Now is the Fast of Dormition of the Theotokos. It is the right time to meditate on the writings of St. Cyril of Alexandria who proved without doubt St. Mary can be called the Theotokos. This is a treatise by St. Cyril of Alexandria where he correctly propounds the Christology of Oriental Orthodox Churches. Oriental Orthodox church believes there was no explanation more needed to what was given by St. Cyril and Tome of Leo at Council of Chalcedon was unnecessary and contrary to what St. Cyril said.
The name Christ hath neither the force of a definition, nor does it denote the essence of any of what kind it is, as for example a man or a horse or an ox, but it rather makes declaration of a thing wrought. For some in ancient period pleased by God were anointed with oil, and the anointing was a token to them of kingship: Prophets too were spiritually anointed with the Holy Spirit to be named anointed and the blessed David sings in the Person of God and says, “Touch not Mine anointed and do My Prophets no harm” (Psalm 105:15). The Prophet Habakkuk too says, “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, for salvation Thine anointed.” (Habakkuk 3:13). But in regard of Christ, the Saviour of all, we say that an anointing took place, yet neither symbolic, as though done with oil, nor by the grace of Prophet's office, nor as a designation for the achievement of ought, such as in the case of Cyrus, who reigned over the Persians and Medes, for he led an army against the land of the Babylonians, God Almighty over all instigating him thereto. For it was said, “Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden.” (Isaiah 45:1) Albeit the man was an idolater, he was called anointed for he was anointed king by the decree from above and fore-ordained by God to mightily subdue the land of the Babylonians.
Since on account of the transgression in Adam, sin hath reigned among all, and the Holy Spirit fled away from the human nature and humans came therefore to be all ill, it needed that by the Mercy of God, humans be restored to its pristine condition by being accounted worthy of the Holy Spirit: For this purpose, the Only-Begotten Word of God became Man with Body of earth, and was made free from sin, that in Him Alone the nature of man crowned with the glories of sinlessness, should be rich in the Holy Spirit, and thus be re-formed unto God through holiness: for thus does the grace pass through to us too, having for its beginning Christ the First-born among us. And therefore the blessed David teaches us sing to the Son, “Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness, therefore God, Thy God hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” (Psalm 45:7)
The Son therefore has been anointed like us humans with the praises of sinlessness, as I said: the human nature in Him been made illustrious and become worthy of partaking of the Holy Spirit; no more departing, as was at the beginning, but delighting to dwell therein. Wherefore it is also written that the Spirit soared down upon Christ and hath abode upon Him. Christ therefore the Word of God Who because of us came as Man and in servant’s form, both anointed as Man after the Flesh and anointed Divinely with His own Holy Spirit, hath called us, that believe on Him.
God the Word is named Emmanuel, because He took hold of the seed of Abraham and like us assumed flesh and blood. Now Emmanuel is interpreted, “With us is God”. But we confess that the Word of God was with us, not locally, for in what place is God not, Who fills all things? (Ephesians 4:10) nor because He came to us for our aid, for it was thus said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, I will be with thee too” (Joshua 1:5), but because He was made in our condition, i. e. in human nature, without forsaking His own Nature, for the Word of God is Unchangeable in Nature.
But why was it, when it was said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee”, that he was nevertheless not called Emmanuel? This is the reason, even though He be said to be with any of the saints. We therefore say that He, God the Word became like us, at that time of which Baruch says, “He did show Himself upon earth and conversed with men, and found out all the way of instruction and gave it to Jacob His servant and to Israel His beloved, for He is our God and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison with Him.” (Baruch 3: 36-38) As far then as pertained to His being God by Nature, He was not with us; for incomparable is the difference between Godhead and manhood and exceeding great the difference of the natures.
And therefore was the Divine David addressing the mystic relationship God the Word Who had not as yet come to us and saying in spirit, “Why hast Thou departed far from us, O Lord, despisest us in season in tribulation?” But He departed not from us, but was with us, Who while He remained who He was, took hold of the seed of Abraham, accepted the form of a servant and lived as Man upon the earth.
But Christ and Emmanuel signify to us the same Son, the one, because He was anointed like us as Man receiving the Spirit for the human nature in Himself first (for He is set forth as the first born of the race, and again anointing, as God, with the Holy Spirit those who believe in Him; the other, because He was with us in the way I have explained, whereof the Prophet Isaiah tells us saying, “Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His Name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) For when the holy Virgin conceived out of the Holy Spirit, but bare according to the flesh a Son, then too was He called Emmanuel; for the Incorporeal was with us by bodily birth, and that took place which was told by David that God shall appear openly, “Our God comes and shall not be silent.” (Psalm 50:3) and that I Who speak am at hand. For the Word spake through the Prophets as yet Unembodied, He came Embodied.
By the strength of conviction, we are bound to speak of One Son of God, Christ and Emmanuel and Jesus are the Same; this name Jesus too from the fact, “for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). For just as the name Emmanuel meant, that the Word of God through His Birth of a woman was made Man with us; and Christ again, as He was anointed like humans but with Holy Spirit; which specially proves Him to be truly God and by Nature Lord of all. For the creation is not said to belong to a mere man, but rather it will befit to say that all things are of the Only-Begotten's even though He was made Man.
Perhaps someone will say, Yet the people of Israel were of Moses'. To this we will say, The people were called God's and that was true; but because they passed into revolt, and made a calf in the desert, they were dishonored by God, He did not vouchsafe them any more to call them His people, but gave them over to a man. We are not so, for we are Jesus' own, in that He is God and all things created through Him. For so saith David, “For He hath made us and not we ourselves, we are His people and sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm 100:3) And He Himself again says of us, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them and they follow Me” (John 10:27), and again, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (John 10:16) And He bade too the blessed Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? feed My lambs.” (John 21:16)
The Word out of God the Father was called Man, albeit by Nature God, in that He assumed blood and flesh like us. For thus was He seen and felt by those on the earth, and not letting go what He was, but assuming human nature like us, perfect as regards to it; yet in human nature too hath He remained God and Lord of all, by Nature and in truth Begotten of God the Father. And this, the most wise Paul most clearly shows us, for he says, “The first man is of the earth earthy, the second Man the Lord out of Heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:45) Albeit the holy Virgin hath borne the Temple united to the Word, yet Emmanuel is said to be and rightly, out of heaven, for from above and out of the Essence of God the Father, was His Word begotten. Hence He descended unto us when He was made Man as is He from above. And John testified, saying of Him, “He that cometh from above is above all” (John 3:31), and Christ Himself saith to the Jews, “Ye are from beneath, I am from above; ye are of this world, I am not of this world” (John 8:23), albeit He was a Man. Although He was called to be part of the world; yet therewith also was He above the world as God. For we remember that He plainly says, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven but He That came down from Heaven, the Son of man which is in Heaven.” (John 3:13) But we say that the Son of Man came down from Heaven by an efficient union, the Word allotting to His own Flesh the endowments of His glory and God-befitting Excellency.
God the Word full by nature and in every way Perfect, and distributing out of His own Fullness His own goodness to the creation who was emptied, but in no way wronged in His own Proper Nature, nor changed so as to become otherwise, nor was He made inferior, for inconvertible and unchangeable is He, and He Who begat Him, and never may He be capable of passion. But when He was made Flesh, i.e. Man, as He said, “I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all flesh” (Joel 2:28), He made the poverty of human nature His own; first, in that although He was made man, He remained God; next in that He took the form of a servant, Who in His own Nature was free as Son, and while He is Himself the Lord of glory He is said to have received glory: Himself Life, He is said to be quickened: and Himself King of all, He is said to have received power over all and Himself God, He was obedient to the Father, suffered the Cross. But these things befit the measure of the human nature, yet He makes them His own with flesh and fulfils the Economy, while remaining what He was.
The St.Paul writes, “Though there be gods many and lords many whether in heaven and in earth, yet to us One God the Father, of Whom all things and we of Him, and One Lord Jesus Christ through Whom are all things and we through Him.” (1 Corinthians 8: 5-6) And the very wise John said of God the Word, that “All things were made through Him, and without Him was nothing made” (John 1:3), and the blessed Gabriel declared the Gospel to the Holy Virgin saying, “Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bear a Son, and shalt call His Name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) Since then the John the Evangelist declares that “all things were made through Jesus Christ” (John 1:3), and the Holy Evangelist confirms the force of the sentence and preaches that “He was God the Maker of all things” (John 1:3), speaking truly, and the Angel's voice too points out that Jesus Christ was truly born of the Holy Virgin: yet we do not say that Jesus Christ was mere man, nor do we conceive of God the Word apart from His human nature but, we say that He was made One out of both, as God made Man, the Same begotten Divinely out of the Father as Word, and humanly out of woman as Man: not as though called to a second beginning of being when He is said to have been born after the flesh: but begotten indeed before all ages, yet when the time came wherein He must fulfill the Economy, was born also of a woman after the flesh. Therefore, albeit others are called by the name of christ, yet there is One Jesus Christ through Whom are all things, not that a man was made Maker of all things, but that God the Word, through Whom all things were made, like us assumed flesh and blood, and was called Man, yet lost not what He was; hence even so came in flesh, He is rightly understood to be Maker of all.
Once for all in the last ages is God the Word said to have been made Man, and was manifested by the Sacrifice of Himself. And what is the Sacrifice? As St. Paul saith, “He offered His own Body for us for an odour of a sweet savour to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:2), and “He entered in once into the holy place not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own Blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12), who believe on Him. Therefore very many before Him were saints but no one of them was called Emmanuel. Why? For not yet had the time come, when He Who is superior to every creation, was to be with us, i.e., to come in our nature through flesh. One therefore is Emmanuel, for only once was the Only-Begotten made Man, when He underwent fleshly Birth through the holy Virgin. For it was said to Joshua too, “I will be with thee” (Joshua 1:3, 3:7, 6:16), yet he was not Emmanuel; He was also with Moses, yet neither was he called Emmanuel. As often therefore as we hear the name, “With us is God”, given to the Son, let us wisely conceive that He was not with us in the last times, as is sometimes said to have been with the saints, for with them He was as a helper only; but with us He was Word Incarnate, because He was made like us, not losing His own nature, for He is unchangeable as God.
Union is accomplished in many ways: for those divided in attitude and outlook and at variance with one another are said to be united in friendly agreement, laying aside their differences. And we say that things which are united are joined to one another or brought together in other ways, either by juxta-position or mixture or composition. When therefore we say that the Word of God was united to our nature, the mode of union is clearly above man's understanding; for it is not like one of those mentioned, but wholly ineffable and known to no one of those who are, save only to God Who knoweth all things.
And do not marvel, if we are overcome by such ideas, when if we accurately investigate our own matters how they are, we will admit that the it is beyond our understanding. For what way do we conceive that the soul of man is united to his body? Hence if we, who are used to conceive and avail to speak scantly and with difficulty, must form our judgment of things so subtle and beyond understanding and speech; we say that it will befit to conceive that of such sort is the union of Emmanuel, as the soul of man has with its own body. For the soul makes its own the things of the body although in its own nature imparticipate of its sufferings, both physical and those brought on it from without. For the body is moved to natural desires and the soul which is in it shares the perception thereof by reason of the union, but in now way participates, yet thinks that the achievement of the desire is its own enjoyment. And even though the body be struck by any or be cut with steel, it co-grieves, its own body suffering, yet will itself in its own nature does not suffer of the things inflicted.
Nevertheless, do we say that the above union is in the case of Emmanuel? For it was necessary that the soul united to the body, should grieve along with its own body, that so, fleeing the disgrace, it might submit obedient to God. But of God the Word, it is absurd to say that He was co-percipient of the contumelies for free from passion is the Godhead and not in our condition, yet has He been united to flesh possessed of a reasonable soul, and when it suffered, He was impassibly in cognizance of what befell it but as God brought to naught the infirmities of the flesh, and made them His own as belonging to His own Body: thus is He said both to hunger and be weary and suffer for us.
Hence the union of the Word with the human nature may be aptly compared with our condition. For as the body is of other nature than the soul, yet one man is produced out of it and is said to be of both; so too out of the Perfect Person of God the Word, and Perfect Manhood is One Christ, the Same God and Same Man. And the Word makes its own, the sufferings of Its own Flesh, because Body is Its own and not another's: and It shares with Its own Flesh the operation of the God-befitting Might that is within It; so that It should be able both to quicken the dead and to heal the sick. But if we must show the mode of union using examples out of the God-inspired Scripture, come let us say it, as we are able.
The Prophet Isaiah says, “Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me, having a a live coal in his hand which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar and laid it upon my mouth and said, ‘Lo this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged.” (Isaiah 6:6-7) But we say that the live coal fulfils to us the type and image of the Incarnate Word, Who, if He touches our lips, i. e., when we confess the faith in Him, both make us pure from every sin and free us from the pristine charges against us.
Nevertheless one may see in the coal, as in an image, the Word of God united to the human nature, yet not losing the being what He is, but rather trans-elementing what He had taken, or united, unto His own glory and operation. For as fire having to do with wood and entering into it, seizes hold of it, and removes it not from being wood, but transmutes it rather into the appearance and force of fire, and in works all its own property therein, and it is now reckoned one with it, so shall you conceive of Christ too. For God united ineffably with the manhood, hath kept it what we say that it is, and Himself hath remained what He was; but once united, is accounted one with it, making His own what is its, and Himself too introducing into it the operation of His own Nature.
In the Song of Songs our Lord Jesus Christ Himself has been introduced to us saying, “I am the rose of the Sharon (plain) and the lily of the valleys.” (Song of Songs 2:1) Even though the smell is something unembodied, it uses the flower as its own body; hence the lily conceived of as one out of both, and the failing of one utterly destroys the plan thereof, for in the object is the smell and in the object is its body. In the same way, shall we conceive of the Nature of the Godhead in Christ too, that it sheds forth on the world the savour of His own more than earthly excellence, as in the object His Human Nature, and that the Unembodied by Nature became by economic union all-but embodied also, because It willed to be recognized through the Body by which It hath accomplished God-befitting things. Hence will the Unembodied be rightly conceived of as in His own Body, even as in the flower too, the object, is the scent, yet both together is called lily.
The Holy Tabernacle was reared by the will of God in the wilderness and Emmanuel was diversely exemplified in it. The God of all said therefore to the divine Moses, “And they shalt make an ark of cedar wood, two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and half its breadth and a cubit and a half its height, and thou shalt overlay it with pure gold within and without shalt thou overlay it.” (Exodus 25:10-11) Hence the wood that will not rot will be a type of the incorruptible Body for cedar does not rot and the gold as matter surpassing all others will indicate to us the Excellence of the Divine Essence.
But observe how the whole ark was overlaid with pure gold within and without. For God the Word was united to the Holy Flesh, and this is it what it means by that the ark was overlaid without. Also He made His own, the reasonable Soul that was within the Body showing that He bade that it should be overlaid within also. Hence we shall see that the Natures or Hypostases have remained without confusion. For the gold that was spread upon the wood, remained what it was, and the wood was rich in the glory of the gold; yet it ceased not from being wood.
But that the ark is taken as a type of Christ, one may be assured of through many proofs. For it used to precede the people of Israel, seeking rest for them; and Christ too says, “I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)
The Saint Paul says that “great is the Mystery of godliness.” (1 Timothy 3:16) And this is true, for the Word the God was manifested in the flesh, since He is justified in Spirit, in no way is He seen to be bound by our infirmities; although He was made Man for us, He did no sin; Moreover He was seen by angels, for they were not ignorant of His Incarnation of the Flesh; He was preached moreover unto the Gentiles, as God made Man; and thus believed on in the world. And this the Saint Paul proved thus writing, “Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were without Christ, aliened from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:11-12) The Gentiles were therefore without God in the world, when they were without Christ; but when they acknowledged Him to be truly and by Nature God, they too were acknowledged by Him confessing the faith. And He was received up into Divine glory; for blessed David sings, “God is gone up with a shout.” (Psalm 47:5) For He went up verily with Body, not in bare Godhead, for God was Incarnate.
We believe therefore, not in one like us honored with Godhead by grace, lest we be caught worshippers of a man, but rather in the Lord Who appeared in servant's form, and Who was truly like us and in human nature, yet remained God, for God the Word, when He took flesh, laid not down what He was, but is conceived of the Same God and Same Man.
Thus is the faith and rightly. But if any say, What harm if a man like us be conceived of as laying hold on Godhead and not God rather be made man? We shall answer that there are a thousand things which may be brought to bear against this, and which all but tell us that we ought firmly to strive against it and not to believe thus.
For come before ought else, let us look at the mode of the economy with Flesh and thoroughly investigate the nature of our condition; the nature of man was periled and was brought down to the extreme of ill, condemned to curse and death and involved in the toils of sin, was straying and was in darkness, it knew not Him Who is by Nature and truly God, it worshipped the creation more than the Creator. How then could it be freed from such ills? Or do we say that it was lawful for It to lay hold on the Divine Nature, although man captured by ignorance and darkness did not at all know what the Dignity of the Supreme Nature is and denied salvation by the soil of sin? How was it that It could mount up to the All-Pure Nature and lay hold on glory which none can lay hold of, except receive It? For let it be supposed that by knowledge, and through knowing we say that it lays hold thereof: who is to teach it? For how shall they believe except they hear? But this is not at all to take hold of Godhead, and to seize the glory that beseems It.
