And not only these, but also subsequent actions reveal its power. Formerly the universe was barren in relation to virtue; the earth was no better than the desert and did not hope to produce anything good; And the cross suddenly made her a paradise and a mother of many children. And the prophet foretold about this long ago: "Be glad, you barren, you who do not give birth; shout and cry out, you who are not in childbirth; for she who is forsaken has many more children than she who has a husband" (Isaiah 54:1). Having made her so, the Lord gave her a law more excellent than the former, about which the prophets also did not keep silent; See what they have foretold: I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not such a covenant as I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. that covenant of mine they have broken, though I have remained in union with them, saith the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with them, "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts" (Jeremiah 31:31-33). Further, the prophet depicts their rapid change and easy acceptance of the teaching: "And they shall no more teach," he says, "one another, brother to brother, and say, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me for themselves, from the least to the greatest" (Jeremiah 31:34). That the Lord who has come will grant forgiveness of sins to all, and this was also foretold by the prophet in the words: "I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more" (Jeremiah 31:34). What could be clearer than this? With such prophecies he proclaimed the calling of the Gentiles, the superiority of the New Testament over the Old, the ease of conversion and the grace-filled gifts received by believers through baptism.

11. He who has done all these things will one day come as Judge; about which the prophets also did not keep silent and foretold, some contemplating Him in the very form in which He will come, others announcing it in their own words. Thus Daniel, being in the midst of the barbarians of Babylon, saw Him coming in the clouds; listen to the very words of the prophet: "I saw," he says, "with the clouds of heaven one as the Son of man walked, and came to the Ancient of Days, and was brought up to Him. And to Him was given power, glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and tongues should serve Him (Dan. 7:14). And the prophet depicts His judgment as follows: "At last I saw that thrones were set up, and the Ancient of Days sat down; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like a pure wave; His throne is like a flame of fire, His wheels are a blazing fire. A river of fire went out and passed before Him; thousands of thousands served Him, and thousands of thousands stood before Him; the judges sat down, and the books were opened"

(Dan. 7:9-10). In addition, the prophet shows what honor the righteous will be vouchsafed: "And judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints should take possession of the kingdom" (Dan. 7:22). And the prophet Malachi predicts that this judgment will be carried out through fire: "He is like a refining fire, and like a cleansing lye" (Mal. 3:2). Do you see with what accuracy the prophets foretold all things to come? Do you dare not believe after such striking proofs of the power of Christ, after the prophecies that have been connected for so long, and after the events that have come to pass in accordance with the predictions, so that absolutely nothing has remained unfulfilled? And that all this is not invented by us, this is evidenced by the (sacred) books and those who first received them and still maintain and preserve them, our enemies and the descendants of those who crucified the Lord. Why, it will be said, do they not believe, having these books in their possession? For the same reason why they did not believe, seeing His miracles. But this is not the fault of those who are not believed, but of those who see nothing in the middle of the day. Thus God created the visible world, that beautifully tuned organ that everywhere proclaims and glorifies the Creator; but there are people of whom some consider everything to be formed by itself, others consider everything visible to exist from eternity, others attribute its creation and preservation to demons, or to chance and fate, to natural development, to the influence of the stars, etc. A prudent soul sees what must be done, having no need of many aids; but the foolish and insensible, even if she had many guides, having given herself over to passions, remains blind. This can be seen everywhere, not only in the present work (faith), but also in others. How many, for example, are there people who have not heard of the laws, and yet have led a life in accordance with them? And others, from the first age to old age, studied the laws, and yet constantly violated them. This was also the case in ancient times. The Jews, who saw many signs and wonders, did not become better. And the Ninevites, hearing only the appeal, changed and abstained from vices. This can be seen not only in the higher people, but also in the lower ones. What teaching did Judas not receive? and yet he became a traitor. What instruction did the thief hear? - and yet on the cross he confessed the Lord and proclaimed His kingdom. Do not judge things by the opinions of corrupt people, but according to the true nature of things, form a proper opinion about well-intentioned people. The Jews did not believe, but the Gentiles believed. And the prophets did not keep silent about this; thus the Prophet David cries: "The foreigners have lied to me, the foreigners have grown old and have turned away from their paths" (Psalm 17:46); And Isaiah says, "Who has believed what we have heard, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" (Isaiah 53:1)? And again: "I have made myself known to them that have not inquired about me; Those who have not sought Me have found Me" (Isaiah 65:1). In the same way, during the earthly life of the Lord, the Canaanite and Samaritan women believed in Him, but the priests and elders were at enmity and plotted against Him, inciting others to do the same, and those who believed in Him were expelled from the synagogue. So, do not be surprised at this. Our life is full of similar examples, both in our time and in former times; however, also of the Jews, though not all, but many then and now have believed (in Christ); and that it is not all is not new, and it is not strange; such is ingratitude, such is the folly of a soul given over to passions! Having set forth the prophecies concerning Christ, spoken by the prophets and foretold so many years before, I will now present those prophecies which He Himself, when He lived on earth and dealt with men, spoke of future events, so that you may know His power from them. The Lord, having then come to earth and arranging the salvation of people, both those who lived in past times and those who have to live in the future, arranged this salvation in various ways. And watch how He acts. He works miracles, and foretells some of the distant events to come, assuring the hearers of that time by the events of their time of the truth of future events, and making certain to future generations the miracles which he performed at that time by the fulfillment of his predictions, and thus inspiring faith in his kingdom by a special proof.

