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but simply, according to Job, But a mortal is otherwise buoyed up by words. For what is this to you, if so-and-so is blind, and so-and-so is poor? God did not command you to consider this, but what you yourself are doing. For if you doubt that some power presides over the world, you are more foolish than all; but if you are persuaded of this, why do you doubt that you must please God? At all times, he says, giving thanks to God for all things. Go to a physician’s office, and you will see, when someone is found to have a wound, that same physician cutting and cauterizing. But I do not say this in your case, but go to a carpenter's workshop; and you do not examine the reason, even though you know nothing of what is done there; and many things seem inexplicable to you; for example, when he turns the wood on a lathe, when he reshapes it. Or rather, I might lead you to a more accessible art, such as that of painters, and there you will become dizzy. For tell me, does he not seem to you to be doing what he does simply? For what do the lines mean to him, and the outlines of the lines? But when he applies the colors, 62.133 then the art will appear beautiful to you, and yet even so you will not be able to understand anything precisely. But why do I speak of carpenters and painters and fellow servants? How the bee makes the honeycombs, tell me, and then you will speak also about God. Learn the work of the ants, of the spider, of the swallow, and then you will speak, also about God. If you are wise, tell me these things; but you could not. Will you not cease then, O man, from seeking superfluous things? For these are truly superfluous; will you not cease from being meddlesome in vain? Nothing is wiser than this ignorance, in which those who profess to know nothing are the wisest of all, while those who are over-curious are the most foolish of all. So to profess to know is not everywhere wisdom, but there are times when it is also folly. For tell me, if of two men one were to profess to measure the air that runs from the earth to the heaven, by stretching out ropes, and the other were to laugh at him and say he did not know, at whom shall we laugh, tell me? At the one who says he knows, or at the one who is ignorant? Clearly, at the one who says he knows. Therefore, the one who is ignorant is wiser than the one who professes to know. What then, if someone were to profess to say how many cupfuls the sea holds, and another to profess ignorance, is not ignorance again wiser than this knowledge? Very much so. Why so? Because that knowledge is an extreme ignorance. For the one who says he is ignorant, knows some part. What part is that? That it is incomprehensible to man; for this is no small thing. But the one who says he knows, he most of all does not know what he says he knows, and for this reason he is ridiculous. Alas, by how many things are we taught to restrain ill-timed meddlesomeness and curiosity, and yet we do not endure it, but we are overly curious about