Hence it will be more meet to conceive that God the Word through Whom all things are made, desiring to save that which was lost; by co-abasement descended unto us, lowered Himself to what He was not, in order that the nature of man too might become what it was not, eminent in the Dignities of the Divine Supremacy by union with Him, and should rather be brought up to what was above our nature, than bring down unto what was alien from His Nature, the Unchangeable, as God. It was necessary that the Incorruptible should lay hold on the nature subject to corruption, that He might free it from the corruption. It was necessary that He Who knew not to sin should be made conformable with those who were under sin, that He might make sin to cease. For as where is light, there surely darkness will have no work, so where incorruption is present, in all necessity that corruption flee. Since He Who knew not sin, hath made His own that which was under sin, sin should come to nought.
But that the Word, being God, was made Man, and not rather that Christ was Man deified, I will endeavour to show from the Holy Scriptures also. Blessed Paul says therefore of the Only-Begotten, “Who being in the Form of God thought not being equal with God, a thing to seize, but emptied Himself taking servant's form, made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; wherefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow of heavenly and earthly and infernal and every tongue confess Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)
He, therefore we shall say, was in the Form of God and Equal to the Father, and thought these things not a thing to seize; but descended rather into emptiness and into servant's form, and humbled Himself and was made in our likeness. If He was Man made of a woman literal and singular, how was he in the Form of God and Equal to the Father? Or how has he the fullness that he may be conceived of as emptied? Or in what height placed afore, is he said to have humbled himself? Or how was he made in the likeness of men, who was so formerly too by nature, even though He was not said to be so made? Where was he emptied, taking the fullness of the Godhead? Or how was He Who ascended up into Heavenly glory, not made Most High?
Therefore we say that not man was made God, but rather that the Word of God Who was in Likeness and Form of the Father was made in emptiness because of: the human nature, for He was emptied in this way, by reason of our likeness; being Full, as God, He was humbled on account of the Flesh; while He departeth not from the Throne of the Divine Majesty, for He hath His Seat Most High, He was made in the likeness of men, being of the Same Form with the Father, of Whose Essence He is the Form. Yet since He was once made as we, He is said to have ascended with Flesh too into the glory of the Godhead, which indeed He had clearly as His own; yet He was in flesh on account of the Human Nature, for He is believed to be Lord of all, even with flesh.
But to Him boweth every knee, and that not to the grief or dishonour of the Father, but rather to His glory: for He rejoiceth and is glorified when the Son is adored by all, although made like us; for it is written again, “For He took not on Him angels but He took on Him the seed of Abraham, wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren.” (Hebrews 2:16-17) Lo the Word took hold of the seed of Abraham, in that He is God, not some man like us took hold of Godhead, and He is Himself made like unto us, and is called our Brother as Man, not we to Him as regards the Nature of the Godhead. And again: Forasmuch then as the children partook of blood and flesh, He also Himself likewise partook of them, that through death He might destroy him who holdeth the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver them who through fear of death were all his lifetime subjects to bondage. Lo again He just as we partook of blood and flesh; and this hath a reason most closely united and related, for it is written, “For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of flesh of sin and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3) Observe again that not man is shown to be affecting the Divine Nature, and mounting up to His Dignity; but God the Father sending rather His Son in the likeness of flesh of sin to destroy sin. Therefore the Word the God made Man, let Himself down into emptiness; and hence Christ is seen to be no mere man, affecting the Divine Glory.
Desiring to investigate the Mystery of the economy with flesh of the Only Begotten, we say this, holding true doctrine and right faith, that the Word Himself out of God the Father, Very God out of Very God, the Light out of Light, was Incarnate and made Man, descended, suffered, rose from the dead: for thus defined the holy and great Synod the Symbol of the Faith; But investigating and desiring to learn what is the true meaning of the Word being Incarnate and made Man; we see that it is not to bring man to be equal in dignity or authority or of mere community in the name of Sonship; but rather to be made man like us, at the same time preserving His own Nature, being unchanged and without turn, and thus assuming flesh and blood for fulfilling the Economy.
One therefore is He Who before the Incarnation is called by the God-inspired Scripture as Only-Begotten, Word, Image of God, Brightness, Impress of the Person of the Father, Life, Glory, Light, Wisdom, Power, Arm, Right Hand, Most Highest, Magnificence, Lord of Sabaoth, and other like names, truly God-befitting; and after the Incarnation, Man, Christ Jesus, Propitiation, Mediator, First-fruits of them that slept, First-begotten of the dead, Second Adam, Head of the Body the Church; the first names also following Him: for all are His, both the first and those in the last times of the world.
One therefore is He Who both before the Incarnation was Very God and in the human nature hath remained That He was and is and shall be. We must not then sever the One Lord Jesus Christ into Man separately and into God separately, but we say that Jesus Christ is One and the Same, yet knowing the distinction of the Natures and keeping them unconfused with one another.
When therefore Holy Scripture says that “in Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9), we do not therefore say that the Word by Himself dwelt in another, the man Christ, nor plucking asunder one from another things united do we conceive of two sons, but this rather, that holy Writ calls by the name Christ sometimes separately the human nature of the Word of God which He having as His own, used as a Temple. And it has been written somewhere of human souls also, Them that dwell in houses of clay, whereof we too are of the same clay. Do we then, since he calls the bodies of men houses of clay, and affirms that their souls dwell in them, sever one man into two? yet how is it not wholly without blame, that in a man should be said to dwell his spirit? so that even though the form of speech passes through this mode, unable to do otherwise, it does not beseem that the natures of things are therefore injured, but rather we must conceive that they hasten the straight way of the truth.
When then any of those things which do not possess same nature, are brought together to unity by composition, and the one is said to dwell within the other; we must not sunder them into two, ensuring that the concurrence unto unity is in no way injured, even though one of the things united be separately called by us what the two together are. For in man too is said to dwell, his spirit; yet both the spirit separately and likewise along with the body are called man. And most wise Paul indicate to us this same thing when he saith, “For though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16) When then any saith that our inward man dwelleth in our outward man, he speaks true, yet he does not sever the one into two. The Prophet Isaiah too somewhere saith, “With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early.” (Isaiah 26:9) Is then his spirit said to rise early to God, as being other than himself? Albeit how is it not absurd to say any thing of this kind? Therefore we must know figures of speech, yet not depart from what is reasonable, but fetch about the force of the things signified to the aim befitting each.
And although Jesus be said to advance in age and wisdom and grace, this will pertain to the Economy. For the Word of God permitted His Humanity to advance by reason of the habits of its proper nature, and willed as it were by little and little to extend the illustriousness of His own Godhead, and along with the age of the Body to put out therewith what is Its own; so that nothing strange should be seen and terrify anyone with its excessive rarity while even so they spoke, “How knoweth this man letters having never learned?” (John 7:15) Even though, increase in bodily matters and the advance in grace and wisdom will befit the measures of the Human nature: yet we say that the Word out of God is Himself in His own Nature All-Perfect, not lacking advance in wisdom, or grace, but that He imparts rather to the creation. wisdom and grace and the things whereby it is in good case.
And though Jesus be said also to suffer, the suffering will belong to the Economy; and is said to be His, and with all reason, because His too is that which suffered, and He was in the suffering Body. Even though He unknowing to suffer for He is Impassible as God; yet as far as pertained to the daring of those who raged against Him, He would have suffered, if He could have suffered.
Therefore since the Only-Begotten has been made as we, as often as He is called Man by the God-inspired Scripture, considering the Economy, let us confess that even so is He God by Nature.
God says somewhere to the hierophant Moses, “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.” (Exodus 25: 17-20) A most sure image will this be that God the Word even in the human nature remained God and in His own Glory and Majesty even though for the sake of Economy made like unto us; for a propitiation through faith was Emmanuel made unto us. And this the most wise John proved saying to us, “My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not; and if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and He is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2); so too Paul says, “Whom God set forth a propitiation through faith in His Blood.” (Romans 3:25)
But see the Cherubim standing round about the Mercy seat and overshadowing it with their wings, but turned toward the Mercy seat and all but fixing their eye on their Lord's beck. For to the will of God alone looketh the whole multitude of the heavenly spirits, and is never sated with the sight of God. So doth the Prophet Isaiah say that “I saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.” (Isaiah 6:1-2)
The Divine Moses was of old appointed to free Israel from the violence of the Egyptians. But since it was needful that they who were under the yoke of an unwonted servitude, should first learn that God was now reconciled to them, He bade him work miracles: for a miracle oft-time brings us to belief. Moses therefore says to God Almighty, But if they shall not believe me nor hearken to my voice, saying, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee, what shall I say to them? the Lord then said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod: and He said to him, Cast it on the ground: and he cast it on the ground and it became a serpent and Moses fled from before it: and the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail; and he put forth his hand and took it by the tail and it became a rod in his hand. And He said to him, That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath appeared unto thee. Observe herein the Son of God by Nature and in truth, as a Rod of the Father (but the Rod is the ensign of Kingdom), for in the Son hath He power over all. Whence Divine David also saith, Thy Throne, O God is for ever and ever, a Rod of Equity the Rod of Thy Kingdom. But He cast it on the ground, i. e., surrounded it with an earthly Body, or through the human nature sent it upon the earth, for then, then was it made in likeness of the wicked, men that is, for of wickedness is the serpent a token.
And that this is true, thou wilt hence know. For our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in image and figure of the economy wrought with flesh is taken for the brazen serpent which Moses reared to cure the serpents' bites. For He says, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For as the serpent made of brass was an occasion of salvation to those in peril (for looking on it they were saved), so our Lord Jesus Christ too to those who see Him in the likeness of bad men in that He was made Man, yet are not ignorant that He is God Who quickens, will be the Bestower of Life and the power of escaping bitter and venomous beasts, I mean the powers that oppose us.
It will be a figure too of this that Moses' Rod devoured the other rods, which the Magi had cast on the ground. The Rod therefore was indeed cast on the earth, yet did not abide a serpent, but taken again it was what it had been; for although the Father's Rod, i.e., the Son, through Whom He hath power over all was made (as I said before) in our likeness: yet when the economy was fulfilled He hastened back into Heaven and was again as in the Father's Hand a Rod of Righteousness and of Rule; for He sitteth at the Right Hand of His Father in His own Majesty, possessing the Supreme Throne even with Flesh.
And the Lord God said again to him, Put thine hand into thy bosom, and he put his hand into his bosom and took forth his hand out of his bosom and his hand became as snow. And He said again, Put thine hand into thy bosom, and he put his hand into his bosom and brought it forth of his bosom, and it was turned again to the colour of his flesh. The Hand and the Right Hand of God the Father the Divine Scripture calls His Very Son. For it introduces Him saying, I by Mine Hand founded the Heaven, and the Divine David too singeth, By the Word of the Lord the Heavens were stablished. See therefore that Moses' hand was as yet hidden in his bosom and had not yet become leprous; brought forth and immediately it became leprous; then after a while put in and again brought forth, and for the future not leprous; for it was restored (it says) to the colour of his flesh. Therefore as long as God the Word was in the Bosom of the Father, He shone with the brightness of Godhead, but when He was in a manner forth of it because of the Incarnation or being made Man, He became in the likeness of flesh of sin and was numbered among the wicked: for the Divine Paul saith, Him who knew not sin He made sin for us, that we might he made the Righteousness of God in Him. This I think is what the leprosy means, for the leper was unclean according to the Law. But when He was again in the Bosom of the Father (for He was taken up at the Resurrection from the dead), the Hand again brought forth was seen clean; for our Lord Jesus Christ will come, He will come in His season in the brightness and glory of the Godhead, although He have not cast away our likeness. For blessed Paul too saith of Christ, For He once died to take away the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him unto salvation shall He appear the second time without sin. Therefore as often as the Divine Scripture names Christ Jesus, do not think of man by himself, but think rather that Jesus Christ is the Very Word out of God the Father, even when He became Man.
They who have their faith in Christ undefiled, and approved by all, will say that God the Word Himself out of God the Father descended into emptiness, taking servant's form and, making His own the Body which was born of the Virgin, was made as we and called Son of Man. He is indeed God according to the Spirit, yet the Same Man according to the flesh. And the Divine Paul also addressed the people of the Jews saying, “God Who manifoldly and in many ways of old spoke to the fathers in the prophets, in these last days spake to us in the Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) And how is God the Father understood to have spoken in the last days in His Son? For He spoke to them in earlier times, the Law through Him; and hence the Son Himself says that they are His Words through the most wise Moses. For He says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, I am not come to destroy but to fulfil: for I say unto you that one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the Law till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away but My words shall not pass away” (Matthew 5:17-18): there is also the Prophet's voice, “I that speak am at hand”. Hence when He was made in flesh, then spoke to us the Father through Him in the last days, as saith blessed Paul (Hebrews 1:2). But lest we should not believe that it is He Who before the ages also was Son, he added immediately, “Through Whom He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:2) too: he also mentions that “He is the brightness of the glory and the Impress of the Person of the Father” (Hebrews 1:3).
He was therefore Man truly made, through Whom God the Father made the worlds too; and was not in a man, as some suppose, so as to be conceived of by us as a man who has God indwelling in him. For if they believe that these things are really so, the, saying of blessed Evangelist John “And the Word was made Flesh” will seem to be superfluous. For what was the need of being made man? Or why is God the Word said to be Incarnate, unless “was made flesh” means that He was made like us, and the emphasis of the being made man declares that He was made like us, yet remained even so above us and also above the whole creation? But I think it apt by instances also to prove what I have said and to persuade that the Only-Begotten has been made Man and is God even with Flesh and hath not rather indwelt in a man, rendering him God-clad, like others too who have been made partakers of His Godhead.
God says of us, “I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be to them a God and they shall be to Me a people” (Hebrews 8:10). And our Lord Jesus Christ Himself too saith, “Lo I am coming and if any man opens to Me, I will enter both I and the Father and we will dwell with him and sup with him” (Revelation 3:20). We are also called temples of God, for He says we are the Temples of the Living God, and again, “Know ye not that your bodies are the Temples of the Holy Spirit Which is in you Which ye have of God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). But if they say that He is Emmanuel, as each one of us has had God indwelling in him, let them confess it openly, that when they see Him worshipped by us as well as by the Angels in Heaven alike and upon earth, they may blush as thinking otherwise, and ignorant of the drift of the holy Scriptures, and not having in them the faith which they delivered to us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word.
But if they say that He is therefore God and glorified as God because the Word of God the Father merely dwelt in Him, and not because He was made Man, let them hear again from us, If to them who had God indwelling in them, it suffices that they might therefore be truly gods and adored by all, all are gods and to be adored, for He dwelleth in the holy Angels, and we have Him ourselves too in us through the Spirit; but this is not enough to show that they are by nature gods and to be adored who have the Spirit in them. For this is Emmanuel the God and is to be worshipped not because the Word of God dwelt in Him as in a mere man, but because He was made flesh, i. e. Man, for He remained therefore God who is to be worshipped.
Speaking of the Mystery Christward, Blessed Paul says, “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His saints, unto whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory, Whom we preach.” (Colossians 1:26-28) If therefore He is God-clad and not truly God, how is Himself the riches of the glory of the Mystery which is proclaimed to the Gentiles? Or how is God at all proclaimed?
“For I would that ye knew what conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the Mystery of God, of the Father, and of Christ.” (Colossians 2:1-2) Lo he calls the Mystery of God the Mystery of Christ, and wishes certain to have full understanding unto the acknowledgement of it. Therefore there was need of what understanding to those who would learn the Mystery of Christ, if they were to hear that God dwelt in a man? For there would be need of exceeding understanding to know on the other hand that the Word being God was made Man.
“For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to Godward is gone forth.” (1Thessalonians 1:8) Lo again he makes mention that their faith was Godward and he calls the preaching of Him the Word of the Lord. And Christ too saith, “He that believeth in Me hath everlasting Life” (John 6:47)
For yourselves know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain, but after that we had suffered many things before and been reviled as ye know in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God.” (1Thessalonians 2:1-2) Lo speaking in God, he made mention of the Gospel of God, which preaches Christ to the Gentiles.
“Call to mind, brethren, our labor and travail, laboring night and day that we might not be burdensome to any of you, we preached the Gospel of God among you.” (1Thessalonians 2:9) and again, “For this cause we too thank God without ceasing, because when ye received, from us the Word of God, ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which worketh in you which have believed.” (1Thessalonians 2:13) Does he not plainly call the preaching about Christ, the Gospel of God and Word of God? This surely is plain to all.
“For the grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and uprightly and piously in this world awaiting the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13) Lo our Lord Jesus Christ is most openly called God and Great Whose coming of glory we awaiting, are diligent to live soberly and unblameably. But if He be a God-clad man, how is He also great God? Or how is the hope in Him a blessed one? If so, Prophet Jeremiah is true in saying, “Cursed the man that putteth his trust in man.” (Jeremiah 17:5) For neither could his bearing God render him God Himself: next let them teach us what hinders that all others be gods and to be worshipped who have God in them? But blessed Paul calls Christ God and Great and that hath a blessed coming. He is found saying of the Jews, and of Emmanuel, “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 9:4-5)
But that by Divine revelation he did make his preaching, is clear in that himself when he saith, “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also; but I went up by revelation and set forth to them the Gospel which I preach to the Gentiles, but privately to them who seemed to be somewhat, lest haply I should run or had run in vain.” (Galatians 2:1-2) He preaching Christ to the Gentiles as God, every where calls His Mystery Divine. He went up to Jerusalem by revelation and set forth to them who seemed to be somewhat, i. e., to the holy Apostles and Disciples, lest perchance he should run in vain or had run. But when he had gone down from Jerusalem and was again among the multitude of the Gentiles, did he ought correct of his former teaching? Did he not persevere in confessing that Christ is God? And indeed he writes, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him who called you, unto another gospel which is not another, save there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.” (Galatians 1;6-7) and he says again, “But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be anathema.” (Galatians 1:8) For what reason therefore leaving all else albeit they had God indwelling, did he preach Jesus Alone as God?
It is written of Christ, that when He was at Jerusalem in the feast day many believed in His Name, when they saw the signs which He was doing, but Jesus Himself trusted not Himself to them, because He knew all men and because He needed not that any one should bear witness of a man, for Himself knew what was in man. If He were a God-clad man, how were not the many deceived at Jerusalem believed on His Name? Or how doth He Alone know the things which are in man when none else knoweth them? For God is said to have fashioned our hearts one by one. Or why doth He Alone forgive sins? For He saith, “That the Son of Man hath power upon earth to forgive sins.” (Matthew 9:6; Mark 2:10; Luke 5:24) Why is He Alone apart from others the Co-cessor of God the Father? Why do the Angels worship Him Alone, and did He teach us to deem of the Father as our common Father which is in Heaven, but ascribeth Him in special manner to Himself?
But perchance you will say that words of this sort are to be attributed to the indwelling Word. Ought He not therefore, according to the measure beseeming Prophets, Himself too to have said, “Thus saith the Lord”? But when He would ordain the things that are above the Law, taking to Himself authority befitting a Legislator, He used to say, “I say to you”. How says He that He is free and not indebted to God? It is because He is Son in truth. And if He were a God-clad man, would He be also free by Nature? For God Alone is free and unbound: for He Alone exacts tribute from all, and receives from all as from debtors due observance. And if Christ is the end of the Law and the Prophets, yet is a God-clad man, might one not say that the end of the prophetic preachings has brought upon us the charge of man-worship?
Again, the Law set forth, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve. By which teaching it led us unto Christ, as unto a knowledge more excellent than they had who were in the shadow. Shall we therefore, making light of worshipping God, worship a man who has God indwelling? For where was it best for God to be conceived? In heaven or in a man? In Seraphim or in earthly body?
If therefore He were God-clad man, how did He partake like us in flesh and blood? For if He indwelt him, this were enough for Him that He should partake of ours like us, and if His so participating is the being made man, He indwelt in many saints too. He was therefore not once made full man. Why therefore is He said once in the end of the world to have appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself? (Hebrews 9:26) How do the Divine Scriptures preach to us one Coming of the Word?
And the Divine Paul also wrote somewhere, He that despised Moses' Law died without any mercy at the hands of two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath deemed polluted the Blood of the Covenant? (Hebrews 10: 28-29) Yet Divine was the Law, and the Commandments spoken through Angels: how then will he be thought worthy of sorer punishment who hath deemed polluted the Blood of Christ? or how is the faith towards Christ better than the worship after the Law? But Christ is not as other saints, a God-clad man, but rather God in truth and He possesses glory higher than all the world, because, being the Word of God by Nature, God was made flesh or perfect man; for we believe that the Body which was united to Him is ensouled and endowed with reason, and wholly true is the union.
The blessed Paul makes mention that “the Only-Begotten Word of God took hold of Abraham's seed” (Hebrews 2:16) and also that “He partook of flesh and blood like us” (Hebrews 2:14). We remember too the voice of John, for he says, “And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt in us.” (John 1:14) Was it therefore the aim of these men, being spiritual, to teach that the Word of God suffers change, or is it right that He should undergo the mutation which belongs rather to the creation which He was not? Should He haply either come to of His own will, or another, against His will driving Him into another nature? God forbid, for He remains the Same, excluding from His Nature every change, unknowing to suffer a shadow of change: for That Supreme and Heavenly Nature is ever fixed in Its own.
How then the Word has been made Flesh is needful to see. First the Divine Scripture often calls man flesh and as it were from part makes declaration of the whole animal, and does the same sometimes no less from the soul alone, for it is written that “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6), and moreover the Divine-uttering Paul saith, “I conferred not with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16), and the hierophant Moses addressed them of Israel, “Thy fathers went down into Egypt in threescore and fifteen souls.” (Deuteronomy 10:22) And one would not therefore say that bare and fleshless souls made their descent into Egypt, nor again that to soulless bodies and mere flesh God gave bounteously of His salvation.
As often therefore as we hear that the Word was made Flesh, let us conceive of man made out of soul and body. But the Word being God was made perfect man taking a body endowed with soul and mind, and having united this to Himself in truth, as He knows was called son of man. Yet if one must say somewhat, looking as in a mirror, the human mind defines that the Word was united to the Body having a reasonable soul, much as is the soul of man too to its own body, which is of other nature than it, yet obtains even thus participation and union with the body, so as to appear not other than it, in that by composition one living thing is effected out of both, it nevertheless remaining in its own nature. Hence we say that not by mutation or change has the Word of God been made Man, nor yet that It recked not of being God but that taking flesh of a woman and united to it from the womb, He proceeded forth, the Same, Man and God, for not as casting away the Ineffable Generation out of God the Father, nor did He endure that of a woman, inviting Him to a beginning so to say of being, but rather permitted His own Flesh to come into being by means of the laws of its own nature, in regard to the mode of its birth. Nevertheless the human nature in Him hath something special, for He was born of a Virgin and hath Alone a mother incognizant of marriage. And he says that” though made Flesh He also tabernacled in us” (John 1:14), that through both he might show that He both was made Man and let not go His own, for He hath remained what He was.
For that which dwelleth is surely conceived of as one thing in another, that is to say, the Divine Nature in the human, not undergoing mixture or any commingling or passing into what it was not. For that which indwells in another, becomes not that which it is wherein it dwells; but is conceived of rather as one thing in another. But in respect of the Nature of the Word and of the Manhood, the diversity herein indicates to us only the difference of natures. For One Christ is conceived of out of both. Preserving well therefore the inconfusion (without confusion), he says that “the Word tabernacled in us” (John 1:14). For he knows that the Only-Begotten Incarnate and made Man is One Son.
But see that the Divine Evangelist is wisely crowning the whole nature of men, for he says that “the Word dwelt in us” (John 1:14), not saying that the Incarnation of the Word took place for any other reason, save that we too, enriched by the participation of Himself through the Holy Spirit might gain the benefit of adoption. Therefore we believe that in Christ took place a union most complete and true: but in us even though He be said to dwell, He will make His Indwelling non-essential. “For in Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9), not by participation or relation only, as when light shineth in or fire infuseth into other things its innate heat, but that Very Divine and Untainted Nature is to be understood as that which is making for Itself an Indwelling by means of a true Union in the Temple which is born of the Virgin: for thus Christ Jesus both is and is conceived of as One.
And that our speech is overcome in its utmost possible expression, I will not deny, but let not the Mystery of Christ be therefore disbelieved, but let it be deservedly be more marvelous: for the more it overpasses all mind and speech, the more must it be put beyond all marvel.
But we do not say that the Word made Flesh, i. e., Perfect man, is comprehended by the limit of the body, but we believe that thus too It fills Heaven and earth and the things below: for all things are full of God, and all things little to Him. But how is He wholly both in each and in all, is hard to understand and rather is even impossible.
And He possesses this too that He is without Body and Unportioned; yet the Body is called by us as the Word’s own, not in the same way as laughing is proper to a man or neighing to a horse, but because it was made His by true union, accomplishing the use of an instrument unto whatever was its nature to work, save only what belongs to sin.
And if God the Word be haply said to have been sent, let not any one of you be terrified thinking that, “Whither shall the Unembodied advance?” Or whither He withdraw of Whom all things are full? But let him know that the mode of mission is of another kind: not that He Who is sent should change from place to place but rather that He should take on Him a sacred ministry, which we learn was also enjoined to the disciples by Christ the Savior of all. Again, the Divine Paul too says of Christ, “Therefore, holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 3:1). Note that when he shows Him ministering in human wise albeit He is by nature God, then does he also attribute to Him the office of the Apostolate: but it is not unreasonable if God the Word be said to be sent by the Father, for He most surely fills all things and in no place at all is He absent: but we interpreting things Divine by human words, are wont to understand economies of the Immortal Nature by bodily outlines.
Again though the Holy Spirit fills all things, the blessed Paul writes and says, “And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, wherein we cry Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6); and the Savior Himself too saith, “It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but when I depart I will send Him to you.”(John 16:7) We must therefore referring all things to the Rule of piety, follow sure knowledge, for so doing shall we best profit ourselves.
The Word out of God the Father was begotten in some ineffable way for beyond all understanding is His Generation, and as befits the Unembodied Nature; yet That which is begotten conceived of as the Own Offspring of the Generator and Consubstantial with Him, for therefore is It called also Son: the Name indicating to us the Verity of the Birth and Parturition. And since the Father ever liveth and hath being, it must need that He on account of Whom He is, co-live and have co-Being Eternally with Father. The Word therefore was in the beginning and was God and, was with God (John 1:1-2) as saith the most wise Evangelist, but in the last times of the world for us men and for our salvation was made flesh and was made Man: and not at all letting go what He was, but having His own Nature unchanged and existing ever in the excellences of Godhead, yet undergoing for us economically the emptiness and not despising the poverty that belongs to the human measures. As it is written “For being Rich He became poor, that we by His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). He was made therefore Man and is said to have endured Generation after the flesh of a woman, because of His taking of the holy Virgin the Body that was united to Him of a truth: whence we say that the holy Virgin is Mother of God, as having borne Him in fleshly or human wise, albeit that He hath His Generation before the ages out of the Father.
That some suppose that the Word was then called to a beginning of being when He became Man, is utterly impious and exceeding discordant. For the Savior Himself shows them to be most unwise, saying in regard to Himself, “Verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was I am” (John 8:58) for how was He before Abraham who was born after the flesh many ages after him? The Divine-uttering John too will I deem suffice to convict them saying, “This was He of Whom I said, After me cometh a Man Who was made before me, for He was before me.” (John 1:15)
Leaving therefore as exceeding foolish to contend about what is superfluous, come let us rather go on to what is beyond, I mean unto what is profitable. Let not any be troubled, hearing the holy Virgin called Mother of God, nor let them fill their souls with Jewish unbelief and Gentile impiety. For the Jews attacked Christ saying, “For a good work we stone Thee not but for blasphemy because Thou, being a Man, makest Thyself God” (John 10:33) and the children of the Greeks, hearing the doctrines of the Church that God hath been born of a woman, laugh.
But they shall eat the fruit of their own impiety, and shall hear of us, The fool will utter folly and his heart imagine vain things. But the plan of our Mystery, albeit to the Jews it be an offence, to the Gentiles folly, yet to us who know it, verily admirable is it and saving and far removed from being to be disbelieved by any. For if there were any who should dare to say that this flesh made of earth had become mother of the bare Godhead, and that she bare out of her own self the Nature which is over the whole creation, the thing would be madness and nothing else: for not of earth has the Divine Nature been made, nor will that which is subject to decay become the root of immortality nor that which is subject to death bear the Life of all things, nor yet the Unembodied be the fruit of the palpable body, nor that which is subject to birth bear that which is superior to birth, nor that which hath its beginning in time bear that which is without beginning.
But since we affirm of a truth that the Word became like us and took a body similar to our bodies and united this unto Himself, in a way beyond understanding and speech, and that He was thus too made Man and born after the flesh, what is there incredible therein or worthy of disbelief? Just as we say that the human soul being of other nature than the body is yet born with it, it too has been united therewith. Yet no one will suppose that the soul has the nature of the body as the beginning of its own existence, but God inplaces it ineffably in the body and it is born along with it; yet we define as one the animal that is made up out of both, i. e., man. Therefore the Word was God but was made Man too, and since He has been born after the flesh by reason of the human nature, she who bore Him is necessarily Mother of God. For if she have not borne God, let not Him Who is born of her be called God; but if the God-inspired Scriptures call Him God, as God Incarnate and made Flesh, and it be not possible in any other way to be Incarnate, save through birth of a woman, how is she not Mother of God, who bore Him? But that He is truly God Who was born, we shall know from the God-inspired Scripture too.
“Behold a Virgin shall conceive in the womb and bear a Son and they shall call His Name Emmanuel.” (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14) How then is that which is born of the holy Virgin called Emmanuel? Emmanuel signifying, that the Word out of God which is in truth God was made by reason of the Flesh in nature like us. But He is Emmanuel, for He emptied Himself, having undergone a generation like to ours, and so had His conversation with us. Hence He is God in flesh and she truly Mother of God, who bore Him carnally or after the flesh.
“For they shall lay down every robe that was gathered by guile and garment with its change and shall be willing if they shall have been burnt with fire; for a boy has been born to us and a son given unto us whose rule is upon His Shoulder and His Name is called The Messenger of the great Counsel.” (Isaiah 9:5-6) Hearest thou that He was called a Boy because He underwent a birth like us? But Him a Boy by brightest star did the sky point out, did the Magi worship coming from the uttermost limits of the earth, did the Angels bear good tidings of to the Shepherds saying that a Savior was born, and proclaiming Peace and the Good will of the Father. He is also the Messenger of the Great Counsel: for He made known to us the Good-will of the Father, Who in Him was pleased to save the earth, and through Him and in Him to reconcile the world unto Himself, for being reconciled to Christ, we are reconciled to God, for God and truly Son of God the Father is He. That He is therefore the Counsel of the Father Whose Messenger He has been to us, Himself will teach saying, “For so God loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son that every one that believeth in Him should not perish but should have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) But the Only-Begotten Son is He Who was born of the holy Virgin, for the Word Himself was made Man, Who was God in the flesh and thus appeared to those on earth. Finally He says, “He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47) And that through Him and in Him we believe on the Father, He hath set forth saying, “He that believeth on Me believeth not on Me but on Him That sent Me and he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me.” (John 12:44-45)
“Hear Me, ye isles, and give ear, ye nations: after long time shall He stand, saying, The Lord from the womb of My mother shall they call My Name.” (Isaiah 49:1) The Word being God, was not ignorant that He should undergo birth, Incarnate of a woman for our sakes: He knew that He shall be called Christ Jesus, God the Father afore proclaiming unto us the New Name of His Son which is blessed in the earth. And note how He mentions His own Mother who bore His Body. Hence if He knows that He is Very God, she who bore Him after the flesh is called Mother of God, and rightly so: but if He be not God, as some daringly, yea rather wickedly, think: let them deprive the holy Virgin herself of this name, that she be not called Mother of God.
Solomon praying says, “And now, O Lord God of Israel, let Thy word be credible which Thou spakest unto Thy servant David. Shall God in very deed dwell with men on earth?” (1Kings 8:26-27) Observe that he marvels at the Incarnation of the Word, for it seemed a thing incredible: but He did dwell with men upon the earth when He was made Man. Else how is this anything special or worthy of marvel, that God should not depart from these things which He Himself had created, cherishing them, and holding together the things which had been already made, creating those which have not been yet made? But verily it is a special miracle that God made Man should have dwelt on earth with men, according to the promises long before given to the Divine David. For it is written, “The Lord swore unto David and will not reject him; of the fruit of thy body shall I set upon thy throne.” (Psalm 132:11) Although he believed that the Almighty God would never deny His Promise, yet he more carefully searched out the place of the Birth itself and said, “If I go up upon my bed, if I give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eyelids or rest to my temples, until I find a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.” (Psalm 132:3-5) At length when he had found out, this too through the Spirit, and knew the place of the Birth of the flesh of the Only-Begotten, then he preached it and said, “We heard of it at Ephratah, that is, in Bethlehem, we found it in the fields of the wood.” (Psalm 132:6) And in saying Ephratah, he means Bethlehem as the Prophet hath proved, “But thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephratah” (Micah 5:2). But note that He, Whom he believed to have been created like us in Ephratah, he names the God of Jacob, Whose dwelling was in the Tabernacle; for there did the holy Virgin bear Jesus.
Elsewhere too does he call Him the God of Abraham, saying, “The princes of the people are gathered together with the God of Abraham” (Psalm 47:9). For well-nigh, instructed in the knowledge of things to come, did he see with the eyes of his mind and the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the princes of the people, i. e., the Holy Apostles, in the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing therefore that He is named God of Abraham and God of Jacob, Who is born of a woman, why is not the holy Virgin Mother of God?
The Prophet Habakkuk says, “O Lord, I have heard Thy hearing and feared, I have thought on Thy works and shuddered. In the midst of the two living creatures shalt Thou be known, in the coming of the times shalt Thou be shown, while my soul was troubled, shalt Thou in anger remember mercy. God shall come from Teman, the Holy One from mount Paran.” (Habakkuk 3:2-3) How shall He be known in the midst of the two living creatures? for when He had been born of a woman and had lived even unto the time of the Precious Cross, “by the grace of God did He by His Body taste death for every man” as saith blessed Paul (Hebrews 2:9). But since He was by Nature God, He rose again unto everlasting life. He therefore is known, Who for us endured the Precious Cross, in the midst of the two living creatures. And Himself says somewhere to the Jews, “When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He” (John 8:28). But how, calling Him also God, does he fore-announce that He shall come from Teman and from mount Paran? Teman is interpreted South; for Christ was manifested, not from northern regions, but from the southern Judaea, wherein Bethlehem is. Since therefore He Who has been named Lord and God, cometh out of the southern Judea, for He was born in Bethlehem, how is not the holy Virgin Mother of God?
