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of something heaven-high and great. And he did not say, Do not say, simply, but, Do not say in your heart; that is, Do not even think to doubt and say to yourself: And how is this possible? Do you see, that this is especially characteristic of faith, and leaving aside all the sequence of things below, to seek what is beyond nature, and casting out the weakness of reasoning, 60.567 to accept everything from the power of God? And yet the Jews were not saying these things only, but that it is not possible to be justified by faith. But he takes what has happened in another direction, so that, when he shows it to be so great that even after it has happened it requires faith, he might rightly be seen to weave the crown for these. And he uses words found in the Old Testament, always being eager to avoid the accusations of innovation and of fighting against it. For this, which he says here about faith, Moses says to them about the commandment, showing that they have enjoyed much beneficence from God. For it is not possible to say, he says, that one must ascend into heaven and cross a great sea, and then receive the commandments; but such great and immense things, God has made easy for us. And what does it mean, The word is near you? That is, it is easy; for in your mind and in your tongue is salvation. Not by walking a long road, nor by sailing the sea, nor by crossing mountains, must one be saved in this way; but even if you do not wish to cross the very threshold, it is possible for you to be saved even while sitting at home; for in your mouth and in your heart is the beginning of salvation. Then, making the word of faith easy from another angle, he says, that God raised him from the dead. For consider the dignity of the one who did it, and you will no longer see any difficulty in the matter. Therefore, that he is indeed Lord, is clear from the resurrection; which he also said at the beginning of the Epistle: Who was declared the Son of God by the resurrection from the dead; and that the resurrection is easy, has been shown from the power of the one who did it, even to those who strongly disbelieve. When, therefore, righteousness is both greater and light and easy to receive, and it is not possible to be justified in any other way; is it not of the utmost contentiousness to attempt the impossible, leaving aside the things that are easy and simple? For they could not say that they rejected the matter as burdensome. 3. Do you see how he deprives them of all excuse? For what defense would they be worthy of, having chosen the more burdensome and unattainable, and having passed by what is light and able to save them, and to provide those things which the law was not strong enough to provide? For these things are nothing other than of a contentious mind only, and one rebelling against God. For the law is burdensome, but grace is easy; the law, even if they contend ten thousand times, does not save; grace provides both righteousness from itself and from the law. What argument, then, will deliver them, when they are contentiously disposed toward this, and cling to that in vain and to no purpose? Then, since he has said something great, he again confirms it from Scripture. For the Scripture says, he says: Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame. For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, rich toward all and over all who call upon him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Do you see how he brings forward testimonies both of faith and of confession? For to say, Everyone who believes, indicated faith; and to say, Whoever calls upon, revealed confession. Then again, proclaiming the universality of grace, and putting down their pride, the things he demonstrated at length before, these he recalls in brief, again showing that there is nothing 60.568 between the Jew and the uncircumcised. For there is no distinction, he says, between Jew and Greek. And what he said about the Father in the proof concerning this, this he also says here about Christ. For just as he argued before, saying: Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since God is one; so also here he says: For the same Lord is Lord of all, rich toward all and over all who call upon him. Do you see how

