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of the doors, and in the Red Sea? And this showed that it was water, through those who fell in and were drowned, and that it was not an illusion, but reality. Just as in the case of the lions, those who were consumed showed the reality of the events, and in the case of the furnace, those who were burned; so also now you see the same things becoming for some a means of salvation and good repute, but for others a means of destruction. So great a good is faith; for even when we fall into helplessness, then we are delivered, 63.186 even if we come to death itself, even if our circumstances are despaired of. For what else remained? Egyptians and the sea surrounded them unarmed, and they had either to be drowned while fleeing, or to fall into the hands of the Egyptians. But nevertheless He saved them from impossibilities; the same water for some was spread beneath them like land, but for others it engulfed them like the sea; in the one case it forgot its nature, in the other it was even armed against them. By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after being encircled for seven days. For indeed the sound of trumpets is not able to throw down stones, even if one should trumpet for ten thousand years, but faith can do all things. βʹ. Do you see everywhere, not in sequence, nor by the law of nature that it is changed, but all things happening contrary to expectation? Therefore here also all things happen contrary to expectation. For since he was saying again and again that one must believe in the hopes to come, he reasonably set in motion this whole argument, showing that not now, but also from the beginning all the wonders have been accomplished and achieved through it. By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies with peace. Therefore it is shameful, if you should appear more unbelieving even than a harlot; and yet she heard from the men who were reporting, and immediately she believed. Accordingly the end also followed; for when all were destroyed, she alone was saved. She did not say to herself, "I will be with the many of my own people"; she did not say, "Can I be wiser than so many sensible men, who disbelieve, and I will believe?" Nothing of the sort, which another was likely both to say and to feel, but she believed what was said. And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell. He no longer sets down the names then, but having ended with the harlot, and having shamed them by the quality of the person, he no longer expands upon the histories, lest he seem to be long-winded; however, he does not leave them, but runs over them very wisely, preserving both things, both avoiding satiety, and not spoiling the conciseness; he was neither entirely silent, nor did he annoy by speaking, but does both. For when someone contends strongly, if he persists in contending, he wears out the hearer, then annoying one who is persuaded and getting a reputation for contentiousness; for one must adapt to what is profitable. And what more shall I say? he says; for the time would fail me to tell of Gideon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthah; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets. Some find fault with Paul because he places Barak and Samson and Jephthah in these places. What do you say? He who included the harlot, will he not include these? For do not tell me of the rest of their life, but whether they did not believe and shine in faith. And of the prophets, he says, who through faith subdued kingdoms. Do you see that he does not here bear witness to a brilliant life for them? For this was not the primary thing being sought; but for the time being it was an examination of faith. For tell me, did they not accomplish everything by faith? How? Through faith, he says, those around Gideon subdued kingdoms. They worked righteousness. Who? These very men; or he here called philanthropy righteousness. 63.187 They obtained promises. I think he says this about David. And what promises did he obtain? Those of which He spoke, that his seed would sit upon his throne. They stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edges of the sword. See how they were in death itself, Daniel surrounded by the lions, the three youths spending time in the furnace, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob in various trials, and not even so did they despair. For this is faith: when the circumstances toward the

