sence, without any division or distinction in this respect, just as the pi is one with the unity of the line without any division or distinction in this respect. But there is a difference in the Holy Trinity according to the modes of existence of the hypostases, and in the pi according to the qualitative position of the line. Question 130. If, because according to the Greeks the heaven is a sphere and moves in a place, how is it that because it has been fixed like a vault or stretched out like a skin according to scripture, the heaven is not in a place? For just as that which is moved, so also that which is fixed must be considered to be in a place. If this is so, how shall we not have a just condemnation of each other concerning the description of heaven? But if heaven is in a place according to both, and for both the quality and quantity of the place has been established as unknown, how can the one be able to condemn the other more, when the condemnation and ignorance concerning the aforementioned things holds both equally? Answer. For if the Christians said that heaven is not in a place, just as the Greeks say, the condemnation of each other would have been equal, with them saying that heaven is not in a place, but using to each other expressions significant of heaven being in a place. But if it is impossible for heaven to be a sphere and to move spherically, but it is shown to be possible for it to be like a vault, then there is no condemnation of the Christians for ignorance. But concerning the place, we conjecture about it from our own experiences that, just as with us, when there is some circular body, both smooth and hollow, of equal perimeter on all sides, if it is placed as a lid on the waters, it is supported by the waters, in this way heaven is supported by the waters. He who stretched out, it says, the heaven like a vault. By the name of vault He indicated the circularity of the body of heaven. Therefore the waters support heaven, the earth supports the waters, and the divine command supports the earth. He who hung, it says, the earth upon nothing. Question 131. If the evangelists Matthew and Luke, in tracing the genealogy of the Lord according to the flesh, the one wrote the genealogy according to nature, and the other according to the law, so that matters concerning the Jews might thus be established, how is the blessed Luke not shown to be in conflict with Matthew, by setting forth through his own gospel more progenitors of Christ according to the law than according to nature, when the opposite ought to have been written by him, since it is necessary to reckon fewer fathers by legal adoption than by nature? For it is possible for one to become a father according to the law, after the death of the natural father who begot the child. How then, as I said, is the genealogy not reversed in the evangelists, and Luke, who ought to have an equal or rather a lesser number of those according to the law than those according to nature

