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that the greatest things are accomplished through faith, and not through reasonings. And how does he show this, tell me? By saying, By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. It is clear, he says, that God made the things that are from things that are not, the things that appear from things that do not appear, the things that subsist from things that do not subsist. But whence is it clear that He also did this by a word? for reasoning suggests nothing of the kind, but even the contrary, that the things that do not appear are from the things that do appear. For this reason especially the philosophers say that nothing comes from things that are not, being carnal men, and entrusting nothing to faith; yet even they are convicted, whenever they say something great and noble, entrusting it to faith; for instance, they say that God is without beginning 63.155 and unbegotten; for reasoning does not suggest this, but the contrary. But observe for me also their great folly. They say God is without beginning; which is far more wonderful than [the idea of things coming] from things that are not. For to say that He is without beginning, that He is unbegotten, begotten neither by Himself nor by another, is more perplexing than to say that God made the things that are from things that are not. For in this case there are many credible things; for instance, that He made something, that what was made had a beginning, that it was made at all; but in that case, the idea of being self-existent, unbegotten, having neither beginning nor time—does this not require faith, tell me? But he did not put forward this which was far greater, but the lesser, saying: By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God. Whence then do you say it is clear that God made all things by a word? For reasoning does not suggest this, nor was anyone present when these things came to be. By faith; for understanding is the work of faith. Therefore he also said thus, By faith we understand. What do we understand by faith, say? That the things which are seen were not made of things which do appear; for this is faith. Having stated the general principle, he then applies it to persons. For a glorious man is worth as much as the world. At least he hinted at this later. For after he had set it against a hundred or two hundred persons, and then saw the number to be small in quantity, he then says: Of whom the world was not worthy. By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain. See whom he puts first, one who suffered evil, and from a brother who had not been wronged at all, but was envied on account of God. Therefore the suffering is pertinent. For you also, he says, have suffered the same things from your own kinsmen. At the same time he also shows that they themselves are subject to envy and malice. That man honored God, and died for the things for which he honored Him, and has not yet obtained the resurrection; but his eagerness is clear, and what was from him has been done, but what is from God has not yet been brought to him. And here by a more excellent sacrifice he means the more honorable, the more splendid, the more necessary. And we cannot, he says, say that it was not accepted; for He did accept it, and said to Cain: Is it not so, if you offer correctly, but do not divide correctly? Therefore Abel both offered correctly and divided correctly. But yet, in return for these things, what reward did he receive? He was slain by a brother's hand; and the condemnation, which his father endured for his sin, this the son who acted rightly first received, and he suffered things as much more grievous as they were both from a brother and he was the first. And he accomplished these things looking to no one; for to whom did he look, and so honor God? To his father and mother? but they had insulted Him in return for His benefits. But to his brother? but he too dishonored Him. So he discovered the good from himself. And he who was worthy of so much honor, what does he suffer? He is killed. Then he also adds another encomium, saying: By which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaks. And how else was it testified that he was righteous? It is said that fire came down and consumed the sacrifices; for instead of, The Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offerings, it says, And He set them on fire. He therefore who testified to the righteous man both by 63.156 words and by deeds, and seeing him slain on His account, did not defend him but allowed it. 2. But your case is not such; for how, you who have both prophets and examples, and exhortations