the lives of others, asking why so-and-so is maimed, why so-and-so is poor? Therefore, by this reasoning we will fall into another absurdity: why is so-and-so a woman, and not all men; why a donkey, why an ox, why a dog, why a wolf? Why a stone, why pieces of wood? And the argument will go on to an infinite length. For this very reason God has set for us measures of knowledge, and has established them in nature. And consider for me this great curiosity: that seeing so great a height from the earth to the heaven, and suffering nothing, when we go up a high tower and wish to bend down and look below, bending down a little, a dizziness and vertigo immediately seizes us. Tell me then the cause of this; but you could not find it; why does the eye have greater strength, and apprehends things that are further away? 5. And one might see the same thing in the case of hearing. For no one will be able to either shout so much as to fill the air, as much as the eye is able to take in, nor hear from such a distance. Why are not all the members of equal honor; why did they not receive one function nor one place? And Paul inquired into these things, or rather he did not inquire (for he was wise), but having come upon this passage, he says: each one of them [He placed] as He willed; he attributed the whole to His will. Therefore, let us also, ceasing to seek these things, only give thanks for all things; For this reason, he says, give thanks for all things. This is of a grateful servant, this of a wise one, this

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ἀλλὰ ἁπλῶς, κατὰ τὸν Ἰὼβ, Βροτὸς δὲ ἄλλως νήχεται λόγοις. Τί γάρ σοι τοῦτο μέλει, εἰ ὁ δεῖνα τυφλὸς, καὶ ὁ δεῖνα πένης; Οὐ τοῦτο ἐπέταξέ σοι ὁ Θεὸς σκοπεῖν, ἀλλὰ τί δήποτε σὺ πράττεις; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀμφιβάλλεις, ὅτι ἐφέστηκέ τις τῷ κόσμῳ δύναμις, πάντων ἀνοητότερος εἶ· εἰ δὲ πέπεισαι περὶ τούτου, τί ἀμφιβάλλεις, ὅτι ἀρέσαι δεῖ τῷ Θεῷ; Πάντοτε, φησὶ, ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων εὐχαριστοῦντες τῷ Θεῷ. Ἄπελθε εἰς ἰατρεῖον, καὶ ὄψει, ὅταν εὑρεθῇ τις τραῦμα ἔχων, ἐκεῖνον αὐτὸν τέμνοντα καὶ καίοντα. Ἐπὶ δὲ σοῦ οὐ τοῦτο λέγω, ἀλλὰ ἄπελθε εἰς τεκτονεῖον· καὶ οὐκ ἐξετάζεις τὸν λόγον, καίτοι γε οὐδὲν οἶδας τῶν γινομένων ἐκεῖ· καὶ πολλὰ ἄπορα εἶναί σοι δοκεῖ· οἷον, ὅταν τορνεύῃ τὸ ξύλον, ὅταν μετασχηματίζῃ. Μᾶλλον δὲ εἰς εὐπορωτέραν σε τέχνην ἂν ἀγάγω, οἷον τὴν τῶν ζωγράφων, καὶ ἐκεῖ ἰλιγγιάσεις. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, οὐχὶ ἁπλῶς σοι δοκεῖ ποιεῖν, ἃ ποιεῖ; τί γὰρ αὐτῷ βούλονται αἱ γραμμαὶ, καὶ αἱ περιαγωγαὶ τῶν γραμμῶν; Ἀλλ' ἂν ἐπιθῇ τὰ χρώματα, 62.133 τότε σοι φανεῖται ἡ τέχνη καλὴ, καὶ ὅμως οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀκριβῶς οὐδὲν δυνήσῃ καταμαθεῖν. Τί δὲ ἐπὶ τεκτόνων λέγω καὶ ζωγράφων καὶ τῶν ὁμοδούλων; Ἡ μέλιττα πῶς ἐργάζεται τοὺς σίμβλους, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ τότε καὶ περὶ Θεοῦ ἐρεῖς. Τῶν μυρμήκων τὴν ἐργασίαν κατάμαθε, τοῦ ἀράχνου, τῆς χελιδόνος, καὶ τότε ἐρεῖς, καὶ περὶ Θεοῦ. Ἂν ᾖς σοφὸς, εἰπέ μοι