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intending to establish it, He added. You have neither heard His voice at any time. And how does Moses say, God spoke, and Moses answered? and how does David say, He heard a language that he did not know? And again Moses, Is there such a nation, that has heard the voice of God? Nor have you seen His form. And yet Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and many others are said to have seen Him. What then is that which Christ now says? He is leading them to a philosophical doctrine, showing little by little, that concerning God there is neither voice nor form, but He is superior both to such shapes and sounds. For just as when He said, You have neither heard His voice, He does not mean this, that He utters a voice, but one that is inaudible; so when He said, Nor have you seen His form, He does not mean this, that He has a form, but one that is not visible; but that none of these things apply to God. For so that they might not say, You boast in vain. God has spoken to Moses alone (for this indeed they were saying; 59.233 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he is from); for this reason He spoke thus, showing that concerning God there is neither voice nor form. And why do I say these things? He says. Not only have you neither heard His voice, nor seen His form, but not even that in which you most glory, and in which you are all most fully persuaded, that you have received and hold His commandments, not even this is it possible for you to say. Therefore, indicating this also, He added; Nor do you have His word abiding in you; that is, the ordinances, the commandments, the law, the prophets. For though God ordained them, yet they are not with you, since you do not believe me. For if the Scriptures say this up and down, that you must believe in me, and you do not believe; it is clear that His word also has departed from you. For this reason He added again. Because Him whom He has sent, you do not believe. Then, so that they may not say, How then, if we have not heard His voice, did He testify to you? He says; Search the Scriptures; for they are they which testify of me; showing that through these He testified. For He testified both at the Jordan, and on the mountain. But He does not bring that voice forward. For perhaps it would have even been disbelieved from this. For the one on the mountain, they did not even hear; and the other they heard, but did not heed. For this reason He refers them to the Scriptures, showing that the Father's testimony is also from there; first, however, doing away with the old things in which they boasted, either as having seen God, or as having heard His voice. For since it was likely they would disbelieve His voice, and imagine the things on Mount Sinai, first correcting their supposition concerning those things, and showing that what had happened was a condescension, He then referred them to the testimony of the Scriptures. 4. Therefore, when we fight against and arm ourselves against heretics, let us also strengthen ourselves from this source. For all Scripture is God-breathed, he says, and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. Not that he may have some things, and not have others; for such a one is not complete. For what is the benefit, tell me, when one prays earnestly, but does not give alms lavishly? or when one gives alms lavishly, but is greedy and violent? or when one is not greedy, nor violent, but does so for the display of men and the love of honor from those who see? or when one gives alms with all exactness and for what is pleasing to God, but is puffed up by this very thing and is proud? or when one is humble and given to fasting, but is a lover of money and a trafficker and nailed to the earth, and brings the mother of evils 59.234 into his soul? For the love of money is the root of all evils. Let us therefore shudder at the matter, let us flee the sin. This has turned the world upside down, this has thrown all things into confusion, this leads us away from the most blessed service of Christ. For it is not possible, He says, to serve God and mammon. For it commands things opposite to Christ. For He says, Give to those who are in need; but the other, Seize from those who are in need. Christ says, Both to those who plot against and do wrong