12. The prophecies of Jesus Christ were of two kinds: some of them were to be fulfilled in the present life, and others would be fulfilled at the very end of the world; they mutually reinforce themselves and prove with great force the truth of both. I will try to explain unclear words with an example. The twelve disciples were companions of the Lord; Even the name of the church did not come to anyone's mind at that time, because the synagogue was still in a flourishing state. When almost the whole world was given over to wickedness, what did the Lord say and foretell? "Upon this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. 16:18). Consider this saying as you will, and you will see its truth in its full splendour. It is not only surprising that He has established His church throughout the universe, but also that He has made it irresistible and irresistible when it experiences so many hostile attacks. The words: "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it" mean the dangers that lead to hell. Do you see the truth of the prediction? Do you see the power of its fulfillment? Do you see words that are brilliantly justified by deeds, and the irresistible force that easily accomplishes everything? Briefly the saying: "I will build My Church"

This saying, spoken by the Lord then, is now implanted in all souls and is in all lips; the whole earth, so to speak, filled with thorns, was purified, became a pure field, and received the seeds of godliness. It would be a great, indeed great deed, or rather a proof of the extraordinary greatness and divine power, without any hindrance, in time of peace, with the assistance of many and without any enemies, to suddenly tear the universe away from the vicious habits that had been established for so long, and turn it to others far more difficult. And here the opponents were not only skill, but also voluptuousness, these two tyrants. It was necessary to reject what had been received from ancient times from fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and the most ancient ancestors, from philosophers and rhetoricians; it was very difficult; - and to adopt other new customs that required great feats, which was even more difficult. Christ banished luxury, established fasting; he expelled covetousness, established non-acquisitiveness; he expelled intemperance, established chastity; he drove out anger, established meekness; he drove out envy, established friendliness; He led them away from the broad and broad path, and led them to the strait, sorrowful, and difficult path, and brought those who were accustomed to the broad way. He did not take any other people outside the world without these skills, but those who had become corrupt in this world and had become more worthless than dirt, He commanded them to walk a narrow and sorrowful, harsh and harsh path, and He persuaded them. And how many have you convinced? Not one, not ten, not twenty, not a hundred, but almost all those who live under the sun.

And through them Christ built His church, stretched out from one end of the world to the other!

