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spiritual. For He dwells in our hearts through faith. But the more immediate foundations, and nearer than us, are the eyewitnesses and ministers of the word. For they become for us through the traditions a strengthening of faith, according to that which says: "You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church." For He indicated the unshakable nature of his faith. And David also says: "His foundations are in the holy mountains," speaking about the same things. Moses, therefore, was of a feeble voice. For the law was audible only to those in Judea. But the proclaimers who announce Christ everywhere are trumpeters and loud-voiced heralds. 2412 But what he called the foundations of the earth, he again named mountains. For they were distinguished in deed and word, to whom he said: "Go up on a high mountain, you who bring good news to Zion." And again, great is the difference of grace compared to the law. For the one, threatening punishments to transgressors, cried out dejection. But the heralds of this announced gladness to the world, crying out remission of sins, and justification by faith, and participation in the Holy Spirit, and the splendor of adoption as sons, and the kingdom of heaven, and the not-deceitful hope of good things beyond understanding. And you might call hills those who are themselves lifted up from the earth, but are nevertheless lesser than the aforementioned mountains. And the trees, those in them and nourished by them, are those who have believed through them, and as it were have grown into a perfect man and are luxuriant with spiritual fruits, being themselves teachers of the Church, and winning over those who approach them with intelligible good fruits. And they rejoice, because besides Israel being redeemed, the Son of God has also been glorified, being called brother of the Son by nature and in truth. And in another way it moves the world, and its parts, to doxology, because God has redeemed Jacob, and Israel will be glorified, or according to the others, and in Israel will he be glorified. This happened when many of the former people, having been helped by the prophetic words, proceeded toward piety, leaving behind their idols. But some explained the phrase, "And there were not those who fashion a God and carve useless things," in this way: not because there were no people doing these things, but because they were unable to help those who worship them, as they were not even existing when he gave the land as an inheritance to Israel, having driven out their worshippers. How then is he not foolish, having practiced idolatry after so much experience, and having used his free will badly? "For even if all things are lawful, not all things are beneficial. Nor will I be brought under the power, he says, of any." That is, having been allotted to rule myself, if I should be subjected to the passions, I have both lost the ability to rule, having departed from freedom, by which things I have submitted myself to authority. And this, proceeding little by little by the habit of pleasures, comes to impiety. For it begets wicked suspicions against God, as though he does not know what is happening, or is even indifferent to them. It is necessary, therefore, in the case of each sin to examine its parts, and the absurdity of the end, and having gained awareness to be ashamed before ourselves at least, before others. For one who discusses fitting things with himself is helped in the greatest ways. κδʹκηʹ. 9Thus says the Lord who redeems you, and who forms you from the womb: I am the Lord who accomplishes all things; I stretched out the heaven alone, and 2413 established the earth. Who else will scatter the signs of ventriloquists, and divinations from the heart9? etc. The discourse, having first set forth a refutation of idolatry, and how those who have been helped by the prophetic teaching will cease from it, now promises the release from Babylon, to which they were led away as idolaters, and if they would now cease from it, he promised freedom. But since he was making his speeches about the greatest matters, and it was likely to be disbelieved by some, he fittingly proclaimed his own power. For being the maker of all things, and bringing them forth from non-existence, how could he not easily have whatever he might wish to do? And as such things were to be, he also urged creation above to glorify God, in accordance with which he says: Thus says the Lord who has redeemed you and who forms you

