163

righteous, God testifying of his gifts, and through it, though he died For unless one is more clearly assured about the unseen than about the seen, it cannot be faith. he still speaks; By faith Enoch was translated so that he should not see death, and was not found, because God had translated him. For before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him. For he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his house. Just as the visible heaven alone speaks, so Abel being remembered. by which he condemned the world. For he showed them to be worthy of punishment, who indeed were not brought to their senses even by the building of the ark. And became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith. That is, from this he was shown to be righteous, from believing God. By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed to go out into the place which he should after receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange 95.981 country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked for Since the believers from the Hebrews looked to these, as having enjoyed countless good things, he shows that no one has yet received them. a city which has foundations. That is, the unshakable one. whose builder and maker is God. For He himself, having come, granted that to them. For unless Jesus had descended, and ascended into heaven, having become our forerunner, we would not have been counted worthy of those mansions. By faith Sarah herself also received strength Since here he began reproachfully, if indeed they appear more fainthearted than a woman. For their whole argument is ordered to this, to recover them who have grown weary. to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised. That is, to retain the seed. Therefore there sprang even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. This is not, he says, the only wonderful thing, that she received strength to conceive seed, but that she became the mother of so many, as not even fertile wombs. For as the stars, he says, of heaven, and from one seed, he says. These all died in faith, not having received the promises. Those around Abraham, he says. But having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Wherefore God is not ashamed of them, to be called their God. for He has prepared for them a city. In spirit, clearly. By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall your seed be called. Showing a trial of his piety. For God tries, not as being ignorant, but so that the saints, having provided a trial and proof of their piety, might become wonderful to all. Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead. He said, he says, that He who provided a son to be born from a womb both aged and become useless, will also be able to raise him up when slain. From whence also he received him in a figure. 95.984 That is, in a type. For he became a type of Christ; and this was a symbol, of the Father offering this only-begotten Son. By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph. From whence, he says, did he promise so many good things to his sons, if not from believing in God? and worshiped, leaning upon the top of his staff. By faith Joseph, when he died, concerning the departing of the children of Israel

