MATTHEW XUL 3—28 57 were spoken by Him, for they were not sufficient for them; eighth, on account of the propagation of the Gospel, like that of the grain of mustard seed; ninth, because tribulations and persecutions wait on the Gospel and its preachers; although they are hard and innumerable, yet it grows and triumphs and branches out, and surmounts all fears. Behold, a Sower went forth to sow, etc. Now He spake this parable about the various minds of those who were about to receive its preaching. By that which was éy ¢he wayside He signifies about such as do not receive the words of the Gospel with right reasoning; and like as seed by the wayside is trodden down by the passers-by, thus also those trample down the divine words in their insolence; but by that spon the rocks, [He signifies] about such as receive the words for a while, and when persecution meets them, they forsake it and go away; but by those among thorns, such as are strangled by desires like thorns, and reject from them- selves the preaching; but by that on the good ground, (He signifies] about such as receive the doctrine, and remain firmly in it, and bring forth fruit that is equal to their promises. Now this about thirtyfold and sirtyfold and @ hundredfold, He signifies about the variety of virtues, because all men are not found in one order of conduct. But Origen takes this of sixtyfold about those who practise widowhood, from that which is said by the Apostle, “Let a widow be chosen who is not less than threescore years old”; and this of ‘hirty about married people, as fingers fit into one another; and this of @ Aundred about virgins, as a crown is grasped with the fingers. For he errs greatly, as the number of sixty is more appropriate to married people than that of ¢hirty, as these fingers are more pressed upon one another. BOOK X. Then in this discourse about the Jan who sowed good seed, He interprets about the heresies which spring up from the preaching; but He calls ¢aves the heresies that exist under the name of Christianity, but are far from the doctrine of the truth ; like this is the tare because it sprang from the wheat by means of the corruption of Nature; as in its appearance it exhibits some form of real wheat, as those also bear the appellation of Christianity. This that Ais servants said, Let us go and gather them up, makes known the love of spiritual men, as of those who wish to destroy the inyentors of error. aL 8 ‘ Pao 1 Tim 5.9 f 34a ple