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did he command them to be girded when about to approach Jericho? For it would have been more marvelous, if they did this without weapons. Certainly, then, even if he commands something human to be done, and to take on some tangible alliance, he does this by condescending to their weakness. For what could the putting on of weapons do towards the casting down of a wall? what the sound of trumpets? For if the war were against men, one might have some inclination to reckon with weapons; but if a wall was about to fall down, for what reason are they girded with weapons? And in the case of Gideon, again, those who were taken were equal to those who were not taken; for all were manifest. For what reason, then, do these things happen? So that those who are commanded these things might be brought to faith. For the soul, having been brought up with the body, and never having seen anything bodiless, and gaping at sensible things, needed to be led by the hand from things seen to things understood. Wherefore, even for the prophets discoursing about God there was a need to mention human members, not that they might fashion that pure nature into the forms of members, but that they might teach the soul, which had been brought up with sensible things, doctrines that are above man from human things. Since, therefore, the energy of God is also something intelligible, so that those of that time might not disbelieve, he establishes something sensible. For if he had said, that in seven days the city will be destroyed, while you are keeping quiet and doing nothing, perhaps many would have disbelieved; but now he lays down these commands as a kind of foundation for the human mind. And lest you think what is said is some conjecture, I wish to relate to you an ancient history 55.173 confirming the account. There was a certain Naaman, a Syrian. This man, having been seized by leprosy, and being ashamed of his affliction, as if in danger of the greatest things, comes into Palestine—for it is necessary to shorten the account—wishing to find a cure for the evil from the prophet. So having come, and standing at the man's door, he called the physician. And he heard, but did not come out, but sent to him, commanding him to be baptized in the Jordan river. But since the command was slight, having much of the sensible in it, and not requiring a lofty mind, he was not persuaded. But what does he say? I said, that he will come out and will place his hand, and will call upon his God, and will take away the leprosy. Do you see the soul, how it needed some sensible form? For to not think the physician's command sufficient, but to need a hand, was from the weakness of the one being healed. And many other things are resolved for us from this. For this reason Christ also does not everywhere heal by a word, but also by his hand; for he also put his hand into the mouth and into the tongue; and elsewhere by word alone, and elsewhere by will, doing all things, he healed those who approached him. For what reason, then, did he do this? Because of the weakness of those who approached. And that you may learn that this was done on account of their weakness, he praised those not needing such things. For truly I say to you, he says, that not even in Israel have I found such faith; since the centurion did not draw him into the house, but said his command was sufficient. In the case of Hezekiah, then, nothing of this sort happens, but speech alone, and nothing human was taken on; for this very reason also, in the case of the one who was jealous of his wife, a grosser matter was commanded. But if you wish to understand this anagogically For all these things happened to them as types, he says; but they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come, consider the best teachers of the Church using the word instead of a trumpet, and casting down the walls of the adversaries, and the peoples armed with the full armor of Jesus. The number of seven days pre-annuls for us the sabbath. For such commandments of the law were not given principally. For this reason concerning the sacrifices he says; For who has required these things from your hands? And again; Do vows and holy meats take away sins

