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foolish, and of men whose souls are truly dead. For how could that which does not partake of life provide life to another? or how could that which is soulless bring a soul into being? or how could that which is irrational fashion something rational? And how will it be moved in the first place, or how will it move another, that which is by its own nature immovable? And is the element of earth of such a kind, from which all sorts of kinds of living beings have come forth, having eyes and ears and the other sense organs, partaking of life and motion and impulse? And man receives even more than these, being of a rational nature, and being capable of receiving intellect and knowledge. Therefore, did all such things come into being from an irrational and soulless element? But the very operation of things convinces even him who does not wish to confess them, and natural reason compels him to speak the truth, that soulless matter, and the dry and irrational substance, is not the cause of these things; but that there is a certain divine and creative Mind, the world-making Word of God, and He the maker of all things, who has given to all other things and to man himself the senses of the body, and the reason of the soul, and in addition to these, intellect for attending to the nature of things; and to perceive with the eyes the things that are seen, and to hear with the ears the things that are heard, and to understand with reason the things that are intelligible. How then is it possible for the one who has provided the power of sight to others who do not have it from themselves, himself not to see? And how could it be possible for the one who pierced an ear for hearing in the earthly and clay vessel, so that the speechless and deaf matter hears external voices, not Himself to attend far more excellently and greatly, above all things, to the reasonings of men? And if even whole nations on the earth, both barbarian and Greek, moved by natural concepts, which they have received from God, have fashioned for themselves certain laws and ordinances; how will God, who bestowed this understanding on them, not convict those who dare to do anything contrary to nature and contrary to right concepts 23.1201? And whence for men is the knowledge of any matter whatsoever? whence the arts? whence the theories of the sciences, whence the principles of mathematics? Is it not from the one who sowed in them the power of comprehending these things? What then? He who bestowed such a nature on man, is He himself deprived of knowledge, so as not even to know these things, of which He himself happens to be the giver? But cease acting impiously, O foolish ones; and being persuaded by true reason, know that He who planted the ear in men, He himself much sooner will hear the things spoken among men; and not only will He who formed the eye in men see and observe the things being done, but He will also understand the thoughts, which are still hidden in the mind. For this is the power of God who knows and discerns the reasonings of men, that they are futile. For truly all the truth that is supposed among men, and all the wisdom among them, which they put forth from their own reasonings and mortal thoughts, would be futile. For everything wise and true exists with Him alone, and from Him is given to the worthy alone. Blessed is the man whom you chasten, O Lord, and teach him from your law, to give him rest from evil days, until a pit is dug for the sinner. I, being persuaded and having believed in the things that have been said, and that the reasonings of men are futile, reasonably consider that one alone to be blessed, O Lord, the one who partakes of your wisdom and discipline, as from a fountain. And how could one partake of your discipline, except by being instructed in your divine law? For this reason you have also handed down written laws of piety, so that those who are instructed by them may partake of your discipline. And we are taught through these that the grievous things that happen to the righteous happen for their benefit, as they are exercised and tried like athletes of God, being tested in endurance through toils and through blows. Wherefore one ought not to be grieved, nor to be distressed at those who are mistreated