In Genesis it is written, “And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled with him a Man until the morning: but he saw that he was not prevailing against him and he touched the flat of his thigh as he was wrestling with him and said to him, Let me go for the morning ascendeth. But he said, I do not let thee go, except thou bless me. And after more, He blessed him there: and he called the name of that place, The Face of God: for I saw God face to face and my life is preserved. And the sun rose when he passed the face of God: and he hailed on his thigh.” (Genesis 32:24-31) Mystic is the sense of that which is written, for it appears to hint at the wrestling of the Jews which they used in regard to Christ, well-nigh wrestling with Him, nevertheless they were overcome and will themselves implore His Blessing, if through faith they turn them to Him at the last times. But note this, it was a man who was wrestling, and Jacob called him The Face of God: nor that alone, for he knew that He is God in truth. For he said I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved. For Immanuel is by Nature God, yet is He called also The Face of God: for He is the Image of the Father's Substance: thus did He call Himself to the Jews, saying respecting God the Father, “Nor have ye seen His Face and ye have not His Word abiding in you, for Whom He sent, Him ye believe not.” (John 5:37-38)
But that Very God is that Man Who was wrestling with Jacob, holy Scriptures will again give proof, for it says, “And the Lord said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there, and make there an Altar to God that appeared unto thee when thou fled from the face of Esau thy brother. (Genesis 35:1) For returning from Mesopotamia and being then in fear of Esau, he sent over Jacob his children and all his stuff, and he was left alone and there wrestled a man with him.
Blessed Daniel setting forth to us a dread vision says, “I was seeing in a night vision, and lo with the clouds of Heaven came as it were the Son of Man and came even unto the Ancient of Days and they brought Him, into His Presence and there was given Him dominion and honor and a kingdom, and all peoples nations and languages shall serve Him: His Power a Power for ever which shall not pass, and His Kingdom shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14) Hearest thou how he does not mention that he had seen simply a man, lest Immanuel should be believed to be one of us and like us, but as it were the Son of Man? For the Word being by Nature God was made in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a Man, in order that in the Same might Both be conceived of, neither bare man nor yet the Word apart from manhood and flesh. Yet does he tell that to Him was given the princedom and honour which He ever had; for he says that all peoples nations and languages shall serve Him. Since therefore even when in the human nature the Only-Begotten Word of God hath the creation serving Him and the Princedom of His Father and Himself, and the holy Virgin bare Him after the flesh: how is not the holy Virgin conceived of as Mother of God?
Saint Paul sets forth to us the Saving Passion, for he saith at one time, “By the Grace of God He tasted death for all” (Hebrews 2:9) and also, For I delivered to you in the first place that which I too received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Moreover the most wise Peter also saith, “Forasmuch as Christ suffered for us in the Flesh” (1Peter 4:1). Seeing therefore we believe that One is our Lord Jesus Christ , i. e. God the Word beheld in human form or made man like us, in what manner can we attribute Passion to Him and still hold Him impassible, as God?
The Passion therefore will belong to the Economy, God the Word esteeming as His own the things which pertain to His own Flesh, by reason of the Ineffable Union, and remaining external to suffering as far as pertains to His own Nature, for God is Impassible, yet is it not conceived of as external to suffering, in that the body which suffers is its very own: and albeit it be impalpable and simple, yet that which suffers is not foreign to it. Thus you will understand of Christ too the Savior of all.
But I will make use of examples which show us that the Only-Begotten shared in the suffering due to owning of His Body, yet remained free from suffering, as God. Almighty God was bidding the most wise Moses to work miracles, that Israel might believe him that he was sent from God, and that they should be set free from violence. He says, “And thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the earth, and the water which thou shalt take from the river, shall he blood upon the earth.” (Exodus 4:9) But we say that the water is an image of life, and that the Son proceeding out of the Father as out of a river, by reason of being of the Same Essence, is by Nature Life, and therefore quickens all things. When He was made flesh of the earth, He is said to have suffered death in it like our death, albeit He is by Nature Life.
In Leviticus, God intimates that the leper is polluted and impure and therefore bids that he should be put forth of the camp, and that if the disease be healed, he should thus be cleansed. And they shall take for him that is cleansed two clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet wool and hyssop, and the priest shall command and they shall hill one of the birds in an earthen vessel in living water, and the living bird shall he take and shall bathe it in the blood of the bird that was killed in the living water and he shall sprinkle upon him who is cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and he shall be clean. (Leviticus 14:1-7) We there rendereth clean and washeth away the soils of our uncleanness and driveth off the mortality of fleshly desire by the Most Precious Blood of Christ and the purification of all-holy Baptism. But note that he compares Christ to two birds, not as though there were two sons, but rather one out of two, the Godhead and the manhood, gathered together into union. The birds are clean, for our Lord Jesus Christ did no sin and the Word was holy, in Godhead and in Manhood: He is likened again to flying things, by reason of His being high above the earth and from above, for Christ is the Man out of Heaven, albeit the holy Virgin bare His Flesh. Hence God the Word from above and out of the Father, taking flesh from the holy Virgin and manifesting it as His own, as though He had brought it down from above and out of Heaven, said, “No man hath ascended up into Heaven, save He That came down from Heaven, the Son of Man” (John 3:13) for He allotteth to His own Flesh that which is His own, and once united to it is accounted one with it.
As one bird is slain, the other is dipped in his blood, yet died not, the Word lived, even though His Flesh died, and He was participant in the Passion, through ownness and union with it. Therefore the Same was living as God, but as He made His Body His own, so did He receive into Himself in all ownness the sufferings too of His Body, Himself suffering nought in His own Nature. Albeit the things done be said to be of diverse kind and in no ways harmonizing with one another, it is therefore helpful and necessary unto profit that we should admit in regard to Christ as belonging to one and the same person, yet should not permit Him to be severed into two sons.
Hence we say that God the Word is born out of a woman after the flesh, albeit gave to Himself all things worthy of being born, and call to the birth the things which are not yet born. How then doth the Same both undergo birth and call to being? For He was born, in that He is conceived of as Man like us, but since He is God by Nature, He calleth into being the things that are not, in that; for it is written of Him, “The Little one waxed and grew strong, filled with wisdom and grace” (Luke 2:52), albeit He is by Nature all-Perfect as God, and out of His own Fullness imparteth spiritual gifts to the saints, and is Himself Wisdom and the Giver of grace. How then waxeth the Little One and is filled with wisdom and grace? For the Same, Man and God, makes His own the human, by reason of the union, and is all-Perfect and Giver of wisdom and grace as God.
He is called First-born and Only-Begotten, but if one should examine the force of the words, the First-born will be He Who is First-born among many brethren, the Only-Begotten as Sole, no longer First-born among many brethren. How is it the Same, yet one and other? Same First-born among many brethren by reason of the human nature, the Same again Only-Begotten, as Alone Begotten of the Alone God the Father. He is said to have been sanctified through the Spirit and moreover to sanctify those who come to Him; He was baptized according to the Flesh and was baptizing in the Holy Spirit; how then doth the Same both sanctify and is sanctified; baptizeth and is baptized? For He is sanctified humanly, and thus is He baptized: He sanctifies Divinely and thus baptizeth in the Holy Spirit.
Himself raising the dead was raised from the dead; and being Life by Nature is said to give life. How? For the Same was raised from the dead and is said to be quickened after the Flesh, yet quickens and raises the dead as God. He suffers and does not suffer, for He suffers humanly in the Flesh as Man, He is impassible Divinely as God.
Himself hath adored God with us, for He says :Ye worship what ye know not, we worship what we know” (John 4:22) yet He is to be adored also, for “to Him every knee bows” (Philippians 2:10). For He worships as having assumed the nature that pays worship, Again the Same is worshipped as surpassing the nature that worships in that He is conceived of as God. Yet we must neither sever the worship unto Man by Himself and God by Himself, nor say that the Man is worshipped with God for the reason of being connected with God by equality of dignity thus dissevering the Persons in Christ. But we must worship One Word of God Incarnate and made Man, and at the same time believe that the Body united to Him was ensouled with a reasonable soul like ours. For neither did God Almighty bid two first-borns to be worshipped by us as well as by the holy Angels for One is He Who was brought into the world. And if we look more carefully into the mode of this bringing in, we find it to be the mystery of the Economy with flesh. For He was brought into the world when He was made Man, albeit He be seen to be in His own Nature most far removed from the earth and be believed to be truly in the Excellence of Godhead; for Other than the elements is their Maker. Therefore He is by Nature above the things which He Himself made in that He is God by Nature. Yet One is to be worshipped even though He is also called First-born for the reason He is among many brethren.
One blind from the birth when wondrously healed worshipped Him. For Jesus finding him in the temple said, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” And he said, “Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?” Christ manifesting Himself embodied says to him, “Thou had both seen Him and He That speaketh with thee is He.” (John 9:35-37) See how He used the singular number, not permitting God and Man to be conceived of separately? yea rather if one were to call Emmanuel man, it signifies not bare man but the Word of God united to our nature. As One did the Divine disciples worship Him, when beholding Him wondrously borne on the waters as they worshipped saying, “Truly Thou art the Son of God.”(Matthew 14:33)
When therefore we say that man is co-worshipped with God, we have brought in a gross severance. For that word, except it be said of One by composition, will always surely persuade us to conceive of two. For as no one will be said to live with himself nor again to eat with, to pray with and to walk with himself for “with” prefixed to the word introduces a declaration of two persons, so if one say that the man is co-worshipped with God, he will without question say two sons and severed one from another. For the plan of union, if it be conceived of in regard to mere equality of dignity or authority, is convicted of being untrue.
Some prate concerning the Economy with flesh of the Only-Begotten and, bringing down to our frail perceptions the Mystery venerable and great and most dear to the Spirits above, whereby also we are saved, pollute the comeliness and beauty of the Truth, whereas they ought, not to try and prop up whatever seems to them right, but rather with subtle and keen eye of the mind to look into the aim of the Sacred Writings and thus to go on the right road, following what the most holy fathers have searched out, who taught by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, denned for us the Symbol of faith, saying that the God the Word Himself Which was in mode ineffable begotten out of the Essence of the Father, by Whom all things were made which are in Heaven and which are in earth, for us men and for our salvation came down, was made flesh, was made man, suffered, ascended into heaven, will in his season come to judge quick and dead.
But there are certain who deem that they are learned and knowing and are puffed up with pride and swelling, who if they hear these words, mock, and deem that those things which are so rightly said, are mad ravings: while we specially believe that the knowledge of the Truth lay open through the illumination of the Holy Spirit to the holy Fathers. But they, as if they alone could think what is better, deem that not the Only-Begotten Son of God Himself, God the Word Which is out of His Essence, suffered in His own Flesh for us humanly, albeit conceived of as God He have in His own Nature the inability to suffer; but putting as man separately and by Himself that was born of the holy Virgin, and attributing to him to what extent it seems good to them, a kind of glory, they say that he was united to the Word of God the Father. And explaining the mode of the union, they say that there was given him by God equality of dignity or authority and to be called by like name both Christ and Son and Lord. but if the man who is invented by them be said to suffer ought, it must be referred to God the Word Himself, in that he is connected to Him by equality of worth, while in their severed natures each is what he is.
I will open the force of their opinions, so far as I can, bringing forward instances from the Sacred Writings. Christ hungered, was wearied with the journey, slept, entered into the boat, was stricken with blows by the attendants, was scourged by Pilate, received the spittle of the soldiers, who piercing with the spear His Side, offered vinegar mingled with gall to His Mouth: yea and He tasted death, suffering the Cross and other contumelies of the Jews. All these things they declare to have befallen indeed the man, but to be referred to the Person of the Very Son. But we believe, as in One God the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible, so too in One our Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. And we refuse to divide Emmanuel into man by himself and into the Word by Himself: but knowing that the Word became truly Man too as we, we say that Himself the Same is God of God, and in human wise Man as we of a woman. And we assert that by reason of the ownness of the flesh, He suffered indeed infirmities, yet reserved to His Nature its impassibility, in that He was not Man alone but the Same therewith also God by Nature. And like as the Body was His own, so too the natural and blameless passions of the body and the things which by the frowardness of some were put upon Him.
He suffered without suffering Who did not therefore humble Himself that He might only be like us, but because He had reserved to His Nature superiority to all these things. But if we should say that through conversion or mutation of His own Nature He had passed into the nature of the flesh, it would be in all ways necessary for us even against our will to confess that the Hidden and Divine Nature was passible. But if He have remained unchanged albeit He have been made man like us, and it be a property of the Heavenly Nature that It cannot suffer, and the passible body have become His own through the union:----He suffers when the Body suffers, in that it is said to be His own body. He remains Impassible in that it is truly His property to be unable to suffer.
And if Emmanuel have been glorified through suffering, as He Himself says when about to suffer for us the Precious Cross, “Now is the son of man glorified” (John 13:31), why do they not blush, attributing the glory of the Passion to a man having connection only with Him in Equality of dignity? For as they deem, He connected with Himself according to the Will and Good-pleasure of the Father a man only and made him equal to His own glory, and permitted that by like name he should be styled both Christ and Son and God and Lord:----hence neither is the Word truly Incarnate nor was He at all made man. And haply to call the holy doctors of the whole world false and liars, will do no harm? for either let them say, yea rather come forward and prove that the mode of connection which is brought in by them has the force of incarnation and is that the Word was made flesh; or if they think that these things are not so, why do they invent for us a mode of unconnected connection, the truth being neglected? whereas it would be fitting that they should say that the Word of God the Father was united to our humanity, for thus in His own flesh is He conceived to have suffered what belongs to man, but so far as pertains to the Nature of the Godhead, He is free from all that disturbs, as God.
And that by speaking of reference, which I know not how they invented, they withdraw Emmanuel from His Glory and make Him barely one of the Prophets, and set Him amid the measure of the many, and are full surely caught thus doing, which I will prove, giving examples from the Divine Scripture.
There once murmured in the wilderness against Moses and Aaron the people of Israel saying, “Would we had died, stricken by the Lord in Egypt when we were sitting at the flesh pots and were eating bread to fullness (Exodus 16:3). Therefore the most wise Moses says (for it were like that he should reply to men so rashly impatient), “But who are we? For your murmuring is not against us but against God.” (Exodus 16:8) And in those times even God Almighty used to reign through the holy Prophets over the people of Israel, but they in this too due to slack of courage approached the Divine Samuel saying, “Lo Thou hast grown old and thy sons walk not in thy ways and now set over us a king which may judge us even as the other nations. The Prophet felt this grievously but Almighty God said, Hear the voice of the people even as they have spoken to thee, for not thee have they rejected but Me they have rejected that I should not reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:5-8)
And elsewhere too has Christ said to the holy Apostles, “He who receiveth thee hath received Me” (Matthew 10:40), and He promiseth that He will address the merciful before His Tribunal, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34) And acknowledging as His own their righteous ways towards those to whom they had dealt kindly, He says, “In that ye did it to one of these least, to Me did ye it.” (Matthew 25:40)
In these instances is clearly recognized the mode of reference. The people of Israel were murmuring against Moses and Aaron and the matter had reference to God, yet were Moses and Aaron men like us. In the same way too will you conceive as to the others whereof we have just made mention, yet were the holy men and worthy of admiration, yet men like us. Is it then in this way that the man too who is connected with God the Word, will have reference of his sufferings towards Him? And how will he not now be mere man and apart and nothing else? Hence Emmanuel is not truly God, is not Only-Begotten Son, is not God by Nature.
Why then was none of the rest honored by God the Word with equality of dignity or of sway, but they contend that this man alone obtained all things equal? Especially seeing that God, the Savior of all men, judgeth not according to the person but righteous judgment, as He maketh mention. Why then doth He co-sit alone? How will He come as Judge, with Angels waiting on Him? Why is He alone worshipped by us as well as by the spirits above?
But in good truth it is so, for we find that thou also dost the same, for thou confessest that He suffered, in that thou attributest to Him the sufferings of the flesh, albeit thou keepest Him impassible as God.
But we humans, having first united to the Word, have to the flesh allotted the sufferings, have kept Him impassible as God: for though He hath become like us, yet are we cognizant of His God-befitting Excellence and of His Supreme Endowments.
Hence first putting the Union as a basis and foundation to the Faith, we confess that He suffered in the flesh, that He remained again superior to suffering in that He possesses Impassibility in His own Nature. But if we are diligent to put apart God and Man, severing the Natures one from another, and then say that in reference only does the Word of God make His own what have befallen His Body; He That is born of the holy Virgin, Emmanuel, which is, interpreted, “With us is God”, will haply have but the measure of Moses and Aaron.
Thus since He say through the holy Prophets, “My Back have I given to scourges, My Cheeks to blows, My Face I turned not from the shame of spittings” (Isaiah 50:6), and again, “They dug My Hands and My Feet, they told all My Bones” (Psalm 22:16-17), and again, “They gave for My meat gall and for My thirst they gave Me to drink vinegar (Psalm 69:21); we shall allot all these things to the Only-Begotten Himself, Who suffered Economically in the flesh according to the Scriptures, for He hath been wounded because of our sins and by His stripes we were we healed (Isaiah 53:6), yet we do know that He is Impassible by Nature. For if He is Man and God, with reason do the His own Sufferings belong to His Manhood, and as God conceived to be of as superior to suffering.
Thus we shall be pious minded and through such right thoughts advancing, so that we shall attain unto the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus, through Whom, and with Whom to God the Father be glory with the Holy Spirit now and ever world without end, Amen.
