Letters (first part: Migne letters 1-55) 55
Greek text: PG 77.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
Chapter 55
55PG 77 77:289
Κυρίλλου ἀρχιεπισκόπου Ἀλεξανδρείας εἰς τὸ ἅγιον Σύμβολον. Τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς καὶ ποθεινοτάτοις Αναστασίῳ, Αλεξάνδρῳ, Μαρτινιανῷ, Ἰωάννῃ, Παρηγορίῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ, καὶ Μαξίμῳ διακόνῳ, καὶ λοιποῖς ὀρθοδόξοις Πατράσι μοναχῶν, καὶ τοῖς σὺν ὑμῖν τὸν μονήρη βίον ἀσκοῦσι, καὶ ἐν πίστει Θεοῦ ἱδρυμένοις, Κύριλλος ἐν Κυρίῳ χαίρειν. Τὸ φιλομαθὲς καὶ φιλόπονον τῆς ὑμετέρας ἀγάπης καὶ νῦν οὐ μετρίως ἐπαινέσαι ἔχω, καὶ ἄξιον εἶναι φημι τοῦ παντὸς λόγου. Τὸ γάρ τοι θείων ἐφίεσθαι μαθημάτων, καὶ τῆς τῶν ἱερῶν δογμάτων ὀρθότητος μεταποιεῖσθαι φιλεῖν, πῶς οὐκ ἂν ὑπεραγάσαιτό τις; Καὶ γάρ ἐστι ζωῆς τῆς ἀπεράντου καὶ μακαρίας τὸ χρῆμα πρόξενον, καὶ οὐκ ἄμισθος ἡ ἔν γε τούτοις σπουδή. Φησὶ γὰρ που πρὸς τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα καὶ Θεὸν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός· « Αὕτη δὲ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωὴ, ἵνα γινώσκωσί σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν Θεὸν, καὶ ὃν ἀπέστειλας Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν.» Ὀρθὴ γὰρ πίστις, καὶ ἀκατάσκωπτος, σύνδρομον ἔχουσα τὴν ἐξ ἔργων ἀγαθῶν φαιδρότητα, παντὸς ἡμᾶς ἐμπίπλησιν ἀγαθοῦ, καὶ διαπρεπῆ λαχόντας τὴν δόξαν ἀποφαίνει. Πράξεων δὲ λαμπρότης, εἰ ἀμοιροῦσα φαίνοιτο δογμάτων ὀρθῶν καὶ ἀδιαβλήτου πίστεως, ὀνήσειεν ἂν, ὡς γε οἶμαι, κατ' οὐδένα τρόπον τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ψυχήν. Ωσπερ γὰρ ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων νεκρά ἐστιν, οὕτως εἶναί φαμεν ἀληθὲς, και τὸ ἔμπαλιν. Οὐκοῦν συναναλαμπέτω τοῖς τῆς εὐζωΐας αὐχήμασι, καὶ τὸ ἀμώμητον ἐν πίστει. ῎Αρτιοι γὰρ οὕτως ἐσόμεθα, κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πανσόφου Μωϋσέως νόμον· « Τέλειος γὰρ ἔσῃ, φησὶν, ἔναντι Κυρίου κ. » Οἱ δὲ τοῦ πίστιν ἔχειν ὀρθὴν ἐξ ἀμαθίας ὀλιγωρήσαντες, εἶτα ταῖς ἐπιεικείαις τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἐπισεμνύνοντες βίον, ἐοίκασί πως ἀνδράσιν εὐφνᾶ μὲν λαχοῦσι τοῦ προσώπου τὸν χαρακτήρα, πεπλανημένην δὲ καὶ διάστροφον τῶν ὀμμάτων τὴν βολήν· ὥστε καὶ πρέπειν αὐτοῖς τὸ διὰ φωνῆς Ἱερεμίου πρὸς τὴν των Ἰουδαίων μητέρα, φημὶ δὴ τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ, είρημένον παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ· «Ἰδοὺ οὐκ εἰσιν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὀρθοὶ, καὶ ἡ καρδία σου καλή., Χρὴ τοίνυν ὑμᾶς ὑγιᾶ καὶ πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων ἔχειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς τὸν νοῦν, καὶ διαμεμνῆσθαι Γράμματος ἱεροῦ προσφωνοῦντος καὶ λέγοντος· « Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὀρθὰ βλεπέτωσαν. Ὀρθὴ δὲ βλέψις ὀμμάτων τῶν ἔσω κεκρυμμένων τὸ ἰσχνῶς, καὶ ἀπεξεσμένως περιαθρεῖν δύνασθαι, κατά γε τὸ ἐγχωροῦν, τοὺς εἴπερ 1 ἂν γένοιτο, περὶ Θεοῦ λόγους. Βλέπομεν γὰρ ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ καὶ αἰνίγματι, καὶ γινώσκομεν ἐκ μέρους· ὅ γε μὴν ἐκ σκότους ἀποκαλύπτων βαθέα, τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐνίησι φῶς τοῖς ἐθέλουσιν ὀρθῶς τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ γνῶσιν ἐλεῖν. Χρὴ τοιγαροῦν ἡμᾶς Θεῷ προσπίπτειν, λέγοντας· « Φώτισον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, μή ποτε ὑπνώσω εἰς θάνατον· · τὸ γὰρ τῆς ὀρθότητος τῶν ἱερῶν δογμάτων ἀπολισθεῖν εἴη ἂν ἕτερον οὐδὲν, πλὴν ὅτι σαφῶς τὸ ὑπνοῦν εἰς θάνατον· ἐκπίπτομεν δὲ τῆς ὀρθότητος, ὅτε μὴ ταῖς θεοπνεύστοις ἑπόμεθα Γραφαῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ἢ προλήψεσιν οὐκ ἐπαι-| νουμέναις, ἢ κατὰ πρόσκλισιν τὴν πρὸς γέ τινας οὐκ ὀρθοποδοῦντας περὶ τὴν πίστιν, τὰς τῆς ἑαυτῶν διανοίας ἀπονέμοντες ῥοπὰς, καὶ πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων τὰς ἑαυτῶν ψυχὰς ἀδικοῦντες ἁλισκόμεθα. Πειστέον δὴ οὖν τοῖς τῆς ὀρθότητος ἐπιμεληταῖς πρὸς τὸ τοῖς ἱεροῖς κηρύγμασι δοκοῦν· ἃ καὶ διὰ Πνεύματος ἁγίου παρέδοσαν ἡμῖν οἱ ἀπ᾿ ἀρχῆς αὐτόπται, καὶ ὑπηρέται γενόμενοι τοῦ λόγου· ὧν τοῖς ἴχνεσιν ἀκολουθεῖν ἐσπούδασαν καὶ οἱ πανεύφημοι Πατέρες ἡμῶν, οἱ τὸ σεπτόν τε καὶ οἰκουμενικὸν τῆς πίστεως ὁρισάμενοι: Σύμβολον, ἐν τῇ Νικαέων συναγηγερμένοι κατὰ και ρούς. Οἷς δὴ καὶ αὐτὸς σύνεδρος ἦν ὁ Χριστός· ἔφη γὰρ, ὅτι « Ὅπου ἐὰν ὦσι δύο ἢ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰς τὸ ὄνομα ἐμὸν, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν. Ὅτι γὰρ πρόεδρος ἦν ἀοράτως τῆς ἁγίας καὶ μεγάλης ἐκείνης συνόδου ὁ Χριστὸς, πῶς ἔστιν ἀμφιβάλλειν; Κρηπὶς οἷα τις καὶ θεμέλιος ἀῤῥαγὴς, καὶ ἀκράδαντος τοῖς ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἀνεβάλλετο, μᾶλλον δὲ κατεβάλλετο, τῆς ἀκραιφνοῦς καὶ ἀμωμήτου πίστεως ἡ ὁμολογία. Εἶτα πῶς ἀπῆν ὁ Χριστὸς, εἴπερ ἦν αὐτὸς ὁ θεμέλιος, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ σοφωτάτου Παύλου φωνήν; Θεμέλιον γὰρ ἄλλον, φησὶν, οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός. » Τὴν τοίνυν ἐκτεθεῖσαν παρ' ἐκείνων καὶ ὁρισθεῖσαν πίστιν τετηρήκασιν ἀδιαβλήτως καὶ οἱ μετ᾿ αὐτοὺς γεγονότες ἅγιοι Πατέρες, καὶ ποιμένες λαῶν, καὶ φωστῆρες Ἐκκλησιῶν, καὶ εὐτεχνέστατοι μυσταγωγοί. Ἐλλελοιπὸς δὲ ὅλως οὐδὲν, ἤγουν παρεωραμένον τῶν ἀναγκαίων εἰς ὄνησιν κατίδοι τις ἂν ἐν ταῖς τῶν Πατέρων ὁμολογίαις, ἤγουν ἐκθέσεσιν, ἃς πεποίηνται περὶ τῆς ὀρθῆς καὶ ἀκαπηλεύτου πίστεως, εἰς ἔλεγχον μὲν καὶ ἀνατροπὴν αἱρέσεως ἁπάσης, καὶ δυσσεβοῦς ἀθυροστομίας, εἰς βεβαίωσιν δὲ, καὶ ἀσφάλειαν τοῖς ὀρθοποδοῦσι περὶ τὴν πίστιν· οἷς ὁ λαμπρὸς ἀνέτειλεν ἑωσφόρος, καὶ διηύγασεν ἡ ἡμέρα ἡ διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος χάρις. κατὰ τὰς Γραφὰς, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐνίησι φῶς Ἐπειδὴ δὲ γέγραφεν ὑμῶν ἡ εὐλάβεια, ὡς παροχετεύουσί τινες ἐφ' ἃ μὴ προσῆκε τὰ ἐν τῷ Συμβόλῳ, τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ ῥημάτων τὴν δύναμιν ἢ οὐ συνιέντες ὀρθῶς, ἢ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ προσκεκλίσθαι ταῖς τινων συγγραφαῖς εἰς ἀδόκιμον ἀποφερόμενοι νοῦν, εἶτα χρῆναι κἀμὲ τοὺς περὶ τούτων αὐτῶν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ποιήσασθαι λόγους καὶ διερμηνεῦσαι σαφῶς τὴν τῆς ἐκθέσεως δύναμιν, δεῖν ᾠήθην, ἅπερ εἰς νοῦν ἥκει τὸν ἐμὸν, ἐπιδρομάδην εἰπεῖν. Ἑψόμεθα δὲ πανταχοῦ ταῖς τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων ὁμολογίαις τε καὶ δόξαις, ὀρθῶς καὶ ἀπροσκλινῶς βασανίζοντες τὰ πάρ᾿ αὐτῶν εἰρημένα. Ἤδη μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἡ ἁγία σύνοδος, ἡ κατά γε, φημὶ, τῶν Ἐφεσίων συνειλεγμένη κατὰ βούλησιν Θεοῦ, τῆς Νεστορίου κακοδοξίας ὁσίαν καὶ ἀκριβῆ κατενεγκοῦσα τὴν ψῆφον, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἑτέρων καινοφωνίας τη, οἴπερ ἂν ἢ γένοιντο μετ' αὐτὸν, ἡ καὶ πρὸ αὐτοῦ γεγόνασι, τὰ ἴσα φρονοῦντες αὐτῷ, καὶ εἰπεῖν ἢ γραψαι τολμήσαντες, συγκατέκρινεν ἐκείνῳ, τὴν ἴσην αὐτοῖς ἐπιθεῖσα δίκην. Καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἀκόλουθον, ἑνὸς ἅπαξ ἐπὶ ταῖς οὕτω βεβήλοις καινοφωνίαις κατεγνωσμένου, μὴ καθ' ἑνὸς μᾶλλον ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλ᾽, ἔν᾿ οὕτως εἴπω, κατὰ πάσης αὐτῶν τῆς αἰρέσεως, ἤτοι τῆς συκοφαντίας, ἧς πεποίηνται κατὰ τῶν εὐσεβῶν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας δογμάτων, δύο πρεσβεύοντες υἱοὺς, καὶ διατέμνοντες τὸν ἀμέριστον, καὶ ἀνθρωπολατρίας ἔγκλημα καταγράφοντες οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ γῆς. Προσκυνεῖ γὰρ μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν ἡ τῶν ἄνω πνευμάτων ἁγία πληθὺς τὸν ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. Ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ μὴ ἀγνοεῖσθαι παρά τισι τοῦ Συμβόλου τὴν δύναμιν, ὃ καὶ ἐν ἁπάσαις ταῖς ἁγίαις τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἐκκλησίαις καὶ κρατεῖ, καὶ κεκήρυκται, Πατέρων ἁγίων δόξας, ἤγουν ἐκθέσεις, ἐνέταξα τοῖς αὐτόθι πεπραγμένοις ὑπομνήμασιν· ἵν᾽ εἰδεῖεν οἱ ἐντυγχάνοντες αὐταῖς, τίνα προσήκει νοεῖσθαι τρόπον τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων τὴν ἔκθεσιν, ἤτοι τὸ ἀκραιφνὲς τῆς ὀρθῆς πίστεως Σύμβολον. Οἶμαι δὲ τὴν ἀγάπην ὑμῶν καὶ ἐντυχεῖν τῷ βιβλίῳ, ὅ περὶ τούτων αὐτῶν - συγγεγράφαμεν. Αὐτὸ δὲ καὶ νῦν, ὡς ἔφην, ἐπὶ λέξεως αὐτῆς παραθεὶς τὸ Σύμβολον, τετράψομαι σὺν Θεῷ πρός γε τὸ δεῖν ἕκαστα τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ κειμένων διερμηνεῦσαι σαφῶς. Γεγραφότα γὰρ οἶδα τὸν παναοίδιμον Πέτρον· « Ἕτοιμοι ἀεὶ πρὸς ἀπολογίαν παντὶ τῷ αὐτοῦντι ὑμᾶς λόγον περὶ τῆς ἐν ὑμῖν οὔσης ἐλπίδος.» Τὸ Σύμβολον τῶν ἐν Νικαίᾳ Πατέρων. Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν, Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, πάντων ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων ποιητήν· καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς τὸν μονογενῆ, τουτέστιν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῦ· Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ, φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ· γεννηθέντα, οὐ ποιηθέντα· ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί· δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, τὰ τε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ· τὸν δι᾿ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα, καὶ σαρκωθέντα, καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα, παθόντα, καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ· ἀνελθόντα εἰς οὐρανούς· ἐρχόμενον κρίναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς· καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Τοὺς δὲ λέγοντας, ὅτι ὧν ποτε, ὅτε οὐκ ἦν· καὶ πρὶν γεννηβῆναι, οὐκ ἦν· καὶ ὅτι ἐξ οὐκ ὄντων ἐγένετο, ἢ ἐξ ἑτέρας ὑποστάσεως, ἢ οὐσίας φάσκοντας εἶναι, ἢ τρεπτὸν, ἢ ἀλλοιωτὸν τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, τούτους ἀναθεματίζει ἡ ἀποστολικὴ καὶ καθολικὴ Ἐκκλησία. Πιστεύειν ἔφασαν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν, ἐκ βάθρων ὥσπερ αὐτῶν κατασείοντες τὰς Ἑλλήνων δόξας· «Οἱ φὰσκοντες εἶναι σοφοί, ἐμωράνθησαν, καὶ ἠλλάξαντο τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἀφθάρτου Θεοῦ ἐν ὁμοιώματι εἰκόνος φθαρτοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ πετεινῶν, καὶ τετραπόδων, καὶ ἑρπετῶν.» Προσεκύνησαν δὲ καὶ τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα, καὶ τοῖς τοῦ κόσμου στοιχείοις δεδουλεύκα - σι, πολλοὺς καὶ ἀναριθμήτους ὑποτοπήσαντες · εἶναι τοὺς θεούς. Οὐκοῦν εἰς ἀναίρεσιν τῆς πολυθέου πλάνης ἕνα Θεὸν ὀνομάζουσιν, ἑπόμενοι πανταχοῦ τοῖς ἱερεῖς Γράμμασι, καὶ τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ κάλλος τοῖς ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν ὑφ᾽ ἥλιον κατασημαίνοντες. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ πάνσοφος ἔδρα Μωϋσῆς, σαφέστατα λέγων· Ἄκουε Ἰσραήλ· Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου Κύριος εἷς ἐστι. » Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ πού φησιν ὁ τῶν ὅλων γενεσιουργὸς καὶ Δεσπότης· « Οὐκ ἔσονταί σοι θεοὶ ἕτεροι πλὴν ἐμοῦ. Καὶ μὴν καὶ διὰ φωνῆς τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν· « Ἐγὼ Κύριος πρῶτος, καὶ ἐγὼ μετὰ ταῦτα, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι πάρεξ ἐμοῦ. ῎Αριστα δὴ οὖν οἱ πανεύφημοι Πατέρες κρηπίδα τῇ πίστει καταβαλλόμενοι τὸ χρῆναι φρονεῖν καὶ λέγειν, ὡς εἷς καὶ μόνος ἐστὶ φύσει, καὶ ἀληθείᾳ Θεὸς, πιστεύειν ἔφασαν εἰς ἕνα Θεόν. Προσονομάζουσι δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, ἵνα συνεισφέρηται τῷ Πατρὶ δήλωσις Υἱοῦ, δι᾽ ἂν ἐστι Πατὴρ, συνυφεστῶτός τε καὶ συνυπάρχοντος ἀεί. Οὐδὲ γὰρ γέγονεν ἐν χρόνῳ Πατήρ, ἀλλ᾽ ἦν ὁ ἐστιν ἀεὶ, τουτέστι Πατήρ, παν τὸς ὑπάρχων ἐπέκεινα γεννητοῦ, καὶ ἐν ὑπερτάτοις ὑψώμασι. Τὸ γάρ τοι κρατεῖν καὶ κυριεύειν τῶν ὅλων, λαμπρὰν οὕτω, καὶ ἀπαράβλητον αὐτῷ προσνέμει τὴν δόξαν. Παρ' αὐτοῦ δὲ φασι δεδημιουργῆσθαι τὰ πάντα, τὰ τε ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἵνα κάνταῦθα τὸ ἀσυμφυὲς αὐτοῦ πρὸς πᾶσαν κτίσιν νοοῖτο. Ασύγκριτος γὰρ ἡ διαφορὰ ποιητοῦ καὶ ποιήματος, ἀγενήτου καὶ γεννητοῦ, φύσεώς τε τῆς ὑπὸ ζυγὰ καὶ δουλείας, καὶ τῆς τοῖς δεσποτικοῖς ἀξιώμασιν ἐξωραϊσμένης, θεοποεπῆ τε καὶ ὑπερκόσμιον λαχούσης τὴν δόξαν. Υἱοῦ γε μὴν διαμνημονεύσαντες, ἵνα μὴ δοκοῖεν ὄνομα κοινὸν προσνέμειν αὐτῷ, ὅπερ ἂν ἴσως τάτ· τοιτο καὶ ἐφ᾿ ἡμῶν αὐτῶν (κεκλήμεθα γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς νἱοὶ), νουνεχέστατα προσεπάγουσι τὰ δι' ὧν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν τῆς ἑνούσης αὐτῷ φαιδρότητος φυσικῆς τὸ ὑπὲρ κτίσιν ἀξίωμα. Γεγεννῆσθαι γὰρ, καὶ οὐ πεποιῆσθαί φασιν, ἀσύντακτον μὲν οὐσιωδῶς τῇ κτίσει διὰ τὸ μὴ πεποιῆσθαι νοοῦντες αὐτὸν, ἐκφῦναι δὲ μᾶλλον διισχυριζόμενοι τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ἀχρόνως τε καὶ ἀπερινοήτως· « ὧν γὰρ ὁ Λόγος ἐν ἀρχῇ. » Εἶτα τῆς ὠδῖνος τὸ γνήσιον (ἀνθρωπίνως δὲ καὶ τοῦτο εἰρήσθω, διὰ τὸ χρήσιμον) εὖ μάλα κατασημαίνοντες, Θεὸν ἔφασαν ἐκ Θεοῦ γεγεννῆσθαι τὸν Υιόν. Ἔνθα γὰρ ὅλως γέννησις ἀληθὴς, ἐκεῖ που πάντως ἕποιτο ἂν τὸ χρῆναι νοεῖν καὶ λέγειν οὐκ ἀλλότριον τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ τεκόντος τὸ τεχθὲν, ἀλλ' ἴδιον αὐτῆς, ὅτι καὶ ἐξ αὐτῆς κατὰ τὸν αὐτῇ πρέποντά τε καὶ ἐοικότα λόγον. Οὐ γὰρ κατὰ σῶμα τέξεται τὸ ἀσώματον, οὕτω δὲ μᾶλλον, ὡς φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ἀπαστράψαντι φωτὶ τὸ ἀπαυγασθέν ἔνθεν νοοῖτο φῶς, καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ κατὰ πρόοδον ἀπόρῥητόν τε καὶ ἄφραστον, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ καθ᾿ ἕνωσιν, καὶ ταυτότητα φυσικήν. Οὕτω γὰρ εἶναἱ φαμεν ἐν μὲν τῷ Πατρὶ τὸν Υἱὸν, ἐν δὲ τῷ Υἱῷ τὸν Πατέρα. Ὑπογράφει γὰρ ὁ Υἱὸς ἐν ἰδίᾳ φύσει τε καὶ δόξῃ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ Γεννήτορα. Καὶ γοῦν ἔφη σαφῶς πρὸς ἕνα τῶν ἁγίων μαθητῶν (Φίλιππος δὲ οὗτος ἦν)· Οὐ πιστεύεις, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐστιν; Ὁ ἑωρακὼς ἐμὲ, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα. Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἐν ἐσμεν. » Οὐκοῦν ὁμοούσιος ὁ Υἱὸς τῷ Πατρί. Ταύτῃ τοι, καὶ Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ γεγεννῆσθαι πιστεύεται. Καὶ τὸ μὲν τῆς γεννήσεως ὄνομα τεθὲν εὑρήσομεν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν κτισμάτων, κατά γε, φημὶ, τό· « Υίοὺς ἐγέννησα, καὶ ὕψωσα, · περὶ τῶν ἐξ αἵματος Ἰσραὴλ εἰρημένων παρὰ Θεοῦ. Ἀλλ᾽ ἐν χάριτος τάξει τὴν τοιάνδε κλῆσιν ἀποκερδαίνει τὸ ποιηθέν. Ἐπὶ δὲ γε τοῦ κατὰ φύσιν Υἱοῦ καταχρηστικῶς μὲν τῶν τοιούτων οὐδὲν, ἀληθῆ δὲ πάντα· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο μόνος ἐκ πάντων, Ἐγώ εἰμι, φησὶν, ἡ ἀλήθεια. » Ὥστε κἂν γέννη - σιν, κἂν υἱότητά τις ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ λέγῃ, ψεῦδος ποιήσειεν ἂν οὐδαμῶς· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐστιν ἡ ἀλήθεια. ᾿Ασφαλίζονται τοίνυν τὰς ἡμετέρας ψυχὰς οἱ πανεύφημοι μυσταγωγοί, Πατέρα καὶ Υἱὸν πανταχοῦ, καὶ γέννησιν ὀνομάζοντες, καὶ Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, καὶ φῶς ἐκ φωτὸς ἀπαστράψαι λέγοντες· ἵνα καὶ τὸ ἀσώματον καὶ τὸ ἁπλοῦν ἡ γέννησις ἔχῃ, καὶ τὸ ἐξ αὐτοῦ γε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἑκάτερος ὑπάρχων ἰδιο προσώπως νοῆται. Πατὴρ γάρ ἐστιν ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ οὐχ Υἱός· καὶ Υἱὸς ὁ τεχθεὶς, καὶ οὐ Πατήρ· καὶ ἐν ταυτότητι φύσεως ἴδιον ἑκατέρου τὸ εἶναι, ὅ ἐστιν. Ἁπάντων δὲ ποιητὴν ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀοράτων ἀποφήναντες τὸν Πατέρα, δι' Υἱοῦ τὰ πάντα δεδημιουργῆσθαί φασιν, οὐ τὸ μεῖον ἐν δόξῃ, καθάπερ τινὰ κλῆρον αὐτῷ πρέποντα προσνενεμηκότες, πολλοῦ γε καὶ δεῖ· ποῦ γὰρ ὅλως ἐστὶ τὸ ἔλαττον, ἢ γοῦν τὸ μεῖζον ὁρᾶν ἐν ταυτότητι τῆς οὐσίας; ἀλλ' ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς οὐ πεφυκότος ἑτέρως ἐργάζεσθαί τι καὶ εἰς τὸ εἶναι καλεῖν, πλὴν ὅτι δι' Υἱοῦ ἐν Πνεύματι, ὡς διὰ δυνάμεως καὶ σοφίας τῆς ἑαυτοῦ. Γέγραπται γὰρ, ὅτι « Τῷ λόγῳ Κυρίου οἱ οὐρανοὶ ἐστερεώθησαν, καὶ τῷ πνεύματι τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ δύναμις αὐτῶν. » Ναὶ μὴν, καὶ ὁ πάνσοφος Ἰωάννης· « Ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ Λόγος, εἰπὼν, καὶ ὁ Λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ Λόγος, » προσεπήνεγκεν ἀναγκαίως· « Πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδέν. » Ὁμοούσιον τοίνυν, ἰσοκλεᾶ τε καὶ ισουργὸν τῷ Πατρὶ τὸν Υἱὸν ἀποδεδειχότες, διαμέμνηνται χρησί μως τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας διατρανοῦσι τὸ μυστήριον, τελεωτάτην ἔσεσθαι καὶ ἀπροσδεᾶ διὰ τούτου τῆς πίστεως τὴν παράδοσιν εὖ μάλα διεγνωκότες. Οὐ γάρ τοι μόνον ἀπόχρη τοῖς πιστεύουσιν εἰς αὐτὸν τὸ διακεῖ - σθαι, καὶ φρονεῖν, ὡς Θεὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ γεγέννηται τοῦ Πατρὸς, ὁμοούσιός τε αὐτῷ, καὶ χαρακτὴρ ὑπάρχων τῆς ὑποστάσεως αὐτοῦ· ἀλλ᾽ ἦν ἀναγκαῖον εἰδέναι πρὸς τούτοις, ὡς τῆς ἁπάντων ἕνεκα σωτηρίας, καὶ ζωῆς καθεὶς ἑαυτὸν εἰς κένωσιν, ἔλαβε δούλου μορφὴν, καὶ προῆλθεν ἄνθρωπος, γεννηθεὶς κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ γυναικός. Διὰ τοῦτό φασι· Τὸν δι᾽ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα, σαρκωθέντα, ἐνανθρωπήσαντα. "Αθρει δή, ὅπως ἐν κόσμῳ τῷ δέοντι, καὶ ἐν τάξει τῇ πρεπως. δεστάτῃ πρόεισιν ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς. Κατελθεῖν γὰρ ἔφασαν, ἵνα διὰ τούτου τὸν ἐπάνω πάντων Κύριον ἐννοῶμεν φύσει τε καὶ δόξῃ, καὶ πάλιν τοῦτον καταροιτήσαντα δι᾿ ἡμᾶς, εἰς τὸ ἐθελῆσαι, φημὶ, τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁμοίωσιν ἐπελθεῖν Ρ, καὶ ἐπιλάμψαι τῷ όσμῳ μετὰ σαρκός. Γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν βίβλῳ Ψαλμῶν· « Ὁ Θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ἤξει, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐ παρασιωπήσεται. » Νοηθείη δ' ἂν, εἴπερ ἕλοιτό τις, καὶ καθ᾽ ἕτερον τρόπον ἡ κάθοδος · οἷον, ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ἄνωθεν, ἢ καὶ ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ τοῦ Πατρός. Φωναῖς γὰρ ταῖς καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς καὶ τὰ ὑπὲρ νοῦν καταδηλοῦν, ἔθος τοῖς ἱεροῖς Γράμμασι. Καὶ γοῦν ἔφη, τοῖς ἁγίοις προσδιαλεγόμενος μαθηταῖς· · Ἐξῆλθον ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ ἐλήλυθα εἰς τὸν κόσμον· πάλιν ἀφίημι τὸν κόσμον, καὶ πορεύομαι πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα· · καὶ πάλιν· · Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τῶν κάτω ἐστὲ, ἐγὼ ἐκ τῶν ἄνω εἰμί·, ἔτι τε πρὸς τούτοις· « Ἐγὼ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ἥκω. » Γράφει δὲ καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Ἰωάννης· « Ὁ ἄνωθεν ἐρχόμενος, ἐπάνω πάντων ἐστί.ι Καίτοι γὰρ ὑπάρχων ἐν ὑπερτάταις ὑπεροχαῖς, καὶ ἐπάνω πάντων οὐσιωδῶς μετὰ τοῦ ἰδίου Πατρὸς, ἅτε δὴ καὶ ἐν ταυτότητι φύσεως τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν στεφανούμενος, « οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ᾽ ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε, μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενόμενος, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν. » Ἑπειδὴ γὰρ Θεὸς ὧν ὁ Λόγος τὴν ἡμῶν ἡμπέσχετο σάρκα, μεμένηκε δὲ καὶ οὕτω Θεὸς, ταύτῃ τοι Θεὸν ὁ ἱερώτατος Παῦλος ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενέσθαι φησὶν, εὑρεθῆναί τε ὡς ἄνθρωπον σχήματι. Θεὸς γὰρ ἦν, ὡς ἔφην, ἐν εἴδει τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἄψυχόν γε τὴν σάρκα λαβὼν, καθὰ φρονεῖν ἔδοξέ τισι τῶν αἱρετικῶν, ἐψυχωμένην δὲ μᾶλλον ψυχῇ νοερᾷ. Αὐτὸν οὖν ἄρα τὸν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρὸς προελθόντα Λόγον, καὶ Υἱὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐκ τοῦ φωτὸς, τὸν δι᾽ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, κατελθεῖν ἔφασαν οἱ Πατέρες, σαρκωθῆναί τε καὶ ἐνανθρωπῆσαι, τουτέστιν ὑπομεῖναι γέννησιν τὴν κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ γυναικὸς, καὶ προελθεῖν ἐν εἴδει τῷ καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς· τοῦτο γὰρ τὸ ἐνανθρωπῆσαί ἐστιν. Εἷς οὖν ἄρα Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, αὐτὸς ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος γενόμενος ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ ἀποβεβληκὼς τὸ εἶναι ὁ ἦν· ἀπομεμένηκε γὰρ καὶ ἐν ἀνθρωπότητι Θεὸς, καὶ ἐν μορφῇ δούλου Δεσπότης, καὶ ἐν κενώσει τῇ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς τὸ πλῆρες ἔχων θεῖκῶς, καὶ ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ σαρκὸς τῶν δυνάμεων Κύριος, καὶ ἐν τοῖς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτροις ἴδιον ἔχων τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν τὴν κτίσιν. μὲν γὰρ ἦν πρὸ σαρκός, ἀναποβλήτως ἔχει· Θεὸς γὰρ ἦν, καὶ Υἱὸς ἀληθινὸς, μονογενής τε καὶ φῶς, ζωὴ, καὶ δύναμις. "Α δὲ οὐκ ἦν, ταῦτα προσειληφὼς ὁρᾶται διὰ τὴν οἰκονομίαν· δια γὰρ ἐποιήσατο τὰ τῆς σαρκός. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρου τινὸς, αὐτοῦ δὲ μᾶλλον ἡ ἀφράστως αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀποῤῥήτως ἑνωθεῖσα σάρξ. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ σοφὸς Ἰωάννης σάρκα φησὶ γενέσθαι τὸν Λόγον. Γέγονε δὲ σάρξ οὐ κατὰ μετάστασιν, ἢ τροπὴν, ἢ ἀλλοίωσιν εἰς τὴν τῆς σαρκὸς φύσιν μεταβαλών· οὔτε μὴν φυρμὸν, ἢ σύγκρισιν, ἢ τὴν θρυλλουμένην παρά τισι συνουσίωσιν ὑπομείνας (ἀμήχανον γὰρ, ἐπείπερ ἐστὶ κατὰ φύσιν ἀτρέπτως τε καὶ ἀναλλοιώτως ἔχων), σάρκα δὲ μᾶλλον ἐψυχωμένην ψυχῇ νοερᾷ παρθενικοῦ καὶ ἀχράντου σώματος λαβών, καὶ ἰδίαν αὐτὴν ποιησάμενος. Ἔθος δὲ τῇ θεοπνεύστῳ Γραφῇ, καὶ ἀπὸ μόνης ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε τῆς σαρκὸς ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ὑποδηλοῦν· Ἐκχεῶ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τοῦ Πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα. » Οὐ γάρ τοι σαρξὶν οὐκ ἐψυχωμέναις ψυχῇ νοερᾷ ἐνήσειν Θεὸς ἐπηγγέλλετο, ἀνθρώποις δὲ ᾿μᾶλλον τοῖς συνεστῶσιν ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος. Οὐκοῦν οὐκ ἀποδραμὼν ὁ Λόγος τοῦ εἶναι ὁ ἦν, γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν εἴδει τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς πεφηνὼς, ἀπομεμένηκε Λόγος. Καὶ οὐ πρότερον ἄνθρωπος νοεῖται Χριστὸς, εἶθ' οὕτω προελθὼν εἰς τὸ εἶναι Θεός· ἀλλὰ Θεὸς ὢν ὁ Λόγος γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἵνα ἐν ταυτῷ νοῆται Θεὸς ὑπάρχων ὁμοῦ καὶ ἄνθρωπος ὁ αὐτὸς. Οἱ γε μὴν αὐτὸν εἰς οἱοὺς μερίζοντες δύο, καὶ τολμῶντες λέγειν ὅτι τὸν ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ Δαυΐδ ἄνθρωπον ἑαυτῷ συνῆψεν ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος, καὶ μετέδωκεν αὐτῷ τῆς ἀξίας, καὶ τῆς τιμῆς, καὶ τοῦ τῆς υἱότητος ἀξιώματος, καὶ παρεσκεύασεν αὐτὸν ὑπομεῖναι σταυρὸν, ἀποθανεῖν, καὶ ἀναβιῶναι, καὶ ἀνελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ καθίσαι ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἵνα προσκυνῆται παρὰ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως, ἀναφορᾷ Θεοῦ δεχόμενος τὰς τιμὰς, πρῶτον μὲν υἱοὺς πρεσβεύουσι δύο, εἶτα τοῦ μυστηρίου τὴν δύναμιν ἀντιστρέφουσιν ἀμαθῶς. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἀνθρώπου Θεὸς γέγονεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ὡς ἔφην, ἀλλὰ Θεὸς ὢν ὁ Λόγος γέγονε σάρξ, τουτέστιν ἄνθρωπος. Κεκενῶσθαι δὲ λέγεται, ὡς πρὸ τῆς κενώσεως τὸ πλῆρες ἔχων ἐν ἰδίᾳ φύσει, καθὸ νοεῖται Θεός. Οὐ γὰρ ἐκ τοῦ κενὸς εἶναί τις εἰς τὸ πλῆρες ἀνέβη, ἐταπείνωσε δὲ μᾶλλον ἑαυτὸν ἐξ ὑψωμάτων θεϊκῶν, καὶ ἀῤῥήτου δόξης, οὐ ταπεινὸς ὢν ἄνθρωπος, ὑψώθη δεδοξασμένος. Ἕλαβε δὲ δούλου μορφὴν ὡς ἐλεύθερος, οὐχὶ δοῦλος ὢν εἰς τὴν τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀνεπήδησε δόξαν. Ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γέγονεν ὁ ἐν μορφῇ καὶ ἰσότητι τοῦ Πατρὸς, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ὢν, τὸ ἐν ὁμοιώματι Θεοῦ γενέσθαι πεπλούτηκε μεθεκτῶς. Τι τοίνυν ἀντιστρέφουσι τῆς οἰκονομίας τοὺς λό γους, καὶ παρασημαίνουσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν, ἀπάσαις ἀντανιστάμενοι ταῖς θεοπνεύστοις Γραφαῖς, αἳ Θεὸν ὄντα γινώσκουσι, καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα τὸν Υἱὸν, ἕνα τε ὀνομάζουσι πανταχοῦ; Καὶ γοῦν ἐν τῷ τῆς Κοσμο ποιΐας βιβλίῳ γέγραφεν ὁ Μωϋσῆς, ὡς διεβίβασε μὲν ὁ θεσπέσιος Ἰακώβ τὸν χειμάρρουν Ἰαβὼκ τὰ παιδία αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέμεινε μόνος· ἐπάλαιε δὲ μετ' αὐτοῦ ἄνθρωπος ἕως πρωΐ· καὶ ἐκάλεσεν Ἰακὼβ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ τόπου ἐκείνου, Εἶδος Θεοῦ· « Εἶδον γὰρ, φησὶ, Θεὸν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον, καὶ ἐσώθη μου ἡ ψυχή. Ανέτειλε δὲ αὐτῷ ἥλιος, ἡνίκα παρῆλθε τὸ εἶδος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἰακὼβ δὲ ἐπέσκαζε τῷ μηρῷ αὐτοῦ. Προανεδείκνυ γὰρ τῷ πατριάρχῃ Θεὸς, ὅτι καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσει κατὰ καιροὺς ὁ μονογενὴς αὐτοῦ Λόγος, καὶ ἀντίπαλον ἕξει τὸν Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ὅτι περὶ αὐτὸν οὐκ ὀρθοποδήσουσι, χωλανοῦσι δὲ ὥσπερ, καθά φησιν αὐτὸς διὰ τῆς τοῦ Ψάλλοντος λύρας· « Υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐψεύσαντό μοι, υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐπαλαιώθησαν, καὶ · ἐχώλαναν ἀπὸ τῶν τρίβων αὐτῶν. » Τουτὶ γὰρ οἷμαι καταδηλοῦν τὸ ἐπισκάσαι τὸν Ἰακὼβ τῷ μηρῷ αὐτοῦ. Πλὴν ἐκεῖνο ἄθρει· ἀνθρώπου παλαίοντος πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἑωρακέναι φησὶ Θεὸν πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον· καὶ εἶδος αὐτὸν ὀνομάζει Θεοῦ. ᾿Απομεμένηκε γὰρ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, καὶ ἄνθρωπος γεγονὼς, ἐν μορφῇ τοῦ Πατρὸς, κατά γε, φημὶ, τὴν νοητὴν εἰκόνα, καὶ τὸ κατὰ πανοτιοῦν ἀπαραλλάκτως ἔχον 4. Καὶ γοῦν ἔφη πρὸς Φίλιππον, χαρακτῆρα τῆς ὑποστάσεως τοῦ Πατρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἀποφαίνων, καὶ μετὰ σαρκός· «. Ὁ έωρακὼς ἐμὲ, ἑώρακε τὸν Πατέρα. » Ἐπειδὴ δέ τινα τῶν ἐκ γενετῆς τεθεράπευκε τυφλὸν, εὑρὼν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ· « Σὺ πιστεύεις, ἔφασκεν, εἰς τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ; » Ἐκείνου γε μὴν πρὸς τοῦτο λέγοντος· « Τις ἐστι, Κύριε, ἵνα πιστεύσω εἰς αὐτόν; · καὶ ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων· « Καὶ ἑώρακας αὐτὸν, καὶ ὁ λαλῶν μετὰ σοῦ, ἐκεῖνός ἐστι. » Τεθέαται δὲ ὁ τυφλὸς οὐ γυμνὸν, ἢ ἄσαρκον αὐτὸν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν εἴδει μᾶλλον τῷ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς· καὶ πεπίστευκεν εἰς τὸν ἑωραμένον, οὐχ ὡς Υἱὸν υἱῷ συνημμένον ἑτέρῳ, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς εἰς ἕνα τὸν φύσει τε καὶ ἀληθῶς οὐ δίχα σαρκὸς ἐπιλάμψαντα τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Μωϋσῆς γε μὴν ὁ θεσπέσιος ἐν εὐλογίαις φησί· Δότε Λευῖ τὴν δήλωσιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν αὐτοῦ τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ὁσίῳ· ὃν ἐξεπείρασαν ἐν πείρᾳ· ἐλοιδόρησαν αὐτὸν ἐφ᾽ ὕδατος ἀντιλογίας. Ὁ λέγων τῷ Πατρὶ καὶ τῇ μητρί· Οὐχ ἑώρακά σε· καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐπέγνω. Προστέταχε μὲν γὰρ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τὸν προδήρη γενέσθαι τῷ Ἰαρὼν ποικίλως ἐξυφασμένον· φόρημα δὲ τοῦτο μόνῃ τῇ ἀρχιερωσύνῃ πρέπον, καὶ ἐκνεμηθὲν αὐτῇ. Πρὸς δὲ γε τῷ στήθει τοῦ ἀρχιερέως λίθοι τινὲς ἦσαν ἀπηρτημένοι, τὸν ἀριθμὸν δώδεκα, ὧν ἐν μέσῳ τετάχατο δήλωσίς τε καὶ ἀλήθεια, δύο πάλιν ἕτεροι λίθοι. Αίνιγματωδῶς δὲ διὰ τούτων ὁ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων διεδείκνυτο χορὸς, οἷον ἐν κύκλῳ περιέχων τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ, ὅς ἐστι δήλωσις καὶ ἀλήθεια· δεδήλωκε γὰρ ἡμῖν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, τὴν ἐν σκιαῖς, καὶ τύποις ἀποστήσας λατρείαν. Ὅτι δὲ γέγονεν ἡμῶν ἀρχιερεὺς ὁ μονογενής τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ὅτε καὶ ἄνθρωπος γέγονε, πῶς ἔστιν ἀμφιβάλλειν, γεγραφότος ὡδὶ τοῦ θεσπεσίου Παύλους Κατανοήσατε τὸν ἀπόστολον καὶ ἀρχιερέα τῆς ὁμολογίας ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν, πιστὸν ὄντα τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν ;» Τὸ γάρ τοι τῆς ἱερωσύνης ἀξίωμα τοῖς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος μέτροις οὐκ ἀπεοικὸς νοοῖτ᾽ ἂν εἰκότως, καὶ μεῖον μὲν, ἢ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου φύσιν τε καὶ δόξαν, οὐκ ἀνάρμοστον δὲ τῇ μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίᾳ· γεγόνασι γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα. τὴν δήλωσιν καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειαν. » Ποίῳ δὲ ἄρα φησὶ Λευί, ἤγουν ἱερεῖ, διεσάφησεν εἰπών· « Τῷ ἀνδρὶ τῷ ὁσίῳ. Οὐ γὰρ ἐποίησεν ἁμαρτίαν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Γράφει οὖν ὁ Παῦλος περὶ αὐτοῦ· Τοιοῦτος ἡμῖν ἔπρεπεν ἀρχιερεὺς, ὅσιος, ἄκακος, ἀμίαντος, κεχωρισμένος ἀπὸ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, καὶ ὑψηλότερος τῶν οὐρανῶν γενόμενος. » - « Τοῦτον ἐξεπείρασαν ἐν πείρᾳ· ἐλοιδόρησαν αὐτὸν ἐφ᾿ ὕδατος ἀντιλογίας. » Ω παραδόξου πράγματος. ῎Ανδρα λέγων αὐτὸν, Θεὸν ἀπέφηνεν εὐθύς· ὃν δὴ παρώξυνέ τε καὶ ἐξεπείρασεν ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ἔν τε τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ ἐπὶ ὕδατος ἀντιλογίας. Καὶ πιστώσεται λέγων ὁ Ψαλμῳδός· « Διέρρηξεν ἐν ἐρήμῳ πέτραν, καὶ ἐπότισεν αὐτοὺς ὡς ἐν ἀβύσσῳ πολλῇ· καὶ ἐξήγαγεν « Δότε » τοίνυν, φησὶ, « τῷ Λευί, » τουτεστι τῷ ἱερεῖ, ὕδωρ ἐκ πέτρας, καὶ κατήγαγεν ὡς ποταμοὺς ὕδατινας, ἐπέστησαν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοὶ, εἶτα δύναται, τα. Καὶ τί μετὰ τοῦτο; « Καὶ ἐξεπείρασαν, φησὶν, αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτῶν· καὶ κατελάλησαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ εἶπον· Μὴ δυνήσεται ὁ Θεὸς ἑτοιμάσαι τράπεζαν ἐν ἐρήμῳ, ὅτι ἐπάταξε πέτραν, καὶ ἐῤῥύησαν ὕδατα, καὶ χείμαρροι κατεκλύσθησαν; Μὴ καὶ ἄρτον δυνήσεται · δοῦναι, ἢ ἑτοιμάσαι τράπεζαν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ; Σύνες οὖν, ὅπως διαλελοιδόρηνται θαυματουργοῦντι τῷ Θεῷ, ὃν δὴ ἄνδρα φησὶν ὁ Μωϋσῆς. Συνεὶς γὰρ οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος, γράφει· Ἔπίνον γὰρ ἐκ πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας· ἡ δὲ πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστός. Οὐκοῦν ὁ λοιδορηθεὶς ἀνὴρ, αὐτὸς ἦν ἐκεῖνος, ὃς οὔπω σεσαρκωμένος ἐπειράζετο παρὰ τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραήλ. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐχ ἕτερος ἦν Υἱὸς ὁ πρὸ σαρκὸς, ( ἕτερος δὲ παρ' αὐτὸν ὁ ἐκ σπέρματος τοῦ Δαυΐδ, καθὰ φάναι τολμῶσί τινες, ἀλλ᾽ εἷς τε καὶ ὁ αὐτὸς, πρὸ μὲν τῆς σαρκώσεως γυμνὸς ἔτι Λόγος, μετὰ δέ γε τὴν ἀπότεξιν τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου σεσαρκωμένος, καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσας, καθὰ γεγράφασιν οἱ ἅγιοι καὶ θεσπέσιοι Πατέρες, σημείῳ πάλιν ἐτέρῳ πεπληροφόρηκεν ὁ Μωϋσῆς. Ωσπερ γὰρ ἐρομένου τινὸς, καὶ ἀναμαθεῖν ἐθέλοντος, περὶ ποίου γέγονεν ἀνδρὸς ὁ Λόγος αὐτῷ, ἓν δὴ καὶ ἐκπεπειρᾶσθαι, καὶ λελοιδορῆσθαί φησι παρὰ τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, μονονουχὶ καὶ χεῖρα προτείνων καταδείκνυσι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, καί φησιν· Ὁ λέγων τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῇ μητρί· Οὐχ ἑώρακά σε, καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐπέγνω. » Μεμνήμεθα γὰρ γεγραφότος ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων εὐαγγελιστῶν, ὡς διδάσκοντός ποτε τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ μυσταγωγοῦντός προσδραμόντος τινὸς τῶν μαθητῶν, καὶ λέγοντος · Ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρ σου, καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου ἑστήκασιν ἔξω, ἰδεῖν σε θέλοντες, ο ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς, εἶπε· « Μήτηρ μου καὶ ἀδελφοί μου οὗτοί εἰσιν, οἱ ἀκούοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ποιοῦντες. Ὃς γὰρ ἂν ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, οὗτος ἀδελφός μου, καὶ ἀδελφὴ, καὶ μήτηρ ἐστί. » Τοῦτο, οἶμαι, ἔστιν ὅπερ ἔφη Μωϋσῆς· « Ὁ Λέγων τῷ πατρὶ καὶ τῇ μητρί Οὐχὶ ἑώρακά σε· καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐπέγνω. » Καὶ 5 μὴν, καὶ ὁ πάνσοφος Δανιὴλ ἐν εἴδει τῷ καθ' ἡμᾶς τεθεᾶσθαί φησι τὸν μονογενῆ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον. Ἰδεῖν μὲν γὰρ ἔφη Παλαιὸν ἡμερῶν, καθἡμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου, μυρίας τε μυριάδας τῶν παραστάντων, καὶ χιλίας χιλιάδας τῶν λειτουργῶν· καὶ διὰ μέσου τινὰ παρενθεὶς, ἕτερα τούτοις ἐπάγει Ἐθεώρουν γὰρ ἐν ὁράματι τῆς νυκτὸς, καὶ ἰδοὺ μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς Υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος, καὶ ἕως τοῦ Παλαιοῦ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἔφθασε, καὶ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προσηνέχθη, καὶ αὐτῷ ἐδόθη ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ βασιλεία· καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ καὶ γλῶσσαι αὐτῷ δουλεύσουσιν. » Ἰδοὺ δὴ πάλιν σαφῶς τε καὶ ἐναργῶς ἀναβαίνοντα πρὸς τὸν ἐν οὐρανοῖς Πα· τέρα καὶ Θεὸν τεθέαται τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ. Νεφέλη γὰρ ὑπέλαβεν αὐτόν· ὃν δὴ, καὶ οὐκ ἄνθρωπον ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ᾽ ὡς Υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου φησί. Θεὸς γὰρ ἦν ἐν ὁμοιώσει τῇ πρὸς ἡμᾶς γεγονὼς ὁ Λόγος. Οὕτω συνεὶς, καὶ ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπων γενέσθαι φησὶν αὐτὸν, εὑρεθῆναι δὲ ὡς ἄνθρωπον ἐν σχήματι, καὶ ἐν ὁμοιώματι σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας ὧφθαι τοῖς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Εἰ δὲ ἄνθρωπος ἦν, συναφείᾳ τῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ὡς Θεὸς, τιμώμενος, ἔφη δ᾽ ἂν ὁ προφήτης, ὡς Θεὸν, ἢ ὡς Υἱὸν Θεοῦ τεθεᾶσθαι τὸν μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν ἐρχόμενον· ἀλλ᾽ οὐ τοῦτό φησιν, ἐκεῖνο δὲ μᾶλλον τὸ, « ὡς Υἱὸν ἀνθρωπου. » Οἶδεν ἄρα Θεὸν ὄντα, καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα τὸν Υἱὸν, ἤγουν ἐν ὁμοιώματι ἀνθρώπου γενόμενον, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Παύλου φωνήν. Πλὴν καὶ ἐν σαρκὶ πεφηνὼς, « ἕως τοῦ Παλαιοῦ τῶν ἡμερῶν ἔφθασε. » Τουτέστιν, εἰς τὸν τοῦ ἀἰδίου Πατρὸς ἀναπεφοίτηκε θρόνον· « Καὶ αὐτῷ ἐδόθη ἡ τιμὴ καὶ ἡ βασιλεία· καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ καὶ γλῶσσαι αὐτῷ δουλεύσουσι. » Καὶ τοῦτο ἦν ἄρα τὸ εἰρημένον παρ' αὐτοῦ· « Πάτερ, δόξασόν με τῇ δόξῃ, ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι, παρὰ σοί. » "Ὅτι δὲ σαρκωθεὶς ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος σύνεδρός ἐστι, καὶ ἰσοκλεὴς τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, καὶ μετὰ σαρκὸς, ὡς εἰς ὑπάρχων Υἱὸς, καὶ ὅτε γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, σαφηνιεῖ γράφων ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος· « Τοιοῦτον ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα, ὃς ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θρόνου τῆς μεγαλωσύνης ἐν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς. Ναὶ μὴν, καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ἐρομένων αὐτὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων, εἴπερ ἐστὶν αὐτὸς ἀληθῶς ὁ Χριστὸς, « Ἑὰν εἶπω, φησὶν, ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε· καὶ ἐὰν ἐπερωτήσω, οὐ μὴ ἀποκριθῆτε. Ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν δὲ ἔσται ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου καθήμενος ἐκ δεξιῶν τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. » Οὐκοῦν ἐν τοῖς τῆς θεότητος θρόνοις καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα τὸν Γϊὸν ὁ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν ἐθεᾶτο χορός. Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ τοὺς τῆς νέας Διαθήκης κήρυκας, τοὺς τῆς ὑφ' ἥλιον μυσταγωγούς, οἷς αὐτὸς ἔφη ὁ Χριστός· « Οὐχ ὑμεῖς ἐστε οἱ λαλοῦντες, ἀλλὰ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τὸ λαλοῦν ἐν ὑμῖν. Εὑρήσομεν τοίνυν λέγοντα τὸν θεσπέσιον Βαπτιστήν· « Ὀπίσω μου ἔρχεται ἀνὴρ, ὃς ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν, ὅτι πρῶτός μου ἦν. Εἶτα πῶς ὁ μετ᾿ αὐτὸν ἰὼν, πρῶτος αὐτοῦ ἦν; ὅτι γὰρ ὑστερίζει κατὰ τὸν τῆς σαρκὸς χρόνον Ἰωάννου ὁ Χριστὸς, πῶς οὐχ ἅπασιν ἐναργές; Τί οὖν πρὸς ταῦτα φαίη τις ἄν; Ἔλυσεν ἡμῖν αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ τὸ ζητούμενον. Ἔφη γὰρ Ἰουδαίοις προσλαλῶν· « [᾿Αμὴν, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν,] πρὶν ᾿Ἀβραὰμ γενέσθαι ἐγώ εἰμι. » ὧν μὲν γὰρ καὶ πρὸ ᾿Αβραὰμ θεϊκῶς, νοεῖται δὲ μετ᾿ αὐτὸν, καθὸ πέφηνεν ἄνθρωπος. Εἶτα τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς βοῶντος ἀναφανδόν· « Τὴν δόξαν μου ἑτέρῳ οὐ δώσω κ ( Θεὸς γὰρ ἕτερος παρ' αὐτὸν οὐδείς)· ἔφη πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁ Χριστός· « Ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων. » Υἱοῦ δὲ ἀνθρώπου προσδοκωμένου καταβαίνειν ἐξ οὐρανῶν, γράφει πάλιν ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος· · Ἐπεφάνη γὰρ ἡ χάρις τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ σωτήριος πᾶσιν ἀνθρώ ποις· ἵνα ἀρνησάμενοι τὴν ἀσέβειαν καὶ τὰς κοσμικὰς ἐπιθυμίας, σωφρόνως καὶ δικαίως καὶ εὐσεβῶς ζήσωμεν ἐν τῷ νῦν αἰῶνι, προσδεχόμενοι τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα καὶ ἐπιφάνειαν τῆς δόξης τοῦ μεγάλου. Θεοῦ καὶ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. » Ἔφη δὲ καὶ ἑτέρωθι περὶ τῶν ἐξ αἵματος Ἰσραὴλ τοὺς λόγους ποιούμενος, ὅτι « Αὐτῶν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, καὶ ἡ νομοθεσία, καὶ ἡ διαθήκη, καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τὸ κατὰ σάρκα Χριστὸς, ὁ ὧν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸς εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. ᾿Αμήν. » Οὐκοῦν κατ' ἔχνος ἰόντες ἀπροσκλινῶς τῆς τῶν Πατέρων ὁμολογίας, αὐτόν φαμεν τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Πατρὸς Λόγον γεννηθέντα Υἱὸν μονογενῆ, σαρκωθῆ( ναί τε καὶ ἐνανθρωπῆσαι, παθεῖν, ἀποθανεῖν, ἀναστῆναι ἐκ νεκρῶν τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. Ἀπαθὴς μὲν γὰρ ὁμολογουμένως τό γε ἧκον εἰς ἰδίαν φύσιν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος· καὶ οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἐμβρόντητος, ὡς νομίσαι δύνασθαι πάθους εἶναι δεκτικὴν τὴν ὑπὲρ πάντα φύσιν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἰδίαν ποιησάμενος σάρκα τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου, ταύτῃ τοι τοῖς τῆς οἰκονομίας ἑπόμενοι λόγοις, σαρκὶ τῇ ἰδίᾳ παθεῖν ἀνθρωπίνως διαβεβαιούμεθα τὸν ἐπέκεινα τοῦ παθεῖν ὡς Θεόν. Εἰ γὰρ Θεὸς ὑπάρχων γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, ἀποπεφοίτηκε δὲ οὐδαμῶς τοῦ εἶναι θεὸς, εἰ γέγονε τῆς κτίσεως μέρος, καὶ μεμένηκεν ὑπὲρ τὴν κτίσιν· εἰ νομοθέτης ὧν ὡς Θεὸς, γέγονεν ὑπὸ νόμον, καὶ νομοθέτης ἦν ἔτι· καὶ Δεσπότης ὢν θεῖκῶς, δούλου μορφὴν ὑπέδυ, καὶ ἀναπόβλητον ἔχει τὸ τῆς δεσποτείας ἀξίωμα· εἰ μονογενὴς ὑπάρχων γέγονε πρωτότοκος ἐν πολλοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, καὶ ἔστι μονογενὴς, τί τὸ παράδοξον, εἰ σαρκὶ παθὼν ἀνθρωπίνως, ἀπαθὴς καὶ οὕτω νοεῖται θεϊκῶς; Καὶ γοῦν ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος τὸν ἐν μορφῇ καὶ ἰσότητι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ὑπάρχοντα Λόγον, τὸν αὐτὸν ὑπήκοον γενέσθαι φησὶ, καὶ μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. Ἐν ἑτέρᾳ δὲ τῶν ἰδίων Ἑπιστολῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ φησιν· Ὅστις ἐστὶν εἰκὼν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου, πρωτότοκος πάσης κτίσεως· ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς · καὶ αὐτός ἐστι πρὸ πάντων· καὶ τὰ πάντα ἐν αὐτῷ συνέστηκε·, καὶ αὐτὸν δεδόσθαι φησὶ κεφαλὴν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ, γενέσθαι δὲ καὶ ἀπαρχὴν τῶν κεκοιμημένων, καὶ πρωτότοκον τῶν νεκρῶν. Καίτοι ζωή, καὶ ζωοποιὸς ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρός ἐστι Λόγος, ἅτε δὴ καὶ ἐκ ζωῆς ἀναφὺς, τοῦ τεκόντος αὐτόν. Εἶτα πῶς γέγονεν πρωτότοκος ἐκ νεκρῶν, καὶ ἀπαρχὴ τῶν κεκοιμημένων; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὴν τοῦ θανάτου δεκτικὴν ἰδίαν ἐποιήσατο σάρκα, ο χάριτι Θεοῦ, καθά φησιν ὁ πάνσοφος Παῦλος, ὑπὲρ παντὸς ἐγεύσατο θανάτου» τῇ παθεῖν αὐτὸν δυναμένῃ σαρκὶ, οὐκ ἀποβαλὼν αὐτὸς τὸ εἶναι ζωή. Οὐκοῦν κἂν εἰ λέγοιτο σαρκὶ παθεῖν, οὐ φύσει θεότητος εἰσδέξεται τὸ παθεῖν, ἀλλ᾿ ὡς ἔφην ἀρτίως, ἰδίᾳ σαρκὶ τῇ τοῦ πάθους δεκτικῇ. Καὶ γοῦν ὁ μακάριος προφήτης Ησαΐας ἐνανθρωπήσαντα Θεὸν τὸν σαρκὶ παθόντα γινώσκων, ἔφη που περὶ αὐτοῦ· Ὡς πρόβατον ἐπὶ σφαγὴν ἤχθη, καὶ ὡς ἀμνὸς ἄκακος ἐναντίον τοῦ κείροντος αὐτὸν, ἄφωνος, οὕτως οὐκ ἀνοίγει τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ. Ἐν τῇ ταπεινώσει αὐτοῦ ἡ κρίσις αὐτοῦ ἤρθη· τὴν δὲ γενεὰν αὐτοῦ τίς διηγήσεται; "Ὅτι αἴρεται ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ. » Καίτοι εἴπερ τις ἦν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ ἰδικῶς νοούμενος υἱὸς, συνημμένος δὲ Θεῷ, καθά φασιν οἱ τῶν ἀνοσίων δογμάτων εἰσηγηταὶ, πῶς ἔτι δυσεύρετος ὁ τὴν γενεὰν αὐτοῦ διηγήσασθαι δυνάμενος; Γέγονε γὰρ ἐκ σπέρματος Ἰεσσαὶ καὶ Δαυΐδ. Τὴν δὲ γε τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου γέννησιν, ἤτοι τὸν τῆς γεννήσεως τρόπον, τίς ὁ φάναι δυνάμενος; « Αἴρεται γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἡ ζωὴ αὐτοῦ, » τουτέστιν ἡ ὕπαρξις· τέθεικε γὰρ ἀντὶ τῆς ὑπάρξεως τὴν ζωήν. Ὑψοῦ δὲ διάττει, καὶ ὑπερνήχεται τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἀπερινόητος γὰρ, καὶ ἀπρόσβλητος παντελῶς ταῖς ἀνθρώπων διανοίαις ὁ περὶ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου φύσεως Λόγος. Προσεποίσω τοῖς εἰρημένοις, καὶ τόδε· « Εἷς Κύριος, μία πίστις, ἓν βάπτισμα, » καθά φησιν ὁ ἱερώτατος Παῦλος. Ἑνὸς οὖν ὄντος Κυρίου, πίστεώς τε μιᾶς, καὶ ἑνὸς βαπτίσματος, τίς ὁ Κύριος, καὶ εἰς τίνα πεπιστεύκαμέν τε καὶ βεβαπτίσμεθα; ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἴσως πρέπειν ὅτι μάλιστα φαίη τις ἂν, τῷ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ὄντι Λόγῳ τὴν τε κυριότητα, καὶ τὴν πίστιν τὴν πρὸς ἡμῶν, ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ δὲ τελεῖσθαι, καὶ τὸ σωτήριον βάπτισμα. Οὕτω γάρ που τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις ἐνετείλατο λέγων· « Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, βαπτίζοντες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ τοῦ Υἱοῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. » Ὅ γε μὴν θεσπέσιος Παῦλος τὴν τῆς κυριότητος δόξαν, καὶ τῆς πί- η στεως τὴν ὁμολογίαν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος δύναμιν ἐμφανῆ καθίστησι, λέγων· « Μὴ εἴπῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου· Τίς ἀναβήσεται εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν; τουτέστι Χριστὸν καταγαγεῖν· ἢ, Τίς καταβήσεται εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον; τουτέστι Χριστὸν ἀναγαγεῖν ἐκ νεκρῶν. Ἀλλὰ τί λέγει ἡ Γραφή; Ἐγγύς σου τὸ ῥῆμά ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματί σου, καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου. Ὅτι ἐὰν εἴπῃς· Κύριος Ἰησοῦς, καὶ πιστεύσῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρεν αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, σωθήσῃ.» Γράφει δὲ πάλιν· « Οὐκ οἴδατε, ὅτι ὅσοι ἐβαπτίσθημεν εἰς Χριστὸν Ἰησοῦν, εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ ἐβαπτίσθημεν; » Ἰδοὺ δὴ σαφῶς περιΐστησιν εὐτές χνως τῆς τε κυριότητος, καὶ τῆς πίστεως τὴν ὁμολογίαν, καὶ αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος χάριν, εἰς τὸν παθόντα τὸν θάνατον καὶ ἐγηγερμένον ἐκ νεκρῶν. Ἆρα οὖν εἰς υἱοὺς πιστεύομεν δύο; Αρα τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἀπαστράψαντα παραδραμόντες Λόγον, ὡς υἱῷ παρ' αὐτὸν ἑτέρῳ, τῷ παθόντι προσάψομεν τὴν τῆς κυριότητος δόξαν, καὶ αὐτῆς δὲ τῆς πίστεως τὴν ὁμολογίαν, καὶ τὸ οὐράνιον βάπτισμα; Εἶτα πῶς οὐκ εὔηθες, μᾶλλον δὲ, καὶ ἀναμφιλόγως δυσσεβὲς, τὸ οὕτω φρονεῖν ἢ λέγειν; Τί οὖν ἐροῦμεν; « Εἷς Κύριος ἀληθῶς, μία τε πίστις, καὶ ἓν βάπτισμα. » Καὶ γὰρ ἐστιν εἷς Υἱὸς, καὶ Κύριος, οὐκ ἄνθρωπον κατὰ συνάφειαν λαβὼν ὁ Λόγος, καὶ μέτοχον αὐτὸν ἀποφήνας καὶ ἰδίων ἀξιωμάτων, καὶ μεταδοὺς υἱότητός τε καὶ κυριότητος αὐτῷ, καθά φασι καὶ γεγράφασι ληροῦντές τινες· ἀλλ᾿ αὐτὸς ἐνανθρωπήσας καὶ σαρκωθεὶς ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Λόγος, τὸ φῶς τὸ ἐκ φωτός. Εἰς τὸν τούτου θάνατον βεβαπτίσμεθα, παθόντος μὲν ἀνθρωπίνως αὐτοῦ ἰδίᾳ σαρκὶ, μεμενηκότος δὲ ἀπαθοῦς θεϊκῶς, καὶ ζῶντος ἀεί. Ζωὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἐκ ζωῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Οὕτω νενίκηται θάνατος, ἐπιπηδῆσαι τολμήσας τῷ σώματι τῆς ζωῆς· καταργεῖται δὲ οὕτω, καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ φθορά, καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ θανάτου τὸ κράτος ἀσθενεῖ. Καὶ μὴν ἔφη Χριστός· « Ἀμὴν, ἀμὴν, λέγω ὑμῖν, ἐὰν μὴ φάγητε τὴν σάρκα τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ πίητε αὐτοῦ τὸ αἷμα, οὐκ ἔχετε ζωὴν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. » Ζωοποιὸν οὖν ἄρα τὸ ἅγιον σῶμα, καὶ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ. – Σῶμα γὰρ, ὡς ἔφην, ἐστὶν οὐκ ἀνθρώπου τινὸς μετόχου ζωῆς, ἴδιον δὲ μᾶλλον τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ζωῆς, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τοῦ Μονογενοῦς. Ταῦτα φρονεῖ μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ φιλόχριστος τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων χορὸς, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ νυνὶ τὸν τῆς ἁγίας Κωνσταντινουπολιτῶν Ἐκκλησίας κατακοσμήσας θρόνον, ὁσιώτατος καὶ θεοσεβέστατος ἀδελφὸς, καὶ συνεπίσκοπος Πρόκλος. Γέγραφε γὰρ, καὶ αὐτὸς πρὸς τοὺς τῆς ἑῴας θεοφι λεστάτους ἐπισκόπους αὐταῖς λέξεσιν ὧδε· Καὶ σαρκοῦται μὲν ἀτρέπτως ὁ ἀνείδεος· τίκτεται δὲ καὶ κατὰ σάρκα ὁ ἄναρχος· προκόπτει δὲ τῇ κατὰ τὸ σῶμα ἡλικίᾳ ὁ φύσει παντέλειος· καὶ παθῶν ἀνέχεται ὁ παθῶν ἀνώτερος, οὐχ ᾧ ἦν ὑπομείνας τὰς ὕβρεις, ἀλλ᾽ ᾧ γέγονε καταδεξάμενος τὰ τοῦ σώματος πάθη. Ελέγχεται τοίνυν τῶν ἕτερα παρὰ ταῦτα φρονούντων ἢ γεγραφότων ἡ κακοπιστία, πανταχοῦ νοσοῦσα τὸ βέβηλον, καὶ τὸ τοῖς τῆς ἀληθείας ἀπᾷδον δόγ μασι. Διαπεράναντες δὲ τὸν περὶ Χριστοῦ λόγον οἱ τρισμακάριοι Πατέρες, τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος διαμνημο νεύουσι. Πιστεύειν γὰρ ἔφασαν εἰς αὐτὸ, καθάπερ ἀμέλει εἰς τὸν Πατέρα καὶ τὸν Υἱόν. Ὁμοούσιον γάρ ἐστιν αὐτοῖς· καὶ προχεῖται μὲν, ἤγουν ἐκπορεύεται, καθάπερ ἀπὸ πηγῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, χορηγεῖται δὲ τῇ κτίσει διὰ τοῦ Υἱοῦ. Ἐνεφύσησε γοῦν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις λέγων· ( Λάβετε Πνεῦμα ἄγιον. » Οὐκοῦν ἐκ Θεοῦ καὶ Θεὸς τὸ Πνεῦμά έστι, καὶ οὐκ ἀλλότριον τῆς ἀνωτάτω πασῶν οὐσίας, ἀλλ᾿ ἐξ αὐτῆς τε καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἴδιον αὐτῆς. Αὕτη μὲν οὖν τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων ἡ εὐθυτενὴς καὶ ἀπλανεστάτη πίστις, ἤτοι τῆς πίστεως, ἡ ὁμολογία. ᾿Αλλ' ὡς ὁ Παῦλός φησιν, « Ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ἐτύφλωσε τὰ νοήματα τῶν ἀπίστων εἰς τὸ μὴ αὐγάσαι τὸν φωτισμὸν τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τῆς δόξης Χριστοῦ. » ᾿Αφέντες γοῦν τὸ εὐθὺ τῆς ἀληθείας ἰέναι τινὲς, ἄττουσι κατὰ πετρῶν, « μὴ νοοῦν τες μήτε ἃ λέγουσι, μήτε περὶ τίνων διαβεβαιοῦνται.» Περιϊστάντες γὰρ τὴν τῆς υἱότητος δόξαν εἰς μόνον τὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς φύντα Λόγον, ὡς Υὸν ἕτερον τὸν ἐκ σπέρματος Δαυΐδ, καὶ Ἰεσσαὶ συνῆφθαί φασιν αὐτῷ, καὶ μετέχειν υἱότητος, καὶ τιμῆς θεοπρεποῦς, καὶ τῆς ἐνοικήσεως αὐτοῦ τοῦ Λόγου, καὶ πάντα μᾶλλον ἐσχηκέναι παρ' αὐτοῦ, ἴδιον δὲ παντελῶς οὐδέν. Περὶ τῶν τοιούτων, ὡς γε οἶμαι, γεγράφασι τοῦ Σωτῆρος οἱ μαθηταί. « Παρεισέδυσαν γάρ τινες ἄνθρωποι, οἱ καὶ πάλαι προγεγραμμένοι εἰς τοῦτο τὸ κρῖμα, ἀσεβεῖς, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριν μετατιθέντες εἰς ἀσέλγειαν, καὶ τὸν μόνον Δεσπότην καὶ Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ἀρνούμενοι· » Ἰησοῦς δὲ Χριστὸς ὀνομάζοιτο ἂν εἰκότως ἐν ἀνθρώπου μορφῇ πεφηνὼς ὁ Λόγος. Ἐπεὶ φραζέτωσαν ἐρομένοις οἱ δι' ἐναντίας, οἱ τὰ Νεστορίου τε καὶ Θεοδώρου φρονεῖν καὶ λαλεῖν ἐκ πολλῆς ἄγαν ἀσυνεσίας οὐ παραιτούμενοι· Εκβάλλετε τοῦ εἶναι Θεὸν, καὶ Υἱὸν ἀληθινὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς τὸν ἐκ τῆς ἁγίας Παρθένου, τὸ παθεῖν αὐτῷ προσνέμοντες μόνῳ 1, καὶ ἀποσοβοῦντες αὐτὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου, ἵνα μὴ Θεὸς λέγοιτο παθητός. Ταῦτα γὰρ τῆς ἐκείνων ἐθελακριβείας τὰ εὐρήματα, καὶ ἡ τῶν ἐννοιῶν χυδαιότης. Οὐκοῦν μὴ ὀνομαζέσθω Χριστὸς, ἰδικῶς, καὶ κατὰ μόνας ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς Λόγος. Ωσπερ γάρ ἐστιν ἀπεοικὸς αὐτῷ τὸ παθεῖν, ὅταν ἔξω νοοῖτο σαρκὸς, οὕτω καὶ ἡ χρίσις ἀνάρμοστόν τι χρῆμα καὶ ἀλλότριον αὐτοῦ. » Ἰησοῦν γὰρ τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέτ ἔχρισεν ὁ Θεὸς Πνεύματι ἁγίῳ· · αὐτοτελὴς δὲ πάντως ὁ ἐκ Θεοῦ Λόγος, καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἐδεήθη χρίσεως τῆς διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος. Οὐκοῦν ἀρνήσασθε τὴν οἰκονομίαν· ἀποστήσατε τὸν Μονογενῆ τῆς εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἀγάπης. μὴ ὀνομαζέσθω Χριστὸς παρ' ὑμῶν. Ἢ οὐ σμικρὸν αὐτῷ τὸ ἐν τοῖς καθ' ἡμᾶς γενέσθαι μέτροις; Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδήπερ, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἀπεοικὸς αὐτῷ, ὁμολαγείτω μηδεὶς ὅτι γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος· ἵνα καὶ αὐτοῖς εἴπῃ Χριστός· « Πλανᾶσθε, μὴ εἰδότες τὰς Γραφὰς, μηδὲ τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ Θεοῦ. » Οὐκοῦν, ὡς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐχθροὺς, τοὺς ὧδε φρονεῖν ἡρημένους ἡγούμενοι, φεύγωμεν αὐτῶν τὰς ὀλεθρίους καινοφωνίας κ. καὶ ἑπώμεθα μᾶλλον ταῖς δόξαις τῶν ἁγίων Πατέρων, καὶ τῇ παραδόσει τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων καὶ εὐαγγελιστῶν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς ὁ λαλῶν ὁ ἐνανθρω πήσας Λόγος· δι' οὗ καὶ μεθ' οὗ, τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, τιμή, δόξα, κράτος σὺν ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν, καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Αμήν.