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οὐρανομήκους τινὸς καὶ μεγάλης. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπε, Μὴ εἴπῃς, ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ, Μὴ εἴπῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου· τουτέστι, Μηδὲ ἐννοήσῃς ἀμφιβάλλειν καὶ εἰπεῖν κατὰ σεαυτόν· Καὶ πῶς τοῦτο δυνατόν; Ὁρᾷς, ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστα πίστεως ἴδιον, καὶ τὴν κάτω πᾶσαν ἀκολουθίαν ἀφέντας τὸ ὑπὲρ φύσιν ἐπιζητεῖν, καὶ λογισμῶν ἀσθένειαν 60.567 ἐκβάλλοντας, ἀπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνάμεως καὶ ἅπαντα παραδέχεσθαι; Καίτοι γε οὐ ταῦτα ἔλεγον Ἰουδαῖοι μόνον, ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐ δυνατὸν ἐκ πίστεως δικαιωθῆναι. Ἀλλ' αὐτὸς ἐφ' ἕτερον αὐτὸ ἄγει τὸ γεγενημένον, ἵνα, ὅταν δείξῃ μέγα οὕτως ὂν, ὡς καὶ μετὰ τὸ γεγενῆσθαι πίστεως αὐτὸ δεῖσθαι, δικαίως δόξῃ τούτοις τὸν στέφανον πλέκειν. Καὶ κέχρηται ῥήμασι τοῖς ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ κειμένοις, σπουδάζων ἀεὶ τὰ τῆς καινοτομίας καὶ τῆς πρὸς ἐκείνην μάχης ἐγκλήματα διαφεύγειν. Τοῦτο γὰρ, ὃ περὶ πίστεως ἐνταῦθά φησι, περὶ τῆς ἐντολῆς αὐτοῖς λέγει Μωϋσῆς, δεικνὺς ὅτι πολλῆς ἀπήλαυσαν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῆς εὐεργεσίας. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, φησὶν, ὅτι εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβῆναι δεῖ καὶ πέλαγος διαβῆναι μέγα, καὶ τότε λαβεῖν τὰς ἐντολάς· ἀλλὰ τὰ οὕτω μεγάλα καὶ ὑπέρογκα, εὔκολα ἡμῖν ἐποίησεν ὁ Θεός. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἐγγύς σου τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστι; Τουτέστιν, εὔκολόν ἐστιν· ἐν γὰρ τῇ διανοίᾳ σου καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἡ σωτηρία. Οὐ μακρὰν ὁδὸν βαδίσαντας, οὐδὲ πέλαγος πλεύσαντας, οὐδὲ ὄρη παρελθόντας, οὕτω δεῖ σωθῆναι· ἀλλ' εἰ μηδὲ αὐτὸν βουληθῇς ὑπερβῆναι τὸν οὐδὸν, ἔξεστί σοι καὶ οἴκοι καθημένῳ σωθῆναι· ἐν γὰρ τῷ στόματί σου καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐστὶ τῆς σωτηρίας ἡ ἀφορμή. Εἶτα καὶ ἑτέρωθεν εὔκολον ποιῶν τὸν τῆς πίστεως λόγον, φησὶν, ὅτι Ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Ἐννόησον γὰρ τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ ποιήσαντος, καὶ οὐκέτι ὄψεις δυσκολίαν οὐδεμίαν ἐν τῷ πράγματι. Οὐκοῦν, ὅτι μὲν οὖν Κύριος, ἐκ τῆς ἀναστάσεως δῆλον· ὃ καὶ ἀρχόμενος τῆς Ἐπιστολῆς ἔλεγε· Τοῦ ὁρισθέντος Υἱοῦ Θεοῦ ἐξ ἀναστάσεως νεκρῶν· ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀνάστασις εὔκολος, ἐκ τῆς τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἰσχύος ἀποδέδεικται καὶ τοῖς σφόδρα διαπιστοῦσιν. Ὅταν οὖν καὶ μείζων ἡ δικαιοσύνη καὶ κούφη καὶ εὐπαράδεκτος, καὶ ἄλλως δικαιωθῆναι μὴ ᾖ· οὐκ ἐσχάτης φιλονεικίας τὸ τοῖς ἀδυνάτοις ἐπιχειρεῖν, τὰ εὔκολα ἀφέντας καὶ ῥᾴδια; Οὐ γὰρ ἔχοιεν ἂν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι ὡς φορτικὸν τὸ πρᾶγμα παρῃτήσαντο. γʹ. Εἶδες πῶς πάσης αὐτοὺς ἀποστερεῖ συγγνώμης; Ποίας γὰρ ἂν εἶεν ἀπολογίας ἄξιοι, τὸ μὲν φορτικώτερον ἑλόμενοι καὶ ἀνήνυτον, παραδραμόντες δὲ τὸ κοῦφον καὶ δυνάμενον αὐτοὺς σῶσαι, κἀκεῖνα παρασχεῖν, ἅπερ ὁ νόμος οὐκ ἴσχυσε; Ταῦτα γὰρ οὐδὲν ἕτερον, ἀλλ' ἢ φιλονεικούσης γνώμης ἐστὶ μόνον, καὶ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν στασιαζούσης. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ νόμος ἐπαχθὴς, ἡ δὲ χάρις ῥᾳδία· ὁ νόμος, κἂν μυρία φιλονεικήσωσιν, οὐ σώζει· ἡ χάρις καὶ τὴν ἐξ ἑαυτῆς καὶ τὴν ἐκ τοῦ νόμου παρέχει δικαιοσύνην. Τίς οὖν αὐτοὺς ἐξαιρήσεται λόγος, πρὸς μὲν ταύτην φιλονείκως διακειμένους, ἐκείνου δὲ ἀντεχομένους εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην; Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ μέγα εἴρηκε, πάλιν ἀπὸ τῆς Γραφῆς αὐτὸ πιστοῦται. Λέγει γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ, φησί· Πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ' αὐτῷ, οὐ καταισχυνθήσεται. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι διαστολὴ Ἰουδαίου τε καὶ Ἕλληνος· ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς Κύριος πάντων, πλουτῶν εἰς πάντα καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους αὐτόν. Πᾶς γὰρ, ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, σωθήσεται. Εἶδες πῶς καὶ τῆς πίστεως καὶ τῆς ὁμολογίας παράγει μαρτυρίας; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Πᾶς ὁ πιστεύων, τὴν πίστιν ἐδήλωσε· τὸ δὲ εἰπεῖν, Ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται, τὴν ὁμολογίαν ἐνέφηνεν. Εἶτα πάλιν τὸ κοινὸν τῆς χάριτος ἀνακηρύττων, καὶ τὸ ἐκείνων φύσημα καταστέλλων, ἃ διὰ πολλῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἀπέδειξε, ταῦτα ἐν βραχέσιν ἀναμιμνήσκει, πάλιν δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐδὲν τὸ 60.568 μέσον τοῦ Ἰουδαίου καὶ τοῦ ἀκροβύστου. Οὐ γάρ ἐστι διαστολὴ, φησὶν, Ἰουδαίου τε καὶ Ἕλληνος. Καὶ ὃ περὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἴρηκεν ἐν τῇ περὶ τούτου ἀποδείξει, τοῦτο καὶ ἐνταῦθα περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγει. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτὸ κατασκευάζων ἔλεγεν· Ἢ Ἰουδαίων ὁ Θεὸς μόνον; οὐχὶ καὶ ἐθνῶν; ναὶ καὶ ἐθνῶν, ἐπείπερ καὶ εἷς ὁ Θεός· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθά φησιν· Ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς Κύριος πάντων, πλουτῶν εἰς πάντα καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους αὐτόν. Ὁρᾷς πῶς