unto faith, they will but deride the more. Therefore they who inquire by reasonings, it is they who perish. And why speak I of God? for in regard of created things, should we do this, great derision will ensue. For suppose a man, wishing to make out all things by reasoning; and let him try by thy discourse to convince himself how we see the light; and do thou try to convince him by reasoning. Nay, thou canst not: for if thou sayest that it suffices to see by opening the eyes, thou hast not expressed the manner, but the fact. For “why see we not,” one will say, “by our hearing, and with our eyes hear?  And why hear we not with the nostril, and with the hearing smell?” If then, he being in doubt about these things, and we unable to give the explanation of them, he is to begin laughing, shall not we rather laugh him to scorn? “For since both have their origin from one brain, since the two members are near neighbors to each other, why can they not do the same work?” Now we shall not be able to state the cause nor the method of the unspeakable and curious operation; and should we make the attempt, we should be laughed to scorn. Wherefore, leaving this unto God’s power and boundless wisdom, let us be silent. 17 Just so with regard to the things of God; should we desire to explain them by the wisdom which is from without, great derision will ensue, not from their infirmity, but from the folly of men. For the great things of all no language can explain. [3.] Now observe: when I say, “He was crucified;” the Greek saith, “And how can this be reasonable?  Himself He helped not when undergoing crucifixion and sore trial at the moment of the Cross: how then after these things did He rise again and help others? For if He had been able, before death was the proper time.” (For this the Jews actually said.) (St. Matt. xxvii. 41, 42.) “But He who helped not Himself, how helped he others? There is no reason in it,” saith he. True, O man, for indeed it is above reason; and unspeakable is the power of the Cross. For that being actually in the midst of horrors, He should have shewn Himself above all horrors; and being in the enemy’s hold should have overcome; this cometh of Infinite Power. For as in the case of the Three Children, their not entering the furnace would not have been so astonishing, as that having entered in they trampled upon the fire;—and in the case of Jonah, it was a greater thing by far, after he had been swallowed by the fish, to suffer no harm from the monster, than if he had not been swallowed at all;—so also in regard of Christ; His not dying would not have been so inconceivable, as that having died He should loose the bands of death. Say not then, “why did He not help Himself on the Cross?” for He was hastening on to close conflict with death himself. (See Hooker, E. P. v. 48. 9.) He descended not from the Cross, not because He could not, but because He would not. For Him Whom the tyranny of death restrained not, how could the nails of the Cross restrain? [4.] But these things, though known to us, are not so as yet to the unbelievers. Wherefore he said that “the word of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness; but to us who are saved 33 Homily IV