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God, taking note of those who were thus brought under, prompted the prophet to say: “Ask for rain” opportunely in a suitable season “from the one who brings up clouds from the end of the earth and makes lightnings for the rain,” according to the things prophetically reported in Jeremiah. 3.242 The word, inspiring courage in those whom it urges... to ask for rain in its season, added: “The Lord has made apparitions and winter rain”; and not just once ... but often from above, unless perhaps impiety, having taken hold of the Hebrews, so disposed them as to render them unworthy of God-sent gifts. 3.243 Since, therefore, God always waters the earth for the sake of men, it is fitting to propitiate him when a drought occurs, and not to pay attention to false prophets, of the forek... wicked and labors in ... ...n proclamation ... to speak labors the ... and dreams ... those who are deceived, ... of the one ...ing. 3.244 This prevail... as has already been said in the case of Elijah ... God having given an oracle, ... the mentioned time, until... for then, then rain came ... as James writes ... he addressed in his epistle, saying: “Elijah, being a man with feelings like ours, prayed that it might not rain, and it did not rain for three years and six months,” a drought having occurred, to which he added: “The effective prayer of a righteous man can do much.” 3.245 From the things thus always done ... it is necessary to flee to God when divinely sent ... strike, and not to pay attention to demons ... falsely alleging things of which a refutation has been made ... having propitiated God, which he will know clearly who with ... the royal histories. 3.246 Sufficiently, as I think, has been said concerning the literal meaning of Zechariah's saying, we must also pay attention to the allegorical interpretation. 3.247 The God-given teaching is called spiritual rain in what is written thus: “Let the clouds rain down righteousness,” to whom the command is given not to give rain when ... of the vineyard being, according to allegory ... to bear fruit by ange... of the clouds ... because of thorns and thistles ... like ... the blessed men ... one must hear the instruction of 3.248 ...: “Let my utterance be expected as rain, and let my words come down as dew, and as a shower upon the grass” ... and each of the ... of God ... the spiritual shower ... the apostles and prophets, teachers and evangelists who were placed in the Church. ... according to the old covenant ... the evangelical and apostolic teachings. The late [rain] ... is that for which a request must be brought to God, so that it may be given by the one who also gave the early [rain], so that each ... may bear fruit, God having given vegetation ... of those being led up. 3.249 The Apostle in Christ, himself being a cloud in an allegorical sense, writes to the Hebrews: Land, he says, ... the rain coming often upon it ... vegetation ... the apostolic voice: “For land that has drunk the rain that has often fallen on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.” So that no one should think he wrote these things as history, he harmoniously added: “But in your case, beloved, we are confident of better things that belong to salvation,” that is, of those who have borne fruit from having drunk the early and late rain, since those who have received only one or the other do not bear perfect fruit. 3.250 Those of the circumcision, having received only the early rain, did not accept the gospel, not believing in the Savior; just as, in turn, the heretics after the advent of the Savior, having partaken only of the late rain, not having enjoyed the early rain at all, are themselves imperfect and