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πνευματικός. Κατοικεῖ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν διὰ πίστεως. Θεμέλιοι δὲ προσεχέστεροι, καὶ ἐγγὺς μᾶλλον, ἢ καθ' ἡμᾶς, οἱ αὐτόπται, καὶ ὑπηρέται τοῦ λόγου. Γίνονται γὰρ ἡμῖν διὰ τῶν παραδόσεων εἰς ἑδραίωμα πίστεως, κατὰ τό· "Σὺ εἶ Πέτρος, καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν." Τὸ γὰρ τῆς αὐτοῦ πίστεως ἀσάλευτον ὑπεδήλωσεν. Λέγει δὲ καὶ ∆αβίδ· "Οἱ θεμέλιοι αὐτοῦ ἐν τοῖς ὅρεσι τοῖς ἁγίοις," περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν λέγων. Ὁ μὲν οὖν Μωσῆς ἰσχνόφωνος ἦν. Ὁ γὰρ νόμος ἦν τοῖς ἐν Ἰουδαίᾳ μόνοις ἐξάκουστος. Σαλπισταὶ δὲ καὶ μεγαλόφωνοι κήρυκες οἱ τὸν Χριστὸν πανταχοῦ διαγγέλλοντες. 2412 Ἃ δὲ θεμέλια γῆς ἔφη, ὄρη πάλιν ὠνόμασεν. Ἔργῳ γὰρ ἦσαν καὶ λόγῳ διαπρεπεῖς, πρὸς οὓς ἔφασκεν· "Ἐπ' ὄρος ὑψηλὸν ἀνάβηθι, ὁ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Σιών." Πολλὴ δὲ πάλιν τῆς χάριτος ἡ πρὸς τὸν νόμον διαφορά. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ κολάσεις ἀπειλῶν τοῖς παραβαίνουσιν ἐβόα κατήφειαν. Οἱ δὲ ταύτης κήρυκες εὐφροσύνην τῷ κόσμῳ κατήγγειλαν, ἄφεσιν βοῶντες ἁμαρτιῶν, καὶ δικαίωσιν ἐν πίστει, ἁγίου τε Πνεύματος μέθεξιν, καὶ υἱοθεσίας λαμπρότητα, οὐρανῶν τε βασιλείαν, καὶ τῶν ὑπὲρ νοῦν ἀγαθῶν οὐ κατεψευσμένην ἐλπίδα. Βουνοὺς δ' ἂν εἴποις τοὺς καὶ αὐτοὺς ὑπερηρμένους τῆς γῆς, τῶν δὲ λεχθέντων ὀρῶν ὅμως ἐλάττονας. Ξύλα δὲ, τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ ὑπ' αὐτῶν τεθραμμένα, οἱ δι' αὐτῶν πιστεύσαντες, καὶ ὥσπερ ἀναβεβηκότες εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον καὶ καρποῖς κομῶντες πνευματικοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὄντες διδάσκαλοι, καὶ ταῖς νοηταῖς εὐκαρπίαις τοὺς προσιόντας αὐτοῖς ἀνακτώμενοι. Χαίρουσι δὲ, ὅτι πρὸς τῷ λυτρωθῆναι τὸν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ δεδόξασται Θεοῦ χρηματίσας Υἱὸς, ἀδελφός τε τοῦ φύσει καὶ ἀληθῶς Υἱοῦ. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ τὸν κόσμον, καὶ τὰ τούτου μέρη πρὸς δοξολογίαν κινεῖ, ὅτι ἐλυτρώσατο ὁ Θεὸς τὸν Ἰακὼβ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ δοξασθήσεται, ἢ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς, καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ δοξασθήσεται. Ὅπερ ἐγίνετο ἡνίκα τῶν ἐκ τοῦ προτέρου λαοῦ πολλοὶ τοὺς προφητικοὺς λόγους ὠφελημένοι πρὸς εὐσέβειαν ἐχώρουν καταλιπόντες τὰ εἴδωλα. Τινὲς δὲ τὸ, Καὶ οὐκ ἦσαν οἱ πλάττοντες Θεὸν καὶ γλύφοντες ἀνωφελῆ, οὕτως ἐξηγήσαντο· Οὐ παρὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι τοὺς ταῦτα ἐργαζομένους, παρὰ δὲ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι βοηθῆσαι τοῖς αὐτὰ θεραπεύουσιν, ὡς μηδὲ ὄντα ἡνίκα τὴν γῆν ἐκληροδότησεν Ἰσραὴλ τοὺς τούτων ἀπελάσας προσκυνητάς. Πῶς οὖν οὐ μάταιος μετὰ τοσαύτην πεῖραν εἰδωλολατρήσας αὐτὸς, καὶ τῷ αὐτεξουσίῳ κακῶς χρησάμενος; "Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πάντα ἔξεστιν, ἀλλ' οὐ πάντα συμφέρει. Οὐδὲ ἐξουσιασθήσομαι, φησὶν, ὑπό τινος." Τοῦτ' ἔστιν, Ἄρχειν λαχὼν ἐμαυτοῦ ἐὰν ὑποταγείην τοῖς πάθεσι, καὶ τὸ ἄρχειν ἀπώλεσα, τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀποστὰς, δι' ὧν ἐμαυτὸν ὑπέβαλον ἐξουσίᾳ. Τοῦτο δὲ κατὰ μικρὸν ὁδεῦον τῇ τῶν ἡδονῶν συνηθείᾳ πρὸς ἀσέβειαν ἔρχεται. Πονηρὰς γὰρ ὑπονοίας τίκτει κατὰ Θεοῦ, ὡς μὴ εἰδότος τὰ γινόμενα, ἢ καὶ ἀδιαφοροῦντος ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. ∆εῖ τοίνυν ἐφ' ἑκάστης ἁμαρτίας τά τε μέρη σκοπεῖν, καὶ τὴν ἀτοπίαν τοῦ τέλους, καὶ συναίσθησιν λαβόντας αἰσχύνεσθαι πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων ἑαυτούς. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἑαυτῷ τις τὰ εἰκότα διαλεγόμενος ὠφελεῖται τὰ μέγιστα. κδʹκηʹ. 9Οὕτω λέγει Κύριος ὁ λυτρούμενός σε, καὶ πλάσσων σε ἐκ κοιλίας· Ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ συντελῶν πάντα· ἐξέτεινα τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος, καὶ 2413 ἐστερέωσα τὴν γῆν. Τίς ἕτερος διασκεδάσει σημεῖα ἐγγαστριμύθων, καὶ μαντείας ἀπὸ καρδίασ9; κ.τ.λ. Ἔλεγχον εἰδωλολατρείας προεκθέμενος ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὡς παύσονται ταύτης οἱ τὴν προφητικὴν διδασκαλίαν ὠφελημένοι· νῦν τὴν ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἀπαλλαγὴν ἐπαγγέλλεται, εἰς ἥνπερ εἰδωλολατροῦντες ἀπήχθησαν, οὗπερ εἰ παύσαιντο νῦν, ἐλευθερίαν ὑπέσχετο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ περὶ πραγμάτων μεγίστων ἐποιεῖτο τοὺς λόγους, καὶ ἦν εἰκὸς ἀπιστεῖσθαι παρά τινων, εἰκότως τὴν ἰδίαν ἀνεκήρυξε δύναμιν. Πάντων γὰρ ὢν ποιητὴς, καὶ παράγων ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι ῥᾳδίως ὅπερ ἂν ἐθέλοι ποιεῖν; Ὡς δὲ τοιούτων ἐσομένων, καὶ ἄνω παρεκελεύετο τῇ κτίσει δοξολογεῖν τὸν Θεὸν, οἷς ἀκολούθως φησίν· Οὕτω λέγει Κύριος ὁ λυτρωσάμενός σε καὶ πλάσσων σε