13. And not only this is surprising, but also that these men, simple, poor, few, ignoble, unlearned, despised, speaking a foreign tongue and despised, chosen for the correction of the whole universe and commanded to turn it to the most difficult things, did not do so in time of peace, but in the face of innumerable attacks being made against them from everywhere. In every nation and city, what do I say, among the people and the city? - in every house they had a struggle ahead of them. The doctrine they preached often separated son from father, daughter-in-law from mother-in-law, brother from brother, slave from master, subordinate from superior, husband from wife, wife from husband, father from children; because not everyone suddenly accepted him; This exposed them to daily enmity, incessant strife, thousands of deaths, and disposed people to treat them as common enemies and enemies. Everyone persecuted them: kings, rulers, commoners, freemen, slaves, peoples and cities; and not only them, but also those who accepted their teaching, but were not yet strong in the faith. There was a general war against both the disciples and the teachers, since this teaching seemed contrary to the king's decrees, and to custom, and to the customs of the fathers.

And this produced distrust, because His sufferings were manifest to all, scourgings, blows on the cheeks, spitting on the face, beatings, crucifixion, great mockery, mockery from all, burial granted in the form of mercy; and the circumstances of the resurrection were not yet known, since after His resurrection He appeared only to His disciples. And yet by such preaching they persuaded and established the church. How and how? By the power of Him who commanded them; He Himself was their leader: He Himself made all difficult things easy. If the divine power had not cooperated, then this matter would not have received either an introduction or a beginning. And how could it be done? But He Who said, Let there be heaven, did it in deed; Who said, Let the earth be built, and gave it existence; Who commanded, Let the sun shine, and showed the light; He who created all things by His word planted these churches also; and His word, "I will build my church," did it all. Such are the words of God; they do wondrous and wondrous deeds. Once He said: "Let the earth bring forth herbs" (Gen. 1:11), and suddenly everything became a garden, everything became meadows, and the earth, heeding the commandment, was covered with innumerable plants. So now He said: "I will build My Church," and this was accomplished with great ease; and while rulers were arming themselves against it, soldiers were shaking their weapons, whole nations were raging stronger than fire, custom was opposed, rhetoricians, sophists, the rich, the common people, and rulers were rising, His word, acting more powerful than fire, destroyed thorns, cleansed the fields, and sowed the teaching of the Gospel.

About this Paul says: "And the greater part of the brethren in the Lord, being encouraged by my bonds, began with greater boldness, fearlessly to preach the word of God" (Phil. 1:14); and in another place: "For you, brethren, have become imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, because you also have suffered the same things from your fellow countrymen, as those from the Jews, who killed both the Lord Jesus and His prophets, and drove us out, and do not please God, and resist all men" (1 Thess. 2:14-15). And again in his epistle to others he says: "Remember your former days, when you were enlightened, and endured the great feat of suffering, knowing that you have in heaven a better and everlasting possession" (Hebrews 10:32, 34). Do you see the excellent power of Him who has done all these things? The martyrs, being subjected to sufferings, not only did not faint-hearted, not only did they not grieve, but they rejoiced, triumphed, and rejoiced. And of this Paul says that "the plundering of your goods was received with joy" (Heb. 10:33); and Luke in the Book of Acts tells us about the teachers that they joyfully returned from the Sanhedrin, having been counted worthy to accept disgrace for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41). And of himself Paul also says: "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and I fill up what is lacking in my flesh of the afflictions of Christ for His body" (Col. 1:24). And what wonder if he rejoiced in the midst of suffering, when, preparing to endure death, he not only rejoiced, but also called his disciples to participate in his joy, which is characteristic of an extremely rejoicing soul. "I rejoice," he says, "and I rejoice with you all. In this very thing rejoice and rejoice with me" (Phil. 2:17-18). What has happened, tell me, that you are filled with such joy? "For I," he says, "am already becoming a sacrifice, and the time of my departure has come" (2 Tim. 4:6).

