CONCLUSION

I do not think it advisable to add to my narrative all the similar things that we heard from those who lived with her and knew her life accurately. For most men judge what is [1000A] credible in the way of a tale by the measure of their own experience. But what exceeds the capacity of the hearer, men receive with insult and suspicion of falsehood, as remote from truth. Consequently I omit that extraordinary agricultural operation in the famine time, how that the corn for the relief of need, though constantly distributed, suffered no perceptible diminution, remaining always in bulk the same as before it was distributed to the needs of the suppliants. And after this there are happenings still more surprising, of which I might tell. Healings of diseases, and castings out of demons, and true predictions of the future. All are believed to be true, even though apparently incredible, by those who have investigated them accurately.

But by the carnally minded they are judged outside the possible. Those, I mean, who do not know that according to the proportion of faith so is given the distribution of spiritual gifts, little to those of little faith, much to those [1000B] who have plenty of "sea-room" ⁹in their religion.

And so, lest the unbeliever should be injured by being led to disbelieve the gifts of God, I have abstained from a consecutive narrative of these sublime wonders, thinking it sufficient to conclude my life of Macrina with what has been already said.

THE END

Ὅσα δὲ καὶ ἄλλα τοιαῦτα παρὰ τῶν συνεζηκότων αὐτῇ καὶ δι' ἀκριβείας τὰ κατ' αὐτὴν ἐπισταμένων ἠκούσαμεν, οὐκ ἀσφαλὲς οἶμαι προσθεῖναι τῷ διηγήματι. Οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πρὸς τὰ ἑαυτῶν μέτρα τὸ πιστὸν ἐν τοῖς λεγομένοις κρίνουσι, τὸ δὲ ὑπερβαῖνον τὴν τοῦ ἀκούοντος δύναμιν ὡς ἔξω τῆς ἀληθείας ταῖς τοῦ ψεύδους ὑπονοίαις ὑβρίζουσι. Διὸ παρίημι τὴν ἄπιστον ἐκείνην ἐν τῷ λιμῷ γεωργίαν, πῶς ἐκβαλλόμενος ὁ πρὸς τὴν χρείαν σῖτος οὐδεμίαν αἴσθησιν ἐποίει τῆς ὑφαιρέσεως, ἐν τῷ ὁμοίῳ διαμένων ὄγκῳ καὶ πρὶν διαδοθῆναι ταῖς τῶν αἰτούντων χρείαις καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο, καὶ ἄλλα τούτων παραδοξότερα, παθῶν ἰάσεις καὶ δαιμόνων καθάρσεις καὶ ἀψευδεῖς προρρήσεις τῶν ἐκβησομένων: ἃ πάντα τοῖς μὲν δι' ἀκριβείας ἐγνωκόσιν ἀληθῆ εἶναι πιστεύεται, κἂν ὑπὲρ πίστιν ᾖ, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν σαρκωδεστέρων ἔξω τοῦ ἐνδεχομένου νομίζεται, οἳ οὐκ ἴσασιν ὅτι «κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῆς πίστεως» καὶ ἡ τῶν χαρισμάτων διανομὴ παραγίνεται, μικρὰ μὲν τοῖς ὀλιγοπιστοῦσι, μεγάλη δὲ τοῖς πολλὴν ἔχουσιν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν εὐρυχωρίαν τῆς πίστεως. Ὡς ἂν οὖν μὴ βλαβεῖεν οἱ ἀπιστότεροι ταῖς τοῦ θεοῦ δωρεαῖς ἀπιστοῦντες, τούτου ἕνεκεν καθεξῆς ἱστορεῖν περὶ τῶν ὑψηλοτέρων θαυμάτων παρῃτησάμην, ἀρκεῖν ἡγούμενος τοῖς εἰρημένοις περιγράψαι τὴν περὶ αὐτῆς ἱστορίαν.