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you wish to look closely, through a concise word and a most swift demonstration I wish to persuade you, seeing the utmost unreasonableness. For above he persuaded from the things said by him to Peter, but here he now strips for action against them, not constructing everything from events elsewhere, but from the things happening among them, and no longer only from the things given in common, but also persuading and making his demonstration from the things specially gifted to them. Therefore he says. This only I desire to learn from you, did you receive the Spirit from the works of the law, or from the hearing of faith? You received the Holy Spirit, he says, you worked many miracles, you performed signs raising the dead, cleansing lepers, prophesying, speaking in tongues; did the law, then, give you such great power? And yet before you did nothing of the sort. But faith?

2. How then is it not of the utmost madness, having received such great benefits from faith, to forsake it, and to desert again to the law which provided nothing of the sort? Are you so foolish, having begun in the Spirit, are you now being perfected in the flesh? Again he seasonably brought on the insult. For it being necessary, he says, to make an addition as time goes on, not only did you not advance, but you were even carried backward again. For those beginning from small things, proceeding, ascend to greater things; but you, having begun from great things, were carried down to the opposite. For even if you had begun from carnal things, you ought to have advanced to spiritual things; but now, having begun from spiritual things, you have come down to carnal things; for to do signs is spiritual, but to be circumcised is carnal. But you, after the signs, have come to circumcision, after grasping the truth you have fallen down to the types, after looking upon the sun you seek the lamp, after solid food you run to milk. And he did not say, "You are perfected in the flesh," but, "You are being perfected in the flesh," showing that those men, having taken them like irrational cattle, 61.650 were cutting them up, while they gave themselves up to suffer whatever those men wished; just as if someone from among generals and heroes, after countless trophies and victories, giving himself over to the dishonor of deserters, should offer his body to be branded by those who wish. Did you suffer so many things in vain? if indeed it be in vain. This is much more striking than the former. For the remembrance of the signs was not as powerful as the display of the contests and the endurance of sufferings for Christ's sake. For all those things, he says, which you endured, these men wish to make a loss for you, and to snatch away your crown. Then, lest he should utterly shake their soul, and unstring their nerves, he did not wait until the sentence, but added: If indeed it be in vain. For if you should wish, he says, to become sober again and recover yourselves, it is not in vain. Where now are those who cut off repentance? For behold, these men both received the Spirit, and worked signs, and became confessors, having endured countless dangers and persecutions for Christ's sake, and after so many right achievements they fell from grace. But nevertheless, he says, if you wish, you can recover yourselves. He therefore that supplies to you the Spirit, and works miracles among you, is it from the works of the law, or from the hearing of faith? Were you deemed worthy of so great a gift, he says, and did you perform so many wonders, because you kept the law, or because you observed the faith? It is clear that it was through faith.

For since they were turning this upside down and carrying it about, saying that faith has no power if the law is not added; he shows the contrary, that when the commandments are added, faith will then profit nothing; for faith is strong then, when nothing from the law is added. For as many of you as are justified by the law, he says, you have fallen from grace. But this he says as he goes on, when he also uses greater boldness, from the things already

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κατοπτεῦσαι βούλεσθε, διὰ συντόμου λόγου καὶ ταχίστης ἀποδείξεως ὑμᾶς πεῖσαι βούλομαι τὴν ἐσχάτην ὁρῶν ἀγνωμοσύνην. Ἀνωτέρω μὲν γὰρ ἐκ τῶν πρὸς τὸν Πέτρον αὐτῷ λεχθέντων ἔπεισεν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ λοιπὸν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποδύεται, οὐκ ἐκ τῶν ἀλλαχοῦ συμβάντων, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς γινομένων κατασκευάζων ἅπαντα, καὶ οὐκέτι μόνον ἀπὸ τῶν κοινῇ δεδομένων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν αὐτοῖς ἰδίᾳ δεδωρημένων πείθων καὶ ποιούμενος τὴν ἀπόδειξιν. ∆ιό φησι. Τοῦτο μόνον θέλω μαθεῖν ἀφ' ὑμῶν, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐλάβετε, ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως; Ἐλάβετε Πνεῦμα ἅγιον, φησὶν, εἰργάσασθε δυνάμεις πολλὰς, ἐπετελέσατε σημεῖα νεκροὺς ἐγείροντες, λεπροὺς καθαίροντες, προφητεύοντες, γλώσσαις λαλοῦντες· ταύτην οὖν τὴν τοσαύτην ἰσχὺν ἔδωκεν ὑμῖν ὁ νόμος; Καὶ μὴν οὐδὲν πρότερον ἐποιεῖτε τοιοῦτον. Ἀλλ' ἡ πίστις;