14. In this way they built a church everywhere. No one could build even one wall of stone and lime, being persecuted and encountering obstacles; but they built so many churches throughout the world, being subjected to wounds, bonds, persecutions, exiles, confiscation of possessions, scourging, strangling, burning, drowning together with the disciples, and they built not of stones, but of souls and by the will of men, which is much more difficult than building of stones. It is not the same whether to build a wall, or to dispose the soul, which has been in the power of demons for so long, to repentance and to turn from insane frenzy to chastity. However, the apostles, poor and without shoes, were able to do this, circumambulating the entire universe in one garment; for they had as their champion and helper the irresistible power of Him who said: "On this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Count how many rulers rose up against it, how many grievous persecutions they instituted against it, in what condition it had been in all the preceding times, when the faith was still only being implanted, when the minds of people were not yet firm in it.

15. The kings were the pagans, Augustus, Tiberius, Gaius, Nero, Vespasian, Titus, and all those who followed until the time of the blessed emperor Constantine; and they all persecuted the church, some with less, and others with greater cruelty, but they all persecuted it. Though some of them seem to have left her in peace, yet the very fact that the kings were evidently given over to wickedness was a pretext for persecution, for others flattered them by persecuting the church. But all such intrigues and attacks were dissolved more easily than a spider's web, dispersed faster than smoke, dispersed faster than dust. By these very intrigues they produced a great host of martyrs and left the Church immortal treasures, towers and pillars, which not only during their lifetime, but also after their death, became a source of great prosperity for subsequent Christians. Do you see the power of the prophecy: "And the gates of hell shall not prevail against her"? After that, believe that in the future none of them will prevail against it. If, when it consisted of a few, when it seemed to be an innovation, when the doctrine had just been taught, when there were so many obstacles and so many hostile attacks on all sides, the enemies could not and did not overcome it, how much more so after it had spread throughout the whole universe and in every place, over mountains and caves and hills. In fact, it has embraced the sea and all the tribes under the sun, and wickedness reigns among a few, after the destruction of altars, temples, idols, and everything, festivals, ceremonies, smoke and stench, and impious gatherings. How, then, did such a great deed, in the face of such obstacles, come to such a brilliant end and success, testifying to its truth, if not by some divine and invincible power of him who foretold and accomplished it? No one will contradict this, except perhaps some of the extremely insane and insane who have lost their natural sense. And not only these but also other predictions testify to His invincible power. Thus He foretold the future with all truth, and brought (His predictions) to fruition; and nothing that He says can remain in vain, but the earth and heaven will perish sooner than any of His words and prophecies will be falsely spoken. That is why He Himself, pointing to this before the fulfillment of events, clearly said about His sayings thus: "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away" (Matt. 24:35); and very understandable; for they are not mere words, but the words of God, by which works are made; so God created the heavens, so the earth, so the sea, so the sun, so the hosts of angels, so other invisible powers. Explaining this, the prophet also said: "He said, and it was done; He commanded, and it was manifested" (Psalm 32:9), meaning all creation, higher and lower, sensual and spiritual, corporeal and incorporeal. In the same way, the prophecy of the church, as I said above, proves the greatness, power, and superiority of His truthfulness, providence, goodness, and care.