σίας, χωρὶς πάσης κατὰ τοῦτο διαιρέσεως καὶ διακρίσεως, ὥσπερ ἓν τὸ πῖ τῇ μονάδι τῆς γραμμῆς χωρὶς πάσης τῆς κατὰ τοῦτο διαιρέσεως καὶ διακρίσεως. ∆ιαφορὰ δέ ἐστιν ἐν μὲν τῇ ἁγίᾳ τριάδι κατὰ τοὺς τρόπους τῆς τῶν ὑποστάσεων ὑπάρ ξεως, ἐν δὲ τῷ πῖ κατὰ τὴν ποιὰν θέσιν τῆς γραμμῆς. Ἐρώτησις ρλ. Eἰ διὰ τὸ καθ' Ἕλληνας σφαῖραν εἶναι τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ κινεῖσθαι ἐν τόπῳ, πῶς διὰ τὸ ὡς καμάραν πεπῆχθαι ἢ ὡς δέριν κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν ἐκτετάσθαι ὁ οὐρανὸς οὐκ ἐν τόπῳ ἐστίν; Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸ κινούμενον, οὕτως καὶ τὸ πηγνύμενον ἐν τόπῳ ἀνάγκη νομίζεσθαι. Eἰ δὲ τοῦτο, πῶς τὴν ἐπὶ τῇ περιγραφῇ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ παρ' ἀλλήλων κατάγνωσιν δικαίαν οὐχ ἕξομεν; Eἰ δ' ὁ οὐρανὸς κατ' ἀμφοτέρους ἐν τόπῳ, καὶ ἑκα τέροις ἡ τοῦ τόπου ποιότης καὶ ποσότης καθέστηκεν ἄγνωστος, τί πλέον θάτεροι θατέρων κατεγνῶσθαι δυνάμεθα, τῆς περὶ τῶν προλελεγμένων καταγνώσεως καὶ ἀγνοίας ἑκατέρους ἐπ' ἴσης κατεχούσης; Ἀπόκρισις. Eἰ μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγον οἱ Χριστιανοὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν μὴ εἶναι ἐν τόπῳ, καθάπερ λέγουσιν οἱ Ἕλληνες, ἴση ἂν ἔμελλεν εἶναι ἡ παρ' ἀλλήλων κατάγνωσις, λεγόντων μὲν μὴ εἶναι τὸν οὐ ρανὸν ἐν τόπῳ, φωναῖς δὲ σημαντικαῖς τοῦ ἐν τόπῳ εἶναι τὸν οὐρανὸν πρὸς ἀλλήλους χρησαμένων. Eἰ δὲ τοῦ μὲν σφαῖραν εἶναι τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ σφαιρικῶς κινεῖσθαι ἀδυνάτου ὄντος, τοῦ δὲ ὡς καμάραν εἶναι αὐτὸν δυνατοῦ δεικνυμένου, οὐδεμία ἄρα ἡ τῶν Χριστιανῶν ἐπὶ τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ κατάγνωσις. Περὶ δὲ τοῦ τόπου ἐκ τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς στοχαζόμεθα περὶ αὐτοῦ ὅτι, ὥσπερ παρ' ἡμῖν, ὅταν ᾖ περιφερές τι σῶμα ὁμαλόν τε καὶ κοῖλον, πανταχόθεν ἰσοπεριμέτρητον, ἐὰν πωμασθῇ ἐπὶ τὰ ὕδατα, βαστάζεται ὑπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων, τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ βαστά ζεται ὁ οὐρανὸς ὑπὸ τῶν ὑδάτων. Ὁ τανύσας, φησί, τὸν οὐρανὸν ὡς καμάραν. Τῷ τῆς καμάρας ὀνόματι τὸ περιφερὲς ἐδήλωσε τοῦ σώματος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Βαστάζει οὖν τὸν μὲν οὐρανὸν τὰ ὕδατα, τὰ δὲ ὕδατα ἡ γῆ, τὴν δὲ γῆν τὸ θεῖον πρόσταγμα. Ὁ κρεμάσας, φησί, τὴν γῆν ἐπ' οὐδενός. Ἐρώτησις ρλα. Eἰ οἱ εὐαγγελισταὶ Ματθαῖός τε καὶ Λουκᾶς, τὸ κατὰ σάρκα γενεαλογοῦντες τὸν κύριον, ὁ μὲν τὴν κατὰ φύσιν, ὁ δὲ τὴν κατὰ νόμον γενεαλογίαν συνέγραψε, διὰ τὸ οὕτως τὰ κατὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων συνίστασθαι, πῶς ὁ μακάριος Λουκᾶς οὐ δείκνυται τῷ Ματθαίῳ μαχόμενος, πλείονας τοὺς κατὰ νόμον τῶν κατὰ φύσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεννήτορας διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου εὐαγ γελίου ἐκθέμενος, τοὐναντίον παρ' αὐτοῦ γραφῆναι ὀφείλοντας, ἐπειδὴ ἥσσονας τοὺς κατὰ θέσιν τῶν κατὰ φύσιν πατέρων ἀναλογίζεσθαι ἀνάγκη; Ἐνδέχεται γὰρ γενέσθαι κατὰ νόμον πατέρα, τετελευτηκότος τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν πατρὸς τοῦ παῖδα γεννήσαντος. Πῶς οὖν, καθάπερ ἔφην, παρὰ τοῖς εὐαγγελι σταῖς ἡ γενεαλογία οὐκ ἀντέστραπται, καὶ ὁ Λουκᾶς, ἴσους μᾶλλον δὲ ἥσσονας τοὺς κατὰ νόμον τῶν κατὰ φύσιν ὀφείλων