The name Christ hath neither the force of a definition, nor does it denote the essence of any of what kind it is, as for example a man or a horse or an ox, but it rather makes declaration of a thing wrought. For some in ancient period pleased by God were anointed with oil, and the anointing was a token to them of kingship: Prophets too were spiritually anointed with the Holy Spirit to be named anointed and the blessed David sings in the Person of God and says, “Touch not Mine anointed and do My Prophets no harm” (Psalm 105:15). The Prophet Habakkuk too says, “Thou wentest forth for the salvation of Thy people, for salvation Thine anointed.” (Habakkuk 3:13). But in regard of Christ, the Saviour of all, we say that an anointing took place, yet neither symbolic, as though done with oil, nor by the grace of Prophet's office, nor as a designation for the achievement of ought, such as in the case of Cyrus, who reigned over the Persians and Medes, for he led an army against the land of the Babylonians, God Almighty over all instigating him thereto. For it was said, “Thus saith the Lord to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden.” (Isaiah 45:1) Albeit the man was an idolater, he was called anointed for he was anointed king by the decree from above and fore-ordained by God to mightily subdue the land of the Babylonians.
Since on account of the transgression in Adam, sin hath reigned among all, and the Holy Spirit fled away from the human nature and humans came therefore to be all ill, it needed that by the Mercy of God, humans be restored to its pristine condition by being accounted worthy of the Holy Spirit: For this purpose, the Only-Begotten Word of God became Man with Body of earth, and was made free from sin, that in Him Alone the nature of man crowned with the glories of sinlessness, should be rich in the Holy Spirit, and thus be re-formed unto God through holiness: for thus does the grace pass through to us too, having for its beginning Christ the First-born among us. And therefore the blessed David teaches us sing to the Son, “Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness, therefore God, Thy God hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.” (Psalm 45:7)
The Son therefore has been anointed like us humans with the praises of sinlessness, as I said: the human nature in Him been made illustrious and become worthy of partaking of the Holy Spirit; no more departing, as was at the beginning, but delighting to dwell therein. Wherefore it is also written that the Spirit soared down upon Christ and hath abode upon Him. Christ therefore the Word of God Who because of us came as Man and in servant’s form, both anointed as Man after the Flesh and anointed Divinely with His own Holy Spirit, hath called us, that believe on Him.
God the Word is named Emmanuel, because He took hold of the seed of Abraham and like us assumed flesh and blood. Now Emmanuel is interpreted, “With us is God”. But we confess that the Word of God was with us, not locally, for in what place is God not, Who fills all things? (Ephesians 4:10) nor because He came to us for our aid, for it was thus said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, I will be with thee too” (Joshua 1:5), but because He was made in our condition, i. e. in human nature, without forsaking His own Nature, for the Word of God is Unchangeable in Nature.
But why was it, when it was said to Joshua, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee”, that he was nevertheless not called Emmanuel? This is the reason, even though He be said to be with any of the saints. We therefore say that He, God the Word became like us, at that time of which Baruch says, “He did show Himself upon earth and conversed with men, and found out all the way of instruction and gave it to Jacob His servant and to Israel His beloved, for He is our God and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison with Him.” (Baruch 3: 36-38) As far then as pertained to His being God by Nature, He was not with us; for incomparable is the difference between Godhead and manhood and exceeding great the difference of the natures.
And therefore was the Divine David addressing the mystic relationship God the Word Who had not as yet come to us and saying in spirit, “Why hast Thou departed far from us, O Lord, despisest us in season in tribulation?” But He departed not from us, but was with us, Who while He remained who He was, took hold of the seed of Abraham, accepted the form of a servant and lived as Man upon the earth.
But Christ and Emmanuel signify to us the same Son, the one, because He was anointed like us as Man receiving the Spirit for the human nature in Himself first (for He is set forth as the first born of the race, and again anointing, as God, with the Holy Spirit those who believe in Him; the other, because He was with us in the way I have explained, whereof the Prophet Isaiah tells us saying, “Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call His Name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14) For when the holy Virgin conceived out of the Holy Spirit, but bare according to the flesh a Son, then too was He called Emmanuel; for the Incorporeal was with us by bodily birth, and that took place which was told by David that God shall appear openly, “Our God comes and shall not be silent.” (Psalm 50:3) and that I Who speak am at hand. For the Word spake through the Prophets as yet Unembodied, He came Embodied.
By the strength of conviction, we are bound to speak of One Son of God, Christ and Emmanuel and Jesus are the Same; this name Jesus too from the fact, “for He shall save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). For just as the name Emmanuel meant, that the Word of God through His Birth of a woman was made Man with us; and Christ again, as He was anointed like humans but with Holy Spirit; which specially proves Him to be truly God and by Nature Lord of all. For the creation is not said to belong to a mere man, but rather it will befit to say that all things are of the Only-Begotten's even though He was made Man.
Perhaps someone will say, Yet the people of Israel were of Moses'. To this we will say, The people were called God's and that was true; but because they passed into revolt, and made a calf in the desert, they were dishonored by God, He did not vouchsafe them any more to call them His people, but gave them over to a man. We are not so, for we are Jesus' own, in that He is God and all things created through Him. For so saith David, “For He hath made us and not we ourselves, we are His people and sheep of His pasture.” (Psalm 100:3) And He Himself again says of us, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them and they follow Me” (John 10:27), and again, “And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” (John 10:16) And He bade too the blessed Peter, “Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? feed My lambs.” (John 21:16)
The Word out of God the Father was called Man, albeit by Nature God, in that He assumed blood and flesh like us. For thus was He seen and felt by those on the earth, and not letting go what He was, but assuming human nature like us, perfect as regards to it; yet in human nature too hath He remained God and Lord of all, by Nature and in truth Begotten of God the Father. And this, the most wise Paul most clearly shows us, for he says, “The first man is of the earth earthy, the second Man the Lord out of Heaven.” (1 Corinthians 15:45) Albeit the holy Virgin hath borne the Temple united to the Word, yet Emmanuel is said to be and rightly, out of heaven, for from above and out of the Essence of God the Father, was His Word begotten. Hence He descended unto us when He was made Man as is He from above. And John testified, saying of Him, “He that cometh from above is above all” (John 3:31), and Christ Himself saith to the Jews, “Ye are from beneath, I am from above; ye are of this world, I am not of this world” (John 8:23), albeit He was a Man. Although He was called to be part of the world; yet therewith also was He above the world as God. For we remember that He plainly says, “And no man hath ascended up to heaven but He That came down from Heaven, the Son of man which is in Heaven.” (John 3:13) But we say that the Son of Man came down from Heaven by an efficient union, the Word allotting to His own Flesh the endowments of His glory and God-befitting Excellency.
God the Word full by nature and in every way Perfect, and distributing out of His own Fullness His own goodness to the creation who was emptied, but in no way wronged in His own Proper Nature, nor changed so as to become otherwise, nor was He made inferior, for inconvertible and unchangeable is He, and He Who begat Him, and never may He be capable of passion. But when He was made Flesh, i.e. Man, as He said, “I will pour forth of My Spirit upon all flesh” (Joel 2:28), He made the poverty of human nature His own; first, in that although He was made man, He remained God; next in that He took the form of a servant, Who in His own Nature was free as Son, and while He is Himself the Lord of glory He is said to have received glory: Himself Life, He is said to be quickened: and Himself King of all, He is said to have received power over all and Himself God, He was obedient to the Father, suffered the Cross. But these things befit the measure of the human nature, yet He makes them His own with flesh and fulfils the Economy, while remaining what He was.
The St.Paul writes, “Though there be gods many and lords many whether in heaven and in earth, yet to us One God the Father, of Whom all things and we of Him, and One Lord Jesus Christ through Whom are all things and we through Him.” (1 Corinthians 8: 5-6) And the very wise John said of God the Word, that “All things were made through Him, and without Him was nothing made” (John 1:3), and the blessed Gabriel declared the Gospel to the Holy Virgin saying, “Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bear a Son, and shalt call His Name Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) Since then the John the Evangelist declares that “all things were made through Jesus Christ” (John 1:3), and the Holy Evangelist confirms the force of the sentence and preaches that “He was God the Maker of all things” (John 1:3), speaking truly, and the Angel's voice too points out that Jesus Christ was truly born of the Holy Virgin: yet we do not say that Jesus Christ was mere man, nor do we conceive of God the Word apart from His human nature but, we say that He was made One out of both, as God made Man, the Same begotten Divinely out of the Father as Word, and humanly out of woman as Man: not as though called to a second beginning of being when He is said to have been born after the flesh: but begotten indeed before all ages, yet when the time came wherein He must fulfill the Economy, was born also of a woman after the flesh. Therefore, albeit others are called by the name of christ, yet there is One Jesus Christ through Whom are all things, not that a man was made Maker of all things, but that God the Word, through Whom all things were made, like us assumed flesh and blood, and was called Man, yet lost not what He was; hence even so came in flesh, He is rightly understood to be Maker of all.
Once for all in the last ages is God the Word said to have been made Man, and was manifested by the Sacrifice of Himself. And what is the Sacrifice? As St. Paul saith, “He offered His own Body for us for an odour of a sweet savour to God the Father” (Ephesians 5:2), and “He entered in once into the holy place not by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own Blood, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12), who believe on Him. Therefore very many before Him were saints but no one of them was called Emmanuel. Why? For not yet had the time come, when He Who is superior to every creation, was to be with us, i.e., to come in our nature through flesh. One therefore is Emmanuel, for only once was the Only-Begotten made Man, when He underwent fleshly Birth through the holy Virgin. For it was said to Joshua too, “I will be with thee” (Joshua 1:3, 3:7, 6:16), yet he was not Emmanuel; He was also with Moses, yet neither was he called Emmanuel. As often therefore as we hear the name, “With us is God”, given to the Son, let us wisely conceive that He was not with us in the last times, as is sometimes said to have been with the saints, for with them He was as a helper only; but with us He was Word Incarnate, because He was made like us, not losing His own nature, for He is unchangeable as God.
Union is accomplished in many ways: for those divided in attitude and outlook and at variance with one another are said to be united in friendly agreement, laying aside their differences. And we say that things which are united are joined to one another or brought together in other ways, either by juxta-position or mixture or composition. When therefore we say that the Word of God was united to our nature, the mode of union is clearly above man's understanding; for it is not like one of those mentioned, but wholly ineffable and known to no one of those who are, save only to God Who knoweth all things.
And do not marvel, if we are overcome by such ideas, when if we accurately investigate our own matters how they are, we will admit that the it is beyond our understanding. For what way do we conceive that the soul of man is united to his body? Hence if we, who are used to conceive and avail to speak scantly and with difficulty, must form our judgment of things so subtle and beyond understanding and speech; we say that it will befit to conceive that of such sort is the union of Emmanuel, as the soul of man has with its own body. For the soul makes its own the things of the body although in its own nature imparticipate of its sufferings, both physical and those brought on it from without. For the body is moved to natural desires and the soul which is in it shares the perception thereof by reason of the union, but in now way participates, yet thinks that the achievement of the desire is its own enjoyment. And even though the body be struck by any or be cut with steel, it co-grieves, its own body suffering, yet will itself in its own nature does not suffer of the things inflicted.
Nevertheless, do we say that the above union is in the case of Emmanuel? For it was necessary that the soul united to the body, should grieve along with its own body, that so, fleeing the disgrace, it might submit obedient to God. But of God the Word, it is absurd to say that He was co-percipient of the contumelies for free from passion is the Godhead and not in our condition, yet has He been united to flesh possessed of a reasonable soul, and when it suffered, He was impassibly in cognizance of what befell it but as God brought to naught the infirmities of the flesh, and made them His own as belonging to His own Body: thus is He said both to hunger and be weary and suffer for us.
Hence the union of the Word with the human nature may be aptly compared with our condition. For as the body is of other nature than the soul, yet one man is produced out of it and is said to be of both; so too out of the Perfect Person of God the Word, and Perfect Manhood is One Christ, the Same God and Same Man. And the Word makes its own, the sufferings of Its own Flesh, because Body is Its own and not another's: and It shares with Its own Flesh the operation of the God-befitting Might that is within It; so that It should be able both to quicken the dead and to heal the sick. But if we must show the mode of union using examples out of the God-inspired Scripture, come let us say it, as we are able.
The Prophet Isaiah says, “Then flew one of the Seraphims unto me, having a a live coal in his hand which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar and laid it upon my mouth and said, ‘Lo this hath touched thy lips and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged.” (Isaiah 6:6-7) But we say that the live coal fulfils to us the type and image of the Incarnate Word, Who, if He touches our lips, i. e., when we confess the faith in Him, both make us pure from every sin and free us from the pristine charges against us.
Nevertheless one may see in the coal, as in an image, the Word of God united to the human nature, yet not losing the being what He is, but rather trans-elementing what He had taken, or united, unto His own glory and operation. For as fire having to do with wood and entering into it, seizes hold of it, and removes it not from being wood, but transmutes it rather into the appearance and force of fire, and in works all its own property therein, and it is now reckoned one with it, so shall you conceive of Christ too. For God united ineffably with the manhood, hath kept it what we say that it is, and Himself hath remained what He was; but once united, is accounted one with it, making His own what is its, and Himself too introducing into it the operation of His own Nature.
In the Song of Songs our Lord Jesus Christ Himself has been introduced to us saying, “I am the rose of the Sharon (plain) and the lily of the valleys.” (Song of Songs 2:1) Even though the smell is something unembodied, it uses the flower as its own body; hence the lily conceived of as one out of both, and the failing of one utterly destroys the plan thereof, for in the object is the smell and in the object is its body. In the same way, shall we conceive of the Nature of the Godhead in Christ too, that it sheds forth on the world the savour of His own more than earthly excellence, as in the object His Human Nature, and that the Unembodied by Nature became by economic union all-but embodied also, because It willed to be recognized through the Body by which It hath accomplished God-befitting things. Hence will the Unembodied be rightly conceived of as in His own Body, even as in the flower too, the object, is the scent, yet both together is called lily.
The Holy Tabernacle was reared by the will of God in the wilderness and Emmanuel was diversely exemplified in it. The God of all said therefore to the divine Moses, “And they shalt make an ark of cedar wood, two cubits and a half shall be its length, and a cubit and half its breadth and a cubit and a half its height, and thou shalt overlay it with pure gold within and without shalt thou overlay it.” (Exodus 25:10-11) Hence the wood that will not rot will be a type of the incorruptible Body for cedar does not rot and the gold as matter surpassing all others will indicate to us the Excellence of the Divine Essence.
But observe how the whole ark was overlaid with pure gold within and without. For God the Word was united to the Holy Flesh, and this is it what it means by that the ark was overlaid without. Also He made His own, the reasonable Soul that was within the Body showing that He bade that it should be overlaid within also. Hence we shall see that the Natures or Hypostases have remained without confusion. For the gold that was spread upon the wood, remained what it was, and the wood was rich in the glory of the gold; yet it ceased not from being wood.
But that the ark is taken as a type of Christ, one may be assured of through many proofs. For it used to precede the people of Israel, seeking rest for them; and Christ too says, “I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)
The Saint Paul says that “great is the Mystery of godliness.” (1 Timothy 3:16) And this is true, for the Word the God was manifested in the flesh, since He is justified in Spirit, in no way is He seen to be bound by our infirmities; although He was made Man for us, He did no sin; Moreover He was seen by angels, for they were not ignorant of His Incarnation of the Flesh; He was preached moreover unto the Gentiles, as God made Man; and thus believed on in the world. And this the Saint Paul proved thus writing, “Wherefore remember that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands, that at that time ye were without Christ, aliened from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2:11-12) The Gentiles were therefore without God in the world, when they were without Christ; but when they acknowledged Him to be truly and by Nature God, they too were acknowledged by Him confessing the faith. And He was received up into Divine glory; for blessed David sings, “God is gone up with a shout.” (Psalm 47:5) For He went up verily with Body, not in bare Godhead, for God was Incarnate.
We believe therefore, not in one like us honored with Godhead by grace, lest we be caught worshippers of a man, but rather in the Lord Who appeared in servant's form, and Who was truly like us and in human nature, yet remained God, for God the Word, when He took flesh, laid not down what He was, but is conceived of the Same God and Same Man.
Thus is the faith and rightly. But if any say, What harm if a man like us be conceived of as laying hold on Godhead and not God rather be made man? We shall answer that there are a thousand things which may be brought to bear against this, and which all but tell us that we ought firmly to strive against it and not to believe thus.
For come before ought else, let us look at the mode of the economy with Flesh and thoroughly investigate the nature of our condition; the nature of man was periled and was brought down to the extreme of ill, condemned to curse and death and involved in the toils of sin, was straying and was in darkness, it knew not Him Who is by Nature and truly God, it worshipped the creation more than the Creator. How then could it be freed from such ills? Or do we say that it was lawful for It to lay hold on the Divine Nature, although man captured by ignorance and darkness did not at all know what the Dignity of the Supreme Nature is and denied salvation by the soil of sin? How was it that It could mount up to the All-Pure Nature and lay hold on glory which none can lay hold of, except receive It? For let it be supposed that by knowledge, and through knowing we say that it lays hold thereof: who is to teach it? For how shall they believe except they hear? But this is not at all to take hold of Godhead, and to seize the glory that beseems It.
Hence it will be more meet to conceive that God the Word through Whom all things are made, desiring to save that which was lost; by co-abasement descended unto us, lowered Himself to what He was not, in order that the nature of man too might become what it was not, eminent in the Dignities of the Divine Supremacy by union with Him, and should rather be brought up to what was above our nature, than bring down unto what was alien from His Nature, the Unchangeable, as God. It was necessary that the Incorruptible should lay hold on the nature subject to corruption, that He might free it from the corruption. It was necessary that He Who knew not to sin should be made conformable with those who were under sin, that He might make sin to cease. For as where is light, there surely darkness will have no work, so where incorruption is present, in all necessity that corruption flee. Since He Who knew not sin, hath made His own that which was under sin, sin should come to nought.
