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this coming was for their sake. But while they drove him away, these men even thought him worthy to stay with them. Ought he not, therefore, to have received these men when they besought him, tell me, and entreated him, but rather to wait upon those who plotted against him and rejected him, and not to give himself to those who loved him and wished to keep him? But this was not worthy of his care. For this reason he both received them, and stayed with them for two days. For they wished to keep him continually (for the Evangelist indicated this, saying that "They asked him to stay with them"); but he did not consent, but stayed only two days, and in these many more believed in him. And yet 59.199 it was not likely that these men would believe, both because they had seen no sign, and because they were hostilely disposed towards the Jews; but still, since they judged what was said with truth, this was not an obstacle to them, but they conceived a thought higher than the hindrances, and vied in admiring him the more; For to the woman, he says, they said, "It is no longer because of your words that we believe in him; for we ourselves have heard and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world, the Christ." The disciples surpassed their teacher. For these men could justly accuse the Jews both for believing and for receiving him. For they, for whose sake he undertook his whole ministry, were continually stoning him; but these men drew to themselves one who was not even coming to them. And the former remain uncorrected even with signs; but the latter, without signs, showed great faith in him, and they pride themselves on this very thing, on having believed without signs; but the others do not cease both asking for signs and testing him. Thus a well-disposed soul is needed everywhere. And if truth takes hold of such a soul, it easily prevails; and if it does not prevail, this happens not from its own weakness, but from the other's lack of good judgment. Since even the sun, when it finds clear eyes, gives light easily; but if it does not give light, it is the fault of their disease, not of its weakness. Listen, at least, to what these men say. "We know," he says, "that this is truly the Savior of the world, the Christ." Do you see how they immediately understood that he was about to draw the whole world to himself, and had come for the correction of the common salvation, that he was not about to confine his providence to the Jews, but to sow his word everywhere? But not so the Jews; but seeking to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God. But these men confess that all are under penalty, declaring that apostolic word, that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by his grace." For by saying that he is the Savior of the world, they showed that it was of a world that was lost; and not simply Savior, but in very great things. For many came to save, both prophets and angels; but "this," he says, "is the true Savior," who provides true salvation, not only the temporary kind. This is of sincere faith. For they are admirable on both accounts, both that they believed, and that they did so without signs; whom Christ also blesses, saying, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed"; and that they did this sincerely. And yet, having heard the woman speak doubtfully, "Can this be the Christ?", they themselves did not say, "We also suspect," nor "We think," but "We know"; and not simply, but "This is truly the Savior of the world." For they did not confess Christ as one of many, but as the true Savior. And yet whom did they see saved? They heard his words only, and said what they would have said, even if they had witnessed many and great miracles. And for what reason do the evangelists not tell us these words, and that he spoke marvelously? So that you may learn that they pass over many of the great things, but from the result they have made the whole thing clear. For he persuaded a whole people and an entire city through what was said. But where they are not persuaded, then they are compelled to speak what was said, 59.200 so that no one, on account of the ignorance of the hearers, may pass judgment against the