βʹ. Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐσχάτης μανίας τοσαῦτα παρὰ τῆς πίστεως εὐεργετηθέντας, ταύτην μὲν ἀφεῖναι, πρὸς δὲ τὸν οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον παρασχόντα νόμον αὐτομολῆσαι πάλιν; Οὕτως ἀνόητοί ἐστε, ἐναρξάμενοι πνεύματι, νῦν σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε. Πάλιν εὐκαίρως τὴν ὕβριν ἐπήγαγε. ∆έον γὰρ, φησὶ, προσθήκην ποιῆσαι τοῦ χρόνου προϊόντος, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπεδώκατε, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τοὐπίσω κατηνέχθητε πάλιν. Οἱ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν μικρῶν ἀρχόμενοι, προϊόντες ἐπὶ τὰ μείζονα ἀναβαίνουσιν· ὑμεῖς δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν μεγάλων ἀρξάμενοι, πρὸς τὰ ἐναντία κατηνέχθητε. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἀπὸ σαρκικῶν ἤρξασθε, ἔδει εἰς τὰ πνευματικὰ προκόψαι· νῦν δὲ ἀπὸ πνευματικῶν ἀρξάμενοι, εἰς τὰ σαρκικὰ κατελύσατε· τὸ μὲν γὰρ σημεῖα ποιεῖν, πνευματικὸν, τὸ δὲ περιτέμνεσθαι, σαρκικόν. Ὑμεῖς δὲ μετὰ τὰ σημεῖα ἐπὶ τὴν περιτομὴν ἤλθετε, μετὰ τὸ δράξασθαι τῆς ἀληθείας ἐπὶ τοὺς τύπους κατεπέσετε, μετὰ τὸ κατοπτεῦσαι τὸν ἥλιον τὸν λύχνον ἐπιζητεῖτε, μετὰ τὴν στερεὰν τροφὴν ἐπὶ τὸ γάλα τρέχετε. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Σαρκὶ τελεῖσθε, ἀλλὰ, Σαρκὶ ἐπιτελεῖσθε, δεικνὺς ὅτι δίκην θρεμμάτων ἀλόγων λαβόντες αὐτοὺς 61.650 ἐκεῖνοι κατέκοπτον, τούτων ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδιδόντων εἰς τὸ πάσχειν ἅπερ ἐβούλοντο ἐκεῖνοι· ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ἀπὸ στρατηγῶν καὶ ἀριστέων μετὰ μυρία τρόπαια καὶ νίκας εἰς τὴν τῶν λειποτακτῶν δοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἀτιμίαν, καταστίζειν παρέχει τοῖς βουλομένοις τὸ σῶμα. Τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῆ; εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῆ. Τοῦτο τοῦ προτέρου πολὺ πληκτικώτερον. Οὐ γὰρ οὕτως ἠδύνατο ἡ τῶν σημείων ἀνάμνησις, ὡς ἡ τῶν ἀγώνων ἐπίδειξις καὶ ἡ τῶν παθῶν ὑπομονὴ τῶν διὰ Χριστόν. Πάντα γὰρ ἐκεῖνα, φησὶν, ἅπερ ὑπεμείνατε, ζημιῶσαι ὑμᾶς οὗτοι βούλονται, καὶ τὸν στέφανον ὑμῶν ἁρπάσαι. Εἶτα, ἵνα μὴ κατασείσῃ αὐτῶν τὴν ψυχὴν, καὶ ἐκλύσῃ τὰ νεῦρα, οὐκ ἔμεινεν ἕως τῆς ἀποφάσεως, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγεν· Εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῆ. Εἰ γὰρ βουληθείητε, φησὶν, ἀνανῆψαι καὶ ἀνακτήσασθαι ἑαυτοὺς, οὐκ εἰκῆ. Ποῦ νῦν εἰσιν οἱ τὴν μετάνοιαν ἐκκόπτοντες; Ἰδοὺ γὰρ οὗτοι καὶ Πνεῦμα ἔλαβον, καὶ σημεῖα εἰργάσαντο, καὶ ὁμολογηταὶ ἐγένοντο, μυρίους διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ὑπομείναντες κινδύνους καὶ διωγμοὺς, καὶ μετὰ τοσαῦτα κατορθώματα τῆς χάριτος ἐξέπεσον. Ἀλλ' ὅμως, φησὶν, ἐὰν βούλησθε, δύνασθε ἑαυτοὺς ἀνακτήσασθαι. Ὁ οὖν ἐπιχορηγῶν ὑμῖν τὸ Πνεῦμα, καὶ ἐνεργῶν δυνάμεις ἐν ὑμῖν, ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, ἢ ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως; Τοσαύτης, φησὶν, ἠξιώθητε δωρεᾶς, καὶ θαύματα ἐπετελέσατε τοσαῦτα, ὅτι νόμον ἐφυλάξατε, ἢ ὅτι πίστιν ἐτηρήσατε; ∆ῆλον ὅτι διὰ τὴν πίστιν.

Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἄνω καὶ κάτω τοῦτο ἔστρεφον καὶ περιέφερον ἐκεῖνοι λέγοντες, ὅτι οὐκ ἔχει ἡ πίστις ἰσχὺν, τοῦ νόμου μὴ προσκειμένου· δείκνυσι τὸ ἐναντίον, ὅτι τῶν ἐντολῶν προστεθεισῶν οὐδὲν ἡ πίστις ὠφελήσει λοιπόν· ἡ γὰρ πίστις τότε ἰσχύει, ὅταν μὴ προστεθῇ ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου. Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, φησὶ, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσετε. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν προϊών φησιν, ὅτε καὶ μείζονι κέχρηται παῤῥησίᾳ, ἀπὸ τῶν ἤδη