Kyrillou archiepiskopou Alexandreias eis to hagion Symbolon. Tois agapētois kai potheinotatois Anastasiǭ, Alexandrǭ, Martinianǭ, Iōannę̄, Parēgoriǭ presbyterǭ, kai Maximǭ diakonǭ, kai loipois orthodoxois Patrasi monachōn, kai tois syn hymin ton monērē bion askousi, kai en pistei Theou hidrymenois, Kyrillos en Kyriǭ chairein. To philomathes kai philoponon tēs hymeteras agapēs kai nyn ou metriōs epainesai echō, kai axion einai phēmi tou pantos logou. To gar toi theiōn ephiesthai mathēmatōn, kai tēs tōn hierōn dogmatōn orthotētos metapoieisthai philein, pōs ouk an hyperagasaito tis? Kai gar esti zōēs tēs aperantou kai makarias to chrēma proxenon, kai ouk amisthos hē en ge toutois spoudē. Phēsi gar pou pros ton en ouranois Patera kai Theon ho Kyrios hēmōn Iēsous Christos; « Hautē de estin hē aiōnios zōē, hina ginōskōsi se ton monon alēthinon Theon, kai hon apesteilas Iēsoun Christon.» Orthē gar pistis, kai akataskōptos, syndromon echousa tēn ex ergōn agathōn phaidrotēta, pantos hēmas empiplēsin agathou, kai diaprepē lachontas tēn doxan apophainei. Praxeōn de lamprotēs, ei amoirousa phainoito dogmatōn orthōn kai adiablētou pisteōs, onēseien an, hōs ge oimai, kat' oudena tropon tēn tou anthrōpou psychēn. Ōsper gar hē pistis chōris tōn ergōn nekra estin, houtōs einai phamen alēthes, kai to empalin. Oukoun synanalampetō tois tēs euzōïas auchēmasi, kai to amōmēton en pistei. ᾿Artioi gar houtōs esometha, kata ton tou pansophou Mōÿseōs nomon; « Teleios gar esę̄, phēsin, enanti Kyriou k. » Hoi de tou pistin echein orthēn ex amathias oligōrēsantes, eita tais epieikeiais ton heautōn episemnynontes bion, eoikasi pōs andrasin euphna men lachousi tou prosōpou ton charaktēra, peplanēmenēn de kai diastrophon tōn ommatōn tēn bolēn; hōste kai prepein autois to dia phōnēs Hieremiou pros tēn tōn Ioudaiōn mētera, phēmi dē tēn Hierousalēm, eirēmenon para tou Theou; «Idou ouk eisin hoi ophthalmoi sou orthoi, kai hē kardia sou kalē., Chrē toinyn hymas hygia kai pro ge tōn allōn echein en heautois ton noun, kai diamemnēsthai Grammatos hierou prosphōnountos kai legontos; « Hoi ophthalmoi sou ortha blepetōsan. Orthē de blepsis ommatōn tōn esō kekrymmenōn to ischnōs, kai apexesmenōs periathrein dynasthai, kata ge to enchōroun, tous eiper 1 an genoito, peri Theou logous. Blepomen gar en esoptrǭ kai ainigmati, kai ginōskomen ek merous; ho ge mēn ek skotous apokalyptōn bathea, to tēs alētheias eniēsi phōs tois ethelousin orthōs tēn peri autou gnōsin elein. Chrē toigaroun hēmas Theǭ prospiptein, legontas; « Phōtison tous ophthalmous mou, mē pote hypnōsō eis thanaton; ; to gar tēs orthotētos tōn hierōn dogmatōn apolisthein eiē an heteron ouden, plēn hoti saphōs to hypnoun eis thanaton; ekpiptomen de tēs orthotētos, hote mē tais theopneustois hepometha Graphais, all᾽ ē prolēpsesin ouk epai-| noumenais, ē kata prosklisin tēn pros ge tinas ouk orthopodountas peri tēn pistin, tas tēs heautōn dianoias aponemontes rhopas, kai pro ge tōn allōn tas heautōn psychas adikountes haliskometha. Peisteon dē oun tois tēs orthotētos epimelētais pros to tois hierois kērygmasi dokoun; ha kai dia Pneumatos hagiou paredosan hēmin hoi ap᾿ archēs autoptai, kai hypēretai genomenoi tou logou; hōn tois ichnesin akolouthein espoudasan kai hoi paneuphēmoi Pateres hēmōn, hoi to septon te kai oikoumenikon tēs pisteōs horisamenoi: Symbolon, en tę̄ Nikaeōn synagēgermenoi kata kai rous. Hois dē kai autos synedros ēn ho Christos; ephē gar, hoti « Hopou ean ōsi dyo ē treis synēgmenoi eis to onoma emon, ekei eimi en mesǭ autōn. Hoti gar proedros ēn aoratōs tēs hagias kai megalēs ekeinēs synodou ho Christos, pōs estin amphiballein? Krēpis hoia tis kai themelios arrhagēs, kai akradantos tois ana pasan tēn gēn aneballeto, mallon de kateballeto, tēs akraiphnous kai amōmētou pisteōs hē homologia. Eita pōs apēn ho Christos, eiper ēn autos ho themelios, kata tēn tou sophōtatou Paulou phōnēn? Themelion gar allon, phēsin, oudeis dynatai theinai para ton keimenon, hos estin Iēsous ho Christos. » Tēn toinyn ektetheisan par' ekeinōn kai horistheisan pistin tetērēkasin adiablētōs kai hoi met᾿ autous gegonotes hagioi Pateres, kai poimenes laōn, kai phōstēres Ekklēsiōn, kai eutechnestatoi mystagōgoi. Elleloipos de holōs ouden, ēgoun pareōramenon tōn anankaiōn eis onēsin katidoi tis an en tais tōn Paterōn homologiais, ēgoun ekthesesin, has pepoiēntai peri tēs orthēs kai akapēleutou pisteōs, eis elenchon men kai anatropēn haireseōs hapasēs, kai dyssebous athyrostomias, eis bebaiōsin de, kai asphaleian tois orthopodousi peri tēn pistin; hois ho lampros aneteilen heōsphoros, kai diēugasen hē hēmera hē dia tou hagiou baptismatos charis. kata tas Graphas, kai to tēs alētheias eniēsi phōs Epeidē de gegraphen hymōn hē eulabeia, hōs parocheteuousi tines eph' ha mē prosēke ta en tǭ Symbolǭ, tōn en autǭ rhēmatōn tēn dynamin ē ou synientes orthōs, ē kai ek tou proskeklisthai tais tinōn syngraphais eis adokimon apopheromenoi noun, eita chrēnai kame tous peri toutōn autōn pros hymas poiēsasthai logous kai diermēneusai saphōs tēn tēs ektheseōs dynamin, dein ǭēthēn, haper eis noun hēkei ton emon, epidromadēn eipein. Hepsometha de pantachou tais tōn hagiōn Paterōn homologiais te kai doxais, orthōs kai aprosklinōs basanizontes ta par᾿ autōn eirēmena. Ēdē men gar kai hē hagia synodos, hē kata ge, phēmi, tōn Ephesiōn syneilegmenē kata boulēsin Theou, tēs Nestoriou kakodoxias hosian kai akribē katenenkousa tēn psēphon, kai tas tōn heterōn kainophōnias tē, oiper an ē genointo met' auton, hē kai pro autou gegonasi, ta isa phronountes autǭ, kai eipein ē grapsai tolmēsantes, synkatekrinen ekeinǭ, tēn isēn autois epitheisa dikēn. Kai gar ēn akolouthon, henos hapax epi tais houtō bebēlois kainophōniais kategnōsmenou, mē kath' henos mallon elthein, all᾽, en᾿ houtōs eipō, kata pasēs autōn tēs aireseōs, ētoi tēs sykophantias, hēs pepoiēntai kata tōn eusebōn tēs Ekklēsias dogmatōn, dyo presbeuontes huious, kai diatemnontes ton ameriston, kai anthrōpolatrias enklēma katagraphontes ouranou te kai gēs. Proskynei gar meth᾽ hēmōn hē tōn anō pneumatōn hagia plēthys ton hena Kyrion Iēsoun Christon. Hyper de tou mē agnoeisthai para tisi tou Symbolou tēn dynamin, ho kai en hapasais tais hagiais tou Theou Ekklēsiais kai kratei, kai kekēryktai, Paterōn hagiōn doxas, ēgoun ektheseis, enetaxa tois autothi pepragmenois hypomnēmasin; hin᾽ eideien hoi entynchanontes autais, tina prosēkei noeisthai tropon tōn hagiōn Paterōn tēn ekthesin, ētoi to akraiphnes tēs orthēs pisteōs Symbolon. Oimai de tēn agapēn hymōn kai entychein tǭ bibliǭ, ho peri toutōn autōn - syngegraphamen. Auto de kai nyn, hōs ephēn, epi lexeōs autēs paratheis to Symbolon, tetrapsomai syn Theǭ pros ge to dein hekasta tōn en autǭ keimenōn diermēneusai saphōs. Gegraphota gar oida ton panaoidimon Petron; « Hetoimoi aei pros apologian panti tǭ autounti hymas logon peri tēs en hymin ousēs elpidos.» To Symbolon tōn en Nikaią Paterōn. Pisteuomen eis hena Theon, Patera pantokratora, pantōn horatōn te kai aoratōn poiētēn; kai eis hena Kyrion Iēsoun Christon, ton Huion tou Theou, gennēthenta ek tou Patros ton monogenē, toutestin ek tēs ousias autou; Theon ek Theou, phōs ek phōtos, Theon alēthinon ek Theou alēthinou; gennēthenta, ou poiēthenta; homoousion tǭ Patri; di' hou ta panta egeneto, ta te en tǭ ouranǭ, kai ta en tę̄ gę̄; ton di᾿ hēmas tous anthrōpous, kai dia tēn hēmeteran sōtērian katelthonta, kai sarkōthenta, kai enanthrōpēsanta, pathonta, kai anastanta tę̄ tritę̄ hēmerą; anelthonta eis ouranous; erchomenon krinai zōntas kai nekrous; kai eis to Pneuma to hagion. Tous de legontas, hoti hōn pote, hote ouk ēn; kai prin gennēbēnai, ouk ēn; kai hoti ex ouk ontōn egeneto, ē ex heteras hypostaseōs, ē ousias phaskontas einai, ē trepton, ē alloiōton ton Huion tou Theou, toutous anathematizei hē apostolikē kai katholikē Ekklēsia. Pisteuein ephasan eis hena Theon, ek bathrōn hōsper autōn kataseiontes tas Hellēnōn doxas; «Hoi phaskontes einai sophoi, emōranthēsan, kai ēllaxanto tēn doxan tou aphthartou Theou en homoiōmati eikonos phthartou anthrōpou, kai peteinōn, kai tetrapodōn, kai herpetōn.» Prosekynēsan de kai tę̄ ktisei para ton ktisanta, kai tois tou kosmou stoicheiois dedouleuka - si, pollous kai anarithmētous hypotopēsantes ; einai tous theous. Oukoun eis anairesin tēs polytheou planēs hena Theon onomazousin, hepomenoi pantachou tois hiereis Grammasi, kai tēs alētheias to kallos tois ana pasan tēn hyph᾽ hēlion katasēmainontes. Touto kai ho pansophos edra Mōÿsēs, saphestata legōn; Akoue Israēl; Kyrios ho Theos sou Kyrios heis esti. » Kai autos de pou phēsin ho tōn holōn genesiourgos kai Despotēs; « Ouk esontai soi theoi heteroi plēn emou. Kai mēn kai dia phōnēs tōn hagiōn prophētōn; « Egō Kyrios prōtos, kai egō meta tauta, kai ouk esti parex emou. ᾿Arista dē oun hoi paneuphēmoi Pateres krēpida tę̄ pistei kataballomenoi to chrēnai phronein kai legein, hōs heis kai monos esti physei, kai alētheią Theos, pisteuein ephasan eis hena Theon. Prosonomazousi de auton kai Patera pantokratora, hina syneispherētai tǭ Patri dēlōsis Huiou, di᾽ an esti Patēr, synyphestōtos te kai synyparchontos aei. Oude gar gegonen en chronǭ Patēr, all᾽ ēn ho estin aei, toutesti Patēr, pan tos hyparchōn epekeina gennētou, kai en hypertatois hypsōmasi. To gar toi kratein kai kyrieuein tōn holōn, lampran houtō, kai aparablēton autǭ prosnemei tēn doxan. Par' autou de phasi dedēmiourgēsthai ta panta, ta te en tois ouranois kai ta epi tēs gēs; hina kantautha to asymphyes autou pros pasan ktisin nooito. Asynkritos gar hē diaphora poiētou kai poiēmatos, agenētou kai gennētou, physeōs te tēs hypo zyga kai douleias, kai tēs tois despotikois axiōmasin exōraïsmenēs, theopoepē te kai hyperkosmion lachousēs tēn doxan. Huiou ge mēn diamnēmoneusantes, hina mē dokoien onoma koinon prosnemein autǭ, hoper an isōs tat; toito kai eph᾿ hēmōn autōn (keklēmetha gar kai hēmeis nioi), nounechestata prosepagousi ta di' hōn estin idein tēs henousēs autǭ phaidrotētos physikēs to hyper ktisin axiōma. Gegennēsthai gar, kai ou pepoiēsthai phasin, asyntakton men ousiōdōs tę̄ ktisei dia to mē pepoiēsthai noountes auton, ekphynai de mallon diischyrizomenoi tēs ousias tou Theou kai Patros achronōs te kai aperinoētōs; « hōn gar ho Logos en archę̄. » Eita tēs ōdinos to gnēsion (anthrōpinōs de kai touto eirēsthō, dia to chrēsimon) eu mala katasēmainontes, Theon ephasan ek Theou gegennēsthai ton Uion. Entha gar holōs gennēsis alēthēs, ekei pou pantōs hepoito an to chrēnai noein kai legein ouk allotrion tēs ousias tou tekontos to techthen, all' idion autēs, hoti kai ex autēs kata ton autę̄ preponta te kai eoikota logon. Ou gar kata sōma texetai to asōmaton, houtō de mallon, hōs phōs ek phōtos, hina en tǭ apastrapsanti phōti to apaugasthen enthen nooito phōs, kai ex autou kata proodon aporrhēton te kai aphraston, kai en autǭ kath᾿ henōsin, kai tautotēta physikēn. Houtō gar einai phamen en men tǭ Patri ton Huion, en de tǭ Huiǭ ton Patera. Hypographei gar ho Huios en idią physei te kai doxę̄ ton heautou Gennētora. Kai goun ephē saphōs pros hena tōn hagiōn mathētōn (Philippos de houtos ēn); Ou pisteueis, hoti egō en tǭ Patri, kai ho Patēr en emoi estin? Ho heōrakōs eme, heōrake ton Patera. Egō kai ho Patēr en esmen. » Oukoun homoousios ho Huios tǭ Patri. Tautę̄ toi, kai Theos alēthinos ek Theou alēthinou gegennēsthai pisteuetai. Kai to men tēs gennēseōs onoma tethen heurēsomen, kai epi tōn ktismatōn, kata ge, phēmi, to; « Uious egennēsa, kai hypsōsa, ; peri tōn ex haimatos Israēl eirēmenōn para Theou. All᾽ en charitos taxei tēn toiande klēsin apokerdainei to poiēthen. Epi de ge tou kata physin Huiou katachrēstikōs men tōn toioutōn ouden, alēthē de panta; kai dia touto monos ek pantōn, Egō eimi, phēsin, hē alētheia. » Hōste kan gennē - sin, kan huiotēta tis ep᾿ autǭ legę̄, pseudos poiēseien an oudamōs; autos gar estin hē alētheia. ᾿Asphalizontai toinyn tas hēmeteras psychas hoi paneuphēmoi mystagōgoi, Patera kai Huion pantachou, kai gennēsin onomazontes, kai Theon alēthinon ek Theou alēthinou, kai phōs ek phōtos apastrapsai legontes; hina kai to asōmaton kai to haploun hē gennēsis echę̄, kai to ex autou ge kai en autǭ, kai hekateros hyparchōn idio prosōpōs noētai. Patēr gar estin ho Patēr, kai ouch Huios; kai Huios ho techtheis, kai ou Patēr; kai en tautotēti physeōs idion hekaterou to einai, ho estin. Hapantōn de poiētēn horatōn te kai aoratōn apophēnantes ton Patera, di' Huiou ta panta dedēmiourgēsthai phasin, ou to meion en doxę̄, kathaper tina klēron autǭ preponta prosnenemēkotes, pollou ge kai dei; pou gar holōs esti to elatton, ē goun to meizon horan en tautotēti tēs ousias? all' hōs tou Theou kai Patros ou pephykotos heterōs ergazesthai ti kai eis to einai kalein, plēn hoti di' Huiou en Pneumati, hōs dia dynameōs kai sophias tēs heautou. Gegraptai gar, hoti « Tǭ logǭ Kyriou hoi ouranoi estereōthēsan, kai tǭ pneumati tou stomatos autou pasa hē dynamis autōn. » Nai mēn, kai ho pansophos Iōannēs; « En archę̄ ēn ho Logos, eipōn, kai ho Logos ēn pros ton Theon, kai Theos ēn ho Logos, » prosepēnenken anankaiōs; « Panta di' autou egeneto, kai chōris autou egeneto ouden. » Homoousion toinyn, isoklea te kai isourgon tǭ Patri ton Huion apodedeichotes, diamemnēntai chrēsi mōs tēs enanthrōpēseōs autou, kai tēs meta sarkos oikonomias diatranousi to mystērion, teleōtatēn esesthai kai aprosdea dia toutou tēs pisteōs tēn paradosin eu mala diegnōkotes. Ou gar toi monon apochrē tois pisteuousin eis auton to diakei - sthai, kai phronein, hōs Theos ek Theou gegennētai tou Patros, homoousios te autǭ, kai charaktēr hyparchōn tēs hypostaseōs autou; all᾽ ēn anankaion eidenai pros toutois, hōs tēs hapantōn heneka sōtērias, kai zōēs katheis heauton eis kenōsin, elabe doulou morphēn, kai proēlthen anthrōpos, gennētheis kata sarka ek gynaikos. Dia touto phasi; Ton di᾽ hēmas tous anthrōpous, kai dia tēn hēmeteran sōtērian katelthonta, sarkōthenta, enanthrōpēsanta. "Athrei dē, hopōs en kosmǭ tǭ deonti, kai en taxei tę̄ prepōs. destatę̄ proeisin ho logos autois. Katelthein gar ephasan, hina dia toutou ton epanō pantōn Kyrion ennoōmen physei te kai doxę̄, kai palin touton kataroitēsanta di᾿ hēmas, eis to ethelēsai, phēmi, tēn pros hēmas homoiōsin epelthein R, kai epilampsai tǭ osmǭ meta sarkos. Gegraptai gar en biblǭ Psalmōn; « Ho Theos emphanōs ēxei, ho Theos hēmōn, kai ou parasiōpēsetai. » Noētheiē d' an, eiper heloito tis, kai kath᾽ heteron tropon hē kathodos ; hoion, ex ouranou, kai anōthen, ē kai ap᾿ autou tou Patros. Phōnais gar tais kath᾿ hēmas kai ta hyper noun katadēloun, ethos tois hierois Grammasi. Kai goun ephē, tois hagiois prosdialegomenos mathētais; ; Exēlthon apo tou Patros, kai elēlytha eis ton kosmon; palin aphiēmi ton kosmon, kai poreuomai pros ton Patera; ; kai palin; ; Hymeis ek tōn katō este, egō ek tōn anō eimi;, eti te pros toutois; « Egō ek tou Patros exēlthon, kai hēkō. » Graphei de kai ho thespesios Iōannēs; « Ho anōthen erchomenos, epanō pantōn esti.i Kaitoi gar hyparchōn en hypertatais hyperochais, kai epanō pantōn ousiōdōs meta tou idiou Patros, hate dē kai en tautotēti physeōs tēs pros auton stephanoumenos, « ouch harpagmon hēgēsato to einai isa Theǭ, all᾽ heauton ekenōse, morphēn doulou labōn, en homoiōmati anthrōpōn genomenos, kai schēmati heuretheis hōs anthrōpos, etapeinōsen heauton. » Hepeidē gar Theos hōn ho Logos tēn hēmōn hēmpescheto sarka, memenēke de kai houtō Theos, tautę̄ toi Theon ho hierōtatos Paulos en homoiōmati anthrōpōn genesthai phēsin, heurethēnai te hōs anthrōpon schēmati. Theos gar ēn, hōs ephēn, en eidei tǭ kath' hēmas, kai ouk apsychon ge tēn sarka labōn, katha phronein edoxe tisi tōn hairetikōn, epsychōmenēn de mallon psychę̄ noerą. Auton oun ara ton ek tēs ousias tou Patros proelthonta Logon, kai Huion monogenē, ton Theon alēthinon ek Theou alēthinou, to phōs to ek tou phōtos, ton di᾽ hou ta panta egeneto, katelthein ephasan hoi Pateres, sarkōthēnai te kai enanthrōpēsai, toutestin hypomeinai gennēsin tēn kata sarka ek gynaikos, kai proelthein en eidei tǭ kath᾿ hēmas; touto gar to enanthrōpēsai estin. Heis oun ara Kyrios Iēsous Christos, autos ho monogenēs tou Patros Logos genomenos anthrōpos, ouk apobeblēkōs to einai ho ēn; apomemenēke gar kai en anthrōpotēti Theos, kai en morphę̄ doulou Despotēs, kai en kenōsei tę̄ kath᾽ hēmas to plēres echōn theikōs, kai en astheneią sarkos tōn dynameōn Kyrios, kai en tois tēs anthrōpotētos metrois idion echōn to hyper pasan tēn ktisin. men gar ēn pro sarkos, anapoblētōs echei; Theos gar ēn, kai Huios alēthinos, monogenēs te kai phōs, zōē, kai dynamis. "A de ouk ēn, tauta proseilēphōs horatai dia tēn oikonomian; dia gar epoiēsato ta tēs sarkos. Ou gar ēn heterou tinos, autou de mallon hē aphrastōs autǭ, kai aporrhētōs henōtheisa sarx. Houtō kai ho sophos Iōannēs sarka phēsi genesthai ton Logon. Gegone de sarx ou kata metastasin, ē tropēn, ē alloiōsin eis tēn tēs sarkos physin metabalōn; oute mēn phyrmon, ē synkrisin, ē tēn thrylloumenēn para tisi synousiōsin hypomeinas (amēchanon gar, epeiper esti kata physin atreptōs te kai analloiōtōs echōn), sarka de mallon epsychōmenēn psychę̄ noerą parthenikou kai achrantou sōmatos labōn, kai idian autēn poiēsamenos. Ethos de tę̄ theopneustǭ Graphę̄, kai apo monēs esth᾽ hote tēs sarkos holon anthrōpon hypodēloun; Ekcheō gar, phēsin, apo tou Pneumatos mou epi pasan sarka. » Ou gar toi sarxin ouk epsychōmenais psychę̄ noerą enēsein Theos epēngelleto, anthrōpois de ᾿mallon tois synestōsin ek psychēs kai sōmatos. Oukoun ouk apodramōn ho Logos tou einai ho ēn, gegonen anthrōpos, alla kai en eidei tǭ kath' hēmas pephēnōs, apomemenēke Logos. Kai ou proteron anthrōpos noeitai Christos, eith' houtō proelthōn eis to einai Theos; alla Theos ōn ho Logos gegonen anthrōpos, hina en tautǭ noētai Theos hyparchōn homou kai anthrōpos ho autos. Hoi ge mēn auton eis hoious merizontes dyo, kai tolmōntes legein hoti ton ek spermatos tou Dauïd anthrōpon heautǭ synēpsen ho Theos Logos, kai metedōken autǭ tēs axias, kai tēs timēs, kai tou tēs huiotētos axiōmatos, kai pareskeuasen auton hypomeinai stauron, apothanein, kai anabiōnai, kai anelthein eis ton ouranon, kai kathisai en