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τῶν θυρῶν, ἔν τε τῇ Ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάττῃ; Καὶ τοῦτο ἐδήλου, ὅτι ὕδωρ ἦν, διὰ τῶν ἐμπεσόντων καὶ ἀποπνιγέντων, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἦν φαντασία, ἀλλ' ἀλήθεια. Ὥσπερ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν λεόντων οἱ ἀναλωθέντες ἐδείκνυον τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν ἀλήθειαν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς καμίνου οἱ καέντες· οὕτω καὶ νῦν ὁρᾷς τὰ αὐτὰ πράγματα τοῖς μὲν πρὸς σωτηρίας καὶ εὐδοκιμήσεως, τοῖς δὲ πρὸς ἀπωλείας γινόμενα. Τοσοῦτόν ἐστιν ἡ πίστις ἀγαθόν· καὶ γὰρ ὅταν εἰς ἀμηχανίαν ἐμπέσωμεν, τότε ἀπαλλαττόμεθα, 63.186 κἂν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν θάνατον ἔλθωμεν, κἂν ἀπογνωσθῇ τὰ καθ' ἡμᾶς. Τί γὰρ ἄλλο ἦν λοιπόν; Αἰγύπτιοι καὶ θάλασσα αὐτοὺς ἀόπλους ἐκύκλουν, καὶ ἢ ἀποπνιγῆναι ἐχρῆν φεύγοντας, ἢ εἰς τὰς Αἰγυπτιακὰς χεῖρας ἐμπεσεῖν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀπὸ ἀμηχάνων αὐτοὺς διέσωσε· τὸ αὐτὸ ὕδωρ τοῖς μὲν ὑπεστρώννυτο καθάπερ γῆ, τοὺς δὲ κατεπόντιζε καθάπερ θάλαττα· ἐκεῖ μὲν τῆς φύσεως ἐπελανθάνετο, ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ ὡπλίζετο κατ' αὐτῶν Πίστει τὰ τείχη Ἱεριχὼ ἔπεσε, κυκλωθέντα ἐπὶ ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ σαλπίγγων ἠχὴ λίθους οἵα τε καταβάλλειν ἐστὶ, κἂν μυρία τις ἔτη σαλπίζῃ, ἀλλ' ἡ πίστις πάντα δύναται. βʹ. Ὁρᾷς πανταχοῦ, οὐχὶ ἀκολουθίᾳ, οὐδὲ φύσεως νόμῳ μεταβαλλομένην αὐτὴν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ προσδοκίαν ἅπαντα γινόμενα; Οὐκοῦν καὶ ἐνταῦθα παρὰ προσδοκίαν ἅπαντα γίνεται. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἄνω καὶ κάτω ἔλεγεν, ὅτι δεῖ πιστεύειν ταῖς ἐλπίσι ταῖς μελλούσαις, εἰκότως τοῦτον ἅπαντα τὸν λόγον ἐκίνησε, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ νῦν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς πάντα τὰ θαύματα διὰ ταύτης ἤνυσται καὶ κατώρθωται. Πίστει Ῥαὰβ ἡ πόρνη οὐ συναπώλετο τοῖς ἀπειθήσασι, δεξαμένη κατασκόπους μετ' εἰρήνης. Οὐκοῦν αἰσχρὸν, εἰ καὶ πόρνης ἀπιστότεροι φανείητε· καίτοι γε ἐκείνη τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἤκουσεν ἀπαγγελλόντων, καὶ εὐθέως ἐπίστευσε. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ τὸ τέλος ἐπηκολούθησε· πάντων γὰρ ἀπολωλότων, μόνη διεσώθη. Οὐκ εἶπε πρὸς ἑαυτὴν, ὅτι Μετὰ πολλῶν ἔσομαι τῶν ἐμῶν· οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐγὼ τοσούτων φρονιμωτέρα δύναμαι εἶναι ἀνδρῶν συνετῶν, οἵτινες ἀπιστοῦσι, καὶ ἐγὼ πιστεύσω; Οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον, ὅπερ εἰκὸς ἦν ἄλλον καὶ εἰπεῖν καὶ παθεῖν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς λεγομένοις ἐπίστευσε. Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω; ἐπιλείψει γάρ με διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος. Οὐκέτι λοιπὸν τὰ ὀνόματα τίθησιν, ἀλλὰ τελευτήσας εἰς τὴν πόρνην, καὶ ἐντρέψας διὰ τῆς τοῦ προσώπου ποιότητος, οὐκέτι πλατύνει τὰς ἱστορίας, ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ μακρηγορεῖν· οὐ μὴν αὐτὰς ἀφίησιν, ἀλλ' ἐπιτρέχει σφόδρα συνετῶς, τηρῶν ἀμφότερα, καὶ τὸν κόρον φεύγων, καὶ τὴν πυκνότητα οὐ λυμαινόμενος· οὔτε πάντῃ ἐσίγησεν, οὔτε λέγων ἠνώχλησεν, ἀλλ' ἀμφότερα ποιεῖ. Ὅταν γάρ τις ἰσχυρῶς ἀγωνίζηται, ἂν ἐπιμένῃ ἀγωνιζόμενος, ἀποκναίει τὸν ἀκροατὴν, πεπεισμένον λοιπὸν ἐνοχλῶν καὶ φιλοτιμίας λαμβάνων δόξαν· δεῖ γὰρ πρὸς τὸ λυσιτελὲς ἁρμόζεσθαι. Καὶ τί ἔτι λέγω, φησίν; ἐπιλείψει γάρ με διηγούμενον ὁ χρόνος περὶ Γεδεὼν Βαράκ τε καὶ Σαμψὼν καὶ Ἰεφθάε, ∆αυΐδ τε, καὶ Σαμουὴλ, καὶ τῶν προφητῶν. Ἐγκαλοῦσι τῷ Παύλῳ τινὲς ὅτι τὸν Βαρὰκ καὶ τὸν Σαμψὼν καὶ τὸν Ἰεφθάε ἐν τούτοις τίθησι τοῖς τόποις. Τί λέγεις; ὁ τὴν πόρνην θεὶς, τούτους οὐ θήσει; Μὴ γάρ μοι τὸν ἄλλον αὐτῶν βίον εἴπῃς, ἀλλ' εἰ μὴ ἐπίστευσαν καὶ ἔλαμψαν ἐν τῇ πίστει. Καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, φησὶν, οἳ διὰ πίστεως κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐχὶ βίον ἐνταῦθα αὐτοῖς μαρτυρεῖ λαμπρόν· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦτο προηγουμένως ἦν τὸ ζητούμενον· ἀλλὰ πίστεως τέως ἐξέτασις ἦν. Εἰπὲ γάρ μοι εἰ μὴ πίστει τὸ πᾶν ἤνυσαν; Πῶς; ∆ιὰ πίστεως, φησὶ, κατηγωνίσαντο βασιλείας οἱ περὶ τὸν Γεδεών. Εἰργάσαντο δικαιοσύνην. Τίνες; Αὐτοὶ οὗτοι· ἤτοι τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐνταῦθα δικαιοσύνην εἶπεν. 63.187 Ἐπέτυχον ἐπαγγελιῶν. Περὶ τοῦ ∆αυῒδ οἶμαι αὐτὸν τοῦτο λέγειν. Ποίων δὲ τούτων ἔτυχεν ἐπαγγελιῶν; Ὧν ἔλεγεν, ὅτι τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ καθίσει ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ. Ἔφραξαν στόματα λεόντων, ἔσβεσαν δύναμιν πυρὸς, ἔφυγον στόματα μαχαίρας. Ὅρα πῶς ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ θανάτῳ ἦσαν, ὁ ∆ανιὴλ κυκλούμενος ὑπὸ τῶν λεόντων, οἱ παῖδες οἱ τρεῖς ἐν τῇ καμίνῳ διατρίβοντες, ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, ὁ Ἰσαὰκ, ὁ Ἰακὼβ ἐν διαφόροις πειρασμοῖς, καὶ οὐδὲ οὕτως ἀπέγνωσαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ πίστις· ὅταν τὰ πράγματα πρὸς τὸ