλογήσει με τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ, σειρῆνες καὶ θυγατέρες ” στρουθῶν, ὅτι ἔδωκα ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὕδωρ καὶ ποταμοὺς ἐν “τῇ ἀνύδρῳ, ποτίσαι τὸ γένος μου τὸ ἐκλεκτὸν, λαόν μου ” ὃν περιεποιησάμην τὰς ἀρετάς μου διηγεῖσθαι.“ ἔσεσθαι δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ δικαίου ψυχὴν, ” ὡς ξύλον ἔγκαρπον,“ ἕτερός τις φησὶ τῶν ἁγίων, καὶ ἀνατελεῖν μὲν, ὡσεὶ χόρτον ἀναμέσον ὕδατος, ὀφθήσεσθαι δὲ ὡς ἰτέαν ἐπὶ παραῤῥέον ὕδωρ. Δυνατὸν μὲν οὖν τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ ἑτέρας ἡμᾶς ἐπισωρεύειν τὰς ἀπὸ τῆς θείας γραφῆς μαρτυρίας, δι' ὧν ἦν καὶ μάλα ῥᾳδίως ἐπιδεικνύειν, ὡς ἐν ὕδατος προσηγορίᾳ τὸ θεῖον πολλάκις κατωνόμασται πνεῦμα. τὸ δὲ τούτοις ἡμᾶς ἐμφιλοχωρεῖν οὐ καιρός: διὸ δὴ πάλιν ἑτέροις ἐπινηξόμεθα πρὸς τὸ μέγα καὶ πλατὺ τῶν θείων θεωρημάτων ἐπειγόμενοι πέλαγος.
« Κύριε, οὔτε ἄντλημα ἔχεις καὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἐστὶ βαθύ: πόθεν οὖν ἔχεις τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ζῶν; » Οὐδὲν τῶν ἐν συνηθείᾳ πλέον ἡ γυνὴ φαντάζεται, καὶ συνίησι μὲν οὐδαμῶς τῶν εἰρημένων τὴν δύναμιν, οἴεται δὲ ὅτι κατά τινας τῶν ἐξ ἐπῳδῆς καὶ δαιμονιώδους ἀπάτης θαυματουργεῖν εἰωθότων, σχοινίου τε δίχα καί τινος ἑτέρας μηχανῆς, αὐτόματον αὐτῇ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκ τῶν φρεατίων ἀνοίσει πυθμένων. ὕδωρ δὲ ζῶν, ὡς πρὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον ὀνομάζει σκοπὸν, τὸ νεωστὶ τῶν πηγαίων ἀνομβρῆσαν μαστῶν.
« Μὴ σὺ μείζων τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰακὼβ, ὃς ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν τὸ φρέαρ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἔπιε καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ θρέμματα αὐτοῦ; ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ. » Ἑαυτῆς ἐπιλαμβάνεται καὶ σφόδρα τὴν ταχίστην ἡ γυνὴ, συνορᾷ δὲ οὐχ ὁσίως, οὐδὲ πάντως ἀληθεῖς λαβοῦσα τὰς ὑπονοίας περὶ αὐτοῦ: οὐ γὰρ ἦν μὴ πάντως ὠφελεῖσθαι πρὸς νῆψιν, τὴν ὅλως τῶν θείων ἀπολαύουσαν λόγων. ὡς ἐνδεχομένου τοιγαροῦν ἐπῳδὸν μὲν οὐκ εἶναι τὸν λέγοντα, προφήτην δὲ μᾶλλον, καὶ τῶν ἐν ἁγιασμῷ διαπρεπεῖ, διά τε τοῦτο παρέξειν αὐτῇ τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ζῶν κατεπαγγέλλεσθαι, καὶ δίχα τῶν κατὰ συνήθειαν ἀντλημάτων, ἢ πολὺ πρὸς χρῆσιν τὸ ἄμεινον ἐξ ἑτέρας ἀνευρίσκοντα πηγῆς, μετατίθησι τὸν λόγον εὐθὺς ἐπὶ τὸ σωφρονέστερον, καὶ ὡς ἅγιον ἁγίῳ συγκρίνει λέγουσα Μὴ σὺ μείζων τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰακὼβ ὃς ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν τὸ φρέαρ τοῦτο; δέχου τοῦ νοήματος τὴν περίνοιαν, ἐκ τοῦ μηκέτι θαυμάζειν αὐτὴν, εἰ σχοινίον οὐκ ἔχων τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπαγγέλλεται, τῆς δὲ κατὰ γεῦσιν ποιότητος πέρι διαλέγεσθαι μόνης. Σαμαρεῖται μὲν οὖν ἀλλογενεῖς: Βαβυλωνίων γὰρ ἄποικοι: πατέρα δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἐπιγράφονται κατὰ δύο τρόπους: ὡς γὰρ ὅμορόν τε καὶ γείτονα τῆς Ἰουδαίων οἰκοῦντες χώραν, ὀλίγα τῆς ἐκείνων λατρείας εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ἀνεμάττοντο, καὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίων πατράσιν ἐπαυχεῖν ἐμελέτων. ἄλλως τε καὶ ἦν ὄντως ἀληθὲς, ὅτι τῆς Ἰακὼβ ἐξέφυσαν ῥίζης τῶν τὴν Σαμάρειαν οἰκούντων οἱ πλείους. ὁ γὰρ τοῦ Ναβὰτ Ἱεροβοὰμ, δέκα τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ συναγείρας φυλὰς, καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ φυλῆς Ἐφραῒμ, ἀπαίρει μὲν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ κατὰ καιρὸν τῆς Ῥοβοὰμ βασιλείας υἱοῦ Σολομῶνος, καταλαβὼν δὲ τὴν Σαμάρειαν, καὶ οἴκους ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ πόλεις ἀνεδείματο.
