Ответ утверждающим, что землетрясения бывают от подземных ветров

Tell us, you who speak from your own mind and not from the mouth of the Lord: will you not believe if we present to you what the Psalmist said? He says: “Look upon the earth and make it shake” (Ps. 103:32); “thou hast shaken the earth, and thou hast troubled it: heal its contrition, as if it were moved” (Ps. 59:4). Similar things are said in the book of righteous Job. This is what the word of God says: “shaking the heavenly places from the foundations, but its pillars shake: say to the sun, and it does not rise, but it prints the stars: the sky is one wide, and he walks on the sea as on the earth; “Thou shalt make the pliads, and the espera, and the arcturus, and the treasures of the south: thou shalt do great things, and unexplored things, and glorious and abundant things, which are without number” (Job 9:6-10). And he also says: “Stretch out the north on nothing, hang the earth on nothing, bind the water on Your clouds, and the clouds under it will not be torn apart” (Job 26:7-8). Hearing this, you do not believe, because you have overpowered your mind with Hellenic intoxication, and you foolishly say that earthquakes occur from underground winds, and not from the Lord’s visitation. So, tell me how it happens: why, when there is an earthquake and one strip of the earth vibrates, while one vibrates and the other does not oscillate, the vibrating strip is not separated from the non-vibrating one, but, just as a sea wave goes and after the disturbance the water again returns to its previous position, so do the vibrations of the earth pass in the form of waves, and after the earthquake the earth takes its previous position? Explain this to us also: why, during the former earthquake, the mountains in Armenia, one distant from the other, collided with each other, so that a fire ignited and very thick smoke rose, which was visible for a considerable distance? And one more thing: why do the mountains, one distant from the other, each stand in its own order and in its place? Who will explain to us the following: why do sailors become horrified during an earthquake? and since the ship is hit many times by waves from one side or the other, does the earthquake become noticeable for them too? Since the cradles or beds, as well as all the gear on the ship, collide and vibrate with each other in an unusual way, the sailors are horrified when an earthquake occurs. So, listen and understand what the Apostle said, so that you may be worthy of true wisdom; for he said: Let no one deceive himself: if anyone thinks he is wise in you in this world, let him be, for he will be wise. For the wisdom of this world, the violence of God, is, for it is written: Confuse the wise in their deceit. And again: The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, for they are vanity (1 Cor. 3:18–20). So, putting aside the nonsense of Hellenic stupidity and filled with wonder at the sovereignty of God Almighty and before His miracles, cry out with the Prophet: Great is our Lord, and great is His strength, and His understanding is innumerable (Ps. 147:5). Glory to him forever and ever! Amen. You might be interested in: