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having taught them to consider these as representations, and having instructed every barbarian and common person to be so disposed and to feel and to think, has He not made those throughout the whole world who think His thoughts wiser than those with raised eyebrows, who declared that the soul in men differs in no respect in its essence from a gnat, a worm, and a fly, but that the soul of the most philosophic of them differs in nothing, as far as the principle of nature and essence is concerned, from the soul of a snake, a viper, a bear, a leopard, and a boar? 3.3.17 And besides this, by constantly reminding them of a divine tribunal and of the judgment to come, by describing inescapable punishments and penalties for the impious, and for the pious the promises of God, of eternal life, the kingdom of heaven, and a blessed existence with God, whom would he lead astray? Would he not rather urge them to hasten to virtue on account of the expected prizes for the pious, and to turn away from all wickedness on account of the punishments hanging over the impious? 3.3.18 In the dogmatic parts of His discourses we have received that there are certain powers after the most high God, incorporeal in nature and intelligent, both rational and all-virtuous, dancing around the all-king, of whom many have been sent even to men by the will of the Father for certain saving dispensations; whom indeed we have been taught to know and to honor according to the measure of their worth, assigning the worshipful honor to the all-king God alone. 3.3.19 Still further we have learned, having been taught by Him, that certain powers of demons and evil spirits and their rulers, hostile and inimical to the human race, fly about the air around the earth and pass their time with the wicked, whom we have been instructed to flee with all our strength, even though they especially usurp for themselves the names and honors of gods, and for this reason, therefore, all the more on account of this war against God and enmity to God, they must be turned away from, as we have made demonstrations through many proofs in the *Preparation*. Such things happen to be related also in the dogmatic teachings of our Savior, the plainly pious teachings of the God-loving men and prophets of the ancient Hebrews. 3.3.20 If then these things are venerable, if profitable, if philosophical, if full of virtue, by what arguments could the teacher of these things reasonably be branded with the name of deceiver? But for now let these things be examined as concerning the common nature of man, being indicative of His venerable and life-profiting teaching. Come then, let us also consider the more divine things. 3.4.21 And indeed let us consider of how many and what kind of wondrous works He became the doer, having made His abode with men; at one time cleansing lepers in body by divine power, at another time driving out the demons in men by the command of a word, and at yet another time again abundantly granting healing to those who were sick and worn down by all sorts of forms of infirmities. 3.4.22 And at one time He said to a paralytic: "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk," and he did what was commanded. 3.4.23 And again at another time He granted to the blind the ability to see the light. And once also a woman with an issue of blood, who had been worn down by the affliction for long periods of years, since she saw countless crowds surrounding Him and in no way allowing her to approach and fall on her knees to beg for release from her affliction, having thought only to touch the edge of His garment, she slips under, and taking hold of the fringe, at the same time she also took hold of the cure of her ills, and immediately she was well, providing the greatest proof of the divine power of our Savior. 3.4.24 And a certain other man, a royal official, whose son was ill, falling down before Jesus, immediately received him back safe; and another again, a daughter, and he was a ruler of the synagogue of the Jews, but in this case, she was already dead. 3.4.25 What need is there to say how another, dead for four days, was raised by the power of Jesus? Or how He made His journeys upon the sea as upon a highway of land, while His disciples were in a boat, and how when they were storm-tossed He rebuked the sea and
