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became unruly, he mixed a certain difficulty into the use of life, and he did not allow him to enjoy everything with labor, nor everything without labor; but the things for need he allowed him to have without labor and sweat, but the things for luxury with labor and sweat, wishing to cut short for us this great license. But if someone should say: What benefit is there from wild animals? we will say: First, it works humility of soul, and keeps man watchful, and reminds the very arrogant one of his own nature, when the irrational is fearsome to him. And many medicines for ailing bodies are also made from these. But he who asks these things, why wild beasts came to be, will also ask why there is phlegm and bile in us? For indeed these things, if they are aggravated, will come forth more dangerous than a wild beast, and ravage the whole body. And anger is within us, and desire too; and these things ravage more dangerously than wild beasts those who do not restrain and bridle them. And why do I speak of anger and wrath, 55.119 when even our own eye has entangled us in passions worse than wild beasts, ensnaring us in bitter love? But we will not for this reason say: Why have these things come to be? But we will even be grateful to the Master for all things. For what a strap is to a child, that a wild beast is to men. For if, while constrained by so many terrible things, the majority are raised to such desperation, if you should also take away this bridle, consider to what point the affairs of wickedness will advance. For this reason our body has been so constructed: prone to sickness, subject to suffering, besieged by countless evils; and the earth gives its produce with labors; and all of life is full of sweat. Since the present life is a place of training, and ease and leisure destroy the majority of men, for this reason he also mixed in for us occupation and labor, so that, as if by certain bridles, the haughtiness of the mind might be punished. But you, consider both the things swimming through the depth of the waters, and the things raised up on high, the Master has subjected to you through art. And why indeed did he not go through all visible things, both plants and seeds and trees? From a part he hinted at the whole, and for those who love to learn he left the discussion concerning these things. And again he concludes at the same end from where he also began: O Lord, our Lord; both before the proof and after the proof placing the same words. Let us then also continually remain saying the same things, marveling at his care, being astonished at his wisdom, his love for mankind, his providence for us. And these things have been said by us for interpretation. But if you wish, let us handle the argument in a more polemical manner, and let us ask the Jews, where did infants raise a voice? where did such a voice put down an enemy? when did his name become wonderful? But they would not be able to name another occasion than this one, which shows the power of the truth more clearly than the sun. For this reason he says: I will see the heavens, the works of your fingers; and yet Moses had already said that In the beginning God made the heaven and the earth. But against the Jews these things are sufficient, and the things said before; but since those who, without circumcision, imitate and are zealous for their ways, the followers of Paul of Samosata, say that Christ exists from the time that he came forth from Mary, let us ask them too, how, if Christ existed from that time, did he create the heavens? For he says that it is the same one here, the one who perfected praise out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies, and the one who made the heavens. But if he is creator of the heavens, then he would be before the heavens; and he did not have his beginning from Mary, but he was also before Mary. And consider the wisdom of the Prophet. For he does not simply introduce him as creator, but as creating with great ease. Therefore he says: I will see the heavens, the works of your fingers; not that God has fingers, but showing that the visible things 55.120 are of the slightest energy, to the