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ὅτι τὰ μέγιστα διὰ πίστεως, καὶ οὐ διὰ λογισμῶν κατορθοῦται. Καὶ πῶς τοῦτο δείκνυσιν, εἰπέ μοι; Πίστει νοοῦμεν, εἰπὼν, κατηρτίσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας ῥήματι Θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων τὰ βλεπόμενα γεγονέναι. ∆ῆλον, φησὶν, ἐστὶν, ὅτι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων τὰ ὄντα ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἐκ τῶν μὴ φαινομένων τὰ φαινόμενα, ἐκ τῶν οὐχ ὑφεστώτων τὰ ὑφεστῶτα. Πόθεν δὲ δῆλον, ὅτι καὶ ῥήματι τοῦτο ἐποίησεν; ὁ μὲν γὰρ λογισμὸς οὐδὲν ὑποβάλλει τοιοῦτον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὐναντίον ἐκ τῶν φαινομένων τὰ μὴ φαινόμενα εἶναι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μάλιστα οἱ φιλόσοφοι οὐδέν φασιν ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων εἶναι, ψυχικοὶ ὄντες, καὶ οὐδὲν τῇ πίστει ἐπιτρέποντες· ἁλίσκονται δὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ ὅμως, ὅταν μέγα τι καὶ γενναῖον εἴπωσι, τῇ πίστει αὐτὸ ἐπιτρέποντες· οἷον, λέγουσιν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἄναρχός 63.155 ἐστι καὶ ἀγέννητος· ὁ γὰρ λογισμὸς οὐχ ὑποβάλλει τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ τοὐναντίον. Θέα δέ μοι καὶ τὴν πολλὴν μωρίαν αὐτῶν. Τὸν Θεὸν ἄναρχον λέγουσιν· ὃ τοῦ ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων πολλῷ θαυμασιώτερον. Τοῦ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων τὰ ὄντα ὁ Θεὸς ἐποίησε, τὸ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ἄναρχός ἐστιν, ὅτι ἀγέννητος, οὔτε ὑφ' ἑαυτοῦ, οὔτε ὑφ' ἑτέρου γεννηθεὶς, ἀπορώτερον. Ἐνταῦθα μὲν γὰρ πολλὰ τὰ πιστά· οἷον, ὅτι ἐποίησέ τι, ὅτι ἀρχὴν ἔσχε τὸ ποιούμενον, ὅτι ἐποιήθη ὅλως· ἐκεῖ δὲ τὸ, αὐτόματος, ἀγέννητος, οὔτε ἀρχὴν ἔσχεν, οὔτε χρόνον, ταῦτα οὐχὶ πίστεως δεῖται, εἰπέ μοι; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔθηκε τοῦτο ὃ πολλῷ πλέον ἦν, ἀλλὰ τὸ ἔλαττον, εἰπών· Πίστει νοοῦμεν κατηρτίσθαι τοὺς αἰῶνας ῥήματι Θεοῦ. Πόθεν οὖν λέγεις δῆλον, ὅτε ὁ Θεὸς ῥήματι πάντα ἐποίησε; λογισμὸς γὰρ τοῦτο οὐχ ὑποβάλλει, οὐδὲ παρῆν τις ὅτε ταῦτα ἐγίνετο. Ὑπὸ πίστεως· πίστεως γὰρ ἔργον ἡ κατανόησις. ∆ιὸ καὶ οὕτως εἶπε, Πίστει νοοῦμεν. Τί νοοῦμεν πίστει, εἰπέ; Ὅτι μὴ ἐκ φαινομένων τὰ βλεπόμενα γέγονε· τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ πίστις. Εἰπὼν δὴ τὸ κοινὸν, λοιπὸν ἐπὶ προσώπων αὐτὸ γυμνάζει. Καὶ γὰρ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐστὶν ἀντάξιος ἔνδοξος ἀνήρ. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὕστερον ᾐνίξατο. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐπὶ προσώπων αὐτὸ ἑκατὸν ἢ διακοσίων ἀντέστησεν, εἶτα εἶδε τὸν ἀριθμὸν ὀλίγον τῇ ποσότητι, λοιπόν φησιν· Ὧν οὐκ ἦν ἄξιος ὁ κόσμος. Πίστει πλείονα θυσίαν Ἄβελ παρὰ Κάϊν προσήνεγκε τῷ Θεῷ. Θέα τίνα πρῶτον τίθησι, τὸν παθόντα κακῶς, καὶ παρὰ ἀδελφοῦ οὐδὲν ἠδικημένου, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὸν Θεὸν φθονηθέντος. Οὐκοῦν οἰκεῖον τὸ πάθος. Καὶ γὰρ ὑμεῖς τὰ αὐτὰ, φησὶν, ἐπάθετε ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκείων συμφυλετῶν. Ἅμα καὶ δείκνυσιν ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ βασκαίνονται καὶ φθονοῦνται. Ἐτίμησεν ἐκεῖνος τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ἀπέθανεν ἀνθ' ὧν ἐτίμησε, καὶ οὐδέπω ἀναστάσεως ἔτυχεν· ἀλλ' ἡ μὲν προθυμία αὐτοῦ δήλη, καὶ τὰ παρ' αὐτοῦ γέγονε, τὰ δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐδέπω εἰς αὐτὸν εἰσενήνεκται. Θυσίαν δὲ ἐνταῦθα πλείονα τὴν ἐντιμοτέραν λέγει, τὴν λαμπροτέραν, τὴν ἀναγκαιοτέραν. Καὶ οὐκ ἔχομεν, φησὶν, εἰπεῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπεδέχθη· ἀπεδέξατο γὰρ, καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν Κάϊν· Οὒκ, ἂν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς. Οὐκοῦν ὁ Ἄβελ καὶ ὀρθῶς προσήνεγκε, καὶ ὀρθῶς διεῖλεν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀντὶ τούτων τίνα τὴν ἀμοιβὴν ἔλαβεν; Ἐσφάγη παρὰ τῆς ἀδελφικῆς χειρός· καὶ τὴν καταδίκην, ἣν ὁ πατὴρ ὑπέμεινε διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ταύτην πρῶτος ἐδέξατο υἱὸς ὁ κατορθώσας, καὶ τοσούτῳ χαλεπὰ ἔπαθεν ὅσῳ καὶ παρὰ ἀδελφοῦ καὶ πρῶτος. Καὶ ταῦτα κατώρθωσεν εἰς οὐδένα ἰδών· εἰς τίνα γὰρ εἶδε, καὶ οὕτως ἐτίμησε τὸν Θεόν; εἰς τὸν πατέρα καὶ τὴν μητέρα; ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι ὕβρισαν αὐτὸν ἀντὶ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν. Ἀλλ' εἰς τὸν ἀδελφόν; ἀλλὰ καὶ οὗτος ἠτίμασεν. Ὥστε παρ' ἑαυτοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν ἐξεῦρε. Καὶ ὁ τοσαύτης ὢν τιμῆς ἄξιος, τί δὴ πάσχει; Ἀναιρεῖται. Εἶτα καὶ ἄλλο ἐγκώμιον τίθησι λέγων· ∆ι' ἧς ἐμαρτυρήθη εἶναι δίκαιος, μαρτυροῦντος ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἀποθανὼν ἔτι λαλεῖ. Πῶς δὲ καὶ ἄλλως ἐμαρτυρήθη εἶναι δίκαιος; Λέγεται πῦρ κατελθὸν ἀναλαβεῖν τὰς θυσίας· ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ, Ἐπὶ Ἄβελ ἐπέβλεψε, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς θυσίας αὐτοῦ ὁ Κύριος, Καὶ ἐνεπύρισεν, εἶπεν. Ὁ τοίνυν καὶ διὰ 63.156 λόγων, καὶ δι' ἔργων μαρτυρήσας τῷ δικαίῳ, καὶ δι' αὐτὸν ὁρῶν ἀναιρούμενον, οὐκ ἤμυνεν ἀλλ' εἴασε. βʹ. Τὸ δὲ ὑμέτερον οὐ τοιοῦτον· πῶς γὰρ, οἱ καὶ προφήτας καὶ παραδείγματα ἔχοντες, καὶ παρακλήσεις