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I speak of the intemperance of the stomach. For one can hear even now many foolish people saying countless bad things because of their belly. But Christ, showing that not even this tyranny compels the virtuous man to do anything unbecoming, both hungers and does not obey the command, teaching us in nothing to obey the devil. For since the first man from this both offended God and transgressed the law, He teaches you abundantly, even if what is commanded by him is not a transgression, not even so to obey. And why do I say transgression? For even if demons say something useful, he says, do not even so pay attention to them. So He even silenced those demons who proclaimed Him Son of God. And Paul again rebuked those shouting this very thing, although what was said was useful; but out of abundance he dishonored them, and walled off their plot against us, and drove them out as they were proclaiming saving doctrines, stopping their mouths and commanding them to be silent. And for this reason He did not consent to what was said here either; but what does He say? Man shall not live by bread alone. What He says is this: that God is able even with a word to feed the hungry one, bringing to him testimony from the Old Scripture, and teaching that, even if we are starving, even if we suffer anything whatsoever, we should never depart from the Master. 3. But if someone should say that he ought indeed to have shown a sign, I would ask him: For what reason and why? For he did not say these things that he might believe, but that, as he thought, he might convict Him of unbelief. Since he also thus deceived and convicted the first ones, who did not strongly believe in God. For by promising things contrary to what God had said, and puffing them up with empty hopes, and casting them into unbelief, thus he also cast them out of the good things they had. But Christ shows Himself, consenting neither to this one then, nor later to the Jews who thought his thoughts and asked for signs, everywhere teaching us, even if we are able to do something, to do nothing rashly and in vain, nor to obey the devil when necessity presses. What then of this foul one? Defeated and not able to persuade Him to do what was commanded, and this with such great hunger pressing, he proceeds to another, saying: If You are the Son of God, cast Yourself down; for it is written: For He shall give His angels charge concerning you, and in their hands they shall bear you up. Why then does he add this to each temptation, "If you are the Son of God"? What he did with the first ones, this he does now also. For just as he then slandered God, saying, "In whatever day you eat, your eyes shall be opened"; wishing to show through these words that they had been deceived and cheated, and had received no benefit; so indeed also here he hints at this same thing, saying, that "He called you Son in vain, and deceived you with the gift; since if this is not so, give us proof of that power." Then, since He had reasoned with him from the Scriptures, he himself also brings forward a testimony of the prophet. How then does Christ respond? He was not indignant, He was not provoked, but with great gentleness He again reasons with him from the Scriptures, saying: You shall not tempt the Lord your God; teaching us that one must overcome the devil not through signs, but through forbearance and long-suffering, and to do nothing at all for display and ambition. But consider his foolishness even from the testimony itself which he brought forward. For the testimonies brought forward by the Lord were both 57.212 spoken very suitably; but those from him were brought forward simply and at random, and he did not even bring forward what was relevant to the matter at hand. For indeed what is written, "For he shall give his angels charge concerning you," does not advise one to throw and hurl himself down; and besides, this was not even said concerning the Lord. But for the time being He did not expose this, although he had used the word insolently and very much to the contrary. For no one asks these things of the Son of God, but of the devil and demons to cast himself down; but of God, also to raise up those who are lying down. For if it was necessary to display power, it was not by casting and hurling Himself down rashly, but by saving others. But to [do this to] oneself

