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There is “a time” for plowing the land and another for sowing and for sowing seeds suitable for the underlying soil. For in this field he will one day put black cumin, in another cumin, in another wheat and again in another barley and millet, again in another and in another spelt, then when the fruit of all these has come to maturity, at the time of harvest, having gathered each one individually and separately, he cleans it, using the same method for the cleaning of all: for he does not use a wagon and its “saw-like wheels” made of iron on the cumin or the black cumin as he does on the wheat and the barley and the spelt. And again, in turn, he does not clean the wheat by beating it with a rod; for it is not its nature to be cleaned in this way like the black cumin and the cumin, but for the weaker seeds he takes up the rod; for he cleans the cumin and the black cumin by beating them with a rod. But upon the wheat and the barley, and things similar to these, he brings the wheels of the wagon, being of iron and sharp and able to cut strongly and cut away the superfluous parts of the wheat. In the same way, then, the farmer of souls, the Word of God, desires the souls of men to be made new at the proper time through rational teaching that breaks up and cuts open the thoughts hidden in the depths with the plow of the Word. Wherefore he commands, saying: “Break up new ground for yourselves, and do not sow among thorns.” And when the face, as it were, of the soul is made smooth, all evil which formerly grew in it like thorns having been removed, then suitably to the difference of those who receive the seed, the seeds are cast down, for some, certain weaker and small ones, analogous to black cumin and cumin, but for others, more important and necessary ones, comparable to wheat and barley, millet and spelt, on account of the great and diverse power in these very things; “for there are varieties of gifts, and there are varieties of workings, and to one is given through the Spirit” these things, but to another, other things, and again to another, what is fitting. And when “the time of the harvest” arrives, and “the harvest is the end of the age,” the Savior taught; then each one will be required to give the fruit according to the worth of the seeds he has received. And those who have received moderate things but have not used them suitably will experience a more moderate discipline and punishment, as if being beaten with a rod, but those deemed worthy of greater seeds and more perfect gifts, who have rendered no fruit worthy of the power provided to them, will be handed over to the greater threshers of punishment. Just as, then, you also, to whom the word is addressed, having been established as rulers and leaders of the people, being teachers and priests, and having received such great glory and honor from God, have become a “crown of pride” and “hirelings of Ephraim” and have dared such things as to pervert the people, and to “reject” “the precious and chosen and cornerstone.” Therefore, for those among you who are more moderate in power, the things of judgment will also be more moderate, but for those who have been able to do great and many things, the greater punishment will be brought. But the phrase: and his God will instruct him for judgment according to Symmachus, or according to the Seventy: and you will be instructed by the judgment of God, teaches that from some natural teaching, as if provided by God to all men according to natural reasonings, the farmer uses right judgment, so as not to approach the cleaning of the seeds in the same way, but cleans these with a rod, and those through harsh treatment, upon which he will bring the wheel of the wagon; for the one engaged in farming understood these things not from human lessons, but from the instruction of God, who instructed him and taught him to use this judgment. But bread will be threshed fine according to Aquila is said instead of it will be eaten with bread, instead of