16. Now let us consider another of His prophecies, which shines brighter than the sun and brighter than the sun's rays, and which is before the eyes of all, and extends to all succeeding generations, like the previous one. Such, for the most part, are His predictions. They are not limited to a short time and are not fulfilled in one generation, but all people, present, future, and those who follow them, and those who will be after them and until the end of time, are given to all to understand the power of their truth, like the previous one. According to this prophecy, the church, from the day it was spoken, until the end of the age, will remain firm and unshakable, flourishing and resplending, daily prospering, growing, strengthening, and imparting to all people who are to be from that time until the (second) coming of Christ, the greatest blessings and unspeakable benefits. Both those who were before us, and those who were before them, and those who were before them, have come to know its power, seeing the attacks that have been raised against the church, the dangers and intrigues, the confusions, the disturbances, and the storms, and seeing it unsinkable, irresistible, invincible, indestructible, but flourishing, prospering, and growing more and more. And the prophecy of which I am now about to speak is the same for the proof of His power and the truth of what He spoke. What is this prediction? Christ once entered the temple of the Jews, which was then in a flourishing state, shining everywhere with a multitude of gold, beauty and splendor of buildings, containing all other jewels, artificial and material, and while His disciples wondered what He said to them? "Do you see all this? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another; all shall be destroyed" (Matt. 24:2), meaning its future destruction, destruction, desolation, the present ruins in Jerusalem; and truly all these brilliant and famous buildings turned into ruins. Do you see His great and ineffable power in both, in the fact that He has arranged and multiplied those who worship Him, and in the fact that He has humbled, crushed, and rooted out those who were hostile to Him? Nowhere was there such a temple, so glorious and so venerated. The Jews, who lived everywhere to the ends of the earth, came there from ancient times, offering gifts, sacrifices, alms, firstfruits and many other things, and adorning the temple with the riches of the universe; And all the Jewish proselytes (from the Gentiles) flocked there from everywhere, and great was the glory of this place, reaching to the very ends of the world. But the one word of Christ destroyed and destroyed all this and scattered it like dust; and where formerly not all Jews, not even all priests, but only one high priest was allowed to enter, and moreover only once a year in his vestments, crowns and mitre and other sacred garments, now even fornicators and lewd adulterers can enter without any hindrance; for the word (of Christ) addressed to him destroyed and destroyed everything; and there remains of this temple as much as is necessary to indicate where it was in antiquity. Imagine, then, what is the power that accomplished this deed. Those who have been so powerful, who have overcome nations and kings, who have won many victories in wars without shedding their blood, and who have erected many extraordinary and wondrous trophies, have not been able to build one temple from that time to the present time, and moreover, when there were so many kings who assisted them, and so many of them themselves, scattered throughout the world, and possessing such riches. Do you see how what He has arranged has not been destroyed, and what He has destroyed, no one has built? He built the church, and no one can destroy it; He has destroyed the temple, and no one can rebuild it, and that in such a long time; Meanwhile, they tried to destroy the church, but they could not, and they tried to restore the temple, but they could not. This was permitted so that no one could say that if they tried, they could (rebuild the temple). So they tried, but could not do anything. In our generation, the king (Julian), who surpassed all in wickedness, then gave them permission and cooperated with them, and they set to work, but could not have any success, since the fire burst out of the foundation dispersed them. And what they wanted to build, the proof of this to this day is the bare foundation (of the temple), so that you may see that they tried to dig up the earth, but could not build it, because they were opposed by the said saying (of Christ). This temple had been destroyed before, but upon the return (of the Jews from the Babylonian captivity) after seventy years it was immediately rebuilt, as the prophets had spoken and foretold before the event. And now more than three hundred years have passed, and there is no thought, no probability, no hope that he will appear again. What was the hindrance, if not the divine power, which opposed this? Do they not have a great abundance of wealth? Does not their patriarch, who collects revenues from everyone everywhere, possess innumerable treasures? Is not this people bold, not shameless, not persistent, not impudent, not warlike? Are there not many of them in Palestine? Isn't there a lot in Phoenicia? Isn't there a lot - everywhere? How could they not rebuild one temple, and moreover seeing that because of this their worship was everywhere delayed, and the customs of the Jews were violated, and sacrifices and offerings and other similar ordinances of the law were abolished and ceased? For they were not allowed to set up an altar, nor to offer sacrifices, nor to make drink offerings, nor to lay sheep and incense, nor to read the law, nor to celebrate a feast, nor to do anything like that outside the threshold of that temple.