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αὐτοὺς περικεῖσθαι ἐκέλευσε μέλλοντας προσιέναι τῇ Ἱεριχῷ; Θαυμαστότερον γὰρ ἦν, εἰ χωρὶς ὅπλων τοῦτο ἐποίουν. Μάλιστα μὲν οὖν κἂν κελεύῃ τι ποιεῖν ἀνθρώπινον, καὶ προσλαμβάνειν τινὰ συμμαχίαν αἰσθητὴν, συγκατιὼν αὐτῶν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ τοῦτο ποιεῖ. Τί γὰρ ἠδύνατο ὅπλων περιβολὴ πρὸς τείχους καταβολήν; τί δὲ σαλπίγγων ἠχή; Εἰ μὲν γὰρ πρὸς ἀνθρώπους ὁ πόλεμος ἦν, εἶχέ τίς τινα ῥοπὴν καὶ τοῖς ὅπλοις λογίζεσθαι· εἰ δὲ τεῖχος ἔμελλε καταπίπτειν, τίνος ἕνεκεν ὅπλα περίκεινται; Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Γεδεὼν δὲ πάλιν οἱ εἰλημμένοι τῶν μὴ εἰλημμένων ἦσαν ἴσοι· πάντες γὰρ ἦσαν δῆλοι. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ταῦτα γίνεται; Ὥστε εἰς πίστιν αὐτοὺς ἄγεσθαι τοὺς ταῦτα κελευομένους. Ἡ γὰρ ψυχὴ συντραφεῖσα σώματι, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀσώματον ἰδοῦσά ποτε, καὶ πρὸς τὰ αἰσθητὰ κεχηνυῖα, ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρωμένων ἐπὶ τὰ νοητὰ χειραγωγηθῆναι ἐδεῖτο. Ὅθεν καὶ τοῖς προφήταις περὶ Θεοῦ διαλεγομένοις ἐγένετο χρεία ἀνθρωπίνων μνησθῆναι μελῶν, οὐχ ἵνα τὴν ἀκήρατον ἐκείνην φύσιν εἰς μελῶν σχήματα συμπλάσωσιν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τὴν αἰσθητοῖς συντραφεῖσαν ψυχὴν ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων τὰ ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον παιδεύσωσι δόγματα. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ ἡ ἐνέργεια τοῦ Θεοῦ νοητόν τί ἐστιν, ἵνα μὴ ἀπιστήσωσιν οἱ τότε, τίθησί τι αἰσθητόν. Εἰ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι Ἐν ἑπτὰ ἡμέραις καταστραφήσεται ἡ πόλις, ἡσυχαζόντων ὑμῶν, καὶ μηδὲν ἐργαζομένων, ἴσως ἂν πολλοὶ ἠπίστησαν· νυνὶ δὲ καθάπερ ὑποβάθραν τινὰ τῇ διανοίᾳ τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ τὰ ἐπιτάγματα ταῦτα ὑποτίθησι. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομίσητε στοχασμόν τινα εἶναι τὸ λεγόμενον, ἱστορίαν τινὰ ὑμῖν παλαιὰν 55.173 πιστουμένην τὸν λόγον διηγήσασθαι βούλομαι. Νεαιμάν τις ἦν Σύρος. Οὗτος ὑπὸ λέπρας ἁλοὺς, καὶ αἰσχυνόμενος τῷ πάθει, ὡς ὑπὲρ μεγίστων κινδυνεύων, ἔρχεται εἰς τὴν Παλαιστίνην δεῖ γὰρ ἐπιτεμεῖν τὸν λόγον, λύσιν βουλόμενος εὑρεῖν τοῦ κακοῦ παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου. Ἐλθὼν τοίνυν, καὶ πρὸς τῇ θύρᾳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς στὰς, ἐκάλει τὸν ἰατρόν. Ὁ δὲ ὑπήκουσε μὲν, οὐ μὴν ἐξῆλθεν, ἀλλ' ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτὸν κελεύων βαπτίζεσθαι ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ. Ὁ δὲ ἐπειδὴ τὸ πρόσταγμα ἦν κοῦφον, πολὺ τὸ αἰσθητὸν ἔχον, καὶ οὐχ ὑψηλῆς δεόμενον διανοίας, οὐκ ἐπείσθη. Ἀλλὰ τί φησιν; Ἐγὼ ἔλεγον, ὅτι ἐξελεύσεται καὶ ἐπιθήσει αὐτοῦ τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ ἐπικαλέσεται τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀποσυνάξει τὴν λέπραν. Ὁρᾷς τὴν ψυχὴν, πῶς αἰσθητοῦ τινος ἐδεήθη σχήματος; Τὸ γὰρ μὴ νομίσαι τοῦ ἰατροῦ τὸ πρόσταγμα ἀρκεῖν, ἀλλὰ δεηθῆναι χειρὸς, τῆς ἀσθενείας ἦν τοῦ θεραπευομένου. Πολλὰ δὲ καὶ ἕτερα ἐντεῦθεν ἡμῖν λύεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐ πανταχοῦ λόγῳ ἰᾶται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ χειρί· καὶ γὰρ ἔβαλε τὴν χεῖρα εἰς τὸ στόμα καὶ εἰς τὴν γλῶτταν· καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ μὲν λόγῳ μόνῳ, ἀλλαχοῦ δὲ θελήματι πάντα ποιῶν, τοὺς προσιόντας ἰᾶτο. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν τοῦτο ἐποίει; ∆ιὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν προσιόντων. Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν αὐτῶν τοῦτο ἐγίνετο, τοὺς μὴ δεομένους τῶν τοιούτων ἐπῄνει. Ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐδὲ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ τοσαύτην πίστιν εὗρον· ἐπειδήπερ αὐτὸν οὐχ εἵλκυσεν εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν ὁ ἑκατόνταρχος, ἀλλ' ἔφησεν ἀρκεῖν αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσταγμα. Ἐπὶ οὖν Ἐζεκίου οὐδὲν τοιοῦτον γίνεται, ἀλλὰ πόῤῥησις μόνη, καὶ οὐδὲν ἀνθρώπινον παρελαμβάνετο· διά τοι τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ τὴν γυναῖκα ζηλοτυποῦντος παχύτερόν τι πρᾶγμα ἐπετάττετο. Εἰ δὲ βούλει κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν ἐκλαβεῖν τοῦτο Πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα τύποι συνέβαινον ἐκείνοις, φησίν· ἐγράφη δὲ πρὸς νουθεσίαν ἡμῶν, εἰς οὓς τὰ τέλη τῶν αἰώνων κατήντησεν, ἐννόει τοὺς ἀρίστους τῶν διδασκάλων τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἀντὶ σάλπιγγος τῷ λόγῳ χρωμένους, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἐναντίων τείχη καταβάλλοντας, καὶ τοὺς λαοὺς ὡπλισμένους τῇ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ παντευχίᾳ. Ὁ δὲ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν ἀριθμὸς τὸ σάββατον ἡμῖν προδιαλύει. Οὐ γὰρ προηγουμένως ἐδόθησαν αἱ τοιαῦται τοῦ νόμου ἐντολαί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο περὶ μὲν τῶν θυσιῶν φησι· Τίς γὰρ ἐξεζήτησε ταῦτα ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν; Καὶ πάλιν· Μὴ εὐχαὶ καὶ κρέα ἅγια ἀφαιροῦσι τὰς ἁμαρτίας