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from one I was able to fill the world, much more from you, the few, I will fill Jerusalem. For this reason he says: Look to the solid rock, from which you were hewn; thus calling Abraham; and to the hole of the pit, from which you were dug; thus naming Sarah. For just as the pit does not have gushing water from within, but receives it from the rains above; so also she, being destitute of generative power, received this 55.321 fitness from above; and as the rock never bore fruit, so neither was Abraham able; but I hewed you out from there, and from one I filled so many lands. For this reason also he leads Ezekiel into the plain, and shows him a heap of bones, and by prophesying raises them up, showing them the bones, and saying, that if I can raise the dead, much more can I bring you, the living, back. They, then, were in this way; but this prophet, how? I believed, therefore I have spoken. That is: There is need of faith for the things promised; for I too, thinking on these things, and reasoning them out, and bringing in faith, cast out all disturbance. Paul then says this, that even in our own sensible and visible good things there is need of faith. But if in things sensible, much more in things spiritual. For if they needed faith to accept that they would receive their city back; much more do we who await heaven. For when something is great, and surpasses the understanding, and is above reasonings, one must receive this, and not examine matters by human sequence. For the wonder-working of God is above all these things. So for this reason also, silencing reasonings, one must have recourse to faith, and glorify God. For he who contentiously tries to discover His things by reasoning, does not glorify him, wishing to subject His ineffable dispensations to the lowliness of his own reasonings. 2. Wherefore Paul, speaking of Abraham, since he did not do this, but rebuking his reasonings, looked to the power of the one who promised, says that this especially glorified God: For he did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was also able to perform. What then is, But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written: I believed, therefore I spoke; we also believe, therefore we also speak? He reveals to us here a great mystery. What is this? That the New and the Old are of the same Spirit, and the same Spirit that spoke in the one, also spoke here, and that faith is the teacher of all things, and without it we can speak nothing. For we also, he says, believe, therefore we also speak. For if you take this away, it is not possible even to open one's mouth. And why did he not say, But having the same faith, but, But having the same spirit of faith? To declare both what has been said, and to show that the supply of the Spirit is needed to ascend to the height of faith, and to despise the weakness of reasonings. Wherefore also elsewhere the same says: But the manifestation of the 55.322 Spirit is given to each for the common good. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, to another faith, to another gifts of healing. But perhaps someone might say, which is indeed true, that he speaks of another faith, by which miracles were done. I also know that that one is different, about which the apostles also said: Increase our faith; and this one is different, by which we are all faithful, not performing signs, but having the knowledge of piety; but even here there is need of the Spirit's help. For Luke also writes of someone, that He opened the