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μέλλων αὐτὸ κατασκευάζειν, ἐπήγαγεν. Οὔτε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκηκόατε πώποτε. Καὶ πῶς Μωϋσῆς λέγει, Ὁ Θεὸς ἐλάλει, Μωϋσῆς δὲ ἀπεκρίνατο; πῶς δὲ ὁ ∆αυΐδ φησι, Γλῶσσαν ἣν οὐκ ἔγνω ἤκουσε; Καὶ πάλιν Μωϋσῆς, Εἰ ἔστιν ἔθνος τοιοῦτον, ὃ ἤκουσε φωνὴν Θεοῦ; Οὔτε εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἑωράκατε. Καίτοι καὶ ἑωρακέναι αὐτὸν λέγονται καὶ Ἡσαΐας, καὶ Ἱερεμίας, καὶ Ἰεζεκιὴλ, καὶ ἕτεροι πλείους. Τί οὖν ἐστιν ὅ φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς νῦν; Εἰς φιλόσοφον αὐτοὺς ἐνάγει δόγμα, κατὰ μικρὸν δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὔτε φωνὴ περὶ Θεὸν, οὔτε εἶδος, ἀλλ' ἀνώτερος καὶ σχημάτων ἐστὶ καὶ φθόγγων τοιούτων. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰπὼν, ὅτι Οὔτε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἀκηκόατε, οὐ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι φωνὴν μὲν προΐεται, οὐκ ἀκουστὴν δέ· οὕτως εἰπὼν, Οὔτε εἶδος αὐτοῦ ἑωράκατε, οὐ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι εἶδος μὲν ἔχει, οὐ θεατὸν δέ· ἀλλ' ὅτι οὐδὲν τούτων περὶ Θεόν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγωσιν, Εἰκῆ κομπάζεις. Μωϋσεῖ λελάληκεν ὁ Θεὸς μόνῳ (τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ἔλεγον· 59.233 Ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι Μωϋσεῖ λελάληκεν ὁ Θεὸς, τοῦτον δὲ οὐκ οἴδαμεν, πόθεν ἐστί)· διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως εἶπε, δεικνὺς ὅτι οὔτε φωνὴ περὶ Θεὸν, οὔτε εἶδος. Καὶ τί λέγω ταῦτα; φησίν. Οὐ μόνον οὔτε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἀκηκόατε, οὔτε εἶδος ἑωράκατε, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἐφ' ᾧ μάλιστα αὐχεῖτε, καὶ ἐφ' ᾧ μάλιστα πάντες ἐστὲ πεπληροφορημένοι, ὅτι τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ ἐδέξασθε καὶ κατέχετε, οὐδὲ τοῦτο ὑμῖν δυνατὸν εἰπεῖν. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῦτο δηλῶν, ἐπήγαγεν· Οὐδὲ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ ἔχετε μένοντα ἐν ὑμῖν· τουτέστι, τὰς διαταγὰς, τὰ προστάγματα, τὸν νόμον, τοὺς προφήτας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὰ διετάξατο, ἀλλ' ὅμως παρ' ὑμῖν οὐκ ἔστιν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ πιστεύετέ μοι. Εἰ γὰρ ἄνω καὶ κάτω τοῦτό φασιν αἱ Γραφαὶ, ὅτι ἐμοὶ χρὴ πιστεύειν, ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐ πιστεύετε· εὔδηλον ὅτι καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ ἀπέστη ἀφ' ὑμῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐπήγαγεν. Ὅτι ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος, τούτῳ ὑμεῖς οὐ πιστεύετε. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ λέγωσι, Πῶς οὖν, εἰ μὴ φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ἠκούσαμεν ἡμεῖς, σοὶ ἐμαρτύρησε; λέγει· Ἐρευνᾶτε τὰς Γραφάς· ἐκεῖναι γάρ εἰσιν αἱ μαρτυροῦσαι περὶ ἐμοῦ· δεικνὺς ὅτι διὰ τούτων ἐμαρτύρησε. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ἐμαρτύρησε, καὶ ἐν τῷ ὄρει. Ἀλλ' οὐ φέρει εἰς μέσον τὴν φωνὴν ἐκείνην. Ἴσως γὰρ ἂν καὶ ἠπιστήθη ἐντεῦθεν. Τὴν μὲν γὰρ οὐδὲ ἤκουσαν, τὴν ἐν τῷ ὄρει· τὴν δὲ ἤκουσαν μὲν, οὐ προσέσχον δέ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο παραπέμπει αὐτοὺς ταῖς Γραφαῖς, δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ ἡ τοῦ Πατρὸς μαρτυρία ἐκεῖθέν ἐστι· πρότερον μέντοι τὰ παλαιὰ ἀνελὼν ἐφ' οἷς ἐκόμπαζον, ἢ ὡς ἑωρακότες τὸν Θεὸν, ἢ ὡς φωνῆς αὐτοῦ ἀκούσαντες. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν αὐτοῦ τῇ φωνῇ διαπιστεῖν, καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ Σιναίῳ ὄρει φαντάζεσθαι, διορθωσάμενος τὴν περὶ ἐκείνων ὑπόνοιαν πρῶτον, καὶ δείξας συγκατάβασιν ὄντα τὰ γεγενημένα, τότε αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν παρέπεμψε τῶν Γραφῶν. δʹ. Καὶ ἡμεῖς τοίνυν ὅταν πρὸς αἱρετικοὺς μαχώμεθα καὶ καθοπλιζώμεθα, ἐντεῦθεν καὶ ἰσχυριζώμεθα. Πᾶσα γὰρ Γραφὴ θεόπνευστος, φησὶ, καὶ ὠφέλιμος πρὸς διδασκαλίαν, πρὸς ἔλεγχον, πρὸς ἐπανόρθωσιν, πρὸς παιδείαν τὴν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ἵνα ἄρτιος ᾖ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἄνθρωπος πρὸς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθὸν ἀπηρτισμένος. Οὐχ ἵνα τὰ μὲν ἔχῃ, τὰ δὲ μὴ ἔχῃ· ὁ γὰρ τοιοῦτος οὐκ ἄρτιος. Τί γὰρ ὄφελος, εἰπέ μοι, ὅταν εὔχηται μὲν ἐκτενῶς, μὴ ἐλεῇ δὲ δαψιλῶς; ἢ ὅταν ἐλεῇ μὲν δαψιλῶς, πλεονεκτῶν δὲ καὶ βιαζόμενος; ἢ ὅταν μὴ πλεονεκτῶν, μηδὲ βιαζόμενος, πρὸς ἐπίδειξιν δὲ ἀνθρώπων καὶ φιλοτιμίαν τῶν ὁρώντων; ἢ ὅταν ἐλεῇ μὲν μετὰ πάσης ἀκριβείας καὶ πρὸς τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν, ἐπαίρηται δὲ αὐτῷ τούτῳ καὶ μέγα φρονῇ; ἢ ὅταν ταπεινὸς μὲν ᾖ καὶ νηστείαις προσέχων, φιλάργυρος δὲ καὶ ἐμπορικὸς καὶ τῇ γῇ προσηλωμένος, καὶ τὴν μητέρα τῶν κακῶν ἐπεισάγων 59.234 τῇ ψυχῇ; Ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστιν ἡ φιλαργυρία. Φρίξωμεν τοίνυν τὸ πρᾶγμα, φύγωμεν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Τοῦτο τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀνάστατον ἐποίησε, τοῦτο πάντα συνέχεε, τοῦτο τῆς μακαριωτάτης δουλείας ἡμᾶς ἀπάγει τοῦ Χριστοῦ. Οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ, φησὶ, Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμωνᾷ. Ἐξ ἐναντίας γὰρ ἐπιτάττει τῷ Χριστῷ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ λέγει, ∆ίδου τοῖς δεομένοις· ὁ δὲ, Ἅρπαζε τῶν δεομένων. Ὁ Χριστὸς λέγει, Καὶ τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσι καὶ ἀδικοῦσι