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τῆς κατὰ τὴν γαστέρα ἀκρασίας λέγω. Πολλῶν γοῦν καὶ νῦν ἔστιν ἀκοῦσαι ἀνοήτων, λεγόντων τὰ μυρία διὰ τὴν κοιλίαν κακά. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸς δεικνὺς, ὅτι τὸν ἐνάρετον οὐδὲ αὕτη ἡ τυραννὶς καταναγκάζει τι τῶν μὴ προσηκόντων ποιεῖν, καὶ πεινᾷ, καὶ οὐχ ὑπακούει τῷ ἐπιτάγματι, παιδεύων ἡμᾶς ἐν μηδενὶ πείθεσθαι τῷ διαβόλῳ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος ἐντεῦθεν καὶ τῷ Θεῷ προσέκρουσε, καὶ νόμον παρέβη, ἐκ περιουσίας σε διδάσκει, κἂν μὴ παράβασις ᾖ τὸ παρ' αὐτοῦ κελευόμενον, μηδὲ οὕτω πείθεσθαι. Καὶ τί λέγω παράβασιν; Κἂν γάρ τι χρήσιμον λέγωσιν οἱ δαίμονες, φησὶ, μηδὲ οὕτω πρόσεχε αὐτοῖς. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας ἐπεστόμισεν ἐκείνους, κηρύττοντας αὐτὸν Υἱὸν Θεοῦ. Καὶ ὁ Παῦλος δὲ πάλιν αὐτὸ τοῦτο βοῶσιν ἐπετίμησε καίτοι τὸ λεγόμενον χρήσιμον ἦν· ἀλλ' ἐκ περιουσίας ἀτιμάζων αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀποτειχίζων τὴν καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπιβουλὴν, καὶ σωτήρια δόγματα κηρύττοντας ἤλαυνεν, ἐμφράττων αὐτῶν τὰ στόματα, καὶ σιγᾷν κελεύων. Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἐνταῦθα τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐπένευσεν· ἀλλὰ τί φησιν; Οὐκ ἐπ' ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ὅτι ∆ύναται ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ῥήματι θρέψαι τὸν πεινῶντα, ἀπὸ τῆς Παλαιᾶς φέρων αὐτῷ μαρτυρίαν Γραφῆς, καὶ παιδεύων, κἂν λιμώττωμεν, κἂν ὁτιοῦν πάσχωμεν, μηδέποτε ἀφίστασθαι τοῦ ∆εσπότου. γʹ. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις, ὅτι καὶ μὴν ἐπιδείξασθαι ἐχρῆν, ἐροίμην ἂν αὐτόν· Τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ διὰ τί; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἵνα πιστεύσῃ, ταῦτα ἔλεγεν ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλ' ἵνα, ὡς ᾤετο, εἰς ἀπιστίαν ἐλέγξῃ. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τοὺς πρώτους οὕτως ἠπάτησε καὶ ἤλεγξεν, οὐ σφόδρα πιστεύοντας τῷ Θεῷ. Ἐναντία γὰρ ὧν εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἐκεῖνος ὑποσχόμενος, καὶ κεναῖς αὐτοὺς φυσήσας ἐλπίσι, καὶ εἰς ἀπιστίαν ἐμβαλὼν, οὕτω καὶ ὧν εἶχον ἀγαθῶν ἐξέβαλεν. Ἀλλ' ὁ Χριστὸς δείκνυσιν ἑαυτὸν, μήτε τούτῳ τότε, μήτε ὕστερον τοῖς τὰ αὐτοῦ φρονοῦσιν Ἰουδαίοις σημεῖα αἰτοῦσιν ἐπινεύσας, πανταχοῦ παιδεύων ἡμᾶς, κἂν δυνώμεθά τι ποιεῖν, μηδὲν πράττειν εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην, μηδὲ ἀνάγκης ἐπικειμένης πείθεσθαι τῷ διαβόλῳ. Τί οὖν ὁ μιαρὸς οὗτος; Ἡττηθεὶς καὶ πεῖσαι μὴ δυνηθεὶς τὸ κελευόμενον ποιῆσαι, καὶ ταῦτα πείνης ἐπικειμένης τοσαύτης, ἐφ' ἕτερον πρόεισι, λέγων· Εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, βάλε σεαυτὸν κάτω· γέγραπται γάρ· Ὅτι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσί σε Τί δήποτε καθ' ἑκάστην πεῖραν τοῦτο προστίθησιν, Εἰ Υἱὸς εἶ τοῦ Θεοῦ; Ὅπερ ἐπὶ τῶν προτέρων ἐποίησε, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν ποιεῖ. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τότε διέβαλε τὸν Θεὸν, λέγων, ὅτι Ἧ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε, διανοιχθήσονται ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί· διὰ τούτων δεῖξαι βουλόμενος, ὅτι ἠπάτηνται καὶ παρελογίσθησαν, καὶ οὐδέν εἰσιν εὐηργετημένοι· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο αἰνίττεται λέγων, ὅτι Εἰκῆ σε ἐκάλεσεν Υἱὸν, καὶ ἠπάτησε τῇ δωρεᾷ· ἐπεὶ εἰ μὴ τοῦτό ἐστι, παράσχου ἡμῖν ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ τῆς δυνάμεως εἶναι ἐκείνης. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ Γραφῶν αὐτῷ διελέχθη, καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦ προφήτου παράγει μαρτυρίαν. Πῶς οὖν ὁ Χριστός; Οὐκ ἠγανάκτησεν, οὐ παρωξύνθη, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἐπιεικείας πάλιν ἀπὸ τῶν Γραφῶν αὐτῷ διαλέγεται λέγων· Οὐκ ἐκπειράσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου· παιδεύων ἡμᾶς, ὅτι τοῦ διαβόλου οὐ διὰ σημείων, ἀλλὰ δι' ἀνεξικακίας καὶ μακροθυμίας περιγίνεσθαι χρὴ, καὶ μηδὲν πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν ποιεῖν καὶ φιλοτιμίαν ἁπλῶς. Σκόπει δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἀνόητον καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς μαρτυρίας αὐτῆς, ἧς παρήγαγεν. Αἱ μὲν γὰρ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου παρενεχθεῖσαι μαρτυρίαι σφόδρα ἁρμοδίως ἀμφότεραι 57.212 εἴρηνται· οἱ δὲ παρ' ἐκείνου ἁπλῶς καὶ ὡς ἔτυχε, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῖς προκειμένοις τὸ προσῆκον ἀντεπήγετο. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τὸ γεγράφθαι, Ὅτι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ, παραινεῖ ῥιπτεῖν ἑαυτὸν καὶ κρημνίζειν· ἄλλως δὲ οὐδὲ περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου τοῦτο εἰρημένον ἐστίν. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν τέως οὐκ ἤλεγξε, καίτοι γε καὶ ὑβριστικῶς αὐτοῦ χρησαμένου τῷ λόγῳ, καὶ σφόδρα ἐναντίως. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ παρὰ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῦτα αἰτεῖ, ἀλλὰ διαβόλου καὶ δαιμόνων τὸ βάλλειν ἑαυτὸν κάτω· τοῦ Θεοῦ δὲ, καὶ τοὺς κειμένους ἀνιστᾷν. Εἰ γὰρ δύναμιν ἐπιδείξασθαι ἔδει, οὐχ ἑαυτὸν ῥιπτοῦντα εἰκῆ καὶ κρημνίζοντα, ἀλλ' ἑτέρους σώζοντα. Τὸ δὲ ἑαυτοὺς