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nor was I taught to be meddlesome. But see what the enemy of truth says again. For God did not give us reason for nothing; we have not simply received the mind's faculty of judgment; we must also investigate the faith with reason, and piety must not be unexamined. Tell me then, using a sequence of reasoning, how the heaven stands at such a vast, infinite, hollowed height, and having nothing to support it in so great a circumference, on what is it borne? What are the foundations on which it is fixed? how is it that in so much time its beauty is not dissolved, nor does its harmony disappear? Show the pillars that support it. But what shall I say about heaven, and not about the state of the earth? For that it is founded upon the waters, this I have received, and you yourself confess; but how it was established upon the waters, explain this, and do not simply follow the word, but give a rational account of the things sought. But when we are at a loss about these things, we have a true and pious solution to our difficulties, which the blessed David sang in a hymn, saying, that the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done in faith. The works cannot be understood without faith, and you wish to find God without faith? But let us, leaving the enemies of the truth, walk the sound and safe path of faith, obeying God who says: A man shall not be able to see my face and live. The power of those who desire does not comprehend the one who is desired, nor does mortal nature bear the immortal power of the Creator and Provider of all things. TITLE 20. -Concerning those who have transgressed piety and faith, and act impiously toward God. Of saint Irenaeus, from the fifth book of the refutation and 96.537 overturning of the falsely-named knowledge. -As many as fall away from God according to their opinion, etc. Of Theophilus of Alexandria. -Then an earthly king is believed to exist, although not seen by all, but he is perceived through his laws and decrees, and authorities, and powers, and images; but do you not wish to perceive God through his works and powers? TITLE 28. -Concerning wickedness, and evil, and sin. Of saint Justin the philosopher and martyr, from the second part of his Apology. - Evil is a projection of its own actions, etc. Of Philo, from the second book of Questions on Genesis. -There is nothing so contrary and opposed to the most holy powers of God as injustice. TITLE 30. -Concerning spiritual progress. Of Irenaeus, from the fourth book of the refutation. -Through this order and such rhythms, etc. TITLE 31. -Concerning temporary and eternal goods; and that one must prefer the future to the present. Of saint Clement, from the second epistle to the Corinthians. -The one who is sensible of present things understands that what some consider to be pleasant are neither strange nor far from what is