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"I was a little angry with them, but they helped forward the affliction." For God does not hand them over so that they might be treated mercilessly; but they, doing this with great eagerness, act mercilessly; and Pharaoh was such towards the sons of Israel. Such is the saying, "Giants are coming to fulfill my wrath, rejoicing and at the same time acting insolently." For they rejoice in such things which they serve. 315 But ask the four-footed beasts, if they will tell you, and the birds of the air, if they will report to you; speak to the earth, if it will declare to you, and the fish of the sea shall relate#6 to you. Here he wishes to show the depth of the judgments and the worth of man, saying, that the judgments are incomprehensible, of which man receives knowledge "in part." But it is not at all proper to understand it in this way, that one must ask the four-footed beasts as if expecting an answer from them, but rather, "examine the creation and judgments in the four-footed beasts and in the birds and in the earth, and consider whether you will be able to comprehend the deepest principles in them." But he says these things, wishing to make them attend, that the administration of God is hidden and it is not proper for them to rush upon it in their ignorance, just as they were assailing him as one suffering on account of sin, not knowing the judgment. For in fact, the existence of the animals at first glance will not present what is reasonable; at any rate, venomous creatures seem to many not to have a reasonable cause for their production. But the holy one says, "all things were created for their need." 316 And he presents their hidden aspect: "...of his works is in secret places." For one can observe this also in medicine, with the physician applying remedies with skill and knowledge, while the incurable patient is often displeased with the medicines applied#6 by the physician. Who then among all these does not know that the hand#6 of the Lord has done these things? Having said that the particular reason for created things is hidden, through which he taught his friends to attend also to his own situation as something hidden and not to assert rashly that this had happened on account of sin, he teaches something else by presenting that the universal reason is manifest, even if the particular one happens to be hidden, I mean, that "the hand of the Lord has made these things," in order to give emphasis to the other cause, that even if it is not on account of sin, still these things happen by the hand of the Lord, who permits them. For if the one who asked for him had not received permission from God, he could do nothing. From these things we must refute those who introduce chance, because all things are governed by order and providence. For the harmony of the universe is a sufficient teaching that the providence of God presides 317 over#6 the whole. Is not the soul of all living things in his hand, and the spirit#6 of all mankind? He confirms the points of his teaching, instructing them that all things are under the hand of God, both the life of men and their death—similar to this is the saying in the Gospel: "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall into a snare without your Father who is in heaven"—establishing nothing else by this than to make their mind attend to the judgments of God and not to say randomly that he had suffered#6 on account of sin. For the mind distinguishes#6 words, and the throat tastes food. Consider whether these things are a response to those: "But ask the four-footed beasts, if they will tell you." It is clear from the sequence that it is not for the irrational or inanimate to know the judgments of providence, but for the mind. And he takes an example, that just as the throat is a judge of foods, so is the mind of things said and of things inherent in the nature of the universe. "Distinguish these things, therefore, 318 you also," he might say to his friends, "and you will find the manner of the things that have befallen#6 me." In much time is wisdom, and#6 in a long life is knowledge. He also says these things most instructively; for lest they should suppose the knowledge of existing things to be ready and easy because it was said "For the mind distinguishes words" and should reason,