ταῦτα· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοις. Οὐ παύσῃ οὖν, ἄνθρωπε, τὰ περιττὰ ζητῶν; περιττὰ γὰρ ὄντως ταῦτα· οὐ παύσῃ εἰκῆ πολυπραγμονῶν; Οὐδὲν τῆς ἀμαθίας ταύτης σοφώτερόν ἐστιν, ἐν οἷς οἱ μὲν ἐπαγγελλόμενοι μηδὲν εἰδέναι, σοφώτατοι πάντων εἰσὶν, οἱ δὲ περιεργαζόμενοι, ἀνοητότεροι τῶν πάντων εἰσίν. Ὥστε οὐ πανταχοῦ τὸ ἐπαγγέλλεσθαι εἰδέναι, σοφίας, ἀλλ' ἔστιν ὅπου καὶ μωρίας ἐστίν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι, εἰ δύο τινῶν ἀνθρώπων ὄντων ὁ μὲν ἐπαγγέλλοιτο τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀέρα διατρέχοντα μετρεῖν, σχοίνους ἐκτείνας, ὁ δὲ καταγελῶν καὶ μὴ εἰδέναι φαίη, τίνα γελασόμεθα, εἰπέ μοι; τὸν εἰδέναι λέγοντα, ἢ τὸν ἀγνοοῦντα; ∆ηλονότι τὸν λέγοντα εἰδέναι. Οὐκοῦν ὁ ἀγνοῶν τοῦ ὑποσχομένου εἰδέναι σοφώτερος. Τί δὲ, εἴ τις ἐπαγγέλλοιτο λέγειν ὅσους ἔχει κυάθους ἡ θάλασσα, ἕτερος δὲ ἀγνοεῖν, οὐ πάλιν ἡ ἄγνοια τῆς εἰδήσεώς ἐστι σοφωτέρα; Σφόδρα γε. Τί δήποτε; Ἐπειδὴ κἀκείνη ἄγνοιά ἐστιν ἐπιτεταμένη. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ λέγων ἀγνοεῖν, οἶδέ τι μέρος. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὅτι ἀκατάληπτον ἀνθρώπῳ· καὶ γὰρ οὐ μικρὸν τοῦτο. Ὁ δὲ λέγων εἰδέναι, ἐκεῖνος μάλιστα οὐκ οἶδεν ὃ λέγει εἰδέναι, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο αὐτό ἐστι καταγέλαστος. Οἴμοι, πόσοις παιδευόμεθα τὴν πολυπραγμοσύνην τὴν ἄκαιρον, καὶ τὴν περιεργίαν χαλινοῦν, καὶ οὐκ ἀνεχόμεθα, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἑτέρων περιεργαζόμεθα βίους, διὰ τί ὁ δεῖνα πηρὸς, διὰ τί πένης ὁ δεῖνα; Οὐκοῦν τῷ λόγῳ τούτῳ καὶ εἰς ἕτερον ἐκπεσούμεθα λῆρον, διὰ τί ἡ δεῖνα γυνὴ, καὶ μὴ πάντες ἄνδρες, διὰ τί ὄνος, διὰ τί βοῦς, διὰ τί κύων, διὰ τί λύκος; διὰ τί λίθος, διὰ τί ξύλα; καὶ εἰς ἄπειρον ἐκπεσεῖται μῆκος ὁ λόγος. ∆ιά τοι τοῦτο ὁ Θεὸς μέτρα τῆς γνώσεως ἡμῖν ἀφώρισε, καὶ ἐν τῇ φύσει κατεβάλετο. Καὶ θέα μοι τὴν πολυπραγμοσύνην τὴν πολλήν· ὅτι τοσοῦτον ὕψος ὁρῶντες ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ οὐδὲν πάσχοντες, ὅταν εἰς πύργον ἀνελθόντες ὑψηλὸν θελήσωμεν κατανεῦσαι κάτω μικρὸν κατακύψαντες, ἴλιγγός τις ἡμᾶς εὐθέως καὶ σκοτοδινία λαμβάνει. Εἰπέ μοι δὴ τούτου τὴν αἰτίαν· ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν εὕροις· διὰ τί μείζονα ὀφθαλμὸς ἔχει τὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ποῤῥωτέρω κατέχεται; εʹ. Καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἀκοῆς ὁμοίως αὐτὸ ἴδοι τις ἄν, Οὐ γὰρ ἄν τις οὔτε βοῆσαι δυνήσεται τοσοῦτον, ὥστε ἐμπλῆσαι τὸν ἀέρα, ὅσον δυνήσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς κατασχεῖν, οὔτε ἀκοῦσαι ἐκ διαστήματος τοσούτου. ∆ιὰ τί μὴ πάντα τὰ μέλη ἰσότιμά ἐστι· διὰ τί μὴ μίαν ἔλαβε χρείαν μηδὲ χώραν; Καὶ Παῦλος ταῦτα ἠρεύνησε, μᾶλλον δὲ οὐκ ἠρεύνησε (σοφὸς γὰρ), ἦν ἀλλ' εἰς τοῦτο ἐμπεσὼν τὸ χωρίον, φησίν· Ἕκαστον αὐτῶν [ἔθετο] καθὼς ἠθέλησε· τῷ θελήματι αὐτοῦ τὸ πᾶν ἐπέτρεψεν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἡμεῖς ζητεῖν ταῦτα ἀφέντες, μόνον εὐχαριστῶμεν ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο, φησὶν, εὐχαριστεῖτε ὑπὲρ ἁπάντων. Τοῦτο εὐγνώμονος οἰκέτου, τοῦτο σοφοῦ, τοῦτο