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αὕτη ἡ παρουσία δι' ἐκείνους ἐγεγόνει. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν ἀπήλαυνον, οὗτοι δὲ καὶ μεῖναι ἠξίουν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς. Τούτους οὖν οὐκ ἐχρῆν προσίεσθαι παρακαλοῦντας, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ δεομένους, ἀλλὰ τοῖς μὲν ἐπιβουλεύουσι καὶ διακρουομένοις προσεδρεύειν, τοῖς δὲ ἀγαπῶσι καὶ βουλομένοις αὐτὸν κατέχειν, μὴ διδόναι ἑαυτόν; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν τοῦτο ἄξιον τῆς αὐτοῦ κηδεμονίας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐδέξατο, καὶ ἔμεινε παρ' αὐτοῖς ἡμέρας δύο. Αὐτοὶ μὲν γὰρ ἐβούλοντο διηνεκῶς αὐτὸν κατέχειν (τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδήλωσεν ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς εἰπὼν, ὅτι Ἠρώτων αὐτὸν μεῖναι παρ' αὐτοῖς)· αὐτὸς δὲ οὐκ ἠνείχετο. ἀλλ' ἡμέρας δύο μόνον ἔμεινεν, καὶ ἐν ταύταις πολλῷ πλείους ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν. Καίτοι γε 59.199 τούτους οὐκ εἰκὸς ἦν πιστεῦσαι, τῷ τε σημεῖον μηδὲν ἑωρακέναι, καὶ τῷ ἀπεχθῶς πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἔχειν· ἀλλ' ὅμως ἐπειδὴ τοῖς λεγομένοις μετὰ ἀληθείας ἐδίκαζον, οὐ προσέστη τοῦτο αὐτοῖς, ἀλλ' ὑψηλοτέραν τῶν κωλυμάτων ἔλαβον ἔννοιαν, καὶ ἐφιλοτιμοῦντο ἐπὶ τὸ μειζόνως θαυμάζειν αὐτόν· Τῇ γὰρ γυναικὶ, φησὶν, ἔλεγον· Οὐκέτι διὰ τὴν σὴν λαλιὰν πιστεύομεν αὐτῷ· αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἠκούσαμεν καὶ οἴδαμεν, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου ὁ Χριστός. Οἱ μαθηταὶ τὸν διδάσκαλον ὑπερηκόντισαν. Οὗτοι γὰρ καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων κατηγορήσαιεν ἂν δικαίως καὶ τῷ πιστεῦσαι καὶ τῷ δέξασθαι. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ὧν πᾶσαν τὴν πραγματείαν συνεστήσατο, συνεχῶς αὐτὸν ἐλίθαζον· οὗτοι δὲ οὐδὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁρμώμενον εἵλκυσαν πρὸς ἑαυτούς. Καὶ οἱ μὲν μετὰ σημείων ἀδιόρθωτοι μένουσιν· οὗτοι δὲ χωρὶς σημείων πολλὴν περὶ αὐτὸν τὴν πίστιν ἐπεδείξαντο, καὶ τούτῳ αὐτῷ φιλοτιμοῦνται, τῷ χωρὶς σημείων πιστεῦσαι· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ οὐ παύονται καὶ σημεῖα ζητοῦντες καὶ πειράζοντες. Οὕτως εὐγνώμονος ψυχῆς πανταχοῦ χρεία. Κἂν ἐπιλάβηται τοιαύτης ἡ ἀλήθεια, κρατεῖ ῥᾳδίως· κἂν μὴ κρατήσῃ, οὐ παρὰ τὴν αὐτῆς ἀσθένειαν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν ταύτης ἀγνωμοσύνην τοῦτο γίνεται. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ ἥλιος ὅταν λάβῃ καθαροὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, φωτίζει ῥᾳδίως· ἂν δὲ μὴ φωτίσῃ, τῆς ἐκείνων ἀῤῥωστίας τὸ ἁμάρτημα, οὐ τῆς ἀσθενείας τούτου. Ἄκουσον γοῦν οὗτοι τί λέγουσιν. Οἴδαμεν, φησὶν, ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου ὁ Χριστός. Ὁρᾷς πῶς εὐθέως ἐνόησαν ὅτι τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπισπάσασθαι ἤμελλεν, καὶ ἐπὶ διορθώσει τῆς κοινῆς ἦλθε σωτηρίας, ὅτι οὐκ ἐν Ἰουδαίοις ἤμελλεν ἀποκλείειν αὐτοῦ τὴν πρόνοιαν, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ σπείρειν αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον; Ἀλλ' οὐκ Ἰουδαῖοι οὕτως· ἀλλὰ ζητοῦντες τὴν ἰδίαν δικαιοσύνην στῆσαι, τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐχ ὑπετάγησαν. Οὗτοι δὲ ὁμολογοῦσιν ἅπαντας ἐν ἐπιτιμίοις εἶναι, ἐκεῖνο τὸ ἀποστολικὸν δηλοῦντες, ὅτι Πάντες ἥμαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ, δικαιούμενοι δωρεὰν τῇ αὐτοῦ χάριτι. Εἰπόντες γὰρ ὅτι Σωτήρ ἐστι τοῦ κόσμου, ἔδειξαν ὅτι τοῦ ἀπολωλότος· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς Σωτὴρ, ἀλλ' ἐν σφόδρα μεγάλοις. Ἦλθον μὲν γὰρ πολλοὶ σῶσαι, καὶ προφῆται καὶ ἄγγελοι· ἀλλ' ὁ ἀληθινὸς Σωτὴρ οὗτός ἐστι, φησὶ, ὁ τὴν ἀληθῆ σωτηρίαν παρέχων, οὐ τὴν πρόσκαιρον μόνον. Τοῦτο πίστεως εἰλικρινοῦς. Καὶ γάρ εἰσιν ἀμφοτέρωθεν θαυμαστοὶ, καὶ ὅτι ἐπίστευσαν, καὶ ὅτι χωρὶς σημείων· οὓς καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς μακαρίζει λέγων· Μακάριοι οἱ μὴ ἰδόντες καὶ πιστεύσαντες· καὶ ὅτι εἰλικρινῶς τοῦτο. Καίτοι τῆς γυναικὸς ἀμφιβόλως λεγούσης ἀκούσαντες, Μήτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός; οὐκ εἶπον καὶ αὐτοὶ, ὅτι Καὶ ἡμεῖς ὑποπτεύομεν, οὐδ' ὅτι Νομίζομεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι Οἴδαμεν· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ' ὅτι Οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς τοῦ κόσμου ὁ Σωτήρ. Οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἕνα τῶν πολλῶν τὸν Χριστὸν ὡμολόγουν, ἀλλὰ τὸν ὄντως Σωτῆρα. Καίτοι τίνα εἶδον σωθέντα; Τῶν ῥημάτων ἤκουσαν μόνον, καὶ εἶπον ἅπερ ἂν, εἰ καὶ θαύματα ἐθεάσαντο πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα, εἶπον. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν ταῦτα οὐ λέγουσιν ἡμῖν οἱ εὐαγγελισταὶ τὰ ῥήματα, καὶ ὅτι θαυμαστῶς διελέχθη; Ἵνα μάθῃς ὅτι πολλὰ τῶν μεγάλων παρατρέχουσιν, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ τέλους τὸ πᾶν ἐδήλωσαν. Ἔπεισε γὰρ δῆμον ὁλόκληρον καὶ πόλιν ὅλην διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων. Ἔνθα δὲ μὴ πείθονται, τότε ἀναγκάζονται λέγειν τὰ εἰρη 59.200 μένα, ἵνα μὴ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγνωμοσύνης τῶν ἀκουόντων καταψηφίζηταί τις τοῦ