17. Being once in Babylon and being compelled by their enemies to sing, they did not agree and did not obey, although they were captives and slaves of their oppressive masters; but having no country and freedom, and being in fear for their lives, and being in the hands of their captors, as in a net, when they were commanded to sing songs on instruments, they spoke thus: "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept, there those who captivated us demanded words of song, and our oppressors demanded of us the words of songs, and our oppressors of joy: 'Sing to us of the song of Zion.' How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?" (Psalm 136:1-4)? And no one can say that they did so for lack of tools; they themselves gave the reason for this in the words: "How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land?" "On the willows," they say, "in the midst of it, we have hung our harps" (Psalm 136:2). It was not permissible for them to fast there. Pointing to this, the prophet said to them: "When you fasted and wept in the fifth and seventh month, and it was already seventy years, did you fast for me?" (Zech. 7:5)? And that it was not lawful for them to do either incense or drink offerings, listen to the three youths, who say: "We have neither prince, nor prophet, nor leader, nor burnt offering, nor sacrifice, nor offering, nor incense, nor place, that we should offer sacrifice to Thee, and obtain Thy mercy" (Dan. 3:38). They did not say that there was no priest; because there were priests; But so that you might know that everything depended on the place and all the legislation was attached to it, they said: "There is no place." But what do I say: to make incense and libations? They were not allowed even to read the law there; and for this, once reproaching them, another prophet said: "And they read the law from without, and called for confession" (Amos 4:5 – Glory); nor to keep the Passover, nor Pentecost, nor the Feast of Tabernacles, nor anything of the sort. And yet, knowing that the desolation of the place had made it impermissible for them to do all this, and that if they attempted to do anything of the kind, they would do it unlawfully, and would be punished for it, they could not erect and rebuild the place in which it was lawful to do all this. Thus the power of Christ, which created the church, destroyed this place. And the prophet predicted that Christ would come and do it, although he himself lived after the captivity. Listen to what he says: "It would be better for one of you to shut the doors, so that they do not keep fire on my altar in vain. I have no favor with you. For from the east of the sun to the setting of the sun my name shall be great among the nations, and in every place they shall offer incense to my name, a pure sacrifice" (Mal. 1:10-11). Do you see how clearly he rejected Judaism and presented Christianity as resplendent and spread throughout the whole earth? The quality of this divine service is depicted by another prophet as follows: "And they will worship Him, each from his own place, and serve Him with one accord" (cf. Zeph. 2:11; 3:10); and another: "The virgin of Israel has fallen, and riseth no more! is prostrate in its land, and there is no one to lift it up" (Amos 5:2). And Daniel clearly says that everything will cease, the sacrifice and the drink offering, and the anointing and the judgment (Dan. 9:27). However, I will reveal this more clearly and extensively when I speak to the Jews, but in the meantime I will adhere to the proposed path, in refutation of the speculations of the foolish pagans. I have not told you about the resurrection of the dead, nor about the cleansing of lepers, lest you say: this is a lie, an invention, a fable, who has seen it, who has heard it? Those who said that Christ was crucified and received blows on the cheeks, said this also.

But I have not told you anything about this, that is, about signs and wonders, in order to restrain every shameless tongue more strongly, I have presented that which is now manifest, now before my eyes, which is clearer than the sun, spread over all the earth, and embraces the whole universe, which was accomplished above human nature and was only the work of God. Do you say that He did not raise the dead? But you cannot say that there are no churches in the world, that they have not been persecuted, and that they do not overcome and do not overcome. To say this is as impossible as to say that there is no sun. And do you not see the destruction of the Jewish temple accomplished before the eyes of the whole world? Why do you not reason with yourself thus: if it was not God and the mighty God who acted, then why did those who worship Him increase so much even in persecution, but those who crucified Him and attacked Him are so humiliated that they have lost their entire state, and wander as wanderers, exiles, and fugitives, and so long has not changed both? Against the Roman power the Jews undertook wars, took up arms, continued to take up arms for a long time, sometimes won victories and caused much trouble to the emperors of that time, and yet these same Jews, who fought and took up arms against such kings, and had so much money, weapons, and soldiers, and repulsed many generals, could not rebuild one temple; they built synagogues in many cities, but the place that gave strength to their own state, where they were accustomed to do everything and by which Judaism was maintained, they could not restore that one place.