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and from what they said when they approached and spoke with Christ. For when He gave them bread, and filled their stomach, they said He was a prophet, and sought to make Him king; but when He taught them about spiritual food, about eternal life, when He led them away from sensible things, when He spoke about the resurrection, and made their mind more lofty; when they ought most to have admired Him, then they murmur and leap away. And yet, if this is the Prophet, as they had already said, "This is he of whom Moses says, 'The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; him you shall hear'"; they ought to have heard him when he said, "I have come down from heaven." But they did not listen, but murmured. For they still respected him because the sign of the loaves was recent. For this reason they did not contradict Him openly, but by murmuring they showed that they were indignant that He did not give them the table which they wanted. And murmuring they said: Is not this the son of Joseph? From which it is clear that they did not yet know His wonderful and extraordinary birth. For this reason, at least, they still call Him the son of Joseph. And He does not rebuke them, nor say to them, "I am not the son of Joseph"; not because He was the son of Joseph, but because they were not yet able to hear of that wonderful birth. And if they could not hear clearly of the one according to the flesh, much more the ineffable one from above. If He did not reveal the humble thing, much more would He not have attempted those things. And yet this greatly scandalized them, that He was from a lowly father, and an ordinary one; but nevertheless He did not reveal it, lest, in removing one scandal, He should create another. What then does He Himself answer, as they were murmuring? No one can come to Me, unless the Father who sent Me draws him. The Manichaeans pounce upon this, saying that nothing lies in our power; which most of all confirms that we are masters of our will. For if someone comes to Him, he says, what need is there of drawing? This also does not take away what is in our power, but rather shows 59.258 that we are in need of help, because it shows here, not just anyone coming, but one who enjoys much assistance. Then He also shows the manner in which He draws. For lest they should again suspect something sensible concerning God, He added: Not that anyone has seen God, except He who is from God, He has seen the Father. How then does He draw, he says? This the prophet showed from of old, proclaiming beforehand and saying: They shall all be taught of God. Do you see the dignity of faith? And how He foretold that they would learn not from men nor through man, but through God Himself? For this very reason, making His word trustworthy, He referred them to the prophets. And if it is said, he says, that "They shall all be taught of God," how is it that some do not believe? Because what was said is said concerning the majority. And otherwise, even apart from this, the prophecy does not mean simply all, but all who are willing. For a teacher sits before all, ready to give what is his, pouring out his teaching to all. And I will raise him up on the last day. Not small here is the dignity of the Son, if indeed the Father brings, and He raises up; not dividing the works with the Father—for how could He?—but showing the equality of power. Just as therefore when He says there, "And the Father who sent Me bears witness about Me," and then, lest some should curiously inquire about a voice, He referred them to the Scriptures; so also here, lest they should suspect the same thing, He refers them to the prophets, turning these continually up and down, showing Himself not to be opposed to the Father. But what of those before this, he says? Were they not then taught of God? What then is the special thing here? That then they learned the things of God through men; but now through the only-begotten Son of God, and through the Holy Spirit. Then He adds: Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; not saying this here according to the principle of cause, but according to the mode of essence. For if He meant this, we are all from God; where then is what is special and separate for the Son?

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καὶ ἀφ' ὧν τῷ Χριστῷ προσελθόντες διελέγοντο. Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ ἄρτον ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὴν γαστέρα ἐνέπλησε, καὶ προφήτην ἔλεγον εἶναι, καὶ βασιλέα ποιῆσαι ἐζήτουν· ὅτε δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐδίδασκε περὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς τροφῆς, περὶ ζωῆς αἰωνίου, ὅτε ἀπήγαγεν αὐτοὺς τῶν αἰσθητῶν, ὅτε περὶ ἀναστάσεως διελέγετο, καὶ ὑψηλοτέραν ἐποίει τὴν γνώμην· ὅτε μάλιστα θαυμάζειν αὐτὸν ἐχρῆν, τότε γογγύζουσι καὶ ἀποπηδῶσι. Καὶ μὴν, εἰ οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ προφήτης, καθὼς ἔφθησαν εἰπόντες· Οὗτός ἐστι περὶ οὗ φησιν ὁ Μωϋσῆς, ὅτι Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ· αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε· ἐχρῆν αὐτοὺς τούτου ἀκούειν λέγοντος, ὅτι Ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καταβέβηκα. Ἀλλὰ οὐκ ἤκουον, ἀλλ' ἐγόγγυζον. Ἔτι γὰρ αὐτὸν ᾐδοῦντο διὰ τὸ νεαρὸν εἶναι τὸ τῶν ἄρτων σημεῖον. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο φανερῶς μὲν οὐκ ἀντέλεγον, τῷ δὲ γογγύζειν ἐνέφαινον ὡς ἠγανάκτουν, ὅτι μὴ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς τράπεζαν ἥνπερ ἐβούλοντο. Καὶ γογγύζοντες ἔλεγον· Οὐκ ἔστιν οὗτος ὁ υἱὸς Ἰωσήφ; Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὅτι οὐδὲ τὴν θαυμαστὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ παράδοξον οὐδέπω ᾔδεισαν γέννησιν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γοῦν υἱὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἔτι λέγουσιν αὐτόν. Καὶ οὐκ ἐπιτιμᾷ, οὐδὲ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Οὐκ εἰμὶ υἱὸς Ἰωσήφ· οὐχ ὅτι υἱὸς Ἰωσὴφ ἦν, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐδέπω ἠδύναντο τὸν θαυμαστὸν ἐκεῖνον ἀκοῦσαι τόκον. Εἰ δὲ τὸν κατὰ σάρκα οὐκ ἠδύναντο σαφῶς ἀκοῦσαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τὸν ἄῤῥητον τὸν ἄνω. Εἰ τὸ ταπεινὸν οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψε, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐκεῖνα οὐκ ἂν ἐνεχείρησε. Καίτοι τοῦτο αὐτοὺς σφόδρα ἐσκανδάλιζε, τὸ ἐξ εὐτελοῦς εἶναι πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ τυχόντος· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀπεκάλυψεν, ἵνα μὴ, ἕτερον σκάνδαλον ἀναιρῶν, ἕτερον ποιήσῃ. Τί οὖν αὐτὸς, γογγυζόντων αὐτῶν, ἀποκρίνεται; Οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με, ἐὰν μὴ ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ πέμψας με ἑλκύσῃ αὐτόν. Τούτῳ ἐπιπηδῶσι Μανιχαῖοι λέγοντες, ὅτι οὐδὲν ἐφ' ἡμῖν κεῖται· ὅπερ μάλιστα βεβαιοῖ κυρίους ὄντας τῆς γνώμης. Εἰ γάρ τις ἔρχεται πρὸς αὐτὸν, φησὶ, τί δεῖ τῆς ἕλξεως; Ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ οὐ τὸ ἐφ' ἡμῖν ἀναιρεῖ, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον ἐμφαί 59.258 νει ἡμᾶς βοηθείας δεομένους, ὅτι δείκνυσιν ἐνταῦθα, οὐ τὸν τυχόντα ἐρχόμενον, ἀλλὰ τὸν πολλῆς ἀπολαύοντα συμμαχίας. Εἶτα δείκνυσι καὶ τὸν τρόπον καθ' ὃν ἕλκει. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ πάλιν αἰσθητόν τι περὶ τὸν Θεὸν ὑποπτεύσωσιν, ἐπήγαγεν· Οὐχ ὅτι τὸν Θεόν τις ἑώρακεν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ὢν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, οὗτος ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα. Πῶς οὖν ἕλκει, φησί; Τοῦτο ὁ προφήτης ἄνωθεν ἔδειξε, προαναφωνῶν καὶ λέγων· Ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ Θεοῦ. Εἶδες τῆς πίστεως τὸ ἀξίωμα; Καὶ πῶς οὐ παρὰ ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ δι' ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλὰ δι' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ προεῖπεν ὅτι μέλλουσι μανθάνειν; ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν λόγον ποιῶν ἀξιόπιστον, ἐπὶ τοὺς προφήτας αὐτοὺς παρέπεμψεν. Καὶ εἰ εἴρηται, φησὶν, ὅτι Ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ Θεοῦ, πῶς τινες οὐ πιστεύουσιν; Ὅτι τὸ εἰρημένον περὶ τῶν πλειόνων εἰρημένον ἐστίν. Ἄλλως δὲ καὶ χωρὶς τούτου, οὐχ ἁπλῶς πάντας τὸ προφητικὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντας δηλοῖ τοὺς βουλομένους. ∆ιδάσκαλος γὰρ προκάθηται πᾶσιν ἕτοιμος ὢν τὰ αὐτοῦ παρασχεῖν, εἰς πάντας ἐκχέων τὴν διδασκαλίαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Καὶ ἐγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. Οὐ μικρὸν ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Υἱοῦ τὸ ἀξίωμα, εἴ γε ὁ Πατὴρ προσάγει, καὶ οὗτος ἀνίστησιν· οὐχὶ διαιρούμενος πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα τὰ ἔργα· πῶς γάρ; ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς τὸ ἰσότιμον τῆς δυνάμεως. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἐκεῖ λέγων, Καὶ ὁ πέμψας με Πατὴρ μαρτυρεῖ περὶ ἐμοῦ· εἶτα ἵνα τινὲς μὴ φωνὴν περιεργάζωνται παρέπεμψεν αὐτοὺς ταῖς Γραφαῖς· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα, μὴ τὸ αὐτὸ ὑποπτεύσωσι, παραπέμπει αὐτοὺς τοῖς προφήταις, τούτους συνεχῶς ἄνω καὶ κάτω στρέφων, δεικνὺς ἑαυτὸν οὐκ ἐναντίον ὄντα τῷ Πατρί. Τί δὲ οἱ πρὸ τούτου, φησίν; οὐχὶ διδακτοὶ ἦσαν ἄρα Θεοῦ; τί οὖν ἐνταῦθα τὸ ἐξαίρετον; Ὅτι τότε μὲν δι' ἀνθρώπων ἐμάνθανον τὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· νῦν δὲ διὰ τοῦ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου. Εἶτα ἐπάγει· Οὐχ ὅτι τὸν Πατέρα τις ἑώρακεν, εἰ μὴ ὁ ὢν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ· οὐ κατὰ τὸν τῆς αἰτίας λόγον ἐνταῦθα τοῦτο λέγων, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν τρόπον τῆς οὐσίας. Ἐπεὶ εἰ τοῦτο ἔλεγε, πάντες παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐσμέν· ποῦ οὖν τὸ ἐξαίρετον τοῦ Υἱοῦ καὶ κεχωρισμένον;