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...ing, he might have his heart on high, his mind on high, he sees that "in the streets there are terrors," there are fears. This altogether about such... confuses the mind, the things reported about the use; and especially, when it is believed to be near, it confuses the mind and "terror" arises; they are terrified by the things being said, and just as in the case of perceptible things, if a thunderbolt is expected, all are afraid, when thunder occurs, all are terrified. For this the psalmist also said: "at the voice of your thunder they will be dismayed." And just as from the perceptible "voice" they are seized with fear, being confused, so from the loud-voiced word of God, about which it is said as of "thunder": "the God of glory thundered" and also "and the Lord thundered from heaven." Of this "thunder" James and John heard; for they were called "sons of thunder." And as Peter, because of the firmness of the faith he had, was named "Peter" from the name "rock," so also these from their loud voice were called "sons of thunder." But perhaps someone will object to us that "yes, let John thunder great things as he theologizes and says, 'in the beginning 356 was the word' and 'the true light was' and 'the only-begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father'; what 'thunder' did James bring? For he was taken away immediately." We say that it can be said in a comprehensive way, or that both indeed in their thought held to loud-voiced things, but James was not permitted to write, having quickly departed from life at the same time as the savior's ascension. Just as, therefore, from perceptible "thunder" "terror" seizes the hearers and through expectation or some other scepter they are afraid, so, when these heralds of the truth are "lifted up," "terror" seizes those who are still "on the way"; but they must have already ascended to the "height."

12,5b and the almond tree shall blossom. Those who have spoken about the nature of plants say this about the "almond tree": before all plants in the spring it puts forth leaves and it sheds them after the shedding of all the other trees; this, therefore, is enduring. For this reason also the priestly "rod" is said to be of "nut-wood." For it did not last for a few days; from Moses until the coming of the savior it was seen. But there also came to be traditions of another teaching instead of the Jews'. ... doing? "commandments of men" ... ministers of these traditions. And quickly they "blossomed" and quickly they withered. The priestly "rod," however, being of "nut-wood," remained for a long time, until a succession came from the greater and more spiritual priesthood; and it blossomed before the others. And this also must be said, that where there is a true teaching, there will also be a false and deceived one. Which they used to say: in the times of the prophets, false prophets are found; for evil is an imitation of the true. Since Christ has been proclaimed by his coming, many false Christs have announced that they will come. This, therefore, we say, that, even if those plants were of the other teachings, it both "blossoms" later after the correct teaching and ceases before it; for when it appears, they are extinguished. This "rod," therefore, did away with the other "rods," of the false apostles, of the false prophets. Since: will the "almond tree" therefore "blossom"? —This: when "the daughters of song are brought low" 357 those who proclaim false teachings, false "rods," then even more will the "almond tree blossom." Regarding the apostolic word we said that then will be the establishment of righteousness, when unrighteousness prevails among men. By abolishing unrighteousness and those who advocate it, it is shown to be something great, the greatness of which would not have been shown if great unrighteousness, which it abolished, had not been established. And we were saying that "the truth of God abounded in human falsehood." And we were affirming then that then especially the ... of the truth appeared, when many sophists came into the midst, proclaiming false and contentious arguments. Let there be some capable king having a strong hand and experienced in war. Is not his greatness apparent, when of an enemy

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νόμενος, ἄνω τὴν καρδίαν ἔχῃ, ἄνω τὸ φρόνημα, ὁρᾷ ὅτι "ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς θάμβοι" εἰσίν, φόβοι εἰσίν. το´̣δε ὅλως περὶ τοιο·········· σ̣υνχεῖ τ̣ὴν διάνοιαν τ̣ὰ πε ρ̣ι`̣ τῆς χρήσεως ἀπαγγελλόμενα· καὶ μάλιστα, ὅταν πι στευθῇ ἐγγὺς εἶναι, συνχεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ "θάμβος" γίνεται· θαμβοῦνται ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν, ἐὰν προσδοκηθῇ κεραυνοῦ βολή, πάντες φοβοῦν ται, βροντῆς γινομένης πάντες δεδίασιν. τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὁ ὑμνῳδὸς εἶπεν· "ἀπὸ φωνῆς βροντῆς σου δειλι άσουσιν". καὶ ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τῆς αἰσθητῆς "φωνῆς" δέος λαμ βάνουσιν συνχεόμενοι, οὕτως ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγαλοφώνου θε οῦ λόγου, περὶ οὗ λέγεται ὡς "βροντῆς"· "ὁ θεὸς τῆς δόξης ἐβρόντησεν" καὶ ἔτι "καὶ ἐβρόντησεν ἐξ οὐρα νοῦ κύριος". ταύτης τῆς "βροντῆς" ἤκουσαν οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἰά κωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην· ἐχρημάτισαν γὰρ "υἱοὶ βροντῆς". καὶ ὡς Πέτρος διὰ τὸ στερρὸν τῆς πίστεως ἧς ἔσχεν "πέτρας" καλουμένης παρωνομάσθη "Πέτρος", οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι ἀπὸ τῆς μεγαλοφωνίας ἐχρημάτισαν "υἱοὶ βροντῆς". ἀλλ' ἴσως τις ἐνστήσεται πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὅτι "ναί, βροντάτω μεγάλα ὁ Ἰωάννης θεολογῶν καὶ λέγων "ἐν ἀρχῇ 356 ἦν ὁ λόγος" καὶ "ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν" καὶ "μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς κόλπον τοῦ πατρός"· ποίαν "βροντὴν" ὁ Ἰάκωβος ἐνήνοχεν; εὐθέως γὰρ ἀφῃρέθη". λέγομεν ὅτι συνλημπτικῷ τρόπῳ δύναται εἰρῆσθαι ἢ ὅτι ἀμ φότεροι μὲν κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν εἴχοντο μεγαλοφώνων, οὐκ ἐπετράπη δὲ ὁ Ἰάκωβος γράψαι ταχέως ἀπαλλαγεὶς ἅμα τῇ ἀναλήμψει τοῦ σωτῆρος τοῦ βίου. ὥσπερ οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς "βροντῆς" τῆς αἰσθητῆς "θάμ βος" λαμβάνει τοὺς ἀκούοντας καὶ διὰ προσδοκίας ἢ ἄλ λου τινὸς σκηπτροῦ φοβοῦνται, οὕτως, ὅταν "ὑψωθῶ σιν" οὗτοι οἱ κήρυκες τῆς ἀληθείας, "θάμβος" λαμβά νει τοὺς ἔτι "ἐν τῷ ὁδεύειν" ὄντας· δεῖ δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀναβάντας εἰς τὸ "ὕψος" ἤδη εἶναι.