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"ἐγὼ ὠργίσθην αὐτοῖς ὀλίγα, αὐτοὶ δὲ συνεπέθεντο εἰς κακά." οὐ γὰρ ἵνα ἀνηλεῶς χρήσωνται παραδίδωσιν θεός· αὐτοὶ δὲ σὺν πολλῇ προθυμίᾳ τοῦτο ποιοῦντες ἀνηλεῶς ποιοῦσιν· καὶ Φαραὼ δὲ πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσδραὴλ τοιοῦτος. τοιοῦτον τὸ "γίγαντες ἔρχονται πληρῶσαι τὸν θυμόν μου χαίροντες ἅμα καὶ ὑβρίζοντες." χαίρουσιν γὰρ τοιούτοις οἷς ὑπηρετοῦσιν. 315 ἀλλὰ ἐρώτησον τετράποδα, ἐάν σοι εἴπωσιν, πετεινὰ δὲ οὐρανοῦ, ἐάν σοι ἀπαγγείλωσιν· ἐκδιήγησαι γῇ, ἐάν σοι φράσῃ, καὶ ἐκδιηγή#6σονταί σοι οἱ ἰχθύες τῆς θαλάσσης. τὴν τῶν κριμάτων βαθύτητα καὶ τὴν ἀξίαν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐνταῦθα δηλῶσαι βούλεται λέγων, ὅτι ἀκατάλημπτά εἰσ̣ι̣ τὰ κρίματα ὧν "ἐκ μέρους" ἄνθρωπος ἐπιστήμην δέχεται. οὐ πάντως δὲ οὕτως ἐκλαβεῖν προσήκει, ὅτι ἐρωτῆσαι δεῖ τὰ τετράποδα ὡς παρ' αὐτῶν ἐκδέχεσθαι ἀπόκρισιν, ἀλλὰ «τὴν ἐν τοῖς τετραπόδοις ἐραύνησον καὶ ἐν πετεινοῖς καὶ τῇ γῇ δημιουργίαν καὶ κρίματα καὶ σκόπησον, εἰ δυνήσει καταλαβεῖν τοὺς βαθυτάτους ἐν αὐτοῖς λόγους.» ταῦτα δέ φ̣ησ̣ιν ἐπιστῆσαι αὐτοῖς βουλόμενος, ὅτι ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ διοίκησις ἐναποκρύπτεται καὶ οὐ πρέπει αὐτοὺς ἐπιτρέχειν αὐτῇ ἀγνοοῦντας, καθ̣ὰ κατέτρεχον αὐτοῦ ὡς δι' ἁμαρτίας πάσχοντος οὐκ εἰδότες τὸ κρίμα. καὶ γὰρ τῷ ὄντι ἐκ προχείρου ἡ τῶν ζῴων ὕπαρξις οὐ παραστήσει τὸ εὔλογον· τὰ γοῦν ἰοβόλα τοῖς πολλοῖς δοκεῖ οὐκ ἔχειν τῆς παραγωγῆς τὸ εὔλογον. ἀλλ' ὁ ἅγιός φησιν· "πάντα εἰς χρείαν αὐτῶν ἔκτισται." 316 καὶ τὸ κεκρυμμένον δὲ αὐτῶν παρίστησιν· "α···τ̣· τῶν ἔργων αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ἐν ἀποκρύφοις." καὶ γὰρ ἐπὶ ἰατρικῆς ἐστι τοῦτο θεωρῆσαι τοῦ μὲν ἰατροῦ τέχ̣ν̣ῃ καὶ ἐπιστήμῃ προσάγοντος τὰ ἰατικά, τοῦ δὲ ἀνιάτρου δυσαρεστουμένου πολλάκις τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ ἰατροῦ ἐπιβαλ#6λομένοις φαρμάκοις. τίς οὖν οὐκ ἔγνω ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις, ὅτι #6χεὶρ κυρίου ἐποίησεν ταῦτα; τὸν καθ' ἕκαστον λόγον τῶν γεγενημένων ἀποκεκρυμμένον εἰπών, δι' οὗ ἐδίδαξεν τοὺς φίλους ἐπιστῆσαι καὶ τῷ καθ' αὑτὸν ὡς κεκρυμμένῳ καὶ μὴ προχείρως φάσκειν ἁμαρτίας χάριν τοῦτο γεγονέναι, ἕτερόν τι παιδεύει παριστῶν, ὅτι ὁ καθόλου λόγος φανερός ἐστιν, κἂν̣ ὁ ἕτερος κεκρυμμένος τυγχάνῃ, λέγω δή, ὅτι "χεὶρ κυρίου ταῦτα πεποίηκεν," ἵνα ἔμφασιν παραστήσῃ τῆς ἑτέρας αἰτίας, ὅτι εἰ καὶ οὐ διὰ ἁμαρτίας, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ χειρὸς κυρίου ταῦτα γίνεται συνχωροῦντος. καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὴ ἦν ὁ ἐξα̣ι̣τησάμενος λαβὼν τὴν ἐπιτροπὴν πρὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐδὲν ἠδύνατο. ἐλεγκτέον ἐκ τούτων τοὺς τὸ αὐτόματον εἰσάγοντας, ὅτι τάξει καὶ προνοίᾳ τὰ πάντα διοικεῖται. ἡ γὰρ σύνπνοια τοῦ παντὸς ἱκανὴ διδασκαλία τοῦ ἐφεστάναι 317 #6τοῖς ὅλοις τὴν πρόνοιαν τοῦ θεου῀̣. εἰ μὴ ἐν χειρὶ αὐτοῦ ψυχὴ πάντων τῶν ζώντων καὶ πνεῦμα #6παντὸς ἀνθρώπου; βεβαιοῖ τὰ τῆς παιδεύσεως διδάσκων αὐτούς, ὅτι ὑπὸ τὴν χεῖρα τοῦ θεοῦ πάντα ἐστιν καὶ ἡ ζωὴ τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ ὁ θάνατος -τούτῳ ὅμοιον τὸ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίω· "οὐχὶ δύο στρουθία ἀσσαρίου πωλεῖται; καὶ οὐχ ἓν αὐτῶν ἐμπεσεῖται εἰς παγίδα ἄνευ τοῦ πατρὸς τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς"-οὐδὲν ἕτερον διὰ τούτου κατασκευάζων ἢ τὸ ε᾿̣πιστῆσα̣ι τὴν ἑαυτῶν διάνοιαν ἐπὶ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ κρίματα καὶ ·ι μὴ εἰκ̣αίως λέγειν δι' ἁμαρτίας αὐτὸν #6πεπονθέναι. νοῦς μὲν γὰρ ῥήματα διακρί#6νει, λάρυξ δὲ σῖτα γεύεται. ἐπίστησον, εἰ ταῦτα ἀποδίδοται πρὸς ἐκεῖνα· "ἀλλὰ ἐρώτησον τετράποδα, ἐάν σοι εἴπωσιν." δῆλον ἐκ τῆς ἀκολουθίας, ὅτι οὐκ ἀλόγων ἢ ἀψύχων ἐστὶν εἰδέναι τὰ τῆς προνοίας κρίματα, ἀλλὰ τοῦ νοῦ. καὶ παράδειγμα λαμβάνει, ὅτι καθάπερ ὁ λάρυγξ κριτικός ἐστι τῶν σιτίων, οὕτως ὁ νοῦς τῶν τε λεγομένων καὶ τῶν ἐγκειμένων ἐν τῇ φύσει τοῦ παντός. «διακρίνετε τοίνυν 318 καὶ ὑμεῖς», λέγοι ἂν πρὸς τοὺς φίλους, «ταῦτα καὶ εὑρήσετε τὸν τρόπον τῶν ἐμοὶ συμ#6βεβηκότων.» ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ σοφία, ἐν #6δὲ πολλῷ βίῳ ἐπιστήμη. παιδευτικώτατα καὶ ταῦτά φησιν· ἵνα γὰρ μὴ πρόχει ρον καὶ εὐχερῆ τὴν τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν οἰηθῶσιν διὰ τὸ εἰρῆσθαι "νοῦς μὲν γὰρ ῥήματα διακρίνει" καὶ λογίσωνται,