« Πᾶς ὁ πίνων ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος τούτου διψήσει πάλιν: ὃς δ' ἂν πίῃ ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος οὗ ἐγὼ δώσω αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ διψήσει εἰς τὴν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὕδωρ ὃ δώσω αὐτῷ γενήσεται ἐν αὐτῷ πηγὴ ὕδατος ἁλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον. λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ γυνή. » ” Μὴ σὺ μείζων εἶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰακὼβ,“ ὥσπερ τι μέγα καὶ δυσκαταγώνιστον πρόβλημα προτεινούσης τῆς Σαμαρείτιδος, εὐφυέστατα πάλιν ὁ Σωτὴρ παραιτεῖται μὲν τὸν ἐν ῥήμασι κόμπον, ὅτι μείζων ὑπάρχοι σαφῶς οὐκ εἰπὼν, ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων ποιότητος δοκιμάζειν ἀναπείθει τὸν προύχοντα. διάτοι τοῦτο καὶ ἀσύγκριτον οὖσαν τῶν νοητῶν ὑδάτων πρὸς τὰ ἐν αἰσθήσει καὶ γεωδέστερα τὴν διαφορὰν ἐπιδεικνύει λέγων Πᾶς ὁ πίνων ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος τούτου διψήσει πάλιν, ὁ δὲ τῶν ἐμῶν, φησὶν, ὑδάτων ἐμφορησάμενος, οὐχ ὅπως τοῦ διψῆν ἔτι κρείττων ἀποφανθήσεται, ἀλλ' ἕξει πηγὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ πρὸς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἀποτρέφειν ἰσχύουσαν. οὐκοῦν ὁ τὰ μείζω δωρούμενος ἐν μείζοσιν ἔσται, φησὶ, τοῦ τὸ ἔλαττον ἔχοντος, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν οὐκ ἀποίσεται δόξαν τῷ νικῶντι τὸ ἡττώμενον. Ἰστέον δὲ πάλιν, ὡς ὕδωρ ἐν τούτοις τὴν τοῦ Ἁγίου Πνεύματος χάριν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἀποκαλεῖ, ἧς εἴπερ τις γένοιτο μέτοχος, ἀναπηγάζουσαν ἕξει λοιπὸν ἐν ἑαυτῷ τῶν θείων μαθημάτων τὴν χορηγίαν, ὡς μηκέτι μὲν αὐτῷ τῆς παρ' ἑτέρων νουθεσίας ἐνδεῖν, ἐξαρκεῖν δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς τὸ δύνασθαι ῥᾳδίως παρακαλεῖν, τοὺς οἷσπερ ἂν γένοιτο διψῆν τὸν θεῖόν τε καὶ οὐράνιον λόγον, ὁποῖοί τινες ἦσαν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον καὶ ἐπὶ γῆς ἔτι πολιτευόμενοι, ἅγιοί τε προφῆται καὶ ἀπόστολοι, καὶ οἱ τῆς ἐκείνων κληρονόμοι λειτουργίας, περὶ ὧν γέγραπται ” Καὶ ἀντλήσατε ὕδωρ μετ' εὐφροσύνης ἐκ “τῶν πηγῶν τοῦ σωτηρίου.”