hateful. But also wealth has often afflicted more than poverty, and health has vexed more than sickness; and in general, the acquisition of desirable things and things according to prayer becomes the cause and matter of all things grievous and to be avoided. Of saint Hippolytus of Rome. -And we must relate these things of necessity, so that we may remove the suspicion of the many. For some wish to say that paradise is in heaven, and not of the creation. Since therefore the rivers are seen by our eyes proceeding out of it, about which even today it is possible for all who wish to inquire, then let everyone reckon that it is not in heaven, but is truly planted in the creation. And it is a place of the east, and a choice region. ELEMENT T. TITLE. -Concerning artisans, and who invented arts. Of Didymus. -We call a perfect physician, not the one who heals in every case, but the one who omits nothing that pertains to benefit and cure; and the best general, not the one who wins in every case, but the one who has omitted nothing that contributes to victory; so also the best pilot, not the one who in every case succeeds in steering well the mind, but the one who has omitted nothing of what shows the best pilot, even if a stronger force of the moving sea covers the vessel with waves; and

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οὐδὲ ἐδιδάχθην πολυπραγμονεῖν. Ἀλλ' ὅρα τί φησι πάλιν ὁ ἐχθρὸς τῆς ἀληθείας. Μὴ γὰρ ἀργῶς ἡμῖν ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς λογισμούς· μὴ ἁπλῶς εἰλήφαμεν τοῦ νοῦ τὸ κριτήριον· δεῖ καὶ λογισμοῖς ἐρευνᾷν τὴν πίστιν, καὶ μὴ ἀνεξέταστον εἶναι τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Ἀπάγγειλον οὖν μοι λογισμῶν ἀκολουθίᾳ χρησάμενος, πῶς ἕστηκεν ὁ οὐρανὸς εἰς τοσοῦτον ὕψος κοιλαινόμενον ἄπειρον, καὶ μηδὲν ἐν τοσαύτῃ περιγραφῇ τὸ ὑπερεῖδον ἔχων ἐν τίνι βαστάζεται; Τίνες αἱ κρηπίδες ἐφ' ὧν ἐστήρικται; πῶς ἐν τοσούτῳ χρόνῳ οὐ λύεται τῷ κάλλει, οὐδὲ ἀφανίζεται ἡ ἁρμονία; ∆εῖξον τοὺς βαστάζοντας κίονας. Τί δὲ ἐρῶ περὶ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ οὐ περὶ γῆς τὴν κατάστασιν; Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἐπὶ ὑδάτων τεθεμελίωται, τοῦτο κἀγὼ παρέλαβον, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁμολογεῖς· πῶς δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ὑδάτων ἐστηρίχθη, τοῦτο ἑρμήνευσον, καὶ μὴ ἁπλῶς ἀκολουθήσῃς τῷ λόγῳ, ἀλλὰ λογισμὸν ἀπόδος τῶν ζητουμένων. Ἀλλ' ὅταν περὶ ταῦτα ἀπορήσωμεν, ἔχομεν ἀληθῆ καὶ εὐσεβῆ τῶν ἀπορουμένων λύσιν, ἣν ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ ἐμελῴδησε, λέγων, ὅτι Εὐθὴς ὁ λόγος τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν πίστει. Τὰ ἔργα ἄνευ πίστεως οὐκ ἔστι καταλαβεῖν, καὶ Θεὸν ἄνευ πίστεως θέλεις εὑρεῖν; Ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τῆς ἀληθείας ἀφέντες ἡμεῖς, τὴν ὑγιῆ καὶ ἀσφαλῆ τῆς πίστεως ὁδὸν ὁδεύσωμεν, πειθόμενοι τῷ λέγοντι Θεῷ· Οὐ δυνήσεται ἄνθρωπος ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου, καὶ ζήσεται. Οὐ χωρεῖ τὸν ποθούμενον ἡ τῶν ποθούντων δύναμις, οὐδὲ φέρει ἡ θνητὴ φύσις τὴν ἀθάνατον δύναμιν τοῦ πάντων ∆ημιουργοῦ καὶ προνοητοῦ. ΤΙΤΛ. Κʹ. -Περὶ τῶν παραβεβηκότων τὴν εὐσέβειαν καὶ πίστιν, καὶ εἰς Θεὸν ἀσεβούντων. Τοῦ ἁγίου Εἰρηναίου, ἐκ τοῦ εʹ ἐλέγχου καὶ 96.537 ἀνατροπῆς τῆς ψευδωνύμου γνώσεως. -Ὅσα ἀφίστανται κατὰ τὴν γνώμην αὐτῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, κ. τ. ἕ. Θεοφίλου Ἀλεξανδρείας. -Εἶτα βασιλεὺς μὲν ἐπίγειος πιστεύεται εἶναι, καίπερ μὴ πᾶσι βλεπόμενος, διὰ δὲ νόμων καὶ διατάξεων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξουσιῶν, καὶ δυνάμεων, καὶ εἰκόνων νοεῖται· τὸν δὲ Θεὸν οὐ βούλει σὺ νοῆσαι δι' ἔργων καὶ δυνάμεων; ΤΙΤΛ. ΚΗʹ. -Περὶ πονηρίας, καὶ κακίας, καὶ ἁμαρτίας. Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰουστίνου τοῦ φιλοσόφου καὶ μάρτυρος, ἐκ τοῦ βʹ μέρους τῆς Ἀπολογίας αὐτοῦ. - Ἡ κακία πρόβλημα ἑαυτῆς τῶν πράξεων, κ. τ. ἑ. Φίλωνος, ἐκ τοῦ βʹ τῶν ἐν Γενέσει Ζητουμένων. -Οὐδὲν ἐναντίον καὶ μαχόμενον ταῖς ὁσιωτάταις τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεσίν ἐστιν οὕτως, ὡς ἀδικία. ΤΙΤΛ. Λʹ. -Περὶ πνευματικῆς προκοπῆς. Εἰρηναίου, ἐκ τοῦ δʹ ἐλέγχου. -∆ιὰ ταύτης τῆς τάξεως καὶ τῶν τοιούτων ῥυθμῶν, κ. τ. ἑ. ΤΙΤΛ. ΛΑʹ. -Περὶ προσκαίρων καὶ αἰωνίων ἀγα θῶν· καὶ ὅτι χρὴ τῶν παρόντων τὰ μέλλοντα προτιμᾷν. Τοῦ ἁγίου Κλήμεντος, ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Κορινθίους ἐπιστολῆς βʹ. -Ὁ τῶν παρόντων αἰσθητικὸς συνίησιν, ὡς οὔτε ἃ λογίζονταί τινες εἶναι τερπνὰ, ξενὰ καὶ μακράν ἐστι τῶν ἀπεχθῶν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ πλοῦτος πολλάκις μᾶλλον πενίας ἔθλιψε, καὶ ὑγεία πλέον ἠνίασε νόσου· καὶ καθόλου τῶν λυπηρῶν καὶ φευκτῶν πάντων ὑπόθεσις καὶ ὕλη ἡ τῶν ἀσπαστῶν καὶ κατ' εὐχὴν περιβολὴ γίνεται. Τοῦ ἁγίου Ἱππολύτου Ῥώμης. -Ταῦτα δὲ κατ' ἀνάγκην ἔχομεν διηγήσασθαι, ὅπως τὴν ὑπόνοιαν τὴν τῶν πολλῶν ἀνέλωμεν. Τινὲς γὰρ βούλονται λέγειν, εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶναι τὸν παράδεισον, καὶ μὴ εἶναι ἐκ τῆς κτίσεως. Ὁπότε τοίνυν ὁρῶνται οἱ ποταμοὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἡμῶν ἐκπορευόμενοι ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἐν οἷς καὶ σήμερον ἔστι πάντας ἱστορεῖν τοὺς θέλοντας, ἄρα λογιζέσθω πᾶς, ὅτι οὐκ εἰς οὐρανὸν, ἀλλ' ὄντως ἐν τῇ κτίσει πεφύτευται. Ἔστι δὲ καὶ τόπος τῆς ἀνατολῆς, καὶ χωρίον ἐκλογῆς. ΣΤΟΙΧΕΙΟΝ Τ. ΤΙΤΛ. ʹ. -Περὶ τεχνιτῶν, καὶ τίνες τέχνας ἐφεῦρον. ∆ιδύμου. -Τέλειον ἰατρὸν λέγομεν, οὐ τὸν θεραπεύοντα πάντως, ἀλλὰ τὸν μηδὲν τῶν εἰς ὠφέλειαν ἀνηκόντων, καὶ θεραπείαν παραλείποντα· καὶ στρατηγὸν ἄριστον οὐ τὸν νικῶντα πάντως, ἀλλὰ τὸν μηδὲν τῶν εἰς νίκην συντεινόντων παραλείψαντα· οὕτω καὶ κυβερνήτην ἄριστον, οὐ τὸν τυγχάνοντα πάντως τοῦ εὖ ἄγειν τὸν νοῦν, ἀλλὰ τὸν μηδὲν τῶν ὅσα δείκνυσι τὸν ἄριστον κυβερνήτην παραλείψαντα, κἂν καὶ βία κραταιοτέρα τῆς θαλάσσης κινουμένης τὸ σκάφος ἐπικαλύψῃ τοῖς κύμασιν· καὶ