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ἀπεικονίσματα διδάξας ἡγεῖσθαι, οὕτως τ' ἔχειν καὶ διακεῖσθαι καὶ φρονεῖν πάντα βάρβαρον καὶ ἰδιώτην παιδεύσας, ἆρ' οὐχὶ σοφωτέρους ἀπείργασται τοὺς καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ αὐτοῦ φρονοῦντας τῶν τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνεσπακότων, οἳ μηδὲν κατὰ τὴν οὐσίαν διαφέρειν ἀπεφήναντο ἐμπίδος τε καὶ εὐλῆς καὶ μυίας τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ψυχήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄφεως καὶ ἐχίδνης ἄρκτου τε καὶ παρδάλεως καὶ συὸς ψυχῆς κατ' οὐδέν, ὅσον ἐπὶ λόγῳ φύσεώς τε καὶ οὐσίας, τὴν σφῶν αὐτῶν τῶν φιλοσοφωτάτων ψυχὴν διαλλάττειν; 3.3.17 Καὶ θείου δὲ πρὸς τούτοις δικαιωτηρίου συνεχῶς ὑπομιμνήσκων καὶ μελλούσης ἔσεσθαι κρίσεως, κολάσεις τε καὶ τιμωρίας ἀπαραιτήτους τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν ὑπογράφων τοῖς τε εὐσεβέσιν ἐπαγγελίας θεοῦ αἰωνίου ζωῆς καὶ οὐρανῶν βασιλείας καὶ σὺν θεῷ μακαρίας διαγωγῆς, τίνα ἂν πλανήσειεν, οὐχὶ δὲ μᾶλλον προτρέψαιτο σπεύδειν μὲν ἐπ' ἀρετὴν τῶν προσδοκωμένων ἕνεκα τοῖς εὐσεβέσιν ἐπάθλων, ἀποτρέπεσθαι δὲ πάσης κακίας διὰ τὰς ἐπηρτημένας τοῖς ἀσεβέσι τιμωρίας; 3.3.18 Ἐν τοῖς δογματικοῖς τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων παρειλήφαμεν εἶναί τινας μετὰ τὸν ἀνωτάτω θεὸν δυνάμεις, ἀσωμάτους τὴν φύσιν καὶ νοεράς, λογικάς τε καὶ παναρέτους, τὸν παμβασιλέα χορευούσας, ὧν πλείους καὶ μέχρις ἀνθρώπων νεύματι τοῦ πατρὸς διά τινας σωτηρίους οἰκονομίας ἀπεστάλθαι· ἃς δὴ γνωρίζειν καὶ τιμᾶν κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς ἀξίας ἐδιδάχθημεν, μόνῳ τῷ παμβασιλεῖ θεῷ τὴν σεβάσμιον τιμὴν ἀπονέμοντες. 3.3.19 ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις ἔγνωμεν, παρ' αὐτοῦ μαθόντες, πολεμίας τινὰς καὶ ἐχθρὰς τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου γένους ἀμφὶ τὸν περὶ γῆν ἀέρα πωτᾶσθαι καὶ σὺν τοῖς πονηροῖς διατρίβειν δυνάμεις δαιμόνων καὶ πνευμάτων πονηρῶν καὶ τῶν ἐν τούτοις ἀρχόντων, οὓς παντὶ σθένει φεύγειν πεπαιδεύμεθα, εἰ καὶ ὅτι μάλιστα θεῶν προσηγορίας καὶ τιμὰς ἑαυτοῖς ὑφαρπάζουσιν, ταύτης δ' οὖν ἔτι μᾶλλον τῆς θεομαχίας καὶ τῆς θεοεχθρίας ἕνεκεν ἀποτρεπτέας εἶναι, καθ' ἃς ἐν τῇ Προπαρασκευῇ πεποιήμεθα διὰ πλείστων ἀποδείξεις. τοιαῦτα ἄττα τυγχάνει καὶ ἐν τοῖς δογματικοῖς μαθήμασιν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀναφερόμενα Ἑβραίων τῶν πάλαι θεοφιλῶν ἀνδρῶν τε καὶ προφητῶν ἄντικρυς εὐσεβῆ παιδεύματα. 3.3.20 εἰ δὴ οὖν ταῦτα σεμνὰ εἰ ὠφέλιμα εἰ φιλόσοφα εἰ ἀρετῆς μεστά, τίσιν λόγοις εὐλόγως ἂν ὁ τούτων διδάσκαλος ἐπιγραφείη τὸ τοῦ πλάνου ὄνομα; ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὡς περὶ κοινοῦ τὴν φύσιν ἀνθρώπου τέως ἐξητάσθω, παραστατικὰ τῆς σεμνῆς καὶ βιωφελοῦς διδασκαλίας αὐτοῦ τυγχάνοντα. φέρε δὴ καὶ τὰ θειότερα σκεψώμεθα. 3.4.21 Καὶ δὴ σκεψώμεθα ὅσων καὶ οἵων, σὺν ἀνθρώποις τὰς διατριβὰς πεποιημένος, παραδόξων γέγονεν ποιητὴς ἔργων, τοτὲ μὲν λεπροὺς τὸ σῶμα δυνάμει θείᾳ καθαίρων, τοτὲ δὲ προστάγματι λόγου τοὺς ἐν ἀνθρώποις δαίμονας ἐλαύνων, καὶ ἄλλοτε πάλιν νοσηλευομένοις καὶ παντοίοις ἀσθενειῶν εἴδεσι καταπονουμένοις τὴν ἴασιν ἀφθόνως δωρούμενος. 3.4.22 καὶ ποτὲ μὲν ἔφησεν παραλυτικῷ· «ἀναστὰς ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου, καὶ περιπάτει», ὁ δὲ τὸ κελευσθὲν ἐποίει. 3.4.23 τυφλοῖς δὲ πάλιν ἄλλοτε τὰ βλεπτικὰ τοῦ φωτὸς ἐχαρίζετο. ἤδη δέ ποτε καὶ αἱμορροοῦσα γυνὴ μακραῖς ἐτῶν περιόδοις πρὸς τοῦ πάθους κατατρυχομένη, ἐπειδὴ ἑώρα μυρία πλήθη κυκλοῦντα αὐτὸν καὶ μηδαμῶς ἐπιτρέποντα αὐτῇ γονυπετῆσαι προσελθούσῃ τοῦ τε πάθους τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν ἐξαιτήσασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄκρου τοῦ ἱματίου προσψαῦσαι μόνον διανοηθεῖσα ὑποδύνει, καὶ τοῦ κρασπέδου ἐπιλαβομένη ὁμοῦ καὶ τῆς τῶν κακῶν ἰάσεως ἐπελάβετο, παραχρῆμά τε ὑγιὴς ἦν, τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐνθέου δυνάμεως δεῖγμα μέγιστον ἐπικομιζομένη. 3.4.24 ἄλλος δέ τις βασιλικὸς ἀνὴρ κακῶς ἔχοντα τὸν παῖδα προσπεσὼν τῷ Ἰησοῦ παραχρῆμα σῶον ἀπελάμβανεν· καὶ θυγατέρα πάλιν ἄλλος, Ἰουδαίων δὲ ἀρχισυνάγωγος ἦν, ἀλλ' οὗτος ἤδη καὶ θανοῦσαν. 3.4.25 τί δεῖ λέγειν ὡς τεταρταῖος ἄλλος δυνάμει τοῦ Ἰησοῦ νεκρὸς ἠγείρετο; ἢ ὡς ἐπὶ θαλάττης οἷα ἐπὶ λεωφόρου γῆς τὰς πορείας ἤνυεν ποιούμενος, τῶν αὐτοῦ μαθητῶν ἐμπλεόντων, καὶ ὡς χειμασθέντων ἐπετίμησεν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