« Δός μοι τοῦτο τὸ ὕδωρ, ἵνα μὴ διψῶ μηδὲ ἔρχωμαι ἐνθάδε ἀντλεῖν. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς. » Μόνα πάλιν τὰ συνήθη καὶ λαλεῖ καὶ φαντάζεται, συνίησι δὲ ὅλως τῶν λεγομένων οὐδέν: ἐν δὲ τῷ μικρῶν ἀπαλλάττεσθαι πόνων, ὅλην ἕξειν οἴεται τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν τὴν φιλοτιμίαν, καὶ ἐν τῷ μηκέτι διψῆν, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτος ὁρίζει τὸ μέτρον, οὐδ' ὅσον ἐν ἐννοίαις ψιλαῖς δεχομένη τὰ ὑπερκείμενα.
« Ὕπαγε φώνησον τὸν ἄνδρα σου καὶ ἐλθὲ ἐνθάδε. » Ἦν ἄρα καλῶς τε καὶ οὐκ ἐψευσμένως εἰπεῖν, ὅτι θήλειαί πως εἰσὶ θηλειῶν αἱ φρένες, καὶ μαλακὸς ἐνῴκισται νοῦς γυναιξὶν, οὐδαμόθεν ἔχων τὸ δύνασθαί τι συνιέναι γοργῶς: εὐμαθεστέρα δέ πως ἡ ἀνδρῶν ἐστι φύσις, καὶ πολὺ πρὸς λόγους ἑτοιμοτέρα, διεγηγερμένον εἰς νῆψιν καὶ ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω θερμόν τε καὶ ἀπηρσενωμένον ἔχουσα τὸν νοῦν. διὰ ταύτην οἶμαι τὴν αἰτίαν τὸν ἄνδρα καλεῖν τῷ γυναίῳ παρεκελεύετο λεληθότως ἐλέγχων, ὡς ἀμαθεστάτην μὲν ἔχοι τὴν καρδίαν, τοῖς δὲ εἰς σοφίαν λόγοις ἀμεταχείριστον, ὁμοῦ δέ τι καὶ ἕτερον ἐπὶ τούτῳ κάλλιστον οἰκονομῶν.
« Λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ γυνή Ἄνδρα οὐκ ἔχω. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς Καλῶς εἶπες ὅτι ἄνδρα οὐκ ἔχω: πέντε γὰρ ἄνδρας ἔσχες, καὶ νῦν ὃν ἔχεις οὐκ ἔστι σου ἀνήρ: τοῦτο ἀληθὲς εἴρηκας. λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ γυνή. » Καὶ τίνι λοιπὸν οὐκ ἂν εἴη καταφανὲς, ὡς οὐκ ἠγνόει μὲν ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῦ κατὰ νόμου συνῳκηκότος ἔρημον ὑπάρχειν αὐτὴν, πρόφασιν δὲ τοῦ ἀνακαλύψαι τὰ κεκρυμμένα τὴν τοῦ μὴ ὄντος ἀνδρὸς ἐποιήσατο ζήτησιν; ἦν γὰρ ἦν οὕτω μόλις ὠφελῆσαι θαυμάζουσαν οὐκέτι λοιπὸν ὡς ἕνα τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς, ἀλλ' ὡς ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον ἤδη διὰ τοῦ παραδόξως εἰδέναι τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ. ἀποδέχεται δὲ χρησίμως ἄνδρα λέγουσαν οὐκ ἔχειν, καίτοι τοσούτοις συνεφθαρμένην: οὐ γὰρ σύνοδος ἐκ φιληδονίας, ἀλλ' ἡ κατὰ νόμον συναίνεσις καὶ σύνδεσμος ἐξ ἀγάπης καθαρᾶς τὸν ἀκατηγόρητον ἀποτελοῦσι γάμον.
« Κύριε, θεωρῶ ὅτι προφήτης εἶ σύ. » Μόλις ἀναλάμπει πρὸς νῆψιν, καὶ πάλιν οὔπω τελείαν. προφήτην γὰρ ἔτι καλεῖ τὸν προφητῶν Δεσπότην: πλὴν ἀμείνων ἢ πρότερον ἀνεδείχθη κατὰ βραχὺ, κατ' οὐδένα μὲν τρόπον πρὸς τοὺς ἐλέγχους ἀσχάλλουσα, τὴν δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ σημείου δύναμιν εἰς ὠφέλειαν ἁρπάζουσα, καὶ μαλακῆς μὲν οὕτως ἐκβαίνουσα φρενὸς, μετρίως γεμὴν εἰς νεανικὸν ἀναβαίνουσα νοῦν, καὶ τῆς καρδίας τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν εἰς ἀήθη πραγμάτων θεωρίαν ἐκτείνουσα. ἐφ' ᾧ δὴ μάλιστα θαυμάζειν ἀκόλουθον τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀνεξικακίαν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ δύναμιν, καὶ τὰς ἀπαιδεύτους διανοίας εἰς ἀξιάγαστον ἕξιν εὐκόλως μεταῤῥυθμίζοντος.
« Οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ προσεκύνησαν, καὶ ὑμεῖς λέγετε ὅτι ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐστὶν ὁ τόπος ὅπου προσκυνεῖν δεῖ. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς. » Προφήτην ὄντως ὑπάρχειν καὶ Ἰουδαῖον οἰηθεῖσα τὸν Κύριον, τοῖς ἐπιχωρίοις ἔθεσι πολὺ δὴ λίαν ἐναβρύνεται, καὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίων ὑπονοίας βεβουλεῦσθαι τὰ κρείττω τοὺς Σαμαρείτας διισχυρίζεται. Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν γὰρ παχυτέρας ἔτι τὰς περὶ τῆς θείας τε καὶ ἀσωμάτου φύσεως διαλήψεις δεχόμενοι, ἐν μόνοις τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις, ἤτοι Σιὼν τῇ γείτονι χρῆναι προσκυνεῖσθαι τὸν ἐπὶ πάντας Θεὸν διετείνοντο, ὡς ὅλης ἅπαξ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου καὶ ἀκαταλήπτου φύσεως καταλυούσης ἐκεῖσε, καὶ χειροποιήτοις ἐναποκλεισθείσης ναοῖς. διὸ δὴ καὶ λίαν ἀσυνετοῦντες ἐπὶ τούτῳ διὰ τῆς τῶν προφητῶν ἠλέγχοντο φωνῆς, τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος “Ὁ οὐρανός ” μοι θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου: ποῖον “οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι, λέγει Κύριος, ἢ τίς τόπος τῆς ” καταπαύσεώς μου;“ Σαμαρεῖται δὲ πάλιν οὐ πόῤῥω τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἀμαθίας κείμενοι, χώραν τε ὁμοῦ καὶ ἀπαιδευσίαν ἔχοντες ὅμορον, ἐν ὄρει τῷ Γαρίζειν οὕτω καλουμένῳ, καὶ προσεύχεσθαι δεῖν καὶ προσκυνεῖν οἰόμενοι, τὸ γελᾶσθαι δικαίως οὐ διαφεύγουσι. γέγονε δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀνοίας ἡ πρόφασις, τὸ δεδόσθαι τὴν εὐλογίαν ἐν ὄρει Γαρίζειν, καθὼς ἐν τῷ Δευτερονομίῳ γεγραμμένον εὑρίσκομεν. ταύτην ἡ γυνὴ τῷ Σωτῆρι τὴν ζήτησιν, ὥς τι μέγα καὶ δυσκατάληπτον πρόβλημα προΐσχεται λέγουσα Οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ προσεκύνησαν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.
« Πίστευσόν μοι, γύναι, ὅτι ἔρχεται ὥρα ὅτε οὔτε ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις οὔτε ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ προσκυνήσετε τῷ Πατρί. » Ὁμοῦ τῆς ἁπάντων ἀμαθίας καταψηφίζεται, μετατεθήσεσθαι λέγων ἐπὶ τὸ ἀληθέστερον τῆς παρ' ἀμφοῖν λατρείας τὸ σχῆμα. οὐ γὰρ ἔτι, φησὶ, ζητηθήσεται τόπος, ἐν ᾧ δὴ κυρίως οἰήσονται κατοικεῖν τὸν Θεὸν, ἀλλ' ὡς τὰ πάντα πληροῦντι καὶ συνέχειν ἰσχύοντι ” προσκυνήσουσι τῷ Κυρίῳ, “ἕκαστος ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ,” καθάπερ τις φησὶ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν. ὥραν δὲ καὶ καιρὸν τῆς τῶν τοιούτων ἐθῶν μεταστάσεως, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ μετὰ σώματος ἐπιδημίαν ἐν κόσμῳ φησίν. Ἐπιτήρει δὲ ὅπως ἀστειοτάτῃ τοῦ λόγου χρησάμενος ἀγωγῇ πρὸς ἐννοίας τὰς περὶ Υἱοῦ ποδηγεῖ τοῦ γυναίου τὸν νοῦν, Πατέρα καλῶν τὸν Θεόν: πῶς γὰρ ἂν ὅλως νοοῖτο Πατὴρ οὐκ ὄντος Υἱοῦ;