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μέν ἐστιν «ὁ καιρὸς» τοῦ ἀροῦν τὴν χώραν καὶ ἕτερος τοῦ σπείρειν καὶ σπείρειν σπέρματα τῇ ὑποκειμένῃ κατάλληλα γῇ. ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῷδε τῷ ἀγρῷ μελάνθιον ἐνθήσει ποτέ, ἐν ἑτέρῳ δὲ κύμινον, ἐν ἄλλῳ πυρὸν καὶ αὖθις ἐν ἑτέρῳ κριθὴν καὶ κέγχρον, πάλιν ἐν ἄλλῳ καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ ζειάν, εἶτα ἐπειδὰν τελεσφορήσῃ ὁ τούτων ἁπάντων καρπός, ἐν καιρῷ θερισμοῦ συναγαγὼν ἕκαστον ἰδίως καὶ ἀφωρισμένως καθαίρει, οὕτω αὐτῷ τρόπῳ ἐπὶ τῇ πάντων καθάρσει χρώμενος· οὐ γὰρ ἁμάξῃ καὶ τοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ κατεσκευασμένοις ἐκ σιδήρου «πριστηροειδέσι τροχοῖς» ἐπὶ τοῦ κυμίνου ἢ τοῦ μελανθίου χρῆται ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ σίτου καὶ τῆς κριθῆς καὶ τῆς ζέας. καὶ αὖ πάλιν τὸν σῖτον οὐ ῥάβδῳ τύπτων καθαίρει· οὐ γὰρ πέφυκεν οὕτω καθαίρεσθαι ὁμοίως τῷ μελανθίῳ καὶ τῷ κυμίνῳ, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων σπερμάτων τὴν ῥάβδον παραλαμβάνει· ῥάβδῳ γὰρ τύπτων καθαίρει τὸ κύμινον καὶ τὸ μελάνθιον. ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ σίτου καὶ τῆς κριθῆς, τῶν τε τούτοις παραπλησίων τοὺς τῆς ἁμάξης τροχοὺς ἐπάγει σιδηροῦς ὄντας καὶ ὀξεῖς καὶ ἰσχυρῶς τέμνειν καὶ περικόπτειν τὰ περιττὰ τοῦ πυροῦ δυναμένους. κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ γοῦν καὶ ὁ τῶν ψυχῶν γεωργὸς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου, κατὰ μὲν τὸν ἐπιτήδειον καιρὸν τὰς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ψυχὰς νεοῦσθαι βούλεται διὰ λογικῆς διδασκαλίας ἀνασχιζούσης καὶ ἀνατεμνούσης τοὺς ἐν βάθει κρυπτομένους λογισμοὺς τῷ τοῦ λόγου ἀρότρῳ. διὸ προστάττει λέγων· «Νεώσατε ἑαυτοῖς νεώματα καὶ μὴ σπείρητε ἐπ' ἀκάνθαις». ἐπειδὰν δὲ ὁμαλισθῇ τὸ ὡσπερεὶ πρόσωπον τῆς ψυχῆς πάσης κακίας περιαιρεθείσης τῆς πάλαι ἐν αὐτῇ ἀκανθῶν δίκην φυείσης τηνικαῦτα καταλλήλως τῇ τῶν ὑποδεχομένων τὸν σπόρον διαφορᾷ, καταβάλλεται τὰ σπέρματα, τοῖς μὲν ἀσθενέστερά τινα καὶ μικρὰ μελανθίῳ καὶ κυμίνῳ ἀναλογοῦντα, τοῖς δὲ σπουδαιότερα καὶ ἀναγκαῖα, πυρῷ καὶ κριθῇ, κέγχρῳ τε καὶ ζέᾳ παραβαλλόμενα διὰ τὴν καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς τούτοις πολλὴν καὶ διάφορον δύναμιν· «διαιρέσεις γὰρ χαρισμάτων εἰσί, καὶ διαιρέσεις ἐνεργημάτων εἰσί, καὶ ᾧ μὲν διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος δίδοται» τάδε, ἑτέρῳ δὲ ἕτερα καὶ πάλιν ἑτέρῳ τὰ ἁρμόζοντα. ἐπειδὰν δὲ «ὁ τοῦ θερισμοῦ καιρὸς» ἐπιστῇ, «συντέλειαν δὲ εἶναι τοῦ κόσμου τὸν θερισμὸν» ὁ σωτὴρ ἐδίδαξεν· τότε κατ' ἀξίαν ἕκαστος ὧν εἴληφε σπερμάτων ἀπαιτηθήσεται τὸν καρπόν. καὶ οἱ μὲν μέτρια εἰληφότες μὴ καταλλήλως δὲ αὐτοῖς χρησάμενοι παιδείας καὶ κολάσεως μετριωτέρας πεῖραν λήψονται ὥσπερ ῥάβδῳ τυπτόμενοι, οἱ δὲ μειζόνων σπερμάτων καὶ τελειοτέρων χαρισμάτων ἠξιωμένοι μηδένα δὲ καρπὸν ἄξιον τῆς παρασχεθείσης αὐτοῖς δυνάμεως ἀποδεδωκότες, μείζοσι τοῖς τῆς κολάσεως πρηστῆρσι παραδοθήσονται. ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὑμεῖς, πρὸς οὓς ὁ λόγος, ἄρχοντες καὶ ἡγούμενοι καταστάντες τοῦ λαοῦ διδάσκαλοι ὄντες καὶ ἱερεῖς τοσαύτης τε παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ δόξης καὶ τιμῆς τετυχηκότες γεγόνατε «στέφανος ὕβρεως» καὶ «μισθωτοὶ Ἐφραίμ» καὶ τοιαῦτα τετολμήκατε ὡς τὸν μὲν λαὸν διαστρέψαι, «τὸν δὲ ἔντιμον καὶ ἐκλεκτὸν καὶ ἀκρογωνιαῖον λίθον» «ἀποδοκιμάσαι». διόπερ τοῖς μὲν ἐν ὑμῖν μετριωτέροις τὴν δύναμιν οὖσιν μετριώτερα καὶ τὰ τῆς κρίσεως ἀπαντήσεται, τοῖς δὲ μεγάλα καὶ πολλὰ δεδυνημένοις ἡ μείζων ἐπαχθήσεται τιμωρία. τὸ δέ· καὶ παιδεύσει αὐτὸν εἰς κρίμα θεὸς αὐτοῦ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον, ἢ κατὰ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα· καὶ παιδευθήσῃ κρίματι θεοῦ, διδάσκει ὅτι ἔκ τινος φυσικῆς διδασκαλίας ὥσπερ ἐκ θεοῦ παρασχεθείσης ἅπασιν ἀνθρώποις κατὰ φυσικοὺς λογισμοὺς ὀρθῷ κρίματι κέχρηται ὁ γεωργός, πρὸς τὸ μὴ ὁμοίως τῇ καθάρσει τῶν σπερμάτων προσιέναι, ἀλλὰ τάδε μὲν διὰ ῥάβδου καθαίρειν, τὰ δὲ διὰ σκληρᾶς ἀγωγῆς, οἷς τὸν τροχὸν ἐπάξει τῆς ἁμάξης· ταῦτα γὰρ οὐκ ἐκ μαθημάτων ἀνθρωπίνων, ἀλλ' ἐκ παιδεύσεως θεοῦ συνῆκεν ὁ περὶ γεωργίαν ἠσχολημένος τοῦ θεοῦ παιδεύσαντος αὐτὸν καὶ διδάξαντος τούτῳ χρήσασθαι τῷ κρίματι. ἄρτος δὲ λεπτοκοπηθήσεται κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν ἀντὶ τοῦ μετὰ ἄρτου βρωθήσεται εἴρηται, ἀντὶ