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ἑνὸς δυνατὸς ἐγενόμην τὴν οἰκουμένην πληρῶσαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐξ ὑμῶν τῶν ὀλίγων τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα πληρώσω. ∆ιὰ τοῦτό φησιν· Ἐμβλέψατε εἰς τὴν στερεὰν πέτραν, ἐξ ἧς ἐλατομήθητε· τὸν Ἀβραὰμ οὕτω καλῶν· καὶ τὸν βόθυνον τοῦ λάκκου, ἐξ οὗ ὠρύχθητε· τὴν Σάῤῥαν οὕτως ὀνομάζων. Καθάπερ γὰρ ὁ λάκκος οἴκοθεν οὐκ ἔχει βρύον ὕδωρ, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῶν ἄνωθεν ὑετῶν δέχεται· οὕτω καὶ ἐκείνη αὐτὴ ἔρημος οὖσα δυνάμεως γεννητικῆς, ἄνωθεν τὴν ἐπι 55.321 τηδειότητα ταύτην ἔλαβε· καὶ ὥσπερ ἡ πέτρα καρπὸν οὐκ ἤνεγκέ ποτε, οὕτως οὔτε ὁ Ἀβραὰμ οἷός τε ἦν· ἀλλ' ἐγὼ ὑμᾶς ἐκεῖθεν ἐξεκόλαψα, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑνὸς τοσαύτας ἐνέπλησα χώρας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ εἰς τὸ πεδίον ἐξάγει, καὶ δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ σωρὸν ὀστῶν, καὶ προφητεύων ἀνίστησι, τὰ ὀστᾶ δεικνὺς αὐτοῖς, καὶ λέγων, ὅτι Εἰ τοὺς νεκροὺς ἐγεῖραι δύναμαι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ὑμᾶς τοὺς ζῶντας ἀναγαγεῖν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὕτως· ὁ δὲ προφήτης οὗτος πῶς; Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα. Τουτέστι· Πίστεως χρεία πρὸς τὰ ἐπαγγελλόμενα· καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ ταῦτα ἐννοῶν, καὶ ἀναλογιζόμενος, καὶ τὴν πίστιν εἰσαγαγὼν, πάντα θόρυβον ἐξήγαγον. Ὁ τοίνυν Παῦλος τοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς καὶ ὁρωμένοις ἀγαθοῖς πίστεως χρεία. Εἰ δὲ ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἐν τοῖς νοεροῖς. Εἰ γὰρ ἵνα καταδέξωνται, ὅτι τὴν πόλιν ἀπολήψονται τὴν αὑτῶν, πίστεως αὐτοῖς ἐδέησε· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἡμῖν τοῖς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναμένουσιν. Ὅταν γὰρ μέγα τι ᾖ, καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ὑπερβαῖνον, καὶ λογισμῶν ἀνώτερον, ταύτην δεῖ παραλαμβάνειν, ἀλλὰ μὴ τῇ ἀνθρωπίνῃ ἀκολουθίᾳ τὰ πράγματα ἐξετάζειν. Ἡ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ θαυματουργία πάντων τούτων ἀνωτέρα. Ὥστε καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐπιστομίζοντας τοὺς λογισμοὺς πρὸς τὴν πίστιν ἀνατρέχειν δεῖ, καὶ δοξάζειν τὸν Θεόν. Ὁ γὰρ λογισμοῖς φιλονεικῶν τὰ ἐκείνου εὑρίσκειν, οὐ δοξάζει αὐτὸν, τῇ τῶν οἰκείων λογισμῶν ταπεινότητι τὰς ἀφάτους οἰκονομίας αὐτοῦ ὑποβαλεῖν βουλόμενος. βʹ. ∆ιὸ περὶ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ διαλεγόμενος ὁ Παῦλος, ἐπειδὴ μὴ τοῦτο ἐποίησεν, ἀλλ' ἐπιτιμήσας τοῖς λογισμοῖς, πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν εἶδε τοῦ ἐπαγγειλαμένου, ὅτι τοῦτο μάλιστα ἐδόξασε τὸν Θεὸν, λέγει· Εἰς γὰρ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ διεκρίθη τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐνεδυναμώθη τῇ πίστει, δοὺς δόξαν τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ πληροφορηθεὶς, ὅτι ὃ ἐπηγγείλατο, δυνατός ἐστι καὶ ποιῆσαι. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἔχοντες δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· Ἐπίστευσα, διὸ ἐλάλησα· καὶ ἡμεῖς πιστεύομεν, διὸ καὶ λαλοῦμεν; Μέγα τι μυστήριον ἡμῖν ἐνταῦθα ἀποκαλύπτει. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὅτι τοῦ αὐτοῦ Πνεύματος ἡ Καινὴ καὶ ἡ Παλαιὰ, καὶ τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα, τὸ ἐν ἐκείνῃ φθεγξάμενον, καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἐλάλησε, καὶ ὅτι ἡ πίστις πάντων ἐστὶ διδάσκαλος, καὶ ταύτης ἄνευ οὐδὲ λαλῆσαί τι δυνάμεθα. Καὶ ἡμεῖς γὰρ, φησὶ, πιστεύομεν, διὸ καὶ λαλοῦμεν. Ἂν γὰρ ταύτην ἀνέλῃς, οὐδὲ διανοῖξαι τὸ στόμα δυνατόν. Καὶ διὰ τί μὴ εἶπεν, Ἔχοντες δὲ τὴν αὐτὴν πίστιν, ἀλλ', Ἔχοντες δὲ τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς πίστεως; Ταῦτά τε τὰ εἰρημένα δηλῶν, καὶ δεικνὺς, ὅτι τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χρεία χορηγίας εἰς τὸ ἀναβῆναι πρὸς τὸ ὕψος τῆς πίστεως, καὶ τῶν λογισμῶν τὴν ἀσθένειαν ἀτιμάσαι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ ὁ αὐτός φησιν· Ἑκάστῳ δὲ ἡ φανέρωσις δίδοται τοῦ 55.322 Πνεύματος πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον. Ὧ μὲν γὰρ διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος δίδοται λόγος σοφίας, ἑτέρῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως, ἄλλῳ δὲ πίστις, ἄλλῳ χαρίσματα ἰαμάτων. Ἀλλ' ἴσως εἴποι τις ἂν, ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ἀληθές ἐστιν, ὅτι ἑτέραν πίστιν φησὶ, δι' ἧς θαύματα ἐγίνετο. Οἶδα καὶ ἐγὼ, ὅτι ἑτέρα ἐκείνη, περὶ ἧς καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι ἔλεγον· Πρόσθες ἡμῖν πίστιν· ἑτέρα δὲ αὕτης καθ' ἣν πάντες ἐσμὲν πιστοὶ, σημεῖα μὲν οὐ ποιοῦντες, τὴν δὲ γνῶσιν ἔχοντες τῆς εὐσεβείας· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χρεία βοηθείας. Καὶ γὰρ περί τινος ὁ Λουκᾶς γράφει, ὅτι ∆ιήνοιξε τὴν