But that the Word, being God, was made Man, and not rather that Christ was Man deified, I will endeavour to show from the Holy Scriptures also. Blessed Paul says therefore of the Only-Begotten, “Who being in the Form of God thought not being equal with God, a thing to seize, but emptied Himself taking servant's form, made in the likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; wherefore God also highly exalted Him and gave Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus Christ every knee should bow of heavenly and earthly and infernal and every tongue confess Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:6-11)
He, therefore we shall say, was in the Form of God and Equal to the Father, and thought these things not a thing to seize; but descended rather into emptiness and into servant's form, and humbled Himself and was made in our likeness. If He was Man made of a woman literal and singular, how was he in the Form of God and Equal to the Father? Or how has he the fullness that he may be conceived of as emptied? Or in what height placed afore, is he said to have humbled himself? Or how was he made in the likeness of men, who was so formerly too by nature, even though He was not said to be so made? Where was he emptied, taking the fullness of the Godhead? Or how was He Who ascended up into Heavenly glory, not made Most High?
Therefore we say that not man was made God, but rather that the Word of God Who was in Likeness and Form of the Father was made in emptiness because of: the human nature, for He was emptied in this way, by reason of our likeness; being Full, as God, He was humbled on account of the Flesh; while He departeth not from the Throne of the Divine Majesty, for He hath His Seat Most High, He was made in the likeness of men, being of the Same Form with the Father, of Whose Essence He is the Form. Yet since He was once made as we, He is said to have ascended with Flesh too into the glory of the Godhead, which indeed He had clearly as His own; yet He was in flesh on account of the Human Nature, for He is believed to be Lord of all, even with flesh.
But to Him boweth every knee, and that not to the grief or dishonour of the Father, but rather to His glory: for He rejoiceth and is glorified when the Son is adored by all, although made like us; for it is written again, “For He took not on Him angels but He took on Him the seed of Abraham, wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren.” (Hebrews 2:16-17) Lo the Word took hold of the seed of Abraham, in that He is God, not some man like us took hold of Godhead, and He is Himself made like unto us, and is called our Brother as Man, not we to Him as regards the Nature of the Godhead. And again: Forasmuch then as the children partook of blood and flesh, He also Himself likewise partook of them, that through death He might destroy him who holdeth the power of death, that is, the devil, and might deliver them who through fear of death were all his lifetime subjects to bondage. Lo again He just as we partook of blood and flesh; and this hath a reason most closely united and related, for it is written, “For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending His own Son in the likeness of flesh of sin and for sin condemned sin in the flesh.” (Romans 8:3) Observe again that not man is shown to be affecting the Divine Nature, and mounting up to His Dignity; but God the Father sending rather His Son in the likeness of flesh of sin to destroy sin. Therefore the Word the God made Man, let Himself down into emptiness; and hence Christ is seen to be no mere man, affecting the Divine Glory.
Desiring to investigate the Mystery of the economy with flesh of the Only Begotten, we say this, holding true doctrine and right faith, that the Word Himself out of God the Father, Very God out of Very God, the Light out of Light, was Incarnate and made Man, descended, suffered, rose from the dead: for thus defined the holy and great Synod the Symbol of the Faith; But investigating and desiring to learn what is the true meaning of the Word being Incarnate and made Man; we see that it is not to bring man to be equal in dignity or authority or of mere community in the name of Sonship; but rather to be made man like us, at the same time preserving His own Nature, being unchanged and without turn, and thus assuming flesh and blood for fulfilling the Economy.
One therefore is He Who before the Incarnation is called by the God-inspired Scripture as Only-Begotten, Word, Image of God, Brightness, Impress of the Person of the Father, Life, Glory, Light, Wisdom, Power, Arm, Right Hand, Most Highest, Magnificence, Lord of Sabaoth, and other like names, truly God-befitting; and after the Incarnation, Man, Christ Jesus, Propitiation, Mediator, First-fruits of them that slept, First-begotten of the dead, Second Adam, Head of the Body the Church; the first names also following Him: for all are His, both the first and those in the last times of the world.
One therefore is He Who both before the Incarnation was Very God and in the human nature hath remained That He was and is and shall be. We must not then sever the One Lord Jesus Christ into Man separately and into God separately, but we say that Jesus Christ is One and the Same, yet knowing the distinction of the Natures and keeping them unconfused with one another.
When therefore Holy Scripture says that “in Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9), we do not therefore say that the Word by Himself dwelt in another, the man Christ, nor plucking asunder one from another things united do we conceive of two sons, but this rather, that holy Writ calls by the name Christ sometimes separately the human nature of the Word of God which He having as His own, used as a Temple. And it has been written somewhere of human souls also, Them that dwell in houses of clay, whereof we too are of the same clay. Do we then, since he calls the bodies of men houses of clay, and affirms that their souls dwell in them, sever one man into two? yet how is it not wholly without blame, that in a man should be said to dwell his spirit? so that even though the form of speech passes through this mode, unable to do otherwise, it does not beseem that the natures of things are therefore injured, but rather we must conceive that they hasten the straight way of the truth.
When then any of those things which do not possess same nature, are brought together to unity by composition, and the one is said to dwell within the other; we must not sunder them into two, ensuring that the concurrence unto unity is in no way injured, even though one of the things united be separately called by us what the two together are. For in man too is said to dwell, his spirit; yet both the spirit separately and likewise along with the body are called man. And most wise Paul indicate to us this same thing when he saith, “For though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16) When then any saith that our inward man dwelleth in our outward man, he speaks true, yet he does not sever the one into two. The Prophet Isaiah too somewhere saith, “With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early.” (Isaiah 26:9) Is then his spirit said to rise early to God, as being other than himself? Albeit how is it not absurd to say any thing of this kind? Therefore we must know figures of speech, yet not depart from what is reasonable, but fetch about the force of the things signified to the aim befitting each.
And although Jesus be said to advance in age and wisdom and grace, this will pertain to the Economy. For the Word of God permitted His Humanity to advance by reason of the habits of its proper nature, and willed as it were by little and little to extend the illustriousness of His own Godhead, and along with the age of the Body to put out therewith what is Its own; so that nothing strange should be seen and terrify anyone with its excessive rarity while even so they spoke, “How knoweth this man letters having never learned?” (John 7:15) Even though, increase in bodily matters and the advance in grace and wisdom will befit the measures of the Human nature: yet we say that the Word out of God is Himself in His own Nature All-Perfect, not lacking advance in wisdom, or grace, but that He imparts rather to the creation. wisdom and grace and the things whereby it is in good case.
And though Jesus be said also to suffer, the suffering will belong to the Economy; and is said to be His, and with all reason, because His too is that which suffered, and He was in the suffering Body. Even though He unknowing to suffer for He is Impassible as God; yet as far as pertained to the daring of those who raged against Him, He would have suffered, if He could have suffered.
Therefore since the Only-Begotten has been made as we, as often as He is called Man by the God-inspired Scripture, considering the Economy, let us confess that even so is He God by Nature.
God says somewhere to the hierophant Moses, “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof. And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.” (Exodus 25: 17-20) A most sure image will this be that God the Word even in the human nature remained God and in His own Glory and Majesty even though for the sake of Economy made like unto us; for a propitiation through faith was Emmanuel made unto us. And this the most wise John proved saying to us, “My little children, these things write I unto you that ye sin not; and if any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and He is the Propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:1-2); so too Paul says, “Whom God set forth a propitiation through faith in His Blood.” (Romans 3:25)
But see the Cherubim standing round about the Mercy seat and overshadowing it with their wings, but turned toward the Mercy seat and all but fixing their eye on their Lord's beck. For to the will of God alone looketh the whole multitude of the heavenly spirits, and is never sated with the sight of God. So doth the Prophet Isaiah say that “I saw the LORD sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.” (Isaiah 6:1-2)
The Divine Moses was of old appointed to free Israel from the violence of the Egyptians. But since it was needful that they who were under the yoke of an unwonted servitude, should first learn that God was now reconciled to them, He bade him work miracles: for a miracle oft-time brings us to belief. Moses therefore says to God Almighty, But if they shall not believe me nor hearken to my voice, saying, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee, what shall I say to them? the Lord then said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod: and He said to him, Cast it on the ground: and he cast it on the ground and it became a serpent and Moses fled from before it: and the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail; and he put forth his hand and took it by the tail and it became a rod in his hand. And He said to him, That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob hath appeared unto thee. Observe herein the Son of God by Nature and in truth, as a Rod of the Father (but the Rod is the ensign of Kingdom), for in the Son hath He power over all. Whence Divine David also saith, Thy Throne, O God is for ever and ever, a Rod of Equity the Rod of Thy Kingdom. But He cast it on the ground, i. e., surrounded it with an earthly Body, or through the human nature sent it upon the earth, for then, then was it made in likeness of the wicked, men that is, for of wickedness is the serpent a token.
And that this is true, thou wilt hence know. For our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, in image and figure of the economy wrought with flesh is taken for the brazen serpent which Moses reared to cure the serpents' bites. For He says, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For as the serpent made of brass was an occasion of salvation to those in peril (for looking on it they were saved), so our Lord Jesus Christ too to those who see Him in the likeness of bad men in that He was made Man, yet are not ignorant that He is God Who quickens, will be the Bestower of Life and the power of escaping bitter and venomous beasts, I mean the powers that oppose us.
It will be a figure too of this that Moses' Rod devoured the other rods, which the Magi had cast on the ground. The Rod therefore was indeed cast on the earth, yet did not abide a serpent, but taken again it was what it had been; for although the Father's Rod, i.e., the Son, through Whom He hath power over all was made (as I said before) in our likeness: yet when the economy was fulfilled He hastened back into Heaven and was again as in the Father's Hand a Rod of Righteousness and of Rule; for He sitteth at the Right Hand of His Father in His own Majesty, possessing the Supreme Throne even with Flesh.
And the Lord God said again to him, Put thine hand into thy bosom, and he put his hand into his bosom and took forth his hand out of his bosom and his hand became as snow. And He said again, Put thine hand into thy bosom, and he put his hand into his bosom and brought it forth of his bosom, and it was turned again to the colour of his flesh. The Hand and the Right Hand of God the Father the Divine Scripture calls His Very Son. For it introduces Him saying, I by Mine Hand founded the Heaven, and the Divine David too singeth, By the Word of the Lord the Heavens were stablished. See therefore that Moses' hand was as yet hidden in his bosom and had not yet become leprous; brought forth and immediately it became leprous; then after a while put in and again brought forth, and for the future not leprous; for it was restored (it says) to the colour of his flesh. Therefore as long as God the Word was in the Bosom of the Father, He shone with the brightness of Godhead, but when He was in a manner forth of it because of the Incarnation or being made Man, He became in the likeness of flesh of sin and was numbered among the wicked: for the Divine Paul saith, Him who knew not sin He made sin for us, that we might he made the Righteousness of God in Him. This I think is what the leprosy means, for the leper was unclean according to the Law. But when He was again in the Bosom of the Father (for He was taken up at the Resurrection from the dead), the Hand again brought forth was seen clean; for our Lord Jesus Christ will come, He will come in His season in the brightness and glory of the Godhead, although He have not cast away our likeness. For blessed Paul too saith of Christ, For He once died to take away the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him unto salvation shall He appear the second time without sin. Therefore as often as the Divine Scripture names Christ Jesus, do not think of man by himself, but think rather that Jesus Christ is the Very Word out of God the Father, even when He became Man.
They who have their faith in Christ undefiled, and approved by all, will say that God the Word Himself out of God the Father descended into emptiness, taking servant's form and, making His own the Body which was born of the Virgin, was made as we and called Son of Man. He is indeed God according to the Spirit, yet the Same Man according to the flesh. And the Divine Paul also addressed the people of the Jews saying, “God Who manifoldly and in many ways of old spoke to the fathers in the prophets, in these last days spake to us in the Son.” (Hebrews 1:1-2) And how is God the Father understood to have spoken in the last days in His Son? For He spoke to them in earlier times, the Law through Him; and hence the Son Himself says that they are His Words through the most wise Moses. For He says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets, I am not come to destroy but to fulfil: for I say unto you that one jot or one tittle shall not pass from the Law till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away but My words shall not pass away” (Matthew 5:17-18): there is also the Prophet's voice, “I that speak am at hand”. Hence when He was made in flesh, then spoke to us the Father through Him in the last days, as saith blessed Paul (Hebrews 1:2). But lest we should not believe that it is He Who before the ages also was Son, he added immediately, “Through Whom He made the worlds” (Hebrews 1:2) too: he also mentions that “He is the brightness of the glory and the Impress of the Person of the Father” (Hebrews 1:3).
He was therefore Man truly made, through Whom God the Father made the worlds too; and was not in a man, as some suppose, so as to be conceived of by us as a man who has God indwelling in him. For if they believe that these things are really so, the, saying of blessed Evangelist John “And the Word was made Flesh” will seem to be superfluous. For what was the need of being made man? Or why is God the Word said to be Incarnate, unless “was made flesh” means that He was made like us, and the emphasis of the being made man declares that He was made like us, yet remained even so above us and also above the whole creation? But I think it apt by instances also to prove what I have said and to persuade that the Only-Begotten has been made Man and is God even with Flesh and hath not rather indwelt in a man, rendering him God-clad, like others too who have been made partakers of His Godhead.
God says of us, “I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be to them a God and they shall be to Me a people” (Hebrews 8:10). And our Lord Jesus Christ Himself too saith, “Lo I am coming and if any man opens to Me, I will enter both I and the Father and we will dwell with him and sup with him” (Revelation 3:20). We are also called temples of God, for He says we are the Temples of the Living God, and again, “Know ye not that your bodies are the Temples of the Holy Spirit Which is in you Which ye have of God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19). But if they say that He is Emmanuel, as each one of us has had God indwelling in him, let them confess it openly, that when they see Him worshipped by us as well as by the Angels in Heaven alike and upon earth, they may blush as thinking otherwise, and ignorant of the drift of the holy Scriptures, and not having in them the faith which they delivered to us, who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word.
But if they say that He is therefore God and glorified as God because the Word of God the Father merely dwelt in Him, and not because He was made Man, let them hear again from us, If to them who had God indwelling in them, it suffices that they might therefore be truly gods and adored by all, all are gods and to be adored, for He dwelleth in the holy Angels, and we have Him ourselves too in us through the Spirit; but this is not enough to show that they are by nature gods and to be adored who have the Spirit in them. For this is Emmanuel the God and is to be worshipped not because the Word of God dwelt in Him as in a mere man, but because He was made flesh, i. e. Man, for He remained therefore God who is to be worshipped.
Speaking of the Mystery Christward, Blessed Paul says, “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto His saints, unto whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of glory, Whom we preach.” (Colossians 1:26-28) If therefore He is God-clad and not truly God, how is Himself the riches of the glory of the Mystery which is proclaimed to the Gentiles? Or how is God at all proclaimed?
“For I would that ye knew what conflict I have for you and for them at Laodicea and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the Mystery of God, of the Father, and of Christ.” (Colossians 2:1-2) Lo he calls the Mystery of God the Mystery of Christ, and wishes certain to have full understanding unto the acknowledgement of it. Therefore there was need of what understanding to those who would learn the Mystery of Christ, if they were to hear that God dwelt in a man? For there would be need of exceeding understanding to know on the other hand that the Word being God was made Man.
“For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith to Godward is gone forth.” (1Thessalonians 1:8) Lo again he makes mention that their faith was Godward and he calls the preaching of Him the Word of the Lord. And Christ too saith, “He that believeth in Me hath everlasting Life” (John 6:47)
For yourselves know our entrance in unto you that it was not in vain, but after that we had suffered many things before and been reviled as ye know in Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God.” (1Thessalonians 2:1-2) Lo speaking in God, he made mention of the Gospel of God, which preaches Christ to the Gentiles.
“Call to mind, brethren, our labor and travail, laboring night and day that we might not be burdensome to any of you, we preached the Gospel of God among you.” (1Thessalonians 2:9) and again, “For this cause we too thank God without ceasing, because when ye received, from us the Word of God, ye received it not as the word of men but as it is in truth the Word of God which worketh in you which have believed.” (1Thessalonians 2:13) Does he not plainly call the preaching about Christ, the Gospel of God and Word of God? This surely is plain to all.
“For the grace of God our Saviour hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts we should live soberly and uprightly and piously in this world awaiting the blessed hope and coming of the glory of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” (Titus 2:11-13) Lo our Lord Jesus Christ is most openly called God and Great Whose coming of glory we awaiting, are diligent to live soberly and unblameably. But if He be a God-clad man, how is He also great God? Or how is the hope in Him a blessed one? If so, Prophet Jeremiah is true in saying, “Cursed the man that putteth his trust in man.” (Jeremiah 17:5) For neither could his bearing God render him God Himself: next let them teach us what hinders that all others be gods and to be worshipped who have God in them? But blessed Paul calls Christ God and Great and that hath a blessed coming. He is found saying of the Jews, and of Emmanuel, “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 9:4-5)
But that by Divine revelation he did make his preaching, is clear in that himself when he saith, “Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also; but I went up by revelation and set forth to them the Gospel which I preach to the Gentiles, but privately to them who seemed to be somewhat, lest haply I should run or had run in vain.” (Galatians 2:1-2) He preaching Christ to the Gentiles as God, every where calls His Mystery Divine. He went up to Jerusalem by revelation and set forth to them who seemed to be somewhat, i. e., to the holy Apostles and Disciples, lest perchance he should run in vain or had run. But when he had gone down from Jerusalem and was again among the multitude of the Gentiles, did he ought correct of his former teaching? Did he not persevere in confessing that Christ is God? And indeed he writes, “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him who called you, unto another gospel which is not another, save there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gospel of Christ.” (Galatians 1;6-7) and he says again, “But though we or an Angel from Heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be anathema.” (Galatians 1:8) For what reason therefore leaving all else albeit they had God indwelling, did he preach Jesus Alone as God?
