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that you Believe that I am able to ask my Father, that I am able to pray, but, That I am able to do this. What then did they say? Yes, Lord. No longer do they call him son of David, but they fly higher, and confess his lordship. And then at last He also lays his hand on them, saying; According to your faith be it done to you. And He does this, strengthening their faith, and showing that they were partakers of the good deed, and testifying that their words were not of flattery. For He did not say, Let your eyes be opened, but, According to your faith be it done to you; which he says to many who came to Him, hastening before the healing of their bodies to proclaim the faith in their soul, so as to make both them more approved, and to render others more earnest. Thus also in the case of the paralytic; for even before He strengthened the body, He raises up the soul that was prostrate, saying; Be of good cheer, child, your sins are forgiven you; and when He had raised the little girl, He held her, and through the meal taught her to know her benefactor; and in the case of the centurion also He did likewise, committing the whole matter to faith; and when delivering the disciples from the storm of the sea, He first delivered them from their little faith. So then here also; He knew indeed, even before 57.378 their cry, the secrets of their mind; but that He might lead others also to the same zeal, He makes them manifest to the rest, by the completion of the cure proclaiming their hidden faith. Then after the cure He commands them to tell no one; and He does not simply command, but with much vehemence. For Jesus strictly charged them, it says, saying; See that no one knows it. But they, when they had departed, spread His fame in all that country. Yet they could not bear it, but became heralds and evangelists; and being commanded to hide what had happened, they could not bear it. But if elsewhere He seems to say, Go, and declare the glory of God; that is not contrary to this, but even exceedingly consistent with it. For He teaches us to say nothing about ourselves, and also to restrain those who wish to praise us; but if the glory should be referred to God, not only not to restrain, but even to command this to be done. As they were going out, it says, behold, they brought to him a mute man, possessed by a demon. For the affliction was not from nature, but the plot of the demon; for which reason also he needs others to bring him. For neither was he able to ask for himself, being speechless, nor to beseech others, since the demon had bound his tongue, and fettered his soul with his tongue. For this reason He does not demand faith of him, but immediately corrects the disease. For when the demon was cast out, it says, the mute man spoke. And the crowds marveled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel. This especially vexed the Pharisees, that they preferred Him to all, not only to those then living, but also to any who had ever been; and they preferred Him, not because He healed, but because He did so easily, and quickly, and countless diseases, and those that were incurable. And the people thus. 2. But the Pharisees the very opposite. For not only do they slander what was done, but they are not ashamed to say things contrary to themselves. For such is wickedness. For what do they say? By the prince of the demons He casts out demons; than which what could be more foolish? For in the first place, as He also says further on, it is impossible for a demon to cast out a demon; for that one is accustomed to support his own things, not to destroy them. But He not only cast out demons, but also cleansed lepers, and raised the dead, and bridled the sea, and forgave sins, and preached the kingdom, and brought men to the Father; things which a demon would neither ever choose, nor ever be able to do. For demons bring men to idols, and lead them away from God, and persuade them to disbelieve in the life to come. A demon, when insulted, does not do good, when even not being insulted he harms those who serve and honor him. But He does the opposite; for after these insults and railings, He went about, it says, all the cities and the