dexią tou Patros, hina proskynētai para pasēs tēs ktiseōs, anaphorą Theou dechomenos tas timas, prōton men huious presbeuousi dyo, eita tou mystēriou tēn dynamin antistrephousin amathōs. Ou gar ex anthrōpou Theos gegonen ho Christos, hōs ephēn, alla Theos ōn ho Logos gegone sarx, toutestin anthrōpos. Kekenōsthai de legetai, hōs pro tēs kenōseōs to plēres echōn en idią physei, katho noeitai Theos. Ou gar ek tou kenos einai tis eis to plēres anebē, etapeinōse de mallon heauton ex hypsōmatōn theïkōn, kai arrhētou doxēs, ou tapeinos ōn anthrōpos, hypsōthē dedoxasmenos. Helabe de doulou morphēn hōs eleutheros, ouchi doulos ōn eis tēn tēs eleutherias anepēdēse doxan. En homoiōmati anthrōpōn gegonen ho en morphę̄ kai isotēti tou Patros, ouk anthrōpos ōn, to en homoiōmati Theou genesthai peploutēke methektōs. Ti toinyn antistrephousi tēs oikonomias tous lo gous, kai parasēmainousi tēn alētheian, apasais antanistamenoi tais theopneustois Graphais, hai Theon onta ginōskousi, kai enanthrōpēsanta ton Huion, hena te onomazousi pantachou? Kai goun en tǭ tēs Kosmo poiïas bibliǭ gegraphen ho Mōÿsēs, hōs diebibase men ho thespesios Iakōb ton cheimarroun Iabōk ta paidia autou, kai apemeine monos; epalaie de met' autou anthrōpos heōs prōï; kai ekalesen Iakōb to onoma tou topou ekeinou, Eidos Theou; « Eidon gar, phēsi, Theon prosōpon pros prosōpon, kai esōthē mou hē psychē. Aneteile de autǭ hēlios, hēnika parēlthe to eidos tou Theou. Iakōb de epeskaze tǭ mērǭ autou. Proanedeikny gar tǭ patriarchę̄ Theos, hoti kai enanthrōpēsei kata kairous ho monogenēs autou Logos, kai antipalon hexei ton Israēl; kai hoti peri auton ouk orthopodēsousi, chōlanousi de hōsper, katha phēsin autos dia tēs tou Psallontos lyras; « Huioi allotrioi epseusanto moi, huioi allotrioi epalaiōthēsan, kai ; echōlanan apo tōn tribōn autōn. » Touti gar hoimai katadēloun to episkasai ton Iakōb tǭ mērǭ autou. Plēn ekeino athrei; anthrōpou palaiontos pros auton, heōrakenai phēsi Theon prosōpon pros prosōpon; kai eidos auton onomazei Theou. ᾿Apomemenēke gar ho tou Theou Logos, kai anthrōpos gegonōs, en morphę̄ tou Patros, kata ge, phēmi, tēn noētēn eikona, kai to kata panotioun aparallaktōs echon 4. Kai goun ephē pros Philippon, charaktēra tēs hypostaseōs tou Patros heauton apophainōn, kai meta sarkos; «. Ho eōrakōs eme, heōrake ton Patera. » Epeidē de tina tōn ek genetēs tetherapeuke typhlon, heurōn auton en tǭ hierǭ; « Sy pisteueis, ephasken, eis ton Huion tou Theou? » Ekeinou ge mēn pros touto legontos; « Tis esti, Kyrie, hina pisteusō eis auton? ; kai apekrinato legōn; « Kai heōrakas auton, kai ho lalōn meta sou, ekeinos esti. » Tetheatai de ho typhlos ou gymnon, ē asarkon auton, all᾽ en eidei mallon tǭ kath᾽ hēmas; kai pepisteuken eis ton heōramenon, ouch hōs Huion huiǭ synēmmenon heterǭ, all᾿ hōs eis hena ton physei te kai alēthōs ou dicha sarkos epilampsanta tois epi tēs gēs. Mōÿsēs ge mēn ho thespesios en eulogiais phēsi; Dote Leui tēn dēlōsin autou, kai tēn alētheian autou tǭ andri tǭ hosiǭ; hon exepeirasan en peirą; eloidorēsan auton eph᾽ hydatos antilogias. Ho legōn tǭ Patri kai tę̄ mētri; Ouch heōraka se; kai tous adelphous autou ouk epegnō. Prostetache men gar ho tōn holōn Theos ton prodērē genesthai tǭ Iarōn poikilōs exyphasmenon; phorēma de touto monę̄ tę̄ archierōsynę̄ prepon, kai eknemēthen autę̄. Pros de ge tǭ stēthei tou archiereōs lithoi tines ēsan apērtēmenoi, ton arithmon dōdeka, hōn en mesǭ tetachato dēlōsis te kai alētheia, dyo palin heteroi lithoi. Ainigmatōdōs de dia toutōn ho tōn hagiōn apostolōn diedeiknyto choros, hoion en kyklǭ periechōn ton Emmanouēl, hos esti dēlōsis kai alētheia; dedēlōke gar hēmin tēn alētheian, tēn en skiais, kai typois apostēsas latreian. Hoti de gegonen hēmōn archiereus ho monogenēs tou Theou Logos, hote kai anthrōpos gegone, pōs estin amphiballein, gegraphotos hōdi tou thespesiou Paulous Katanoēsate ton apostolon kai archierea tēs homologias hēmōn Iēsoun, piston onta tǭ poiēsanti auton ?» To gar toi tēs hierōsynēs axiōma tois tēs anthrōpotētos metrois ouk apeoikos nooit᾽ an eikotōs, kai meion men, ē kata tēn tou Theou Logou physin te kai doxan, ouk anarmoston de tę̄ meta sarkos oikonomią; gegonasi gar autou ta anthrōpina. tēn dēlōsin kai tēn alētheian. » Poiǭ de ara phēsi Leui, ēgoun hierei, diesaphēsen eipōn; « Tǭ andri tǭ hosiǭ. Ou gar epoiēsen hamartian ho Kyrios hēmōn Iēsous Christos. Graphei oun ho Paulos peri autou; Toioutos hēmin eprepen archiereus, hosios, akakos, amiantos, kechōrismenos apo tōn hamartōlōn, kai hypsēloteros tōn ouranōn genomenos. » - « Touton exepeirasan en peirą; eloidorēsan auton eph᾿ hydatos antilogias. » Ō paradoxou pragmatos. ᾿Andra legōn auton, Theon apephēnen euthys; hon dē parōxyne te kai exepeirasen ho Israēl en te tę̄ erēmǭ, kai epi hydatos antilogias. Kai pistōsetai legōn ho Psalmǭdos; « Dierrēxen en erēmǭ petran, kai epotisen autous hōs en abyssǭ pollę̄; kai exēgagen « Dote » toinyn, phēsi, « tǭ Leui, » toutesti tǭ hierei, hydōr ek petras, kai katēgagen hōs potamous hydatinas, epestēsan hē mētēr autou kai hoi adelphoi, eita dynatai, ta. Kai ti meta touto? « Kai exepeirasan, phēsin, auton en tę̄ kardią autōn; kai katelalēsan tou Theou, kai eipon; Mē dynēsetai ho Theos hetoimasai trapezan en erēmǭ, hoti epataxe petran, kai errhyēsan hydata, kai cheimarroi kateklysthēsan? Mē kai arton dynēsetai ; dounai, ē hetoimasai trapezan tǭ laǭ autou? Synes oun, hopōs dialeloidorēntai thaumatourgounti tǭ Theǭ, hon dē andra phēsin ho Mōÿsēs. Syneis gar houtō kai ho thespesios Paulos, graphei; Epinon gar ek pneumatikēs akolouthousēs petras; hē de petra ēn ho Christos. Oukoun ho loidorētheis anēr, autos ēn ekeinos, hos oupō sesarkōmenos epeirazeto para tōn ex Israēl. Hoti gar ouch heteros ēn Huios ho pro sarkos, ( heteros de par' auton ho ek spermatos tou Dauïd, katha phanai tolmōsi tines, all᾽ heis te kai ho autos, pro men tēs sarkōseōs gymnos eti Logos, meta de ge tēn apotexin tēn ek tēs hagias Parthenou sesarkōmenos, kai enanthrōpēsas, katha gegraphasin hoi hagioi kai thespesioi Pateres, sēmeiǭ palin eterǭ peplērophorēken ho Mōÿsēs. Ōsper gar eromenou tinos, kai anamathein ethelontos, peri poiou gegonen andros ho Logos autǭ, hen dē kai ekpepeirasthai, kai leloidorēsthai phēsi para tōn ex Israēl, mononouchi kai cheira proteinōn katadeiknysi ton Iēsoun, kai phēsin; Ho legōn tǭ patri kai tę̄ mētri; Ouch heōraka se, kai tous adelphous autou ouk epegnō. » Memnēmetha gar gegraphotos henos tōn hagiōn euangelistōn, hōs didaskontos pote tou Christou kai mystagōgountos prosdramontos tinos tōn mathētōn, kai legontos ; Idou hē mētēr sou, kai hoi adelphoi sou hestēkasin exō, idein se thelontes, o ekteinas tēn cheira autou epi tous mathētas, eipe; « Mētēr mou kai adelphoi mou houtoi eisin, hoi akouontes ton logon tou Theou, kai poiountes. Hos gar an poiēsę̄ to thelēma tou Patros mou tou en tois ouranois, houtos adelphos mou, kai adelphē, kai mētēr esti. » Touto, oimai, estin hoper ephē Mōÿsēs; « Ho Legōn tǭ patri kai tę̄ mētri Ouchi heōraka se; kai tous adelphous autou ouk epegnō. » Kai 5 mēn, kai ho pansophos Daniēl en eidei tǭ kath' hēmas tetheasthai phēsi ton monogenē tou Theou Logon. Idein men gar ephē Palaion hēmerōn, kathēmenon epi thronou, myrias te myriadas tōn parastantōn, kai chilias chiliadas tōn leitourgōn; kai dia mesou tina parentheis, hetera toutois epagei Etheōroun gar en horamati tēs nyktos, kai idou meta tōn nephelōn tou ouranou hōs Huios anthrōpou erchomenos, kai heōs tou Palaiou tōn hēmerōn ephthase, kai enōpion autou prosēnechthē, kai autǭ edothē hē timē kai hē basileia; kai pasai hai phylai kai glōssai autǭ douleusousin. » Idou dē palin saphōs te kai enargōs anabainonta pros ton en ouranois Pa; tera kai Theon tetheatai ton Emmanouēl. Nephelē gar hypelaben auton; hon dē, kai ouk anthrōpon haplōs, all᾽ hōs Huion anthrōpou phēsi. Theos gar ēn en homoiōsei tę̄ pros hēmas gegonōs ho Logos. Houtō syneis, kai ho pansophos Paulos en homoiōmati anthrōpōn genesthai phēsin auton, heurethēnai de hōs anthrōpon en schēmati, kai en homoiōmati sarkos hamartias hōphthai tois epi tēs gēs. Ei de anthrōpos ēn, synapheią tę̄ pros ton Theon, hōs Theos, timōmenos, ephē d᾽ an ho prophētēs, hōs Theon, ē hōs Huion Theou tetheasthai ton meta tōn nephelōn erchomenon; all᾽ ou touto phēsin, ekeino de mallon to, « hōs Huion anthrōpou. » Oiden ara Theon onta, kai enanthrōpēsanta ton Huion, ēgoun en homoiōmati anthrōpou genomenon, kata tēn tou Paulou phōnēn. Plēn kai en sarki pephēnōs, « heōs tou Palaiou tōn hēmerōn ephthase. » Toutestin, eis ton tou aidiou Patros anapephoitēke thronon; « Kai autǭ edothē hē timē kai hē basileia; kai pasai hai phylai kai glōssai autǭ douleusousi. » Kai touto ēn ara to eirēmenon par' autou; « Pater, doxason me tę̄ doxę̄, hę̄ eichon pro tou ton kosmon einai, para soi. » "Hoti de sarkōtheis ho tou Theou Logos synedros esti, kai isokleēs tǭ Theǭ kai Patri, kai meta sarkos, hōs eis hyparchōn Huios, kai hote gegonen anthrōpos, saphēniei graphōn ho pansophos Paulos; « Toiouton echomen archierea, hos ekathisen en dexią tou thronou tēs megalōsynēs en tois hypsēlois. Nai mēn, kai autos ho Kyrios hēmōn Iēsous Christos, eromenōn auton tōn Ioudaiōn, eiper estin autos alēthōs ho Christos, « Hean eipō, phēsin, hymin, ou mē pisteusēte; kai ean eperōtēsō, ou mē apokrithēte. Apo tou nyn de estai ho Huios tou anthrōpou kathēmenos ek dexiōn tēs dynameōs tou Theou. » Oukoun en tois tēs theotētos thronois kai enanthrōpēsanta ton Gïon ho tōn hagiōn prophētōn etheato choros. Idōmen de kai tous tēs neas Diathēkēs kērykas, tous tēs hyph' hēlion mystagōgous, hois autos ephē ho Christos; « Ouch hymeis este hoi lalountes, alla to Pneuma tou Patros hymōn to laloun en hymin. Heurēsomen toinyn legonta ton thespesion Baptistēn; « Opisō mou erchetai anēr, hos emprosthen mou gegonen, hoti prōtos mou ēn. Eita pōs ho met᾿ auton iōn, prōtos autou ēn? hoti gar hysterizei kata ton tēs sarkos chronon Iōannou ho Christos, pōs ouch hapasin enarges? Ti oun pros tauta phaiē tis an? Elysen hēmin autos ho Sōtēr to zētoumenon. Ephē gar Ioudaiois proslalōn; « [᾿Amēn, amēn legō hymin,] prin ᾿Abraam genesthai egō eimi. » hōn men gar kai pro ᾿Abraam theïkōs, noeitai de met᾿ auton, katho pephēnen anthrōpos. Eita tou Theou kai Patros boōntos anaphandon; « Tēn doxan mou heterǭ ou dōsō k ( Theos gar heteros par' auton oudeis); ephē pros hēmas ho Christos; « Hotan de elthę̄ ho Huios tou anthrōpou en tę̄ doxę̄ tou Patros autou meta tōn hagiōn angelōn. » Huiou de anthrōpou prosdokōmenou katabainein ex ouranōn, graphei palin ho pansophos Paulos; ; Epephanē gar hē charis tou Theou hē sōtērios pasin anthrō pois; hina arnēsamenoi tēn asebeian kai tas kosmikas epithymias, sōphronōs kai dikaiōs kai eusebōs zēsōmen en tǭ nyn aiōni, prosdechomenoi tēn makarian elpida kai epiphaneian tēs doxēs tou megalou. Theou kai Sōtēros hēmōn Iēsou Christou. » Ephē de kai heterōthi peri tōn ex haimatos Israēl tous logous poioumenos, hoti « Autōn hai epangeliai, kai hē nomothesia, kai hē diathēkē, kai ex autōn to kata sarka Christos, ho hōn epi pantōn Theos eulogētos eis tous aiōnas. ᾿Amēn. » Oukoun kat' echnos iontes aprosklinōs tēs tōn Paterōn homologias, auton phamen ton ek tou Theou. Patros Logon gennēthenta Huion monogenē, sarkōthē( nai te kai enanthrōpēsai, pathein, apothanein, anastēnai ek nekrōn tę̄ tritę̄ hēmerą. Apathēs men gar homologoumenōs to ge hēkon eis idian physin ho tou Theou Logos; kai oudeis houtōs embrontētos, hōs nomisai dynasthai pathous einai dektikēn tēn hyper panta physin. Epeidē de gegonen anthrōpos, idian poiēsamenos sarka tēn ek tēs hagias Parthenou, tautę̄ toi tois tēs oikonomias hepomenoi logois, sarki tę̄ idią pathein anthrōpinōs diabebaioumetha ton epekeina tou pathein hōs Theon. Ei gar Theos hyparchōn gegonen anthrōpos, apopephoitēke de oudamōs tou einai theos, ei gegone tēs ktiseōs meros, kai memenēken hyper tēn ktisin; ei nomothetēs hōn hōs Theos, gegonen hypo nomon, kai nomothetēs ēn eti; kai Despotēs ōn theikōs, doulou morphēn hypedy, kai anapoblēton echei to tēs despoteias axiōma; ei monogenēs hyparchōn gegone prōtotokos en pollois adelphois, kai esti monogenēs, ti to paradoxon, ei sarki pathōn anthrōpinōs, apathēs kai houtō noeitai theïkōs? Kai goun ho pansophos Paulos ton en morphę̄ kai isotēti tou Theou kai Patros hyparchonta Logon, ton auton hypēkoon genesthai phēsi, kai mechri thanatou, thanatou de staurou. En heterą de tōn idiōn Hepistolōn peri autou phēsin; Hostis estin eikōn tou Theou tou aoratou, prōtotokos pasēs ktiseōs; hoti en autǭ ektisthē ta panta ta en tǭ ouranǭ kai ta epi tēs gēs ; kai autos esti pro pantōn; kai ta panta en autǭ synestēke;, kai auton dedosthai phēsi kephalēn tę̄ Ekklēsią, genesthai de kai aparchēn tōn kekoimēmenōn, kai prōtotokon tōn nekrōn. Kaitoi zōē, kai zōopoios ho ek Theou Patros esti Logos, hate dē kai ek zōēs anaphys, tou tekontos auton. Eita pōs gegonen prōtotokos ek nekrōn, kai aparchē tōn kekoimēmenōn? Epeidē gar tēn tou thanatou dektikēn idian epoiēsato sarka, o chariti Theou, katha phēsin ho pansophos Paulos, hyper pantos egeusato thanatou» tę̄ pathein auton dynamenę̄ sarki, ouk apobalōn autos to einai zōē. Oukoun kan ei legoito sarki pathein, ou physei theotētos eisdexetai to pathein, all᾿ hōs ephēn artiōs, idią sarki tę̄ tou pathous dektikę̄. Kai goun ho makarios prophētēs Ēsaïas enanthrōpēsanta Theon ton sarki pathonta ginōskōn, ephē pou peri autou; Hōs probaton epi sphagēn ēchthē, kai hōs amnos akakos enantion tou keirontos auton, aphōnos, houtōs ouk anoigei to stoma autou. En tę̄ tapeinōsei autou hē krisis autou ērthē; tēn de genean autou tis diēgēsetai? "Hoti airetai apo tēs gēs hē zōē autou. » Kaitoi eiper tis ēn anthrōpos, kai idikōs nooumenos huios, synēmmenos de Theǭ, katha phasin hoi tōn anosiōn dogmatōn eisēgētai, pōs eti dyseuretos ho tēn genean autou diēgēsasthai dynamenos? Gegone gar ek spermatos Iessai kai Dauïd. Tēn de ge tou Theou Logou gennēsin, ētoi ton tēs gennēseōs tropon, tis ho phanai dynamenos? « Airetai gar apo tēs gēs hē zōē autou, » toutestin hē hyparxis; tetheike gar anti tēs hyparxeōs tēn zōēn. Hypsou de diattei, kai hypernēchetai tous epi tēs gēs. Aperinoētos gar, kai aprosblētos pantelōs tais anthrōpōn dianoiais ho peri tēs arrhētou physeōs Logos. Prosepoisō tois eirēmenois, kai tode; « Heis Kyrios, mia pistis, hen baptisma, » katha phēsin ho hierōtatos Paulos. Henos oun ontos Kyriou, pisteōs te mias, kai henos baptismatos, tis ho Kyrios, kai eis tina pepisteukamen te kai bebaptismetha? ᾿All᾽ isōs prepein hoti malista phaiē tis an, tǭ ek Theou Patros onti Logǭ tēn te kyriotēta, kai tēn pistin tēn pros hēmōn, ep᾿ autǭ de teleisthai, kai to sōtērion baptisma. Houtō gar pou tois hagiois apostolois eneteilato legōn; « Poreuthentes mathēteusate panta ta ethnē, baptizontes autous eis to onoma tou Patros, kai tou Huiou, kai tou hagiou Pneumatos. » Ho ge mēn thespesios Paulos tēn tēs kyriotētos doxan, kai tēs pi- ē steōs tēn homologian, kai tēn tou hagiou baptismatos dynamin emphanē kathistēsi, legōn; « Mē eipę̄s en tę̄ kardią sou; Tis anabēsetai eis ton ouranon? toutesti Christon katagagein; ē, Tis katabēsetai eis tēn abysson? toutesti Christon anagagein ek nekrōn. Alla ti legei hē Graphē? Engys sou to rhēma estin en tǭ stomati sou, kai en tę̄ kardią sou. Hoti ean eipę̄s; Kyrios Iēsous, kai pisteusę̄s en tę̄ kardią sou, hoti ho Theos ēgeiren auton ek nekrōn, sōthēsę̄.» Graphei de palin; « Ouk oidate, hoti hosoi ebaptisthēmen eis Christon Iēsoun, eis ton thanaton autou ebaptisthēmen? » Idou dē saphōs periïstēsin eutes chnōs tēs te kyriotētos, kai tēs pisteōs tēn homologian, kai autēn de tēn tou hagiou baptismatos charin, eis ton pathonta ton thanaton kai egēgermenon ek nekrōn. Ara oun eis huious pisteuomen dyo? Ara ton ek Theou Patros apastrapsanta paradramontes Logon, hōs huiǭ par' auton heterǭ, tǭ pathonti prosapsomen tēn tēs kyriotētos doxan, kai autēs de tēs pisteōs tēn homologian, kai to ouranion baptisma? Eita pōs ouk euēthes, mallon de, kai anamphilogōs dyssebes, to houtō phronein ē legein? Ti oun eroumen? « Heis Kyrios alēthōs, mia te pistis, kai hen baptisma. » Kai gar estin heis Huios, kai Kyrios, ouk anthrōpon kata synapheian labōn ho Logos, kai metochon auton apophēnas kai idiōn axiōmatōn, kai metadous huiotētos te kai kyriotētos autǭ, katha phasi kai gegraphasi lērountes tines; all᾿ autos enanthrōpēsas kai sarkōtheis ho ek Theou Logos, to phōs to ek phōtos. Eis ton toutou thanaton bebaptismetha, pathontos men anthrōpinōs autou idią sarki, memenēkotos de apathous theïkōs, kai zōntos aei. Zōē gar estin ek zōēs tou Theou kai Patros. Houtō nenikētai thanatos, epipēdēsai tolmēsas tǭ sōmati tēs zōēs; katargeitai de houtō, kai en hēmin hē phthora, kai autou tou thanatou to kratos asthenei. Kai mēn ephē Christos; « Amēn, amēn, legō hymin, ean mē phagēte tēn sarka tou Huiou tou anthrōpou, kai piēte autou to haima, ouk echete zōēn en heautois. » Zōopoion oun ara to hagion sōma, kai haima tou Christou. – Sōma gar, hōs ephēn, estin ouk anthrōpou tinos metochou zōēs, idion de mallon tēs kata physin zōēs, dēlon de hoti tou Monogenous. Tauta phronei meth' hēmōn ho philochristos tōn hagiōn Paterōn choros, kai autos de ho nyni ton tēs hagias Kōnstantinoupolitōn Ekklēsias katakosmēsas thronon, hosiōtatos kai theosebestatos adelphos, kai synepiskopos Proklos. Gegraphe gar, kai autos pros tous tēs heǭas theophi lestatous episkopous autais lexesin hōde; Kai sarkoutai men atreptōs ho aneideos; tiktetai de kai kata sarka ho anarchos; prokoptei de tę̄ kata to sōma hēlikią ho physei panteleios; kai pathōn anechetai ho pathōn anōteros, ouch hǭ ēn hypomeinas tas hybreis, all᾽ hǭ gegone katadexamenos ta tou sōmatos pathē. Elenchetai toinyn tōn hetera para tauta phronountōn ē gegraphotōn hē kakopistia, pantachou nosousa to bebēlon, kai to tois tēs alētheias apądon dog masi. Diaperanantes de ton peri Christou logon hoi trismakarioi Pateres, tou hagiou Pneumatos diamnēmo neuousi. Pisteuein gar ephasan eis auto, kathaper amelei eis ton Patera kai ton Huion. Homoousion gar estin autois; kai procheitai men, ēgoun ekporeuetai, kathaper apo pēgēs tou Theou kai Patros, chorēgeitai de tę̄ ktisei dia tou Huiou. Enephysēse goun tois hagiois apostolois legōn; ( Labete Pneuma agion. » Oukoun ek Theou kai Theos to Pneuma esti, kai ouk allotrion tēs anōtatō pasōn ousias, all᾿ ex autēs te kai en autę̄ kai idion autēs. Hautē men oun tōn hagiōn Paterōn hē euthytenēs kai aplanestatē pistis, ētoi tēs pisteōs, hē homologia. ᾿All' hōs ho Paulos phēsin, « Ho Theos tou aiōnos toutou etyphlōse ta noēmata tōn apistōn eis to mē augasai ton phōtismon tou Euangeliou tēs doxēs Christou. » ᾿Aphentes goun to euthy tēs alētheias ienai tines, attousi kata petrōn, « mē nooun tes mēte ha legousi, mēte peri tinōn diabebaiountai.» Periïstantes gar tēn tēs huiotētos doxan eis monon ton ek Theou Patros phynta Logon, hōs Yon heteron ton ek spermatos Dauïd, kai Iessai synēphthai phasin autǭ, kai metechein huiotētos, kai timēs theoprepous, kai tēs enoikēseōs autou tou Logou, kai panta mallon eschēkenai par' autou, idion de pantelōs ouden. Peri tōn toioutōn, hōs ge oimai, gegraphasi tou Sōtēros hoi mathētai. « Pareisedysan gar tines anthrōpoi, hoi kai palai progegrammenoi eis touto to krima, asebeis, tēn tou Theou charin metatithentes eis aselgeian, kai ton monon Despotēn kai Kyrion hēmōn Iēsoun Christon arnoumenoi; » Iēsous de Christos onomazoito an eikotōs en anthrōpou morphę̄ pephēnōs ho Logos. Epei phrazetōsan eromenois hoi di' enantias, hoi ta Nestoriou te kai Theodōrou phronein kai lalein ek pollēs agan asynesias ou paraitoumenoi; Ekballete tou einai Theon, kai Huion alēthinon tou Theou kai Patros ton ek tēs hagias Parthenou, to pathein autǭ prosnemontes monǭ 1, kai aposobountes auton tou Theou Logou, hina mē Theos legoito pathētos. Tauta gar tēs ekeinōn ethelakribeias ta eurēmata, kai hē tōn ennoiōn chydaiotēs. Oukoun mē onomazesthō Christos, idikōs, kai kata monas ho ek Theou Patros Logos. Ōsper gar estin apeoikos autǭ to pathein, hotan exō nooito sarkos, houtō kai hē chrisis anarmoston ti chrēma kai allotrion autou. » Iēsoun gar ton apo Nazaret echrisen ho Theos Pneumati hagiǭ; ; autotelēs de pantōs ho ek Theou Logos, kai ouk an edeēthē chriseōs tēs dia tou hagiou Pneumatos. Oukoun arnēsasthe tēn oikonomian; apostēsate ton Monogenē tēs eis ton kosmon agapēs. mē onomazesthō Christos par' hymōn. Ē ou smikron autǭ to en tois kath' hēmas genesthai metrois? Oukoun epeidēper, kai touto estin apeoikos autǭ, homolageitō mēdeis hoti gegonen anthrōpos; hina kai autois eipę̄ Christos; « Planasthe, mē eidotes tas Graphas, mēde tēn dynamin tou Theou. » Oukoun, hōs tēs alētheias echthrous, tous hōde phronein hērēmenous hēgoumenoi, pheugōmen autōn tas olethrious kainophōnias k. kai hepōmetha mallon tais doxais tōn hagiōn Paterōn, kai tę̄ paradosei tōn hagiōn apostolōn kai euangelistōn. Autos gar ēn en autois ho lalōn ho enanthrō pēsas Logos; di' hou kai meth' hou, tǭ Theǭ kai Patri, timē, doxa, kratos syn hagiǭ Pneumati, nyn, kai aei, kai eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn. Amēn.
Of Cyril, archbishop of Alexandria, on the holy symbol.
To the beloved and most dearly longed-for Anastasius, Alexander, Martinian, John, Paregorius, presbyter, and Maximus, deacon, and to the other orthodox fathers of monks, and to those with you who practise the solitary life and are established in the faith of God, Cyril: greeting in the Lord.
I must again praise not a little the love of learning and of labour of your Love, and I say it is worthy of every word. For who would not greatly admire the desire for divine teachings and the love of laying claim to correctness in the sacred doctrines? For this is a thing that brings about endless and blessed life, and zeal in these matters is not without reward. For our Lord Jesus Christ says somewhere to the Father and God in heaven, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” For a right and unmocked faith, accompanied by the brightness that comes from good works, fills us with every good and shows us to have obtained distinguished glory. But brilliance of deeds, if it appears without right doctrines and an irreproachable faith, would in no way, I think, benefit a man's soul. For as faith without works is dead, so we say the reverse is also true. Let blamelessness in faith, then, shine together with the glories of good living. For so we shall be complete, according to the law of the all-wise Moses: “For you shall be perfect,” it says, “before the Lord.” But those who out of ignorance have neglected to have a right faith, and then adorn their life with virtues, are rather like men who have obtained a well-formed face but whose glance is wandering and squinting; so that what God said through the voice of Jeremiah to the mother of the Jews, I mean Jerusalem, befits them: “Behold, your eyes are not right, nor is your heart good.” You must therefore have a sound mind within you before all else, and remember the sacred writing that calls out and says, “Let your eyes look straight.” Right sight of the eyes hidden within is to be able to look closely and precisely, as far as is possible, at the words about God, if there may be any. For we see in a mirror and a riddle, and we know in part; but he who reveals deep things out of darkness puts the light of truth into those who wish to grasp knowledge of him rightly. We must therefore fall down before God, saying, “Enlighten my eyes, lest I ever sleep in death.” For to slip from the correctness of the sacred doctrines would plainly be nothing other than to sleep in death. And we fall from correctness when we do not follow the divinely inspired Scriptures, but are caught giving the inclinations of our minds either to unapproved preconceptions or to a leaning toward some who do not walk straight in the faith, and so wronging our own souls before all else.
We must, then, be persuaded by the guardians of correctness to what seems right to the sacred proclamations, which those who were from the beginning eyewitnesses and ministers of the word handed down to us through the Holy Spirit; whose footsteps our all-praised fathers were eager to follow, who in their time assembled at Nicaea and defined the venerable and ecumenical symbol of faith. Christ himself sat with them; for he said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.” For how can one doubt that Christ invisibly presided over that holy and great synod? The confession of the pure and blameless faith was laid, or rather laid down, like a base and an unbreakable and unshakeable foundation for those throughout the whole earth. Then how was Christ absent, if he himself was the foundation, according to the voice of the most wise Paul? “For no one can lay another foundation,” he says, “than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” The faith set out and defined by them was kept irreproachably by the holy fathers who came after them, shepherds of the people, lights of the churches, and most skilful initiators into the mysteries. One would see nothing at all lacking, or overlooked, of what is necessary for benefit in the confessions, that is, the expositions, the fathers made about the right and unadulterated faith, for the refutation and overthrow of every heresy and impious licence of tongue, and for confirmation and security to those who walk straight in the faith, on whom the bright morning star has risen and the day has dawned, the grace that comes through holy baptism, according to the Scriptures.
Since your Reverence has written that some are diverting what is in the symbol to what is not fitting, either not understanding rightly the force of its words or, from leaning toward the writings of certain people, being carried off to a disqualified mind; and that I too should speak to you about these very matters and explain clearly the force of the exposition, I thought I should say briefly what comes into my mind. We shall follow everywhere the confessions and opinions of the holy fathers, examining what they said rightly and without bias. Already the holy synod gathered by God's will at Ephesus, having brought a holy and exact sentence against the false doctrine of Nestorius, condemned with him the novelties of speech of the others too, whether they come after him or came before him, holding the same views as he and daring to say or write them, laying on them the same penalty. For it was consistent, when one had once been condemned for such profane novelties of speech, to proceed not against one alone but, so to speak, against their whole heresy, that is, the slander they have uttered against the pious doctrines of the church, proclaiming two sons, cutting apart what is undivided, and writing down the charge of worshipping a man against heaven and earth. For the holy host of the spirits above worships with us the one Lord Jesus Christ. So that the force of the symbol, which prevails and is proclaimed in all the holy churches of God, may not be unknown to some, I inserted opinions, that is, expositions, of holy fathers in the minutes of the proceedings there, so that those who read them might know in what way the exposition of the holy fathers, that is, the pure symbol of the right faith, should be understood. I think your Love will also read the book we have composed about these very matters. Now too, as I said, I shall set down the symbol word for word and, with God, turn to explaining clearly each of the things contained in it. For I know that the all-celebrated Peter wrote, “Always be ready to make a defence to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.”
The symbol of the fathers at Nicaea: “We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, only-begotten, that is, of his substance; God from God, light from light, true God from true God; begotten, not made; consubstantial with the Father; through whom all things came to be, those in heaven and those on earth; who for us men and for our salvation came down, was made flesh, became man, suffered, and rose on the third day, ascended into the heavens, and is coming to judge the living and the dead; and in the Holy Spirit. But those who say, ‘There was once when he was not,’ and ‘Before he was begotten he was not,’ and that he came to be from nothing, or who say that the Son of God is of another hypostasis or substance, or changeable or alterable, these the apostolic and catholic church anathematizes.”
They said they believe in one God, shaking, as it were, from their very foundations the opinions of the Greeks: “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed beasts and reptiles.” They worshipped the creature rather than the creator and were slaves to the elements of the world, supposing the gods to be many and innumerable. So for the overthrow of the error of many gods they name one God, following everywhere the sacred writings and showing the beauty of the truth to those throughout the world under the sun. The all-wise Moses did this too, saying most clearly, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord your God is one Lord.” And the creator and Master of all himself says somewhere, “You shall have no other gods besides me”; and through the voice of the holy prophets, “I am the Lord, the first, and I am after these things, and there is none besides me.” Most excellently, then, the all-praised fathers, laying as the base of the faith that we must think and say that there is one and only God by nature and in truth, said that they believe in one God. They also name him Father almighty, so that with the Father there may be brought in also the indication of the Son, by whom he is Father, who always subsists and exists with him. For he did not become Father in time, but was always what he is, that is, Father, being beyond everything that has come to be and in the supreme heights. For ruling and being lord over all things assigns him so brilliant and incomparable a glory. They say that all things were made by him, those in the heavens and those on earth, so that here too his not sharing the nature of any creature may be understood. For the difference between maker and made, between the unoriginate and the originated, between the nature that is under the yoke of slavery and the nature adorned with the dignity of lordship, which has received a glory befitting God and above the world, is incomparable.
Having mentioned the Son, so that they might not seem to assign him a common name, such as might perhaps be applied to us too (for we too have been called sons), they very wisely add the things through which one can see the dignity, above creation, of the natural splendour that is in him. For they say that he was begotten and not made, understanding him to be essentially not ranked with creation, because he was not made, but rather affirming that he sprang forth from the substance of God the Father timelessly and incomprehensibly; for “in the beginning was the Word.” Then, indicating well the genuineness of the birth (let this too be said in human fashion, for its usefulness), they said that the Son was begotten God from God. For wherever there is a true birth, it would surely follow that one must understand and say that what is born is not foreign to the substance of the one who bore it, but its own, because it is from it according to the principle that befits and suits it. For the incorporeal will not give birth in a bodily way, but rather as light from light, so that in the light that flashed forth, the light that shone out from it may be understood, both from it by an ineffable and inexpressible procession and in it by union and natural identity. For so we say that the Son is in the Father and the Father in the Son. For the Son depicts his begetter in his own nature and glory. Indeed he said plainly to one of the holy disciples (this was Philip), “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. I and the Father are one.” So the Son is consubstantial with the Father; for this reason he is also believed to have been begotten true God from true God. We shall find the name of begetting used of creatures too, as in “I have begotten sons and raised them up,” said by God of those of the blood of Israel. But what is made gains such a title in the rank of grace. In the case of the Son by nature none of these things is used loosely; all are true. And for this reason he alone of all says, “I am the truth.” So whoever speaks of begetting or sonship in his case would in no way be uttering a falsehood; for he is the truth. The all-praised initiators, then, secure our souls by naming everywhere Father and Son and begetting, and by saying “true God from true God” and that “light shone forth from light,” so that the begetting may have both the incorporeal and the simple, and the “from him” and “in him,” and each may be understood to exist in his own person. For the Father is Father and not Son; and the one begotten is Son and not Father; and in identity of nature each has his own being what he is.
Having shown the Father to be maker of all things visible and invisible, they say that all things were made through the Son: not assigning him the lesser in glory as a lot befitting him, far from it (for where at all can one see the less or the greater in identity of substance?), but because God the Father does not by nature make anything and call it into being otherwise than through the Son in the Spirit, as through his own power and wisdom. For it is written, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made firm, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.” And the all-wise John too, having said, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God,” necessarily added, “All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be.”
Having shown the Son to be consubstantial with the Father, equal in glory and in working, they usefully mention his incarnation and make plain the mystery of the dispensation with the flesh, well knowing that in this way the tradition of the faith would be most perfect and lack nothing. For it is not enough for those who believe in him to hold and think that he was begotten God from God the Father, consubstantial with him and being the stamp of his hypostasis; it was necessary to know besides that for the salvation and life of all he let himself down into emptying, took the form of a servant, and came forth as man, born according to the flesh of a woman. For this reason they say: “who for us men and for our salvation came down, was made flesh, became man.” See in what due order and fitting sequence their account proceeds. They said he came down, so that by this we may understand the one who is above all, Lord in nature and glory, and again that he came down for our sake, I mean that he willed to enter into likeness with us and to shine on the world with flesh. For it is written in the book of Psalms, “God will come manifestly, our God, and will not keep silence.” The descent might also be understood, if one chooses, in another way, as from heaven and from above, or from the Father himself. For it is the custom of the sacred writings to indicate even what is beyond understanding by words such as ours. Indeed he said, speaking with the holy disciples, “I came forth from the Father and have come into the world; again I leave the world and go to the Father”; and again, “You are from below; I am from above”; and besides these, “I came forth from the Father and have come.” And the divine John writes, “He who comes from above is above all.” For though he exists in supreme heights and is essentially above all with his own Father, being crowned with identity of nature with him, “he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, coming to be in the likeness of men; and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself.” For since the Word, being God, put on our flesh, yet even so remained God, for this reason the most holy Paul says that God came to be in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a man. For he was, as I said, God in a form like ours, having taken flesh not soulless, as some heretics saw fit to think, but rather animated with an intelligent soul.