It is written of Christ, that when He was at Jerusalem in the feast day many believed in His Name, when they saw the signs which He was doing, but Jesus Himself trusted not Himself to them, because He knew all men and because He needed not that any one should bear witness of a man, for Himself knew what was in man. If He were a God-clad man, how were not the many deceived at Jerusalem believed on His Name? Or how doth He Alone know the things which are in man when none else knoweth them? For God is said to have fashioned our hearts one by one. Or why doth He Alone forgive sins? For He saith, “That the Son of Man hath power upon earth to forgive sins.” (Matthew 9:6; Mark 2:10; Luke 5:24) Why is He Alone apart from others the Co-cessor of God the Father? Why do the Angels worship Him Alone, and did He teach us to deem of the Father as our common Father which is in Heaven, but ascribeth Him in special manner to Himself?
But perchance you will say that words of this sort are to be attributed to the indwelling Word. Ought He not therefore, according to the measure beseeming Prophets, Himself too to have said, “Thus saith the Lord”? But when He would ordain the things that are above the Law, taking to Himself authority befitting a Legislator, He used to say, “I say to you”. How says He that He is free and not indebted to God? It is because He is Son in truth. And if He were a God-clad man, would He be also free by Nature? For God Alone is free and unbound: for He Alone exacts tribute from all, and receives from all as from debtors due observance. And if Christ is the end of the Law and the Prophets, yet is a God-clad man, might one not say that the end of the prophetic preachings has brought upon us the charge of man-worship?
Again, the Law set forth, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and Him only shalt thou serve. By which teaching it led us unto Christ, as unto a knowledge more excellent than they had who were in the shadow. Shall we therefore, making light of worshipping God, worship a man who has God indwelling? For where was it best for God to be conceived? In heaven or in a man? In Seraphim or in earthly body?
If therefore He were God-clad man, how did He partake like us in flesh and blood? For if He indwelt him, this were enough for Him that He should partake of ours like us, and if His so participating is the being made man, He indwelt in many saints too. He was therefore not once made full man. Why therefore is He said once in the end of the world to have appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself? (Hebrews 9:26) How do the Divine Scriptures preach to us one Coming of the Word?
And the Divine Paul also wrote somewhere, He that despised Moses' Law died without any mercy at the hands of two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under foot the Son of God and hath deemed polluted the Blood of the Covenant? (Hebrews 10: 28-29) Yet Divine was the Law, and the Commandments spoken through Angels: how then will he be thought worthy of sorer punishment who hath deemed polluted the Blood of Christ? or how is the faith towards Christ better than the worship after the Law? But Christ is not as other saints, a God-clad man, but rather God in truth and He possesses glory higher than all the world, because, being the Word of God by Nature, God was made flesh or perfect man; for we believe that the Body which was united to Him is ensouled and endowed with reason, and wholly true is the union.
The blessed Paul makes mention that “the Only-Begotten Word of God took hold of Abraham's seed” (Hebrews 2:16) and also that “He partook of flesh and blood like us” (Hebrews 2:14). We remember too the voice of John, for he says, “And the Word was made Flesh and dwelt in us.” (John 1:14) Was it therefore the aim of these men, being spiritual, to teach that the Word of God suffers change, or is it right that He should undergo the mutation which belongs rather to the creation which He was not? Should He haply either come to of His own will, or another, against His will driving Him into another nature? God forbid, for He remains the Same, excluding from His Nature every change, unknowing to suffer a shadow of change: for That Supreme and Heavenly Nature is ever fixed in Its own.
How then the Word has been made Flesh is needful to see. First the Divine Scripture often calls man flesh and as it were from part makes declaration of the whole animal, and does the same sometimes no less from the soul alone, for it is written that “all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6), and moreover the Divine-uttering Paul saith, “I conferred not with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16), and the hierophant Moses addressed them of Israel, “Thy fathers went down into Egypt in threescore and fifteen souls.” (Deuteronomy 10:22) And one would not therefore say that bare and fleshless souls made their descent into Egypt, nor again that to soulless bodies and mere flesh God gave bounteously of His salvation.
As often therefore as we hear that the Word was made Flesh, let us conceive of man made out of soul and body. But the Word being God was made perfect man taking a body endowed with soul and mind, and having united this to Himself in truth, as He knows was called son of man. Yet if one must say somewhat, looking as in a mirror, the human mind defines that the Word was united to the Body having a reasonable soul, much as is the soul of man too to its own body, which is of other nature than it, yet obtains even thus participation and union with the body, so as to appear not other than it, in that by composition one living thing is effected out of both, it nevertheless remaining in its own nature. Hence we say that not by mutation or change has the Word of God been made Man, nor yet that It recked not of being God but that taking flesh of a woman and united to it from the womb, He proceeded forth, the Same, Man and God, for not as casting away the Ineffable Generation out of God the Father, nor did He endure that of a woman, inviting Him to a beginning so to say of being, but rather permitted His own Flesh to come into being by means of the laws of its own nature, in regard to the mode of its birth. Nevertheless the human nature in Him hath something special, for He was born of a Virgin and hath Alone a mother incognizant of marriage. And he says that” though made Flesh He also tabernacled in us” (John 1:14), that through both he might show that He both was made Man and let not go His own, for He hath remained what He was.
For that which dwelleth is surely conceived of as one thing in another, that is to say, the Divine Nature in the human, not undergoing mixture or any commingling or passing into what it was not. For that which indwells in another, becomes not that which it is wherein it dwells; but is conceived of rather as one thing in another. But in respect of the Nature of the Word and of the Manhood, the diversity herein indicates to us only the difference of natures. For One Christ is conceived of out of both. Preserving well therefore the inconfusion (without confusion), he says that “the Word tabernacled in us” (John 1:14). For he knows that the Only-Begotten Incarnate and made Man is One Son.
But see that the Divine Evangelist is wisely crowning the whole nature of men, for he says that “the Word dwelt in us” (John 1:14), not saying that the Incarnation of the Word took place for any other reason, save that we too, enriched by the participation of Himself through the Holy Spirit might gain the benefit of adoption. Therefore we believe that in Christ took place a union most complete and true: but in us even though He be said to dwell, He will make His Indwelling non-essential. “For in Him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9), not by participation or relation only, as when light shineth in or fire infuseth into other things its innate heat, but that Very Divine and Untainted Nature is to be understood as that which is making for Itself an Indwelling by means of a true Union in the Temple which is born of the Virgin: for thus Christ Jesus both is and is conceived of as One.
And that our speech is overcome in its utmost possible expression, I will not deny, but let not the Mystery of Christ be therefore disbelieved, but let it be deservedly be more marvelous: for the more it overpasses all mind and speech, the more must it be put beyond all marvel.
But we do not say that the Word made Flesh, i. e., Perfect man, is comprehended by the limit of the body, but we believe that thus too It fills Heaven and earth and the things below: for all things are full of God, and all things little to Him. But how is He wholly both in each and in all, is hard to understand and rather is even impossible.
And He possesses this too that He is without Body and Unportioned; yet the Body is called by us as the Word’s own, not in the same way as laughing is proper to a man or neighing to a horse, but because it was made His by true union, accomplishing the use of an instrument unto whatever was its nature to work, save only what belongs to sin.
And if God the Word be haply said to have been sent, let not any one of you be terrified thinking that, “Whither shall the Unembodied advance?” Or whither He withdraw of Whom all things are full? But let him know that the mode of mission is of another kind: not that He Who is sent should change from place to place but rather that He should take on Him a sacred ministry, which we learn was also enjoined to the disciples by Christ the Savior of all. Again, the Divine Paul too says of Christ, “Therefore, holy brethren partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 3:1). Note that when he shows Him ministering in human wise albeit He is by nature God, then does he also attribute to Him the office of the Apostolate: but it is not unreasonable if God the Word be said to be sent by the Father, for He most surely fills all things and in no place at all is He absent: but we interpreting things Divine by human words, are wont to understand economies of the Immortal Nature by bodily outlines.
Again though the Holy Spirit fills all things, the blessed Paul writes and says, “And because ye are sons, God sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, wherein we cry Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6); and the Savior Himself too saith, “It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but when I depart I will send Him to you.”(John 16:7) We must therefore referring all things to the Rule of piety, follow sure knowledge, for so doing shall we best profit ourselves.
The Word out of God the Father was begotten in some ineffable way for beyond all understanding is His Generation, and as befits the Unembodied Nature; yet That which is begotten conceived of as the Own Offspring of the Generator and Consubstantial with Him, for therefore is It called also Son: the Name indicating to us the Verity of the Birth and Parturition. And since the Father ever liveth and hath being, it must need that He on account of Whom He is, co-live and have co-Being Eternally with Father. The Word therefore was in the beginning and was God and, was with God (John 1:1-2) as saith the most wise Evangelist, but in the last times of the world for us men and for our salvation was made flesh and was made Man: and not at all letting go what He was, but having His own Nature unchanged and existing ever in the excellences of Godhead, yet undergoing for us economically the emptiness and not despising the poverty that belongs to the human measures. As it is written “For being Rich He became poor, that we by His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). He was made therefore Man and is said to have endured Generation after the flesh of a woman, because of His taking of the holy Virgin the Body that was united to Him of a truth: whence we say that the holy Virgin is Mother of God, as having borne Him in fleshly or human wise, albeit that He hath His Generation before the ages out of the Father.
That some suppose that the Word was then called to a beginning of being when He became Man, is utterly impious and exceeding discordant. For the Savior Himself shows them to be most unwise, saying in regard to Himself, “Verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was I am” (John 8:58) for how was He before Abraham who was born after the flesh many ages after him? The Divine-uttering John too will I deem suffice to convict them saying, “This was He of Whom I said, After me cometh a Man Who was made before me, for He was before me.” (John 1:15)
Leaving therefore as exceeding foolish to contend about what is superfluous, come let us rather go on to what is beyond, I mean unto what is profitable. Let not any be troubled, hearing the holy Virgin called Mother of God, nor let them fill their souls with Jewish unbelief and Gentile impiety. For the Jews attacked Christ saying, “For a good work we stone Thee not but for blasphemy because Thou, being a Man, makest Thyself God” (John 10:33) and the children of the Greeks, hearing the doctrines of the Church that God hath been born of a woman, laugh.
But they shall eat the fruit of their own impiety, and shall hear of us, The fool will utter folly and his heart imagine vain things. But the plan of our Mystery, albeit to the Jews it be an offence, to the Gentiles folly, yet to us who know it, verily admirable is it and saving and far removed from being to be disbelieved by any. For if there were any who should dare to say that this flesh made of earth had become mother of the bare Godhead, and that she bare out of her own self the Nature which is over the whole creation, the thing would be madness and nothing else: for not of earth has the Divine Nature been made, nor will that which is subject to decay become the root of immortality nor that which is subject to death bear the Life of all things, nor yet the Unembodied be the fruit of the palpable body, nor that which is subject to birth bear that which is superior to birth, nor that which hath its beginning in time bear that which is without beginning.
But since we affirm of a truth that the Word became like us and took a body similar to our bodies and united this unto Himself, in a way beyond understanding and speech, and that He was thus too made Man and born after the flesh, what is there incredible therein or worthy of disbelief? Just as we say that the human soul being of other nature than the body is yet born with it, it too has been united therewith. Yet no one will suppose that the soul has the nature of the body as the beginning of its own existence, but God inplaces it ineffably in the body and it is born along with it; yet we define as one the animal that is made up out of both, i. e., man. Therefore the Word was God but was made Man too, and since He has been born after the flesh by reason of the human nature, she who bore Him is necessarily Mother of God. For if she have not borne God, let not Him Who is born of her be called God; but if the God-inspired Scriptures call Him God, as God Incarnate and made Flesh, and it be not possible in any other way to be Incarnate, save through birth of a woman, how is she not Mother of God, who bore Him? But that He is truly God Who was born, we shall know from the God-inspired Scripture too.
“Behold a Virgin shall conceive in the womb and bear a Son and they shall call His Name Emmanuel.” (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14) How then is that which is born of the holy Virgin called Emmanuel? Emmanuel signifying, that the Word out of God which is in truth God was made by reason of the Flesh in nature like us. But He is Emmanuel, for He emptied Himself, having undergone a generation like to ours, and so had His conversation with us. Hence He is God in flesh and she truly Mother of God, who bore Him carnally or after the flesh.
“For they shall lay down every robe that was gathered by guile and garment with its change and shall be willing if they shall have been burnt with fire; for a boy has been born to us and a son given unto us whose rule is upon His Shoulder and His Name is called The Messenger of the great Counsel.” (Isaiah 9:5-6) Hearest thou that He was called a Boy because He underwent a birth like us? But Him a Boy by brightest star did the sky point out, did the Magi worship coming from the uttermost limits of the earth, did the Angels bear good tidings of to the Shepherds saying that a Savior was born, and proclaiming Peace and the Good will of the Father. He is also the Messenger of the Great Counsel: for He made known to us the Good-will of the Father, Who in Him was pleased to save the earth, and through Him and in Him to reconcile the world unto Himself, for being reconciled to Christ, we are reconciled to God, for God and truly Son of God the Father is He. That He is therefore the Counsel of the Father Whose Messenger He has been to us, Himself will teach saying, “For so God loved the world that He gave His Only-Begotten Son that every one that believeth in Him should not perish but should have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) But the Only-Begotten Son is He Who was born of the holy Virgin, for the Word Himself was made Man, Who was God in the flesh and thus appeared to those on earth. Finally He says, “He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” (John 6:47) And that through Him and in Him we believe on the Father, He hath set forth saying, “He that believeth on Me believeth not on Me but on Him That sent Me and he that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me.” (John 12:44-45)
“Hear Me, ye isles, and give ear, ye nations: after long time shall He stand, saying, The Lord from the womb of My mother shall they call My Name.” (Isaiah 49:1) The Word being God, was not ignorant that He should undergo birth, Incarnate of a woman for our sakes: He knew that He shall be called Christ Jesus, God the Father afore proclaiming unto us the New Name of His Son which is blessed in the earth. And note how He mentions His own Mother who bore His Body. Hence if He knows that He is Very God, she who bore Him after the flesh is called Mother of God, and rightly so: but if He be not God, as some daringly, yea rather wickedly, think: let them deprive the holy Virgin herself of this name, that she be not called Mother of God.
Solomon praying says, “And now, O Lord God of Israel, let Thy word be credible which Thou spakest unto Thy servant David. Shall God in very deed dwell with men on earth?” (1Kings 8:26-27) Observe that he marvels at the Incarnation of the Word, for it seemed a thing incredible: but He did dwell with men upon the earth when He was made Man. Else how is this anything special or worthy of marvel, that God should not depart from these things which He Himself had created, cherishing them, and holding together the things which had been already made, creating those which have not been yet made? But verily it is a special miracle that God made Man should have dwelt on earth with men, according to the promises long before given to the Divine David. For it is written, “The Lord swore unto David and will not reject him; of the fruit of thy body shall I set upon thy throne.” (Psalm 132:11) Although he believed that the Almighty God would never deny His Promise, yet he more carefully searched out the place of the Birth itself and said, “If I go up upon my bed, if I give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eyelids or rest to my temples, until I find a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.” (Psalm 132:3-5) At length when he had found out, this too through the Spirit, and knew the place of the Birth of the flesh of the Only-Begotten, then he preached it and said, “We heard of it at Ephratah, that is, in Bethlehem, we found it in the fields of the wood.” (Psalm 132:6) And in saying Ephratah, he means Bethlehem as the Prophet hath proved, “But thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephratah” (Micah 5:2). But note that He, Whom he believed to have been created like us in Ephratah, he names the God of Jacob, Whose dwelling was in the Tabernacle; for there did the holy Virgin bear Jesus.
Elsewhere too does he call Him the God of Abraham, saying, “The princes of the people are gathered together with the God of Abraham” (Psalm 47:9). For well-nigh, instructed in the knowledge of things to come, did he see with the eyes of his mind and the illumination of the Holy Spirit, the princes of the people, i. e., the Holy Apostles, in the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ. Seeing therefore that He is named God of Abraham and God of Jacob, Who is born of a woman, why is not the holy Virgin Mother of God?
The Prophet Habakkuk says, “O Lord, I have heard Thy hearing and feared, I have thought on Thy works and shuddered. In the midst of the two living creatures shalt Thou be known, in the coming of the times shalt Thou be shown, while my soul was troubled, shalt Thou in anger remember mercy. God shall come from Teman, the Holy One from mount Paran.” (Habakkuk 3:2-3) How shall He be known in the midst of the two living creatures? for when He had been born of a woman and had lived even unto the time of the Precious Cross, “by the grace of God did He by His Body taste death for every man” as saith blessed Paul (Hebrews 2:9). But since He was by Nature God, He rose again unto everlasting life. He therefore is known, Who for us endured the Precious Cross, in the midst of the two living creatures. And Himself says somewhere to the Jews, “When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He” (John 8:28). But how, calling Him also God, does he fore-announce that He shall come from Teman and from mount Paran? Teman is interpreted South; for Christ was manifested, not from northern regions, but from the southern Judaea, wherein Bethlehem is. Since therefore He Who has been named Lord and God, cometh out of the southern Judea, for He was born in Bethlehem, how is not the holy Virgin Mother of God?