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λαβὼν ὁ Θεὸς τῶν οὕτω ὑπαχθ̣έντων ὑπέβαλε τῷ προφήτῃ φάναι· «Αἰτεῖσθε ὑετὸν» κα̣ι̣ρ̣ι´̣ως ἐν καταλλήλῳ ὥρᾳ «παρὰ τοῦ ἀνάγοντος νεφέλας ἐξ ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς καὶ ποιοῦντος εἰς ὑετὸν ἀστραπάς», κατὰ τὰ ἐν Ἰερεμίᾳ προφητικῶς ἀπαγγελλόμενα. 3.242 Θάρσος ἐμποιῶν ὁ λόγος οἷς προτρέπει δια······ αἰτεῖσθαι ὑετὸν καθ' ὥραν αὐτοῦ, ἐπήγαγεν· «Κύριος ἐποίησεν φαντασίαν καὶ ὑετὸν χειμερινόν»· καὶ οὐχ ἅπαξ γε ···· πολλάκις ἄνωθεν, εἰ μή που ἀσέβεια κρατήσασα τῶν Ἑβραίων εἰς τοσοῦτον διέθηκεν ὡς ἀναξίους παρασκευάσαι αὐτοὺς θεοπέμπτων δωρεῶν. 3.243 Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἀεὶ Θεὸς ποτίζει τὴν γῆν τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἕνεκα, αὐτὸν ἐξευμενίζεσθαι προσήκει ἀβροχίας γινομένης, καὶ οὐ ψευδομάντεσιν προσέχειν, τῆς προγνω·························· μοχθηρὰν καὶ κόπους ἐν ·························· κὴν προαναφώνησιν ω̣······························ κόπους λαλεῖν τοὺς ἀπ····························· ας καὶ ἐνύπνια διασφαλ···························· τοὺς ἀπατωμένους, ου······························ τωντος. 3.244 Τοῦτο ἐκρατη························· ὡς ἤδη ἐλέχθη ἐπὶ Ἠλίᾳ τ̣························· Θεοῦ χρηματίσαντος, κλ···························· μονευθέντα χρόνον, εω······························ τότε γὰρ τότε ὑετὸς γέγονεν ························ ψεν ὡς τὸν Ἰάκωβον γράφειν ························ προσεφώνησεν ἐπιστολῇ, λέγων· «Ἠλίας ἄνθρωπος ὁμοιοπαθὴς ἡμῖν τυγχάνων προσηύξατο τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι καὶ οὐκ ἔβρεξεν τρία ἔτη καὶ μῆνας ἕξ», ἀβροχίας ἐπιγενομένης, οἷς ἐπηγίοχεν· «Πολὺ ἰσχύει δέησις δικαίου ἐνεργουμένη.» 3.245 Ἐκ τῶν οὕτω πραττομένων ἀεὶ ερ············ι̣ας πρὸς Θεὸν καταφεύγειν δεῖ θεηλάτων συν̣········ κατασκηπτουσῶν, καὶ μὴ προσέχειν δαίμοσι κ··········τιαν ἐπιψευδομένων ὧν ἔλεγχος γέγονεν το̣······· Θεὸν ἐξευμενισαμένου, ἃ σαφῶς εἴσεται ὁ σὺν πο·········νων ταῖς βασιλικαῖς ἱστορίαις. 3.246 Αὐτάρκως ··ὡς νομίζω, πρὸς ῥητὸν εἰρημένης τῆς Ζαχαρίου λέξεως, ἐπιστατέον καὶ τῇ ἀναγωγῇ. 3.247 Ὑετὸς πνευματικὸς ἡ θεόσδοτος διδασκαλία εἴρηται ἐν τῷ γεγραμμένῳ οὕτ̣ως· «Αἱ νεφέλαι ῥανάτωσαν δικαιοσύνην», αἷς ἐντολὴ δίδοται μὴ διδόναι ὑετὸν ὅτε ······················ κατ' ἀλληγορίαν ὄντος ἀμπελῶνος ·························α̣ καρποφορεῖν ὑπὸ ἀγγε······························η τῶν νεφελῶν τυγχα·····························σαι διὰ τὸ ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους ···················λων δίκην οἱ μακάριοι ἄνδρες ···························ι̣δευσιν ἀκουστέον τοῦ 3.248 ······················ς· «Προσδοκάσθω ὡς ὑετὸς τὸ ἀπόφθεγμά μου καὶ καταβήτω ὡς δρόσος τὰ ῥήματά μου, καὶ ὡς ὄμβρος ἐπ' ἄγρωστιν» ········· καὶ ἕκαστος τῶν Θεοῦ κα······························η τὸν πνευματικὸν ὄμβρον ···················μιαν οἱ τεθέντες ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ ἀπόστολοι καὶ προφῆται, διδάσκαλοί τε καὶ εὐαγγελισταί. ························· κατὰ τὴν παλαιὰν διαθήκην ······················ εὐαγγελικὰ καὶ ἀποστολικὰ μαθήματα. Ὄψιμος ·········αιος ἐστιν περὶ οὗ αἴτησιν Θεῷ προσάγειν δεῖ, ἵνα δ̣·········χθῃ τῷ καὶ τὸν πρόϊμον δεδωκότι, ἵν' ἕκαστο············ον καρποφορήσῃ Θεοῦ δεδωκότος βοτάνην ···········ς ἀναγομένων. 3.249 Ὁ ἐν Χριστῷ Ἀπόστολος καὶ αὐτὸς κατ' ἀναγωγὴν ὢν νεφέλη Ἑβραίοις γράφει· Γῆ, φησίν, ·········· πολλάκις ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἐρχόμενον ὑετὸν βοτάνην ·········ως ἡ ἀποστολικὴ φωνή· «Γῆ γὰρ ἡ πιοῦσα τὸν ἐπ' αὐτῆς πολλάκις γενόμενον ὑετὸν καὶ τίκτουσα βοτάνην εὔθετον ἐκείνοις δι' οὓς καὶ γεωργεῖται, μεταλαμβάνει εὐλογίας παρὰ Θεοῦ· ἐκφέρουσα δὲ ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους ἀδόκιμος καὶ κατάρας ἐγγύς, ἧς τὸ τέλος εἰς καῦσιν.» Ὅπως μὴ ταῦτα πρὸς ἱστορίαν αὐτὸν γεγραφέναι νομίσῃ τις, ἁρμονίως ἐπενήνοχεν· «Πεπείσμεθα δὲ περὶ ὑμῶν, ἀγαπητοί, τὰ κρείσσονα καὶ ἐχόμενα σωτηρίας», καρποφορησάντων δηλονότι ἐκ τοῦ πεπωκέναι πρόϊμον καὶ ὄψιμον ὑετόν, οὐ τέλειον καρπὸν φερόν̣των τῶν θάτερον μόνον δεξαμένων. 3.250 Οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς τὸν μόνον τὸν πρόϊμον δεξάμενοι οὐ προσήκαντο τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, οὐ πιστεύσαντες τῷ Σωτῆρι· ὡς αὖ οἱ μετὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἑτερόδοξοι, τοῦ ὀψίμου μόνου μετεσχηκότες, οὐδαμῶς ἀπολαύσαντες τοῦ προΐμου, ἀτελεῖς αὐτοὶ καὶ