The fathers, then, said that the very Word who came forth from the substance of the Father, the only-begotten Son, true God from true God, the light from the light, through whom all things came to be, came down, was made flesh and became man, that is, underwent birth according to the flesh from a woman and came forth in a form like ours; for this is what “became man” means. So there is one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Word of the Father himself become man, not having cast off being what he was; for he remained God even in manhood, Master in the form of a servant, having the fullness divinely in our emptying, Lord of hosts in the weakness of the flesh, and having as his own, within the measures of manhood, what is above all creation. What he was before the flesh he has without being able to cast it off; for he was God and true Son, only-begotten, light, life, and power. What he was not, he is seen to have taken on because of the dispensation; for he made the things of the flesh his own. For the flesh ineffably and inexpressibly united to him was not someone else's but rather his. So the wise John too says that the Word became flesh. He became flesh not by transition, change, or alteration, changing into the nature of the flesh; nor by undergoing blending, or mixing, or the “consubstantiation” talked of by some (for that is impossible, since he is by nature unchangeable and unalterable); but rather by taking flesh animated with an intelligent soul from a virginal and undefiled body and making it his own. It is the custom of divinely inspired Scripture sometimes to indicate the whole man from the flesh alone: “I will pour out,” it says, “of my Spirit on all flesh.” For God did not promise to put it into flesh not animated with an intelligent soul, but rather into men, who consist of soul and body. So the Word became man without running away from being what he was, but even when he appeared in a form like ours he remained the Word. And Christ is not understood to be first man and then to have come forth into being God; but the Word, being God, became man, so that the same one may be understood to be at once God and man in the same.
Those who divide him into two sons, and dare to say that God the Word joined to himself the man from the seed of David, shared with him his dignity, honour, and the rank of sonship, and prepared him to undergo the cross, to die, to come back to life, to ascend into heaven, and to sit at the right hand of the Father, so that he might be worshipped by all creation, receiving the honours by reference to God, first proclaim two sons, and then ignorantly invert the force of the mystery. For Christ did not become God from a man, as I said; but the Word, being God, became flesh, that is, man. He is said to have been emptied as one who before the emptying had the fullness in his own nature, inasmuch as he is understood to be God. For it was not that someone went up from being empty to fullness; rather he humbled himself from divine heights and ineffable glory; it was not that a lowly man was exalted and glorified. He took the form of a servant as one who is free; it was not that one who was a slave leapt up to the glory of freedom. He who was in the form and equality of the Father came to be in the likeness of men; it was not that one who was a man was enriched by participation with coming to be in the likeness of God. Why, then, do they invert the account of the dispensation and falsify the truth, setting themselves against all the divinely inspired Scriptures, which know the Son to be God and made man and everywhere call him one?
Indeed in the book of the making of the world Moses wrote that the divine Jacob brought his children across the brook Jabbok and was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until morning; and Jacob called the name of that place “Form of God”: “For I have seen God,” he says, “face to face, and my soul was saved. And the sun rose on him when the form of God passed by; and Jacob limped on his thigh.” For God was showing the patriarch in advance that his only-begotten Word would become man in due time and would have Israel as his opponent, and that they would not walk straight concerning him but would, as it were, limp, as he himself says through the psalmist's lyre: “Foreign sons have lied to me; foreign sons have grown old and have limped away from their paths.” This, I think, is what Jacob's limping on his thigh indicates. But see this: when a man wrestled with him, he says he saw God face to face, and he names him the form of God. For the Word of God, even having become man, remained in the form of the Father, I mean according to the intelligible image and being exactly like him in every respect. Indeed he said to Philip, showing himself, even with flesh, to be the stamp of the Father's hypostasis, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” And when he had healed one blind from birth, finding him in the temple, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” And when he answered, “Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?” he replied, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking with you.” The blind man saw him not bare or fleshless, but rather in a form like ours; and he believed in the one he saw, not as in a Son joined to another son, but as in one who, by nature and truly, shone on those on earth not without flesh.
The divine Moses says in the blessings, “Give to Levi his Manifestation and his Truth, to the holy man, whom they tested with testing and reviled at the water of contradiction; who says to his father and mother, ‘I have not seen you,’ and did not recognize his brothers.” For the God of all commanded that the breastpiece be made for Aaron, woven in many colours; a garment fitting for the high priesthood alone and assigned to it. On the high priest's breast hung certain stones, twelve in number, in the midst of which were placed the Manifestation and the Truth, two other stones. By these was shown in a riddle the choir of the holy apostles, encircling, as it were, Emmanuel, who is Manifestation and Truth; for he has made known to us the truth, putting an end to worship in shadows and types. That the only-begotten Word of God became our high priest when he also became man, how can one doubt, when the divine Paul has written thus: “Consider the apostle and high priest of our confession, Jesus, who was faithful to him who appointed him”? For the dignity of the priesthood would rightly be understood as not unlike the measures of manhood; it is less than the nature and glory of God the Word, but not unfitting to the dispensation with the flesh; for the human things became his. “Give,” then, he says, “to Levi,” that is, to the priest, “the Manifestation and the Truth.” And to which Levi, that is, priest, he made clear by saying, “to the holy man.” For our Lord Jesus Christ did no sin. So Paul writes of him: “For such a high priest was fitting for us, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.” “Him they tested with testing; they reviled him at the water of contradiction.” O marvellous thing! Calling him a man, he at once shows him to be God, whom Israel provoked and tested both in the wilderness and at the water of contradiction. The psalmist will assure us, saying, “He split the rock in the wilderness and gave them drink as from a great deep; and he brought water out of the rock and made waters run down like rivers.” And what after this? “And they tested him in their hearts,” he says, “and spoke against God, and said, Can God prepare a table in the wilderness? Since he struck the rock and waters gushed out and torrents overflowed, can he also give bread or prepare a table for his people?” Understand, then, how they reviled God who was working wonders, whom Moses calls a man. For the divine Paul too, understanding it so, writes, “For they drank from the spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.” So the man who was reviled was the very one who, not yet made flesh, was tested by the Israelites.
That it was not one Son before the flesh and another besides him from the seed of David, as some dare to say, but one and the same, before the incarnation still bare Word, and after the birth from the holy Virgin made flesh and become man, as the holy and divine fathers wrote, Moses has made plain by another sign as well. For as though someone asked and wished to learn about which man his word was, the one he says was tested and reviled by the Israelites, he all but stretches out his hand and points to Jesus, and says, “Who says to his father and mother, ‘I have not seen you,’ and did not recognize his brothers.” For we remember that one of the holy evangelists wrote that once, when Christ was teaching and initiating, one of the disciples ran up and said, “Behold, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wishing to see you”; and he stretched out his hand toward the disciples and said, “My mother and my brothers are these, who hear the word of God and do it. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” This, I think, is what Moses said: “Who says to his father and mother, ‘I have not seen you,’ and did not recognize his brothers.”
And the all-wise Daniel too says that he saw the only-begotten Word of God in a form like ours. He said he saw the Ancient of Days sitting on a throne, and ten thousand times ten thousand standing by, and thousands of thousands ministering; and, putting some things in between, he adds others to these: “I was watching in a vision of the night, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man was coming, and he reached the Ancient of Days and was brought before him; and to him were given the honour and the kingdom; and all the tribes and tongues will serve him.” See again, clearly and plainly, he saw Emmanuel ascending to the Father and God in heaven. For a cloud took him up; and he calls him not simply a man, but “like a son of man.” For God the Word had come to be in likeness to us. So the all-wise Paul, understanding it so, says that he came to be in the likeness of men, was found as a man in fashion, and appeared to those on earth in the likeness of sinful flesh. If he were a man honoured as God by conjunction with God, the prophet would have said that he saw the one coming with the clouds as God or as Son of God; but he does not say this, but rather “like a son of man.” So he knows the Son to be God and made man, that is, come to be in the likeness of man, in Paul's words. Yet, appearing even in the flesh, “he reached the Ancient of Days,” that is, went up to the throne of the eternal Father. “And to him were given the honour and the kingdom; and all the tribes and tongues will serve him.” And this, then, was what he said: “Father, glorify me with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”
That the Word of God made flesh sits beside God the Father and is equal in glory with him even with the flesh, as being one Son, even when he became man, the all-wise Paul will make clear, writing, “We have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the majesty in the heights.” And our Lord Jesus Christ himself, when the Jews asked him whether he was truly the Christ, said, “If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I ask you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.” So the choir of the holy prophets saw the Son, even made man, on the thrones of the Godhead. Let us look also at the heralds of the New Covenant, the initiators of the world under the sun, to whom Christ himself said, “It is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” We shall find the divine Baptist saying, “After me comes a man who has come to be before me, because he was before me.” Then how was the one who comes after him before him? For that Christ is later than John as regards the time of the flesh, how is it not plain to all? What would one say to this? The Saviour himself has solved the question for us. For he said, speaking to the Jews, “[Truly, truly, I say to you,] before Abraham came to be, I am.” For he was before Abraham divinely, but is understood to be after him inasmuch as he appeared as man. Then, though God the Father cries out openly, “My glory I will not give to another” (for there is no other God besides him), Christ said to us, “When the Son of Man comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And since the Son of Man is expected to come down from heaven, the all-wise Paul writes again, “For the saving grace of God has appeared to all men, so that, denying impiety and worldly desires, we may live soberly, righteously, and piously in this present age, awaiting the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.” And elsewhere, speaking of those of the blood of Israel, he said, “To them belong the promises, the giving of the law, and the covenant, and from them, according to the flesh, is Christ, who is God over all, blessed for ever. Amen.”
So, going without deviation in the footsteps of the fathers' confession, we say that the very Word begotten of God the Father, the only-begotten Son, was made flesh and became man, suffered, died, and rose from the dead on the third day. The Word of God is, as all agree, impassible as far as his own nature is concerned; and no one is so thunderstruck as to think that the nature that is above all could be capable of suffering. But since he became man, making his own the flesh from the holy Virgin, therefore, following the principles of the dispensation, we affirm that the one who as God is beyond suffering suffered humanly in his own flesh. For if, being God, he became man, yet did not depart at all from being God; if he became part of creation, and remained above creation; if, being lawgiver as God, he came under the law, and was still lawgiver; and being Master divinely, he put on the form of a servant, and has the dignity of lordship without losing it; if, being only-begotten, he became firstborn among many brothers, and is only-begotten: what is strange if, having suffered humanly in the flesh, he is understood to be even so impassible divinely? Indeed the all-wise Paul says that the very Word who was in the form and equality of God the Father became obedient even unto death, the death of the cross. And in another of his letters he says of him, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth; and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together”; and he says that he was given as head to the church, and became the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep and the firstborn of the dead. Yet the Word from God the Father is life and life-giving, since he sprang from life, from the one who begot him. How then did he become firstborn from the dead and firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep? Because he made his own a flesh capable of death, “by the grace of God,” as the all-wise Paul says, “he tasted death for everyone” in the flesh that could suffer, not himself casting off being life. So even if he is said to have suffered in the flesh, he will not receive the suffering in the nature of the Godhead, but, as I said just now, in his own flesh, which is capable of suffering. Indeed the blessed prophet Isaiah, knowing that the one who suffered in the flesh was God made man, said somewhere of him, “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like an innocent lamb before its shearer he is dumb; so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation his judgement was taken away; who will declare his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” Yet if he were some man, understood specially as a son, joined to God, as the introducers of the unholy doctrines say, how would one able to declare his generation be any longer hard to find? For he came from the seed of Jesse and David. But the birth of God the Word, or the manner of the birth, who can tell? “For his life is taken away from the earth,” that is, his existence; for he has put “life” for “existence.” It passes on high and floats above those on earth; for the account of the ineffable nature is wholly incomprehensible and unapproachable to human minds.
Add this too to what has been said: “One Lord, one faith, one baptism,” as the most holy Paul says. Since, then, there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, who is the Lord, and in whom have we believed and been baptized? Perhaps someone might say that lordship, and our faith, belong most fittingly to the Word who is from God the Father, and that saving baptism is performed in him. For so he commanded the holy apostles, saying, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” But the divine Paul makes plain the glory of the lordship, the confession of faith, and the force of holy baptism, saying, “Do not say in your heart, Who will ascend into heaven? that is, to bring Christ down; or, Who will descend into the abyss? that is, to bring Christ up from the dead. But what does the Scripture say? The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. For if you say, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” And again he writes, “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” See how plainly and skilfully he gathers the confession of lordship and faith, and the very grace of holy baptism, round the one who suffered death and was raised from the dead. Do we, then, believe in two sons? Shall we pass by the Word who shone forth from God the Father and attach the glory of lordship, the confession of faith itself, and the heavenly baptism to the one who suffered, as to another son besides him? Then how is it not silly, or rather indisputably impious, to think or say so? What, then, shall we say? There is truly “one Lord, one faith, and one baptism.” For there is one Son and Lord: not the Word taking a man by conjunction and making him a partaker of his own dignities, sharing sonship and lordship with him, as some say and have written in their nonsense; but the Word from God himself made man and incarnate, the light from the light. Into his death we have been baptized, since he suffered humanly in his own flesh, while remaining impassible divinely and living for ever. For he is life from the life of God the Father. So death has been conquered, having dared to leap on the body of life; so corruption too is abolished in us, and the might of death itself grows weak. And indeed Christ said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves.” So the holy body and blood of Christ are life-giving. For it is, as I said, the body not of some man who shares in life, but rather the very own body of the One who is life by nature, that is, of the Only-begotten.
The Christ-loving choir of the holy fathers thinks these things with us, and so does the most holy and God-fearing brother and fellow bishop Proclus, who now adorns the throne of the holy church of Constantinople. For he too has written to the most God-beloved bishops of the East in these very words: “And the formless one is made flesh without change; the one without beginning is born also according to the flesh; the one perfect by nature advances in bodily stature; and the one above sufferings endures sufferings, not enduring the insults in what he was, but accepting the sufferings of the body in what he became.” The bad faith of those who think or have written otherwise is therefore refuted, being everywhere sick with profanity and with what is out of tune with the doctrines of truth.
Having completed the account of Christ, the thrice-blessed fathers make mention of the Holy Spirit. For they said that they believe in him, just as in the Father and the Son. For he is consubstantial with them; and he is poured forth, that is, proceeds, as from a spring, from God the Father, and is supplied to creation through the Son. Indeed he breathed on the holy apostles, saying, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” So the Spirit is from God and is God, and not foreign to the substance that is supreme over all, but from it, in it, and its own.
This, then, is the straight and most unerring faith of the holy fathers, that is, the confession of the faith. But, as Paul says, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they may not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.” Leaving the straight path of truth, some rush against rocks, “understanding neither what they say nor the things about which they make assertions.” For, restricting the glory of sonship to the Word who sprang from God the Father alone, they say that another son, the one from the seed of David and Jesse, was joined to him, and shares in sonship, in honour befitting God, and in the indwelling of the Word himself, and has had everything from him, but nothing at all of his own. Of such people, I think, the Saviour's disciples wrote: “For certain men have crept in, who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ.” And the Word who appeared in human form would rightly be named Jesus Christ. Otherwise, let our opponents tell those who ask them, those who, out of very great lack of understanding, do not refuse to think and speak the views of Nestorius and Theodore: you cast the one from the holy Virgin out of being God and true Son of God the Father, assigning the suffering to him alone, and driving him away from God the Word, so that God may not be called passible. For these are the inventions of their affected precision and the vulgarity of their thoughts. Then let the Word from God the Father not be named Christ specially and by himself. For just as suffering is unlike him when he is understood outside the flesh, so too anointing is an unfitting thing and foreign to him. For “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit”; but the Word from God is wholly self-sufficient and would not have needed the anointing through the Holy Spirit. Deny the dispensation, then; separate the Only-begotten from his love for the world; let him not be named Christ by you. Or is it not a small thing for him to come to be within our measures? Then, since this too is unlike him, let no one confess that he became man; so that Christ may say to them too, “You are wrong, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” Considering, then, as enemies of the truth those who have chosen to think so, let us flee their destructive novelties of speech, and follow rather the opinions of the holy fathers and the tradition of the holy apostles and evangelists. For the one speaking in them was the Word made man, through whom and with whom be honour, glory, and power to God the Father with the Holy Spirit, now and always and to the ages of ages. Amen.
John 17:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Jas 2:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 18:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 22:17 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 4:25 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Job 12:22 (echo, medium confidence) · Ps 13:3 (12:4 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 1:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Matt 18:20 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 3:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Pet 1:19 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Pet 3:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:22–23 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:25 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 4:3 (allusion, medium confidence) · Deut 6:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 20:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 44:6 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:9–10 (quotation, high confidence) · John 10:30 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 1:2 (quotation, high confidence) · John 14:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 33:6 (32:6 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:1–3 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 50:3 (49:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · John 16:28 (quotation, high confidence) · John 8:23 (quotation, high confidence) · John 8:42 (quotation, high confidence) · John 3:31 (quotation, high confidence) · Phil 2:6–8 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Joel 2:28 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 32:22–31 (allusion, high confidence) · Ps 18:45 (17:46 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · John 9:35–37 (quotation, high confidence) · Deut 33:8–9 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 28:15–30 (allusion, high confidence) · Heb 3:1–2 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Pet 2:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · Heb 7:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 78:15–16 (77:15-Ps LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 78:18–20 (77:18-Ps LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 10:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 12:47–50 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 7:9–10 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 7:13–14 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 1:9 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 8:3 (allusion, high confidence) · John 17:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 8:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 22:67–69 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 10:20 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:30 (quotation, high confidence) · John 8:58 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 42:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 16:27 (quotation, high confidence) · Titus 2:11–13 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 9:4–5 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 1:15–18 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 2:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 53:7–8 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 28:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 10:6–9 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 6:3 (quotation, high confidence) · John 6:53 (quotation, high confidence) · John 20:22 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 4:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 1:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Jude 1:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 10:38 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 22:29 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril explains the Nicene Creed clause by clause to a group of monks, insisting that the one only-begotten Word himself became man, suffered in his own flesh, and is the one Lord into whose death Christians are baptized, against the followers of Nestorius and Theodore.
- Cyril's explanation of the Nicene Creed, written to a group of monks (probably 437–438, after Proclus became bishop of Constantinople). Stray words from the notes in the address, in the phrase “word for word,” and in the word “evangelists” are removed by logged corrections. Some lines are out of place in the edition (for example, a clause about the light of truth printed after the sentence on baptism, and in the passage on Deut 33:8–9 and Ps 78 the words “Give, then, to Levi …” and a note about Christ's mother and brothers); these are translated in the order the sense requires. The words in square brackets (“Truly, truly, I say to you”) are printed in brackets by Migne and are translated. The quotation from Proclus is from his Tome to the Armenians. “Manifestation and Truth” renders δήλωσις and ἀλήθεια, the Septuagint names for the Urim and Thummim. The translation was checked privately against a modern English translation (FOTC 77).
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (a footnote variant (ὑποτυπώσαντες) split the word λέξεως; footnote variants (μόνον; κενοφωνίας) split the word εὐαγγελιστῶν; stray words from the notes (ἡρημένους. Εριτ.) printed in the address): τὸν ἠρωμένους. Εριτ. μονήρη → τὸν μονήρη; λέὑποτυπώσαντες. ξεως → λέξεως; εὐαγγεμόνον, η κενοφωνίας. λιστῶν → εὐαγγελιστῶν.
Extrabiblical texts: Conc. Nic. 0 (Creed and Canons of the Council of Nicaea (325); quotation)
Topics: Christology, Trinity, Baptism, Eucharist, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Ep. 55 (PG 77 77:289; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/55). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-epistulae/55
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 77 (Bavarian State Library OCR); letters 4, 17 and 39 compared with NPNF² 14; the rest re-read against the Greek.