12,5b καὶ ἀνθήσῃ τὸ ἀμύγδαλον. οἱ περὶ φύσεως φυτῶν εἰρηκότες περὶ τοῦ "ἀμυγ δάλου" τοῦτο λέγουσιν· πρὸ πάντων φυτῶν ἐν τῷ ἔαρι ἐκφέρει φύλλα καὶ ἀποβάλλει αὐτὰ μετὰ τὴν ἀποβο̣ λ̣ὴν πάντων τῶν ἄλλων δένδρων· παράμονον οὖν ἐστιν τοῦτο. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ "ῥάβδος" ἡ ἱερατικὴ "καρυΐνη" εἴ ρηται. οὐ μέχ̣ρι γὰρ ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν διέμεινεν· ἀπὸ Μωσέως ἕως τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ ςωτῆρ̣ος̣ ἐφάνη. ἐγεγόνεσαν δὲ καὶ ἄλλης διδασκαλίας ἀντὶ Ἰουδαί ων παραδόσεις. ··ρ̣···· πράττοντες ? "ε᾿̣ντ̣ολὰς ἀν θρώπων̣" ············α··· διάκονο̣ι τούτων τῶν παραδόσεων. καὶ ταχὺ "ἤνθησαν" καὶ ταχὺ ἐμαράνθησαν. ἡ μέντοι "ῥάβδος" ἡ ἱερατικὴ "καρυΐνη" οὐ῀̣σ̣α̣ παρέμεινεν ἕως πολλοῦ, ἕως διαδοχὴ γένηται ἀπὸ τῆς μείζονος καὶ πνευματικωτέρας ἱερωσύνης· καὶ προήν θησεν τῶν ἄλλων. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ λεκτέον ὅτι οὔσης ἀληθοῦς διδασκα λίας ἔσται καὶ ψευδὴς καὶ ἠπατημένη. ὅ γε ἔλεγον· ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς τῶν προφητῶν εὑρίσκονται ψευδοπρο φῆται· μιμηλὸν γάρ ἐστιν τὸ κακὸν τοῦ ἀληθοῦς. ἀφ' οὗ βεβόηται Χριστὸς ἐπιδημίᾳ, πολλοὶ ψευδόχριστοι ἐπηγγείλαντο ἐλεύσεσθαι. τοῦτο οὖν λέγομεν ὅτι, κἂν ἐκεῖνα φυτὰ ἦσαν τὰ τῶν ἄλλων διδασκαλιῶν, καὶ ὕστερον "ἀνθεῖ" μετὰ τὴν ὀρ θὴν διδασκαλίαν καὶ πρὸ αὐτῆς λήγει· ἐπιφανείσης γὰρ αὐτῆς σζβέννυνται. αὕτη οὖν ἡ "ῥάβδος" τὰς τῶν ἄλλων "ῥάβδους" ἔλυσεν, τῶν ψευδαποστόλων, τῶν ψευδοπροφη τῶν. ἐπερ· "ἀνθήσει" οὖν τὸ "ἀμύγδαλον"; -τοῦτο· ὅταν "αἱ θυγατέρες τοῦ ᾄσματος ταπεινωθῶ 357 σιν" αἱ ἐπαγγελλόμεναι διδασκαλίας ψευδεῖς, "ῥάβ δους" ψευδεῖς, τότε ἔτι μᾶλλον "ἀνθήσει τὸ ἀμύγ δαλον". εἰς τὴν ἀποστολικὴν λέξιν εἴπομεν ὅτι τότε σύνστα σι̣ς ἔσται τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ὅταν κρατήσῃ ἐν ἀνθρώ ποις ἡ ἀδικία. λύουσα τὴν ἀδικίαν καὶ τ̣ο̣ὺς πρεσ βεύοντας αὐτὴν ἀναδείκνυται μεγάλη τις οὖσα, οὐκ ἂν δειχθέντο̣ς τοῦ μεγέθους αὐτῆς εἰ μὴ ἦν συνστᾶσα πολλὴ ἀδικία, ἣν ἔλυσεν. καὶ ἐλέγομεν ὅτ̣ι "ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ ψεύδει ἐπερίσ σευσεν". καὶ ἐφάσκομεν τότε ὅτι τότε μάλιστα τ̣ὸ κα̣· ···ν ἐφάνη τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅτε πολλοὶ σοφι̣σ̣τα̣ι`̣ εἰς μέσον ἦλθαν ψευδεῖς καὶ ἐριστικοὺς λόγους ἐπαγγελλό μενοι. ἔσ̣τ̣ω̣ τις̣ βασιλεὺς ἱκανὸς καὶ χεῖρα π̣ολ λ̣ὴν ἔχων καὶ ἐμπειροπόλεμος. μὴ τὸ μ̣έγ̣εθος αὐτοῦ φαίνεται, ὅταν πολεμίου