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ἐξετραχηλίσθη, ἀνέμιξέ τινα καὶ δυσκολίαν τῇ χρήσει τοῦ βίου, καὶ οὔτε πάντα μετὰ καμάτου, οὔτε πάντα ἄνευ καμάτου καρποῦσθαι αὐτὸν εἴασεν· ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν πρὸς χρείαν πόνου χωρὶς καὶ ἱδρώτων ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν ἔχειν, τὰ δὲ πρὸς τρυφὴν μετὰ πόνου καὶ ἱδρῶτος, βουλόμενος καὶ ταύτην ἡμῖν ὑποτέμνεσθαι τὴν πολλὴν ἄδειαν. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι τις· Τί δὲ τῶν ἀγρίων ὄφελος ζώων; ἐροῦμεν· Πρῶτον μὲν ψυχῆς ταπεινοφροσύνην ἐργάζεται, καὶ ἐναγώνιον ποιεῖ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, καὶ τὸν σφόδρα ἀλαζόνα τῆς οἰκείας ἀναμιμνήσκει φύσεως, ὅταν τὸ ἄλογον αὐτῷ φοβερὸν ᾖ. Πολλὰ δὲ καὶ σώμασι κάμνουσιν ἐκ τούτων φάρμακα γίνεται. Ὁ δὲ ταῦτα ἐρωτῶν, τί δήποτε γέγονε τὰ ἄγρια θηρία. ἐρωτήσει καὶ τί ποτε φλέγμα καὶ χολὴ ἐν ἡμῖν; Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα, ἂν παροξυνθῇ, θηρίου χαλεπώτερον ἔξεισι, καὶ τῷ σώματι παντὶ λυμαίνεται. Καὶ θυμὸς δὲ ἡμῖν ἔγκειται, καὶ ἐπιθυμία πάλιν· καὶ ταῦτα θηρίων χαλεπώτερον λυμαινόμενα μὴ κατείργοντας αὐτὰ καὶ χαλινοῦντας. Καὶ τί λέγω θυμὸν καὶ ὀργὴν, 55.119 ὅπου γε καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς ὁ ἡμέτερος θηρίων χεῖρον περιέβαλε πάθεσιν, εἰς ἔρωτα πικρὸν περιπείρας; Ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τοῦτο ἐροῦμεν· ∆ιὰ τί ταῦτα γέγονεν; Ἀλλὰ καὶ χάριν εἰσόμεθα πάντων ἕνεκεν τῷ ∆εσπότῃ. Ὅπερ γάρ ἐστιν ἱμὰς τῷ παιδὶ, τοῦτο θηρίον ἀνθρώποις. Εἰ γὰρ τοσούτοις συνεχόμενοι δεινοῖς εἰς τοσαύτην ἀπόνοιαν οἱ πλείους αἴρονται, ἂν καὶ τοῦτον περιέλῃς τὸν χαλινὸν, ἐννόησον ποῦ τὰ τῆς κακίας προβήσεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸ σῶμα ἡμῖν οὕτω κατεσκεύασται, ἐπίνοσον, παθητὸν, ὑπὸ μυρίων πολιορκούμενον κακῶν· καὶ ἡ γῆ μετὰ πόνων τὰ αὑτῆς δίδωσι· καὶ ὁ βίος ἅπας ἱδρώτων γέμει. Ἐπειδὴ παιδευτήριον ὁ παρὼν βίος ἐστὶ, καὶ ἄνεσις καὶ σχολὴ τοὺς πλείονας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπόλλυσι, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀσχολίαν καὶ πόνον ἡμῖν ἀνέμιξεν, ἵνα ὥσπερ ὑπό τινων χαλινῶν τὸ ἐγηγερμένον τῆς διανοίας κολάζηται. Σὺ δὲ σκόπει καὶ τὰ νηχόμενα διὰ τοῦ βάθους τῶν ὑδάτων, καὶ τὰ εἰς ὕψος αἰρόμενα ὑπέταξέ σοι διὰ τῆς τέχνης ὁ ∆εσπότης. Καὶ τί δήποτε οὐ πάντα ἐπῆλθε τὰ ὁρώμενα, καὶ φυτὰ καὶ σπέρματα καὶ δένδρα; Ἀπὸ μέρους τὸ πᾶν ᾐνίξατο, καὶ τοῖς φιλομαθέσι τὸν περὶ τούτων ἀφῆκε λόγον. Καὶ πάλιν εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ καταλύει τέλος, ὅθεν καὶ ἤρξατο· Κύριε ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν· καὶ πρὸ τῆς ἀποδείξεως, καὶ μετὰ τὴν ἀπόδειξιν τὰ αὐτὰ τιθεὶς ῥήματα. Μένωμεν τοίνυν διηνεκῶς καὶ ἡμεῖς τὰ αὐτὰ λέγοντες, θαυμάζοντες αὐτοῦ τὴν κηδεμονίαν, ἐκπληττόμενοι τὴν σοφίαν, τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν, τὴν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν πρόνοιαν. Καὶ ταῦτα μὲν ἡμῖν εἰς ἑρμηνείαν εἴρηται. Εἰ δὲ βούλεσθε, καὶ ἀγωνιστικώτερον τὸν λόγον μεταχειρίσωμεν, καὶ ἐρώμεθα Ἰουδαίους, ποῦ παιδία φωνὴν ᾖσε; ποῦ δὲ κατέλυσεν ἐχθρὸν ἡ τοιαύτη φωνή; πότε δὲ θαυμαστὸν γέγονεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὄνομα; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοιεν ἕτερον καιρὸν εἰπεῖν, ἢ τοῦτον, ὃς ἡλίου φανότερον δείκνυσι τῆς ἀληθείας τὴν δύναμιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Ὄψομαι τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἔργα τῶν δακτύλων σου· καίτοι γε Μωϋσῆς ἤδη εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν. Ἀλλὰ πρὸς μὲν Ἰουδαίους ἀρκεῖ καὶ ταῦτα, καὶ τὰ ἔμπροσθεν εἰρημένα· ἐπειδὴ δὲ οἱ χωρὶς περιτομῆς τὰ ἐκείνων μιμούμενοι καὶ ζηλοῦντες, οἱ Παύλου τοῦ Σαμοσατέως, ἐκ τότε φασὶν εἶναι τὸν Χριστὸν, ἐξ οὗ ἀπὸ Μαρίας προῆλθεν, ἐρώμεθα κἀκείνους, πῶς, εἰ ἐκ τότε ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς, τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐδημιούργησε; Τὸν γὰρ αὐτόν φησιν εἶναι ἐνταῦθα, τὸν ἐκ στόματος νηπίων καὶ θηλαζόντων καταρτίσαντα αἶνον, καὶ τὸν ἐργασάμενον τοὺς οὐρανούς. Εἰ δὲ δημιουργὸς τῶν οὐρανῶν, πρότερος ἂν εἴη τῶν οὐρανῶν λοιπόν· καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ Μαρίας ἔσχε τὴν ἀρχὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸ τῆς Μαρίας ἦν. Καὶ σκόπει τοῦ Προφήτου τὴν σοφίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς δημιουργὸν αὐτὸν εἰσάγει, ἀλλὰ καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκολίας δημιουργοῦντα. ∆ιό φησιν· Ὄψομαι τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἔργα τῶν δακτύλων σου· οὐχ ὅτι δακτύλους ἔχει ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐλαχίστης ἐνεργείας τὰ ὁρώμενα 55.120 δεικνὺς, τοῖς