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ὅτι Πιστεύετε ὅτι δύναμαι παρακαλέσαι τὸν Πατέρα μου, ὅτι δύναμαι εὔξασθαι, ἀλλ', Ὅτι ἐγὼ δύναμαι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνοι; Ναὶ, Κύριε. Οὐκέτι ∆αυῒδ υἱὸν αὐτὸν καλοῦσιν, ἀλλ' ὑψηλότερον ἀνίπτανται, καὶ τὴν δεσποτείαν ὁμολογοῦσι. Καὶ τότε λοιπὸν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπιτίθησι τὴν χεῖρα, λέγων· Κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν γενηθήτω ὑμῖν. Ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο, τὴν πίστιν αὐτῶν ῥωννὺς, καὶ δεικνὺς μεριστὰς ὄντας τοῦ κατορθώματος, καὶ μαρτυρῶν ὅτι οὐ κολακείας τὰ ῥήματα ἦν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἀνοιχθήτωσαν ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, ἀλλὰ, Κατὰ τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν γενηθήτω ὑμῖν· ὃ πολλοῖς τῶν προσελθόντων λέγει, πρὸ τῆς τῶν σωμάτων ἰατρείας τὴν ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ πίστιν προανακηρῦξαι σπεύδων, ὥστε καὶ ἐκείνους εὐδοκιμωτέρους ποιῆσαι, καὶ ἑτέρους σπουδαιοτέρους κατασκευάσαι. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ παραλυτικοῦ· καὶ γὰρ πρὸ τοῦ σφίγξαι τὸ σῶμα, τὴν ψυχὴν κειμένην ἀνίστησι, λέγων· Θάρσει, τέκνον, ἀφέωνταί σου αἱ ἁμαρτίαι· καὶ τὸ κοράσιον δὲ ἀναστήσας κατέσχε, καὶ διὰ τῆς τραπέζης ἐδίδαξεν αὐτὴν τὸν εὐεργέτην· καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἑκατοντάρχου δὲ ὁμοίως ἐποίησε, τῇ πίστει τὸ πᾶν ἐπιτρέψας· καὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς δὲ ἀπαλλάττων τοῦ χειμῶνος τῆς θαλάσσης, τῆς ὀλιγοπιστίας πρῶτον ἀπήλλαττεν Οὕτω δὴ καὶ ἐνταῦθα· ᾔδει μὲν καὶ πρὸ 57.378 τῆς ἐκείνων φωνῆς αὐτὸς τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα τῆς διανοίας· ἵνα δὲ καὶ ἑτέρους εἰς τὸν αὐτὸν ζῆλον ἀγάγῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις καταδήλους αὐτοὺς ποιεῖ, διὰ τοῦ τέλους τῆς ἰατρείας τὴν κρυπτομένην αὐτῶν πίστιν ἀνακηρύττων. Εἶτα μετὰ τὴν ἰατρείαν κελεύει μηδενὶ εἰπεῖν· καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς κελεύει, ἀλλὰ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς σφοδρότητος. Ἐνεβριμήσατο γὰρ αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, φησὶ, λέγων· Ὁρᾶτε, μηδεὶς γινωσκέτω. Οἱ δὲ ἐξελθόντες, διεφήμισαν αὐτὸν ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ γῇ ἐκείνῃ. Οὐ μὴν ἠνέσχοντο ἐκεῖνοι, ἀλλ' ἐγένοντο κήρυκες καὶ εὐαγγελισταί· καὶ κελευόμενοι κρύπτειν τὸ γεγενημένον, οὐκ ἠνέσχοντο. Εἰ δὲ ἀλλαχοῦ φαίνεται λέγων· Ἄπελθε, καὶ διηγοῦ τὴν δόξαν τοῦ Θεοῦ· οὐκ ἔστιν ἐναντίον ἐκεῖνο τούτῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα συμβαῖνον. Παιδεύει γὰρ ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς μὲν περὶ ἑαυτῶν μηδὲν λέγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς βουλομένους ἡμᾶς ἐγκωμιάζειν κωλύειν· εἰ δὲ εἰς τὸν Θεὸν ἡ δόξα ἀναφέροιτο, μὴ μόνον μὴ κωλύειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιτάττειν τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Αὐτῶν δὲ ἐξερχομένων, φησὶν, ἰδοὺ προσήνεγκαν αὐτῷ ἄνθρωπον κωφὸν, δαιμονιζόμενον. Οὐ γὰρ τῆς φύσεως ἦν τὸ πάθος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ δαίμονος ἡ ἐπιβουλή· διὸ καὶ ἑτέρων δεῖται τῶν προσαγόντων. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δι' ἑαυτοῦ παρακαλέσαι ἠδύνατο, ἄφωνος ὢν, οὐδὲ ἑτέρους ἱκετεῦσαι, τοῦ δαίμονος δήσαντος τὴν γλῶτταν, καὶ τὴν ψυχὴν μετὰ τῆς γλώττης πεδήσαντος. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἀπαιτεῖ πίστιν αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' εὐθέως διορθοῦται τὸ νόσημα. Ἐκβληθέντος γὰρ τοῦ δαίμονος, φησὶν, ἐλάλησεν ὁ κωφός. Οἱ δὲ ὄχλοι ἐθαύμασαν, λέγοντες· Οὐδέποτε ἐφάνη οὕτως ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ. Ὃ δὴ μάλιστα ἠνία τοὺς Φαρισαίους, ὅτι πάντων αὐτὸν προὐτίθεσαν, οὐ τῶν τότε ὄντων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν πώποτε γενομένων· προὐτίθεσαν δὲ, οὐχ ὅτι ἐθεράπευεν, ἀλλ' ὅτι ῥᾳδίως, καὶ ταχέως, καὶ ἄπειρα νοσήματα, καὶ ἀνιάτως ἔχοντα. Καὶ ὁ μὲν δῆμος οὕτως. βʹ. Οἱ Φαρισαῖοι δὲ τοὐναντίον ἅπαν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον διαβάλλουσι τὰ γεγενημένα, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐναντία λέγοντες ἑαυτοῖς οὐκ αἰσχύνονται. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ πονηρία. Τί γάρ φασιν; Ἐν τῷ ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων ἐκβάλλει τὰ δαιμόνια· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἀνοητότερον; Μάλιστα μὲν γὰρ, ὃ καὶ προϊών φησιν, ἀμήχανον δαίμονα ἐκβάλλειν δαίμονα· τὰ γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ συγκροτεῖν εἴωθεν, οὐ καταλύειν ἐκεῖνος. Αὐτὸς δὲ οὐχὶ δαίμονας ἐξέβαλε μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ λεπροὺς ἐκάθηρε, καὶ νεκροὺς ἤγειρε, καὶ θάλατταν ἐχαλίνου, καὶ ἁμαρτήματα ἔλυε, καὶ βασιλείαν ἐκήρυττε, καὶ τῷ Πατρὶ προσῆγεν· ἅπερ οὔτ' ἂν ἕλοιτό ποτε δαίμων, οὔτ' ἂν δυνηθείη ποτὲ ἐργάσασθαι. Οἱ γὰρ δαίμονες εἰδώλοις προσάγουσι, καὶ Θεοῦ ἀπάγουσι, καὶ τῇ μελλούσῃ ζωῇ ἀπιστεῖν πείθουσιν. Ὁ δαίμων ὑβριζόμενος οὐκ εὐεργετεῖ, ὅπου γε καὶ μὴ ὑβριζόμενος βλάπτει τοὺς θεραπεύοντας αὐτὸν καὶ τιμῶντας. Αὐτὸς δὲ τοὐναντίον ποιεῖ· μετὰ γὰρ τὰς ὕβρεις ταύτας καὶ τὰς λοιδορίας, Περιῆγε, φησὶ, τὰς πόλεις πάσας καὶ τὰς