163

δίκαιος, μαρτυροῦντος ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ δι' αὐτῆς ἀποθανών Ἂν γὰρ μή τις τῶν ὁρωμένων σαφέστερον περὶ τῶν ἀοράτων πεπληροφόρηται, πίστις εἶναι οὐ δύναται. Ἔτι λαλεῖ· Πίστει Ἐνὼχ μετετέθειτο τοῦ μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον, καὶ οὐχ εὑρίσκετο, διότι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεός. Πρὸς γὰρ τῆς μεταθέσεως αὐτοῦ μεμαρτύρηται εὐηρεστηκέναι τῷ Θεῷ, χωρὶς δὲ πίστεως ἀδύνατον εὐαρεστῆσαι. Πιστεῦσαι γὰρ δεῖ τὸν προσερχόμενον τῷ Θεῷ, ὅτι ἔστι, καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἀποδότης γίνεται. Πίστει χρηματισθεὶς Νῶε περὶ τῶν μηδέπω βλεπομένων, εὐλαβηθεὶς κατεσκεύασε κιβωτὸν εἰς σωτηρίαν τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ. Ὥσπερ οὐρανὸς φαινόμενος μόνον λαλεῖ, οὕτω Ἄβελ μνημονευόμενος. ∆ι' ἧς κατέκρινε τὸν κόσμον. Ἔδειξε γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἀξίους ὄντας κολάσεως, οἵ γε οὐδὲ διὰ τῆς κατασκευῆς τῆς κιβωτοῦ ἐσωφρονίζοντο. Καὶ τῆς κατὰ πίστιν δικαιοσύνης ἐγένετο κληρονόμος. Τουτέστιν, ἀπὸ τούτου δίκαιος ἐφάνη, ἀπὸ τοῦ πιστεῦσαι Θεῷ. Πίστει καλούμενος Ἀβραὰμ, ὑπήκουσεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὸν τόπον, ὃν ἔμελλε λαμβάνειν εἰς κληρονομίαν, καὶ ἐξῆλθε, μὴ ἐπιστάμενος ποῦ ἔρχεται. Πίστει παρῴκησεν εἰς γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας, ὡς ἀλ 95.981 λοτρίαν, ἐν σκηναῖς κατοικήσας μετὰ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ τῶν συγκληρονόμων τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῆς αὐτῆς. Ἐξεδέχετο γὰρ Ἐπειδὴ εἰς τούτους ἑώρων οἱ ἐξ Ἑβραίων πεπιστευκότες, ὡς μυρίων ἀπολαύσαντας ἀγαθῶν, δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὐδέπω οὐδεὶς ἐκομίσατο. Τὴν τοὺς θεμελίους ἔχουσαν πόλιν. Τουτέστιν, τὴν ἀσάλευτον. Ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ Θεός. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐλθὼν, ἐκείνην αὐτοῖς ἐχαρίσατο. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ κατῆλθεν Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἀνῆλθεν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, πρόδρομος ἡμῶν γενόμενος, οὐκ ἂν ἡμεῖς ἐκείνων ἠξιώθημεν τῶν μονῶν. Πίστει γὰρ Σάῤῥα καὶ αὐτὴ δύναμιν Ἐντρεπτικῶς ἐνταῦθα ἤρξατο, εἴ γε γυναικὸς ὀλιγοψυχότεροι φαίνονται. Ὅλος γὰρ αὐτῶν ὁ λόγος εἰς τοῦτο οἰκονομεῖται, εἰς τὸ ἀποκεκμηκότας αὐτοὺς ἀνακτήσασθαι. Εἰς καταβολὴν σπέρματος ἔλαβε, καὶ παρὰ καιρὸν ἡλικίας ἔτεκεν, ἐπεὶ πιστὸν ἡγήσατο τὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενον. Τουτέστιν, εἰς τὸ κατασχεῖν τὸ σπέρμα. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀφ' ἑνὸς ἐγεννήθησαν, καὶ ταῦτα νενεκρωμένου, καθὼς τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ πλήθει, καὶ ὡς ἄμμος, ἡ παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἡ ἀναρίθμητος. Τοῦτο οὐκ ἔστι, φησὶν, μόνον τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ἔσχεν δύναμιν εἰς καταβολὴν σπέρματος, ἀλλ' ὅτι τοσούτων ἐγένετο μήτηρ, ὅσων οὐδὲ εὔφοροι γαστέρες. Ὡς τὰ ἄστρα γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἐξ ἑνὸς δὲ σπέρματος, λέγει. Κατὰ πίστιν ἀπέθανον οὗτοι πάντες, μὴ λαβόντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας. Οἱ περὶ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ, φησίν. Ἀλλὰ πόῤῥωθεν αὐτὰς ἰδόντες, καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι, καὶ ὁμολογήσαντες, ὅτι ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Οἱ γὰρ τοιαῦτα λέγοντες, ἐμφανίζουσιν, ὅτι πατρίδα ἐπιζητοῦσιν. Καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον, ἀφ' ἧς ἐξῆλθον, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι. Νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται, τουτέστιν ἐπουρανίου. ∆ιὸ οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς, Θεὸς ἐπικαλεῖσθαι αὐτῶν. Ἡτοίμασε γὰρ αὐτοῖς πόλιν. Τῷ πνεύματι δηλονότι. Πίστει προσενήνοχεν Ἀβραὰμ τὸν Ἰσαὰκ πειραζόμενος, καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ προσέφερεν, ὁ τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀναδεξάμενος, πρὸς ὃν ἐλαλήθη, ὅτι Ἐν Ἰσαὰκ κληθήσεταί σοι σπέρμα. Πεῖραν τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐπιδεικνύς. Πειράζει γὰρ, οὐχ ὡς ἀγνοῶν Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ὅτι οἱ ἅγιοι πεῖραν καὶ ἀπόδειξιν τῆς εὐσεβείας παρασχόμενοι, θαυμαστοὶ παρὰ πᾶσι γένωνται. Λογισάμενος, ὅτι καὶ ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγείρειν δυνατὸς ὁ Θεός. Ἔλεγε, φησὶν, ὅτι ὁ ἐκ μήτρας καὶ γεγηρακυίας, καὶ ἀχρήστου γεγενημένης, υἱὸν γενέσθαι παρεσχηκὼς, καὶ σφαγέντα ἀναστῆσαι δυνήσεται. Ὅθεν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐν παραβολῇ ἐκομίσατο. 95.984 Τουτέστιν ἐν ὑποδείγματι. Τύπος γὰρ γέγονε Χριστοῦ· καὶ τοῦτο ἦν σύμβολον, τοῦτον Πατέρα τὸν Μονογενῆ προσάγειν. Πίστει καὶ περὶ μελλόντων εὐλόγησεν Ἰσαὰκ τὸν Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὸν Ἡσαῦ. Πίστει Ἰακὼβ ἀποθνήσκων,ἕκαστον τῶν υἱῶν Ἰωσὴφ εὐλόγησεν. Πόθεν, φησὶν, ἐπηγγείλατο τοῖς υἱοῖς τοσαῦτα ἀγαθὰ, ἢ ἀπὸ τοῦ πιστεύειν τῷ Θεῷ; Καὶ προσεκύνησεν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄκρον τῆς ῥάβδου αὐτοῦ. Πίστει Ἰωσὴφ τελευτῶν περὶ τῆς ἐξόδου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