In Genesis it is written, “And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled with him a Man until the morning: but he saw that he was not prevailing against him and he touched the flat of his thigh as he was wrestling with him and said to him, Let me go for the morning ascendeth. But he said, I do not let thee go, except thou bless me. And after more, He blessed him there: and he called the name of that place, The Face of God: for I saw God face to face and my life is preserved. And the sun rose when he passed the face of God: and he hailed on his thigh.” (Genesis 32:24-31) Mystic is the sense of that which is written, for it appears to hint at the wrestling of the Jews which they used in regard to Christ, well-nigh wrestling with Him, nevertheless they were overcome and will themselves implore His Blessing, if through faith they turn them to Him at the last times. But note this, it was a man who was wrestling, and Jacob called him The Face of God: nor that alone, for he knew that He is God in truth. For he said I have seen God face to face and my life is preserved. For Immanuel is by Nature God, yet is He called also The Face of God: for He is the Image of the Father's Substance: thus did He call Himself to the Jews, saying respecting God the Father, “Nor have ye seen His Face and ye have not His Word abiding in you, for Whom He sent, Him ye believe not.” (John 5:37-38)
But that Very God is that Man Who was wrestling with Jacob, holy Scriptures will again give proof, for it says, “And the Lord said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there, and make there an Altar to God that appeared unto thee when thou fled from the face of Esau thy brother. (Genesis 35:1) For returning from Mesopotamia and being then in fear of Esau, he sent over Jacob his children and all his stuff, and he was left alone and there wrestled a man with him.
Blessed Daniel setting forth to us a dread vision says, “I was seeing in a night vision, and lo with the clouds of Heaven came as it were the Son of Man and came even unto the Ancient of Days and they brought Him, into His Presence and there was given Him dominion and honor and a kingdom, and all peoples nations and languages shall serve Him: His Power a Power for ever which shall not pass, and His Kingdom shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14) Hearest thou how he does not mention that he had seen simply a man, lest Immanuel should be believed to be one of us and like us, but as it were the Son of Man? For the Word being by Nature God was made in the likeness of men and was found in fashion as a Man, in order that in the Same might Both be conceived of, neither bare man nor yet the Word apart from manhood and flesh. Yet does he tell that to Him was given the princedom and honour which He ever had; for he says that all peoples nations and languages shall serve Him. Since therefore even when in the human nature the Only-Begotten Word of God hath the creation serving Him and the Princedom of His Father and Himself, and the holy Virgin bare Him after the flesh: how is not the holy Virgin conceived of as Mother of God?
Saint Paul sets forth to us the Saving Passion, for he saith at one time, “By the Grace of God He tasted death for all” (Hebrews 2:9) and also, For I delivered to you in the first place that which I too received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures and that He was buried and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Moreover the most wise Peter also saith, “Forasmuch as Christ suffered for us in the Flesh” (1Peter 4:1). Seeing therefore we believe that One is our Lord Jesus Christ , i. e. God the Word beheld in human form or made man like us, in what manner can we attribute Passion to Him and still hold Him impassible, as God?
The Passion therefore will belong to the Economy, God the Word esteeming as His own the things which pertain to His own Flesh, by reason of the Ineffable Union, and remaining external to suffering as far as pertains to His own Nature, for God is Impassible, yet is it not conceived of as external to suffering, in that the body which suffers is its very own: and albeit it be impalpable and simple, yet that which suffers is not foreign to it. Thus you will understand of Christ too the Savior of all.
But I will make use of examples which show us that the Only-Begotten shared in the suffering due to owning of His Body, yet remained free from suffering, as God. Almighty God was bidding the most wise Moses to work miracles, that Israel might believe him that he was sent from God, and that they should be set free from violence. He says, “And thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the earth, and the water which thou shalt take from the river, shall he blood upon the earth.” (Exodus 4:9) But we say that the water is an image of life, and that the Son proceeding out of the Father as out of a river, by reason of being of the Same Essence, is by Nature Life, and therefore quickens all things. When He was made flesh of the earth, He is said to have suffered death in it like our death, albeit He is by Nature Life.
In Leviticus, God intimates that the leper is polluted and impure and therefore bids that he should be put forth of the camp, and that if the disease be healed, he should thus be cleansed. And they shall take for him that is cleansed two clean birds and cedar wood and scarlet wool and hyssop, and the priest shall command and they shall hill one of the birds in an earthen vessel in living water, and the living bird shall he take and shall bathe it in the blood of the bird that was killed in the living water and he shall sprinkle upon him who is cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and he shall be clean. (Leviticus 14:1-7) We there rendereth clean and washeth away the soils of our uncleanness and driveth off the mortality of fleshly desire by the Most Precious Blood of Christ and the purification of all-holy Baptism. But note that he compares Christ to two birds, not as though there were two sons, but rather one out of two, the Godhead and the manhood, gathered together into union. The birds are clean, for our Lord Jesus Christ did no sin and the Word was holy, in Godhead and in Manhood: He is likened again to flying things, by reason of His being high above the earth and from above, for Christ is the Man out of Heaven, albeit the holy Virgin bare His Flesh. Hence God the Word from above and out of the Father, taking flesh from the holy Virgin and manifesting it as His own, as though He had brought it down from above and out of Heaven, said, “No man hath ascended up into Heaven, save He That came down from Heaven, the Son of Man” (John 3:13) for He allotteth to His own Flesh that which is His own, and once united to it is accounted one with it.
As one bird is slain, the other is dipped in his blood, yet died not, the Word lived, even though His Flesh died, and He was participant in the Passion, through ownness and union with it. Therefore the Same was living as God, but as He made His Body His own, so did He receive into Himself in all ownness the sufferings too of His Body, Himself suffering nought in His own Nature. Albeit the things done be said to be of diverse kind and in no ways harmonizing with one another, it is therefore helpful and necessary unto profit that we should admit in regard to Christ as belonging to one and the same person, yet should not permit Him to be severed into two sons.
Hence we say that God the Word is born out of a woman after the flesh, albeit gave to Himself all things worthy of being born, and call to the birth the things which are not yet born. How then doth the Same both undergo birth and call to being? For He was born, in that He is conceived of as Man like us, but since He is God by Nature, He calleth into being the things that are not, in that; for it is written of Him, “The Little one waxed and grew strong, filled with wisdom and grace” (Luke 2:52), albeit He is by Nature all-Perfect as God, and out of His own Fullness imparteth spiritual gifts to the saints, and is Himself Wisdom and the Giver of grace. How then waxeth the Little One and is filled with wisdom and grace? For the Same, Man and God, makes His own the human, by reason of the union, and is all-Perfect and Giver of wisdom and grace as God.
He is called First-born and Only-Begotten, but if one should examine the force of the words, the First-born will be He Who is First-born among many brethren, the Only-Begotten as Sole, no longer First-born among many brethren. How is it the Same, yet one and other? Same First-born among many brethren by reason of the human nature, the Same again Only-Begotten, as Alone Begotten of the Alone God the Father. He is said to have been sanctified through the Spirit and moreover to sanctify those who come to Him; He was baptized according to the Flesh and was baptizing in the Holy Spirit; how then doth the Same both sanctify and is sanctified; baptizeth and is baptized? For He is sanctified humanly, and thus is He baptized: He sanctifies Divinely and thus baptizeth in the Holy Spirit.
Himself raising the dead was raised from the dead; and being Life by Nature is said to give life. How? For the Same was raised from the dead and is said to be quickened after the Flesh, yet quickens and raises the dead as God. He suffers and does not suffer, for He suffers humanly in the Flesh as Man, He is impassible Divinely as God.
Himself hath adored God with us, for He says :Ye worship what ye know not, we worship what we know” (John 4:22) yet He is to be adored also, for “to Him every knee bows” (Philippians 2:10). For He worships as having assumed the nature that pays worship, Again the Same is worshipped as surpassing the nature that worships in that He is conceived of as God. Yet we must neither sever the worship unto Man by Himself and God by Himself, nor say that the Man is worshipped with God for the reason of being connected with God by equality of dignity thus dissevering the Persons in Christ. But we must worship One Word of God Incarnate and made Man, and at the same time believe that the Body united to Him was ensouled with a reasonable soul like ours. For neither did God Almighty bid two first-borns to be worshipped by us as well as by the holy Angels for One is He Who was brought into the world. And if we look more carefully into the mode of this bringing in, we find it to be the mystery of the Economy with flesh. For He was brought into the world when He was made Man, albeit He be seen to be in His own Nature most far removed from the earth and be believed to be truly in the Excellence of Godhead; for Other than the elements is their Maker. Therefore He is by Nature above the things which He Himself made in that He is God by Nature. Yet One is to be worshipped even though He is also called First-born for the reason He is among many brethren.
One blind from the birth when wondrously healed worshipped Him. For Jesus finding him in the temple said, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” And he said, “Who is He, Lord, that I might believe on Him?” Christ manifesting Himself embodied says to him, “Thou had both seen Him and He That speaketh with thee is He.” (John 9:35-37) See how He used the singular number, not permitting God and Man to be conceived of separately? yea rather if one were to call Emmanuel man, it signifies not bare man but the Word of God united to our nature. As One did the Divine disciples worship Him, when beholding Him wondrously borne on the waters as they worshipped saying, “Truly Thou art the Son of God.”(Matthew 14:33)
When therefore we say that man is co-worshipped with God, we have brought in a gross severance. For that word, except it be said of One by composition, will always surely persuade us to conceive of two. For as no one will be said to live with himself nor again to eat with, to pray with and to walk with himself for “with” prefixed to the word introduces a declaration of two persons, so if one say that the man is co-worshipped with God, he will without question say two sons and severed one from another. For the plan of union, if it be conceived of in regard to mere equality of dignity or authority, is convicted of being untrue.
Some prate concerning the Economy with flesh of the Only-Begotten and, bringing down to our frail perceptions the Mystery venerable and great and most dear to the Spirits above, whereby also we are saved, pollute the comeliness and beauty of the Truth, whereas they ought, not to try and prop up whatever seems to them right, but rather with subtle and keen eye of the mind to look into the aim of the Sacred Writings and thus to go on the right road, following what the most holy fathers have searched out, who taught by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, denned for us the Symbol of faith, saying that the God the Word Himself Which was in mode ineffable begotten out of the Essence of the Father, by Whom all things were made which are in Heaven and which are in earth, for us men and for our salvation came down, was made flesh, was made man, suffered, ascended into heaven, will in his season come to judge quick and dead.
But there are certain who deem that they are learned and knowing and are puffed up with pride and swelling, who if they hear these words, mock, and deem that those things which are so rightly said, are mad ravings: while we specially believe that the knowledge of the Truth lay open through the illumination of the Holy Spirit to the holy Fathers. But they, as if they alone could think what is better, deem that not the Only-Begotten Son of God Himself, God the Word Which is out of His Essence, suffered in His own Flesh for us humanly, albeit conceived of as God He have in His own Nature the inability to suffer; but putting as man separately and by Himself that was born of the holy Virgin, and attributing to him to what extent it seems good to them, a kind of glory, they say that he was united to the Word of God the Father. And explaining the mode of the union, they say that there was given him by God equality of dignity or authority and to be called by like name both Christ and Son and Lord. but if the man who is invented by them be said to suffer ought, it must be referred to God the Word Himself, in that he is connected to Him by equality of worth, while in their severed natures each is what he is.
I will open the force of their opinions, so far as I can, bringing forward instances from the Sacred Writings. Christ hungered, was wearied with the journey, slept, entered into the boat, was stricken with blows by the attendants, was scourged by Pilate, received the spittle of the soldiers, who piercing with the spear His Side, offered vinegar mingled with gall to His Mouth: yea and He tasted death, suffering the Cross and other contumelies of the Jews. All these things they declare to have befallen indeed the man, but to be referred to the Person of the Very Son. But we believe, as in One God the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible, so too in One our Lord Jesus Christ, His Son. And we refuse to divide Emmanuel into man by himself and into the Word by Himself: but knowing that the Word became truly Man too as we, we say that Himself the Same is God of God, and in human wise Man as we of a woman. And we assert that by reason of the ownness of the flesh, He suffered indeed infirmities, yet reserved to His Nature its impassibility, in that He was not Man alone but the Same therewith also God by Nature. And like as the Body was His own, so too the natural and blameless passions of the body and the things which by the frowardness of some were put upon Him.
He suffered without suffering Who did not therefore humble Himself that He might only be like us, but because He had reserved to His Nature superiority to all these things. But if we should say that through conversion or mutation of His own Nature He had passed into the nature of the flesh, it would be in all ways necessary for us even against our will to confess that the Hidden and Divine Nature was passible. But if He have remained unchanged albeit He have been made man like us, and it be a property of the Heavenly Nature that It cannot suffer, and the passible body have become His own through the union:----He suffers when the Body suffers, in that it is said to be His own body. He remains Impassible in that it is truly His property to be unable to suffer.
And if Emmanuel have been glorified through suffering, as He Himself says when about to suffer for us the Precious Cross, “Now is the son of man glorified” (John 13:31), why do they not blush, attributing the glory of the Passion to a man having connection only with Him in Equality of dignity? For as they deem, He connected with Himself according to the Will and Good-pleasure of the Father a man only and made him equal to His own glory, and permitted that by like name he should be styled both Christ and Son and God and Lord:----hence neither is the Word truly Incarnate nor was He at all made man. And haply to call the holy doctors of the whole world false and liars, will do no harm? for either let them say, yea rather come forward and prove that the mode of connection which is brought in by them has the force of incarnation and is that the Word was made flesh; or if they think that these things are not so, why do they invent for us a mode of unconnected connection, the truth being neglected? whereas it would be fitting that they should say that the Word of God the Father was united to our humanity, for thus in His own flesh is He conceived to have suffered what belongs to man, but so far as pertains to the Nature of the Godhead, He is free from all that disturbs, as God.
And that by speaking of reference, which I know not how they invented, they withdraw Emmanuel from His Glory and make Him barely one of the Prophets, and set Him amid the measure of the many, and are full surely caught thus doing, which I will prove, giving examples from the Divine Scripture.
There once murmured in the wilderness against Moses and Aaron the people of Israel saying, “Would we had died, stricken by the Lord in Egypt when we were sitting at the flesh pots and were eating bread to fullness (Exodus 16:3). Therefore the most wise Moses says (for it were like that he should reply to men so rashly impatient), “But who are we? For your murmuring is not against us but against God.” (Exodus 16:8) And in those times even God Almighty used to reign through the holy Prophets over the people of Israel, but they in this too due to slack of courage approached the Divine Samuel saying, “Lo Thou hast grown old and thy sons walk not in thy ways and now set over us a king which may judge us even as the other nations. The Prophet felt this grievously but Almighty God said, Hear the voice of the people even as they have spoken to thee, for not thee have they rejected but Me they have rejected that I should not reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:5-8)
And elsewhere too has Christ said to the holy Apostles, “He who receiveth thee hath received Me” (Matthew 10:40), and He promiseth that He will address the merciful before His Tribunal, “Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Matthew 25:34) And acknowledging as His own their righteous ways towards those to whom they had dealt kindly, He says, “In that ye did it to one of these least, to Me did ye it.” (Matthew 25:40)
In these instances is clearly recognized the mode of reference. The people of Israel were murmuring against Moses and Aaron and the matter had reference to God, yet were Moses and Aaron men like us. In the same way too will you conceive as to the others whereof we have just made mention, yet were the holy men and worthy of admiration, yet men like us. Is it then in this way that the man too who is connected with God the Word, will have reference of his sufferings towards Him? And how will he not now be mere man and apart and nothing else? Hence Emmanuel is not truly God, is not Only-Begotten Son, is not God by Nature.
Why then was none of the rest honored by God the Word with equality of dignity or of sway, but they contend that this man alone obtained all things equal? Especially seeing that God, the Savior of all men, judgeth not according to the person but righteous judgment, as He maketh mention. Why then doth He co-sit alone? How will He come as Judge, with Angels waiting on Him? Why is He alone worshipped by us as well as by the spirits above?
But in good truth it is so, for we find that thou also dost the same, for thou confessest that He suffered, in that thou attributest to Him the sufferings of the flesh, albeit thou keepest Him impassible as God.
But we humans, having first united to the Word, have to the flesh allotted the sufferings, have kept Him impassible as God: for though He hath become like us, yet are we cognizant of His God-befitting Excellence and of His Supreme Endowments.
Hence first putting the Union as a basis and foundation to the Faith, we confess that He suffered in the flesh, that He remained again superior to suffering in that He possesses Impassibility in His own Nature. But if we are diligent to put apart God and Man, severing the Natures one from another, and then say that in reference only does the Word of God make His own what have befallen His Body; He That is born of the holy Virgin, Emmanuel, which is, interpreted, “With us is God”, will haply have but the measure of Moses and Aaron.
Thus since He say through the holy Prophets, “My Back have I given to scourges, My Cheeks to blows, My Face I turned not from the shame of spittings” (Isaiah 50:6), and again, “They dug My Hands and My Feet, they told all My Bones” (Psalm 22:16-17), and again, “They gave for My meat gall and for My thirst they gave Me to drink vinegar (Psalm 69:21); we shall allot all these things to the Only-Begotten Himself, Who suffered Economically in the flesh according to the Scriptures, for He hath been wounded because of our sins and by His stripes we were we healed (Isaiah 53:6), yet we do know that He is Impassible by Nature. For if He is Man and God, with reason do the His own Sufferings belong to His Manhood, and as God conceived to be of as superior to suffering.
Thus we shall be pious minded and through such right thoughts advancing, so that we shall attain unto the prize of our high calling in Christ Jesus, through Whom, and with Whom to God the Father be glory with the Holy Spirit now and ever world without end, Amen.
