After many and various thoughts, he returns to the prophecy’s title, in which it is written, What the word of the Lord gave to Jeremiah concerning the drought. This is why he says, in effect: Because the idols of demons are unable to make it rain, and the heavens are unable to give showers in and of themselves, therefore give us rain, O Lord our God, on whom we always wait and toward whom we have turned our hope and devotion. For everything is yours, and whatever is good cannot be given without you, to whom it belongs.^[1] Let us speak this word also against the heretics who are unable to grant rain showers of doctrine. Although they prefer themselves to be the heavens and thus glory in themselves, concerning what is written, the heavens tell forth the glory of God,^[2] they are nonetheless incapable of providing rain showers of doctrine. For it is God alone who instructs people and grants a diversity of graces to those who wait on him.

It will serve us to remember that what is called the Word came to certain persons, as the word of the Lord which came to Hosea, the son of Beeri,^[1] and the word which came to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem,^[2] and the word that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought. We must inquire how this Word came to Hosea, and how it came also to Isaiah the son of Amoz, and again to Jeremiah concerning the drought. The comparison may enable us to find out how the Word was with God. We will generalize by simply looking at what the prophets said, as if that were the Word of the Lord or the Word that came to them. May it not be . . . that . . . the Son, the Word, of whom we are now theologizing, came to Hosea, sent to him by the Father, historically, that is to say, to the son of Beeri, the prophet Hosea. . . . Similarly the Word comes also to Isaiah, teaching the things that are coming on Judea and Jerusalem in the last days. So also it comes to Jeremiah lifted up by a divine elation. . . . Thus to find out what is meant by the phrase the Word was with God, we have adduced the words used about the prophets, how he came to Hosea, to Isaiah, to Jeremiah. . . . We have to add that in his coming to the prophets he illuminates the prophets with the light of knowledge, causing them to see things that had been before them but that they had not understood until then.

Again, the Scriptures speak of God as asleep when the psalmist says, Arise! Why do you sleep, O Lord?^[1] He does not say this to make us suspect that God sleeps. This would be the utmost madness. By the word sleep the psalm shows God’s patience and forbearance toward us. Another prophet has said, You will not be like a person who sleeps, will you?^[2] Do you not see that we need much help from our understanding and reason when we are searching into the treasure house of the divine Scriptures? If we listen to the words only, if we do not think but take the words as they come, not only will those absurdities follow, but many a conflict will be seen in what has been said.

Hence it is that they are always writing, and always altering their own previous statements, and thus they show an uncertain faith,^[1] or rather a manifest unbelief and perverseness. And this, it appears to me, must be the case with them. Since they have fallen away from the truth and desire to overthrow that sound confession of faith that was drawn up at Nicaea, they have, in the language of Scripture, loved to wander and have not restrained their feet. Therefore, like Jerusalem of old, they labor and toil in their changes, sometimes writing one thing and sometimes another, but only for the sake of gaining time, and that they may continue enemies of Christ and deceivers of humankind.

In the Gospel, the Savior commends the unjust steward because, although he defrauded his master, he acted wisely for his own interests.^[1] The heretics in this instance pursued the same course. When they saw how great a matter a little fire had kindled,^[2] and that the flames applied by them to the foundations had by this time reached the housetops and that the deception practiced on many could no longer be hid, they asked for and obtained letters of commendation from the church,^[3] so that it might appear that until the day of their departure they had continued in full communion with it. Shortly after-ward^[4] the distinguished Anastasius succeeded to the pontificate. But he was soon taken away, for it was not fitting that the head of the world should be struck off^[5] during the episcopate of one so great. He was removed, no doubt, that he might not seek to turn away by his prayers the sentence of God passed once for all. For the words of the Lord to Jeremiah concerning Israel applied equally to Rome: Pray not for this people for their good. When they fast, I will not hear their cry. When they offer burnt offering and oblation, I will not accept them. But I will consume them by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence.

Although God is by nature good, yet he is also just, and as the case requires. He knows how to heal but also how to strike.^[1] He brings peace, but he brings about evil.^[2] He desires repentance, yet he commands Jeremiah not to intercede for the sinful people, since, he says, even if they fast, I will not hear their prayer.

You see, then, that fasting is certainly not considered by the Lord as a thing that is good in its own nature, because it becomes good and well-pleasing to God not by itself but by other works. Again, from the surrounding circumstances it may be regarded as not merely empty but hateful, as the Lord says: When they fast, I will not hear their prayers.

And blessed Daniel the prophet, the divine Ezekiel (who was both prophet and priest) and many other priests in addition to them shared in these misfortunes. For God provided for those profane exiles and sent along also prophets that could be pedagogues and teachers so that the exiles might not incline entirely to godlessness.

He is saying, We and our ancestors have also neglected the precepts of God by the same insanity. The measure of our ancestors, therefore, is filled up in us,^[1] in such a way that whatever was coming due to them would be added to our measure. This is why it was said, concerning Judah: May the Lord remember his fathers and may the sin of his mother not be forgotten! May they always be opposed to the Lord, and may their memory be eradicated from the earth!^[2]

We should not think that the glorious throne of God is only the throne of the temple, which was repeatedly destroyed, but that it is also every saint who is cast down and destroyed when he offends God by his multitude of sins, according to what is written: You have cast his throne to the ground.^[1] Nevertheless, the one who perishes from his own guilt is sustained by the clemency of the Lord, whereby the severity of the sentence is altered, lest the Lord invalidate his covenant in which he promised to be our coming salvation.

What a state the person is in who has deserted the easy yoke and the light burden of Christ^[1] to subject himself once again to the yoke of demons and to bear the burden of the heaviest sin! How can this be after we have known that the heart of those who worship idols is ashes^[2] and their life more worthless than clay,^[3] and after we have said, Our ancestors possessed false idols, and none of them can bring rain?