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ἠλίθιον, καὶ ἀνδρῶν ὡς ἀληθῶς τὰς ψυχὰς νενεκρωμένων. Πῶς γὰρ τὸ μὴ ζωῆς μετέχον ζωὴν ἑτέρῳ ἂν παράσχοι; ἢ τὸ ἄψυχον πῶς ἂν ψυχὴν ὑποστήσαιτο; ἢ τὸ ἄλογον πῶς ἂν λογικόν τι κατασκευάσειε; Πῶς δὲ τὴν ἀρχὴν κινηθήσεται, ἢ πῶς ἕτερον κινήσει τὸ ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ τὴν φύσιν ἀκίνητον; Τοιοῦτον δὲ τὸ τῆς γῆς στοιχεῖον, ἐξ οὗ παντοῖα προῆλθε ζώων γένη, ὀφθαλμοὺς ἔχοντα καὶ ὦτα καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ αἰσθητήρια, ζωῆς καὶ κινήσεως καὶ ὁρμῆς μέτοχα; ἄνθρωπος δὲ καὶ τούτων ἐπάγεται πλέον, λογικῆς ὢν φύσεως, νοῦ τε καὶ ἐπιστήμης δεκτικὸς τυγχάνων. Ἆρ' οὖν ἐξ ἀλόγου καὶ ἀψύχου στοιχείου τὰ τοιάδε πάντα ὑπέστη; Ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν μὴ βουλόμενον ὁμολογεῖν αὐτὰ νικᾷ ἡ ἐνέργεια, καὶ ὁ κατὰ φύσιν λογισμὸς τἀληθῆ λέγειν ἐκβιάζεται, τὸ μὴ τὴν ἄψυχον ὕλην, μηδὲ τὴν ξηρὰν καὶ ἄλογον οὐσίαν τούτων ὑπάρχειν αἰτίαν· νοῦν δέ τινα θεῖον καὶ δημιουργικὸν εἶναι Λόγον Θεοῦ τὸν κοσμοποιὸν, καὶ πάντων ποιητὴν αὐτὸν, καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἅπασι καὶ αὐτῷ ἀνθρώπῳ αἰσθήσεις δεδωκότα σώματος, καὶ ψυχῆς λογισμὸν, καὶ νοῦν πρὸς τούτοις εἰς τὸ ἐπιβάλλειν τῇ φύσει τῶν πραγμάτων· καὶ θεωρεῖν μὲν ὀφθαλμοῖς τὰ ὁρατὰ, ὠσὶ δὲ τὰ ἀκουστὰ ἀκούειν, λογισμῷ δὲ συνιέναι τὰ νοητά. Πῶς οὖν οἷόν τε τὸν ἑτέροις τοῖς μὴ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἔχουσι παρεσχηκότα τὴν ὁρατικὴν δύναμιν, αὐτὸν μὴ ὁρᾷν; Πῶς δὲ δυνατὸν τὸν ἐν τῷ γεώδει καὶ πηλίνῳ σκεύει διατρήσαντα ἀκοὴν καὶ οὖς, ἔνθεν τὰ εἰς ὦτα ἀκούειν τὴν ἄναυδον καὶ κωφὴν ὕλην τῶν ἔξωθεν φωνῶν αὐτῶν, μὴ οὐχὶ πρὸ πάντων πολὺ κρειττόνως καὶ μειζόνως τοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβάλλει λογισμοῖς; Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὅλα ἔθνη τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς βάρβαρά τε καὶ Ἑλληνικὰ, φυσικαῖς ἐννοίαις κινούμενα, ἃς ὑπὸ Θεοῦ εἰλήφασι, νόμους τινὰς καὶ διατάξεις ἑαυτοῖς διετυπώσαντο· πῶς οὐχὶ ὁ ταύτην αὐτοῖς τὴν σύνεσιν δεδωρημένος Θεὸς ἐλέγξει τοὺς παρὰ τὴν φύσιν καὶ παρὰ τὰς ὀρθὰς ἐννοίας 23.1201 πράττειν τι τολμῶντας; Πόθεν δὲ ἀνθρώποις ἡ περὶ παντὸς οὑτινοσοῦν πράγματος γνῶσις; πόθεν αἱ τέχναι; πόθεν τῶν ἐπιστημῶν αἱ θεωρίαι, πόθεν οἱ τῶν μαθημάτων λόγοι; ἆρ' οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ κατασπείραντος ἐν αὐτοῖς τὴν δύναμιν τῆς τούτων καταλήψεως; Τί οὖν; ὁ τοιαύτην ἀνθρώπῳ φύσιν χαρισάμενος, αὐτὸς ἐστέρηται τῆς γνώσεως, ὡς μηδὲ γινώσκειν ταῦτα, ὧν αὐτὸς τυγχάνει δοτήρ; Ἀλλὰ γὰρ παύσασθε ἀσεβοῦντες, ὦ μάταιοι· ἀληθεῖ δὲ λόγῳ πειθόμενοι, γνῶτε, ὅτι ὁ φυτεύσας ἐν ἀνθρώποις τὸ οὖς, πολὺ πρότερος αὐτὸς τῶν παρὰ ἀνθρώποις λαλουμένων ἀκούσεται· καὶ οὐ μόνον ὄψεται καὶ τὰ πραττόμενα ἐποπτεύσει ὁ ἐν ἀνθρώποις πλάσας ὀφθαλμὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις, τὰς ἔτι κατὰ διάνοιαν κρυπτομένας συνήσει. Αὕτη γὰρ Θεοῦ δύναμις γινώσκοντος καὶ διακρίνοντος τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὅτι εἰσὶ μάταιοι. Ἀληθῶς γὰρ πᾶσα ἡ παρὰ ἀνθρώποις νομιζομένη ἀλήθεια, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ παρ' αὐτοῖς σοφία, ἣν ἐξ οἰκείων λογισμῶν καὶ θνητῶν ἐνθυμήσεων προβάλλονται, μάταιος ἂν εἴη. Πᾶν γὰρ σοφὸν καὶ ἀληθὲς παρ' αὐτῷ μόνῳ τυγχάνει, καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ μόνοις τοῖς ἀξίοις δίδοται. Μακάριος ἄνθρωπος, ὃν ἂν παιδεύσῃς, Κύριε, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου διδάξῃς αὐτὸν, τοῦ πραῦναι αὐτῷ ἀφ' ἡμερῶν πονηρῶν, ἕως οὗ ὀρυγῇ τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ βόθρος. Πεισθεὶς ἐγὼ καὶ πιστεύσας τοῖς εἰρημένοις, καὶ ὅτι οἱ διαλογισμοὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰσὶ μάταιοι, εἰκότως ἐκεῖνον μόνον μακάριον εἶναι ἡγοῦμαι, ὦ Κύριε, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς σῆς σοφίας καὶ παιδείας, ὥσπερ ἀπὸ πηγῆς μεταλαμβάνοντα. Πῶς δὲ μεταλάβοι ἄν τις τῆς σῆς παιδείας ἢ τῷ νόμῳ σου τῷ θείῳ μαθητευθείς; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἐγγράφους παρέδωκας εὐσεβείας νόμους, εἰς τὸ μεταλαμβάνειν τῆς σῆς παιδεύσεως τοὺς μαθητευομένους αὐτοῖς. ∆ιδασκόμεθα δὲ διὰ τούτων, ὅτι τὰ συμβαίνοντα τοῖς δικαίοις λυπηρὰ ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ αὐτῶν γίνεται, γυμναζομένων καὶ πειραζομένων δίκην ἀθλητῶν Θεοῦ διὰ πόνων καὶ διὰ πληγῶν ἐν ὑπομονῇ δοκιμαζομένων. ∆ιὸ οὐ χρὴ λυπεῖσθαι, οὐδὲ ἀδημονεῖν ἐπὶ τοῖς κακουμένοις