Now it seems to me that the Lord foretold these things and others like them not for the sake of the matters themselves-for what great advantage to the hearers, at any rate, was the prediction of what was about to happen? they would have known by experience, even if they had not previously learnt what would come;-but in order that by these means faith on their part might follow concerning more important matters: for the testimony of facts in the former cases is also a proof of truth in the latter.

For just as though, if a husbandman were explaining the virtue of seeds, it were to happen that some person inexperienced in husbandry should disbelieve him, it would be sufficient as proof of his statement for the agriculturist to show him the virtue existing in one seed of those in the bushel and make it a pledge of the rest-for he who should see the single grain of wheat or barley, or whatever might chance to be the contents of the bushel, grow into an ear after being cast into the ground, would by the means of the one cease also to disbelieve concerning the others-so the truthfulness which confessedly belongs to the other statements seems to me to be sufficient also for evidence of the mystery of the resurrection.

Still more, however, is this the case with the experience of actual resurrection which we have learnt not so much by words as by actual facts: for as the marvel of resurrection was great and passing belief, He begins gradually by inferior instances of His miraculous power, and accustoms our faith, as it were, for the reception of the greater.

Δοκεῖ γάρ μοι ταῦτα καὶ τὰ τοιαῦτα προμηνῦσαι ὁ Κύριος͵ οὐ τῶν πραγμάτων χάριν (τί γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἦν τοῖς ἀκούουσι κέρδος τῶν πάντως ἐκβησομένων ἡ πρόῤῥησις; ἔγνωσαν γὰρ ἂν τῇ πείρᾳ͵ καὶ μὴ προμαθόντες τὸ γενησόμενον)͵ ἀλλ' ὥστε διὰ τούτων αὐτοῖς καὶ τὴν περὶ τῶν μειζόνων πίστιν εἰς ἀκολουθίαν ἐλθεῖν. Ἡ γὰρ ἐν τούτοις διὰ τῶν ἔργων μαρτυρία καὶ τῆς ἐν ἐκείνοις ἀληθείας ἐστὶν ἀπόδειξις.  

Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἴ τινος γεωργοῦ τὴν τῶν σπερμάτων ὑφηγουμένου δύναμιν͵ ἀπιστεῖν συμβῇ τὸν τῆς γεωργίας ἀπείρατον͵ αὐτάρκης ἂν εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τῆς ἀληθείας ἦν τῷ γεηπόνῳ ἐν ἑνὶ σπέρματι τῶν ἐν τῷ με δίμνῳ κειμένων δείξαντι τὴν δύναμιν καὶ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἐγγυᾶσθαι. Ὁ γὰρ ἰδὼν τὸν ἕνα πυρὸν ἢ τὴν μίαν κριθὴν ἢ ὅ,τι περ ἂν ἐν τῷ πληρώματι τοῦ μεδίμνου τύχῃ͵ μετὰ τὸ ἐγκαταβληθῆναι τῇ βώλῳ στάχυν γενόμενον͵ οὐκέτι ἂν διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς οὐδὲ περὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ἀπιστήσειεν. Οὕτως ἱκανή μοι δοκεῖ πρὸς μαρτυρίαν εἶναι τοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν μυστηρίου ἡ τοῖς λοιποῖς τῶν εἰρημένων συνομολογουμένη ἀλήθεια.  

Μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ αὐτῆς τῆς ἀναστάσεως ἡ [217] πεῖρα͵ ἥν οὐ διὰ λόγων τοσοῦτον͵ ὅσον δι' αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων ἐδιδάχθημεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ μέγα καὶ ὑπὲρ πίστιν ἦν τὸ κατὰ τὴν ἀνάστασιν θαῦμα͵ διὰ τῶν κατωτέρων τῆς θαυματοποιίας ἀρξάμενος͵ ἡρέμα πως τὴν πίστιν ἡμῶν προσεθίζει τοῖς μείζοσι.